A syntactic approach of the well-known N-grams models, the K-testable language in the strict sense (K-TSS), is used in this work to be integrated in a continuous speech recognition (CSR) system. The use of smoothed K-TSS regular grammars allowed to obtain a deterministic stochastic finite state automaton (SFSA) integrating K k-TSS models into a self-contained model. An efficient representation of the whole model in a simple array of adequate size is proposed. This structure can be easily handled at decoding time by a simple search function through the array. This formulation strongly reduced the number of parameters to be managed and thus the computing complexity of the model. An experimental evaluation of the proposed SFSA representation was carried out over an Spanish recognition task. These experiments showed important memory saving to allocate K-TSS language models, more important for higher values of K. They also showed that the decoding time did not meaningfully increased when K did. The lower word error rates for the Spanish task tested were achieved for K=4 and 5. As a consequence the ability of this syntactic approach of the N-grams to be well integrated in a CSR system, even for high values of K, has been established.


Government of Indonesia held a certification program to enhance the professionalism of teachers by using portfolio assessment. This research discusses about the effectiveness of certification programs to enhance the professionalism of teacher in Indonesia. Portfolio assessment method has drawbacks. The certified teachers do not show significant performance improvement. Therefore, the government changes the portfolio assessment method to the education and training for teachers. Keywords—Profesionalism, Teacher, Certification, Indonesia


Summary of a case from the High Court of Ireland involving the right to life of (a) a pregnant woman being kept artificially alive via somatic support and (b) her unborn child.


The review of methods of data analysis and also methods of machine learning is carried out in this article. Application of machine learning and the analysis in implementation of decision making support system methods is offered. It allows to achieve efficient data analysis, to find difficult correlations in them that finally will allow to make the weighed management decisions


Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ), an endogenous peptide agonist of the opioid N/OFQ receptor, has been implicated in the regulation of energy balance. In the present study, we have used immunohistochemistry to investigate the cellular localisation and colocalisation of N/OFQ‐immunoreactive cell bodies in hypothalamic regions containing neurones producing orexigenic or anorexigenic transmitters. In colchicine‐treated rats, N/OFQ immunoreactivity was demonstrated in many cell bodies of the arcuate nucleus (Arc), paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). Double‐labelling revealed that N/OFQ was present in some neurones located in the ventrolateral part of the Arc producing pro‐opiomelanocortin, as shown by the presence of the anorexigenic peptides α‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone (α‐MSH) and cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript and, occasionally, in single neurones of the ventrolateral Arc producing orexigenic agouti‐related peptide, but not neuropeptide Y. N/OFQ immunoreactivity was also demonstrated in a few tyrosine hydroxylase‐ or dynorphin (DYN)‐containing neurones in the dorsomedial part of the Arc. In the parvocellular PVN, N/OFQ was demonstrated in some thyrotrophin‐releasing hormone‐ or DYN‐, but not corticotrophin‐releasing hormone‐containing neurones. Most N/OFQ‐immunoreactive neurones in the LHA contained orexin‐ and DYN, but not melanin‐concentrating hormone. The results obtained, demonstrating the presence of N/OFQ in some α‐MSH‐ and in many orexin‐containing neurones, suggest a functional relationship between these neuropeptides and N/OFQ in the control of feeding behaviour and body weight.


Recent clinical studies have shown that collagen peptides may reduce joint pain and the dependence on analgesics,and enhance sport ability in athletes.Therefore,collagen peptides may be a safe nutrient supplement for prevention and mitigation of joint pain in athletes.

Key words:
Athlete; Collagen peptides; Joint pain; Osteoarthritis


The involvement of the recently characterized 5‐HT4 receptor in the actions of 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) on jejunal, ileal and colonic electrogenic ion secretion was investigated in the rat in‐vivo.


This paper gives a brief overview of the EXPloiting Empirical appRoaches to Translation (EXPERT) project, an FP7 Marie Curie Initial Training Network, which is preparing the next generation of world-class researchers in the field of hybrid machine translation. The project is employing 15 Marie Curie fellows who are working on 15 individual, but interconnected, projects and is organising local and consortium wide training activities. The project has been running for three years and has already produced high-quality research. This paper presents the most important research achievements of the project.


Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy has been used to investigate the primary photochemistry of methylcobalamin. Approximately 27% of the initially excited methylcobalamin undergoes a bond h...


Children with spina bifida are often described as passive, apathetic and lacking in motivation (1). In the GLC study spina bifida infants were described as markedly less curious about toys than were normal children of the same age, and at 12 years old significantly more of the spina bifida children than of the controls were described by their teachers as passive. With normal and mentally handicapped children behavioural methods have been used to tackle similar problems ofmotivation, with considerable success (2,3,5).


Ground rubber powder (GRP) with three different sizes was incorporated into natural rubber matrix with different loading. Cure characteristics, swelling behaviour, crosslink density, tensile fractured surface, and mechanical properties have been studied. Based on the cure characteristics, it is evident that the processability of the rubber compounds has not changed obviously with the different GRP loading. The introduction of GRP in virgin rubber leads to the increase in swelling degree and the decrease in crosslink density. Tensile strength, hardness and abrasion resistant deteriorate with the increase of GRP loading, but the tear resistance gets better. If the ground rubber particles are smaller, the properties are more similar to the virgin rubber. Because of the phase separation of the GRP and matrix, the properties get worse with the bigger ground rubber powder.


Zheng Guan ying is a famous reformer,thinker and industrialist of contemporary China His life and works have had great influence on the politics,economy and culture of contemporary China The research on Zheng Guan ying's thought and his life has attracted many scholars' attention This paper classifies the research summaries on Zheng Guan ying from 1949 till today to make a simple review and introduction


Objective To analyze the relationships between life events,impulsive personality,coping style and suicidal ideation.Methods About 928 medical freshmen were asked to complete the ASLEC,BIS-CV,CSQ and SIOSS.Correlation and multiple regression analysis were conducted to determine the path model.Results Life events,impulsive personality and coping style were significantly correlated with suicidal ideation(P0.01).Suicidal ideation was influenced directly by impulsive trait and coping style respectively,while impulsive trait influenced suicidal ideation through coping style.Life events performed influence on suicidal ideation directly or indirectly through impulsive trait and coping style.Conclusion During the life events' influence on suicidal ideation,impulsive trait and coping style act as important mediators.


The utility model relates to a driving shaft torque meter, which has the structure that the lower side of the utility model is provided with a positioning body, and the upper side of the utility model is provided with an axle suspension clamping device, and the middle of the utility model is provided with an axle suspension clamp. The upper side of the axle suspension clamp is provided with a floating beam arm, both ends of the axle suspension clamp are provided with floating beam arm card, and the middle of the axle suspension clamp is provided with an axle to be test, wherein, one floating beam arm is provided with a longitudinal opening, and the other floating beam arm is provided with a transverse opening. Both surfaces of the floating beam arm are additionally provided with thimbles; one thimble adopts the mode is point to point, and the other mode is face to face, and a foil gauge is arranged on the floating beam arm. The utility model has the advantages of simple structure, convenient operation, good congruity, stable and reliable performance, high sensitivity, large dynamic range, and easy fabrication. The utility model is suitable for various measure of rotary axle torque.


Peter Bond brings a round-up of space news, including X-ray observations of the galactic centre, a new sort of black hole, targets within the expanding solar system, and Hubble's longest, deepest look back in time.


I CANNOT leave without reply a letter from Professor Durkheim to the editor of the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY, published in the May number of that review, and purporting to be an exhaustive refutation of my criticism of Durkheim's book on Suicide. The French professor accuses me of superficiality and carelessness, claiming that the whole of my argument is based on the erreur materielle of discussing, under his name, ideas entirely foreign to him. But it will prove an easy, though not agreeable, task to show the fallacy of Durkheim's alleged refutation.


The growing demand for knee arthroplasty surgery in younger and more active patients has created new interest in how best to implant components that allow patients to achieve a higher level of function. Little consideration has been given to the importance of maintaining the soft-tissue tension through a full arc of motion and thereby optimizing stability and proprioception in the knee. Traditional surgical techniques that change the patient's hard-tissue anatomy may alter soft-tissue balance that results in a less favorable outcome for the patient. The ligament-guided surgical technique with TGS incorporates each patient's unique soft-tissue stability into the preparation of the bone. The relationship between the soft tissues, ligaments, and the hard tissues is embraced with this surgical technique.


Note for President Johnson giving basic details of a recent USSR-Czech meeting, with mention that the meeting will most likely be continued the following day.


The fecal microbiota of 37 infants with (n = 20) or without (n = 17) probiotic administration was evaluated on D 3, and at 1, 3, and 12 mo by fluorescence in situ hybridization-flow cytometry (FISH-FC), PCR, and bacteriological culture methods. They represent consecutive subjects of an ongoing double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on a probiotic formula (LGG and Bifidobacterium longum) administered during the first 6 mo of life. Despite varying composition in each baby, there was a general bacterial colonization pattern in the first year. Bifidobacteria increased markedly (p = 0.0003) with a parallel decrease in Enterobacteriaceae (p < 0.001) and Bacteroides–Prevotella (p = 0.005) populations. Eubacterium rectale–Clostridium coccoides (p < 0.001) and Atopobium (p = 0.039) groups also gradually increased. This overall pattern was unaffected by probiotic administration (p > 0.05). B. longum (p = 0.005) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (p < 0.001) were detected more frequently in probiotic group during supplementation, but no difference after supplementation had ceased (p > 0.05). Cultured lactic acid bacteria were also more numerous in the probiotic-administered babies during treatment period (log10 CFU/g 8.4 versus 7.4; p = 0.035). Our results indicate that supplemented strains could be detected but did not persist in the bowel once probiotic administration had ceased.


The field of temperature,flow and solute was simulated by using the business software CALCOSOFT under the real cooling condition during the continuous casting process.In order to verify the results simulated,composition analysizing was conducted using the samples planed along the thickness direction of the slabs.The result of macrosegregation simulated was extremely similar to that detected in the slabs.The flow induced by natural convection was strong at first and it could bring the surplus solute at the interface to the central part of the liquid phase,but the concentration was diluted due to the large amount of liquid;and at the near end of the solidification,due to the block of mushy region,the velocity of natural convection was so small that it couldn't bring the solute to the center.


Mechanical fault diagnosis is a technology that monitors the state of the machine during operation, determines its overall or partial normality or abnormality, determines the fault and its cause, and can predict the development trend of the fault. Due to the improvement of the automation and integration of the current mechanical system, the maintenance time and cost have gradually increased [7, 14, 21, 47], causing greater economic losses [2, 3, 19, 34]. Therefore, the importance of the fault detection system in the daily maintenance system is becoming stronger [4, 15, 24, 50]. The fault diagnosis method can be divided into time-frequency analysis method and pattern recognition method. The traditional timefrequency analysis method identifies the fault based on the energy change of each frequency band of the vibration signal when the fault occurs. Commonly used methods include Wavelet transform (WT) [37], Empirical mode decomposition (EMD) [11], ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) [23], and etc [1, 48]. WT can effectively extract the characteristics of nonlinear transient vibration timefrequency signals, but when processing complex vibration signals, different basis functions need to be selected to obtain the best results, and there is no uniform standard for parameter selection. EMD has adaptive signal processing capabilities, but it has disadvantages such as edge effect and modal mixing [14]. The existing pattern recognition methods mainly include ELM [28], SVM [7, 48], ANFIS [22, 46], and etc. ELM has fast learning speed and requires few training samples, and can realize fast main bearing fault diagnosis, but its stability is relatively weak. SVM can efficiently solve high-dimensional nonlinear decision-making problems, but it is difficult to select kernel parameters and sample parameters, and is significantly affected by fault samples. However, for the pattern recognition method, due to the high cost of obtaining mechanical system failure vibration experimental data and the limited degree of failure, which makes the existing methods have limited recognition accuracy and even misrecognition problems. Machine learning related methods have certain advantages in small sample classification. However, the original signal is distorted and non-linear, and is often buried in a large amount of background noise and other interference. Therefore, higher requirements are put forward for signal preprocessing and feature extraction. Meanwhile, with different varieties of features given specific effectiveness, it is feasible to apply compound features for eliminating information loss. However, the feature combination will introduce new proper information and Keywords


We give a sharp estimate of the modulus of continuity of the solution to the Dirichlet problem for the complex Hessian equation of order $m$ ($1 \leq m \leq n$) with a continuous right hand side and a continuous boundary data in a bounded strongly $m$-pseudoconvex domain $\Om \Subset \C^n$. Moreover when the right hand side is in $L^p(\Om) $, for some $p > n/m$ and the boundary value function is $C^{1,1}$ we prove that the solution is H\"older continuous.


Abstract : The Data Fusion and Correlation Techniques Testbed (DFACTT) was developed at Defence Research Establishment Ottawa to investigate automated analysis processes for Communications Electronic Warfare. The aim is to automate the collection, correlation and fusion of Electronic Warfare (EW) and intelligence data to provide real-time enemy situation estimates and immediate threat warning to the battlefield commander. DFACTT employs integrated command, control, and communication functions to automate the complete EW process. Developed in an object oriented software environment, DFACTT collects, correlates, displays on a topographic map, and stores EW and intelligence data. The main functions of the system include automated sensor data analysis and doctrinal template matching. This document describes advances made in the development of new algorithms and techniques for radio location data analysis and doctrinal template matching.


We present the improved k-nearest neighbor (kNN) classifier and its application for biomedical data. Our method limits the number of considered neighbors from the training set by selecting only those samples that are neighbors in the computed Voronoi diagram of the training set plus classified sample. The method is based on convex hull calculation of inversed set of points. A very important feature of presented method is the stability of results (in terms of recall and precision values) in broad range of the neighborhood size as opposed to the regular kNN classifier. The classification performance was confirmed on three biomedical benchmark data sets.


Sandia National Laboratories, in conjunction with Boeing Computer Services, has developed a data and information system to collect data from various photovoltaic experiments. A Data Reduction Center in Renton, WA, archives the data, analyzes it, and generates monthly performance reports of potential interest to researchers, designers, and other data users. Due to the rapidly evolving nature of the photovoltaic field, particular emphasis has been placed on making reports available in a timely manner, and on making the DRC structure flexible enough to adapt to changing requirements. The overall structure incorporated in the data and information system is described, details of the hardware and software utilized are presented, and the output product (monthly performance reports) is illustrated with examples taken from experimental sites that are now operational.


Polychemotherapy and intermittent monochemotherapy regimens in metastatic breast cancer were examined in a meta analysis that included both tumor response rate and toxicities. Randomized controlled studies (conducted during 1990-2008) comparing monochemotherapy and poly-chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer patients were selected from electronic databases. Meta-analysis for response rate and toxicities [nausea and vomiting, toxic death, alopecia and reduced white cell count (WCC)] was performed using the MantelHaenszel method. The heterogeneity among the trials was assessed through a χ2 statistic, I2 and visual inspection of the forest plots. Analysis of eligible studies reveals statistical significant difference in response rate (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.65-0.79), nausea and vomiting (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.67-0.59), Alopecia (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.640.88) and reduced WCC (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.48-0.62) which favours polychemotherapy except toxic death (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.58-1.29). There was marked evidence of heterogeneity in all end points except toxic death. This meta analysis shows the superiority of efficacy but not of safety of polychemotherapy over that of a single agent. However, the choice of treatment should be based on the response to the therapy, toxicity, patient preference, presence of metastases or imminent complications requiring aggressive and rapid tumor control.


The epidemiologic conditions in developing countries gives rise to a growing need for essentials drugs, among others to treat people infected by HIV/AIDS. This paper aims at addressing this sanitary issue under TRIPS agreement. It contrasts the flexibilities provided by the TRIPS to ensure public health promotion in developing countries and the means used with difficulty by Brazil, Thailand and India to improve people's accessibility to anti-Aids drugs.


Knowledge about defects inside the optical waveg-uides is necessary to control the loss during the communication. Therefore the investigation of glow curve can be significant important for improvement of communication systems. In this research, the defects of a cylindrical optical fibre with 8% germanium doped is studied, and then the deconvolution of thermoluminescence glow curve is presented for this case study. This study offers a zero level noise as a reference for each experiment. In order to have a high accuracy of glow curve, this reference can help to calculate the final glow curve properly.


This research work presents the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) implementation of one dimensional (1 × 8) and two dimensional (8 × 8) discrete cosine transform using the reversible logic gates. During the DCT implementation, the integer DCT method of realization is adopted, thereby eliminating the occurrence of floating-point operations in the data path architecture. Thus, the integer mode of DCT realization using reversible logic gates in the proposed DCT architecture improves the delay, power and area of the 1D and 2D DCT data path structure when compared with the normal real DCT implementation. The proposed methodology of DCT implementation includes the construction of full adder and full subtractor using reversible gates and then extended for the realization of the DCT butterfly structure. Especially in this research method, Peres reversible gate is used for the implementation of full-adder and Thapliyal Ranganathan (TR) gate for the implementation of full subtractor, respectively. Thus, the 1D and 2D DCT implementation using reversible logic gates in 180nm technology nodes consume an overall area of 55504.311 sq.µm and 1122324.044 sq.µm respectively.


A displacement-based approach for seismic design of reinforced concrete urban bridges is proposed, in particular for the design of its columns, in which the fulfillment of two levels of performance is sought: serviceability and survival. Displacement capacity of rectangular and circular columns is computed through empirical equations derived in terms of column section, amount of longitudinal reinforcement, level of axial load, ratio of confinement and slenderness of the column. For purpose of evaluating the demands of inelastic displacement, this procedure offers the advantage of being able to choose between three approximate methods: equivalent linearization, displacement modification factors and strength reduction factors. This procedure has been compared with other displacement-based methods in order to assess their feasibility to be incorporated into the design practice in Mexico, taking into account the following aspects: simplicity, versatility and clarity.


This is another in a series of articles by influential Americans. In the following pages, the chief executive of a leading American corporation explains why he believes edu cators must strive for economic literacy among all students. Schools must equip students with the necessary tools to achieve such literacy.


From the cultural sociological perspective,the individuals'socialization is a process of accumulation,transmission and continuation of human culture.However,with the change of times and the rapid development of science and technology,there has appeared a phenomenon"cultural feeding"which is the manifestation of reverse socialization.Such phenomenon is of great significance in strengthening youths'individualism,standardizing their secondary culture,and speeding up their socialization.Accordingly,we should adopt a objective and scientific attitude toward it in an attempt to realize such socialization smoothly.


Second law characteristics of heat transfer and fluid flow due to free convection of non-Newtonian fluids over a horizontal plate with prescribed surface heat flux in a porous medium are analyzed. Velocity and temperature fields are obtained numerically using an implicit finite difference method under the similarity assumption and these results are used to compute the entropy generation rate Ns, irreversibility ratio φ and the Bejan number Be for both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. The effects of power-law index n, heat flux variation parameter λ , and modified duty parameter, G on the dimensionless entropy generation rate Ns, and the Bejan number Be are investigated and presented graphically.


In the system of trunk communication,a kind of modulation is designed with 64QAM in order to transmit data by speech channel.This paper describes the principle of 64QAM,introduces some key functional modules in detail and carries out the implementation by programming with DSP processor.


The inversion problem for rational Bezier curves is addressed by using resultant matrices for polynomials expressed in the Bernstein basis. The aim of the work is not to construct an inversion formula but finding the corresponding value of the parameter for each point on the curve. Since sometimes one has only an approximation of that point the use of the singular value decomposition, a key tool in numerical linear algebra, is shown to be adequate.


Objective To examine the expression of Glutathione-s-transferase-π(GST-π),TopoisomeraseⅡ(TopoⅡ),Estrogen receptor(ER),Progesterone receptor(PR) in breast carcinoma tissues and study on clinical relationship between GST-π,TopoⅡ,ER and PR in breast carcinoma.Methods A total of 202 cases with untreated primary breast carcinoma were detected immunohistochemically for GST-π,TopoⅡ,ER and PR.Results The positive expression rate of TopoⅡ was much higher than that of GST-π,ER and PR(P0.05).The positive expression rates of GST-π and TopoⅡ were correlated with invasive mammary carcinoma and clinical stage(P0.05),the positive expression rate of GST-π was correlated with lymph node metastasis and had positive correlation with the expression of ER and PR(P0.05).But there was no relationship between the expression of GST-π and TopoⅡ(P0.05).Conclusion The expression of GST-π,TopoⅡ,ER and PR in breast carcinoma tissues has an instructive significance for leading clinical therapy and for predicting prognosis of patients with breast carcinoma.


I. INTRODUCTIONThe ideal composition of δ phase in Al-Ni binary system is Ni_2Al_3. Its homogeneous range is from 38.50 to 42.19 at.%Ni at room temperature. The unit cell volume varies with Ni content and has a minimum in ideal composition.In Al-Ni binary system, NiAl is the ideal composition of...


The multipartite entangled state has drawn broad attention for both foundations of quantum mechanics and applications in quantum information processing. Here, we study the spatially separated $N$-partite continuous-variable Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger--like states, which can be produced by a linear optical network with squeezed light and $N\ensuremath{-}1$ beamsplitters. We investigate the properties of multipartite Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering possessed by those states, and find that the steering of a given quantum mode is allowed when not less than half of the modes within the states take part in the steering group. This is certified by the detection of the correlation between position and momentum quadratures of the steered mode and a combination of quadratures of other modes inside the steering group. The steering is evidenced by the high correlation where the steering group can infer the quadratures of the steered mode to high precision, i.e., below the quantum limit for the position and momentum quadratures of the steered quantum mode. We also examine the influence of inefficiency on the multipartite steering, and derive the threshold of the loss tolerance. Furthermore, we discuss the collective $N$-partite steering induced by the asymmetric loss on beams, which exists when a given quantum mode can only be steered by all the remaining $N\ensuremath{-}1$ modes collaboratively. The present multipartite steering correlation may have potential applications in certain quantum information tasks where the issue of trust is important, such as one-sided device-independent quantum secret sharing.


The widespread use of intravenous serum or plasma in recent months has aroused interest in the effect of these transfusions on the blood volume and in the fate of the transfused protein. The present observations on changes in the blood volume and the fate of the serum protein were made on normal patients and on a series of patients with peripheral vascular disease who, in the course of another investigation, were receiving weekly injections of


With the rapid development of emerging information technology, "Internet +" has been integrated into all aspects of education and teaching, changing the traditional teaching concept, teaching form, teaching environment, and teaching methods. Today, we have entered the post-epidemic era, but education should not and will not return to the state of teaching before the outbreak of the epidemic. Online teaching has become a necessary means of teaching. This paper investigates the effects of online teaching in primary school, junior high school and senior high school. In general, the satisfaction of online teaching in primary schools is higher than that in middle schools, and the satisfaction of students is higher than that of teachers. This paper further analyzes the Effects of Online Teaching and Influencing Factors in Primary and Secondary Schools, in order to provide reference for online teaching research.


Two reviews of a new video resource that explains and demonstrates activities for promoting communication, speech and language development for preschool children with Down syndrome.


MIMO-OFDM wireless systems require adaptive modulation and coding based on channel state information (CSI) to maximize throughput in changing wireless channels. Traditional adaptive modulation and coding attempts to predict the best rate available by estimating the packet error rate for each modulation and coding scheme (MCS) by using CSI, which has shown to be challenging. This paper considers supervised learning with the k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) algorithm as a new framework for adaptive modulation and coding. Practical k-NN operation is enabled through feature space dimensionality reduction using subcarrier ordering techniques based on postprocessing SNR. Simulation results of an IEEE 802.11n draft-compatible physical layer in flat and frequency selective wireless channels shows the k-NN with an ordered subcarrier feature space performs near ideal adaptation under packet error rate constraints.


The invention discloses a linear actuating device and a manufacture method; wherein, the linear actuating device comprises a motor, a clutch, a push rod mechanism, a variable resistance, and a limit switch component. The clutch is provided with a first end and a second end which is engaged with the first end; wherein, the first end is coupled with to a motor output end by a first transmission component. The push rod mechanism mainly comprises a rotary screw, a direct feeding screw cap and a sleeve; wherein, the sleeve is connected with the direct feeding screw cap which is engaged with the rotary screw; the rotary screw passes out of the center of the clutch and is coupled to a second end of the clutch. The variable resistance is coupled to the rotary screw of the push rod mechanism through a second transmission component, with the resistance value in proportion to the rotation angle of the rotary screw. Furthermore, the limit switch component is coupled to the rotary screw of the push rod mechanism through a third transmission component, used for detecting the starting point and the end point of the rotation angle of the rotary screw.


The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (GBMWHA), immediately west of Sydney (33° 53'S; 151° 13'E), on the east coast of Australia was listed as World Heritage for its outstanding natural values, a major component of which is the high number of eucalypt species and eucalypt-dominated communities present, some 13 per cent of all eucalypt species in the world. They grow in a great variety of plant communities, from tall closed forests, through open forests and woodlands, to stunted mallee shrublands. Thispaperprovidesadefinitivelistofthe�96�eucalypts�(speciesofthegeneraEucalyptus, Angophora and Corymbia in the family Myrtaceae), that have been recorded there (55 widespread, 41 restricted), together with the distribution of theeucalyptsintheeightreservesthatmakeuptheGBMWHA,�andinformationontheclassificationandhabitatofthe� different species. The information is based on records held at the National Herbarium of New South Wales and the results of surveys by the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) over the past 20 years. The majority of species have components of both stress-tolerator and competitor ecological strategies and this has probably been a main contributor to their success. However details of the ecology of the majority of taxa are poorly-known and more research is needed to provide guidance for conservation management in the face of changing climate conditions.


This article explores alternative means of providing anchorage to exposed geomembrane covers (EGCs) to resist wind uplift forces. In general, this will involve attempting to use conventional features of a final cover, such as roadways and swales, to provide a portion of the required restraint. The article subdivides the various anchorage systems into three categories: horizontally oriented anchors, vertically oriented anchors, and secondary anchors. Horizontally oriented anchors use final cap features such as swales and roadways that are primarily horizontally oriented. They include the anchor bench and the anchor trench. Vertically oriented anchors use features such as down-chutes or landfill gas collection trenches that are primarily vertically oriented. Secondary anchors generally do not reflect a final feature of the completed cap, but are interim points of anchorage. The economical anchorage of an EGC requires the designer to utilize features of the final cap plus limited secondary anchorage systems. Thus, the final anchorage system may incorporate several categories of uplift anchorage.


be an anachronistic) solution. The present writer believes no more in the validity of a Christian Platonism or even a Christian Philosophy than he does in Christian Mathematics ; but he does see the point in becoming acquainted with the views of Philo or Augustine in the context of their beliefs. However, there is a question of discretion and emphasis. The part of this volume which this writer found most satisfying was the editor's study of Plotinus—and this although he formally considers the religion of Plotinus. For Plotinus's philosophy and the problems he chose to consider were not suggested to him by organized religious beliefs. There is a wholeness and consistency in it which allows it to be presented in the round ; whereas most of the other figures studied are not amenable to a treatment so unified and comprehensive here. In the narrow limits of this brief notice the reviewer, having said something on the general structure and approach, can do little more than make some incidental comments. One feels that Merlan, whose erudition is evident, had too much to get through : his account becomes, therefore, perhaps inevitably rather breathless and fragmentary. Chadwick writes fluently and boldly on Philo and the Beginning of Christian Thought (137-192)—a theme where theology is firmly present. The editor, while admitting that Plotinus believed in magic (pp. 207 ff.), still makes what may appear to be special pleading against the idea that Plotinus might have practised magic or (in spite of the implications of Olympiodorus, In Phaed. 123, 3-5) theurgy. Lloyd's estimate of Porphyry, in his treatment of Later Neo-Platonists (272-325), reflects the growing appreciation of his importance, and in particular lends prudent support (p. 285) to the view that he did not relapse into theurgy, and that it is misleading to judge his Philosophy from Oracles by the fragments that remain. J. W. Rist's Plotinus (C.U.P. 1967) might now be consulted with profit on Plotinus, Porphyry and theurgy. Markus undertook a most difficult assignment in confronting Victorinus and especially Augustine (331-419) whose stature is greater than that of any other person discussed in this book. The division of interest in Augustine over philosophy and theology leaves, unfortunately, his picture here less memorable than that of Plotinus. In his study of the Greek Christian Platonist Tradition from the Cappadocians to Maximus and Eriugena (425-533) Sheldon-Williams's obvious appreciation of the Greek sources, especially, of Eriugena's thought whets one's appetite for his edition (here announced) of the Division of Nature. Liebeschiitz (unavoidably ?) also deals interestingly with Eriugena in the course of his survey of philosophy from Boethius to Anselm (538-639). Finally, Walzer's exposition of Early Islamic Philosophy (643-669), of Al-Farabi and his successors, is admirable and, indeed, exciting. Britain in common with other countries has produced relatively little in the important field of scholarship covered by this volume. It would be unreasonable, therefore, to expect that this book would be beyond criticism in approach, balance and, occasionally, treatment. Nevertheless, it will be found very useful by any student seriously interested in the history of thought from Hellenistic times to the early Middle Ages.


Introduction Cognitive and mental deterioration, such as difficulties with memory and language, are typical phenotypes for most neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and other dementias. This paper describes the first phase of a project that aims at collecting various types of cognitive data, acquired from human subjects, both with and without cognitive impairments, in order to study relationships among linguistic and extra-linguistic observations. The project's aim is to identify, extract, process, correlate, evaluate, and disseminate various linguistic phenotypes and measurements and thus contribute with complementary knowledge in early diagnosis, monitor progression, or predict individuals at risk.


headline 10.1 Almost a fifth of the reports received by NAP5 occurred during emergence, and 85% of these patients experienced the distress of paralysis while awake. The Panel judged 88% of cases as being potentially preventable with appropriate use of a nerve stimulator, better communication, and maintenance of anaesthesia until full reversal of neuromuscular blockade. In a third of cases communication failure within the team highlighted poorly-judged selection, dose, or timing of neuromuscular drugs. In all except one case airway management was with a tracheal tube. Lack of education about the rapid offset of newer volatile agents was cited as contributory in some cases. As elsewhere, these cases highlight the fact that adverse outcomes were more often associated with the use of neuromuscular blocking drugs.


For the project it began with the collection of information in consultation with the manufacturers of feeders and market positioners, then determine the most important aspects for the operation of a bottle feeding machine. Having the parameters and concepts of a bottle positioning system, the best feeding system that will determine the good performance of the machine is selected. Subsequently, the detailed design of the positioning and coupling system of the bottles is carried out, achieving an appropriate result for its future operation. Subsequently, the assembly, operation and maintenance manual for the machine is developed, where the second manual respectively describes the environmental conditions that would arise and the construction of the machine.


Information  Code Section: 32-6-250, 32-6-250.1, and 32-6-231.1  Primary Tag Type(s): o PW (first tag, exempt from registration fees and ad valorem taxes) o PP  Secondary Tag Type(s): o 01 (Disability Access) o MC (Motorcycle Pre-numbered) o M1 (Motorcycle Disability)  Series Began: July 2000 Any resident of the State of Alabama who shows by satisfactory proof that he or she is a duly recognized former prisoner of war may purchase license plates in this category.


The United States Department of Energy (DOE) and its contractor were remediating a large hot cell complex to mitigate the radiological hazard. A Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) closure unit was determined to be located within the complex. The regulator established a challenge to develop an acceptable closure plan on a short schedule (four months). The scope of the plan was to remove all excess equipment and mixed waste from the closure unit, establish the requirements of the legally binding Closure Plan and develop an acceptable schedule. The complex has several highly radioactive tanks, tank vaults, piping, and large hot cells containing complex chemical processing equipment. Driven by a strong need to develop an effective strategy to meet cleanup commitments, three principles were followed to develop an acceptable plan: (1) Use a team approach, (2) Establish a buffer zone to support closure, and (3) Use good practice when planning the work sequence. The team was composed of DOE, contractor, and Washington State Department of Ecology (Regulator) staff. The team approach utilized member expertise and fostered member involvement and communication. The buffer zone established an area between the unregulated parts of the building and the areas that were allegedly notmore » in compliance with environmental standards. Introduction of the buffer zone provided simplicity, clarity, and flexibility into the process. Using good practice means using the DOE Integrated Safety Management Core Functions for planning and implementing work safely. Paying adequate attention to detail when the situation required contributed to the process credibility and a successful plan.« less


Abstract Flower opening in the early morning helps to avoid sterility of rice (Oryza sativa L.) caused by heat stress at anthesis. Although flower opening time (FOT) is under genetic control, it is also affected by weather, particularly by air temperature (Ta). However, the effects of Ta, solar radiation (Rs), and vapor-pressure deficit (VPD) on rice FOT are unclear, making it difficult to predict FOT. Therefore, we investigated the correlation of FOT with Ta, Rs, and VPD during various periods before anthesis under field conditions. By photographing spikelets at 10-min intervals, we determined the FOT of five cultivars. To evaluate the individual effects of cultivar, Ta, Rs, and VPD on FOT, we constructed general linear models (GLMs) and calculated mean Ta, R s, and VPD every 3 hr from 0000 to 1200. The GLMs revealed that the average Ta, Rs, and VPD between 0600 and 0900 significantly affected FOT (adjusted R 2 =0.399; P <0.001). The standardized partial regression coefficients of Ta and Rs were negative and those of VPD were positive, indicating that higher Ta, higher Rs, and lower VPD in the early morning result in earlier FOT. Moreover, multiple-regression analysis showed that the period affecting FOT the most, and the relative contributions of Ta, Rs, and VPD to FOT differ with the cultivar.


The drunken bully of Juvenal's third satire should be read as an alternative satirical voice within the poem, as is illustrated by means of a comparison with the corpus of Roman satire—in particular Horace 2.1 and Juvenal's first book of satires. The identification of the bully as a satirist does explain some of the bully's odd behavior and also accords with satire's propensity for self-mockery and much of the other metapoetic discussion of the genre's powers and limitations.


For more than fifty years, Artificial Reefs (AR) have been deployed in France to respond to the decline in fish stocks with a high deployment on the Mediterranean coast. However, from 40 sites listed, less than a quarter have not been the subject of any known published ecological or socio-economic monitoring reports, over the past five years. The lack of data on the evaluation of these structures therefore raises questions about their interest, both from an ecological and social point of view. By relying on the theory of organizations and more specifically on the translation resulting from the sociology of innovation applied to the environment, we will develop an original socio-ecological approach intended to meet this need for evaluation, in particular for managers. Based on two case studies on the coasts of the French Channel (Etretat and Cherbourg), we will highlight the interests and roles of human and non-human actors in an AR immersion process. The analysis will highlight the social and ecological objectives of these two projects from an analytical framework designed to verify the adequacy between the socio-ecological network "artificial reefs" formed and the objectives initially expected by the actors, especially decision-makers and funders. The limits posed by these approaches to improve the evaluation of artificial reefs will finally be discussed.


The author analyzes principle characteristics and peculiarities of pedagogical and psychological sciences in modern conditions and offers some new strategies and definitions


This study focuses on the dynamics of a modified Leslie-Gower predator-prey model where the intake rate of prey is by per capita predator according to Crowley-Martin functional response and prey is harvested through nonlinear harvesting strategy. Further the time-delay (τ) is imposed to utilize gestation period of predations. We investigate the permanence analysis of proposed system. The local stability of non-delayed model at all possible equilibrium points is studied. It is shown that the given model undergoes Hopf bifurcation around positive equilibrium point with respect to delay parameter τ . Subsequently the stability of Hopf bifurcation and its direction are explored through normal and center manifold theories. The derived theoretical results are justified with the help of numerical simulations.


In this letter, a parallel-plate waveguide halfLuneburg geodesic lens multiple-beam antenna optimized for additive manufacturing is designed and validated experimentally in the Ka-band. Two prototypes were manufactured in AlSi10Mg through laser powder-bed fusion and measured in an anechoic chamber. The compact and lightweight prototype optimized for additive manufacturing demonstrates excellent RF performance while significantly reducing mass and mechanical complexity. Specifically, misalignment errors present in previous studies are solved, improving sidelobe level by up to 10 dB. A maximum realized gain of 22.1 dBi is measured at 28 GHz. This single-piece, compact, and lightweight design is particularly attractive for applications having mass restrictions and limited space like millimeter-wave systems on board small satellites.


This paper outlines the context of the introduction of income tax to the Colony of Cyprus in 1941, just after the commencement of World War II, and it reviews some of the technical provisions contained in the income tax legislation. In addition, this paper argues that the 1941 legislation had a number of important political, social and economic consequences which, until now, have been largely unresearched. However, additional investigation needs to be undertaken in this area before a comprehensive narrative can be finalised.


According to the present invention, a control circuit (21) turns ON or OFF a switch (20) provided on the midway of an electric wire (12). Thus, power feeding through the electric wire (12) is controlled. A current output circuit (22) outputs a current corresponding to a current flowing through the electric wire (12) to a resistor circuit (23). In the resistor circuit (23), a serial circuit of a resistor (R2) and a capacitor (C1) is connected in parallel with a resistor (R1). The control circuit (21) turns the switch (20) OFF when a both-end voltage value across both ends of the resistor circuit (23) is equal to or greater than a reference voltage value.


Figure of speech is commonly used in English and Chinese idioms,in which the images of figure of speech are greatly different because of different culture.This paper discusses the translation of the images of figure of speech in English and Chinese idioms by analyzing the differences between them.


This paper concerns to blind identification of a convolutional code with desired rate in a noiseless transmission scenario. To the best of our knowledge, blind estimation of convolutional code based on only the received bitstream doesn't lead to a unique solution. Hence, without loss of generality, we will assume that the transmitter employs a non-catastrophic encoder. Moreover, we consider a complete synchronous scenario in which one can extract separate codewords from received sequence. This assumption is valid in many practical communication systems because, the frame preambles allow us to identify the beginning of each codewords. In this paper, we examine the blind identification problem for rate and rate convolutional codes, respectively. For rate , we propose an iterative method that uses three steps in each iteration to test the validity of a possible value of . We show that this method can identify the parameters of a rate convolutional code from only two different noiseless received codewords. Afterwards, we generalize this method for a rate convolutional code in which each iteration is composed of seven successive steps. We show that this method requires at least different codewords to identify all parameters of a rate code.


The wireless sensor network organizes the collection of the sensor for detected information and sending to the suitable station, where information examination is performed. The clustering is not only considering energy parameter but also proposing other parameters like distance, no of neighboring nodes. And depending on the parameters cluster head has calculated. Security is most common issue in wireless sensor network. By introducing an NTRU crypto Security Algorithm, as well as clustering techniques, are improving the lifetime of the wireless sensor network. By using NTRU algorithm does not prone to attack and most secure algorithm for encryption and decryption process.


Detailed comparisons between the Cray output and the Flosolver output for 1-day' forecast using NCMRWF forecast model have been made. The calculations have been made both13; in single precision and double precision for a critical assessment of build up of rowld off error. The calculations show that there are no meteorologically significant differences between the outputs, the remaining difference may be ascribed to the differences in input, machine dependent features, library definition etc. and for practical purposes, single precision calculation is adequate13;


In this paper, a time domain analysis for ultra-wideband short pulse radiation from wire monopole antennas and their arrays is presented. The pulse travels along the monopole antenna and re∞ects from the open end; during the pulse re∞ection, the pulse gets compressed. The analysis presented in this paper accounts for the pulse compression and the radiated pulse is compared with the measured pulse. Measured energy patterns for difierent pulse excitations of the monopole and monopole arrays are presented and compared with theoretical patterns.


The signaling specificity for cytokines that have common receptor subunits is achieved by the presence of additional cytokine-specific receptor components. In the type I interferon (IFN) family, all 14 subtypes of IFNα, IFNβ, and IFNω bind to the same α and βL subunits of the type I IFN-R, yet differences in signaling and biological effects exist among them. Our data demonstrate that IFNα2 and IFNβ utilize different regions of the βL subunit for signaling. Thus, in contrast to other cytokine systems, signal diversity in the type I IFN system can be accomplished within the same receptor complex by utilizing different regions of the same receptor subunits.


The influence of sodium humate on the uptake of K + , Rb + NH 4 + , Mg 2+ , Fe 3+ PO 4 3- , NO3 - and Cl - ions from equilibrated aqueous solutions was investigated. By varying transpiration and applying dinitrophenol "passive" and "active" uptake were distinguished. Ion decrease in the solution and accumulation of labelled elements in roots and shoots were determined. Humate strongly stimulated K + and Rb + uptake and strongly inhibited the uptake of Cl - , while it slightly enhanced Mg +2 and PO 4 3- uptake. It, moreover, facilitated iron transport from the roots to shoots. The interaction of humate with dinitrophenol is discussed.


Objective To provide reference to researchers in SLE by metrological analysis of literatures on systematic lupus erythemotosus(SLE) reported from Jan.2005 to June 2009 in China.Methods Bibliometrics was applied to perform statistical analysis based on literatures from "Sino Med-Chinese Biomedical Literature Database" by keywords search.Results Among a total of 4101 literatures,the quantity increased significantly since 2005 while the research hot contents and trend over previous had changed.Conclusion The SLE study in China still emphasis on rheumatology,dermatology and nephrology.Lupus nephritis and autoantibody has always been a hot research though a number of new research themes have emerged.


A novel efficient method is proposed for simulating wave scattering from compact objects. The method is realized for 2D scattering problems. The high efficiency of the method is provided by the following two principally new approaches: construction of an auxiliary contour (an auxiliary current carrier) from a scattering contour that is analytically transformed and the use of the wavelet basis for approximating a desired auxiliary current. The algorithms proposed guarantee extremely high accuracy, stability, and high-speed performance of computations. The method can readily be extended to 3D scattering problems.


Much of our current mechanistic understanding of the innate immune response in animals has grown out of empirical work in insect models, especially the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The mainstream understanding of the fly immune response to bacteria has been that it exists in two parts; a cellular and a humoral response. Drosophila also harbor substantial genetic variation for antibacterial defense and investment in immunity is thought to involve a costly trade-off with life history traits, including development, life-span and reproduction. My first study (chapter 2) aimed to understand the way in which insects invest in fighting bacterial infection. We selected for survival following systemic infection with the opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in wild-caught D. melanogaster over 10 generations. We then examined genome wide changes in expression in the selected flies relative to unselected controls, both of which had been infected with the pathogen to specifically identify the genetic basis of the evolved immune response. In response to selection, population level survivorship to infection increased from 15% to 70%. The evolved capacity for defense was costly as evidenced by reduced longevity and larval viability and a rapid loss of the trait once selection pressure was removed. Counter to expectation, we observed more rapid developmental rates in the selected flies. Selection associated changes in expression of genes with dual involvement in developmental and immune pathways suggest pleiotropy as a possible mechanism for the positive correlation. We also found that both the Toll and Imd pathways work synergistically to limit infectivity and that cellular immunity plays a more critical role in overcoming P. aeruginosa infection than previously reported. Females usually produce a more robust immune response and are often less susceptible to infection. This female bias has been documented in humans, mice and some birds and reptiles. The most common explanation is that males increase their mating success at the cost of immune investment whilst females invest in immunity to maximize life-time egg production. In insects, however, there is growing evidence of male-biased immune performance. Using fly survival data from my first study, I found that males exhibited higher post-infection survival than females. In my second study (chapter 3), I related these differences in survival rate to changes in gene transcription. Firstly, we examined the expression of a set of immunity genes in both sexes in the presence and absence of infection. We found that male-biased survival may be partially attributable to a higher baseline expression of immune genes in males. Contrary to previous published work, we found that immune gene expression was readily induced in flies upon exposure to P. aeruginosa and that the two sexes responded in a similar manner. Lastly, we found that selection altered the expression of genes in males alone and only in the presence of infection. Together our findings suggest a superior immune response in male Drosophila. Wolbachia pipientis is an obligate intracellular bacterium capable of spreading itself through populations by manipulating the reproduction of its hosts. The Wolbachia strain wMelPop, which reduces longevity in D. melanogaster, has been introduced into the Dengue virus mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti, as a strategy to reduce disease transmission. The infecting Wolbachia halve the lifespan of the mosquito and induce numerous behavioral and physiological abnormalities including heightened locomotor activity and an age dependent reduction in blood feeding success. In my third study (chapter 4), we aimed to understand the mechanism underpinning these changes and hence chose to explore how Wolbachia may be interacting with the insect's nervous and muscle tissue. Because wMelPop over-replicates in Drosophila, first we measured the bacterial density in A. aegypti. We found that there was a relationship between some of the feeding associated defects in the mosquito and the density of Wolbachia in the nervous and muscle tissue. Next, we carried out a series whole genome profiling experiments based on the head and muscle tissues to identify mosquito pathways affected by the microbe. Key findings that may relate to the phenotypes of interest include increased expression of genes relating to muscle contraction and synthesis of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Other novel findings that may not relate directly to the phenotypes of interest include evidence of a strong local tissue based immune response and widespread changes in expression of mosquito methylation and acetylation associated genes. We then used then amplification of inter-methylated sites (AIMS test) to obtain DNA fingerprints representative of the methylome of A. aegypti infected and uninfected with wMelPop. The presence of wMelPop caused hypermethylation in loci where they were not methylated in uninfected mosquitoes.


STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective study of prospectively collected outcome data.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate reoperation cases and determine whether or not the experience period of a single surgeon was associated with the causes of reoperations following lumbar microendoscopic discectomy for disc herniation (MEDH) and microendoscopic decompression for spinal stenosis (MEDS).

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
There have been few studies that investigated reoperation cases following MEDH and MEDS.

METHODS
Between June 2005 (first experience of MEDH) and September 2013, the same surgeon had been using MEDH and/or MEDS on 441 consecutive patients. The follow-up rate was 89.3%. The causes and rates of reoperations (ROR) were determined at 5 years after the initial operations. We also investigated the experience period of a single surgeon (EPS=interval between June 2005 and initial operation: median, 37 months).

RESULTS
The 5-year reoperation rate for all patients combined was 12.4% (49/394). The main causes for reoperations were recurrence of disc herniation (ROR, 7.01%) and increase of postoperative spondylolisthesis and/or instability (ROR, 9/394=2.28%); two of the nine cases were caused by excessive decompression, and the EPSs were 11 and 16 months. The other causes for reoperations were postoperative epidural hematoma (ROR, 0.76%; median EPS, 20 months), insufficient decompression (ROR, 0.25%; EPS, 17 months), and residual segmental scoliosis (ROR, 7.69%); two segmental scoliosis cases did not provide relief from sciatica, and therefore L4/5 transforaminal interbody fusions were performed.

CONCLUSIONS
Postoperative epidural hematoma and excessive or insufficient decompression were often observed in the initial series of patients as the causes for reoperations. We think that it is important to be aware of and prevent such potential problems in any initial series of patients, as there are limitations to any surgical indications for the use of microendoscopic decompression for degenerative segmental scoliosis because of original traction and/or kinking of nerve roots.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
4.


The well-described laryngeal system of Korean has most often been analyzed as a typologically unique contrast among three kinds of voiceless plosives: aspirated, lax, and tense. This paper focuses on the phonetics of the tense series by examining the perception of obstruents described as tense in Korean and as voiceless unaspirated in Chinese, Spanish, and English in an experiment with 32 native Korean speakers. In a native/non-native labeling task, subjects were unable to distinguish between Korean syllables beginning with tense obstruents and Chinese syllables beginning with voiceless unaspirated obstruents of the same place of articulation; similar data holds for many of the Korean vs. Spanish and Korean vs. English syllable comparisons as well. These results suggest that, in word-initial position, tense Korean consonants are not perceptibly different from the voiceless unaspirated consonants of these other languages.


THE USE OF FULL DEPTH ASPHALT CONCRETE FOR WIDENING, AS USED BY MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA, IS REVIEWED. A MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF AN OVERLAY AND WIDENING PROJECT IS THE PREPARATION OF THE OLD PAVEMENT FOR APPLICATION OF THE NEW SURFACE. A SUCCESSFUL METHOD OF PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE PREPARATION USED BY IOWA, FLORIDA AND LOUISIANA IS THE BREAKING OF THE MOVING SLABS BY A DROP HAMMER AND SEEDING THE BROKEN SLABS BY ROLLING WITH A 50-TON PNEUMATIC TIRE ROLLER. THIS IS USED EXCEPT FOR PORTLAND CEMENT WHICH IS WIRE MESHED REINFORCED. TO REDUCE THE EFFECT OF THE WIRE MESH, THE MESH WAS CUT WHERE THE SLAB WAS SCORED. FIFTY PERCENT OF THE SLABS WERE SEEDED SUCESSFULLY AND FIFTY PERCENT WERE REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH FULL DEPTH ASPHALT CONCRETE. FOR THE WIDENING OF AN EXISTING NARROW PAVEMENT LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI SELECTED FULL DEPTH ASPHALT CONCRETE. THE WIDENING THICKNESS FOR AN EXISTING PAVEMENT OF PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE IS GENERALLY A COMPACTED THICKNESS EQUAL TO THE SLAB THICKNESS PLUS ONE-HALF INCH. WHERE THE EXISTING PAVEMENT IS ASPHALT, THE THICKNESS OF WIDENING IS FOUR INCHES. WHERE IT MAY BE FOUND NECESSARY TO PLACE THE WIDENING ON ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE PAVEMENT THE WIDTH IS USUALLY 6 TO 10 FEET. FOR SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE, THESE STATES REQUIRE THAT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF EXCAVATED TRENCH MUST BE COMPLETED WITH COMPACTED ASPHALT CONCRETE AND OPEN TO TRAFFIC BY THE END OF THE WORK DAY. ONE CONTRACTOR WITH AN EFFICIENT OPERATION PLACED AN AVERAGE OF 2600 TONS OF FULL DEPTH WIDENING PER DAY.


Cement clinker was used to solidification and stabilization of tannery sludge. The effect of the Cr( Ⅵ) cumulative leaching concentration was investigated. Mineral composition of tannery sludge and after curing cement-solidified was analyzed via X-ray diffraction. The Speciation analysis of Cr in cementsolidified was analyzed via improved BCR sequential extraction procedure. The results show the hydration reaction and cure ability in cement solidification was more complete when cement-water ratio at 0. 8. A part of Cr( Ⅵ) in tannery sludge be cured in CaCrO4 after cementation treatment. The concentration of Cr as species in H2 O extractable and Acid extractable reduced after different dosage of cement-solidified.The concentration of Cr as species in the H2 O extractable and acid extractable increased gradually with curing age.


Abstract Abstract: Recent years have seen increased crossover of microscopy techniques developed for transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) being utilized as well in scanning electron microscopes (SEMs). The order of magnitude lower beam energies available in SEMs correspond with significantly different beam-sample interactions that must be accounted for when examining freestanding films. This is especially important for composition analysis via energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) since lower-energy transmission experiments mean X-ray volumes become comparable to sample dimensions. To better understand this scenario, we report results of an SEM-EDS study of terraced freestanding films comprising binary compounds with well-defined atomic ratios. Guided by Monte Carlo simulations, EDS line scan data were collected at different beam energies across segments of varying thicknesses. The results of quantification analysis using different models are compared for multiple combinations of beam energy, sample thickness, and material density, from which some general guidelines are provided for SEM-EDS analysis of freestanding films.


We investigate a new class of software for knowledge discovery in databases (KDD), called recommender systems. Recommender systems apply KDD-like techniques to the problem of making product recommendations during a live customer interaction. These systems are achieving widespread success in E-Commerce today. We extend previously studied KDD models to incorporate customer interaction so these models can be used to describe both traditional KDD and recommender systems. Recommender systems face three key challenges: producing high quality recommendations, performing many recommendations per second for millions of customers and products, and achieving high coverage in the face of data sparsity. One successful recommender system technology is collaborative filtering, which works by matching customer preferences to other customers in making recommendations. Collaborative filtering has been shown to produce high quality recommendations, but the performance degrades with the number of customers and products. New recommender system technologies are needed that can quickly produce high quality recommendations, even for very large-scale problems. For example, traditional KDD techniques might be applied in the context of our model to address these challenges. We have explored one technology called Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) to reduce the dimensionality of recommender system problems. We report an experiment where we use SVD on a recommender system database, and use the relationship between customers in the reduced factor space to generate predictions for products. We observe significant improvement in prediction quality as well as better online performance and improved coverage. Our experience suggests that SVD has the potential to meet many of the challenges of recommender systems.


Thanks to the internet and steaming video options, traditional cable news channels have seen a decline in viewership among millennials. In 2014, CBS launched CBSN, an online streaming channel that offers coverage of news streamed to mobile devices and internet-connected television sets. The goal of this article is to argue that the traditional cable news channels should invest in creating similar services aimed at millennials that offers perspectives and coverage of the news from a presentation format that would appeal to this generation.


Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) depend upon a local source of bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis L.) to use as a dye in the creation of hand-woven baskets. In addition to its artistic uses, bloodroot is well known for its medicinal and anti-microbial properties. Currently, demand for bloodroot is being satisfied through harvests in natural stands, and as Greenfield and Davis (2004) report, increasing demand is putting pressure on naturally occurring populations.


Video games can be sources of pleasure and frustration. For many potential players, frustration is more common than pleasure. These players struggle with the tremendous complexity that exists in modern 3D video games. This paper presents the concept of breakdown [8] as a technique for analyzing this problem that many people have with accessing video games. Breakdown is the moment of failure that a player experiences when struggling with a game. When this happens, players can reflect on this failure to learn how they can get beyond it. This paper, which is based on a study that focused on this problem, shows how designers can use breakdown to empathize with these players and to improve the designs of games for them. Author


Network meta-analysis involves synthesising the scientific literature comparing several treatments. Typically, two-arm and three-arm randomized trials are synthesized, and the aim is to compare treatments that have not been directly compared and often to rank the treatments. A difficulty is that the network may be inconsistent, and ways to assess this are required. In the past, network meta-analysis models have been fitted using Bayesian methods, typically in WinBUGS. I have recently shown how they may be expressed as multivariate meta-analysis models and hence fitted using mvmeta. However, various challenges remain, including getting the dataset in the correct format, parameterizing the inconsistency model, and making good graphical displays of complex data and results. I will show how a new suite of Stata programs, network, meets these challenges, and I will illustrate its use with examples.


Abstract U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Emission Measurement Center in conjunction with EPA Regions VI and VIII, the state of Utah, and the U.S. Department of Defense have conducted a series of long-term pilot and field tests to determine the accuracy and reliability of a visible opacity monitoring system consisting of a conventional digital camera and a separate computer software application for plume opacity determination. This technology, known as the Digital Opacity Compliance System (DOCS), has been successfully demonstrated at EPA-sponsored Method-9 "smoke schools," as well as at a number of government and commercially operated industrial facilities. Results from the current DOCS regulatory pilot study demonstrated that, under regulatory enforcement conditions, the average difference in opacity measurement between the DOCS technology and EPA Reference Method 9 (Method 9) was 1.12%. This opacity difference, which was computed from the evaluation of 241 regulated air sources, was found to be statistically significant at the 99% confidence level. In evaluating only those sources for which a nonzero visible opacity level was recorded, the average difference in opacity measurement between the DOCS technology and Method 9 was 1.20%. These results suggest that the two opacity measurement methods are essentially equivalent when measuring the opacity of visible emissions. Given the costs and technical limitations associated with use of Method 9, there is a recognized need to develop accurate, reproducible, and scientifically defensible alternatives to the use of human observers. The use of digital imaging/processing brings current technology to bear on this important regulatory issue. Digital technology offers increased accuracy, a permanent record of measurement events, lower costs, and a scientifically defensible approach for opacity determination.


Background:  We designed a randomized prospective study to investigate whether developmentally delayed children with cerebral palsy (CP) need a lower dosage of propofol for induction than normal children using bispectral index (BIS) monitoring criteria.


Diabetes is a serious global health problem, and rehospitalization is usually associated with increased mortality and excessive medical burden. With the increasing cost of diabetes to the health care system, rehospitalization is recommended as a goal to reduce health care costs. This paper aims to use data mining technology to accurately predict the 30-day re-hospitalization of diabetic patients. We use the data set from UCI machine learning repository, preprocessing, use feature reduction method to find out the classification results of rehospitalization, and then use frequent set and Apriori algorithm to find the association rules between diabetes mellitus patients and re-hospitalization related variables. The experimental results show that the recursive feature reduction method is effective in combined with SVM can get a better prediction accuracy.


The ratios of deuterium to hydrogen and carbon-13 to carbon-12 expressed as δ D ‰ and d 13C ‰ , respectively, were determined in ten synthetical ethanols of different origin and compared with those of 28 samples of ethanol which were prepared from plant material grown in different places and at different times. The δ D values of the synthetic ethanols are between - 117‰ and - 140‰ and those for ethanol obtained by fermentation between - 200‰ and - 272‰. Using glucose samples of different origins with δ D values between - 3‰ and - 76‰ and water of a δ D value of - 77‰ led to ethanol with drastically diminished deuterium contents ranging from δ D values of -211 to -247‰. The differences of the δ 13C values between ethanols obtained by fermentation of C3 and C4-plant carbohydrates are greater than those between synthetic ethanols and the ethanols obtained from the starch of C3-plants.


This research aims to produce super brood of catfish who has a chromosome structure 4N (tetraploid) which will be used as a basis to generate triploid catfish. The specific objective of research was to determine the proper method to produce tetraploid individual catfish, knowing the character of the growth of catfish tetraploid, and knowing the character of morphometric and meristik catfish tetraploid. The study was conducted in Fisheries Laboratory of Lampung State Polytechnic and planned to be carried through three stages: Formation of catfish tetraploid by applying the method of temperature shock, fish ploidy analysis of treatment outcome, and the tetraploid selection. Special Purpose study is to get the population of catfish that have to be tetraploid or 4N ploidy and produce brood catfish putatively tetraploid. Target outcomes study the third year that the main candidates tetraploid. The results of research conducted showed tetraploid individuals found in all treatments given temperature shock to the level of an individual percentage of catfish tetralploid between 5-30%. The determination of ploidy levels in catfish is done using a calculation of the number nucleolus. Individual catfish nucleolus tetraploid have maximum 5-6 pieces. Keyword: catfish, tetraploid, engineered chromosome, genetics


MS is an autoimmune, CNS demyelinating disease manifested in most patients with progressive disability. The progression rate varies between patients and may depend on modifier, immune related genes. The Mediterranean fever gene, expressed in peripheral blood leukocytes, is responsible for familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), a recessive, periodic autoinflammatory disease prevalent in Semitic populations, and less penetrant in Ashkenazi Jews. We related common, FMF associated MEFV mutations to the progression of disability in Jewish, relapsing remitting (RR) MS patients. The mutations 148Q, 694V, 695R and 726A were identified by enzymatic restriction of PCR-amplified MEFV DNA. The progression to statuses 3 and 6 of the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) was analyzed on survival plots. 35% of 48 non-Ashkenazi patients had one MEFV mutation. Compared to non-carriers (n = 31) the heterozygous cohort (n = 17) represented with an increased fraction reaching both EDSS statuses (p < 0.05), and with a shorter median time to reach both EDSS = 3 (2 years in carriers vs. 10 years in non-carriers, p < 0.01) and EDSS = 6 (6 vs. 23 years, respectively, p < 0.005). 17% of 71 Ashkenazi patients had one MEFV mutation. There was no significant difference in the fraction of disabled or in the progression of disability between Ashkenazi carrier patients and non-carriers. The susceptibility of the non-Ashkenazi group attributed, in part, to the detrimental non-Ashkenazi 694V mutation. The results suggest phenotypic expression of one mutated MEFV gene in non-ashkenazi patients, pertinent to the pathogenesis of disability.

Acknowledgements:  Granted by the Israeli Ministry of Science (#6279).


Recently Foschi gave a proof of a sharp Strichartz inequality in one and two dimensions. In this note, a new representation in terms of an orthogonal projection operator is obtained for the space time norm of solutions of the free Schrödinger equation in dimension one and two. As a consequence, the sharp Strichartz inequality follows from the elementary property that orthogonal projections do not increase the norm.


The paper presents the design and analysis of a control strategy appropriate in the case of two or more space-crafts in low Earth orbit and in close along-track configuration. The well known dynamics of the relative motion are briefly recalled and their decoupling properties allow to restrict the multivariable control design to an in-plane problem. An H∞ synthesis is used to obtain a control law for a formation of two satellites. The control of a formation of four satellites, in the case of local measurements between each satellite and the preceding one, falls in the framework of structured control. A Youla-parameter based technique allows to use convex optimization to improve the initial block-diagonal structure derived from the two-satellites controllers, with a great flexibility to take into account frequency and time constraints.


This article aims to discuss Paulo Freire's contributions to the training of Natural Science teachers in Brazil (prioritizing the disciplines of Chemistry and Biology), considering the importance of Freire's legacy for education, especially in times of attack on critical thinking. In methodological terms, a qualitative approach was used, based on the survey of Brazilian literature in the Journals of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, Google Scholar and Bank of Theses and Dissertations of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel considering the period 2010-2020. The analyzed productions indicate the potential of the contributions of the author's work to the training of teachers in science, but that there is a gap in terms of the articulation of methodological approaches with the central elements in Freire, that is: Freire's Liberating Education in its commitment to critical education. The issue is also verified by the lack of works that discuss political and human training in the context of teacher training.


A B st RAC t Ob jective – Examine the relationship between audit fees and the quality of financial information in familiar and non-familiar companies liste...


The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology used for the management and maintenance of more specialized building construction procedures. It focuses on the concept of objects and is dedicated to the 3D (three-dimensional) description of the built environment. It allows its description and representation holistically, by describing objects constructed over more or less detail scale, and complex, if one combines a set of geometric and non-geometric data with the possibility of parametrization of the object. Additionally, this study investigates the BIM 3D model trading alignment process for challenges and problems through a case study approach and offers insights for continuous improvement.


Picture this: you are helping your child with homework. He or she is researching the Plains of Abraham. To help, you do what millions of people do everyday: Google it and wait for information from around the globe. Some of it is relevant, some partially relevant, and some not so relevant.1 You probably remember doing this same report in grade school, using the school, or public library , or the Encyclopedia Britannica . If you were lucky enough to live near the Plains of Abraham, you might have been able to visit a museum, historical site, or archives. But today , people do not have to put in long hours in a library or archives to do research. They let the computer do the searching for them. And you do not even have to live nearby to see the Plains of Abraham – you can see it from Sydney, BC or Sydney, Australia.2 This is the challenge facing archivists today: the Google world and the changes it has wrought. Patrons are accustomed to getting information overload on whatever topic suits their fancy in the time it takes to click a mouse. Archivists, long accustomed to dealing in the physical (paper , photos, and the like), must now deal with the ethereal (electronic records). Most simply do not know where to begin. The 2004 ERP ANET3 workshop, held at the Swiss Federal Archives in Bern, asked international experts in the fields of archival science and records management six questions that would form a starting point for this issue (p. 7): 1. What are the main challenges when managing and preserving information and records? 2. Will the new digital order change user needs or expectations of information, records, and/or archives management? 3. Are the existing archival paradigms adequate to meet the challenges of the new digital order? 4. What new or ganizational or business models does the new technology offer us to organize records and archives management? 5. What impact will the new digital order have on the interaction with


In this study, the efficacy of multi strain probiotic known as effective microorganism(EM), in a 3×3 factorial procedure in a completely randomized design with 3 replicate (pen) and 13 birds per each pen was studied. In our experiment, EM was used as fermented feed (EM-Bokashi) or in water solution in three different concentrations (0, Medium and High). The experimental periods were included starter period (7 to 21d) and grower period (22 to 42d). Growth rate and feed intake were recorded weekly and mortality was recorded daily. At the end of experiment 2 birds from each pens were randomly selected and blood samples were collected by wing vein and stored in -20 0 C for later analysis for blood metabolites. Sample of cecal content was rapidly taken for analysis of microbial population. The results showed that the main effects of application of EM (either fermented or in solution) were significantly increased (P<0.01) body weight and Feed intake. The interaction effects of applications EM-Bokashi and EM in water solution has significantly (P<0.01) effects on body weight and feed intake. Feed conversion ratio was not significantly affected by EM. However, the interaction effects between EM-Bokashi and EM in water solution were significantly reduced FCR. Serum metabolite such as triglycerides and cholesterol reduced significantly (P<0.05) using of EM. The main effects of application and interaction effects, EM caused significant reduction (P<0.05) of entro pathogenic bacteria (Clostridia, E. coli, Total bacteria and Salmonella). It was concluded that EM had a growth promoting effect through improvement of feed intake and/or reduced pathogenic bacteria on cecum.


[Objective] The quantitative mathematical model of color index in Navel Orange in the South of Jiangxi was set up and a new methods of classifying fruits by color was discussed.[Method] The surface colors in 50 of Navel Oranges samples were measured by using color reader.The quantitative models of the color indexs(L,a,b)was develop by the Near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy with partial least squares method.[Result] In whole wave band range,the optimum model was established by using original spectrum,the correlation coefficient(r)of the calibration model established by color index L was 0.933,the root mean square error of the prediction(RMSEP) was 1.333 and the correlation coefficient of full cross validation(rcross) was 0.926.The correlation coefficient of the calibration model established by color index a was 0.970,RMSEP was 1.524 and the correlation coefficient of full cross validation(rcross) was 0.967.The correlation coefficient of the calibration model established by color index b was 0.893,RMSEP was 2.676 and the correlation coefficient of full cross validation(rcross)was 0.875.[Conclusion] The model established by original spectrum was best,the root mean square error of full cross validation were both slightly higher.


This paper studies delay-dependent robust stability criteria problem for neutral system with time-varying delay. Based on a new class of Lyapunov functional approach and linear matrix inequality technology, a new delay dependent stability criterion for neutral system is derived by employing a delay-dividing approach. Finally, numerical examples are given to demonstrate the derived conditions are effectiveness and much less conservative than those given in the literature.


In three cases of gonococcal meningitis, the organism was isolated from the spinal fluid by culture on Thayer-Martin medium. Two of these patients showed other manifestations of systemic gonococcemia. All three patients recovered completely following treatment.


Closed-shell interactions occur mainly for some heavy late transition metals and main-group elements. In fact, these are dispersion forces reinforced by relativistic effects and by ionic components, of which the former are maximized in heteronuclear interactions. Heteronuclear compounds containing gold(I) and group-11, -12, and -13 metals display d10−d10 or d10−s2 closed-shell interactions of intermediate strength relative to the homonuclear metal−metal interactions. The number of examples of gold(I)−gold(I) contacts is large, but representatives of heteronuclear gold(I)−metal contacts are still scarce. There are two general types of derivatives displaying short gold−metal distances: those with bridging ligands and those with unbridged ones, of which the latter are always the more indicative of the presence of a real bond. Derivatives featuring unsupported gold−metal bonds have been obtained mainly through reactions between basic gold(I) complexes and acid complexes, and also by encapsulation of metal centers in metallocryptands. Most derivatives with supported gold−metal bonds have been synthesized by use of C-donor ligands or ambidentate ligands. The gold−metal contacts dramatically affect the conformations and the aggregation of the molecules, and also their optical properties. Some of these derivatives are, in fact, intensely luminescent. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003)


Background:Gynecomastia refers to the presence of femalelike mammary glands in a male. This disorder can lead to significant psychologic stress and self-consciousness. This study consists of a chart review of 174 patients treated surgically between July 1, 1976, and February 27, 2001. Results:Operative procedures were excision, excision with suction-assisted lipectomy (SAL), SAL, skin excision (skin) and skin excision with SAL. Overall complication rate was 20%. No significant difference in complication rates was found between grades or procedures. Revision rates between grades were I = 10.3%, II = 14.5% and III = 34.8% (P < 0.001). In grade III, gynecomastia revision rates for excision ± SAL was 29% and skin ± SAL was 38.1% (P = 0.644). Of the 8 revisions in the skin-sparing procedures, 6 were revised with a scar-forming procedure. Therefore, 77% of patients with grade III gynecomastia were adequately treated with a skin-sparing procedure. Conclusion:Skin-sparing operations should be the initial procedure chosen for most grade III gynecomastia patients.


Foreseeable Expansion of the Global Market for Electricity: U.S. World Electric Generation Forecast (T.F. Garrity). Environmental Impacts of Electricity Production (R. Wilson). Factors that Drive the Evolution of the Market Shares of Energy Sources: Issues Related to the Growth of Electricity in Global Energy Demand (M. Alonso). Forecast of the Global Electricity Market (A. Langmo, C. Braun). The Role of Natural Gas in Electricity Generation: An Objective Analysis of the Prospects for Gasfired Electric Generation in the U.S. (G. Schleede). Energy Interdependency and Its Impact on Environment and International Security: The Use of Energy Interdependence as a Political Tool (L. Goure). Protection of the Environment through Power from Space: Science Fiction or Future Reality? (C. Miliekowsky). Nuclear Reactors, New Technologies: The Future of Nuclear Energy: Is There a Future? (B. Wolfe). Burning of Plutonium, HEU, and Nuclear Waste Transmutation Technologies: Considerations for Accelerator Driven Transmutation of Nuclear Waste (A. Favale, D. Berwald). Policy Recommendations: Policy: Integrated Resource Planning to Optimize Energy Services (A.H. Rosenfeld). 14 additional articles. Index.


Such as nutritional compositions of liquid and solid, discloses β- hydroxy -β- methylbutyric acid and optionally at least one protein, carbohydrate, fat or protein, the composition comprising a combination of carbohydrates and fats. Further, the body endurance in an individual comprising pediatric individuals moving force, a method of using these compositions in order to improve the mobility and cognition disclosed.


Speaker(s): Richard Sharp Chair: Professor Wouter den Haan Recorded on 4 June 2014 in Old Theatre, Old Building. Recently created, the Financial Policy Committee is novel and has been in existence for a year. Why was the FPC created and how has macro...


This paper describes a series of azomethines obtained from 2-(4'-aminophenyl-1-methyl)-benzimidazole and various aromatic aldehydes. The condensing reaction optimum occurred by refluxing the reaction mixture, in ethanol, using acetic acid as catalyst. The obtained products were purified by recrystallization from organic solvents and by column chromatography on aluminium oxide. Azomethines structure was confirmed by FTIR and NMR spectra.


The industrially successful Dynamic Matrix Control technique (Cutler and Ramaker, 1979; Cutler, 1983) was originally developed for time invariant systems. The expansion of its scope to single variable systems with time-varying time delays and steady state gains is shown to be surprisingly simple. Realistic examples with substantial industrial flavor are used to illustrate the ease of application, and to demonstrate the usefulness of these results.


Celia Brown's research is a client study of the views of parents in child abuse cases. She interviewed 15 mothers and eight fathers in families where actual physical abuse to a child had been shown. At the time of the study she was a social worker in a childcare specialist team in Avon. She wanted to know what the parents' impressions were 'of the whole child abuse procedure, from being case conferenced and registered to the longterm involvement with social workers.' In common with other practitioner-researchers she was looking for guidance for practice from her study, in particular, 'are social workers helping the parents and their children, are they responding in a way that is helpful and understood by parents?' These small scale studies by social workers seem to me to be an entirely welcome development and despite an apparently overambitious brief this study indicates the important role that such research is likely to play in the future development of social work. The study covers the first contact between clients and workers, views concerning 'being social-worked,' impressions of social workers and their departments, views of other agencies, the experience of case conferences, parents' views of their children's views and finally the parents' reflections on the future. All of the chapters contain many direct and extensive quotations from the clients. This helps to establish the validity of the findings (as do the clear links with other client study findings). It also fulfils Celia Brown's aim of allowing the parents to speak for themselves and by the end of the study the readers feel that they have had quite intimate and privileged contact with the parents. I suspect that it may still surprise some social workers (and some researchers) that client views are obtainable in the desperate circumstances of child abuse. In fact as in other clients studies the parents impressed the researcher with their willingness to discuss their circumstances, and to comment 'rationally and honestly' even in cases subject to dispute and disagreement. Some of the findings closely parallel other client studies, for example the difficulty that people have in taking in information while under stress, the value that the parents put on the social worker being open and honest, and the way that clients weigh up their social workers and evaluate their skills or their lack of skills. Some make rather depressing reading. A number of the parents, for example, wanted to change their social worker and found that this was to all intents and purposes impossible. It is difficult to see why social services are so reluctant to agree to changes in social worker. There are, after all, vocal social work critics of the difficult process that must sometimes be gone through to change from one GP to another. But despite this view about the practice of others, customer views on such matters


Black and white photograph of a young woman standing in the middle of a street. She is identified as Christine Olson Walters. She is wearing a black dress that has a pleated collar and a pleated skirt. She is also wearing a hat. Behind her, buildings and telephone poles line either side of the street. Shadows are cast across the ground.


A pilot study was performed over 91 days to determine if the activated sludge process could treat a segregated stripped sour water (SSW) stream from a petroleum refinery. The study was performed in two periods. The first period was terminated after 19 days, as a result of excessive sludge bulking. The elimination of sludge bulking during the 70‐day second period is attributed to operational changes, which included aerating the influent to oxidize reduced sulfur, adjusting the influent pH, and adding micronutrients to satisfy biological requirements. The pilot plant provided a chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of up to 93%. Nitrification was achieved, with effluent ammonia values <1 mg‐N/L. These results indicate that direct treatment of SSW with the activated sludge process is possible and has direct application to full‐scale petroleum refinery wastewater plant upgrades.


The objective of this paper is to develop a power converter module that charges a battery with solar power, and the design technique at the product level is introduced to realize a compact size and light weight. The main circuit is a buck-boost chopper so that it can cover wide range of charging voltage. The MPPT control is realized by a very simple algorithm of Limit-Cycle MPPT (LCMPPT) proposed by authors previously. All control functions are implemented in digital algorithm and a HITACHI H8 microprocessor is used for the control. In addition to the battery, a load can be directly connected also, which is automatically disconnected in the case of detecting a low voltage condition of the battery. RS-232C port is also available for observing the internal variables such as input/output voltages and currents through a PC. An example of obtained test results showing the relations of output power versus input/output voltages and efficiency are given. The efficiency is about 70-72% in a wide range of output power.


High-energy fractures are known to result in a long healing proce ss and a high incidence of nonunion. In the traditional treatment of high-energ y fractures, bone grafting or bone substitute grafting is applied only after the delayed union or nonunion has already been confirmed. Secondary interventions t o treat nonunion are associated with a high morbidity of complications and a lon g time recovery. Charnley (1961) first recommended prophylactic bone grafting in treatment of high-energy fractures to reduce total time of fracture healing. H owever, autogenous bone graft has certain drawbacks, such as limited harvest ava ilable and serious complications at the donor site. In order to overcome these p roblems, various bone graft substitutes, such as growth factors, bioceramics and composite grafts, have been developed as early grafting materials.


Rapid economic development and population growth
in Malaysia had accelerated the generation of solid waste. This issue gives pressure for effective management of municipal solid waste (MSW) to take place in Malaysia due to the increased cost of landfill. This paper discusses optimal planning of waste-to-energy (WTE)using a combinatorial simulation and optimization model through mixed integer linear programming (MILP) approach. The proposed
multi-period model is tested in Iskandar Malaysia (IM) as case study for a period of 12 years (2011 -2025) to illustrate the economic potential and tradeoffs involved in this study. In this paper, 3 scenarios have been used to demonstrate the applicability of the model: (1) Incineration scenario (2) Landfill scenario (3) Optimal scenario. The model revealed that the minimum cost of electricity
generation from 9,995,855 tonnes of MSW is estimated as USD
387million with a total electricity generation of 50MW /yr in the optimal scenario.