Thirty five pharmacies in the province of Barcelona will carry out rapid HIV tests for free, in a pilot project aiming to increase access to tests for people from vulnerable groups and to avoid delay in diagnosis.

The project, to start in the first quarter of 2009, will run for at least six months in 23 municipalities with populations from 30 000 to 50 000, most of them around Barcelona city. It is being organised by Rafael Borras, a member of the governing council of the Barcelona …


To evaluate the water quality and provide the evidence of managing phytoplankton synthetically of the Yi River and Beng River,phytoplankton was researched from November 2006 to August 2007.In the Yi River and Beng River,the Shannon-Wiener diversity index of phytoplankton was 2.20-3.32 and 2.58-3.64;Margalef diversity index was 2.34-4.31 and 2.14-4.16;Pielou diversity index was 0.60-0.77 and 0.76-0.86;and phytoplankton cell density was 2.43-6.25(×107 cells·L-1) and 2.78-5.89(×107cells·L-1).The Yi River and Beng River were os-β-ms,and Beng River′s water quality was a bit better than Yi River.Water temperature,the quantity of ammonia nitrogen and velocity of flow are the difficult factors,which effect on the diversity of phytoplankton and cell density.The result is that Yi River and Beng River are changed form river type to lake one.


RASAL1, a RAS GTPase-activating protein (RasGAP), has been recently identified for the first time as a major tumor suppressor gene in thyroid cancer (1). RasGAP activates the intrinsic GTPase of RAS, which hydrolyzes GTP, converting the active GTP-bound RAS to inactive GDP-bound RAS and terminating the RAS signaling. For decades, RAS mutations have been the only known genetic mechanism for the activation of RAS in thyroid cancer. The study, by discovering inactivating genetic and epigenetic alterations of RASAL1, identified a new prominent genetic mechanism for the activation of RAS in thyroid cancer (1). This work is believed to add to our current understanding of thyroid tumorigenesis by providing a compelling model of how alternative RAS signaling-related genes impact thyroid tumorigenesis and, in the context of recent molecular studies in thyroid cancer (2), to help further refine the molecular taxonomy of thyroid cancer (3). The study characterized RASAL1 as a tumor suppressor gene in thyroid cancer in a comprehensive manner, involving genetic, epigenetic, and functional aspects at both in vitro and in vivo levels. It demonstrated for the first time its tumor-suppressor function and common mutually exclusive inactivating somatic genetic and epigenetic alterations, thus firmly establishing a prominent role of RASAL1 in thyroid tumorigenesis. Among a large number of RasGAP genes examined, only RASAL1 was found to be completely methylated and silenced in thyroid cancer cells (1), suggesting a unique and particularly important role of this RasGAP gene in thyroid tumorigenesis. This importance of RASAL1 in thyroid cancer is now further supported by the germline study of the RASAL1 gene from the Eng group (4) published in July issue of the JCEM, in which the authors interestingly identified deleterious RASAL1 germline mutations in PTENwild-type patients with Cowden syndrome who developed follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) and in patients who had apparent somatic follicular variant of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). This study provides the first evidence that germline genetic alterations can occur in RASAL1 in human diseases. The finding of deleterious germline mutations in the RASAL1 gene in patients with apparent somatic follicular variant PTC is intriguing, which is expected to stimulate new studies to define further its significance and implications. The results of the Eng group (4) are strikingly consistent with the previous findings that inactivating genetic and epigenetic alterations of RASAL1 were more commonly found in FTC than in PTC (1). These somatic and germline genetic findings of RASAL1 in the two studies are typical of some other RasGAP tumor suppressor genes, such as NF1 in the development of neurofibromatosis type 1 and various human cancers (5, 6), whose inactivation can occur as a primary genetic driver of tumorigenesis of both somatic and familial forms. Being such a RasGAP tumor suppressor gene and now supported by the germline data from the Eng group (4), it is quite possible that mutations in RASAL1 may prove to be responsible for certain yet unidentified familial cancers other than Cowden syndrome. Inactivation of the RASAL1 gene seemed to play a particularly important role in the progression and aggressiveness of thyroid cancer because inactivating mutations and hypermethylation of this gene most commonly occurred in anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), the most aggressive type of thyroid cancer (1). As could be expected for a RasGAP, the wild-type RASAL1 was functionally shown to suppress both the MAPK and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathways; this function was lost in RASAL1 mutants (1). Thus, inactivating mutations of RASAL1, by resulting in the activation of RAS, are dull activators of the MAPK and PI3K pathways. This may partially explain the preferential presence of RASAL1 mutations in ATC and is consistent with a previous proposal that dual activation of the MAPK and PI3K pathways is an important mechanism for the progression of thyroid cancer to aggressive forms, such as ATC (2).

As shown in the canonical scheme for the MAPK and PI3K pathways in Figure 1, the aberrant activation of the two pathways dually regulated by RAS plays a fundamental role in thyroid tumorigenesis (2). Oncogenic activation of the two pathways has been well known to be driven by activating mutations in classical proto-oncogenes in these pathways, such as RAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA. Genomic amplifications of these and other proto-oncogenes in these pathways, such as the genes for various receptor tyrosine kinases and AKT, are also common in thyroid cancer (7). All of these are activating genetic alterations that constitute the classically known mechanism for the aberrant activation of the two RAS-related signaling pathways. The one known mechanism involving inactivating genetic alterations, resulting in aberrant activation of this pathway signaling, is the PTEN alterations. This is specifically a mechanism for the aberrant activation of the PI3K pathway. PTEN functions as a lipid phosphatase to convert phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate to phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate, terminating the activation of the PI3K pathway. PTEN is thus a prominent tumor suppressor. Its genetic and epigenetic inactivation is an important mechanism in thyroid tumorigenesis (8). Inactivating germline mutations of the PTEN gene are the main cause of Cowden syndrome, which predisposes to the development of FTC (9). PTEN mutations also occur in somatic thyroid cancers, particularly in FTC and ATC (7, 10, 11). Hypermethylation of the PTEN gene is also common in thyroid cancer (12). RASAL1 now represents a second example in which inactivating genetic and epigenetic alterations of a tumor suppressor gene is a major mechanism in driving aberrant activation of the RAS-regulated pathways in thyroid cancer. Unlike PTEN inactivation, which only activates the PI3K pathway, RASAL1 inactivation results in the activation of both the MAPK and PI3K pathways, thus potentially having a more profound impact on tumorigenesis, such as tumor progression and aggressiveness of ATC discussed above. Both the MAPK and PI3K pathways play an important role in undifferentiated ATC, whereas the former plays a dominant role preferentially in PTC and the latter plays a dominant role preferentially in FTC (2). The fact that genetic and epigenetic alterations of RASAL1 more commonly occurred in FTC than PTC (1) suggests that alterations in RASAL1 may preferentially affect the PI3K pathway over the MAPK pathway in differentiated thyroid cancers. This is quite consistent with previous findings that RAS mutations were more commonly associated with the activation of the PI3K pathway over the MAPK pathway in thyroid cancer (7, 13).

Figure 1.

Addition of RASAL1 to the canonical scheme of the RAS-coupled MAPK and PI3K pathways. Shown are the classical RAS-coupled MAPK and PI3K signaling pathways. The normal signaling flow is typically initiated by growth factors acting on various receptor tyrosine ...

Genetic alterations in the classical genes in the RAS-regulated MAPK and PI3K pathways collectively occur in about 60–70% of thyroid cancers (2). It is interesting to see that the inactivating mutations and high-level hypermethylation of RASAL1 occurred mainly in the remaining 30–40% of thyroid cancers that lacked the classical genetic alterations in the RAS-regulated pathways, such as mutations in the BRAF, RAS, PIK3CA, and PTEN genes (1). This mutual exclusivity of RASAL1 alterations from the classical genetic alterations in the RAS-regulated pathways strongly supports an important independent role of RASAL1 in thyroid tumorigenesis, particularly in thyroid cancers lacking the classical genetic alterations in the MAPK and PI3K pathways. Thus, genetic or epigenetic inactivation of RASAL1 represents a novel prominent mechanism in thyroid tumorigenesis, which is likely also an important genetic mechanism in other human cancers. It is plausible to propose that the classical oncogenic RAS-coupled MAPK and PI3K pathways should now be revised to welcome RASAL1 as a prominent new component in this canonical cancer cell signaling, as illustrated in Figure 1. As a new friend to the thyroid cancer research community, RASAL1 heralds great promise for better understanding of molecular mechanisms and development of novel therapeutic strategies for thyroid cancer.


Abstract. Metalenses have drawn a lot of interest for use in near-infrared (NIR) bioimaging due to their benefits, such as flexible design, light weight, and simple integration. However, chromatic aberration is inevitable in optical systems, which substantially reduces their imaging quality. A broadband achromatic metalens for linearly polarized light in the range 1200 to 1550 nm is constructed to address this challenge. The phase and dispersion of the incident light are modulated by altering the ratio between the long and short axes of the elliptical nanopillars. Through the application of the particle swarm optimization algorithm, appropriate compensating phases can be added to the phase profiles at various wavelengths to align the real phase with the target phase of the broadband achromatic metalens. The structure of the nanopillar at any position in the metalens can be found from a relative phase library. Our numerical experimental results demonstrate that the proposed metalens has relatively consistent focusing characteristics and robustness in the 1200 to 1550 nm band, with an average focusing efficiency of 83.14%. The proposed high-efficiency robust NIR achromatic metalens can increase the quality of NIR biological imaging and the efficiency of a detector.


The growth and sustainability of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are crucial for the economic development of any nation. The government of Ghana, in recognition of this, established the Ghana Enterprises Agency to promote the growth and development of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs). This study aimed to identify the core attributes and areas of specialization of Small and Medium Textile Enterprises (SMTEs) in Ghana to provide the necessary support, identify employment opportunities, and mobilize the needed revenue for development. A descriptive research design was used for the study, with a sample size of 273 out of 300 questionnaires distributed to small and medium textile manufacturers in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Northern, and Western regions. The study employed multi-stage sampling techniques involving convenient, purposive, and stratified sampling procedures. The findings revealed that Greater Accra and the Ashanti region have the highest population of SMTEs in Ghana. The average annual earning of SMTEs in Ghana was around Gh¢18,000, which suggests more room for improvement. The study recommends that the government must provide valuable resources, particularly financial and strategic support, for the development of the private sector, particularly SMEs. The study also identified that the textile industry has significant potential for job creation and revenue generation, particularly in the face of rising youth unemployment rates in Ghana. Therefore, the government should promote investment in the textile sector, particularly for SMTEs, through policies that prioritize infrastructural development, access to finance, and targeted training programs. Overall, this study highlights the importance of supporting SMEs, particularly in the textile industry, as a vital means of promoting economic growth and development in Ghana.


This article explores the feminist potential of (Gegen)gewalt ((counter-)violence) during the founding years of West Germany's neue Frauenbewegung: firstly, as a discourse and practice which helped create the discursive space to start imagining feminist identity in the late 1960s, when, it has been argued, no such identity existed; secondly, as a militant practice in the early 1970s, through which women were able to change their gendered behavioural scripts in positive feminist ways; finally, as feminist self-defence, understood as enabling women to continue to imagine an active subject position in the mid-1970s, when women as the victims of patriarchal violence had become the predominant idea of the movement. Reading feminist flyers, publications and other documents of the period, as well as more recently published accounts of the movement, alongside the wider discourse on (Gegen)gewalt of the 1960s and 1970s, I trace a cultural history of feminist (Gegen)gewalt.


A simplified parallel plate model for micropore structure of active carbon is studied by summing the permutations of the set of n (the integer, 7 ⩽ n ⩽ 10) plane surfaces with the value of DPDS - 1 (=DDR - 1), where DPSD is the fractal dimension defined in the pore-size distribution function dV/dL ∝ L2-D, dV being the adsorption volume between L and L + dL, in the micropore range (L ⩽ 2 nm) and DDR is the fractal dimension determined using the Dubinin-Radusbkevich (DR) micropore volume V0 as a function of the adsorbate molar volume v, i.e., V0 ∝ v(3-D)/3 . Comparison of the micropore-size distribution histograms of the parallel plate model with those curves of the pore-size distribution function showed that the surface fractal dimension Ds can be approximated by DDR - 1 or DPSD - 1. From the results, the surface fractal dimension Ds of micropore walls of active carbon is further confirmed to be Ds < 2 (ca. 1.9) in the parallel plate model.


Change processes in Interprofessional Collaborative education and practice in Care . Abstract The public health sector in welfare states is increasingly subject to organisational changes, and collaboration between healthcare professionals has long been requested as a way to obtain higher quality and at the same time lower spending in health care. In addition, it has been welcomed as a way to equalize power relations among healthcare professionals. However, many critical perspectives on collaborative practice have emerged over the past. Based on desk research, we investigate the various ways collaborative practice historically has been defined and understood to integrate the knowledge development about collaborative practice into its current state. We find that a broad range of definitions and normative concepts has been proposed. We demonstrate that the various definitions lead to different directions of organising work. We conclude that whether and in what sense a focus on collaborative practice can be said to help improve the delivery of health care depends on the context, the agendas and interests of the involved actors.


Colombian jurisprudence has indicated the inability of consortia and joint ventures to enter into a state contract to appear at court proceedings on behalf of the group, by the lack of legal personality, so it is imposed on each of its members participate in individually in legal proceedings. He also noted that there is no legal authority for the contract representative directly represent them in legal proceedings. This has led to the annulment of certain administrative proceedings in which there have appeared each of the members of consortia and joint ventures. It is for this, which is to establish the main features granted to consortia and joint ventures, in order to determine their role in government procurement. To this end, has made a diligent study of comparative law on the subject in order to achieve particular context the notion of what a consortium and a consortium. This document is the result of a descriptive qualitative research due to its intention to specify the main properties that guide the operation of consortia and joint ventures under government contracts.


Beef producers utilize stockpiled tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. 'Kentucky 31') in the Midwest to extend the grazing season and reduce winter feeding costs. Previous studies indicated concentrations of some macronutrients in stockpiled tall fescue leaves were below those required by lactating beef cows in late winter and early spring. Our previous studies found P fertilization in late winter increased leaf Mg and Ca concentrations in early spring. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of 2 years of P fertilization on leaf macronutrient concentrations of stockpiled tall fescue during late fall, winter, and early spring. Leaf concentrations of P, Mg, and Ca were higher with P fertilization than those of the untreated controls. During the second year, the highest P treatment maintained leaf P and Mg concentrations above the critical 0.2% required by lactating beef cows during peak lactation. The leaf concentrations of phloem mobile macronutrients declined from October to February with the exception of N, which reached its lowest concentration in January. Decreases in leaf concentration of mobile elements like P, Mg, N, and K may be the result of nutrient remobilization from leaves to roots during late fall and early winter as a strategy to provide support for next spring's growth. Producers should account for the possibility of low leaf macronutrient concentrations in tall fescue during late winter, especially when beef cattle are grazing pastures on soils with low plant-available P.


Metal oxide thin films are increasingly utilized in small molecular organic photovoltaic devices to facilitate electron transport and injection. Despite this there is little understanding of the influence these layers have on the structure of adjacent organic semiconductor layers. Here we use both O- and Zn-terminated (0001) single crystal zinc oxide (ZnO) as a model system to investigate the effect of a metal oxide surface on the growth of a molecular semiconductor, vanadyl phthalocyanine (VOPc). The surface reconstructions of these model surfaces are determined and the properties of thin films of VOPc deposited atop are investigated. The nature of the bulk truncation of the surface is found to have pronounced effects on both the morphology and crystal structure of these molecular films. This work highlights the importance of considering the effects of the chemical composition and surface termination of metal oxide films on the structure of adjacent molecular semiconductor films.


This study examined the influence and role of college students' career preference type on the decision-making process of career selection, and also analyzed the effect on the confession bias in the process. The data was collected from June 20th to July 9th, 2017. The case analysis method was used for three times over 20 days by interviewing university students in the metropolitan area. The results of the analysis of the data from the study participants show that there are differences in the degree of individuals regardless of the preferred occupation type and career aptitude, but mostly there is a bias toward career and career. Confirmed biased thinking is a phenomenon that is shaped by the psychological and environmental factors of the research participants and that they try to fit themselves into a framework that reflects social awareness. The implication of this study is that the preference type affects the selection of the major, and that confirmation bias is a hindrance to proper employment and a job search. The preference for the individual job type should be properly established. Environment and opportunity should be provided.


The paper shows that the basic purpose and inner need of man and society today is the creation of the culture of safety and education of the safety type person, that is capable to active communication during  the entire survival.  In this case, the priority is to preserve the environment.  It is noted that today the safety at the level of person and society can not be maintained without supporting the global component.  There are mentioned the basic principles, whose realization will provide the further development of the culture of human's life safety and the whole society.


Control method of a logical communication channel in circuit mode between a radio terminal (14) and an infrastructure cellular radiocommunication infrastructure comprising at least one core network (30), network controllers radio (60, 61) connected to the core network and first and second controllers and base stations (70, 71) provided with radio interfaces and each connected to one of the radio network controllers comprising.


Acute kidney injury (formerly known as acute renal failure) is a complex disorder with many underling conditions. It is seen in SIRS/sepsis and associated with a mortality of 60 % [1]. In 2007, a uniform definition was proposed which now replaces the more than 30 definitions that existed previously [2]. The diagnostic criteria for AKI were proposed based on acute alterations in serum creatinine or urine output. The Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria (Table 13.1) are based on epidemiological studies. Those studies indicated that modest changes in serum creatinine were significantly associated with mortality, hospital length of stay, and costs [3]. The old classification of prerenal, renal, and postrenal AKI is becoming less important as more than 90 % of the AKI patients suffer from a combination of prerenal and renal AKI.


In their article published in this issue, Steven J Hoffman & John-Arne Rottingen note that an international agreement on the important issue of research and development (R&D) could take any number of forms.1 Following discussions at the 2012 World Health Assembly (WHA), the authors describe a variety of administrative, financial, decision-making, oversight and compliance mechanisms, their point being, presumably, that concerns expressed at the WHA (which are described below) can be overcome if attention is paid to the most appropriate form that an international agreement on R&D might take.

Hoffman and Rottingen are correct in stating that international regimes come in a variety of forms2 and that the Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) can structure a much-needed regime on R&D in any number of different ways. These are questions of form. The more pressing question is whether a binding international instrument (i.e. a treaty) is an appropriate institutional choice.

Treaties serve functions such as addressing cooperation and coordination problems under conditions of interdependence,3 elevating an issue's profile politically,4 lending credibility to a commitment5 and shaping the interests of states (both by altering their rational self-interest and their commitment to particular ideas).6 However, treaties are not costless. Negotiations are expensive and time-consuming exercises that entail high opportunity costs for WHO and its Member States. Treaties are not the ideal institutional choice for addressing every global health problem and should not be embraced reflexively.

The opportunity costs associated with treaties need to be given careful consideration. Before deciding to initiate treaty negotiations, WHO Member States should, as a general rule, begin by examining the potential treaty's substance (i.e. what the parties might agree upon in broad terms) and then ask themselves whether any other existing models could better achieve the outcomes pursued.

The Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination (CEWG) undertook an analysis and recommended the negotiation of a treaty. This recommendation was premised on the idea that a binding commitment would secure financial contributions to fund R&D.7 The fact that Member States rejected the proposition brings us to the question of whether a treaty is a suitable institutional choice.

On the one hand, identifying the functions that a treaty on R&D may serve is easy enough. First, a collective action problem persists in that there is insufficient investment in R&D accompanied by an incentive for some states to free-ride on the investment of others. Although it is not obvious how Member States might address this problem through a treaty lacking binding financial commitments, solving collective action problems is a typical function of treaties. Second, coordination problems persist in the context of resource allocation, standard setting and information exchange. Typically, treaties address problems of coordination alongside cooperation (collective action) problems. Third, there is a normative dimension in that rules governing intellectual property protection further incentivize investment in commercially rewarding innovation. The CEWG report recommended that a treaty establish norms, which is a typical function of treaties. In particular, the CEWG identified the need for a rule de-linking investment in R&D from prices paid by consumers.

On the other hand, making the best institutional choice involves weighing the pros and cons of a treaty against those of other approaches in light of the political will of Member States. As Hoffman and Rottingen argue, one issue to consider is whether a financing mechanism devoid of a binding legal obligation to contribute funds will work. Another is whether a treaty would lock in R&D as a political priority in a way that would divert resources away from other important health issues, rather than leading to the provision of new resources. Yet another issue is whether approaches that lack legal obligation and do not create new incentives for action would be credible in light of the political history of R&D at the international level.

One thing is clear: the CEWG report has brought the issue of R&D to a head after a long process that has not satisfied WHO Member States as a whole. A case for action has been made, and the onus now rests on those opposing a treaty negotiation to put forward a credible alternative. It is not enough, in this respect, for donor countries to merely argue that the answer lies in having developing countries increase investment in R&D. In truth, incentives for investing in R&D are shaped by the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and similar agreements. Donor countries advocated TRIPS and tied its adoption to access to their markets as part of a single undertaking when establishing the World Trade Organization. They did so not to encourage innovation in the territories of their trading partners, but to allow firms to extract monopoly rents from countries where intellectual property protection was weak or non-existent. Hence, both donor and recipient countries have played their own roles in creating the status quo, and a system of shared responsibility is needed moving forward.


Wave propagation characteristics of iron conductors were measured when an impulse voltage was applied. The measured results show that the iron permeability causes no significant effect on the wave propagation characteristic and thus the iron conductor is represented by an aluminum conductor, The surge impedances are noticeably different between vertically and horizontally arranged conductors. An equivalent cylindrical conductor to L-, Tand square-shape iron conductors has been proposed, where the outer and inner radii are evaluated from the circumscribed and inscribed circles of the original conductor. An EMTP simulation by adopting the equivalent cylindrical conductor gives a reasonable result compared with the measured result. Also, an induced voltage to a closed loop is measured for various terminating conditions, and an EMTP simulation shows a satisfactory accuracy.


The modern transmission system is becoming more and more complex with interconnected networks and more recently the connection of renewable power stations. Demands for reliable power supply are continually increasing. These demands are introducing new challenges to modern power supply systems. The appearance of an HVDC system can contribute to the demands. Since the first commercial HVDC application started in 1950s, the HVDC system has been widely recognized as having advantages in long distance bulk power delivery, economical areas, asynchronous interconnections, limiting short circuit current and environmental benefits. The objectives of this paper are to give a brief introduction to HVDC technology and provide a literature review of using HVDC technology to enhance the AC networks. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using HVDC to interconnect AC networks. Some HVDC applications will be discussed.


Using Dean's numerical procedures, Huber1 has recently evaluated the spin‐wave density of states in disordered magnetic chains. His work is specific to the case where the Heisenberg exchange bonds are spatially isotropic. In realistic amorphous systems, even if exchange bond isotropy were to obtain 'on the average', it is expected not to hold at the microscopic level (see, for example, the discussion in Ref. 2). We have, therefore, generalized Huber's computations to include independently fluctuating longitudinal and transverse exchange bonds. Further, to test the accuracy of our CPA for doubly fluctuating bonds, we have compared these one dimensional results, for the total density of states, with those obtained by the use of the formulation given in Ref. 2. Finally, we have analyzed the predictions of our DFCPA in three dimensions. Results for the spin‐wave stiffness and the frequency‐wave‐vector dependent density of states are presented for the b.c.c. lattice.


The invention discloses a water absorbing device of an electric steaming stove, formed by connecting a water containing groove, a water absorbing ball, a water absorbing pipe and a water outlet pipe, wherein an olivary water absorbing ball is made of nontoxic silicon rubber resisting high temperature; the inner part of the water absorbing ball is hollow and has a certain elasticity; a lower port of the water absorbing ball is sequentially connected with a one-way valve and the water absorbing pipe; a water inlet of the water absorbing pipe is communicated with the water containing groove; an upper port is connected with the water outlet pipe entering a water storage tank; the water absorbing ball is controlled by a movable pressing plate and a fixing pressing plate; the movable pressing plate is connected with a compression pull rod, a pull spring and a hinge rod of a stove door; the hinge rod of the stove door is connected with a pull down stove door; and the middle of the water absorbing pipe is also connected with a filter. The water absorbing device of the electric steaming stove can be used for recovering condensing water which flows into the bottom from the stove without any power or switch; the stove door is pulled for pulling the movable pressing plate to compress or release the water absorbing ball; and the condensing water accumulated in the water containing groove is absorbed into the water storage tank so that an inner bag of the electric steaming stove is dry and clean.


In this paper, we discussed the probability distribution of exponential and non-exponential tunneling ionization of atoms, taking into account that the tunneling is not instantaneous, but requires a very short time interval. Also, it was investigated how different laser beam profiles affect the probability distribution. These physical situations are analyzed for the valence electron of potassium atom exposed to a strong laser field in a wide range of intensities (1012 -1015  W/cm2). We use ADK theory formalism to compute probability distributions. The results demonstrate that the probability distribution in the non-exponential mode has a significantly lower value than in the exponential mode, calculated under the same conditions. We showed that various laser beam profiles on these probability distributions produce different tunneling time intervals.


Historical Kawasoti Lake is an excellent hub for floral and faunal diversity located in the Bhabhar region of the Southern Nawalpur district. This study was carried out to access the status and diversity of terrestrial floral species around the Lake area. A species-area curve method was employed to determine the sampling quadrants and the area was surveyed and sampled by foot trail for data collection. A total of 19 sample quadrants each of 10m*10m for tree species and a nested plot of 3*3m for shrubs and 1*1m for herbs were laid by foot trail within each quadrant. The collected data were analyzed and the Important Value Index (IVI)of only tree species was calculated in MS- Excel. A total of 66 terrestrial plant species of 38 different families were recorded, among which 25 were trees (38%), 27 herbs (41%), 12shrubs (18%), and 2 climber species (3%). Among 38 families, the Asteraceae family was dominant, followed by Poaceae, Lamiaceae, Moraceae, Malvaceae, Amaranthaceae, Apocynaceae, Fabaceae, and so on. Among 25 tree species, Moraceae was the most dominant family followed by Meliaceae, Rubiaceae, Malvaceae, and so on. Shorea robusta of the Dipterocarpaceae family has the highest IVI (62.16) followed by Dalbergia sissoo of the Fabaceae family (24.37), Ziziphus mauritiana of Malvaceae family (22.87), Melia azedarach of Meliaceae family (21.06), and least of Carica papaya of Caricaceae family (3.71). The result shows the floristic diversity and species richness around the lake area. So, further conservation programs need to be carried out in the future to conserve the ecological and social diversity of this lake sustainably. Also, this study will provide baseline information for plant specialists, foresters, and biologists to enhance the conservation of this floral species in this lake and also in different lake zones of Nepal.


The construction of hydroelectric engineering is a complex work,it lasts a long time and involves many works,and to make a vivid animation of the process in traditional ways using drawings and documents is almost impossible.With the outstanding functions of spatial modeling and data processing of GIS,also its 3D visualization,we can give a satisfying dynamic model of the construction schedule,which will be a great help for the research and decision-making work of the project.


Sound propagation velocity of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and bulk acoustic waves (BAWs) has been investigated by means of high resolution Brillouin spectroscopy. The results show a linear dependence of the BAW propagation velocity with the Al concentration. There is no relevant influence of the substrate chosen in the propagation velocity of BAWs in AlxGa1−xN thin films. SAW propagation velocity of epitaxially grown AlN is clearly lower than the observed one in AlN prepared by reactive dc magnetron sputtering. Numerical simulation results of SAW propagation velocity are compared with the experimental results.


We present a phylogenetic methodology to test hypotheses of adaptation and to discriminate adaptation from alternative causal explanations of character evolution. To constitute an adaptation, a character must be shown to provide current utility to the organism and to have been generated historically through the action of natural selection for its current biological role. The criterion of current utility is applied by comparing the performance of a derived trait to that of its phylogenetically antecedent state. If the performance of a trait exceeds that of its antecedent state, it constitutes an "aptation" for its observed biological role. Alternatively, if the performance of a trait equals or falls below that of its antecedent state, it constitutes a "nonaptation" or "disaptation," respectively. The criterion of historical genesis is applied using the concept of "selective regime," the aggregation of organismal and environmental factors that combine to determine the expected action of natural selection on actual and potential character variation. An aptation that arose on a lineage having the same selective regime as the focal taxon constitutes an "adaptation," whereas one that arose on a lineage having a different selective regime constitutes an "exaptation." For nonaptations and disaptations, the criterion of historical genesis serves to determine whether the nonaptive or disaptive status arose coincident with the trait itself or secondarily through a change of selective regime. We suggest that this phylogenetic approach will help to overcome general criticisms of adaptationist studies and will serve to bridge the gap between microevolutionary and macroevolutionary studies of adaptation. (Ad- aptation; exaptation; natural selection; phylogeny.)


An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of time pers'Occtive on performance expectancies and the subjective evaluation of outcomes in regard to a task at which subjects had previously succeeded Or failed. Prior research has produced conflicting findings on the subjective eveluation of positive and negative outcomes, but some of the research has dealt with tangible rewards and punishments while other work has been concerned with performance outcomes involving tasks with which subjects were unfamiliar. In the current study subjects first succeeded or failed on either an easy or difficult task. They then stated performance expectancies and made evaluations of the affect associated with success and failure in regard to performing the task again immediately, in 3 weeks, or in 21 weeks. Results indicated a significant decrease over time for both the satisfaction associated with passing and-the dissatisfaction associated with failure. Performance expectancies were significantly higher for the tolting period of 21 weeks in the future than for either the immediate or 3-weeks testing period, but this difference was evidenced only for subjects who initially


This study tries to cluster the 795 standard watersheds of Korea Water Resources Unit Map using multivariate statistical analysis technique. The 30 factors of watershed characteristics related to topography, stream, meteorology, soil, land cover and hydrology were selected for comprehensive analysis. From the factor analysis, 16 representative factors were selected. The significant factors in order were the pedological feature, scale and geological location and meteorological and hydrological features of the watershed. As a next step, the 73 gauged watersheds were selected for cluster analysis. They are scattered properly to the whole country and the discharge data were within a confidential level. Based on the 73 watersheds, the other ungaged watersheds were clustered by applying the 16 factors and calculating Euclidian distances. The clustering results showed that the similarity between standard watersheds within the same river basin were 87%, 69%, 41%, 52%, and 27% for Han, Nakdong, Geum, Seomjin, and Yeongsan river basins respectively.


A respectable amount of work dealing with Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) clearly indicates a popularity of TAM in the field of technology acceptance in general. Nevertheless, there is still a gap in existing knowledge regarding representative academic literature that underlie research on TAM in educational context. The main objective of this systematic literature review is to provide an overview of the current state of research efforts on TAM application in the field of learning and teaching for a variety of learning domains, learning technologies and types of users. Through systematic search by the use of EBSCO Discovery Service, the review has identified 71 relevant studies ranged between 2003 and 2018. The main findings indicate that TAM and its many different versions represent a credible model for facilitating assessment of diverse learning technologies. TAM's core variables, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, have been proven to be antecedent factors affecting acceptance of learning with technology. The paper identifies some gaps in current work and suggests areas for further investigation. The results of this systematic review provide a better understanding of TAM acceptance studies in educational context and create a firm foundation for advancing knowledge in the field. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Technology acceptance research in teaching and learning context has become an attractive trend.A number of reviews and meta‐analysis focused on specific topics related to technology acceptance in education have been conducted.The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is the key model in understanding predictors of human behaviour towards potential acceptance or rejection of the technology.What this paper adds The state of current research on Technology Acceptance Model application in educational context lacks comprehensive reviews addressing variety of learning domains, learning technologies and types of users.The paper presents systematic review of relevant academic literature on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in the field of learning and teaching.The paper provides empirical evidence on the predictive validity of the models based on TAM presented in selected literature.The findings revealed that TAM, along with its many different versions called TAM++, is a leading scientific paradigm and credible model for facilitating assessment of diverse technological deployments in educational context.TAM's core variables, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, have been proven to be antecedent factors that have affected acceptance of learning with technology.Implications for practice and/or policy The systematic review adds to the body of knowledge and creates a firm foundation for advancing knowledge in the field.By following the most common research objectives and/or by filling current gaps in applied research methods, chosen sample groups and types of result analysis, an own study could be conducted.Future research may well focus on identifying additional external factors that could further explain acceptance and usage of various learning technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] uracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)


The paper analyzes the New Edition of the Law of Ukraine "On the Protection of Consumer Rights" No. 3153-IX dated June 10, 2023. Based on the results of the analysis, the author outlined the main positive trends in bringing the legal norms of the new Ukrainian Law closer to the acts of European consumer law, in particular food products were returned to the sphere of consumer legislation; the terminology has been approximated, the concept of a significant drawback has been eliminated; consumers was given the right to exchange the product under warranty for the same or similar product; the declarative practice was eliminated when most of the violations of consumer rights did not involve any responsibility, the need for consumer policy was determined, and the main subjects of the consumer rights protection system were outlined. However, on certain issues, in the new edition, the practice of promoting provisions that directly contradict or distort the provisions of European law has been continued. In particular, it was established that the mention of the constitutional right of consumers to the protection of their rights by the state, as well as the basic right of consumers to product safety, was removed from the new edition of the Law. The paper substantiates the fallacy of the decision regarding the removal of the reference to the extension of the Law to consumers of financial services, as well as the norm regarding the need for business entities to create an exchange fund for goods, and the norm regarding the application of penalties. It has also been established that there are certain shortcomings in defining the essence of the consumer rights protection system and its subjects, in the name of the national body responsible for the implementation of the policy in the sphere of consumer rights protection. According to the results of the analysis, proposals were made to eliminate the identified shortcomings.


Compulsory policy and stimulating policy may promote the application of renewable energy industry in buildings.In this paper,static economic efficiency of different policies was compared based on the cost of energy conservation.It indicates that applying stimulating policy was more efficient than compulsory policy;moreover,the factors associated to influence efficiency were analyzed.


A monolayer of HeLa cells in plateau-phase of growth was exposed to He-Ne laser radiation either 5 min, 60 min or 180 min before (gamma) -irradiation. It has been shown that in the case of a 5-min interval between the two types of irradiations the survival curve was practically identical to the survival curve of the cells after (gamma) -irradiation only. In the case of He-Ne laser exposure 60 min before (gamma) -irradiation with doses of over 5 Gy, a fraction of more resistant cells was revealed: their D0 was twice as high as the D0 of the min population. A preexposure of cells to He-Ne laser 60 or 180 min before (gamma) - irradiation also changed the shape of the growth curves as compared to (gamma) -irradiated cells. It is proposed that the preexposure of cells to He-Ne laser radiation activates, in a subpopulation of cells, processes which speed up the repair of (gamma) -radiation damage. The possibility that the described phenomenon is an adaptive response of cells is discussed.


Deep learning has been used in the research of malware analysis. Most classification methods use either static analysis features or dynamic analysis features for malware family classification, and rarely combine them as classification features and also no extra effort is spent integrating the two types of features. In this paper, we combine static and dynamic analysis features with deep neural networks for Windows malware classification. We develop several methods to generate static and dynamic analysis features to classify malware in different ways. Given these features, we conduct experiments with composite neural network, showing that the proposed approach performs best with an accuracy of 83.17% on a total of 80 malware families with 4519 malware samples. Additionally, we show that using integrated features for malware family classification outperforms using static features or dynamic features alone. We show how static and dynamic features complement each other for malware classification.


Over the course of the late eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries, Congress received tens of thousands of petitions seeking payment of private claims against the government and its officers. In response, legislators enacted thousands of private laws for the benefit of individual citizens and corporations. In some congresses, private laws accounted for more than eighty percent of all laws enacted. My Article offers the first comprehensive analysis of this important, but largely forgotten, practice.
Through this historical framework, the Article addresses a set of interrelated concerns familiar to all liberal governments: to what degree should statutory law permit the exercise of discretion and, to the extent that such discretion exists, to whom shall the authority for exercising it be entrusted? On the one hand, discretion is inimical to the rule of law because it threatens to subordinate the law's commands to the venal whims of officeholders. On the other hand, discretion is an indispensable tool for rounding out the law's hard edges to ensure just outcomes in individual cases. While this tension is familiar, the mechanism that early federal legislators adopted to deal with it is not. For much of our national history, federal private legislation — that is, congressional enactments for the benefit of private individuals — operated as the primary mechanism for dispensing discretionary justice.
Our contemporary understanding of statutory lawmaking, by contrast, envisions a process fundamentally concerned with the promulgation of general rules reflecting public norms. As I aim to show here, this understanding does not capture some inherent aspect of legislation, but rather is the product of a historical process that began with a far different conception of the purpose of legislative bodies. Indeed, for much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, local and national legislatures devoted a significant amount (if not most) of their time to functions that appear to modern eyes as judicial in nature: granting pensions, resolving boundary disputes, and settling tort and contract claims against the government. This Article engages in a review of that process through a qualitative analysis of the many thousands of petitions submitted to Congress during its early history. The goal is to better understand the gradual evolution of our modern conception of legislation while also engaging with the process of private lawmaking on its own terms.


An approach to construct an elastic transmission mechanism for a compliant underactuated robotic hand from the interconnection of smaller compliant mechanisms is proposed, and a mathematical model for the interaction between multiple actuators and multiple digits is developed. It is proven that any interconnection of compliant objects results in an elastic transmission element that has a positive definite stiffness matrix, which indicates that small perturbations to tendon excursion will yield a stable grasp. The branch and cable circuit connections of two-port modeled digits in a simple grasping mechanism are analyzed mathematically.


Acquiring digital literacy has become one of the most important tasks in school. But also acquiring species knowledge is an important task and essential to understand the value of biodiversity. In order to achieve this, a toolbox was developed to enable students to create an identification key on any group of living species. This can be either a species group of animals or plants or living creatures of the school ground. It is based on the interactive identification tool "ID-Logics" which was changed into an easy-to-use learning platform for the students. The students (n = 26, age 11–13, Gymnasium) were interviewed using the method of Retrospective Inquiry into Learning Process to capture changes in imagination. The results were analyzed and discussed using the DPaCK-Model. Based on the data, we can demonstrate the utility of the DPaCK-Model and discuss the implications for (biology) teaching. The DPaCK-Model proves to be a useful tool for analyzing this student project from the subject didactic perspective. Compared to the TPaCK-Model, digitality brings up new aspects, which we discuss in terms of the implications for (biology) teaching. In summary, the focus of the ID-Nature project is on: Collaboration, cooperation, and participation combined with publication, sharpening the eye for characteristic items for identification. And this is the new challenge of digitality. The orientation framework for the acquisition of digital competences developed for teacher education should also be seen as an enrichment for students. In accordance with these results, guidelines were set up for teaching digital literacy. The project is furthermore seen as an example for Education for sustainable Development (ESD).


A kind of biometric recognition called vein identification systems uses vascular architecture to identify people. One of these approaches is identification based on hand-wrist vein pattern. Hand-wrist vein pictures acquired from persons utilizing an infrared light source with a wavelength of 850 nm were segmented in this research by running them through several image processing techniques. The scale-independent feature transformation (SURF) approach was used to extract critical points from segmented pictures. This strategy has been chosen since it is unaffected by circumstances. During the identification procedure, the retrieved key points were utilized to calculate the Euclidean distance. The accuracy rate was judged to be 97% as a consequence of the matching operations employing The SURF approach produces characteristics such as rotation, camera angle, ambient light intensity, and so on. the database's hand-wrist vein patterns


An Investigation of the Cone and Seed Insects of White bark Pine and Alpine Larch Emphasizing the Western Conifer Seed Bug (Hempitera: Coreidae) and the Larch Cone Fly (Diptera: Anthomyiidae)


A "Y" maze was adapted for conditioning studies in cats. The apparatus can deliver aversive and appetitive reinforcement and a variety of stimulus events. This device appears sensitive enough to detect perceptual, postural, and motor deficits induced by small brain lesions.


Objective: To review and identify the major drivers for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Methods: A scoping review of studies of COVID-19 vaccine perceptions and barriers to using the COVID-19 vaccines. Two search engines, including PubMed and Google Scholar, were purposefully searched. Results: Eight studies from different countries were reviewed to categorize factors influencing people's acceptance of COVID-19 according to the Health Belief Model (HBM). Perceived susceptibility, and severity of the disease (COVID-19), in addition to perceived benefits of COVID-19 vaccination and "cues to action", can enhance vaccination acceptance. In contrast, perceived barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine can increase people's hesitancy to be vaccinated. Conclusions: The HBM domains are successful in the prediction of human behaviors toward preventive measures, including vaccination. In general, high perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, and minimum barriers should always be maintained to keep the vaccination rate high. Reducing the hesitancy to get the vaccine can be achieved by increasing awareness campaigns about the vaccine's efficacy in preventing infection.


Somewhere, 10 or so years ago, I remember reading about the Stegners, father and son. Page Stegner, writer and spokesperson for Wallace Stegner's literary legacy, told a story of recognizing himself to be his father's son. He was flying home to California from the east coast and had lowered the aircraft window shades so that fellow passengers could watch a movie. When the shades came up, Page Stegner looked down onto a series of western mountain ranges and realized he could locate himself in that vastness, very precisely, by a number of geological measures. He took that skill to be a summary lesson, learned in childhood, from his exacting and famous father. His education, he realized retrospectively, added up to an extensive knowledge of geography, environment, and what the father called elsewhere The American West as Living Space (1987). Page Stegner was a man who knew exactly where he was. Such certainty has not held true for contemporary literary studies and cultural theory, however, which has been anything but sure about questions of knowing where one is. Without mentioning Stegner, Neil Campbell's The Rhizomatic West intervenes upon and develops this very question of placeness, working against a generation of scholarship about the literary West, which based its critical concepts on ideas about cultural belonging and identity in a region defined as arid lands west of the 98th meridian and on narratives linked to the demand of the modern state for a unifying national soul on ostensible display in the natural lands and mythologies of the West. In the manner that Sergio Leone's masterpiece Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), from Italy, produced one of the best cinematic Westerns to date, Campbell offers a transnational analysis of present-day Western literature, photographs,


Code tracking linear range and the code phase tracking jitter have always been opposing ends of the design criteria of a code lock loop in direct-sequence spread-spectrum communication systems. New modulation techniques used in Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) offer better code tracking jitter and multipath performance by sharpening the correlation triangle. However the linear tracking range is reduced which directly results in poor dynamics and low signal strength performance of the tracking loop. The problem is most severe in the sophisticated Alternate Binary Offset Carrier (AltBOC) modulation. This paper proposes a method to extend a loop's tracking range without affecting the jitter performance in the existing linear range of the code tracking loop.


We seek to study the process of profound changes in social economic structure that occur in the northeast of Chubut in the nineties. In this area there are three cities, Trelew, Puerto Madryn, Rawson, who were part of the model of development zones by promoting industrial enterprises were set up south of latitude 42. We believe that this structure underwent major changes since the imposition of the hegemony of finance capital, which left the state planning model, typical of the phase domain of industrial capital, to move to another plan, now since interest financial capital. This produced a new social context and power relations that led to a strong process of pauperization of the working population in the region, resulted in: massive loss of jobs, factory closures, increased exploitation of workers employed and the development aggravation of poverty and consolidated.


The effect of grain size on the damping capacity of Fe-26Mn-2Al alloy studied in this paper has been investigated after changing the microstructure by cold rolling and changing grain size. Micro structures in Fe-26Mn-2Al at room temperature consist of a large quantity of austenite and a small quantity of martensite. And martensite was increased by increasing the degree of cold rolling. The content of deformation induced martensite was increased with increasing the degree of cold rolling. Damping capacity was linearly increased with increasing martensite content, which suggests that stacking faults and martensite variant boundaries are the principle damping sources. With increasing the grain size in Fe-26Mn-2Al alloy, the damping capacity was increased due to increasing the volume fraction of martensite by decrement in stability of austenite phase. With decreasing the grain size, the content of deformation induced martensite was decreased and the damping capacity was decreased.


As of 15 December 2020, 52 candidate vaccines are under clinical evaluation for novel COVID-19 and one vaccine has received emergency use authorisation. 2 However, vaccine research ethics is evolving and finding urgent solutions becomes paramount. In this article, we highlight such ethical issues in the vaccine trials especially those being faced by lowmiddleincome countries (LMIC). 1. Review by institutional ethics committees (IECs) Even after months of pandemic, IECs in LMIC are finding it difficult to balance increasing number of clinical trials with timely review. Political pressure and unusual circumstances are compelling expedited reviews and approvals of seamless phase 1/2 and 2/3 trials. Although these processes provide early access to market, cutting short on vaccine development from 10 to 15 years to 10 to 18 months might compromise safety. Besides, assessment of ethical standards of new trial designs and ways adopted for data capture, recruitment and followup during pandemic requires time and vigilance and should not be hurried through. For instance, some sponsors are omitting the clause, 'the participant should not have participated in any clinical trials within the last 3 or 6 months', from the exclusion criteria, 4 that is leading to coenrolment of participants in multiple trials and acceptance of multiple payments for participation, which violate ethics in research. 2. Research conduct Smart devices are increasingly being used to address subject recruitment and followup during lockdowns. However, such devices are unaffordable for a significant number of people in LMIC. Even when they are provided by trial sponsors, some participants, such as sanitation workers, are not familiar with the language or interface . This prevents them from enrolment leading to increased inequalities and violation of distributive justice. Second, virtual informed consent (IC) process is compromising of the participant– investigator relationship in LMIC where concepts of clinical research are poorly understood by vast majority. Ethical and unbiased involvement of participants in a clinical research requires facetoface interaction and physical consent. Gaps in comprehension created by digitisation and the COVID-19 extraordinary state are rendering participants vulnerable because they may 'unduly be influenced by expectation of benefit from vaccine'. 3. Trial monitoring Periodic and forcause onsite monitoring is a challenge during the pandemic. Offsite monitoring misses out discrepancies in study coordination, adverse event reporting and reimbursement. Further, assessment of adequate IC process and protocol deviations gets compromised. 4. Reporting Use of electronic devices in LMIC with electronic case record forms and participantreported outcomes might compromise quality of the data. Incomplete information affects the trial outcome and any third person involvement in reporting leads to breach in confidentiality. Further, participation in multiple prophylactic trials also clouds the findings of the trials, increases error rates and has the potential of altering risk–benefit equation. 5. End of study a. Disclosure of allocation arms In a sponsor initiated study, the investigators do not have the information about treatment allocation. In a vaccine trial, it is important that this information reaches the participants. For instance, the trial participants of an approved vaccine candidate now would want to know their treatment arm as it affects their vaccination in future. Likewise, it is important for investigators, IECs and regulators to address the anxiety of placebo recipients when sponsors submit the efficacy report. Undue delay in market authorisation defers placebo group from accessing a successful vaccine, for which they played a significant role. b. Vaccine accessibility Marketed vaccines further introduce issues of affordability and accessibility. Inadequate logistics like cold chain system and sceptical thoughts on vaccines add to political conundrums. Use of systems for nonsmart phone devices such as voice capture systems and use of symbols, mobile applications in local language for smart devices, acceptance of physical consent when electronic consenting is not feasible and consideration of audio or audiovisual recording of consent are some solutions to address issues concerning distributive justice, confidentiality and vulnerability. To address ethical issues related to multiple enrolments, we suggest a common portal for registration of trial participants such that any multifold participation is identified. There should be also a limit for expedited reviews and approval of seamless trials. Timetested ethical judgement should outweigh the necessity in order to prevent any future thalidomidelike tragedies. Second, a centralised scientific review committees that assess portfolios of proposed studies, logistical challenges and scientific priority, and provide inputs on key elements so that the trials target different disease pathways and that the population in each such study is diverse, are recommended. Reduced but mandatory onsite monitoring by IECs may redeem concerns with offsite monitoring. IECs should see to it that data are not generated in undue haste. Further, at the end of the study, investigators and IECs should consider disclosure of allocation arms and posttrial access to placebo group if vaccine shows superiority. For repurposed vaccine trials such as BCG, sponsors should look for additional outcomes that target original indication under the same protocol from eligible participants. Although this is a scientific issue, 'refinement' in the study design may ultimately 'reduce' the number of participants required. For a global equitable access, it is necessary for LMIC to collaborate with international health organisations such as access to COVID-19 tools, led by WHO, and have an 'international policy' that addresses and balances the need with an external help from developed countries. Alternatively, licensing agreements between local manufacturers and innovator companies such as that between Serum Institute of India and AstraZeneca help in mass vaccine production and distribution at subsidised rates. Many countries are planning to roll out vaccines in a phased manner by prioritising population groups, which is a welcome development. The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to mitigate the impact have shown that simple steps when taken judiciously can take care of many ethical issues in research. Through this article, we have attempted to bring some novel ethical issues concerning vaccine trials to the attention of scientific community and proposed some solutions. A larger discussion on these issues is urgently needed.


According to the certain conditions of No.B905 trial coal mining face in pingshuo Anjialing No.2 mine,with the site measurement comparison between the coal caving time and mining recovery rate of the present common three top coal caving methods,a double round sequence top coal caving was applied.Meanwhile according to the conveying capacity of the rear face conveyor,the simultaneous top coal caving window numbers in the coal mining face were calculated and a top coal caving circulation method with three group windows caving in average was determined.A site measurement analysis was conducted on the top coal caving rate of the coal mining face.The results showed that a excellent production efficiency was obtained with the top coal caving circulation method,the mining rate of the coal mining face reached at 84.22% which was 7.22% higher than the single round sequence coal caving before the trial and the max month production of the coal mining face reached at 1.18 million t.


DTDGA-extractant-impregnated XAD-16 polymeric beads (DTGA–XAD-16) were synthesized and evaluated for the separation of gold from electronic waste solutions. Batch sorption studies were carried out to understand the effects of various physical parameters on the recovery of gold from aqueous media. These synthesized beads were characterized by various techniques, namely, FTIR spectroscopy, optical microscopy, SEM, and TGA, to gain insight into the composition and morphology of the beads. Kinetics measurements showed that an equilibration time of about 180 min was sufficient to remove the saturation amount of gold from the solution. Further, various kinetic modeling analyses of the extraction results were carried out using pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle-diffusion equations, and the corresponding rate constants were determined. The maximum experimental sorption capacity of the beads was found to be ∼35 mg g–1. The equilibrium sorption data were fitted to different isotherm models a...


In this paper, the dissipativity problem for a class of nonlinear systems with time-delay represented by Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model is investigated. By using of delay partitioning approach, a delay-dependent criterion is established in terms of strict linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), which guarantees the considered system to be admissibility and strict (Q, R, S)-α-dissapativity. The obtained results dependent upon not only time delay but also the number of delay partitions, thus are less conservative. In addition, the developed results encompass available results on H∞ performance and strict passivity analysis as special cases. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed theories.


The analysis of consequences of the introduction of the Russian Federation in the World Trade Organization (WTO), first of all in agricultural aspect is carried out. The question of provision of food safety of the Russian Federation in a context of an estimation of consequences of accession to WTO is researched. It is shown that the expected effect of joining to the WTO has as a whole negative connotation, especially with reference to agrarian sphere of economy that proves to be true the historical data characterising consequences of accession to WTO of the state nearest to Russia - Ukraine. After occurrence in a railroad train of the WTO production of some names of agricultural goods has decreased and in such areas as sugar production - is considerable. Considering similarity of considerable number of economic realities in Russia and in Ukraine, it is possible to assume that joining to the WTO will have for Russia more likely negative a consequence than positive at average and long-term prospect while in near-term prospect to estimate all consequences it is represented inconvenient. At the same time there is also an opposite point of view that joining to the WTO will give Russia a conclusive economic prize, including, in agrarian industry. The clause is devoted an actual problem for today of economic sanctions by pushed participants of the World Trade Organization - the USA and Russia. In the clause the problem urgency is proved. Necessity of sanctions is specified from the United States of America and response measures of the Russian Federation are designated. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3s7p275


did play an active political role in America's transition back to a peacetime economy, the same development that had motivated Whitham's business planners even before 1941. Overall, Whitham has provided a new perspective on the American retreat from planning over the late 1930s and 1940s. Although the rise of the CED is well-known, historians of the twentieth-century American economy will still find much to be appreciated in Whitham's original analysis of the TCF and NPA and his demonstration of the CED's importance to the construction of the postwar international economic order.


Background – XYZ University in Yogyakarta is one of the new state universities which,  is currently preparing to enter the Public Service Agency in determining the number of technicians to be distributed to work units. There is no standard provision until now.  The actual condition so far is a gap in the number of technicians in several work units. Every team has an excess number of Education Personnel, but in other work units, they experience a shortage. This clear interferes with the tendons' expected performance of the tendons, thus impacting the work unit.
Research Purpose - Based on these conditions, this study analyzed the need for educational personnel based on workload analysis.
Research Methodology- The study conducted in several units with resource determination method used purposive samplings (specific criteria) at XYZ University in Yogyakarta. Methods of data collection with interviews and documentation. Sources of data in the form of primary and secondary data. The results of this study are expected to be useful for institutional leaders regarding the proportional number of education personnel needed in each work unit.
Research Result /Contribution – This research shows that some excess human resources and units lack human resources. However, when viewed from the job description, it turns out that several jobs are routinely low on a daily or weekly basis. But there is a relatively high need for hours in annual activities so, that the workload is uneven. The management needs to be considered the number of when analyzing employees in each work unit. The results provide an overview to the management of XYZ University in planning employee needs in the future period.


Linking Islamic instrument like zakah with social responsibility and economic growth is an area which is often unspoken. As such, this research intends to find out the potential challenges zakah can face while it is used as fiscal policy tool which has link with Islamic socially responsible financing to economic growth to poverty alleviation mentioning few. Though many Muslim based countries using Tax as an alternative tool for government earning, zakah as a tool has broader spectrum from having impact on economic development to the role as an instrument for Islamic socially responsible finance. This research uses qualitative paradigm to analyze the literature. The research is based on a desk-based research. The findings of this research prove that there are challenges to establish zakah as prescribed in the revealed text which can be minimized through different actions. It is projected that properly executed plan to manage zakah could be used as an instrument of fiscal policy as well as an Islamic socially responsible financing instrument.


This statistical review has emphasized the following points: 1. Into the office of the private practicing psychiatrist come people from all walks and situations of life. They are in practically all respects average American citizens, undistinguishable from any others. Their only common denominations are nervous symptoms or emotional problems which they cannot handle themselves and for which they seek professional help. 2. The majority are in extremely modest financial circumstances, but they are willing to make certain sacrifices in order to receive psychiatric care. Since 12% of our 100 cases were obliged to forego therapy because they could not afford it or because they could not leave their jobs during working hours, it appears on the basis of this study that a prime requisite for the mental health of any community is the establishment of evening clinics for such people. They need and want treatment, they are willing to pay for it within the limits of their capabilities, and they are willing to give up...


An acetophenone containing PNA-based reagent was designed for the direct and site-specific synthesis of a cis-syn thymidine dimer lesion in genomic DNA.


We have assessed the hydrolysis of α-tocopherol acetate (α-TAc) to the active antioxidant α-tocopherol (α-TH) in mouse epidermis and in supernatant from epidermal homogenates. Topically administered α-TH prevents UVB photocarcinogenesis in C3H mice, whereas α-TAc does not. Hydrolysis in skin was monitored in mice treated topically with deuterium labeled α-TAc (d3-α-TAc). Epidermal samples were isolated from mice and analyzed for endogenous (d0-α-TAc) and d3-α-TH by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Within 24 h, the levels of d3-α-TH increased up to 10-fold over endogenous d0-α-TH levels; however, in mice irradiated with UVB prior to the application of d3-α-TAc, levels of d3-α-TH increased up to 30–40-fold over endogenous d0-α-TH. This enhancement of α-TAc hydrolysis increased with increasing UVB dose. Prior UVB exposure may increase hydrolysis of α-TAc by increasing epidermal esterase activity. Nonspecific esterase activity was measured in the 2000 ×g supernatant from epidermis of unirradiated and irradiated mice. α-Napthyl acetate, a nonspecific esterase substrate, was converted to α-napthol in supernatants from unirradiated mice. Hydrolysis to α-napthol increased ≈3-fold in supernatants from irradiated mice. Hydrolysis of α-TAc to α-TH also occurred in supernatant from unirradiated mice, and this hydrolysis increased ≈3-fold in supernatant from irradiated animals. These data indicate that nonspecific esterase activity was increased by UVB in the skin, that α-TAc is converted to α-TH in the homogenate fraction containing nonspecific esterase, and that UVB exposure modulates the metabolism of α-TAc to α-TH in vivo.


Purpose: To describe a case of corneal ectasia with marked asymmetric progression attributable to encircling buckle surgery for retinal detachment. Methods: Case report. Results: A 72-year-old man developed clinical signs of pellucid marginal degeneration in 1 eye after placement of an encircling scleral buckle. The fellow eye showed normal slit-lamp examination, with topographic signs of forme-fruste pellucid marginal degeneration. Conclusion: Patients with forme-fruste pellucid marginal degeneration may show progression and clinical manifestations after encircling scleral buckle, probably by changes in ocular physiology and corneal biomechanics.


............................................................................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................... iv List of Tables .............................................................................................................................x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem ...............................................................................................5 Statement of Purpose .....................................................................................................6 Research Question .........................................................................................................6 Design and Methodology ...............................................................................................6 Summary ........................................................................................................................7 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ...........................................................................8 Introduction ...................................................................................................................8 Historical Background of Latinx Education .................................................................8 Growth of U. S. Latinx population ...............................................................................8 College Enrollment, Retention and Graduation Rates of Latinxs ...............................11 Cultural Challenges Latinx Students Encounter .........................................................13 Latinx Critical Race Theory in Education ..................................................................15 Current Relevant Research .........................................................................................19 Barriers to Latinxs Academic Success in College ......................................................19 Financial concerns ...........................................................................................19


In signal and image processing principal component analysis (PCA) is often used for dimensionality reduction and feature extraction in pre-processing steps to for example classification.

In remote sensing image analysis PCA is often replaced by maximum autocorrelation factor
 (MAF) or minimum noise fraction (MNF) analysis. This is done because MAF and MNF analyses incorporate spatial information in the orthogonalization of the multivariate data which is conceptually more satisfactory and which typically gives better results.

In this contribution, autocorrelation between the multivariate data and a spatially shifted version of the same data in the MAF analysis is replaced by the information theoretical, entropy and Kullback-Leibler divergence based measure mutual information. This potentially gives a more detailed decomposition of the data. Also, the orthogonality between already found components and components of higher order requested in the MAF analysis is replaced by a requirement of minimum mutual information between components.

The sketched methods are used on the well-known AVIRIS (https://aviris.jpl.nasa.gov/) Indian Pines data.


The participation of farmers residing in agrarian reform communities towards the use of selected IPB-bred vegetable and peanut varieties was assessed. Purposive sampling of 18 pre-selected farmers was done and were trained on seed production and cultural management practices of these varieties at the Institute of Plant Breeding. After the implementation of seed production activities in their respective places, it was found that there was a dramatic increase in the amount of vegetable and peanut seeds produced in Antique, Samar, Davao del Sur and South Cotabato. The amount of seeds produced by farmer participants from Samar was highest at 96.2%. In contrast, the farmer participants from La Union produced the lowest amount of seeds. In relation to climate change adaptation, based from survey, the farmers will be considering a few adjustments in the future implementation of farming activities like adjustments to be made in the planting calendar of these varieties by the farmer participants due to heavy rains occurring starting September every year. Also, farmers will implement utilization of the legume residues for composting to produce organic fertilizers, which was considered by all (100%) farmer participants. The peanut that can fix nitrogen from the air were also considered for crop rotation by majority (83.33%) of the farmers in order to lessen the use of inorganic fertilizers causing soil acidity. Further, the farmers indicated that peanut will be utilized for sequential cropping after rice to bring back soil fertility. All farmer participants from Antique, Samar, Davao del Sur and South Cotabato indicated the further adoption of the IPB-bred varieties in future production system. There was a highly significant association of the farmer participants' selected demographic variables with the amount of seeds produced.


[Objective] The purpose of this research was to study the effect of micro-ecological feed additives on beef cattle weight.[Method]The healthy hybrid beef cattle were selected and randomly classified into 4 group,the micro-ecological feed additives were added to the feed with the different dosage.The effect of weight gain of beef cattle was observed.[Result] The results showed that the 40 d mixed feed of 2.0% and 1.5% of micro-ecological feed additives,the effect on weight gain of beef cattle was significantly higher than CK(P0.05).[Conclusion] This study will provide the scientific basis for popularization and application of micro-ecological feed additives.


One hundred and twenty-two cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) were studied with respect to the duration of vertigo and nystagmus and posibilities of recurrence of vertigo.Vertigo and nystagmus disappeared from 2 days to 10 months after the attack. In 93% of BPPV, vertigo and nystagmus disappeared in 3 months.Vertiginous attacks appeared 2 to 6 times in 11 cases (two times in 9 cases, three times in one case and six times in one case). The lesion was on the same side as the first attack in 10 cases, although it was on the other side in one case. Vertigo occurred a second time 1-3 months after the first attack in 4 cases, 3-6 months in 3 cases, one year in 3 cases and 5 years after in one case. In 8 cases, unilateral caloric responses were reduced. This seems to suggest that if unilateral caloric responses remain reduced, there is a posibility of recurrence of vertigo.


Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to increase economic growth substantially across the world. This paper explores the predicted potentials of AI from macroeconomic perspectives, employing theoretical analysis and contextualizing Bangladesh. The study employs time series data to examine the effects of AI on the labor market and productivity. The findings indicate that Bangladesh was yet to realize the expected economic merits though the integrated number of AI-induced industry robots has been insignificant. For AI to be effective in Bangladesh, the country shall adopt more AI robots across the various sectors, mainly manufacturing and service. Besides, the country may complement the human labor force with AI labor instead of relying on only one as a source of labor.


This article details the transformation of an empty store into a gallery honouring youth and others who have passed away from overdoses, and the creation of extensive harm reduction and grief support programming that accompanied the display of artwork. The outpouring of community interest, participation, and emotion that surfaced around heART space clearly shows how art, exhibitions and creative programming can help foster communities of care during times of crisis. Drawing from research into practices of care from harm reduction work, grief studies and participatory arts and curatorial studies, the authors explore how heART space comforted youth and others with direct experiences with overdose and disenfranchised grief while creating dialogues with visitors about the stigma of drug use and homelessness. The authors argue curating heART space produced an opportunity for community healing while nuancing and humanizing the way we see people who use drugs. As such, this youth-driven community project created a safe space to share stories, collaborate, honour trauma and transform grief into action.


The experiment was conducted at the field of horticulture and gardening engineering, College of Agriculture, University of Diyala during the autumn season of 2018-2019. The aim of this trial is to study the effect of spraying with zinc and salicylic acid on the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium elements in plant leaves and leafy area, and the yield of cherry tomato (cultivar of BATLLE) in order to understand some physiological effects of adding zinc and salicylic acid. The experiment was set up in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and replicated thrice. Zinc element was sprayed in the form of chelated Zinc in three levels 0, 50, 100 mg.L, which are symbolized by Zn0, Zn50, Zn100 respectively. Salicylic acid was sprayed in four levels 0, 50, 100, 150 mg/L, which are symbolized by SA0, SA50, SA100, SA150 respectively. The results show that the Zn100 treatment was significantly the highest in term of concentrations of phosphorus and potassium in plant leaves and leafy area and plant yield. Spraying the plant with high levels of salicylic acid SA 150 resulted in a significant increase in all the characteristics under study when raising the concentration. Raising the concentration salicylic acid from (0) mg/L to (150) mg/L increased the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium elements in the leaves and leafy area and the yield of the plant by 0.51%, 16.3%, 31.5%, 46.0%, 34.2%, respectively. The combination between the two treatments (Zn, SA) of the experiment significantly affected the studied research characteristics. The treatment (Zn100 + SA150) was significantly higher than other experiment parameters for all the characteristics under study.


It is known that exactly eight varieties of Heyting algebras have a model-completion, but no concrete axiomatisation of these model-completions were known by now except for the trivial variety (reduced to the one-point algebra) and the variety of Boolean algebras. For each of the six remaining varieties we introduce two axioms and show that 1) these axioms are satisfied by all the algebras in the model-completion, and 2) all the algebras in this variety satisfying these two axioms have a certain embedding property. For four of these six varieties (those which are locally finite) this actually provides a new proof of the existence of a model-completion, this time with an explicit and finite axiomatisation.


Through the geomagnetic field, electrically conducting seawater movement generates electric fields and currents in generally. Furthermore, the current induces secondary magnetic fields. Our Chichijima geomagnetic observation station (CBI) is located on the solitary island in the Pacific Ocean. Addition this, located the tsunami observation station (Futami tide gauge) that is subject to the JMA. We are able to obtain concurrent tsunami and magnetic data because the distance between these observation points is only 1 km. So, this Chichijima Island is suitable in order to research tsunami induced magnetic fields research. We have investigated in CBI data (samples taken every 1 second) and Chichijima Futami tide gauge data (every 15 seconds) from 1995 to 2013, finally obtained 9events tsunami induced phenomena. The many of the signal of these events is small, but three of them has clear record, the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake Tsunami (2001/3/11 M9.0), The 2010 Chile earthquake (2010/2/27 M8.8) and 1996 the Irian Jaya Earthquake Tsunami (1996/2/17 M8.1). The other events are week, but their magnetic signals are detectable enough. it may be worth worldwide renown that so many induced magnetic phenomena have been fund in one observation station Chichijima (CBI). In the low solar activity periods, the induced magnetic signal may be detectable, if the half tsunami amplitude is 20cm or over. Some of these events might have been disturbed and dismissed due to magnetosphere substorm, even though the induced magnetic field was enough to detect. Each of above-mentioned three examples has over 1 m tsunami height, and clear induced magnetic record. Especially, in spite of weak magnetosphere substorm, the record of the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake Tsunami is very clear. So, on 1 m or more-high tsunamis, it is safely said that the induced magnetic fields is detectable definitely. These induced magnetic field records will be one of mediation between the geomagnetic science and the tsunami disaster prevention science.


Two CuI atoms are present in the asymmetric unit of the polymeric title complex, [Cu2(C20H12N4)(C10H8N2)]n. One of the cations is located on an inversion centre and is linearly coordinated by the N atoms of benzimidazolyl moieties of the 1,2-bis(2-benzimidazolium)benzene ligand, whereas the second cation is located on a twofold rotation axis and is tetrahedrally coordinated by two N atoms of a chelating 2,2′-bipyridine ligand and two other N atoms of the benzimidazolyl moieties. The bridging character of the 1,2-bis(2-benzimidazolyl)benzene leads to the formation of a three-dimensional framework structure.


Hydrological indexes calculation requires the existence of spatial data such as the drainage network, the hydrological basin and the contours. For the Greek territory this data can be extracted from the topographic maps of the Hellenic Military Geographical Service (HMGS) or from remote sensing data. In this study the suitability and the accuracy of spatial information derived from remote sensing data are controlled with reference to the respective information from the topographic maps of 1/50.000. DSM from ALOS, ASTER, SRTM and airphoto stereopairs has been used for the automatic extraction of the drainage network, the hydrological basin and the calculation of hydrological indexes such as drainage length and Horton's Laws. The Selinountas river basin in western Peloponnese was selected for the evaluation and the results are presented in this paper.


Recently, since the development of MEMS technology for the medical field, various micro fluid transfer systems have been studied. In this paper, a micro piezoelectric pump is proposed by imitating stomach's writhing movement using two-separated piezoelectric plates, different from the existing micro pump. This pump is composed of a support fixture, elastic plates, and piezoelectric elements. This piezoelectric pump is operated by using the valveless traveling wave of peristalsis movement. Especially, in the case of the piezoelectric plates, If the piezoelectric piezoelectric at the two separated plates are actuated in the resonant frequency, the progress wave is occurred between two plated. Then the fluid is migrated by pressure difference at place that is generated by the progress wave. The Finite Element Analysis was performed for understanding the combined system with piezoelectric plates, elastic structures, and fluids by a commercial multiphysics analysis program, COMSOL Multiphysics. The flow change of the fluid was examined, depending on the alterations of each design variable such as operating voltage, the gap of piezoelectric plates, operating frequencies. By this analysis, the final version of the system was determined.


The primary objective of this study is to examine the association between organisational culture and knowledge sharing for SMEs in Malaysia. This study used a cross-sectional design and a self-administered questionnaire to collect quantitative data from 150 owner-managers of SMEs broadly located in Selangor, Perak, Sabah, and Sarawak. Findings of this study showed that organisational structure, knowledge workers, leadership, and process change play a significant positive role in the development of knowledge management among the SMEs in Malaysia. SMEs, therefore, focus on promoting a favourable environment to build up knowledge workers, as well as practice democratic leadership, design appropriate reward system, and improve their ability to adapt to the changes in order to survive in today's competitive business environment.


In this work, a photovoltaic electrochemical fuel cell consisting of a cobalt-titanate (CoTiO3) anode and a platinum (Pt) cathode was utilized for the decomposition of environmentally hazardous materials in wastewater. The CoTiO3 nanotubes (NTs) were prepared through electrochemical oxidation of pure titanium (Ti) strips. The titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes were doped with a cobalt salt via electrospinning followed by annealing to form CoTiO3. The addition of cobalt to the TiO2 NTs was tested to observe if Original Research Article Harara et al.; JSRR, Article no. JSRR.2014.24.003 3069 photochemical catalytic properties increased in the presence of ultraviolet and visible light. The increases in photochemical catalytic properties were validated by comparing the measured electric potential differences (∆ ) between the CoTiO3 test samples, and the TiO2 control samples. It is concluded that the cobalt doped anode greatly increases the response of the fuel cell system to visible light stimulus. This allows for greater utility generation capacity and faster photochemical catalytic reaction at the anode surface. The application of cobalt doped titanium dioxide anodes in photovoltaic electrochemical fuel cells increases the photoelectric energy conversion efficiency and waste decomposition rate. There is potential to scale the system up for practical applications.


Findings from multiple studies indicate that the various assistance programs provided for teachers have made important contributions to both teachers and students in these school settings. Two major areas emerged as important for teachers: assistance with instructional and managerial concerns and the importance of emotional support for entry-year teachers. Multiple studies show that assistance programs for beginning teachers help with managerial and instructional concerns and emotional support, which in turn increase teacher retention. Managerial and Instructional Support Multiple studies show the positive impact of managerial and instructional support on teachers' perceptions and teaching performance. After administering a survey examining concerns of first-year teachers, Odell (1986, 1987) reported that beginning teachers who have received assistance identify instructional needs as more important than managerial concerns. Teachers without assistance reported needs primarily focusing on student management (Veenman, 1984). These studies suggest that teachers with support can move beyond management concerns to better address instructional needs of their students. In a self report by first-year teachers, Huling-Austin and Murphy (1987) reported that teachers attributed a substantial amount of change to the assistance they received in the induction program. Most of the changes were of an instructional nature and of the type directly influencing quality of instruction. Marockie and Looney (1988) found that 67% of the 15 beginning teachers in their study reported making better use of their time in instruction; 33% believed they used praise more often, used better classroom management strategies, used space more efficiently, conducted their classes in a more businesslike manner, and improved their record keeping. When the focus of the assistance programs included addressing teachers' teaching performance objectives, specific improvements resulted in the variables addressed. In a collaborative effort involving beginning teachers, exemplary teachers selected by the school district, and university instructors at the University of Georgia, the University of Georgia Teacher Assessment Project was implemented (Weller, 1982). Twenty-three teachers received inservice education during winter 1981 to improve competencies identified and measured on the Teacher Performance Assessment Instrument (TPAI). During the final observation, all teachers successfully demonstrated competency in all areas on the TPAI. Elsner (1984), using the Oklahoma Entry-Year Assessment Program, found that first-year teachers improved significantly in developing planning skills, handling class discussions, preparing unit and lesson plans, managing discipline problems, and teaching or training others. Summers (1987) examined teachers involved with the Certification Renewal Experiences Designed to Improve Teaching (CREDIT), a project for first-year teachers implemented by Indiana State University. Findings indicated significant measurable changes for the CREDIT group compared to the control group in use of mastery learning and mastery learning theory, motivation to understand and use higher order questions, inclination to teach critical thinking skills, awareness of state and local curriculum guides, ability to communicate with parents, and ability to communicate with the public at large. Phelps and Wright (1986) reported a peer coaching program designed to improve classroom instruction in a rural area, where 35 teachers worked for 1 year to improve behaviors identified on the Effective Teaching Checklist developed at Tennessee Technological University. They reported the peer coaching technique to be a cost-effective method to provide in-class feedback and support for rural teachers; teachers significantly improved in 8 of the 12 categories tested: selection of methods, selection of materials, instruction, questioning, motivation, classroom management, providing practice, and evaluation and feedback. …