Finding a dearth of research on teacher-student relationship in the Indian context, 75 girls and 75 boys (N=150) of classes 5th, 6th and 7th from five private schools of Haridwar district were administered the Educational Inventory and the Self Esteem Inventory. Five subject teachers of each of these students were asked to fill the Student Teacher Relationship Scale. The average of five scores was taken as the Student Teacher relationship score and that of its components- Conflict, Closeness and Dependency. Results indicate that there is a low but significant relationship between Educational Adjustment and Student Teacher Relationship as a whole for the total sample (N=150) but not for boys and girls taken separately. Conflict appears to be negatively correlated with Self Esteem for the total sample and boys taken separately (N=75) and with Educational adjustment for total sample only. The other correlations were not significant. These are preliminary results from a larger study and are discussed in light of current theories and earlier studies.


Abstract A vector space projection for the analysis and design of general M-channel multirate filter banks is proposed in this paper. In this context, the input signals are interpreted as vectors in the measurable, square-summable real vector space I2( L ). The operation of multirate signal filtering is modeled with a set of vector space projectors which projects signals onto a family of subspaces of I2 ( L ). The projections onto the specific subspaces are performed by a set of linear transformations. The analysis filters and the synthesis filters of the filter banks are characterized by the bases which span the projection spaces. With these vector space operations, the design of multirate filter banks can be interpreted as the construction of the bases used to span the associated subspaces of I2 ( L ). The perfect reconstruction of multirate filter banks can then be achieved by constructing those subspaces as the direct complementary subspaces of the input signal vector space, With this vector space description, the necessary and sufficient condition for perfect reconstruction can be derived according to the direct complementary property of subspaces, Both the biorthonormal system and the orthonormal system are formulated and discussed for perfect reconstruction finite impulse response filter banks design.


Review(s) of: Convicts of the British Colonies of Australia with additional, by James Hardy Vaux, Dictionary of Criminal Slang and other Impolite Terms as used by the True Stories, Remarkable Facts and Illustrations by Simon Barnard, Text Publishing, Melbourne, 2019, 312 pages, hardback, RRP $29.99, ISBN 9781925773897.


It has been found that dependence of specific resistance ρ of the active GaAs layer in Schottky-barrier of structures of the field-effect transistor on width d and length l of the inflow-outflow channel in local approximation at d, l<;L is an indicator of its fractal nature. Reduction of d and l at d, l<;L results in significant increase in ρ. It has been shown that the value of local approximation limit L is an important characteristic of semiconducting material, which defines limits of its applicability for determination of its electric characteristics (specific resistance), as well as limits of its applicability for design of semiconductor devices under given instrumental characteristics.


In this paper, we study and compare various histogram based Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) enhancement techniques.Image enhancement is a processing on an image in order to make it more appropriate for certain applications. It is used to improve the visual effects and the clarity of image or to make the original image more conducive for computer to process. Contrast enhancement changing the pixels intensity of the input image to utilize maximum possible bins. We need to study and review the different image contrast enhancement techniques because contrast losses the brightness in enhancement of image. By considering this fact, the mixture of global and local contrast enhancement techniques may enhance the contrast of image with preserving its brightness. Generally, MRI images are having low contrast. It may be difficult for analysing because of lack of detailed information. Contrast of MR images can be increased by number of ways in image processing. Histogram based techniques are used to enhance all types of medical images. Keywords— MRI, medical image processing, contrast enhancement, histogram, histogram equalization.


Abstract The yellownose skate Zearaja chilensis is endemic to South America. The species is the target of a valuable commercial fishery in Chile, but is highly susceptible to over-exploitation. The complete mitochondrial genome was described from 694,593 sequences obtained using Ion Torrent Next Generation Sequencing. The total length of the mitogenome was 16,909 bp, comprising 2 rRNAs, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs and 2 non-coding regions. Comparison between the proposed mitogenome and one previously described from "raw fish fillets from a skate speciality restaurant in Seoul, Korea" resulted in 97.4% similarity, rather than approaching 100% similarity as might be expected. The 2.6% dissimilarity may indicate the presence of two separate stocks or two different species of, ostensibly, Z. chilensis in South America and highlights the need for caution when using genetic resources without a taxonomic reference or a voucher specimen.


The aim of this paper is to present the design of an implantable miniaturized meandered patch antenna for Medical Implant Communication Service (MICS) band which is between 402-405 MHz. The proposed antenna is fed by a coaxial cable and a shorting pin in placed in a suitable position to get a compact antenna size and superior performance. The design and performance of the antenna, suitable for implanting either in the arm or under the chest is presented. Simulations are done inside human body phantom models to help to design the proposed antenna. Further, the characteristics of the antenna like return loss and gain are observed in the same band , using different type of substrate materials and keeping the dimensions of the antenna constant, and the performances are compared. The designed antenna has a volume of 1.68 cm3 including the superstrate layer, which can be therefore successfully be used for implantable purpose.


2 This case study has been prepared by Claudia Sarrocco <email@example.com>, Policy Analyst, International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Shaping the future mobile information society: The Case of Morocco is part of a series of telecommunication case studies produced under the ITU New Initiatives programme of the Office of the Secretary-General. The Shaping the future of information society project is managed by Lara Srivastava <firstname.lastname@example.com> under the direction of Tim Kelly <firstname.lastname@example.com>. Other country case studies in this series (Japan, Korea and Norway) can be found at Minister of Industry, Commerce and Telecommunications of the Kingdom of Morocco, for His time and attention. She also wishes to express her sincere appreciation to the ANRT, in particular to Mr El Kadiri and Ms Belabbes, for their invaluable assistance. The opinions expressed in this study are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Telecommunication Union, its membership, or the Moroccan Government.


The thermal-hydraulic safety analysis of research reactors establishes the safety criteria to ensure the integrity of the fuel elements in the reactor core. It assures that all core components are being adequately cooled during operation. It is necessary to know if the average mass flow rate (and their standard deviation) among the fuel assemblies are enough to cool the power generated during operation. Once satisfied such condition, it allows the calculation of the maximum heat flux transferred from fuel assemblies to the coolant, and if the maximum cladding temperatures are below the limits set by the safety criteria. Among the objectives, this study presents a methodology for a preliminary threedimensional numerical analysis of the flow distribution in the core of the IEA-R1 research reactor, under steady state condition. For this, the ANSYS-CFX commercial code was used to analyze the flow dynamics in the core, and to visualize the velocity field. It was possible to conclude that a homogeneous flow distribution for all standard fuel assemblies were found, with 2.7% deviation from the average mass flow. What turned out to be negligible and can be assumed that there is a homogeneous distribution in the core. Complex structures were find in the computational domain. Once known the core flow dynamics, it allows future studies to determine whether the heat flux and temperature conditions abbeys thermal-hydraulic safety criteria.


AbstractThis study was conducted with the objective to develop a treatment system that can effectively reduce the elevated level of pollutants in textile effluent at primary stage of conventional wastewater treatment plant. Alum sludge, chitosan, and combination of alum sludge and chitosan coagulants were used as the replacement of conventional coagulants such as alum, etc. The performance of chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) options was evaluated by measuring the supernatant residual total suspended solids (TSS), color, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations at various coagulants doses. In all CEPT options, TSS and color removal exceeded 95 and 85%, respectively. Use of alum sludge at the optimum dose of 400–500 ppm was not economical, due to high sludge production and higher cost associated with sludge disposal. Chitosan alone at optimum dose of 18 ppm resulted in enhanced COD removal as compared with other CEPT options. The use of chitosan in combination with alum sludge reduced the...


We are presenting a methodological approach to transform customer online reviews into quantitative metrics with the purpose of incorporating them into a service performance benchmarking methodology. We build on existing work in different fields, namely sentiment analysis and semantic orientation to extract the online opinions, and fuzzy logic to quantify the results into representative metrics of service quality. Fuzzy numbers were used to represent the linguistic scale behind customer online comments that reflect their evaluation of the service. We then use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to quantify the performance of comparable service units. We test our methodology using published tourist destination data for the Caribbean Islands in addition to online reviews left by visitors to each island in a well-known customer review website.


This study focuses on the relationship between the internal viscous damping and the stiffness of concrete material and structure having small deformation amplitude. New damping parameters were proposed to describe the energy dissipation capacity and the vibration–amplitude attenuation rate. An improved damping suspension test method for predicting the essential material parameters, elasticity modulus and loss modulus, was developed and validated. The results show that the viscous damping energy dissipation capacity of concrete material and structure having small deformation amplitude is proportional to the product of the loss factor and the stiffness, and the vibration‐amplitude attenuation rate is proportional to the product of the damping ratio and the natural frequency. The variation in dimensionless damping mainly results from the change in the stiffness of concrete material and structure. The porosity shows the smallest elasticity modulus and the largest energy dissipation capacity of nano‐phase in cement paste under constant loading conditions. The improved damping suspension test method is proposed based on theoretical analysis and is validated using an experiment and finite element analysis.


Information warfare has surfaced as an emerging concept that affects not only military institutions but ordinary organisations as well. Information warfare in itself consists of various components ranging from its electronic and psychological aspects to its network enabled capabilities and functionality (network warfare). Various computer and information security practices form part of network warfare techniques. Whilst various information and security practices are well-known and applied by many, there is a need for a more structured approach to understanding the various techniques required for a network warfare capability. A conceptual framework describing the most important network warfare techniques and considerations is proposed. This paper addresses the requirements for a network warfare capability and will look at the high-level approach, constraints, focus areas, levels, techniques and objectives. The framework therefore intends to present a more conceptual and structural examination of network warfare requirements and techniques. It should therefore provide a good baseline when establishing the capability or determining the practical consequences in any sector.


. Social management and digital communications are highly topical and widely recognized as an important component of modern higher education. They provide a great number of benefits that contribute to higher education development. The key reasons why they are considered powerful means are: effective communication and support services, engagement and interaction, accessible and flexible learning, networking and professional development, data analytics and insights, collaboration and teamwork, global reach and cultural exchange, outreach and recruitment. Thus, the aim of the paper is to study the peculiarities of using digital communications for social management at higher education institutions in Ukraine. Instruments of data collection used were analysis of scientific sources, questionnaires, interviews


In 21st century, in the process of new- style industry, China will enlarge opening fields, scope and depth. With highly open of Chinese industry, China will participate in international work- divided system from all fields. Facing the challenge of economy globalization and science- tech revolution, China should adopt more efficient opening strategy according its economic and social characters.


A new measurement structure has been introduced in Transverse Acoustoelectric Voltage (TAV) nondestructive testing of semiconductor, which allows to reduce the effect of the parasitic rear resistance on acoustoelectric measurements. Applications of the new structure, characteristic features, and new possible application to nondestructive testing are examined. Rise times as short as 3ps., was obtained with the low contact resistance structure, which must be compared with rise times of 100-200~s. commonly reported in literature. A good ohmic contact allows one to discriminate the effect of internal resistance of the acoustoelectric generator and obtain further information on the sample under test from the TAV rise and fall time . In particular, TAV waveform showing difference between rise time and fall time are presented together with a procedure to extract from this phenomenon the value of the coupling capacitance toward the ground path. The ohmic contact is obtained with a tungsten point pressed on the back surface oh the sample under test. With increasing the pressure a dramatic decrease of TAV is observed. This effect, which ultimatively limit the performances of the new structure, is also studied in the present work. Relationship between this behavior and the presence of interface trap induced by deformation in the semiconductor is carried out by TAV-VB measurements under stress. Evidence of the .presence of one strain induced trap level placed in the silicon gap is presented.


The reflection of obliquely incident shear horizontal (SH) bulk acoustic waves at the interface between a piezoelectric crystal and a viscous conductive liquid is theoretically investigated. In addition to viscous entrainment and mass loading effects, it is shown that the presence of a reflection‐generated external electric field offers the possibility of acoustoelectric interaction with charged particles and dipoles in the solution. These interaction mechanisms could be exploited for liquid chemical analysis and biosensor applications. Expressions are obtained for the reflection coefficients (amplitude and energy) and phase shift upon reflection in terms of the angle of incidence, wave frequency, crystal parameters, and liquid properties (density, viscosity, dielectric constant, and conductivity) by using the normal wave impedance and the input impedance of the interface. It is shown that the sensitivity of such acoustic wave detectors could be tailored by properly choosing the interdigital transducer (I...


The in-core thermal neutron flux distribution was determined using measurement and simulation methods for the Malaysian's PUSPATI TRIGA Reactor (RTP). In this work, online thermal neutron flux measurement using Self Powered Neutron Detector (SPND) has been performed to verify and validate the computational methods for neutron flux calculation in RTP calculations. The experimental results were used as a validation to the calculations performed with Monte Carlo code MCNP. The detail in-core neutron flux distributions were estimated using MCNP mesh tally method. The neutron flux mapping obtained revealed the heterogeneous configuration of the core. Based on the measurement and simulation, the thermal flux profile peaked at the centre of the core and gradually decreased towards the outer side of the core. The results show a good agreement (relatively) between calculation and measurement where both show the same radial thermal flux profile inside the core: MCNP model over estimation with maximum discrepancy around 20% higher compared to SPND measurement. As our model also predicts well the neutron flux distribution in the core it can be used for the characterization of the full core, that is neutron flux and spectra calculation, dose rate calculations, reaction rate calculations, etc.


A water ozone purifier is provided to enable a user to selectively use sterilized water in continuous electrolysis of water using a first sterilizing portion and a second sterilizing portion. A water ozone purifier includes a first sterilizing portion(100) sterilizing water flowing from a water supply pipe through plural filters(110) and a water filter(120) containing plural ceramic balls, a second sterilizing portion(200) sterilizing the water discharged from the first sterilizing portion through an ozone generator(210) using a high pressure transformer(220), a water storage portion(300) temporarily storing the water discharged from the ozone generator, and a controller(400) supplying the sterilized water according to a water level of the water storage portion, an operation of the high pressure transformer, and on/off of an electric power.


A way of describing photoacoustic measurement techniques is listening to light. Another way is as sensor techniques for characterisation of materials by means of light and sound interacting with th ...


Purpose To evaluate the impact that close monitoring by a clinical pharmacist using the i-STAT point of care (POC) machine had on outcomes of anticoagulation patients. Methods This study was a retrospective chart review of 40 patients with an average age of 58.7 who served as their own historical control. Data collected included international normalized ratio (INR) results, indication for warfarin, adverse drug events, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations both before and after the i-STAT POC implementation (November 2006 to August 2009). Results The proportion of time within therapeutic INR range 2.0 to 3.0 was higher after i-STAT POC implementation compared to before (46.3% and 56.2%; P = .001). When a wider INR range was analyzed (1.8-3.2), the proportion of time within range was 64.6% versus 68.9% (P = .001). In terms of safety, 27 adverse events were documented before and 22 adverse events were documented after i-STAT implementation. Eighteen hospitalizations were related to bleeding or clotting and were distributed evenly between before and after i-STAT implementation. Percentages of medication nonadherence were 12.5% before and 12.1% after the implementation. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that implementation of the i-STAT POC machine in a pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinic increased percent of time within therapeutic INR by 9.9%. Patient INR results were better controlled at more stable levels. Furthermore, use of i-STAT POC showed improvement in terms of safety, adherence, and cost. Though the significance of these results requires further study, the promising positive outcomes will certainly encourage implementation of this model on a larger scale.


The DSSNY risk management course was born of crisis. Now in its fifth version, the course is credited with increasing competition among malpractice carriers and lowering premium prices.


and cause multiple coagulative events leading to CAPS. In our patient, discontinuation of aspirin may have been an important contributory factor. Ocular involvement in APLS is a consequence of cavernous sinus, orbital and retinal vascular involvement. The clinical signs can masquerade as orbital cellulitis, acute retinal necrosis and even scleritis. A timely diagnosis of CAPS in a patient with known APLS requires a high index of suspicion but can be life-saving. Ocular involvement should be recognized early without delaying appropriate systemic immunosuppression. In general, the importance of seeking a unifying diagnosis in complex clinical scenarios is highlighted. Our patient made a good recovery from multiorgan failure but continues to require renal replacement therapy.


Objective: The study was done to determine the characteristics of infertility cause in couples undergoing in-vitro fertilization in in-vitro fertilization clinic Bali Royal Hospital Denpasar on January–December 2019. Method: This was an observational descriptive study with study population of infertile couples that went to in-vitro fertilization clinic at Bali Royal Hospital Denpasar for IVF on 2019. The data obtained will be described based on sample characteristics, female factor, male factor and other factors. Result: In one-year period of 1 January–31 December 2019, there were 174 infertile cases included in this study. In this study, we concluded that the most common cause for female factor was tubal problems (60.23%), and for male factor was oligoasthenoteratozoosperm (81.82%), another abnormalities that affect couples fertility were uterus abnormalities (23.26%) Conclusion: Fallopian tube abnormalities and oligoastenoteratozoospermia were the most common causes of infertility in couples with IVF


ABSTRACT The aim of this work is to investigate the effects of environmental stressors on male reproductive biomarkers in sentinel species of bivalves inhabiting Annaba estuaries, considered to be reservoirs receiving industrial, agricultural, and domestic discharges. Male Mytilus galloprovincialis were collected in four seasons from a non-polluted site (S1) and two other locations receiving untreated sewage (S2) and a mixture of contaminants (S3). Testicular sperm concentration, motility, velocity, the amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH), the beat cross frequency (BCF), spermatozoan DNA fragmentation, and histological profiles were evaluated. Individuals from S2 and S3 have diminished sperm concentration, motility, velocity, ALH and BCF, along with a significantly increased spermatozoan DNA fragmentation that was much higher in S3. Testicular tissues demonstrated histo-pathological alterations in mussels subjected to anthropogenic activities during the four seasons. In conclusion, reproductive biomarkers of male mussels were both spatially and temporally variable, which is probably correlated to pollution types and the changing seasonal stressors.


The Kobayashi-Hitchin correspondence states that a holomorphic vector bundle on a compact Kähler manifold admits a Hermitian-Einstein metric if and only if it is polystable in the sense of Mumford-Takemoto. We introduce the relevant notions around this statement in some detail, concluding with a precise formulation of the correspondence and a very brief overview of its proof.


1. Student of Masters of Fashion Technology, National Institute of Fashion Technology. 2. Assistant Professor and CIC, Department of Fashion Design, National Institute of Fashion Technology. ...................................................................................................................... Manuscript Info Abstract ......................... ........................................................................ Manuscript History Received: 23 November 2019 Final Accepted: 25 December 2019 Published: January 2020


By multiple methods and views,the basic knowledge and understanding of characters of Chinese women's marathon training load is initially formed: the comparatively heavier yearly,weekly,daily training burdens of holistic Chinese women's marathon team are respectively centralized at 7000-9000km,160-250km,30-45km,and the daily training burden basically stays no more than 50km,and the yearly training burden of excellent athletes is less than normal.Generally,3-4days make an intensity training arrangement cycle;the interval is longer for two similar heavy intensity training.During the continuous training,the coaches usually use the sectioned speed of 400m and 1000m to control the intensity.High intensity interval training usually focuses on 400m interval running mainly.The paper gives conclusion of the situation of training intensity control for excellent athletes.


Abstract City diplomacy is a major trend in the soft power development. As cities face daily political issues deriving from globalisation (such as mass tourism, migration, climate change, and commodification of culture), they demand for, rather than contesting with a nationstate, an operational reinterpretation of sovereignty oriented to solve problems. Political economy approach is a useful method to understand the role of global cities where the nation state has many deficiencies. The global city establishes rules to influence international legal development and practice, even without a traditional legal basis (such as sovereignty, monopoly on violence, and legal exclusivity). As these 'superstar cities' grow, other cities are losing opportunities to develop and take advantage of globalisation. The risk of inter-urban inequality feeds populism. Cities will become the middle power in global political organisations in the future, and political economy will shed light on how power and values operate at the urban level.


Abstract In this paper, a novel thermolysis method of protein precursor to prepare γ-NaxCo2O4 crystals with stacked layer-by-layer nanostructure is proposed. Under the ultrasound irradiation, the colloidal protein precursor is obtained from the mixture of Co(NO3)2.6H2O solution, Na2CO3 solution and bovine serum albumin (BSA). The product was characterised by powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis–differential scanning calorimeter, field emitted scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction. With the increasing calcinations temperature, the γ-NaxCo2O4 crystals gradually form along with the thermolysis of BSA. At 800°C, the γ-NaxCo2O4 crystals with stacked layer-by-layer nanostructure are obtained via the thermolysis of protein precursor with 2·5 g L−1 BSA, in which the layer thickness is about 15–30 nm.


Background : Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis is an extremely frequent ophthalmological disease. It is caused by adenoviruses that are highly resistant to environmental influences and are transmitted from person to person by way of infectious secretions. Objective : This study is to determine the prevalence of Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis and the relationship between risk factors of Epidemic keratoconjuntivitis (EKC) and visual outcomes. Methods : Retrospective descriptive study. Medical records of the patients with diagnosis of Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis in Outpatient department of ophthalmology, Chumphae Hospital during January 2011 to December 2015 were review retrospectively. Results : There were 177 males 231. The average age is 33.46 years old and the most common age group was 31-40 years (29.9%). The farmer was the most career to be involved 145 cases (35.5%) followed by the freelancer 143 cases (35.0%) respectively. The highest incidence of EKC is during July to October 347 cases (85.0%) with the peak at September 141 cases (34.6%) followed by August 120 cases (29.4%). The risk factors of Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis were found in 120 cases (29.4%). Risk factors included dust, soil, scrap iron, insect 60 cases (50.0%) ; dirty water or mud exposure 28 cases (23.3%) ; branch, leaf 24 cases (20.0%) and irritation from eyelash 8 cases (6.6%). The relationship between the risk factors and visual outcomes was determined among 220 patients of treated patients who had kept appointments. For 140 patients who had no precipitating risk factors, visual outcomes were better/or stable in 130 cases (92.8%) and worse in 10 cases (7.1%). Whereas, 80 patients with risk factors, visual outcomes were better/or stable in 66 cases (82.5%) and worse in 14 cases (17.5%). The results of analyzing of relationship between the risk factors and the visual outcomes after treatment were related at 0.05 level of significance. Conclusions : EKC is most commonly found in rainy season, predominantly in female with high incidence in working-age group. The patients who had no precipitating risk factors predicting better visual outcomes and risk factors we found was related to their occupation. Key words : Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC), Risk factors


AbstrcatPoliteness is a traditionally focused topic of the study of social phenomena in pragmatics about which there have appeared a large quantity of researches and discussions,and among which social-cultural factors are highly involved.


Newton's deduction of the inverse square law from Kepler's ellipse and area laws together with his "superb theorem" on the gravitation attraction of spherically symmetric bodies, are the major steps leading to the discovery of the law of universal gravitation (Principia, 1687). The goal of this article is to revisit some "well-known" events in the history of science, and moreover, to provide elementary and clean-cut proofs, still in the spirit of Newton, of these major advances. Being accessible to first year university students, the educational aspect of such a coherent presentation should not be overlooked.


This study examined changes in the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on reading achievement at individual and school levels between 1991 and 2001. Data from 9 countries that participated in both the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Reading Literacy Study 1991 and the Trend Study in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2001 were included in the analyses. The hypotheses of increased between-school differences of reading achievement and a higher SES effect on reading were tested by applying a 2-level 2-group structural equation modelling technique and a factor score approach. The hypotheses were partially confirmed by the empirical evidence from Greece, Singapore, and the USA. The explanations of these results may be the insufficient data and low statistic power. A refined hypothesis may be needed for further investigation.


A novel halogen-free 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO)-containing co-curing agent, 6,6′-(1,4-phenylenebis(((4-(phenylamino)phenyl)amino)methylene))bis(dibenzo[c,e][1,2]oxaphosphinine 6-oxide) (DPN) was synthesized via a simple 1-pot or 2-step procedure with yield of 86.2% and 70.8%, respectively. The molecular structures of 4,4′-((1,4-phenylenebis(methanylylidene))bis(azanylylidene))bis(N-phenylaniline) (DPN intermediate) and DPN are characterized by FTIR, NMR, and MS. TGA tests show that the char yield of DPN/EP composites raises to 30.9% when the molar ratio of DPN to 4,4-diaminodiphenyl methane(DDM) is 20:80. Tg values of DPN/EP composites tested by DSC and DMA are similar to neat epoxy resin (EP), which is due to the secondary amine in DPN that participates in the cross-linking reaction of epoxy resin. The storage modulus in the rubber stage (E′-190 °C) of flame-retardant epoxy resin is close to that of neat EP, while their tanδ's are lower, which indicates the similarity of samples' cross-linking density due to the participation of DPN in the cross-linking reaction. The results show that when the molar ratio of DPN and DDM is 5:95, the epoxy has a higher Tg value and better mechanical properties than other samples. The introduction of DPN efficiently improves the flame-retardant properties of epoxy resin with V-0 rating of UL-94 vertical burning test, non-dripping, 41% of limit oxygen index (LOI) value, low peak heat release rate (PHRR), and total heat release (THR).


Magnetic susceptibility(MS) and grain size distribution of core MD05-2901,which is located in the upwelling area off eastern Vietnam in the South China Sea,were measured.Oxygen isotope stratigraphy indicates that the core spans a time period of 480 ka.Magnetic susceptibility curve displays glacial-interglacial variations in general,but with prominent peaks.Ten out of thirteen MS peak layers,which are thicker than 4 cm,correlate well with the volcanic ash layers recognized in core MD972142 offshore northwestern Palawan.The result indicates that the volcanic material from the Philippine seismic zone could have reached the western part of the South China Sea during the last 480 ka.The content of size fraction 16μm is relatively high in the layers of high MS values.In addition,grain size distribution of these layers shows distinct double-mode,indicating input from volcanic activities.MS and grain size features of the sediments can be used as an indicator of volcanic activities,which otherwise can't be examined easily by naked-eye.The MS peaks are also a useful tool for chronology and stratigraphic correlations.


We show that for each Seifert form of an algebraically slice knot with nontrivial Alexander polynomial, there exists an infinite family of knots having the Seifert form such that the knots are linearly independent in the knot concordance group and not concordant to any knot with coprime Alexander polynomial. Key ingredients for the proof are Cheeger-Gromov-von Neumann rho-invariants for amenable groups developed by Cha and Orr and polynomial splittings of metabelian rho-invariants.


Problems of construction have engaged the attention of mathematicians from the earliest times. The three famous unsolved problems of the Greeks were problems of construction. Apparently the attitude of the Greeks toward these problems was that, if a geometric entity exists, it must be constructible. For example they believed that given an arbitrary angle, there is another one equal to a third of the first. Hence there must be a way of constructing the second angle, that is, a way of trisecting the first angle. This attitude is very similar in formulation but vastly different in content from the attitude of the modern intuitionists, who say that a mathematical entity does not exist unless it is constructible. Had Brouwer been a Greek, he would probably have declared that, given an angle, it is non-sense to speak of another angle equal to a third of it until such a second angle has been constructed. However, it seems scarcely necessary to remind the reader that, for the Greeks, constructibility meant a special kind of constructibility, namely, constructibility by ruler and compass. Other methods of constructing geometric entities are known, and by use of them, the problems of the Greeks can be solved. More than that, it is now known that ruler and compass constructions alone do not suffice to solve any one of the three famous problems of the Greeks. Therefore, we see that the Greeks erred in restricting themselves to ruler and compass constructions, even though they may have felt justified in making these restrictions, due to considerations of mathematical elegance, or to ignorance of other methods.


Measurements are presented that can be used to test theories that predict acoustical characteristics of outdoor surfaces. The specific acoustic impedances of forest soils, grass‐covered surfaces, and bare sandy soils have been measured in situ using an inclined track method. Best‐fit effective flow resistivities have also been deduced from the acoustical measurements. For grass‐covered and forest soils the soil stratification has been determined and measurements have been carried out to determine the acoustical significance of the different layers. Physical soil parameters have also been measured, including porosity; water, air, and solid matter content; soil texture; and directly measured air flow resistivity. It is found possible to classify investigated soils as acoustically soft, moderate, or hard, both according to the behavior of the reflection coefficient and impedance with frequency and to the corresponding best‐fit values of effective flow resistivities. Bare sandy soils are found to be acoustica...


Stimuli-sensitive hydrogels are polymeric materials, which are able to reversibly swell in water in response to evironmental changes. Relevant stimuli include variations of pH, temperature, concentration of specific ions etc. Stacked layers composed of multiple thin hydrogels - also referred to as hydrogel-layer composites - combine the distinct sensing properties of different hydrogels. This approach enables the development of sophisticated microfluidic devices such as bisensitive valves or fluid-sensitive deflectors. In order to numerically simulate the swelling of a polyelectrolyte hydrogel in response to an ion concentration change the multifield theory is adopted. The set of partial differential equations - including the description of the chemical, the electrical and the mechanical field - are solved using the Finite Element Method. Simulations are carried out on a two-dimensional domain in order to capture interactions between the different fields. In the present work, the ion transport is governed by diffusive and migrative fluxes. The distribution of ions in the gel and the solution bath result in an osmotic pressure difference, which is responsible for the mechanical deformation of the hydrogel-layer composite. The realized numerical investigation gives an insight into the evolution of the displacement field, the distribution of ions and the electric potential within the bulk material and the interface between gel and solution bath. The predicted behavior of the relevant field variables is in excellent agreement with results available in the literature.


apparent as A1 content increases. 4. Boron-containing dimers are less stable than their Al-containing analogues. The H form of the boron dimer is the most unstable species. Its hydroxyl group appears less polar than the corresponding one in the A1 dimer. These observations support the finding that Br~nsted sites in crystalline borosilicates are weak compared to those of their A1 analogues. They suggest in addition that tetrahedrally coordinated boron in the hydrogen form of 1987, 91, 148-150


Abstract Weeding or deselection of materials has become an integral part of library management. Based on a nineteen-question survey about weeding practices in public libraries, this article discusses the personal perspectives of public librarians on weeding as well as the weeding practices of their institutions. The three most common criteria for weeding are circulation, physical condition, and accuracy of information. Librarians overwhelmingly believe that weeding increases use of books and patron satisfaction. In addition, the public library was framed as a venue that offers safe, clean, and fresh "product lines" with various natural life cycles and expiry dates. This discursive formation raises questions about the extent to which public libraries and their collections are becoming commodified, homogenized, and ephemeral, and whether such ephemeralness and homogenization serve the interests of all community members.


tag=1 data=The crisis in the uranium mining industry. by Jean-Luc Ballery

tag=2 data=Ballery, Jean-Luc

tag=3 data=NEA Newsletter,

tag=4 data=11

tag=5 data=1

tag=6 data=Spring 1993

tag=7 data=10-15.

tag=8 data=URANIUM

tag=10 data=For over ten years, the uranium mining industry within the OECD and elsewhere has been undergoing its worst ever crisis. At a time when it seemed assured of a promising future, the economic recession of the 1980's took the wind out of its sails. Provided by MICAH, Canberra.

tag=11 data=1994/6/1

tag=12 data=94/0112

tag=13 data=CAB


ABSTRACT The VP40 protein of Ebola virus can bud from mammalian cells in the form of lipid-bound, virus-like particles (VLPs), and late budding domains (L-domains) are conserved motifs (PTAP, PPxY, or YxxL; where "x" is any amino acid) that facilitate the budding of VP40-containing VLPs. VP40 is unique in that potential overlapping L-domains with the sequences PTAP and PPEY are present at amino acids 7 to 13 of VP40 (PTAPPEY). L-domains are thought to function by interacting with specific cellular proteins, such as the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4, and a component of the vacuolar protein sorting (vps) pathway, tsg101. Mutational analysis of the PTAPPEY sequence of VP40 was performed to understand further the contribution of each individual motif in promoting VP40 budding. In addition, the contribution of tsg101 and a second member of the vps pathway, vps4, in facilitating budding was addressed. Our results indicate that (i) both the PTAP and PPEY motifs contribute to efficient budding of VP40-containing VLPs; (ii) PTAP and PPEY can function as L-domains when separated and moved from the N terminus (amino acid position 7) to the C terminus (amino acid position 316) of full-length VP40; (iii) A VP40-PTAP/tsg101 interaction recruits tsg101 into budding VLPs; (iv) a VP40-PTAP/tsg101 interaction recruits VP40 into lipid raft microdomains; and (v) a dominant-negative mutant of vps4 (E228Q), but not wild-type vps4, significantly inhibited the budding of Ebola virus (Zaire). These results provide important insights into the complex interplay between viral and host proteins during the late stages of Ebola virus budding.


In this paper it is proposed a new wavelength converter placement scheme called Adaptive First Load Priority, useful for designing and planning of optical networks with sparsepartial wavelength conversion architecture. The adaptive FLP is an extension of the FLP (First Load Priority) placement scheme proposed by authors in a previous work [11]. It was conceived with the aim of decreasing the number of WCRs (Wavelength Converter Router) used by FLP scheme. Initially, we provide a performance evaluation of FLP working in different scenarios.. Comparing to others wavelength converter placement schemes proposed in the literature like MBPF [9], TOT [8], XC [5] and to partial wavelength conversion, our results show that FLP achieves better performance in all scenarios studied, very close to that one achieved with a full-complete wavelength conversion architecture. Thus, we introduce the Adaptive FLP scheme comparing its performance to XC and FLP schemes. Results achieved by applying adaptive parameter equal to 10%, show a reduction of 42% (5 WCRs) in terms of WCRs required by simple FLP in the the scenarios studied..


If the arrival speed at a target body can be increased from the very low hyperbolic excesses required to perform a low-thrust capture maneuver, then potentially significant savings can be made in the heliocentric mission duration if a bound orbit about the target planet can be maintained. We define a bound orbit as having an apoapsis that is positive but less than infinity; however, because this is not a practical limit and is instead a theoretical limit we examine the impact of reducing the target apoapsis to more realistic and useful values within specific case studies. Furthermore, an increase in arrival velocity can be expected to yield a benefit in mission launch mass.


To assess how accurately ex vivo high‐resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) from small biopsy tissues relate to in vivo 1H MRS (from larger tumor volumes) in human astrocytomas.


Background: As the field of medicine is often described as one that combines science and art, it must be noted that data are only considered influential if understood by the person or persons deciding whether or not to use such data. Thus, psychological principles that govern the use of data play almost as equal a role as the medical development of that data. This study applies the psychologically-derived concepts of framing effects to the field of medicine, in an attempt to determine whether risk order should be considered as a framing effect. Specifically, this study used a randomized double-blinded controlled study to determine whether the presented order of risks involved with an abdominal aortic aneurysm surgical repair significantly affected patients' decisions as to whether or not they would hypothetically undergo the surgery. Methods: Participants (n = 90) were shown a video interaction between a doctor and a patient whereby the doctor explained to the patient that he had an abdominal aortic aneurysm, and then detailed the surgical repair option along with the possible risks of the surgery. Participants were randomized to three different experimental conditions (A, B, and C) that differed solely on the order that participants saw the risks being outlined to the patient by the doctor. Participants in condition A (n = 30) saw the risks presented in a most grave to least grave order, participants in condition C (n = 30) saw the risks presented in a least grave to most grave order, and participants in condition B (n = 30) saw the risks presented in crescendo-decrescendo order of gravity. This study predicts that the more salient the grave risk(s), the less likely that participants would indicate that they would theoretically decide to undergo the surgery.


The metabolic syndrome is a very common disease associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Disturbed lipoprotein metabolism characterized by elevated TAG, low HDL-cholesterol concentrations and insulin-resistance are the key features of the metabolic syndrome. Nutrition, especially the quality of dietary fat, plays an important role in the development and progression of the metabolic syndrome through infl uence on the expression of the gene encoding key regulatory enzymes of lipid and glucose metabolism. Dietary ω-6 and ω-3 PUFA reduce triglyceride accumulation in skeletal muscle, suppress hepatic lipogenesis, reduce hepatic triglyceride output and induce fatty acid oxidation in both liver and skeletal muscle, resulting in improvements of the metabolic syndrome. Genetic variation that predisposes to metabolic disturbances could interact with diet, modulating individual susceptibility to developing these conditions. Individuals with a ˝sensitive genotype˝ will be most susceptible to the impact of dietary therapy in order to reduce the risk of the metabolic syndrome.


Objective To explore the classification of degenerative medial meniscus injury under arthroscopy and its clinical significance.Methods This study involved 122 patients who underwent arthroscopic operation because of degenerative medial meniscus injury from January 2012 to December 2012,eliminating patients who received synovectomy for severe synovitis.There were 27 males and 95 females,with 63 left knees and 59 right knees.The average age was 61.8±8.9 years.The average BMI was 26.5±3.4 kg/m2,while the average preoperative Lysholm score was 47.2± 15.0.The cartilage injury was estimated by Outerbridge classification system during arthroscopic surgery.Both the difference of the preoperative Lysholm score and the number of articular surfaces with Ⅳ degree of cartilage injury were compared among different types of degenerative medial meniscus injury.Resuits The horizon tear of posterior horn group included 33 patients.The average number of articular surfaces with Ⅳ degree of cartilage injury was 1.24± 1.48 while the average preoperative Lysholm score was 52.5± 14.4 points,with pain score of 7.7±6.5.The root injury of posterior horn group included 16 patients,whose average number of articular surfaces with 1Ⅳ degree of cartilage injury was 1.13±1.26 and average preoperative Lysholm score was 37.5±8.4 points,with pain score of 3.1±4.0.The complex serious injury group included 73 patients.The average number of articular surfaces with Ⅳ degree of cartilage injury was 2.26±1.61 and the average preoperative Lysholm score was 46.9±15.3 points,with pain score of 6.8±5.4.Both the preoperative Lysholm score and pain score of the root injury of posterior horn group was significantly lower than that of the horizon tear and the complex serious injury group.The average number of articular surfaces with Ⅳ degree of cartilage injury between the root injury and the horizon tear of posterior horn group had no significant difference.The number of these two groups was less than the complex serious injury group,with statistically significant difference.Conclusion The arthroscopic classification of degenerative medial meniscus injury could be classified into three types.The degenerative cartilage injury of root injury of posterior horn and horizon tear of posterior horn is relatively mild,which are the early stages of joint degeneration.However,the clinical symptoms and disability caused by root injury of posterior horn are more severe.On the other hand,the degenerative cartilage injury of complex serious injury is relatively severe,which belongs to the late stage,while the clinical symptoms and disability are relatively mild.

Key words:
Menisci, tibial;  Knee joint;  Arthroscopy


The purpose of present investigation was to achieve successful delivery especially to colon using microbially triggered, osmotically controlled approach. Prednisolone was choosen model drug for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Prednisolone-β-cyclodextrin complex were prepared and phase solubility study was carried out. Cellulose acetate solution containing chitosan was used to prepare semi-permeable. Face centered central composite design was employed to study the effect on independent variables (concentration of sodium chloride, polyethylene glycol, and chitosan), % cumulative release and disintegration time. Both independent variables, the proportion of chitosan (X 1) and proportion of NaCl and PEG (X 2) had an influence on the % drug release in both the media (buffers and buffer with rat ceacal content). Formulations were evaluated for their Preformulation parameters and found within the specified limit. Formulation code F8 and S8 were the optimized batches with an in vitro release of 83.77 and 99.13 % respectively. The formulations containing PEG was found to be a promising drug delivery system better release kinetics. Introduction: Oral drug delivery is the most desirable and preferred method of administering therapeutic agents for their systemic effects. Oral drug delivery system can be classified into three categories: Immediate-release (IR) preparation, Controlled-release (CR) preparation and Targeted release preparation or site specific drug delivery system that requires spatial placement of drug delivery device at a desired site within the GI tract.


Abstract: This study aims to increase knowledge about the influence of parents 'presence when children learn and learning motivation of migrant workers' children at SMP Negeri 1 Bandung, Tulungagung. The type of research used is a case study, through interviews with snowball sampling techniques, which are likened to getting information continuously and will only stop when the data is saturated. In addition, the interview technique used by researchers is in-depth interviews. The research steps carried out were preceded by observation, the first observation conducted by the researcher examined the data of students who have parents as migrant workers. Researchers also conducted interviews with counseling teachers regarding the learning behavior of migrant workers' children in class and what problems usually bother the students of migrant workers in learning. Observations that the two researchers conducted were by way of frank observation entering the classroom and observing the learning and learning process in which there were students of migrant workers' children. The results of the observations show that the learning behavior of students of migrant workers' children is different from those of students who are not children of migrant workers. Therefore, the researcher decided to do a research to find out what motivates the students of migrant workers to learn. Data collection, the researcher chose 4 students who according to the researcher were included in the category as data sources. Researchers conducted interviews with 4 children of migrant workers with in-depth interviews. Furthermore, data analysis is carried out by means of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing / verification. Meanwhile, to test the validity of the data using the credibility test (internal validity).
Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menambah pengetahuan tentang pengaruh kehadiran orang tua saat anak belajar dan motivasi belajar siswa anak buruh migran di SMP Negeri 1 Bandung, Tulungagung. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah studi kasus (case study), melalui wawancara dengan teknik sampling snowball yang diibaratkan mendapatkan informasi secara terus menerus dan baru akan berhenti saat data telah jenuh. Selain itu teknik wawancara yang digunakan peneliti adalah wawancara secara mendalam (in depth interview). Langkah penelitian yang dilakukan diawali dengan observasi, observasi yang pertama dilakukan peneliti memeriksa data siswa yang memiliki orang tua sebagai buruh migran. Peneliti juga melakukan wawancara kepada guru BK mengenai bagaimana perilaku belajar siswa anak buruh migran saat di kelas dan masalah apa saja yang biasa mengganggu siswa anak buruh migran dalam belajar. Observasi yang kedua peneliti lakukan dengan cara observasi terus terang ikut masuk kedalam kelas dan mengamati proses belajar dan pembelajaran yang didalamnya terdapat siswa anak buruh migran. Hasil dari observasi menunjukan perilaku belajar siswa anak buruh migran yang berbeda dengan siswa yang bukan anak buruh migran. Oleh karena itu peneliti memutuskan melakukan penelitian untuk mengetahui apa yang dapat menjadi motivasi belajar siswa anak buruh migran. Pengumpulan data, peneliti memilih 4 siswa yang menurut peneliti masuk dalam kategori sebagai sumber data. Peneliti melakukan wawancara kepada 4 siswa anak buruh migran dengan wawancara mendalam. Selanjutnya analisis data dilakukan dengan cara data reduction, data display, dan conclusion drawing/verification. Sedangkan untuk uji keabsahan data menggunakan Uji credibility (validitas internal).


Keyhole MIMO channels, which were predicted theoretically and also observed experimentally, have recently received significant attention as they may appear in some practically-important propagation scenarios. This paper concentrates on the capacity study of such channels. Closed-form expressions for the instantaneous SNR and outage capacity distributions of a spatially correlated keyhole MIMO channel are given. The case of non-singular correlation matrices with distinct eigenvalues is considered in detail. When the numbers of Tx and Rx antennas are both large, the asymptotic outage capacity distribution of the keyhole channel is Gaussian under general conditions on the correlation (the average SNR affects the mean and the correlation affects the variance). The Gaussian approximation is accurate already for a reasonably small number of antennas (2times2). Based on the asymptotic capacity analysis, a full ordering scalar measure of MIMO channel correlation and power imbalance is introduced. Using this measure, we show analytically that the outage capacity at low outage probabilities decreases with correlation


Numerous conflicting claims exist concerning the nature of L1 influence. This article argues that much of the confusion could be eliminated if a unified framework were established for this area of inquiry. Such a framework would minimally require transfer studies to consider at least 3 potential effects of L1 influence: (a) intra-L1-group similarities, (b) inter-L1-group differences, and (c) L1-IL performance similarities. This study examines all three types ofevidence in the English lexical reference of Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking Finns at multiple levels of age and L2 exposure in three different but related elicitation tasks. The results suggest a subtle yet demonstrable presence for L1 influence in this area of interlanguage performance.


The epithelial cells lining the gastric cavity of the freshwater hydra, Hydra viridis, harbor unicellular algal symbionts of the genus Cblorella. It has long been known that these hydra cells can readily phagocytose algal cells and will sequester those algae that have the potential to form a symbiotic association. In this paper the evidence is discussed for when and how recognition of potential symbionts by hydra cells occurs, i.e. during phagocytosis or during the subsequent intracellular events leading to sequestration of algal symbionts.


We describe an approach to programming rule-based systems i n Standard ML, with a focus on so-called overlapping rules, that is rules that can still be active when other rules are fired. Such rules are useful whe n implementing rule-based reactive systems, and to that effect we show a sim ple i plementation of Loyall's Active Behavior Trees, used to control goal-dir ected agents in the Oz virtual environment. We discuss an implementation of our framework using a reactive library geared towards implementing those kind of systems.


This paper builds a design scheme of remote operation management system for small and medium-sized reservoirs,provides a kind of effective and reasonable method to the control model for bulkhead gate based on GPRS wireless communication in GSM and computer technology.Simulation experiments show that the system solutions and control model are reasonable and feasible,the location of reservoir center dispatching station can not subject to region and distance limit, the data transmission is timely and accurate,and can further improve management level and emergency response ability for the management department.


Solution to the problem of electromagnetic waves scattering by the complex spatial lattices of resonant magneto-dielectric spheres is given. Expressions for the fields scattered by the lattices, which take into account the influence of the lattices' topological structure, are derived. These expressions can be used for studying the near and far zones of the scattered fields.


Errors in predicted modal behavior can result from modeling errors or actual variations of the properties due to flight conditions, change in payload or manufacturing tolerances. Launcher models used by EADS-ST for modal analysis studies have a nominal definition and adaptations for each flight. Experimental modal analysis and model updating are used to validate the nominal model giving very satisfactory results for the considered Ariane 5 applications. Given a test validated model, one then seeks to exploit an uncertainty characterization on physical parameters to predict uncertainties on modal properties. These predictions are then used for dynamic response validation and control design. Predictions are obtained using reanalysis techniques thus allowing very fast estimates within a design hypercube while having an error evaluation strategy that is detailed. Model reduction is obtained using the multi-model approach and possible choices in implementation are discussed. The results are illustrated on a model of upper cryogenic stage of Ariane 5.


Air transportation is more interested in the various activities. As a flight service consumer, their rights are protected by law, both in the Law No. 1 of 2009 about Aviation and the Law No. 8 of 1999 about Consumer Protection. If passengers are at a lower position compared with airlines in the relationship between consumers and producer. Passengers tend to prefer to take no action if harmed by the airline. One of passenger rights of the most fundamental is the right to compensation effect using airline service as a carrier. When damaged by the airlines, passengers prefer to take no action event hough he has the rights to obtain compensation. This research analyzes about how the air carriers liability of damaged passengers and the concept of liability is applied in the Aviation Act. The data which is used in this research is secondary data and is supported by primary data and are distributed 100 questionnaires to domestic passengers which using purposive sampling. The purpose of this research to know whether the Aviation Act regulate expressly the air carrier liability for losses due to passengers using the airlines and analyze the concept of liability is used in theAviation Act. The results showed that the LawAviation is liable for the loss of passengers which is devided in 4 (four) articles, namely: the loss of passengers who died, permanent disability or injury; damaged or lost register baggage ; damaged or lost cabin baggage; and delaying in passengers, baggage and cargo carrier. There are 3 (three) concepts of legal liability in theAviation Act, they are; the concept of legal liability based on fault; concept of legal liability based on presumption (presumption of Liability); and the concept based on absolute liability. Recommendations of this research are creating immediately regulation of implementing the Aviation Act which related to compentation rights, need for increasing the empowerment of passengers to claim their rights, standard clause in the tickets, need repairing.


This study examines the quality of service that includes variable Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy and Evidence Direct (Tangible) partially and simultaneously affect the decision of students to choose SMA Maitreyawira Batam. The method of multiple regression analysis used by the researcher is to know and examine how big influence of independent variable which numbers two or more. Multiple regression analysis is used to know the influence of independent variables on dependent variable. The number of samples of this research is 110 students of SMA Maitreyawira Batam. The result of the research shows that there is significant influence of service quality with variable of reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangible to student decision to choose SMA Maitreyawira Batam.


This study, based on the traditional 4P framework, proposed a construct, dynamic marketing capability, which reflects the extent to which a firm can dynamically adjust its marketing activities and resources in response to changing environments. The construct is hypothesized to mediate the effect of a firm's information technology (IT) support for CRM on firm performance. With a survey of the 500 largest manufacturing and service firms in Taiwan, the study shows that the dynamic marketing capability of the firm is indeed a significant mediator between IT support for CRM and firm performance in our model. With its presence, the direct effect of IT support for CRM on firm performance fails to be significant, making dynamic marketing capability a full mediator. The implications of the result are provided.


The membrane separation is extensively applied in the production of traditional Chinese medicine.In this paper,we introduced ultrafiltration to refinement of traditional Chinese medicine Jinqi Jiangtang Pian,including Rhizoma Coptidis,Radix Astragali,and Flos Lonicerae Japonicae.In order to investigate the applicability of PES/Pluronic F127 antifouling membranes in real medicine system,the ultrafiltration performances of three raw materials and their mixtures were all measured,respectively.The results show that the application of antifouling ultrafiltration membranes in refinement could effectively separate and purify Berberine,AstragalosideIV,and Chlorogenic acid from Rhizoma Coptidis,Radix Astragali and Flos Lonicerae Japonicae,respectively.Meanwhile,the clarity of solutions could be improved as well as the suspended solids could be eliminated.Finally,the inherent relationship between medicine solutions and antifouling membranes was studied;and the guidance for rational design of new process based on ultrafiltration was tentatively presented.


The nineteenth century radically transformed education from a church function to a state duty. During the early to late 1800s, Australian legislators debated the foundations of education for their new society. Decades of acrimonious argument, and sustained (but failed) attempts to create a workable denominational system led the colonies to explore more radical options. To minimize religious division, Australia's proposal was for public education to be "free, compulsory and secular." New South Wales legislated these then politically progressive principles in the Public Instruction Act of 1880, following Victoria in 1872, and Queensland and South Australia in 1875. No state defined the term "secular" and each interpreted it differently. Prolonged, ambiguous applications of the secular principle continue to create confusion and division today. This article examines constructions of the "secular" in education and compares the approaches of Henry Parkes in New South Wales and George Higinbotham in Victoria. It follows the erosion of secular intent in public and parliamentary debates from early settlement to 1880.


Current algorithms for bounded model checking use SAT methods for checking satisfiability of Boolean formulae. Methods based on the validity of Quantified Boolean Formulae (QBF) allow an exponentially more succinct representation of formulae to be checked, because no "unrolling" of the transition relation is required. These methods have not been widely used, because of the lack of an efficient decision procedure for QBF. In this paper we present an algorithm for bounded model checking that uses as succinct representation of formulae as possible with QBF-based techniques. We also provide a comparison of our technique with SAT-based and QBF-based ones, using a few available solvers, on real-life industrial benchmarks.


It has previously been shown that the M (E1) glyco- protein of mouse hepatitis virus strain A69 (MHV-A69) contains only 0-linked oligosaccharides and localizes to the Golgi region when expressed independ- ently. A detailed pulse-chase analysis was made of the addition of 0-linked sugars to the M protein; upon sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electropho-resis, three different electrophoretic forms could be distinguished that corresponded to the sequential ac- quisition of N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc), galactose (Gal), and sialic acid (SA). A fourth and fifth form could also be detected which we were unable to iden-tify. Following Brefeldin A treatment, the M protein still acquired GalNAc, Gal, and SA, but the fourth and fifth forms were absent, suggesting that these modifications occur in the trans-Golgi network (TGN). In contrast, in the presence of BFA, the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which contains N- linked oligosaccharides, acquired Gal and fucose but not SA. These results are consistent with earlier pub- lished data showing that Golgi compartments proximal to the TGN, but not the TGN itself, relocate to the endoplasmatic reticulum/intermediate


Mangrove Conservation Areas have important roles such as maintaining coastal stability from abrasion, fish and shrimp resourcess, education, and ecotourism. However, the level of damage to the mangrove ecosystem has increased. One of the reasons was the accumulation of garbage in the coastal area. One of the most common garbage was plastic waste carried by Opak rivers and drift. To overcome this problem, it was necessary to examine the physical and chemical characteristics of plastic waste in Baros Mangrove Conservation Area, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta. The examination of physical characteristics is density. On the other hand, the chemical characteristics include the moisture content, volatile matter, ash, and fixed carbon. In addition, the examination also calculated the potential amount of plastic waste and provided the recommendations for processing plastic waste in the future. The results of the research indicated that the density was 474,34 kg/m. The highest moisture content was 25,4% in PS plastic type, the highest volatile matter was 96,6% in PET / PETE plastic type, the highest ash was 18,4% in LDPE plastic type, and the highest fixed carbon was 2,6% at the highest OTHER plastic type. The potential amount of plastic waste in Baros Mangrove Conservation was 0,015 tons. Whereas for Indonesian Mangrove Conservation Area was 11.000,11 tons. The recommendation that can be made is to improve the beach-cleaning program from the government. The government cooperates with a temporary shelter (TPS) or local garbage bank that has been established and managed by the community to manage its waste, and processed the plastic waste into briquettes or fuel oil.


Prey that spend a large proportion of their time foraging must trade-off between predator defence and feeding. Because predation risk can be a cost in desert granivores, we predicted that kangaroo rats (Dipodomys) should weigh the risk of predation when deciding which behavioural option to pursue. We manipulated apparent predation risk of the giant kangaroo rat, D. ingens, and the desert kangaroo rat, D. deserti, and predicted they should be more vigilant and show greater defensive behaviour to the more dangerous stimulus of a real snake than to an artificial snake decoy. Results showed that kangaroo rats decreased foraging with increased vigilance when the snake and decoy were present. The largest decrease in foraging was in response to the live snake, and both species oriented towards, approached and footdrummed more in the presence of the live snake than the decoy. The species also differed in their antipredator behaviour: D. ingens footdrummed more and spent more time within striking distance of the snake than the decoy. Dipodomys deserti spent more time within 1 m of the snake than the decoy and kicked sand at the snake. Sand kicking was never observed in D. ingens. We conclude that kangaroo rats are able to discriminate predation risk. They decrease foraging and increase vigilance in the presence of live snakes to assess risk and may approach and footdrum as a pursuit deterrent to communicate to the snake its chances of ambush are no longer available to cause the snake to leave. Sand kicking may function to harass the snake to cause it to leave.  2001 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour


Y.V. Ivanov, A.A. Levin, S.V. Novikov, D.A. Pshenay-Severin, M.P. Volkov, A.Yu. Zyuzin, A.T. Burkov, T. Nakama, L.U. Schnatmann, H. Reith, and K. Nielsch Ioffe Institute, Saint Petersburg 194021, Russia Department of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan Institute for Metallic Materials, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, 01069 Dresden, Germany (Dated: October 12, 2020)


Status of current parton cascade models for applications to RHIC and LHC is reviewed and a new test of these developing models is presented. The test is to compare analytic transport and numerical cascade results on the evolution of the transverse energy per unit rapidity, ET. One of the new cascades, ZPC, is shown to pass this test and provide insight into how far parton transport may be from the viscous hydrodynamic regime at RHIC.


Retinal axons of Xenopus tadpoles at various stages of larval development were filled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and their trajectories and the patterns of branching within the tectum were analyzed in whole‐mount preparations. To clarify temporal and spatial modes of growth of retinal axons during larval development, special attention was directed to labeling a restricted regional population of retinal axons with HRP, following reported procedures (H. Fujisawa, K. Watanabe, N. Tani, and Y. Ibata, Brain Res. 206:9–20, 1981; 206:21–26, 1981; H. Fujisawa, Dev. Growth Differ 26:545–553, 1984).


This research study mainly focused on the development of a method for measuring total project productivity (TPP) on a road construction project. This method required the establishment of a database accommodating all actual quantities accomplished on the project and the man-hours invested to produce those quantities for the purpose of estimating TPP values. On the database, the actual quantities, recorded by different units of measure, were unified by applying a common unit, Equivalent Work Unit (EWU). A TPP value, then, was calculated as a ratio between the unified quantity and the amount of man-hours. This procedure was validated through the case studies performed on three highway construction projects. The validation results indicated that total productivity can be estimated and analyzed at the project level based upon the quantitative database established with the field data obtained from various work items.


Forming labour conditions among the workers of principal production occupational groups at chemical plants of Western Siberia was shown to be associated, witn technical and technological achievements, climatic factors and labour regimen. Occupational and production-correlated, as well as common morbidity risks are determined. Labour condition contribution to morbidity rate and donosological state prevalence among the workers was determined. Difference between the preventive measure systems at chemical enterprises, sanitary-epidemiological situations and labour conditions and health states among the workers was noted


Background Infants are born with small livers and total body stores of vitamin A (VA).1–5 Exclusively breastfed infants depend on adequate breastfeeding and good health to build body stores.6 However, low breast milk vitamin A, inadequate breast milk intake concentration,5–8 poor complementary food quality9 and/or fr equent infection10 can all reduce an infant's ability to achieve normal vitamin A status.


but which leave the general population still in ' bondage '. ' It is therefore the duty of a social scientist to explain the situation in Uganda by taking into account the forces working in society, so that due measures may be taken for establishing a harmonious life.' To this end Mr. Mukherjee undertakes to re-examine the history of Uganda before and since its annexation by the British. In a very long chapter he submits the earlier ethnographic material relating to the various tribes of Uganda to a Marxian analysis, and hardly surprisingly finds that the work of later British social anthropologists is unsatisfactory. He finds the use of the word ' tribe' by scholars and administrators especially dangerous; for though he does not say what the term means to him, except by quoting a well-known passage from the works of Engels, he considers its application to the Ganda, the Nyoro, and the Konjo alike to be loose and tendentious, in that it confuses exact notions such as the tribal state, military democracy, and feudalism, and allows exploiting colonialists to insult Africans by hinting that their former social arrangements were stagnant and without the possibility of development. The number of British anthropologists who had written on Uganda at the time Mr. Mukherjee was organizing his material was limited, and the views he believes them to hold would undoubtedly astonish them. It is just possible that had he read more widely in British anthropology, he might have arrived at different conclusions; but in the light of his interpretation of the material which was available to him, including that based on a stay in Uganda, this conjecture is perhaps without foundation.


The fragment which accompanied the specimen was given to Mr. Smith by Mr. St. John of Valetta, who stated that he found it, encrusted with stalagmite and adherent to the rock, in the island of Gozo. According to Dr. Falconer, it consists of two plates of a young grinder of the true Elephas primigenius. The occurrence of so large an animal in a locality of such limited extent seems to point to a period when it was connected with a continent.


This paper develops a macroeconometric simulation model for Mexico on a microeconomics basis. This proposal has several distinctive features that makes it di...


Applications of computer programs in the assessment of how a change in discharge, temperature and other physical conditions affects the available fish habitat are increasing around the world. The programs are typically used as tools for setting minimum flow regimes in regulated rivers and in habitat remedial actions. So far most of these applications have been concerned with warm water and summer conditions, and few applications incorporate winter temperatures and ice conditions. This is a flaw in the current procedure since winter may be the limiting period for fish production in a river and the introduction of ice may completely alter the available fish habitat compared to summer conditions. It is particularly important to be aware of this when carrying out habitat remedial actions, since short periods with adverse winter conditions may be the limiting factor for the fish population. A winter habitat assessment procedure will include a study of fish behaviour in winter conditions, the effects of various ice types on habitat selection and the dynamics of ice breakup on the microscale. This paper outlines how fish respond to winter conditions and how hydraulic, hydrologic and biological modelling can be applied to describe winter conditions and their impact on physical fish habitat. Some of these processes are currently being incorporated into the Norwegian habitat modelling system. This paper also points out several areas where more research is needed to describe the physical processes and the biological responses to a changing environment. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Oxygen atom incorporation into organic molecules is one of the most powerful strategies to increase their pharmacological activity and to obtain valuable intermediates in organic synthesis. Traditional oxidizing agents perform very well, but their environmental impact and their low selectivity constitute significant limitations. On the contrary, visible-light-promoted oxygenations represent a sustainable method for oxidizing organic compounds, since only molecular oxygen and a photocatalyst are required. Therefore, photocatalytic oxygenation reactions exhibit very high atom-economy and eco-compatibility. This mini-review collects and analyzes the most recent literature on organo-photocatalysis applications to promote the selective oxygenation of organic substrates. In particular, acridinium salts, Eosin Y, Rose Bengal, cyano-arenes, flavinium salts, and quinone-based dyes are widely used as photocatalysts in several organic transformations as the oxygenations of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatic compounds, amines, phosphines, silanes, and thioethers. In this context, organo-photocatalysts proved to be highly efficient in catalytic terms, showing similar or even superior performances with respect to their metal-based counterparts, while maintaining a low environmental impact. In addition, given the mild reaction conditions, visible-light-promoted photo-oxygenation processes often display remarkable selectivity, which is a striking feature for the late-stage functionalization of complex organic molecules.


An experiment with non-degradable and degradable soil mulching materials in zucchini cultivation was carried out in 2016 and 2017 in the organic field of the Vegetable Experimental Station, Agricultural University of Kraków. Two kinds of polypropylene (PP) nonwoven of 50 g m-2 were used: PP standard and PP with 0.1% photoactivator. The control treatment were plots without mulching. The marketable yield obtained in 2016 was 21% and 15% higher on the plots mulched with PP nonwoven and PP nonwoven with a photoactivator, respectively, in comparison with the non-covered plots. Mulching the soil with PP nonwoven increased the water resistance index of the soil structure in comparison with the control and photodegradable PP nonwoven mulch. The progress of degradation over a two-month period showed a 40% reduction in the mass of the PP nonwoven with a photoactivator, and at the end of vegetation the mass of the PP nonwoven used was 52% lower than that of a new one. Tensile parameters of the PP nonwovens and their supramolecular structure were measured.


There is a collective understanding across the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) that water has been over-allocated, and, generally speaking, most people know in their hearts and minds that this must be addressed. Responding to calls from people across the nation (including in the MDB), the Australian Parliament passed the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) with the support of the opposition and minor parties. With this level of consensus, it is reasonable to expect that implementation of the provisions of the Act would be well received. The Act has fundamentally redefined the water-policy priorities for the Murray–Darling Basin. It requires the preparation of a Basin Plan, which is the legal instrument with which the Australian Government has the capacity to return the system to a sustainable balance.


To enhance electroluminescence of polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) using an environmentally stable aluminum cathode, we designed a novel water/alcohol-soluble electron injection material, FTC, composed of a fluorene core and triple azacrown ether terminals. FTC significantly enhances the emission performance of PLEDs [ITO/PEDOT:PSS/EML/EIL/Al] when used as the electron injection layer (EIL), especially in the presence of metal carbonates and metal acetates. The metal carbonate-doped devices showed the best performance due to their higher dissociation rate than metal acetates. In particular, the device using K2CO3 doped-FTC as the electron injection layer (EIL) exhibited significantly enhanced performance compared to the device without an EIL. For the device based on PF-Green-B as the emitting layer, the performance was significantly enhanced to 17460 cd m−2, 21.58 cd A−1, and 12.42 lm W−1, respectively, from 1220 cd m−2, 0.72 cd A−1, and 0.27 lm W−1 for the non-FTC device. Using HY-PPV as the emitting layer, the device performance was also significantly enhanced to 10990 cd m−2, 6.93 cd A−1, and 5.27 lm W−1, respectively, from 680 cd m−2, 0.07 cd A−1, and 0.03 lm W−1 for the non-EIL device. The results indicate that FTC with metal cations is an excellent electron injection candidate for the performance enhancement of PLEDs with a high work function Al cathode.


Reset, also known as the Intensive Resettlement and Rehabilitation Project, is a paid mentoring scheme for prisoners leaving custody introduced by the Probation Board of Northern Ireland in March 2014 and funded through the Northern Ireland Executive Change Fund. The mentoring service, which is delivered by NIACRO, supports the work of Probation Officers and specifically assists mentees at the critical stage of transition from custody to the community. It offers practical support, bespoke to each mentee, supporting an explicit desistance approach. This paper describes the development of Reset and its implementation in Northern Ireland from 1 March 2015 to 31 March 2016, and outlines the results of an independent evaluation carried out by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.


The Shiguai Mesozoic fault basin is located in the front of the Daqingshan thrust system. Its formation and development was controlled by the early Jurassic extension and late Jurassic compression. According to crustal deformation characteristics, the evolution of this rift basin can be divided into three stages: early-middle Jurassic Wudanggou stage was featured mainly by crustal extension deformation with rapid deposit filling in the basin and the formation of a very thick coal-bearing detrial rock succession; the middle Jurassic Changhangou stage was featured by a stable tectonic environment during which the rift basin saw the deposition of mudstone and fresh limestone of coastal shallow lake faices; late Jurassic stage underwent strongly compression deformation in south-north direction and saw the formation of syntectonic foreland compression basin, in which a set of amaranth-gray amaranth coarse detrial rocks were deposited. Hence, important information on the crustal deformation is recorded in the internal litho-facies change, characteristics of sedimentary formations and strata contact relations in basin.


Forestry is a particular sector of the economy, which creates unique content and forms products. Wide range of benefi ts, that society receives from forestry, generates a diversity of scientifi c opinions on determining the nature of fi nished products of enterprises in this fi eld. The purpose of the article – to determine the most important forms and types of fi nished products of forestry activity in modern conditions of management based on the analysis of theoretical achievements and current practice, which is a prerequisite for improving the organization of accounting, analysis, control, planning and forecasting in the transition of Ukraine to sustainable development. Historical method was used to determine the main tendencies of formation and development of scientifi c opinion on fi nished forestry products. The use of cause and eff ect has made it possible to identify the factors that have caused the diversity of scientifi c perspectives. Methods of theoretical generalization, analysis and synthesis allowed us to form the defi nition of fi nished products, which takes into account the industry specifi city of its occurrence. The use of grouping method and analogy method contributed to substantiation of possible forms and types of fi nished forestry products at the stage of forest cultivation and exploitation. The research made it possible to generalize the scientifi c approaches to the content of fi nished products as a result of the forestry activity in the historical aspect and identify the causes, which contributed to the formation of various scientifi c opinions. The necessity of introducing the defi nition of fi nished forestry products is substantiated, which should take into account the specifi cs of the industry. The defi nition of the fi nished forestry products is presented, the most important in the present conditions of management of its form and types are determined.It is proved that the organizational structure of the forestry enterprise is essential for determining the forms and types of fi nished products of forestry activity, division of forests by destination, form and stage of completion of production of fi nished products. Depending on the destination of the forest, fi nished products in the form can be arranged in the form of work performed or services provided; the degree of readiness – ready, prepared food, work in progress; by origin – animal and vegetable (woody and non-woody) origin. These suggestions will help improve the formation of industry accounting and accounting policies of the company in the defi nition of fi nished goods accounting units and units. It is suggested to intensify marketing research at enterprises in order to investigate the demand for wood and the formation of production programs.


The distributed energy system (DES) represents an innovative approach to energy generation and distribution that promotes decentralization and diversification of energy sources. DESs can offer numerous benefits, including increased resiliency, reduced transmission losses, improved efficiency, and lower carbon emissions. The optimal design of a DES requires careful consideration of various factors such as geographical location, climate conditions, and energy demand patterns. This paper utilizes a multi-objective genetic algorithm to optimize the combination of technologies and their corresponding sizes in a distributed energy system for three types of commercial buildings—hospitals, large offices, and large hotels across eight different climate zones in the U.S. A range of technologies are considered for integration into the DES. These technologies include photovoltaic systems, wind turbines, combined heat and power systems, solar thermal collectors, and electrical and thermal energy storage. The two objectives considered are maximizing the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and minimizing the life cycle costs for the DES. The purpose of this study is to optimize and evaluate the multi-objective design of distributed energy systems aimed at decentralizing and diversifying energy sources. The analysis of optimized DES designs across all 24 case scenarios shows that a balance between cost saving and emission reduction has been achieved. Although this study primarily focuses on specific buildings and climate zones, the methods and findings can be adapted for a wider variety of building types across different geographical locations, thus paving the way for more widespread adoption of optimized distributed energy systems.


Lipids existed in natural rubber latex were extracted by organic solvents(choroform/methanol mixes).The β-sitosterol was separated after saponifing the lipids.Also the influence of β-sitosterol on aging properties and thermal stability of rubber were measured and studied.The results show that β-sitosterol is a natural antioxidant present in natural rubber.It can improve the anti-aging performance of natural rubber.In addition,β-sitosterol is also effective to cis-1,4-polyisoprene.The thermal stability of natural rubber and cis-1,4-polyisoprene have been improved in the different extents by adding β-sitosterol.


The patella is a complex sesamoid bone within the quadriceps enhancing mechanical advantage of the extensor mechanism. Depending on activity, the patella magnifies either force or displacement; behaving as a lever, by redirecting quadriceps force it also acts as a pulley. Aim We describe and validate a device for obtaining consistent dynamic weight bearing views of the patellofemoral joint (PFJ). Materials and Methods Weight bearing (WB) axial views of 48 knees (24 patients) were performed using the device. The sulcus angle (SA), congruence angle (CA), lateral patellofemoral angle (LPFA), facet angle (FA) and patellofemoral displacement (PD) were measured. These were compared with similar measurements made on prone (PR) and axial (AX) radiographs of same knees. Results Variance (V=SD2) and Standard error of mean (SEM/95% CI) for all measurements in each of the three views were analysed. For the Sulcus Angle, Congruence angle and LPFA, the WB view had the lowest SEM and the least variance in comparison to PR and AX views (SEM 1.05/V 30.14, SEM 2.52/V 172.39 and SEM 1.34/V 47.61 respectively for the SA, SEM 3.09/V 256, SEM 2.79/V 210.25 and SEM 3.37/V 306.25 respectively for the CA, SEM 0.67/V 11.9, SEM 1.20/V39.06 and SEM 1.03/V 28.83 respectively for the LPFA). SEM and Variance for FA measurements were similar for WB and AX views but superior to PR views (SEM 1.62/V 70.56, SEM 1.6/V 68.9 and SEM 2.3/V 148.84 respectively). Mean PFD was maximum on the WB view compared to the PR and AX views (36.0, −45.62 and 22.23 respectively) with lowest SEM and V (SEM 8.73/V 2052.0, SEM 18.65/V 92959.67 and SEM 9.70/V 2540.16 respectively). Conclusion The WB view as introduced and reported here has consistently lower Variance, SEM and SD in comparison to Axial and Prone views for all measurements of the PFJ. WB view also gives a more accurate dynamic measure of Patello Femoral displacement. The view is easily obtained and readily reproduced.


Aspects of the wave generation and propagation in a one‐dimensional treatment of flow in a tube with changing cross section in one segment are presented and discussed. Measurements made by shock wave detectors, microwave absorption, and optical emission combine to show that a compression wave generated in a converging section is reflected from the diaphragm cold front to produce a second shock front.


Social and academic interests in local history and culture have been increasing. There are various laws, policies and projects of improving local culture. Then, how do choreographers involve in the enhancement of local culture and local studies? This paper aims to introduce dance works utilizing Daejeon's cultural heritage and explore their meanings. Particularly, I focus on Sujeong Lim's Existence (2014) and Eunhae Jung's Ten Dances of Daejeon (2014). I examine how Lim's work as a site-specific dance performance illuminates a part of modern history of Daejeon, and how Jung's work embodies local brand of Daejeon; and how their works can be positioned in the world of Korean dance and arts. I argue that they provide ways of reflecting and reconstructing local history and identity, thereby contributing to the development of local studies. I suggest that local artists and researchers need to collaborate on interdisciplinary projects for local studies.


The basic of the modern lexicography is the presentation of systemic characteristics of lexicon. The theoretical and practical aspects of compiling dictionary explaining the lexicon of a language as fairly well-organized system is called systemic lexicography. The systemic lexicography has already been well developed by Ju.D. Apresjan in a series of research papers. Therefore in the present work only the main concept of integral dictionary is briefly mentioned. The integral description of a language supposes that dictionary and grammar be harmonized with each other in the type of information which is contained in them and in the way of describing them. In this case dictionary and grammar are able to have influence on each other in a uniform linguistic model. This universal analysis of lexeme shows the complexity of lexicographical description and makes a basis for integral dictionary.


Background: Current guidelines for the treatment of hyperlipidemia propose lifestyle modification as a first-line intervention. The aim of this study was to identify the factors which determine responsiveness of LDL-cholesterol lowering to lifestyle modifi cation in hypercholesterolemic patients. Methods: A total of 109 patients aged between 30 and 70 years (52 men and 109 women) who were diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia between July 2007 and February 2008 at Asan Medical Center were enrolled in this study. The patients were educated on lifestyle modifi cations by trained family physicians. We measured clinical, anthropometric, lifestyle parameters and lipid profiles initially and at eight weeks after education. Stepwise multiple linear regression models were used to assess covariates and variance components. Results: The serum level of LDL-cholesterol decreased in both women (8.0 ± 15.37%, P < 0 .001) and men (4.95 ± 9.81%, P < 0.001). In women, dietary adherence (β = 0.267, P = 0.004), change in physical activity duration (β = 0.196, P = 0.034) and menopausal state (β = -0.207, P = 0.026) were signifi cant predictors in response of percent change in LDL- cholesterol. In men, dietary adherence (β = 0.372, P = 0.007) was a predictor in response of percent change in LDL-cholesterol. Conclusion: Adherence to lifestyle modifi cation was a main factor which had infl uenced on response of percent change in LDL-C levels. In women, however, menopausal state was also an important factor.


Natural grassland, excepte for its initial crucial role in the national economy and means of livelihood for the local people, the abundance microorganisms in its soil as one kind natural resources has not been recognized and developed. Here we discussed the soil microorganisms' characteristics, potential utilizations and development functions in this article. This would be helpful for the environment protection and the natural resources development.


The effect of sound, especially noise, on the behavior of people in various environments has been of long-standing interest to researchers. However, the reverse effect, that is, the influence of environmental features on the perception of sound, appears to have received comparatively little attention. One aspect of this problem is addressed in the present work, namely, the dependence of loudness on visually prominent characteristics of outdoor environments, such as vegetation. Three experiments were conducted to assess the effects of visibility of vegetation in outdoor sites on the loudness of neutral sounds (500 Hz tones) ranging between 50 and 80 dB. It was found that, when the ambient noise level was held approximately constant across sites, loudness increased as the percentage of visible vegetation increased. It is argued that expected noise levels are keyed to the extensiveness of visible vegetation and that discrepancies between actual and expected noise levels in outdoor environments result in enhancements of the loudness of the sounds heard there.


The Council is called upon to encourage governments to make determined efforts to formulate and implement national health strategies for attaining adequate health care for all by the year 2000. Important developments are discussed which have occurred over the last few years as a result of action taken by member states of WHO, developments which have emphasized the primary role the health sector must play in achieving national health goals. The declaration which came out of the 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care, jointly organized by WHO and UNICEF, stated that an acceptable level of health for all by the year 2000 is an attainable goal and can be achieved through a fuller and better use of the world's resources. It is essential that national authorities make every effort to create the political climate and mechanisms needed for effective communication between decision makers and sectoral interests so that countries may reach health goals.