In the TrAdaBoost method that based on sample transfer learning, weak classifier is the kernel of its design. Aiming at the problem of high time cost for the serial algorithm of weak classifier, a parallel algorithm of weak classifier is designed and applied to the prediction of diabetes in this paper. Experiments are performed on a computer with an 8-core processor, the speedup ratio of the TrAdaBoost algorithm after the parallelization of the weak classifier is 5.14, and the classification accuracy of diabetes prediction is 79%, which means this design can make an auxiliary diagnosis for patients.


Aim. To study  clinical and  anamnestic   specifics,  management and outcomes  of acute  myocardial infarction (MI) in patients  with atypical clinical presentation. Material and methods. Among the Tomsk population, those  having had acute MI in 2009-2014 y. were included, registered  in the database "Registry of Acute MI" (n=5602), and selected  to groups with atypical (n=1319) and common (n=4283) clinical presentation  of the MI onset. Statistics was done with software "Statistica 10". Results. Atypical presentation  of MI took place in 23,5% cases. These patients were much older than those with common angina at MI onset; they had more prevalent arterial hypertension,  obesity, diabetes.  Also, the prevalence of anamnestic MI did not differ between groups, however autopsy revealed more common painless MI. Atypical  MI presentation patients sought for medical care in 28 days before the event of MI more frequently than those with typical clinical picture: 36% vs. 26% (p<0,001), but electrocardiography  was ordered only for a half of them (54%), that led to misdiagnostics of pre-infarction condition. Every second  patient with atypical MI was hospitalized to non-specialized  unit, where could not  receive  high-technology  treatment,   which hence  led  to  worse outcomes and prognosis. Conclusion. It is necessary to be careful with non-typical MI development possibility in  older  patients   with several  comorbidities,  and  with anamnesis of painless acute MI. Chance of fatal outcome in atypical MI is  10  times  higher  in this  group  than  in those  with typical clinical presentation.


The author provides a theoretical background to the process of tarnishing of silver artifacts. Various methods of treatment of tarnished silver objects are compared and their pros and cons are investigated. -- AATA


Objective To establish a method for the determinatian of Naringin in Shujin Zhitong Ding by high performance liquid chromatography.Methods The high performance liquid chromatography separation was performed on Agilent Zorbax XDB-C18(150mm×4.6mm,5μm)olumn with a mixture of methanol-1% acetic acid solution(28∶72)as the mobile phase and at a flow rate of 1.0ml/min.The UV detection wavelength was set at 283nm,and the column temperature was at 40℃.Results Naringin showed a good linear relationship within the range of 0.1060~1.060μg(r=0.9999).The average recovery was 98.25%(RSD=0.79%)n=6.Conclusion The method is simple and accurate,and suitable for the determination of the Naringin in Shujin Zhitong Ding.


The quality problems in the resistance spot welding process of automobiles galvanized steel were studied by using welding current gain compensation control method.Through a series of tests and based on the analysis of the failure of electrode cap,the optimization of current gain curve was created,it was indicated that using this curve can guarantee more satisfactory nugget size,higher strength and more stable quality welds could be obtained by using the new current step curve instead of the original current step curve.and provide a set of reliable data for the actual production.


IWhat was published in 1993 as American Civilization by the AfroTrinidadian writer and revolutionary C. L. R. James' is an effort to identify organic, instinctive, spontaneous revolutionary tendencies within the United States. It seeks to mark those tendencies' historical origins, track their persistence and evolution, and forecast their convergence and culmination in the full creative self-expression and self-organization first of the American masses and then of the masses worldwide. Both critical of the present and utopian in its anticipation of the future, it is a comprehensive rendering, an attempt to give "a total impression of society in movement."2 But, at the same time, its author insists, it is not quite that, not quite that yet. Indeed, while revealing this movement, a movement he wishes to be a part of, and giving us a glimpse of the future he sees in it, the author hesitates, apologizes, disavows the very picture of American civilization he has produced. Everything in this text, we are told, will be reworked, everything is provisional, a starting point for a whole other work, for what he imagined would be a wholly other kind of work.From the beginning, and again and again, the author warns his specific and limited circle of readers that the work they are reading is not what they are supposed to be reading. Moreover, they are not the readers for whom the work is ultimately intended. As he explains in the preface:The following is an attempt not to outline but to give a preliminary view of an essay I propose to write for the general public. Essay because it is a statement of position. It will be 75,000 words, no more. This Ms. is neither an outline nor an abridgement. It seeks only the best way to convey certain ideas.Moreover,This document is absolutely confidential. This means that it should not be talked about to anyone, should not be seen by anyone. Any exception made to this will be looked upon as a breach of trust.3He repeats all this, elaborating, at the end of the the introductory section of the book:Such then is the book I propose to write. I have, however, to give a warning. What is written here is not a rough draft of the book. It is not an outline. It is not an abridgement.New things will be added. Much of this will be drastically cut.The whole will be put together in one closely interconnected logical and historical exposition for the average reader, in 75,000 words, not a word more, and written so that it can be read on a Sunday or on two evenings.The final draft will therefore be quite different from this. I use in this manuscript long quotations, repetitions, digressions, historical and literary references, etc. because for the limited circle before whom I am placing these ideas and this project, it is the most convenient form.The finished book is something else. For one thing I propose an immense research into the actual lives and opinions of the people so that the ideas which are expressed here in quotations by authorities will emerge in an entirely different form, will emerge as expressions of the lives and activities of the people concerned/James wanted to create a document not only about, not only for, but also and equally importantly, with the American masses, amongst whom he lived from 1938 to 1953 when, after coming to the United States on a temporary visa to act as advisor to the Trotskyite movement, he decided to stay on, living and working unofficially, undocumented and underground. The manuscript James produced, however, did not yet address or reach those masses. It circulated only among James's closest comrades, fellow revolutionary intellectuals who were asked to respond, "preferably," as stipulated in the preface, "in writing." This writing and the writing James would have produced in response were interrupted, however, when James was detained for "passport violations" by the US government, which deemed him a dangerous subversive, denied his appeal for citizenship and effectively forced him to leave the country. …


Bioinformatics has developed some very sophisticated algorithms used for searching within the large amounts of data produced by sequencing projects. Introduced here is a method that leverages these algorithms for processing computer network data traffic to find and classify information in a way that avoids many of the operations that are required of more traditional methods of processing network data packets. It can be used to avoid processing the data through a protocol stack in order to extract the content to make it ready for searching as well as being able to a access the advanced search capabilities developed for biological data. Raw data (for example whole Ethernet packets or strings/ motifs) can be directly searched for within a database of structure signatures to indicate packets of interest via structures within the query packet. The structures referred to here are the "patterns of patterns" within the data. This paper describes the results obtained by creating a searchable database based on bioinformatics techniques and searching it using sample data.


Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an important tool for diagnosis and management across medical specialties. This scoping review consolidates POCUS education literature, examining how curricula are developed, implemented, and assessed. We identify literature gaps, explore directions for further research, and provide recommendations for curriculum development, implementation, and improvement. Methods We conducted a scoping review per the framework outlined by Arksey & O'Malley. A systematic search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, ERIC, Web of Science, and Scopus databases was conducted to identify published, English language literature, on POCUS education in undergraduate or graduate medical training. Results Of 6,164 articles identified, 421 were analyzed in depth. Curricular content included diverse diagnostic and therapeutic applications, varying significantly by specialty. Teaching modalities included in-person didactics (74%), human models (58%), simulation (33%), and web-based didactics (18%). Several studies showed better outcomes for structured vs. apprenticeship curricula, hands-on teaching vs. didactic lectures, and human models vs. simulators. Web-based didactics were as effective as in-person didactics and conveyed benefits in reusability, cost, and instructor time. Dedicated electives and boot-camps were identified as effective. Few curricula assessed knowledge retention (5%), clinical decision making (3%), learner behavior (12%), or patient outcomes (6%). Conclusion Scholarly POCUS education literature is expanding. Curricular content varies and should be tailored to specialty needs. Structured curricula utilizing hands-on learning, electives, and bootcamps can enhance educational outcomes. Higher-level outcomes such as knowledge retention, C a n a d i a n J o u r n a l o f G e n e r a l I n t e r n a l M e d i c i n e 12 V o l u m e 1 5 , I s s u e 2 , 2 0 2 0 S y s t e m a t i c R e v i e w CJGIM_V2_2020_174310.indd 12 21/04/20 11:34 PM Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become a valuable clinical tool for the delivery of patient care across medical specialties. It is inexpensive, non-invasive, portable, and studies support its ability to improve patient care by providing timely and accurate diagnoses,1,2 guiding clinical management,3–11 and increasing success rates of bedside procedures.12–17 Ultrasonography was first proposed as a clinical tool in the late 1950s.18 Over the subsequent decades, technological advances made ultrasound more portable and affordable, paving the way for its use at the bedside. Initial viability studies in trauma literature of the 1980s-1990s19–21 demonstrated POCUS' clinical benefits and led to its expansion across medicine. While POCUS has become increasingly validated and widespread in clinical use, numerous studies detail that clinical training in POCUS is often lacking or highly variable.22–28 Additionally, our understanding of what constitutes educational best practice in POCUS is incomplete. clinical decision making, learner behavior, and patient outcomes, are lacking and should be a focus of further research Resume L'échographie au point de service (POCUS) est un outil important pour le diagnostic et la gestion dans toutes les spécialités médicales. Cette étude de portée consolide la littérature éducative POCUS, en examinant comment les programmes d'enseignement sont élaborés, mis en œuvre et évalués. Nous identifions les lacunes de la littérature, explorons les directions à prendre pour des recherches plus approfondies et fournissons des recommandations pour le développement, la mise en œuvre et l'amélioration des programmes d'enseignement. Méthodes Nous avons procédé à un examen de portée conformément au cadre défini par Arksey & O'Malley. Une recherche systématique dans les bases de données MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, ERIC, Web of Science et Scopus a été effectuée afin d'identifier les publications en langue anglaise sur l'enseignement POCUS dans le cadre de la formation médicale de premier ou de deuxième cycle. Résultats Sur les 6 164 articles identifiés, 421 ont fait l'objet d'une analyse approfondie. Le contenu des programmes d'études comprenait diverses applications diagnostiques et thérapeutiques, variant considérablement selon les spécialités. Les modalités d'enseignement comprenaient la didactique en personne (74 %), les modèles humains (58 %), la simulation (33 %) et la didactique basée sur le web (18 %). Plusieurs études ont montré de meilleurs résultats pour les programmes structurés par rapport aux programmes d'apprentissage, l'enseignement pratique par rapport aux cours magistraux didactiques, et les modèles humains par rapport aux simulateurs. La didactique basée sur le web était aussi efficace que la didactique en personne et présentait des avantages en termes de réutilisation, de coût et de temps de l'instructeur. Les cours optionnels et les camps d'entraînement ont été jugés efficaces. Peu de programmes ont évalué la rétention des connaissances (5 %), la prise de décision clinique (3 %), le comportement des apprenants (12 %) ou les résultats pour les patients (6 %). Conclusion La littérature éducative POCUS est en pleine expansion. Le contenu des programmes d'études varie et doit être adapté aux besoins spécifiques. Des programmes structurés utilisant un apprentissage pratique, des cours optionnels et des camps d'entraînement peuvent améliorer les résultats scolaires. Des résultats de plus haut niveau, tels que la rétention des connaissances, la prise de décision clinique, le comportement de l'apprenant et les résultats pour le patient, font défaut et devraient faire l'objet de recherches plus approfondies. C a n a d i a n J o u r n a l o f G e n e r a l I n t e r n a l M e d i c i n e V o l u m e 1 5 , I s s u e 2 , 2 0 2 0 13 M o s e s e t a l . CJGIM_V2_2020_174310.indd 13 21/04/20 11:34 PM POCUS is often taught through apprenticeship models whereby learners undergo "on-the-job" training in clinical settings by more experienced practitioners. This creates a dependency on educators' abilities to convey skills and knowledge, identify weaknesses, and assess competency, making this model highly variable. Furthermore, little data is showing its efficacy. Recent literature has shown the benefits of structured teaching curricula over apprenticeship models in POCUS education.29–31 Educational bodies32–35 have established recommendations for content knowledge and competency in POCUS, but do not provide direction regarding other key aspects of POCUS education, such as optimal teaching modalities, and methods of learner assessment and training evaluation. The International Federation of Emergency Physicians (IFEM)36 provides some recommendations on curriculum delivery and learner assessment, but these are minimal compared to their guidelines on content. There is a robust body of primary literature on POCUS education, but it is diverse in scope and methodology. Various reviews have attempted to summarize this literature. Scoping reviews by Birrane et al.37 and Tarique et al.38 focus on undergraduate medical education literature and identify themes in curricular content and learner assessment. A scoping review by Meadley et al.39 focuses on POCUS education in paramedics to examine curricular structure. Our scoping review asks: what content is being taught in POCUS education curricula and how does this differ between specialties; what training methods are effective; how are learners evaluated; and what are the gaps in the POCUS education literature. Our review differs from those above in that we assess POCUS education literature in both undergraduate and graduate medical education. Additionally, our review takes a more specific look at the exact content that is being taught across specialties. Finally, we look specifically at and summarize comparative studies to better understand the relative merits of various teaching modalities. We excluded studies that solely focused on central line insertion, as this topic has been studied extensively and summarized in other reviews.40–42 This was done to ensure the number of included studies was kept at a manageable number and allowed us to focus more closely on other aspects of POCUS education. The goals of our study are threefold: (1) contribute to the understanding of current practices in POCUS curriculum development, implementation, and assessment, (2) provide specific recommendations to educators to aid in the design of POCUS curricula, and (3) discover gaps in the POCUS education literature and explore directions for further research. Methods Our decision to utilize a scoping review methodology was made after a first look at the literature revealed a study base that was too heterogeneous in methodology, study population, and objective to be adequately captured by a systematic review. We decided that a scoping review would better allow us to capture and understand the full depth and breadth of the primary POCUS education literature. We used the scoping review framework outlined in 2005 by Arksey & O'Malley43 and expanded on by Levac et al.44 Our strategy is summarized as (a) identifying the research question (described above); (b) identifying relevant studies; (c) study selection; (d) charting the data; (e) collating, summarizing, and reporting the results. This scoping review methodology was chosen to systematically capture the full depth and breadth of the existing literature. Identifying Relevant Studies A comprehensive search strategy was developed by a medical librarian (AOC) to identify published, English language literature on ultrasound education for medical trainees. The initial search strategy was developed for Ovid MEDLINE by using a combination of database-specific subject headings and text words; this was then customized for each subsequent database search. Searches were conducted between March 9 and 15, 2017 in the following databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE Epub Ahead of Print and In-P


The role and contributions of natural‐language processing in information‐retrieval and artificial‐intelligence research is examined in the context of large operational information‐retrieval systems and services. State‐of‐the‐art information‐retrieval systems are found to combine the functional capabilities of the conventional inverted file—Boolean logic—term adjacency approach, commonly employed by commercial search services, with statistical‐combinatoric techniques pioneered in experimental information‐retrieval research and formal natural‐language processing methods and tools borrowed from artificial intelligence. © 1986 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Advances in neuroprostheses are strongly dependent on the development of microelectrodes with an enhanced ability to selectively record or stimulate neural signals. Selectivity for a microelectrode depends on its ability to interact with a small number of neurons and/or nerve fibers. In order to achieve selective electrical transduction, the surface area of active site should be on the order of tens of micrometers. However, as the area of the electrode decreases, the electrode impedance increases, which in turn affects the recording/stimulating characteristics (sensitivity). Thus there is a trade-off between selectivity and sensitivity. One option to overcome this trade-off is by generating a large functional active area without increasing the geometrical surface area (GSA) of the electrodes. This paper for the first time reports a novel method of using a combination of SF6 and O2 based reactive ion etching (RIE), to modify the surface of electrodes tip, in order to increase the RSA without increasing the GSA. The study demonstrates that by altering the surface morphology of the electrode tips, the impedance can be lowered significantly. The optimum etching power was 250 W which yielded mechanically robust, high charge storage capacity (CSC), and low electrochemical impedance surface.


In the frame of the ESA Sentinel-5 mission, as part of the Copernicus program, Airbus is the prime contractor for the S5 Instrument. As part of the S5 instrument, which is using the METOP SG satellite as a platform, Leonardo is developing the Short-Wave Infrared Spectrometer (SWIR-SS), comprising two parallel channels covering the wavelength ranges of 1589÷1676 nm (SWIR 1) and 2304÷2386 nm (SWIR 3). Major objective of the S5 is the monitoring of the Earth atmosphere by taking measurements of trace gases and aerosols impacting air quality and climate, with a swath width of ca. 2670 Km providing daily coverage of Earth atmosphere at an unprecedented resolution of 7x7 Km2 at nadir. Main characteristic of the SWIR-SS compared to other spectrometers is the high spectral position one orbit stability less than 1um and high spectral pixel resolution of 0.1nm. High stability and optical quality requires accurate optical elements mounting design and high resolution is reached by using new developments regarding Immersed Grating (grating immersed on a prism) and the implementation of a cutting edge 3D Slit Homogenizer system, positioned on the object plane of the spectrometer, to mitigate radiometric errors arising from scene heterogeneity. In order to demonstrate the system performance the optical design has been validated by means of flight representative optical assemblies. These breadboards are representing all relevant optical elements of the system. This paper presents the tests, which have been performed on the flight representative optical elements and the test results. As the Optical Element Mounting, the Slit Homogenizer and the Immersed Grating are major elements to fulfil mission requirements the development approach is described. Special emphasis for Lens mounting is put on the stability and WFE, for the Slit Homogenizer is put on the requirements regarding the slit width variation and the quality of the entrance edge while the major design driver for the Immersed grating is the optical quality. This paper presents the development approach of these two major optical elements and the validation test results.


Anisomycin was first reported in 1954 as an antibiotic which was notably active against certain pathogenic protozoa, such as Trichmonas vaginalis. ^ It inhibits protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells, and also exhibits cytotoxicity to HeLa cells.2) While several other reports on anisomycin or its analogs were concerned with antiprotozoal or herbicidal activities,3>4) we" rediscovered anisomycin in the course of our antitumor screening using human tumor cell lines. Here we report that anisomycin and some new relatives were isolated as antitumor substances showing cytotoxicity against human tumor cell lines in vitro. The active substances named 3097-compounds were obtained from a fermentation broth of Streptomyces strain SA3097 isolated from a soil sample collected from a sub-marine deposit on the AUG. 1993


the ICC a more encompassing system. I recommend this book highly to anybody interested in the critical analysis of international law and institutions. It is well written, bundles a lot of evidence, and structures it through a thoughtful framework. It makes feminist sense of the ICC. Without doubt, it will soon become a classic of ICC research. My only point of criticism is the book's rather narrow application of gender, perhaps following the lead of the object of research. If the broad purpose is to better understand "the consequences of war for women and girls and men and boys" (206), is it sufficient to focus on sexual violence, mostly endured by women? To be fair, male victims of sexual violence and female perpetrators of crimes are mentioned, but what about taking on "gender neutral" crimes — for example, displacement — and rethinking them in a gendered manner? What about queering the heteronormative assumptions inherent in international law? I hope that we as readers will witness such analytical expansion, as much as I hope that future decades of ICC development will be as superbly scrutinized as the first one. Susanne Zwingel is Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University, Miami, FL: szwingel@fiu. edu


Aims. We explore the accretion disk and boundary layer emission in bright neutron star LMXBs and their dependence on the mass accretion rate. Methods. Fourier-frequency resolved spectroscopy of the archival RXTE data. Results. We demonstrate that Fourier-frequency resolved spectra of atoll and Z- sources are identical, despite significant difference in their average spectra and luminosity (by a factor of ∼ 10 − 20). This result fits in the picture we suggested earlier, namely that the f > ∼ 1 Hz variability in luminous LMXBs is primarily due to variations of the boundary layer luminosity. In this picture the frequency resolved spectrum equals the boundary layer spectrum, which therefore can be straightforwardly determnined from the data. The obtained so boundary layer spectrum is well approximated by the saturated Comptonization model, its high energy cut-off follows kT ≈ 2 . 4 keV black body. Its independence on the global mass accretion rate lends support to the theoretical suggestion by Inogamov&Sunyaev (1999) that the boundary layer is radiation pressure supported. With this assumption we constrain the gravity on the neutron star surface and its mass and radius. Equipped with the knowledge of the boundary layer spectrum we attempt to relate the motion along the Z-track to changes of physically meaningful parameters. Our results suggest that the contribution of the boundary layer to the observed emission decreases along the Z-track from conventional ∼ 50% on the horizontal branch to a rather small number on the normal branch. This decrease can be caused, for example, by obscuration of the boundary layer by the geometrically thick accretion disk at ˙ M ∼ ˙ M Edd . Alternatively, this can indicate significant change of the structure of the accretion flow at ˙ M ∼ ˙ M Edd and disappearance of the boundary layer as a distinct region of the significant energy release associated with the neutron star surface.


A computational study was performed to determine the validity of the Rule-Of-Fractions for assuring criticality safety margins. The form of the Rule-of-Fractions examined was the equation: {summation}{sub i} A{sub i}/ a{sub i} {le} 1 where a{sub i} is the quantity of fissile/fissionable nuclide present, and A{sub i} is the quantity of the same nuclide i that corresponds to a known margin in K{sub eff}. The study considered binary mixtures of two nuclides that exactly satisfied the equality condition of the equation. K{sub eff} values of homogeneous and heterogeneous binary mixtures of fissile/fissionable nuclides in metal and solution form were considered in spherical geometry. Results were compared to Rule-Of-Fraction predicted K{sub eff} values using an assumed linear relationship. Calculations were performed with the ANISN code with Hansen-Roach and ENDF/B-IV cross sections. The results of this study demonstrated that the Rule-Of-Fractions in the above equation does not always maintain criticality safety margins in K{sub eff} for mixtures of nuclides.


The pace of conflict-resolution in the Third World has been nothing short of astounding since 1990. A whole array of low-intensity wars have been terminated. Some, such as in Nicaragua and El Salvador, had occupied pride of place in the reinvigorated test of wills between Moscow and Washington during the 1980s. Others, as in Kampuchea, were fuelled by the parallel rivalry between Moscow and Beijing, which both fed off and had an impact on the key dispute between the United States and the Soviet Union. A few, such as the 'bush war' in Namibia and the fighting in the Western Sahara, never became serious testing-grounds for the superpowers.


This study investigated the effects of transient combustion conditions on formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) along the postcombustion zon ...


We give formulae for minimum volume ellipsoids that contain one-sided or two-sided cuts of a given ellipsoid. These formulae may be of use in the recent ellipsoid algorithms for convex and linear programming.


We have developed and implemented an iterative algorithm of flux calibration for the LAMOST Spectroscopic Survey of the Galactic anti-center (LSS-GAC). For a given LSS-GAC plate, the spectra are first processed with a set of nominal spectral response curves (SRCs) and used to derive initial stellar atmospheric parameters (effective temperature $T_{\rm eff}$, surface gravity log\,$g$ and metallicity [Fe/H]) as well as dust reddening $E(B-V)$ of all targeted stars. For each of the sixteen spectrographs, several F-type stars of good signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) are then selected as flux standard stars for further, iterative spectral flux calibration. Comparison of spectrophotometric colours, deduced from the flux-calibrated spectra, with the photometric measurements yields average differences of 0.02$\pm$0.07 and $-$0.04$\pm$0.09\,mag for the $(g-r)$ and $(g-i)$, respectively. The relatively large negative offset in $(g-i)$ is due to the fact that we have opted not to correct for the telluric bands, most notably the atmospheric A-band in the wavelength range of $i$-band. Comparison of LSS-GAC multi-epoch observations of duplicate targets indicates that the algorithm has achieved an accuracy of about 10 per cent in relative flux calibration for the wavelength range 4000 -- 9000\,\AA. The shapes of SRC deduced for the individual LAMOST spectrographs are found to vary by up to 30 per cent for a given night, and larger for different nights, indicating that the derivation of SRCs for the individual plates is essential in order to achieve accurate flux calibration for the LAMOST spectra.


Employee voice which refers to the collective bargaining of employees in an organization, is gaining much attention and importance. Studies are linking the role and relationship between employee voice with many important individual and organizational outcomes. To understand its current state and influence, the present study tested employee voice and its influence on employee engagement and business performance. Following the relationship hypothesized model, the current study applied structural equation modeling using Smart PLS 3 and found a significant relationship between employee voice and business performance. In addition, the study also found significant influence of employee voice on employee engagement and business performance. The study also found that employee engagement was mediating the relationship between employee voice and business performance. The results confirm that employees who have the freedom and opportunity to share their ideas, opinions, and input in decision-making are likely to show high engagement, which contributes to increasing business performance. The study results offer important findings based on which implications are drawn for theory and practice for businesses aspiring to increase performance.


Following a recent paper by Faltings, we study the integral points on $\bm{P}_2\setminus\mathcal{D}$, where $\mathcal{D}$ is the branch locus of a projection from a surface $\mathcal{X}$; a crucial point in the analysis is that the pull-back of $\mathcal{D}$ in the Galois closure of the projection often splits into several components. As in the paper by Faltings, under certain assumptions we obtain finiteness of the integral points (Theorem 3.1); for instance, we shall find that it suffices if the projection is sufficiently general and if $\mathcal{X}$ has Kodaira number $\ge0$ (Corollary 4.1). We have borrowed freely from Faltings's paper, for the whole geometrical setting. As to the arithmetic, our method is in part different, relying on the recent paper by Corvaja and Zannier and leading to apparently new conditions. We shall also use a more elementary approach to study a similar situation in arbitrary dimension, where the projection is taken from a hypersurface (Theorem 2.1). In concrete terms, these results deal with certain diophantine equations $F(x_0,\dots,x_n)=c$. AMS 2000 Mathematics subject classification: Primary 11D72; 11G35; 11G99


Many feminist scholars break up the male-centred value system and hold the view that the reason why the soap operas are so charming and popular among female audience is that the soap operas can bring narrative fun to the female,reflect the public pleasure mechanisms,show the private sector,and set up knowledge and discourse system of soap opera.However,whether these studies can completely represent the views of all female audiences,there are still rooms that deserve reflection.


Introduction and purpose: The VIRA system allows reconstruction of the fractured bone and its arthrodesis with the talar bone eliminating all movement of the subtalar joint by means of a minimally invasive approach. The aim is to restore the shape of the foot and prevent joint degenerative changes in the long term without the complications and sequelae of open surgery. Material and methods: Between November 2004 and June 2006, 30 intraarticular calcaneal fractures in 25 patients were treated surgically by means of the Vira System. Using Sanders' classification 6 cases were classified as type II, 13 as type III and 11 as type IV. Five patients had open fractures. There was a mean period of 8.7 days between the accident and surgery. Seven cases had associated lesions and fractures in other locations. Only 2 cases required iliac crest grafts in the operated area. Results: All patients except 10 have returned to their usual occupations. Eight cases evolved favorably but have had a short follow-up. Two cases experienced a delayed healing of the subtalar arthrodesis and had to be reoperated; they required an autologous graft. The mean period of temporary disability in patients discharged from hospital was 163.7 days. Clinical assessment using the AOFAS scale reached a mean value of 76.6 points. No surgical or post-surgical complications were seen in the group studied. Conclusions: The VIRA System seems capable of achieving its purpose in the first series of patients operated. It allows a quick recovery both postoperatively and in the subsequent evolution without any associated complications. It accelerates the patients' return to work by decreasing convalescence and minimizing sequelae.


The separation and purification of lysozyme from 150mg protein mixture on TSK GelCM - 5PW, an analytical cation exchange column (Φ7. 5 × 75mm), by overloading elution mode of nonlinear chromatography was reported in this paper. It has been found that more than 90% of recovery and a satisfactory purity of lysozyme fraction, which was checked with standard sample by high performance capillary electrophoresis and UV spectrophotometry, was achieved.


Relationships between peak voltage value Vp and forward current flowing interval /spl Delta/t during the diode reverse recovery process were investigated experimentally and by a device simulation technique. Vp increases with decreasing /spl Delta/t and becomes a maximum at /spl Delta/t/spl sim/1.5 /spl mu/s. This result shows that the fast switching process in invertor circuits may possibly give a high voltage stress for the diodes.


Spatial co-location pattern mining is an interesting and important task in spatial data mining which discovers the subsets of spatial features frequently observed together in nearby geographic space. However, the traditional framework of mining prevalent co-location patterns produces numerous redundant co-location patterns, which makes it hard for users to understand or apply. In this paper we study the problem of reducing redundancy in a collection of prevalent co-location patterns. We first introduce the concept of semantic distance between two co-location patterns, and then define redundant co-locations by introducing the concept of δ-covered, where δ (0≤δ≤1) is a coverage measure. We develop two algorithms RRclosed and RRnull to perform the redundancy reduction for prevalent co-location patterns. Our performance studies on the synthetic and real-world data sets demonstrate that our method effectively reduces the size of the original collection of closed co-location patterns by about 50%. Furthermore, the RRnull method runs much faster than the related closed co-location pattern mining algorithm.


To the Editor.— I believe the answer given by Dr Barnett to the question of inaccurate automated chemical analysis (SMA 12) results was insufficient (233:911,1975). The problem described concerned a proportion of values that fell outside normal ranges: when second specimens were repeated by hand methods, they were found to be normal. Whenever a normal range is defined as 95% of a subject population's values, one must expect that one value in 20 will be abnormal. Since there are 12 channels for each patient, most panels will have at least one value outside the normal range. If these tests are repeated on a second specimen, whether by a specific method or by the same method, the results will very likely fall within the normal range. This statistical phenomenon is called "regression toward the mean" and probably accounts for much of the discrepancy noted. The hospital's clinical pathologist should make this


The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) will implement ocean sensor networks covering a diversity of oceanic environments, ranging from the coastal to the deep ocean. Construction will begin in Fall 2009, with deployment phased over five years. The integrating feature of the OOI is a comprehensive Cyberinfrastructure (CI), whose design is based on loosely-coupled distributed services, and whose elements are expected to reside throughout the physical components; from seafloor instruments to autonomous vehicles to deep sea moorings to shore facilities to computing and storage infrastructure. The OOI-CI provides novel capabilities for data acquisition, distribution, modeling, planning and interactive control of océanographie experiments. The architecture comprises six subsystems: four elements address the océanographie science- and education-driven operations of the OOI integrated observatory, and two elements provide core infrastructure services for the distributed, message-based, service-oriented integration and communication infrastructure, as well as the virtualization of computational and storage resources. All OOI functional capabilities and resources represent themselves as services to the observatory network, with precisely defined service access protocols based on message exchange. This paper presents an overview of the OOI services and focuses on the strategy for service-oriented integration and the publish-subscribe model for communication.


Results from recent multiwavelength observations of blazars are reviewed, with particular emphasis on those involving the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). I discuss blazars' spectral energy distributions, their correlated variability at various energies, and the insights they offer on the physical processes in the jet. New results on Mrk 501, PKS 2155--304, and PKS 2005--489 are highlighted.


Abstract This study investigates the long-run and short-run relationship between consumption, income, financial and housing wealth, and a long-term interest rate for the 50 US states. Using an updated set of quarterly data from 1975 to 2018, we perform panel cointegration analysis allowing for cross-sectional dependence. We obtain the following results. First, there is strong evidence for cointegration among consumption and its determinants. Second, estimates of the housing wealth and financial wealth elasticity of consumption range from 0.072 to 0.115 and 0.044 to 0.080, respectively. Finally, Granger causality tests show that there is a bidirectional short-term causality between per capita consumption, income, and financial wealth in the short run and between all the variables in the long run.


Dualities have been known to map space trusses and plate structures to each other since the 1980s. Yet the computational similarity of the two has not been used to solve the unfamiliar plate structure with the methods of the well-known truss. This article gives a method to find the forces and displacements of a plate structure with rigid plates and elastic edges, using a dual truss. The plates are assumed to be rigid in their respective planes only and deformable otherwise. The method provided is applicable for both statically determinate and indeterminate structures, subjected to both statical and kinematical loads.


With the wide application of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) in social life, the threat to social public security is increasing, and UAV countermeasures technology has gradually become a research hotspot. Firstly, according to the working process, UAV countermeasures can be divided into three types: detection and early warning technology, signal interference technology and interception and strike technology, and their principles are expounded. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of countermeasures technology are analyzed. The problems existing in UAV countermeasures are analyzed from three perspectives of integration, collaboration and innovation, and the future construction of countermeasures is prospected.


In the context of the development status of the domestic and international leather industry and centralized tannery park emerging,the environmental protection system construction and management mode of centralized tannery park were introduced,and cleaner production was advanced in order to ensure the sustainable healthy development of the centralized leather park.


The Research is based on the analysis of the stories written by thirty six senior managers and twenty one middle managers. The objectives of the research were to examine the managers' perception of themselves, their role and that of the superiors, colleagues and subordinates, to examine the nature of role relationship and their perception of the situation and its resolution. Six slides of Tehmatic Appreception Test (TAT) were projected on the screen for half a minute and five minutes were given for writing the stories. Three slides numbers 2,3&6 depict one person situation while 1,3&5 depict two or more person situation. The one person situation is dominantly perceived by the managers as task situation and dominant resolution is that of failure. The nature of relationship is dominantly perceived as father-son or superior-subordinate. Dominant resolution is that of failure. The findings suggest that Indian managers find it difficult to shift their role attitudes from that of an employee to a representative status. Organizations continue to demand processes of conformity and working within the narrow boundaries of the job. Enlargement of roles generate anxiety and stress. The research suggests that both organizations and managers need to explore the elements and processes of large and complex organizations which demand changes congruent to the emergent tasks and inter-dependence of functional roles.


By setting up a network model of data aggregation and using a bit-hop metric to quantify energy costs in wireless sensor networks, we formally analyze the problem of area-based data aggregation and obtain that data aggregation will definitely be energy efficient when the relative difference between the average lengths of the two shortest paths, which are from source sensor nodes to the sink and to the aggregation node respectively, is not less than the ratio of data correlation to the number of source sensor nodes. Simulation results show that over 50% energy cost can be saved under the given conditions.


The study aimed to analyze national and international publications on methods for building mobile applications within the scope of health education. It is an integrative review, using 12 articles for final analysis. It is observed that a good part of the articles worked with the method of Systematic Instructional Design and the Contextualized. Among the systems for implementation, the ones that were powered by the Android system stood out. Among the articles analyzed, there was also a quizz game and another online game. From the analysis of the articles, the relevance of the use of mobile apps in the scope of health was realized, however, most of the works do not clearly describe all the steps for building the apps besides the lack of studies in Portuguese.


1. The many meanings of presidential leadership 2. Evidence on the public demand for presidential leadership 3. Congressional sources of the president's leadership image 4. Success in Congress and perceptions of presidential strength 5. Presidential representation and public opinion 6. Presidential leadership and presidential elections 7. Perceptions of presidential leadership, trust in government, and attitudes toward Congress 8. Presidential leadership, public opinion, and American democracy.


One of the main instruments of data collection for diagnosis and measurement of environmental attitude scale is the questionnaire. To ensure its accuracy it is important that the items are developed and statistical validated in order to have reliability of the information reported by its application. This study aims at validating a questionnaire regarding solid waste and environmental practices applied to public school students in the city of Patos, Paraíba – Brasil. The questionnaire was developed initially with 16 items grouped into two dimensions: D1: Social and Environmental Practices and D2: Solid waste. The validation was performed using the α-conbrach reliability test. The questionnaire was applied to 31 high school students from a public school. The choice of interviewed students followed the criteria of randomness and chance. The questionnaire was designed on the model of the Likert scale, with a scale of five levels of response for each question. After validation of questionnaire, the overall value of α-Cronbach also increased from 0.82 to 0.86 and good α-Cronbach for two dimension (D1 = 0.81 e D2 = 0.70). In addition, there was a significant correlation between dimensions (r = 0.78, R2= 0.58; p<0.01). The final validated questionnaire was comprised for thirteen questions.


Patrícia Martins Marcos is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History and the Science Studies Program at the University of California, San Diego. She works at the intersections of histories of medicine, science, race, and religion in the Luso-AfroBrazilian Atlantic. She is an Associate Editor at the History of Anthropology Review, and her work has been supported by, among others, the Huntington Library, the American Philosophical Society, and UCSD's Black Studies Project. Sarah E. Naramore is an assistant professor at Northwest Missouri State University. Her current research focuses on the development of the American medical profession at the turn of the nineteenth century. She served as co-chair of the Graduate and Early Career Caucus from 2018 to 2020. Myrna Perez Sheldon is Assistant Professor of Gender and American Religion at Ohio University, jointly appointed in two departments: Classics and World Religions and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She earned her Ph.D. from Harvard in 2014; her dissertation was focused on the public career of the Harvard evolutionary biologist and public intellectual Stephen Jay Gould. Sarah Pickman is a Ph.D. candidate in history of science and medicine at Yale University and a current co-chair (2019–2021) of the HSS Graduate and Early Career Caucus. Her dissertation research examines the material culture of expeditions in the long nineteenth century, with a focus on gear carried by explorers and field scientists. She has a professional background in museum administration. Sarah A. Qidwai is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto's Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, where she is working on a dissertation on the history of science and Islam in British India. Her dissertation focuses on the IndianMuslim polymath Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan (1817–1898) and situates him within the existing historiography of nineteenthcentury history of science. Kathleen Sheppard is an associate professor at Missouri S&T. Her work centers on the history of Egyptology and women in the professions. She is on the Editorial Board of Lady Science, is the current social media manager of HSS Twitter, and chairs the Technology and Communications Committee. Acknowledgments. The authors would like to acknowledge the organizing committee behind the Futures sessions. The idea to bridge these conversations arose in a meeting between Alexandra Hui, Don Opitz, Sarah Qidwai, and Karen Rader. From there, the chairs of the Graduate and Early Career Caucus and the Women's Caucus organized Futures II; this included Alix Cooper, Jaipreet Virdi, Sarah Naramore, and Sarah Pickman. We would also like to thank all of the committee organizers and the roundtable discussants. For Futures I: Alexandra Hui, Suman Seth, Projit Mukharji, Emily Rose Merchant, Terrence Keel, Elise Burton, and Sebastian Gil-Riano. For Futures II: Elaine Leong, Matt Shindell, Patricía Martins Marcos, Ayah Nuriddin, and Hui. For Futures III: Qidwai, Kathleen Sheppard, Rader, Gwen Kay, Ahmed Ragab, Joanna Radin, Pablo Gomez, and Opitz. We thank all the contributors who provided feedback on earlier versions of this report.


There are two types of the genitive case (izafet) in the middle dialect of the Tatar language: affixal and non-affixal. The non-affixal type of the genitive case is often found in the middle dialects which have been developing in many respects (culturally, geographically, etc.) in isolation.


The ACCORD blood pressure trial showed that intensive blood pressure control (target systolic BP, <120 mm Hg), compared with standard BP control (target SBP, <140 mm Hg), was not associated with lower risk for fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events in patients with longstanding type 2 diabetes (JW Cardiol Mar 14 2010). In this meta-analysis, investigators evaluated outcomes …


Alternative education(school) against the standardization of teaching methods and educational dehumanization of public education is a partnership-oriented relationship of diversity, education and life in a small school and education. This research is the study of the spatial component analysis and properties of the smart alternative schools established on the basis of this educational philosophy. The analysis indicator derived by analyzing the characteristics of the design space and the space was utilized during training smart smart space characteristic analysis of alternative school for it, and draw a conclusion after a comprehensive analysis through fieldwork.


U.S. housing policy is entering unchartered waters. Amid rising concerns about rental affordability, fair housing, displacement, and homeownership opportunities, there is increased uncertainty about a federal commitment to funding housing. At the same time, researchers have been developing a better understanding of the behavioral basis of housing markets and housing choices—research that will provide a powerful foundation for the next generation of federal housing policy. The confluence of these two developments—policy uncertainty coupled with strong empirical research —provides a unique opportunity to revisit what works and what does not, and to use that information to inform future policies. In September 2017, we hosted a symposium at the University of Pennsylvania that was supported by Housing Policy Debate, the Fels Policy Research Initiative, and the Penn Institute for Urban Research. This symposium featured a suite of articles that analyzed existing U.S. housing policy—on issues ranging from homelessness, to multifamily rental, to single family homeownership—and offered insights into future policy options. This special issue features 11 of the articles from the symposium, all of which went through Housing Policy Debate's rigorous peer review process. In addition, we asked for commentaries from national experts in housing policy, which accompany the articles in this special issue. In sum, this issue reflects original analyses from junior and senior scholars, and provides an example of how research can, and should, inform policy. This issue begins with a article by John Landis and Vincent Reina that provides an overview of 11 current, and future, demographic and economic dynamics that are likely to affect housing markets and policies in the near future. This article reiterates concerns about rental affordability, and highlights important housing market realities—such as the changing demographics of households, and trends in homeownership by race—and policy constraints such as limited federal support for affordable housing and local zoning laws. The next set of articles focuses on rental housing, beginning with a commentary from Sandra Newman, who highlights national housing trends that affect housing affordability, such as an increase in renter households and a decrease in vacancy rates. Newman raises several policy issues that are important in moving forward, such as the need for more research and policy around small multifamily rental properties. An article by Vicki Been, Ingrid Gould Ellen, and Katherine O'Regan explores the lack of supply response to the demand for rental housing pointed out by Newman. They conclude that increasing housing supply could make housing more affordable, but that to be successful, such efforts must address the needs of lowincome households to ensure communities remain economically diverse. Paavo Monkkonen concludes this housing supply and demand section with a commentary focusing on singlefamily housing production and affordability. Vincent Reina, Arthur Acolin, and Raphael Bostic continue the affordable rental housing theme by providing an analysis of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's recent Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFRM) program. This program determines the rent levels


Nanostructured materials based on light elements such as Li, Mg, and Na are essential for energy storage and conversion applications, but often difficult to prepare with control over size and structure. We report a new strategy that is illustrated for the formation of magnesium boron hydrides, relevant compounds for instance for reversible solid state hydrogen storage. We started with small (5–10 nm) MgH2 nanoparticles inside the ∼10 nm pores of a carbon scaffold, and larger MgH2 crystallites on the exterior surface of the scaffold. The large difference in reactivity between the two types of MgH2 is used to selective react the small MgH2 particles inside the pores with B2H6 to form magnesium boron hydrides under mild conditions. In this way pore-confined magnesium boron hydrides are formed with MgB12H12 as the major phase. Hydrogen release from the confined magnesium boron hydrides starts just above the synthesis temperature of 120 °C. The addition of Ni brings about the reaction to proceed readily at tem...


In this paper, we present a new integral transformation related to the Fourier transform, called the multiplicative Fourier transform. We also study some interesting properties of this transform and its inverse transform. Moreover, we give some applications to linear and nonlinear ordinary multiplicative differential equations.


A method is described and discussed in order to take into account a dispersion model output in the interpretation of data collected in a monitoring campaign, which aims to evaluate the impact of a punctual emission source. The method is applied to some dummy datasets in order to evaluate its theoretical capability to recognize the impact of the target source. We think that a non-stationary dispersion model can be helpful in this cases, providing information about the theoretical impacts over the monitoring sites, caused by the source on focus. This new proposal can be useful for interpreting the data of the air quality campaign measurements. In this paper a new proposal is described and discussed, with the aim to give a new tool to evaluate the responsibility of a single plant surrounded by other emission sources and heavy boundary conditions. In this first study, this method has been applied to some dummy datasets in order to evaluate its theoretical capability to recognize the environmental impact of the source under investigation. METHOD The method is based on an indicator (called f), built in order to be useful for the interpretation of the data of a monitoring campaign dataset, with the aim to evaluate the impact of a punctual emission source on the air quality. In this paper we report a theoretical experiment target to assess the power of our method for this task. Data interpretation is carried out with an univariate approach: every single chemical species (or linear combination of relative concentration of different species) is considered separately. The aerosol has been treated as a passive species when simulated at the considered scale. Given the i-th sample collected in the measuring campaign, these elements have been considered: - Ii as the total mass of aerosol emitted by the plant and collected in the i-th sample; - Ci as the total mass of aerosol not emitted by the plant under study and collected in the i-th sample; - Ti = Ii + Ci as the total mass of aerosol collected in the i-th sample; - Ai as the mass of the studied chemical species collected in the i-th sample; - Pi = Ai / Ti as the fraction of the studied chemical species collected in the i-th sample; - fi = Ii / Ti as the relative contribution of the plant to the aerosol collected in the i-th sample. Ti and Ai can be obtained in a measuring campaign while the parameter Ii can be assessed with a dispersion model. Note that this method doesn't need the emission rate of the studied chemical species A, but only the bulk aerosol emission. The method is based on the fact that if a good correlation is found between f and P, then it is possible to assert that the plant under study emits aerosol with a relative fraction of A higher than the relative fraction of A intaked in air by other sources of aerosol. Hereafter this statement is discussed: the method has been applied to some dummy datasets, and has been studied in such conditions that a good correlation between f and P can be found. RESULTS First, we introduce some new parameters, which are neither measured nor simulated:


Abstract When plant tissues are analyzed, the interpretation of the mineral composition depends on all the dynamic factors of mineral uptake, distribution, redistribution, and interactions. Each of these factors must be viewed in the proper perspective to insure a valid interpretation of the nutrient requirements of plants. Since plant growth is dynamic, the factor which must be considered is the rate of nutrient supply to the rate of nutrient demand for growth. These rates vary throughout the life cycle of the plant. In tissue analysis, the critical concentrations may vary throughout the plant depending on the plant part and nutrient element under consideration. Here, also, the dynamic factors should be considered to insure the proper applications of these critical concentrations.


E xculpatory clauses extinguish or limit liability of a potentially culpable party through the use of disclaimer, assumption of risk and indemnification clauses as well as releases of liability. For decades, Florida courts have wrestled with issues relating to the enforcement of exculpatory clauses where liability arises from personal injury, real estate, construction, and commercial disputes. These provisions gain significance as parties seek to shift the monetary risk of business transactions to others. Frequently these clauses are showcased in contractual agreements involving common carriers, promoters of sporting events, providers of design/construction services, and among participants to e-commerce transactions. As lawyers, we constantly draft and interpret exculpatory clauses hoping that the product of our efforts will withstand judicial scrutiny. Recognizing that the economic stakes often are high, counsel must be aware of the pitfalls associated with the drafting and interpretation of such clauses. These issues should be of enormous interest to lawyers because when the deal goes sour, disgruntled clients may seek to recoup their losses by challenging the lawyer's advice through claims for legal malpractice. This article examines how Florida courts interpret exculpatory language as utilized in releases, waivers of liability, assumption of risk and indemnification agreements as well as other types of contracts. As similar legal principles apply to drafting these various types of clauses, they will collectively be discussed and referred to throughout this article as "exculpatory clauses." In addition, this article will offer practical suggestions to assist counsel in drafting enforceable exculpatory clauses.


The base of chromia-forming cast superalloys is the most often constituted of nickel and/or cobalt. Both elements may be simultaneously present, for instance Co for promoting good mechanical properties and Ni for stabilizing the austenitic matrix and favouring good ductility and machinability. In service, superalloys must also resist hot oxidation, property favoured by Ni but disadvantaged by Co. In (Ta,C)-rich cast superalloys exposed at high temperature, the intergranular strength may be enhanced by the very efficient TaC carbides while the higher the Co content the stronger the matrix creep resistance. In this work, six alloys designed to be chromia-forming and TaC-strengthened were exposed to laboratory air at 1200°C for 170 hours, to examine how the deterioration by oxidation and the evolution with time of the strengthening carbides in the bulk may be influenced by the Co/Ni ratio in the case of this important family of superalloys. The characterization of the formed oxide scales and of the morphologic evolution of the carbides allowed identifying a {0.6Co-0.4Ni}-proportion for the base elements. Such combination obviously allows keeping a chromia-forming behaviour and a good adherence of the protective oxide scale on the alloy, as well as a good resistance of the TaC against fragmentation.


We study a firing squad synchronization problem that gives a finite-state protocol for synchronizing large-scale cellular automata. In this paper, we give a survey on recent developments in designing optimum- and non-optimum-time synchronization algorithms and present their state-efficient implementations for two-dimensional cellular arrays. Several simple, state-efficient mapping schemes are proposed for embedding one-dimensional firing squad synchronization algorithms onto two-dimensional arrays. Throughout this paper we focus our attention to the algorithms for synchronizing two-dimensional rectangular arrays with the general at one corner of the array.


OBJECTIVE To estimate the rates of prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A representative sample of the U.S. population (the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES]) from 2005–2006 including 1,547 nondiabetic adults (>18 years of age) without a history of myocardial infarction was assessed to determine the proportion of adults who met the criteria for IFG/IGT, and the proportion of IFG/IGT subjects who: 1) reported receiving a diagnosis from their physicians; 2) were prescribed lifestyle modification or an antihyperglycemic agent; and 3) were currently on therapy. We used multivariable regression analysis to identify predictors of diagnosis and treatment. RESULTS Of the 1,547 subjects, 34.6% (CI 30.3–38.9%) had pre-diabetes; 19.4% had IFG only; 5.4% had IGT only, and 9.8% had both IFG and IGT. Only 4.8% of those with pre-diabetes reported having received a formal diagnosis from their physicians. No subjects with pre-diabetes received oral antihyperglycemics, and the rates of recommendation for exercise or diet were 31.7% and 33.5%, respectively. Among the 47.7% pre-diabetic subjects who exercised, 49.4% reported exercising for at least 30 min daily. CONCLUSIONS Three years after a major clinical trial demonstrated that interventions could greatly reduce progression from IFG/IGT to type 2 diabetes, the majority of the U.S. population with IFG/IGT was undiagnosed and untreated with interventions. Whether this is due to physicians being unaware of the evidence, unconvinced by the evidence, or clinical inertia is unclear.


The effectiveness of passive devices [1] such as tuned mass dampers (TMDs) for the mitigation of the response of structures subjected to seismic hazard is a topic that still inspires the efforts of several researchers [2–7]. Although TMD has been introduced by Den Hartog in the early 20th century, their performance in seismic engineering is still controversial as their capability of energy dissipation is related to the characteristics of the signal (near/far fault, duration, frequency content), whereas for wind and other stationary loads, the effectiveness is well acknowledged and experienced [8]. In particular, the nonstationary nature of the seismic signal makes the optimization of the TMD parameters in the frequency domain a theoretical issue frequently with poor effects in terms of real response. When the researches are correctly conducted in the time domain, the root-mean-squares (RMS) value is often identified as relevant for the evaluation of the effectiveness. Nevertheless, the peak response is often the most significant parameter as it is more directly related to failures for buckling or violation of the ultimate limit states of structural members. Simulations carried out in the time domain with recorded signals show that in many cases, the insertion of the TMD is slightly effective for the mitigation of the seismic structural hazard, whereas sometimes, it may even worsen the structural response, thus making the use of passive devices a questionable tool for the mitigation. Nevertheless, the seismic performance of TMDs must be assessed, if the structure is located in an earthquake environment, and even if the TMD serves to reduce wind-induced vibrations. Thus, studies on the behavior of TMDs under earthquakes are still an important topic of research. A definitive assessment of the capabilities of TMD and more generally of passive strategies in the mitigation of the seismic response focusing on the practical engineering advantages and the convenience of implementation and especially in respect of hybrid or active strategies is still welcome.


Let $\mathcal{B}$ be the class of functions $w(z)$ of the form $w(z)=\sum\limits_{k=1}^{\infty}b_k z^k$ which are analytic and satisfy the condition $|w(z)|<1$ in the open unit disk $\mathbb{U}=\left\{z\in \mathbb{C}:|z|<1\right\}$. Then we call $w(z)\in \mathcal{B}$ the Schwarz function. In this paper, we discuss new coefficient estimates for Schwarz functions by applying the lemma due to Livingston (Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 21(1969), 545--552).


Objectives:To discuss the curative effect of Triptorelin combined with laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of endometriosis.Method:82 patients with endometriosis were randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group.The patients in 2 group were both given the laparoscopic surgery,while the patients in the treatment group were additionally given 3.75mg Triptorelin intramuscular injection once a month for 6 months.The changes of sex hormone levels of patients in two groups were observed and compared before and after treatment.Results:The 6 hormone(FSH,LH,E2) levels of patients in 2 groups declined six months after treatment(P 0.05 or P 0.01),and the declining rate in the treatment group was much better than that in the control group(P 0.05).As for the 6 months' follow- up after the treatment,the curative effect of the treatment group was much better than that of the control group,and the reoccurrence rate was much lower than that of the control group(χ2= 5.14,P 0.05).After one year's drug withdrawal,the successful pregnancy rate of patients in the treatment group was much higher than that in the control group(χ2= 4.02,P 0.05).After comparing the untoward effect rates of patients in 2 groups during treatment,there was no significant statistical difference(P 0.05).Conclusion:Triptorelin combined with laparoscopic surgery has reliable effect on endometriosis,which can reduce the postoperative reoccurrence rate and increase the pregnancy rate with less untoward effect.


The multiple roles and responsibilities assigned to staff members in public tertiary education have led to an imbalance of work and life interface, which eventually affected their mental health. Therefore, this study aims to examine the influence of work-life integration on mental health among staff who are working at a higher education institution in Johore, Malaysia. This study utilized a quantitative approach, in which a set of questionnaires was distributed through an online survey. A total of 137 respondents participated in this study. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics via SPSS Version 26 and SmartPLS 3.0. The findings indicated that the level of work-to-life integration and life-to-work integration is ranked between moderate to high, and moderate to low, respectively. The level of mental health is indicated at a moderate level. This study also found that work-life integration has a significantly positive influence on mental health.


The European 'MC-squared' project is fostering several so-called 'Communities of Interest' (CoI) in a number of European countries. These communities work on designing and developing digital, interactive, creative, mathematics textbooks, called c-books. The c-books are made in the online digital authoring environment in which authors can construct books with various interactive 'widgets'. Here we demonstrate some of the key features of the authoring environment and suggest how c-books can function as a useful catalyst for teacher professional development.


Background: During the colonoscopy, colon tortuosity is a vital factor to complete the procedure successfully. Endoscopy can be difficult in cases with acute angle bending of adjacent colon segments.  Aim: To assess the relationship of descending sigmoid colon flexure to vital anatomical points on CT in adult subjects. Methods: 114 adult subjects with CT examination of the abdominopelvic region were retrospectively analyzed. In 114 subjects, the angle between proximal sigmoid and descending colon was evaluated in degrees along with descending-sigmoid flexure position concerning the anterior aspect of the 5th lumbar vertebra, the median plane, and left anterior superior iliac spine. Results: Descending sigmoid flexure was seen in all 114 subjects. the LV-DSF was significantly higher in male subjects, with a distance of 123.7±23.1mm compared to female subjects where it was 115.6±21.2. This was statistically significant with p<0.005. MP-DSF in male subjects was 97.8±15.6mm which was significantly higher than the female subjects having MP-DSF of 88.8±14.0mm. The minimum to maximum for males and females respectively were 52-149 and 44-116 which was a statistically significant difference with p<0.001. However, for ASIS-DSF, the distance did not differ significantly between males and females with p=0.54 Conclusions.


Low cycle fatigue behavior of new low alloy, heat-resistant steel HCM2S (2.25Cr-1.6W-V-Nb-B-N) at high temperature has been investigated. The cyclic stress response curve of HCM2S exhibits rapid initial cyclic softening followed by gradual softening until macroscopic crack growth occurs. The initial softening of HCM2S steel is due to the recovery of martensite laths in carbon-rich austenitic islands, the formation of stable dislocation cells and M{sub 6}C particles. Fatigue life equation of HCM2S as a function of strain range at 580 C is also given in this paper.


Channeled ion implantation through metallic films is studied in such metal‐silicides as Pd2Si, NiSi2, and PtSi grown on single crystalline Si. The annealing conditions of crystal growth and the characteristics of radiation damage in those silicides are obtained by using the backscattering and channeling techniques. Electrical measurements have denonstrated that the amount of impurity ions (P+ and B+) introduced by the channeled ion implantation into a Si substrate in the Pd2Si–Si system is, at least, several times greater than that by a random implantation at the same energy, in case when the film thickness is more than 1.5 times thicker than the average projected range in the random implantation.


In this paper, we solve the existence problem of optimal stopping problem under some kind of nonlinear expectation named g_\Gamma expectation which was recently introduced in Peng, S.G. and Xu, M.Y. [8]. Our method based on our preceding work on the continuous property of g_\Gamma solution. Generally, the strict comparison theorem does not hold under such nonlinear expectations any more, but we can still modify the classical method to find out an optimal stopping time via continuous property. The mainly used theory in our paper is the monotonic limit theorem of BSDE and nonlinear decomposition theorem of Doob-Meyer's type developed by Peng S.G. [6]. With help of these useful theories, a RCLL modification of the value process can also be obtained by a new approach instead of down-crossing inequality.


Modern networking technologies, such as Cloud or SOA, enable cooperations and individuals to form dynamic coalitions for temporary sharing of resources and information in order to achieve a common goal. In recent years the need for a formal understanding of the structures, the dynamic aspects and the processes of these coalitions has grown. In my ongoing thesis I propose a formal framework based on the abstract state machine (ASM) formalism in order to grasp and characterize dynamic coalitions in general and privacy-sensitive dynamic coalitions in particular. The ASM formalism allows for a structural description of dynamic coalitions as well as for a formalization of the inherent processes by means of ASM-runs, thereby enabling simulation, testing, and verification possibilities for the design of supporting architectures. This paper shows how the CoreASM-toolset is used to develop an abstract model of dynamic coalitions and extended to integrate trust-based access control mechanisms in order to enforce privacy aspects in highly dynamic coalitions. Finally an ongoing case study is introduced and first insights to the usability of the proposed model are given.


Abstract Our recent experimental work and ecoepizootiological assessments provide mechanistic data supporting a plausible hypothesis for an association between a prey base comprised of a large biomass of nonnative alewives Alosa pseudoharengus and the recruitment difficulties currently experienced by Great Lakes salmonines. We hypothesize that the thiamine deficiency induced by alewives, a species harboring high thiaminase activity, represents an ongoing cause of fry and adult mortality in salmonines. Overall ramifications of the thiamine deficiency on recruitment have not been firmly established but may represent a substantial bottleneck for natural recruitment in feral salmonine populations in the Great Lakes.


Abstract Intentional Communities (ICs) are groups of people that form for a specific agreed-upon purpose and live in close proximity to achieve their desired end. The prevailing scholarship in the study of these communities is that communal processes of commitment, as well as ethnic and linguistic homogeneity, play a strong role in determining a community's success when defined as how long-lived a community was. However, most of these conclusions are based in historical research on communities that no longer exist. In this article, we use survey data collected from present-day ICs to find that those assumptions do not necessarily hold true, and we propose a definition of success that incorporates how well communities report satisfaction fulfilling their intentions. By testing a sample of living ICs, we find that the community decision-making structure is more important than any other factor in determining whether communities reports progress toward this metric of success.


Results of a new population-based study in the setting of school-based immunization and education cast doubt on speculation that teens who receive HPV vaccination practice unsafe sex. PLUS: Does 3D mammography detect more breast cancers? ALSO: Can weight loss reduce breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women?


We propose quantifying color in crowd-sourced images from mobile phones to monitor built heritage over time. Time-lapse color movies in CIE color space can provide information on a large range of deterioration mechanisms, including soiling, biofilm growth, weathering and vandalism. Citizen science can create large-scale geographical coverage of sites difficult to obtain any other way. We show that the color accuracy of current phones is sufficient for this purpose and demonstrate image registration, color calibration and change detection using mobile phone cameras. For accurate color, a calibration target of known, stable colors need to be in the image field of view.


Democracy under Pressure. The Regulation of Public Politics in Amsterdam during the Interwar Years This article explores the regulation of public politics in the Netherlands during the interwar years. It investigates how this policy was established, which public authorities were responsible for it, and how they accounted for the rather strict regulations. Particular attention is paid to developments in Amsterdam. The article shows that the regulation of political manifestations was not necessarily carried out as a response to actual political unrest, but was increasingly imposed on Amsterdam by the national government. Consequently, the opportunity to organize political manifestations was slowly but surely curbed. Moreover, the centralization and bureaucratization of public order policy amounted to the withdrawal of public order policy from democratic control. During the interwar years the Dutch democracy was therefore challenged by both the strict regulation of public politics, as well as the way in which this policy was established.


Are women closer to nature? In exploring the link between women and nature, ZARINA PATEL examines the role of women in environmental management in urban and rural systems


Objective:To develop a method using pre-column derivation and high-performance capillary electrophoresis for determining amino acids content in pheretima.Method:Pheretima,a kind of Chinese medicinal material was firstly treated with water boiling,and then hydrolyzed by hydrochloride acid.The hydrolysate of amino acids in pheretima was derived by Waters AccQ-Fluor reagent.The amino acids in pheretima were identified and quantified with the method of high-performance capillary electrophoresis.Result: The optimized CZE conditions were as follows: a running buffer composed of 25 mmol · L-1 H3PO4-Na2HPO4(pH 2),separation voltage at 20 kV,temperature at 25 centigrade,injection time for 4 sec with 0.5 psi pressure.15 kinds of amino acids in pheretima were determined within 16 minutes.The separation effect of amino acids was perfect and the linear relationship was good in the range of 15.625-250 μmol · L-1 amino acids concentration.The results showed that there was relative high content of Glu,Ile/Leu,Gly,Ala and low content of His,Tyr in pheretima of Chinese medicinal material.And Asp was not detected.Conclusion: The present established method of AQC derivation and high-performance capillary electrophoresis is simple,rapid and suitable for determination of amino acids in animal medicinal materials.


E. pallida radix and herba cultivated in Turkey Y. Kan 1, G. Coksari 1, S.T. Guner 2, Y.B. Kose 3, F. Demirci 4** 1Selcuk University, Agriculture Faculty, Department of Field Crops, Konya, 2Research Institute for Forest Soils and Ecology, Eskisehir, 3Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, 4Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey.


Recently, a semi-blind pilot decontamination based method is proposed in [1] for multicell multiuser massive multiinput multioutput (MIMO) systems. In [1], to reduce the effect of the pilot contamination, a semiblind channel estimation method that does not require cell cooperation or statistical information of the channels is proposed. The blind pilot decontamination method in [1] is reformulated as a constrained optimization problem. The constrained minimization problem of the mixing matrix is then carried out by a generalized robust independent component analysis (ICA) based deflation method. The key demerit of the proposed deflation method is that it suffers from error accumulation. In this paper, we investigate semi blind pilot decontamination method in [1] aiming to analyze the role of the deflation technique used in this method. Our analysis reveals that the error accumulation is a major drawback found in this algorithm. Furthermore, the overall performance improves without the deflation method in the semi blind pilot decontamination. The effectiveness of our analysis is verified by extensive simulations considering different noise levels.


Sulfur mustard has been used as a vesicant chemical warfare agent. To understand the mechanism by which mustard gas exposure causes respiratory damage, we have used 2‐chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) as a mustard analog. Our initial studies have shown that guinea pigs exposed to CEES intratracheally accumulate high levels of TNF‐α. Accumulation of TNF‐α leads to activation of both acid and neutral sphingomyelinases, resulting in high accumulation of ceramides, a second messenger involved in cell apoptosis. In addition, NF‐κB was activated for a short period (1–2 h after exposure) as determined by mobility shift assay. Supershift assays indicated that both p50 and p65 of NF‐κB were activated due to CEES exposure. However, NF‐κB rapidly disappeared after 2 h. It is possible that the initial activation of NF‐κB was an adaptive response to protect the cells from damage since NF‐κB is known to inhibit TNF‐α/ceramide‐induced cell apoptosis. Since NF‐κB disappeared after 2 h, the cells continued being damaged owing to accumulation of ceramides and activation of several caspases, leading to apoptosis. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 17:114–121, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.10068


A new type of organosilicon polymer, network organopolysilanes bearing methoxy functional groups on the polysilane framework, has been produced via the catalytic redistribution polymerisation of methoxydisilanes which were prepared using the 'pot-residue' disilane fraction in direct synthesis.


The North Caspian depression is located on the southeast, most subsided part of the East European craton. On the west and north it is bounded by regions of relatively shallow (3-6 km) occurrence of rocks of the crystalline basement. On the east and south are the Paleozoic fold structures of the Urals, Karpinskiy ridge, and South Emba high. Overthrusts are present along the south and east borders of the depression. At the boundary between the North Caspian depression and the Karpinskiy ridge is the Karakul-Smushkov overthrust zone. It is more than 400 km long and 20-80 km wide. On the east in the region of Aktuybinsk-Priural and Zapadno-Mugodzhar are the Sakmar-Kokpektin, Ashchisay, and Ostansuk zones of overthrusting. These extend over a distance of more than 350 km and are 30-40 km wide. In all these zones of overthrusting, weakly deformed rocks of the North Caspian depression are autochthonous beneath the folded Paleozoics. A central graben, present in the interior of the basin, governs the asymmetry of this feature. See figures 1 and 2. On the north and west the basement subsides from depths of 6-7 km to depths of 10-12 km at angles of 10-15°. Subsidence is more gentle on the east and south borders, and the border zone has a terrace-like configuration. Parallel to the folded frame of the North Caspian depression is the Aktyubinsk-Astrakhan belt of high occurrence km) of the basement surface. It is an


Sequencing and scheduling problems are motivated by allocation of limited resources over time. The goal is to find an optimal allocation where optimality is defined by some problem specific objectives.
This dissertation considers the scheduling of a set of n tasks, with precedence constraints, on m ≥ 1 identical and parallel processors so as to minimize the makespan. Specifically, it considers the situation where tasks, along with their precedence constraints, are released at different times, and the scheduler has to make scheduling decisions without knowledge of future releases. Both preemptive and nonpreemptive schedules are considered. This dissertation shows that optimal online algorithms exist for some cases, while for others it is impossible to have one. The results give a sharp boundary delineating the possible and the impossible cases.
Then an O(n log n)-time implementation is given for the algorithm which solves P | p j = 1, rj, outtree | ∑Cj and P | pmtn, pj = 1, r j, outtree | ∑Cj.
A fundamental problem in scheduling theory is that of scheduling a set of n unit-execution-time (UET) tasks, with precedence constraints, on m ≥ 1 parallel and identical processors so as to minimize the mean flow time. For arbitrary precedence constraints, this dissertation gives a 2-approximation algorithm. For intrees, a 1.5-approximation algorithm is given.
Six dual criteria problems are also considered in this dissertation. Two open problems are first solved. Both problems are single machine scheduling problems with the number of tardy jobs as the primary criterion and with the total completion time and the total tardiness as the secondary criterion, respectively. Both problems are shown to be NP-hard. Then it focuses on bi-criteria scheduling problems involving the number of tardy jobs, the maximum weighted tardiness and the maximum tardiness. NP-hardness proofs are given for the scheduling problems when the number of tardy jobs is the primary criterion and the maximum weighted tardiness is the secondary criterion, or vice versa. It then considers complexity relationships between the various problems, gives polynomial-time algorithms for some special cases, and proposes fast heuristics for the general case.


Vasectomy is a nearly irreversible procedure. The patient must be assessed beforehand as to whether vasectomy would be appropriate for him. Surgical psychological and immunological complications must be outlined before the procedure. There is a 1 in 400 chance that the vasectomy will not succeed. This must be explained. Periodic postoperative sperm counts will indicate when no more sperm are being produced.


PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the connecting structure of a member for an endoscope capable of appropriately and strongly connecting and fixing a flexible shaft-like body to a member to be connected by laser welding at a position more at the back than the exposed part of the flexible shaft-like body without the need of excessive laser irradiation. SOLUTION: In the connection structure of the member for the endoscope wherein the end part of metallic flexible shaft-like bodies 1 and 7 are connected and fixed to metallic members 2 and 8 to be connected by welding, the end parts of the flexible shaft-like bodies 1 and 7 are inserted to receiving holes 10 and 14 formed on the members 2 and 8 to be connected, the abutting parts of metallic annular auxiliary rings 11 and 12 for welding fitted to the flexible shaft-like bodies 1 and 7 and the edge parts of the receiving holes 10 and 14 of the members 2 and 8 to be connected are welded by irradiation with a laser beam L from the side part, and thus the end parts of the flexible shaft-like bodies 1 and 7 are connected and fixed to the members 2 and 8 to be connected. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT


The study is based on the framework of the theory of WTC in the second language.The investigation is carried out among 500 students from six vocational colleges in Tianjin.By means of SPSS13.0 statistics,the paper analyzes the differences of the students' anxiety and willingness to communicate in their English learning as well as the factors affecting the WTC with the purpose of exploring the methods and countermeasures to improve students' willingness to communicate.


A novel simulation model of cloud microphysics is developed, which is named Super-Droplet Method (SDM). SDM enables accurate calculation of cloud microphysics with reasonable cost in computation. A simple SDM for warm rain, which incorporates sedimentation, condensation/evaporation, stochastic coalescence, is developed. The methodology to couple SDM and a non-hydrostatic model is also developed. It is confirmed that the result of our Monte Carlo scheme for the coalescence of super-droplets agrees fairly well with the solution of stochastic coalescence equation. A preliminary simulation of a shallow maritime cumulus formation initiated by a warm bubble is presented to demonstrate the practicality of SDM. Further discussions are devoted for the extension and the computational efficiency of SDM to incorporate various properties of clouds, such as, several types of ice crystals, several sorts of soluble/insoluble CCNs, their chemical reactions, electrification, and the breakup of droplets. It is suggested that the computational cost of SDM becomes lower than spectral (bin) method when the number of attributes d becomes larger than some critical value, which may be 2 ∼ 4.


Objectives: Objective were to evaluated the shear bond strength of three different intraoral ceramic repair systems for metal – ceramic restorations applied on metal and porcelain and to evaluate the mode of fracture Material and Methods: Sixty cast specimens were divided into two Groups of thirty specimens each depending on the metal and ceramic surface. Each Group was further divided into three Subgroups of ten specimens each depending on the type of repair system used as Subgroup A: Ceramic Repair System (Ivoclar Vivadent, Germany), Subgroup B: Porcelain Repair System ( 3M, ESPE, Germany ) and Subgroup C: Porcelain Repair Kit (Angelus, Brazil ). After the application of repair system, all the specimens were stored in 37 0 C distilled water for 24 hours before thermal cycling and then subjected to continuous loading at crosshead speed of 0.5mm/min utilizing a Universal testing machine. The mean bond strength of the specimen were evaluated and statistically analyzed by one – way ANOVA and Student t- test. Mode of failure was classified by examining under stereoscopic lens and scanning electron microscope. Results: On metal, the mean shear bond strength values for the groups were as follows: Ivoclar Vivadent 10.37±1.52, 3M, ESPE 11.66 ±1.44 and Angelus 8.30± 1.29. On porcelain mean shear bond strength values for the groups were as follows: Ivoclar Vivadent 16.81±1.37, 3M, ESPE 14.88 ±0.99 and Angelus 12.27± 1.36. Significance: Type of bonding system significantly affect the shear bond strength value between composite and ceramic/ metal.


The paper briefly summarises the design structure of a prototype linear and rotary magnetorheological (MR) damper with energy recovery capability, engineered by the authors, and provides selected characteristics of those devices based on laboratory testing.


ABSTRACT Recently, maturity testing has become more widely used to describe the rate of concrete strength development. Maturity predictions can be used to indicate when loading can be applied to a concrete pavement or structure. While the implementation of the maturity method has numerous potential benefits, it is important that potential limitations are recognized as well. Test methods are needed to signal when the predictions made using the maturity approach are not conservative. This paper will focus on three main aspects of quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) testing using the maturity method. First, it will illustrate that mixture proportion variations can influence the maturity predictions. Second, this paper will illustrate that the use of an ultrasonic wave velocity screening technique can indicate when the maturity-strength relationship may over-predict the strength in a structure. Finally, this paper will demonstrate that supplementing maturity predictions with the use of early-age mechanical property measurements can improve the estimate of long-term performance while providing rapid information on the acceptability of the concrete.


The security requirement of event notification service(ENS) based on WAN is analyzed,and a content-based security framework of ENS is presented.A client privilege definition of access control is analyzed in detail.This technology uses covering relationships in content-based ENS to define access privilege of clients.Experiments show that this technology can prevent efficiently unauthorized user from sending useless information that wastes system resources greatly.


Endometritis has recently become one of the most important infectious diseases in donkey breeding farms in China. However, so far, no research has been conducted to confirm the causative agents. In the present study, one breeding farm was selected as a research model for isolation and identification of causative agents and epidemiological investigation. Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus was isolated from the uterus of symptomatic and asymptomatic donkeys and identified by PCR and MALDI-TOF MS analysis. On the farm, the infection rate was 57.1%, which indicated that endometritis is a severe problem and needs to pay much attention to donkey breeding farms. Moreover, female donkeys without mating experience were all negative which suggested the transmitting route might be artificial insemination or related handlings. This study will lead to a great understanding of the causative agent and epidemiological characteristics for endometritis in intensive donkey breeding farms


Adverse drug reactions are one of the leading causes of morbidity, mortality and increased health related cost. Since the incidence of ADRs is more than 50% in community settings, community pharmacists in overseas are playing vital role in monitoring and reporting the ADRs to their respective national Pharmacovigilance program. Research studies have corroborated that community pharmacists in Canada (89%), Australia (41%), The Netherlands (40.2%), Spain (26%) and Portugal (24%) are reporting ADRs to their respective national Pharmacovigilance programs. However in India, due to trader attitude the community pharmacists have not yet started their contribution to Pharmacovigilance program of India (PvPI). This review article describes about the attitudes, behaviours and current practices of community towards ADR reporting and a brief discussion on barriers in reporting ADRs.


The subgenus Collinella Duda is one of the larger subgenera of the genus Leptocera Olivier. It includes several of our more common species that occur both in North America and Europe. The individual members of this subgenus can be easily recognized by the presence of a preapical and absence of an apical bristle on middle tibia and by the presence of well developed dorsocentral bristles. Some workers in this group have failed to recognize these characters. Where the writer has not had recourse to type material, the placing of some of these species proved very difficult.


Continuous methyl ester production process from waste cooking oil (WCO) was studied by using a transesterification process at room temperature. The aim of this research was to investigate the optimized production conditions and specific energy consumption (SEW*h/kg of neat biodiesel) of the bumpy surface rotor reactor. There are 6.9%, 13.8%, and 27.6% of area fractions (AF) respectively. The reaction was under the condition being theoretical methanol to oil molar ratio and the reactor volume was 0.5L. At 2,000-4,000rpm of rotor speed, 1.0-1.5%w/w of KOH and 1.132-5.110L/min of precursor flow rate are used. It was found that the highest FAME content (fatty acid methyl ester in neat biodiesel, %) being 98.6%. It was achieved by using AF 27.6% rotor reactor under experimental conditions including 3,000rpm, 1.50%w/w of KOH and 2.027L/min of precursor flow rate. In addition, this condition gave SEC of 12.5W*h/kg. It was lower than that of orifice hydrodynamic cavitation reactor, power ultrasonic reactor, and mechanical stirring reactor around 93.2%, 95.0%, and 97.5% respectively. The properties of produced FAME met both EN 14214 and ASTM D 6751 standards.


ABSTRACT This study investigates student disclosures of academic struggles to their instructors during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was administered to U.S. college students (N = 458) who were enrolled in classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students' breadth, depth, and frequency of disclosures of academic struggles were examined in conjunction with students' perceptions of instructor characteristics, such as instructor supportiveness and flexibility, contextual criteria for disclosure, and risk of disclosure. The study findings indicate that instructor supportiveness and instructor flexibility were significant predictors of the breadth of student disclosures. Students' depth and frequency of disclosures also were significantly predicted by instructor supportiveness. Further, students' perceptions of the risk of disclosure were significantly related to both instructor supportiveness and instructor flexibility. Finally, students' disclosure of academic struggles to their instructors during the COVID-19 pandemic were significantly predicted by the contextual criteria important reason and conversational appropriateness. Analysis of open-ended survey responses indicated that students are willing to disclose their academic struggles to instructors who are open-minded and willing to self-disclose their own struggles. The implications of the present study results on instructor-student communication in times of crisis and post-COVID-19 are discussed.