Conducting group psychotherapy is a complex yet fascinating endeavor. To be effective, a group therapist must be intentional in their approach and implementation of interventions. Some basic skills that must be mastered include confrontation of group members and behaviors, emotional stimulation of the group and individual members, and the development and enhancement of group cohesiveness. Practical skills involve the overall structure of the group, providing feedback to members and the group as a whole, modeling effective communication and interpersonal behavior, and self-disclosure in nonjudgmental manner. A group therapist also engages members to be open about themselves and with others and displays effective interpersonal communication by working with a cotherapist to model both interpersonal bonding as well as effective conflict resolution that can be generalized to the outside world.

This review contains 1 table and 16 references.

Key Words: cotherapy, emotional expression, executive function, feedback, group leader skills and values, male and female co-therapists, self-disclosure, skills and interventions


Underwater acoustic signal with nonlinear dynamic characteristic has a very important research value to the prediction and filtering. The prediction and filtering for underwater acoustic signal, especially the reverberation and background noise, is the foundation of underwater target signal detection, and has important application in the non-stationary, non-Gaussian and nonlinear underwater acoustic signal processing. According to the typical linear theory of least square estimation and the Volterra series theory, the models of target signal are established respectively to process the further one-step and multi-step prediction, after comparing and analyzing the predict results, the optimal prediction parameters are selected. The prediction results show that for predicting the underwater acoustic signal, the prediction relative error of Volterra filter model based on the singular value decomposition is an order of magnitude smaller than the method of least square estimation, and the prediction results more close to the real values.


Neogen Corp. has developed Veratox for Almond Allergen for use in the quantitative analysis and screening of almond protein residues in food products, such as cookies, crackers, chocolate bars, cereals, beverages, and clean-in-place rinses. Quantitation with Veratox for Almond Allergen ranges from 2.5 to 25 ppm and, with dilution, it can be extended for highly positive samples. This paper describes the findings of internal testing and validation studies designed to establish product claims for the assay of Veratox for Almond Allergen.


The purposes of this research are (1) to know the importance level of voluntary corporate governance disclosure (VCGD) in investor version and (2) to know the factual VCGD which is done by public companies in Indonesia and (3) to test determinants of VCGD existence in annual reports of public companies in Indonesia. The determinant of VCGD is a set of corporate governance mechanisms i.e. ownership structure and control mechanisms of the organ of the company, including (1) the concentration of ownership, (2) institutional ownership, (3) the percentage of tradable shares, (4) the proportion of independent commissioners, and (5) the independence of the audit committee. To know the rate of VCGD's importance, the questionaires was distributed to investors by email. The mean score was used to indicate the importance level of each VCGD's item in investors version. Based on this result then the relative disclosure index was calculated. A total of 74 annual reports of companies which was chosen by purposive sampling method. To test the determinants of level of VCGD, regression analysis was used. The results show that: (1)The capability and integrity of board of director and public access of companies' information are the two most important items based on investor 's opinions; (2) As a whole, public companies in Indonesia have higher level of VCGD then China's which has shown by Yuen, et al. (2009); (3) The percentage of tradable shares (public ownership) is the only independent variable that has a positive and significant, while the other independent variables show no significant effect. This study provides empirical evidence for policy makers and regulators of Indonesia to improve the corporate governance mechanisms and transparency of public companies. These findings also contribute to improving the understanding of disclosure behavior among companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI). Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */
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Sleep—a state marked by lessened consciousness, lessened movement of the skeletal muscles, and slowed-down metabolism—has an essential restorative function and an important role in memory consolidation. It is an orchestrated neurochemical process involving sleep promoting and arousal centres in the brain. Sleep propensity depends on two main factors: the amount of accumulated sleep deprivation and the circadian clock phase enhancing sleep at night.

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Eds Martin P Szuba, Jacqueline D Kloss, David F Dinges Cambridge University Press, £34.95, pp 306 ISBN 0 521 01076 4

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Insomnia is a symptom, resulting from insufficient sleep or sleep of poor quality, with negative effects on subsequent daytime functioning. The prevalence of insomnia increases steeply during the fifth decade of …

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ATF protects our communities from violent criminals, criminal organizations, the illegal use and trafficking of firearms, the illegal use and storage of explosives, acts of arson and bombings, acts of terrorism, and the illegal diversion of alcohol and tobacco products. ATF regulates the firearms and explosives industries and Federal licensees. ATF partners with communities, industries, law enforcement, and public safety agencies to safeguard the public through information sharing, training, research, and the use of technology.


We appreciate van Breukelen and Candel for their comments on our article [1] and agree that weighting each cluster mean by cluster size is not as efficient as using weighted least squares (WLS), as shown by Searle and Pukelsheim [2]. We also did not mean to imply that to compensate the loss of efficiency due to cluster size variation, increasing the mean cluster size is as efficient as increasing the number of clusters. Our approach was meant to be directed to those situations where numbers of available clusters are limited. While the relative efficiency (RE) of varying versus equal cluster sizes can be based on WLS and calculated by Taylor approximation with the assumption of a large number of clusters, as derived in Ref. [3], many studies actually have a small number of clusters [4,5]. Our work attempts to provide insight for studies where the numbers of clusters are small or fixed. For instance, a cluster randomized trial of an improved chronic disease management system for people with diabetes was conducted in the Torres Strait Islands, which lie between Cape York, Australia, and Papua New Guinea [6,7], where only 21 communities were available. In practice, additional clusters may be very expensive or unavailable, and thus, increasing the mean cluster size may be the only feasible option. For instance, in the evaluation of the effect of redesigned postnatal care involving midwifery teams on women's physical and psychological outcomes conducted in the West Midlands Health Region of England. The general practice served as the unit of randomization [8]; the available number of practices was limited within a particular geographical region and was restricted to the midwifery teams, but it was possible to recruit any reasonable number of individuals within each practice by extending the recruitment period. Our work focused on the rationale for such an option. Our work did not exclude the option of increasing the number of clusters, and we agree that indeed, it is the most efficient way to increase the power as we have mentioned in the 'Discussion' section. Finally, we realized that we had defined [1] an RE as the ratio of the standard errors of the treatment effect estimator under unequal and equal cluster sizes, respectively. It was used as a different way to define efficiency and may provide an optimistic view of efficiency. We were aware of the previous excellent work by van Breukelen et al. [3] in this area. We thank van Breukelen and his colleague for their important contextual comments showing limitations of our approach relative to their work. That notwithstanding, we believe our points about design options when the number of clusters cannot be increased will still be valuable to practitioners.


Extended Abstract Walk into a supermarket and you will not be surprised to see a great many products on promotion of one kind or the other. Promotions have rightfully become the ubiquitous element of consumers' shopping experience with US marketers spending more than $100 billion in the form of annual promotional expenditure (Kerin et al, 2003). The present study contends that consumers' responses towards various sales promotions depend on their attitudes towards a given sales promotion and such attitudes depend on the intrinsic characteristics of a given promotional offer. Blatteberg and Neslin (1990). They define a sales promotion as "an action-focused marketing event whose purpose is to have a direct impact on the behavior of the firm's customers." Different sales promotional tools serve different objectives. Some promotions such as in-store display and 'two-for-one' help generate un-planned purchases (Inman et al, 1990; McClure and West, 1969) and Mulhern and Padgett (1995) show how retail promotions induce consumers to buy regular priced merchandise. Sales promotions are also used to increase store traffic (Grewal, Manroe and Krishnan, 1998; Lichtenstein and Bearden, 1989) increase number of visits to the store (Walters and Rinnie, 1986) and reduce retailers' inventory carrying costs by inducing consumers to stockpile (Blattberg, 1981; Soo Ong, 1999). Prior research has studied the variations in consumers' responsiveness to deals by product category, market, and type of consumer (Blattberg et al 1995). Evidently, there hasn't been much of an attempt, bearing a few exceptions, to study the differences in consumers' responsiveness to different promotions arising out of variation in the intrinsic characteristics of a promotional offer. We propose that consumers view promotions as a bundle of some combination of these attributes and each promotional offer represents a unique bundle of attributes. Based on literature review, the initial set of attributes viz. monetary benefits, non-monetary benefits, efforts needed, risk involved, ambiguity of benefits, imprecision in benefits, benefit delay, and effort delay were identified. Monetary benefits are defined as the economic incentive offered by a promotion, the basic purpose of promotions is to offer an economic inducement to consumers for making the purchase of the product on promotion (Blattberg and Neslin, 1990). Many research findings suggest that consumers do respond to sales promotions for benefits other then monetary savings viz. joy of getting a good deal, the hedonic value of a free gift etc. (for a comprehensive analysis see Chandon et al, 2000). Some promotions involve immediate expense of efforts at the time of availing promotional offer e.g. early bird incentive, clipping coupons, entering in a lucky draw (sometimes entries for draws can be sent at a later date) etc. Sometimes consumers exert efforts in advance of the promotional benefit viz. registering for frequent flyer programs. Research in behavioral decision theory explicates procrastinating behavior by reasoning that future efforts are substantially discounted (Akerlof, 1991; Loewenstein, 1996). A promotional offer may offer an incentive at future date after the purchase is made with or without any additional conditions. Promotions like price-discounts are instantly received at the time of purchase but the benefits of many promotions arise only at a later date. The winners of contests, sweepstakes etc. are determined much after they have made their purchases. The 'worthiness' of all promotions is not easily determinable e.g. win a dinner with a TV star. Ambiguity also arises when the promotion is attached with many qualifications. Some promotions like lucky draws are risky where in the consumer may not gain anything and finally, in some instances the benefits offered are imprecise e.g. all items with red tags on sale, up to 75% off etc. A composite scale representing all eight dimensions was developed and presented to 57 undergraduate students. The same scale was used for each of the seven most widely used consumer promotions viz. Coupons, Mail-in-rebates, Lucky draws, free gifts, price breaks, Contests, etc. The popularity of different sales promotions was assessed through literature review and consultations with an expert. The underlying dimensions were then identified by factor analysis techniques. The study also incorporated measures for testing convergent validity and criterion / predictive validity. Based on the recommended scale development procedures (Gerbing and Anderson, 1988), the data analysis began with checking the dimensionality underlying the attitude towards sales promotions. The procedure undertaken involved factor analysis (both exploratory as well as confirmatory factor analysis), inter-item correlations (across entire scale and more importantly within each facet) and validity tests for criterion and convergent validity. The six components derived by factor analysis have eigen values of more than 1 and collectively they explain 67% of the total variance. All the components have alpha more than 0.6 except monetary benefits, which has alpha of 0.56. To ascertain the criterion validity the correlations between perceived dimensions (six components) and the predicted likelihood of use of that sales promotion were measured. Except Effort-delay (.05 level) all the correlations are significant at .01 levels providing a strong support for criterion validity. Finally, based on the empirical analysis the identified factors are 1) Perceived effort-return benefit, 2) Benefit transparency representing the degree of precision in stating the promotional benefits and the clarity with which the promotional benefits are communicated 3) Non-monetary benefits 4) Effort delay 5) Risk impact and 6) Perceived monetary benefits. We also discuss the explanation and interpretation of these derived dimensions.


A mini bike for strengthening a leg muscle, and for enjoying amusement and a leisure time is provided. The mini bike having a pedal as a power generator includes: a driver having a first bevel gear in order to transmit rotation power generated by a rolling motion of a pedal; a second bevel gear installed to transmit rotation power generated in the driver; a first power transmission gear coaxiallyinstalled in the second bevel gear to transmit rotation power to a spline shaft; a clutch positioned at the spline shaft to selectively connect rotation power of the first power transmission gear to a first gearshift and a second gearshift and for controlling a low speed and a high speed; a first driving gear and a second driving gear for rotating by selection of the clutch; and a driving controller including a gearshift in which the clutch is connected to the cable in order to select the first gearshift and the second gearshift. Therefore, when young boys and girls go to or coming from a school, when office workers go to or come from their office, when an adult enjoys a leisure time, as well as when children enjoy amusement, the bike can be used, and when riding on the bike, the user canenjoy a low speed or a high speed, and the bike can be used for strengthening a leg muscle.


The Tokamak Physics Experiment (TPX) and the International Thermonuclear Engineering Reactor (ITER) are the major national design efforts currently underway by the US fusion program. These design efforts are being performed at many different sites consisting of national laboratories, universities, and industrial partners. This paper presents the current status of work in support of expediting communication and enhancing the collaborative process by providing a framework of common tools and resources for all collaborators. The key components of this framework are common applications which support desktop mail, directory services, and convenient desktop access to project design documents. A discussion of the issues associated with the deployment, support, and future evolution of this framework will be presented.


1. Abstract The widely used static topology optimization methods try to find optimal design of structures under loads that are static or vary slowly. However, when the loads change rapidly, their time-dependent characteristic and the inertia effect must be taken into consideration, and therefore dynamic response topology optimization methods should be employed. Two difficulties in solving such problems are the treatment of time-dependent responses and sensitivity analysis. This paper proposes a one-parameter functional to approximate the extreme value of time-dependent response. The accuracy of the approximation can be controlled by the parameter and some of its important properties are discussed. The proposed functional is incorporated into topology optimization problem to minimize the maximum value of time-dependent response at prescribed material volume. The displacement of a specific point of the structure is considered. The density-based approach is used to solve the topology optimization problems and the adjoint variable method is employed to perform sensitivity analysis. The design variables are updated by the Method of Moving Asymptotes. Two numerical examples are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method and the time-dependent characteristic of the dynamic loads and inertia effect on the topology optimization results. 2.


In study of the optimal path for emergency scheduling of missile support resource,a mathematic model was built up for emergency scheduling decision-making of missile support resource based on the priority of node requirement.An intelligent algorithm optimization idea of fusion strategy based on genetic algorithm and tabu search was used to further improve the quality and efficiency of problem solving.Finally,the model and GATS strategy was applied in an example,which verified the effectiveness of the model and algorithm.


This books offers a detailed history and evolution of the Unemployment Insurance system in the United States. Furthermore, is shows how policymakers' neglect of this federal-state system has led to weaknesses that could have negative impacts for laid-off workers while potentially hampering economic recovery during times of recessions. With this as a backdrop, author Stephen A. Wandner addresses several weaknesses he sees in the UI system and provides a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at shoring up the system for the twenty-first century.


Globalization is increasingly developed. Economy, policy and culture have joined in the process of globalization, and the media sector is no exception. Globalization and internationalization have become the general trend. The new and diversified communication form is essential in order to keep up with the pace of development and to better join in the communication in this era. Bilingual broadcasting and hosting emerges and receives more and more attention during the international communication. Keywords—bilingual; host; globalization; value


Abstract This paper investigates a part of the party leaders' webb-tv debate staged by the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet on the 1st of September as a part of the election campaign before the elections to the Riksdag, county councils and municipal assemblies that took place on the 14 September 2014. The debate investigated in this paper deals with gender equality questions. The overall aim of this study is to examine what topics the politicians choose to discuss during the debate and what line of argumentation they use. The method used was ideological discourse analysis coupled with classical rhetoric and eristic. The results of the argumentation analysis are set in a broader framework of gender studies and the Swedish political landscape


Abstract : This test on the Lockheed designed 25 foot diameter X-Wing rotor had four purposes: (1) to expand the operating envelope to tip speeds of 700 ft/sec. and CT/o of .20; (2) to investigate track and balance sensitivities; (3) to evaluate the control system response characteristics at the higher disc loading; (4) to correlate CCHAP and CRUISE 4 analytical predictions with test data; and (5) to evaluate downwash on the close proximity fuselage.


This article explores the construction of gender in urban settings, through visual participatory methods. It is argued that gendered experience may be studied, described and visualized through engaged visual practices using photography as a research tool. I suggest that visual participatory methods provide a new support to explore the multidimensionality of the urban experience in which gender acts. By focusing on visual experience and in the process of "doing gender," we were interested in new ways to depict gender in two cities, Sarcelles, France, and Medellin, Colombia. In that sense, visual cartographies of gender, a technique developed in both cities, strengthens new ways of understanding gendered experience through a multimodal, critical and embodied visual practice.


Background and aims: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of potentially hazardous chemicals of environmental and health concerns. This compounds exhibit toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic properties and are listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as priority pollutants. The aim of this study was the comparison of aerobic and anerobic biodegradation of disesel contamination soils using municipal soil was to and vermicompost. Methods: This experimental study was accomplished in pilot scale with application of a copmpost pile consisting 1000:120 ratio gram soils to gram of petroleum. This mixture was then mixed in a ratio of 1:2 with compost and vermicompost fertilizer separately (two parts soil and one part compost and/or vermicompost). In this research, phenantheren (phc), a three benzene ring compound, was selected as a PAHs representative. Phenanthrene concentration was measured using HPLC after extraction from contaminated soils by ultrasonic method. Results: The results showed that the effective degradation of phc occures during two first weeks, and then the removal rate was decreased gradually. The decomposition rate on phc in the aerobic compost and vermicompost reactors was 89.5±9.1 and 91.7±7.0, respectively. At the same time, 19.2±5.1 and 26.4±5.0 of phc was removed in the anaerobic compost and vermicompost reactors, respectively. According to the results, phc maximum removal rate of 91.7±7.0 was achived in the aerobic vermicompost reactor. Conclusion: This study can be concluded that, with application of bioremediation at the ambient temperature, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons may be removed from oil contaminated soils.


Financial innovation is a powerful source to promote the intellectualized transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. At present, the influence mechanism behind the impact of financial innovation on the manufacturing industry is still unclear and lacks quantitative analysis. This paper selects the representative indicators to study the spatial effect of financial innovation on the intelligent transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry based on China's provincial panel data from 2008 to 2019 by using entropy method, the DEA model, and the spatial econometric model. The results show the following: (1) the overall level of the intellectualized transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry has gradually improved, but the spatial distribution is uneven, which has a strong spatial correlation with financial innovation; (2) according to the estimation of the spatial Dobbin model, financial innovation has a significant positive spillover effect on the intellectualization of the manufacturing industry, not only in the region in which it is located, but also in adjacent regions, and the former is greater than the latter; (3) consumption demand, capital allocation, and technological innovation are the three main mediating mechanisms. Finally, according to the findings, we put forward some suggestions and conclusions. This paper provides a positive reference for further promoting the intelligent upgrading of the manufacturing industry from the perspective of financial innovation.


The New Careers programme at Vacaville differed from other official training or treatment programmes in several important ways:

1. The goals of the programme were clearly differentiated from those of the Administration.

2. It had "enclave" status, with clearly defined areas of autonomy and clearly defined areas of subjection to the outer authority.

3. The programme goals were seen as "betterment" goals by the participants.

The experiment indicated the following:

1. That a "betterment" programme could take place in a closed prison.

2. The existence of a reservoir of untapped potential in the prison population.

3. That this potential could be brought out in as short a period as four months.

4. That commitment to a socially acceptable cause can be achieved in this period and that this commitment is not ephemeral but can be long-lasting, gaining strength as links with the community are made.

5. That it can be transmitted – initial expenditure on staff can be cut and training carried on with minimal professional supervision.

It also showed that learning ability has little relation to prior achievement and that suitability for this type of training can be predicted.


ABSTRACT This study was to analyze the effect of price, and service quality on consumer buying interest in Local Fruits in the Buah Serpong Damai store. This research uses quantitative and qualitative methods. Data was collected by questionnaire and interview techniques. Respondents in this study were 100 people who met one of the five criteria; initiator (initiator), influencer (influencer), interest in buying (interest), buyers (buyers), users (users) of Local Fruit products in the fruit shop of Bumi Serpong Damai. Eight hypotheses were formulated and tested using Regression Analysis. While qualitative analysis is taken from the interpretation of data by giving information and explanation. The results showed that price and service quality had a significant relationship with consumer buying interest. Prices also have a higher influence on consumer buying interest than service quality. Variations in purchasing decisions are explained by variable prices and service quality of 58.2% while the remaining 41.8% is explained by variables or other aspects outside the model. Keywords: Price, Service Quality, Consumer Buying Interest


This paper describes the reliability performance of flip chip on board assemblies. A test vehicle consisting of 6 flip chip components was designed and assembled. In building the samples of these assemblies, the following design factors were included: solder bump alloy, die size, mounting pad type and underfill filler loading. Most of the samples passed the minimum requirements specified in JEDEC standards for steady-state temperature humidity testing, high temperature storage and power cycling tests. On the other hand, failures were noted in the temperature cycling testing. It was found that substrate quality, such as solder mask aperture alignment, is critical in achieving good reliability performance. Among the design factors studied, the underfill filler loading is the most critical factor in determining the reliability performance. Samples constructed of different solder bump alloys, different die sizes and different mounting pad types, when encapsulated with high underfill filler loading, passed a 3,000 cycles temperature cycling test. Failure analysis showed that solder joint cracking was the major failure mode in the temperature-cycling tested-samples. Other failure modes included underfill cracking and underfill delamination.


PURPOSE
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequent cancer. Its occurrence is closely linked to lifestyle and diet habits, such as excessive intake of high-fat food, but their impact on CRC, however, remain unclear.

METHODS
Eligible CRC patients were retrospectively analyzed. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in smokers and non-smokers of CRC patients were assessed. APCmin/+ mice were exposed to cigarette smoking, followed by detection of CRC growth and intestinal permeability.

RESULTS
A total of 416 eligible CRC patients were recruited, involving 218 (52.4%) smokers and 198 (47.6%) non-smokers. OS was shorter in CRC smokers than in non-smokers (p=0.005), whereas smoking did not affect RFS in CRC patients (p=0.251). Cigarette smoking increased CRC tumor numbers of CRC in APCmin/+ mice. Proliferation and apoptosis of colorectal epithelial cells, and inflammatory response in mice were changed following smoking. Notably, the treatment of probiotics mixture VSL#3 decreased the number of CRC tissues and intestinal permeability in APCmin/+ mice exposed to cigarette smoking.

CONCLUSIONS
Smoking increases the susceptibility to CRC through damaging the intestinal permeability. Protecting the intestinal permeability significantly protects intestinal tracts.


Channel estimator is one of the key components of the receiver in wireless communication system. It estimates channel transfer function by using channel's information from pilots in transmitted signal, so that useful data can be recovered. The difficulties in channel estimation are caused by white Gaussian noise added to received signal and the complexity of channel itself as well as the system's structure in used. This study analyses IEEE 802.16e's DL PUSC (Downlink Partial Usage of Subchannels) system, and uses it as the platform to develop some proposed channel estimation methods. Two major conclusions were reached: the special system's structure limits the channel estimator and the proposed method using least square error fitting has very impressive performance and low complexity, hence it is very promising for realization.


The recent 2016 local government elections once again proved that the only safe prediction that can be made about modern times is that change is certain to occur. South African municipalities are continuously vulnerable to potential regime changes, leaving them susceptible to instituting new political leadership with its ideologies and strategies. The municipality that was used as a case study in this paper experienced radical administrative changes after the 2011 municipal elections. The implementation of mechanisms to respond to structural and system-based changes has been slow in the public sector, and municipalities in particular have found it difficult to effectively manage such changes. This article proposes an effective implementation plan based on change management principles to ensure that the process is managed effectively and efficiently. In developing the plan, use was made of theoretical models and of empirical data that were acquired through interviews with and surveys involving key role players in the relevant local government organisation. The recommended Change Management Procedure Framework could serve as an intervention for use by municipal management during periods of change and by swung municipalities so as to minimise possible disruptions caused by change and to ensure more effective and efficient service delivery.


The mandibular bone defect can cause speech disorder, mastication malfunction, and aesthetic problems. The application of plate for mandibular reconstruction can improve the function disorder. Plate material must be strong, resilient, able to adapt to the bone surface, and has good biocompatibility. Cobalt chromium is a cobalt base alloys are often used for implant materials. It has good mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and corrosion resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of local irritation and tissue response on material cobalt chromium. This study used three albino rabbits were injected by the material powder in polar and nonpolar solvents with intracutaneous injection method, then the treatments were observed on the first, second, and third days. Erythema and edema that occurs were scored based on grading system for intracutaneous (intradermal) reactions. Friedmann test showed no significant difference between treatment groups (p> 0.05). The results showed that erythema and edema arising from irritant reactions are still within normal limits. Irritation occurs due to the release of cobalt chromium ions which trigger hypersensitivity reactions and result in systemic immunity.


Provided in the present invention are a substituted heteroaryl compound, a composition containing same, and an application thereof, the present invention disclosing a heteroaryl compound of the formula (I), or a crystalline form, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, a prodrug, a stereoisomer, a hydrate, or a solvent compound thereof. The substituted heteroaryl compound and the composition containing same set forth in the present invention can be used for regulating hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) and/or endogenous erythropoietin (EPO), simultaneously having better pharmacokinetic parameter characteristics and being able to improve the drug concentration of the compound in animal bodies, in order to improve the curative effect and safety of the drug.


The occurrence of hemoglobin Potomac (8101 Glu→Asp), an abnormal hemoglobin with increased oxygen affinity, has been previously reported in nine members of one kindred (1). We now present the second occurrence of this hemoglobin, in a 26 year old white female of mixed northern European extraction, and report the clinical picture and studies of the stability and biosynthesis of the abnormal hemoglobin.


Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a cytokine that is profoundly related to tumorigenesis. We found that TGF-β stimulation increases the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alters the intracellular redox potential. In mammary gland epithelial cells treated with TGF-β, a mitochondria-dependent increase in the ROS concentration occurs in a sustained manner, while the mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular glutathione (GSH) level decrease. To gain insights into the significance and mechanism of this response to TGF-β, we determined that approximately 15% of TGF-β-inducible genes are affected by mitochondrial depletion and therefore, we conducted further detailed analyses. Interestingly, we found that TGF-β-mediated expression of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker fibronectin is inhibited by exogenously expressed mitochondrial thioredoxin (TXN2) independent of Smad signaling. Of note, the induction of high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2), a central mediator of EMT and metastatic progression, is similarly inhibited by TXN2 expression, revealing a novel mechanism involving a thiol oxidation reaction in mitochondria that regulates TGF-β-mediated gene expression associated with EMT.


This paper discusses the concept of the digital art and digital art talent,and proposes some measures for the development of digital art education in our country.It reveals the problem in the relation between the technology and art in the digital art education and puts forward a solution to the problem.


Nanofiber non-woven mats of gelatin/poly(L-lactic acid) composites were fabricated by electrospinning. The mechanical strength of the composite mats was much larger than that of the gelatin nanofib...


Java has reinvigorated the debate on the `best' language to use for CS1. Much of the controversy centers on the goals of CS1, specific language constructs that either hinder or support the first formal introduction to programming, and, even, `real-world' relevance. Missing from typical discussions is the effect of the language choice in CS1 on CS2 and subsequent courses in the CS curriculum. In all such dialogues, it is important to note the characteristics of the department at hand. While many programs can afford to choose a language (such as Scheme) purely for pedagogical reasons, others (if not most), due to pressure from students, industry, advisory boards, select a language with some market appeal. Small departments that serve students who expect an immediate transition to a professional job typically choose a traditional procedural language like C, Pascal, Modula-2, or a popular OO language like C++, Java, Ada95, or Visual Basic. Hence, we focus here on the choice of one of these languages, and the resulting effects on students' progression in the CS curriculum.


Recent discourse in the career studies literature suggests that careers become more boundaryless and more global. The scope of these phenomena and the possible association between them remains unclear. We add to the discussion by suggesting a set of propositions to further develop the global careers discourse and use examples from contrasting global and cultural contexts. Our contribution offers a two-dimensional framework, where not all global careers are boundaryless, and not all boundaryless careers are global. It will encourage scholars to critically reflect on national, cultural, structural, and regulatory constraints. It challenges individuals and organizations to delve into how individuals interpret their way out of their contextual systems to engage in global careers and how different contextual aspects influence the desire for and the perception of global careers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This paper makes a research on VEP data types, comma nds, program's str uctures, object's characters, procedures, procedure files and etc. It also point s out that the correct use of developing tools optimizes the applying programs.


A simple and rapid solid-phase extraction method for the determination of Carbofuran and Atrazine in water is described.The samples were extracted with C18 SPE column and eluted with petroleum ether.The elution were quantitatively determined by HPLC.The minimum detectable concentration of the method is 0.05mg/L and the recoveries are over 90%.


OBJECTIVE To study the medial retrograde island flap with superior genicular artery and anterior tibia recurrent artery of the knee on clinical application. METHODS The applied anatomy of superior genicular artery and anterior tibia relurrent artery was studied and the successful experience of the large soft tissue transplant was introduced. RESULTS Fifteen patients were treated with these flaps and thirteen cases followed satisfactory up were successfully survived. CONCLUSION The medial retrograde island flap of the knee is a more effective treatment for the deep large exploded soft tissue defect and for those patients who could not receive the near skin transplant.


Sillgle crystals oJiroll with the [100] crystal orielltatioll were irradiated ill JMTR with Jast lIeutrolls to a flue/lce oj 8 x 10' 8 n/cm (E > 1 MeV) . All samples were d~rormed in tensioll at temperatures Jrom liquid nitrogen tem/Jerature to 200°C at different strain rates using an Instron-type tellsile testing machine. Scanning electron microscopy oj the Jractured surfaces revealed that diformation twillning is difficult to occur in irradiated samples, and also that twins Jormed ill both irradiated and ltIzirradiated samples inhibit Jracture Ilucleation and growth. From the results oj tensile diformation oj the irradiated samples diformed in tension at different strain rates at 159° K . it is conceived that twinnillg suppressioll is greater in the irradiated than ill the ullinadiated samples, and that the nucleatioll alld growth oj twins are not necessarily related to those oj cracks. It is suggested that the irradiation-induced difects impede plastic diformation oj the crystals and diformatioll twillning is sU/Jpressed by irradialioll, thus causing the irradiatioll embriUlemell1.


The aim of this work is to design a Solar Powered mobile robot that can inspect the abnormal conditions such as gas leakage, fire hazard, worn out insulation in an underground cable tunnel, which can precisely detect the exact location of fault point by using a GPS tracker. This Solar Powered mobile robot is used as substitute for human presence to detect the fault.


The MGKS storage temperature can cause changes in the percentage of free fatty acids (FFA), peroxide number (PV) and oil color so that the quality and quality of the oil decreases. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the factors related to the quality of palm cooking oil based on storage temperature parameters. Titration method is used to determine changes in FFA and PV values, while color determination uses a lovibond tintometer to analyze changes in these parameters based on changes in storage temperature in the range of 18 0C - 36 0C, treatment increases every 2 0C. The average change in the FFA value for every 2 0C increase in the sample Sp.A = 0.1071 %; Sp.B = 0.1097 %; Sp.C = 0.1111 %. Changes in PV of Sp.A samples; Sp.B and Sp.C respectively 1.152 meq/kg; 1.266 meq/kg and 1,352 meq/kg, while the color changes that appear in the three samples are 2.34; 2.46 and 2.67. These results show that every 2 0C increase in MGKS storage temperature affects the quality and quality of the oil. MGKS Sp.A is more stable than samples Sp.B and Sp.C. Changes in the FFA value of the three samples were stable in the temperature range 18 0C - 36 0C. Changes in the FFA value of the three samples were stable in the temperature range of 18 0C - 36 0C. Sp.A samples are more stable in maintaining PV values and color against changes and increases in storage temperature compared to Sp.B and Sp.C.


The radiation mechanism from an underground duct that models an active fault is described. Lateral waves propagating the boundary between two media have long been known. However, the behavior of duct structures with two close boundaries is unknown. First, a sound source is placed in a layered structure duct with the upper and lower boundaries sufficiently separated, and the lateral waves are generated on the upper and lower boundaries. Next, the two boundaries are gradually brought closer. Meanwhile, the behavior of the two lateral waves is investigated. As a result, it was found that two lateral waves coexist even in a duct sufficiently thinner than a wavelength and propagate while interfering with each other. As a result of their interference, the narrow ducts radiate impact and sustained pulses. These pulses vary with the width and length of the duct. Here, the change in the radiation pulse due to the increase in peripheral pressure when strain is applied around the duct is shown. Such duct propagation phenomenon is important for elucidating ground penetrating radar and seismic structure.


BL-PCD is expected to be an excellent material for a micro cutting tool because it is the hardest material in the world. Micro tools are used for the direct machining of high precision die and mold, and conventional PCD tools are often used for such precise machining in general. However, conventional PCD tools are insufficient when it comes to wear and chipping resistance. To study the unique die and mold machining application using a micro end mill made of BL-PCD, systematic experiments involving the machining of ultrafine grain tungsten carbide alloy have been conducted. In the study, tool wear and machined surface quality of tungsten alloy material have been evaluated in relation to the machining conditions and machining process parameters. The results have justified the superior performance of BL-PCD micro end mill, as compared to results obtained in the machining experiment based on a regular PCD micro end mill, which has the same tool geometry. INTRODUCTION To facilitate the miniaturization of mechanical parts, high precision micro molds with fine structures are required. For such high precision molds, fine structures, high edge sharpness, and very low surface roughness are required. To productively manufacture such molds, high accuracy micro-milling tools with features of sub-millimeter dimensions are necessary (hereinafter referred to as micro tools). To efficiently produce high precision molds using difficult to machine materials, the micro tool must have high hardness, excellent wear resistance, and a long tool life. Synthetic diamond can be cited as such a tool material; however, since single crystal diamond (SCD) has anisotropic mechanical strength dependent on the crystal orientation, it is not a suitable material for rotary tools. Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) sintered with a binder material, such as cobalt, does not have sufficient tool life owing to the releasing and chipping of abrasives during abrasion, similar to that in grinding wheels. Binder-less nano polycrystalline diamond (BL-PCD) developed in 2003 [1], is synthesized from high-purity graphite at ultra-high temperature and pressure without using any binder materials. The polycrystalline structure of BL-PCD means that it is isotropic and does not exhibit cleavage fracture such as the case in SCD. Also, BL-PCD has a higher hardness than SCD. The high hardness and isotropic strength of BL-PCD makes it an ideal material for micro tools, and it is expected to become the next-generation micro tool material of choice [2]. Although there are some reports showing that the tool wear of BL-PCD tool is less than that of PCD [3], the result of detailed measurement of wear progression, change of cutting force due to the tool wear, and other factors have not been discussed yet. Therefore, in this paper, we will verify in detail the difference between a PCD and a BL-PCD tool by observing and comparing the tool wear characteristics and cutting force during the machining of tungsten carbide. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE For this experiment, three types of tools were prepared to aid the comparison of the different wear mechanisms. The first type is a polished BL-PCD tool whose flank and rake face were polished to a surface roughness of 10 nmRa after pre-forming using a nano-second laser machining system. The second type is an unpolished BL-PCD tool whose flank and rake face were finished using only a nano-second laser machining system, and its surface roughness was ~50 nmRa. The third type is a conventional PCD tool, and the surface roughness of its flank and rake face was 130 nmRa. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of each of the three types of tools before using micro-milling experiments are shown in Fig. 1. All of the tools were prepared in the same geometry of R0.5 mm single flute ball end mill, as shown in Fig. 2. 47 i Kanazawa, Japan, 15– , Ultrafine grain tungsten carbide (AF1) was used as the workpiece material to be machined. AF1 has an average particle size of 0.5 μm, Co content of 12.0 wt%, and a Vickers hardness of 1765 Hv. The above prepared tools were mounted on a three-axis vertical high precision machining center (AZ150L), as shown in Fig. 3. This machining center has an air turbine spindle with the rotational speed of 120,000 min. A minimum feeding resolution of each liner axes is 10 nm. Machining tests were performed on the tungsten carbide that was tilted by 45° with respect to the table of the machining center such that the peripheral speed at the processing point of the ball end mill did not become zero. The machining conditions were determined with reference to the preceding study [3, 4] and are as shown in Table 1. The surface roughness of the machined workpiece surface and tool surface was measured by a scanning white light interference microscopy (SWLIM, NewView7300) and an autofocus contour measuring instrument (MLP-3SP). Also, tool shapes and the machined surfaces observations were performed SEM (ERA 8900 FE). In addition, the cutting force during machining was measured by a dynamometer. Table 1: Machining conditions Workpiece Tungsten carbide(AF1) Rev. speed 120,000 rpm Workpiece size 0.5 × 10 × 0.05 mm Radial depth of cut 0.5 μm Feed rate Feed/revolution 100–800 mm/min 0.83–6.7 μm Cross feed 5 μm Tilt angle 45° RESULT AND DISCUSSION Analysis of the machined surface The relationship between the average surface roughness (Ra) of the different samples of tungsten carbide machined by each of the three types of tools and the feed rate is shown in Fig. 4, and the images of machined surface profiles measured by SWLIM are shown in Fig. 5. As can be seen from the figure, for all different feed rate conditions, the surface roughness of the sample machined using the polished BL-PCD tool is lower than those of the sample machined by the unpolished BL-PCD and conventional PCD tools. With the unpolished BL-PCD tool, at the initial feed rate of 100 mm/min, the surface roughness was almost same with that of the machined surface using the polished BL-PCD tool. However, with increasing feed rate, the surface quality became worse and the surface roughness reached 180 nmRa. In the PCD tool, a comparatively superior surface roughness was obtained with a low feed rate, whereas a large deterioration in surface roughness was realized with increasing feed rate. During the PCD milling process, fine diamond abrasives appear on the tool surface whereby the surface roughness shows lower level [5]. With increasing feed rate, large chipping at the cutting edge occurred because of the higher cutting force. As shown in Fig. 5, in all types of tools, a vertical pattern due to the influence of the cross feed was observed in parallel with the feeding direction. In the case of the PCD tool, rough portions are irregularly present due to the influence of chipping. Investigation on flank wear of tools Tool wear characteristics were investigated by focusing on the flank wear width of the tool which is defined as shown in Fig. 6. Figure 7 shows the relationship between the machining distance and flank wear width. Figure 8 shows the SEM observation results of the flank wear progression during each machining period. In two types of BL-PCD tools, although the flank wear width at the initial stage of machining distance was almost the same as that of the PCD tool, the progress of wear was gentle after the total machining distance of 200 m. However, in the PCD tool, the flank wear width tended to linearly increase up to 120 μm. In addition, since BL-PCD tools show a small amount of wear, excepting the initial wear, it is possible to use it for a drawn out progresses in proportion to Figure 3: Overview of experimental setup. Air turbine spindle


This is a collection of 20th and 21st Australian Newspapers available on microform, Microforms Section, Baillieu Library, University of Melbourne


Learning from denaonstration is an eficient way for transfering movement skil from a human teacher to a robot . Using a camera as a recorder of the demonstrated movement,a learning strategy is required to acquire knowledge abo ut the nonlinearity and uncertainty of a robo t-camera system through repetitive practice.The purpose of this paper is to design a neural network controler for vision-based movement imitation by repeufive t~clang and to keep the maxJirluin training deviation from a dem onstrated trajectory in a permi~ed region.A distributed neural network structure along a dem onstrated trajectory is proposed. The local networks for a se~nent ofthe trajectory are invariant or repetitive over repeated trail'~ and are independent ofthe other segments.As a result,a demonstrated trajectory can be decomposed into short set~nents and the traiI1ing of the local neural netw orks can be done se~nent-wise progressively from the starting se~nent to the ending one.Th e accurate tracking ofthe whole dem onstrated trajectory is thus accomplished in a step-by-step or segn1en七.b se 1ent lTlaDDer.It is used for trajectory imitation by demonstration with an unknown robo t-canaera model and shows that it is efective in ensuring uniform bo undedness an d eficient traiI1i 唱. Key works:iterative learning control;neural network control;visual servoing;imimfion learning CLC nm ber:11)l83 Doetmaent code:A 迭代学习神经网络控制在机器人示教学习中的应用 蒋 平-,李自育-,陈阳泉z (1.同济大学 信息与控制工程系,上海 200092; 2.尤他州立大学 电气与计算机工程系 自组织与智能系统中心,美国尤他州 84322—4160) 摘要:示教学习是机器人运动技能获取的一种高效手段.当采用摄像机作为示教轨迹记录部件时,示教学习 涉及如何通过反复尝试获得未知机器人摄像机模型问题.本文力图针对非线性系统重复作业中的可重复不确定性 学习,提出一个迭代学习神经网络控制方案,该控制器将保证系统最大跟踪误差维持在神经网络有效近似域内.为 此提出了一个适合于重复作业应用的分布式神经网络结构.该神经网络由沿期望轨线分布的一系列局部神经网络 构成,每一局部神经网络对对应期望轨迹点邻域进行近似并通过重复作业完成网络训练.由于所设计的局部神经 网络相互独立,因此一个全程轨迹可以通过分段训练完成,由起始段到结束段,逐段实现期望轨迹的准确跟踪.该 方法在具有未知机器人摄像机模型的轨迹示教模仿中得到验证,显示了它是一种高效的训练方法,同时具有一致 的误差限界能力. 关键词:迭代学习控制;神经网络控制;视觉伺服;模仿学习 In order to control a complex system with an unknown model,neural networks(NN)have been introduced to leam and r.econstmct the unkno、IVn noI1h earides[1—3]


Physics learning is inseparable from experiments. Some teachers have not been able to provide experimental tools in schools. One of the materials that requires experimental tools is Pascal's Law. The solution provided is in the form of developing a Pascal's law experimental tool using the R & D method. The development is using the ADDIE model which consists of the stages of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The aim of this research is to investigate the results of the implementation of the Pascal's law experimental tool. Data collection instruments with pre-test, post-test, student worksheet, and student response questionnaires. The sample was taken from one class of 20 class 11 physics students at West Java. The questions on the pre-test and student worksheet totaled 7 items and 10 questions respectively. The student response questionnaire consisted of four aspects, namely aspects of ease of use, attractiveness, efficiency, and suitability of the material. Overall, the indicators totaled 11 items which were distributed using Google Form to students. The results of the analysis show that there is a change in the results of the students' pre-test and post-test with an N-Gain of 0.24 (low category). The results of the student response questionnaire analysis are 79.51%. This indicates that the tools developed are practical and can be used in learning physics, especially Pascal's law. Future research is expected to be able to see a comparison of student learning outcomes using the Pascal's law experimental tool directly with a virtual experiment with PhET.


Journal bearings are commonly used in large rotary machineries because they have excellent mechanical and geometric properties as well as large load-carrying capacities. Nevertheless, the oil whirl and oil whip instabilities limit their applications due to their insufficient stiffness at high running speeds. This paper presents a method to increase the stiffness of a rotating machine using an electromagnetic exciter (EE), which can raise the threshold of instability of the rotating machine and eliminate fluid-induced instability. The EE is a controllable auxiliary device that can provide additional stiffness to the bearings to increase the operating ranges of a rotating machine, while the journal bearings act as load-carrying devices. Together, the EE complements the JB to stiffen the rotor system and raise the threshold of instability. A simple control scheme is used to calculate the amount of supplemental stiffness supplied by the EE. The experimental results demonstrate that the oil whirl and oil whip instabilities of the rotating machine can be eliminated effectively, even at higher running speeds. The advantage of the EE is to offer a faster, more stable method to eliminate fluid-induced instability.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


Corn-Cob Meal (CCM) is a waste product derived from maize grain shelling corn cob which constitutes nuisance to the environment and it can be included in poultry diet in order to reduce competition between man and animal. Hence, a 63-day feeding trial was conducted in a completely randomized design to determine performance characteristics and blood profile of broiler chickens fed corn-cobs based diets with or without enzyme supplementation. One hundred and sixty five (165) birds were randomly allotted into five dietary treatment groups; T1: (0% CCM), T2 (10% CCM without enzyme), T3 (20% CCM without enzyme), T4 (10% CCM with enzyme), T5 (20% CCM with enzyme) with each treatment comprising three replicates of eleven birds per replicate. Parameters measured include performance characteristics, haematological and serum biochemical indices. The result revealed that there were no significant difference (P>0.05) on performance characteristics of broiler chicken observed except for Average Daily Feed Intake (ADFI) and the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR). Birds fed 10% and 20% CCM based diet without enzyme recorded the highest value of ADFI (129.38 g/b/d and 130.85 g/b/d) while birds fed 20% CCM based diet with enzyme supplementation had the best FCR value (2.18). The haematological parameters were not significantly influenced (P>0.05) by the diets except for lymphocytes and heterophil count with the highest lymphocytes value in T2 (68.00%) and the lowest value in T5(53.67 %). Birds on T5 had significantly (P<0.05) highest heterophil value (40.67%). The serum biochemical indices were not significantly influenced (P>0.05) by the diets except for aspartate aminotransferase. However, values obtained in this study fell within the normal range recommended for healthy broiler chicken. Based on this result, it can be concluded that CCM with enzyme supplementation can be incorporated into broiler diet up to 20% without any detrimental effect on their performance and blood profile.


In this letter, we focus on the delay outage probability in block fading channels and relay-assisted decode-and-forward hybrid-automatic retransmission request (HARQ-I) based systems. The delay outage is defined as the probability that the requirement on the average delay in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), could not be sustained in block fading channels. In other words, the system is said to be in outage if the mean delay exceeds a certain threshold θm due to the retransmission mechanism of erroneous packets. Our contribution lies in two folds: A closed form expression of the end-to-end delay in relay-assisted HARQ scheme is derived. Using the derived delay expression, an analytical form of the delay outage probability is proposed which might be very useful to avoid lengthy simulations.


Thesis where the authors present a documentary study on ways and concepts havebeen addressed in Public Policy and Early Childhood in investigations LineChildhood Education and the Master of Social Development in the period between2008 to 2013. In order to understand the way the category Public Politics Researchin Early Childhood.


We address the distributed estimation of a scalar Gaussian source in wireless sensor networks. The sensor nodes transmit their noisy observations, using the amplify-and-forward relaying strategy through coherent multiple access channel to the fusion center (FC) that reconstructs the source parameter. In this letter, we assume that the received signal at the FC is corrupted by impulsive noise and channel fading, as encountered for instance within power substations. Over Rayleigh fading channel and in presence of Middleton class-A impulsive noise, we derive the minimum mean square error (MMSE) optimal Bayesian estimator along with its mean square error performance bounds. From the obtained results, we conclude that the proposed optimal MMSE estimator outperforms the linear MMSE estimator developed for Gaussian noise scenario.


Automatic text classification is still a challenging in the literature, specially for multi-label classification. In this work we evaluate the performance of the Multi-Label k-Nearest Neighbor algorithm for a multi-labeled dataset with more than 1,000 possible labels to be assigned to each one of the documents in the dataset. The results are promising.


PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the effects of whole-body tilt exercise with visual feedback on trunk control, strength, and balance in patients with acute stroke.
METHODS: The study included 18 patients with acute stroke who were randomly allocated to a Whole Body Tilt Exercise Group (WBTEG, N=9) and a General Trunk Exercise Group (GTEG, N=9). The WBTEG conducted whole-body tilt exercises with visual feedback, and the GTEG performed general trunk exercises. Both groups performed the exercises five times a week for 4 weeks. Outcomes were assessed using the trunk impairment scale (TIS), the trunk flexor and extensor strength test, the static balance test, and the Brunel Balance Assessment.
RESULTS: After 4 weeks of intervention, both groups showed significantly improved TIS scores, muscle strength, and balance components (p<.05 in both groups). However, the improvement in TIS, muscle strength, and static balance in the WBTEG was significantly better than that in the GTEG (p<.05).
CONCLUSION: Although both groups in this study showed post-intervention improvement, patients from the WBTEG who received visual feedback demonstrated more improvement. These findings indicate that whole-body tilt exercise with visual feedback may be effective at improving trunk control, trunk muscle strength, and balance in patients with acute stroke. Further studies are needed to gain a better understanding of the effectiveness of whole-body tilt exercise in patients with acute stroke.


Abstract Adolf Schlatter claims that the Protestant Reformation bequeathed us a lopsided understanding of human personhood. In his view, the Reformers offered a limited definition of sin that neglected our creatureliness, and a passive understanding of grace that rendered the believer inactive. Seeking to correct what he considers misrepresentations of religious and christological anthropology in (post-)Reformation theology, Schlatter suggests a view of sin that takes our humanity as God's creatures seriously, and he puts forward a view of grace that leads to an organic transformation of our volition and leaves our God-given creatureliness intact. Schlatter's active-volitional understanding of divine grace offers much by way of promise as we rediscover our responsibilities as God's active agents in a fallen world.


This paper investigated the operational issues of a two-echelon supply chain with multiple suppliers and multiple retailers under linear demand function/curve and retailer fixed markup pricing policy for each buyer/retailer. The operational decisions of the model are purchase price and quantity which determine the channel cost of the supply chain. To find out the optimal purchase price and quantity, a mathematical model is formulated for each buyer from several suppliers. Also, for using the genetic algorithm method to solve the formulated problem, the model was modified and then the best value of the parameters was derived. This research anticipates completing optimal parameter combination design in genetic algorithm using Taguchi method. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the model.


Introduction: In a patient with recurrent Dupuytren's disease, we performed dermofasciectomy including the diseased skin and soft tissue, and covered the soft tissue defect using an ulnar parametacarpal flap. Case Report: A 65-year-old man had undergone invasive aponeurectomy for Dupuytren's contracture of the right 5th finger 3 years before, but showed recurrence about 1 year after surgery. Since a skin ulcer was noted at the site of recurrence, dermofasciectomy including the scarred skin was performed on the palmar side of the 5th finger, and the skin defect was covered with an ulnar parametacarpal flap. No recurrence has been noted for the 6 months since the surgery. Conclusion: The ulnar parametacarpal flap, in which the vascular pedicle is easy to identify, is useful for covering a skin defect on the palmar side of the 5th finger if used as an island flap. However, a disadvantage of this flap is that it is likely to develop congestion due to poor venous return.


analyses have sho\m that adjacent individual heart cells may be differently affected. An ischemic zone, therefore, is a mixture of dead, dying and normal cells, subjected to a wide range of reduction in blood flow. The de~ree of coronary f low reduct ion during ischemia may tnf luence the extent of ischemic damage, as it can provide some oxygen supply to the ischemic cell and remove metabolic products from the interstitial space.


Paddy's Market: A New Music for an Old Market
12 Sep 2019
7:30pm
£15.00 / £13.00 conc
Rutherglen Town Hall


3 Donya Khaledyan, MSc 1*, Thomas J. Marini, MD2, Avice O'Connell, MD2, Kevin Parker, PhD1,2 4 *Corresponding author: email@example.com 5 1 Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering 6 University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA 7 2 Department of Imaging Sciences 8 University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA 9 10 Abstract: Segmentation of breast ultrasound images is a crucial and challenging task in computer-aided diagnosis 11 systems. Accurately segmenting masses in benign and malignant cases and identifying regions with no mass is a 12 primary objective in breast ultrasound image segmentation. Deep learning (DL) has emerged as a powerful tool in 13 medical image segmentation, revolutionizing how medical professionals analyze and interpret complex imaging data. 14 The UNet architecture is a highly regarded and widely used DL model in medical image segmentation. Its distinctive 15 architectural design and exceptional performance have made it a popular choice among researchers in the medical 16 image segmentation field. With the increase in data and model complexity, optimization and fine-tuning models play 17 a vital and more challenging role than before. This paper presents a comparative study evaluating the effect of image 18 preprocessing and different optimization techniques and the importance of fine-tuning different UNet segmentation 19 models for breast ultrasound images. Optimization and fine-tuning techniques have been applied to enhance the 20 performance of UNet, Sharp UNet, and Attention UNet. Building upon this progress, we designed a novel approach 21 by combining Sharp UNet and Attention UNet, known as Sharp Attention UNet. Our analysis yielded the following 22 quantitative evaluation metrics for the Sharp Attention UNet: the dice coefficient, specificity, sensitivity, and F1 score 23 obtained values of 0.9283, 0.9936, 0.9426, and 0.9412, respectively. In addition, McNemar's statistical test was 24 applied to assess significant differences between the approaches. Across a number of measures, our proposed model 25 outperforms the earlier designed models and points towards improved breast lesion segmentation algorithms.


Objective To analyze the clinical features of CMT patients with PMP22 duplication.Methods We collected 65 CMT families in which there were 18 families with PMP22 duplication by using real-time quantitative PCR,then analyzed their clinlical features.Results In these patients,the age of onset ranged from 10-56 years old,and the average was 16.6 years.The course of disease ranged from 3-26 years.and the average was 14.1 years.The most frequently first symptom was weakness and atrophy in lower limbs,accounting for 88.9%.Atrophy in lower limbs was common in all patients.9 patients showed weakness and atrophy in upper limbs,accounting for 50%;8 patients had drop-foot gaits(44.4%),10 patients had Talipes cavus(55.6%),7 patients had hypesthesia in lower limbs(38.9%);3 patients had hypesthesia in upper limbs(16.7%)cranial nerve lesions in all patients were rare.Electromyogram and nerve conduction velocity showed that fibrillation potential in 15 patients,prolonged time limit of motor unit in 16 patients,demonstrated slow nerve conduction velocities in 15 patients.The average conduction velocity of median nerve was 25.68± 7.6m/s.Pathological examination showed desmoplasia among neurofibras and decreased myelinated nerve fibers in 15 patients;and onionskin change in 14 patients.Conclusions The clinical features of the CMT patients with PMP22 duplication are similar to those reported previously.Most patients'age of onset is adolescent,with weakness and atrophy in lower limbs and skeletal deformity.Sensory disability was more frequent than that in European and Brazil patients.Electrophysiological and pathological examination showed extensive demyelination changes in peripheral nerve.


Needs assessment generally refers to the identification of some need or problem to be addressed. The authors aim to demonstrate how empathy, when shaped by authentic affinity or involvement with an organization, can serve the needs assessment experience in a positive way. As part of the chapter, the authors describe their approach and highlight pertinent findings from the needs assessment, which focused on proactive opportunities to enhance outcomes in parent efficacy. The authors also detail accounts of participant experiences within the process, including their interactions with the practitioner and overall experience. Finally, the authors share practitioner reflections on the overall process. Insider Effects: Empathy in Needs Assessment Practice


Abstract : The Bleistein Cohen separation of a source (for the inhomogeneous Helmholtz wave equation) distribution into radiating and non-radiating portions is reformulated into a form suitable for deriving a wave equation governing the radiating portion of the source distribution. (Author)


Abstract : The purpose of this study was to examine five active computer models of the aircrew/cockpit system, and to determine their relevance to current and future attack aircraft. The models were compared in terms of their general structure, input requirements, output options, and their sensitivity to a wide variety of equipment, mission, and operator characteristics. The models reviewed are similar in several important respects: They all require a detailed mission scenario and task analysis to steer the simulation; all require data on performance time and accuracy as inputs; and all generate outputs related to operator task load. The models differ widely in their sensitivity to significant variables. Recommendations for future work are presented. (Author)


Objectives It has been suggested that homozygous c.985A>G medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD) is a disease of White ethnic origin but little is known regarding its ethnic distribution. We estimated ethnic-specific homozygous c.985A>G MCADD birth prevalence from a large-scale UK newborn screening study. Methods Homozygous c.985A>G MCADD cases were ascertained in six English newborn screening centres between 1 March 2004 and 28 February 2007 by screening approximately 1.1 million newborns using tandem mass spectrometry analysis of underivatised blood spot samples to quantitate octanoylcarnitine (C8). Follow-up biochemistry and mutation analyses for cases (mean triplicate C8 value ≥0.5 µmol/L) were reviewed to confirm diagnosis. Ethnicity was ascertained from clinician report and denominators from 2001 UK Census estimates of ethnic group of children less than one year. Results Sixty-four infants were c.985A>G MCADD homozygotes (overall prevalence 5.8 per 100,000 live births; 95% CI 4.4–7.2). Sixty (93%) were White, two (3%) were mixed/other and two were of unknown ethnic origin. No Asian or Black homozygotes were identified. Proportions of White, mixed/other, Asian and Black births in screening regions were estimated, yielding homozygous c.985A>G MCADD birth prevalence of 6.9 per 100,000 (95% CI 5.2–8.8) in White, and 95% CI estimates of 0–2.7 per 100,000 in Asian and 0–5.8 in Black populations. The c.985A>G carrier frequency in the White group was estimated at one in 65 (95% CI 1/74, 1/61) under Hardy–Weinberg conditions. Conclusion c.985A>G homozygous MCADD is not found in Black and Asian ethnic groups that have been screened at birth in England. This is consistent with the earlier published observations suggesting that MCADD due to the c.985A>G mutation is a disease of White ethnic origin.


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Abstract: Preparing administrators with the capacity to improve instruction for all learners is critical for recruiting and retaining special education teachers. However, recent research points out the need to improve skills of current and future administrators for this role. To address these concerns the special education and administrator preparation programs at a western university designed and conducted research to determine how well preservice principals were being prepared to improve instruction for all learners. To determine program improvement and training needs, researchers collected focus group and survey data from current and alumni students from both programs. Findings of this research are organized into recommendations for program improvement. Introduction One of the most important challenges in education is to create and nurture inclusive environments that support learning for all students. The degree to which students can be well educated is directly correlated to a system of personnel preparation that results in a qualified work force so that every student has highly skilled and competent teachers and administrators. In an effort to increase student achievement in classrooms, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB) requires that all students be taught by highly qualified teachers. Every administrator appreciates how teacher quality and quantity directly link to student learning results. However, many students receiving special education services do not have access to highly skilled or competent special education teachers due to the critical shortage of fully licensed special educators (Boe & Cook, 2006). Findings, in a report conducted by the Presidential Commission on the Conditions of Special Education and authorized by the Council for Exceptional Children (2001), indicated that the most pressing issues facing educators and special education systems include ambiguous and competing responsibilities; overwhelming paperwork; inadequate district and administrative support; significant teacher isolation; insufficient focus on improved student outcomes; increased demand for well-qualified special educators; poorly prepared general and special educators; and fragmented licensing systems. York-Barr, Sommerness, Duke, and Ghere (2005) accurately describe the problem and predict "that an emerging crisis in special education, if unresolved, will result in diminished quality of services and education outcomes for children" (p. 194). Further compounding this problem, the lack of special preparation for school principals challenges their ability to meaningfully serve all students (Garrison-Wade, 2005; Goor, Schwenn, & Boyer, 1997). Administrators report being ill-prepared for the job and cite difficulties with role clarification and job specialization (Ashby & Maki, l996; GarrisonWade, 2005). In the role of instructional leaders, principals need requisite knowledge in assessing the impact of disabilities on student performance, monitoring referral-to-placement procedures, providing various service delivery models, and facilitating student support teams (Garrison-Wade, 2005). Aims to create inclusive environments for all learners more easily can be realized through strong, inclusive leadership practices from school administrators. While every teacher must be prepared for the vast diversity of today's student population, principals face additional challenges leading special education initiatives. Sindelar, Shearer, Yendol-Hoppey, and Liebert (2006) maintained that the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education is a complex and demanding reform. Given that complexity, inclusion is often misunderstood and sometimes resisted by teachers and not fully understood or supported by school administrators. Since 1990, considerable attention has been paid to the identification of the skills, knowledge, and dispositions that enable all teachers to embrace and successfully implement inclusive educational practices (Ryndak, Jackson, & Billingsley, 1999- 2000). …


Abstract This paper examines the extent to which solo self-employment serves as a vehicle for job creation. Using panel data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, a dynamic multinomial logit model of transitions between labour market states is estimated. The empirical strategy closely follows that used in a previous study employing household data from Germany by Lechmann and Wunder (2017). Estimates of true cross-state dependence between solo self-employment and employership are obtained that are relatively small. Further, the results imply that the probability of a male worker being an employer just two years after transitioning out of solo self-employment is only about 4% (and among women, it is just 2%). The extent of both true cross-state dependence and true state dependence in employership is, however, much greater among individuals who have demonstrated a preference for self-employment in the past. This implies that pro-entrepreneurial policies that target more 'entrepreneurial' individuals will have more pronounced and long-term effects in stimulating job creation.


The work of Leszek Kołakowski focuses primarily on the philosophical concepts of human existence. The philosopher is interested in man as an individual being and a member of great social formations. The publication discusses the social situation of man and his moral condition conditioned by revolutionary historical and social changes. The philosopher searches for an answer to the question about the meaning of human presence in the world and whether this sense can be found.


We report new limits on the absolute brightness and spatial fluctuations of the cosmic infrared background (CIB) via the AKARI satellite. We carried out observations at 65, 90, 140, and 160 μm as a cosmological survey in AKARI Deep Field South, which is one of the lowest cirrus regions with a contiguous area of the sky. After removing bright galaxies and subtracting zodiacal and Galactic foregrounds from the measured sky brightness, we successfully measured the CIB brightness and its fluctuations across a wide range of angular scales, from arcminutes to degrees. The measured CIB brightness is consistent with previous results reported from COBE data, but significantly higher than the lower limits at 70 and 160 μm obtained via Spitzer from the stacking analysis of selected 24 μm sources. The discrepancy with the Spitzer result is possibly due to a new galaxy population at high redshift obscured by hot dust or unknown diffuse emission. From a power spectrum analysis at 90 μm, two components were identified: the CIB fluctuations with shot noise due to individual galaxies in a small angular scale from the beam size up to 10 arcminutes, and Galactic cirrus emission dominating at the largest angular scales of a few degrees. The overall shape of the power spectrum at 90 μm is very similar to that at longer wavelengths, as observed by Spitzer and the Balloon-borne Large-Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST). Our power spectrum, with an intermediate angular scale of 10–30 arcminutes, gives a firm upper limit for galaxy clustering, which was found by Spitzer and BLAST. Moreover, the color of the CIB fluctuations, which is obtained by combining our data with the previous results, is as red as ultra-luminous infrared galaxies at high redshift. These galaxies are not likely to provide the majority of the CIB emission at 90 μm, but are responsible for the fluctuations. Our results provide new constraints on the evolution and clustering properties of distant infrared galaxies and any diffuse emission from the early universe.


We derive the Higgs mass to be 123 GeV; we also show that the standard electroweak theory is false by highlighting the fact that the photon nevertheless receives a rest mass along with the Z boson despite the linear transformation known as the Weinberg angle.


We demonstrate a mid-infrared source tunable from 6.7-12.7 μm via difference frequency generation in orientation-patterned GaAs, with 1.3 mW average output power. The input pulses are generated from a femtosecond Tm-doped-fiber laser system.


This aim of this dissertation was to examine the ways in which legislation against FGM in the UK has so far been effective, while also investigating the role of the Police force in tackling the issue with a focus on the Police in the Hampshire area. This body of work is part of a wider project that has focussed on researching the ways different services respond to the issues of FGM in Hampshire, including midwifery services, the council and local NGOs. This particular piece has focussed on the police service in Hampshire as demonstrated in the Figure 1 below.
Both primary and secondary research was undergone to obtain the outcome of this dissertation with primary data including interviews and correspondence with frontline professionals and secondary data in the form of a literature review. Through this research several recommendations were established in order to better the ways in which the Police service of Hampshire and the rest of the UK respond to FGM whilst also looking at the roles of other important service providers.
The conclusion of this project is given in the form of recommendations and follows the overlaps that have been found throughout the research. These encompassed the need for frontline service providers to work more closely with each other and with communities in order to effectively prevent FGM within the UK and the need for more amendment in legislation in order to protect all vulnerable girls and women within the UK.


The Modern Self in the Labyrinth: Politics and the Entrapment Imagination. By Eyal Chowers. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004. 260p. $49.95. This is an extremely rich and provocative work, wide in learning, filled with thoughtful interpretations of Max Weber, Sigmund Freud, and Michel Foucault, among others, and containing many insights into the ways that "modernity" and its consequences for the self have been conceived in the last century. It is also a disturbing work, pointing to what the author argues are apparently inescapable dilemmas for "us" posed by both "our institutions" and "our notions of identity" (p. 197). And it will be a very contested work, first, because of what I think are a number of questionable assertions the author makes about the views of those he discusses, particularly Nietzsche and Weber; second, because of the completely unhistorical and uncontextual methodology the author employs to throw light on these thinkers so close to us in time, yet immersed in such different social and cultural milieus; and third, because of the larger thesis and framework of the interpretation, which convey great depth of concern and sincerity, but which, I think, are very problematical as an interpretation of these thinkers. To deal with the book adequately would require much more extended treatment than a short review can give it here.


This paper asks whether teachers and students can be friends with one another and yet maintain their integrity as teachers and students. It provides an account of friendship, drawing on Aristotle, Montaigne, and contemporary work by Elizabeth Telfer and Lawrence Blum, and addresses two key challenges: first, that teachers must be impartial and this impartiality is impeded by friendship, and, second, that friendship interferes with the pedagogical relationship. The paper concludes that neither objection is insurmountable, though both suggest important caveats. This paper also discusses two reasons to recommend friendship between teachers and students: friendship mitigates some of the harm effected by schools as institutions, and furthermore scholarship in the history and sociology of childhood suggests that there is reason to believe that children are often better off when they have adults as friends, though their opportunities to make such friends are limited. This paper concludes that friendship between teachers and students is sometimes justifiable, provided it stays within ethical boundaries. Furthermore, because of the positive benefits that friendship brings, friendship between teachers exercising good judgment and students in need of an adult friend is sometimes the more ethical response.


In this paper, we study a four-parameters piecewise-smooth dry friction oscillator from Control theory. Using Filippov's convention, we prove the existence of a codimension-1 bifurcation which gives rise to a normally hyperbolic set composed by a family of attracting cylinders. This bifurcation exhibits interesting discontinuous oscillation phenomena. We also present consistent numerical simulations.


By giving up any assumptions about displacement models and stress distribution, the mixed state Hamilton equation for the axisymmetric problem of the thick laminated closed cantilever cylindrical shells is established. An identical analytical solution is obtained for the thin, moderately thick and thick laminated closed cantilever cylindrical shells. All equations of elasticity can be satisfied, and all elastic constants can be taken into account.


Antioxidants are an important class of substances which possess the ability to protect the body from damage caused by free radical-induced oxidative stress through the inhibition of oxidation directly or indirectly. 1 The main attribute of antioxidants is their ability to mop up free radicals. 2 The antioxidants in biological system can either be enzymatic or non-enzymatic. The enzymatic antioxidants include catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and peroxidase (GPx) systems, 3 while the non-enzymatic antioxidants include reducing agents such as β-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and polyphenols; these all catalyze neutralization of many free radicals and therefore exert therapeutic role by being oxidized themselves. 4 Overproduction of free radicals and the unbalanced mechanisms of antioxidant defense result in the onset of numerous chronic clinical disorders such as inflammatory diseases, ageing, asthma, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, peptic ulcer, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. 5

https://tjnpr.org/img/manuscript_570_TJNPR-2020-M033A  Galley Proof.pdf


The first 2 Mrad(SiO/sub 2/) total dose hard 0.5 /spl mu/m CMOS SOI 256 K SRAM fabricated in SIMOX has been demonstrated. The address access time varied from 15 ns at 3.6 V to 19 ns at 3.0 V. The address access time was nearly independent of temperature from -55/spl deg/C to 125/spl deg/C and independent of radiation to 2/spl times/10/sup 6/ rad(SiO/sub 2/) for a given Vdd. The standby current was 0.5 mA at 2/spl times/10/sup 6/ rad(SiO/sub 2/) which was much better than the specified 1.5 mA.


The finite-volume direct averaging micromechanics (FVDAM) theory for periodic heterogeneous materials is extended by incorporating parametric mapping into the theory's analytical framework. The parametric mapping enables modeling of heterogeneous microstructures using quadrilateral subvolume discretization, in contrast with the standard version based on rectangular subdomains. Thus arbitrarily shaped inclusions or porosities can be efficiently rendered without the artificially induced stress concentrations at fiber/matrix interfaces caused by staircase approximations of curved boundaries. Relatively coarse unit cell discretizations yield effective moduli with comparable accuracy of the finite-element method. The local stress fields require greater but not exceedingly fine, unit cell refinement to generate results comparable with exact elasticity solutions. The FVDAM theory's parametric formulation produces a paradigm shift in the continuing evolution of this approach, enabling high-resolution simulation of local fields with much greater efficiency and confidence than the standard theory.


Singer based classification of song data is important in the applications like, organized archival and indexing of music data, music retrieval. In a song, singing voice is mixed with accompanying instrument signal. To extract the vocal characteristics of the singer, the effect of non-voiced part is to be minimized. In this work a simple methodology is proposed to remove the non-voiced segments and to reduce the impression of instruments from the voice-dominating signal. To extract the vocal signature, proposed features extract the variation pattern of zero crossing rate and short term energy. In broad sense, the features try to capture the range of pitch and energy over which a singer mostly operates. This is motivated by the way a human being tries to identify a singer. Finally, singer based classification is done using multi-layer perceptron network. Experiment is carried out with artist20 dataset and 63% classification accuracy is achieved. Comparison with reported works on the same dataset shows that the performance of the proposed simple methodology is better than the majority and very close to others.


Driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) on the nation's streets and highways is a common occurrence in spite of the threat of severe formal sanctions (cf., Ross, 1973, 1984a, and 1984b). The research presented here reports on the impact of informal peer sanctions in potential drunken driving situations. Data were collected by means of self-administered questionnaires. Respondents were asked if they had attempted to intervene to prevent the possibility of drunken driving. Eighty-three percent reported that they had attempted to intervene, and a sizable majority (81%) of these attempts were successful. Respondents were also asked to identify who was intervened upon (i.e., the intervenee), where that intervention attempt took place, what technique(s) of intervention was used and whether the attempt resulted in successfully preventing an incident of drunken driving. Respondents were most likely to intervene in situations involving their friends, and most reported interventions occurred at parties, bars, or nightclubs, in contrast to home or work. Finally, the most successful techniques of intervention were those that were direct and assertive. Language: en


After the 2001 economic crisis, the banking sector restructuring program (BSRP) has been designed for the establishment of a stronger financial framework and the improvement of competition in the Turkish banking sector. The program constitutes the policies for solving specific problems such as the mismanaged assets of some banks and the recovery of regulating and supervising of the sector. This study aims to analyze the efficiency and productivity changes in the Turkish banking sector during 2002-2009. During this period the Banking Sector Restructuring Program has been applied. The data envolepment analysis (DEA) is conducted for the efficiency measurement under the production and intermediation approaches and it is observed that the efficiency of banks increased for both approaches. The mean efficiency values for the intermediation approach are higher than the values for the production approach, indicating a better functioning in financial intermediation as compared to their operational performance. The Malmquist index based on the intermediation approach is calculated to determine the productivity of the banking sector. It is observed that the productivity of banks increased during the period and the increase resulted mainly from investments in technology.


A scientific relationship between self and consciousness: mind and matter is still not clearly known in science because of lack of concrete human data that would enable us to objectively explain it.Findings and discoveries in quantum physics are reviewed in this study on the relationship between self and consciousness: mind and matter. On the basis of the above review and the author's personal experiences of valid and undeniable precognitive dreams that strongly suggest theinner self's potential power transcending the time phases of the past, present and future and the existence of timeless and non-local consciousness world of reality, the author proposedatheory of "ultron"-"logotron"that would possibly explain the relationship between self and consciousness: mind and matter.


Some key premises for understanding the development of occupational competence and attachment are how individuals come to identify with that occupation and what support provisions (including qualifications and continuing professional development) are made accessible in developing both their occupational capacities and sense of self as a practitioner or professional within the sector. Together, these comprise key bases for the formation of occupational competence and the premises for individuals association with and learning for particular occupations, such as waste management. Yet, such bases are not consistently afforded across occupations, with some enjoying greater esteem and development opportunities than others, and also differentiations in the kinds of educational provisions and sector support being afforded to offer engagement and learning. This chapter forms a review which critically evaluates the role of professional membership bodies and discusses if some of the continuing professional development (CPD) approaches and rationale used in more established occupations can be successfully applied to other emerging professions/industries (who are emerging as new professions or are varied in their stages of development across different countries). It also specifically seeks to identify the benefits and role of professional membership for individuals working within waste management functions and how these vary between countries. The consideration here is to assist in the identification of both current and future training and educational requirements, including the kinds of certifications (i.e. qualifications) required to support the standing and development of this growing sector and providing a skilled and professionally recognised work force. This consideration and elaboration should assist understanding bases by which an emerging sector of employment, such as waste management, can engage with those who work in the sector and be supported by institutional arrangements. The goal is to appraise how such arrangements could be strengthened and demonstrated through a brief overview of the current standing of professional membership of waste management professionals within Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) and within an international context (the International Solid Waste Association who provide an 'umbrella' organisation for other waste management organisations and institutions). The review looks at the role and benefits afforded by professional intuitions and introduces the mechanisms for recognition of professional waste managers. The chapter concludes by


Analysis of three sub-scene areas (850 km2) showing natural rangeland response to drought in south-east Botswana was undertaken using Landsat MSS imagery. A plot through MSS7 and MSS5 data space revealed that small zones with high species diversity showed high NIR (near infra red) and low red band values. Samples taken from the sub-


In this manuscript, we discuss the interdisciplinary influence of Glen Elder on the core ideas of life-course criminology and the role of serendipity in research discoveries. In describing the intellectual roots and evolution of this perspective we describe our long-term project on the life course of crime using a unique data archive—the Unraveling Juvenile Delinquency study and subsequent follow ups. We illustrate how Elder played a key role in the development and scope of our research program. Many of the key ideas from the life course—trajectories, transitions, turning points, behavioral continuity and change—generate important insight and understanding of crime and human development over the life course.


Polylactide (PLA) suffers from poor processability due to its low melt strength and slow crystallization kinetics and it is thus very challenging to achieve uniformly distributed fine-celled PLA foams with high void fractions in injection molding process. In this work, the low-pressure structural foam molding of linear PLA with a relatively high void fraction of ∼30% was conducted and by fine tuning the talc content and the foaming and processing parameters, a relatively uniform fine-celled structure with improved cell size and cell density was successfully produced. The effects of twin-screw compounding and the addition of talc on the foaming behavior, structural uniformity, crystallinity, and mechanical properties of the solid and foamed PLA samples were investigated. The results showed that the addition of 5 wt.% talc significantly improved the foaming properties such as cell density, cell size, structural uniformity, and consequently improved the mechanical properties of foams. The twin-screw compounding before injection molding did not significantly change the foaming behavior, but adversely affected the mechanical properties of the solid and foamed PLA samples due to mechanical and thermal degradation. The changes in the mechanical properties were discussed in terms of the crystallinity, talc toughening effect, and foam quality.