A nano-multilayer Ti0.2Al0.55Cr0.2Si0.03Y0.02N/Ti0.25Al0.65Cr0.1N PVD coating was deposited on Kennametal carbide K 313 inserts. These coatings are widely used to protect cutting tools under severe exploitation conditions. Under equilibrium conditions, it was found that the Al2O3 oxide possessed better adhesive properties than the TiO2. The addition of chromium further enhanced the oxidation resistance of the coatings. Silicon significantly increased the oxidation resistance of this type of coating. The properties of the diffusion process in this coating have not been sufficiently investigated, despite the considerable number of articles published on this topic. For the purpose of this study, a multilayer ion-plasma (TiAlCrSiY)N/(TiAlCr)N coating was oxidized under equilibrium conditions; its chemical inhomogeneity was studied by time-of-flight mass spectroscopy using a TOF SIMS5-100 instrument. The data was collected from an area of 100 × 100 µ. A D-300 profilometer (KLA-Tencor Corp., Milpitas, California 95035, USA) was used to determine the rate of ion etching. It was found that oxidation commenced at the surface nanolayer of a TiAlCrN nitride, forming loose films of Cr2O3, TiO2, and Al2O3 oxides. This passivating film had a thickness of around 140 nm. For the first time, the interlayer diffusion coefficients of Si and Y were determined in multilayer coatings based on Ti0.2Al0.55Cr0.2Si0.03Y0.02N/Ti0.25Al0.65Cr0.1N, under open air annealing at 700 °C. The physical nature of the differences in the diffusion of these elements is discussed. The diffusion rate in the near-surface volumes was lower than in the deep layers of the multilayer coating, most likely due to the formation of passivating oxide films on the surface.


Due to the inherent migration of rural population to urban areas, towns are developing very rapidly. For every municipal council, Development Control Rules and Building Byelaws are framed as per Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act 1966. It is obligatory on the part of every individual who desires to construct a structure to obtain necessary permission from the local authority before proceeding for construction. In spite of rules and regulations framed for good reasons, instances of violation of development control rules are observed. As a result, the development of town experiences haphazard and unplanned urbanization. This paper presents the critical analysis of development control rules which are violated at large. An attempt has been made to find the factors for such violation of these rules. The scope of the study is limited to residential constructions. Class "B & C" municipal councils of Yavatmal district of Maharashtra state (India) which is a progressive district in terms of development has been identified for this case study. It is expected that recommendation like three-tier real time information and control system, violation reducing mechanism presented will inspire new initiatives and stimulate debate in the often neglected area of urban development control rules & regulations.


sition and democratization. However, most the essays fall into the category of linear history, as the authors approach Taiwan's nation building and democratization as evolving toward a certain end. Most essays also seem to share a circular reasoning. Taiwan should become a nation because Taiwan has become a democracy. And Taiwan has become a democracy because Taiwan is already a de facto nation. Overall, the book is still a useful contribution to the scholarship.


After reviewing some basic facts about pure and mixed motives, we explain, following Deligne-Goncharov, how to construct a de Rham realisation functor from the category of geometric mixed motives to the category of bifiltered vector spaces.


12CaO 7Al2O3 (C12A7) electride, which is synthesized by replacing free oxygen ions in cages with electron anions, has distinct advantages over electrides reported so far in respect of thermal and chemical stability and flexible preparation of various sample forms including single crystal, thin film, polycrystalline bulk and powder. These advantages, together with the fact that the concentration of the electron anions is controlled in a wide range according to a synthetic process, make the C12A7 electride attract growing attentions from both scientific and practical points of views. This paper reviews several chemical and physical synthetic processes of the C12A7 electride including thermal treatment of C12A7 under metal vapor and reducing gas atmospheres, hot Ar ion implantation, solidification of the strongly reduced C12A7 melt, and crystallization of the reduced glass in vacuum. Each process, having its own suitability for a specific form of the electride, has unique advantages such as a completeness of anion replacement, mass production capability and controllability of the electron-doped area. Electronic and optical properties of the resulting electrides prepared by the different process are briefly discussed in terms of the feature of the processes.


Coal is one of the fossil fuels generally is that sedimentary rocks can ignite, formed from organic deposits. Along with the depletion of reserves of fossil energy sources, there is a coal energy conversion technology that is the gasification process. Gasification is a thermos-chemical conversion process from solid material to gas fuel that can be used for various needs. Tools for the gasification process are called gasifiers, one type of which is a fixed bed gasifier. A fixed bed gasifier is a gasification system using a number of solid fuels (coal / biomass) through which air and gas can pass either up or down. This type is the simplest type used on a small scale, this gasifier tool is usually small and often called a mini gasifier. Generally, there are major gasifier mini parts namely; hopper, reactor, water storage, steam drum, cyclone separator, spliter, and blower. Mini gasifier has a problem in the hand hole valve which is in the reactor section where the hand hole valve is difficult to open and close or impractical because it uses as many as eight bolts so that the alignment of the bolt so that the bias is closed tightly, it is necessary to improvise a new design on the hand hole valve deal with the problem. Two alternative designs were made to determine the right solution, design A in the form of an acetyline gas valve and design B in the form of a modification of the valve that was pre-installed on the reactor. Hand hole B valve design was chosen as a solution to handle this problem.


Leaf area index (LAI) is one of the most important parameters for determining grassland canopy conditions. LAI controls numerous biological and physical processes in grassland ecosystems. Remote-sensing techniques are effective for estimating grassland LAI at a regional scale. Comparison of LAI inversion methods based on remote sensing is significant for accurate estimation of LAI in particular areas. In this study, we developed and compared two inversion models to estimate the LAI of a temperate meadow steppe in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China, based on HJ-1 satellite data and field-measured LAI data. LAI was measured from early June to late August in 2013, obtained from 326 sampling data. The back propagation (BP) neural network method proved better than the statistical regression model for estimating grassland LAI, the accuracy of the former being 82.8%. We then explored the spatio-temporal distribution in LAI of Stipa baicalensis Roshev. in the meadow steppe of Hulunbuir, including cut, grazed, and fenced plots. The LAI in the cut and grazed plots reflected the growth variations in S. baicalensis Roshev. However, because of the obvious litter layer, the LAI in the fenced plots was underestimated.


The electronic band structure, density of states, structural phase transition, superconducting transition and Fermi surface cross section of titanium (Ti) under normal and high pressures are reported. The high pressure band structure exhibits significant deviations from the normal pressure band structure due to s → d transition. On the basis of band structure and total energy results obtained using tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbital method (TB LMTO), we predict a phase transformation sequence of α(hcp) → ω (hexagonal) → γ(distorted hcp) → β(bcc) in titanium under pressure. From our analysis, we predict a δ (distorted bcc) phase which is not stable at any high pressures. At ambient pressure, the superconducting transition occurs at 0.354 K. When the pressure is increased, it is predicted that, Tc increases at a rate of 3.123 K/Mbar in hcp–Ti. On further increase of pressure, Tc begins to decrease at a rate of 1.464 K/Mbar. The highest value of Tc(P) estimated is 5.043 K for hcp–Ti, 4.538 K for ω–Ti and 4.85 K for bcc–Ti. From this, it is inferred that the maximum value of Tc(P) is rather insensitive to the crystal structure of Ti. The nonlinearities in Tc(P) is explained by considering the destruction and creation of new parts of Fermi surface at high pressure. At normal pressure, the hardness of Ti is in the following order: ω-Ti > hcp-Ti > bcc-Ti > γ-Ti.


I wrote my previous editorial in October, several weeks prior to a very surprising election outcome. If I were prescient, I might have constructed that editorial somewhat differently. The United States inaugurated Donald Trump to the presidency on January 20. My fears about the administration of the 45th president of the United States are likely common to those of many readers, but my infrequent but intrustive sense of helplessness is neither productive nor adaptive. It is time for social work, as a profession, to rise to the occasion. U.S. Representative Karen Bass, of California, a social worker herself, addressed a large group of attendees at the January meeting of the Society for Social Work and Research in New Orleans and said, "The incoming administration gives us so much to work with, it's like drinking from a fire hose" (personal communication, January 3, 2017). She urged the audience not to succumb to the temptation to respond in kind to the disrespect emanating from the new administration ("civility is contagious"). Bass also urged her fellow social workers to engage with our elected officials, educate the people we serve and the policy makers, interpret for others the implications of policy changes, and advocate as effectively as we can for the most vulnerable members of society. The National Association of Social Workers' Code of Ethics (2008) demands that we protect the disenfranchised and work to ensure their access to health care, nutrition, housing, education, and other resources. The ethical underpinnings of the social work profession make it uniquely suited to prevent or ameliorate the detrimental outcomes of a regressive administration. Although at least some social work educators (Specht & Courtney, 1994) have argued that we focus too much on the microlevel of social work, social workers historically have intervened on macro-, mezzo-, and microlevels. Our accreditation standards (Council on Social Work Education, 2015) demand that we prepare students with the competencies to do so. As social work educators, we need to engage a new generation of social workers in the knowledge and skills necessary for competent practice at all levels of intervention on behalf of vulnerable members of our society. We need to reexamine our curricula to ensure a balance of micro-, mezzo-, and macrolevel skills, and we need to develop new pedagogies for new times. This issue of the Journal of Social Work Education (JSWE) contributes in many ways to addressing these needs. There are five research articles in this issue, including Begun and Carter ("Career Implications of Doctoral Social Work Student Debt Load"), who present findings related to career implications of the debt load experienced by many social work doctoral students. Watson et al. ("Social Work Faculty and Mental Illness Stigma") examine the attitudes of social work educators about people with mental illness, including social work students, and raise important ethical questions about how we treat students with mental illness. Shapira, Enosh, and Havron ("What Makes Social Work Students Implement Evidence-Based Practice Behaviors?") examine the roles of attitudes, familiarity with evidence-based practice, and feasibility of implementation in predicting whether students will use evidence-based practice. Segal and Wagaman ("Social Empathy as a Framework for Teaching Social Justice") examine the relationships between interpersonal empathy, social empathy, political affiliation, and policy positions on issues related to social and economic justice with a sample of social work students. Finally, Mirick and Davis ("Making Meaning of MSW Students' Statistical Abilities: The Role of Self-Efficacy and Knowledge-Based Assessment") explore the relationship between self-efficacy, self-reported ability, and demonstrated statistical knowledge among a sample of MSW students, and find that the relationship between statistical self-efficacy and ability to apply statistics to a practice-based example is weaker than we might hope. There are also three evaluations of social work educational innovations in this issue, including one from Dessel and Rodenborg ("An Evaluation of Intergroup Dialogue Pedagogy: Addressing Segregation and Developing Cultural Competency") who evaluate the use of intergroup dialogue pedagogy to JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION 2017, VOL. 53, NO. 2, 159–160 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2017.1285639


The paper deals with the analysis of the didactic equipment of biology textbooks for the lower-secondary school. In total, 35 titles by seven publishing houses were included in the assessment. The method of measuring the didactic equipment of textbooks was used for the survey. This method is based on evaluating the extent of using individual


OBJECTIVE:
This study evaluated behavioral adverse events (BAEs) in patients receiving LEV who switched to BRV.
 BACKGROUND:
Use of LEV has been associated with non-psychotic BAEs in epilepsy patients. BRV is an antiepileptic drug (AED) in development.
 DESIGN/METHODS:
This was an open-label Phase 3b study (NCT01653262). Patients were 蠅16 years, on 2-3 AEDs including LEV 1-3g/day, and experiencing BAEs warranting LEV discontinuation. After ≤1-week screening, LEV was stopped, other AEDs maintained and BRV 200 mg/day initiated without titration, continuing for 12 weeks. The primary safety variable was percentage of patients with investigator-assessed clinically meaningful reduction in BAEs. Secondary safety variables included Investigator Global Evaluation of Behavioral Side Effects (I-GEBSE), shift in maximum intensity of BAEs primarily associated with LEV discontinuation, complete abatement of BAEs at study end based on the investigator's assessment, freedom from BAEs, treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), and discontinuations due to TEAEs.
 RESULTS:
29 patients were enrolled (51.7[percnt] male; mean age 35.8 years); 89.7[percnt] patients completed the study. At study end, 93.1[percnt] patients who switched to BRV had clinically meaningful reductions in investigator-rated BAEs. Marked/moderate improvements of BAEs, measured by the I-GEBSE, were reported in 69.0[percnt] patients vs. marked worsening of BAEs in 3.4[percnt]. The intensity of moderate or severe BAEs with LEV (n=27) resolved in 18 patients. At study end, 62.1[percnt] patients had complete abatement of BAEs. TEAEs in 蠅5[percnt] patients were headache (17.2[percnt]), fatigue (10.3[percnt]), back pain (10.3[percnt]), depression (6.9[percnt]), dizziness (6.9[percnt]), insomnia (6.9[percnt]), nasopharyngitis (6.9[percnt]), and tremor (6.9[percnt]). One patient (3.4[percnt]) reported a serious AE (suicide ideation; suicide attempt). Two patients (6.9[percnt]) discontinued BRV due to TEAEs.
 CONCLUSIONS:
Patients who experience BAEs associated with LEV may benefit from a switch to BRV. However, results should be interpreted with caution owing to the small sample size and open-label nature of the study.
 Study Supported by:
UCB Disclosure: Dr. Yates has received personal compensation for activities with UCB Pharma as an employee. Dr. Fakhoury has received personal compensation for activities with UCB Pharma, Upsher-Smith, Supernus Pharmaceuticals, and Sunovion as a speaker and/or consultant. Dr. Liang has received personal compensation for activities with UCB Pharma as an employee. Dr. Eckhardt has received personal compensation for activities with UCB Pharma as employee. Dr. D9Souza has received personal compensation for activities with UCB Pharma as an employee.


Our focus is on the interaction between emoticon use and epistemic hedges in the perception of individual contributions to discourse (and posters of those contributions) as deserving of kudos for their input. The communities with English as a lingua franca that we explore consist of self-motivated contributors to user-fora supported by a major multinational with a software technology company. User categories are determined by a few orthogonal classifications: employees, novice users, and experts; recipients of kudos vs. non-recipients of kudos; etc. We explore the interaction between social signals and signals of certainty in content. Among the effects reported are the negative influence of epistemic hedges used in posting on propensity for others in the community to accord kudos to such postings, but a positive influence of the same in interaction with the use of emoticons.


The purpose of this article is to propose a two-dimensional (2D) model in finite element of distribution of the temperatures and deformations in extreme weather conditions of Burkina Faso (heat wave, heavy showers) using the software COMSOL Multiphysics. This model takes into account the hourly weather conditions (solar radiation, air temperature, air humidity, dew temperature, wind speed) as well as the temperature dependence of the mechanical parameters (elastic modulus, poisson ratio) of the asphalt pavement materials.The obtained results show that it's possible to identify, for periods of the day, the existence of nonlinear and permanent deformations at the level of the superficial layers of the pavement. The meteorological factor proved to be more than decisive in the choice of bitumen used for the realization of asphalt pavement in tropical zones. ARTICLE HISTORY Received 19-11-2019 Revised 12-02-2020 Accepted 20-02-2020 Published 21-04-2020


To investigate the anti-shock capacity of warships,a plastic dynamic response model of ship hull grillage subjected to underwater blast loading was established using the energy method.The response of hull grillage was divided into two parts: total deformation and local deformation.To calculate the maximum deflection of hull grillage,a framework beam model and a clamped squared plate model were derived separately,and an energy distribution mechanism was also introduced.To verify this method,an FEM model for ship hull grillage was built,and a numerical solution derived using MSC.Dytran software.Simulation results agreed well with theoretical predictions,showing that this method is feasible and can be used to evaluate the anti-shock capacity of warships.


The world is experiencing a dramatic rise in food prices. It began gradually in 2006 and has now escalated into a massive surge. It has caused hunger, protests, riots and even fears for international security. Low-Income Food- Deficit Countries have been hardest hit but the problem is global. Reports of the impact of dearer food on the poor in many developing countries have led to calls for international action to reverse the slide towards increasing poverty and malnutrition. Aid agencies have encountered difficulties in meeting the higher costs of purchasing food for distribution and have appealed for additional funds.


This study discusses the commitment and performance of skiving employees at PT Karyamitra Budisentosa in the midst of organizational justice problems. This study is used to examine more deeply about the role of organizational justice in building organizational commitment to improve employee performance. This study uses qualitative research method to dig up information on the problems experienced by subjects of the study, namely organizational justice, organizational commitment, and employee performance. The writer uses 7 people as informants for different positions. Technique of collecting data uses the method of observation, method of interview, and method of documentation. The data validity test uses a credibility test using several techniques, namely persistence of observation, triangulation, reference materials, and member check. Technique of analyzing data consists of several processes, starting from data collection, data reduction, data presentation, to verification or drawing conclusions. The results of the study show that the role of organizational justice in building organizational commitment is through perception and trust in PT Karyamitra Budisentosa. When organizational commitment has been built on employees, then in the process of improving performance, this commitment plays a role in creating a sense of responsibility. Based on the results of the study, the writer provides suggestions for PT Karyamitra Budisentosa to take quick and appropriate action in creating organizational justice, because of the important role of organizational justice in the company.


A procedure performed during a percutaneous coronary intervention in which a device is deployed into the lumen of a coronary artery to expand and support the vessel wall such that the vessel remains patent and blood flow is uninhibited.


Results of an investigation conducted by the authors show that triparanol lowered serum cholesterol significantly and consistently in a large number of patients by inhibiting the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver and in other tissues.The cholesterol-depressant effect of triparanol is independent of other fat partitions. Triparanol appears to be safe for general clinical use; however, 5 to 10 year follow-up studies must be made before its value in arteriosclerotic heart disease can be determined.


Light Up Learning (LUL) is a youth program in Scotland that supports young people in pursuing their curiosities and exploring their interests in a school-based informal learning setting. This article draws on interview and participant observation data to examine the social organization of teaching and learning activity within LUL. As a school-based program focused on supporting youth in pursuing their interests through the cultivation of a caring adult–youth relationship, LUL offers an empirical case that brings together insights from youth development and interest-driven learning research. Examination into the verbal and material interactions that shape adult–youth interactions yields insight into how to challenge normatively hierarchical power dynamics between teachers and learners toward the instantiation of a more relational pedagogy. By employing the pedagogic moves of continually foregrounding youths' interests, honoring youth expertise, and making space for youth's ideas, LUL youth workers created an environment within a school setting where youth felt both free and supported to learn through deeply and widely pursuing their interests.


: 16 Plants and mycorrhizal fungi form close mutualistic relationships that affect the structure and 17 function of ecosystems. Common mycorrhizal networks (many plants associated with the same 18 fungus) can facilitate preferential transfer of carbon and limiting nutrients. The mechanisms 19 behind these networks remain poorly understood. Do common mycorrhizal networks favor 20 fungal growth at the expense of plant resource demands (a fungi-centric view), or are they 21 passive channels through which plants regulate resource fluxes (a plant-centric view)? In 22 experimental restored prairie and introduced pasture systems in the Pacific Northwest, USA, we 23 used stable isotope tracers (13C and 15N), paired with analyses of plant traits and fungal


Let G=(V,E) be a simple connected graph. For each ordered subset S={s_1,s_2,...,s_k} of V and a vertex u in V, we associate a vector Gamma(u/S)=(d(u,s_1),d(u,s_2),...,d(u,s_k)) with respect to S, where d(u,v) denote the distance between u and v in G. A subset S is said to be resolving set of G if Gamma(u/S) not equal to Gamma(v/S) for all u, v in V-S. The purpose of this paper is to introduce various types of r-sets and compute minimum cardinality of each set, in possible cases, particulary for paths, cycles, complete graphs and wheels.


The study investigates the relationship between speed limit increases and increases in the number of fatal crashes on U.S. rural and urban interstates. Past studies use expected historical trends to support claims that "speed kills". Using structural modeling, the change in the average of the time series after a known change in speed limit occurs is assessed. The analysis is carried out separately for urban and rural interstates for each state. The results cast doubt on the blanket claim that higher speed limits and higher fatalities are directly related. After the initial speed limit change in 1987, the number of fatal accidents on interstates increased in some states but not in all. The 1995 round of speed limit increases generally showed smaller increases in fatalities on rural interstates and slight to no increases on urban interstates. The approach also allows identification of seasonal effects that vary across the states.


petpoisson fits an Endogenous Participation Endogenous Treatment Poisson model by Maximum Simulated Likelihood. The main count variable Y is affected by an endogenous dichotomous treatment T. In addition, Y is only defined if a dichotomous participation condition P holds. The model is a simultaneous three-equation system that is estimated by Simulated Maximum Likelihood. Halton sequences, Hammersley sets or pseudouniform random numbers can be used to simulate the likelihood.


Quantitative phase microscopy (QPM), a technique combining phase imaging and microscopy, enables visualization of the 3D topography in reflective samples, as well as the inner structure or refractive index distribution of transparent and translucent samples. Similar to other imaging modalities, QPM is constrained by the conflict between numerical aperture (NA) and field of view (FOV): an imaging system with a low NA has to be employed to maintain a large FOV. This fact severely limits the resolution in QPM up to 0.82λ/NA, λ being the illumination wavelength. Consequently, finer structures of samples cannot be resolved by using modest NA objectives in QPM. Aimed to that, many approaches, such as oblique illumination, structured illumination, and speckle illumination (just to cite a few), have been proposed to improve the spatial resolution (or the space–bandwidth product) in phase microscopy by restricting other degrees of freedom (mostly time). This paper aims to provide an up-to-date review on the resolution enhancement approaches in QPM, discussing the pros and cons of each technique as well as the confusion on resolution definition claims on QPM and other coherent microscopy methods. Through this survey, we will review the most appealing and useful techniques for superresolution in coherent microscopy, working with and without lenses and with special attention to QPM. Note that, throughout this review, with the term "superresolution" we denote enhancing the resolution to surpass the limit imposed by diffraction and proportional to λ/NA, rather than the physics limit λ/(2n
 med
 ), with n
 med
 being the refractive index value of the immersion medium.


Is Jose Lezama Lima a primitive or a primitivist? Is the essential idiosyncracy of his style and his outlook a result of the naivete of a self-taught man of letters, or are they signs of his radical originality? Is that original style truly due to intention or merely a consequence of his defective technique? Finally, is this Cuban colossus a seminal Latin American writer or an elaborate hoax perpetrated on the reading public by the sophisticated public relations machinery of the leading writers and critics of the Latin American Boom? These questions and the essential problem of Lezama as a literary phenomenon recall a similar problem that arose in the plastic arts at the beginning of the century. The case of the discovery of Henri Rousseau by the avant-garde painters and art dealers of pre-World War I Paris presents numerous parallels with the discovery of Lezama by an analogous group, the writers and


To learn from experiences with interactive technology assessment (ITA), a framework for comparative analysis and evaluation is needed. Such a framework is developed in this article, taking into account both institutional and epistemological considerations. It is argued that a stakeholder-focused TA—the most participatory form of TA from an institutional point of view—can hardly contribute to behavioral change of public decision makers and corporate managers. Instead, institu tional and epistemological considerations are best reconciled in inter pretive forms of ITA, but only if the analysts consistently apply a constructivist methodology. In order to facilitate the elaboration of interpretive ITA, a set of institutional and methodological criteria to compare and assess practical approaches to ITA is developed.


Abstract Current government initiated activity appears to be leading to the development of an agenda for primary schools which is not derived from a process which involves teachers. The growing degree of bureaucracy and centrally imposed direction is accompanied by an increasing lack of opportunity for teacher involvement in and ownership of planning for change. This article is concerned with school based approaches to school improvement which are practitioner led and collaborative. A small school improvement project is described. This was based on a 'shared practice' model and involved teachers from a number of primary schools planning for, and implementing curriculum change through a process of 'interactive professionalism' and personal reflection. The article considers a range of issues related to practitioner ownership and 'rooted' change


PURPOSE: Provided are a polyolefin resin film having high strength and high elasticity, a composition for producing the polyolefin resin film, a screw kneading device for producing the resin composition, and a method for producing the composition by using the same. CONSTITUTION: The polyolefin resin film comprising polyolefin and polyolefin wax, is characterized in that the polyolefin(A) has weight average chain length of 2850 nm or more and density of ρ1(g/cm¬3), the polyolefin wax(B) has weight average chain length of 700-6000 and density of ρ2(g/cm¬3), the polyolefin and polyolefin wax are blended with a ratio of 90/10 to 50/50(weight ratio), and the densities ρ1 and ρ2 satisfy the following conditions: 0.92<=ρ1<=0.94, 0.91<=ρ2<=0.93, -0.03<=(ρ1-ρ2)<=0.03. The polyolefin is selected from ethylene, propylene, butene, hexene, superhigh molecular polyethylene and superhigh polypropylene, and the polyolefin wax is selected from polyethylene resin, such as low density polyethylene, linear polyethylene(ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymer), high density polyethylene, polypropylene resin such as polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, poly(4-methylpentene-1), poly(butene-1) and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer waxes.


Purpose: This study was done to identify the effectiveness of a web based learning program on self efficacy, knowledge, and competence in measurement of blood pressure in college nursing students. Method: This study was an experimental research study. Data were collected from April 20 to June 1. 2011. The participants were 68 first year nursing students (experimental group 37, control group 31). The collected data were analyzed with the PASW 18.0 program, using -test, t-test, and Cronbach`s . Results: The mean score for self efficacy in blood pressure measurement in the experimental group was 61.9 and in the control group 60.7. This result was statistically significant (t


Since its very beginning hemoglobin polymorphism in goat populations appeared a complex issue difficult to unravel. Goat hemoglobin (Hb) polymorphism was investigated in four successive steps by using different analytical methods. a. A first screening of a sample of 402 goats was performed by polyacrilamide gel isoelectric focusing (PAGIF). b. The heterogeneity of globin chains was revealed by: acid electrophoresis in the presence of urea and Triton X 100 (AUT PAGE) and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. c. The primary structure of alpha globins was analyzed by mass spectrometry procedures (ESMS and MALDI-TOF-MS).


This paper presents an overview of Task 2 of the JOKER-2023 track on automatic wordplay analysis. The goal of the JOKER track series is to bring together linguists, translators, and computer scientists to foster progress in the automatic interpretation, generation, and translation of wordplay. Task 2 is focussed on pun location and interpretation. Automatic pun interpretation is important for advancing natural language understanding, enabling humor generation, aiding in translation and cross-linguistic understanding, enhancing information retrieval, and contributing to the field of computational creativity. In this overview, we present the general setup of the shared task we organized as part of the CLEF-2023 evaluation campaign, the participants' approaches, and the quantitative results.


The political life of Nicaragua in 2011 revolved around the November elections and, more specifically, around the future of the "Christian and socialist proj...


To obtain a protein fragment of Streptococcus pneumoniae histidine kinase YycG with in vitro ATP-dependent kinase activity for screening novel bacterial inhibitors,the genomic DNA encoding the kinase domain of YycG was expressed in E.coli BL21(DE3).The product was identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blot assays,purified by a His-tagged Ni affinity column,and determined for kinase activity.It was about 35 kDa,reaching a purity of 95%,and has dose-dependent kinase activity of hydrolyzing ATP in vitro.Based on the inhibitory action on the catalyzing function of the purified kinase protein,several effective inhibitors were screened out from 105 candidate compounds available,one of which was selected out and verified overt bactericidal effects in vitro.Collectively,a fragment of histidine kinase YycG expressed in vitro was successful used to screen kinase inhibitors that may be important micro-molecule compound for developing antibacterial drugs or disinfectant.


Leaf is the main organ of photosynthesis. Leaf phenotypic plasticity largely determines the adaptation of plants to enriched nitrogen (N) environments. However, it remains unclear whether the optimal number (proportion) of leaves representing the leaf traits of the whole plant is similar between ambient and N-enriched conditions. Moreover, whether alteration in ammonium (NH4+–N) to nitrate (NO3––N) ratios in atmospheric N deposition will alter the optimal leaf number is unexplored. By adding three NH4+–N/NO3––N ratios in a temperate grassland of northern China since 2014, three traits (leaf area, thickness, and chlorophyll content) of two dominant clonal grasses, Leymus chinensis and Agropyron cristatum, were measured in August 2020. Results showed that under ambient conditions, the mean leaf area, thickness, and chlorophyll content values of two fully expanded leaves were similar to these of all leaves at the plant level, except for the leaf area of L. chinensis, which needed five leaves (78.82% of leaves in the plant). The ratios of NH4+–N/NO3––N increased the number of required sampled leaves and significantly changed the mean value of leaf traits and the maximum value along leaf order. Moreover, the ratios of NH4+–N/NO3––N altered the trade-off among the three leaf traits, which is dependent on leaf order, by increasing leaf area and decreasing leaf thickness. Therefore, our study suggests that to better indicate the leaf traits' value of the whole plant under N-enriched conditions, measuring all fully expanded leaves or providing a suitable scaling-up parameter is needed.


The effect of a hail suppression by anti-hail gun which occurred on June 25,2005 in the east part of the Qilian Mountain was analyzed by using the CINRAD/CC products,including the layer composite reflectivity factors,the maximum values of the vertical reflectivity,echo tops,the horizontal wind field in the hail cell,the vertical structure and the maximum values of VIL,their changes before and after the hail suppression,as well as ground precipitation.Results show:(1) There are two aspects of hail suppression effect by anti-hail gun: The first is that silver iodide crystals sprinkle fleetly around the explosive point,and collide with the surrounding frozen droplets,reducing the average quality and diameter of frozen droplets;the second is that the power from shells exploding suppresses the developing of the updrafts under the explosive point.(2) The hail suppression by anti-hail gun is available for rainfall increase on ground.As for this hail suppression process,assuming that liquid water in the hail cloud falls completely as raindrops to the ground,the precipitation on the ground will increase 4.69%.


Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Background The COVID-19 pandemic presented important challenges for the education of nursing students to provide health care with competence, quality, and safety. Objectives The purpose was to analyze knowledge, behavior, and perception of risk regarding COVID-19 and associated factors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2637 Brazilian undergraduate nursing students using a self-reported online survey. Results Students' knowledge about COVID-19 in general was considered inadequate. Students had limited knowledge about preventive measures in the hospital environment and recommendations for aerosol precautions. More than 90% of graduates adopted recommended prevention measures, and 86.1% perceived themselves to be at a greater risk of acquired SARS-CoV-2 during clinical practice. Conclusions The results show the need to rethink undergraduate nursing education regarding the prevention and control of infectious diseases, including the most appropriate strategies for COVID-19 prevention measures.


To address the problems caused by low ability of quality analysis and decision-making in the process of complex product assembly, in this paper, we proposed a digital twin-based approach for quality control and optimization of complex product assembly, by providing a digital twin system to realize the timely and precisely interactive mapping between the physical world and digital world. Specifically, a quality control and optimization mechanism is presented, which provides the theoretical support to the realization of the digital twin-based approach. A data-driven quality control model is introduced to solve the optimization problem by considering the panoramic assembly quality data. A digital twin system for complex product assembly is elaborated by providing detailed deployment and implementation procedures, which includes (1) building of the digital entity of an assembly line, (2) real-time online sensing in multi-source heterogeneous environment, (3) real-time simulation of equipment and assembly process, (4) realization of the intelligent production scheduling under uncertainty conditions, and (5) dynamical adjustment of the assembly process. Finally, the paper presents the validation results considering the practical applications of the proposed approach in real industrial fields.


The economic cooperation in Northeast Asia presents some realistic features. The win-win choice to the development of China's economy and the prosperity of Northeast Asia economy is to catch the new trend and the golden opportunity of Northeast Asia economic cooperation, to face the objective reality after China entering WTO, and to take advantage of the geoatrategy and economic reciprocation.


1 Herman: Food and Water Collection on Mars Published by Scholars' Mine, 2017 FOOD AND WATER COLLECTION ON MARS Herman 2 This research focuses on the possibility of farming and water collection on Mars to determine if enough food and water can be gathered to support sustained human life. The inspiration for this comes from the plans to put a human on Mars and create a sustained colony, such as Mars One. This colony can become the basis for a multi-planetary civilization that will substantially reduce future overcrowding problems (the population in 2050 is projected to be 11 billion and is expected to continue to grow exponentially) and promote additional research on space travel that can aid in the reduction of the space debris that will eventually cover the planet if its current growth rate is left untouched. The problems that arise in building a colony on another planet are food and water collection. On Mars specifically, the soil is dry compared to that of Earth and there are no nitrogen fixing bacteria that are necessary for plant growth, making it very hostile to crops. Additionally, liquid water is not existent the planet's surface, and the planet's existing water is difficult to access and is highly contaminated In order to properly assess sustained human survival on Mars, it must first be determined whether farming and the collection of pure water on Mars is possible under the given conditions. If food and pure water can be obtained on Mars, it is then necessary to determine if enough food and water can be acquired to support sustained human life. The research conducted for this paper consisted heavily on lab reports and write ups on studies about water collection methods, farming methods, water purification, and Martian soil composition with a few articles from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Martian ice and farming off of Earth. 2 Missouri S&T's Peer to Peer, Vol. 1, Iss. 2 [2017], Art. 9 https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/peer2peer/vol1/iss2/9 FOOD AND WATER COLLECTION ON MARS Herman 3 Assessment on Food and Water Collection on Mars vs Human Survival Ever since Aristotle and the ancient Greeks, humans have been fascinated by outer space and what lies within. They have worshiped suns and moons as gods and goddesses, studied planets and galaxies with curiosity and wonder, and have even set foot on another world. Now, the quest to conquer space continues as plans to put a man on Mars permanently begin to unfold. The urgency to colonize Mars stems greatly from the fear of becoming trapped on an Earth that's coated with a thick layer of space debris that increases its numbers with each rocket launch, eventually trapping humankind on an Earth that is rapidly warming and running out of space. If a Martian colony can be established and become sustainable, it will greatly aid in the issues of overcrowding while the promotion of space travel will bring spacecraft to the forefront of technological development and induce more research that will help reduce the number of space debris orbiting the Earth. The most basic issues of this Martian colonization mission is whether man can obtain the most basic necessities of survival, food and water, in the barren Martian environment. In order to properly assess sustained human survival on Mars, it must first be determined whether farming and the collection of pure water on Mars is possible. If this can indeed be done, it is then necessary to determine if enough food and water can be acquired to support human life. There are limits to the project's scope. The most substantial limitation presented in this paper is that no human has ever been to Mars to test the methods of farming and water collection. These methods have only been tested under Martian like conditions (temperature, light intensity, and atmospheric pressure) and have yet to be exposed to the full score of the Martian environment. Furthermore, this paper operates on the pretense that the proper facilities consisting of current technology are provided, such as pressurized living quarters and a 3 Herman: Food and Water Collection on Mars Published by Scholars' Mine, 2017 FOOD AND WATER COLLECTION ON MARS Herman 4 greenhouse. In the current plans to permanently send a person to Mars, these facilities are included (Mars One, 2017) and this paper is solely examining survival in terms of food and water. The research for this paper consisted largely of keyword searches on Google Scholar and the Missouri S&T library databases. The keywords included hydroponics, Martian water, water purification, hydroponics under Martian conditions, hydroponics yield, Mars drilling, Martian soil composition, water collection Mars, and Mars water composition. Additionally, the Farmer's Almanac online and the Mars One website were used. The searches turned up scholarly essays and experiments on water collection methods, farming methods, Martian soil and water composition, and water purification. The information gathered was then used to determine the possibility of farming and water collection on Mars and then the yield of food and water to assess the potential of human survival. Farming Methods There are two prominent ideas on Martian farming methods. The first method is collecting opaline silica on Mars and combining it with Martian topsoil and bacteria brought from Earth inside a greenhouse. Opaline silica deposits are found in volcanic areas on the planet's surface. When silica from these deposits is combined with the topsoil, it creates a microenvironment similar to bacterial ecosystems found on Earth.This means that the nitrogen fixing bacteria that are vital for the survival of crops can live on Mars and can be used to create a thriving greenhouse ecosystem (Squyres, 2008). Although the notion of combining silica and topsoil seems like an easy and effective way to create a sustainable microenvironment, there are many roadblocks. First, a great amount of energy would have to be consumed to break down the andesitic rocks to harvest silica, which could deplete other important systems, like oxygen 4 Missouri S&T's Peer to Peer, Vol. 1, Iss. 2 [2017], Art. 9 https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/peer2peer/vol1/iss2/9 FOOD AND WATER COLLECTION ON MARS Herman 5 filtration. Next, the most prominent location of volcanic silica deposits is the northern plains. The northern plains present challenges to survival because there is not much water there. If a silica/topsoil farming method is chosen, the base site would undoubtedly be the northern plains, and dehydration would become a more substantial concern than it is elsewhere on the red planet (McLennan, 2003). Lastly, silica is a well known human health hazard and extended contact with crops could result in the uptake of silica through the roots and its spread throughout the entire plant. A silica uptake of even 0.01% would present a significant human health hazard and result in the decimation of all crops (Miloy and Williams, 2002). The silica/topsoil farming method presents too many health hazards and limitations, so it must be ruled out as a potential method of farming on Mars. The other method of farming is hydroponic farming. Hydroponics is the process of growing plants by adding nutrients to water, instead of using soil (Dyck, 2016). This is how current astronauts grow plants in space and how crops will be grown during their journey to Mars (Dyck, 2016). Under hydroponic conditions, nitrogen fixing bacteria are able to attach to the roots of plants and survive to produce nitrogen to the plant on Earth. According to a study and paper published by O. J. Macintyre, hydroponic conditions in a Martian (low pressure) environment also support nitrogen fixing bacteria, but not as well as it does on Earth. In this study, the bacteria lost 22% of its population in the first few days but maintained constant numbers for the remainder of the study. In other words, as far as bacteria are concerned, hydroponic farming is sustainable on Mars (Macintyre, 2011). Gathering the nutrients such as potassium, nitrogen, calcium, and water that are required for hydroponics is another issue for this method of farming. NASA plant physiologist Dr. Ray Wheeler believes that all the resources necessary for hydroponic farming can be either recycled from those initially used on the journey 5 Herman: Food and Water Collection on Mars Published by Scholars' Mine, 2017 FOOD AND WATER COLLECTION ON MARS Herman 6 to Mars, acquired on the surface of the planet, or made on site, a process known as in-situ resource utilization. A major source of recycled materials would be wastewater and urine collected and processed by the Environmental Control and Life Support System found aboard all spacecraft (Herridge, 2016). Other required nutrients, like iron, can be found in the soil and on the surface of Mars (Herridge, 2016). The briney ice water located in subsurface pockets also contain nutrients that can be harvested, like calcium (Fischer, 2014). Dr. Wheeler conducted a study using hydroponics and in-situ resource utilization on potatoes in 2014 which simulated deep space conditions. The potatoes harvested from the study were on par with those grown in normal Earth conditions in terms of nutrient content, taste, and size. The results of this study indicate that a hydroponic farm system will work with materials found and brought to Mars (Herridge, 2016). Thus, hydroponic farming is a feasible and sustainable way to effectively grow crops during the journey to and on the surface of Mars, making it method of choice to feed humans on Mars. Water Collection and Purification Water exists on Mars as both a liquid and a solid. However, it is both impure and located within the planet, meaning that the water's current state is useless. First, it is necessary to focus on the extraction of water from the planet by the two prominent methods. The first of which is to pull water directly out of the soil using a microwave radiation


Identification of string junction states of pure SU(2) Seiberg-Witten theory as B-branes wrapped on a Calabi-Yau manifold in the geometric engineering limit is discussed. The wrapped branes are known to correspond to objects in the bounded derived category of coherent sheaves on the projective line 1 in this limit. We identify the pronged strings with triangles in the underlying triangulated category using Π-stability. The spiral strings in the weak coupling region are interpreted as certain projective resolutions of the invertible sheaves. We discuss transitions between the spiral strings and junctions using the grade introduced for Π-stability through the central charges of the corresponding objects.


Abstract It has been 100 years since that dreadful deluge in the Conemaugh Valley of Pennsylvania indelibly imprinted on the American mind the terror and horror of a flash flood.


This paper presents an artificial evolutionbased method for stereo image analysis and its application to real-time obstacle detection and avoidance for a mobile robot. It uses the Parisian approach, which consists here in splitting the representation of the robot's environment into a large number of simple primitives, the "flies", which are evolved following a biologically inspired scheme and give a fast, low-cost solution to the obstacle detection problem in mobile robotics.


This article concerns with the adaptive fixed-time control problem for classes of nonlinear cascade systems with parametric uncertainty. The majority of existing finite/fixed-time control strategies for uncertain nonlinear systems can only make system states approach to the neighborhood of origin over a finite/fixed time. Different from these results, we put forward a time-varying gain-based control algorithm to ensure that all system states return to the origin in a fixed time. With the help of the backstepping method, a time-varying adaptive controller is designed for a high-order nonlinear systems subject to uncertain parameters. Through constructing appropriate dynamic gain-based Lyapunov functions and utilizing our proposed stability criterion, it is proved that all states of the uncertain system can be adjusted to the origin in a fixed-time interval. Moreover, the settling time is not depend on the initial conditions of system and can be preset according to the actual requirements. Finally, the simulation results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed dynamic time-varying feedback control algorithm.


AUTHOR Weaver, David H.; Buddenbaum, Judith M. TITLE The Press and Government Restriction: A 13-Year Update of a Cross-National Study. PUB DATE Aug 83 NOTE 30p._; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (66th, Corvallis, OR, August 6-9, 1983). For the original cross-national study, see ED 097 679. PUB TYPE Reports Research /Technical (143) Speeches /Conference Papers (150)


Recenzja publikacji: Representing Youth: Methodological Issues in Critical Youth Studies , Amy L. Best (ed.), University Press, New York 2007.


Background Ecstasy (Ec) use produces hyperthermia, excessive sweating, intense thirst, an inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) and a multisystemic toxicity due to oxidative stress (OS). Intense thirst induces high intake of pure water, which associated with SIADH, usually develops into acute hyponatremia (Hn). As Hn is induced rapidly, experiments to check if Ec acted directly on the Inner Medullary Collecting Ducts (IMCD) of rats were conducted. Rhabdomyolysis and OS were also studied because Ec is known to induce Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and tissue damage. To decrease OS, the antioxidant inhibitors N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and Allopurinol (Allo) were used. Methods Rats were maintained on a lithium (Li) diet to block the Vasopressin action before Ec innoculation. AQP2 (Aquaporin 2), ENaC (Epitheliun Sodium Channel) and NKCC2 (Sodium, Potassium, 2 Chloride) expression were determined by Western Blot in isolated IMCDs. The TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) and GSH (reduced form of Glutathione) were determined in the Ec group (6 rats injected with Ec-10mg/kg), in Ec+NAC groups (NAC 100mg/Kg/bw i.p.) and in Allo+Ec groups (Allo 50mg/Kg/i.p.). Results Enhanced AQP2 expression revealed that Ec increased water transporter expression, decreased by Li diet, but the expression of the tubular transporters did not change. The Ec, Ec+NAC and Allo+Ec results showed that Ec increased TBARS and decreased GSH, showing evidence of ROS occurrence, which was protected by NAC and Allo. Rhabdomyolysis was only protected by Allo. Conclusion Results showed that Ec induced an increase in AQP2 expression, evidencing another mechanism that might contribute to cause rapid hyponatremia. In addition, they showed that NAC and Allo protected against OS, but only Allo decreased rhabdomyolysis and hyperthermia.


The synergetic development of the energy Internet industry system is an important driving force to promote the upgrading of the energy Internet industry. The Synergetic development of the energy Internet industry requires the five major industries of "one master and four wings" to form a benign interaction. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the synergy between various industries in the energy Internet industry system. This paper uses the composite system synergy model to evaluate the synergetic development level of the energy Internet industry system. The study found that the synergy of the energy Internet industry composite system increased from 0.62 to 0.71, from the general synergy stage to the highly synergy stage.


Abstract Relative benefit of introducing forage species to the Northern Great Plains have been examined with contradictory conclusions. In most cases, studies were either confounded by time of establishment or treatments were not randomized and lacked independence. We examined aboveground net primary production (ANPP) in northern mixed prairie using a randomized complete block design with four treatments: crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum [L.] Gaertn.), Russian wildrye (Psathyrostachys juncea [Fisch.] Nevski), a native control that was not harvested, and a harvested native. The experiment was conducted in a Stipa–Agropyron–Bouteloua site and a Stipa–Bouteloua site over 13 yr and 12 yr, respectively. The data were analyzed by sampling period (Stipa–Agropyron–Bouteloua: 1, 1994 to 1997; 2, 1998 to 2001; 3, 2002 to 2006; and Stipa–Bouteloua: 1, 1995 to 1998; 2, 1999 to 2002; 3, 2003 to 2006). ANPP among treatments was influenced (P < 0.05) by site and its interaction with treatment and sampling period (1 to 3). ANPP from the native-control, harvested-native, crested wheatgrass, and Russian wildrye treatments was 220.9, 183.9, 300.8, and 189.6 g · m–2 (SEM  =  11.2), respectively, in the Stipa–Agropyron–Bouteloua site and 122.9, 98.2, 216.3, and 115.9 g · m–2 (SEM  =  12.0), respectively, in the Stipa–Bouteloua site. Mean ANPP (SEM) within each sampling period (1 to 3) was 186.4 (9.1), 135.4 (5.8), and 263.9 (8.8) g · m–2 in the Stipa–Agropyron–Bouteloua site, respectively, and 124.5 (6.4), 138.6 (6.1), and 151.3 (10.5) g · m–2 in the Stipa–Bouteloua site, respectively. Russian wildrye in the Stipa–Bouteloua site and crested wheatgrass in both sites was relatively more productive in the first period after establishment than in subsequent years. The study confirms the relative ANPP advantage of crested wheatgrass over native on the Stipa–Bouteloua site but not on the Stipa–Agropyron–Bouteloua site, whereas Russian wildrye exhibited no ANPP advantage over the native on either site.


SummaryOff-season, summer flowering and winter fruiting was induced in mango cvs Dashehari and Totapari, which normally do not flower out of season, when their defoliated shoots were grafted onto the shoots of the off-season cv Royal Special. Graft transmission of the flowering stimulus was possible from March to the first week of May, which is the period when the donor shoots of Royal Special are themselves capable of flowering, after which only vegetative shoots emerged from the receptor scions and donor stocks. When defoliated scion shoots of cv Royal Special were grafted onto non-flowering shoots of cvs Dashehari and Totapari the scion failed to flower. Fruit set and development were markedly influenced by temperature. Most fruits were harvested from the May-grafted shoots, probably due to moderate temperatures during July and August. Very high temperatures from April to June were very detrimental to March- and April-graft-induced panicles. The quality of mature graft-induced off-season fruits was exc...


In the middle of the twentieth century, Nikolai Alexandrovich Bernstein proposed the author's concept of building movements in humans. However, this knowledge has not found practical application. The reasons were, firstly, the researchers' guidance of the scientific position, taken as an axiom that each level of the nervous system has its own class of movements. Secondly, this is the absence of the concept of the goal of motor actions in the theory of movement construction.
Purpose. To present new knowledge in the theory of the construction of movements humans.
Methods. Generalization of the results of own research in the period from 2011 to 2021 on the study of the provisions of the theory and practice of building movements in humans.
Results. New knowledge about the theory of the construction of movements for their practical application in human motor learning was obtained: 1 – in the separation of the concept of the goal of motor actions as a separate system-forming factor in the formation of functional systems in the motor function of a person; 2 – the process of building movements in motor action is the formation of functional systems at each neurological level; 3 – the process of building motor action passes through all levels of the nervous system; 4 – In relation to human motor learning, the characteristic of "dexterity" is necessary for us to assess the effectiveness of the process of building the required movements by the nervous system to achieve the goal of motor action.


In connection with nutritional investigations on poultry being carried out in the above Institute by the writer's colleague, Mr E. T. Halnan, it became necessary to devise a satisfactory method for the estimation of uric acid in poultry excreta. Although numerous exact methods have been elaborated for the determination of the amount of uric acid in mammalian urine, the corresponding problem in connection with the excreta of birds has received relatively little attention. This circumstance is no doubt due in large measure to the peculiar difficulty attaching to the quantitative investigation of the nitrogenous constituents of poultry excreta, arising from the fact that the urine and faeces are not excreted separately. The urine is not temporarily stored in a bladder, as with mammals, but proceeds directly from the kidneys through the ureters to the cloaca and there undergoes admixture with the faeces from the intestines.


Machine ultrasonic cleaning and automatic batting comprising a Cuba stainless steel mounted on a tubular frame, an ultrasonic generator positioned on the base frame, with piezoelectric transducers installed at the bottom of Cuba, a system for filling, emptying or recirculating and filtering the liquid contained in Cuba, an oil separator, a heating system, a system for evacuating hot air, a pneumatic system and a control system of the machine, and is characterized in that within the Cuba is is a base and batting lifting longitudinally displaceable in an up and down movement.


Venture capital has very important influences on entrepreneurial firms' growth. Then, what would be the impact of venture capital on firms' internationalization? Based on RBV, agent theory, and signal transition theory, this paper analyzes the mechanism of the effect of venture capital on the internationalization of entrepreneurial firms, and the relation between characteristics of venture capital institutions and the internationalization of entrepreneurial firms, and empirically tests the hypotheses by unbalanced panel data from China's 300 listed high-tech companies. It comes to the results as follows:firstly, the involvement of venture capital not only improves the breadth of firms' internationalization, but also strengthens the depth of internationalization; secondly, the characteristics of venture capital institutions have different influences on entrepreneurial firms' internationalization, and entrepreneurial firms with foreign venture capital, venture capital with high industrial expertise, and syndication venture capital, have the advantages of broadening the breadth of the internationalization of entrepreneurial firms and promoting deep roots of entrepreneurial firms in international market. This paper not only extends existing firm internationalization theory, but also has reference for internationalization practice of entrepreneurial firms.


Objectives  Review the uterine electromyography (EMG) and cervical light‐induced fluorescence (LIF) devices and their role in the evaluation of uterine and cervical function in comparison with present methods.


A freshwater gliding bacterium, Alcaligenes denitrificans, was isolated from a hypereu- trophic pond in Japan. This bacterium caused cell lysis and death of some cyanobacterial species, but showed no algicidal effects on the species of chlorophyceae tested. Microcystis aeruginosa, M. viridis and M. wesenbergii were susceptible to the bacterial attack and the growth-inhibiting effect of the bacterium was significant on M. aeruginosa, particularly when the alga was in the exponential growth phase. When A. denitrificans was inoculated at low densities (10 3 cells ml -1 ) together with Microcystis species, the bacterium proliferated to 10 8 cells ml -1 and caused algal cell lysis. M. aerug- inosa died when A. denitrificans was added to the algal culture but not when only the filtrate from the bacterial culture was added. This suggests that extracellular products are not inhibitory to M. aerug- inosa and that only direct contact between A. denitrificans and M. aeruginosa was lethal. Thus, we suggest that A. denitrificans plays an important role in influencing the growth of Microcystis spp. and contributes to the death of Microcystis spp. in freshwater environments.


During the late 19th century and early 20th century, the modern nursing profession and the missionary medical were introduced into China and Taiwan. Although nurses must be educated, pass required examinations, and receive clinical training, people commonly believe that nurses should also demonstrate traditional feminine characteristics, such as amiability, kindness, and patience. People also believe that the nurses must have an attitude of self-sacrifice and dedication to satisfy their ethical role as care providers. This study analyzed the primary data obtained from The Journal of Nursing (Hu Shi Ji Kan) to investigate the image of nurses in Taiwan during 1950s. The Journal of Nursing (Hu Shi Ji Kan) was established in 1920 and was originally The Journal of the Nurse Association of the Republic of China. In 1953, publishing of the journal was suspended twice, but resumed in September 1953. The journal became The Journal of Nursing (Hu Li Za Zhi) in 1961. A total of 8 volumes were published; they comprise the main documentation of the nursing profession in Taiwan in the 1950s. In addition to The Journal of Nursing (Hu Shi Ji Kang), this paper referenced other documents and data from that period to elaborate how the image of nurses were expressed in the nursing profession, and whether those images conflicted with the provision of scientific, professional nursing care.


The BvgAS virulence control system regulates the expression of type III secretion genes in Bordetella subspecies that infect humans and other mammals. We have identified five open reading frames, btrS, btrU, btrX, btrW and btrV, that are activated by BvgAS and encode regulatory factors that control type III secretion at the levels of transcription, protein expression and secretion. The btrS gene product bears sequence similarity to ECF (extracytoplasmic function) sigma factors and is required for transcription of the bsc locus. btrU, btrW and btrV encode proteins predicted to contain PP2C‐like Ser phosphatase, HPK (His protein kinase)‐like Ser kinase and STAS anti‐sigma factor antagonist domains, respectively, which are characteristic of Gram‐positive partner switching proteins in Bacillus subtilis. BtrU and BtrW are required for secretion of proteins that are exported by the bsc type III secretion system, whereas BtrV is specifically required for protein synthesis and/or stability. Bordetella species have thus evolved a unique cascade to differentially regulate type III secretion that combines a canonical phosphorelay system with an ECF sigma factor and a set of proteins with domain signatures that define partner switchers, which were traditionally thought to function only in Gram‐positive bacteria. The presence of multiple layers and mechanisms of regulation most likely reflects the need to integrate multiple signals in controlling type III secretion. The bsc and btr loci are nearly identical between broad‐host‐range and human‐specific Bordetella. Comparative analysis of Bordetella subspecies revealed that, whereas bsc and btr loci were transcribed in all subspecies, only broad‐host‐range strains expressed a functional type III secretion system in vitro. The block in type III secretion is post‐transcriptional in human‐adapted strains, and signal recognition appears to be a point of divergence between subspecies.


Dynamic Opportunistic Data Allocation and Redistribution model for Heterogeneous Hadoop Clusters for different level of constraints to represent its interaction on the data in adoption to the virtualisation. The importance of the proposed methodology is to minimize the completion length (i.e., makespan) of a set of MapReduce jobs. The current Hadoop only permits static slot configuration, i.e., fixed numbers of map slots and reduce slots all through the lifetime of a cluster. Dynamic configuration may lead to high system resource utilisations as well as less completion length. It is considered as effective schemes which use slot ratio between map and reduce tasks as a tunable knob for reducing the makespan of a given set leveraging the workload information of recently completed jobs, schemes dynamically allocates resources (or slots) to map and reduce tasks. The corresponding constraints have been placed to that particular node for effective data allocation to the specified streaming data. Further it eliminates the data duplication occurring in the data clusters. In addition incremental clustering eliminates the inconsistent instance considered as an outlier would be processed effectively. Index Terms – Data Allocation, MapReduce, Redistribution, data duplication


Physical Statistical Modeling of Bending Eigenfrequencies Nils Raabe (TU Dortmund) Deep hole drilling methods have been developed for the production of holes with a high ratio of length to diameter. Due to the necessarily slender shape of the boring tool, deep hole drilling processes are typically object to dynamic disturbances. One type of these disturbances resulting from peridodic deflections of the bar is called spiralling. As spiralling gets likely when multiples of the rotational frequency of the tool coincide with specific bending eigenfrequencies the determination of the latter frequencies is of primary interest. We introduce an alternative to conventional modal analysis techniques by means of a combination of statistical and physical models. In contrast to modal analysis this combination is based on measures recorded during the process. By this on the one hand the bending eigenfrequencies can be determined both more realistic and efficient. On the other hand statistical estimation yields the opportunity of quantification of uncertainty by interval estimation. The parts of the model are given by a physical discretized analogous model of the boring bar with its supporting elements and an embedded statistical model describing the spectral properties of the deflections of the bar. As the physical model contains unknown parameters, these can be estimated based on measurements by applying the maximum likelihood method. By using the fitted values as plugin estimates the bending eigenfrequency courses and confidence bands can be derived. The proposed method has been tested and investigated based on an extensive simulation study and successfully applied to real structure borne sound data. Classification with Reject Option in Music Information


Urea has been the most useful N-source, due to lower cost per unit of N. But nitrogen use efficiency of urea may be reduced because of losses from agricultural system by volatilization of ammonia to atmosphere. This study was conducted to evaluate the nitrogen efficiency and growth of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) by mixed treatment with nitrogen and zeolite. They were treated with N 161 kg ha -1 , N 230 kg ha -1 , nitrogenzeolite mixture (NZM) 161 kg ha -1 , NZM 230 kg ha -1 and N 0 kg ha-1, respectively. In the soil chemical properties after experiment, soil pH decreased but available P₂O 5 , EC and total nitrogen increased in nitrogen-zeolite mixture treatment. NO₃-N content in the soil showed the highest level in NZM 230 kg ha-1. NZM 161 kg ha-1 treatment increased growth and yield of hot pepper compared to urea alone. Nitrogen utilization efficiency of hot pepper plant was 47.15% at the treatment of NZM 161 kg ha -1 , while 36.74% at N 230 kg ha -1 . These results showed that application of mixture of nitrogen and zeolite had positive influence to improve the efficiency of nitrogen utilization and increase of red pepper yield.


Ethnography is an inductive methodology that generates its own object of study through a series of encounters, while laying bare the modes of construction that are used to do so along the way. The result, the ethnographic media text, serves as the canvas for a subjective reflection on culture, but it is also often its own art piece that can take the form of a literary work, an illustrated catalogue, a collection of photographs, a video or an installation. What happens when ethnographic works are made with electronic media or when they are interactive? Does the use of digital research tools disrupt the making of ethnographies or does it trigger the emergence of new possibilities for ethnographers? Are some methodologies better suited to addressing the new ontological conditions of emerging digital-material research tools? By presenting three new media ethnographies that have been produced with a multi-sited design approach, our article suggests that this particular methodology might offer significant advantages when conducting ethnographic research involving new media technology. These examples of practice aim to show how the affordances of electronic art can better support an object of study that is complex in scale, multi-dimensional, shifting, and multiply situated.


In this article a structural equation model is proposed to explain the motivations of implementing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) measures in Spanish technology companies and its linkage with other standardized management systems before CSR implementation. The analysis of CSR in technology companies is in an initial state, as shown by the literature analyzed. The study was conducted in companies located in Spanish Science and Technology Parks. For this study, a survey was sent and structural equation model was used. Model results show that there is a positive, direct and statistically significant relationship between the motivations, previous management systems, implementation of CSR and the real integration of CSR in the organization. The links between the motivations of CSR, CSR actions and their integration in technology companies are reliably and empirically demonstrated.


Proper quantification of coherence is crucially important. The widely-adopted resource theoretical framework to quantify coherence (Baumgratz et al., PRL, 113, 140401 (2014)) is manifestly basis dependent and leads to unphysical implications including existence of mixed states more coherent than the pure states. In contrast, the degree of polarization, developed in the classical coherence theory, is an intrinsic basis-independent measure of coherence for two-dimensional systems and does not lead to any such unphysical implications. Recently, a Frobenius norm based measure of coherence has been conjectured by generalizing the geometric interpretation of the degree of polarization to higher dimensions. In this paper, we establish the suitability of this quantity as an intrinsic measure of coherence in higher dimensions by generalizing two other interpretations, namely, the visibility and Stokes parameters. We further provide an experimental protocol to measure this quantity for a four-dimensional two-photon state through sixteen coincidence measurements. Using this measure, we show that in parametric down-conversion, the coherence of the pump field predetermines the coherence of the down-converted polarization-entangled two-photon state while predetermining only an upper bound on its entanglement.


Enterocolitis is a serious complication associated with Hirschsprung's disease. Although past investigators have identified risk factors responsible for this complication before definitive surgery, the factors causing enterocolitis after pull-through have not been determined. The present study was carried out to find out risk factors responsible for development of enterocolitis after pull-through operation. All the patients with Hirschsprung's disease admitted in the department of pediatric surgery in Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) from 1995 through 2001 were included in the study. Risk factors were assessed in three arenas: patient factors (gender, age at diagnosis, age at pull-through), technical factors (type of repair, transition zone, preoperative enterocolitis) and mechanical factors (anastomotic stricture, intestinal obstruction, other complications). In a total of 88 patients, the incidence of postoperative enterocolitis was 25.5%. The risk of postoperative enterocolitis significantly increased (approximately 3-fold) by specific mechanical factors such as anastomotic stricture and intestinal obstruction due to adhesion. Other postoperative complications were equally distributed in patients with and without enterocolitis. These findings implicate the use of measures to decrease mechanical obstruction so as to reduce the incidence of postoperative enterocolitis in Hirschsprung's disease. TAJ 2002; 15(1): 13-16


Simultaneous monitoring by baited pitfall traps (with alpha‐pinene, ethanol and water as baits) of crawling Hylobius abietis (L.) beetles in five different but neighbouring environments in a model managed forest area (South Bohemia) manifested the same population patterns, in spite of high seasonal migrations.


In the new domain of Chemistry archaeology, archaeologists finally succeeded in applying SR Isotopic Compositions Analyzing Technology to archaeology. This technology made it possible to study human immigration in ancient times by analyzing SR Isotopes in human bones. However,due to the differences between different bones,there exist differences in every lab with the experimental approaches being used. In China,this technology is still underway,no related researching harvested up till now. This paper mainly focuses on the applied theory in archaeology and attentions during researching, hoping to give some references for further experimental study in this field.


The invention provides a semiconductor packaging structure. The semiconductor packaging structure comprises a chip. The surface of the chip is provided with a pad and a passivation layer. The passivation layer is provided with a first opening which exposes the pad. The pad is provided with a seed layer and columnar bumps. The seed layer is connected with the pad. The columnar bumps are stacked on the seed layer. The semiconductor packaging structure also comprises a lead frame which is provided with a plurality of discrete pins, and an inner pin and an outer pin are arranged at two opposite faces of each pin. The chip is installed on the lead frame in an inverted way. The columnar bumps are connected with the inner pin. The semiconductor packaging structure also comprises a plastic package layer, the chip, the columnar bumps and the lead frame are sealed by the plastic package layer and the outer pin is exposed. According to the semiconductor packaging structure, the occupied lateral area of the packaging structure is reduced, the volume of the whole packaging structure is reduced, and the integration of the packaging structure is raised.


Collection Management welcomes another new board member to its Editorial Board. Our newest board member, Kylie Chan, has been the associate librarian at Hong Kong Baptist University since 2000. She has oversight for the Technical and Collection Services Division at Hong Kong Baptist University. Prior to this appointment, she had been an associate librarian (Technical Services) at Lingnan University in Hong Kong from 1996 to 2000. She also worked as a cataloguer at Lingnan University in Hong Kong and as a reference librarian at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, for about a decade. We are looking forward to Kylie Chan's engagement on our board.


Mucopolysaccharidosis type I is a lysosomal storage disease due to a‐L‐Iduronidase deficiency. Three main phenotypes have been reported: Hurler (severe), Scheie (mild) and Hurler/Scheie (intermediate).


The basicprinciples of SAR jamming performance evaluation (JPE) are discussed firstly. Anovelevaluation methodofSARjamming performance bycombining thesubjective evaluation andobjective evaluation isproposed. Namely, based on theobjective evaluation parameters, a nominal valueofSARjamming performance can beobtained byweighting theobjective evaluation parameters, wheretheweighted factors come fromexpert' s judgments. Detailed derivations are given as wellas thesimulation experiments.


Space debris are all man-made objects orbiting the Earth which no longer serve a useful function. Space debris have increased substantially in the last decades and can be counted in millions. This paper deals with the idea of the creation of a synthetic population of space debris, which preserves as accurate as possible the characteristics of the real one. All the individuals of the synthetic population will be propagated by powerful numerical integrators, becoming into an excellent tool for global predictions or simulations, useful for the future ADR actions, and for the location of parking orbits.


Abstract The electrical conductivity of polyacrylamide (PAAm) before and after treatment with low concentrations of ZnCl2, NiCl2, and CoCl2 was determined at different temperatures. The effects of γ-irradiation on the electrical conductivity and activation energy of the original and the metal-chloride-treated specimens were investigated. The experimentally obtained data revealed that the conduction in PAAm is ionic in nature. The treatment of the polymer with 2% or 4% (w/w) of ZnCl2, NiCl2, or CoCl2, as determined from its weight, either increases or decreases its conductivity according to the nature of the metal ions, concentration of metal chloride, ratio of KOH/metal chloride, and temperature and cycle of measurement. The exposure of PAAm to 2 to 10 Mrad of γ-radiation produces no significant changes in its conductivity. On the other hand, the exposure of the PAAm pretreated with a metal chloride produces considerable changes in its conductivity. Also, the γ-irradiation of PAAm increases its activation...


This research examines online Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in Academic Development (AD). Research shows limited application of PBL within AD, with no evidence of online PBL in accredited provision aimed at connecting participants, and enabling collaborations from different PgCert programmes across the UK. This study investigates whether collaborative learning in AD can be enabled and practised beyond institutional, geographical and temporal boundaries, through the application of a structured PBL approach with the use of Web 2.0 technologies.

A small scale trial was carried out with academic developers and individuals who teach or support learning across UK HE institutions. During the trial, participants were asked to complete an online PBL task in groups supported by PBL facilitators.

Phenomenography was adopted as a methodology and approach for data collection and analysis to capture the different ways in which participants experienced the online PBL trial on a PgCert programme.

Findings indicate that online PBL has the potential to connect PgCert participants using Web2.0 technologies for online collaboration. This paper focused on the findings linked to facilitation. Further research is required to create a more robust framework to enhance facilitation and participants online experience, motivation and engagement.


Dictionaries make fascinating reading when they are seen in their historical, educational and linguistic context. Working from a modern cultural perspective, the author uses her own research and the research of others to tell the story of German language dictionaries, and in doing so throws light on the viewpoints of dictionary authors and users and on dictionaries' academic and social dimensions.


Absolute cross sections for electron impact single ionization of O + , S + and S 2+ ions have been measured at an electron impact energy range from below threshold to 1000 eV, using the crossed beam technique. The measured cross sections for O + ions are reproduced quite well with the semiempirical Lotz formula over the whole energy range investigated. The measured cross sections for S + and S 2+ ions show a more rapid rise from the threshold to their peak than those expected from the Lotz formula. For S 2+ ions, another small bump beginning at 120 eV is observed, where no level exists that may contribute to any direct or indirect ionization processes.


CnB and CnB2 clusters, n = 4−10, were studied at the B3LYP/6-311G** level of theory. When n = 5, the linear and cyclic structures are comparable in energy. For n ≥ 6, the minimal-energy structures were found to be cyclic. Moreover, in contrast to all other reported heteroatom−carbon clusters, the lowest-energy linear structures were not those terminated by the boron atoms. These observations result from the electron-deficient nature of boron. The calculations predict that linear and cyclic forms will coexist for smaller cluster sizes, but that monocyclic forms will be the exclusive product as n increases. In their structural tendencies, the boron−carbon clusters are similar to pure carbon clusters.


The invention discloses a selective hydrogenation catalyst for improving coking resistance. Carriers of the selective hydrogenation catalyst mainly comprise alumina and have double-humped hole distributed structures. The selective hydrogenation catalyst contains 0.01-0.5wt% of Pd which is in a shell layer distribution form and has thickness of 1-500 microns, and 0.2-5wt% of Ni. Ni is mainly distributed in large holes of the carrier so that a catalyst surface coking degree is greatly reduced, the compound subjected to hydrogenation saturation is gradually diffused into catalyst channels, channel blocking is avoided and a catalyst service life is greatly prolonged. The selective hydrogenation catalyst is especially suitable for C2 and C3 fraction hydrogenation, obviously reduces a green oil yield and catalyst coking, prolongs a catalyst service life and improves device operation economic benefits.


PURPOSE: A method for providing a local AD(ADvertisement) using the Internet and a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing the same are provided to make a user easily view the local AD by automatically offering the local AD related to a residence and an interesting region through a client software. CONSTITUTION: An operator server initializes a user computer(S2). The operator server receives a local AD request signal from the user computer(S4). The operator server transmits a client software executing command for communicating a user code between the user computer and the operator server to the user computer(S6). The operator server receives the user code from the user computer(S8). The operator server divides the user code into a region information code, the code related to the user computer and a user information code(S10). The operator computer extracts the information by searching the local AD corresponding to the region code(S12) and transmits the local AD to the user computer(S14).


Diabetic feet are at risk of ulceration due to the arteriopathy and neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus. Internal overstresses within the soft tissues, especially nearby bony prominences are likely to evolve into a deep foot/toe ulceration which, if not treated rapidly and properly, can lead to an amputation. Finite Element (FE) biomechanical modeling of a patient's foot makes it possible to predict the magnitudes of internal stresses from the measurements of external pressures applied at the skin surface. This mechanical analysis relies on a geometrical representation of the foot's shape, called "Finite Element mesh". A framework for automatic generation of patient-specific FE meshes of the diabetic foot is presented here.


To the Editors: Murphy and colleagues (1) recently reported a case of severe hepatotoxicity in a patient who had ingested both isoniazid and acetaminophen. We have noted the same association. In a ...


SYNOPSIS: The design, construction, and performance of several building foundations and temporary earth retaining structures located in the downtown area of White Plains, New York are presented in this paper. High rise structures were supported on shallow mat or spread foundations bearing on erratic saturated alluvial silt and sand deposits. Additionally, the construction of two and three level underground parking structures required the use of cantilevered and braced excavation support systems to retain the adjacent streets and utilities. Several assumptions were required to design and predict the performance of the building foundations and retaining structures. The accuracy of these assumptions was verified through the use of precise field measurements during and after construction. The results of these field measurements and comparison with predicted values are presented and discussed.


The present invention relates to a method for preparing a catalyst support for basic furandicarboxylic acid carbonaceous solids, the alkaline carbonaceous support is carbon - magnesium oxide or magnesium carbonate complex. Phenolic compounds or the like using a saccharide as a carbon source, magnesium oxide, magnesium carbonate, magnesium salt, etc. as a magnesium source, using precipitation composite solvothermal or hydrothermal and high temperature carbonization in an inert atmosphere, i.e., obtain an alkaline carbonaceous solid catalyst support. After which a noble metal oxide for the preparation of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural furan dicarboxylic acid in the absence of a homogeneous alkaline conditions (FDCA), and achieved excellent results, the yield of up to 95% FDCA, and reusable multiple times. The present invention is based on cheap raw materials, by a simple and feasible synthetic route to obtain a stable alkaline solid carbonaceous catalyst support.


ABSTRACT In this study, nadir altimeter radar measurements are used to improve wind speed and sea state information in coastal regions, more precisely the north Indian Ocean. A methodology is suggested to combine the Ku- and C-band radar measurements, their difference, the measured significant wave height (HS) parameter and its along-track gradient. A dimensionless HS is used to recover empirical dependencies for fetch-limited wind wave development in this coastal region. As obtained, these simultaneous measurements can be efficiently combined to more precisely separate wind-related short-scale wave contributions from large-scale wave components, related to the local sea state degree of development. As demonstrated, this development helps to gain valuable insights concerning the use of altimeter measurements in coastal regions.


The corporate culture is the total concept of value,conviction and behavior norm that all organization members of enterprise share.To build up good corporate culture certainly will make the enterprise have dint of coagulate and stir up dint,also can make the whole strategy of enterprise carry out.


VEGF165 is the major isoform of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that controls physiological and pathological angiogenesis. While the functional roles of VEGF165 have been extensively studied, its intracellular trafficking and mode of secretion remain largely unknown. In previous studies we reported on the trafficking steps of VEGF165 fused with GFP. We showed that like its native form, VEGF165‐GFP forms dimers and gets glycosylated and exerts biological activity tested on HUVEC cells. VEGF165‐GFP secretion follows the endoplasmic reticulum‐Golgi pathway as indicated by the ability of GTP‐locked Sar1 and Arf1 GTPases to completely prevent VEGF secretion. VEGF secretion is relatively insensitive to temperature drops from 37 to 19 ºC and is stimulated by cytoplasmic Ca2+ increases and PKC activators or inhibitors of the mTORC1 pathway. Exocytosis of VEGF165 requires PIP2 at the plasma membrane and a significant fraction of the externalized VEGF remains associated with the plasma membrane in discrete patchy areas. Here we show that EM analysis reveals that a substantial fraction of VEGF is shedding from the cell surface together with matrix components. Overall our results for the first time identify important steps in the trafficking and secretion mechanism of VEGF providing new information that can be explored to devise new strategies for pharmacological intervention of tumor vascularization.


Taking Thermal dynamic analysis of combined cycle as study object,the selection for gas turbine,steam system,HRSG and steam turbine,auxiliary equipments and the configuration for shaft number and main dynamic island were discussed,which provided suggestions for design and research of combined cycle power plant.


In this paper, the results of Petersen [5] was generalized to general situation, and the spectrum of certain weighted translation operators defined on L 2[0,1).


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the performance of a sample of Lebanese organizations vis‐a‐vis some of the core learning organization dimensions identified in the literature, focusing specifically on those dimensions that are considered most salient and relevant in the Lebanese context.Design/methodology/approach – The paper capitalizes on a comprehensive literature review to identify the core dimensions of the learning organization construct to be tackled in the questionnaire. The questionnaire was then compiled, comprising 40 questions consolidated from the published literature, addressing seven key learning organization dimensions. Factor analysis following survey administration allowed for filtering five dimensions of learning organizations that are most salient in the Lebanese context.Findings – Five salient characteristics of effective learning organizations are identified through factor analysis, namely employee participation, learning climate, systematic employee development, con...


TimeBox development is one of the best practices of rapid application development(RAD).In this paper,we introduce the basic concept of TimeBox development,and explain the advantages of this method and what kind of project is fit for applying this method.We also illustrate how to apply TimeBox develop-ment successfully through a practical application development of insurance assessing and surveying software.


E-Learning has been connected into many educational institutions to earn the advantages of the faster enhancements in technology that help in improving the learning experience and increase its effectiveness. As a result, many governments and educational institutions implement electronic learning in order to improve students' performance. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the direct effect of the main four elements of the UTAUT (i.e. performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating condition) on behaviour intention to use of e-learning. The respondents of the study were Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) Abu Dhabi (men and women campus). Retrieved questionnaires were 406 out of 490 with 82.9% respondent rate. The results show that with an overall average mean of 3.27, results shown that respondents are more inclined to use elearning as part of their learning activities. Likewise, the results revealed that there is a strong relationship between performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating condition on behavior intention to use of e-learning.


We investigate the asymptotic behaviour of a system of N weakly interacting parabolic SPDE's when N become large.In particular we study a law of number (propagation of chaos) and the central limit phenomenon (fluctuations). To do so we use in the first part a martingale problem approach and in the second subtle estimates of the solution and of the fluctuations field


In order to simulate the flow fields around the aircraft ejection seat system,the three-dimensional geometrical model of the system is established,which uses unstructured grids for spatial discretisation,and solves the Navier-Stokes equations by the finite volume method. The scale adaptive simulation( SAS) turbulence model is applied to simulate the flow around the system at Mach number 0.6 and angles of attack varied from- 90 to 90 degrees. The results of numerical simulation agree well with that of the wind tunnel experiment. The system without protective device is numerically simulated and the mechanism of high-speed wind blast's injury to the pilot's face,head,neck and four limbs is investigated. This investigation is helpful to the ejection life-saving of pilots and the research and development of high-speed windblast protecting devices.


This paper introduces a collection of scaling methods for generating <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{2}\,N$</tex-math></inline-formula>-point DCT-II approximations based on <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$</tex-math></inline-formula>-point low-complexity transformations. Such scaling is based on the Hou recursive matrix factorization of the exact <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{2}\,N$</tex-math></inline-formula>-point DCT-II matrix. Encompassing the widely employed Jridi-Alfalou-Meher scaling method, the proposed techniques are shown to produce DCT-II approximations that outperform the transforms resulting from the JAM scaling method according to total error energy and mean squared error. Orthogonality conditions are derived and an extensive error analysis based on statistical simulation demonstrates the good performance of the introduced scaling methods. A hardware implementation is also provided demonstrating the competitiveness of the proposed methods when compared to the JAM scaling method.