Objectives: Mental health conditions in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are closely related to clinical outcomes. Thus, this study's goal is to investigate how CHD affects general and specific aspects of mental health. Methods: We analyzed data from Wave 10 Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), which were collected between 2018 and 2019. After removing people who had missing data, there were 450 participants who indicated that they have CHD, and 6138 age- and sex-matched healthy participants indicated that they were not clinically diagnosed with CHD. Results: The main findings were that participants with CHD had more mental health problems, as shown by the GHQ-12 summary score (t (449) = 6.00, p < 0.001, 95% C.I. [0.20, 0.40], Cohen's d = 0.30), social dysfunction and anhedonia, (t (449) = 5.79, p < 0.001, 95% C.I. [0.20, 0.40], Cohen's d = 0.30), depression and anxiety (t (449) = 5.04, p < 0.001, 95% C.I. [0.15, 0.33], Cohen's d = 0.24), and loss of confidence (t (449) = 4.46, p < 0.001, 95% C.I. [0.11, 0.30], Cohen's d = 0.21). Conclusion: This study implies that GHQ-12 is a valid assessment of mental health problems in CHD patients, and there is a need to consider how different aspects of mental health are affected by CHD rather than solely focusing on depression or anxiety problems alone in patients with CHD.


A primary function of Eos is to serve the geophysical community. It does this by publishing meeting announcements, book reviews, advertisements for jobs, scientific news items, and the like. Recent articles have helped the membership assess the stage of their careers (Eos, 60, 1024, 1979), informed them of the advantages of having names near the beginning of the alphabet (Eos, 59, 118, 1978), and helped them maximize information transfer during scientific meetings (Eos, 62, 179, 1981). However, no one has dealt with the very difficult problem of making papers memorable. Some techniques, such as long author lists, are now passe. Everyone is doing it. Other techniques, such as writing a very short paper or a humorous paper, are beyond the ken of most AGU members. Fortunately, there remains one technique that can be used by a surprisingly large number of AGU members.


CURRENT proposals for the RCVS fellowship would terminate the path to fellowship by thesis, other than as an add-on to a postgraduate …


Despite growing research interest in the social impact of social enterprises (SEs), limited attention has been paid to the antecedents of social impact. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review of 52 extant studies that examine the antecedents of SEs' social impact. The paper synthesizes the antecedents identified from prior work and categorizes them into individual- and organizational-level factors. Based on the findings, we develop a future research agenda to advance our knowledge of the antecedents of SEs' social impact. A key research opportunity is to explore the social impact antecedents related to the institutional and external environment of SEs, an area that has been overlooked in the literature. In terms of practical implications, the study can be used to consider which factors policy makers and practitioners should focus on to develop strategies for improving the social impact of existing and future SEs.


Warming up is essential for the engine's performance as well as life. Engine warmup basically relates to setting the initial levels of oil and coolant in the engine parts. Many drivers are into the habit of accelerating the vehicle on startup which may lead to damaging of engine parts. To prevent this damage, the software algorithm for engine warm up does not allow the engine to respond to any acceleration for some initial time period. This feature is deployed in almost all types of vehicles ranging from light duty to heavy duty. Hence, ECU software must be tested to verify the warmup functionality within the initial few seconds of startup. In this paper, the concept of engine warmup and conditions to be verified within its active period is presented.


New production facilities require accurate metering of produced fluids for optimal reservoir and facilities management. The need for cost and size reduction and the severe effects of high watercut production (>70% watercut) on accuracy are forcing careful evaluation of multiphase metering methods. At this time we are not considering full bore MPMs for reasons of concerns about unacceptable hydrocarbon uncertainty at high watercut. We, instead, are using a process of custom design of multiphase metering systems from commercially available components, selected to optimally perform in accuracy and cost for the production design basis. We have developed software models of conventional and compact separation, which allow comparison in cost and size for equal performance. Separator performance is defined here in terms of gas carry under (GCU) into the liquid stream and liquid carry over (LCO) into the gas stream. These models demonstrate that separation can rarely be considered to be perfect and that optimal system design must take realistic incomplete separation of gas and liquid into account. Considerable cost and weight savings are possible (10 X) with compact separation without loss of performance relative to traditional separation methods however overall system performance in both cases must consider the effects of separation performance. Downstream single-phase gas and liquid metering instrumentation accuracy is severely affected by imperfect separators which deliver mixed phases (gassy liquids and wet gas). These metering errors are dependent on the type of meters used and the customer's production parameters, such as viscosity, rate, GVF and watercut and the separator chosen. Hundreds, even thousands of meter/separator combinations are possible and production fluid properties affect each meter/separator combination differently. Until now no tools were readily available to assist the design team in sorting out the complex issues. We have developed software and data for design and implementation of partial separation multiphase metering applicable to surface, floating and subsea contexts. These products allow design engineers to input their field conditions and obtain within minutes, performance, cost and size expectations for hundreds of combinations of separation, rate metering and watercut metering for further review. The Duri Area 10 facilities team has chosen Gas-liquid Cylindrical Cyclone (GLCC ©1 ) separation combined with venturi rate metering and Texaco Starcut Microwave watercut metering as the best option


Is it possible to renegotiate during the year the single agreement concluded pursuant to Article L. 441-7 C. com, and if so, under what conditions? The answer given by the Paris Court of Appeal…


The campus culture of colleges and universities is an important part of the complete education system for undergraduates. The rich and distinctive campus culture plays an irreplaceable and unique role in improving the quality of education and teaching as well as the overall quality of students. This paper analyzes the significance of campus culture construction in higher vocational colleges to build a unique campus culture of higher vocational colleges, we must insist on the countermeasures of building a campus culture in higher vocational colleges with the combination of work and study, unity of knowledge and practice, base on school culture and enterprise culture, highlighting culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.


The present experiments attempt to produce lesions confined to the cortico-spinal (pyramidal) tract in cats. Theoretically, this might be done in the pyramids of the medulla, and both pyramids should be cut to remove all cortico-spinal innervation from even one side of the body. This operation, with survival long enough for Marchi studies, has been described only by Starlinger 1 (dogs) and by Schäfer 2 (monkeys). Lesions of one pyramid only, or of the pyramidal decussation have been reported by a few others. In the present series, 12 bilateral and 4 unilateral lesions were made in the pyramids in cats. Survival was permitted for varying periods to 24 days. Nembutal and sodium amytal were used as anesthetics. The pyramids were cut through an incision in the ventral aspect of the neck. The findings reported begin with the second day and unless otherwise specified refer to the animals with bilateral lesions. Posture. The assumption of temporary grossly abnormal postures was observed initially in 5 of the 12 bilaterally operated animals and disappeared in these after a few days. Milder manifestations of defective postural control, such as slipping of the feet on a smooth floor, undue twisting of the pivoting leg on a turn, or an over extension of the toes with a backward position of a limb, were present in practically all animals initially. They almost or entirely disappeared. Of the more constant early postural abnormalities the most common was a tendency to stand with the hind legs abducted and sometimes also inwardly rotated. Less frequently the forefeet appeared unduly flattened on the floor. Many of the animals assumed at times a peculiar half sitting position, resting the whole of the hind feet from toes to ankle on the floor with the rump some distance above it. They often settled into this position with a peculiar slowness and moved slowly from it into other postures.


Recent results on stereo indicate that an accurate segmentation is crucial for obtaining faithful depth maps. Variational methods have successfully been applied to both image segmentation and computational stereo. In this paper we propose a combination in a unified framework. In particular, we use a Mumford-Shah-like functional to compute a piecewise smooth depth map of a stereo pair. Our approach has two novel features: First, the regularization term of the functional combines edge information obtained from the color segmentation with flow-driven depth discontinuities emerging during the optimization procedure. Second, we propose a robust data term which adoptively selects the best matches obtained from different weak stereo algorithms. We integrate these features in a theoretically consistent framework. The final depth map is the minimizer of the energy functional, which can be solved by the associated functional derivatives. The underlying numerical scheme allows an efficient implementation on modern graphics hardware. We illustrate the performance of our algorithm using the Middlebury database as well as on real imagery.


THE DEVELOPMENT of an abnormal arterial-venous communication following injury to an adjacent artery and vein is a well-recognized sequela of operative surgery. This complication has been described following a variety of procedures. These include the en-masse ligature of the superior thyroid artery and vein during thyroidectomy,1of the uterine artery and vein during hysterectomy,2of the renal artery and vein during nephrectomy,3of the geniculate artery and vein during arthrotomy, and of the femoral artery and vein during amputation.4In addition, the development of a fistula can occur following inadvertent penetration by a surgical instrument of the right common iliac artery and inferior vena cava during intervertebral disc removal,5by a fixation device through the facial artery and vein during the application of an Anderson splint,6by the insertion of a Steinmann pin through the anterior tibial artery and vein during fracture fixation,7


C ongenital lobar emphysema (CLE) is a rare clinical entity that usually presents as acute respiratory distress. This disease is characterized by hyperinflation of one or more lobes of the lung, leading to compression atelectasis on the ipsilateral or contralateral side and mediastinal shift. These, in turn, produce ventilation perfusion mismatch, resulting in hypoxia. There are few case reports of the anesthetic management of these patients (1,2). In these reports, anesthesia was maintained with either spontaneous or controlled ventilation via an endotracheal tube. We successfully managed two cases of CLE using endobronchial intubation until the resection of affected lobe and controlled ventilation throughout the surgery.


This diploma thesis deals with assessment of biodegradability of selected polymeric materials in compost. Biodegradation was determined based on amount of carbon dioxide produced. This gas was measured using mass gas analyser. Tested samples were composed of a mixture of PBAT and TPS, with the TPS prepared using two types of plasticizers (urea, glycerol). The course of biodegradation was monitored by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that samples containing starch biodegraded faster than separate PBAT, especially in the initial phase of the biodegradation experiment. It was confirmed by optical microscopy that there was a significant loss of starch in the samples during biodegradation. Probably starch was first decomposed by microorganisms, and then the remaining polymer matrix was decomposed, as confirmed by the course of biodegradation curves. SEM images confirmed the presence of microorganisms on the surface of samples that had undergone biodegradation. From the resulting carbon minarelization values from the viewpoint of CO2 production, it was found that the type of plasticizer used had a greater influence on the biodegradation of the test samples than the total TPS content.


Technological developments have an impact on almost every aspect of human life. It  was responded well by religious leaders, including in Islamic da'wah. KH Sya'roni Ahmadi is one of the Kudus scholars who utilizes YouTube-based technological developments as a medium for delivering commentary material. This paper aimed to reveal his model of interpretation, and to see how far he understands the audience textually and contextually. The author uses the virtual ethnography method, which is a method to reach the audience's interaction life on the YouTube page. The results of this study indicated that KH Sya'roni Ahmadi uses the tahlili or sequential method in conveying commentary material. He really understands the social conditions in society and the heterogeneity of the Majlis Tafsir congregation. Therefore the character of KH Sya'roni Ahmadi's preaching has transitional gradations, starting from being hard, firm to soft and straightforward. In addition, by presenting elaborative exegesis material, he explained coherently in depth starting from the point of view of the science of qiroat, then entering the exegesis material correlated with the context when the interpretation was delivered.


A case of major chest injury with multiple fractured ribs and unrecognized hemopneumothoraxis presented. The patient, initially hit by a truck, was admitted for a fewdays with conservative treatment. A 2nd exanimation of the chest revealed hemothoraxbut no additional treatment was provided. Nine days after discharge, the patientreturned to the hospital with persistent chest pain. Three weeks later, the patient developedhigh fever (38.2 °C). Blood examination showed leukocytosis with predominantpolymorphonuclear cells. A chest tube was inserted into the right chest and the patientwas transferred to a higher trauma center for an operation, which revealed 2,000 ml ofclotted blood, and 500 ml of pus. Pus culture was positive for Staphylococcus aureus.Two weeks after the operation, the patient passed away with severe sepsis along withacute renal failure, liver failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy(DIC). Unrecognized hemo-pneumothorax from major injury should be included indifferential diagnosis. Insuffi cient care may lead to a fatal condition. Rural hospitalsshould be equipped with modern digitalized x-ray equipment for picture archiving andcommunication system (PACs) and telecommunication for consultation with specialistsin tertiary hospitals.


Unlabeled samples and transformation matrix are two main parts of unsupervised and semi-supervised feature extraction (FE) algorithms. In this manuscript, a semi-supervised FE method, locality preserving projection in the probabilistic framework (LPPPF), to find a sufficient number of reliable and unmixed unlabeled samples from all classes and constructing an optimal projection matrix is proposed. The LPPPF has two main steps. In the first step, a number of reliable unlabeled samples are selected based on the training samples, spectral features, and spatial information in the probabilistic framework. In this way, the spectral and spatial probability distribution function is calculated for each unlabeled sample. Therefore, the spectral features and spatial information are integrated together with a joint probability distribution function. Finally, a sufficient number of unlabeled samples with the highest joint probability distribution are selected. In the second step, the selected unlabeled samples are applied to construct the transformation matrix based on the spectral and spatial information of the unlabeled samples. The adjacency graph is improved by using new weights based on spectral and spatial information. This method is evaluated on three data sets: Indian Pines, Pavia University, and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and compared with some recent and well-known supervised, semi-supervised, and unsupervised FE methods. Various experiments demonstrate the efficiency of the LPPPF in comparison with the other FE methods. LPPPF has also considerable performance with limited training samples.


Introduction Sexual assault and acquaintance rape continue to be a problem on college campuses in the United States. Hingson, Heeren, Winter, and Wechsler (2005) estimated that each year 97,000 college students are victims of sexual assault or acquaintance rape, 400,000 have unprotected sex, and 100,000 students report having been too intoxicated to know if they consented to having sex. Sexual assault is defined as any type of sexual activity that the recipient does not want or agree to, and usually includes touching or intercourse against a person's will (Kahn, Jackson, Kully, Badger, & Halvorsen, 2003). There is a well established link between sexual assault and high-risk drinking (also called binge drinking; Abbey, Zawacki, & Buck, 2005; Berkowitz, 1992; Koss & Dinero, 1988; Koss & Oros, 1982). High-risk drinking is defined as 5 or more drinks in one sitting for men and 4 or more drinks for women (Nelson, Naimi, Brewer, Bolen, & Wells, 2004). Alcohol consumption (especially high-risk drinking) and sexual assault tend to co-occur regardless of who consumed the alcohol and regardless of the gender of the perpetrator or victim (Abbey, 1991; Anderson, Spruille, Venable, & Strano, 2005; Berkowitz, 1992). In fact, approximately 50% of all sexual assaults on college campuses involve alcohol consumption by the perpetrator, the victim, or both (Abbey, 2002). Alcohol Consumption and the College Culture Alcohol consumption is a common experience in the college culture. Participation in high-risk drinking appears to be acceptable to, if not expected by, undergraduate college students (Young, Morales, McCabe, Boyd, & D-Arcy, 2005). Wechsler and Wuethrich (2003) suggested that the consumption of alcohol is believed to be a "rite of passage" on many college campuses. Drinking games, in which large quantities of alcohol are consumed by players, are extremely popular in college. According to Borsari (2004), college students report four common reasons for playing drinking games: intoxicating oneself, intoxicating others, meeting new people, and competition. Although men tend to play drinking games more often than women, men and women tend to drink similar amounts while playing drinking games (Borsari, 2004). Additionally, women drink more during drinking games than during other drinking occasions. McCabe's (2002) and Piane and Safer's (2008) studies of the drinking behaviors of college students revealed that men and women were just as likely to report binge drinking (i.e., high-risk drinking) and "drinking to get drunk." Research indicates that rates of frequent binge drinking have significantly increased in the past decade, with nearly 40% of college women reporting binge drinking, and 20% reporting binge drinking 3 or more times in the previous 2 weeks (Wechsler et al., 2002). In a study by Young et al. (2005), college women reported a belief that drinking heavily would make a favorable impression on their male peers. They also reported that being able to drink "like a guy" gave them a sense of equality with their male peers. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2004/2005), African American youth are less likely to drink than their non-Hispanic White counterparts, but college might be a time when they "cross-over" to heavy and problem drinking. As adults, African Americans, especially males, report rates of problem and heavy drinking that is greater than non-Hispanic Whites. Ernst, Hogan, Vallas, Cook, and Fuller (2009) concluded that African American college students were more likely to be high achievers with more self-control than their White counterparts and that these qualities explained their significantly lower levels of drinking (69% vs. 78%) and binge drinking (42% vs. 56% in the past month). Their student respondents attended the same colleges and we wondered if we would find the same results with students from different colleges; one Predominately White Institution (PWI) and one Historically Black University (HBCU). …


Conventional rear-view mirrors on motorcycles only allow a limited visibility as they are shaky and cover a small field of view. Especially at high speeds with strong headwind, it is difficult for the rider to turn his head to observe blind spots. To support the rider in observing the rear and blind-spots, a monocular system that indicates approaching vehicles is proposed in this paper. The vision based indication relies on sparse optical flow estimation. In a first step, a rough separation of background and approaching object pixel motion is done in an efficient and computationally cheap way. In a post-processing step, pixel motion information is further checked on geometric meaningful transformations and continuity over time. As a prototype, the system has been mounted on a Honda Pan-European motorcycle plus monitor in the dashboard that shows the rear-view image to the rider. If an approaching object is detected, the rider gets an indication on the monitor. The rear-view on the monitor not only acts as HMI (Human Machine Interface) for the indication, but also significantly extends the visibility compared to mirrors. The algorithm has been extensively evaluated for relative speeds from 20 km/h to 100 km/h (speed differences between motorcycle and approaching vehicle), at normal, rainy and night conditions. Results show that the approach offers a sensing range from 20 m at low speed up to 60 m at night.


A structurally simple, 35-km-thick, north facing stratigraphic succession of Late Archean to Middle Proterozoic rocks is exposed near the Montreal River, which forms the border between northern Wisconsin and Michigan. This structure, the Montreal River monocline, is composed of steeply dipping to vertical sedimentary rocks and flood basalts of the Keweenawan Supergroup (Middle Proterozoic) along the south limb of the Midcontinent rift, and disconformably underlying sedimentary rocks of the Marquette Range Supergroup (Early Proterozoic). These rocks lie on an Archean granite-greenstone complex, about 10 km of which is included in the monocline. This remarkable thickness of rocks appears to be essentially structurally intact and lacks evidence of tectonic thickening or repetition.

Tilting to form the monocline resulted from southward thrusting on listric faults of crustal dimension. The faults responsible for the monocline are newly recognized components of a well-known regional fault system that partly closed and inverted the Midcontinent rift system. Resetting of biotite ages on the upper plate of the faults indicates that faulting and uplift occurred at about 1060 +/−20 Ma and followed very shortly after extension that formed the Midcontinent rift system.


Based on Inventor three-dimensional software,a set of double position high-efficient pneumatic fixture is designed,introducing its overall program design,the 3D design process of main components,its application and structural features of this set of fixture. The inventor software is used for virtual assembly and mechanism simulation.


Abstract : Analysis of urine electrolytes obtained during saturation excursion dives of four divers to depths equivalent to 800 and 1000 feet of sea water showed in all cases during decompression an increase in urinary CO2 excretion and calcium excretion. In two subjects who developed symptoms of decompression sickness, manifested in poorly localized muscle aches and stiffness of joints which did not respond to recompression and oxygen treatment, the carbon dioxide excretion in the urine was more pronounced and was preceded or followed by a calcium tide. These observations point to the bone with its large CO2 and calcium store as a target organ in decompression sickness. The hypothesis is presented that during compression a greater influx of calcium and carbon dioxide occurs into the fast exchanging bone carbon dioxide and calcium stores related to an increase in bone-blood flow. During decompression a greater outflow of calcium and carbon dioxide seems to develop, corresponding with a decreased bone-blood flow. Recent advances in bone physiology appear to provide a fitting framework for this hypothesis.


The purpose of this article is to consider the construction of free fields associated with the relativistic operator − ( m − √ m 2 − (cid:2)) . The study is based on the viewpoint of pseudo-differential operators, and we present both the Gaussian case and the non-Gaussian infinitely divisible case. We prove that, in the Gaussian case our constructed field is singular with respect to the Gaussian free field based on the non-relativistic m 2 − (cid:2) (Sheffield in Probab Theory Rel Fields 139:512–534, 2007).


This paper elucidates a wireless digital noticing system to provide information in an innovative and smart way. The proposed notice board is a multiuser password-protected SMS-based system fabricated with an LCD. The communication and information transfer between the authentic user and the LCD display unit is done via GSM to ensure remote display facilities, so any notice can be displayed on the electronic board from the user's mobile SMS from distant places. To ensure system flexibility, a multiuser noticing and displaying system has been implemented in the system which can display several notices simultaneously. In addition, the user also can print any notice which is of concern to them. The total system is designed with simple logic with a robust algorithm and fabricated with a PIC midrange microcontroller, LCD, GSM module and other commercially available electronic devices to ensure efficiency and reliability with less cost.


Many factors affect the learning of a foreign language. When designing computer assisted language learning software it is usually not sufficient to think only about creating an exercise in the language, but students should be modelled in order to allow the program to take account of individuals' beliefs and learning. However, student models are criticised for various reasons, the most common of which include: 1. Modelling the learner places a great burden on the system, as it has sole responsibility for the creation of an accurate student model. 2. Student models are inadequate because it is not possible to model all aspects of a student's knowledge and learning. This paper describes the student model of an intelligent computer assisted language learning (ICALL) system which strives to overcome problems of traditional student models by taking into account issues important in the field of second language acquisition, and research in collaborative approaches to learning.


The infrequency with which double traumatic injury of the jugular bulb occurs, or is mentioned in the medical literature, prompts me to relate an experience I had with one of my patients. March 26, 1928, the mother of a girl, aged 13, came to me for a prescription for double acute otitis media. She did not bring her daughter with her, but gave me the usual history of a typical case of two weeks' duration in which both ears were discharging following an attack of earache. She lived in a nearby town, 4 miles distant, so I advised her to sponge out the ears well with cotton, put in warm glycerin, and bring the girl in for examination. March 28, the patient was brought in and I found perforations in both tympanic membranes and a discharge from each. Attention being indicated, I treated her ears for three days by modern methods. At the end of


The preparation of this report was financed in part through a Community Renewal Program Grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Deelopment.


Objective: To assess the effectiveness of guided imaginary techniques on examination anxiety among the school adolescent's. Methods: The sample consisted of 60 students (30 were in control group and 30 were in experimental group) aged 14 to 16 years studying in class IX and X at matriculation schools in Madurai. The examination anxiety was measured using Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Results: Of the 30 control group students, 63% had unhealthy anxiety in pretest and in post test it was 70%, whereas in experimental group, among the 30 students, 57% had unhealthy anxiety in pretest but in post test it was 0%, there is no unhealthy anxiety. There was a significant difference seen between control group and experimental group after teaching the imagery techniques. (Mean score in control group – 34.93, in experimental group – 17.83, P


Measuring the equilibrium electron density distribution and its response to perturbations provides important information to magnetically confined plasma research. A multichannel interferometer system is now routinely operating on the new quasihelically symmetric stellator (HSX) to measure the equilibrium profile and electron density dynamics. The interferometer system has nine viewing chords with 1.5 cm spacing. The source is a bias-tuned Gunn diode at 96 GHz with passive solid-state tripler providing output at 288 GHz (8 mW). The HSX plasma is produced by 28 GHz electron cyclotron resonance heating and first results of the interferometer measurement are reported. The density spatial distribution is reconstructed from the measured line-integrated density. At high density [ne>2×1012 cm−3], an m=1 density oscillation with frequency of 1–2 kHz is observed. Plans to determine the radial particle flux and transport coefficients will be discussed.


The discrete adaptive system have been used in detecting distorted currunt widely. This paper presented an analogy continuous system based on least mean square (LMS) algorithm, and proved that the analogy system has characteristics of linearity and time-varying system. Based on the adaptive noise canceling technology in the signal processing, this paper presented an improved algorithm of LMS for distorted current detection, which can overtake effectively the drawback of normal LMS algorithm. Moreover, the algorithm presented is easy to implement and solve the contravention between the detecting precision and speediness. The simulation results showed that the algorithm's capability is superior to those of the normal LMS, the proposed approach gives faster dynamic performance and better precision than the normal method. Keywordsdistorted current detection, ananlogy continuous system based on LMS algorithm, linearity and time-varying characteristic of detecting system


This article reviews the literature on sexual behavior in older gays and lesbians. Eight specific, clinically relevant recommendations are made for rehabilitation specialists when dealing with this issue with this population. Addressing sexual issues in a nonjudgmental way, assessing individuals for identity development stage, and awareness of gay and lesbian culture are important behaviors for the caregiver. Caregivers should also be aware of issues involving discrimination, importance of sex and relationships, and appropriate sexual behaviors for older gays and lesbians. Finally, a positive attitude toward sexual activity is imperative.


Captain Mahan's account of the Battle of the Glorious First of June demonstrates clearly why he appealed to a wide audience, including professional Navy men, intellectuals, and policymakers from Congressmen to the Kaiser. A thorough professional who made the transition from sail to steam and from the broadside to the turret gun, Mahan was a master of his subject. A clear writer whose prose was uncluttered by technical jargon, he gave a concise yet vivid description of the damage the Revolution did to the French Navy and a measured evaluation of its effect on her fighting ability. This was paralleled by a survey of the Royal Navy that discussed the great improvements since the American war and the ascension of a group of outstanding officers who drove the French from the seas. There is an overview of the actions of the two navies, as well as their strategic assumptions and performance. The combat is described definitively from the opening salvo to the withdrawal of the two fleets. Who won? Mahan's assessment was that in a way both sides did, since the Royal Navy sank or captured several French warships while the French convoy got through. But one might say with equal truth that both sides lost. Either way, that is mere score-keeping. A battle is not an end unto itself. The real question is whether an engagement improved or impaired a state's ability to conduct war. Was France's fighting ability improved by the success of the convoy more than it was harmed by the loss of several valuable naval vessels? In other words, what was the influence of the Battle of the Glorious First of June on France? The answer to that question depends on a comprehension of the state of the grain supply. Certainly the French armada was willing to pay a high price and to take great risks for that grain. In considering the grain supply, it must be noted that because France was normally self-sufficient, the convoy represented an extraordinary effort. It was not part of a "bridge of boats" carrying essential supplies, and the attack did not represent a threat on a par with the assault on the Atlantic convoys in World War I. Still, the fact that twenty-five million people — France's population at the time — consumed at least three million tons of grain per year raises the question of why Robespierre placed such a high value on a shipment that would make little difference to the total. As a further


Duggan et al ([2003][1]) elegantly model the effect of clozapine on suicide, and highlight that 53 lives could be saved each year if all patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia were offered clozapine treatment. The model does not, however, take into account the effect of clozapine on


A theory of magnetic Compton scattering is formulated. The cross section is found to be insensitive to orbital effects, in agreement with recent experiments on transition-metal and rare-earth ferromagnets. When the transferred energy is sufficiently small to generate substantial corrections to the impulse approximation, the sensitivity to orbital moments of ordinary nonresonant magnetic scattering is recovered.


My study focuses on the current conditions prevailing in the Hungarian industrial towns and post-communist industrial towns. Th e 11 industrial towns built during the communist era exhibit widely divergent development paths both prior and following the regime change. However, all of them are characterized as being heavily politicized; this political infl uence on their lives applies even today. In this paper I attempt to fi nd both common features and divergences in the present situation of these towns, the solutions they attempted to implement to rescue their economies, prevent depopulation; and fi nally, the form of future vision they seek to realize to ensure their continued existence and viability. Th e post-communist industrial towns do not have any historical roots; their prosperity was mainly due to the industrialization policies of the past regime. Most of the political attention and a sizable part of the available resources for some decades were focused on these towns, resulting in rapidly rising populations and the emergence of non-traditional urban structures. Th e regime change in 1989–1990 found the 11 Hungarian post-communist industrial towns in widely dissimilar conditions; by now the initial gap between the prosperous Tiszaújváros, Tatabánya, and Százhalombatta and stagnant or even declining Oroszlány, Ózd, and Komló has grown even further. In the analysis of the 11 towns I utilized on the one hand the various pertaining documentation and policy papers of which the integrated urban development plans are the most signifi cant, while on the other a wide array of available statistics and surveys, which aimed to provide the required background data for compiling the relevant statistics.


The No.1 Tunnel of the north main branch of gob of Cuijialin mine.Electro-magnetic metnod,drilling method,underground monitor and rock degformation monitor is used to explore the geological conditions and subsidence of the gob to supply references for gob control.


Purpose: Serpiginous choroiditis (SC) is a rare, bilateral, idiopathic inflammatory disorder that causes geographic destruction of the retina and choroid often in healthy middle-aged patients. Symptoms include blurred vision, central and paracentral scotomas. SC is part of a group termed white dot syndromes which involves inflammation of the retina and choroid with the appearance of white dots in the fundus. SC requires a thorough workup prior to treatment to rule out other inflammatory autoimmune or infectious etiologies. Early stages are challenging to diagnose. Treatment includes corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapy. The exact cause of Serpiginous Choroiditis is not known, yet HLA-B7 is typically positive indicating an autoimmune response in these patients. Choroidal neovascularization and cystoid macula edema are side effects, so close monitoring is important. This case presents a holistic clinical picture of SC to aid in better clinical diagnosis and understanding of this condition for the primary care eye clinician. Results: Presentation of a young otherwise healthy 37-year-old male patient to our clinical service revealed a serpentine shaped retina presentation absent of anterior chamber or vitreous inflammation. Fundus photos, fluorescein angiography, and ocular coherence tomography revealed serpiginous choroiditis. Primary care workup to rule out systemic conditions was unremarkable. Initial treatment with monitoring included intravitreal triamcinolone 2 mg/0.05 mL OU with oral chlorambucil therapy immediately afterwards. Active lesions resolved over the next 3 weeks, yet visual acuity showed no improvement as the foveal was already involved. The goal of chlorambucil therapy for 3 months was to induce sustained remission. Conclusion: Prognosis of SC is less favorable when the macula is involved (macular SC). Upon clinical presentation of serpiginous choroiditis, it is important to establish etiology of non-infectious autoimmune disorders or infectious disorders before classification of idiopathic SC and aggressive treatment to address underlying systemic conditions.


Canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) is one of the most important enteropathogen of dogs emerged in 1978 and manifested by two forms namely gastroenteritis and myocarditis. It is characterized by depression, loss of appetite, vomiting and leukopenia. CPV-2 is probably evolved from a very closely related virus in cats, feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV) or a closely related carnivore parvovirus. It caused high morbidity of 100% and low mortality of 10% in adult dogs and 91% in pups. Over the years a number of variants namely CPV-2a, CPV-2b, CPV-2c, New CPV-2a, New CPV-2b and Asp300 (2a/2b) have been reported from different countries in the world with varying degree of pathogenic potential. Although CPV-2 differ from FPV by 6 amino acids in the VP2 protein, subsequent variants differ from CPV-2 only in one or two places. Further, CPV-2 affects only dogs, new variants expanded their host range to cat as well. There are a number of different serological and molecular tests (PCR, nested PCR, SYBR Green based real time PCR, Taqman based real time PCR, Minor grove binding assay based PCR) available for prompt, specific and accurate diagnosis of the disease. Some molecular tests not only detect the CPV-2 but also identify the variant of CPV-2 involved in disease outbreak. Further, both live attenuated and inactivated vaccines are available to control the disease in animals. Besides, new generation vaccines namely recombinant vaccine, peptide vaccine and DNA vaccine have been developed for control of the disease in canines effectively and efficiently. However, new generation vaccines have not been issued license to be used in the field condition. Again, the presence of maternal antibodies often interferes with the active immunization with live attenuated vaccine and there always exists a window of susceptibility in spite of following proper immunization regimen. Lastly, judicious use of the vaccines in pet dogs, stray dogs and wild canids keeping in mind the new variants of the CPV-2 along with the proper sanitation and disinfection practices must be implemented for the successful control the disease.


In recent years, the Freudian construction of a passive, female sexuality has been severely criticised by feminists. This book tackles the question of female fetishism and documents women's engagement in this form of sexuality. Most psychoanalytic theory excludes the very possibility of the existence of female fetishism. In the face of the wealth of evidence gathered in this book, covering a range of fetishistic practices, the authors suggest that Freudian phallocentrism has prevented analysts from seeing the evidence before their eyes. "Female Fetishism" provides a theoretical context for understanding the subject, and also collects together case material from food and advertising fetishism to the obsessional behaviour of pop fans - collecting pop paraphernalia and locks of idols' hair - and women's involvement in the world of fetish magazines and dress clubs.


SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global pandemic, in part due to the highly infectious nature of the disease. Transmission between individuals occurs mainly through respiratory droplets and physical contacts, but other modes of transmission could be underestimated.1 Some observations point to a role of human sweat as a possible vehicle of transmission of SARS-CoV-2.2 SARS-CoV was already demonstrated in sweat glands in 2004.3 Recently, immunohistochemical investigations and RNA-FISH technique documented SARS-CoV-2 presence in the eccrine glands of COVID-19 positive patients.4-6 Moreover, human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the receptor by which SARS-CoV-2 enters into the human cells, was found in the sweat glands and co-localizes with viral antigens in the secretory cells.4 Interestingly, in a study of 212 SARS-CoV-2 diagnosed individuals, 114 (53%) reported "profuse sweating".7 These findings suggest ample material for infection, if sweat would contain SARS-CoV-2. However, studies conducted so far failed to demonstrate the sweat as a possible route of transmission.8,9.


Corrosion-resistant steels are characterized by several very valuable properties, thereby they are effectively used in different industries [1–3]. The sintering technology of corrosion-resistant steels has several features which are stipulated by high chromium affinity to oxygen and, respectively, by necessity of use of deeply dried protective media and high temperatures. Single and dual extrusion and sintering within the temperature range 1150–1300 °С are the most frequently applied technological procedures for manufacture of powder corrosion-resistant steels [4–8]. The properties of powder corrosion-resistant steels are generally determined by their porosity, thereby corrosion-resistant steels which are applied at present time are characterized by lower strength (by 10–30 %), plasticity (by 2–3 times) and impact toughness in comparison with the corresponding properties of cast steels. It restricts their application area. Porosity of corrosion-resistant steels has negative effect on corrosion resistance. This problem can be solved owing to use of the spark plasma sintering technology which allows to decrease porosity in sintered alloys to 1 % [9–14]. Additionally, presence of large amount of expensive chromium in corrosion-resistant steels is considered as one of the main problems of their recycling [15–17]. This problem can be solved via comminution of wastes and their secondary use. The existing industrial comminution technologies are characterized by large-scale production facilities, high energy consumption and environmental problems. So, electroerosion method seems to be one of the prospective and not applied industrially technologies for comminution of any conductive material at present time [18, 19]. At present time there are no scientific-technical developments for use of waste particles of corrosion-resistant alloys (which were dispersed by electroerosion) as charge material for manufacture of sintered products from these wastes. Conduction of complex theoretical and experimental investigations is required for these purposes. It will help to solve the problem of porosity decrease for sintered corrosion-resistant alloys and saving the expensive chromium. The aim of this research was examination of structure and properties of sintered samples produced in butyl alcohol and fabricated from corrosion-resistant powders subjected to electroerosion. Obtaining of the new relationships and interactions between composition, structure and properties of sintered corrosion-resistant alloys (from one side) and sintering technology for powder materials fabricated via electric dispersion of 12Kh13 steel wastes are estimated as novelty of this research. To solve the above-noted problem of obtaining low-cost porous-free microstructure of corrosion-resistant steels, the prospective technologies of electroerosion dispersion and spark plasma sintering will be applied. Structure and properties of sintered corrosion-resistant steel manufactured from electroerosive powders


Aspidistra lingyunensis C. R. Lin & L. F. Guo (Asparagaceae) is described and illustrated as a new species from limestone areas in northwestern Guangxi, China. It resembles A. obconica C. R. Lin & Yan Liu in leaf size and its obconical and purplish red pistil, but differs by having a yellowish white perianth, with lobes oblong, explanate, 6–7 mm long, subequal to tube and a white stigma surface, ca 3 mm in diameter. The new species is rare, currently known only from northwestern Guangxi.


Comment on "Physical constraints on c13 and δ for transversely
isotropic hydrocarbon source rocks" by F. Yan, D.-H. Han and
Q. Yao, Geophysical Prospecting 57, 393–411


The invention discloses a miniaturization band elimination type frequency selective surface. The miniaturization band elimination type frequency selective surface is formed by periodically arranging a plurality of same unit structures on a dielectric substrate in the horizontal two-dimensional direction, and each unit structure comprises a pair of opened metal rings located on the upper surface of the dielectric substrate, a pair of opened metal rings located on the lower surface of the dielectric substrate and metal through holes; the opening directions of the two metal rings in each pair are opposite, the two pairs of opened metal rings on the upper surface and the lower surface are perpendicularly staggered in the electromagnetic wave incidence direction, and the four metal through holes symmetrically formed in each unit center are used for correspondingly connecting the opening ends of the four metal rings in an up and down mode. The frequency selective surface has the band elimination characteristic due to inductance and capacitance resonance provided by the unit structures, and propagation of electromagnetic waves within specific frequency bands can be blocked; meanwhile, the frequency selective surface further has the advantages of being stable in response to different-polarization and different-incidence-angle frequencies of the space electromagnetic waves and being miniaturized.


Introduction. The high incidence and level of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in children aged 3 in Poland indicate a high risk of developing this disease in younger children. There are no data describing the scale of the problem in Poland. Aim. Determining the prevalence and level of severe early childhood caries (S-ECC), the needs of conservative treatment in children in the second and third year of life from the Warsaw agglomeration. Material and methods. A cross-sectional study of children aged 12-36 months was carried out after obtaining the consent of the Bioethics Committee of the Medical University of Warsaw. The presence of non-cavitated (d1) and cavitated caries (d2), fillings (f), and missing teeth (t) and surfaces (s) caused by caries (m), periodontal abscesses and fistulas was assessed. The frequency of ECC and its intensity (d1d2mft and d1d2mfs), conservative treatment index (f/f + d) were determined. In the statistical analysis, the chi-square test was used to compare the fractions. Results. 496 children were examined, including 262 (52.8%) boys. S-ECC was recorded in 44.8% of the respondents, d1d2mft and d1d2mfs reached the values of 2.62 ± 3.88 and 4.46 ± 8.42. The incidence and level of S-ECC increased with age. The greatest increase was seen in the subgroup > 18 to 24 months. The main components of d1d2mft were the teeth with caries (d). Abscesses and fistulas were diagnosed in 15 (3%) patients. The treatment indexes increased from 0 in the youngest to 0.08 in the oldest age group. Conclusions. Caries of primary teeth in the early childhood period is characterized by a rapid transformation of non-cavitated lesions into cavitated ones and subsequent eruption of teeth. With medical negligence, complications result in tooth loss. The greatest increase in the frequency and level of caries is observed in the second half of the second year of life, therefore, early home and professional prevention is essential.


The seaport of Dar es Salaam is currently in the third position uppermost container throughput volume in East Africa. It aspires to become the entire maritime hub for the regions of East and Central Africa, and to be one of the most developed seaports in Africa in the future. In this paper various computer software's such as MATLAB, SPSS, STARTA and Excel were applied together with several prediction models to precisely forecasting the Dar es Salaam seaport container throughput volume. Those models are exponential smoothing model, grey model, quadratic model and a combined forecast model. Comparison was made based on their Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) after the computation of each model. Finally, models results depicted that the combined forecast model has got the smallest number of errors. Hence the study confirmed that it has the best data for this research work, making it the best predicting model for the Dar es Salaam seaport container throughput volume.


The projective positions on vertical projection section of lode controlling points are the intersect of vertical longitudinal profile and its vertical line, running through the lode controlling spot. According to the above, the mathematical model is established which the coordinate of projective spots are consistent with those of the intersects determined by cross of vertical longitudinal faces and its vertical sections and horizontal face through lode controlling spot. The calculation method is obtained.


René Girard's thought on sacrifice, religion, and the scapegoat has bequeathed to modern thinkers a variety of important tools for understanding the relationships between these things and the formation of society, including political community. A great deal of important work has been done in the development of Girardian criticisms of ancient and modern political thinkers and the sacrificial violence they place at the center of their thought.[1] Despite this, however, not as much work has been done in outlining the potential elements of a political theory that might emerge from Girard's suggestion of a positive mimesis of Christ that embodies his renunciation of violence exemplified in the Crucifixion. This lack can be attributed, at least partially, to Girard's own reticence to outline the precise lineaments of a society emerging from the renunciation of violence he espouses. But it would seem that a contributing factor must also be the difficulty of imagining a politics that renounces violence and also remains political. This may be a symptom of a lack of imagination that humans have, formed as they are by practices that assume the necessity and inevitability of violence. And yet it is one of the most attractive characteristics of Girard's thought—that his relentless criticism of the scapegoat mechanism provides an opportunity to "unthink" the necessity of violence. Several important political questions, however, must be asked before this imaginative leap can have structural purchase.


Abstract The Supreme Court's decision in Marks v. United States instructs lower courts interpreting plurality judgments to follow the opinion concurring on the narrowest grounds, or the opinion closest to the dissent, creating the possibility that the position of the Court may not be one favored by the median justice. While the Marks doctrine creates a problem theoretically, it is unclear how frequently these problems materialize. In this paper, we explore how frequently the Marks doctrine actually results in non-median outcomes. We conclude with thoughts about the importance of these cases and speculate about the future of the Marks doctrine.


The seriousness of soil and water loss in cassava field all over the world was described. The international cooperation between CATAS and CIAT since 1989 about soil and water conservation in cassava field found that zero-tillage, contour ridging, close planting, fertilization, intercropping, hedgerowing of grass, etc. are very effective both for reducing erosion and increasing yield. Trials on soil and water conservation in cassava field in 1997~2001 suggested that the hedgerows of vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides (Linn.) Nash) gave the best effectiveness for reducing soil erosion(dry soil loss decreased by 68.3%) and increasing cassava yield(cassava yield increased by 2.7%).


We present a simple kinetic model for the assembly of small single-stranded RNA viruses that can be used to carry out analytical packaging contests between different types of RNA molecules. The RNA selection mechanism is purely kinetic and based on small differences between the assembly energy profiles. RNA molecules that win these packaging contests are characterized by having a minimum"Maximum Ladder Distance"and a maximum"Wrapping Number".The former is a topological invariant that measures the"branchiness"of the genome molecule while the latter measures the ability of the genome molecule to maximally associate with the capsid proteins. The model can also be used study the applicability of the theory of nucleation and growth to viral assembly, which breaks down with increasing strength of the RNA-protein interaction.


This paper describes the qualitative simulation-based university analyses. In university management, the staff of decision making section generally analyze their school status about the costs, cash flow from operations, investment cash flow, cash flow from financial activities and so on by using numerical analyses. However, such universities are like large business. Most of universities are small and medium-sized enterprise and such universities sometimes do not have a section for risk management and decision making. To help and enhance the strategy making for them, this paper propose a new management analysis method using qualitative simulation. The management states are divided as the cost of advertisement, payment of salary, and several other factors. Each factor has qualitative state value and its changing trend. Our qualitative simulation is carried out through non-landmark process. By using the method and qualitative simulation, university staff who is not engaging strategy planning can understand easily the management states of his/her organization.


Surface miners have proved to be one of the major mechanical excavators, particularly in soft and medium hard rock for meeting the higher demand for minerals. Selecting proper specifications of surface miner in a given geo-excavation set up is still a challenge faced by excavation engineers. Selection and performance of surface miner is influenced by a host of intact rock/rock mass properties apart from various machine design and operating parameters. These parameters need to be identified for their successful application and operational effectiveness. Production evaluation of surface miners was done in three limestone mines and three coal mines located at various parts of India. This paper presents the influence of rock/rock mass properties, namely, uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength, P-wave velocity, modulus of elasticity and brittleness index on normalized production potential of surface miner. Laboratory P-wave velocity modulus of elasticity and brittleness index showed better relation with normalized production in comparison with other parameters. A multiple regression model considering these variables has been developed for production evaluation using surface miner. The model has a reasonable degree of index of determination (0.78) and can be used as a good starting point for production evaluation in new projects.


This article proposes a reflection on Nigel Cross notion of "Designerly ways of Knowing". Our purpose here is two fold: to highlight some elements that constitute, as a whole, a possible response to what is believed to be the designers knowledge problematic characteristic, the experiential knowledge, which is often tacit; to discuss how this "problematic characteristic" is nowadays being taken into account in pedagogical proposals such as a Brazilian Pedagogic Project we describe here. The first part of this paper is thus dedicated to discuss Cross' vision on experiential knowledge. His underlying assumption is that, as also sustained by authors such as Schön (1983), Scrivener (2000) and Foqué (2010), what designers know about their own problem solving processes remains largely tacit knowledge – they know it the same way a skilled person 'knows' how to perform that skill. (Cross, 2001)


In this paper, an approach for teaching basic antenna theory and propagation to senior level undergraduate students for electrical engineering related fields is proposed and described. The method combines mathematical and theoretical studies with antenna design and laboratory measurements to reinforce the subject's theoretical and practical aspects together. Topics discussed in lectures include performing antenna radiation calculations, learning how to make antenna radiation pattern measurements, and designing of antennas such as microstrip patch antenna. The education is based on teaching these principles and enabling students to make some antenna measurements. At the end of the semester, an analysis on learning outcomes of the course was performed and feedback from students was taken. The feedback from students showed that there was a huge satisfaction in terms of achieving the goals in learning outcomes. The course structure proposed can be a good example for instructors who teach antennas and propagation courses.


We can deserve good outstanding of the shipping market.The tend of CCFI is depicted and the risk is forecasted by the research of China containerized Freight index in this article.The way of VaR is used in container shipping marker and is tested by the empirical study.


In this paper there are researched and compared three types of cylindrical magnetic couplers (MC): active MC, reactive MC with yoke and reactive MC without yoke. The comparison is made by the couplers' maximal mechanical torque, which is their main characteristic. The torque is calculated applying software QuickField by designing the magnetic field. The QuickField is based on the finite elements method. It is researched and recommended a new type of reactive MC.


In order to analyze the influence factors of signal-to-noise ratio( SNR) of balanced coherent detection,balanced coherent detection process was studied and the SNR formula was derived based on the mathematical model. A balanced laser detector for signal receiving was developed,and Mie scattering echo signal of aerosol particles was detected by means of the coherent radar prototype. The results show that balanced laser detector is with very low noise and high sensitivity,and can detect the laser echo signal of Mie scattering of aerosol particles.


Acoustic emission (AE) has proved to be an efficient technique for health monitoring of large structures. AE sources may include phenomena related to cracks, dislocations, friction, etc. Crack initiation and structural damage will generate elastodynamic waves in the solid. This information can then be used for monitoring the integrity of structures. In this paper, we propose a hybrid strategy coupling semi-analytical models for the crack growth with a numerical Boundary Element Method (BEM) model for elastodynamic wave propagation. Semi-analytical models describe mechanical fields in a domain holding a growing crack. These fields are then used as boundary conditions in the numerical elastodynamic model. The choice of semi-analytical models for the AE source and a numerical model for the propagation is dictated by the scale difference encountered in real applications between cracks and structures. The plane wave Fourier decomposition method can be used to take account semi-infinite isotropic solid.


The origin and elaboration of our fundamental theories like quantum theory, the theory of relativity and the quantum field theories can be traced to the study of light and its properties. While developing these theories, several notions on the behaviour of light have been hypothesized as well as asserted, sometimes without any direct or compelling empirical evidence. In the context of quantum physics, there is a widespread belief that experiments on quantum correlations establish nonlocality as an essential aspect of nature. Another unshakable belief without direct empirical support is the absolute constancy of the speed of light relative to moving observers. In this paper, I argue that no experiment on quantum correlations of spatially separated photons necessitates the concept of nonlocality, and that there is no direct empirical proof of nonlocality. I also comment on the need to modify established notions on quantum light, in the context of a clear conflict between cosmology and the zero point energy of quantum electrodynamics. Then I describe the first experiments on the measurement of the true one-way speed light relative to a reference platform that is in inertial motion. The results are at variance with the belief that the speed of light is independent of the velocity of the observer.


In a plasma wake wave generated by a high power laser, modulations of the electron density take the shape of paraboloidal dense shells, moving almost at the speed of light. A counterpropagating laser pulse is partially reflected from the shells, acting as relativistic flying mirrors, producing a time-compressed frequency-multiplied pulse due to the double Doppler effect. The counterpropagating laser pulse reflection from the plasma wake wave accompanied by its frequency multiplication (with a factor from 50 to 114) was detected in our experiment.


This article is a contribution to the development of robust approaches for frequency analysis in hydrology based on regional datasets. It focuses on finding relations between flood estimates based on Annual Maximum Series (AMS) and Peak Over Threshold Series (POTS). A consistent rule is elaborated for changing between the AMS and POTS representations for the individual observed values, for the choice of index flood and for parameter estimation. The point of departure for the analysis is the Langbein formula. The median related to AM as index flood is recommended, because, besides being robust, this characteristic can be estimated from both AMS and POTS. The methodology allows a direct comparison between L-moments of the annual maximum based on AMS and POTS, respectively, when the PWM method for estimating L-moments is applied. A conclusion of the analysis is that AM and POT data give identical results for estimation of AM L-moments but the latter has the smallest estimation errors.


The experiences of individuals returning to the most conservative countries from abroad are not being recorded. The present study explores how Saudi scholars working in the higher education sector readjust and reconnect to their workplace after completing their doctoral scholarships abroad. The study has adopted a narrative approach and used the transformational learning theory to account for reverse culture shock. Six assistant professors (three males and three females) from three Saudi universities were recruited and they underwent 30- to 50-min-long semi-structured in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis and the developed themes included emotional adaptation to home culture, adaptation to their work in their home culture, adaptation of families to home culture, and reentry coping mechanisms. The results depicted how the participants readjusted to their context after extended study abroad. They returned with new identities shaped by their life and education abroad and by their exposure at university to people from different cultural backgrounds. They had also become used to a more comfortable lifestyle in their host countries. The study concludes that there is a need to prepare and organize programs that could assist Saudi new returnees to readjust and reconnect to their context again. Moreover, it would be useful in helping universities prioritize their staff's well-being and design rehabilitative courses for new returnees helping them integrate into their workplace.


Whereas the interfacial properties of microemulsions have been extensively studied in both experimental and simulation research, the molecular mechanisms of stability and fluidity about microemulsion are still poorly understood. Herein, we report a molecular dynamics simulation study to elaborate motion of emulsion droplet involving dichain surfactant Aerosol OT (AOT) and its dynamics evolution at the oil-water interface. By varying the concentrations of AOT, we show that the interfacial thickness and emulsification rate display a piecewise change as the interfacial coverage increases, and the W/O emulsion is more stable than the O/W one while O/W emulsion presents better fluidity. In addition, the dispersed system combined with water/AOT/n-heptane tends to form W/O microemulsion instead of O/W microemulsion due to the structural collapse of the latter. This work provides a molecular understanding on microemulsion interfacial stability and fluidity.


Suprachoroidal haemorrhage is a rare and devastating complication in any ocular surgery. Its diagnosis is stress provoking, both for patient (because of extreme pain) and for doctor (because of unforeseen events). Herein, we report a case of intraoperative suprachoroidal haemorrhage while doing a


Abstract In 1966, tape recordings of Aboriginal music were collected at the following five places on Cape York Peninsula in North Queensland (see map, Figure I):


Monitoring a toddler is a tedious job, yet a very important one. Fall down is the most common risk that leads to injury during the process of learning to walk. Thus, this paper proposed an algorithm to detect automatically the event of toddler fall down to assist the supervision process by alerting the caretaker if necessary. This system comprises of a background subtraction module to detect region of interest, a tracking module using Kalman filter to track toddler movement and a decision module through decision tree process to determine the toddler state. System performance is evaluated based on three metrics, which are accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. The proposed algorithm works well with a low error performance. Further research should be done to improve the robustness of the system for real life environment implementation.


This paper summarizes the strengthening effects of jet grouting method for improving the backfilled ground at the back of berths No.2 No.3 in Xinsha port area of Guangzhou port based on the analysis of the implementation and improvement effect,and from the aspects including technological feasibility,structural safety,as well as the economicalness and operationability of the treatment scheme,etc.


This study analyzes whether subjective well-being measures can explain variation in peaceful uprisings, in addition to the objective measures typically used in analyses of this type of events. Using data on uprisings and subjective well-being for 118 countries from 2007 to 2014 -- a period during which nonviolent conflict became increasingly prevalent -- the study finds evidence of a positive effect of life dissatisfaction on the incidence of peaceful uprising, but not its violent counterpart. This effect does not depend on the type of political regime, nor the stage of development, and, to a large extent, it reflects changes in perceived satisfaction with living standards and the ability to have a purposeful and meaningful life.


This article adds a political perspective to the phenomenon of higher education de-differentiation, by building on Gary Rhoades' neo-institutionalist account. Diversity is operationalized on a hallmark dimension for Central and Eastern Europe: the public–private divide. Higher education is conceived of as a structured organizational field and its institutionalization in Central and Eastern Europe is surveyed in a comparative approach, focusing on the institutions governing the competition for (tuition paying) students and the normative images of higher education (accreditation, quality assurance, classifications and rankings). Critical junctures are identified in regard to the structuration and re-structuration of higher education in Romania, and the agency of the ministers is traced in relation to their academic background. The article builds on evidence from studies of system-level diversity or differentiation in higher education, the structuration of higher education as an organizational field, and the more recent empirical accounts on the impact of the agency of academics in policy formulation in Central and Eastern Europe (especially those in office as ministers of education).


A series of iridium(Ⅲ) complexes [(C^N)2IrL]+ [C^N=ppy,L=pzpy(1);C^N=dfppy,L=pzpy(2);C^N=ppy,L=pybi(3);C^N=tpy,L=acac(4);ppy=2-phenyl-pyridine,dfppy=2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine,pzpy=2-(1H-pyra-zol-1-yl)pyridine,pybi=1-phenyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-benzoimida-zole,tpy=2-(4-tolyl)-pyridine,acac=acetoylacetonate] was investigated theoretically to explore their electronic structures and spectroscopic properties.Their structures in the ground and excited states were optimized at the B3LYP/LanL2DZ and CIS/LanL2DZ levels,respectively.The results indicate that the calculated bond lengths of Ir—N,Ir—C,and Ir—O in the ground state agree well with the corresponding experimental results.Upon excitation,the bond lengths of Ir—N and Ir—C lengthen by 0.0003—0.003 nm and that of Ir—O shortens by ca.0.0012 nm compared with those of ground states.At the time-dependent density functional theory(TD-DFT) level with the polarized continuum model(PCM),complexes 1—4 give rise to lowest-lying absorptions at 398 nm(1),370 nm(2),419 nm(3),and 437 nm(4) and phosphorescent emissions at 511 nm(1),457 nm(2),602 nm(3),and 479 nm(4),respectively.The transitions of complexes 1,2 and 4 are attributed to d(Ir)+π(C^N)→π*(C^N) charge transfer,whereas those of complex 3 are related to d(Ir)+π(C^N)]→π*(pybi).It is shown that the emissions are significantly dominated by the metal participating in the frontier molecular orbitals and affected by the L ligands.


This issue focuses on gender and minorities in the Global South and is very much concerned with practical outcomes. Linked to this is the pervasiveness of Western hegemony when it comes to development discourses about gender and sexual identity, pleasure, disability, and narratives about masculinity and the role of women. As many of the articles in this issue point out, "assisted" by neo-colonial Western values alone, practical outcomes can be ineffectual or insufficient. This can have wide-ranging effects, not only on the minority groups themselves, but also on food security, nutrition, domestic and local harmony, the lives and wellbeing of children, democracy, and the effectiveness of humanitarian aid, to name just a few areas. Over a decade after the publication of her seminal article, "Why is Development Work so Straight? Heteronormativity in the International Development Industry", Susie Jolly examines whether the development sector is still heteronormative in regard to LGBTQ + and the pleasures of sexuality. She finds that while discussion around LGBTQI + has increased, funding and aid have not, and also that discussion tends to fall into homocolonial paradigm (Rahman 2020), whereby Western norms are uncritically imposed on queer minorities. Further, in discourse surrounding pleasure and sexuality, Jolly suggests that heteronormative and neocolonial influences are still pervasive, arguing that a stronger link between pleasure and politics needs to be made. Pilke and Waliyua reveal that, in Zambia, "despite the right to participation, few persons with disabilities have access to public decision-making structures". Their article considers the causes of these barriers to disability, finding that, while political parties may favour diversity, ableist attitudes, which inhibit participation, persist. The article focuses on difficulties with voting, engaging in political candidature, and campaigning that can potentially deny Zambians with disabilities a political voice. Pilke and Waliyua suggest that it is not enough to import Western notions of "accessibility" into Zambian discourse; structural changes must be made locally to ensure that equity is achievable. Hillenbrand et al. look at how to practically change gender inequality in Burundi. Their paper considers two approaches: "gender transformative" and "gender sensitive". They found that women in the gender sensitive groups experienced real improvements in communication within the household and reduced domestic conflict, while those in the gender transformative groups were able to realise greater access to household decision-making and finances. Here transformation is again situated firmly in local context and discourse, with this approach aimed at giving women the tools to envisage and actualise their own empowerment. Pamphilon et al. also consider the practical outcomes of intervention. They analyse the outcomes of an educational video on gender equity for farmers with low literacy in Papua New Guinea. The video was locally created and devised, to ensure that it was relevant for the farmers and their particular situation. The article discusses the concrete changes that arose as a consequence of the video, which was used not only to transform structural inequality within the target village, but also to provide new insights for the Australian co-authors from a decolonising perspective. Panda, Lund, and Pattanayak present a collaboration between universities in India and Norway, which developed entrepreneurial internships for women living in poverty in rural India. Their article underlines the importance of giving voices to local women in the development of local economy—particularly in terms developing a rapport with other local women farmers.


The fungi here described are interesting because they clearly indicate a connection between the genus Gomphidius of the Agaricales and the Secotiaceae of the Gastromycetes. Also, all the species have been found in a single geographic area, the western United States. This area is of considerable general interest because of the large number of other secotioid Gastromycetes known to occur in it. The species described in the following account could be placed easily in the two main subgenera of Singer's (1949) classification of Gomphidius were it not for the fact that the spores are not discharged from the basidia in the manner typical of Hymenomycetes, and the hymenophore does not become oriented for spore discharge. In addition, the hymenophore has many chambers, lined by hymenium containing fertile basidia, which do not open to the outside, so that spores could not possibly escape from them. In other words, the morphology of the fructification is that of the Secotiaceae. Because of these gastromycete features, we are describing the two new species in the Gastromycetes but recognizing that their relationships are with Gomphidius. The name Brauniellula was selected to indicate the resemblance of this genus to Brauniella in certain microscopic characters. This does not necessarily imply that we believe the two genera are intimately related. As we pursue the evolutionary lines of development evident in the Agaricales into the Gastromycetes (or vice versa depending on one's views in the matter) we hope to shed more light on this problem. The field work during 1958 was financed by the University of Michigan Herbarium. Previous work in the area, which laid the ground work for the 1958 expedition, was financed jointly by the Faculty Research Fund of the University of Michigan and the Na-


This work focused on the optimization of process parameters, which may result in increasing mechanical properties of copper weldments. The different tool pin profiles such as plain taper cylindrical, taper cylindrical with threaded, triangular, square, pentagonal and hexagonal having constant shoulder diameters were used to fabricate the weldments. The experiments were conducted at different levels of tool rotational speed and weld speeds using six different tool pin profiles. The experimental results revealed that the defect free weldments could be obtained by using different tool pin profiles. From the investigation, it was found the weldments made by using a square (SQ) tool pin profile resulted in better mechanical properties compared to other tool pin profiles. Objective functions are developed for the mechanical properties in terms of input parameters. The input parameters of an SQ tool pin profile were optimized using a metaheuristic optimization based algorithm named teaching learning based optimization (TLBO) technique to improve mechanical properties. The TLBO suggests a combination of 900 rpm of tool rotation speed and 40 mm/min weld speed for better properties.


Fabrication of three-dimensional shapes with engineering materials is of considerable interest for last three decades. Aerospace companies such as United Technologies in late Nineteen Seventies reported Nickel Super Alloys. In eighties rapid prototyping with photopolymer and laser sintering of polymer and metals started an industry. During the past decade several laboratories all over the world has made tremendous progress in producing parts directly from Computer Aided Design (CAD). Even tool steels are now possible using Closed Loop Direct Materials Deposition (DMD) technique. H13 tool steel is one of the difficult alloys for deposition due to residual stress accumulation from martensitic transformation. However, it is the material of choice for the die and tool industry. DMD offers Copper chill blocks and water-cooling channels as the integral part of the tool. This can reduce cycle time by 10-50 % for some injection molding dies. Difficult components can be repaired relatively easily. Presently the DMD technology and its derivatives are commercialized by many start-up Companies such as POM Group Inc. at Auburn Hills, Michigan. Using the closed loop Direct Metal Deposition, POM group is involved in fabrication, reconfiguration and restoration of tools, dies and components. Bi-Metallic Forging Tools fabricated by DMD exhibited 3 times the life improvement. This technology has the potential for remote manufacturing and may be useful for repairing and reconfiguration of components in the ship with the data electronically transferred from shore.This process is amenable to produce both macro and microstructure to a designed specification. Using DMD in conjunction with Homogenization design Method and heterogeneous CAD, one can produce components with predetermined performance such as negative co-efficient of thermal expansion, by synthesis of designed microstructure. This paper briefly reviews the past evolution and state of the art of DMD and describes present and future applications.Fabrication of three-dimensional shapes with engineering materials is of considerable interest for last three decades. Aerospace companies such as United Technologies in late Nineteen Seventies reported Nickel Super Alloys. In eighties rapid prototyping with photopolymer and laser sintering of polymer and metals started an industry. During the past decade several laboratories all over the world has made tremendous progress in producing parts directly from Computer Aided Design (CAD). Even tool steels are now possible using Closed Loop Direct Materials Deposition (DMD) technique. H13 tool steel is one of the difficult alloys for deposition due to residual stress accumulation from martensitic transformation. However, it is the material of choice for the die and tool industry. DMD offers Copper chill blocks and water-cooling channels as the integral part of the tool. This can reduce cycle time by 10-50 % for some injection molding dies. Difficult components can be repaired relatively easily. Presently the DM...


The aim of this book is to provide a fresh conceptual opening of the thriving field of civilizational analysis and to propose new tools for anchoring this field both within comparative historical sociology and social theory. On the way to this end, the work also marks important signposts within the sociological theory of modernity. The author believes that the project to theoretically upgrade comparative civilizational analysis is inseparable from the current undertaking at theorizing and analyzing 'multiple modernities'. The first theoretical issue that is common to civilizational analysis and to the theory of modernity is the thematization of the relation of culture and power. Civilizations primarily differ as to the way this relation is articulated. This key issue also affects the question of social differentiation (p. 5). If applied to civilizations in the plural, both issues need original approaches, compared to the solutions provided by the mainstream, Western-centred 'sociology of societies'. Through the frame of civilizations, via their different trajectories, we are confronted with not just a variety of societies within modernity, but with a plurality of modernities developing out of diverse and asymmetric civilizational backgrounds (p. 13). Various patterns of collective action forging power through the conceptual frames to action provided by religious and cultural traditions, determine the creativity of civilizations and differentiate them both internally and externally (p. 59). The most synthetic definition of the undertaking is provided at the end of the book: 'civilizational analysis – at least in its more ambitious and conceptually articulate versions – is very much about taking seriously the idea of diverse ways of being-in-the-world' (p. 357). Civilizational analysis-cum-theory thus proves better equipped than a 'sociocentric approach' for the task of integrating some leitmotif of classic social theory, such as the exploration of the interpretive prisms and practical orientations of social agents, and their intrinsic diversity (p. 60). Pioneers of such a concept of civilization as a corrective to the unilateral notion of society were no less than Emile Durkheim and Marcel Mauss. For them, thinking in terms of civilizations allows one 'to identify the most comprehensive and self-contained forms of social life' (p. 70). It facilitates a focus on the cultural configurations or traditions which provide the 'meta-institutional' depth to frames of social action. This approach contrasts with a view of society as a systemic convergence of effects, or even as a 'hyper-system' of discrete and differentiated, sectorspecific logics of action (p. 78). It becomes clear that civilizational theory cannot be reduced to a variant of cultural theory, but has the potential to spearhead a comparatively oriented social theory. Culture is not analyzed per se but in conjunction with power, as the forging ground of those notions of legitimacy through which power becomes socially pervasive (p. 104). If Durkheim's meta-theoretical reflections were still too isolated from comparative explorations (p. 86), the Weberian intervention was only a partial remedy to this comparative European Journal of Social Theory 10(2): 327–331


A wideband monocone antenna is designed for monolithic fabrication in additive manufacturing with an elliptical radome. To enhance gain pattern stability, the ground plane is modified with a conical skirt shape. The final design demonstrates a bandwidth of 7–40 GHz with a -3 dBi field of view from 62° to 102°. Two types of manufacturing resins are used in the development of this antenna and their impact on impedance and radiation characteristics examined.


The invention provides a parameter setting device which is used for setting parameters of a touch type display device. The parameter setting device comprises a storage unit and a setting unit, wherein the storage unit is used for storing parameters in different working environments of the touch type display device; and the setting unit is used for setting the parameters of the touch type display device according to the current working environment of the touch type display device and parameters corresponding to the current working environments. The invention also provides a parameter setting method and the touch type display device. Through the invention, the parameters of a touch screen can be dynamically adjusted according to requirements or environment changes so as to improve the user experience.


Ultra‐high resolution band‐selective HSQC (bsHSQC) has been employed for detection of 35Cl–37Cl isotope shifted 13C NMR signals for assignment of regioisomerism in bromo‐chloro natural products. Optimum pulse sequence and instrumental parameters for maximization of detection of the isotope shifts were explored. The chlorine isotope shifts (Δδ) were detected within crosspeaks and were shown to vary with hybridization of 13C, substitution of 13C, presence of β‐chloro substituents, and their relative configuration. Deconvolution of Cl‐substituted CH bsHSQC crosspeaks may provide other useful information, including a potentially MS‐independent method for quantitating 37Cl/35C isotopic fractionation during the biosynthesis of halogenated natural products. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


ABSTRACT The International Safety Management (ISM) Code aims to provide an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and pollution prevention. Initially, it improved both onboard and onshore safety standards. In recent years, however, shipping safety statistics and research have revealed that ISM Code compliance has increasingly worsened due to accidents, deaths, and excessive sea pollution. The support of another management system is thus needed to overcome difficulties in implementing the ISM Code. Hence, this paper combines both management systems (ISM and Idea Management System, IMS) within the Seven C's approach. This is a holistic approach to maritime safety management that integrates seven critical success factors for effective implementation of the ISM Code. This approach may play an important role in creating organizational knowledge to raise an organization's awareness of managing and linking know-how to position itself for the future. This will help to make ISM code management more efficient and may reduce accidents, deaths, and marine pollution by fostering the seven C components.


Standard pre-treatment staging for gastric cancer includes computed tomography of the chest, abdomen and pelvis, gastroscopy and laparoscopy. Although 18F- Positron Emission Tomography combined with CT ( 18 F-FDG PET/CT) has been proven to be a useful staging tool in many cancers, some gastric cancers are not FDG avid and its clinical value is still debatable. Materials and Methods: Gastric cancer patients who had staging 18 F-FDG PET scans from 2002 to 2013 at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center were retrospectively analyzed and a systematic review was also conducted using PubMed between 2000 to March 2014 to investigate clinicopathological parameters associated with FDG avidity. A pre-treatment PET scoring system was developed from FDG avid predictors. Results: Both retrospective analysis of the 40 gastric cancer patients treated at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center and systematic literature review showed similar significant predictors of FDG avidity including large tumour size, non-signet ring cell carcinoma type and GLUT1 positive expression on immunohistochemistry. A PET scoring system was developed from these clinicopathological parameters which allowed FDG avid tumors to be detected with a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 71%. Conclusions: A pre-treatment PET scoring system can assist in the selection of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma when considering staging FDG-PET scanning.


ABSTRACT In recent years, feature engineering-based machine learning models have made significant progress in auto insurance fraud detection. However, most models or systems focused only on structural data and did not utilize multi-modal data to improve fraud detection efficiency. To solve this problem, we adapt both natural language processing and computer vision techniques to our knowledge-based algorithm and construct an Auto Insurance Multi-modal Learning (AIML) framework. We then apply AIML to detect fraud behavior in auto insurance cases with data from real scenarios and conduct experiments to examine the improvement in model performance with multi-modal data compared to baseline model with structural data only. A self-designed Semi-Auto Feature Engineer (SAFE) algorithm to process auto insurance data and a visual data processing framework are embedded within AIML. Results show that AIML substantially improves the model performance in detecting fraud behavior compared to models that only use structural data.


Provided is a computer system that identifies work associated with a sampling candidate data group (one or more sampling candidate data items). On the basis of management information, which is information that includes information expressing a relationship between work including a data search, the work properties and the sampling rule, the computer system determines a sampling condition in accordance with a sampling rule corresponding to the properties of the identified work. Then, the computer system samples, from the sampling candidate data group, data items which meet the determined sampling condition. A sampling result is referenced at the time of the data search performed in the course of the identified work. A sampling data group, which is one or more sampling data items that include the sampled data, and/or a sampling index, which is an index of the sampling data group, is the sampling result which is referenced at the time of the data search performed in the course of the identified work.


We conjecture a geometrical form of the Paley-Wiener theorem for the Dunkl transform and prove three instances thereof, by using a reduction to the one-dimensional even case, shift operators, and a limit transition from Opdam's results for the graded Hecke algebra, respectively. These Paley- Wiener theorems are used to extend Dunkl's intertwining operator to arbitrary smooth functions. Furthermore, the connection between Dunkl operators and the Cartan mo- tion group is established. It is shown how the algebra of radial parts of in- variant differential operators can be described explicitly in terms of Dunkl operators. This description implies that the generalized Bessel functions coin- cide with the spherical functions. In this context of the Cartan motion group, the restriction of Dunkl's intertwining operator to the invariants can be inter- preted in terms of the Abel transform. We also show that, for certain values of the multiplicities of the restricted roots, the Abel transform is essentially inverted by a differential operator. 1. Introduction and overview In recent times the study of special functions associated with root systems has developed to a considerable degree. Starting with a number of conjectures by Mac- donald, and the work of Heckman and Opdam on multivariable hypergeometric functions in the late 1980's, the development of the theory was greatly enhanced by the introduction of rational Dunkl operators by Dunkl (6). Through various intermediate steps of generalization, these operators can even be said to have ulti- mately provided crucial building blocks for Cherednik's work on double affine Hecke algebras and the q-Macdonald conjectures. Originally, before the introduction of Dunkl operators, the idea when studying special functions related to root systems was to consider root multiplicities in the theory of spherical functions on Lie groups as parameters, and then to develop a theory for Weyl group invariant objects in this more general situation, without the aid of the presence of the group. It was this point of view which underlay the Macdonald conjectures and which led Heckman and Opdam to the development of their theory of hypergeometric functions in higher dimension. One of the main technical problems in this context is the description of the generalized radial parts of invariant differential operators. Apart from an explicit formula for the generalized radial part of the Laplacian—an expression which was in fact the starting point for Heckman and Opdam—the other operators remain somewhat intangible.


We examine in ationary universe models driven by scalar elds with logarithmic potentials of the form V ( ) = V 0 p (ln ) q . Combining the slow-roll approximation with asymptotic techniques, we identify regions of the potential where in ation may occur and obtain analytic expressions for the evolution of the eld and the metric in these cases. We construct a family of exact solutions to the equations of motion with potentials resembling the above form and demonstrate their in ationary nature; de ationary and con ationary cosmological behaviours are also de ned and identi ed. Finally, a computation of scalar density and tensor gravitational perturbations produced by the model is presented. PACS number 98.80.Cq Submitted to Physical Review D


Houston's Addicks Reservoir and Dam need to be re-evaluated to work effectively against changing weather patterns and an increase in storm intensity.


J. L. PINTO (Bull. Off. Internat. d'Hyg. Publique, March, 1936, p. 472), director of the National Vaccine Institute in the Bombay Presidency, as the result of his researches concludes that about a fifth of the children in the Bombay Presidency who have been vaccinated against smallpox in the course of their first year completely lose their immunity at the end of four years and about a half at the end of seven years. He thinks it desirable, therefore, that children should be revaccinated earlier than is done in some places. Moreover, apart from the value of revaccinating children even at the end of a year during


In this paper, we describe a new method to manufacture cholesteric colour filters. The cholesteric colour filter is made by a simple method, comprising one coating step and two UV exposure steps. The optical performance of the cholesteric colour filter and a reflective LCD with a cholesteric colour filter inside the cell will be discussed. The cholesteric colour filter has a high colour purity and the display shows a high contrast ratio of 35:1.


In this paper, we explore the localization transition and the scaling properties of both quasi-one-dimensional and two-dimensional quasiperiodic systems, which are constituted from coupling several Aubry-Andre (AA) chains along the transverse direction, in the presence of next-nearest-neighbor (NNN) hopping. The localization length, two-terminal conductance, and participation ratio are calculated within the tight-binding Hamiltonian. Our results reveal that a metal-insulator transition could be driven in these systems not only by changing the NNN hopping integral but also by the dimensionality effects. These results are general and hold by coupling distinct AA chains with various model parameters. Furthermore, we show from finite-size scaling that the transport properties of the two-dimensional quasiperiodic system can be described by a single parameter and the scaling function can reach the value 1, contrary to the scaling theory of localization of disordered systems. The underlying physical mechanism is discussed.


With the explosion of digital imaging systems, high image noise levels, particularly motion blur and sensor noise, limit the applications of mobile cameras. In this paper, a novel restoration approach is developed. By uniformly splitting the exposure time and averaging the multiple under-exposed captures, a single image is obtained in which both types of noise are mitigated. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate the successful image restoration under various exposure conditions. Exposure-splitting is further optimized to fully recover the image quality under severe motion blur. This technique can be easily implemented into contemporary digital imaging systems.