A part of power distribution system losses is related to the growth of trees beside power lines. Despite the fact that the first need for the reduction of tree losses is an accurate evaluation, a detailed study has not been done in this field thus far. Earlier works about trees interfering with power lines have not considered power loss and often studied it as a high impedance fault problem. In addition, these studies have been just focused on the leakage current measurement of some specific trees touching medium voltage distribution network, while it is low voltage network in urban and rural areas that has maximum reports of tree contact. Furthermore, the amount of leakage current greatly depends on the internal tissues of trees and environmental conditions. With regard to the differences in tree types and weather conditions around the world, losses will have different degrees; therefore, studies cannot be confined only to the results of some particular types of trees. Considering the shortcomings of these studies, this paper tries to determine a factor for environmental conditions. By applying this factor, the leakage current values for different weather conditions are estimated. Besides, this paper uses 3D finite element method for modeling tree losses by considering type of trees. For assessing the validity of the modeling results, the range of leakage currents is obtained from experiments in a real low voltage network. The results of this study remove doubt about the reliability of loss calculation and shows that loss estimation by modeling is an effective and reliable tool in this field.


In response to your request for information concerning the presence of cocaethylene content in illicit cocaine exhibits, the following comments are provided, based on research and sample analysis performed within the Cocaine Signature Program (CSP) of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Special Testing and Research Laboratory since 1992. In addition to our in-depth cocaine sample analysis and applied research, we have debriefed hundreds of South American illicit cocaine laboratory operators on the details of their processes to include observing, first hand, dozens of these operators making cocaine in the illicit setting. Cocaethylene is not a natural product derived from coca. Rather, it is a manufacturing by-product resulting from both pharmaceutical and illicit production processes and certain smuggling techniques. Because cocaethylene is a manufacturing by-product, it has no intrinsic origin value, and thus is not a quantitative target compound in our geographic origin classification program (1). However, we have detected it at various levels in illicit cocaine exhibits for over 10 years. It would be appropriate to explain the known licit and illicit processes that produce cocaethylene in cocaine samples. In each case, the methyl ester of cocaine is transesterified to some degree in the presence of ethanol to the ethyl homologue, cocaethylene. Pharmaceutical cocaine contains various levels of cocaethylene because of the recrystallization step, which uses ethanol. We reported cocaethylene levels in five differing lots of pharmaceutical cocaine over 12 years ago (2). There are three well-known processes that give rise to cocaethylene as a manufacturing by-product within an illicit cocaine sample. These processes are 1. dissolution of cocaine in ethanol for smuggling purposes, 2. "washing" crude cocaine base with ethanol as a purification step, and 3. conversion of cocaine base to cocaine HC1 utilizing ethanolic HC1 (HC1 gas dissolved in ethanol). First, it is not uncommon for cocaine to be smuggled dissolved in ethanol (usually in bottles of liquor). We have detected significant levels of cocaethylene in these exhibits. Prolonged exposure of cocaine to ethanol results in significant levels of cocaethylene. For example, Janzen (3) reported levels of 20% cocaethylene in illicit cocaine HC1 exhibits that were obtained from this type of smuggling operation. Second, Peruvian cocaine base processors are now known to use ethanol for the purification of crude cocaine base. This process is referred to as the "base lavada" or "washed base" process. It is a substitute method for the potassium permanganate purification methodology, a recent development over the past 3-5 years. The process involves adding sufficient ethanol to crude cocaine base to give it a dough ball consistency. The dough ball is wrapped in a cloth and pressed in a perforated mold. Ethanol containing dissolved colored impurities and some cocaine leach from the mold to give a slightly purer cocaine base. Peruvian processors then utilize acetone and concentrated HCI for the conversion of this "washed" cocaine base into cocaine HCI. We recently completed a study on authentic Peruvian cocaine which included both washed cocaine base (N = 114) and cocaine HC1 (N = 46) exhibits. The details of this study will be reported elsewhere; however, we present the following preliminary findings at the request and in the interests of this journal. To summarize, cocaethylene was detected in all 114 cocaine base exhibits with an average concentration of 0.12% relative to cocaine; the highest concentration was 0.93%. Five other transesterified minor alkaloids were also detected in many of these exhibits. Cocaethylene was also detected in all 46 cocaine HCI exhibits as well, with an average concentration of 0.013% relative to cocaine; the highest concentration was 0.084%. Ethanol was detected in all the Peruvian base exhibits and in 30 (65%) of the HCI exhibits. It should be noted, however, that Peruvian HC1 method (acetone/concentrated HCl) processed exhibits account for only 1-2% of all cocaine HC1 examined in the CSP from seizures in the United States. In addition, the cocaethylene content of the Peruvian HC1 exhibits is significantly lower than what we have observed in the past for Colombian HCl-processed exhibits. It should also be noted that in 2006, we found (through the CSP) that 6% of the cocaine HC1 analyzed from submitted seizures in the U.S. were actually Peruvian cocaine base converted to cocaine HCI through Colombian methodologies (Peruvian cocaine base smuggled into Colombia for conversion into cocaine HC1). This study did not examine any samples of this latter type, since we were interested in the newer Peruvian process. Finally, many Colombian processors convert cocaine base into cocaine HCI utilizing ethanolic HC1 as a substitute for concentrated HCI. Approximately 98% of cocaine HCI exhibits analyzed from seizures within the United States are processed by


Objectives: The objective of the study is to find the effect of circuit training on quality of life. To find the effect of conventional therapy (interferential therapy [IFT] and isometric exercise) and to find the effect of conventional therapy with or without circuit training in OA knee.Methods: A total of 30 participants of 50-60 years of age, having osteoarthritis (OA) knee were recruited and allocated into two groups and treated with IFT, exercises, and circuit training for 4 weeks. Pre- and post-intervention outcome were measured using Western Ontario and McMaster University OA Index (WOMAC) and visual analog scale (VAS).Result: Both groups showed improvement, but there was an extremely significant improvement on VAS and WOMAC scales in the group treated with circuit training along with conventional treatment (IFT and isometric exercises).Conclusion: From this study, we conclude that circuit training along with IFT and isometric exercises shows an extremely significant effect over IFT and isometric exercises alone in OA knee patients.


In order to develop methods of plasma injection for removing pollutants such as NOx and SOx contained in combustion exhaust gas, we have investigated radical formation in nitrogen arc plasma, and reported that the NOx removal efficiency has a maximum value in the range of low electrical power for plasma operated under stable conditions. In this paper, in order to further economize electrical energy in actual use, the simulated exhaust gas (N2+O2+CO2+NO) is excited by passing through a corona discharge tube in a high electric voltage field. The NO is oxidized to NO2, and OH radical generated from H2O contained in gas reacts with NO2, and NO concentration decreases as a result of generation of HNO3. The effects of H2O, O2 and CO2 contents on the NOx reduction rate are discussed experimentally. The NOx reduction rate of about 25% is obtained under the input power of 45 watts.


example of a shared focus on cognition, the brain, and development is Squire et al.'s Fundamental Neuroscience (2008. Third Edition. Burlington (MA): Academic Press), specifically the 200-page section, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience. A number of chapters in these representative textbooks address concerns bearing a strong family resemblance to the program outlined by the editors to the Vienna Series in Theoretical Biology. Perhaps there is less than a clear demarcation between the supposedly "old" and the "new" cognitive sciences. Paul Tibbetts, Philosophy and Cognitive Science, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio


interesting; I suspect others introduced to P. via the orthodox analytic viewpoint may have the same experience. As for her own ideas, C. sees two major themes in P.'s work. The μrst is an 'ontology of grammar', wherein she traces the movement from the verbal #τυι in the early fragments to a climactic nominalization in υ" ξ in fr. 8.32; the second (here she follows one of Havelock's ideas) is a rewriting of Homeric narrative, with the new, philosophical hero υ" ξ taking the place of Odysseus. Both ideas are interesting, but neither compelling: a poem transmitted in such a confused and lacunose fashion as P.'s does not let us trace its internal development of words, and inevitable as Homeric echoes are in any Greek hexameters, it is arbitrary to stress some while ignoring others which seem closer. Taken as a whole, the book is remarkably uneven. There is no commentary as such on the text; instead, the essays which make up the 'glossaire' cover some points of grammar, semantics (both often elementary), and interpretation, but in a very disjointed way which will give little help to those reading through the Greek text, whether they need linguistic help or simply wish to follow P.'s arguments as he set them out. For instance, pp. 144–8 are devoted to the meaning of the opening clause of fr. 6, quite without reference to the next clause, the connecting η0σ of which suggests that it has light to shed on the question. The book is very carelessly produced. I noticed dozens of typographical errors, mainly in the (usually transliterated) Greek, but also in French, English, and even Latin. I found it rather worrying that mistakes in the Greek text were solemnly repeated in the index verborum.


The effects of heat temperature on the mechanical properties and the microstructure of the AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets were investigated.The results show that the rolling will make the grain fine,the tensile strength increased and the prolongation rate reduced.With raising the heat temperature,the tensile strength descends,the prolongation rate increases and the grain will be fined because of the recrystallization.


Two innovative soft maceration techniques of vinification based on red grape Cabernet Sauvignon were compared in 2020 and 2021 vintages with the most used system of maceration (pump-over and delestage) in today's wine sector in order to verify the efficiency in polyphenol extraction and fermentation rate. Fermentation kinetics and final wine characteristics were evaluated as the main parameters for comparing the systems. The AIR MIX (AIRMIXING M.I.™) technique is based on the use of a fixed sequential small injections of compressed air (3 jets) from the bottom of the tank, aimed at creating waves (resonance waves) able to prevent the cap formation. The ADCF (NECTAR-ADCF™) technique uses the overpressure produced by carbon dioxide in the wine tank during alcoholic fermentation to keep the cap submerged and to favor its disruption by the CO2 outside release through a valve. As a reference, the control vinification consisted of the use of "delestage" and pump-over to facilitate the extraction and good management of the cap. ADCF, at the end, extracted a greater quantity of polyphenols and anthocyanins. AIR MIX speeded up the fermentation, which ended 4–7 days before the control and, initially, provoked a greater extraction of phenols and anthocyanins as ADCF. By the end, the concentration of polyphenols and anthocyanins was the highest in ADCF, followed by control and AIR MIX approximately at the same amount. The control wine had a slightly higher volatile acidity. AIR MIX consumed more than 60 % less energy because the nonuse of pump-over and delestage, and also, no personnel was requested.


Objective: To clarify the characteristics of sympathetic vasomotor function in Parkinson's disease by sympathetic neurographic analysis. Methods: Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) was recorded using a microneurographic technique at rest and during head up tilt in 18 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and 21 healthy controls. Results: Heart rate and blood pressure at rest did not differ between index and control subjects. The increase in these variables and MSNA in response to tilting was slightly blunted in the Parkinson's group. Resting MSNA showed a negative correlation with age in patients with Parkinson's disease (p<0.05) and a positive correlation with age in controls (p<0.01). There was a negative correlation between duration of disease or disability levels and MSNA (p<0.01). Conclusions: Sympathetic vasomotor function may be related to age and disease duration in Parkinson's disease.


Summary Neonatally thymectomized urethan-treated Swiss mice inoculated repeatedly with competent lymphoid cells from the same random-bred strain developed a higher incidence of lung adenomas than that observed in thymectomized urethan-treated controls. The immunologic impairment and pathologic findings noted in the inoculated animals were more severe than those observed in neonatally thymectomized controls, suggesting the development of a graft-versus-host reaction induced by the repeated inoculation of the competent cells. Thymectomized controls inoculated with kidney cells or with in vitro irradiated spleen cells showed neither an increased lung adenoma incidence nor the clinical picture of a graft-versus-host reaction.


This paper deals with the analysis and control of multicellular converter from the point view of hybrid theory. Therefore, a hybrid model, called hybrid automaton, should be established. The hybrid automaton for the multicellular converter is derived based on some properties obtained by the analysis of the open loop trajectories. Based on the obtained hybrid automaton, we derive a switching control law that guaranties the quadratic stability of the switched equilibrium. The continuous Lyapunov function used for the quadratic stabilization is the stored energy in the inductor and the capacitor. The switching surfaces are defined based on the highest rate of decrease of the continuous Lyapunov function. Simulation results bring out the advantages and the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme under fast variations of the input voltage and load resistance.


This paper examines the impact of accounting information on first the cost of municipal bond insurance and secondly on the credit rating awarded on municipal debt, using data disclosed under Statement No. 34 of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB 34) for insured general obligation debt issued by Texas cities. It finds that both governmental fund and government‐wide financial information is related to the cost of municipal bond insurance and the credit rating on municipal debt. The paper also shows that the utilization of accounting information by bond insurers is not identical to its use by a bond rating agency.


Objective To explore the role of quantity of saline injected into catheter gasbag in the effect of indwelling catheter in the old female patients. Methods One hundred and sixty-four cases of old female patients (mean age 74.18 years old) who were indwelled catheter were divided randomly into observation group and control group. 15-20 ml saline was injected into catheter in observation group, while 5-8 ml saline in control group after urinary catheterization. The relationship between the indwelling time and the effect was observed. Results There was significant difference between two groups in the effect of indwelling catheter and incidence rate of urinary infection(all P 0.01 ). Conclusion Injection of about 15-20 ml saline in catheter in the old female patient can protect the urethrorrhea and withdrawal of urethral catheter, and decrease the rate of infection in urinary system.


The study explored perceptions on the usage of Turnitin Plagiarism checking software among the staff of Koforidua Technical University (KTU) in Ghana. The research sought to explore the associations between the independent variables (Attitude and Perception, Perceived Challenges and Readiness to Use) and the dependent variable (System Usage) of the Turnitin Software among the staff of KTU. The survey adopted the quantitative research approach. Google forms were used to design questionnaires and mailed to the participants. The response rate valid for analysis was 98.7%, against a sample size of 309 participants. SmartPLS3 software was used to explore the data extracted from google forms. The results of the convergent, discriminant validity calculation were all within the satisfactory threshold. Four hypothetical statements were tested, three of them showed significant association with the independent variables (Attitude and Perception, Perceived Challenges and Readiness to Use) and dependent variable (System Usage) except System Awareness which was not supported and rejected. The proposed model explained 66.7% invariance of the System Usage (Turnitin Software). The study recommends continuous dissemination of  information about the availability of the Turnitin Software in the University.

Citation: Asante, E., Baayel, P., Adjei, B., K.W., and Owusu-Acheaw, M. (2021). Perception of Turnitin: Checking Plagiarism among Staff at Koforidua Technical University (KTU), Ghana.
International Journal of Technology and Management Research (IJTMR), Vol. 6 (1): Pp.116-128.
Received: March 20, 2021Accepted: September 1, 202


The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been the most disruptive force to the intensive care unit (ICU) work environment this century. That disruption has been profoundly evident over the last 2 years as ICU teams around the world were overwhelmed with surges of critically ill patients in need of respiratory support and other advanced interventions. The first major COVID-19 surge in the United States hit New York City, New York in March 2020. As hospitals became overwhelmed, the New York state governor put out a desperate plea to health care providers across the nation to help New York. As the surge continued, the work environment suffered and ICU nurses began to experience burnout, emotional exhaustion, compassion fatigue, moral distress, turnover and showed intent to leave. Since then, hospitals in the United States have been competing to secure temporary ICU nurses – outbidding each other with skyrocketing weekly rates meant to incentivize nurses to work under the demanding and uncertain conditions. As ICU nurses cared for patients with the new, life-threatening severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV 2) virus – often without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) – many self-quarantined to prevent exposing their loved ones to the virus. While at work, those same nurses witnessed the fear and suffering of their patients who were similarly separated from their families. When possible, ICU nurses used tablets to facilitate video calls between patients and their families, but even that mode of communication was challenging as nurses shifts were poorly staffed, and nurses were trying to keep up with near-daily changes to PPE protocols and treatment regimens. Conditions were so chaotic during the first New York surge that some families of the deceased were not notified of their passing for hours to days, and hospitals had to place the dead in refrigerated trucks because mortuaries could not keep up with rate of death. The COVID-19 pandemic exacted unprecedented physical, psychological and moral injuries on ICU nurses who were pressured to continue working despite experiencing fatigue, burnout and symptoms of the virus themselves.


Alcohol-induced amnestic periods (blackouts) are common to alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinkers. The use of alcoholic amnesia as evidence of incompetence to stand trial or in mitigation of criminal responsibility hinges upon the reversibility of amnesia and upon the voluntariness of intoxication and of the ensuing blackout. After discussions of the phenomenology of alcoholic blackouts and the role of alcoholic and nonalcoholic amnesia in criminal law, it is argued that the voluntary nature of alcohol consumption should not mitigate behavioral consequences in any drinker. Language: en


If a pressure vessel containing a pressure liquefied gas (PLG) is exposed to a severe fire, there is a chance the tank will rupture and possibility even explode. It has been shown that the energy stored in the liquid phase is important in the outcome of such an accident. In order to better understand tank failure and energy storage, it is desired to understand the complex thermo-hydraulic response of the lading prior to a thermally induced rupture. In the summers of 2000 and 2001, a series of controlled fire tests were conducted on horizontal 1890 litre (500 US gallon) propane tanks. The test tanks were instrumented with pressure transducers, lading and wall thermocouples, and an instrumented flow nozzle in place of a pressure relief valve (PRV). A computer controlled PRV was used to control pressure, while high momentum, liquid propane utility torches were used to heat the tank. PRV blowdown and fire conditions were varied in this test series while all other input parameters were held constant. It was found that the lading response and energy storage varied according to the fire conditions and PRV operation. The location and quantity of the burners affected the thermal stratification within the liquid, and the swelling and frothing at the liquid/vapour interface. The blowdown of the PRV affected average tank pressure, average liquid temperature and time to destratify. PRV operation caused enhanced convective cooling on the vapour space wall. The degree of blowdown dictated the pressure drop, and thus the liquid flashing and subsequent swelling were affected. This paper will discuss these thermohydraulic responses and their role in the tank failure.Copyright © 2002 by ASME


EVALUATION OF TOLPYRALATE FOR WEED MANAGEMENT IN FIELD CORN (Zea mays L.) Brendan A. Metzger Advisors: University of Guelph, 2019 Dr. P. H. Sikkema Dr. D. E. Robinson Twenty-seven field experiments were conducted from 2015-2018 at nine locations to evaluate tolpyralate, a new pyrazolone 4-hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate dioxygenase inhibitor, for weed management in corn. The biologically-effective dose of tolpyralate and tolpyralate + atrazine was established in eight common annual weed species, and separately in multiple herbicide-resistant (MR) Canada fleabane and waterhemp biotypes. Co-application of tolpyralate with atrazine improved weed control; tolpyralate + atrazine at label rates provided similar or improved control of eight common weed species, MR Canada fleabane and MR waterhemp compared to industry standards. Four weed species were controlled equally regardless of POST application timing and two species were controlled with tolpyralate + atrazine applied preemergence; annual grass control declined with delayed applications. Corn was at greatest risk of injury with tolpyralate + atrazine applied at V1 or V3, and at 2X rates. Injury was influenced by environmental variables, but did not translate to grain yield loss.


The lattice damage created by ion implantation is investigated by measuring the stresses lateral to the implanted surface which are caused by the specific volume expansion inherent with lattice damage. A cantilever beam‐shaped sample is implanted on one side and the position of the free end is monitored by measuring the capacitance between it and a fixed electrode. Results are presented for various 220‐keV noble ion implants into Si. A new region is observed at very low fluences (1011 cm−2 of 20Ne), where damage is introduced linearly with fluence. The distinct maximum in the stress which appears at higher fluences is attributed to an elastic‐plastic transformation.


To answer the question of how to fully assess retention programs when multiple paradigms expressing the purpose for retention exist on a campus, the author first presents some of the literature on assessment and the assessment of retention programs. He then presents a six-step conceptual model of assessment that is applicable to cross-cutting retention programs. The literature of retention is then used to support the presentation of four simultaneously present retention paradigms of what is valued and can be stated as desired retention purposes and outcomes on a given campus. The discussion of the assessment and retention literature leads to a framework for more fully, systemically assessing local retention programs at all levels of the academy.


The construction and performance of full diversity Root-LDPC codes for block fading channels are the hot spot at present. There are two important factors, the girth and the cycles connectivity, can affect the frame error rate performance of Root-LDPC codes. The original PEG algorithm is an effective method to provide longer girth of cycles, but ignores the cycles connectivity. The contribution of this paper is to present two algorithms to design Root-LDPC codes for block fading channels. The first algorithm is the modified PEG algorithm (MPEG). We apply the Approximated Cycle Extrinsic Message Degree (ACE) metric, which is used to measure the cycles connectivity, to modify the traditional PEG algorithm to ensure having lower frame error rate. However, MPEG algorithm is one of the greedy algorithms. With the increase of code length, the encoding/decoding complexity of MPEG algorithm will enhance. Meanwhile the QC algorithm has low complexity because of its quasi cyclic feature. Then we combine the modified PEG algorithm with QC algorithm, which guarantees not only the code performance but also the quasi cyclic feature. The novel algorithm achieves a tradeoff between the frame error rate performance and the encoding/decoding complexity, so that it is more suitable for the practical application. Simulation results demonstrate that the algorithms we proposed can achieve full diversity and make the average required number of iterations decrease from medium to high SNR, suitable to different fading blocks.


Contents: Preface Part 1 The Theoretical Bases: Introduction The major leadership theories The major organization theories Professional cultures. Part 2 The Empirical Survey and Its Results: The development of the research methodology The results of the empirical study I The results of the empirical survey II A cross-evaluation of the results depicted. Part 3 The Further Implications: Summary and prospect Appendices List of references Index.


Nowadays, a furnace designer has to meet the demands of the customer precisely to allow economical production at site. Repeatable high quality throughout millions of produced parts combined with high cost efficiency is needed to stay competitive. Thus the facility has to be changed from a black-box to a glassy furnace which records and controls all important process values that define the properties of the produced parts and the consumption of the facility. Current furnace designs offer a wide variety of layouts with unique advantages and disadvantages. Single type furnace designs are well known and need the lowest investments but they also take up a lot of space and do not offer a back-up solution during maintenance or in the event of malfunctions occurring. Twin type furnaces have a higher degree of flexibility as they still allow 50% production during downtime caused by maintenance or malfunctions, so availability is higher than with single type furnaces. Double layer furnaces, which are stacked versions of the twin type furnaces, only need half of the floor space but maintenance is more complicated on the upper level. An oxygen-free furnace atmosphere is essential for the production of components in process atmosphere in order to ensure high quality results with the minimum of scale and other surface defects. This is not possible in a multi-level furnace.


Post recovery manifestations are another concern in patients who have recovered from COVID-19. Various reports have shown that COVID-19 has variety of long-term effects on almost all systems of the body. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and post-recovery manifestations among COVID-19 survivors. This study enrolled in 160 recovered COVID-19 patients in Almora and Ramnagar. A special questionnaire was designed to inquire about the current health status of patients and their persistent symptoms in the post-COVID period. Data was analysed by using SPSS- 20 software. The results concluded that a considerable part of patients with COVID-19 had persistent symptoms even 4–5 months after COVID-19 diagnosis, and even patients with a mild-to-moderate disease suffered from persistent symptoms. Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) has been associated with poor quality of life but in our study, there is no association between gender and quality of life among the five parameters i.e., mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/ discomfort and anxiety/ depression. Patients should be enlightened about the long-term effects of COVID-19 and awareness about post-recovery follow-up should be raised.

Keywords: Post-COVID syndrome, Novel Coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19


SNARE-mediated membrane fusion is a key step in the process of neurotransmission. The release of neurotransmitters into the synapse as a result of vesicle fusion, particularly when triggered by an influx of Ca2+, serves as a primary means of signal propagation and communication in cognitive processes. Much work has been done to study these SNAREmediated fusion events and the role auxiliary proteins play in modulating the overall process. However, our understanding of certain stages in the process is comparatively lacking, and our ability to study them has so far been curtailed by the relatively primitive state of current assays. This is particularly true for the opening and expansion of the fusion pore following hemifusion, necessary for the release of neurotransmitters from the vesicle into the synapse, which has gone largely unexamined despite its importance in understanding both the initial release and the life cycles of neurotransmitter-carrying vesicles. Despite prior difficulties, refinement of an in vitro single vesicle fusion assay to a sufficiently robust state has presented an opportunity to investigate. In this study, we develop a novel method for the study of fusion pore dynamics. Utilizing vesicles containing fluorescently labeled dextran with a vesicle-to-suspended bilayer fusion assay, we can observe the release the release of the dextran through the bilayer as the pore opens and expands beyond the hydrodynamic radius of the dextran. We further observe a halt in release as the pore shrinks beneath this radius, giving rise to multi-staged content release patterns common to many vesicle docking and fusion events in the presence of SNAREs alone. With this assay developed, we also perform preliminary studies into the roles of SNARE accessory proteins known to impact fusion. In particular, we observe the ability of α-synuclein


The variations of compressive and bending strength of hardened cement paste under different freezing conditions were experimentally investigated.It is shown that the strengths for frozen pastes are increased in relation to unfrozen ones.The increment of the strengths is raised with increasing the content of freezable water and decreasing freezing temperature.The mechanism for the strength increment is discussed,and results indicate that micro-cracks and holes are filled with ice formed during freezing,causing the increase of strength.Conclusions provide certain basis for the study of the frost mechanism.


Tiivistelmä-Referat-Abstract Immigration is closely connected to the notion of place. Social psychology, however, has shown little interest in studying the meanings attributed to places by immigrants, or the role of place for their identities. These issues are at the core of this study which examined, based on qualitative interview data, the meanings Somali immigrants living in Finland give when they talk about different places, as well as how they differentiate between places and use them as sources of social identity. Social identity theory and self-categorization theory, together with literature on place-person relationships from environmental psychology, formed the theoretical framework of the study. The research material was generated through semi-structured interviews among a diverse sample of nine Somali immigrants. The participants were aged 13 to 39 years and lived in the suburb of Vuosaari in Helsinki. Theory-bound qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the content of their talk about places. Five main meaning themes emerged in the participants' talk about their place of residence and other places in their lives. The aspects of place that were most meaningful to the participants were social networks, the multicultural nature of a place, self-efficacy, safety and familiarity. The five themes were often closely connected to each other and they were all primarily related to the social – not physical – aspects of the environment. In particular, the presence of co-ethnics, i.e. the Somaliness of the place, was presented as a central aspect of place and it was connected to all of the five meaning themes. In exploring how the participants differentiated between places, three kinds of place categorizations were identified: Vuosaari (vs. other places), within Vuosaari categorizations, and Helsinki (vs. other places). All of the categorizations were identity-relevant, i.e. functioned as sources of social identity, and the participants identified simultaneously with multiple places at different levels of environmental scale. Combining an analysis of place meanings with a more traditional analysis of social identity processes also revealed close connections between ethnic identity and place identity. Emphasizing the multicultural and Somali nature of Vuosaari as a central aspect of the place meant that identification with Vuosaari implied identification with an inherently Somali place. In addition, the fact that the participants identified themselves first as Somalis, and only then as inhabitants of Vuosaari, showed that for them ethnic identity was more significant than place identity. The conclusion is that we can and should study places as sources of social identity in their own right, but that such research needs to take into account both place meanings and the individuals' other social identities. The study concludes with several practical and policy implications regarding the five meaning themes, as well as a discussion of the potential of place identity in enhancing the integration of immigrants in the host society.


In our previous work, we developed the LOCO ontology framework which formalizes the notion of learning object context as a complex interplay of learning activities, learning objects, and learners. We now use that framework in conjunction with semantic annotation to generate different kinds of feedback (which we had identified by interviewing several Web educators) for educators to help them improve the learning process in Web-based settings. To test the feasibility of the proposed approach for feedback provision we developed a tool named LOCO-Analyst. Here we report on our experiences in developing LOCO-Analyst and using it to generate feedback out of the real data obtained from the iHelp courses learning content management system. Finally, we present evaluation results.


An interstitial rare earth carbide Sm2Fe17Cx (x < 1) has been prepared from Sm metal, SmC2, and Fe by a cast method, and the magnetic property was investigated. The magnetization characteristics fa...


In this paper we propose that collaborative action research values, goals and practices have much in common with guiding principles for conducting research with educators and community members in First Nation, Inuit and Metis communities, as outlined in the Task Force on Aboriginal Languages and Cultures on Aboriginal Languages and Cultures' (2005) document. We draw on experiences in the Northern Oral Language and Writing through Play Partnership project to make our case, and conclude by identifying needed shifts in expectations and values within the broader academic community for conducting educational research in Indigenous communities.


In this study, ordered probit model was used to investigate factors affecting access to credit allocated by the Iranian Agricultural Bank as the main supplier of micro-credits to poor in the rural areas. The required data were collected by completing 198 questionnaires from farmers in KohgiloiehBovirahmad province in southern Iran. Results indicated that variables such as levels of farmers' literacy, their total revenue and acreage of land under cultivation have positive effects and distance to bank branches has negative effect on credit accessibility. Distances to the branches are recognized to be one of the major handicaps in poor access to the credits. Although total number of the branches are increasing mostly within the richer regions allover the country, the Bank should provide further services in rural remote areas where the vast majority of residents are engaged with agricultural activities and poverty is much higher than elsewhere.


The clinical course of COVID-19 in patients undergoing chronic immunosuppressive therapy is yet poorly known. We performed a monocentric cross-sectional study describing the clinical course of COVID-19 in a cohort of patients from northern Italy treated with calcineurin-inhibitors for organ transplantation or rheumatic diseases. Data were collected by phone call and clinical chart review between March 27th- 31st 2020. COVID-19 related symptoms, rynopharingeal swab, therapeutic changes and outcome were assessed in 384 consecutive patients (57% males; median age 61 years, IQR 48-69). 331 patients (86%) received solid organ transplantation (kidney n=140, 36%, heart n=100, 26%, lung n=91, 24%) and 53 (14%) had a rheumatic disease. Calcineurin inhibitors were the only immunosuppressant administered in 46 patients (12%). 14 patients developed a confirmed COVID-19 (swab positivity) and 14 a clinical COVID-19 (only typical symptoms). Fever (75%) and diarrhoea (50%) were the most common symptoms. Fourteen patients were hospitalized and 11 have already been dismissed. No patient required start/changes of the O2 therapy or developed superinfection. Only one patient, with metastatic lung cancer, died. In conclusion, COVID-19 showed a mild course in our cohort, with low mortality. Calcineurin inhibitor-based immunosuppressive regimens appear safe in this context and should not be discontinued.


We offer in this paper the non-asymptotical bilateral sharp exponential estimates for tail of maximum distribution of {\it discontinuous} random fields.
Our consideration based on the theory of Prokhorov-Skorokhod spaces of random fields and on the theory of multivariate Banach spaces of random variables with exponential decreasing tails of distributions.


Artificial insemination (AI) to observed estrus is an economic biotechnology and easy to implement, however, is a tool that even today is not available to small farmers. The aim of this investigation was to determine pregnancy rates in small cattle farms in which they had not previously implemented AI, likewise, different insemination times were analyzed in relation to pregnancy rates. The research was conducted in 22 farms, the town of Cienega Boyaca, in total 34 crossbred females Norman x Creole cows were inseminated. The AI was performed at detected estrus following the am - pm protocol. The overall, pregnancy rate obtained was 63.6 % (n = 21), in relation with the time of insemination was found that 67.6 % (n = 22) of AI were done in the afternoon, with a pregnancy rate of 65.2 %, while 32.4 % (n = 12) of AI were done in the morning with pregnancy rate of 63.6 %. In conclusion, most of the cows (67.6%) went into heat at night and were observed in heat, in the early hours of the day. However, no significant differences in the time distribution of estrus and pregnancy rates when the process is done in the morning or afternoon. Likewise, is necessary improve the heat detection and continue this type of biotechnological processes aimed at improving the bovine genetic.


Forste gang publiceret i UNEV nr. 2: E-laeringsplatforme - muligheder og potentialer, januar - marts 2004, red. Tom Nyvand og Michael Pedersen. ISSN 1603-5518. Increasing demands for remote on-line education are changing the way teaching and learning is performed. New behavior in using pedagogy and supporting technology is needed to drive the learning process. To facilitate the use of services for selected activities to participants in distance education, a web site named UniFlex (University Flexible learning) has been developed and brought into use. The site is a comprehensive set of bookmarks including course taking, upload/download, and - of special significance - collaborative on-line project work. UniFlex has been developed to meet the requirement for a simple and cheap personalized interactive site, supporting problem oriented and project organized study form, which has characterized Aalborg University for more than 27 years.


Let $(M,g)$ be a complete manifold of nonpositive scalar curvature, let $\Omega\subset M$ be a suitable domain, and let $\lambda(\Omega)$ be the first Dirichlet eigenvalue of the Laplace-Beltrami operator on $\Omega$. We prove several bounds for the rate of decrease of $\lambda(\Omega)$ and $\Omega$ increases, and a result comparing the rate of decrease of $\lambda$ before and after a conformal diffeomorphism. Along the way, we prove a reverse-Holder inequality for the first eigenfunction, which generalizes results of Chiti to the monifold setting and may be of independent interest


The authors describe a novel long-range alpha detector (LRAD) in which alpha particles interact with the ambient air, producing ionization in the air at the rate of about 30000 ion pairs per megaelectronvolt of alpha energy. These charges can be transported over significant distances (several meters) in a moving current of air generated by a small fan. An ion chamber located in front of the fan measures the current carried by the moving ions. The LRAD-based monitor is more sensitive and more thorough than conventional monitors. The authors present current LRAD sensitivity limits and results, practical monitor designs, and proposed uses for LRAD monitors.<<ETX>>


Introduction The association between the exposure and bioaccumulation of endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs) and their adverse effects on human and wild life populations has raised concern worldwide. Due to the detrimental effects of environmental exposure to EDCs, there is an obvious need to develop a relevant bioassay, which can both detect these chemicals, as well as provide a relevant estimate of their endocrine disrupting potency. Some examples of the effects of EDCs are: decreased reproductive success and feminization of males in several wildlife species; increased hypospadias along with reductions in sperm counts in men; increase in the incidence of human breast and prostate cancers; and endometriosis . Because these chemicals are ubiquitous, highly lipophilic, and often chlorinated, ensures their persistent presence in the environment resulting in their bioaccumulation in the food chain.


This paper presents a simple power delivery design for mitigating the coupling of power supply noise in mixed-signal electronics. Digital circuitry operating at high data rates generates supply noise that can interfere with sensitive RF components. Currently used methods, such as split planes and ferrite beads, have limited isolation bandwidth and can pose difficulties for signal integrity. Electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structures have been shown to exhibit excellent noise isolation characteristics. In this paper, a set of parallel digital buffers and a low-noise amplifier are powered by a power transmission line (PTL) instead of a voltage plane. An embedded bandstop filter in the PTL significantly reduces the amount of coupled noise between the digital and RF supply voltage pins. In addition, a source terminating the PTL provides good noise isolation with even lower supply noise. The proposed methods are easy to design and implement and use much less space than an equivalent EBG structure. Test vehicles using these proposed methods, as well as using an EBG structure, were fabricated and tested with regard to power supply noise, jitter, and noise isolation. The proposed methods show up to 13-dB decrease in coupled power compared with the EBG. In addition, the measured supply noise is decreased by 75% and the total jitter in the transmitted eye diagram is improved by 23% using the proposed method.


Foreword by Professor Barry Hawk PART I - GENERAL PRINCIPLES 1. The Economics of Competition 2. Article 81 3. Article 82 - Abuse of Dominant Position 4. Mergers 5. Article 86 - Exclusive Rights and other Anti-competitive State Measures PART II - SPECIFIC PRACTICES 6. Horizontal Agreements 7. Vertical Agreements 8. Intellectual Property PART III - SPECIAL SECTORS 9. Financial Services 10. Energy 11. Communications 12. Transport Index


The land system is significant to economic development, and the effective deployment of land policy can boost the advantage of resource endowment. The research of migration and land policy can help us acquire the basic logic in the migration for making a perfect land policy. In this paper, the main purpose is exploring the relationship between rural land system and migration under the market and government mechanism. The result indicates that the market mechanism has a positive impact on migration, and the government mechanism has a negative impact on migration.


1,4-Diphenylbuta-1,3-diene and trithiazyl trichloride 1 react to give a bi(thiadiazole) 2, an isothiazoloisothiazole 3, a dithiazolothiazine 4 and the thiazinodithiatriazepines 5 and 6, all of which could arise from initial addition of the trimer 1, or its monomer, to the conjugated diene by 1,2-,1,4- and, for the first time to an all-carbon diene, 1,3-('criss-cross') cycloaddition reactions.


In recent years, sound source localization, as a passive localization technique with higher safety and convenience compared with other localization techniques such as active emission of electromagnetic waves, has received more and more attention in academia. This paper researches and improves the far-field sound source localization algorithm based on the generalized cross-correlation method (GCC) Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) estimation algorithm and completes the design and implementation of the microphone array sound source localization system. This paper adds a frequency divider to the traditional generalized correlation time delay estimation algorithm for pre-processing, sampling, and localization of sound source acoustic waves and adopts a low-cost microphone array deployment scheme as far as possible to improve the flexibility and practicality of the localization system; at the same time, the "Minimum Sphere Method" is used at the back end of the algorithm to classify the localization coordinates at different frequencies and, finally, output reasonable sound source coordinates. In the back-end of the algorithm, the "Minimum Sphere Method" is used to classify the localization coordinates at different frequencies and, finally, output the reasonable sound source coordinates. The experimental results show that the sound source localization system designed in this paper has good performance in terms of localization accuracy and cost-effectiveness and overcomes the failure of the generalized mutual correlation algorithm in the original application of high noise environment and multi-source environment localization.


One of the most important goals in medicinal chemistry is the development of new heterocyclic compounds with pharmaceutical activity. Thus, a novel series of the derivatives of benzimidazole were synthesized and the structures of all the synthesized compounds have been confirmed by IR, 1 H- and 13 C-NMR, Mass Spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The title compounds have been evaluated for antifungal activities against Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Candida krusei. Some of these compounds have been found to exhibit moderate to good antifungal activity when compared with commercially available fungicides.


Background
Previous research reported that 12% of US adults have proficient health literacy and 14% have below basic health literacy. Low health literacy is associated with poorer health outcomes, lower compliance with health therapies, more frequent visits to emergency rooms and hospitalizations and a higher risk of mortality. Recent data indicated that 6 out of 10 US adults look for health information online, more than from any other media or interpersonal sources including physicians. The increased use of online searches for health and medical information has the potential to promote health and health care. However, access to health information does not mean that health information seekers fully benefit from their online searches or that they have the capacity to use information technology to obtain, process, understand and act on basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions, in other words, possess e-health literacy. This set of skills can potentially enhance health decision making and health care.

Objective
We propose to develop and assess a new measure of e-health literacy profiling its prevalence in a sample of US adults.

Methods
We developed a new scale of e-health literacy based on six components proposed in eHEALS, a 2006 unidimensional e-literacy measure developed and tested on adolescent subjects and whose validity has been questioned. Our scale comprised validated literacy component measures and included the following: NVS or the Newest Vital Sign health and basic literacy measure; science literacy from US science and engineering indicators; and media, computer and information literacy measures drawn from the communication, computer and information studies disciplines. These measures were aggregated as a composite e-health literacy scale. We identified and transformed the attained threshold levels of each of the literacy component measures as binary variables and summed them. Data came from 510 US adults quota sampled to represent the US population who were surveyed online in June 2014. We used factor analysis to assess the e-health literacy construct and also ran correlations between this measure and health status, age and education.

Results
Our construct had a three-factor solution accounting for 70% of the variance. The factors comprised 1) health/basic and science literacies (information appraisal), 2) information and computer literacies (information seeking) and 3) media literacy (critical skills). Low construct reliability reflected multidimensionality which was consistent with the separate literacy components. The new measure correlated positively and significantly with health status, demonstrating predictive validity. It correlated negatively with age and positively with education. Results were consistent with previous research on health literacy. Overall, nearly 8% of the sample had e-health literacy.

Conclusion
The new e-health literacy shows promise and validity as it is derived from validated literacy component measures drawn from various disciplines. The three-factor solution partially reinforced other e-health literacy research which identified information appraisal and information seeking dimensions. This is the first time that e-health literacy prevalence among US adults has been reported and the scale may be used to assess interventions in online health information seeking strategies. []


This paper proposes a method for fingerprint matching based on the local ridge similarity. Different from traditional methods which estimate rotation angle between a query and template minutia using orientation field, our approach estimates the local rotation angle directly from sampling points of ridges. After fitting samples by least square method, the optimal local rotation angle is obtained, moreover, the similarity between two ridges is measured by virtue of the fitting error. The best reference pair is then determined in the smoothed similarity histogram. Finally, a matching score is computed by projecting the query minutiae set to the template according to the best reference. The experimental results on the public fingerprint database, FVC2002 DB3(800 fingerprints, 8 impressions per finger) and a self-collected database(880 fingerprints, 5 impressions per finger), show that our approach is more effective compared with the conventional ridges-based approach.


Extrathymically induced Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells contribute to the pool of Treg cells and are implicated in the maintenance of immune tolerance at environmental interfaces. The impact of T‐cell senescence on their generation and function is, however, poorly characterized. We report here that steady‐state induction of Foxp3 is impaired in aged T cells in vivo. In vitro assays further revealed that this defective generation of Treg cells was independent from the strength of TCR stimulation and arose before T‐cell proliferation. Importantly, they also revealed that this impairment of Foxp3 induction is unrelated to known age‐related T‐cell defects, such as IL‐2 secretion impairment, accumulation of activated T‐cell populations, or narrowing of the T‐cell repertoire. Finally, a loss of extrathymic induction of Foxp3 and tolerance to minor‐mismatched skin graft were observed in aged mice treated by nondepleting anti‐CD4 antibody. The T‐cell intrinsic impairment of Treg‐cell generation revealed here highlights age as a key factor to be considered in immune tolerance induction.


The present study aimed at investigating the effects of 12 weeks weight training atWork-Site on the physical fitness of the personnel of a selected university. Method of the present study was quasiexperimental and applied with regard to its aims. In order to conduct this study, 60 of the personnel of Islamic Azad University, Takestan Branch were selected based on a random sampling method. They were then dividedinto control and study groups, each one with 30 members. The data-collecting toolswere physical fitness tests, and for analyzing the data descriptive statistical methods, correlated student t test and interactive F (2*2), (α≤0/05) were employed. Results showed that the twelve-week weight training course done during the work hours at the work site has had a positively significant effect on the physical fitness of the subjects (p<0/001). This course also left a significant effect on the muscular power and physical flexibility of the trainees, while it had no tangible effects on the cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance and the body shape of the subjects. As a general conclusion, results from this research showed that taking a 12-week weight training course during the work hours enhanced the physical fitness of the staff, although scientific evidence for proving the effects of such programs are limited. Thus, by considering the studies done on such subjects, we can conclude that having a full understanding of the effects and outcomes of physical fitness plans demand more extensive studies and research.


Measurements of pulmonary capillary blood flow by a nitrous oxide rebreathing technique (Qn2o) werr performed in 21 anesthetized and artificially ventilated minipigs with normal lungs and in nine minipigs with thrombin‐induced (75–150 U kg‐1 h‐1) lung pathology. Qn2O was calculated with the Hook‐Meyer‐formula and compared to cardiac output measurements (thermodilution, Qt, or direct Fick's principle, Qfick). The coefficient of variation in double QN2O measurements was 0.05. If the tidal volume to dead space ratio (Vd/Vt) is normal, the nitrous oxide method works well, but when the efficacy of ventilatioti worsens, this gas uptake method fails to detect the circulation of the poorly ventilated parts of the lung. The mean ratio Qn2o/Qfick in pigs with normal lungs (58 measurements) was 1.00 ± 0.10 (mean ± s.d.). During thrombin infusion, the mean ratio Qn2O/Qt was 0.84 ± 0.17 (n = 49). After corrections for shunt perfusion (Qs), the mean ratio Qn2o/(Qt—Qs) was 0.89 ± 0.17 (n = 49). Qn2o/(Qt—Qs) decreased with increasing Vd/Vt. In measurements during thrombin infusion with VD/VT <0.33, the mean ratio Qn2o/(Qt‐Qs) was 0.97 ± 0.11 (n = 21), with a Vd/Vt between 0.33 and 0.44, the mean ratio Qn2o/(Qt—Qs) was 0.90 ± 0.08 (n = 20), and with a Vd/Vt ± 20.45, this ratio was 0.62 ± 0.18 (n = 8). In the presence of only moderate functional inhomogeneities, this noninvasive rebreathing method will offer reliable data on pulmonary perfusion.


Magnetostrictive actuators for superprecision positioning in steps of 10 -2 nm over a range of displacements up to lm have been developed and investigated. The actuators generate forces up to 10 4 N and are suitable as force actuators in steps of 10 nm. Exact displacement is achieved by an active element made from Terfenol D alloy based on rare-earth metals with a giant magnetostriction. The actuators can be controlled manually without any additional power source or by using a computer. For manual control the minimum linear-displacement step does not exceed 0,6 nm, and when the device is used on a turntable the minimum angular displacement step is 15-10 -3 angular seconds, while for computer control these quantities are 10 -2 nm and 4.10 -5 angular seconds respectively. Using the above mentionned micropositionners we developed several new devices, which may radically change the situation in various high-tech fields of modern technology.


Developing of livestock industry economy is restricted by natural factors and human beings factors,grassland degradation is serius,Some suggestion are put out to control the grassland degradation.


This report documents my final thesis at the University of Linkoping/ Carl Malmsten CTD, the furniture design programme, in spring 2007.The purpose is to give an overview of how I have worked on th ...


The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the basic technology of coal gasification for the production of syngas and the utilization of that syngas in power generation. The common gasifier types, fixed/moving bed, fluidized bed, entrained flow, and transport, are described, and accompanying typical product syngas compositions are shown for different coal ranks. Substantial variation in product gas composition is observed with changes in gasifier and coal feed type. Fuel contaminants such as sulfur, nitrogen, ash, as well as heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, and selenium, can be removed to protect the environment and downstream processes. A variety of methods for syngas utilization for power production are discussed, including both present (gas turbine and internal combustion engines) and future technologies, including oxy-fuel, chemical looping, fuel cells, and hybrids. Goals to improve system efficiencies, further reduce NOx emissions, and provide options for CO2 sequestration require advancements in many aspects of IGCC plants, including the combustion system. Areas for improvements in combustion technology that could minimize these tradeoffs between cost, complexity, and performance are discussed.


Abstract. This paper lists the problems during the stability analysis of long span CFST arch bridge and the corresponding modeling method. Based on the construction control of an orthotropic long span CFST arch bridge, a FEM model had been established to analysis the stability of its rib during the concrete pumping. The conclusion shows significant importance to the bridge's construction process.


The article describes the basic types of pictorial representations of the Holy Trinity. The Old Testament prefiguration of the Trinity that became a type scene is the so-called "Hospitality of Abraham". This is the variant of the "Trinity" used by Andrew Rublev. The "New Testament Trinity" represents such topics as "Fatherhood" and the "Common Throne". The revelation of the Trinity as a whole is also evident in icons depicting scenes from Christ's life, such as the icons of the Nativity, Baptism, Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, where each of the divine persons is manifested in a different way. God the Father is revealed as the sphere of heaven located in the upper part of the image, the Son of God is manifested in human flesh, and the Holy Spirit is depicted in the form of a dove, or a radiant cloud (mandorla). Numerous compositions also make use of the symbol of a triple beam, which stresses the Trinitarian nature of the depicted scene. The formation of epiphanic representations of the Trinity was influenced not only by the realities revealed in the text of the Scripture, but also by the tenets laid down at the Councils of Nicaea in 325 and Constantinople in 381. Trinitarian terminology was also developed by Eastern and Western theologians such as Basil the Great, Greogory of Nazianus, Hilary of Poitiers, Ambrose of Milan, Augustine of Hippo.


This thesis work was carried out in the framework of U.S. LHC Accelerator Research Program (USLARP), a collaboration between the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the U.S. Department of Energy. The first half of the work was completed at Fermilab (USA), the location of the Tevatron, a proton-antiproton collider and the second largest particle collider in the world. The second half was completed at CERN (Switzerland), the location of the largest proton collider in the world (Large Hadron Collider (LHC)). This thesis characterizes a Hollow Electron Beam (HEB) for possible usage at the LHC to enhance its collimation through Hollow Electron Beam Lenses (HEBLs). Collimation is a long established principle in high energy particle accelerators. Hollow Electron Beam Collimation (HEBC) aims to enhance current collimation systems by controlling diffusion of primary halo particles into the limiting aperture. It works on the principle of a transverse radial electric field that kicks the primary halo particles outwards upon each pass in a multi-pass system. The transverse field is produced by a HEB that is coaxially aligned with the accelerator beam, producing a negligible electric field in the center and a strong transverse electric field at amplitudes higher than the inner radius of the electron beam. Ideally, halo particles are affected without perturbation of the beam core. One of the main advantages of this system is to decrease the dependence on instantaneous loss spikes and beam jitter. A solid experimental basis of HEBC was accumulated at the Tevatron. The application of this technique at the LHC is now under investigation. The aim of this thesis is to present a preliminary report to support a future optimal conceptual design report. It characterizes the available hardware in order to facilitate the design of a Hollow Electron Gun (HEG) for the LHC, characterizes the effect on beam diffusion by determining the transverse electric fields of the electron beam and initiates 3D simulations in order to determine the effect of the HEBL on the beam core. Experiments were conducted in the Tevatron Electron Lens Test Stand (TELTS) at Fermi National Accelerator Lab (Fermilab) (USA) in the lower Linear Accelerator (LINAC) gallery. Thursday 15 August, 2013 I


pel. The task of Christian discipleship stands not just "for" or "against" society but is discovered "within" the context of a particular society. Although some churches, theologians, and pastors represented the more extreme positions of separatism, radical opposition, or Christian Marxism, the Bund neither reduced its msessage to either an emphatic Yes or No to socialism. On one hand, the GDR church was an outspoken critic of Western capitalism, while affirming humanistic ideals of socialist ideology, yet on the other hand, the church refused to reduce theological social ethics to socialist ideology. In brief, all secular ideologies fall under the authority of "Christ's Kingship," which implies that the church stands in tension with all systems. As an ally and a critic of the socialist state, then the Protestant church was instrumental in non-violently bringing down the Communist state in the GDR. Baum concludes that North American theologians have much to learn from the "contextual theology" of the Kirchenbund. This theology splits the difference between a blind acceptance and sectarian opposition to the dominant political and economic structures of society; it calls for radical obedience to discipleship, yet seeks to learn, listen, and dialogue with "outsiders." It seeks to understand our particular "context" by beginning with the needs of "others." Indeed, the church is inclusive not exclusive, it is not for "us" but "for others." Hence, it is God's love for "outsiders" that forces the church to both cooperate with and challenge the unjust social and political structures of our particular context. This reformist impulse, the author rightly understands, can and ought to be contextualized in any society, particularly the contemporary North American church. Only then will it be a "church for others."


The influence of positive and negative ions on electrical breakdown in air is studied by means of a device capable of generating stable ion density. The results of measurements of impulse breakdown voltage with the rod-plane gap in air with positive ions or with negative ions show that the ions exert an appreciable influence on the positive rod-plane gap breakdown voltage whereas that on the negative rod-plane gap breakdown voltage is not appreciable. In the case of the positive gap, the positive ions increase the breakdown voltage while the negative ions decrease it. The process of breakdown in air with positive ions, in air with negative ions, and in air has been observed by still camera and chopped wave. The results show that the influence of the positive ions on the pattern of corona streamer and the development velocity of leaders is quite different from that of the negative ions.<<ETX>>


In India, the total transmission and distribution losses are as high as 22.77 percentage and the theft of the electricity is also a huge issue. This scenario is not only in India but it is also there in many developing countries. To solve the issues related to high losses in the distribution stage of power system for agricultural loads of rural areas, High Voltage Distribution System (HVDS) has been proposed. There are basically four objectives of this paper. First is to present the proper literature review of the IEEE-published papers which are listed under HVDS in the chronological order of their publication year which would be helpful to new researchers for understanding the step-by-step development in the field of HVDS. Second is to present the comparative study of existing Low Voltage Distribution System (LVDS) and the proposed HVDS on the basis of the analysis which was performed. Third is to present the simulative analysis of both the systems on the basis of the simulation which was made using etap software. Using etap for this analysis makes this paper distinctive than all the other research papers which are reviewed in this paper. Fourth is to present a cost-analysis of the proposed HVDS system. Overall, this paper is also a small and humble approach in the direction of realizing the schemes like DDUGJY (Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana) under rural electrification plan of the Ministry of power of the republic of India.


Role Abstract: As we all know, teaching has its own principles, techniques and methodologies. When it comes to virtual classes it's more challenging. In this workshop, principles of ELT and e-learning are combined via effective visuals and other tools used in virtual classes. The world wide known tragedy, Macbeth, is used for intermediate level learners in English Language Online Speaking classes through task-based learning. Also, special designed visuals are presented in terms of socio - cultural theory and its principles. Special techniques to raise the interaction are used in the workshop. Function of language and useful words are integrated into the online virtual class. During the workshop, the presentation is held in online virtual environment and it is quite easy even for those who have limited capability to use computer.


The history of British Hospitals, in the East necessarily has a flavour not to be found in those with whose working we are all familiar. This is the case with the British Ophthalmic Hospital, Jerusalem, belonging to the Grand Priory of the Order of S. John of Jerusalem in England. English people have heard probably that the hospital continued its work till the end of the war, when the Turks converted it into an ammunition depot, and removed its equipment. When Jerusalem was


Abstract This article presents the results of a study on the effects of farm practices on drinking water quality in the Bukhara and Kashkadarya provinces of Uzbekistan. These two provinces are the largest irrigation districts in Uzbekistan and, in 1999, withdrew more than 10 cubic kilometers (km3) of irrigation water from the Amu Darya River. Cotton is the major irrigated crop grown in these districts and has required the application of large quantities of fertilizers and pesticides. These irrigation practices resulted in 2 km3 of discharge water draining directly into the Amu Darya River and an equal amount of discharge water draining into natural lowlands in the region. Drinking water quality has worsened dramatically because of these discharges. The main pollutant components originated from mineral fertilizers and chemicals, which were applied on the irrigated lands. The amount and type of chemicals present in the drainage water can be linked to the agricultural production systems in the region.


Abstract This article discusses the regulation of teacher dress and its intersection with the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, individual State Religious Garb Statutes, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.


This supplementary resource paper was presented in part 3 of the workshop. It summarises some demand responsive, door to door systems applicable to a major regional growth centre and comments on paratransit modes, patronage and service areas, all of which are under review (a).


Starting from a recent polemical debate over the use of the notion of "non-employment " rather than "unemployment " in an economic article, which generated a good deal of controversy, this article serves as a reminder of the context in which the category of "unemployment " was invented and of the fact that we are now witnessing the somewhat symmetrical process of its "deconstruction ", a process of which the recurring debate about the statistical assessment of unemployment is only one of the symptoms.


Physiological changes with endurance exercise (EE) and resistance training (RT) are likely influenced by the metabolic and hormonal response to each exercise bout, but may be blunted in obese individuals. To compare acute effects of EE, RT, and a control upon hormonal changes in obese women, sedentary, obese women (n=12) participated in a randomised crossover-design study on 3 occasions. EE consisted of treadmill walking (65% VO2max for 1 h). A total-body RT workout consisted of 3 sets of 10 repetitions, 90 s rest for 8 exercises at 90-100% of 10RM. Blood samples were taken 30 min before exercise (0 min), 30 min post-exercise (120 min), and again at 200, 280, and 520 min to assess changes in growth hormone (GH), cortisol, and insulin throughout the postprandial period. A 20 kcal/kg fat-free mass (FFM) meal was given after post-exercise blood sample. There was a main effect of condition for GH ΔAUC (change in area under the curve), with both RT and EE significantly different from the control (RT = 463.0±13...


AbstractFor some drugs, particularly chiral compounds, differential potencies of the enantiomers may lead to variable pharmacologic effects which cannot be identified just by comparing pharmacokinetics of the racemic mixture. Therefore true "bioequivalence" may be established by measuring pharmacologic response along with the pharmacokinetics. Atenolol was used as a model compound because only (S)-atenolol contributes to the β-blocking effect. Bioequivalency of atenolol, was studied in 31 healthy volunteers as a randomized, two treatment single dose crossover study. Following oral administration of Mylan (Trt A) and Reference (Trt B) atenolol tablets (100mg), 15 serial blood samples were drawn up to 24 hours, including a predose sample and plasma atenolol was analyzed by HPLC. Resting Systolic (SBP) and Diastolic (DBP) blood pressures and heart rates (HR) were measured at each blood sampling time. The Cpeak, Tpeak, AUC(0-tlast), AUC(O-inf), Kel and half-life were not statistically different and within 80%...


Objective:  We assessed the hypnotic effects of and patient satisfaction with three types of hypnotics prescribed empirically: ultra‐short‐acting (US‐a), short‐acting (S‐a), and intermediate‐ and long‐acting (IL‐a) agents.


Child pedestrians from the most deprived areas in Great Britain are four times more likely to be killed or injured on the roads than those from wealthier districts, a report by a cross party group of MPs said.

Death rates among child pedestrians in Great Britain are worse than in France, the Netherlands, Japan, Austria, Australia, and Belgium, in terms of the number killed as a proportion of the population, says the report by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee.

There were 121 pedestrian casualties younger than 17 years old per 100 000 population in the most deprived areas of England, compared with 32 …


THERE ARE COMPARATIVELY few studies oncerning CSF of migraine patients. Kunkle has found that during headache attacks CSF asetylcholine is increased especially in cluster headache patients (Kunkle. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. 1959, 81, 135). Southern et al did not find any increase in cerebrospinal fluid 5-HT in 3 migraine patients (J. Lab. Clin. Med. 1962, 59, 320). Barrie et al did not observe significant differences between migraine patients and controls when they studied 5-HT, acetylocholine, bradykinin and kinin forming enzymes in CSF (Brain 1967, 90, 785). Chapman and Wolff showed that during migraine attacks kinin forming enzyme was increased in 15 out of 18 patients. Bradykinin and proteolytic enzyme were increased only in 2 out of 18 patients. During headache free interval they did not find any increase except one case (headache + oculomotoris paresis) in which there was an increase of bradykinin still 8 days after the headache (Chapman and Wolff. Arch. Int. Med. 1959, 103, 86). Sicuteri has widely discussed the role of bradykinin in microcirculation and especially in migraine (Res. clin. Stud. Headache 1967, 1, 6). Bradykinin is liberated from its precursor, kininogen (alfa2-globulin), by adrenalin, kallikrein, pyrogens and ischaemia. Bradykinin is liberated and destroyed at the capillary level in order not to cause hypotonia in systemic circulation. If bradykinin is injected in artery carotis interna vasodilatation, increase of permeability and headache follows after 20-50 sec. 5-HT which itself does not cause pain potentiates the pain-producing power of bradykinin. Methysergide given beforehand abolishes both vasoconstriction and hyperalgesia caused by 5-HT. Sicuteri has showed that s.c. mast cells degranulate during migraine attacks and as a consequence of this 5-HT, histamine and kinin forming enzymes are liberated into blood stream (Headache 1963, 3, 86). These mast cells are situated both around blood vessels and in nervous tissue. Therefore it is possible that these substances are also liberated from mast cells in CNS and into CSF. As mentioned above the liberation and elimination of bradykinin and related peptides are controlled by several enzymes. To understand these enzyme reactions and their time sequences we have studied the role played by kallikrein-like esterase and peptide activities during different stages of migraine attacks.


This is a study of a collection of narrative bronzes retrieved from a cluster of ruins (see figure 1) at Yazagyo, in the Kabaw Valley, in a remote area of Northwestern Myanmar/Burma. The valley lies between the Upper Chindwin River and the hills which separate Burma from Manipur. Yazagyo is on a side road from the Myanmar-India Friendship Highway, 35 kilometres north of Kalaymyo. It was formerly protected by several kilometres of earth banks and moats, surmounted by a stockade. The bronzes come from a total of six ruined buildings, five of which have since been demolished. The Yazagyo collection (see figure 2) is kept at the Minkyaung (royal monastery). Figures in this distinctive style, generally posed on rectangular open-frame bases and representing events in Buddha's life, are a near-ubiquitous feature of reliquary deposits of the 1752–1885 Konbaung Period.1 The ruins also yielded oval silver boxes filled with small fragments of an uncertain substance which are now preserved in


In the presence of anisotropic cosmic expansions at global or local scale the equations of electrodynamics in expanding spacetime are modified and presented here. A new effect should arise in regions of local anisotropic expansion in a cosmologically isotropic background. These regions should naturally exist, being connected with scales decoupling from the Hubble flow. Possible observational consequences of this effect are suggested. In particular, we predict the appearance or variation of the polarization of electromagnetic radiation coming from or passing through these regions. This effect is observable and possibly already observed in the polarization of quasars.


Solar arrays which utilize light concentration have the potential advantages of lower cost and higher specific power (w/kg) than conventional planar arrays. A study has been performed to evaluate the use of SSRs in light concentrating solar arrays. 2 refs.


This study uses questionnaire to conduct the survey for experts on medical error identification in our province with personal interviews.It discusses the investigation results from the perspective of key points,process and related factors of medical risk,with the hope of providing reference for the establishment of the prevention mechanism of medical risk.


Introduction: According to Western Medicine, the difference between community-acquired and nosocomial infections is that community-acquired infections are defined as infections contracted outside of a health-care environment. Nosocomial infections, on the other hand, are those contracted after the patient's admission and not incubated before hospitalization. In addition, the microorganisms potentially causing community infections are generally more sensitive to antimicrobials, whereas nosocomial infections are generally caused by multi-resistant bacteria. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that community-acquired and nosocomial infections can be treated with the same method and without the administration of antibiotics. The method used was to include older medicine traditions such as Hippocratic theories and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the treatment of three case studies of community-acquired infection and three cases studies of nosocomial infection. All six cases were treated with the same method, balancing Yin, Yang, Qi and Blood energies, using auricular acupuncture, removing Internal Heat with apex ear bloodletting, performing energy based Chinese dietary reorientation and avoiding exposure to external factors (Wind, Cold, Heat, Dryness and Dampness). Findings: All the six cases studied presented significant improvement with the treatment proposed, rebalancing Yin, Yang, Qi and Blood energies and taking out the Heat retention. In all the six cases, the use of antimicrobials was suspended. The energy imbalances were caused by the excessive use of anti-inflammatory, antimicrobials and having an incorrect diet that simulated the infection process. As stated by Hippocrates in the Hippocratic Corpus, the infections were generated by phlegm accumulation. Conclusion: In the six case studies described, the same method was used to treat community and nosocomial acquired infections, without the use of antibiotics. To achieve this result, it was necessary to individualize the treatment, seeing the patient as a whole, as stated by Hippocrates, correct all energy imbalances between Yin, Yang, Qi, Blood and take out Heat retention.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a Korean problem solving process inventory (K-PSPI) for adults. Method: A conceptual framework for the adult problem solving process, and 40 preliminary questions were developed based on references and expert consultations. After a pilot test, preliminary questions were further refined. The final inventory of 30 items was tested with 1,500 adults. The validity and reliability of the K-PSPI were tested by factor analysis using the SPSS Windows 12.0 program. Results: Through factor analysis on the final 30 questions, 5 factors were identified and cumulative variant of the factors was 52.15%. For the test of reliability of the 30 questions on the problem-solving process, The Cronbach alpha was .93. Conclusion: This study showed that the K-PSPI is a systematic method with verifies reliability and validity. It is not only adequate for the actual circumstance and culture of Korean adults, but is also a useful instrument to test post-action problem solving ability.


Millimeter-wave and terahertz range applications including high-resolution imaging, precise localization radars or high data-rate wireless communication require beam control technologies. This invited talk will discuss integrated microwave photonic (iMWP) array beam forming technologies.


The cooling trends of Neoglacial time caused re-formation of minor local glaciers and expansion ofthe Inland Ice margin. A consequence of this glacial reactivation in West Greenland was the conversion of an early Holocene glacio-isostatic emergence to Neoglacial submergence. Although the major trends of f1uctuations of ice margins and relative sea level have been studied over a long time, exact data on the spatial distribution of Neoglacial changes of glacier load and relative sea level are still sparse. Present information points to a major conversion from emergence to submergence between 1000 and 3000 B.P., depending on location and the effect of superimposed secondary oscilIations.


We experimentally demonstrate the application of MoSe2 thin film as a nonlinear medium and stabilizer to generate a multi-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser. The cooperation of a photonic crystal fiber and a polarization- dependent isolator induces unstable multi-wavelength oscillations based on the nonlinear polarization rotation effect. A MoSe2 thin film is further incorporated into the cavity to achieve a stable multi-wavelength. The laser generates 7 lasings with a constant spacing of 0.47 nm at a pump power of 250 mW. The multi-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser is stable with power fluctuations of less than 5 dB over 30 min.


Results • Zero downtime related to UTM Firewall Appliances; 99.9% overall network uptime for the company • Improves efficiency for staff, who can now easily and securely share documents stored on the server • Remote troubleshooting enabled by VPN capabilities allows two IT staff members to serve 600 users • Low total cost of operations; $0 repair/replacement costs; 2 hours per quarter for maintenance McAfee UTM Firewall Enables Evansville ARC to Create a Network of Support for Indiana's Disabled


Small and micro businesses are vital for economic growth and social stability.However,financing difficulties have restricted the survival and development of small and micro businesses.The research focuses on the financing problems of small and micro businesses and establishes an analytic framework.This paper studies the causes of financing difficulties from the perspectives of risk,information and financing pattern,and suggests countermeasures from the aspects of small and micro businesses,banks and government.


Abstract By using quantitative mobility spectrum analysis technique, the temperature dependent density and mobility for each subband of the accumulated layer on the n HgCdTe devices have been determined from magnetic field dependent Hall and resistivity data.The results agree well with the Shubnikov de Hass measurements and theoretical calculations.


An analysis of 344 selected votes in the four major issue areas in the UN General Assembly from 1971 to 1977 examines the question whether China has fulfilled its promise to support the Third World and oppose the superpowers. The findings are: 1) China was much more favorable to the Third World than to the West in this period and more supportive of the developing nations than of the Communist bloc on all except colonial issues; 2) China voted with the Third World more often than with the Communist nations, even when colonial issues were included; 3) China was least friendly to the United States on the majority of issues and in all years; and 4) the Soviet Union was the most anti-China nation in the Communist world, and of the four permanent members of the Security Council, Soviet voting agreement with China was the third lowest on political and security issues in the overall period and was often the lowest on arms control and disarmament. Thus at least within the context of UN voting, China has succeeded in developing its pro-Third World and anti-superpower position, particularly on economic and security issues.


Recent in vitro and animal tumor studies suggest that sequential methotrexate (MTX) and 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) may be much more tumoricidal than either drug when used alone or in conventional combinations. Seventeen evaluable female patients with advanced carcinoma of the breast were treated with MTX 200 mg/M2 I. V. followed one hour later with 5‐FU 600 mg/M2 I. V. Leucovorin 10 mg/M2 was begun orally 24 hours later and continued every six hours for six doses. Thirteen of these patients had not responded to prior drug treatment. Of the 17 patients, 11 responded to therapy, 9 had an objective response of greater than 50% tumor regression, and 2 had a minimal response of less than 50% tumor regression. The greatest number of responses was seen in skin and soft tissue. Disease‐free interval, hormonal status, and prior therapy, with the exception of MTX and 5‐FU containing drug regimens, did not appear to affect response rates. Toxicity was minimal and not life threatening. Based on these results it is believed that larger trials with this drug sequence are warranted.


Power management (PM) is critical for the portable devices in IEEE 802.15.3 wireless personal area networks (WPAN). Due to the property of TDMA based MAC of 802.15.3, one of the key issues for PM is to schedule the order of the multiple streams among multiple users to minimize the total wakeup times. In this paper, we reveal that this PM problem is in general a Hamilton path problem. With the aid of graph theory, we derive the lower bound and upper bound for the minimum wakeup times. Then, an efficient MDS (min-degree searching) algorithm is proposed to find the suboptimal order. The simulation results show that the MDS algorithm is usually near-optimal and can actually achieve the lower bound in most cases and performs much better than the existing approach.


Human activities have changed the ecological function and structure of the environment, and the fragmented green space has reduced the ecosystem services. Therefore, it is very necessary to strengthen the connection between green spaces and create new soft landscapes so as to increase fauna habitats and improve the connection among habitats with high species richness and ecological potential. This report will analyze the isolated soft landscapes on the University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver campus that cannot connect to surrounding green spaces and then put forward effective soft landscape intervention schemes according to the current conditions of each site. Finally, we will visually present the comparison before and after implementing soft landscape interventions through GIS maps. The presented results of the GIS maps show that after the interventions are added near these isolated soft landscapes, all soft landscapes on campus overlap each other after adding a 10m buffer, which means that the connectivity among soft landscapes has been improved.


Demographic forecasts predict that over the next fifty years the proportion of people in New Zealand over the age of 65 will more than double, from 12 percent in 1999 to 26 percent in 2050. This paper reviews potential economic implications of this demographic change in the following broad categories: Demographic change, Labour Markets, Fiscal Impacts, Capital Markets, and Long-run economic growth effects. A synopsis is made of the key economic and demographic issues relating to each category, and the paper highlights those issues to be prioritised in further research. The paper also questions the existing frameworks and methodologies that have been used to study population ageing. Two issues stand out in this regard. Firstly, there is a tendency to view population ageing as a "static" phenomenon. The economic implications of population ageing are pervasive and complex. Future research may benefit from attention to individual behavioural responses to ageing and into the underlying demographic dynamics of population ageing. Secondly, the future economic impacts of an ageing population are inherently uncertain. Future research could well incorporate methodological approaches that attempt to account for these inherent uncertainties.


Oil field polluted water was treated by using polysulphone ultrafiltration memebrane.The effects of different detergents and cleaning methods were studied.The results show that using surfactant and isoamyl alcohol as detergent and simultaneous cleaning of negative pressure and back wash is a better method in which the membrane flux renewal reaches over 90%.


In situ stress measurements have been performed during the deposition of epitaxial Ag monolayers on a Fe whisker. A compressive stress of -0.6 GPa is measured above a 5-ML Ag thickness which is ascribed to the epitaxial misfit of -0.8% between Ag and Fe. Back-extrapolation of the coverage dependent stress measurements to zero coverage reveals an Ag-induced change of the surface stress of Fe(100) of -1.23 N/m. Comparing this surface stress change with the calculated surface stress for Ag(100) suggests a tensile surface stress of + 2.05 N/m for clean Fe(100). The deposition of 2-5 layers of Ag does not change the stress induced by the first layer significantly. This almost stress free growth is assigned to a rougher surface morphology which is most likely caused by a surface alloy formation.


A strongly rpp semigroup S is called orthocryptic rpp semigroup if (1) the set of idempotents forms a band; and (2) the relation H(†) is a congruence. Some characterizations of orthodox cryptic rpp semigroups are obtained. In particular, it is proved that a semigroup is a orthocryptic rpp semigroup if and only if it is isomorphic to the spined product of a band and a C-rpp semigroup. Mathematics Subject Classification: 20M10


The mechanical optimization design is a very important modern design method,can find out the best way from all designs and increases the efficiency and quality of design.The mechanical optimization design is a difficult problem due to the complex structure of modern equipment.Developing new optimization design approaches by using new theories is an important work of the mechanical optimization design domain.Based on a lot of documents and references,the concept,purpose,and necessity of the mechanical optimization design were expatiated in this paper,the features of the mechanical optimization design were summarized,theory,approach and present situations of modern mechanical optimization design have been discussed from the two aspects of setting up mathematical models and solving algorithm,and several scientific questions that should be furthermore studied in the modern mechanical optimization design domain were put forward.


An advanced sports video browsing and retrieval system based on multimodal analysis, SportsBR, is proposed in this work. Its main features include event-based sports video browsing and keyword-based sports video retrieval. The paper first defines the basic structure of our SportsBR system, and then introduces a novel approach that integrates multimodal analysis, such as visual streams analysis, speech recognition, speech signal processing and text extraction to realize event-based video clips selection. The experimental results for sports video of world cup football games indicate that multimodal analysis is effective for video browsing and retrieval by quickly browsing event-based video clips and inputting keywords according to a predefined sports vocabulary database. The system is proved to be helpful and effective for the overall understanding of the sports video content.


The project PARTNER aims to develop an Internet based software demonstrator that provides a common platform for international path allocation for European Infrastructur Managers of railway networks. The work of project PARTNER will become the basis for a software tool that flexibly supports the international timetabling process adn uses new service applications to reduce the necessary time of the process by up to two to five days. State-of-the-art of current Access Charging is analysed (chapter 2). Moreover, state-of-the art of Capacity Management is assessed by evaluation of other EU-RDT results and latest literature, which specifically concern Capacity Management methods (Chapter 3). A structured survey of European Infrastructure Managers and Railway Undertakings was completed in order to determine user needs and requirements (Chapter 4). The lessons learned from the first workpackage are intended to convince the prospectives users that the project will meet their interest and to geth the necessary support from them (chapter 5).


Objective: This article objectives to analyze the legal treatment and the procedure adopted by Brazil on clinical research with basis on the Resolution no 466/2012 from National Health Council towards the occurrence of damages due to the project. Methodology: The research was carried out in nature bibliographical references, in books and articles of the legal area, in ordinary legislations and related resolutions, as well as in articles published in periodicals of the Health area. Results: Damages must be avoided and, when occurring, must provide also an compensation to those who were harmed. Conclusion: Any damages resulting from the experiments should be avoid and noted during the curse of the project, since the moment of the informed consent's signature to the stage of inspection from the National Ethics and Research Committee and Research Ethics Committees. The completion of a closest monitoring is essential to prevent this damages and to indemnify the participant. Furthermore, it guarantees that the process of consent is being held on a satisfactory form.


The modern gas pipeline distribution networks is of such scale and complexity that operate under transient conditions most of the times. The accurate and rapid prediction of the time dependent flow magnitudes is essential in order to achieve optimum cumulative deliverability and safe and reliable operation.


A new test method is proposed for investigation of shear behavior of architectural coated-fabrics. The cruciform specimen with 16cm width and length of arms with four slits is used herein, which has 45°of yarns with respect to the loading directions. The loading protocol is defined to generate cycling homogenous shear stress field, which has half positive and half negative cycle rather consecutive positive or negative shear stress conditions. The cycle number is three. Two strain measurements and shear calculation methodologies are compared with theoretic analysis and testing procedure. The polymer-coated polyester fabric with PVDF surface finish is used for test validation, the experimental results are investigated comprehensively, and the effects of shear deformation on shear stress calculation are evaluated. The present work is proved valuable to further research of shear behavior of coated fabrics.


The Dueñas Clay Formation is considered an example of a deposit of lacustrine continental origin. It is formed mainly by overconsolidated clays and includes feldspathic arenites, and clayey and silty levels; however, in geotechnical projects it is considered a clay unit and treated as a whole. The structure of each level was assessed in the field, in thin sections, and by SEM in the case of the clayey level. In addition, identification, strength, deformation, and durability tests were undertaken according to the nature of the samples (grain size analysis, Atterberg Limits, point load test, direct shear tests, uniaxial compression tests, swelling pressure, and unidimensional consolidation tests). The durability test was used as a criterion for dividing the levels within the formation according to their behavior as soil or rock. It was observed that the proportion and type of carbonate cementation controls the way in which the material behaves, with sparithic cement increasing the strength. The clay levels are expansive due to the presence of smectite, which also influences their behavior under shear stress. In addition, the massive and laminar structure of the layers caused by the continental conditions, in addition to the processes of post-sedimentation, explain their low compressibility.