Abstract:Populist movements seek to bolster the power of "the people" and undermine elites. In the United States a businessman, Donald Trump, has convinced a significant portion of the population that he is a man of the people. We answer three inter-related questions about what may be Trump's biggest "win": the transformation of populist discourse for a new century. How does Trump embed himself inside his followers' own deep story? How does he fuse their story with a tale of American restoration? And how does he delegitimize politics as a vocation and valorize politics as business? Drawing on a systematic analysis of Trump/MAGA rallies held in four different regions from 2015 to 2021, we analyze how Trump used his performance to crystalize a distinctly American style of populism. We focus on the cultural accomplishment of his performance, particularly the creation of a business-friendly rhetoric that leverages popular cultural idioms to legitimate politics not as a vocation, but as a business. We find that Trump uses the popular idioms of standup comedy and competitive sports culture. This performance contributed to his 2016 win, yet framing politics as a game to be won runs the risk of reducing deliberative democratic process to election-night outcomes, makes political parties into opposing teams, and divides voters into winners and losers.


Objective To express the extracellular domain of envelope protein GP64 of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus(AcMNPV) in prokaryotic cells,purify the expressed product and prepare its polyclonal antibody.Methods According to the full-length GP64 gene sequence of AcMNPV reported in GenBank,the primers without signal peptide and transmembrane domain were designed by using DNAStar software,based on which GP64 gene was amplified by PCR and inserted into prokaryotic expression vector pET-21b(+).The constructed recombinant plasmid pET-21b(+)AcMNPV-GP64 was transformed to E.coli Rosetta(DE3)for expression under induction of IPTG.The expressed protein was purified with His Trap FF crude,and identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blot.Polyclonal antibody was prepared by immunizing rabbits with the purified protein,and determined for neutralization to AcMNPV.Results Restriction analysis and sequencing proved that recombinant plasmid pET-21b(+)-AcMNPV-GP64 was constructed correctly.The expressed recombinant GP64 protein,with a relative molecular mass of about 52 000,contained 46.8% of total somatic protein and mainly existed in a form of inclusion body.The purified recombinant protein reached a purity of more than 95%,and showed specific binding to mouse anti-AcMNPV GP64 monoclonal antibody.The prepared rabbit anti-GP64 polyclonal antibody showed specific reaction with purified recombinant GP64 protein and AcMNPV,of which the titer reached more than 1 ∶ 1 000 000,and the neutralization titer reached 1 ∶ 8.The AcMNPV at a concentration of 100 TCID50 / ml was neutralized with the polyclonal antibody,which lost the infectivity to Sf9 cells.Conclusion The extracellular domain of AcMNPV GP64 protein was successfully expressed in prokaryotic cells,and the polyclonal antibody with completely neutralizing ability to AcMNPV was prepared,which provided a material for application of insect cells / baculovirus expression system and control tests on baculovirus strains.


Metallic carbon nanotubes (m-CNs) cause malfunction by shorting the source and drain terminals in carbon nanotube transistors. To achieve high-yield with robust read and write operations, a new nine carbon nanotube MOSFET (9-CN-MOSFET) static random-access memory (SRAM) cell that can tolerate the removal of m-CNs is proposed in this paper. A functional yield model considering the spatial correlations of carbon nanotubes in channel arrays of CN-MOSFETs is developed. The yield of the m-CN-removal-tolerant 9-CN-MOSFET SRAM array is increased by  $21309{\times }$  as compared to a design that does not consider process imperfections in carbon-based electronics. Due to the increased strength of read and write ports, the read delay and worst-case write delay of the m-CN-removal-tolerant 9-CN-MOSFET SRAM circuit are reduced by 29.05% and 22.30%, respectively, as compared to the previously published memory circuit that does not consider process imperfections in a 16-nm CN-MOSFET technology.


SummaryRecent advances in the pathogenic mechanisms of urinary tract infections are described, and their symptomatology and diagnostic procedures are discussed. A review of the characteristics and indications of bactericidal and bacteriostatic agents commonly used for these infections is presented. Therapeutic schedules for the various clinical pictures of urinary infections are presented.


The glycolysis (aerobic and in the presence of KCN) of avirulent xyl+ and xyl-str hybrids Sh. flexneri x E. coli, devoid of their ability to multiply intracellularly in the epithelial cells, is studied. It is established that their glycolytic activity is considerably higher than the activity of the donor strain E. coli, and deviate significantly compared with shown activity of the virulent recipient strains Sh. flexneri. Xyl-str hybrids are showing high values of glycolysis in aerobic conditions and in the presence of KCN, while in xyl+ hybrids very active glycolysis is observed only in the presence of KCN - probably completely sufficient for the persistence of bacteria in the host-cell at anaerobic conditions.


Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines by Kevin Kelly. London: Fourth Estate, 1994, 666 pages, hb £16.99, pb £8.99.


The Mediterranean Voyage: the concept covers a wide range of meanings, including voyages in the Mediterranean, to the Mediterranean, from the Mediterranean, within it, and, especially, of it. The Mediterranean itself is a moving concept, a shape-shifting icon of a place that is constantly reconfiguring its own space. What the Mediterranean signifies, what it can represent, changes incessantly as its boundaries fluctuate, as cultures, peoples, and histories move into it or out of it, as these fragments of the Mediterranean coalesce into the multiple and diverse worlds within it. Yet, for all that its fragments urge it into discontinuity, the Mediterranean persists as a single universe, at times progressing and expanding, but at other times regressing and contracting. This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Fernand Braudel, and our decision to focus on the Mediterranean voyage in all its senses owes much even now to his 1949 work, La Méditerranée et le monde méditerranéen à l'époque de Philippe II (Braudel 1949). His succinct thesis echoes throughout the articles that follow: the Mediterranean coheres because it moves. This idea continues to be productive. In The Corrupting Sea: A Study of Mediterranean History (Horden and Purcell 2000), Peregrine Horden and Nicholas Purcell seek to explain Mediterranean cohesion and identity precisely by the disconnected nature and intersecting histories of its many parts. In keeping with this Mediterranean, moving yet coherent, this special issue of Mediterranean Studies presents a wide range of readings of our topic. Whatever it is said to be at any given moment, however we may characterize it over time, the Mediterranean, as the authors in this edition see it, is an enormous system of moving parts and a vast range of mobilities infinitely adjustable to the energies of its constituencies. But despite all the tools of analysis deployed in the following articles, for all the instruments of synthesis they Introduction: THE MEDITERRANEAN VOYAGE


The "theory of metasynthetic wisdom" is a kind of learning in the Twenty-first century to guide the people to stand above the average,conceive the grand tendency,and to acquire as early as possible intelligence,wisdom and innovation ability.It is the enrichment,development and deepening of Marxist philosophy,and a great attempt to construct and innovate the philosophic system of the science in the new century.


Motivation: Sequencing pools of individuals (Pool‐Seq) is a cost‐effective way to gain insight into the genetics of complex traits, but as yet no parametric method has been developed to both test for genetic effects and estimate their magnitude. Here, we propose GWAlpha, a flexible method to obtain parametric estimates of genetic effects genome‐wide from Pool‐Seq experiments. Results: We showed that GWAlpha powerfully replicates the results of Genome‐Wide Association Studies (GWAS) from model organisms. We perform simulation studies that illustrate the effect on power of sample size and number of pools and test the method on different experimental data. Availability and Implementation: GWAlpha is implemented in python, designed to run on Linux operating system and tested on Mac OS. It is freely available at https://github.com/aflevel/GWAlpha. Contact: email@example.com Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


Schiff base ligand [(N 1 E,N 2 E)-N 1 ,N 2 -bis(4-methoxybenzylidene)benzene-1,2-diamine](L) was synthesis through a condensation reaction of benzene-1,2-diamine and 4-Methoxy benzaldehyde in acidic conditions .The synthesis ligand has described with different(C.H.N, 1 H& 13 C-N.M.R,, UV-VisandFT-IR) techniques. Mixed complexes of some metal ions [Hg (II) , Mn (II) , Ni (II) ,Cu (II) and Co (II) ] were prepared by the reaction of Schiff base(L)and 1,10-Phenanthronline with the divalent metal ions in basic medium. The synthesis mixed complexes were characterized with different (atomic absorption, UV-Vis, FT-IR, micro elemental analysis, molar conductance and magnetic susceptibility) techniques. Based on the results of these diagnoses which showed configuration is tetrahedral that the metal ions was coordinated with (L) by and two N atoms of azomethine groups inmixed ligand complexes, in addition of coordination with 1,10-Phenanthronline by nitrogen atoms. The mixed complexes displayed antibacterial effectiveness to (Escherichia coli),(Bacillussubtilis),(Pseudomonas aeruginosa)and (staphylococcus aureus).


Social media such as Facebook have the capacity to revolutionize public discourse as they encourage citizens to participate in politics and to engage with politicians. However, simply the fact that there is public discussion on political issues says yet nothing about its specific quality. From the viewpoint of Habermas' concept of deliberative democracy (1987) we define that only political discussion, which is oriented towards communicative principles of understanding, can promote the development of a deliberative public sphere. Along an index of quality of understanding (Verständigungsorientierungsindex, VOI) we examine political parties and candidates' Facebook communication (N=9428 posts and comments) during the most recent Austrian elections in Vienna in October 2010. The political discourse is following the principles of a quality of understanding if political actors do not only state their positions, but also give statements of reasons. If, in the case of debatable questions, they present specific proposals for solutions, they deal with others in a more or less respectful way and they express relevant doubts concerning positions and other participants.


The publishers of the now classic Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry [ l ] have attempted in this book to present the definitive textbook of neuropsychiatry. How far they have succeeded in their attempt? This book is a magnum opus, and its presentation is excellent as are the academic credentials of the editors. While the majority of the contributors are well known in their respective fields and have made similar contributions elsewhere, there are a number of lesser known names that provide the necessary dose of novelty. The first impact does cause a gentle flutter in a neuropsychiatrist's breast. The scope of the book is understandably broad. It begins with chapters on the history of neuropsychiatry, neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological evaluations, basic neuroscience in relation to neuropsychiatry, neuroimaging, etc., and goes on to cover a large number of neuropsychiatric disorders from sexual dysfunction to aggression, to cortical dementia. The organisation of the chapters is occasionally puzzling: for example, the chapter on language and neuropsychiatry sits uneasily between substance abuse and sexual dysfunction; the chapter on memory is 200 pages away from that on disorders of memory; pain, for some reason, occupies three chapters, and so on. The collation of the chapters, therefore, fails to provide an overall structure. The neuropsychiatrist, ever eager to define the limits of neuropsychiatry, is puzzled by the resulting road map. Any book with 91 contributors can be expected to be varied in its quality. Some chapters, such as the ones on epilepsy and aggression, are excellent. The chapter on frontal lobes, written by a leading authority on the subject, is surprisingly brief. The treatment of the dementias is inadequate, and the categorisation into cortical dementias and basal ganglia disorders seems idiosyncratic. A peculiar result is that Diffuse Lewy Body Disease is discussed as a basal ganglia disorder. Some syndromes (e.g. catatonia, tardive dyskinesia, akathisia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, frontal dementia, etc.) which account for a large part of clinical neuropsychiatry in this country receive only a passing mention. The chapter on neuroimaging is focused on anatomical localisation, and the clinical applications of neuroimaging are largely ignored. Surprisingly, positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) receive little attention as neuropsychiatric tools. Perhaps the very attempt to provide a comprehensive textbook of neuropsychiatry is bound to produce an uneven result. The boundaries of neuropsychiatry from biological psychiatry, liaison psychiatry and behavioural neurology are poorly delineated, and any lines drawn by some editors can be criticised. Lishman's [2] strategy of restricting himself to the 'organic' in psychiatry was refreshing, and his book did not pretend to be comprehensive. We eagerly await a revised version of 'Lishman', although the recent burgeoning knowledge may prove too great a match for even a scholar of his stature. Whenever there has been a difficult neuropsychiatric problem that needs researching, Lishman's book has usually been the most rewarding, and I would still recommend it as a reference text. The other competitor in the market is the American Psychiatric Association Textbook of Neuropsychiatry [3], which I find to be more readable and a better resource for psychiatric trainees, but it also needs a revision urgently. My own preference for a neuropsychiatry textbook would be one that complements the established textbooks of psychiatry and deals at length with topics that engage neuropsychiatrists most commonly. No currently available book performs such a function, and I recommend to psychiatric trainees a collation of material from diverse sources. Neuropsychiatry will be one such source and it therefore has a place in all libraries that cater to psychiatrists. It will, however, have to undergo many bold revisions before it becomes a benchmark publication.


Two methods of rehydrating red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) shoots for pressure-volume (PV) analysis were compared to clarify the effects of rehydration on estimated tissue water relations of shoots and fascicles. The commonly employed cut-shoot method was compared to rehydration by means of water uptake through the roots of intact plants. Cut-shoot rehydration and increased duration of rehydration significantly decreased estimates of tissue elasticity and relative water content at zero turgor for both shoots and fascicles. Rehydration of cut shoots for 2 days significantly increased the slope of the linear region of shoot pressure-volume (PV) curves and decreased estimates of the apoplastic water fraction. Changes in these and estimates of other water relations attributes were correlated with increased initial water content during rehydration. Estimated apoplastic water fraction was higher for needle fascicles than shoots despite the large amount of woody stem tissue contained in shoots. Fascicle water status strongly influenced shoot water relations, in part due to apparent apoplastic loading with water of fascicles during rehydration.


A method of video sequences handling with the purpose of receiving a single unnoisy image is proposed in the paper. Image combination algorithm is developed based on the approach of point correspondences and resolution enhancement. The algorithm for addition of multiple images with the purpose of receiving a single unnoisy image is developed. Experimental studies of the proposed method are held.


Intensive care unit (ICU) nursing is associated with emotional labour. ICU nurses regularly care for dying patients. End-of-life care (EoLC) can be a major cause of stress in ICU, particularly in relation to the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, managing the transition from curative care to EoLC and dealing with the distress of patients, relatives/loved ones. However, ICU nurses receive varying levels of emotional support and education in relation to EoLC. As such, they may lack confidence and skill in EoLC provision, potentially leading to the development of negative attitudes towards caring for dying patients, relatives/loved ones and the adoption of protective coping strategies, such as distancing techniques. This article explores the emotional labour of ICU nurses when caring for dying patients and their relatives/loved ones, including the difficulty nurses experience when managing the transition from curative care to EoLC. It will discuss the emotional and grief reactions experienced by ICU nurses, before considering the education and support nurses need in order to prepare them better to provide high-quality EoLC. Conflicts of interest: none


In this paper we present a real-time graph-based visual SLAM approach. The presented visual SLAM algorithm can be separated into three parts: feature extraction, data association, and SLAM back-end. We use FAST for feature detection and the Binary Robust Independent Elementary Features (BRIEF) as feature descriptor, which together provide a fast and stable feature extraction. The data association is solved using Locality Sensitive Hashing (LSH), which uses local hash tables and profits from binary feature descriptors. As SLAM back-end we use the general graph optimization framework g2o, which is designed to provide solutions to several SLAM variants. We further provide a novel approach to visual odometry by combining recent sensor measurements into a small pose graph and optimizing it using g2o. For finding potential neighbour nodes and loop closures we introduce the Global Feature Repository (GFR). GFR searches for loop closures and potential neighbours independent of their position in the graph. Finally, we show the accuracy and real-time ability of our algorithm by comparing it to a recently published benchmark dataset. We further provide some large-scale datasets using state-of-the-art laser localization as ground-truth.


In this paper we use age-period-cohort decomposition (APC) to measure the potential impact of pension reforms in Poland on the sources of income and labour force participation and retirement of individulas. Since 2009 Poland introduced measures that aim at increasing retirement age and prolong working lives. The first reform was introduced in 2009 and left the access to early pensions only to very restricted occupations. The second reform was a gradual increase of the retirement age since 2013. In our analysis we used the Deaton's (1999) decomposition and Polish Labour Force survey, EU Survey on Income and Living Condisions and Socal Security data which allow us to calculate labour force participation rates, pension recipiency rates and labour income by single-age goups. The analysis suggests that the jumps in the labour force participation rates both for women and men were observed in the cohorts influnaced by the reform of early pensions. 1 Warsaw School of Economics (Institute of Statistics and Demography), Educational Research Institute firstname.lastname@example.com 2 Warsaw School of Economics (Institute of Statistics and Demography), National Bank of Poland, Economic Institute, firstname.lastname@example.com 3 Warsaw School of Economics (Institute of Statistics and Demography), firstname.lastname@example.com


A case of acute pancreatitis is reported in a patient with an intramuinal duodenal diverticulum. Five previous reports of this association are cited, and the mechanisms through which the intraluminal duodenal diverticulum may cause pancreatitis are reviewed.


In this work we conduct a number of finite element simulations using the MEMCAD 5.0 system to evaluate the effect of various geometrical and process parameters on the Wheatstone bridge piezoresistive pressure sensor. In particular, results are presented for the following design parameters: the location of the resistors relative to the diaphragm edge; the angular orientation of the resistors; the planar dimensions of the resistors; and finally, the effects of dopant concentration profile and associated junction depth as computed by the limited-diffusion model.


Improvements in the object of the principal patent No. 200500599 for "mattress adjustable firmness and improved high reducing properties pressures lateral support", the scheduled having a swellable core 3, formed of an elastic material made of foam of any quality and covered with a flexible film, impermeable to air, glued on said foam, so as to constitute an airtight assembly in which the pressure regulation is carried out without any mechanical or electrical means outside the sleeper itself, since the special characteristics of porosity of the elastic material forming the inflatable core 3, allows an automatic exchange of air with the surroundings until a pressure equalization and therefore maximizing the contact surface.


ConTroll is a grammar development system which supports the implementation of current constraint-based theories. It uses strongly typed feature structures as its principal data structure and offers definite relations, universal constraints, and lexical rules to express grammar constraints. The aspects of ConTroll of relevance to the development of large grammars are discussed in detail. The system is fully implemented and has been used as workbench to develop and test a large HPSG grammar.


ABSTRACT We are concerned with a lower bound with a gain of k/2 + 1 derivatives for the class OP N m, k (X, Σ) of pesudodifferential operators with characteristics of even multiplicity k ≥ 2. In the case of double characteristics operators (k = 2), we recapture a well-known inequality due to Hörmander.


The interest in the sustainability of some systems of dried chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) comes from the intensive production to which this crop is subjected to, caused by the excessive use of agricultural activities. The aim of this study was to: 1) evaluate the effects of reduced tillage, green manure incorporation, incorporation of dry manure and the association drip irrigation + plastic mulch, on the growth and yield of dried chili peppers, comparing these effects with those of the conventional production system; and 2) estimate the economic benefits of the management systems mentioned above. The chili pepper plants stopped their growth in terms of height around 960 and 989 HU, while in terms of stem diameter the chili pepper plants stopped growing between 972 and 980 HU. The yield of premium chili peppers with LR was constant between years. The yield response to management systems different to the LR was inconsistent between years due to the susceptibility of the crop to external factors such as environmental factors and diseases. The benefit/cost relationship through the years shown by the LR system was constant, compared to ACOL and IAS, which showed losses and gains.


In this chapter an attempt has been made to have an in-depth study of Indigenous music in general, and Khasi indigenous music in particular. It analyses the role of indigenous tunes in church worship, and the extent to which these tunes have been accepted, recognized, introduced and used in the worship services of the different church denominations, with special reference to the Khasi-Jaintia Presbyterian and Catholic churches.


We propose a method for assessment of the degree of red blood cell (RBC) aggregation using the backscattering property of high-frequency ultrasound. In this method, the scattering property of RBCs is extracted from the power spectrum of RBC echoes normalized by that from the posterior wall of a vein. In an experimental study using a phantom, employing the proposed method, the sizes of microspheres 5 and 20 µm in diameter were estimated to have mean values of 4.7 and 17.3 µm and standard deviations of 1.9 and 1.4 µm, respectively. In an in vivo experimental study, we compared the results between three healthy subjects and four diabetic patients. The average estimated scatterer diameters in healthy subjects at rest and during avascularization were 7 and 28 µm, respectively. In contrast, those in diabetic patients receiving both antithrombotic therapy and insulin therapy were 11 and 46 µm, respectively. These results show that the proposed method has high potential for clinical application to assess RBC aggregation, which may be related to the progress of diabetes.


Brick is the most commonly used material for building construction. In India it is common use to construct reinforced concrete buildings with unreinforced infill. Infill panels have been made of heavy rigid materials such as red bricks or concrete blocks. Now in India , infill materials such as light weight bricks (AAC) or hollow blocks are to be used as masonry infill material in RC buildings. On the performance of RC buildings, it has been recognized that infill materials have significant effect. This research work on comparison of seismic analysis and design of G+12 building using AAC (Autoclaved aerated concrete block ) and conventional bricks were analysed by under Time history analysis. Infill materials has been accepted influence the seismic performance considerably influence the in filled framed structures. Number of researchers were studied the behaviour of in filled RC frames analytically. Most of the research work carried out , paying attention on parameters such as the variation of distribution of masonry infill and the stiffness of frame elements.. Modelling of the structure is done by Etabs software. Lateral seismic force RC frame is carried out by using equivalent static method as per IS 1893(part 1) : 2002 for earthquake. In the present study is made to study the behavior of RC frame structure using conventional bricks, and light weight bricks (AAC) infill. The various results such as storey acceleration, storey displacement, storey drift, storey stiffness are compared to know the suitable infill material in seismic prone zones.


It has been proposed that estrogen regulates the mechanosensitivity of osteocytes; however, the effects of estrogen deficiency that arises during postmenopausal osteoporosis on mechanical stimulation–induced calcium signaling in osteocytes remain elusive. Here, we pretreated MLO‐Y4 osteocytes with 10 nM E2 for 2, 3 and 5 d, then simulated postmenopausal conditions either by estrogen withdrawal (EW) from culture medium, or by inhibiting the estrogen receptor by using fulvestrant and estrogen (FE; ICI 182,780) in vitro. We investigated [Ca2+]i oscillations and mechanobiologic responses of osteocytes (EW and FE) that were exposed to oscillatory fluid flow (OFF; 1 Pa, 0.5 Hz). We demonstrated that estrogen treatment enhanced OFF‐induced [Ca2+]i oscillations and that this effect was abrogated both by FE and EW. Moreover, osteocytes in both estrogen‐depleted groups (EW and FE) had reduced levels of NO and prostaglandin E2 release, down‐regulated dentin matrix protein‐1, sclerostin, osteopontin, osteocalcin, and alkaline phosphatase mRNA expression, and reduced F‐actin fiber formation after OFF stimulation compared with estrogen‐treated cells. We propose a link between estrogen deficiency and alterations in [Ca2+]i‐mediated mechanosensitivity of osteocytes, which ultimately alter osteocyte function and differentiation.—Deepak, V., Kayastha, P., McNamara, L. M. Estrogen deficiency attenuates fluid flow–induced [Ca2+]i oscillations and mechanoresponsiveness of MLO‐Y4 osteocytes. FASEB J. 31, 3027–3039 (2017). www.fasebj.org


We study the problem of packet scheduling in input queued packet switches, with an emphasis on low complexity and ease of implementation. Toward this end, we propose a class of subset based schedulers, wherein an N x N switch is operated using only a small set of N configurations in every time-slot. We show that the performance of subset based scheduling is comparable to that of the benchmark maximum weight matching (MWM) scheduler, albeit at much lower complexity. Next, we relate subset based scheduling to the well known wrapped wavefront arbiter (WWFA) [14] and propose BA-WWFA, a backlog aware version of WWFA. The BA-WWFA scheduler significantly enhances the performance of WWFA, while retaining its ease of hardware implementation. The performance gains are especially noteworthy under non-uniform loading of the switch. Given their ease of implementation and MWM like performance, the schedulers proposed in this paper represent an attractive option for high performance packet switching.


This article focuses on how curricular and pedagogical differentiation for students of special education is perceived by teachers of the second cycle of basic education in Portugal. The objectives of this research were (i) to inquire about the teachers' perceptions regarding their training path and their training needs; (ii) to characterize the teaching practices of teachers, aimed at students of special education; and (iii) to learn the perceptions of these teachers regarding their curricular and pedagogical practices directed at students of special education—this called for an interpretative methodology. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and subjected to content analysis. The results indicate a widespread concern with teachers' current professional development and the management of diversity. The respondents' perceptions, shown as favorable to change, are in line with personalized work, enhancing visible contributions to students' personal and social development.


This paper proposes a new approach for function optimization using a new variant of multi-scale quantum harmonic optimization algorithm (MQHOA). The new approach introduces a centroid motion to improve the convergence efficiency, which is called MQHOA with centroid motion (CM-MQHOA). Instead of replacing the worst particle by the current best individual in the quantum harmonic oscillator process in MQHOA, the weakest player is replaced by a current centroid position in the proposed algorithm. Simple mechanisms are added to maintain the diversity of the population and help achieve the global optima in difficult unimodal and multimodal search spaces. The benefits of the proposed algorithm are improved performance in terms of effectiveness, reliability, accuracy, and efficiency. The approach appears to be able to efficiently deal with several unimodal and multimodal benchmark functions. A variety of standard benchmark functions are used to illustrate the proposed approach. The experimental results are compared with several state-of-the-art optimization algorithms. The comparative results indicate the competitiveness of the proposed algorithm and suggest a viable and attractive addition to the portfolio of computational intelligence techniques.


In this article about 'For Better or Worse? Lesbian and Gay Marriage' (Feminism & Psychology, 14[1]) we focus on the contributions to the special feature, the commentaries provided by Ellen Lewin (2004), Sheila Jeffreys (2004) and Sue Wise and Liz Stanley (2004), and on wider debates about lesbian and gay marriage and partnership recognition. We agree that 'there is a lot of confusion/assumptions made about what "it" (i.e. "marriage") is' (Wise and Stanley, 2004: 333). Thus, when talking about same-sex partnership recognition we are concerned with civil marriage (or civil union, or civil partnership), and not religious marriage. Our emphasis is on the public not on the private sphere; we are less interested with the personal aspects of relationships (such as intimacy or commitment) than with their public function in, for instance, obtaining 'rights and responsibilities'.


Neutrophilic granulocytes have a wide spectrum of functional activity. In recent years, the functional significance of neutrophils in the development and course of malignant neoplasms has been discussed. It has been shown that neutrophilic granulocytes can play pro- or antitumor activity. The aim of the study was to assess the structural and functional features of neutrophils in patients with varying degrees of prevalence of cancer of the larynx and laryngopharynx. Forty-one patients (aged 35-67) with newly diagnosed cancer of the larynx and laryngopharynx were examined and divided into subgroups according to the TNM classification: the first subgroup (14 patients) with a localized tumor process consisted; and the second subgroup (27 patients) with a widespread tumor process. The relative and absolute number of neutrophils was assessed, and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was determined. The content of neutrophils with varying degrees of nuclear segmentation in the blood was calculated, the activity of myeloperoxidase, cationic proteins, alkaline phosphatase, and the degree of neutrophil activation in the NBT test was determined cytochemically. Concentration of interleukin-8 was determined using ELISA. In patients with cancer of the larynx and laryngopharynx the number of neutrophils (p = 0.045) and NLR (p = 0.033), as well as serum concentration of interleukin 8 (p = 0.011), increased compared to healthy individuals. The proportion of cells with hypersegmented nuclei in the neutrophil population (p < 0.001) and cytotoxic potential increased with the spread of tumor process. A direct correlation (r = 0.42, p = 0.03) was found between the T index, which reflects the volume of the tumor, and the content of hypersegmented neutrophils. It can be argued that such a simple and accessible laboratory parameter as the degree of segmentation of the nuclei of neutrophilic granulocytes can be used as one of the criteria to assess and predict the course of the tumor process.


The German revolution of 1848 has been the subject of a vast literature, but it has rarely been studied objectively. Consequently, many people judge it not according to its causes and effects but according to their own emotions. To some it appears as a proof that the Germans are, for some " racial" reason, either incapable of appreciating liberty, or able to accept its loss or its non-achievement with equanimity. Still others regard the German revolution of 1848 as an isolated event of the past and ignore it in their appraisal of the political, social, and ,economic manifestations of Germany's development in the last hundred years.


The World Social Forum taking place in Nairobi in 2007 gave an opportunity to analyze, through a collective survey, what was at stake with the localization, both geographic and symbolic, of a social forum in Africa. Our study shows how African activists managed to participate in the WSF in Nairobi and what are the conflicts around the right to talk about, for, and from, Africa. These questions are linked. Indeed, in an alterglobal space which seeks to obscure them, it is important to think about the hierarchies, the conflicts, or even quite simply the division of labour within transnational activism. A first part is dedicated to the material conditions of attendance at the WSF and how they were translated into debates about the representativeness of this Forum. A second part underlines the international division of activist work in Africa, creating tensions which are masked or translated into ideological oppositions. A third part focuses on the ways identities and legitimate claims to speak in the name of Africa were built in this space of tensions.


Creation of reliable methods for calculating aerodynamic characteristics of aircrafts with allowance for the fact that their dependence on the parameters of motion is essentially nonlinear and sometimes even controversial is of interest, in the context of both developing nonstationary supersonic aerodynamics and solving a number of practical problems of control for motion of investigated bodies. In this paper, the problem of calculating nonlinear aerodynamic characteristics of a sharp cone is considered. Among numerical models, the most complete one is a model described by the Navier-Stokes equations; it allows one to take into account effects of compressibility, viscosity, and thermal conductivity of the gas with the use of the hypothesis of turbulent viscosity and diffusion. The results of calculations are compared with the data obtained in experiments on the ballistic track of the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute at Mach numbers M = 1,5.


It has been postulated that phenol-containing areas of plant and animal tissues were osmiophilic, but proof of direct interaction between osmium tetroxide and phenolic materials, or the nature of such reactions, has been lacking. We find that, under conditions similar to those of normal tissue fixation, osmium tetroxide reacts rapidly with those phenols containing o-dihydroxy groups (including such species found in plant tissues) to give very stable chelate complexes. We conclude that these complexes are responsible for the observed electron-density in phenol-containing areas of tissue treated with osmium tetroxide, so that such phenols are indeed osmiophilic.


Field surveying shows that the rotor's failure of the steam turbine is because of the rotor' S fatigue failure which is caused by the combined stress. Apply the fuzzy mathematics to get the membership function of the endurance limit. Calculating formula of the rotor' s fuzzy reliability was deduced out by using the theory of the fuzzy reliability. Theory of rotor's fuzzy reliability is set up. The calculating method of fuzzy reli- ability is explained by an illustrative example.


In 1995 a record 17.8 million vehicles were recalled in the USA. In addition to these recalls, warranty costs for non-recallable defects, and the cost of lost future sales due to dissatisfied customers, contribute to the cost associated with poor quality. Although pre-production testing has more leverage, post-launch vehicle testing may provide valuable information in an economical fashion. By field testing the first production vehicles off the line, automotive manufacturers may detect manufacturing-related and component-interaction defects that would not be discovered by pre-production testing. We present a cost-benefit model for production vehicle field testing. Using data on defects and warranty costs for past vehicle programs, we can estimate the average warranty cost, the likelihood of a recall, the number of vehicles recalled, failure rates, and severity of defects for future vehicle programs, as well as the warranty costs avoided by a particular production vehicle test program. This cost-benefit analysis allows us to determine if a post-production vehicle test program is worthwhile, and if so, it allows us to choose the best such program.


The purpose of this study is to estimate the appropriate financial resources to secure the competitiveness of higher education and attempt educational innovation, and to seek specific measures to expand it. Based on the review of previous studies related to higher education finance, first, the necessity of expanding public resources for higher education, the basis of higher education support, and the main contents of each government's higher education support policy were examined, and second, the scale of domestic higher education financial support and overseas higher education financial support were compared and analyzed, and the financial status of domestic higher education institutions was analyzed. Finally, the direction of fiscal investment was confirmed at the government level, and the fiscal scale and expansion plans to realize this were comprehensively reviewed.
The analysis results showed that, first, investment in higher education institutions is necessary, but there is not enough legal basis to support higher education finance.
Second, it was found that the level of financial support to support innovation of higher education institutions was insufficient compared to both international and domestic standards. Third, plans to cultivate human resources at the national level are being announced, but the budget for higher education to support this has been stagnant. As a result of calculating the appropriate size of higher education finances based on the OECD average, about 10 trillion won was required.
As a way to finance higher education, it proposed a method of easing tuition regulations and preparing a legal basis for financial support for higher education. In addition, to improve the financial conditions of universities, it was proposed to secure the effectiveness of the financial support plan and to expand the scope of the university's current expenses support.


The necessity of evaluation of grass-roots cadres in state-owned enterprises,as well as the existing problems,is analyzed. A method based on ability-position match of grassroots cadres is introduced through the projection method to dynamic match the job requirements and job competency of grassroots cadres. Tobacco industry is taken as an example to prove that the conclusion is consistent with the actual situation,and the method is scientific and effective. This study is meaningful to human resource management for the state-owned enterprise.


squamous cell carcinoma usually results from bronchogenic carcinoma. Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the thymus should be considered in the differential diagnosis when there is no pulmonary lesion. This rare but recognized entity has a more favourable prognosis than stage III lung cancer and may be more amenable to radical treatment.' We describe a patient with well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the thymus.


Synthesis of LL, DD and LD stereoisomers of di-myo-inositol-1,1′-phosphate (DIP) could be realised by phosphitylation of properly protected L- or D-myo-inositol derivatives. It was also established that naturally occurring (+)-DIP has the LL-configuration.


Abstract The property is studied of stabilizing a polynomial control system to a subspace of its state space using a continuous feedback law. A sufficient condition for the output stabilizability problem is also included.


Patterns of food consumption in the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are basically uniform. Most of the diets of the ASEAN populations are based on rice. Additional food ingredients used in this large region may differ, depending on local preferences, food availability, and may also be influenced by cultural or historical inheritance. Thus, in some localities, the staple may depart from the usual rice. Maize, dried cassava roots (known as gaplek in parts of Indonesia), sweet potatoes, breadfruit, and sago may be preferred and do in fact replace rice. But, generally, rice is still the preferred food and regarded as superior to alternatives or substitutes. The so-called traditional or local food preparation is basically Chinese or Indian in origin. In many areas, they are adapted to Malay and other indigenous tastes and in some limited areas they may be supplemented by European or American styles. ASEAN is therefore a melting-pot of many ethnic cuisines and eating habits. In ASEAN countries, food recipes and food items seem endless because of the infinite number of possible combinations.


Changes in the optical response of a Ni(lll) surface as a result of adsorption of molecules is measured with a spectroscopic rotating analyzer ellipsometer. For the molecules pyridine, pyrazine, and naphthalene condensed onto the nickel surface at low temperature, the changes in optical response can be described with a dielectric model which treats the adsorbed phase as a separate continuous medium of well-defined thickness and complex refractive index. For annealed layers less than 0 100 A thick, the absorption coefficient corresponds well with the known optical absorption spectrum of these molecules. When a wide variety of molecules are chemisorbed onto the Ni(lll) surface, the modification of the optical response can no longer be described by considering the optical properties of the adsorbate alone. Rather, every molecule studied revealed a single broad absorption maximum at 4.2 eV. This absorption peak is attributed to the selective enhancement of bulk interband excitations resulting from perturbations of the metal orbitals upon chemisorption. The nonradiative energy transfer from the 3nn-* state of pyrazine to Ni(lll) and Ag(lll) surfaces is studied as a function of the distance between the excited molecule and the metal surface. The relative phosphorescence yield of pyrazine above the Ni(lll) surface was measured 0 0 between 7 A and 100 A separation to test the applicability of the classical energy transfer theory of Chance, Prock, and Silbey at very short 1


According to the problem that the number of tests for ground-to-ground missile weapon system is small,a rapid convergence point estimation approach to the ground-to-ground systematic error in small sample situation is proposed.This approach can be described as follows.Firstly,the experiential distribution is transformed to percentiles function by using the sample distributing expansion law.Based on the uncertainty maximum principle,then the coefficients of percentiles function can be worked out regarding the Shannon Entropy as the grade of uncertainty.After solving the tangent point of extremum curve and feasible solution bounds curve,the point estimation of expectation is finally obtained by integrating the percentiles function.The simulation results show that the approach presented is facilitated to the calculation and has fairly application value in the field of precision evaluation for ground-to-ground missile weapon system.


It is a totally different concept to non-English and English major in college.Also,the concrete contents,learning methods and final aims of the two kinds of majors in English learning are not same.However,their objectives of learning the course hold identical views.The paper compares the Teaching Claim of College English Course to non-English major students and The English Teaching Syllabus to English major students,and it holds the generality of the two English learning aims.At the same time,from the English teachers' angles,the paper puts forward the training model of unification and deversification to non-English and English major students model of unification and diversification to non-English and English major students in their English learning process of elecmentary and advanced period.The purpose is to make the students of different majors own both strong foundation of English language and excellent English applied ability and other connected professional knowledge.


This paper introduces a cascade heat pump water heater system,and makes theoretical calculation of cycle characteristics on different working conditions used conventional refrigerants,aiming to choose the right refrigerant and to determine the suitable design condition based on the calculation,reliability and reality.The results show that R410a is optional for the cryogenic stage cycle,and R134a is more practical for the higher cycle for this system.


Twenty five accessions of snake gourd were grouped into different clusters based on the seed characters (seed index), growth characters (growth index) and yield characters (yield index) using principal component analysis. The maximum seed index value for TA 108, the maximum growth index value for TA 118 and the maximum yield index value for TA-114 were revealed from the principal component analysis. Based upon the seed characters (seed size, seed coat colour and 100 seed weight), growth characters (leaf lobes, leaf pubescence and tendril length) and fruit characters (fruit skin colour, fruit girth, fruit length and fruit weight) keys were developed for varietal identification.


The preferential sputtering of three alloys of gold and nickel and five alloys of gold and copper is studied. Binary alloys containing 6–26 at. % nickel and 6–57 at. % copper were used. Samples were scribed in situ to avoid the complication of a surface oxide film. For Ni/Au with an ion energy of 1 keV, the gold was sputtered preferentially leaving a nickel‐enriched surface. For the 6% alloy the amount of enrichment was somewhat less than is predicted from pure element sputter yields, whereas for the other two alloys the enrichment is slightly higher than predicted. The thickness of the altered layer appears to be in the 50–75 A range. For Cu/Au, very little preferential sputtering was observed.


In this paper, we have tried to show the importance of doping and defects charged on CIGS solar cells. Indeed according to our simulations, we could see that the electrical performance of these types of cells highly dependent on these two parameters. We also studied the dependence between doping and charged defects on the evolution of the electrical parameters. It was found that the results with neutral defects different from those charged with defects. The doping level for best performance (solar cell with Cu-poor absorber) is lowest with neutral defects than with the charged defects.


An approach to develop a hybrid microsystem for the isolation and purification of magnetosomes produced by magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) with the aim of their further use in oncotherapy was considered. Ultrasonic MTB disintegration, dielectrophoretic and magnetophoretic nodes integrated with microfluidic systems were developed.


The methodology for calculating the damaging factors proposed in the article depending on the energy of the explosion and the distance allows one to predict both the reliable distance of the location of civilian structures and their strength, which provides reliable protection for the personnel of a particular object. In addition, this technique allows you to identify possible ways to increase the explosion safety of fuel assemblies with the main criterion - "personnel protection / minimization of damage».


This dissertation submitted to the University of Dhaka in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (Plant Taxonomy)


Direct indexing has shown it can help customize portfolios, but it can also be a critical risk management tool in times of global upheaval.


Aims:  The aim of the work was to apply PCR‐temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR‐TGGE) and restriction enzyme analysis (RE) assays to identify commercially available starters of Saccharomyces cerevisiaesensu stricto complex.


The combination of logic programming and databases has been given broad attention in recent years. However, mainly the connections between the relational data model and logic programming have been investigated. The application of logic programming languages as a basis for information systems founded on more complex, i.e. conceptual data models has received comparatively less attention. With the system Queer, we introduce the prototype of a Prolog-based information system which directly supports an extended entity-relationship model on its front-end and uses a semantically well-founded query and manipulation language based on an entity-relationship calculus. The system basically consists of a set of compilers written in Prolog which translate data speci cations, schema de nitions, queries, and data-manipulation statements into Prolog programs. i


The next government should back the sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) in England, regardless of which political party wins the general election, a senior adviser on health policy has urged.

Speaking at a King's Fund event on the next steps for implementing STPs, Hugh Alderwick, senior policy adviser at the fund, said that the partnerships between local councils and NHS services remained the most credible option for improving the delivery of health and care in England and should …


The indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort in public and residential buildings is relevant when in operation. However, to date it is not regulated nor subject to control in Chile, despite the consequences of a poor IAQ due to high concentrations of CO2 on learning, concentration, productivity and health. At a first stage, the IAQ of 2 classrooms in the south of Chile (latitude 45°23'71''S and 47°115'11''S) was monitored and evaluated using the ASHRAE 62/2010 13,779UNE international standards, being finally contrasted with the results of occupant satisfaction polls. Starting from this point, a new methodology to rank campuses in a dynamic regime in accordance to indoor air quality is proposed, especially for those with a high density of occupation, which can be used to manage patterns of ventilation, to allow IAQ verification in a post-occupational regime, and to achieve a healthy environment adjusted to the space's own profile. Document type : Communication à un colloque (Conference Paper) Référence bibliographique Molina, Constanza ; Veas Perez, Leonardo Eugenio ; Ossio, Felipe. Methodology Proposal for the Evaluation of Environmental Quality in Inhabited Indoor Facilities from Measurements of Carbon Dioxide Concentration.PLEA2012 28th Conference, Opportunities, Limits & Needs Towards an environmentally responsible architecture (Lima, Perú, du 07/11/2012 au 09/11/2012). PLEA2012 28th Conference, Opportunities, Limits & Needs Towards an environmentally responsible archi te ture Lima, Perú 7-9 November 2012 Methodology Proposal for the Evaluation of Environmental Quality in Inhabited Indoor Facilities from Measurements of Carbon Dioxide Concentration. CONSTANZA MOLINA C. , LEONARDO VEAS P., FELIPE OSSIO C. Escuela de Construcción Civil, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago. Architecture et Climat, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium ABSTRACT: The indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort in public and residential buildings is rele vant when in operation. However, to date it is not regulated nor subject to control in Chile, despite the consequen ces of a poor IAQ due to high concentrations of CO2 on learning, concentr ation, productivity and health. At a first stage, the IAQ of 2 classrooms in the so uth of Chile (latitude 45°23'71''S and 47°115'11''S ) was monitored and evaluated using the ASHRAE 62/2010 13,779UNE intern a io al standards, being finally contrasted with th e results of occupant satisfaction polls. Starting from this poi nt, a new methodology to rank campuses in a dynamic regime in accordance to indoor air quality is proposed, espec ially for those with a high density of occupation, which can be used to manage patterns of ventilation, to allow IAQ verifi cation in a post-occupational regime, and to achiev e a healthy environment adjusted to the space's own profile.


In this study, the surface of copper packaging substrates was treated by two newly developed black oxidizing solutions, which contain no environmentally hazardous chemicals, and do not contaminate silver or gold structures on the substrate. Compared with the substrate treated by some commercially available oxidizing solutions, the new solutions can produce oxidized substrates with much fewer loose particles. The microstructure of the treated substrates was examined by SEM, XRD, XPS and Auger spectroscopy. The adhesion strength of the copper substrates treated with the commercial solutions and the newly developed ones were tested and compared. Substrate surface condition after oxidation was checked using SEM.


Primary pulmonary artery sarcoma is a rare tumor. The tumor is often mistaken for a pulmonary thromboembolism at presentation, and the surgical treatment is usually delayed. Its prognosis is extremely poor, and less than 10% of the patients survive longer than 1 year after diagnosis. Herein, we report a case of pulmonary artery sarcoma with the initial presentation of hemoptysis and a mass in the right upper lobe, mimicking a lung cancer. Subsequent studies suggested a right pulmonary artery tumor with suspicious tumor emboli. After undergoing a palliative resection of the tumor and various regimens of adjuvant chemotherapy, he sustained hydrocephalus associated with brain metastasis 15 months later. He finally died of respiratory failure 19 months after operation. The literature is reviewed, and we conclude that early diagnosis and complete resection followed by chemotherapy can provide a chance of intermediate or long-term survival.


A statistical modeling approach was used to estimate the pollution loads in different river system of Fuji River Basin. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Suspended Solids (SS) and Orthophosphate Phosphorus (PO4-P) were taken as indicator of pollution. Loadings of BOD, COD, SS and PO4-P were estimated in Kikkobashi, Hikawabashi and Omogawabashi sub basins, using a Seven Parameter Log Linear Model (ESTIMATOR) developed by United States of Geological Survey. ESTIMATOR computes nutrient and other constituent loads in rivers based on a daily values for discharge and unit value water quality samples. The fortnightly (semi-monthly) measured values of the water quality parameters of more than 10 years were used to build the concentration and load models for each water quality parameter for each sub basins to predict the daily concentrations and loadings. Of these three stations, the daily discharge in Hikawabashi and Omogawabashi subbasins was not available. Therefore, a TANK model which was calibrated and validated with very good results was used to estimate the daily discharge for those stations. The statistical summaries of concentration and load models show it is capable of predicting the loadings from each sub basin. The higher loadings of BOD, COD, SS and PO4-P are estimated from Hikawabashi and Omogawabashi than the upstream area of Kikkobashi. These results are tied to basin cover characteristics. The higher loadings of BOD, COD, SS and PO4-P from Hikawabashi and Omogawabashi are attributed to higher percentage of orchard, agriculture and urbanized area. The seasonality in loadings from all basins are also observed and attributed to plant growth cycles and anthropogenic influences like cultivation practices, fertilizer applications in the orchard plantation and agriculture areas. After the investigation of waste water treatment systems of the basin and pollutant loading behavior, it can be concluded that the non-point sources are the major contributors in pollutant loading in the study basin.


The potential of zakat in Indonesia is so great that it can become a financial solution to anticipate the problems of poverty and inequality in Indonesia. Likewise, the potential for zakat in the city of Bandung, which according to the calculations of experts can reach 2 trillion rupiahs per year, is very large to be managed professionally, but when viewed from the amount of existing zakat receipts it is only limited to 4.8 billion per year. So thus, the lack of income from zakat funds reflects the growing expectations of the public for the transparency or transparency and accountability of the management of zakat funds in the presence of financial reports. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find out how much influence is given by financial accounting standards on the quality of financial reports at the National Amil Zakat Agency in the City of Bandung. The results of this study are that financial accounting standards significantly influence the quality of financial statements in the national amil zakat body.


Leaf vegetables can't grow well in the hot-wet season in South China. Chinese flowering cabbage was studied under insect-proof screen and rain proof shelter with open field as the contrast. The results showed that the growth period grown under insect-proof screen and rain proof shelter was shortened, and the the weight per plant, production and water content were increased while the less crude fiber content and pest number decreased. The appearance and interior qualities were much better than that of the open field, meaning the insect-proof screen and rain proof shelter had great advantage in vegetable production in summer. Compared to insect-proof screen, rain proof shelter showed advantages in vegetable growth, production and quality but insect prevention.


Histological studies have shown that in experimentally infected fleas (C. consimilis) Listeria are preserved in the alimentary canal. In infected individuals microbes occur along the whole intestine, from oesophagus to the rectum but most often they are recorded from the mid-gut and proventriculus. Listeria are able to penetrate into its muscular tissue and in some cases enter the body cavity of the insect. The finding of Listeria in the oesophagus confirms the possibility of the transmission of the infarction by fleas through the bite without blocking.


After a brief discussion of the relation holding between linguistics and genetics, the paper will focus on three assumptions: a) that statistics can be reliably applied to phonology; b) that there is a relation between the size of a human population and the diversity of its phonetic system; c) that the so-called founder effect reduces phonemic diversity. The author will seek to demonstrate that all three assumptions are incorrect.


The increase in the stock price that is too high causes the demand for the purchase of the stock to decrease, and affects the liquidity of the stock. To avoid these conditions, companies can take stock split actions which are expected to increase stock liquidity. This study aims to determine the effect of stock splits on stock prices, stock trading volume and stock returns in companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The population of this study is companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The sample used in this study were 45 companies that carried out a stock split for the 2015-2019 period with a sampling technique using purposive sampling. The window period is 5 days before and 5 days after the stock split. This study uses the SPSS 21 test tool. The data analysis used is a non-parametric paired sample difference test, namely the Wilcoxon test because the data is not normally distributed with 5%. The results showed that there were differences in stock prices, trading volume and stock returns before and after the stock split with a significance value of 0.000, 0.000, and 0.007. Thus, stock splits affect stock prices, trading volume and stock returns.

Keywords : Stock price, Stock Split, Stock returns, Trading Volume


This paper dedicated to numerical and experimental investigations of the role of majority carrier concentration in the silicon in the transmission coefficients of photonic crystals created from quartz and silicon layers in microwave frequency range. The silicon of two types of conductivity has been viewed. The impact of majority carrier concentration on the transparence in allowed bands of photonic crystals is shown.


We present a Monte Carlo study of both critical wetting and first‐order wetting transitions in an Ising model with a surface field opposite to the magnetization direction in the bulk. ''Profiles'' of magnetization and energy as well as the surface layer magnetization m1 and susceptibility χ1,1 are obtained and discussed in the light of current theory.


For the first time researched the optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extracting flavonoid content from Ixeris chinensis by response surfase methodology, to provide some basis for the utilization of wild Ixeris chinensis resources in china. Response surface methodology was used to establishi models for A alcohol concentration, B processing time and C material-liquid ratio. Results showed that alcohol concentration(p0.01) and material-liquid ratio(p0.05) had significant affects on extraction rate. The optimum extraction condition on the ethanol concentration 45%, ratio of solid to liquid was 1:20 under the conditions of ultrasonic extraction of flavonoid, 30 min, income was the highest, 3.62%. Regression equation was Y=3.61+0.12A+0.26B+0.18C+0.037AB+0.11AC+0.21BC-0.61A2-0.4B2-0.4C2.


Continuous distillation processes including three-tower,four-tower and five-tower for separation of methyl cyanoacetate were proposed to replace the conventional batch distillation process.The best separation technology,that is five-tower continuous distillation,was determined based on the process technological analysis.Optimization simulations of five-tower continuous distillation were performed with ASPEN PLUS software in which RADFRAC model and WILSON equation were used,and the optimum operating conditions and equipment parameters were determined.The industrial data showed that the five-tower continuous distillation can reduce energy consumption by 30%,increase product' yield by 2.4% compared with the batch distillation.A new process scheme for continuous separation of methyl cyanoacetate was established.


Distortions in electrocardiogram (ECG) signals affect the image quality and increase scan time of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CMRI) exams. This study proposes an alternative method of acquiring CMRI cine images in mouse heart using a self-gated Ultra-short Echo Time (UTE) protocol. In our method, a bandpass filter and a lowpass filter are adopted to extract the self-gated signals from the center of the raw no-gated k-space measurements, A live mouse has been tested as the example to verify the method. The results demonstrated that this method could be used for reconstruction of the no-gated UTE CMRI measurements without using of external ECG signals.


Using a coherent optical demodulation scheme, we experimentally study the optical phase and amplitude modulation characteristics of an injection-locked VCSEL at GHz rates in real-time, giving us insight into two different phase modulation regimes.


Multilayer films containing alternating layers of a polynucleotide (DNA or polycytidylic acid) and polyallylamine were prepared by the self-assembly method on quartz and glass supports. The average thickness of the polyanion layer was estimated by measuring UV spectra of these films; it was found to be an order of magnitude larger than the diameter of the polymer under study. The interaction of 1 3 7 Cs + with multilayer films was studied by autoradiography. It was revealed that multilayer films are permeable to this cation, its content increasing with the number of double layers. It was demonstrated that the sign of the electric charge of the surface layer of a multilayer film significantly influences the sorption of the radionuclide. Cesium ions are substituted for sodium ions and thereby are bound to the film. The results obtained suggest that the concentration of sodium ions in the films under study is very low; i.e., the films contain low concentrations of the low-molecular-weight salt; sodium exists predominantly in the form of nucleotide counterions. The boundaries between the double layers of the polymers in the films are smeared because of mutual penetration.


This chapter discusses the methodological challenges associated with studying personal background variables in first language (L1) attrition from the perspective of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST). It starts with a review of extant research which, despite concerted efforts to design rigorous, comparable studies, to date has not turned up strong, unambiguous predictors for L1 attrition. I argue that this failure lies in the nature of language as a complex dynamic system, and consequently in the properties of variables, their interaction, and varying contribution to the process and outcome of L1 attrition, and indeed to L1 and L2 (second language) acquisition in the larger context of multilingual development. CDST provides a challenge not just for common empirical and analytical approaches to attrition, but for the very notion of 'predictor'. The chapter concludes by discussing some ways in which the current stalemate may be overcome.


It is difficult these days to determine all the persons entitled to inherit under french succession law. The concept of the family has considerably changed : often the traditionnal family circle is widely dispersed and the number of families with illegitimate off spring is on the increase. This development accounts for the emergence of an unusual profession known as succession genealogist (genealogiste successoral), whose task is to establish, upon the request of a notary, the identities of the beneficiaries of the estate of a deceased who has died leaving no known heirs. Once the genealogist has identified the relations of the deceased, he will then be in a position to inform them of their inheritance rights, previously unknown to them, by virtue of what is known as an agreement for the identification of succession beneficiaries (contrat de revelation de succession). In consideration for his services, he will be entitled under this agreement to payment of a percentage of that part of the net estate devolving to the heir in question. The legal classification of such a contract is no simple matter. The courts have decided, with a considerable degree of caution, to place the contract in the category of a sui generis risk contract. The validity of contract is subject to the ordinary common law rules of contract. Until recently, there was an unbroken line of precedent over a period of twenty-three years to the effect that such contract be subject to no particular regulations. However, the french supreme court, by a recent decision dated 30th october 1996, ruled that the genealogist falls into the same category as that of door-to-door salesman and, as such, is subject in the performance of his duties to the restrictions laid down in articles l. 121-23 et seq of the consumer code.


A collimated, cold and supersonic molecular beam of sodium molecule (Na2) was constructed to study the rotational constants of sodium molecule.By using the laser induced fluoresence technique, the fluorescence signals were detected. The obtained spectral lines were highly resolved by using the AutoScan-ring-dye laser system. The Doppler width of the spectral lines were very narrow i.e. FWHM was very small value down to 10cm. The results of the rotational constants of Na2 molecules were fitted by using the least square fitting method. In addition the rotational temperature of Na2 molecules was determined to be 18K.


The object of this paper is to examine the tenability of the generally accepted view that the term 'kingdom of God' or 'kingdom of heaven' ought properly to be rendered as 'Reign, or Rule of God'. This view assumes that the basic idea of the expression βασιλεία Τοũ θεοũ implies that God is, or becomes, king, that he sets up his kingly rule, or asserts his divine sovereignty over or in the world.


Method of producing a core and microcapsules of the type having a coating encapsulating the core, and supplying a core-forming fluid stream and a coating-forming fluid stream, disposed concentrically about the second nozzle core nozzle providing at 2 spray nozzle configuration with, sprayed with core-forming fluid stream from the core nozzle and spray coating-forming fluid stream from the concentric nozzle, and generating a microcapsule, formed microcapsules suitable gas and a step of solidifying at medium. As a means for solidifying the microcapsules, it may be used spray drying or spray cooling techniques. Microcapsules having a core and a solid coating are also described. .The


Fine finished steel ball set into a bearing have been needed in precision machinery field. Spin angle controlled ball lapping method developed recently, is to have an excellent performance to lap the ball in which V-groove lapping plates are separated into two parts and three plates are able to rotate independently. Present paper focuses on an effect of lapping plate geometry on finishing characteristics of the steel ball. It is found that Rcurved lapping plates constituting of V-groove have yielded greater stock removal than flat ones. Experiments show that the stock removal is dependent upon spin angle θ which is closely related to slipping distance of ball. Measurements of a sphericity of lapped ball indicate that the geometry of lapping plate has small effect with respect to improvement of it, but causes larger stock removal rate and very smooth surface.


A substrate for mounting a semiconductor element in the present invention, the curing start temperature of the exothermic reaction measured by the temperature increasing rate to 10 ℃ / min from a differential scanning calorimeter via the 130 ℃ or less adhesive, sealing type semiconductor device equipped with a semiconductor element and there is provided a method of manufacturing the same.


Strict enforcement of pollution regulations and high industrial effluent treatment costs have caused greater emphasis to be placed on the development of noncyanide zinc plating baths. A few organic compounds**1**,**2 (anthranilic acid-formaldehyde, glycine-thiourea) have been tested in our laboratory. This article reports the results pertaining to the use of m-nitrobenzaldehyde as a brightener for acid zinc sulfate.


Active magnetic control have been used to develop the rotating stabilization of tethered nano-satellites. It uses magnetic control to stabilize the orbit position by controlling angular velocity of rotating TCS. The system uses Earth's magnetic field as energy source to interact with a long conductive tether and consecutively reach the rotational stability on Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The mathematical model and control design describing orbiting system for two connected cube-satellites with a 1-km-length tether have been studied. The adaptive version of sliding mode control was used to control the system in presence of unmodelled dynamics and perturbations. The performance of this system has been investigated via simulation.


Abstract Objective: To assess the efficacy of tirasemtiv, a fast skeletal muscle troponin activator, vs. placebo on respiratory function and other functional measures in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study was designed to confirm and extend results from a large phase IIb trial and maximize tolerability with a slower dose escalation. Methods: VITALITY-ALS (NCT02496767) was a multinational, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study in ALS patients. Participants who tolerated two weeks of open-label tirasemtiv (125 mg twice a day) were randomized 3:2:2:2 to placebo or one of three target total daily dose levels of tirasemtiv (250, 375, or 500 mg). Participants randomized to tirasemtiv escalated their dose every two weeks to their target dose level or maximum tolerated dose. The primary outcome measure was change in slow vital capacity from baseline to 24 weeks. Secondary endpoints assessed the effect of tirasemtiv on muscle strength and certain respiratory milestones of disease progression. A four-week randomized withdrawal phase followed 48 weeks of treatment to evaluate the possibility of sustained benefit or rebound decline. Results: Data collection will be complete in the fourth quarter of 2017. Conclusions: VITALITY-ALS was a phase III trial designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of tirasemtiv in ALS.


Chapter 1 Introduction 1
 1.1. Background of study 1
 1.2. The purpose of study 2
 1.3. The consist of paper 3

Chapter 2 The theory of study 6
 2.1. The principle of final polishing 6
 2.2. Taguchi method 7
 2.2.1. Theocratical background of Taguchi


Substrate specificity was investigated among four o f the eukaryotic, widely expressed subtilisin-like proprotein convertases (SPCs): furin, PACE4, PC5, and PC7. Through site-directed mutagenesis, amino acid substitutions in the P L position o f pro-von W illebrand Factor (pro-vWF), a proprotein processed by each SPC, were made by incorporating three different hydrophobic residues at this site: alanine, phenylalanine, and glycine. Results from in vivo and in vitro studies demonstrate that the presence o f a P L phenylalanine significantly impairs cleaving ability of furin, PACE4, and PC5. These results suggest the residue residing in the P L position does not solely determine substrate specificity of these SPCs. PC7 showed approximately equivalent levels o f activity versus wild type pro-vWF and all three pro-vWF mutant substrates, possibly indicating a broader substrate range for PC7.


The U.S. Air Force models many naturally occurring phenomena. To validate such models, an automated data collection system is used. Since validation is dependent upon correct data, an inexpensive method to detect erroneous data was investigated. The method uses a Wiener filter to predict values one sample in advance. If the predicted value differs from the measured value by some constant, then erroneous data are detected. When applied


This paper presents a dual-deep-wells process option to completely eliminate the Single Event Latch-up (SEL)of the ATMEL 150nm CMOS SOI technology. TCAD simulations were performed to investigate the efficiency of this process option versus the doping concentration. The experiments show that the combination of the buried oxide and dual-deep-wells is an effectiveness technique to eliminate the SEL effect.


Just recently, the Spiegel appeared under the title 'Schlußlicht Deutschland' (Germany the Straggler) once again and pointed to the fact that Germany currently has the lowest rate of economic growth and the highest public sector borrowing requirement in the whole of the European Union, something that in turn is reflected in the well-known serious shortcomings of the labour market. Admittedly, Germany is not yet the worst in this regard; France, Spain, Italy or Greece have even worse unemployment. However, while other EU partners, including France and Spain, have made significant advances on the employment front in recent years, Germany is marking time: 4 million unemployed in January 2002, as bad as at the end of the Kohl-era.


Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether soyate,a new kind of biodiesel has been synthesized using ethylene glycol monoethyl ether and refined soybean oil as reagents and Na as catalyst.The differences between the newly prepared biodiesel and diesel oil were studied.The effects of the dosage of Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether soyate on the performance of mix fuel were investigated.Experimental results show that the physical and chemical properties of Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether soyate satisfy the national standard of biodiesel to be directly used as diesel oil.And as an additional component of diesel oil,Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether soyate can improve the performances of the diesel.


Farmers in the Jelbuk village, Jember, East Java who planted peanuts in general use various manure and plant leaning after flowering. Research conducted at the Laboratory of Experimental Station of the State Polytechnic of Jember. The objective of the research was to study the effect of manure and plant leaning on the yield of peanuts. The research used Complete Random Block Design that consisted two factors. The first factor was kinds of manure i.e. without manure, cow manure, goat manure and chicken manure. The second factor was without plant leaning and plant leaning application. Analysis using ANOVA, followed by 5% DMRT. Combination treatment was repeated four times. The results showed that interaction between the type of manure and plant leaning. Provide significant effect on the dry weight of pods, while a number of pods, wet weight of pods and a dry weight of 100 seeds show not significant. Application of manure and plant leaning can increase the number of pods and weight of 100 seeds.


The development of Internet technologies has the ability to provide a new era of easily accessible and personalised learning, facilitated through the flexible deployment of small, reusable pieces of digital learning content over networks. Higher education institutions can share and reuse digital learning resources in order to improve their educational offerings. Descriptive language (known as metadata) is required to facilitate the search and retrieval of learning content. Various research offerings have been proposed to promote interoperable educational metadata. However, current metadata standards cannot accommodate the requirements of every community of users. This paper describes the development of an educational metadata application profile for describing learning resources within a South African higher education context.


If recent trends in specialty drug price increases continue unabated, an increasing number of consumers may be unable to afford specialty medications.


The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 brought the unique element of cooperative government, which underpins intergovernmental relations. The principles of cooperative government and intergovernmental relations recognise the interdependence of the three spheres of government in South Africa, which are distinctive and interrelated, and place a duty on these spheres of government to respect each other's powers, functions and institutions and to inform each other of new policies or items of concern. Cooperative governance is a rather unique governance model that embodies the best ideals of the new democracy in South Africa. The article attempts to establish the connection between intergovernmental relations and cooperative governance. These two units support the system of establishing new structures to promote cooperative behaviour among institutional stakeholders. The article concludes that the principles of cooperative governance and intergovernmental relations are primarily based on mutual respect, trust and integrity. The article further recommends that the different spheres of government should actively participate in local government processes in order to contribute to integrated development. Alignment between the relevant national and provincial government policy imperatives and beyond is crucial.


The agroecological assessment of the chernozems of the arable land calculating the soil-ecological index (SEI) was carried out according to I. I. Karmanov's method. It is found the agroclimatic potential (AP) is increased in the forest-steppe foothills (5.6-5.9). It is average in the steppe foothills of the Western Sayan mountains (4.7-4.9) and low in the steppe of the Kuznetsky Alatau (4.1-4.2). The agroecological assessment of soils is closely related to AP, except the soils of the forest-steppe foothills of the Kuznetsky Alatau. SEI is changed in the following sequence. The podzolized and leached chernozems of the foothills of the Western Sayan and the ordinary chernozems of the forest-steppe spurs of the Kuznetsky Alatau have SEI averaged 56 points > the ordinary chernozems of the Western Sayan steppes - 54 > the ordinary chernozems of the forest-steppe foothills of the Kuznetsky Alatau - 49 > the southern chernozems of the Kuznetsky Alatau - 32. In comparison with the normal soils, the score for the weakly degraded soils decreases by 1.2-1.5 times, for the medium degraded soils - by 2-3 times, for the highly degraded soils - by 4-6 times.


With the development of the Internet of Things, transparent display is playing an increasingly important role in people's lives. The most important optical index of transparent display is transmittance. Due to no need for polarizer, transparent liquid crystal display (TLCD) with dichroic dye‐doped can achieve very high transmittance. In this paper, optical performance and image quality improvement of TLCD with dye‐doped liquid crystal were studied. A new TN pixel design with common electrode of ITO instead of metal to form stored capacitance was used to achieve high aperture ratio (AR). And it was found that bright transmittance of NWSC is higher than that of NBSC due to high anchoring effect of PI to positive liquid crystal. In addition, the transmittance decreases gradually with increasing cell gap due to the increased light absorption by the long axis of dye molecules. The results showed that the TLCD with Dichroic Dye‐doped Liquid Crystal (DDLC) has a good display effect.


Chinese Language Courses Below you find the list of the courses that will be offered for Autumn semester 2015: Chinese Introduction I Online, 7,5 ECTS Chinese Introduction I Campus, 7,5 ECTS


To estimate arbitrary electron and hole trap energy distribution of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), a modified method based on the combination of relaxation current and space charge measurement is proposed. This method is on the premise that homocharges are injected at the shallow depth of dielectrics and then detrap and flow away from electrodes. During depolarization, space charge and relaxation current are measured simultaneously by a specialized pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) equipment. Furthermore, the decrease rates of positive and negative space charge are separately calculated and the ratio between them are employed to differentiate the contribution of electrons and holes to relaxation current. Thus, the relaxation current can be divided into two components to calculate energy distribution of electron and hole traps. Besides, simulation based on a modified bipolar charge transport model with calculated energy distribution were performed to simulate the dynamics of space charge. The experiment results of XLPE show that more hole traps than electron traps exist at energy levels above 0.86 eV. The energy distribution corroborates the decay pattern of space charge. In addition, the simulation results show the same qualitative characters as experiment results. Therefore, this method could be employed to estimate arbitrary trap energy distribution and the simulation may help give an insight of trap properties as well as space charge dynamics.


It is now well documented that lysosomal enzymes, most with optimum activities in the pH range 3 to 6, contribute to connective tissue breakdown in rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Some of these enzymes may act extracellularly, for instance in avascular inflamed cartilage, since lactic acid, formed by anaerobic glycolysis in chondrocytes, may diffuse out and become concentrated around these cells to give a sufficiently low pH (Bollet, 1969). Furthermore, in tissues containing a high proportion of acid mucopolysaccharides, comparatively acid conditions may exist locally adjacent to dissociated carboxyl and sulphate groups. However, it is unlikely that vascular inflamed tissues, containing considerably less mucopolysaccharides than cartilage, will become similarly acid. There is therefore some uncertainty regarding the extracellular activity of the acidophilic lysosomal enzymes in vascular tissue, and a study of cellular enzymes active under neutral conditions may be more relevant when considering connective tissue breakdown during the earlier stages of inflammation. This paper reports an enzyme system in rat leucocyte granules which releases soluble hydroxyproline-containing products from insoluble collagen over a wide pH range, with maximum activities at pH values 3-5 and 8 4. A preliminary account of part of this work has been published (Anderson, 1971).


A Cu-conjugated microporous polymer catalyst (CMP-Cu) was designed and prepared via Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling of 3,8-dibromo-1,10-phenanthroline with 1,3,5-triethyny benzene in toluene. The CMP-Cu showed a catalytic activity for direct carboxylation of terminal alkynes with CO2 in the presence of K2CO3/Cs2CO3 at mild conditions. Several propiolic acids (such as 3-phenylpropiolic acid, 3-(4-nitrophenyl)propiolic acid and 4,4-dimethyl-2-pentynoic acid) have been prepared in a simple and feasible method at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. This catalyst is attractive for CO2 transformation.


Faculty and associates who support faculty-directed Extension work possess a depth of knowledge in one content area, directly support the programmatic needs of agents, and serve as a critical resource for professional development (i.e., in-service training) and technical assistance within their area of expertise. Assessments in response to public health issues often include a survey to gauge understanding and concern about a poten1tial hazard (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). Agents perceived additional needs and topics of interest related to home gardening, mental health, personal/family resource management, farm/small business information, youth education, trauma-informed parenting practices, healthy recipes and cooking demonstrations, and internet access. Extension professionals also have provided print and online resources on financial resource management, mental health, healthy homes, child development, family life, nutrition, and food safety, and other topics.


Objective To observe the effect of the spleen-strengthening and qi-invigorating herbal medicines on insulin mediator in type 2 diabetic rats with spleen-qi deficiency syndrome.Methods Rat models were induced by intraperitioneal injection of streptozocin (STZ),overstrain,abnormal meals with greasy foods.Model rats were randomly allocated to two groups:Group A was treated with herbal medicine with the actions of strengthening spleen and invigorating qi;Group B was treated with purified water.The normal rats were allocated to the control group.The serum contents of fasting blood-glucose and insulin were observed before and after 3-week treatment.The content of hepatic cell-membrane insulin mediator was observed after 3-week treatment.Results After 3 weeks of treatement the serum contents of fasting blood-glucose were decreased and the sensitivity of serum insulin were increased in Group A as compared with those before treatment (P 0.05).The content of hepatic cell-membrane insulin mediator was increased in Group A as compared with Group B(P 0.05).Conclusion The herbal medicine with the actions of strengthening spleen and invigorating qi is effective in increasing the content of the hepatic cell-membrane insulin mediator and improving the sensitivity of serum insulin in diabetic rat models with the spleen-qi deficiency syndrome.


The problem of the potential of human health through the prism of correlation of its biological characteristics and social factors of environment is regarded in the article. Complicated association of these components on the basis of its unity and confrontation is emphasized. Different significance of these components in terms of natural and social essence of a human is considered. In this case, the problem of the potential of human health may be revealed through complex dynamic development of social and biological in the concrete social, ecological and cultural conditions of environment. Medical importance of this problem highlights the further methodological investigation of such questions, as prevention of diseases, medical genetics, pathological genesis and the whole range of ethical problems in medicine.


Background: The irrational use of drugs remains a keyhealth problem in many developing countries. Theprevalence of irrational drug use and factors associatedwith it were investigated at Kapiri Mposhi DistrictHospital in Zambia.Methods: The outpatient records (n = 680) of clinicalencounters from the hospital registry department for theyear 2010 were analysed. The selection process adapted arandom sampling method using the patient logbook inorder to get a representative sample. Standardised WorldHealth Organization (WHO) prescribing and facilityindicators were used to describe irrational drug use. Thecomposite measure of irrational drug use was used todetermine the prevalence of irrational drug use at thehospital. Logistic regression was used to assess factorsassociated with irrational drug use. In addition, a selfadministeredquestionnaire was administered to assessthe availability of key medical personnel at the hospital.


Aiming at the problem of limited information obtained by single-station location, a single-station time difference of arrival (TDOA) location algorithm based on scatterer-assisted single-station location under the condition of multipath propagation is proposed in this paper. The location of scatterers are known, and Chan algorithm of direct wave is applied to geolocation in non-direct wave environment. The simulation results show that the algorithm can achieve the goal of location with high accuracy and low complexity. It has a certain reference value for the engineering realization of target location in complex signal propagation environment.


Abstract In the framework of the SPIN(ACTINEX) program for the partitioning and transmutation of actinides contained in effluents generated during the nuclear fuel reprocessing cycle, diamides and picolinamides, extractants which have the common characteristic of being totally combustible, were evaluated. Among the diamides, N,N-dimethyl N,N-dibutyl tetradecyl malonarmide (DMDBTDMA) was chosen as the reference extractant. It has been shown that actinides(III) may be extracted from concentrated nitric acid effluent; the actinides(III) may be readily stripped from the loaded solvent. There is restricted third-phase formation. Long alkyl groups (R″) and different R and R' on the amide nitrogen limit the extent of third-phase formation. The second class of extractants studied, the picolinamides, seem to have potential for the separation of An(III)/Ln(III).


Jan Svard is looking back on his nearly five years with Akzo Nobel's surface chemistry business unit and, for the most part, he likes what he sees. Svard, 40, is set to become manager of Akzo's pulp and paper chemicals unit on April 1, after managing surface chemistry since December 1995. Those years were a period of great change for the business, but change that Svard believes has positioned it well for growth. Svard was a Nobel Industries manager when the Netherlands' Akzo and Sweden's Nobel merged in 1994. At the time, both companies had small surfactant units that were struggling with a shift Svard from dialkyl to ester quaternary ammonium compounds as the main ingredient in European fabric softeners. The shift left in its wake significant overcapacity in the industry. Because both the Akzo and the Nobel surfactant businesses produced these cationics, radical restructuring was necessary, Svard says. In 1995 and 1996, Akzo reconfigured ...


This research aims to describe the implementation of self-directed learning (SDL) for the tenth-grade students of SMK PGRI 2 Tanah Grogot, to analyze the effectiveness of the self-directed learning (SDL) strategy on reading comprehension skills for the tenth-grade students of SMK PGRI 2 Tanah Grogot and to analyze the student's motivation after the application of the self-directed learning (SDL) strategy of reading comprehension skills for the tenth-grade students of SMK PGRI 2 Tanah Grogot. This research used experimental investigation methods. The target population and sample of this research were all tenth-grade students of SMK PGRI 2 Tanah Grogot for the academic year 2022/2023. The total sample was 14 students. The findings of the research show that the efficiency of using self-directed learning strategy can be known from pre- and post-test comparison findings. It can be seen from the acquisition of the means of the pre-test was 43.1429 and the post-test was 85.4286 which was carried out on the same 14 samples. The questionnaire's findings answers showed that student motivation increases after carrying out the learning process. It can be seen from the frequency distribution of questionnaire statements using the Likert Scale. Based on the findings, it is possible to deduce that the use of self-directed learning strategies improves students' reading comprehension skills and motivation.


The complex introduction of organosilicon compound (octyltriethoxysilane) and electrolyte (sodium hydroxide) maximizes the frost resistance and strength of soil cement. However, the effect of complex additive based on octyltriethoxysilane and sodium hydroxide on the soil cement structure has not been sufficiently studied. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the phase composition of hydrated newgrowths and soil minerals in soil cement with optimal content of complex additives. The study was conducted by methods of complex thermal analysis, X-ray powder diffraction and electron microscopy. On the XRD pattern of the sample with and without complex additive, we marked identical peaks of soil minerals, unhydrated cement clinker minerals and hydrated newgrowths. In the result of differential thermal analysis, we determined that soil cement with complex additive is characterized by the smaller amount of free calcium hydroxide formed, as well as saturation of the soil complex with sodium ions. In the soil cement sample with complex additive, we observe a smaller amount of coagulated soil aggregates in comparison with the sample without an additive. Complex additive contributes to the formation of a more dense and uniform structure of soil cement, reduces the amount of adsorption water associated with clay minerals, reduces the formation of free calcium hydroxide, which increases the physicomechanical properties of the resulting material.


Abstract This article explores the tenets that support the history of faith‐based social services in the United States and highlights the role of faith‐based organizations, which have a long and respected tradition in service provision. These tenets are rooted in the religious and secular precepts of duty, obligation, charity, responsibility, participation, community, and justice. As basic as these concepts are, the 2001 political debate about extending public support of faith‐based services has proven to be divisive rather than unifying. The concepts and practice of, and experience with, faith‐based services provide an important perspective by which to view and assess the 2001 Bush initiative to expand the use of faith‐based groups in the provision of social services. There is an inherent danger in raising expectations about the ability of faith‐based groups to meet social service needs and to do so "better" than other nonprofit or government agencies. Based on this review of the purposes, history, and current capacity of faith‐based groups, implications are identified and future scenarios offered in regard to an extended role of religious groups in service provision.