Certain skin diseases, such as disfiguring face lesions or scars, are known to have a detrimental impact on quality of life. Thus, medical corrective make-up may be helpful to ease the social handicap. The objective of this study was to evaluate the evolution of quality of life one month after a medical corrective make-up lesson, using a validated dermatology-specific quality of life tool, the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). We have also explored make-up use at home since lesson.


Performance is central to Shakespeare's poems, not merely because the world's most famous man of the theatre was a major poet, but also because, by illuminating the vexed but neglected question of agency, it elucidates the ethical as well as the political dimensions of these poems. In the twentieth century, attention to the theatrical context of Shakespeare's poetry waxed and waned. Critics who emphasized the dramatic nature of the Sonnets especially in the middle part of the century were overtaken by those who insisted on reading the poetry against performance : for their wordplay; their exploration of the consciousness of private experience; the invention of a modern, poetic subjectivity; or the dynamics of a voice internalized by the solitary reader. More recently, however, commentators have restored both the theatrical and linguistic aspects of performance to the poems. The lyrical or narrative modes of a long poem or a sonnet may be performative in three different senses: (1) 'dramatic', if it uses the representative modes of drama, conveying the embodiment, enactment or expression of events, attitudes, or feelings, rather than merely describing them; (2) 'rhetorical', if it uses rhetorical devices to evoke emotions or attitudes or even prompt particular forms of action or behaviour; and (3) 'transformative', if it mobilizes the performative force of speech acts to act upon or change the world. The first two are well known. The third, in which language is used to transform the world, needs some explanation. Transformative speech acts are neither true nor false, but rather effective or ineffective in accordance with pre-existing conventions. The force that they put into effect is often ethical or political. When I use a performative speech act like a promise, I am committing myself to a future act. And I commit myself in the act, in saying the words, 'I promise . . .' This act itself is public rather than private. It does not matter what I feel or even what I intend inwardly for me to be bound by the public act of my promise. Even if I make a promise with the inward intention of breaking it, I am still bound by my undertaking.


As the impact of system reform,the thought and culture between China and foreign countries,and the exploration of higher educational circles,talent cultivation in chinese universities has undergone a transformation from social orientation and market orientation to human orientation in the practical operation.This transformation is good not only for college students'all-round development,their social adaptability,and the realization of strengthening country by talent,but also for the guarantee of individuality and freedom.Furthermore,it accelerates the combination between ancient and modern culture and the intercommunion between international cultures.Carrying out and implementing this thought might have positive effects on the improvement of national quality,the renaissance of national culture and the establishment of humanious world.


Laboratory powder X-ray microdiffraction with a focusing monocapillary and linear multichannel detector was applied to phase identification in fragments of painting layers of art works, canvas and wall paintings, and polychromes on wood. This method is useful in materials research of painting layers with complex stratigraphy, and it is indispensable in distinguishing inorganic pigments of different natural provenance and revealing degradation products. The advantage of X-ray microdiffraction is its nondestructive nature and no need of sample pretreatment. Samples after microdiffraction can hence be used for other analyses or archived. Another advantage is the possibility to work with samples smaller than 1 mm, which is particularly important in the analysis of artworks where the sample amount or size is a serious limit of using the laboratory techniques of materials research. The X-ray equipment used is more economical and more easily accessible than other microdiffraction techniques and is, hence, suitable for routine analytical work.


Purpose
The purpose of the study is to examine and compare pre- and comprehensive school teachers views on play as a learning method.

Method
The study is a qualitative field survey where I have us ...


Corneal neovasculariuulon (CNJ1 can cause significant visual loss. The kinetics of endothelial cells durin{: microvascular growth were studied usinga model of alkaline cauteriuuion-induced neovascularization ofthe 40 rabbits cornea. Changes in DNA synthetic activity of endothelial cells during neovasculanuuion were assessed by autoradiographic studyojJJl_TdR incorporation, In vivo and In vitro. Microscopic study demonstrated that migration and redistribution of existing endothelial cells from the limbal vessels enabled vascular sprouting and elongation with cellular proliferation.


Bipartite talus is a rare, genetic bone disorder characterized by the presence of two non-fused talar bone fragments, with the posterior fragment located at the level of the posterior talar process. Patients may present with foot and/or ankle pain (exercise-induced or not), repetitive ankle sprains, chronic ankle ligamentous laxity, restricted ankle motion (i.e. plantar flexion, eversion, and inversion), and mild swelling.


This work deals with the prediction of tribological performance in (Mg2Si+TiB2)/A356 composites. In this work, tribological properties are also correlated with topographical characteristics. The effect of several input factors such as load, sliding distance and TiB2 wt% on tribological characteristics of (Mg2Si+TiB2)/A356 composites was explored by Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Central composite design (CCD) with three input factors and three levels of variables in RSM was used to develop a statistical model. RSM suggests a quadratic model to express a mathematical relationship between input factors to assess wear rate and coefficient of friction (COF). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to investigate the influence of input factors on wear rate and COF and found that most significant variable that influences wear rate and COF is applied load followed by TiB2 wt% and sliding distance. The desirability function approach is applied to optimized input variables to minimize wear rate and COF. Optimum wear rate is noticed at input variables of 26 N load, 2766 m sliding distance and 3.36 wt% of TiB2 and optimum COF was observed at 29 N of load, 2233 m sliding distance and 1 wt% of TiB2. A confirmatory test was conducted to validate the developed model and observed that experimental results matched the predicted value with an error of less than 5%. SEM and AFM examined surface topography of wear surfaces to understand the wear mechanism and surface features at various input factors. Microstructural features were also examined under optical microscope and SEM, revealing that increased TiB2 content in hybrid composite refined primary Mg2Si and eutectic Mg2Si phase and resulted in increased hardness and improved tribological behaviour of hybrid composite.


The negetive DNA strain and the positive DNA strain of Chinese species of Bombyx mori densovirus(simply named Bm-DNV-Z in this article) are packaged to two different particles.The two DNA strains have different relative masses.So after electrophoresis in agarose gels.They display two different bands.Some research workers,not only in China,but also in other countries,thought that Bm-DNV-Z are the compouds of two different species of virus particles.In our research,we respectively used the low-salt abstraction buffer and the high-salt abstraction buffer to abstract genome DNAs of Bm-DNV-Z,surprisingly found that the genome DNAs abstracted by low-salt abstraction buffer displayed only one band about 6.2kb in the map of electrophoresis in 1% agarose gels,while the genome DNAs abstracted by high-salt abstraction buffer displayed two bands,one is 5.8kb,the other is 6.4kb.It implies there are maybe no virus particle of different species in Bm-DNV-Z,they are more like other Parvovirus,only have the negative and positive particles of the same species of virus.


The project completed at the Wichita State University Department of Counseling, Educational and School Psychology. Presented at the 9th Annual Capitol Graduate Research Summit, Topeka, KS, 2012


This study investigated the effects of various pulsed bias thickness layers on the properties of microstructure and surface topography of AlTiN multilayer coatings. These coatings were deposited on tungsten carbide inserts (WC) (12.7 mm × 12.7 mm × 3.18 mm) using a system PVD of cathodic arc vapour by pulsed bias (arc ion plating). The macroparticles in these coatings decreased with the increase in thickness layers. Moreover, the surface roughness values were 0.06157, 0.02855, 0.04868, 0.02439, and 0.1647 µm given the thickness layers of 2.717, 3.089, 3.912, 5.815, and 8.760 µm, respectively. The AlTiN multilayer coatings were crystallized and oriented in the (1 1 1), (2 0 0), (2 2 2), and (3 1 1) crystallographic planes. Results indicate that the microstructure was strengthened at the orientation of (200) direction with the corresponding 2θ of ∼43.1465◦. Hence, the topographic properties of all of the specimens coated with AlTiN multilayer coatings were enhanced.


The wind loading acting on the SPAR platform during transportation and operation was very important for safety working.By use of the Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) method,we carried out the numerical calculation of wind loading acting on the truss SPAR platform with differents wind directions under working and extreme conditions.Then we compared numerical simulation results with the standard computation results.The research confirmed the validation of CFD method in computing the wind loading acting on the complicated structure such as SPAR platform and provided a new method to deal with this kind of wind loading problem.


Prevalent methods for teaching the grammar of the English language use the traditional approach of correcting vernacular English to Standard American English (SAE). But is this the best practice? Despite this approach, students still struggle with grammar. It is believed that the direct approach guides students towards a "better" English, but SAE is neither better nor worse than vernacular English. Dialects of English are merely different ways to speak and each have appropriate uses. Research suggests that in order to better teach English, we must lead students to compare SAE and vernacular English. However, SAE is valuable our society, so students should still learn it. However, they must also learn about linguistic prejudices, the nature of language changes, and codeswitching. Degree Type Open Access Senior Honors Thesis Department English Language and Literature First Advisor Dr. Veronica Grodona This open access senior honors thesis is available at DigitalCommons@EMU: http://commons.emich.edu/honors/320


One way to conserve power circuit comprising a first plurality of capacitors, at least one second capacitor, the at least one set of transistors and at least two control signals. A first capacitor for each data line to be the liquid crystal display panel, for storing charge corresponding to the data lines provided. A set of transistors each transistor of a corresponding one of the plurality of first capacitors. Each control signal corresponding to at least one set of transistors in a group corresponding to a set of capacitors and transistors at least one second capacitor, each of the switching control signal to control a corresponding set of transistors between a first state and a second state, operation.


Social dominance hierarchies are common in human and nonhuman animals and profoundly affect the behavior, health, and well-being of every member of a community. Research on diverse species has expanded our understanding of how ecological and social forces shape interactions influencing social status, behavior, and the underlying biology (1, 2). Across vertebrates, repeated social subordination (equivalent to low status) has been shown to result in depression-like phenotypes (3⇓⇓–6). It has also been suggested that the gene modules controlling responses to repeated social defeat are evolutionarily conserved (7, 8). The use of a comparative framework combined with genome-scale approaches provides an unparalleled opportunity to examine the effects of social status on behavior and health. In PNAS, two new studies (9, 10) use advanced genomic methods to investigate the effects of social status on immunity and stress physiology by examining gene regulation in blood cells of two different primate species.

To uncover the molecular mechanisms involved in social status and stress, Snyder-Mackler et al. (9) examine social interactions in 45 captive, unrelated female rhesus macaques. Female rhesus macaques exhibit stable, linear social hierarchies (based on kin-directed nepotism). Low-ranking females receive increased harassment and decreased social support (e.g., grooming) and exhibit elevated levels of circulating glucocorticoids (GCs) (e.g., cortisol). Previous research by Snyder-Mackler et al. (11) demonstrated that low-ranking females exhibit a proinflammatory profile in their blood cells compared with high-ranking females (Fig. 1 A ). Importantly, when these animals received an immune challenge in the form of the bacterial stimulant of infection [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)], rank differences in gene expression were amplified (Fig. 1 B ). In their new study, Snyder-Mackler et al. (9) evaluate GC signaling using in vitro treatment with the synthetic GC dexamethasone (Dex). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from individual rhesus macaques were incubated with or …

[↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: hans{at}utexas.edu.

 [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1


New wireless technology for ubiquitous healthcare gives new possibilities for monitoring of vital signals with biomedical sensor node and thereby gives better quality of patient care. This paper focuses on development of new concept for ubiquitous BCG (ballistocardiogram) monitoring system using wireless sensor node transmitting signals to a diagnostic station at hospital. Thereafter analysis the performance of long term BCG signals which can be used as an advanced diagnosis for health monitoring index. This research takes place either at home or office during daily life which can perform effectively in signal measurement by implementation of a new chair type BCG unconstrained measurement system. The main advantage is BCG measurement system does not required sensor node to be attached to patients' body during recording which is different from measurement of ECG (electrocardiogram). Signal processing algorithm including wavelet transforms for noise cancellation, template matching for normalization and peak detection in BCG is developed.


Transferring a quantum state from one location to another without physically sending the state itself through open space is a special global task that can only be carried out thanks to the laws of nature, namely the principles of quantum mechanics. In this work, we devise protocols for two senders to jointly prepare the most general two-qubit state for a receiver under the supervision of a controller by using three different types of quantum channels, all of which are non-maximally entangled. First, we propose the schemes to produce the quantum channels concerned, and then we present the concrete steps required to execute the protocols, highlighting the issue of why shared non-maximal entanglement is intentionally used instead of maximal entanglement.


1.1 .-An exhibition of 'Holographic Work' by Margaret Benyon was held at the Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland from 7-22 Jan. 1972. Miss Benyon is the first artist to work in this field in Britain. (cf. Leonardo 5, 171 (1972)). 1.2.-'Comp 3' was a recent exhibition of computer graphics and film by E. Zajec. An attempt was made to stress the importance of the formative process and to 'de-mystify' the art object, especially in its role as a profitable commodity. The exhibition was held at the Municipal Gallery, Palazzo Constanzi, Trieste, Italy. (cf. Leonardo 3, 482 (1970)). 1.3.-There was a lecture by Stroud Cornock entitled 'Towards a General Systems Model of the Artistic Process' at the European Meeting on Cybernetics and Systems Research, 1972 held in Vienna, Austria, 23-25 May. The same lecture was repeated at Leicester Polytechnic, England on 21 June 1972. I.4-'The Environmental Design Research Association's (EDRA) Fourth Annual Conference' will be sponsored by the College of Architecture at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia on 15-18 April 1973. Enquiries should be directed to: W. F. E. Preiser and L. Olson, Jr., College of Architecture, Virginia Polytechnic Znstitute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, U.S.A. The Third Annual Conference was held at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of California, LOS Angeles, U.S.A. from 24-27 Jan. 1972. 1.5-The Human Factors Society's 'Convention 72: Technology for Man' was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles, from 16-19 Oct. 1972. The emphasis was on 'new' areas in human factors, including urban planning and architecture and environmental design and ecology. Details of proceedings can be obtained by writing to F. A. Muckler, 17355 Raymer Street, Northridge, California 91324, U.S.A. 1.6-There was a retrospective exhibition of 'The Mathematical Art of Herbert Paul Nightingale' in Gallery 273, Physics Building, Queen Mary College, London in January 1971. Short reports about the exhibition appeared in New Scientist and Science Journal for 21 Jan. 1971 and in The Sciences for Dec. 1971. 1.7-Edward Ihnatowicz gave a talk with slides and film on his computer-based sculpture and on the interaction between science and art at London's Institute of Contemporary Art on Wednesday 22 Dec. 1971. 1.8-An 'International Carnival of Experimental Sound ('ICES-72')' was held in London and throughout Britain between 13-16 Aug. 1972. Performances included the use of films, video, electronics, lasers, computers and many other techniques. More details can be obtained from :-ICES-72, Gate House Cottage, Station Lane, Ingatestone, Essex, England. 1.9-An exhibition 'Werkbeitrage zur Computerkunst' was held by the Viennese group for computerart 'Ars Intermedia' from 10-26 Nov. 1961 in the Datenzentrum of the Zentralsparkasse in Vienna Austria. I. 1 V T h e First National Video Tape Festival' was held at Minneapolis College of Art and Design in August 1972. Assisted by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Avon Foundation, St. Paul, Minnesota, the competition sought to focus attention on the importance of video tape to the communications media and the creative arts. For further information contact the Director of the Festival, George de Stefano, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, 200 E. 25th St., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404, U.S.A. I. 1 1-'Cultural Noise + Laserprojektionen' were shown by Ulrike and Dieter Trustedt in the Kooperative at Turkenstrasse 51, Munich during 1971. Trustedt, a physicist, built the laser. The ray was projected onto a wall by a system of oscillating mirrors. These oscillations were manipulated by electronic generators of several kinds of superposed voltages. The red projection point of the heliumneon laser drew a continuous line of circles, rectangles and manifold entangled transition forms.


Background and purpose: Thalassemia is a preventable genetic disorder that is a major health problem. It is now two decades since implementation of the national program for preventing βthalassemia major in Iran. This study was conducted to compare the costs and results of this program from 2010 to 2014 in Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Materials and methods: Economic evaluation was done in this descriptive analytic study. We extracted the data from surveillance reports of health deputy and costs of laboratory services from the private and public sectors and Legal Medicine Organization tariffs. Other cost items were determined using published reports and articles, and interviewing the administrators and researchers. All costs were calculated in Excel 2007 based on the economic value of 2014. Results: The total direct costs of medical services, direct non-medical and non-medical direct costs of implementation of national program for preventing β-thalassemia major in one year were over 18,418,872,744 Rials. The average cost of prevention of a β-thalassemia major birth case was estimated to be be 341,090,236 Rials. The cost ratio of prevention to treatment was 1:12. Five-year implementation of the national program prevented 270 babies born with thalassemia. The success rate of this program was 95% in Mazandaran. Conclusion: Cost benefit analysis showed that the national program for preventing β-thalassemia major was efficient and economically valuable in Mazandaran province.


Based on the nature of engineering and engineering-oriented education to college students of engineering, the basic frame and content on practicality education for the major "Machine Design,Manufacturing and Automation " are constructed.


PM10 and PM2.5 samples were collected from January 2009 to December 2011 at two sites(site G and site H) in business area of Optics Valley,Wuhan.Mass concentration of PM10 PM2.5 was analyzed.Four kinds of water-soluble anions of PM2.5 in haze days were determined by ion chromatography.The results showed that the annual average concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 at site G exceeded 1.48 to 1.73 times and 1.94 to 2.4 times,respectively,compared with limit value of Class Ⅱ(GB3095-2012).While the concentration at site H exceeded 1.16 to 1.4 times and 1.26 to 1.86 times,respectively.NO3-、 SO42-、NO2-and Cl-were the major water-soluble anions in particulate matter during haze days.The ratio of 4 water-soluble anions in total water-soluble anions in PM2.5at site G was 20.29%,10.16%,9.51% and 4.62%,respectively.While it was 14.41%,30.12%,6.64% and 3.83% at site H.The concentration of NOx-was approximate three times of SO42-at site G,while the concentration of SO42-was about 1.5 times of NOx-at site H.The discrepancy between the two ions indicated that the main pollution sources of the two sampling sites were different,and the traffic volume and vegetation coverage may be the reasons of concentration difference.


The principles and techniques of activation analysis are analyzed with respect to the determination of oxygen in metals, especially alkali metals. Emphasis is placed on fast and thermal neutron activation methods. The investigations show that the neutron-proton reaction on oxygen16 is best suited for determining oxygen content in metals from considerations of time required per analysis, equipment availability and cost, concentration sensitivity, and convenience. Experimental results obtained show that standard deviations in the 10 to 1000 mg oxygen range with current equipment are less than 2%. A sensitivity of 3.5 x 10/sup 5/ N/sup 16/ photopeak counts per gram is achieved with a 500- mu a beam current at a sample distance of 2 cm. Tests show that metal capsules are not suitable for reactor irradiations, but they are fine for accelerator irradiations. Aluminum is the best metal found thus far for capsules. A description is given of an automatic activation-analysis system. (N.W.R.)


It provides a method of suppressing treating an immune response. The method for treating a subject in need, in an amount effective to inhibit the iNKT cell function of the subject, comprising administering a naked blocking antibodies that selectively bind to iNKT cells. Selectively binds to iNKT cells, also provides compositions comprising an isolated human antibody.


The pH-responsive amphiphilic A₂B₂ miktoarm star block copolymer, poly(acrylic acid)₂-poly(vinyl acetate)₂ [(PAA)₂(PVAc)₂], with controlled molecular weight and well-defined structure was successfully synthesized via combination of single-electron transfer-mediated living radical polymerization (SET-LRP) and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization methods. First, the precursor two-armed poly(t-butyl acrylate) (PtBA)₂ functionalized with two xanthate groups was prepared by SET-LRP of t-butyl acrylate in acetone at 25 °C using the novel tetrafunctional bromoxanthate (Xanthate₂-Br₂) as an Iniferter (initiator-transfer agent-terminator) agent. The polymerization behavior showed typical LRP natures by the first-order polymerization kinetics and the linear dependence of molecular weight of the polymer on the monomer conversion. Second, the A₂B₂ miktoarm star block copolymer (PtBA)₂(PVAc)₂ was prepared by RAFT polymerization of VAc using (PtBA-N₃)₂(Xanthate)₂ obtained as the macro-RAFT agent. Finally, the pH-sensitive A₂B₂ amphiphilic miktoarm star block copolymer poly(acrylic acid)₂-poly(vinyl acetate)₂ ((PAA)₂(PVAc)₂) was obtained by selectively cleavage of t-butyl esters of (PtBA)₂(PVAc)₂. All the miktoarm star block copolymers were characterized by GPC, ¹H-NMR, and FT-IR spectra. The self-assembly behaviors of the amphiphilic A₂B₂ miktoarm block copolymers (PAA)₂(PVAc)₂ were also investigated by transmission electron microscopy.


Factortame (Case C-213/89 [1990] ECR I-2433, starting in 1988, ff.) was the case that Eurosceptics felt doomed UK parliamentary sovereignty. Factortame said that, having committed itself to the treaty, a Member State could not then contradict the treaty with contrary domestic action. Specifically, no discrimination against nationality (now TFEU Art. 18) has been permitted since the beginning. Nevertheless, parliament amended the Merchant Shipping Act in 1988 to prevent Spanish fishermen from catching fish in UK waters by requiring, for example, that 75% of the shares in a fishing enterprise must owned by people domiciled and residing in UK. The diehards never accepted that parliament had to exercise its authority within the framework established by the treaty.


Highways with low traffic volume pose a particular kind of safety risk. Among the various causes of traffic accidents in China, driving behavior is important and cannot be neglected. In this research, the Golumd–Kunlun Mountain section of the low-volume Qinghai–Tibet highway was chosen for real-vehicle testing with a random sample of 25 drivers. A dynamic Global Positioning System device, a KF2 dynamic multiparameter physiology and psychology recorder, and an SMI iViewX HED system were employed for real-time measurements of vehicle speed, location, fixation, driver workload, and other parameters. With consideration of the dynamic interactions between driver, vehicle, road, and environment, the relationship between traffic safety and driving behavior was analyzed, as well as eye movement and driving marks on the selected highway. Analysis of the characteristics of traffic accidents in the test section showed that driving behavior was the major cause of traffic accidents. The conclusions provide important insights for traffic safety technology and management on low-volume roads in the plateau area.


As a part of a larger study designed to develop compost filter berms i.e., an unsupported mound of compost that intercepts surface runoff from a site, suitable for removing nutrients and sediment from agricultural operations, we evaluated the hydraulic behavior of compost buffers with different masses and particle size distributions subjected to varying water flow rates using flume experiments. For each berm combination, the maximum flow rate the compost berm could sustain before a structural failure occurs was determined for different compost particle sizes. These data were used to develop models to predict headloss through a compost berm as a function of the flow rate per unit width, the median particle size of the compost media, and the buffer dimensions. The developed models perform well with R2 values ranging from 0.64 to 0.97 with the majority of values greater than 0.9. The effect of presence of sediments in the flow was also quantified. The results show that headloss increased by 1–2 cm as a result of sediment removal, ranging from 5 to 35%, taking up pore space in the compost berm.


The heavy toll of jailed people reflects the extent to which the criminal process is used as a mechanism of social control, directed mainly at the poor and at people of color. That is what I term the substantive aspect of the issue, which could also be called over-criminalization. Minor social deviance makes you subject to criminal punishment, and for terms that dwarf those imposed in other countries.


This paper introduces a new method of wavelet transform to diagnose the four roller overrunning clutch,and uses the wavelet series based on Gaussian function and its fast algorithm to separate fault signal,further analyzes impact frequency.Experiment results demonstrate the method is effective.


many themes in Middle English writing that merit further research. Furthermore, she picks some thorny, knotty passages from Langland, Julian, and Walter Hilton, and commendably teases fresh insights out of them. Her incisive analysis of the Long Charter of Christ in chapters three and five are the most successful and cohesive in the book, and she contributes new ways of conceptualizing the poem beyond its well-known concern with law and literacy. For example, she contrasts the thematics and iconography of the Short and Long Charter to great effect, showing that the latter contains more images of lordship and kingship and is more actively undergirded by an incarnational poetic. She also briefly looks at the lily crucifixion, a unique subject in the visual arts from late medieval Britain, which she persuasively connects to some of the texts that are her focus. She notes this imagery was widespread in England and Wales from the mid-14th century to the early 16th century, and provides a useful catalogue of 19 examples from stained glass, manuscript art, and church furnishings. Here, as elsewhere in the book, she is interested in the way this imagery refracts moments of time, collapsing different narrative events in the life of Christ to create temporal simultaneity. This highly original, carefully researched book will serve as an inspiring companion for anyone interested in late medieval English devotional literature and culture as well as for others interested in the Incarnational aesthetic of the period.


The objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of trade liberalization and economic integration of neighboring developing countries at both regional and sub-regional levels. The research methodology of this paper is mainly conducted on the basis of Content Analysis. I quoted, analyzed, highlighted and examined the benefits of trade liberalization and economic integration between Thailand and Malaysia under World Trade Organization (WTO) and Free Trade Areas (FTAs). The findings of this paper have been showing the importance of bilateral trade agreements and FTAs. This study has indicated that under multilateral free trade agreements, free trade among nations takes place slowly and under the influence of the developed countries and the WTO. Therefore, it is important for developing countries to act jointly, and actively liberalize their markets with the help of FTAs' to achieve the optimum benefits of free trade. In addition, FTAs will improve the overall image of Thailand and Malaysia and will create a more favorable business environment for Thai-Malaysian companies.


Modelling plays a vital and pervasive role in software engineering: it provides means to manage complexity via abstraction, and enables the creation of larger, more complex systems. Search-based software engineering (SBSE) offers a productive and proven approach to software engineering through automated discovery of near-optimal solutions to problems, and has proven itself to be effective on a wide variety of software-and systems engineering problems. CMSBSE 2013 was a forum allowing researchers from both communities to meet, discuss synergies and differences, and present topics related to the intersection of search and modelling. Particular goals of CMSBSE were to highlight that SBSE and modelling have substantial conceptual and technical synergy, and to identify and present opportunities in which they can be combined, whilst also aiming to grow the community working in this area.


This work investigated the viability of cottonseed oil as bio-based oil as a contribution to meeting the challenges of developing green industrial materials that are environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives for use as metal cutting fluid, as many of the conventional metal working fluids were established to be harmful and hazardous both to the environment and health of the operator. The tests revealed that the metal working fluid properties of cottonseed oil were: pH-value, 4.37; viscosity, 33.85 mm2/s at 40 oC, and 7.89 mm2/s at 100 oC; density, 0.911 g/cm3; and a flash point of 263 oC. This result shows that some of these properties compare favourably with those of the conventional mineral oil. It was concluded that at the lower temperature of 40°C the oil is still viscous enough and therefore is suitable for lower temperature operation such as low speed cutting, smaller depth of cut etc., while at a higher temperature of 100°C, the oil becomes less viscous and is thus not viable for higher temperature machining operations such as high-speed cutting operation and larger depths of cut; the density shows that cottonseed oil has high lubricity; the oil is acidic in nature and therefore would require addition of anticorrosive agents to function as a metal working fluid; and that the flash point of the oil is higher than that of the conventional mineral metal working fluid and so can be adjudged to be a very good candidate for the production of bio-based metal working fluid. The analysis indicated that the cottonseed oil, if significantly improved with the use of additives and chemically modified seeds, can be one of the potential candidates to substitute the conventional mineral oil in machining industry.


According to the business application,the implementation idea and scheme of local municipal weather modification operation command system were introduced.The weather process of Anyang in the 150 km region was observed and analyzed by the 714S radar in Anyang,for providing cloud target strength,distance,azimuth and elevation in real-time information,and linkage controlling rockets and artillery and other equipment.The location of specific application of automatic rainfall station,shot and the rockets were pointed to the radar chart.The performance indexes and geographic information were integrated,to generate early warning and operational information directly,and determine which cannoned need operation,and launch azimuth,elevation,bombamount,for showing the background map and the gun position.


Purpose: To determine the dosimetricproperties of a new surface applicator designed for the Xoft 50 kVp x‐ray system Method and Materials: A 35mm conical stainless steel applicator with Al flattening filter interfaces to the Xoft 50 kVp x‐ray source to provide therapeutic radiation to surfaces such as skin. Measurements of the dose profile at the surface and at depths to 20 mm were performed using a PTW ionization chamber in a water phantom. The chamber was controlled by a stepper motor and linear stage, and data was read into a controlling computer. In addition, film data was taken both parallel and perpendicular to the surface.Results: Nominal dose profiles and depth dose characteristics were determined from an average of ten sources. Dose profiles across at least 80% of the applicator width were flat to within ± 10% for all sources, and to within 5% on average. Depth dose characteristics are very similar to those published for HDR based surface applicators, with the percent depth dose at 5 and 10 mm at 58% and 36%. Such data can be used for treatment planning purposes. The variation seen among sources determines an error band representative of what will be experienced in clinical use. Conclusion: The FDA approved surface applicator delivers a dose profile that is flat to within ± 10% over a span of 80% of the defined width of the device. It can be used for treatment of skin lesions in lightly shielded rooms due to the low energies employed. There are also intriguing possibilities for use intra‐operatively, since the system can be used in an operating room. Conflict of Interest: Research supported by Xoft, Inc.


Brand identity is a key topic in fashion design and communication. It relies on several tangible and intangible elements, such as recognisability of trademarks and styles, of materials and processing details, on storytelling, values, testimonials, company history and so on. The evolution of communication strategies in the digital era, and of globalised markets, demands rational, evidence-based management of the public image of brands. This article offers a theoretical discussion of the structural elements which play a part in establishing the public identity of fashion brands in the era of digital communication, and an innovative approach to the evidence-based investigation of the identity of a number of fashion brands as perceived by customers. The approach proposed here is based on a mix of interviews exploring subjective brand awareness, and objective monitoring of visual attention through eye-tracking. The article also summarises findings obtained by applying this approach to several subjects exposed to communication artefacts produced by fashion brands in order to obtain some information of general interest regarding the factors that influence customers' mental models.


The third season of excavations at El-Medeinah, ancient Surt, conducted by the Department of Antiquities, Libya, in co-operation with the Society for Libyan Studies, London, continued between March 26 and April 21,1979. Participants in the project were, from the Department of Antiquities, Benghazi, Libya, Mr. Masoud Shaghlouf, Controller of Antiquities, Benghazi, Mr. Fathi Mohammed Abiedi, Chief of Museums and Mr. Ali Hassan Elashhab, Researcher. On behalf of the Society for Libyan Studies were, Dr. Geza Fehervari, School of Oriental and African Studies, Mr. Ernst Chin, Architect and excavation supervisor, Mr. Richard Jaeschke, conservation student and Mr. Robin Falkner, student, both at the Institute of Archaeology, University of London. Situated almost at the centre of the city was a large mound which was thought to be the location of an important building or a complex of buildings. Trial trenches dug in 1963 revealed the remains of stone walls, collapsed mudbrick structures and a considerable amount of pottery sherds, both glazed and unglazed. As a result of this, it was decided to conduct a systematic excavation of this area. Based upon the grid system for the site, the first row often trenches in Sector 'C\ AlaO to AljO were opened in 1978, with the exception of two AldO and AleO (see the second season's report in the Annual Report of the Society for Libyan Studies, 1978). The aim of the 1979 season was to continue the further exploration of this Central Mound. Beginning with the remaining two trenches from the previous year. AldO and AleO. Four other trenches were opened in the next row of the grid, Ala9 to Ald9 (Figs. 1 and 2). In trench AldO, the remains of a wall running roughly north-south were found in the second layer. This wall was abutted by a pise wall approximately at its mid point, running at right angles to it from the east baulk. To the west of the trench were the remains of stone courses laid over a pise structure running parallel to the baulk. These courses may have been part of the stone wall at the northwest corner but there were no intermediate links. At the southwest corner were the remains of another stone wall where the courses were inclined at an angle. This was most likely the result of earth movement rather than due to intentional construction as was the case of the buttresses of the mosque (see excavation report, Libya Antiqua, vols. Ill—IV, 1966-67). The floor level reached in the west side of the north-south wall was composed of mudbrick. As further exploration was not pursued, it was not determined whether this was in actual fact a floor or a collapsed wall. However, the former was more probable because the outline of mudbricks or the layers of pise associated with collapsed walls were not detectable. There were fracture lines clearly visible on the surface. The southeast quarter of the trench, bordered by the stone and pise walls, was not excavated beyond the first level; this was left for future reference. The next trench, AleO, contained part of the trial trench of 1963 along its east baulk. The first layer revealed a vast quantity of pottery sherds while the second layer consisted mainly of scattered stones with collapsed material and a big fire pit. From the sections of the baulks and the material recovered, it was apparent that the area was disturbed prior to the test trench; and in all probability was a refuse pit. In concluding the excavation of the first row, it was found that trench AldO did not, as yet discernable, relate architecturally to the features of the neighbouring trench AleO where two large stone-lined cisterns with connecting ducts were discovered last year. Therefore the choice of trenches in the following row was based upon the precept of tracing these connecting ducts in the hope that they would lead to possible buildings or structures in the vicinity. Towards this end, trenches Ala9 to Ald9 (see Fig. 1) were opened. In trench Ala9, the removal of the top soil revealed the surface of pise wall running roughly in a north-south direction, with a considerable amount of collapsed material and fallen plaster.


Multiplicity of sets of soft jets with energies ranging in some interval is determined. The possible role of collective effects is discussed.


The invention relates to a vegetative propagation method of honeysuckle. The method comprises cuttage twig preparation, seedling bed preparation, cuttage twig treatment and seedling bed management, wherein the step of cuttage twig preparation comprises cuttage twig selection, cuttage twig shearing and cuttage twig finishing; the seedling bed preparation comprises seedling bed preparation, seedling bed finishing and seedling bed disinfection; the cuttage treatment comprises clearing treatment, cut protection treatment and rooting treatment; and the seedling bed management comprises proper temperature and temperature maintenance, weeding and microelement fertilizer application. The method is applicable to honeysuckle production areas in south of china, such as Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Guizhou and the like. The method is easy to operate, has few process steps and low implementation cost and can be implemented in large scale; in addition, seedling culture cycle is short, only 12-15 months; the survival rate is higher than 85%; the seedling culture cost is reduced by 60%; the quality and impurity of breed are maintained, the effect of zero variation is achieved; disease incidence is reduced to be below 10%.


Scattered among human and animal genomes are a class of repetitive genetic elements called endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), which are generally considered remnants of ancient viral infections. However, ERV elements are known to perform essential beneficial functions for the host, especially in reproduction and in embryogenesis. Since some human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) contain putative steroid hormone-response elements, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the expression of HERVs is affected by sex hormones. Accordingly, we compared expression dynamics of multiple HERV elements in peripheral blood leukocytes in male and female human subjects. Preliminary data indicated that expression of HERVs follows a temporal pattern during the menstrual cycle of reproductive-age females. Moreover, expression of ERV genes was strongly correlated with blood levels of estradiol and progesterone. Female sex hormones stimulated expression of HERV genes in female peripheral blood mononuclear cells, but not in male cells. These results suggest coordinated regulation of ERV elements by sex hormones in the female.


With colour reproductions of his designs and extracts from his poetry and prose, a biography of William Morris, looking at the man himself, his stormy friendships, his relationship with Jane Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and his single-minded devotion to his work. Published to coincide with the centenary of Morris's death.


A nonlinear dynamics model and qualitative analysis are presented to study the key effective factors for coupled axial/torsional vibrations of a drill string, which is described as a simplified, equivalent, flexible shell under axial rotation. Here, after dimensionless processing, the mathematical models are obtained accounting for the coupling of axial and torsional vibrations using the nonlinear dynamics qualitative method, in which excitation loads and boundary conditions of the drill string are simplified to a rotating, flexible shell. The analysis of dynamics responses is performed by means of the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method, in which the rules that govern the changing of the torsional and axial excitation are revealed, and suggestions for engineering applications are also given. The simulation analysis shows that when the drill string is in a lower-speed rotation zone, the torsional excitation is the key factor in the coupling vibration, and increasing the torsional stress of the drill string more easily leads to the coupling vibration; however, when the drill string is in a higher-speed rotating zone, the axial excitation is a key factor in the coupling vibration, and the axial stress in a particular interval more easily leads to the coupling vibration of the drill string.


Direct cross-coupling reactions of aromatic aldehydes with arylboronic acids afforded ketones in high yields and under mild conditions in the presence of a rhodium catalyst, acetone and a base. This new reaction, involving a formal aldehyde C-H bond activation, is believed to proceed via a tandem process involving addition of the organometallic species to the aldehyde followed by oxidation by β-hydride transfer.


This study aimed to describe the toxic jellyfi sh situation in Thailand. With ad hoc surveillance set up along Thai coastlines, a prospective study was conducted in four provinces to investigate new cases of toxic jellyfi sh envenomation. Hospitals and health centers were selected for a medical record review to assess morbidity and mortality. The results showed that at least 38 cases of toxic jellyfi sh were detected by the ad hoc surveillance. There were 381 cases of morbidi- ty and mortality, their median age was 28 years, and 52% of them were foreigners. There was one case of death. The three most common areas of injury were the leg/knee/thigh (40%), arm/fore- arm/elbow (35%), and ankle/foot (13%). Three of the most common clinical signs were erythema (64%), rash (31%), and edema (26%). Common symptoms included pain (58%), burning sensation (45%), itching (15%), chest tightness (13%), and abdominal pain (10%). The box jellyfi sh is a health problem in Thailand. Chiang Mai Medical Journal 2012;51(4):93-102.


Abstract This study deals with the susceptibility to convective heat transfer of the materials used in the Finnish rail network. Previous studies have found that convection clearly influences the t...


In this paper,Erceg's pseudo-metric is further simplified.The relation between the pointwise pseudo-metric defined by Shi Fugui and the Erceg-pseudo metric is obtained.Some properties of Erceg's metric are presented.


We present a simple approach, different from approaches in the literature, for calculating the magnetic field of a finite solenoid with a circular cross section, carrying an ideal surface current with an ordinary azimuthal component and a small axial component due to nonideal winding. The results are given as an infinite series whose terms are elementary functions or simple polynomials rather than other infinite series. It is easy to deal with the results because the polynomials involved are partial binomial expansions. These series converge rapidly everywhere, except near the edges of the solenoid. From these results, it is very easy to derive some general properties of the magnetic field, to reduce the field to greatly simplified forms in various special regions, and to address the special cases of infinite and semi-infinite solenoids. The azimuthal field due to nonideal winding is shown to be small everywhere. A solenoid with a small but finite thickness in the radial direction is investigated in detail, and we present simple analytic approximate results for its magnetic field. A comparison with an exact numerical evaluation shows that these are very good approximations.


An Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) is a critical component in any high availability system. However, the effectiveness of a UPS depends largely on its battery backup, which must be continuously monitored to ensure that it is working properly. In the past, this monitoring has been done manually or through local monitoring systems, but advances in IoT technology now make it possible to remotely monitor the status of UPS batteries and receive real-time alerts if any issues arise. The proposed system will have several benefits over existing battery monitoring systems. First, it will be fully automated, reducing the need for manual monitoring and minimizing the risk of human error. Second, it will be accessible remotely, allowing system administrators to monitor the status of the battery backup system from anywhere in the world. Finally, the system will be scalable, allowing additional sensors to be added to the network as needed. Nevertheless, physically checking the UPS battery is highly challenging since it requires more money and time. Data center operators, at the centre of the digital economy, are under pressure from several directions. sustaining the highest level of availability at the most affordable level. A leading provider of battery management solutions.


Based on ethnographic observations stretching over a 2-year period, surveys and interviews, Hahrie Han argues that whenever leadership moves past transitional outcomes that entail increasing the nominal membership into motivating a deeper-felt commitment by transforming activists and their capacities, it is more likely to extract more lasting deeper involvement from these. Contextual factors, such as demographics, political orientation and previous political activities, are shown to be irrelevant, as there seems to be no consistent pattern of association between them and the robustness of the activism displayed by the volunteers. A must-read for all those practising or researching activism, How Organizations Develop Activists has one serious shortcoming. It dances around the topic of group cohesion without approaching it, despite the fact that the empirical material seems to point in that direction. A fundamental contention of the volume is that positive interpersonal interactions are the sine qua non component of the transformational organising that goes on in high-engagement sites. The decision of leaders to engage volunteers in skill-developing activities implies the creation of personal links with them that, in turn, motivate volunteers to stay engaged in group activities and invest more time in producing higher-quality work. Social commitment theory, just to take one example, would have fallen perfectly in line with this argument insofar as it maintains that repeated successful interactions between group members generate high-quality attachments that keep members tied to the group, preventing deficient performance or exit. Han herself is going in this direction, but does not go quite far enough. She states that reinforcing activists' social identities as group members is key in the high-engagement strategies of mobilisation and organisation, but she does not acknowledge the powerful effect that considering oneself a member of a group has. If she had taken the step, this would have been one of the first studies thoroughly to substantiate the link between cohesion and efficiency.


A collocation method based on exponential B-splines for two-dimensional second-order non-linear hyperbolic equations is studied. The initial equation is split into a system of coupled equations, each of which is transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations. The corresponding differential equations are solved by SSP-RK(2,2) method. It is shown that the method under consideration is unconditionally stable. Numerical experiments demonstrate its efficiency and accuracy. AMS subject classifications: 65M60, 65M06, 65N30, 65N06


Actinic keratosis is commonly seen in dermatology clinics. Age and chronic sun exposure are the essential risk factors for its pathogenesis. It is regarded as a premalignant lesion; hence, aggressive treatment is warranted. Abundant research has been published about overall management, however, extensive knowledge about actinic keratosis prevention, the cost, safety profile, and mechanism of the existing therapeutics are pivotal in optimal clinical care. In this review article, we hereby present several commonly used approaches in office settings and the current guidelines. Finally, we will discuss the limitations of the available clinical evidence.


For more than half a century, Harris County regulators have investigated and prosecuted air pollution problems reported by citizens. Since the 1970s, City of Houston regulators have done the same, both on their own and under contract with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). These officials appreciate that citizens' watchful eyes are essential to air quality control in the Houston area. Citizens not only experience pollution firsthand every day, but also hold the political power to insist on effective regulation by government and diligent compliance by polluting industries.


Metal(IOO) homoepitaxial systems constitute perhaps the simplest class of systems in which to study thin film growth. Yet, our Variable-Temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (VTSTM) analysis of Ag/Ag(IOO) homoepitaxy reveals that the variation of roughness with temperature is extraordinarily complex. As the deposition temperature is reduced from 300K to 50K, the roughness of 25 monolayer films first increases, then decreases, and then increases again. Furthermore, a transition from mound formation to self-affine (semi-fractal) growth occurs at around 135K. We postulate that the following the atomistic mechanisms underly this behavior: the existence of a small step-edge barrier inhibiting diffusive downward transport; "downward funneling" of atoms deposited at step edges and microprotrusions towards lower four-fold hollow adsorption sites; and statistically significant deviations from "complete" downward funneling at lower temperatures, where deposited atoms instead become trapped on the sides of (the more prevalent) small steep microprotrusions. To support these postulates, we employ kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to show that atomistic (lattice-gas) models for epitaxial growth, which incorporate these mechanisms, reproduce the experimental data quantitatively.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the proportion of expenditure and its frequency in food and beverages consumed inside and outside of households, at national and regional level, in Mexico between 1984 and 2014.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
It analyzes data of household expenditure of food and beverages taken from the National Survey of Mexican Household Income and Expenditures 1984, 1994, 2005 and 2014. It conducted descriptive statistics analyses such as percentages, growth rates and crosstabs.

RESULTS
There were changes in food expenditure patterns at national and regional level. The proportion of expenditure and its frequency increased in non-alcoholic beverages, prepared food, meals made outside home and cereals. The proportion of expenditure and its frequency decreased in oils and fats, fruits, vegetables, sugar and honeys.

CONCLUSION
These changes can be related to political, economic, social and cultural transformations experienced in the last decades.


In this study, butterhead lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Baby Butter) plants were grown at three root-zone tem- peratures (RZTs): 25 o C, 30 o C and ambient-RZT (A-RZT) ranging from 26 o C-42 o C while their shoots were maintained at hot ambient temperature ranging from 26 o C-42 o C. Three phosphorus (P) concentrations: -25% P (minus P, 23.25ppm), control (31.00ppm) and +25% P (plus P, 38.75ppm) were supplied to the plants at each RZT using Netherlands Standard Nutrient Solution. Interactions between RZT and P concentrations on productivity, root morphology, maximum photosyn- thetic O2 evolution (Pmax), P uptake and its partitioning between shoot and root were studied. Lettuce plants grown with the plus P concentration at 25 o C-RZT had the highest productivity, highest Pmax, highest shoot and root P concentrations. However, all the root morphological parameters studied were the greatest in plants grown with the minus P at 25 o C-RZT. Higher P concentration in the solution and 25 o C-RZT resulted in higher portion of the absorbed P partitioned to the shoots. Integrated effects of RZT and P concentration on the productivity, root morphology, photosynthesis and P uptake were discussed.


On the material of regional documentation of the end of the XVII first half of the XVIIIcenturies the issue of the functional, genre and stylistic transformation of mandatory memory and its relation to some clerical genres is researched.


Progress Report No. 119 is the report of the June-September 1985 study of free flow automobile and truck speeds on tangent, level and dry sections of rural interstate, urban interstate, 4-lane and 2-lane highways in Indiana. The results of this report show that all types of vehicles, on all types of Indiana highways, had an average free flow speed of 57.2 mph in 1985. This indicates a reduction of 0.5 mph from 1984. If the two urban interstates are excluded, the average speed becomes 56.9 mph in 1985. This indicates a reduction of 0.7 mph from 1984. This report includes a chart that graphically summarizes the results of summer free flow speed monitoring since 1975.


Narrative study is the grammar knowledge of the language governing the narrative through the constituent elements study of any narrative work. The short story due to author's limitations in the processing of the elements of the story, is one of the most striking forms of fiction literature for narrative studies. Fazileh Farooq, the lady of the contemporary Algerian storyteller that due to the obscurity and youth of the author, her narrative works is less well regarded and not as worthy narratively studied as it must be. In the present research the collection "A moment to embezzle love and other stories", the only work of this author ever to be studied in the short story in a descriptiveanalytical way from a narrative perspective is analyzed. The preliminary results of this study show that plot element, as the main pillar of the narrative,
has been removed and confused in the short stories of the set of the traditional structure, and the author has focused more on the central characterization element in order to show women's mental concerns. And she has chosen an
internal viewing angle technique in most of her stories.


PURPOSE
To develop and validate a short version of the Beirut Distress Scale (BDS-22), the BDS-10, in the Lebanese population, and evaluate the association between psychological distress and other mental disorders.

METHODS
A total of 2260 participants was enrolled in this cross-sectional study (January-July 2019).

RESULTS
Items converged over a solution of two factors (Factor 1 = Mood, affect and cognitive symptoms; Factor 2 = Physical symptoms; total variance explained = 64.51%). A significantly high correlation was found between BDS-10 and BDS-22 (r = 0.963, p < 0.001). Higher depression, anxiety, and insomnia were significantly associated with higher stress (higher BDS-10 and BDS-22 scores).

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
This new short tool is valid and reliable to screen for psychological distress, influencing mood and affect, and physical and cognitive functions.


WLAN networks have become very popular at home and in small offices. The wireless network users need the high throughput, but this throughput is decreased by many factors. These factors include primarily interference from another wireless devices and Wi-Fi protocol legacy. The authors analyse Mac layer factors which diminish the network throughput. The DCF algorithm is analysed in details, too. The simulations incorporating Monte Carlo method have been performed to simulate Wi-Fi network in the time domain. The 5 GHz band network with a variable number of stations is examined to check how the station number affects DCF parameters. The dead time is calculated for different data rates to analyse how this parameter reduces the maximum network throughput.


INTRODUCTION:
The male sexual dysfunction includes three components, namely erectile dysfunction (ED), − ejaculatory dysfunction (EjD) and hypoactive desire (HD); loss of desire or decreased desire.
All these symptoms are seen common in elderly. Until recently, it was widely assumed that
symptoms of male sexual dysfunction were a natural consequence of the aging process. A
decrease in sexual function and sexual activity is not an inevitable consequence of aging.
Older individuals retain significant interest in sexuality and a large proportion of older men
and women remain sexually active. Furthermore, sexuality is a factor that correlates with
individuals' perception of their well-being and quality of life.3 With the development of new
measures for assessing sexual function and new medications for the treatment of ED, effective
management of sexual problems is now possible.
BPH is a common medical condition in middle-aged and elderly men worldwide. Because ED
also has a high prevalence in elderly men, many groups have assessed whether any causal
relationship between BPH and sexual function exists. Some evidence supports the theory
that BPH and ED are simply coexisting, age related conditions in aging men that are linked by
several of the metabolic and hormonal changes that usually affect such men without
significant correlation between the prostate size, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and
ED. On the other hand, a few recent reports show a direct correlation between the two
diseases even after controlling for age, medications and concomitant comorbidities.
AIMS OF THE STUDY: To study the effect of Transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) on sexual function.
MATERIALS & METHODS:
All patients undergoing TURP for Benign prostatic hyperplasia were included in the study.
Data was collected preoperatively with a detailed sexual history and evaluation regarding
sexual dysfunction, which included IIEF questionnaire. Independent risk factors for erectile
dysfunction were noted as in severity of LUTS using I-PSS, age of the patient & medical comorbid
conditions. Intra-operative findings were noted regarding duration of the procedure,
amount of gland resected. The sexual function of the patients was evaluated by the IIEF
questionnaire at 3 months postoperatively.
Data was analyzed for any change in the erectile function.
Setting: The study was conducted in the Department of Urology, CMC Hospital. The study
spanned 1 year commencing March 2010. Recruitment was done for 9 months from March
2010 to November 2010 and the follow up was for 3 months from surgery.
Inclusion:
All patients undergoing TURP for BPH who were sexually active were included in the study.
Exclusion:
Patients with psychiatric disease, who have been treated for impotence, had prior TURP or
other minimally invasive surgery for BPH or pelvic trauma or surgery, and those with
carcinoma prostate diagnosed postoperatively on histopathology examination were excluded
from the study.
RESULTS:
A total of 107 who underwent TURP and were sexually active were included in the study. The
mean patient age was 61.3 yr (range: 48 to 70 yr). Effect of LUTS on erectile function as noted in literature is difficult to apply to this study
group as the study group was not all LUTS patients but those with an indication for TURP and
hence mean AUA symptom scores of the group can be expected to be higher. Mean AUA
symptom score of these patients was 16.1.
Sexual function, as assessed by IIEF scores, showed a mean value of 52.07 and the erectile
function mean score was 21.6. Pre-Categorization of erectile function showed the following
distribution pattern.
CONCLUSION:
Salient outcomes noted in this study were
1. TURP resulted in a reduction in the erectile function which was statistically significant
in one fifth of patients.
2. A significant reduction was seen only in age group more than 65 yr & only those with
Mild & Mild-moderate ED categories. This did not have a correlation with change in
ejaculatory function.
3. All patients with normal erectile function and those with age less than 65 yr
maintained a stable erectile function. There was no deterioration in patients with
category moderate ED groups.
4. There is no risk of large scale deterioration of erectile function categories.
5. No instance of de-novo complete ED was noted following TURP, only a small
downgrading by 1 category of ED can be expected in selected patients.
a. In the subgroups which had deterioration, the risk was of a small magnitude
(down grading by one category).


In this paper, a thin wideband microwave absorber is modeled and validated experimentally between 18and40GHz. The absorber is built by stacking conductive nanocomposite slabs having graded concentrations of conductive carbon nanofillers in order to achieve a reflectivity below-10dB.These conductive composites are fabricated through blend compounding method using carbon nanotube (CNT) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP)nanofillers loaded in a polycarbonate matrix. A systematic loading of nanofillers yields a hierarchical effect on nanocomposite permittivity and electrical conductivity, which are successfully modeled using Maxwell-Garnett formulation. It is shown that 1D and 2D geometry of nanofillers are individually and together influencing the real and imaginary parts of the permittivity and associated conductivity. This plays an important role to fabricate substrates having dedicated electromagnetic properties required for the design of efficient wideband absorbers, as demonstrated in this paper.


This essay deals with the tendency of the study of East Asian religions in Korea, and the current situation of academic exchanges of East Asian Scholars in religious studies. The purpose of it is groping to establish 'East Asian Religious Studies` by East Asian Scholar' communal efforts. I reviewed 7 academic unit and their journals such as Religion and Culture of Center for Religious Studies(Seoul National University), Journal of Korean Religions of Institute for the Study of Religion (Sogang University), Journal of Religion and Culture of Center for Religious and Cultural Studies(Hanshin University), The Critical Review of Religion and Culture(The Korean Institute for Religion and Culture), Korean Journal of Religious Studies(Korean Association for Religious Studies), and Journal of New Religions(Korean Association for the New Religions). There are several characteristics of the study of East Asian religions of Korean Scholars that I found out in journals mentioned above. First of all, Korean Scholars of religious studies have been centered upon the study of religions in China and Japan. And their studies were different in the time of religions they study each country, that is their studies were mainly concentrated upon the archaic religions of China and the modern Japanese religions. Secondly, it was very intermittent and indeterminate that Korean academic circle have exchanged with East Asian scholars in last three decades. I were not able to find any trend or tendency in academic interchange among them. And it is another considerable fact that papers of a few scholars are a lot, but a great number of scholars contributed one or two articles. I suggested some roles and overtures for 'East Asian Religious Studies' on the bases of my findings in review of journals such as a communal invitation of East Asian scholars of academic units in religious studies of Korea, the establishment of East Asian Association for Religious Studies, the joint research among East Asian scholars, the translation of papers other languages of East Asian countries, and etc.


Preface List of Tables List of Figures Acronyms 1: Introduction 2: Changing The Frame: Repositioning Policy 3: The Process Of Economic Liberalization And Private Sector Participation 4: Water In The Liberalization Process 5: Situating Delhi In The Water Reform Project 6: Mainstreaming Policy: Discourses Of Power 7: Creating Spaces For Change: Collective Action On The Water Reform Project 8: Understanding The Water Policy Process References


Everyone hopes that what they do makes a difference—an impact. In the case of CPJ and our focus on evidence for pharmacist care and tools for practice, how do we measure that impact?

First of all, what is impact? The traditional idea of impact measurement focused on elements of research outputs that were easily quantifiable. Numbers of papers published, impact factors of journals and numbers of citations per article can be assessed fairly easily using bibliographic databases and have long been used to inform academics' tenure and grant-funding decisions. A journal's impact factor is derived by dividing the number of citations (references) to the journal for the current year by the number of articles published in that journal in the past 2 years.1 As such, it is a general measure of the influence of the journal itself, rather than the individual articles published within. Another limitation of this measure is that only journals listed in InCites Journal Citation Reports have impact factors calculated, but it certainly doesn't mean that other journals have no impact! In fact, practice journals read by clinicians may result in even more direct impact on patient care, as the articles are used specifically to inform what they do. Therefore, while traditional impact factors may work well for basic science and other research publications, they might not capture the impact of clinical and practice publications as effectively since implementation by clinicians does not leave a visible trail in the form of citations.

Even academics and policy makers are now questioning the suitability of the traditional impact measures. If we publish a guideline or practice innovation in CPJ and it is adopted by pharmacists, is that impact? Not according to more traditional measures because, as mentioned previously, it is unlikely that these practitioners would write papers that reference the original work. But have we had an impact? On patient care, absolutely yes. And that's the objective.

So how do we measure the real impact of a paper? As social networks grow in importance for the sharing of research, alternative article-level metrics such as tweets, blog posts and Facebook shares are now being counted as yet another means of monitoring reach and impact. While most often used to track references to articles, they can also be used to track references to association guidelines, conference presentations, practice tools or any other type of work. Each of these measures, however, provides but a partial picture of the overall impact of any research program. Even when used in conjunction with one another, they tend to assess volume of and references to the knowledge outputs, rather than the influence of the research on practice and actual health outcomes.2 True impact is achieved when research is used to improve service quality by changing how health care is delivered either at the individual practitioner level or through informing broader health policy and guidelines.3 This influence is much more difficult (some might say impossible) to track and measure but is more meaningful for determining the true value derived from the investment in research.

So what does this all mean? For researchers, you want to publish where your paper will make a difference to patient care. And, we would argue, that is CPJ. Our print circulation has recently quadrupled to more than 17,000, and we are available in more than 7000 libraries around the world. For the researchers' bosses, who want to see traditional impact factors, we implore you to think about more relevant forms of impact. Impact that makes a difference to patient care. For clinicians, we know that you want a source of trusted, peer-reviewed material to apply to your practice. That is CPJ.

Moving forward, Trish (who has just joined CPJ's editorial board) and I will start monitoring more substantive measures of impact of publications in CPJ (see Box 1). And if you see something in the journal that resonates, please write to us (that's another measure of impact).■

Box 1
New measures of impact for clinical/practice publications

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Background: This study compared the influence of three different radial spacers (60,90,120 microns) on the marginal gap adaptation by using computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) for producing monolithic zirconia reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS) ceramic crowns. Methods: A total of 45 abutment acrylic teeth were divided into three groups of different radial spacers (60, 90, and 120 microns). In each group 15 teeth were scanned by Omnicam intra oral scanner and ZLS crowns were ground. For each unit the marginal gap was evaluated at four regions of interest by scanning electronic microscope (SEM). To compare the marginal gap between the three groups a one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Bonferroni test was preformed (α = 0.05). Results: The marginal gap for a 60 microns (162.99 ± 16.25 µm) radial spacer was found significantly higher than 90 (41.85 ± 3.57 µm) and 120 (41.85 ± 5.3 µm) microns radial spacers (p < 0.05). Between 90- and 120-micron radial spacers no difference was obtained. (p < 0.05). Conclusions: A radial spacer of 60 microns showed a significantly higher marginal gap compared to 90 and 120 microns and was not clinically accepted (>120 microns). For both 90 and 120 microns the marginal gap was clinically accepted (<120 microns) with no difference between the groups. The radial spacer which should be optimum for CELTRA® DUO crowns is 90 microns.


We have investigated the effect of Ru doping the SrTiO3 (STO) side of the LaAlO3/STO (LAO/STO) interface. The metallic behavior at the interface is remarkably robust to defects and disorder. Despite spin moment contribution from Ru ions, we see no evidence of magnetic ordering at the Ti L3,2 edge in either doped or undoped interfaces using X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. Magnetotransport measurements also do not show any evidence of magnetic scattering beyond that observed in undoped LAO/STO interfaces. Insertion of more than 7 unit cells of Ru doped STO at the interface suppresses metallic conductivity with a surprisingly sharp metal insulator transition. A similar metal-insulator transition is observed when a homoepitaxial STO film is grown on the single crystal substrate before LAO deposition. Together, our results indicate that ferromagnetism is not intrinsic to the interface, magnetic Ru dopants are not significant sources of scattering, and that cation vacancy formation alone cannot explain the i...


French GDP is expected to fall slightly in 2013(-0.2%)and recover by a modest 0.6% in 2014. Five years after thestart of the crisis, the French economy has a strong potential for recovery: GDP could grow spontaneously by2.6%per year on average in 2013 and 2014. But this spontaneousrecovery ishampered mainly by the introduction of budget consolidation measures in France andin otherEuropean countries. This budget strategy should reduce French GDP by 2.6percentage points in 2013 and by 2.0 percentagepoints in 2014. The labour market situation willcontinue todeteriorate. The unemployment rate will rise and reach 11.6% at the end of 2014. JEL Classification: F01.


This paper attempts to give a brief reflection of the concept of Ka Meiramew (Mother Earth) and myth of origin. It also discusses a strong cultural and philosophical tradition. There is also an awakening trend among the tribal scholars, to examine these value judgements in relation to the oral past. Although have a number of myths, this paper covers only one popular creation myth.


334 pulmonary vascular lmonary syndrome (H T here are 2 known complications of liver disease: hepatopu PS) and portopulmonary hypertension (PPHTN). Little is understood about the etiology and clinical course of these conditions in adults, and even less in children. Hepatopulmonary syndrome consists of hypoxemia and pulmonary arteriovenous shunting arising in the setting of portal hypertension, usually associated with liver disease (1). Portopulmonary hypertension is the association of a mean pulmonary artery pressure >25 mmHg with portal hypertension (2). An increasing number of reports suggest that the 2 conditions are part of a spectrum of disease (3–6). There are only a few reports of spontaneous reversal of HPS in adults and children, sometimes associated with the slow development of PPHTN (7–9). We report a case of an adolescent female with chronic liver disease who developed rapid progression from HPS to PPHTN.


Aim: To compare the awareness and willingness for eye donation between two socio-economic groups among the next of keens of deceased persons at INHS Asvini from January 2015 to June 2016. Methodology: During the counselling of the next of kins, the prime representative of the family was asked about his/her knowledge regarding eye donation and willingness for the same. Results: Statistically significant difference of awareness about eye donation was present among two groups but difference of the willingness for eye donation was statistically insignificant. Conclusion: Higher awareness of eye donation doesn't convert into actual willingness for the same. So in addition to awareness campaigns, development of a strategy which takes care of infrastructural and legislative aspect is mandatory.


Pneumonia plays an important role in neonatal mortality and morbidity and may lead to chronic bronchopulmonary inflammation. The aim of the study was to investigate changes of immune status in newborn infants with pneumonia and to test a new method of immunotherapy. The immune status of 22 healthy neonates and 67 infants with pneumonia was examined. Children with acute pulmonary inflammation had leukopenia (neutropenia and lymphopenia), decreased number of the peripheral blood CD3+ and CD4+ lymphocyte subpopulations and decreased plasma concentrations of IL-1β and TNF-α in comparison with healthy infants. Plasma levels of antiinflammatory cytokines IL-4 and TGF-β1 were the same in both groups. Recombinant human IL-1β had strong priming effect on the level of zymozan induced chemiluminescence of neutrophils in vitro in neonates with pneumonia. Recovery was accompanied with the significant rise of plasma IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-4 levels. Two non-effective courses of antibacterial therapy were considered as an indication to immunotherapy. Licopid (glucosaminil-muramyl-dipeptide) activates monocytes and macrophages and increases their proinflammatory cytokines production. Licopid was administered in addition to complex therapy to 33 newborn infants. 15 neonates with pneumonia were given only basic therapy including antibiotics. Treatment with Licopid led to rapid recovery, significant decrease of antibacterial therapy duration and number of plasma transfusions, prevented nosocomeal candidosis. It promoted earlier improvement of blood cell count and differential, increase of CD3+ lymphocyte subpopulation, IgM concentrations and levels of spontaneous and induced chemiluminescence of neutrophils in sick infants. Thus, Licopid may improve the efficacy of therapy of neonatal pneumonia.


Abstract A novel bilayer nanofibrous wound dressing, with enhanced mechanical properties is successfully fabricated. This membrane, consisted of polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) nanofibers for providing tensile strength and polyhydroxybutyrate/chitosan (PHB/CTS) nanofibers loaded with gentamicin with ability of controlled drug delivery, is a great choice for post-surgical ulcers. Mechanical properties showed dramatically improvement of tensile strength by addition of PVDF layer. Gentamycin release represented both an immediate and a sustained release of about 24 h and 1 week, respectively and release increment with increase of CTS ratio. Results also revealed that drug release in structures follow first order kinetic and Fickian release mechanism. Graphical Abstract


This comment provides a critique on the authors' argument about the post-pandemic development of sex tourism. It acknowledges the need for more research on real-life experiences of sex tourism workers but argues that we need to differentiate between sex as a tourism product and as a motivation for travel.


In the clinical setting it has been shown that activation will increase cerebral glucose uptake in excess of cerebral oxygen uptake. To study this phenomenon further, this study presents an experimental setup that enables precise determination of the ratio between cerebral uptake of glucose and oxygen in the awake rat. Global CBF was measured by the Kety-Schmidt technique, and the ratio between cerebral uptake rates for oxygen, glucose, and lactate was calculated from cerebral arterial—venous differences. During baseline conditions, rats were kept in a closed box designed to minimize interference. During baseline conditions CBF was 1.08 ± 0.25 mL·g−1·minute−1, and the cerebral oxygen to glucose uptake ratio was 5.5. Activation was induced by opening the sheltering box for 6 minutes. Activation increased CBF to 1.81 mL·g−1·minute−1. During activation cerebral glucose uptake increased disproportionately to cerebral oxygen uptake, and the cerebral oxygen to glucose uptake ratio was 4.2. The accumulated excess glucose uptake during 6 minutes of activation amounted to 2.4 μmol/g. Activation was terminated by closure of the sheltering box. In the postactivation period, the cerebral oxygen to glucose uptake ratio rose to a maximum of 6.4. This response is exactly opposite to the excess cerebral glucose uptake observed during activation.


Using Optimization Technology of 3D model can improve the fidelity of simulation system,so that to meet the requirement of real-time simulation.Combined with the characteristics and requirements of the 3D model of the space launch site,the key optimization techniques are explored from three aspects: modeling process,model database and model package,and some model examples are given to validate the application effect.Comparing the running performance parameters before and after the model optimization,it proves that the optimization modeling techniques can enhance the response speed of the 3D model data,improve the verity and fluidity of the simulation results.


Smart home, as a typical Internet of Things (IoT) application, provides people with a variety of conveniences. Unfortunately, it may suffer from security and privacy issues. Currently, blockchain theory is considered as one of the potential solutions to the IoT security problem. However, according to the rules of blockchain, it requires large storage to store distributed ledgers and undertakes long latency caused by proof of work (PoW), which cannot be performed by resource-constrained IoT devices. To address the issue, we propose a classification-based blockchain architecture with a hierarchical PoW mechanism, which can reduce the storage consumption and decrease the latency. In our architecture, we divide IoT devices into several child nodes by data classification and convert the data storage into partial network storage. Furthermore, we try to set the moderate-cost security grades (SG) to adjust the difficulty of PoW for reduction of latency. Finally, comparing the performance of our scheme with the traditional method and current technology, the proposed architecture not only takes up less storage (i.e., almost 90% reduction) but also increases efficiency (i.e., almost 50% running time saving) while ensuring safety.


The eastern mystical tradition's movement into American life is depicted in this paper, which reports on the intriguing pattern of changing attitudes toward the use of psychotherapy among many members of the two major groups studied and also suggests a new rationale to justify psychotherapy.


The genus Agave L. has about 200 species naturally distributed in the Neotropics. Most of the described species are, however, native to Mexico (ca. 75%), with many of these being endemic. Agave is a genus with a long tradition of uses, mainly alimentary, medicinal, and industrial (e.g. as a fiber plant). The most common agave in the Iberian Peninsula but also in Catalonia is A. americana, that was already introduced in the 16th century, and which is widely naturalized (at least since 18th century). Many other agaves were introduced subsequently to Catalonia (and other places of Europe), mostly during 19th and 20th centuries. Current floras and alien catalogues of Catalonia and the Iberian Peninsula only include a few Agave species, and the lack of taxonomical consensus point towards a need for a revision of the genus. Up to 12 taxa are catalogued in the present work, together with a dicotomical key and distribution maps for all of them. Some insights on the history of the introduction of the genus into Catalonia and the Iberian Peninsula are also provided.


The present paper, where the basic models used to d escribe the mathematical modelling process in classroom are mainly discussed , is actually the theoretical supplement of a workshop, in which we shall examine the importance of the last two stages of mathematical modelling process concerning the transition from the solution of the model to the real world (validation of the m odel and implementation of the final mathematical results to the real system) by presenting a number of suitably chosen examples. Introduction It is well known that the reformation attempted f rom the beginning of the 1960's in mathematics education with the introduction of t he modern mathematics in school curricula, was proved to be a complete failure. Th e attempt to teach the fundamental generalizations before presenting the objects to be generalized, had as a result the despoliation of curricula from examples and applica tions connecting mathematics with the real situations of everyday life and the o ther sciences using it as a tool and giving birth to very many new mathematical problems and theories. Thus, and after the rather vague movement of the back to the basics , considerable emphasis has been placed from the late 1970's on t he use of problem as a tool and motive to teach and understand better mathematics, w th two coordinates: Problemsolving, where attention was given to the use of the prope r heuristic strategies for solving pure (mainly) mathematical problems (Polya 1963, Schoenfeld 1980, etc) and Mathematical modelling and Applications , a process of solving a particular type of problems generated by corresponding situations of the real world (Pollak 1979, Niss 1987, etc). Although views appeared later disputing the effecti veness of using problem solving as a "learning device" of mathematics and giving empha sis to other cognitive aspects, like acquisition of the appropriate schemas and au tomation of rules (e.g. Owen & Sweller 1989), it is generally acceptable nowadays that through problem solving processes one can give students a balanced view of mathematics and can face effectively the false opposition between learning mathematics and learning to apply mathematics (e.g. Voss 1987, Lawson 1990, Matos 1998 etc). Eve n Marshall (1995), the introducer of the current schema theory, presen t d schemas as vehicles for problem solving that can simplify and reconstruct a problem in order to make it more accessible to the solver. Models for the mathematical modelling process Concerning mathematical modelling, the transformati on from a real world situation to a mathematical problem is achieved through the use of a mathematical model , which, roughly speaking, is an idealized (simplified) re presentation of the basic characteristics of the real situation through the us of a suitable set of mathematical symbols, relations and functions. Pollak (1979) was the first who described the proce ss of modelling in such a way that could be used in teaching mathematics. He represent d the interaction between mathematics and real world with the scheme shown in Figure 1, which is known as the circle of modelling. In the universe of mathematics classical applied mathematics and applicable mathematics are two intersected, but not equal sets. In fact, they are topics from classical mathematics with great theore tical interest not having (at least for the moment) any visible applications, while the y are also branches of mathematics, which are not usually characterized as cl sical, with many practical applications (e.g. probability and statistics, line ar programming, fuzzy sets and logic, uncertainty theory, chaotic dynamics and fractals, etc). Figure 1: The circle of modelling The most important feature in Pollak's scheme is th e direction of the arrows, representing a looping between the other world (including real world, the human activities of everyday life and all other sciences) and the universe of mathematics: Having to solve a problem connected with a real sit uation we transfer from the other world to the universe of mathematics, where we use or develop appropriate mathematical methods to describe and solve the prob lem. Then we return to the other world interpreting the mathematical results obtaine d and implementing them to the real system. If these results are proved to be inad equate in describing properly the real system, we return back to the universe of mathemati cs making the proper modifications to the model. The modelling circle co uld be repeated several times until we find the proper solution. From the time that Pollak presented his scheme in I CME-3 (Karlsruhe, 1976) much effort has been placed by researchers and educators to analyze in detail the process of mathematical modelling. The cyclic representations developed in the late 1970's in undergraduate engineering mathematics courses focus sed on student activity at six discrete stages with the addition of a seventh repo rting stage (Berry & Davies 1996). Transition between the stages did not at that time receive much attention. Developments in mathematical modelling in schools, since the mid 1980's, prompted a didactical and/or conceptual focus on representat io s of modelling within a cognitive prospectus. Blomh ψj & Jensen (2003) provided a helpful and comprehensive visualization of the mathematical mod elling process linking modelling to a perceived reality through six stages, whilst r ecognizing that theory and data, and associated linking of knowledge, impact on the proc ess. A model similar to that of Blomhψj & Jensen is the modelling cycle of Blum & Lei β (2007), a key feature of which is its emphasis on understanding the real sit uation and problem, moving through a situation model and a real model and prob lem whilst still in the other (extramathematical) world. Greefrath's (2007) model is a lso orientated towards the same direction. The starting point is a real situation that is not the whole reality, but an already structured situation from real life, which obviously must be chosen by someone (e.g. the teacher or the students) to deal with mathematically. This should be transformed into a real model, i.e. a simplified version of the real situation, which can now be transformed more easily into a mathemati cal model that should lead to a mathematical result. The transformations between th four stages are not named in this model and are unidirectional. For more details bout the above models and graphical representations of them the reader may lo ok at Haines & Crouch (2010) and at Meier (2009). Summarizing all the existing ideas nd in order to make the ideal model a bit clearer for teachers , we could say that the main stages of the mathematical modelling process involve: • s1 = analysis of the problem (understanding the statement and recognizing the restrictions and requirements of the real system). • s2 = mathematization , which could be divided to formulation of the real situation in such a way that it will be ready for m athematical treatment and construction of the model . The former involves a deep abstracting process, in order to transfer from the real system to the, so c alled, assumed real system , where emphasis is given to certain, dominating for the system's performance, variables. • s3 = solution of the model , which is achieved by proper mathematical manipulation. • s4 = validation (control) of the model , which is usually achieved by reproducing, through the model, the behaviour of th e real system under the conditions existing before the solution of the mode l (empirical results, special cases etc). A model is valid, if despite its inexac tness in representing the real system, gives a reliable prediction of the system's performance. • s5 = Implementation of the final mathematical results to the real syste m. The flow-diagram of the mathematical modelling proc ess in classroom, when teacher gives such problems for solution to students is rep resented in Figure 2. The modeller starting from s 1, which is always the initial state, moves through s 2 to s3 .From there, if the mathematical relations obtained are not suitabl e to allow an analytic solution of the model, he (she) returns to s2, in order to make the proper modifications to the model. If he ( she) finally fails to construct a solvable mathematical model giving a reliable prediction of the real system's performance and bei ng unable to make any other "movements" for the solution of the problem during the time given by teacher, returns from state s 2 to s1 waiting for a new problem, to be given for solution. Otherwise he (she) returns to s3, to continue the process. After the solution of th e problem within the model the modeller returns to the real system, in order to check the validity of the model (state s 4). Figure 2: The flow-diagram of the mathematical modelling process in classroom If the model does not give a reliable prediction of the system's performance, (e.g. if the solution obtained is not satisfying the natural restrictions resulting from the real system, or if it is not verified by known special c ses etc), the modeller returns from s4 to s2, in order to correct the model. From there he (she ) will return through s 3 to s4 to continue the process. After ensuring that the mo del "works" well, the modeller from s4 reaches the state s 5, where he (she) interprets the final mathematical results, "translates" them to the natural language and appli es the conclusions obtained to the real system. When the process of modelling is compl eted at state s 5, it is assumed that a new problem is given by teacher for solution and therefore the process starts again from s1. A central object of the educational research taking place in the area of mathematical modelling is to recognize the attainment level of s tudents at defined stages of the modelling process. For this, we have constructed a stochastic model describing (Voskoglou 2007), where we introduce a finite Marko v chain having as st


In this paper, An optimal fuzzy system (OFS), instead of crisp threshold values, have been used for optimal reliability-based multi-objective Pareto design of robust state feedback controllers for a two-mass-spring system having parameters with probabilistic uncertainties. The objective functions that have been considered are, namely, the probabilities of failure of settling time (PTs), of control effort (Pu) and of stability of closed-loop system (Pi) in the reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) approach. A new multi-objective uniform-diversity genetic algorithm (MUGA) is used for Pareto optimum design of state feedback controllers for two-mass-spring problem. It is shown that multi-objective reliability-based Pareto optimization of the robust state feedback controllers using MUGA with OFS includes those that may be obtained by various crisp threshold values of probability of failures and, thus, remove the difficulty of selecting suitable crisp values. Besides, the multi-objective Pareto optimization of such robust feedback controllers using MUGA unveils some very important and informative trade-offs among those objective functions.