Within the article, a thorough analysis of the nature and criteria for determining business entities in accordance with the laws of Ukraine is provided. The interpretation of the concept of "small entrepreneurship" and "small business" by different scientists is given. A thorough analysis of changes in the dynamics of the number of existing small businesses, including micro entrepre-neurship for 2010-2020, is submitted. The main trend is that in 2020 in Ukraine there was a significant reduction in the number of such entities by 206,88 thousand units, or by 10 % compared with 2010. The essence of state support for small business is revealed, the basic principles on which such support is based are defined, namely: principle of efficiency, accessibility, provision, openness, transparency, etc., as well, the arguments about its necessity within economic and social stimulus are provided. The author highlighted the main areas of state support for small business in Ukraine, among which the main ones are as follows: simplified accounting and taxation procedure; involvement of small businesses in the implementation of scientific, technical and socio-economic programs; creation of an extensive infrastructure to support the development of small business; simplification of the procedure for obtaining the necessary documents for the operation of small businesses, etc. The terms and conditions of some programs offered by the Fund of Entrepreneurship Support in Ukraine to support the development of small business in Ukraine today are also revealed, namely: the State program "Affordable Loans 5-7-9 %", the Microcredit program, "Affordable financial leasing": The program "DCFTA Initiative East Guarantees Window", theProgram "The mechanism of the financing of small and medium sized business – Stage 2" The EBRD Credit Line – EU4Business and the WNISEF Social Investment Program. Taking into account the studied, we see the direction of further research in the search of specific areas of state support for domestic small business.


Synchronous rectification (SR) is an essential aspect for <italic>LLC</italic> resonant converters to achieve high-efficiency design, and the mainstream SR method is the adaptive directly voltage-sensing-based method (ADVS-SR), where the drain–source voltage of the SR switch is sensed. However, due to the presence of parasitic capacitor of the transformer and output capacitors of SR switches, undeserved bode-diode conduction (BDC) caused by intricate voltage ringing across the SR switch will invalidate the conventional ADVS-SR turn-<sc>on</sc> time tuning process under light-load condition, resulting in the dissipation of power efficiency. To solve this problem, in this article, the capacitive current spike, which is the main root of the voltage ringing in terms of turn-<sc>on</sc>, is modeled and analyzed, and then different SR turn-<sc>on</sc> candidates are compared. Based on that, this article proposes an enhanced adaptive SR strategy based on a novel stepwise-plus-feedforward (SPF) control to optimize SR turn-<sc>on</sc>. The SPF-SR strategy can eliminate not only large reverse current caused by premature turn-<sc>on</sc> but also large BDC interval caused by belated turn-<sc>on</sc> over the whole operating range. On the basis of ADVS, the SPF-SR only need to sense extra <italic>V</italic>in, <italic>Vo</italic>, and <italic>Io</italic>, which are easily sensed dc signals, and can be easily implemented in a cost-effective digital controller. Finally, a 300 W <italic>LLC</italic> prototype is built where experimental results show that the SR turn-<sc>on</sc> issue is optimized by the SPF-SR strategy, and compared with commercial SR IC and conventional ADVS-SR, the SPF-SR strategy improves power efficiency up to 6.99% and 5.52%, respectively.


In this paper it is demonstrated that the precise physical nature of the Dember effect is a concentration gradient of nonequilibrium carriers under nonuniform illumination. We used the fact that any photo‐EMF (electromotive force) can only exist in the presence of nonequilibrium charge carriers, when there are two different Fermi quasilevels. That is why the Dember EMF (as the photo‐EMF of any nature ) is not identified as a voltage drop arising between the device contacts in open circuit. Moreover, a correct definition of the EMF is only possible if the problem is solved in a closed circuit. It is shown that the Dember EMF does not depend on the difference of electron‐to‐hole diffusion coefficients and it is not linked to ambipolar diffusion. Additionally, it is found that the sign of the EMF depends on the ratio between the recombination rates on the contacts, which can be detected from the spectral characteristic of the Dember EMF.


Author(s): Kondrashov, Fyodor Alexeevich | Abstract: In the past decade or so, the availability of completely sequenced genomes and their annotations opened up previously unthinkable opportunities to explore evolutionary and functional aspects of organic life forms. The rate of deciphering new genomes shows no signs of slowing down. While a few years ago every self-respecting genomicist could name every single available genome, currently I will be hard pressed to name those that have been completed in the past year alone. Whether or not the race to sequence more, faster and cheaper will continue to revolutionize our understanding of biology is an open question largely irrelevant to this thesis. However, it is undeniably evident that in the past decade a new set of approaches, tools and knowhow have emerged in the fienld of computational genomics, which will continue to be used for many years to come. It so happened that in the past three years I have been interested in several different questions that forced me to utilize almost every aspect of comparative computational genomics. In the course of answering questions that tickled my curiosity I have created a database, performed an evolutionary analysis of a newly sequenced genome, worked with secondary and crystal protein and RNA structures, measured the rate and mode of selection in coding and noncoding sequences, made functional annotations of proteins, and in the course of doing so have added to our understanding of several important evolutionary questions. Thus, this thesis is more of a demonstration of my capabilities as a computational comparative genomicist rather than a comprehensive attempt to resolve some long-standing dispute in biology. The first part of this thesis deals with some aspects and examples of compensatory evolution in a framework of Compensatory Pathogenic Deviations. The second part is a collection of works where the primary concept is the use of negative selection to reveal functional and evolutionary novel aspects of genes and genomes. In Chapter 1, I describe a database of mitochondrial tRNA sequences and secondary structures from completely sequenced metazoan mitochondrial genomes. This database has been compiled mostly by hand, such that secondary structure predictions were matched with evolutionary conserved regions while eliminating annotation errors, resulting in an impressive 6060 curated tRNAs structure predictions. After its completion, but before publication, this database has been used to describe patterns of compensatory evolution in mt tRNAs, which is the topic of Chapter 2. Previously to my work, it has been thought that it is impossible to create an exclusively computational method for prediction of pathogenic mutations in human mt tRNAs. I have been able to show the contrary using two simple improvements. Firstly, I have shown that sequences of more closely related species are much better predictors of fitness impacts in orthologous human sites than distant species. Indeed, this is an intuitive concept but it has not been utilized in a predictive matter previously. Secondly, I have used patterns of compensatory evolution in tRNA stem structures, which also greatly increased the predictive power of pathogenicity in orthologous sites. It is not enough to look at sequence conservation of a site to claim functional conservation, since sites may evolve in quickly even while being under functional and selective constraint. Such rapid evolution is most easily reconciled with functional conservation under the framework of structural compensatory evolution. For example, in a tRNA the nucleotides forming a Watson-Crick pair in a stem structure may rapidly change between G-C pair and an A-T pair. The destruction of each pair may be deleterious; however, each site may be rapidly evolving. By keeping track of sites potentially evolving in a compensatory manner, I have been able to further improve my prediction of pathogenic mutations in mt tRNAs. In Chapter 3 I use the sequence of the g-crystallins from several mammalian species to study compensatory evolution in this gene. A disease-causing variant in one of the g-crystallins was found in other, healthy mammals. Such events are called a Compensatory Pathogenic Deviation (CPD), and are thought to be caused by structural compensations in the homologous proteins. In this case, using a correlation sequence analysis it was possible to identify a probable compensatory site in the g-crystallin. Curiously, on the crystal structure this site was in a 180 degrees symmetrical position to the site with the pathogenic substitution. This allowed us to conclude that crystallins are likely to be packed together such that individual proteins are assembled in strings with alternating 180 degree rotations. In addition, these genes showed interesting patterns of gene conversion. Two g-crystallin pseudogenes showed clear signs of negative selection despite clearly being pseudogenes. This observation, coupled with signs of gene conversion in this gene family, led to the conclusion that gene conversion can lead to apparent selection in cases where the rate of conversion is rapid. Chapter 4 is entirely devoted to the issue of selection on synonymous sites in human protein coding genes. Contrary to general belief, negative selection does not always lead to a decrease in the rate of evolution. If a preferred nucleotide is highly mutable, then the rate of evolution may be increased in comparison to a completely neutral site. This will occur due to a preferred to un- preferred nucleotide substitution achieving fixation through drift and driven by a high rate of mutation, while selection will drive the reverse process of un-preferred to preferred substitution. Mammalian synonymous sites appear to be a mixture of sites with different rates of mutation spanning almost two orders of magnitude due to the highly mutable CpG context. The analysis reported in this chapter has shown that highly mutable synonymous sites evolve faster than intron sites with the same CpG context, while synonymous sites outside CpGs, those with a low rate of mutation, evolve slower than intron sites outside the CpG context. Assuming weak selection preferring GC nucleotides in synonymous sites leads to a perfect fit between several independent observations and theoretical predictions. This work remains the most comprehensive study of negative selection on synonymous sites that utilizes both empirical observations and theory. Chapter 5 reports a genome-wide search for two glyoxylate cycle-specific enzymes, isocitrate lyase and malate synthase, in vertebrate genomes. The presence of glyoxylate cycle in metazoans has always been controversial, with all textbooks in biochemistry claiming that the glyoxylate cycle is not present in higher animals. I utilized sequence pattern searches in completely sequenced genomes, and found both glyoxylate cycle-specific enzymes in non-mammalian vertebrates. In addition, malate synthase appears to be still functional in non-placental mammals while being present as a pseudogene in placentals. Interestingly, both of these enzymes show a high rate of horizontal gene transfer throughout eukaryote evolution. In Chapter 6 a new method to study selection in duplicated genes is described. The method assumes that substitution in two gene copies with a high rate of paralogous gene conversion are under selection simultaneously in both genes and, therefore, the strength of selection in such gene copies should resemble selection in a single copy gene. Thus, by comparing substitutions that have, and have not, been subject to gene conversion, we were able to evaluate selection on two diverging gene copies. Interestingly, selection against nonsynonymous substitutions was stronger in two independently evolving gene copies than in gene copies that were evolving in concert. This may be possible due to strong selection for maintaining functional uniformity of two gene copies. Chapter 7 deals with organizational complexity of several metazoan genomes. The "beans on a string" model of gene arrangement has been abandoned since the discovery of a large fraction of nested genes. I was curious to analyze the evolution of such complex, nested gene arrangement. Through many genome comparisons it became clear that in recent evolutionary history complex, nested, gene arrangements have been much more commonly created than destroyed, implying a constant increase in genome organizational complexity. By looking at expression patterns of nested gene pairs no evidence has been found in support of selection playing a role in this independent increase of complexity. This study is the first study that looked at the evolution of complexity by analyzing evolution


Results: Median ages of the three groups were 57, 57, 54 years (P=0.007), and 50.4%, 56.7%, 62.0% were male (P=0.003). Intrinsic mitral valve disease was present in 5.9%, 5.2%, 4.6% (P=0.8). All patients underwent transaortic septal myectomy. Additional MV procedures were performed in 7.6%, 7.8%, 8.1% (P=0.9). Reasons for MV surgery included intrinsic mitral valve disease (66.7%), residual mitral regurgitation (MR) (30.8%), and postoperative gradient (2.6%). Post-bypass obstruction relief was seen amongst all groups (median reduction 51, 54, 50 mmHg; P=0.1). Postoperative ventricular septal defect (VSD) occurred in 4 patients (0.3%) and risk did not differ by group (P=0.2).


Vocabulary learning is an important and indispensable part of any language learning process. Vocabulary becomes the main language element that students should master, because it is the key to understand what they hear and read then communicate fluently with other people. Mastering vocabulary continually will help their ability in four main aspects: listening, speaking, reading and writing. There are several teaching techniques which are available to be applied and teacher should choose the appropriate one for sure. The researcher focuses on the effectiveness of one of the alternative teaching technique by using movies with subtitle. It is kind of the way that students drill their memorization system to remember the words then find another words related to the main words. Therefore they can improve their vocabulary and learn in associating and categorizing the words based on the certain theme.
The purposes of this research are a) to know students' vocabulary mastery before the use of movies with subtitle, b) to identify students' vocabulary mastery after the use of movie with subtitle, and c) to figure out the effectiveness of using subtitle in a movie to improve students' vocabulary mastery.
The researcher used a quasi-experimental method by choosing provided one class as experimental class without random sampling. The students in this class are taught by using movie with subtitle. Four treatments were implemented which consisted of one movie in one treatment. The population was taken from the 7th grade of MTs. Banuraja Kab.Bandung Barat. The total sample was amounted 21 students from 7B.
The results show that the mean score of post-test is 61.19 while the mean score pre-test is 36.90. It means that the students' vocabulary mastery after using movie with subtitle is better than students' vocabulary mastery before using movie with subtitle. Moreover, the statistical analysis of t-test shows that tcount is 19.31 and ttable is 2.08. It means that tcount is higher than ttable and the null hypothesis (H0) is rejected and the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted. It means that using movie with subtitle is effective to improve students' vocabulary mastery.
Based on the result of the data above, it can be concluded that the use of subtitle in a movie in teaching vocabulary is good because there is a significant improvement in students' vocabulary mastery.


It is widely recognized that a region's age structure is closely related to its industrial structure. However, the literature shows that no efforts have been made to measure the degree of the relationship between them. This paper attempts to gauge it with a simple technique of 'pattern correlation analysis' which is newly developed. The Korean economy is divided into 28 life sphere zones for the application of the technique. The result illustrates the close relationship between the region's age structure and its industrial structure, specifically indicating the pattern correlation coefficient of -0.71. This result appeals the usefulness of the pattern correlation analysis technique. The technique presented in this paper represents the first step toward a more general and complicated analysis of the regional structure. Further research based on this is expected.


The entrepreneurial potential of the Triana business district
Over the last decade, the proven contribution made by the entrepreneur and his activities to the economic development of the community where he works has awakened the interest of both academics and professionals. However, not every owner, founder or manager of a business makes the same contribution. The question is more complex and research is needed to determine the exact nature of the role of the entrepreneur. This study aims to present our theoretical contribution to
the field, as well as suggesting a methodology which assesses entrepreneurial potential at different levels of analysis. The framework for the study is an empirical study of retailers, retailing organizations and the shopping district of Triana as a
whole.


The density of bosonic states are calculated for spinless free massive bosons in generalised d dimensions. The number of bosons are calculated in the lowest energy state. The Bose Einstein condensation was found in generalised dimensions (on and above d = 3) and the condensation temperature was observed to drop abruptly above three dimensions and decreases monotonically as the dimensionalities of the system increases. The rate of fall of the condensation temperature decreases as the dimensionality increases. This article is aimed to the University graduate students.


We have reviewed recent literatures in order to estimate the effect of oral contraceptive(OC) on lactation in postpartum women.Most of the researches demonstrated that progestin OC do not affect lactation,but combination-type oral contraceptive(COC) may reduce milk volume or shorten the lactation time.Little detrimental effects have been shown on infant growth or development with the use of progestin OC,and there was much controversy over the starting time.So we think the evidence is not adequate to determine whether a mother's use of these drugs affects lactation duration or the infant's health.World Health Organization(WHO) and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists(ACOG) recommend parturients take COC at least 6 weeks later.


This paper describes the interpretation of 2D-3C seismic survey acquired in the Guang'an Gas Field of Sichuan Basin, which is located at the southwest part of China. Estimating reservoir parameters from geophysical data is vitally important in hydrocarbon exploration and production. We present a joint-inversion algorithm to estimate reservoir parameters directly, using both PP and PS seismic amplitude variation with offset (AVO) data. Reservoir parameters are linked to geophysical parameters through a rock-properties model. The joint inversion method for PP and PS seismic data solves approximated linear expressions of PP and PS reflection coefficients simultaneously using simulated annealing algorithm. By combining the two independent measurements (PP and PS seismic data) together, we stabilize the system of equations for PP and PS seismic data separately, leading to more robust parameter estimation.


Ethylene-responsive element-binding proteins(Erebus) are members of a family of plant transcription factors.Conservation of these proteins is EREBP domains.Full length MtERF-6 gene cDNA of Medicago truncatula was cloned by RT-PCR.PCR from total RNA of root nodule was sequenced.The results showed that the MtERF-6 gene of M.truncatula was composed of 654 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 218 amino acids.Nucleotide homogeneity of MtERF-6 gene of M.truncatula with other EREBP genes of GhERF4,ATERF-9,NtERF3,NsERF3 and CaEREBP-C1 ranged from 40 % to 47 %.The MtERF-6 cDNA sequences were deposited in Genbank and GenBank accession number was DQ344024.


Using carousels to present recommendation results has been widely adapted for consumer-focused applications such as recommending movies and music. Carousel-based interfaces engage users in the recommendation process, leaving it to the user to decide which category of items is most relevant to them, yet leaving it to AI to produce a ranking of both items and carousels. This paper explores the idea to give possible uses of a carousel interface for two dimensions of user control, engaging then into both item ranking and carousel selection. We present an implementation of this idea for a recommender system that assists college students in finding relevant courses and advisors.


This study is an attempt to evaluate the impact of dividend policy on profitability of Indian Information Technology (IT) companies listed on Bombay Stock Exchange. Companies were selected for the study based on market capitalization. Correlation matrix and panel regression model were used for testing of hypotheses. The major findings of the study reveal that the selected companies do not follow consistent pattern of dividend payments and the association between Price Earning Ratio (PER) and Dividend Payout Ratio (DPR) is low positive. However, there is a strong relation between ROE-ROA. Hausman Test reveals that random affect model is appropriate thereby indicating that performance of selected companies have significant impact on dividend policy of selected companies. Divided policy still regarded as one of the complicated area in corporate finance. Thus, the study will help all the stakeholders to develop further understanding on dividend policy.


Objective To research the dynamic changes of myocardial fibrosis in different areas of spontaneously hypertensive rats' (SHRs') left ventricle and the reliability of the method examining cardiac texture with echocardiography and computed processing.Methods The parameters representing myocardial fibrosis(MF)of SHR and control WKY were exanined with histomorphological observations and biochemical assays.The cardiac texture was measured with echocardiography and computed processing.Results Hydroxylproline Concentration(HC),which represents MF elevated markedly in the interventricular septum(IVS),anterior wall and posterior wall at 14th week,and increased most significantly in the IVS;while in the lateral wall,although the HC had some tendency of elevation,no significant changes happened.At 24th week,the HC in all areas increased markedly,but no great difference among various areas.The perivascular collagen area(PVCA),representing perivascular fibrosis,raised significantly at 14th week,and more markedly at 24th week,but no difference among various parts.The collagen volume fraction(CVF),representing interstitial fibrosis,raised in the IVS at 14th week,and in all areas at 24th week,but still most significantly in the IVS.The mean value of cardiac texture raised in all parts at 14th week,but highest in IVS,lowest in lateral wall (compared between them,P0.05);at 24th week,it was higher than 14th week ,but the difference among various areas became less.The standard deviation of the cardiac texture had no changes in the IVS at 14th and 24th week,while in the other parts,it increased at 14th week and became normal in the 24th week.Conclusion In the process of hypertension,myocardial fibrosis,especially interstitial fibrosis develops in a heterogeneous manner at various areas of left ventricle ,severe in IVS,mild in lateral wall.The method of echocardiography with the computed processing,by means of measuring the cardiac texture,may examine the degree of MF objectively.


Based on the fact that there is a good amplitude correlation between neighbour bins of a communication signal, we presented a new blind source separation method applied to the wireless communication. Since there is no complicated mathematic derivation in this method, it is relatively simple in theory. Furthermore, wavelet de-noising processing is proposed finally. It yields good results in the experiment and improves the performance of BSS system applied to the wireless communication. In addition, this method is robust and time saving.


Objective:To get to know the case rate of senile gonarthritis in Quanzhou city and to compare it with that in Bejing urban district. Methods:The survey was carried out on 198 senile men and 302 senile women at the age of over 60 from 4 villages of two townships in Quanzhou through house to house by questionnaire, physical examination, X-ray and so on. Results:The knee X-rays showed that the case rate of old aged men was 53.0% and of old aged women 74.8%. The clinic researches showed that the case rate of old aged men was 21.2% and of old aged women 42.7%. Woman's case rate was prominently higher than man's. The case rate of the fisher men in the coastal area was higher than that of the peasants in mountain area. They were 41.6% and 27.3%, respectively and so the difference is obvious. Conclusion:The gonarthritis case rate of women in the Quanzhou village is prominently higher that of citizens of other urban districts domestically, which should be noticeable.


Reliability techniques are increasingly finding application in design. The special design conditions for the deep water sections of the Oman India Pipeline dictate their use since the experience basis for application of standard deterministic techniques is inadequate. The paper discusses the reliability analysis as applied to the Oman India Pipeline, including selection of a collapse model, characterization of the variability in the parameters that affect pipe resistance to collapse, and implementation of first and second order reliability analyses to assess the probability of pipe failure. The reliability analysis results are used as the basis for establishing the pipe wall thickness requirements for the pipeline.


Although rare in occurrence, entrapment of Swan-Ganz catheter during open heart surgery can be a serious complication. Several methods have been used to free such catheters with nonsurgical techniques. A case of entrapment in the right atrium is presented and a method for nonsurgical removal is described.


Bovine preantral follicles were cultured in two basic medium whose α MEM and D MEM/F 12 were added with ITS, pyruvate sodium, L glutamine, hypoxanthine and serum of different consistency respectively. The best one among them were supplemented with three different levels of FSH, LH and E 2. The experimental results showed as follows:In vitro cultural effect of α MEM basic medium was better than that of D MEM/F 12 basic medium. There were significant effects of different levels of hormone on bovine preantral follicles. The best medium constituent included α MEM+ITS(I 5 mg/L, T 5 mg/L,S 5 μg/L) + pyruvate sodium(0.23 mmol/L) + L glutamine(1.5 mmol/L) + hypoxanthine(2 mmol/L) + serum(7.5%) + FSH(0.25 mg/L)+LH(5 IU/mL) + E 2(0.5 mg/L).


Nanoribbons (nanographite ribbons) are carbon systems analogous to carbon nanotubes. We characterize a wide class of nanoribbons by a set of two integers $⟨p,q⟩$, and then define the width $w$ in terms of $p$ and $q$. Electronic properties are explored for this class of nanoribbons. Zigzag (armchair) nanoribbons have similar electronic properties to armchair (zigzag) nanotubes. The band gap structure of nanoribbons exhibits a valley structure with streamlike sequences of metallic or almost metallic nanoribbons. These sequences correspond to equiwidth curves indexed by $w$. We reveal a peculiar dependence of the electronic property of nanoribbons on the width $w$.


Let G be a bipartite graph and g and f be two positive integer-valued functions defined on vertex set V(G) of G such that g(x)≤f(x). In this paper,some sufficient conditions related to the connectivity and edge-connectivity for a bipartite (mg,mf)-graph to have a (g,f)-factor with special properties are obtained and some previous results are generalized.Furthermore,the new results are proved to be the best possible.


We report significant anisotropies in the projected two-dimensional (2D) spatial distributions of globular clusters (GCs) of the giant Virgo elliptical galaxy NGC 4649 (M60). Similar features are found in the 2D distribution of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), both associated with GCs and in the stellar field. Deviations from azimuthal symmetry suggest an arc-like excess of GCs extending north at 4–15 kpc galactocentric radii in the eastern side of major axis of NGC 4649. This feature is more prominent for red GCs, but still persists in the 2D distribution of blue GCs. High- and low-luminosity GCs also show some segregation along this arc, with high-luminosity GCs preferentially located in the southern end and low-luminosity GCs in the northern section of the arc. GC–LMXBs follow the anisotropy of red GCs, where most of them reside; however, a significant overdensity of (high-luminosity) field LMXBs is present to the south of the GC arc. These results suggest that NGC 4649 has experienced mergers and/or multiple accretions of less massive satellite galaxies during its evolution, of which the GCs in the arc may be the fossil remnant. We speculate that the observed anisotropy in the field LMXB spatial distribution indicates that these X-ray binaries may be the remnants of a star formation event connected with the merger, or maybe be ejected from the parent red GCs, if the bulk motion of these clusters is significantly affected by dynamical friction. We also detect a luminosity enhancement in the X-ray source population of the companion spiral galaxy NGC 4647. We suggest that these may be younger high mass X-ray binaries formed as a result of the tidal interaction of this galaxy with NGC 4649.


This article examines the development of operetta and musicals in East and West Germany from 1949 until the reunification in 1989–90. It focuses on the special ideological requirements of popular musical entertainment in the socialist east, discusses how works by Offenbach and Strauss were adapted, considers how works from the Soviet Union were imported and examines how new works were created to fulfil the ideal of 'socialist realism'. The arrival of Broadway musicals in East Germany in the 1960s were typically made to fit into the system of state subsidized theatre.


The nature of complex modern society inevitably creates intricate problems that can be solved by the computational and logical reasoning. The programming education in Informatics can effectively raise the ability of computational thinking. The paper proposes and evaluates a STEAM curriculum that can draw the interest and attention of students. The curriculum educates the multi-disciplinary knowledge from science, music and informatics, and it was designed to have group discussions with self-directed study. The experiments were performed with 4∼6 grade gifted students in Informatics from elementary schools. The Arduino was used as the experiment environment. The experiment results reveal that the interests in Informatics and programming have been escalated after the STEAM class; 75% of students expressed the surge of interest in computers and 93% of students responded positively to the Arduino-based class. The effectiveness of the experiment outcomes was validated with t-test.


For single‐atom (SA)‐based catalysis, it is urgent to understand the nature and dynamic evolution of SA active sites during the reactions. In this work, an example of Pt SA‐Zn0.5Cd0.5S (Pt SA‐ZCS) is found to display interesting phenomena when facing the Brownian collision of ions in aqueous photocatalysis. Via synchrotron radiation, surface techniques, microscopy, and theory calculations, the results show that two kinds of Pt sites exist: PtZn‐sub‐S3 (Pt substituting the Zn site) and Ptads‐S2 (Pt adsorbing on the surface). In Na2S, the S2− can coordinate with Pt atoms and peel them from the Ptads‐S2 sites, but leaves more stable PtZn‐sub‐S3 sites, bringing a low but stable catalytic activity (19.40 mmol g−1 h−1). Meanwhile, in ascorbic acid, the ascorbic acid ions show less complex ability with Pt atoms, but can decrease the migration barrier of Ptads‐S2 sites (67.18 down to 35.96 mmol g−1 h−1, 52.03% drop after 6 h). Therefore, the Ptads‐S2 sites gradually aggregate into nanoclusters, bringing a high but decayed catalytic activity. Moreover, a Pt SA‐ZCS‐Sulfur composite is designed mainly covered by PtZn‐sub‐S3 sites accordingly (max: 79.09 mmol g−1 h−1, 5% drop after 6 h and QE: 14.0% at 420 nm), showing a beneficial strategy "from mechanism to design principle."


This paper suggests generalized tetrahedron polar coordinate and a smoothness condition and it is its specific application to change "singular" boundary element method to "non-singular" boundary element method so as to reach higher accuracy and efficiency.


Science and technology course, helping improving co gnitive aspects and enhancing the creativity of the individuals, has been taken part of elementary school education as a basi c course. The students may gain scientific knowledg e, the scientific process skills, and attitudes during science learni ng process. In this survey is aimed at the determi nation of the attitude towards science and technology course and science e xperiments of the elementary school second stage st uden s. Sample of the study is the 325 students selected among the po pulation by random sampling. A questionnaire that 5 -point Likert-type scale Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient is 0. 76 including 13 items regarding students' attitude towards science lessons and 8 items regarding science experiments were used in the study. Acquired data have been analyzed by using SPSS 16.0 software. Appropriate statistical methods were used for examination of data distribution. It was found that students' attitude scores (X =3,60) towards science experiments is same higher t han attitude scores towards science and technology c urses ( X =2,77). It was examined whether general attitude to wards science and technology courses and science ex periments of the students varied with respect to gender, grade and a ge v riables, it was found out there wasn't statist ically significant (p>0,05) difference between gender and attitude scores, alth ough there was significant difference (p<0,05) in f avour of 8 among students grades and also, significant difference (p <0,05) in favour of 14 was found among students age .


The utility model relates to a temperature controllable cultural relics showcase which belongs to the fields of cultural relics protection and environment control. The existing showcase placed in an air-conditioning room has the defect of the temperature control is not flexible; the showcase is provided with a miniature air-conditioner purifying system, the inner part of the case is not sealed, and strict requirements to the oxygen-containing degree can not be satisfied. In the showcase, an outermost layer is surrounded by a heat-insulating layer (4); a cooling heating module (1) is arranged between a sealing cabin (3) and the heat-insulating layer (4); the cooling heating module (1) tightly sticks to the bottom and the side part of the sealing cabin (3); the inner part of the cooling heating module (1) is provided with filling heat conducting material and a cooling heating exhaust pipe (11); glass (5) is arranged at the top of the cultural relics showcase; noble gas is filled in closed space (2) composed of the sealing cabin (3) and the glass (5); a heat exchanger (7) and a cold/heat source form a first loop; the cooling/heating exhaust pipe (11), a liquid pump (6) and the heat exchanger (7) form a closed second loop which is filled with noble liquid. The utility model completes the temperature control through the temperature and the flow of the noble liquid, and the utility model can satisfy the requirement of cultural relics preservation under the conditions of different show environments and different humidity.


HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS, PHYSIcians, and researchers may argue over the validity of quality ratings and rankings, but the fact remains that these reports are readily available to the public. How these measures affect the relationships among clinicians remains an open question. Individuals can see ratings through a variety of sources, including Thomson Reuters' "100 Top Hospitals" report as well as on such Web sites as US News & World Report's "America's Best Hospitals," Consumer Reports Health, HealthGrades, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' "Hospital Compare," and the Leapfrog Group's online hospital ratings tool. Also, some hospitals and physicians are rated locally through community media sources. David Dranove, PhD, professor of health industry management at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Ill, said the cynical reason such public reporting has proliferated is to sell magazines or advertising space. But he also offered a more serious explanation for why individuals may turn to these ratings and rankings. "Consumers are often uncertain about the quality of care they are receiving," he said. "In the last decade, there has been talk about quality of care being important, but it is not guaranteed."


The current situation of generator loss of excitation protection and the usual scheme of loss of excitation protection based on impedance principle are introduced. By analyzing the defects of the usual scheme, the feasibility of improving the performance of impedance principle based protection is analyzed and discussed. The improved scheme of generator loss of excitation protection based on impedance principle is detailed focusing on the operation characteristics of the impedance circles, low excitation current element and accelerating element. At last, the dynamic model test of a real digital protection relay is briefly introduced.


Background: There is a lack of in-depth research into medical students' perceptions regarding Surgical Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Objective: To determine the undergraduate student's perception regarding surgical OSCE. Methodology: The study conducted in Soba Hospital OSCE center using a self-administered questionnaire at the end of the surgical OSCE examination for final MBBS, University of Khartoum that held in December 2013. Main outcome measures were student perception of examination attributes. The collected data was analyzed statistically using SPSS version 21. Results:Total 297 final year medical students voluntarily and anonymously completed a self-administered questionnaire at the end of the OSCE examination. OSCE was considered as a fair examination method by 87.2% students. More than half of the students rated this examination as covering wide range of knowledge (58.6%), improves clinical skills and knowledge (68.4%), and is very useful and relevant to study and the type of work students will be doing after graduation (79.1%). Among respondents 87.2% highlighted OSCE may influence methods of teaching and 69.4% stated that it should be followed as the method of assessment in undergraduate surgical examination. Conclusion:OSCE was highly appreciated by the students as a tool to evaluate clinical competence among surgical students.


Objective: This article aimed to understand the factors of the development of the Indonesian legal weltanschauung as an effort to understand the potential of conflict that may happen post-Reformation in Indonesia.

Theoretical framework: The theoretical material in this article are state documents and legal regulations that support the rise and fall of the power regimes in Indonesia through the methodological weltanschauung in the study on the legal fundamentals and the state basis that has uncovered the conflicts that have so far been hidden and unresolved between the weltanschauung of the customary, Islamic, and colonial laws. This worldview conflict actually forms modern Indonesian law since its independence.

Results and conclusion: The weltanschauung of the Indonesian law was agreed upon on June 22nd, 1945 named Pancasila is contained in Paragraph IV of the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution or what is called Jakarta Charter. But in its development, there have been changes to its substance and official interpretations. These changes were simultaneous with various riots, rebellions, and violations of human rights under the ideological motive. But in the Reformation Era, its official interpretation tended to be based on legal pluralism.

Originality/value: Pancasila is deemed as an absolute and permanent thing, although historical facts show otherwise. Pancasila that was created on June 22nd, 1945 was changed on August 18th, 1945 by eradicating some words in its first principle. It also changed on October 29th, 1949 and August 15th, 1950 when its sentences were simplified. Towards the end of Soekarno's reign, specifically in 1964, the word "Guided Democracy" was added after social justice in the fifth principle. Pancasila was then formalized by the New Order with the August 18th, 1945 format.


Pseudoprogression (PsP) or radiation necrosis (RN) may frequently occur after cranial radiotherapy and show a similar imaging pattern compared to progressive disease (PD). Even for experienced neuroradiologists, it remains challenging to distinguish between these clinically relevant disease states. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based Contrast Clearance Analysis (CCA) in this clinical setting.

 Patients with equivocal imaging findings after cranial radiotherapy were consecutively included into this monocentric prospective study. Assuming a true accuracy of 90% and setting the significance level to 0.05, N=33 patients are required to show that accuracy is larger than 70% with a power of 80% using a one-sided binomial test. CCA was performed by subtraction of imaging features in late vs early T1-weighted sequences after contrast-agent application. Two experienced neuroradiologists evaluated CCA with respect to PsP/RN and PD being blinded for FET PET and histological findings; histopathological diagnosis was based on stereotactic biopsy or resection for space-occupying processes. The radiological assessment was compared with the histopathological results, and its accuracy was calculated statistically.

 Thirty-three patients were included; sixteen (48.5%) were treated because of a primary brain tumors, and 17 (51.1%) with brain metastases. In one patient, CCA was technically infeasible. The accuracy of CCA in predicting the histological result was 0.84 (95% CI 0.67–0.95; one-sided p=0.05; N=32). An accuracy of 0.85 (95% CI 0.68–0.95; one-sided p=0.04) would have been obtained in case of a correct classification in the non-analyzable case. Sensitivity and specificity of CCA were 0.93 (95%-CI 0.66–1.00) and 0.78 (95% CI 0.52–0.94), respectively. The accuracy in metastases patients was 0.94 (95% CI 0.71 - 1.00) and non-significantly higher compared to primary brain tumor patients with accuracy of 0.73 (95% CI 0.45 - 0.92), p=0.16.

 In this study, CCA was a highly accurate, easy and helpful method for distinguishing PsP or RN from PD after cranial radiotherapy, especially in brain metastases patients after radiosurgical treatment.


Computer aided topology optimization design is a relatively new but rapidly expanding area of structural mechanics. Topology optimization design is used in an increasing rate by for example building and bridge engineering as well as the car, machine and aerospace industries. The reason for this is that it often achieves great savings and design improvements by solving the basic engineering problem of distributing a limited amount of material in a design space, in which a certain objective function has to be optimized. In static problems a common objective is to minimize the compliance such as strain energy and in dynamic problems the first natural eigenfrequency is often maximized in order to evaluate the stiffest structures. The goal of this study is to get a wide use for structural designs in the topology optimization. Therefore with respect to SIMP dynamic topology optimization problems are treated in comparisons with static problems in this research. For the topology optimization problems implemented algorithms can be the optimality criteria method and the method of moving asymptotes (MMA). Numerical applications topologically maximizing the first natural eigenfrequency or minimizing strain energy of plates verify the generality and wide use of topology optimization with respect to structural designs.


In conventional synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems, the image of a moving target is usually mislocated. In this paper, a dual-speed SAR imaging approach, i.e., the radar platform flies with two different speeds in the radar observation time duration, is proposed to resolve the above two problems, especially the mislocation problem. We also propose several practical approaches to the realization of the dual-speed radar platform. Some simulation results are given.


Mechanical methods of deployment of permanent, continuous analog visible recording of signals complicate the design of analog recorders and light–beam oscilloscopes with the continuous visible recording of low–frequency processes and periodic output of recording frames, reduce their reliability and accuracy, make it difficult to adjust deployment steps, increase power and dimensions, and also lead to additional geometrical and optical errors in light–beam oscilloscopes. To eliminate these shortcomings, electronic methods for deployment of continuous analog visible recording are proposed and analysed, on the basis of which corresponding devices are also developed, created, and tested, with the help of which the proposed electronic methods are tested and verified based on ASEO type Automatic seismic electrographic oscilloscopes.


Adaptive Cruise Control System (ACC) is an essential ADAS system for the autonomous vehicle for preventing all kinds of collision in the complex traffic and road situations. Ramp merging has been considered as one of the special traffic situations that can be used for testing the performance of ACC and sensor fusion requirements. To realise the project outcomes, the parametres of Long-Range Radar and Short-Range Radar has been implemented onto the IPG CarMaker with several scenarios of ramp merging been generated for simulating the ACC performance under different sensors and sensor fusion strategies. According to the simulation result, the stability of ACC performance under ramp merging needs to be permitted through adding sensor fusion between Long and Short Range Radar in order to prevent all kinds of collision between different dynamic models of ego and front target vehicle.


The Tano Basin is one of the prospective oil fields in Western part of Ghana. Geographically, the area lies 446' north of latitude and about 3 west of longitude. The study dwells on the evaluation of the Petrophysical parameters of the reservoir through the modification of the extended Archie's model by Pickett. Through the technique, the reservoir Petrophysical parameters such as specific surface per unit volume, permeability, capillary pressure, bulk volume and height above free water surface have been established. The procedure uses existing resistivity model which is a function of water saturation and porosity. Resistivity is expressed as an additional function of permeability, specific surface per unit volume, capillary pressure, bulk volume and height above free water surface through the embedded water saturation model. Additionally, saturation exponent n, porosity exponent m and tortuosity factor a were evaluated in the process. The study presents a useful model of the extended Archie's model which provides a quick integration of formation Petrophysical parameters which is very significant for reservoir interpretation, prognostication and appraisal


Professional nursing values that affect patient safety and outcomes are important to the hospitals and facilities that hire nurses. Therefore, it is reasonable to be concerned with the consistency of professional value development within nursing education. The aim of this study was to determine level differences of professional nursing values in pre-nursing, sophomore, junior, and senior baccalaureate nursing students and examine the relationship between professional values and other demographics in the students. Benner's novice-to-expert model served as a framework for this study. With this in mind, nursing values were evaluated with the 26-item Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised. A non-experimental cross-sectional design was used to collect data from pre-nursing, sophomore, junior, and senior undergraduate nursing students. Findings revealed greater similarities than differences across the level differences in values; the hypothesis that each level of nursing school education would result in an increase in professional values was not supported.


This article discusses the transitoriness of the discipline of Sociology in the Brazilian curriculum. The research has a qualitative character and from the bibliographic and documentary study we seek to understand the socio-historical processes that contributed to the instability of Sociology in the curricular organization of the Brazilian Basic Education, specifically the High School. Through the comparative method we have brought the Brazilian legislation to develop our problem. In the first moment, there is a resumption of educational policies along the Brazilian historical trajectory and its context, then we reflect on the inconvenience that Sociology causes and its insertion and importance in High School, from the theoretical contributions of Pierre Bourdieu to the greater understanding and amplification of the debate in question.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2552880


Studies in 15 industries revealed characteristic empirical relationships between workplace environmental conditions and outside weather conditions. These relationships, expressed in the form of predictive models for Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, can be used to estimate WBGT from weather forecasts, weather reports, or current meterorological measurements.


The article presents a classification of verb predications by presenting dynamic schemata for the prototypical scenarios to which the predications refer. The schemata are, of course, conceptual in nature. They involve the instrumental interaction with the spatio-temporal world, the force of dynamic interaction between two agents that are conceptualized as intentional, affective expressions conceptualized as reactions to external events, and finally cognitive transformations referring to the mental domain. The effect of applying the aspectual verb begin to the verb predication is examined, and in fact the classification proposed is a result of the different effects that can be verified. Finally, the application of temporal adverbs to the verbal phrase is briefly touched upon.


A communication network and its user i has a device for implementing a common key cryptosystem, an identifier of the user i represented by IDi which is made public in the network, an authentication key of a user i represented by Si is known only to the network and the user i and these identifiers and authentication keys of all the users are stored in a database of the network. Data for authentication and encrypted data of a cipher key for the subsequent privacy communication are sent from the network to the user, the user presents his identifier (ID) to the network, after which up to three interactions take place between the network and the user to perform the required authentications and distribution of the cipher key.


This paper explores the relationships between subjective experiences and objective design parameters. It presents findings from a research project that questions the notion of attachment between users and objects, attempts to understand its emotional origins and seeks to propose design strategies that favour its development. The researcher summarizes the initial outcomes derived from ethnographic interviews conducted among thirty people. This paper suggests that utility, appearance, symbolic meaning and users' experience are four key reasons that sustain the emotional attachment. The study also reveals the importance of sentimental values which users associated with particular products, generated by relationships, memories, and life experiences. Four design strategies are proposed corresponding to each type of attachment. Sustainable design strategies informed by these insights and their implications for design practices are to be explored. KEYWORDS: Sustainable design strategies, Attachment, Emotion, Experience


We define e-business models as conceptual models that show how a network of actors (a value constellation) creates, exchanges and consumes objects of value by performing value adding activities. In this paper we present a semi-formal ontology-based representation of e-business models that is useful in carrying out a preliminary business and requirements analysis. In particular, we show that a small set of generic 'model deconstruction' operators is able to generate design variations on a given e-business model, so that upfront analysis of the characteristics and consequences of a range of alternative e-business models becomes possible. We illustrate our ontology-based e3-value approach by a commercial project on Internet news services.


Sunlight, especially UV radiation, is known forits beneficial effects, but even more for its harmful o nes. As a result, the use of sunscreen preparations have been growing recently, which has led to their efficacy and safe ty being a current topic of investigation. The aim of this wor k was to obtain intercalation compounds of UVA avob enzone (AVO) and UVB ethylhexylmethoxycinnamate(EHMC) suns creens and an organophilicbentonite (OB), in which the sunscreens were chosen because of the problems asso ciated with their use, and the clay for its already escribed capacity to act as a physical sunscreen. The interc alation compounds (AVO-OB and EHMC-OB) were obtaine d by a solution technique and characterized using transmis ion electronic microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRPD ) and thermal analyses (TG/DSC). The basal spacing data of OB was maintained in both. Furthermore, the TEM mic rographs of both corroborate the XRPD results. Ther mal analysis confirmed the formation of intercalation c ompounds with the disappearance of the melting poin t peaks of the sunscreens. Moreover, the concentrations of sun screens in AVO-OB and EHMC-OB were quantified, at a round 1% and 3%, respectively. These data account for the FTIR bands of the guest molecule overlapping those of the clay. All these findings demonstrated the intercalation, in a simple process, of AVO or EHMC in the layered structure of bentonite. The investigation of these nanocomposite systems on the preservation of the sunscreen prope rties in order to enhance the SPF and avoid sunscreen contact with the skin are our next steps.


Abstract A new class and a new order (Drabo corymbosae-Papaveretea dahliani and Saxifrago oppositifoliae-Papaveretalia dahliani) have been described, and the Papaverion dahliani validated. This is vegetation of zonal habitats in lowlands of the High Arctic subzone A (or Arctic herb, cushion forb or polar desert subzone) and of ecologically equivalent sites at high altitudes on the mountain plateaus of the High Arctic. The new class spans three continents – North America (Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Greenland), Europe (parts of Svalbard and Franz Josef Land), and Asia, including northern regions of Chelyuskin Peninsula (Taymir Peninsula), Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago and De Longa Islands.


Narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) is associated with frequent sleep stage transitions during nocturnal sleep. In this study, we report the pattern of sleep stage transitions that occurs and its relationship to CSF-orexin levels among pediatric NT1 patients. Furthermore, we study the patterns of sleep stage transitions in patients with Narcolepsy Type 2 (NT2) and Idiopathic Hypersomnia (IH).

 We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study of nocturnal polysomnograms (PSGs) of a cohort of patients ages 5-21 years with NT1 (n=160), NT2 (n=24), IH (n=28), and subjectively sleepy controls (n=115) collected at Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA and University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. We compared the patterns of transitions between different sleep/wake stages during the nocturnal PSG by diagnostic group as well as by CSF-orexin level (low ≤110 pg/ml; normal >110 pg/ml) using chi-square testing that was adjusted for multiple comparisons.

 NT1 demonstrated a pattern of transitions from wake and all sleep stages except N3 sleep vs. controls, NT2, and IH with frequent transitions between wake and N1 sleep and less frequent transitions from N1 sleep to N2 sleep. The NT2 group had a distinct pattern of transitions from N1 vs. controls with more frequent transitions to REM sleep and less frequent transitions to N2. The IH group showed a similar pattern of sleep/wake transitions vs. controls. The pattern of transitions for the low CSF orexin group was different for all sleep stages and wake vs. normal level with frequent transitions from N2 sleep and REM sleep to wake and N1 sleep.

 Young NT1 patients have a unique pattern of transitions between sleep/wake states. These findings are further confirmed by CSF orexin level. NT2 patients have a pattern of sleep stage transitions more similar to controls with the exception of the transitions from N1 sleep suggesting dysregulation of this light sleep stage. In contrast, the IH group shows patterns of transitions between sleep stages and wake that are similar to controls. Overall, results support differing sleep phenotypes demarcating these patients with severe daytime sleepiness.

 National Institutes of Health grant 5K23NS104267-2 to K.M


By analysis kinds of factors which affect the low pressure and short cycle overlaying on surface decorated Particleboard with paper impregnated thermosetting resins,some parameters were confirmed on low pressure and short cycle overlaying It is feasible that these parameters were used in experiment,moreover,each of physical and chemical properties meets the need of national standard on surface decorated particleboard with paper impregnated thermosetting resins


Objective: To investigate the correlation between body mass in- dex (BMI) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure in a large population of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Patients and MethOds: The BMI of patients with group 1 PAH enrolled in the Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-term PAH Disease Management (REVEAL) was compared with that of age- and sex-matched controls in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to clarify whether obesity is linked with PAH. The diagnosis of PAH was defined in REVEAL by right-sided heart catheterization. Differences in BMI and the percentage of patients considered obese (BMI ≥30) and underweight (BMI <18.5) in various subgroups of patients enrolled in REVEAL from March 30, 2006, through September 11, 2007, were determined. Results: Mean BMI was no different for patients with PAH (n=2141) than for the NHANES normal comparison group; how-ever, the proportion of obese and underweight patients was increased in patients with PAH. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that subgroups with idiopathic PAH and those with PAH associ- ated with drugs and toxins had both higher BMI and percentage of obese patients, whereas 3 other subgroups (those with PAH asso- ciated with congenital heart disease, connective tissue disease, and human immunodeficiency virus) had lower mean BMI. cOnclusiOn: Mean BMI


Objective To analyze the freezing and thawing process of the tissues based on the Pennes equation with temperature dependent blood perfusion and to test the influences of different parameters for the temperature prediction. Method The finite difference method with variable time step was utilized and iterations were performed to solve the non linear bioheat equation. Result The transient temperature field, the freezing front,the temperature change rate under phase change for different blood perfusion(maximum, temperature dependent, average and zero) under two different surface boundary conditions: fixed freezing temperature(-196℃ -30℃) and fixed cooling rate (8.95℃/min)and the thawing process are numerically predicted. Conclusion Compared with traditional model, the temperature dependent perfusion model is closer to the real in vivo tissue, the differences of the results in freezing/thawing analysis is notable, and the present results are expected to meet the practical need in temperature prediction of the cryosurgery.


A cyclic water-filling EPON(Ethernet Passive Optical Network) DBA(Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation) algorithm and itsimplementation inan ASIC aredescribed withfuture improvements. Everycycle, short static gates aregenerated to collect reports anddynamic gates aregenerated according tothe reports collected inprevious cycle. Ineachcycle, unitlength is additively allocated totheONUsinacyclic fashion until allthe requests aresatisfied ornoresource isleft. Fourparallel engines areusedtoprocess therequests. Asimprovements, priority will be considered, andtheprocessing burdenwillbe evenly distributed tothe4parallel engines inanycase.


As outlined in the proposal for this project, the practical or applied impetus for this research is this: salinity of soils and water is inimical to the production of crops and other plants biomass, and to that extent causes a dimunition of the world's capture of solar energy. Of the two strategies of coping with this problem -- rendering soils and water less saline, and developing plants better able to cope with saline substrates -- the present project deals with the latter. The current prolonged drought in California and elsewhere in the West prompts an energetic pursuit of this option, for the availability of less water is tantamount to a general exacerbation of the salinity threat. Bread wheat, Triticum aestivum, is relatively salt-sensitive, whereas tall wheatgrass, Lophopyrum elongatum, is highly salt-tolerant, as shown in our laboratory in investigations going back to the 1960's. In the present investigation both the degree of salt tolerance and that of K{sup +}/Na{sup +} discrimination have been examined in wheat, Triticum aestivum, Chinese Spring,' the wheat x L. elongatum amphiploid, and a set of 20 disomic substitution lines. The latter would reveal which of the L. elongatum chromosomes substituted for their homoeologues in wheat contributemore » salt tolerance to wheat, and what congruence, if any, exists between that degree of salt tolerance and changes in K{sup +}/Na{sup +} discrimination in the target wheat.« less


The workshop saw Prof. Britta Renner and Dr. Stephanie Kurzenhauser brought together for the first time in facilitating this workshop on Risk Perception and Risk Communication. The dual facilitation was excellent, as the facilitators provided a relaxed and engaging learning environment that stimulated many ideas and questions. The workshop utilised interactive presentations and group work. The facilitators split the participants into groups; who then worked together for the duration of the workshop. Each group was required to design a leaflet about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and present the leaflet at the end of the workshop.


The biographer Ronald Clark once described the influential evolutionary mathematician J.B.S. Haldane as "…among the last of the 'string-and-sealing-wax' scientists, the men who could achieve results by themselves, without the aid of a committee, and who could, without the help of another


The social brain hypothesis (SBH) has played a prominent role in interpreting the relationship between human social, cognitive and technological evolution in archaeology and beyond. This article examines how the SBH has been applied to the Palaeolithic material record, and puts forward a critique of the approach. Informed by Material Engagement Theory (MET) and its understanding of material agency, it is argued that the SBH has an inherently cognitivist understanding of mind and matter at its core. This Cartesian basis has not been fully resolved by archaeological attempts to integrate the SBH with relational models of cognition. At the heart of the issue has been a lack of meaningful consideration of the cognitive agency of things and the evolutionary efficacy of material engagement. This article proposes MET as a useful starting point for rethinking future approaches to human social cognitive becoming in a way that appreciates the co-constitution of brains, bodies and worlds. It also suggests how MET may bridge archaeological and 4E approaches to reconsider concepts such as the 'mental template' and Theory of Mind.


This paper explores robust optimization and combinatorial models to solve passenger train rolling-stock planning problems. The aim is to help rolling-stock deal better with railroad system disruptions. The method proposed uses simulation and optimization to handle situations where the data and information that exist are imperfect.


Introduction: On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck the northeastern coast of Japan with the magnitude nine. Ishinomaki medical zone was affected most severely with 328 evacuation shelters and approximately 50,000 evacuees. The Ishinomaki Zone Joint Relief Team gathered information directly from all evacuation shelters using assessment sheets. Based on this assessment data, various measures were carried out for environmental improvement of the shelters. To prepare for the next major disaster, a software program called Rapid Assessment System of Evacuation Center Condition - Gonryo and Miyagi (RASECC-GM) was developed, which computerizes the whole process, including entering, tabulating, and managing of shelter assessment data. Aim: To verify the feasibility, usability, and accuracy of RASECC-GM, a verification test was performed using mock shelter data on October 23-26, 2018, to coincide with Logistics Training Course of Medical Logistics for Disasters held by Iwate Medical University. Methods: On October 22, 2018 at four simulated disaster relief and health care branches, participants at each branch were asked to enter two mock shelter data items, submit a closed shelter request, and register a new shelter using RASECC-GM, respectively. The next day participants were asked to enter two mock shelter data items per branch while offline and upload the data to the server when next online. The uploaded data was checked for accuracy and whether it could be viewed on the management screen. After the test, a questionnaire survey was given to participants to verify the feasibility and usability of RASECC-GM. Results: It was confirmed that RASECC-GM functioned almost correctly. All participants answered that input operation was easy to understand, and 90.9% of participants could input without a mistake and did not feel stress when inputting data. Discussion: RASECC-GM appeared to be useful to shelter assessment, but further improvements are needed for practical use.


The Republic of Moldova is a small country in Eastern Europe, which has become one of the front lines in the clash between Russia and the West. One of the ways in which geopolitics manifests itself in this small country is in populist domestic politics. Political movements in support of joining a Russialed Customs Union and calling for eventual unification with Romania have both been popular as Moldova and its residents have struggled to find their own political and national identity. Politicians seek to focus voters' attention on abstract issues such as the name of the language spoken in the country or its geopolitical orientation, which only serves to divide society more deeply, rather than address basic governance issues and the country's endemic corruption. Many have chosen to leave the country in search of a better future elsewhere and those who stay are increasingly assaulted by polarizing political rhetoric asking them to choose between mutually exclusive visions of the country's history and its future.


The trisilane is used for chemical vapor deposition of depositing a silicon-containing thin film on a substrate mixture. With this method, including the uniform deposition, high deposition rate, a higher manufacturing productivity advantages hybrid (heterogeneous) surface, to provide a number of benefits and useful in semiconductor manufacturing. Comprising the simultaneous deposition on the single crystal surface or an amorphous semiconductor isolation region, an embodiment of a method for forming a base region of a heterojunction bipolar transistor. Chemical vapor deposition, the substrate mixture, trisilane, a silicon-containing thin film.


N-Alkyl-substituted phthalimides (1) were easily converted to di-, tri-, and tetra-substituted pyrazoles (10) via a one-pot addition-decyclization-cyclocondensation process. Then, the structure and the position of N1-substitution of the 1,3-pyrazole ring were determined by X-Ray crystallographic analysis and 1 H-nOe experiments.


Abstract : The thermochemical equilibrium code BLAKE has been used to calculate the thermochemical properties of a variety of mixtures for possible use as working fluids in an electrothermal (ET) gun. The mixtures studied included water, octane/hydrogen peroxide, titanium hydride/aluminum/water, and lithium borohydride/water. The relative merits of each of these mixtures will be discussed as well as possible applications. Keywords: Plasma; Guns; Hypervelocity guns; Electrothermal propulsion; Thermochemical analysis.


Background and Purpose: The importance of the shoulder in the correct positioning of the hand can be compared to the joints of a dredging machine that moves the shovel into the correct position. The function of the shovel is dependent upon the proximal joints that position it and the stability of the cab. Core scapular and trunk stability are necessary for distal function as well. Most upper extremity functional activities of daily living are rarely performed solely in pure cardinal planes. Scaption is an important movement to consider when treating shoulder pathologies because it incorporates functional movement patterns that are a part of the normal biomechanics of the shoulder complex. Alternative testing position may be useful, however, in identifying positions, which maximize biomechanical abilities.
Methodology: Grip strength was taken in 5 different ranges of scaption plane.
Results & Conclusion: The grip strength was significantly better in Scaption plane 180°, Scaption plane 120°& Scaption plane 90° in comparison to standardized position of grip strength given by ASHT (American society of hand therapists).


Optimal management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)‐associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains unclear. Our observation describes the case of a 31‐year‐old SLE patient presenting with cardiogenic shock revealing severe PAH, in which a therapeutic scheme combining immunosuppressants (pulse cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids) and PAH‐specific drugs (bosentan, tadalafil, and epoprostenol) led to a complete normalization of pulmonary haemodynamics and allowed a progressive weaning of PAH vasodilators. This case report supports the efficacy of immunosuppressants and use of PAH‐specific therapy as a bridge therapy in severe SLE‐PAH. Further studies on larger population are required to confirm these findings.


The teaching theory in RTVU has divorced form its practice for a long time and therefore the theory and practice should be linked up so as to set up the teaching mode. This has a practilcal significance for the teaching research topics.


In this short paper we present an ongoing research project on computer supported problem based learning (PBL). We believe that the advancement of multimedia technology provides an opportunity to extend this alternative model of learning. We have surveyed experienced PBL students and teachers to find ideas on how current problem based learning activities can be enriched or transformed by interactive multimedia. To be presented at the sixth European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) Aix-en-Provence, France, June 4-6 1998. Computer Supported Problem Based Learning: The case of project failure


Weibull distribution was suggested by Waloddi Weibull, a Swedish professor, in 1939, to explain the well known but unexplained facts that the relative strength of a specimen decreases with increasing dimensions and that its bending strength is larger than its tensile strength. This theory was based on the assumption that the strength is a stochastic quantity, which has to be specified by a distribution function with one or more parameters. It was also assumed that this function is a property of the material, and that the previously mentioned size effects are reflected by changes in the values of the parameters of the given function.


The use of pretrial and bond supervision commonly referred to as supervised release has increased over the last several decades due to burgeoning jail and prison populations. Much research has been conducted on these release mechanisms but has yet to examine the effects of types of technical violations on pretrial failure. The current study examined the effects of technical violations committed by individuals under a felony "bond" supervision program, which included both pretrial releasees and individuals being supervised on bond awaiting a probation revocation hearing, in a large metropolitan area. The results demonstrate while technical violations are associated with pretrial failure, the effects vary by violation type. Furthermore, the findings illustrate differences in risk factors for technical violations while on pretrial/bond supervision. Relevant policy implications of the research are provided.


The environmental flow has important scientific significance and practical value on maintaining the health of the Yellow River, artificial floods is an unique environmental flow to restore river' s natural and socio - economic functions. This study discusses the basic features, concept definition and evaluation method of the making of artificial floods, analyzes the general rules and its particularity of implementing the environmental flow management in the Yellow River Basin from the policy, management and technical levels. Making Artificial Floods and its impact assessment on social - economic and environment are introduced and discussed, and also puts forward a series of constructive policy recommendations regarding how to achieve the river protection and the sustainable development of social economy.


Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) measurement is possible by rocket immunoelectrophoresis and counterimmunoelectrophoresis methods which can measure concentrations as low as .1-1 mg/ml. A several 100-fold difference in AFP between fetal serum and amniotic fluid (AF) exists; hence cross-contamination can cause false positive results. 90% of proteins in AF however come from the maternal serum (MS) compartment and since AFP is small enough to cross into the MS compartment its levels can be used to detect prenatally fetal defects by measuring MS AFP levels. In second trimester AFP falls rapidly because normal AF volume is expanding and fetal production rates remain relatively constant. Polyhydramnios may change AFP in either direction (e.g. depressed with maternal diabetes and elevated with fetal swallowing defect). AF AFP is elevated in some cases of twin pregnancy; similarly MS AFP is more constantly elevated than AF. For proper laboratory results accurate pregnancy date estimation is essential because of rapidly changing second trimester AFP values. If careful attention is given to possible fetal blood contamination pregnancy date and twin pregnancy AF AFP measures are 90% accurate or better in mothers at high risk for neural tube defects (NTD). MS AFP is measured in units 1000-fold lower than AF (mcg/ml) and 1 million-fold lower than fetal serum (mg/ml). MS AFP does not rise above nonpregnancy until Week 10 of gestation. Elevated MS AFP in first trimester is probably due to direct fetomaternal transfer (placental injury or separation). AFP in MS reaches maximum 30 weeks postconception or 30-32 weeks of pregnancy. 3 problems in comparing and applying AFP screening results are: 1) differing definitions of upper limits of normal pregnancy AFP values; 2) differing incidence of NTD in populations studied; and 3) possibility of genetic variations in normal pregnancy values. Low for pregnancy date values indicate decidua without remaining fetal parts.


Many of the classical inequalities of analysis can be written in the form P(x) ≥ 0 for x ∈ I or P(x) > 0 for x ∈ I′, where P(x) is a polynomial and I′ ⊂ I are certain intervals on the real line. This gives rise to the question of where the zeros of P(x) are located. For example, if f is a polynomial with real zeros, then an inequality of Laguerre [8, p. 171 f.] asserts that for all x. A detailed study of the zeros of this particular P(x) has been made [5].


As a result of differential splicing, one subunit of the nuclear factor Y (NF‐Y) consists of two major isoforms designated short (NF‐YaS) and long (NF‐YaL). In proliferating normal human fibroblasts, NF‐YaL is by far the more expressed isoform. Surprisingly, NF‐YaS was found by immunoblotting to be as prominent as NF‐YaL in simian virus 40 (SV40)–transformed cell derivatives. As a consequence, two NF‐Y/DNA complexes, one containing the long and the other the short isoform, were formed with extracts from transformed cells and a target promoter element in electrophoretic mobility‐shift assays. Only the complex containing NF‐YaL was detected with extracts from normal fibroblasts. Furthermore, the NF‐Y recognition motif contributed to promoter activation in SV40‐transformed cells but not in normal, cells. Our finding links transcription stimulation in transformed cells to quantitative changes in the expression of an NF‐Ya subunit. Mol. Carcinog. 24:294–299, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The contour extraction of laser strip is the most critical part of the 3D measurement based on line-structured laser scanning, and its accuracy and robustness directly affects the performance of the system. For the problem that the width of the stripe changes with orientation or reflectivity on the surface, an improved self-adaptive extraction methods is proposed based on Steger's algorithm. In this method, a fixed scale is firstly chosen according to the width of laser beam to convolute the image with Gaussian kernels and get the hessian matrix of every point, then calculate the width along normal direction. The contour of the complex stripes is extracted with sub-pixel accuracy by combing the character that the second derivative takes different extremums for different width under fixed scale space. The validity and superiority of the method are tested separately and the results show excellent performance on extracting the precise contour of complex strips with variable width.


A study was conducted to investigate air deposition and to explore the natural or anthropogenic sources of contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the region of Polog, North Macedonia, using moss samples as biomonitors of air pollution. The distribution of 22 elements was detected in 43 moss samples collected in the region. Multivariate statistical analysis was applied to the available data. Factor analysis identified five association factors, of which four factors, F1 (Cr, Li, V, Co, Fe, Al, Ni, and As), F2 (K, P, and Mg), F4 (Ag and Cu), and F5 (Ba, Sr, and Mn) were related to lithogenic sources and one factor F3 (Hg, Pb, Cd, and Zn) was related to mixed lithogenic and anthropogenic sources. The content of the elements of F1 is higher in the areas on Mount Šar (area without industrial and urban activities), where Precambrian and Paleozoic shales and Paleozoic sandstones predominate, indicating that their origin is mainly a natural phenomenon. The high contents of the elements from F2, F4, and F5 are also related to the lithology of the studied region. Thus, the high contents of elements from F2 are distributed in the western part of the area, where Precambrian and Paleozoic shists and Paleozoic sandstones dominate, and their contents correlate well with the contents of lithogenic elements in the soil samples from the same region. Elements of Factor 4 have higher contents in the southern part of the region, in areas with Paleozoic‐Mesozoic carbonates and Precambrian‐Paleozoic shales, while elements of Factor 5 occur in the regions with shales, Quaternary sedimentary rocks, and Precambrian‐Paleozoic shales, also indicating the lithogenic character of this factor. In addition to the lithogenic origin of the distribution of elements contained in F3 (Hg, Pb, Cd, and Zn), anthropogenic activities also have an influence on the increased content in the northeastern part of the region. This is due to dust emissions from the Silmak ferrosilicon smelter, as well as emissions from industry (steel smelters) and urban activities of the nearby capital Skopje.


Ethanol is a well-known agent causing organ damage including hippocampus. Hippocampus damage will reduce spatial memory. This study aimed to determine the effects of green tea extract on spatial memory function in adolescent rats following ethanol administration. One of cathecin derivates in green tea is EGCG which is believed to prevent hippocampal damage due to ethanol. The research was conducted on 25 rats, divided into 5 groups with 2 control groups and 3 experimental groups. A control group 1 (K1) was given 20 % ethanol with a dose of 2g/kgBW, while a control group 2 (K2) was only given with distilled water. All experimental groups (P1,P2 and P3) were given ethanol 2gr/kgBW and green tea extract with a dose of 108mg/200gBW, 216mg/200gBW, and 432mg/200gBW, respectively for P1, P2, and P3. Administration of ethanol and green tea extracts were performed for 14 days. The rats' spatial memory were tested by observation using the Radial Arm Maze ( RAM ) for 10 days. The number of the right arm in K1 was fewer than K2, P1, P2 and P3, but in K2 the right arm similar with P2 and higher than P1 and P2. In conclusion, the green tea extract influence the spatial memory of ethanol-induced adolescent rat. Keywords : Ethanol, green tea extract, Radial Arm Maze, spatial memory


The link-hanging basket as a platform to hold all loads was lighter than the traditional basket.To ensure the security of the cantilever construction,the spatial element model was necessary to be built.In this paper,the ANSYS shell element was used to analyze the stress and the deformation of the basket at different conditions.The apparent space effect of the link-hanging basket was taken into consideration.The computational results was in consistent with those from the field tested.It also showed that the optimal design was reliable and the operational performance could meet the construction requirements.


The neuroplasticity mechanisms of the organism form the basis of dissimilar therapies that seek to potentiate such effects to achieve relative improvement in a large number of neurodegenerative diseases. Included within this high number of conditions, Alzheimer's disease stands out, due to its direct relationship with the alarming figures of population aging in Cuba and the world. The objective of this bibliographic review was to describe the main therapeutic alternatives that are based on the neuroplasticity mechanism, applicable in patients with Alzheimer's disease. For this, a literature review was carried out, and relevant publications from the last five years were identified. It was concluded that, according to the strongest evidence found, the fundamental therapeutic alternatives are those focused on enhancing neuronal plasticity; standing out within this group of therapies, physical exercise, transcranial magnetic stimulation and increased concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Especially notable the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, due to its demonstrated ability to promote neuronal plasticity through different ways.


This paper considers an approach to resolving referential relations when extracting information from a text. The proposed approach is an attempt to integrate the multifactorial model of the activation coefficient with the approach to resolving the referential ambiguity of the text when replenishing the ontology. The found objects are compared based on an assessment of the proximity of attributes and relationships of objects. An ontological interpretation of relations and measures of similarity of attributes based on a multifactorial model is proposed. This model is distinguished by the fact that it makes it possible to introduce the concepts of "rhetorical distance", "linear distance", "animation", "distance between paragraphs", and "syntactic and semantic role of the antecedent". A multifactorial model is proposed, which is a necessary and sufficient component for the purpose of explaining the measure of similarity of referents for choosing the best applicant. The counting system and its modification were revealed by trial and error; the work was carried out until the selected numerical weights began to explain all the available material. The current study also examines the factors of choice of reference devices that make it possible to work with complex sentences and texts. Moreover, examples of finding a measure of proximity in a multilingual system for the Kazakh, Russian, and English languages are offered. For the current paper, texts in the Russian, English, and Kazakh languages were used as a source for practical tasks. The texts were selected using news articles on the Internet sites where translations into other languages, including those named above, were offered.
The authors of this study have done massive practical work, which confirms the correctness of the thesis they are considering


[first paragraph of article] For many years, cardiovascular disease was considered predominantly a disease of men, despite the fact that more U.S. women than men died annually from cardiovascular illness. 1 Because of this misperception of their cardiovascular risk, for many years women were underdiagnosed and undertreated, with consequent increases in cardiovascular morbidity, mortality, and disability. With recent appreciation of this historical gender disparity, clinical and epidemiological research studies have identified cardiovascular features specific to women, resulting in an improved spectrum of care. Although since 1984 more U.S. women than men died annually from cardiovascular disease, beginning in the year 2000 there was a sharp decline in cardiovascular mortality for women, indeed, more precipitous than that for men. Half of this favorable effect is considered due to improved preventive strategies and the remainder to improved management of recognized cardiovascular disease. In 2013, for the first time, more U.S. men than women died of cardiovascular disease and we are delighted to be in second place.


A phase 1 trial of oral ribavirin (RBV) to evaluate safety tolerance and efficacy in 5 patients with AIDS and 5 patients with ARC was carried out. In an initial study of 2 weeks duration RBV 1200 mg BID for 3 days followed by 300 mg BID for 11 days was tolerated well and only 1 patient with AIDS required a transfusion after the study. In 4 of 5 AIDS patients absolute T4 numbers doubled with 2 weeks of RBV and then returned to baseline on stopping the drug. Responses of perepheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to PHA or con-A challenge increased in 4/5 AIDS patients. 1 patient with ARC cleared HTLV III/LAV from his blood with RBV treatment. A longer study where patients received RBV for 2 months followed. All patients with AIDS (5/5) after 1 month of oral RBV had PBL harvested and showed enhanced proliferation to con-A and 4/5 showed increased response to PHA. Augmented responses of PBL to candida (4/5) and viral antigens (HSV and CMV in 3/5) was seen. Augmented response of PBL from ARC patients was not as consistent. Absolute T4 lymphocyte levels in 3 of 4 AIDS patients who completed a 1 month cycle of oral RBV increased (Table 1). The state of HTLV III/LAV viremia and immune function in 10 AIDS and 5 ARC patients receiving 2 months of oral RBV is being evaluated. These early results indicate that oral RBV is safe well-tolerated and has a sustained effect in increasing T4 lymphocyte number and enhancing responses of PBL to soluble antigens in the majority of AIDS patients treated for 1 month. (Authors)


Introduction Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play an important role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis and vascular injuries in terms of proliferation and migration. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the anti-migratory and proliferative effects of naked gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on VSMCs. Materials and methods One set of physically synthesized AuNPs (pAuNPs) and three sets of chemically synthesized AuNPs (cAuNPs) were tested. Results and discussion Among them, the pAuNPs were found to significantly and markedly inhibit platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced VSMC migration. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the pAuNPs were ingested and aggregated in the cytoplasm at an early stage of treatment, while the viability of VSMCs was not affected within 24 hours of treatment. The pAuNP treatment enhanced cellular mitochondrial activity but inhibited basal and PDGF-induced VSMC proliferation, as determined by MTT, WST-1, and BrdU cell proliferation assays. Furthermore, the pAuNPs did not interfere with PDGF signaling or matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression/activity. Unlike the cAuNPs, the pAuNPs could markedly reduce VSMC adhesion to collagen, which was supported by the findings that the pAuNPs could inhibit collagen-induced tyrosine protein and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) phosphorylation and actin cytoskeleton reorganization during cell adhesion. The in vitro effects of the pAuNPs were confirmed in the in vivo rat balloon-injured carotid artery model by diminishing the proliferating VSMCs. Conclusion Taken together, the present study provides the first evidence that naked pAuNPs can reduce VSMC migration and compromise cell adhesion by affecting FAK and tyrosine-protein activation. The pAuNPs also have an inhibitory effect on PDGF-induced VSMC proliferation and can reduce proliferating/migrating VSMC expression in vivo.


The novel "The Ocean at the end of the Lane" sheds light on the children's view of the world and the unique perception of reality, which is completely different from the perception of adults. The object of the study is the manifestations of memory impairment in the novel. The subject is the analysis of changes in memory with age, as well as its role in overcoming stress caused by trauma. The purpose of the article is to understand, in the light of personality psychology and memory research, how and why the memories of the child protagonist change and merge with the imagination as the narrative changes. This helps to identify oppositions of imagination and reality in the novel, which echoes the perception of the world by the main character-a child in parallel with the perception of the world by adults. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that psychological research is used in the article in order to show how magical realism reflects the problem of memory changes in the novel "Ocean at the End of the Lane", and, therefore, provides a basis for further opportunities to study children's magical perception, realistic memory in postmodern novels. The results of the study demonstrate to what extent the style of magical realism expresses the transformation of mental abilities and perception of reality during the transition from childhood to adulthood in the novel. In this sense, "The Ocean at the end of the Lane" is an image of the world seen both from the point of view of adult life and from the point of view of childhood.


• DECLARATIVE VS NONDECLARATIVE MEMORY • SOMATIC RESPONSES TO STRESS • THE MEANING OF SPEED o VEHICULAR TRANSPORT AND SOCIETY o THE AUTOMOBILE AS A THREAT • THE PHYSIOLOGY OF TRAUMATIZATION • KINDLING AND TRAUMA • COGNITIVE DEFICITS IN TRAUMA • TRAUMA AND THE POST CONCUSSION SYNDROME • BINOCULAR DYSFUNCTION • VESTIBULAR AND AUTONOMIC DYSFUNCTION • NEUROMUSCULAR DYSFUNCTION AND MYOFASCIAL PAIN • CEPHALIC MYOFASCIAL PAIN • CONCLUSIONS • BIBLIOGRAPHY


To stretch an argument means to make a political argument that is slightly (but not glaringly) invalid. I add to existing research, which focuses on the analysis of facts and stark binary views of validity by introducing the concept of argument-stretching, which identifies subtle violations of the validity of arguments. Using this conceptual foundation, I outline an impression-formation theory to explain the impact of argument-stretching on public opinion. I suggest that people spontaneously form negative impressions of stretched arguments, and that they add these impressions to a cumulative tally of satisfaction with the argument. Finally, people translate the negative effect of argument-stretching on their account satisfaction into reduced support for the politician who stretched the argument and the policy justified by it. I confirm the hypothesized direct effects of argument-stretching on policy support and politician support in three experimental studies, and I also find evidence for the mediating effect of account satisfaction.


: The history of the South African construction industry dates as far back as the Castle of Good Hope (1666), Slave Lodge (1679), Robben Island (1700), Union Buildings (1913), memorials and cathedrals, among many others. These structures represent the political, slavery, liberation and religious history of South Africa and its development throughout the years, while also contributing towards economic growth through tourism. Historical buildings stand out from the rest of the modern constructions as they portray marvellous architectural designs and unique materials used for their construction. However, due to ageing and environmental conditions, they often show critical signs of deterioration, which threaten the existence of some. In attempts to rescue these national treasures, the use of Portland cement, which is considered incompatible with the original materials, has become a common practice, not only in South Africa but abroad. To avoid disparity in materials during repair of historic structures, original material characterization is therefore recommended. This paper investigates the effects of Portland cement used on the repairs of historical masonries of the Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town and buildings on Robben Island, in South Africa. The mortar samples were collected from the Castle and analyzed using the techniques such as the visual investigation, cohesion test, microscopic and titration test. It is observed that the original lime-based mortars are not compatible with the Portland cement produced mortars. It was evident on the masonry, as the repairs are repelling


(1988). The Absolute and Uniform Convergence of Infinite Improper Integrals. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 95, No. 2, pp. 124-126.


Introduction It currently remains unclear in how far supratherapeutic lithium serum concentrations can affect the cardiac conduction system. Prolonged QT interval, arrhythmias and cardiac death have all been anecdotally reported, but the systematic studies are few. Objectives To examine ECG changes occurring with supratherapeutic lithium concentrations that have given rise to lithium toxicity. Methods We examined all episodes of lithium intoxication defined as serum lithium level (≥ 1.5 mmol/L). We analyzed ECG before, during and after intoxication and recorded ECG changes. These, we then assessed according to type of intoxications, clinical and other pharmacological characteristics. The study is based on 20-year data (1997-2020) from the retrospective cohort study (LiSIE) in the Swedish region of Norrbotten. Results Of 1101 patients treated with lithium, 77 patients had experienced lithium intoxications. 12 patients had more than one episode of intoxication, yielding 91 episodes. 39 had ECG available both as reference and during lithium intoxication. We found no statistically significant prolongation of the QTc interval during lithium intoxication, compared to respective reference ECG (p = 0.364). Heart rate during lithium intoxication was significantly lower, mean 73 beats/min (SD 16,8, range 43 - 112), compared to the reference ECG, mean 79 beats/min (SD 15,3, range 48-112; p = 0.006). No patient died. All findings were independent of whether an intoxication was acute or chronic. Conclusions In our study, heart rate was significantly lower during episodes of intoxication. However, this decrease was of no clinical relevance in most cases. Lithium intoxication was not associated with prolonged QT time. Disclosure M. Ott: scientific advisory board member of Astra Zeneca, Sweden. U. Werneke: received funding for educational activities on behalf of Norrbotten Region; Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Otsuka/Lundbeck, Servier, Shire, Sunovion. Others: None


By using the methods of investigation and literature research,the human landscapes and natural landscapes of Li nationality in Hainan Province is studied.Aimed at the development of traditional P.E.tourism market of Li nationality,a series of development and promotion measures have been put forward in order to rich Chinese traditional P.E.culture and to construct an appealing P.E.tourism province of Hainan.