Thank you for reading architects of the american century individuals and institutions in twentieth century us foreign policymaking. As you may know, people have look hundreds times for their chosen books like this architects of the american century individuals and institutions in twentieth century us foreign policymaking, but end up in harmful downloads. Rather than reading a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they juggled with some harmful virus inside their desktop computer.


Based on the current educational perspective, the main goal of learning English is to form and develop the essential knowledge and skills of English and the necessary intellectual qualities to help students improve or apply to life (Dang Thi Lan (2009), [1]. Therefore, all new English books are compiled according to the current educational program, based on the criteria of promoting active learning methods, focusing on developing all four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing in each lesson.
 However, through practical teaching, it has been shown that the English reading comprehension ability of the first-year students is still limited, not actively grasping the primary information of the text, not understanding all the implications of the reading, leading to the birth of students. Students learn reading comprehension skills that are not effective. Besides, in reading comprehension iiilessons, iiiteachers iiistill iiiface iiimany iiidifficulties iiibecause iiithey iiihave iiinot iiifully iiimastered iiithe iiitricks iiiof iiiteaching iiireading iiicomprehension. iiiIn iiithis iiistudy, iiithe iiiauthor iiihopes iiito iiipartly iiihelp iiistudents iiiovercome iiicommon iiichallenges iiito iiipractice iiiEnglish iiireading iiicomprehension iiiskills iiimore iiieffectively, iiisuch iiias iiireading iiicomprehension iiitexts iiiand iiireading iiicomprehension iiiexercises iiiwith iiisuccessful iiiresults. iiiHigh... iiiFrom iiithere, iiitake iiithe iiiinitiative iiiin iiiabsorbing iiiand iiiperceiving iiithe iiilesson's iiiknowledge.


Child health depends on family health. In this issue of Pediatrics , Johnston et al1 clearly illustrate challenges facing low-income mothers in gaining access to health insurance during the first year after childbirth. Although highlighting the positive impact of Medicaid expansion through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (in some states), the number of mothers who are uninsured before, during, and after pregnancy in the United States is alarming.

Of 185 World Health Organization member states with a population >100 000, the United States and the Dominican Republic were the only countries where maternal mortality increased between 2000 and 2017.2 Women with preexisting chronic conditions, living in poverty, and belonging to a racial and/or ethnic minority are disproportionately affected.3 Studies of women who have delivered a child have found that one-quarter were uninsured in the month before pregnancy, and more than half of the mothers had <12 years of education.4

Johnston et al1 draw attention to this critical issue while elucidating a partial solution: expanding access to health insurance through the Medicaid program. Not surprisingly, they found that …

Address correspondence to Tina L. Cheng, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Children's Center, 1800 Orleans St, #8491, Baltimore, MD 21287. E-mail: tcheng2{at}jhmi.edu


A technique that extracts the electrical and the topological parameters of open defects in process monitor lines is presented. The procedure is based on time domain measurements performed at both endpoints of the line. The location as well as the resistive value of the open defect is obtained from the attenuation and phase shift measurements. The defect-free characteristic impedance of the line and its propagation constant are considered to be unknowns and their values are obtained from the measurements avoiding, thus, possible errors due to process parameter variations. The required experimental set-up to perform the characterization measures and a simple graphical procedure to determine the defect and line parameters are presented.


A 16:1 multiplexer was realised for a 10 Gbit/s data transmission system. Only a single 10 GHz clock is used to generate all internal select and clock signals. No external delay lines are needed to achieve a proper clock signal for output retiming. The data jitter is /spl sim/3 ps under worst case operating conditions.


This study was conducted to examine the effect of proxied ownership structure using institutional ownership, foreign ownership and managerial ownership variables which are moderated by the characteristics of the board of commissioners as proxied by the size of the board of commissioners, and the proportion of independent board of commissioners on company performance as measured by the firm's financial performance. Proxied by return on assets and return on equity and firm value proxied by Tobin's Q and market to book ratio. With a total of 81 samples from financial service companies listed on the IDX in 2018 tested using WarpPLS 7.0, the researchers found that ownership structure has a negative effect on financial performance and firm value, the characteristics of the board of commissioners have a positive effect on financial performance and firm value, and only interaction characteristics the board of commissioners in the relationship between ownership structure and financial performance which can be a moderating variable.
Keywords: Ownership Structure, Firm Performance, and Characteristics of The Board of Commissioners.


The metal-insulator-metal capacitor (MIMCAP) is a key passive component utilized in GaAs-based MMIC technologies. The dielectric used in MIMCAPs is silicon nitride (Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/) because of its compatibility with the GaAs processing. This type of capacitor has been ubiquitous in this technology with larger and larger circuits requiring more capacitance per die. There has been a growing realization that the defects present in the nitride affect MMIC product reliability in much the same way as in silicon MOS technologies. In this paper, the reliability of the MIMCAPs is examined by first studying the temperature dependent current conduction in the nitride. Next, the intrinsic breakdown properties of the nitride are determined, and applied to the TDDB theory with suitable modifications. The reliability of MIMCAPs and product die are then predicted. Ramped voltage breakdown measurements on test capacitors as well as long term aging experiments on product die are used to calibrate the TDDB model. Finally, a prediction technique is discussed for product die with arbitrary temperature and voltage histories.


Information assets have been beconing the important assets in enterprise.Building information assets eveluation,measurement and management and resource optimization of enterprise.The classifcation,characteristic,evaluation and measurement of information assets are analyzed.The thoughts and suggestions for enhancing information assets management are put forward in the future.


Inter-furrow infiltration variability is often ignored during the evaluation and optimisation of furrow irrigation. Existing techniques for estimating infiltration parameters are generally too intensive in measurement and computation for routine application at the field scale and have therefore primarily been used to study the behaviour of single furrows. This paper identifies the inter-furrow infiltration variation within typical furrow-irrigated fields and determines that this variation can be adequately described using a log-normal distribution. A procedure to predict whole field furrow infiltration characteristics using minimum field measurements is then presented. The technique uses a single advance measurement for single furrows and the log-normal probability distribution to predict the statistical distribution of infiltration functions across the field based on the measured infiltration curve for one or more fully evaluated furrows. This technique also considers the infiltration curve over appropriate ranges of opportunity time. Simulations using the predicted infiltration parameters demonstrate more accurate estimates of the whole field efficiency and uniformity than those extrapolated from infiltration measurements on a limited number of furrows as sampled in a conventional evaluation. Surface irrigation; Furrow irrigation; Infiltration; Simulation; IPARM; Kostiakov; Volume balance; Infiltration variability; Soil variability


SrMnO$_{3}$ (SMO) is a magnetic insulator and predicted to exhibit a multiferroic phase upon straining. Strained films of SMO display a wide range of magnetic orders, ranging from G-type to C-and A-type, indicative of competing magnetic interactions. The potential of spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) is exploited as an electrical probe for detecting surface magnetic order, to read surface magnetic moments in SMO and its spatial variation, by designing and positioning electrodes of different sizes on the film. The findings demonstrate antiferromagnetic domains with different magnetocrystalline anisotropies along with a ferromagnetic order, where the magnetization arises from double exchange mediated ferromagnetic order and canted antiferromagnetic moments. Further, from a complete analysis of the SMR, a predominance of antiferromagnetic domain sizes of 3.5 $\mu$m$^2$ is extracted. This work enhances the applicability of SMR in unraveling the richness of correlation effects in complex oxides, as manifested by the detection of coexisting and competing ground states and lays the foundation for the study of magnon transport for different magnetoelectric based computing applications.


The well kept records of 'Le Concert" a musical society situated in Aalst (Belgium) offer a unique view on particular music trade and the cultural transfer resulting from it. The Cech musician and arranger Jan Nudera sold his arrangements for dance orchestra around 1806 to this Flemish musical society, which contained among others Steyrische, a traditional dance from central Europe, similar to the then fashionable 'Strassburger".


1 The interaction of ion channels activated by nicotinic receptor agonists with ion channels gated by extracellular ATP (i.e. P2X receptors) was studied on sympathetic neurons acutely dissociated from coeliac ganglia of the guinea‐pig. Patch clamp methods were used to measure the inward current generated through these non‐selective cationic channels under voltage clamp. 2 At the whole cell level, the specific nicotinic receptor agonists nicotine (5‐100 μM) or cytisine (50‐75 μM) and the P2X receptor agonists ATP (0.1‐7 μM) or α,β‐methylene ATP (6 μM) were examined separately and in the presence of the other receptor activator. When a nicotinic and P2X receptor agonist were applied together, mutually occlusive effects were generally observed. This occurred even with concentrations of agonists that in themselves generated little to no inward current. 3 The occlusive effects of nicotinic agonists on ATP‐gated currents were blocked by the nicotinic receptor/ion channel blocker hexamethonium (150 μM). The occlusive effects of ATP analogues on inward currents generated by nicotinic agonists were blocked by the P2X receptor antagonist suramin (100 μM). 4 Mutual occlusion of the effects of nicotinic agonists and ATP analogues were also observed when currents through single channels were studied in excised (outside‐out) patches. 5 The results suggest that nicotinic receptors and P2X ATP receptors do not act independently in these sympathetic neurons.


The nominal yield stress was measured on centrally perforated plate specimen which was machined from various steels with a wide range of transition temperature measured by V-Charpy test. The load for yielding was determined from the stress-strain curve which was obtained using SR 4 gauge put in touch with the circumference of the hole. The maximum stress at yieding (σym) was calculated from thus measured nominal yielding stress (σyn) taking into account the shape factor of the perforated specimen. The values of σym, of each steel were evidently higher than their own yield points, and the degrees of rise in σym, fairly varied after each steel. Accordingly the existence of notch sensitivity was proved in the phenomenon of yielding of notched specimen about steel.Then the relation was searched between those amounts of rise in σym and the transition temperatures, and it was found that the more marked the rise in yielding was, the higher the transition temperature in every steel.The meaning of notch sensitivity in yielding phenomenon was discussed after the stress theory about the yielding of notched specimen set forth by Prof. Ishibashi, and also after the conception of elastic notch sensitivity proposed by H. Neuber. After those theories the relative values of material constant were deduced for each steel as the measure of its notch sensitivity in yielding. Further the literatures were cited to refer the characteristics of similar constant in the study of notched fatigue, taking into consideration the Neuber's conception and presuming the tendency towards brittle fracture of each steel reported.As the result of all-inclusive considerations above, it was denoted that some common factor must have controlled all those notch sensitive phenomena, since there existed similar relations between the material constants of steels deduced from each notch sensitive phenomenon, and close correlations of these constants with the transition temperature.


This paper Starts with analysis of the status quo and existing problems of the company's group customer marketing management. Based on these analyses,this paper further points out the necessity of group customer hierarchical marketing management strategy. In the last part of this paper,specific marketing management strategies on hierarchicalmanagement of group customer,enhancement of organizational management and improvement of assessment mechanism are suggested.


Pb diffuses in a Pb/Cu(111) surface alloy predominantly by exchange with surface vacancies and, much less frequently, by exchange with thermal Cu adatoms. Because the infrequent adatom exchanges transport Pb atoms much farther, both processes affect observations of Pb transport in the Pb/Cu(111) surface alloy.


Hypoxia is a major inherent characteristic for the most of solid tumors and produces severe treatment resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy of tumors and often results in poor prognosis.1-H-1-(3-18F fluoro-2-hydroxypropyl)-2-nitroimidazole(18F-FMISO)is a specific hypoxia imaging agent and has been applied into clinic to evaluate tumor hypoxia status and guide treatment plan of radiotherapy and chemotherapy by PET/CT.A new automated synthesis procedure of 18F-FMISO was developed by modifying the Explora FDG4 module and taking 1-(2'-nitro-1'-imidazolyl)-2-O-tetrahydropyranyl-3-O-tosyl-propanediol as labeling precursor in this study.Two-pot reaction was adopted to assure good separation of the final product via solid phase extraction based upon combined Sep-pak cartridges instead of HPLC.This fast reliable preparation route of 18F-FMISO could be completed in about 50 min with about 55% of radiochemical yield and over 98% of radiochemical purity.


Abdominal mounting unit (100A) for measuring living body impedance is provided with an electrode support 110 and has a length that is wound around the abdomen of the subject long belt-shaped part 140 which supports the electrodes 113. Electrode support portion 110, one end 141 and fixed to relative movement is not possible with respect to the electrode support portion 110, fixing unit 114, the other end (142 of the belt 140 of the belt 140, ) is relatively a holding part 115 for holding the side portion so as to be movable with respect to the electrode support portion (110). The holding part 115, the belt unit 140, the other end 142 as possible removably attached to any position attached to the portion 130 and a mounting portion 130 connected to the electrode support portion 110 of the and it has parts of pressure for pressing in the direction of approach to these attachment portions 130 and the electrode support 110. If doing so, it is possible to a constant load by the electrode is good reproducibility can be pressed against the abdomen of the subject is mounted for living body impedance measurement without a conservatively pain to the subject unit. Abdominal mounting unit for the living body impedance measurement


Genetically modified (GM) crops have been increased continuously over the world and concerns about the potential risks of GM crops have also been increasing. Even though GM crops have not been cultivated commercially in Korea, it should be necessary to develop the safety assesment technology for GM crops. In this study, we investigated the influence of heading date difference on gene flow from GM to non-GM rice. In the experimental plot design, The PAC GM rice was placed in the center as a pollen donor and non-GM rice were placed in eight directions as pollen receivers. Five pollen receiver rice cultivars were Unkawng, Daebo, Saegyejinmi, Nakdong-byeo, and Ilmi which had different flowering times. A total of 266,436, 300,237, 305,223, 273,373, and 290,759 seeds were collected from Unkawng, Daebo, Saegyejinmi, Nakdong, and Ilmi, respectively, which were planted around PAC GM rice. The GM×non-GM hybrids were detected by repeated spraying of herbicide and PAT immunostrip assay. Finally, the hybrids were confirmed by PCR analysis using PAC gene specific primer. The hybrids were found in Nakdong-byeo which had the same heading date with PAC GM rice. The hybridization rate was 0.0007% at Nakdong-byeo plot. All of GM×non-GM hybrids were located within 2 m distance from the PAC GM rice zone. The physiological elements including rice heading date were found to be important factors to determine GM?rice out crossing rate with GM rice. Consideration should be taken into for many factors like the physiological elements of field heading date of rice cultivars to set up the safety management guideline for prevention of GM rice gene flow.


This report consists of the second phase of a social network analysis of researchers in the United Kingdom who have authored gambling harm studies. Phase 1 was focused on researchers with an institutional affiliation in the UK and their connections to other UK-based researchers. In Phase 2, the analysis is extended to include their coauthors affiliated with research institutions in other countries. The goal is to better understand the strength of existing links among researchers nationally and internationally with expertise in specific areas of gambling harm. The analysis is based on the Framework of Harms, outlined in Measuring gambling-related harms: A framework for action (Wardle et al, 2018). To advance the UK National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms effectively, a strong evidence base is required to support each of the three primary factors and eight related subfactors in the Framework.


As all levels of government increasingly participate in public mental health programs, the political framework in which these programs must operate is important to know. This volume by Robert H. Connery and contributors is the first to try and examine this dimension of mental health programming. The study itself, which grew out of the work of the National Institute for Mental Health's Committee on Social and Environmental Variables as Determinants of Mental Health, correctly addresses itself to the problem of such program development in urban metropolitan areas. One aspect of Urban America is governmental fragmentation (eg, in 75 standard metropolitan statistical areas of 300,000 population, there are 12,287 governmental bodies), and it is this reality and its effect on the development of popular support, the generation of funds, the recruitment of personnel, and their training for new mental health programs that Professor Connery and his contributors examine. The examination is


Addressing the health information needs of diverse, multiethnic, and multilingual communities can be both a challenge and an opportunity for libraries. The Vera P. Shiffman Medical Library at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, is the only academic medical library in the Detroit area open to the public. The library provides services to many communities in southeastern Michigan. The diverse geographic area served by the library includes the nation's highest concentration of Arab Americans [1]. A review of the literature reveals that limited research has addressed how libraries can meet the health information needs of this target community [2]. An understanding of the health information needs of Arab Americans in Michigan, and in the United States, will be increasingly important for libraries responsible for providing library services for and developing resources to meet the needs of Arab American health consumers and to improve the quality of information available to health professionals serving these communities.

Chief among the concerns of the library was to increase the relevance and usability of information for health professionals providing health-related services to local Arab, Muslim, and Chaldean American communities in Michigan. A key strategy of this initiative was to establish relationships with organizations that served this target population. The Urban Health Partners program, begun in 2003 and continuing through the present, was launched by establishing partnerships with a health department and a community-based organization serving these communities. The program described here is an important building block for achieving a greater understanding of how information is needed and used in different settings and by different groups of people.


Additional figures showing more results, some in color and some in motion, can be found on the web at Abstract M-reps (formerly called DSLs) are a multiscale medial means for modeling and rendering 3D solid geometry. They are particularly well suited to the modeling of anatomic objects, producing models that can be used to capture prior geometric information effectively in deformable models segmentation approaches. The representation is based on figural models, defined at coarse scale by a hierarchy of figures – protrusions, indentations, neighboring figures, and included figures – which represent solid regions and their boundaries simultaneously. The linked collection of figural components imply a fuzzy, i.e., probabilistically described boundary position with a width-proportional tolerance. At small scale these figural boundaries are made precise by displacing a dense sampling of the m-rep implied boundary. While these models can exist in 2D, we focus on models of 3D objects. A model for a single figure is made from a net, i.e., a mesh or chain, of medial atoms (hence the name m-reps), each atom describing not only a position and width, but also a local figural frame giving figural directions, and an object angle between opposing, corresponding positions on the implied boundary. A medial atom can describe a section of a slab or a tube, and it can be specialized to describe the end of a slab or tube. Each net of atoms implies a boundary with some tolerance. A figure can be expressed as a sequence over scale of nets, implying successively refined (smaller tolerance) versions of the figural boundary. We describe a method and tool for building an m-rep model based on a training 3D medical image. Models for the cerebral ventricle, a vertebra, the pelvic bones, the male pelvic organs, and the kidney are illustrated. We also describe a method and tool for applying deformable models approaches to m-reps as a means of segmentation of 3D objects from target images. Segmentation of the aforementioned objects in the brain, abdomen, and pelvis by this technique is illustrated.


In a digraph, a dicut is a cut where all the arcs cross in one direction. A dijoin is a subset of arcs that intersects each dicut. Woodall conjectured in 1976 that in every digraph, the minimum size of a dicut is equal to the maximum number of disjoint dijoins. However, prior to our work, it was not even known whether at least $3$ disjoint dijoins exist in a digraph whose minimum dicut size is arbitrarily large. By building connections with nowhere-zero (circular) $k$-flows, we prove that every digraph with minimum dicut size $\tau$ contains $\frac{\tau}{k}$ disjoint dijoins if the underlying undirected graph admits a nowhere-zero (circular) $k$-flow. The existence of nowhere-zero $6$-flows in $2$-edge-connected graphs (Seymour 1981) directly leads to the existence of $\frac{\tau}{6}$ disjoint dijoins in any digraph with minimum dicut size $\tau$, which can be found in polynomial time as well. The existence of nowhere-zero circular $(2+\frac{1}{p})$-flows in $6p$-edge-connected graphs (Lov\'asz et al 2013) directly leads to the existence of $\frac{\tau p}{2p+1}$ disjoint dijoins in any digraph with minimum dicut size $\tau$ whose underlying undirected graph is $6p$-edge-connected.


Dry eye disease is a troublesome ocular condition due to its multifactorial
nature and the lack of association between signs and symptoms. This fact has led researchers
to look beyond tear quality and stability, and hyperosmolarity and inflammation have
lately been the focus of interest. Both are considered to have an impact on corneal nerve
structure and function, although their role is still unclear. In this review, we will explore
the peripheral and central nervous system mechanisms that contribute to the perception of
dry eye symptoms and the possible changes in corneal pain pathways after long-standing
tear deficiency and LASIK surgery that could result in corneal sensitivity or enhanced pain
perception.


Societies evolve with the history and circumstances. For many have different notions of society emerged, linked to the experiences and practices pursued and ...


The Indian Handicrafts are exclusively known for their cultural heritage and exquisitely skilled craftsmanship. In the present market, there are lots of brands that come into existence with the synergy of artisans and have sustainable business growth. In this study, the focus is on understanding sustainable business in the Indian arts and crafts industry through a qualitative case study method. The data collected are through semistructured phone call interviews and Google survey forms. The collected data are categorized and analyzed through Observe, Think, Test, and Revise (OTTR) method. From this research, the various opportunities to enhance the synergy of artisans and entrepreneurs, analyzing market potential, production techniques of the artisans, design interventions in the craft, the 4P's of marketing strategies, the importance of government policies and schemes, and the effect of competition are explored. The unsustainable business in handicrafts was the key problem that paved way for the rise of this research. This paper explores the unsustainable practices in the handicraft sector through literature review and also provides sustainable business opportunities that could help in the growth of the handicraft business.


The objective of this qualitati veresearchist of indout the improvement of the students' math learning resultsusing NHT cooperative learning model (Numbered Heads Together). The data sources of this case study were secondary and primary data. (1) The primary data wereobtained from the information at the research site and (2) the secondary datawerecontainedof the attachments of the scientific journals review. The data were analyzedthrough data reduction, presentation, andconclusions or verification.This studywas about the improvement results of mathematics learning usingNHT cooperative learning model (Numbered Heads Together) in the tenth-grade students of SMK Muhammadiyah Kupangon matrix materials.The study showed that NHTcooperative learning model(Numbered Heads Together) could improve the math learning results of tenth-grade students ofSMK Muhamtsmadiyah Kupangon matrix materials.


A chiral, bimetallic cobalt catalyst was discovered that is highly active and enantioselective for epoxide polymerization. The enantiomerically pure catalyst system exhibits a stereoselectivity factor (s = k(fast)/k(slow)) of 370 for propylene oxide, allowing enantiomerically pure epoxide to be recovered in nearly the maximum theoretical yield. In addition, the racemic catalyst forms highly isotactic poly(propylene oxide) in quantitative yield. The catalyst is active and selective for other epoxides, such as 1-butene oxide, 1-hexene oxide, and styrene oxide.


Dielectric resonators are employed to build state-of-the-art low-noise and high-stability oscillators operating at room and cryogenic temperatures. A resonator temperature coefficient of frequency is one criterion of performance. This paper reports on predictions and measurements of this temperature coefficient of frequency for three types of cylindrically symmetric Bragg resonators operated at microwave frequencies. At room temperature, microwave Bragg resonators have the best potential to reach extremely high Q-factors. Research has been conducted over the last decade on modeling, optimizing, and realizing such high Q-factor devices for applications such as filtering, sensing, and frequency metrology. We present an optimized design, which has a temperature sensitivity 2 to 4 times less than current whispering gallery mode resonators without using temperature compensating techniques and about 30% less than other existing Bragg resonators. Also, the performance of a new generation single-layered Bragg res...


A method for supporting short latency data transmission is provided to process the data and service which needs short latency by providing new channels and frame structures. A frame is divided into an uplink sub frame and a downlink sub frame. The uplink sub frame and downlink sub frame include at least one zone for requesting short latency. Each of the zones includes at least one of the first channel for indicating the assignment of data resources, the second channel through which data is transmitted and the third channel for receiving feedback signals.


For assembly provided in a fuel tank conveyor having a baffle pot for collecting fuel, having a feed unit for feeding fuel from the surge chamber, with a level sensor, with a a float carrying lever arm having disposed on a support of the level sensor bearing for the lever arm, wherein the carrier is fixed to a housing of the conveying unit or the swirl pot, characterized in that the float (11) holder Direction lever wire (16) of the lever arm (12) for setting an intended pivot range of the float (11) in different orientations with a part storage (10, 35) forming the bow (15) of the lever arm (12) is mountable, and that for holding the lever wire (16) on the bracket (15) provided for snap-in connections (23, 24) on a plurality of (of the area of the bearing 10, 35) facing away limbs (21, 22) of the bracket (15) are arranged.


The article deals with the actual problem of using test tasks to control students' knowledge, practical recommendations for the development of test tasks. The existing model of education focuses students on independence, mobility, and obtaining a competitive profession. The acquisition of the necessary competencies, from school to University, is accompanied by pedagogical training of students, with constant monitoring of training. At all stages of training, tested knowledge control is applied, and it becomes important to correctly compile and apply test tasks as a means of evaluating the quality of students' knowledge.


In this Communication, a self‐organization method of [6,6]‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid 2‐((2‐(dimethylamino)‐ethyl) (methyl)amino)ethyl ester (PCBDAN) interlayer in between 6,6‐phenyl C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and indium tin oxide (ITO) has been proposed to improve the performance of N–I–P perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The introduction of self‐organized PCBDAN interlayer can effectively reduce the work function of ITO and therefore eliminate the interface barrier between electron transport layer and electrode. It is beneficial for enhancing the charge extraction and decreasing the recombination loss at the interface. By employing this strategy, a highest power conversion efficiency of 18.1% has been obtained with almost free hysteresis. Furthermore, the N–I–P PSCs have excellent stability under UV‐light soaking, which can maintain 85% of its original highest value after 240 h accelerated UV aging. This self‐organization method for the formation of interlayer can not only simplify the fabrication process of low‐cost PSCs, but also be compatible with the roll‐to‐roll device processing on flexible substrates.


The shoe industry is a very competitive industry and in order to capture the market, customized shoes are desired nowadays to satisfy consumers' needs on style, fit and comfort. Companies need to either develop a system for quick design changes, creation of huge virtual design variations and in some cases adoption of mass-customization principles to reduce cost. Shoe-last is the "heart" of shoe making since it mainly determines the shoe shape, fashion, fit and comfort qualities. This study proposed a system to enable shoe-last design changes, exploration and eventually enable mass-customization. The system enables continuous change of styling and fashion to reflect personal taste without the need for physical design. Design exploration involves representation of styling curves using parametric curves. Modification of the styling curves, by changing the parameter values, can be used to explore different designs. This is useful to create slight variations of shoe-last. Since the designs are parameterized, design can be scaled on individual shape and size to create customized shoe-last. Results of the study can be used to create a system for shoe-last design exploration and mass-customization system for individual designs in a cost effective manner.


We show that in a broken supergravity theory any field that acquires a vacuum expectation value obtains at the same time a non vanishing F-term whose natural size is given by $ m_{3/2}$. These F-terms contribute unsuppressed to the trilinear couplings and have observable effects in the low energy phenomenology. We show that \mu --> e \gamma decays can receive large contributions from this source at the level of current experimental bounds. Therefore this decay may provide the first clue of the structure of the soft breaking sector with the proposed experiments in the near future.


(57) Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of leaving the collection information phase in switching point of the intelligent network, even if it is not received maximum information control point of the intelligent network service is requested as additional information in the same way , call setup are transferred from the service switching point of an intelligent network (SSP) to the service control point (SCP). In this method, it defined a new condition (EE) is collected Phase (PIC2), the condition is achieved, if the call is how to continue in a form that can be determined service control point (SCP) is collected withdrawal from the phase is carried out. Condition (EE), the minimum number of information collection to determine whether at least one must be collected up acquisition time (collect timer), or how much of the digit to determine acceptable Any of long at maximum (digit Min number) is either. The invention further intelligent network service control point of the intelligent network, and also associated with the service switching point of an intelligent network, it is possible to apply the present method to these.


We are speaking every time about models but historically we are not considering the way made for obtaining them. In this paper we are reviewing the road for realizing common antismoking front in Ireland and where we failed in comparison in this introduction of the anti-smoking law.


The authors have been investigating the electric field-induced motion in mineral oil between plane parallel electrodes after change of electrode polarity. In this paper, the influences of electrode spacing on the motion are reported. Experiments were carried out under two conditions. The first condition was able to accumulate in the vicinity of electrodes all of the charge carriers existing in the oil between electrodes. The second condition was able to accumulate the quantity of charge carriers limited to the magnitude of charging voltage. We used the oils of electric conductivity


Introduction: The trends of malignant melanoma in Brazil are aligned with those worldwide: increasing incidence with reduced degree of severity at diagnosis. Objective: To use the prognostic criteria of the Grupo Multicentrico e Multidisciplinar Brasileiro para Estudo do Melanoma (Brazilian Multicenter and Multidisciplinary Group for the Study of Melanoma) combined with clinical characteristics aimed at developing a clinical and histopathological profile of melanoma cases. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out, with the retrospective analysis of medical records of patients diagnosed with melanoma at a tertiary dermatology reference unit in the city of Bauru, in the Brazilian southeast State of Sao Paulo, between January 2007 and July 2014. Results: Female patients accounted for 56.2%, with ages ranging from 27 to 95 years (Mean = 61.4 years), with a lesion having been detected on physical examination in 36% of cases. The highest incidence of the disease was in the lower limbs (23.5%), with the superficial spreading subtype corresponding to 79.6% of biopsies. The average Breslow thickness was 2.9 mm, and in 28.1% of cases, the lesion was in situ. Conclusions: The following profile emerged: women, 61-years-old, with lesions in the lower limbs, superficial spreading subtype and with evidence of good prognostic. Studies like this are important due to the fact they provide subsidies for the design of strategies to treat the population.


For the analysis of depressurization processes with two-phase flow conditions as occurring, e.g., in light water reactors during loss-of-coolant accidents, a computer code was developed which allows better simulation of phase separation effects and of the related movement of swell levels. The code was assessed by post-test analyses of experiments with different scales


Previous research into claims that the Western press provides an inadequate picture of developing countries has neglected effects of media content on audiences. This study examines the influence of news about foreign countries on the accuracy of people's inferences concerning both Third World and more developed countries. An experiment on 109 U.S. residents tested whether unrepresentative news content creates unrepresentative mental images of foreign countries. Those who read an unrepresentative news story about a prototypical European or African country made less accurate judgments about the country than did participants who read no story.


The Center for Disease Control (CDC) began gathering data on Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) in 1999 and had data from all states and territories by 2005. The purpose of UNHS is to identify permanent hearing loss (PHL) in infants and make referrals for intervention. Health-care professionals may use CDC data to monitor the effectiveness of screening/diagnostic programs. Effective monitoring may designate whether or not an "expected" number of infants has been identified for a given birth rate. However, because the incidence of PHL in newborn infants is so low (nine-year CDC average across all states and territories equals 0.0013), a relatively large number of infants may be screened before the first occurrence of PHL. Therefore, there is legitimate concern that true positives will be missed due to a high rate of true negatives. Clinically useful models for comparing observed to expected data are needed. CDC data from 2005 to 2013 were used to set boundaries for binomial and negative-binomial distributions. These derived distributions were used to produce tables/graphs showing expected values and confidence intervals for an appropriate range of incidences and quantity of infants screened. The authors also offer actions to pursue if observed data vary significantly from models.


The motion of a circular vortex ring with a thin elliptical core is considered. The core is untwisted so that the vortex ring is axisymmetric and the vorticity in the core is proportional to distance from the axis of symmetry. The core rotates with a constant angular velocity comparable to the circulation frequency, as in Kirchoff's two-dimensional solution. The velocity of the ring, suitably defined, is periodic and the average velocity is Γ/4πR[ln(16R/a+b)-¼], where Γ is the circulation around the core, a and b are the semi-major and semi-minor axes of the core cross section and R is the radius of the ring. This mean velocity is smaller than the velocity of translation of a ring of the same radius and circulation but with a circular core of the same-cross-sectional area.


STEM education has received a lot of attention, including in Indonesia, because it is considered capable of preparing competitive students in the 21st century. However, the implementation of STEM learning is constrained because there are no standard guidelines according to the curriculum 2013 (education curriculum in Indonesia). Therefore, the aim of this study is to find an integration formula for STEM learning and the curriculum 2013 based on the synthesis of various literature to find a formula for implementing STEM learning in accordance with the curriculum 2013. This study is a systematic review. The data sources in this research are 46 selected literatures and relevant to the research objectives published between 1996 and 2020. The data sources are literature published in ISBN books, government documents, and journals. The data collected from the literature were analyzed with a thematic model starting with data introduction, initial coding, compiling code within a theme, analyzing themes, naming themes, and relating findings to research questions. The research resulted in a learning step that combines EDP in STEM, the scientific approach in the 2013 curriculum, and project learning steps. The merger produces a guideline for implementing STEM learning in the 2013 curriculum starting from problem identification, making problem-solving designs, design realization, testing and studying product deficiencies, improving products, drawing conclusions, and communicating the findings of the learning process.


The capacity curve of offshore structures including jacket-type offshore platforms is used to achieve structural performance levels and determine their ultimate capacity and ductility. This curve is obtained from the pushover analysis and accurate estimation of that is of great importance. Formation of fatigue cracks at the joints, corrosion of members, environmental loads and damages caused by accidental dynamic loads such as impacts of vessels and floating bodies will result in the change of the ultimate capacity of these structures over the course of their life. These cases should be considered in calculating the ultimate capacity of the offshore platforms at any given time of their life. In all of these cases, accurate modeling of the global and local buckling of compression members is important at any time of calculating the ultimate capacity. Buckling modes and deformations due to local buckling will be considered if the compressive braces are modeled by Shell or Solid elements and the imperfections are applied. This paper aims to achieve the correct compressive behavior of compression members. The ABAQUS finite element software suite was used for this purpose. The buckling envelope derived from the Marshall strut theory defines the post-buckling damaged elasticity model and the hysteretic loop response. Finally, by using this modified behavior in Frame elements, the effects of local buckling in compressive braces can be considered. The innovation of this paper is investigating the interaction of local and global buckling in the braces of jacket using ISO equations with 1-Dimentional Frame elements, which results in low computational costs.


This article explores the role of religion in identity formation in situations where individuals are engaged in intercontinental diasporic movement, starting from R.P. Werbner's notion that religion and strangerhood transform together. In particular, the author examines the diaspora of Ghanaians in the Netherlands and the role Ghanaian Pentecostalism appears to play in the forming of their identity as strangers in Dutch society. The author uses the term 'transsubjectivity' to indicate those processes by which religion deals with strangerhood as shaped by the power of the modern African and Western nation-State. He distinguishes two discourses in present-day Ghanaian Pentecostalism. The first, which he calls 'sending' discourse, involves so-called prayer camps in Ghana, to which (prospective) migrants may turn for spiritual help and protection in their transnational travel. The second, or 'receiving', discourse relates to the figure of the Pentecostal leader in the diaspora who represents the "abusua panyin", the family head. These two discourses 'inject' the migrant differently into transnational interconnectedness, and they deal differently with the body personal and the ways in which techniques of the self are employed in constructing the subjectivity of the Ghanaian as migrant and stranger. Bibliogr., notes


In this paper, we calculate power series ∑∞k=1f(k)x k-1 by solving matrix equation Aβ=α. Thus the calculation can be simplified.


An apparatus to prevent free flow system through an infusion, the apparatus comprising: an infusion set (604) formed by a tube (642) having an occluder circular cross section (634) disposed therein wherein the occluder (634) is located in a portion of the tube (642) and has an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the tube (642) thereby making the portion of the tube (642) to stretch on the occluder (634), and wherein the tube (642) can be radially expanded so that the compressed tubing (642) causes a portion of the tube (642) extends away from the occluder (634) to form and a flow path such that the withdrawal of the compression causes the tube (642) adjacent the occluder (634) to collapse onto the occluder (634) and closing the flow path; and a channel (630); characterized in that the channel (630) is generally U-shaped with a rounded bottom, the channel (630) being thus configured to receive the infusion set (604) such that the infusion (604) is pressed against occluder half (634) on its end facing the rounded bottom to engage the occluder in the rounded bottom such that one fluid flow channel (646) is formed on the opposite side.


This study investigates the predictive power of existential anxieties (death, meaninglessness, isolation, and freedom) on life satisfaction and self-esteem. The study was designed within the framework of a relational screening model. The study group of the research was comprised of a total of 418 sophomore and junior students studying in various undergraduate programs of Ankara University, Faculty of Educational Sciences in the 2015-2016 spring term. The Existential Anxiety Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale were utilized for the study in order to assess undergraduate students' existential anxieties. The t-test for the independent samples and multiple regression analysis were used in the analyses of data collected within the scope of the study. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis technique was utilized to ascertain the best predictors for the self-esteem and life satisfaction variables in the study. The results of the study revealed no statistically significant differences between female and male students pertaining to the meaninglessness, isolation, death anxiety, and freedom sub-dimensions of the existential anxiety scale and the total score obtained from the scale. It was observed that the meaninglessness, isolation, and freedom variables were significant predictors with regards to their contribution to the self-esteem variance. It was also seen that the isolation and meaninglessness variables were significant predictors regarding their contribution to the life satisfaction variance. The data collected were discussed within the framework of related literature.  Article visualizations:


Breast and colon cancers are the leading causes of cancer related deaths in western countries. Both cancers originate from an epithelial compartment, which has a cellular hierarchy. This hierarchy is defined by cells with self-renewal capacity and cells that are differentiated without self-renewal capacity and thus have limited proliferative capacity. Although the cellular hierarchies of the mammary gland and the intestinal tract have been and are currently under intense investigation, several findings still require further clarification (e.g., the presence or the absence of a bipotent stem cell compartment in the mammary gland.1,2)


We report an efficient way to generate both even and odd optical analogs of Schrodinger cat states (SCSs) which are a superposition of two coherent states with opposite amplitudes. The resources consumed are single mode squeezed vacuum (SMSV) state and single photon. SCSs are formed after superimposing the input states with the subsequent detection of the number of photons in the auxiliary mode. We report the generation of even/odd SCSs with amplitude 4.2 with fidelity >0.99 and an acceptable for offline experiments success probability. There is a tendency towards an increase in the size of the SCSs with the fidelity >0.99 more demonstrated with an increase in the number of extracted photons.


The theory of compressive sensing enables accurate and robust signal reconstruction from a number of measurements dictated by the signal's structure rather than its Fourier bandwidth. A key element of the theory is the role played by randomization. In particular, signals that are compressible in the time or space domain can be recovered from just a few randomly chosen Fourier coefficients. However, in some scenarios we can only observe the magnitude of the Fourier coefficients and not their phase. In this paper, we study the magnitude-only compressive sensing problem and in parallel with the existing theory derive sufficient conditions for accurate recovery. We also propose a new iterative recovery algorithm and study its performance. In the process, we develop a new algorithm for the phase retrieval problem that exploits a signal's compressibility rather than its support to recover it from Fourier transform magnitude measurements.


Degradation of protein by rumen microbes maintained in continuous culture was reduced when soybean meal was pelleted with calcium lignosulfonate. Ammonia nitrogen concentration in fermenter effluent decreased with lignosulfonate treatment which was consistent with an observed decrease in true organic matter digestion, volatile fatty acid production and cellulose digestion. The use of protected protein in diets fed to cattle with high protein requirements improves the amino acid supply to the animal and concurrently decreases excessive ammonia production, thereby reducing stress on liver metabolism. Since soybean meal (SBM) is a high-quality protein which is extensively degraded in the rumen (Santos et al. 1984), various methods have been studied for achieving decreased ruminal degradation of SBM protein. These include physical or chemical processes such as heat treatment or formaldehyde treatment. The objective of this experiment was to examine the effects of pelleting SBM with calcium lignosulfonate (CL) on rumen microbial degradation of protein, bacterial protein synthesis, volatile fatty acid production and fiber digestion. The continuous culture system used in this experiment was a modification of the apparatus described by Hoover et al. (1976). This system has a dual effluent removal system designed to simulate the differential flows for liquid and solids found in the rumen. Liquid dilution rate and solids dilution rate were maintained at 0.10 h ' and 0.05 h ', respectively, while culture pH was 6.3 -f 0.05. The infusion buffer was that of Weller and Pilgrim (1974), with urea omitted. Eight fermenter flasks (1030-mL capacity) were used to determine the effects of calcium lignosulfonate on nitrogen utilization by rumen microbes . The ingredient composition of the four experimental diets is presented in Table 1. Diets were fed at a rate of 100 g DM/day and contained 18 . 87o crude protein (DM basis), with SBM supplying approximately 58Va of the total. Soybean


An electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure is implemented on a printed-circuit board (PCB) as gasket between waveguide flanges. The proposed gasket can reduce leakage between waveguide flanges due to misalignment. A WR-6.5 waveguide proof-of-concept demonstration is presented in this paper covering 110 - 170 GHz with a return loss lower than 12 dB and over a 75 um of air gap between the flanges.


BACKGROUND
Excess weight, low physical activity, low intakes of dietary fiber, fruits, and vegetables, and high meat and salt intake increase cancer risk.

METHODS
Numbers and proportions (population-attributable fractions, PAF) of incident cancer cases in Germany in 2018 attributable to these factors were estimated by sex and age groups for ages 35 to 84 years using population projections, national cancer incidence and exposure data, and published risk estimates.

RESULTS
Estimated numbers (percentages) of attributable cancers were 30 567 (7%) for excess weight, 27 081 (6%) for low physical activity, 14 474 (3%) for low dietary fiber intake, 9447 (2%) for low fruit and vegetable consumption, 9454 (2%) and 1687 (0.4%) for processed meat and high red meat consumption, respectively, and 1204 (0.3%) for high salt intake. Excess weight substantially contributed to endometrial, renal, and liver cancer (PAF = 24 to 35%). Low physical activity contributed to endometrial, renal, and lung cancer (PAF = 15 to 19%), and dietary factors mainly contributed to colorectal, breast, and lung cancer (PAF = 9 to 16%).

CONCLUSION
A considerable proportion of cancer cases are attributable to excess weight, physical inactivity, and unhealthy dietary habits. Major prevention efforts are needed to reduce the cancer incidence attributable to these avoidable factors.


The long term growth conjecture which prevails from the Second World War up to 1970s grounds on demand side economic policies and social state approach. During 1980s as a result of economic crisis conditions, the supply side economic policies emphasize the need of diminishing active state intervention and reduction in social expenditures. The rationale behind this proposal is pointed out as social expenditures restraining the active state existence by aggravating the burdens of central government. Since 1990s, in order to meet the needs of the market, to close the gap occurred from social expenditures the
governance approach which empowers local governance and incorporates the private
sector into the decision making processes under the framework of nongovernmental
organizations as the third sector has been developed. This approach, which is recognized as the good governance, highlights the need of transformation of economic structures and institutions, adjustment of central government. This transformation is associated with the governance structure in which public sector, private sector and the third sector corporate and decision making processes shift from centre to local accordingly from political sphere to professional sphere. With the reduction of social expenditures, a similar process has been experienced in Turkey, where the gap in this field filled by the nongovernmental organizations who generate social projects in corporation with local actors. This study exposes the aforementioned transformation process which continues also in this period as the examples of good governance through constructing its grounds on New Hopes and Humane Life projects carried out in
2004-2007 period.


Cross-coupling of Grignard reagents with dichloromethane is achieved using iron(III) catalysts. Aryl- and benzylmagnesium bromides show a range of activity toward double C―Cl bond activation resulting in the insertion of methylene fragments between two equivalents of the nucleophilic partner.


Abstract Background Meningitis following neurosurgical procedure is a well-recognized and potentially fatal complication. The Indian literature on microbiological epidemiology is scarce. The aim of our study was to know clinical, microbiological profile and treatment outcomes of patients with neurosurgical meningitis at our center. Methods This was a retrospective observational cohort study of 25 culture-proven neurosurgical meningitis cases performed at the Apollo Speciality Hospital, Chennai, India, between January 2009 and May 2012. Results In our study, nine patients had skull fracture and cerebrospinal fluid leak, nearly 50% of the patients underwent craniotomy, and five patients had endoscopic surgery while 64% of the patients required shunt placement or drains. Only nine patients (36%) had definite clinical signs of meningitis and mean duration of onset of symptoms from surgery was 11.12 days. A total of 18 patients (72%) had gram-negative bacterial meningitis and majority (83.3%) was due to carbapenem-resistant organisms. Predominant isolate was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (44.4%), and the second most common isolate was Acinetobacter baumannii (33.3%). Among cases of gram-negative bacterial meningitis, patients who had carbapenem-resistant isolates were given combination antimicrobials (carbapenem/cefepime tazobactam with colistin/gentamicin) as per susceptibility via intravenous and intrathecal through the drain (extraventricular or lumbar). Only five patients (27.7%) had a complete cure. Conclusion Gram-negative organisms, mainly Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter, are predominant pathogen in neurosurgical meningitis in our center. While treating multidrug-resistant gram-negative meningitis, device removal and a combination of antimicrobial agents via both intravenous and intraventricular routes are crucial to achieve cure.


The head loss in the nonlinear bend caused by the friction of the wall along the bend and the direction change of the flow due to suddenly angle change. The essential elements include velocity (U) number of slices (n), length of the average slices wall (Li), angle change (α), friction coefficient (f), acceleration of gravity (g), and slope of the pipe base (S). Based on equation 12, with fixed discharge, the bigger diameter, and more number of slices in used, then the smaller head loss. Conversely, if the diameter used is getting smaller and less the number of slices, then the head loss bigger. This analysis is expected to provide optimal benefits for activities related design to piping networks, especially main networks that use large diameter pipes. Especially piping networks with the use of steel pipe or High-Density Polyethylene pipe materials. Such as oil pipes, gas pipes, and freshwater distribution pipes. The head loss that occurs will more measurable, fast, easy, and economical in implementation.


A binucleating tetradentate Schiff base ligand, 1,4- di[amino methylene carboxylic] phenylene (H2L) and its forth new binuclear complexes [Co(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II)] were prepared via reaction metal (II) chloride with ligand (H2L) using 2:1 (M:L) in ethanol solvent. The new ligand (H2L) and its complexes were characterized by elemental microanalysis (C.H.N), atomic absorption, chloride content, molar conductance's magnetic susceptibility, FTIR UV- Vis spectral and, 1H, 13 C- NMR (for H2L). The antibacterial activity with bacteria activity with bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus and Esccherichia Coli were studied.


Objectives - to improve the immediate results of treatment in patients with breast cancer, using a new method of reconstruction. Material and methods. The prospective study included 215 patients diagnosed with breast cancer. The patients received medical treatment in the Samara Regional Clinical Oncology Center from 2013 to 2016. The patients in the control group (n = 111) underwent a subcutaneous mastectomy with a standard endoprosthesis plastic, with complete muscular shelter of the endoprosthesis. The patients of the study group (n = 104) underwent a subcutaneous mastectomy with a new method of single-stage reconstruction. Results. The mean time of operation in the control group was 115 ± 15 minutes, in the study group - 90 ± 10 minutes, the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.000). Intraoperative blood loss in the patients of the control group reached 115 ± 15 ml, in the study group - 70 ± 10 ml (p = 0.000). The duration of postoperative lymphorrhea in the control group was 14.6 ± 3.5 days, in the study group - 10 ± 3.4 days (p = 0.000). Postoperative bed-day in the control group was 17.1 ± 3.7, and in the study group - 14.2 ± 2.4 days (p = 0.001). Conclusion. The use of the new method of reconstruction statistically significantly improves the immediate results of treatment in patients with breast cancer in comparison with the group of patients who underwent a mastectomy with plastic surgery with the endoprosthesis in the standard way.


Do party strongholds exacerbate partisan extremism? Using over 140 years of election data and roll call votes I find that, on average, members of Congress elected in states where their party overwhelmingly dominates tend to moderate from their national party's ideology when compared to members elected in more competitive settings. I argue that heavily one-party states have often been engendered by widespread agreement over locally salient issues, group affect, or imbalanced party organization, not because the electorate consistently agrees with one national party. Consequently, representatives have incentive to run under the dominant party label but must respond to diverse electoral pressures that align to both national parties. While scholars prominently observe one-partyism in the Democratic South, I observe that the plains and rural west, particularly between 1896 and 1932, can be characterized as one-party Republican, too. Perhaps surprisingly, state party strength since the 1990s, in a historical perspective, is quite balanced.


Figure 1: Computed tomography; arrow points to the left subclavian artery arising from the arch aneurysm (*greatest extent of 41 mm). Figure 2: (A and B) Computed tomography reconstruction of the aortic arch; arrows show the course of the dissecting membrane, which starts from the aneurysm. LACC: left common carotid artery; RACC: right common carotid artery; TB: truncus brachiocephalicus; RSA: right subclavian artery.


The aim of this study was to determine reference values for serum cystatin C at, and 3 days after, birth, and to determine if the concentration was influenced by gender, gestational age or bilirubin level. Umbilical cord and peripheral venous blood was taken, and serum cystatin C, creatinine, and total and direct bilirubin levels were measured. The mean concentration of cystatin C was not significantly different between cord blood and blood taken on day 3 (1.36 ± 0.35 mg/l and 1.35 ± 0.33mg/l, respectively). Comparison of subgroups, divided by gender, duration of gestation and bilirubin levels, using the Mann-Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon analysis, showed no effect of these parameters on cystatin C levels.


Geotechnical parameters such as shear wave velocity and shear modulus are very important parameters in ground response analysis. The dynamic properties of foundation material below the three axes motion simulator are evaluated using the Block vibration test, Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) and a seismograph. This paper presents the measurements of dynamic properties using Block vibration test and MASW. Paper also present the response of foundation material due to local site condition using SHAKE2000 and vibration measurements for a passive source. Vibration characteristics of foundation material have been monitored by a seismograph with tri-axial sensors to measure the peak particle velocity in all the three directions from the passive sources such as generator, pump house and industrial Buildings which are located at about 70m to 200m from the proposed motion simulator.


A novel pesticide is provided. The present invention provides a pesticide containing, as an active ingredient, a pyridyl-methanamine derivative represented by the formula (I) or its salt: wherein R 1 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, a heterocyclic group, etc.; each of R 2 and R 3 which are independent of each other, is hydrogen, halogen, cyano, nitro, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, a heterocyclic group, etc.; R 4 is trifluoromethyl or chlorodifluoromethyl; R 5 is hydrogen, halogen, cyano, nitro, alkyl, etc.; each of R 6 and R 7 which are independent of each other, is hydrogen, cyano, alkyl, haloalkyl, etc.; R 8 is alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxyalkoxyalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, halogen, haloalkyl, cyano, nitro, etc.; and n is an integer of from 0 to 4.


Dynamic fracturing is an active field of research in which some phenomena like crack branching are only partly understood. The origin for most theoretical studies of fracturing ‐ analytical as well as numerical investigations ‐ are classical concepts of fracture mechanics such as Griffith's energy‐based description. The same is true for phase field fracture models that represent cracks by means of an additional scalar field. The evolution of this field can be found from minimization of a regularized energy functional which corresponds to a generalized Griffith criterion. This work discusses configurational forces as a means to highlight the relation between fracture evolution in a phase field model and the classical fracture mechanical concepts. In contrast to other numerical tools that rely on configurational forces to model the crack propagation, the configurational forces serve a different purpose in a phase field model for fracture. Here, they are a result of a post‐processing step that enhances the understanding of the simulated fracture problem. (© 2016 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Gauge analog models of a spin- 1/2 fermion field are constructed, as well as models of an arbitrary unconstrained theory of a field which is given by an appropriate Hamiltonian. The quantum {ital S} matrix in configuration space is obtained.


Never before in the known history of the world people had such a great impact on climate change as since the beginning of the era of industrialization. Industrial production on a huge, unprecedented scale, apart from its benefits, causes climate change on a global scale through the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. According to the AR5 IPCC report, it is expected that the ever-increasing CO2 emissions and the lack of action to reduce it will increase the average global temperature from the pre-industrial era by up to 4 degrees Celsius to 2100. Such significant climate change can have catastrophic and irreversible consequences for the inhabitants of our planet. Exhausting sources of drinking water, land that cannot be cultivated and depleting natural resources will force people to fight for what will remain. The emergence of military groups will result in both internal armed conflicts and international tensions caused by mass migration of people from countries with the least vulnerability to the effects of climate change, to highly developed regions such as EU countries. Climate change in the context of security is multidimensional and affects almost every sector. EU countries will be forced to counteract the effects of climate change not only through agreements or declarations within the UN, but also by involving their own forces and resources in CSDP missions and operations. The current activities under CSDP will be intensified as well as diversified by implementing support for technological adaptation to new climate conditions in undeveloped countries.


How should radicals and liberals resist and help defeat an administration hostile to every principle and policy that makes a decent society possible? The only way to take back the power of the state is with an institution that has the potential to do so. There is just one national institution that fits that description: the Democratic Party. Leftists, in and out of social movements, should instead seize the opportunity that Hillary Clinton's defeat has given them. Join local chapters of the Democratic Party. Start Democratic clubs where liberals, moderates, and radicals can debate how to challenge Trump and his allies at every level. Consider running for the city council or the state legislature or Congress—and seek out advice about how to set up a campaign and, yes, raise money to finance it.


A field experiment was conducted during rabi 2004–05 at S.D. Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar to study the effect of different weed control treatments on isabgol. Pre-emergence application of isoproturon @ 0.5 kg a.i. ha−1 effectively controlled the weeds and produced higher yield attributes, seed and straw yield and higher net income and recorded higher weed control efficiency and lower weed index.


Rheumatoid factor (RF) is known to be heterogeneous, and RFs detected by various methods exhibit different characteristics. In addition to interacting with the Fc region of immunoglobulin G (IgG), certain RFs are able to recognize idiotypes of antibodies. Given the important role of idiotypic interactions in regulating autoimmunity, we hypothesize that RF is involved in regulation of lymphocyte activity against autoimmune disease‐inducing antigens via idiotype–anti‐idiotype interactions with these lymphocytes.


Abstract The analytical comparison of some digestion methods used for trace metals determination in fish by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) was studied. The results were also compared with those obtained for metals analysis by inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometric technique (ICP[sbnd]AES). Both techniques showed good correlation. The average metal levels found in the fishes and shellfishes analysed from the study area by AAS technique were much lower than the World Health Organisation's acceptable limits for metals in foods.


Singlet atomic oxygen Rydberg states of the (2D) 3d' configuration have been observed as three-photon resonances. The states lie above the first ionization energy but are forbidden to autoionize in LS coupling. All transitions originated from the metastable p4 1D2 state produced by laser photolysis of ozone at ∼276 nm. The same laser pulse was used to ionize the atoms. Arrival time spectra of the atomic photofragment have also been recorded.


Summary

We investigated the resident bacterial communities within the biofilm of 252 streams in New Zealand with the aim of assessing the community variation associated with natural and anthropogenic-influenced environmental characteristics. This work is part of a larger project investigating the use of bacterial communities as biological indicators, and here we assess how predictable the variation in bacterial community is in response to environmental influences.
Samples of epilithic biofilm were collected in the Austral Summer of 2010, and bacterial communities were characterised using the DNA-fingerprinting technique automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA).
Multivariate analysis of the ARISA data revealed that geographical location (region) was a better predictor of bacterial community structure than land use.
Our finding that taxon richness varied with geographical location, decreasing along a north to south (increasing latitude) gradient, and that land use had no significant effect on taxon richness suggests that bacterial communities have great potential to act as biological indicators of stream health. In particular, the maintenance of taxon richness at impacted sites is a key advantage since the local extinction of many traditional indicator organisms, such as fish or macroinvertebrates, often precludes their further use.
Our conceptual model of bacterial community structure proposes that stream biofilm communities are comprised of four broad groups of bacteria: ubiquitous bacteria (found at all sites), region-specific bacteria (those representative of geographical areas), natural-state bacteria (those associated with unmodified systems) and impact-related bacteria (those associated with human activities). The proportion of these four groups at a particular sample site would provide the basis of a novel bacterial community index of stream health.


Using trend coefficient method, vector analysis method, and monitored meteorological data across China, climatic characteristics and spatial pattern of fogs in China were investigated. The results show that most fogs occur in southeastern China. Thin fogs usually occur in fog-rare regions and dense fogs take place in fog-prone regions. The number of annual fog days in most regions of China exhibits a decreasing trend from 1980 to 2010. It also found that the regions with more fog days correspond to the lower concentration degree of fogs, and vice versa. In terms of the national scale, the concentration periods of fogs are mainly in November, December, and January in China. We further classified the occurrence frequencies of fogs into five spatial distribution patterns over a single year according to the spatial distribution characteristics of fogs occurrence frequencies of 36 dekads, namely, a whole year can be correspondingly divided into five phases. Based on this, multi-year average fog-prone regions in the five phases are obtained. Our results also identify the high incidence periods of fogs in different fog-prone regions.


Mechanistic and biocatalytic studies of two carboxymethylproline synthases (CMPSs), CarB and ThnE, members of the crotonase superfamily of enzymes, both in isolation and in conjunction with the activity of the crotonyl-CoA carboxylase/reductase (Ccr) the malonyl-CoA synthetase (MatB) and the methylmalonyl-CoA epimerase (MCE) are presented. Protein engineering studies on carboxymethylproline synthases aimed at enabling stereoselective C–C bond formation leading to N -heterocycles via control of trisubstituted enolate intermediates were carried out. Active site substitutions, including at the oxyanion binding site, enabled the production of substituted N-heterocycles in high diastereomeric excesses via stereocontrolled enolate formation and reaction. The biocatalytic promiscuity of malonyl-CoA ligase and the stereoselectivity of crotonyl–CoA carboxylase/reductase were successfully coupled to the selective tri- substituted enolate forming capacity of engineered carboxymethylproline synthases for the preparation of functionalized 5- and 6-membered N -heterocycles substituted with a variety of alkyl side chains at the C-5/C-6 positions at high diastereomeric excess. The effect of methylmalonyl-CoA epimerase on the diastereoselectivity of the carboxymethylproline synthase-catalysed enolated alkylation was also demonstrated. The results illustrate the utility of the crotonase superfamily of enzymes for stereoselective biocatalysis and demonstrate the power of coupled enzyme systems to enhance diastereoselectivity and to expand the range of accepted substrates.


LHCb is a general purpose experiment instrumented in the forward region at the LHC, specialized in b- and c- physics, new physics and CP violation. The vertex locator (VELO) detector is being upgraded along with the rest of the tracking system and readout architecture during 2019-2020. The aim of this paper is to present the architecture of the control and readout firmware on the VELO specific back-end boards.


The speed, accuracy and efficiency of using laser energy to fuse together or weld living tissue makes laser tissue welding one of the most exciting areas of medical research today. Numerous investigators using animal models and several surgeons conducting clinical studies have demonstrated many promising potential applications of laser tissue welding. Accurate tissue positioning and well controlled delivery of laser energy during laser welding are essential for consistently successful laser tissue repairs. Many surgical procedures involve the creation of functional anastomoses, which are patent connections between hollow, tubular tissue structures, like bowel, blood vessels or fallopian tubes. We are developing the Exoscope SystemTM to automate and simplify the production of laser welded end-to-end and end-to-side anastomoses. Any laser light that can be passed through an optical fiber can be used in this system. The Exoscope SystemTM employs a fiber optic Exoscope Device,TM which provides for the precise placement of laser energy onto the abutted tissue seam, and a biocompatible, dissolvable intraluminal PolySurgeTM stent, which holds the tissue in circumferential apposition during lasing. The feasibility of employing the Exoscope SystemTM technique for the construction of rabbit small bowel anastomoses was successfully demonstrated in a Phase I study comparing 30 Exoscope SystemTM laser welded anastomoses to 30 conventional sutured anastomoses.


We report the effect of indium (In) doping on the electrical performance of a ZnO nanocrystal-based field-effect transistor of side-gate structure, which was fabricated incorporating a high-capacitance ion gel gate dielectric. Undoped and In-doped ZnO channel layers were formed by spin-coating solutions of dispersed ZnO nanocrystals that included different amounts of In-containing precursor solution. Continuous increase in the amount of In doping solution induced close packing of ZnO nanocrystals with suppressed grain growth and increased carrier concentration, which resulted in the improvement of transistor performance. However, after the optimal In doping level was reached, a slight decrease in channel conductivity was observed, probably due to In-induced scattering and/or the generation of microcracks.


Gentlemen: —Your friendly greeting reminds me of the splendid time which it was permitted me to spend in your great, free country. As that period was the most beautiful in my whole life, I naturally am glad to be reminded thereof, and, before everything else, let me thank you for having brought to my memory those reminiscences of America. Indeed, as I look over this meeting I can once more feel myself back in that time when I was permitted to describe and demonstrate my bloodless orthopedic operations to large audiences of my American colleagues. My American brethren were indeed very amiable, but they also let me work very hard. I may say that never in my life have I labored as in America. It was there that I learned what it meant to lead a "strenuous life." I have chosen as the subject of my discourse one which will


The ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic poses significant challenge to mankind in terms of healthcare resources and economic slowdown Though mainly manifested as pneumonia, the virus can affect the digestive system producing a gamut of symptoms The main clinical issues related to gastroenterology include possibility of faeco-oral route of transmission, occurrence of isolated digestive symptoms, abnormalities in liver function tests that correlate with disease severity, and effective infection control measures for endoscopy procedures


We provide a unified analysis of the canonical rational voting model with privately known political preferences and costs of voting. Focusing on type-symmetric equilibrium, we show that for small electorates, members of the minority group vote with a strictly higher probability than do those in the majority, but the majority is strictly more likely to win the election. As the electorate size grows without bound, equilibrium outcome is completely determined by the individuals possessing the lowest cost of voting in each political group. We relate our equilibrium characterization to Myerson's Poisson games, and examine the rate of convergence as well as the potential uniqueness of equilibrium.


The challenges posed by the redefinition of the rol of the State and the quest for efficiency in the provision of public services underlie the reali zation of this study. Therefore, we addressed the reality of the managers of the Social Security National Institute of Social Insurance (INSS in Portuguese), key persons in implementing a model f Public Administration that meets social demands. It was sought to identify the perce ptions of leadership development, explaining gender relations experienced in the exer cis of these positions. A gender approach was based on the significant number of women existi ng in public service. Thus, it is understood that the issues of leadership in this se ctor are permeated by gender relations. In this aspect, we performed a trajectory and contextu alization of women's struggles for emancipation and their situation in prominent posit i ns in the public service. Contextualizing the present study, we carried out the historical co nstruction and presentation of concepts related to modernization of the state, the Public M anagement and the provision of public services in Brazil, that led to the discussion of t opics related to citizenship and social rights. Regarding methodological aspects, this is a case st udy with a qualitative approach and descriptive character. The fieldwork provided means for data fetching with the use of questionnaire and semi structured interview associa ted with the drawings construction. We adopted the content analysis for the data treatment . Was performed to characterize the socioprofessional integration of servers occupying manag ement positions at the operational level of the INSS and addressed the dilemmas arising from th e exercise of management positions and the quest for leadership in developing the skills n ecessary for the management of the agencies. In the context of gender relations, were correlated meanings, from the elaboration of experiences, while men and women in the role of man ager performance in these workplaces. Important results were observed in the analysis of interviews with the technique of building designs. In general, managers demonstrated enjoy an d be proud of what they do, however, there is wear and tensions arising from the deficie ncies of infrastructure, among others. Nevertheless, managers demonstrate ability to learn and excel in these situations many positive feelings among them, involvement, commitme nt and collaboration. The survey results raise questions and recommendations that wi ll be made available to the organization, and elements with reflections in order to contribut e to the educational processes in people management.


The high-purity-oxygen activated sludge process will be used to expand secondary treatment capacity and improve water quality in Santa Monica Bay. The facility is operated by the city of Los Angeles Department of Public Works` Bureau of Sanitation. The overall Hyperion Full Secondary Project is 30% complete, including a new headworks, a new primary clarifier battery, an electrical switch yard, and additional support facilities. The upgrading of secondary facilities is 50% complete, and construction of the digester facilities, the waste-activated sludge thickening facility, and the second phase of the three-phase modification to existing primary clarifier batteries has just begun. The expansion program will provide a maximum monthly design capacity of 19,723 L/s(450 mgd). Hyperion`s expansion program uses industrial treatment techniques rarely attempted in a municipal facility, particularly on such a large scale, including: a user-friendly intermediate pumping station featuring 3.8-m Archimedes screw pumps with a capacity of 5479 L/s each; space-efficient, high-purity-oxygen reactors; a one-of-a-kind, 777-Mg/d oxygen-generating facility incorporating several innovative features that not only save money and energy, but reduce noise; design improvements in 36 new final clarifiers to enhance settling and provide high effluent quality; and egg-shaped digesters to respond to technical and aesthetic design parameters.


In this paper, a "graph metric" is defined that provides a measure of the distance between unstable multivariable plants. The graph metric induces a "graph topology" on unstable plants, which is the weakest possible topology in which feedback stability is robust. Using the graph metric, it is possible to derive estimates for the robustness of feedback stability without assuming that the perturbed and unperturbed plants have the same number of RHP poles. If the perturbed and unperturbed systems have the same RHP poles, then it is possible to obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for robustness with respect to a given class of perturbations. As an application of these results, the design of stabilizing controllers for unstable singularly perturbed systems is studied.


Professor HAN Jingxian holds that the scalp acupuncture is a therapy of combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine.Professor HN Jingxian's clinical experience illustrates that meridians theory combine with neuroanatomy theory and paying attention to acupuncture manipulation quantitative study can improve the clinical effect and enrich the methods of treatment.


It is well documented that many HBsAg-positive / HBeAgnegative patients show normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. However, two different scenarios have been proven to exist: inactive Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) carriers (previously defined as "healthy" HBV carriers) and patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with transient virological and biochemical remission. These subsets of patients share HBsAg positivity and normal ALT levels; however, progression of disease, outcome, HBV DNA levels, severity of liver damage, requirement for liver biopsy and antiviral treatment significantly differ between the two patient populations.


The hydrogen abstraction reaction of Cl atoms with CF3CH2Cl (HCFC-133a) is investigated by using density function theory and ab initio approach, and the rate constants are calculated by using the dual-level direct dynamics method. Optimized geometries and frequencies of reactants, transition state, and products are computed at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p) level. To refine the energetic information along the minimum energy path, single-point energy calculations are carried out at the G3(MP2) level of theory. The interpolated single-point energy method is employed to correct the energy profiles for the title reaction. The rate constants are evaluated by using the canonical variational transition state theory with a small-curvature tunneling correction over a wide range of temperature, 2002000 K. The variational effect for the reaction is moderate at low temperatures and very small at high temperatures. However, the tunneling correction has an important contribution in the lower temperature range. The agreement between calculated rate constants and available experimental values is good at lower temperatures but diverges significantly at higher temperatures. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 44: 661667, 2012


This paper addresses the key aspects of industrial innovation requirements for Canadian manufacturing to face the increasingly tough international trade situation for the year 2000 and beyond. Sharing similar historical, geographical and sociological backgrounds, Canadian industry faces the same challenges as those of Australia and the conclusions are universal. Starting with a historical summary of Canadian manufacturing, this keynote paper discusses importance of research and development base, industrial renewal, government and private sector priorities, innovation capabilities and presents finally a set of strategies to achieve maximal AMT application.


A new algorithm of quantitative texture analysis(QTA), i. e. modified maximum entropy method(MMEM), is proposed and applied to the determination of textures in polycrystalline samples of lower crystal symmery with overlapping diffraction peaks. By introducing directly maximum entropy principle into the least square equations of pole figure inversion, the least square errors between measured and recalculated pole figures, and the optimum of maximum texture entropy may be simultaneously satisfied. Thus, the maximum entropy principle is applied to the entire processes of QTA in frame of harmonic method(HV). The simulated results of ideal fiber texture show that the precise texture vector for the materials with smooth or sharp textures will be obtained by the MMEM from the less number of pole figures.


The forms of work wheel on small axial turbine for small hydropower station can be divided into propeller turbine and thoma turbine.A few of small size thoma turbine which wheel diameter is between 600~1 400 mm is made by domestic manufacturers.The core institutions of adjustable oar equipment in small axial turbine are worm and worm gear transmission,screw transmission and spatial slider-crank mechanism,the institutions can adjust oar continuously when turbine shut down,and the adjusting range is 0° ~ 15°.Finally,the small size thoma turbine has broad application prospect and great popularization value.


Abstract Species of the genus Eriovixia Archer, 1951 from Menglun Town, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China are reviewed, including seven new species: E. ganaesp. nov. (♂♀), E. liuhongisp. nov. (♂♀), E. tangisp. nov. (♂♀), E. wangchengisp. nov. (♂♀), E. yaoisp. nov. (♂♀), E. yinaesp. nov. (♂♀) and E. zhengisp. nov. (♂♀). The male of E. yunnanensis (Yin, Wang, Xie & Peng, 1990) is described for the first time. The previous description of E. yunnanensis from Tengchong, Yunnan by Mi et al. (2010) refers to E. pengisp. nov. (♂♀). Diagnostic photos of the habitus and copulatory organs of the new species and E. yunnanensis from Xishuangbanna are provided.


THERE have been few general theories to accouint foI the f11nctioning of tlhe centra,l nervous system, buit there has becn one which, although it has niever been put forwar(d with any definite evidence, inevert-heless has gradually grown uintil it remains practicallyT the only theory in the field. 1. refer to the ' path ' theory, which states, roughly, that the fiunctions of the central nervous systemn are controlled by chains of neurons laid down as a path so as to conduct the impulse to its appropriate end-organ: that the paths a11re strictly constant, tllus accounting for the fact that the reflexes and reactions are largely constant: that learning consists of the openinig uip of new palths and that memory cons;ists of the retraversing of some old path by another impullse. But it is beginning to become apparent that the theory is in need of a thorou1gh overhaul, especially as it has never been clearly stated but tends to lie in tlhe background, emerging to explain some convenient fact yet not being questionled when facts appear which it is powerless to explain. It appears either explicitly or implicitlv in neurology, in physiology, and particularlIy in iny work which attempts to deal with phy siologi-cal psychology : and, curiously eniough, it is particularly in the latter that it breaks (lowni. It will be shown tlhiat there aire certaiin facts which are iniconmpatible with this theory; but first it is a<s well to examine its beginnings andl its development ' since this throws s,ome light on its present position. Galen, aboIut A.D. 190, first showe(d that an excise(d muscle may be made to twitch by pinching the nierve. He foundl that pinching the nerve at any, point of its course resulted in contrcaction, anid tha,t (livision of the nerve between the point of application of the stimulus and the nmuscle prevented contraction. Here, theni, was the first ' path ' theory, a theory which was obviouisly juistified by the facts. It wcts assumed that sorimething passed from the point of stimulaltion to the muscle and it w$as fouind that, given the state of the path, oIne could pre(lict whetlher, or not the muscle wouild contract. From this point there was a gap, buit by 1800 the grosser anatomy of the neivous system was well known, though practicallyv nothinig was known of its plhysiology. In 1811, Bell 2 mlade his fuindanmental discovery of the functions


This paper discusses the creation of multi-media CDs to assist civil engineers in design and construction of highways with recognition of the increasingly stringent requirements laid out by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Under FHWA sponsorship the Portland State University was required to study the possible marriage of computer learning technologies; using videographers, animators, and software designers, to the real world engineering design and site 'feel' of construction activity using environmental construction experts on camera, and to include case histories. The result is a 100% digital and portable CD product with multi-media techniques designed to supplement more cumbersome paper and written word formats. This offers a new way to overcome civil discipline barriers, and with web on-line components quickly connect the engineer to current information, ensuring the CD is never outdated. The paper introduces and defines 3 possible categories for this media technique to build future digital civil engineering libraries: Category I, II and II, each having different learning methodologies and formats.


The dynamics equation for a Francis turbine blade in air and water was used to analyze blade fatigue failures caused by forced resonance.The finite element method was used to calculate the blade's natural frequencies in air and during various operating conditions and the influence coefficients which are related to data given in the literatures.The results indicate that the mode shapes in air are similar to those during operation,but that the blade's natural frequencies vary with the blade structure and the vibration modes.Therefore,the method can be used for resonance force analyses and the blade fatigue reliability designs.


This study classifies the marketing mix of LASIK eye surgery clinics into 7Ps, examines the influence of each factor of 7Ps(product, place, price, promotion, process, people and physical evidence) on customer satisfaction, and investigates the effect of customer satisfaction on trust and relationship commitment. Survey of 500 patients who received surgeries in 3 eye clinics in Busan area was conducted through self-administered questionnaires, and, with this data, path analysis was performed to estimate the study model. Main result showed that, among 7Ps, product, price, promotion, people and physical evidence had significant positive effect on customer satisfaction which, in turn, had significant positive effect on trust and relationship commitment. Also, it was found that trust positively affected relationship commitment. This result would be considered helpful in medical institution`s efforts to establish trust on customer satisfaction and maintain relationship commitment. It also implies that, in order to enhance competitiveness in increasingly competitive medical market, establishment of proper marketing strategy is urgently required where the determinants of customer satisfaction are effectively administered and ultimate relationship commitment of customers based on trust can be maintained and enhanced.


ABSTRACT Research on Intergroup Contact Theory has suggested that more positive environments develop when individuals have greater exposure to diverse groups, though minority students and White students often report different experiences. Literature on higher education institutions has largely been relegated to studies on predominantly White institutions. This study was designed to address that gap by assessing the diversity climate at a large, recently consolidated multi-campus university. Comparisons were made between the two main campuses, one a predominantly White campus (PWC) and the other a more racially diverse campus (DivC). The Diverse Learning Environments survey was administered to 2582 undergraduate students to assess perceptions of diversity climate, racial harassment and campus hostility, likelihood of attrition, satisfaction with the university, and perceptions of professor effectiveness. Results indicated that experiences of harassment correlated with dissatisfaction with the campus and lower perceptions of institutional devotion to diversity, and a greater likelihood that students would choose to transfer. Campus differences in diversity climate are also explored. Views of diversity climate were correlated with perceptions of their professors' effectiveness. As more colleges across the US continue to consolidate into larger, multi-campus universities, it is essential to consider the diversity climate across campuses with varying demographics and cultures.


In this paper, we describe the Cloud Computing basic compute resources scheduling and allocation algorithms, in addition to the working mechanism. This paper also presents a number of experiments conducted based on CloudSim simulation toolkit in order to assess and evaluate the performance of these scheduling algorithms on Cloud Computing like infrastructure. Furthermore, we introduced and explained the CloudSim simulator design, architecture and proposed two new scheduling algorithms to enhance the existent ones and highlight the weaknesses and/or effectiveness of these algorithms.


Fingerprint enhancement technology can effectively enhance fingerprint ridge characteristics, for the fingerprint extraction and matching the details lay a reliable foundation. Introduces a fingerprint image enhancement method based on combination of Gabor filtering and morphology, normalizes the fingerprint image, makes a Gabor filtering and reconstruction from eight different directions. Makes a refinement to output clear texture image of fingerprint by using morphology method, and gets good results.