In this work a new multiresolution method to detect and classify edges appearing in images has been proposed. The edge detection and classification schema is based on the analysis of the data obtained by a multiresolution image analysis using Mallat and Zhong's wavelet. Multiresolution analysis allows to detect edges of different relevance at different scales, as well as to obtain other important aspects of the detected edge. The Discrete Wavelet Transform proposed by Mallat and Zhong has been used for detection and classification purposes. The classification schema developed is based on a simple polynomial-fitting algorithm. Analyzing properties of the fitted polynomial we are able to classify several edge types. The robustness of the proposed method has been tested with different geometrical contour types appeared in the literature. A real edge type has also been introduced: the 'noise', that allow us to implement a novel noise-filtering algorithm simply by eliminating the points belonging to this class. The proposed classification schema could be generalized to real edge types: shadows, corners, etc.


The present invention provides a track on the input data frequency-modulated clock and data recovery circuit. The circuit includes: an input data signal and the synchronous clock signal, detecting the phase delayed and advance and output of the phase detector UP1 / DOWN1 signal; of UP1 / DOWN1 signal is integrated and outputs UP2 / DOWN2 signal, UP3 / DOWN3 signal the first, second integrator; input UP3 / DOWN3 signal from the second integrator, the output of pattern generator UP4 / DOWN4 signal; UP2 input from the first integrator / DOWN2 signals UP4 and from the pattern generator / DOWN4 signal, generates and outputs the mixer UP5 / DOWN5 signal; and, the phase of the input clock signal is interpolated and output of the phase interpolator according to UP5 from the mixer / DOWN5 signal outputted from the phase interpolator clock signal as a clock is fed back to the phase detector.


Cool evolved stars are known to be significant contributors to the enrichment of the interstellar medium through their dense and dusty stellar winds. High resolution observations of these outflows have shown them to possess high degrees of morphological complexity. We observed the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star EP Aquarii with ALMA in band 6 and VLT/SPHERE/ZIMPOL in four filters the visible. Both instruments had an angular resolution of 0.025″. These are follow-up observations to the lower-resolution 2016 ALMA analysis of EP Aquarii, which revealed that its wind possesses a nearly face-on, spiral-harbouring equatorial density enhancement, with a nearly pole-on bi-conical outflow. At the base of the spiral, the SiO emission revealed a distinct emission void approximately 0.4″ to the west of the continuum brightness peak, which was proposed to be linked to the presence of a companion. The new ALMA data better resolve the inner wind and reveal that its morphology as observed in CO is consistent with hydrodynamical companion-induced perturbations. Assuming that photodissociation by the UV-field of the companion is responsible for the emission void in SiO, we deduced the spectral properties of the tentative companion from the size of the hole. We conclude that the most probable companion candidate is a white dwarf with a mass between 0.65 and 0.8 M⊙, though a solar-like companion could not be definitively excluded. The radial SiO emission shows periodic, low-amplitude perturbations. We tentatively propose that they could be the consequence of the interaction of the AGB wind with another much closer low-mass companion. The polarised SPHERE/ZIMPOL data show a circular signal surrounding the AGB star with a radius of ∼0.1″. Decreased signal along a PA of 138° suggests that the dust is confined to an inclined ring-like structure, consistent with the previously determined wind morphology.


The technological progress has made available to masses electronic devices with compact size and high performances and quality at affordable prices.


The physical properties of human jawbone, spongy bone, and Cerabone® bone transplantation material have been compared using terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) across a wide frequency range. The refractive indices n(ω) and absorption coefficients α(ω) of spongy bone, jawbone, and Cerabone® were determined in vitro, using THz TDS from 0.2 to 2.5 THz.


Abstract Some aspects of comparative ecology in two sympatric Podarcis species, P. muralis and P. sicula, were studied in an urban park of Rome. Both species preyed on a wide variety of invertebrates, but mainly on insects. Food niche breadth was wider in P. muralis, and this is possibly related to the higher microhabitat heterogeneity of the species in the study area. Food niche overlap was relatively high. Activity patterns (annual cycle, daily activity) were rather similar in the two lacertid lizards. Fecundity did not differ significantly between species, female snout‐vent length and clutch size being positively correlated. At least two clutches per year were detected in each species. In each of the two study sites chosen in the urban park the density of both species did not vary significantly amongst years. Podarcis muralis appeared to be the only species inhabiting humid places with dense vegetation, while P. sicula was numerically more abundant than P. muralis in sunny and dry spots. Although concl...


Abstract— We investigate the action of the martian atmosphere on entering meteoroids for present and past atmospheres with various surface pressures to predict the smallest observable craters, and to understand the implications for the size distributions of craters on Mars and meteoroids in space. We assume different strengths appropriate to icy, stone, and iron bodies and test the results against available data on terrestrial bolides. Deceleration, ablation, and fragmentation effects are included.


Abstract Using a concept proposed by Stehman and Czaplewski (1997), we implemented spatially-explicit Monte Carlo simulations to test the effects of manually introduced horizontal positional error on standard inter-rater statistics derived from twelve classified high-resolution images. Through simulations we found that both overall and kappa accuracies decrease markedly with increasing error distance, varying greatly across distances relevant to practical application. The use of ground reference sites falling solely in homogeneous patches significantly improves inter-rater statistics and calls into question the use of kernel-smoothed data in one-time accuracy assessments. Our simulations offer insight into the scale of both structural and cover type heterogeneity across our landscapes, and support a new method for minimizing the effects of positional error on map accuracy. We recommend that analysts use caution when applying traditional accuracy assessment strategies to categorical maps, particularly when working with high-resolution imagery.


This paper analyzes several control theories in automobile electronic control system and the demands and characteristics of the control system for car Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). According to the different characters of the start clutch control, radio control and belt force control, this article gives some proper control projects to each control system.


As every typologist knows, some languages (called 'synthetic') have inflexional categories, some of them having more, some less, while other languages (called 'analytic'or'isolating') lack inflexional .categories. Languages which have inflexional categories need not have exactly the same set; for example, some languages have inflexional Switch-Reference, others, maybe most, do not. Cross-linguistic Variation is not entirely random in this respect, though: there are many notional categories (e.g. colour, kinds of disease, speed and perhaps manner of locomotion) which are never grammaticized äs inflexional categories; other categories acquire inflexional status relatively rarely (e.g. Switch-Reference); some categories recur with more than Chance frequencywhenever languages have inflexional categories at all, including Number, Gase, Gender/Class, Person, Possession, Definiteness and perhaps further deictic categories, Gradation, Tense, Aspect, Mood, and Diathesis. Incidentally, I do not regard the boundary between inflexional and deri vational categories äs categorical and always well-defined (cf. PLANK 1981, eh. 2), hence would not be surprised if generalizations were found which to some extent cover both inflexional and derivational categories. Evidently, inflexional languages can be classified according to the presence or absence of particular inflexional categories (e.g into Aspectual and Aspect-less, Casual and Case-less languages); but such classifications do not seem very populär among typologists, perhaps owing to the relative lack of cross-linguistic Variation cöneerning the major inflexional categories, and also the apparent lack of correlates that would in vest such classifications with Systemic significance.


The purpose of this research is to develop R&D validity evalu ation model in business model aspect with Korean patent data for variety applicable criteria such as investment dec ision making. The model in this research has four core analys is modules: market, growth pattern, competitive and financial those ana lyze nine BMC(Business Model Components) clarified in this r e earch with classified keywords within patent specification database ca t gorized by industry: Value proposition, Customer segmen ts, Channels, Customer relationship, Key activities, Key resources, Key partnerships, Cost structure, and Revenue stream. This mod el suggests the key notations for four modules to systemize R&D validity eva luation model which facilitates effective company R&D inve stment, and governments industrial R&D investment by representing sta ndardized nine BMC. Hence, the model in this research is appl icable to common and matured company or industry not to special purpos e or tart-up one.


The nonlinear diffusion equation u t = δF (u) is studied in exterior domains under Dirichlet boundary conditions. Asymptotic stability criteria for the steady states are proved. A criterion of pointwise asymptotic stability for the porous medium and horizontal filtration equations is obtained.


The article deals with the governing bodies for the implementation of social policy in rural areas, as the importance of social policy as an instrument of state regulation of society life is great. The stages of development of social policy realization bodies are considered. The historical description of social policy bodies in rural areas on the example of Uzhur district. Bodies implementing social policy in rural areas are important because the creation of social infrastructure leads to quality social welfare of the rural population.


Abstract An initially axisymmetric hurricane was explicitly simulated using the high-resolution PSU–NCAR nonhydrostatic mesoscale model (MM5). Spiral potential vorticity (PV) bands that formed in the model were analyzed. It was shown that PV bands and cloud bands are strongly coupled. The PV anomalies in and at the top of the boundary layer interact with friction to produce upward motion that gives rise to the inner cloud bands. The propagation properties of the PV bands were studied and found to be consistent with predictions of vortex Rossby wave theory. In the control simulation with full physics, continuous generation of PV through latent heat release in the eyewall and spiral rainbands maintain a "bowl-shape" PV field. Inward transport of high PV by the vortex Rossby waves and the process of nonlinear mixing tend to increase the inner-core PV and in turn intensify the hurricane. On the other hand, frictional and PV mixing processes acted linearly to spin down the hurricane to a midlevel vortex in a d...


In this lecture we are going to begin discussing what happens to quantum computers when we move away from the closed system view of quantum theory and encounter the reality that real quantum system are open quantum systems. Open quantum systems interact with their environment and decohere. When we try to control real quantum systems, we aren't able to perfectly control them. When we try to perform projective measurements on a real quantum systems, we don't perform exactly perfect projective measurements. When we try to prepare real quantum systems into a particular state, we don't succeed in preparing this state with perfect certainty. All of these issues must be addressed if we are really going to (1) build a quantum computer, (2) accept that quantum computation is a valid model deserving of the moniker digital computer.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the leisure perception of employee. In order to meet the purpose this study, 285 employees selecting from 6 company. Measurement tools for this study were Korean Version of Leisure Diagnostic Diagnostic Battery (LDB), Questionare including LDB and background variable were administrated for collect of the data. Collected data were analyzed primarily utilizing multi analysis of variance(MANOVA) and analysis of variance(ANOVA). The results of this study were as follow. 1) There was a significant difference in leisure perception by gender. 2) There was a significant difference in leisure perception by type of work. 3) There was a significant difference in leisure perception by leisure participant.


The spread of antibiotic resistance is a great threat to medicine. We are in desperate need of new antibiotics to replace those for which resistance is widespread. The bacterial type two topoisomerases, DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, are well validated antimicrobial targets. The fluoroquinolone antibiotics target the DNA binding site of these enzymes, but no currently available antibiotics target the ATP binding site. It is hoped that simultaneously targeting the ATP binding sites of these two bacterial enzymes will slow the emergence of resistance.
This thesis describes the investigation of a series of pyridine 3-carboxamide DNA gyrase inhibitors, extending knowledge of the structure activity relationships of these compounds and making assessment of their inhibition of the topoisomerase IV enzyme in addition to their inhibition of DNA gyrase. Many of the inhibitors proved to be highly potent inhibitors of both DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV with the most potent compound having IC50s of 24 nM and 87 nM against the DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV enzymes respectively. These compounds also showed promising antibacterial activity with MICs as low as 1 μg/ml against S. aureus. Additionally, in vitro ADME profiling of key compounds from this series was carried out.
A subunit of the DNA gyrase protein was produced for use in crystallisation studies. Cocrystallisation of the protein with four inhibitor molecules was carried out and four crystal structures were solved revealing the binding poses of the pyridine 3-carboxamide compounds bound in the ATP site of GyrB.
Efforts were also made to identify a new series of DNA gyrase inhibitors. De novo design and virtual high throughput screening were utilised and a number of compounds were purchased and assessed for their ability to inhibit DNA gyrase. Two of the compounds showed activity in the enzyme assay. A scaffold hopping approach was also used to rationally design new series of potential inhibitors. Three compound series were designed and synthesis was carried out towards them. A series of quinazolinones proved to be the most synthetically tractable and a small library was produced and assessed for their biological activity. Several of the compounds were active against the DNA gyrase enzyme with IC50s as low as 1.1 μM.


Abstract : The effect has been studied of inositol on the release of nucleic acids from bacterial cells dried at different relative humidities (R.H.) and from animal cells suspended in inositol solutions. Drying at 60% R.H. or above, or treatment with inositol brings about the release of RNA and active virus, but otherwise does not affect the cell. The release of this nucleic acid appears to enable tge cell to withstand adverse drying conditions and it is suggested that cell death results from a malfunction in the activity of specific enzymes concerned in RNA syntgesis. Some applications of the findings with respect to the problems of virus spread and tumor formation are discussed. (Author)


Rain water samples of equal volume (100 ml) were collected sequentially from 5 convective shower events for a period of 2 years during the summer monsoon seasons of 1988 and 1989 at Pune. A marked decrease in the concentrations of soil-orientated elements Na + , K + , Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ was observed in the first few samples in all the events followed by a decrease in pH of the subsequent samples. Surprisingly, SO 4 2- also showed similar variation, indicating that soil is contributing some SO 4 2- in rain water. Washout process appears to be an important mechanism for the removal of the major ions from the atmosphere. However, rainout processes seem to be important for the removal of NO 3 - ions. The study points out that sequential sampling during a single shower appears to give better information about the relationship among H + , Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , SO 4 2- and NO 3 - as compared to bulk sampling for longer duration. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1994.00006.x


Laser based techniques can enhance security and protect the environment. Examples of the former include detection of trace explosive vapors or chemical warfare agents. The connection between security and environmental issues will be discussed.


A Cu-24 wt % Ag composite alloy is prepared to reveal the evolutions of microstructures, mechanical properties and textures formed by cold rolling. A typical alternating distribution of Cu and Ag phase layers is observed, which becomes much finer with increasing cold rolling reduction. Copper texture ((112)<11-1> texture) and Goss texture ((110)<001> texture) with high intensities are found in the Cu phase of cold rolled samples. Ag phase containing strong Goss texture and weak Brass texture are observed, quite different from the case in cold rolled pure Ag. Significant change of textures, from the Goss texture to (111) textures with increasing rolling reduction, has been found of Ag phase. The strengthening mechanism of this Cu-Ag composite is described by a equation similar to the HallPetch relationship, the fitted results based on which shows good agreement with the experimental data when the layer thickness is lower than 100-200 nm.


Method of injecting material into the substrate is provided by plasma immersion ion implantation process. In one embodiment, a method of injecting a material into the substrate, and providing a substrate comprising a substrate surface on which the material layer is formed in the processing chamber, comprising: generating a first plasma of a non-dopant processing gas, a step of exposing the material layer to the non-dopant processing gas plasma, comprising the steps of generating a second plasma of a dopant processing gas containing an adapted reaction gases to produce dopant ions, the dopant in the material layer from a plasma and a step of implanting ions. This method, cleaning process or etching process may further comprise a.


For a long time, psychologists have been interested in creating better tests to predict job performance. Recently, there have been attempts to improve the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), which is used to select and classify enlisted personnel. This research investigates the ability of the Enhanced Computer-Administered Test (ECAT), a computerized battery of new measures, to increment the validity of the ASVAB in predicting three criteria of mechanics' job performance: a hands-on performance test (HOPT), a job knowledge test (JKT), and final course grade (FCG). Examinees included 698 automotive mechanics and 443 helicopter mechanics. One spatial ability test, assembling objects (AO), was the only promising new predictor of mechanical HOPT performance among those we examined. A 0 added the greatest incremental validity to the ASVAB for predicting HOPT scores of both automotive (.012 or 1.6%) and helicopter mechanics (0.15 or 2.2%). When criteria other than hands-on tests were used, incre...


It is argued that the non-English majors fail to learn well the vocabulary.Therefore,it is imperative that special English teaching be strengthened in relation to intensive and extensive readings.An experimental study shows that the temporary effect of intensive English is better than extensive English.Students may be stimulated in the teaching process.


Background: To become a mother represents, for many women, a challenging existential process. Women have to deal with countless changes and adaptations, which can be experienced as sources of imbalance but also as moments of personal enrichment.  Currently, this process is influenced by the medicalization of pregnancy and childbirth, which may have positive or negative consequences to the individual experiences of pregnancy and childbirth. Goals: This study aimed to deepen the understanding of the experience of pregnancy and expectations regarding childbirth in a group of women, in a context where pregnancy and childbirth are increasingly medicalized processes. Methods: In this qualitative study, we used semi-structured interviews to collect data regarding the experience of pregnancy and regarding expectations about childbirth in a sample of women (n = 37), recruited in health care centres or obstetric clinics by research assistants. The individual interviews took place at their homes. Data resulting from these interviews, focusing on the relationship with the health team, the partner and the unborn baby, and on the moment of childbirth, were analysed using ALCESTE software. Two senior researchers, psychologists, conducted the content analysis. Investigator triangulation was achieved through independent content analysis by each researcher and subsequent discussion and consensual interpretation. Results: Thirty-seven pregnant women were interviewed. Four classes emerged from the analysis: "Expectations about childbirth and baby health" , "Significant relational experiences of the past" , "Mother-baby relationship process" and "Health care in pregnancy" . Results emphasize the desire of future mothers to have a quick childbirth, without stress and with minimal suffering and anxiety. Despite these worries, women described a positive subjective experience of pregnancy and a feeling of security related to the knowledge they attribute to health professionals.  Discussion: "Medicalization" seems to be perceived as positive and securing, with no mention to a sense of disempowerment or loss of control. Therefore, the existence of spaces for sharing disturbing experiences and expectations of childbirth is prophylactic, contributing to the creation of conditions that foster positive expectations and mitigate fears related to childbirth.


PURPOSE: A parallel type 6-axis force-moment measuring device is provided to easily produce, remove mutual interference, partially maintain and repair, and measure large capacity and heavy load. CONSTITUTION: A parallel type 6-axis force-moment measuring device is composed of a mechanical structure unit for forming a mechanical structure; a sensing unit(22) installed at the predetermined part of the mechanical structure unit to measure tensile and compressive force action on each axis; a signal amplifying unit for amplifying an input signal from the sensing unit; a signal converting unit for converting the input signal from the signal amplifying unit; a computing unit for computing force and moment acting on a spatial structure based on the signal input through the signal converting unit; and an output unit for outputting the result of the computing unit. The mechanical structure unit comprises a lower supporting plate(31) for entirely supporting the mechanical structure; a plurality of vertical members(32a,32b,32c) separated from the lower supporting plate at the predetermined distance and vertically fixed; a plurality of horizontal members(33a,33b,33c) vertically combined to the predetermined parts of the vertical members; an upper supporting plate(34) separated from the lower supporting plate at the predetermined distance and parallel to the lower supporting plate to support the structure; a center axis member(35) arranged under the upper supporting plate to support the upper supporting plate; and a plurality of connecting members(36a,36b,36c) for connecting the center axis member with the plural horizontal members, respectively.


BackgroundScalp hemostasis during neurosurgical practice is a must. There are various methods to attain it. We endeavored to evaluate the efficacy of locally available metal paper clips for this purpose. ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of paper clips and their comparison with Raney clips for scalp hemostasis during craniotomy. Patients and MethodsSeventy-six patients were randomized into 2 groups: group A—patients in whom Raney clips were applied for scalp hemostasis and group B—patients in whom metal paper clips were used. Follow-up at 1 month was available in 68 patients. Patients with previous scalp surgeries or craniotomies were excluded from the trial. The wounds were assessed by an investigator, who was blind to the type of the scalp clips used. ResultsThe results revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in wound healing characteristics of these 2 groups at 1-month period after surgery. ConclusionsThe use of metal paper clips for scalp hemostasis during craniotomy is safe, cheaper than and as effective as Raney clips.


The effects on cholinergic, excitatory amino acid and neuropeptide markers in the basal forebrain of an intracerebrally-injected synthetic peptide corresponding to the first 1-40 amino acids of beta-amyloid protein (Ab1-40) was studied in rats. Focal deposition of Ab in the retrosplenial granular cortex resulted in a significant loss of cholinergic and glutamate-immunoreactive neurons in the septum-diagonal band complex. The medial septal nucleus showed a reduction of 39% ± 1% in the number of cholinergic neurons and a significantly reduced number of cholinergic neurons (up to 22% ± 10%) was also found in the horizontal nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca in comparison with the same paramaters in uninjected controls. A markerd loss of glutamate- containing neurons was also found in the medial septal nucleus (up to 19% ± 6%) together with a decrease of approximately 22% ± 3% in the horizontal nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca when compared with uninjected control animals. Furthermore, a moderate reduction in fibres and structures such as terminals immunoreactive for glutamate, substance P, and neurotensin was observed in the septum-diagonal band complex. These results show that two different neurochemically defined populations of neurons in the basal forebrain are affected by the neurotoxicity of Ab in vivo.


Pregnancy is a transformational journey towards parenthood. Bodily and mental changes are inevitable for the one who is pregnant, and many find this transformation to be challenging. This paper reimagines the emotional pregnancy within the context of a prenatal yoga setting. In doing so, it explores novel approaches to designing interactions in a supportive environment. We introduce an explorative study with three women at different stages in their pregnancy to suggest avenues for design research in support of emotional wellbeing during this time.


Change can be a difficult process to go through successfully in business, as many people, team members and mangers alike, often find it uncomfortable. Bobbie Flight outlines the steps to managing change effectively for the future good of the practice.


PurposeDrawing upon self-determination theory (SDT) and the proactive motivation model, this study examined how inclusive leadership is related to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) through psychological need satisfaction (PNS).Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a large Dutch private company in the financial sector (N = 264) and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsInclusive leadership positively influenced all three PNS dimensions (autonomy, competence and relatedness). Both autonomy and relatedness fully mediated the relationship between inclusive leadership and OCB. However, this was not the case for competence, although additional analyses revealed the serial mediation of all three PNS dimensions.Originality/valueBy highlighting the mediating role of PNS, this study contributes to the inclusive leadership literature by helping unravel the underlying process through which leaders influence team outcomes. The findings emphasize the importance of inclusive leaders in satisfying employees' individual psychological needs, so that they can redirect their attention toward prosocial behaviors.


It is a great honor for me to receive the Fahraeus Award and I would like to thank the European Society very much for this. The medal represents an important milestone in my life and to have achieved it fills me with immense joy. I was especially pleased that my laudation was held by Mike Rampling – whom I had the pleasure of presenting the Fahraeus medal in Dresden – and that this year it was his turn to present it to me. Mike is a very good friend of mine and an outstanding personality. I have always enjoyed the articles he has published and the lectures he has given over the past years. To be honored with the Fahraeus medal as a non-physician was only possible due to my close collaborative research relationship with many clinicians within a vast network. Therefore, my most sincere thanks go to all with whom I had the pleasure of working during the past 25 years. As has been the tradition for many years, I would now like to present some of the most important of my work projects. My first work in the field of hemorheology was to investigate under which conditions the HagenPoiseuille Law is valid. This question can be answered straightforwardly by continuum physics. General mass and impulse balance equations form coupled systems of partial differential equations that are not directly solvable with respect to the associated exit, transient and boundary conditions.


T HE emergence of chamber music written for a single player per part, without the support of a keyboard instrument, is one of the most significant developments in instrumental music during the latter half of the eighteenth century. By exploiting the idiomatic capabilities of solo instruments, composers created an intimate and flexible style that was impossible in the orchestrally conceived works of previous generations. The change in conception is most apparent in the chamber works for four string parts. Freed from the basso continuo and the restrictions of a larger ensemble, the new quartet offered exciting possibilities to be explored by both composers and performers. In Vienna, the differences between the old and new chamber styles were not products of a gradual evolution. Rather, there was a decisive break in the late 1760s. Although many facets of this change remain to be investigated, three features closely associated with the essence of the string quartet seem to stand out and clearly distinguish the new chamber works from their predecessors. The capabilities of soloists are more thoroughly exploited, the intended use of a solo violoncello is more clearly indicated by the bass part, and the ties with the basso continuo concept are completely broken. Descriptions of Viennese chamber pieces composed before the late 1760s as "orchestral" have frequently appeared in discussions of this repertory?. In order to understand more fully the implications of such descriptions, it is necessary to distinguish between a


The purpose of this paper was to determine the degree of involvement of the problem driver in fatal motor vehicle accidents that occurred in Washington State during 1966. In order to determine the degree of involvement, a comparison of the driving record, age, and sex of the involved drivers with the same information for all drivers with a valid license on record was done. The driving record of the population of drivers covered the period January 1, 1961 to February 1, 1967. In this study, all violations and accidents on the driving record were used and given equal weight regardless of date, time, or point value. However violations received after the time of involvement in a 1966 fatality were excluded from the driving record. During the study period, 1,035 drivers were involved in 698 accidents with 823 fatalities. Driving records ranges from clean to a combination of 18 violations and accidents on one driving record. Ages of drivers ranged from 13 to 86. Eighty-four percent of the drivers were male and 16 percent female. The major purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of driving record and fatal accident involvement.


The military conflict over Ukraine and the sanctions against Russia are pushing the Russian economy into a crisis. Its transmission to Armenia can already be witnessed with exchange rate instability and
can be materialized fully during the year. In this paper, the authors are applying econometric methods
and are modeling the possible developments of more sensitive indicators and exchange rate of Armenia
given different scenarios for the Russian economy. As the possible positive effects (like inflow of people
and additional export opportunities) are hard to measure yet, the authors quantify negative effects,
which point to the risks for economic downturn during this year.


Today connectivity between IP networks can be automatically configured, but the control layers are often not compatible. In the IST Project Ambient Networks, a novel concept for internetworking in the control plane and control sharing, called Composition, is being developed. This paper describes the composition mechanism and illustrates it by means of scenarios, devoting particular attention to migration issues.


More frequently, design of user interfaces covers design issues related to multiple contexts of use where multiple stereotypes of users may carry out multiple tasks, possibly on multiple domains of interest. Existing development methods do not necessarily support developing such user interfaces as they do not factor out common parts between similar cases while putting aside uncommon parts that are specific to some user stereotypes. To address this need, a new development method is presented based on three layers: (i) a conceptual layer where a domain expert defines an ontology of concepts, relationships, and attributes of the domain of discourse, including user modeling; (ii) a logical layer where a designer specifies multiple models based on the previously defined ontology and its allowed rules; and (iii) a physical layer where a developer develops multiple user interfaces from the previously specified models with design alternatives depending on characteristics maintained in the user models.


We demonstrate the first athermal and tunable operation of 850 nm vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) using a thermally actuated cantilever for compensating the temperature dependence of lasing wavelengths. A novel micromachined air-gap cavity with an anti-reflection AlxOy layer which can be formed by a wet-oxidation process is proposed and fabricated. The temperature dependence is as low as 0.002 nm/K, which is 40 times smaller than that of conventional VCSELs. In addition, the fine wavelength tuning of 0.8 nm is also realized with changing injection current.


A rapid, precise method has been developed for the determination of the fatty acid profile of small samples of milk fat. Lipids are extracted from milk with n-hexane, triglycerides are trans-esterified with sodium methoxide, and free fatty acids are esterified with methanolic hydrochloric acid. The methyl esters are separated on a narrow-bore, 5% phenyl polydimethylsiloxane capillary column. The fatty acid profile is precise: for the various acids the coefficients of variation of peak area are between 6.7% and 9.7%, with a mean of 8.1%, and the coefficients of variation of peak percentage area are between 0.3% and 5.5% with a mean of 1.8%. The nature of the sample preparation procedure does not limit throughout.


The design methods of PWM variable-frequency control system controlled by MCU are described.The incontrollable rectification is performed by diode in the main circuit.The voltage adjustment and FM is conducted by PWM voltage inverter.AC-DC-AC voltage inverter is composed of GTO switching elements.The inverter adopts a control mode with constant U.The core of the control circuit is 8051 SCM 8051.After the value given by keyboard is compared with the feedback value,the signal is sent to PWM modulation wave integrated chip HEF4752V for producing a 2~5 kHz switching signal to control the switch of GTO,that is,the adjustable and realistic sine wave is achieved by changing the voltage and frequency.


In this work we describe the fabrication and characterization of couplers realized with a wet etching process that is compatible with the standard COBRA active-passive process. The implementation of this broadband structure allows for wafer-scale waveguide-loss and absolute-wavelength measurements.


Abstract A striking instrumental design innovation in recent years has been the development of the Paetzold 'square bass' bass recorders, sparking interest among performers and composers to develop a new approach to contemporary performance practice and electroacoustic composition. This article examines two works by Australian composers that have been performed by the author. Both pieces are written for the Paetzold contrabass recorder in F, applying its unique sound palette within different compositional approaches and structures. The electroacoustic works surveyed also use a fixed media soundscape drawing on varying levels of gesture and improvisation from the live performer(s). The works present different relationships between the pre-recorded soundscape and the contrabass recorder and provide an opportunity for the performer to experiment with the large range of sounds possible. This article also serves as a summary of tools, sounds and techniques for composers interested in writing for the instrument.


In this paper, the performance of quad-APD spatial tracking loop (STL)in the presence of scintillation is studied for a frozen atmosphere turbulent model for free-space communications (FSO). The atmospheric turbulence responsible for the beam scintillation is assumed to follow the weak turbulence model, described by Rytov approximation, which in turn suggests log-normal statistics for the received optical signal intensity. It is assumed that pointing error in large part is due to atmospheric wander and that the correlation time of the beam wander is comparable to the correlation time of the amplitude variations due to amplitude scintillation. Provided recently reported estimation strategies, a new model for spatial tracking is proposed where estimates of channel coefficient are used to adjust the gain of the tracking loop, enabling an adaptive bandwidth adjustment in the presence of correlated fading. The performance of the proposed loop as well as that of the standard tracking loop are assessed and compared via simulation in terms of the mean square tracking error (MSTE).


In the April 12 edition of the News fare printed a section of a recent great fcpeecb in the United States Senate by • Senator Reed Smoot of Utah in defense of the proposed increase in the tariff on sugar imports, particularly Cuban sugar, as a means for saving the beet sugar and cane sugar industries of the United States, and thereby benefiting American agriculture, as well as protecting American consumers of sugar against the extortionate sugar prices exacted by Cuba whenever she gets control of our sugar market, by reason of the disappearance of the safeguarding domestic production. In the section published April 12, Senator Smoot recalled gouging of American consumers in 1920 by Cuban sugar interests (largely controlled by American capital) when in a sugar shortage in this country they ran the price of raw sugar from 5V2 to 23 1 /2 cents per pound thereby taking $660,000,000 in excess charges from the American people. In that section of the address, Mr. Smoot charged that the principal interests now opposed to a sugar duty increase are chocolate and candy manufacturers with interests in Cuba, soft drink manufacturers, and the National City Bank of New York, which he said, has millions of dollars invested in Cuban sugar property. Wrecking Our Industry In tday's installment of the address, Mr. Smoot tells us that the growth of the Cuban sugar industry and the preferential tariff treatment accorded it has almost wrecked our domestic sugar industry and how that has been accomplished. Also, why the production of beet sugar and cane sugar in the United States should be given the tariff protection that will enable it to live and prosper, with beneficial results to our farmers, domestic sugar manufacturers and sugar consumers. Senator Smoot said:


Introduction: This paper examines, through a biographical approach, the practical activities and overall theoretical corpus of Pacces, an Italian technician and pre-cursor of managerial economy and culture, focusing on his formula for governing the 1970s 'macro-enterprises', a complex organization's emblem. The article then, through a long period of empirical research, investigates the applicability of this 'recipe' to large modern companies. Aims of the work: This Article has three objectives: a) to fill a cognitive gap within the existing literature; b) to show, putting on an organizational lens, how some of Pacces' ideas were not only exceptional for his time but still current - confirming his extraordinary vision - and harbingers of important implications for the mana-gerial world; and c) to be a starting point for subsequent studies, stimulating intel-lectual debate and research proliferation. Methodological approach: Consists of two techniques: 1) analysis and critical ex-amination of the Pacces' opera omnia, with a focus on organizational theory; 2) empirical analysis, over a decade, on the applicability of the conceptual system to homogeneous companies (to those studied by the Author), conducted with quali-tative techniques, mainly participant observation and semi-structured interviews with Senior Management. Main findings: The study adds a unique contribution to the knowledge of the Au-thor's organizational thinking. The empirical research shows, moreover, how his intuitions are extraordinary and highly topical but remain rarely applied by the Ital-ian Companies. Originality: Originality therefore lies in the organizational focus, never used before in the Professor's study, and in the long managerial applicability test of the theo-retical-practical corpus. Tools, not only conceptual, indicated by the Theorist to improve organizational practices could be used by management in a continuous improvement perspective


Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital malformation of gastrointestinal tract. It is due to incomplete obliteration of the vitelline duct during the 5 week of the gestation .it usually remains silent and asymptomatic but it can cause complications in the form of ulceration, haemorrhage, intussusception, intestinal obstruction, perforation and, very rarely, vesicodiverticular fistulae and tumours. These complications, especially bleeding, are more common in the paediatric age group than in adults; however it is not uncommon to miss the diagnosis of Meckel's diverticulum in adults. Here, we reviewed the literature regarding the complications of this forgotten clinical entity in adults with potential diagnostic difficulties and management strategies. Keyword: Meckel's diverticulum, Perforation, Congenital abnormality,Acute abdomen Gastric & Pancreatic heterotopia. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date of Submission: 14-07-2020 Date of Acceptance: 29-07-2020 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


One of the possible mechanisms responsible for strong radiation fluctuations observed in recent experiments with detached plasmas at ASDEX Upgrade [Potzel et al., Nucl. Fusion 54, 013001 (2014)] can be related to the onset of the current-convective instability (CCI) driven by strong asymmetry of detachment in the inner and outer divertors of the tokamak [S. Krasheninnikov and A. Smolyakov, Phys. Plasmas 23, 092505 (2016)]. In this study, we present the physical model, used to simulate the CCI, and the first numerical results of modeling of the CCI dynamics in ASDEX Upgrade-like conditions. The simulation results provide frequency spectra of turbulent divertor plasma oscillations showing reasonably good agreement with the available experimental data.


On the basis of a summary to the ideas of language of WANG Zeng-qi's novels,this paper analysises the linguistic and vocabulary style of his works.And discusses the causes why his works has the national feature and specific flavour.


Data sources: Computer databases with no date limit: Education Resources Information Center (ERIC); The Cochrane Library; MEDLINE; EMBASE; PsycINFO; CINAHL; Dissertation Abstracts International; Social Sciences Abstracts; Sociological Abstracts; Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts; National Research Register; and LILACS. Search terms included various combinations of 'child', 'parents', 'parent training', and 'autism spectrum disorder' (ASD). In addition, bibliographies of systematic and non-systematic reviews and reference lists of key articles identified through the search strategy were searched. Key journals were hand searched to identify studies that were not electronically catalogued in databases. The journals searched were not identified by name.


This paper is devoted to the event-triggered control for Lurie systems. Under the event-triggered control, the control task is only executed when an event occurs. By the Lyapunov technique, a sufficient condition for the existence of an event condition and the event-triggered controller is provided, which also guaranties the absolute stability of the Lurie system. This sufficient condition is presented in terms of a linear matrix inequality (LMI), which is easily solved by available LMI toolbox. Moreover, Zeno-behavior is excluded under the proposed event-triggered control. The results are given for both certain Lurie systems and uncertain Lurie systems. Finally, two simulation examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.


: Dye degradation attempts that are not biodegradable and last for years in aquatic bodies have been made. For researchers and environmentalists, the remediation of azo dye-polluted water from textile industry wastewater is a challenge. Water contaminated with dye or azo dye is dangerous (cancer-causing, reduces soil fertility). A great replacement for expensive industrial treatment methods is the newly discovered solar NPS (ZnS), which efficiently degrades these dyes and azo dyes (water treatment). Solar Nps has the ability to break down all dye molecules, and we can extract 99-99.9% transparent water from dark-colored textile wastewater in a matter of hours using ZnS Nps and Solar Nps. We study how many variables, including pH, light intensity, dye concentration, and Nps quantity, affect the rate of deterioration.


Structural health monitoring (SHM) has been widely used for the performance assessment of bridges, especially the methods based on dynamic characteristics. Meanwhile, bridge modal frequency is influenced significantly by environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity. Combined with SHM, a reliability assessment of bridges with the temperature and humidity effects eliminated is proposed. Firstly, the bridge deflection verification coefficient is adopted as the evaluation indicator for bridge condition, which is the ratio of deflection-measured value to deflection-calculated value. It is obtained from the relationship between verification coefficient and modal frequency through theoretical derivation. Secondly, a back propagation (BP) neural network is improved by using an artificial bee colony algorithm and employed as a surrogate model to eliminate the effect of temperature and humidity on frequency. Thirdly, a dynamic Bayesian network is applied to establish the reliability analysis model combined with the monitoring results, so that the probability distribution of bridge parameters is updated to improve the accuracy of the reliability analysis. Finally, a simply supported bridge is used as the case study, based on the proposed method in this work. The results indicate that the proposed method can eliminate the temperature and humidity effect on frequency precisely and effectively. With the effect of temperature and humidity on frequency eliminated, the bridge condition assessment can be evaluated accurately through the reliability analysis based on SHM and the dynamic Bayesian network.


The energy flow of zero-point radiation is very great, but difficult to put to use. However, the observations made by Sparnaay in 1958 and by Lamoureux in 1997 reveal the possibility of making use of a very small fraction of that immense amount. This possibility is big enough for such a minute fraction to have significant importance, but such a possibility requires miniaturisation to a degree which may be unattainable. It is worth trying to achieve it, since it would open the way to interstellar travel.


Magnesium, 1.53-0.75×104 ppm, and strontium, 0.73-0.21×104 ppm, were found as minor elements in 74 carbonate mud fractions analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Grouping of samples by depositional environment showed statistically significant differences in mean magnesium and strontium content for four of five mud-accumulating environments. Maximum magnesium (mean 1.38×104 ppm) was found in the moat adjacent to magnesium-rich coralline algae sediment; maximum strontium (mean 0.58×104 ppm) was found in cellular reef deeps adjacent to strontium-rich stony corals and codiacean algae. Origin of these mud fractions is believed to be comminuted carbonate skeletons.


With the development of optical engineering technology, the precision of 3D scanning equipment becomes higher, and its role in 3D modeling is getting more distinctive. This paper proposed a 3D scanning modeling method that has been successfully applied in Chinese ancient city reconstruction. On one hand, for the existing architectures, an improved algorithm based on multiple scanning is adopted. Firstly, two pieces of scanning data were rough rigid registered using spherical displacers and vertex clustering method. Secondly, a global weighted ICP (iterative closest points) method is used to achieve a fine rigid registration. On the other hand, for the buildings which have already disappeared, an exemplar-driven algorithm for rapid modeling was proposed. Based on the 3D scanning technology and the historical data, a system approach was proposed for 3D modeling and virtual display of ancient city.


Actual conditions suitable for transportation method of super heavy oil with diesel oil were analyzed; based on the conservation of energy, pressure and temperature coupled equation for gathering and transportation process of super heavy oil blended with diesel oil was derived; taking property parameters of super heavy oil from Fengcheng oilfield as reference data, calculation and solution were carried out by iterative method, pressures and temperatures at each node along the pipe under different multiphase flow during pipeline transportation of super heavy oil with diesel oil were obtained. The calculation model can better response the hydraulic and thermodynamic properties for pipeline transportation process of heavy oil with diesel oil, and it also provides theoretical basis for pipeline transportation process of heavy oil with diesel oil.


Democratic polities appear to produce more stable policy than do autocracies. In this paper, we explore a potential source of the policy stability observed in democracies: special-interest groups. We find that interest groups are associated with greater stability in some measures of policy and that groups mediate the stabilizing impact of democracy on policy. We also find that the impact of interest groups on policy volatility depends on the degree of polarization in a society.


The reality is that there is a relationship between language and race as advanced and qualified by ethnolinguistics. Such a relationship points to the subjugation of the isiXhosa language (habitually situated in South Africa), among other prescripts, which was fueled by racial hierarchization that ought to be debated within the paradigm of scholarly discourses. The subjugation, distortion and erosion of the isiXhosa language were led by the colonial, apartheid governance and administration that sought to impose censorship. Therefore, this article employs post-colonial theory to argue and scholarly prove that the language and many South African indigenous languages were oppressed based on racial notions that sought to accelerate neo-liberalist and imperialist perceptions. Hypothetically speaking, the isiXhosa language still suffers from the effects of (post)colonialism carried by colonial agents who continue to mock and humiliate the language. The debates and findings underline that such claims (racial hierarchization of the language) must be validated through theoretical and practical discourses. As a result, closing remarks infuse potential recommendations open to public scrutiny regarding the problematised phenomenon and/or conundrum.


Purpose: To report the endovascular treatment of acute descending thoracic aortic rupture as an alternative to open surgery in high-risk patients. Methods: Between November 1999 and April 2001, 10 patients (7 men; median age 75 years) underwent endovascular stent-grafting of the descending thoracic aorta for acute rupture from an aneurysm (n = 7) or blunt trauma (n = 3). All patients were evaluated as high operative risk. The aortic rupture was associated with isolated mediastinal hematomas (n = 7), left hemothorax (n = 2), or aortobronchial fistula (n = 1). The Excluder Thoracic Endoprosthesis was used predominantly. Results: The mean interval to the endovascular repair was 45.3 ± 28.4 hours. All stent-grafts were successfully deployed. Two patients required common iliac artery access, and 2 needed covered stents for iatrogenic iliac artery rupture. There was 1 postoperative death (myocardial infarction) and no renal failure, neurological complications, embolization, stent-graft migration, or perigraft leak. One patient died 4 months later from an unrelated cause. At a mean follow-up of 7.9 ± 5.1 months, all aneurysms and rupture sites were excluded with no evidence of endoleak or hematoma. Conclusions: Endoluminal treatment is a feasible technique for the management of acute rupture of the descending thoracic aorta. Long-term studies are required to assess the effectiveness and durability of this technique in comparison to open repair.


The seasonal fluctuation, hourly frequency and occurrence of phlebotomine sandflies inside and around dwellings and in the cerrado area of the municipality of Santa Quiteria, State of Maranhao were studied. The specimens were collected between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am from May 1999 to April 2000 through CDC-type light traps. A total of 4,880 specimens belonging to 11 species were collected. The highest species richness and abundance were observed around dwellings (11 species, 50.1% of the specimens), followed by species collected inside dwellings (9 species, 34%) and in the cerrado (7 species, 15.8%). Two species were found during the rainy season, one during the dry season and eight during both seasons. High frequencies of Lutzomyia longipalpis Lutz & Neiva, 1912 (88.4%), L. evandroi Costa Lima & Antunes, 1936 (83.6%), L. lenti Mangabeira, 1938 (86%), and L. shannoni Dyar, 1929 (100%) were recorded during the dry season, whereas the frequencies of L. quinquefer Dyar, 1929 (100%) and L. whitmani Antunes & Coutinho, 1939 (75%) were higher during the rainy period. Phlebotomine sandflies were collected throughout the night, but the times of higher frequency varied according to species, with peaks being observed for L. quinquefer (6:00 - 7:00 pm), L. goiana Martins, Falcao & Silva, 1962 (6:00 - 9:00 pm), L. whitmani (7:00 - 9:00 pm), and L. longipalpis (8:00 - 9:00 pm) during sunset and in the first night hours, and for L. evandroi (9:00 - 11:00 pm and 3:00 - 5:00 am), L. longipalpis (1:00 - 3:00 am), and L. lenti (10:00 - 11:00 pm and 4:00 - 5:00 am) throughout the night and during dawn. The occurrence of phlebotomine sandflies in different environments, at different times and during different seasons is accompanied by the notification of severed cases of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis.


three condensations are 44.2, 51.5 and 58.7 miles per second; or* expressed in astronomical units, the mean distance of the Earth from the Sun being the unit of distance, and 58.13244 mean solar days the unit of time, they are, respectively, 2.389, 2.783 and 3-I7I* The theoretical velocity for tails of the first type, for the position of the second condensation, is 2.27, instead of 2.78 as given above. As has been previously stated, the second condensation was more determinate than the others, and its velocity is accordingly entitled to a greater degree of confidence. Its velocity may be somewhat top small. I do not think it is too large. Dr. Bredichin, assuming the velocity I sent him—400,000 miles an hour,—has computed the corresponding value of 1—/a, and obtained ,247. In this /a is the effective acceleration of the Sun at the unit of distance. From his previous investigations, the definitive value* of 1—/a, for tails of the first type—which are supposed to consist of hydrogen — is 17.5. With the same data that he used, but with the velocity given in this paper, I have found 1—/a to be 36, or about twice as great as for the first type. According to Dr. Bredichin's theory, this value of 1—/a corresponds to a substance having a molecular weight only half as great as hydrogen.


Rather than enjoying a fine book bearing in mind a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they juggled subsequent to some harmful virus inside their computer. gasification of rice husk in a cyclone gasifier cheric is understandable in our digital library an online admission to it is set as public therefore you can download it instantly. Our digital library saves in multiple countries, allowing you to get the most less latency epoch to download any of our books later than this one. Merely said, the gasification of rice husk in a cyclone gasifier cheric is universally compatible as soon as any devices to read.


Through several survey and analysis on directed cultivation trial for big diameter timble of Cuninghamia lanecolata,the results indicate that different cut intensity and application of density management have an obvious effect on DBH,and the single volume,unit area volume,the height of first branch were also affected.,the influence on tree height and crown width is small.Fertilizer have no obvious effect on DBH,tree height,single volume,stand volume,height of first branch,crown width,but fertilizing is good than no fertilizer in general.


The influence of the different length of the drift region and the field plate upon hot-carrier-Induced on-resistance(Ron) and threshold voltage(Vth) degradation in p-type lateral extended drain MOS(pLEDMOS) transistor with thick gate oxide has been investigated.It is concluded that increasing the length of drift region can reduce the Ron degradation but enhance the Vth degradation.However,increasing the length of field plate can reduce the degradation of both Ron and Vth.The impact ionization rate and perpendicular electronic field of pLEDMOS with the different length of the drift region and the field plate were simulated based on TCAD,the results of which can explain the mechanism of the degradation of pLEDMOS.It is also shown that the optimization of the impact ionization rate and perpendicular electronic field is an effective way to reduce the degradation of pLEDMOS.


LVRT characteristics of a wind power plant consisting of plural series-connected wind turbine generators and a synchronous compensator with a duplex reactor are investigated. A dynamic model derived to simulate the behavior of the series-connected wind power plant is used to predict the dynamic performances of the power plant when grid voltage changes. The validity of the simulation model is shown by the experimental results using the tested system. LVRT characteristics of the series-connected wind power plant when grid failure occurred are revealed through simulations. A series of simulation results show that in order for this series-connected wind power plant to fully meet the LVRT requirements, it must properly consume the wind power output in the event of a grid failure. So an additional energy consumption circuit is proposed for this purpose, and its usefulness is verified through simulation results. This study shows that in the event of a grid failure, the series-connected wind power plant can continue to operate for a period of time to meet LVRT requirements and can resume transmission as soon as the grid voltage recovers.


Carillion used a variety of techniques to disguise its ailing health, MPs have concluded in their inquiry into the company's collapse. As well as hiding the company's mounting debt to suppliers through "reverse factoring", management consistently overestimated the profitability of its projects by not disclosing problems, and declared as revenue uncertain cash that clients had not signed off. In their final report, MPs left open the question of whether these techniques were within the letter of accountancy law, but were certain that they were intended to deceive lenders and investors.


The initiation of criminal judicial expertise is very important in criminal cases.In our criminal cases there is not a legal standard about whether the judicial authentication is needed or not.In the initiation of criminal judicial expertise the party concerned is only entitled to the application for a supplementary expertise or re-expertise while the judicial organs have the final say,which leads to inequality and unbalance between prosecution and advocacy and destroys procedure justice.There are more and more interactions between the adversary system of England-American law system and the doctrine of warrant of the mainland legal system.Based on different theories in China about initiation of criminal judicial expertise,the paper puts forward a legal standard to determine China′s initiation of criminal judicial expertise with the "necessity" principle as a a legal standard for general initiation procedures.Meanwhile,the law makes it clear that some issues can be the standard for compulsory initiation procedure.The law should clearly give the party concerned the right to apply for initiation of judicial expertise and the investigation organs reserve the right of final decision.The law should abolish the right of initiative judicial expertise of the court and give it only the passive judicial expertise.It should also give the victim the right to apply for initiation of judicial expertise.


PURPOSE: A tire for an agricultural vehicle is provided to improve traveling of the cultivator on the field, and to transmit driving force of the tire efficiently by collecting, hardening and discharging earth with the spherical uneven part. CONSTITUTION: A tire(102) is composed of a tread integrally formed with plural lugs, and the lug is composed of first lugs(104,104A,104B) extended from the center of the tire to a first side(107) of the tire and second lugs(105,105A,105B) extended from the center of the tire to a second side(108) of the tire. The first lugs and the second lugs are arranged alternately and circumferentially. A spherical recessed part(121) is formed by sides(104a,104b) of the first lugs, a section(105a) of the second lug placed between the first lugs and the lower part of the first lug. A spherical recessed part(118) is formed by sides(105b,105c) of the second lugs, a section(104c) of the first lug between the second lugs and a lower part(114) of the second lug.


Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are antiacid secretory agents that are first-line therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer disease, and a wide range of other gastrointestinal disorders.1 Proton pump inhibitors are among the most commonly dispensed drug classes in the United States; omeprazole alone was dispensed more than 70 million times in 2016,2 and 1 in 10 of all patients with ambulatory care visits in the United States in 2009 had documented PPI use.3 In addition, over-the-counter formulations of PPIs have been available since 2003 for the short-term treatment of frequent heartburn. Although PPIs are effective and necessary long-term therapies for certain rare conditions, such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, most common indications for PPIs, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, require only short-term use of the drugs and little evidence supports their long-term use.1 However, unnecessary off-label long-term use of PPIs is prevalent, with up to 65% of patients receiving PPI therapy in the United States having no documented ongoing indication,4 raising concerns about inappropriate polypharmacy and its risks.1 Although PPIs are considered safe overall, they have now been linked to numerous adverse events, including drug-drug interactions, hypomagnesemia, osteoporotic fractures, and serious infections.1 The study by Vilcu and colleagues5 investigates an emerging concern of infectious complications associated with persistent PPI use: increased risk of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) during AGE epidemics. The objective of the study by Vilcu and colleagues5 was to measure the association between continuous PPI therapy and the occurrence of AGE using a large French community-pharmacy drug dispensation database. The authors used a retrospective matched cohort design to estimate the association between PPI use and AGE incidence during an AGE epidemic period (the 5 weeks of peak AGE incidence in the winter of 2015 to 2016) among patients with at least 1 PPI prescription in the 100 days before and 100 days after the epidemic period. Incident AGE was defined using a drug dispensing algorithm previously found to correlate with an indicator for AGE in French general practitioner records.6 Vilcu and colleagues5 found a significant association between PPI use and AGE (relative risk, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.72-1.90), translating to a number needed to harm of 153 patients. Of note, the authors also found a significant association between AGE and histamine 2 receptor antagonists in a sensitivity analysis (adjusted relative risk, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.27-3.39). A significant association between PPI use and age was found, with older age groups (aged 45-64 years) at highest risk and younger age groups (aged 0-14 years and 15-44 years) at no significant increased risk. Vilcu et al5 concluded that continuous exposure to PPIs was associated with an increased risk of AGE during epidemic periods. Acute gastroenteritis was identified by the authors as another potential adverse effect of PPI therapy that possibly is more prevalent among older patients than younger ones. This risk is supported by the biological mechanism that PPIs may promote overgrowth of gut flora.5 These results align with those of previous studies7,8 that identified associations between PPI use and incidence of specific enteric illnesses, including those caused by Clostridium difficile and norovirus (a prominent pathogen associated with AGE).5 Although Vilcu et al5 thoroughly address limitations of their study, including outcome ascertainment using drug dispensing data and confounding by indication, it is important to reiterate that the possibilities of residual confounding and protopathic bias remain, particularly because adjustment for comorbidities relied on drug dispensation information alone. In the study, as is common in many settings, patients receiving long-term PPI treatment were significantly sicker than non–PPI users. These patients may have a higher baseline risk of viral exposure and susceptibility to + Related article


Febrile neutropenia is a frequent complication in hematology-oncology, BMT, and solid organ transplantation. Approximately 50% of those who develop febrile neutropenia have a documented or occult infection. Febrile patients with severe neutropenia (<100/mm3) have bacteremia in up to 20% of cases. Initial evaluation should include careful history and physical examination with particular attention to the upper and lower respiratory tract, skin, IV sites, abdomen and perianal area. Choice of initial antibacterial therapy must be individualized and depends upon: clinical findings; most frequent pathogens and resistance profiles for the hospital; use of any recent antibacterials (e.g. prophylaxis), and anticipated duration of neutropenia (i.e. low-risk if expected to be ≤10 days). Low risk patients who also meet other criteria may be suitable for outpatient oral therapy. Inpatient management options include: monotherapy (imipenem, meropenem, ceftazidime, or cefepime), duotherapy (aminoglycoside plus antipseudomonal beta-lactam), or the combination of vancomycin plus one or two drugs for selected patients at particular risk of serious gram positive bacterial infections. Many centres have observed an increasing proportion of infections due to gram positive bacteria in recent years, particularly coagulase negative and positive staphylococci, and alpha-hemolytic streptococci. The presence of polymicrobial infection at some sites (e.g. lower respiratory tract) has been increasingly recognized. Further investigations should be considered for patients who have persistent fevers including CT scan of the chest, ultrasound ± CT scan of the abdomen; and possibly serologic studies (e.g. Aspergillus galactomannan, β-1, 3-glucan). Various adjustments to the initial regimen are more often required in high-risk patients and are dependent upon: the duration of fever and general condition of the patient; development of clinical or culture proven sites of infection, including susceptibility patterns; and drug toxicities. Adjustments to the regimen may include: the addition of vancomycin; addition of second drug for gram negative bacterial coverage: addition of empiric antifungal therapy: and consideration of other interventions (e.g. removal of central venous cathethers, or surgical resection of a localized site of invasive fungal infection encroaching upon a major pulmonary vessel). The duration of therapy is dependent upon specific diagnostic findings, and the duration of neutropenia and fever.


Clustering is one of the most important problems in data mining.Clustering algorithm can classify data without any knowledge about it,and find out the information that valuable.Recently,data mining is more and more widely used in the telecommunication area,but because of some problems,such as the size of the data,the type of the data and the complication of the computation,clustering is not used widely.This article gives a MST algorithm that suit for distribute computing.Combining with the method to represent the similarity that suitable for this algorithm,it designs a new clustering algorithm to solve the problem of sea size data analysis.Then,it shows how the algorithm is realized based on the distribute computing model called mapreduce.


Atomic vapor cells have recently gained renewed interest as a robust and compact platform for quantum science and technology. Powerful techniques for optical quantum control are being developed, opening up many new opportunities beyond the classical application as frequency standards. In this talk I will give an overview of our vapor cell activities in Basel, focused on single-photon quantum memories and quantum sensing with electronic and nuclear spins. Quantum memories for single photons based on atomic vapor cells offer high intrinsic efficiencies and long storage times in a technologically simple setup. To turn them into useful components for quantum networks, some challenges remain, such as reducing read-out noise, increasing end-to-end efficiency, and resolving the bandwidth-mismatch to solid-state single photon sources. We have developed a broadband optical quantum memory with on-demand storage and retrieval on the D1 line of a hot Rb vapor [1] and a compatible SPDC single photon source with bandwidth on the order of 100s of MHz and 50% heralding efficiency [2]. Recent improvements to the memory scheme and the source allowed us to significantly reduce noise, extend lifetime and improve the reliability of operation. We now report the logical combination of these experiments, the storage of heralded single photons from the SPDC source in the atomic memory, and show non-classical g(2) of the retrieved photons. By combining high bandwidth and low-noise single-photon operation, our memory could be used to synchronize probabilistic single-photon sources or photonic quantum gates. The nuclear spin of Helium-3 atoms in a room-temperature gas is a very well isolated quantum system featuring record-long coherence times of up to several days. It is used in a variety of applications ranging from magnetometry and gyroscopes to magnetic resonance imaging and precision tests of fundamental physics. While the exceptional isolation of Helium-3 nuclear spins ensures long coherence times, it renders measurement and control difficult. We report first experiments towards optical quantum control of Helium-3 nuclear spins. We make use of metastability-exchange collisions to mediate an effective interaction between the nuclear spins and light, which allows us to read out the coherent nuclear spin dynamics with an optical Faraday measurement. Reaching quantum-noise limited detection and increasing the coupling strength will allow us to prepare non-classical nuclear spin states via QND measurement [3].


Neural networks (NNs) are especially useful in exploratory data analysis to uncover and, or elucidate empirical relationships among data. Parameter estimation, the so-called "training" of neural networks is a variation of standard maximum likelihood estimation, whereby the optimal set of model parameters (the NN weights) maximizes the fit to the calibration (training) data set. In our previous applications of neural networks in hydrometeorology, we focused on the development of complex architectures of neural networks adapted to the characteristics of the available data (multisensor, multiresolution mix of ground-based and satellite observations). These architectures consist of large structures of simpler networks built to embody clearly defined hypothesis of functional relationships that are consistent with the underlying physical processes (rainfall and flood forecasting, wind, temperature and moisture profiles in the atmosphere, temporal evolution of cloud and storm morphologies). One challenge we have not addressed previously is how to quantify the uncertainty in NN-based forecasts or estimates. We begin to address this question through the use of Bayesian neural networks (BNNs) for long-lead flood forecasting (18-hours).


The paper studies the relationship between local government behavior and environmental pollution by spatial linear panel data from 1997 to 2009.Empirical results are as follows: First,fiscal decentralization,corruption and financial deficit have negative influence on three industrial wastes.Second,while the proportions of secondary industry increase,environmental pollution will be serious.Third,it shows that there is environmental Kuznets curve.


Development Grant Agreement (Second Poverty Reduction Support Grant) between the Republic of Rwanda and the International Development Association (with schedules and General Conditions Applicable to Development Credit Agreements dated 1 January 1985, as amended through 1 May 2004). Kigali, 2 December 2005


The entry will describe how financial, commercial, and technical services are being mobilized to enable economic and social services to be provided and improved by water sector organizations in the North (the developed economies) and the South (developing economies). These needs are different because the policy contexts (politics and governance), standards, and risks experienced by entities installing and improving water services in the North and the South are different. It will be shown that the international water sector companies have evolved a diverse suite of financial and contractual arrangements often in association with international financial institutions (e.g., the World Bank). It will also be shown that the water sector is evolving as new companies shape their financial and technical competence to operate and compete internationally.

Private sector participation (PSP) refers to the formal provision of municipal water and sewerage services by the private sector. This involves providing these services commercially, where infrastructure work is funded by private capital or through a combination of finance from private investors and multilateral agencies.

Keywords:

private sector participation (PSP);
water provision;
wastewater services;
privatization;
finance;
service extension;
multiutilities


The modernization assembly line of automobile engine not only achieves automation production,but also achieves to assemble different kinds of product.In order to effectively manage the process of assembly,the Quality Information Management System(QIMS) of Assembly Line of Automobile Engine is researched and designed.On the basis of the former work,Monitoring System of Assembly Line of Automobile Engine Based on WinCC and Quality Management System Based on Web are developed.In practice the validity of the QIMS is approved.


Abstract The tool described in this article has been designed to help MT developers by implementing a web-based graphical user interface that allows to systematically compare and evaluate various MT engines/experiments using comparative analysis via automatic measures and statistics. The evaluation panel provides graphs, tests for statistical significance and n-gram statistics. We also present a demo server http://wmt.ufal.cz with WMT14 and WMT15 translations.


Objective To study the modification on the content and major classes in the erythrocyte membrane lipids of patients with endemic fluorosis.Methods The patients from the varies areas with endemic fluorosis were regard as objectives by cross investigation. The erythrocyte membrane lipids were measured by Pande method. The phospholipids(Pl) was determined by Takemura φ Miyazaki method, The cholesterol(Ch) was set out followed Jak method. Lipids soluble fluorescence pigment (LSFP) was measured by Shimo-Saki improved method, and the major classes of phospholipid were analyzed using thin-layer chromatography.Results The content of erythrocyte membrane LSFP and PC of patients with heavy fluorosis was higher markedly than that of light fluorosis area and the area with changing the water source, and PC were decreased significantly (P0.05). The content of total Ch,the ratio of Ch/Pl and SM were higher than that of light fluorosis, but there was no difference from that of the area with changing the water source and the total Ch content and Ch/Pl of the latter was still higher than that of light fluorosis(P0.05).Conclusions Fluride may be do harm to lipids of erythrocyte membrane in patients from endemic flurosis, and the state of the erythrocyte membrane lipids oxidized from patients with endemic fluorosis can be improved by changing the water source.


Hybrid-cavity of a Fabry-Pérot (FP) cavity and a microcavity with the microcavity as a wavelength selective reflector are reported for realizing single mode semiconductor lasers. Mode coupling between a microcavity mode and a FP mode results in mode Q factor enhancement and stable single mode operation. Furthermore, optical bistability are realized in the hybrid lasers as the unbiased microcavity working as a saturable absorption. Two bistability regions are realized for the hybrid lasers around threshold current and above threshold with mode competition, and all-optical flip-flop is demonstrated.


Summary In Sri Lanka in the 1920s female mortality exceeded male mortality in almost all age groups: only in infancy and late middle age did male mortality exceed female mortality. Proportionately the greatest female excess was in the childbearing ages. Mortality fell very substantially between 1921 and 1971. However, throughout most of this period the same basic pattern of sex differentials persisted; indeed, between 1921 and 1953 the relative position of women worsened in a number of age groups. Although the original pattern still showed clearly in 1963, by 1971 male mortality exceeded female mortality in almost all age groups: excess female mortality was only found among children. It is possible that discriminatory behaviour played an important part in excess female mortality in Sri Lanka in the past.


The invention discloses a method and a device for packaging large-volume liquid based on a carton and plastic bag mode. A carton (8) is installed on a bracket (9); an inner base plate (5) is installed at the bottom of the interior of the carton (8); angular stand columns (7) are installed in four studs in the carton (8); an inner carton (6) is installed in the inner middle part of the carton (8); a plastic bag (3) is further arranged in the inner carton (6); a liquid inlet (2) and a liquid outlet (4) are installed on the top and the bottom of the lateral surface of the plastic bag (3), respectively; and the upper opening edge of the carton (8) is buckled by an additionally arranged cover (1). According to the method and the device for packaging the large-volume liquid based on the carton and plastic bag mode, a combined packaging manner that the plastic bag is used as a liner of the enough rigid and strong carton is adopted, so that liquid residue in the liquid releasing process is avoided. The packaged articles can be folded on the premise of guaranteeing transportation safety and convenience in use, so that the occupied space of the packaged articles in storage and transportation is small. The packaged articles are recycled in any necessary conditions, so that the packaging cost, the transporting cost and the self-weight of the packaged articles are greatly reduced. Consequently, the cost of packaging large-volume liquid is low, and prominent economic and environment-friendly advantages are obtained.


In response to the challenge of low accuracy in node trust evaluation due to the high dynamics of entry and exit of drone cluster nodes, we propose a hierarchical blockchain-based trust measurement method for drone cluster nodes. This method overcomes the difficulties related to trust inheritance for dynamic nodes, trust re-evaluation of dynamic clusters, and integrated trust calculation for drone nodes. By utilizing a multi-layer unmanned cluster blockchain for trusted historical data storage and verification, we achieve scalability in measuring intermittent trust across time intervals, ultimately improving the accuracy of trust measurement for drone cluster nodes. We design a resource-constrained multi-layer unmanned cluster blockchain architecture, optimize the computing power balance within the cluster, and establish a collaborative blockchain mechanism. Additionally, we construct a dynamic evaluation method for trust in drone nodes based on task perception, integrating and calculating the comprehensive trust of drone nodes. This approach addresses trusted sharing and circulation of task data and resolves the non-inheritability of historical data. Experimental simulations conducted using NS3 and MATLAB demonstrate the superior performance of our trust value measurement method for unmanned aerial vehicle cluster nodes in terms of accurate malicious node detection, resilience to trust value fluctuations, and low resource delay retention.


A method for displaying and detecting an inhibition layer of a hot-dip-coated zinc sheet belongs to the technical field of physical detection of metal. The technical scheme is that a hot-dip-coated zinc sheet sample is used as an anode, the platinum electrode is used as an auxiliary electrode, and the saturated calomel electrode is used as a reference electrode; constant potential electrolysis is conducted in an electrolyte of sodium chloride and hydrochloric acid, with the electric potential range of the relative saturated calomel electrode at -1.030 V to -0.980 V, so that the zinc layer is dissolved; the current-time curve of the electrolysis process is recorded, when the electrolysis current is reduced to zero, the zinc layer is dissolved completely, and the reaction stops; the sample is taken out, washed with deionized water and acetone, dried, and observed and detected regarding the inhibition layer through a scanning electron microscope. The invention has the advantages that the method can accurately control the experiment process, and the inhibition layer can be maintained and displayed completely while the zinc layer is removed through electrolysis.


Significance Although the number of species in major groups of organisms has been relatively stable over long periods, the dynamics of speciation and extinction are poorly understood. Analyses of the age and species richness of sister groups of species in the African and Oriental biogeographic regions suggest that continuing species production within clades is balanced by random catastrophic extinction of whole clades. Because these postulated "pulses" of diversification and extinction are highly clade specific and, by inference, largely independent of changes in the physical environment, the demise of clades might be caused by the rapid evolution and diversification of specialized pathogenic organisms. Recent analyses suggest that the number of species in a clade often increases rapidly at first, but that diversification subsequently slows, apparently as species fill ecological space. Support for diversity dependence comes largely from the failure of species richness to increase with clade age in some analyses of contemporary diversity. However, clades chosen for analysis generally are named taxa and thus are not selected at random. To avoid this potential bias, we analyzed the numbers of species and estimated ages of 150 pairs of sister clades established by dispersal of ancestral species between the Oriental and African biogeographic regions. The observed positive exponential relationship between clade size and age suggests that species diversify within clades without apparent limit. If this were true, the pattern of accumulation of sister-clade pairs with increasing age would be consistent with the random decline and extinction of entire clades, maintaining an overall balance in species richness. This "pulse" model of diversification is consistent with the fossil record of most groups and reconciles conflicting evidence concerning diversity dependence of clade growth.


This article is aimed to guide Junior doctors in the assessment and initial management of a patient presenting with breathlessness – a presentation very commonly seen in the wards and the emergency department. This article outlines the most common causes of breathlessness in adults and what to look for on examining the patient. It also elaborates on the preliminary investigations required to make a diagnosis and the initial treatment that can be administered at the level of a Junior doctor.


In a previous study we demonstrated the phytotoxicity of polynuclear hydroxy-Al, a finding that disagrees with a number of existing reports. The objectives of this study were to examine how toxicity of polynuclear Al might vary with experimental conditions or with choice of test plants, and to identify and characterize the toxic polynuclear species. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Tyler or Seneca) or soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Stafford) seedlings were cultured for 2 d in dilute CaCl2 solutions containing 15 total Al at a basicity (initial molar OH/Al ratio) of 2.0. Increasing rate of base addition, solution age, or levels of added phosphate decreased the fraction of reactive polymers (Alb) and increased that of precipitated Al (Alc) as determined by the ferron method. Mononuclear Al was consistently and did not contribute to toxicity. Inhibition of root growth was well correlated with [Alb] for both plant species. That only 3 to 4 [Alb] was required to fully inhibit wheat root growth suggested that detection of toxic polynuclear Al may at times be difficult in chemically complex media. All plants tested were considerably more tolerant of Al than of Alb, suggesting fundamental physiological differences in the toxicity of the two types of Al. This conclusion was further supported by the finding that the two wheat cultivars exhibited differential tolerance to Al, but not to Alb. Several analyses suggested that Alb was composed primarily of the so-called Al13 polymer, which may form as a consequence of synthesis conditions. Given uncertainties in the occurrence of this polymeric species, both in the laboratory and in nature, several lines of future investigation are suggested. View complete article To view this complete article, insert Disc 5 then click button8


An algorithm to automatic test data generation based on data flow rules is presented in this paper. The ALL-DU-PATHS data flow rule is introduced, and the Warshall method is used to check the feasibility and mensurability of DU-pair in the algorithm. The automatic test data generation approach based on test sequence is given after selecting test sequence on DU-pair coverage. Finally, the algorithm is checked by example and experiment.


The water and sediment caused by heavy metal has become a major problem in coastal areas. Heavy metals released into the water binds to particulate matter, accumulate into sediments and its predicted by the pollution assessment method. The aims of this research was to investigate the distribution and contamination levels of Pb in water and sediments of Bondet Estuary. Water and sediments samples were collected from four stations in September 2020. The monitoring data of water quality status, contamination factor (CF), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were used to provide a assessment of the Pb contamination. The concentration of Pb in water at all stations (0,024-0,031 mg/L) was higher than the standard surface water, with the status is lightly polluted (class B). CF index for all stations 1 ≤ CF <3 indicates moderate Pb contamination in the sediment, while Igeo for each station is <0, which means no contamination. Overall when referring to some guidelines for sediment standards, Pb concentrations at all stations were still below the standard value for sediment. This study provides a basis for assessing future conditions and risks, so that it can contribute to the management and evaluation of heavy metal contamination in the Bondet Estuary.


Aim: The aim of this work is to study the diseases of the human nervous system in Cyprus and their relationship to smoking and air pollution.
Methods: The statistical methods were used to derive the results of this work are Student t-test in order to check the statistical significance of the diseases of nervous system in relation to gender, One-Way ANOVA test in order to check the statistical significance of diseases of human nervous system in relation to age and the Pearson correlation coefficient for the relationship between the diseases of both predisposing factors of smoking and air pollution.
Results: The results showed that there is no statistically significant difference in the number of diseases of human nervous system in relation to gender, there is a statistically significant relationship between diseases of human nervous system and age, and in particular they occur mainly at ages 65 and over. Finally, there is a statistically significant relationship between the numbers of incidents of the central nervous system diseases with air pollution and there is no statistically significant relationship with smoking.
Conclusions: This study has shown that diseases of the human nervous system differ in the incidence in terms of age while air pollution is a significant predisposition. Moreover, from all diseases of the central nervous system, malignant neoplasm (cancer) of the brain holds the first place in deaths of both men and women.


The complex pyroxene exsolution texture of the Moore County cumulate eucrite was interpreted by Miyamoto and Takeda as indicating initial cooling at 160 C/Ma followed by a sudden temperature rise and final cooling at 0.35 C/yr. They suggested initial cooling at a depth of approx. 8 km near the base of Vesta s crust, followed by impact excavation to its surface. Young Sm-Nd ages of approx. 4456, 4460, and 4410 Ma, respectively, for the Moore County, Moama, and Serra de Mag cumulate eucrites are puzzling because closure to Nd isotopic exchange would occur in only a few Ma at the above initial cooling rate. The exception to young ages among the cumulate eucrites is EET87520, with a 147Sm-147 - Nd-143 age of 4547-4598 Ma. We report here initial results of a combined mineralogical/chronological study of the Yamato 980318 feldspar-cumulate eucrite.


BY MAGNETIC TECHNIQUE E. Gorkunov, A. Ulyanov, and A. Chulkina Institute of Engineering Science, Russian Academy of Sciences (Urals Branch), Ekaterinburg, Russia Abstract: The physical structure of sintered powder W-Co alloys consists of hard non-magnetic particles of tungsten carbide cemented by plastic interlayers of cobalt, which is ferromagnetic. Strength characteristics and magnetic parameters are governed mainly by the composition and the structural state of the cobalt binder, which provides a tool for magnetic inspection of the quality of sintering. Introduction: Hard tungsten-cobalt alloys produced by powder metallurgy consist of nonmagnetic grains of tungsten carbide bound by cobalt interlayers. The strength properties of these alloys are largely governed by the mean thickness and the structural state of the cobalt interlayer. Since cobalt is a ferromagnet, the alloys also display magnetic properties despite a considerable content of the non-ferromagnetic WC-phase. The magnetic characteristics of the alloys are closely associated with the structural parameters of the cobalt interlayer, and this is what enables magnetic technique to be used for the nondestructive quality inspection of sintered hard-alloy products. For instance, magnetic methods can be used to control the mean size of the grains of tungsten carbide and carbon content in the cobalt interlayer after sintering. The coercive force HC is the structure-sensitive magnetic characteristic of hard alloys. Despite numerous works on establishing relations between the coercive force and the structural state [1 – 4], the mechanism of HC forming in hard alloys has not been completely clarified. Attempts to use Kersten's theory of "inclusions" [5] to explain the growth of HC in hard alloys as the content of the non-magnetic carbide phase (WC-phase) grows lead to considerable discordance between the numerical evaluation and experimentally observed values of HC [1]. This is explicable, for in hard alloys, with 90 or more volume percent of the non-magnetic phase of tungsten carbide, the mechanism of interaction between the domain walls and non-magnetic inclusions by Kersten's model becomes impossible. In [6] an empirical formula relating the coercive force of hard alloys to the mean size of tungsten carbide grains  was obtained, НС = 135 / . (1) However, eqn (1) did not take into account cobalt content which had a considerable effect on the coercive force of the alloys – НС decreased as cobalt content increased. Cobalt content can be taken into account if the mean thickness of the cobalt interlayer  is used in the calculations. If the cobalt content and the mean size of carbide grains in a hard alloy are known, the mean thickness of the cobalt interlayer can be evaluated.


The paper examined changes in rental values of residential properties in two neighbourhoods (Oke – Ijebu and Apatapiti) inAkure from 2001 to 2011. The intent is to provide a measure of the performance of this sector in the past years. Questionnaires wereadministered on 14 registered Estate Surveyors and Valuers practicing in Akure out of which 11 were returned and good for analysis.The returned questionnaires were analysed using the Trend Analysis and regression model for the computation of growth rate. Thefindings indicated that rental value of 3 Bedroom flat and tenement accommodation have been on the increase since 2001 to 2011especially with Apatapiti neighbourhood having higher rental values than Oke – Ijebu. The result also showed the growth rates of 3bedroom flat and tenement accommodation in Oke Ijebu to be 38.44% and 43.07% respectively as against 23.15% and 34.98% for 3bedroom and tenement accommodation in Apatapiti area. It is therefore, recommended that the federal government should build morehostels in the Federal University of Technology Akure which is close to Apatapiti one of the study areas. This gesture will help to lessenthe burden on accommodation especially in Apatapiti thereby, reducing the undue advantage taken by landlords in increasing rents.


Coarse-graining of complex networks is one of the important algorithms to study large-scale networks, which is committed to reducing the size of networks while preserving some topological information or dynamic properties of the original networks. Spectral coarse-graining (SCG) is one of the typical coarse-graining algorithms, which can keep the synchronization ability of the original network well. However, the calculation of SCG is large, which limits its real-world applications. And it is difficult to accurately control the scale of the coarse-grained network. In this paper, a new SCG algorithm based on K-means clustering (KCSCG) is proposed, which cannot only reduce the amount of calculation, but also accurately control the size of coarse-grained network. At the same time, KCSCG algorithm has better effect in keeping the network synchronization ability than SCG algorithm. A large number of numerical simulations and Kuramoto-model example on several typical networks verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.