Three texturally distinct symplectites occur in mafic granofels of the Arthur River Complex at MtDaniel, Fiordland, New Zealand. These include symplectic intergrowths of clinopyroxene and kyanite, described here for the first time. Pods of mafic granofels occur within the contact aureole of the Early Cretaceous Western Fiordland Orthogneiss batholith. The pods have cores formed entirely of garnet and clinopyroxene, and rims of pseudomorphous coarse‐grained symplectic intergrowths of hornblende and clinozoisite that reflect hydration at moderate to high‐P. These hornfelsic rocks are enveloped by a hornblende–clinozoisite gneissic foliation (S1). Narrow garnet reaction zones, in which hornblende and clinozoisite are replaced by garnet–clinopyroxene assemblages, developed adjacent to fractures and veins that cut S1. Fine‐grained symplectic intergrowths of (1) clinopyroxene and kyanite and (2) clinozoisite, quartz, kyanite and plagioclase form part of the garnet reaction zones and partially replace coarse‐grained S1 hornblende and clinozoisite. The development of the garnet reaction zones and symplectites was promoted by dehydration most probably following cooling of the contact aureole. Maps of oxide weight percent and cation proportions, calculated by performing matrix corrections on maps of X‐ray intensities, are used to study the microstructure of the symplectites.


Joule Thomson (JT) Cryocooler is a well-known technology which is widely used in research and industry. The cooling effect is achieved by isenthalpic expansion of the cooling gas in an orifice. A JT cooler has two basic components: a counter flow heat exchanger and an orifice. Due to the fact that the cooler has no moving parts and contains relatively simple components it is a great candidate for miniaturization, and realization with the new additive manufacturing technologies. In the current work we discuss the implementation of 3D ceramic printing as a possible fabrication technology for a JT cooler intended for cooling IR detectors operated at temperature of about 150K. In this paper we present a comprehensive analysis including coolant considerations, heat transfer calculations and realization of the cooler.


The primary motivation behind the review was to examine the interrelation between job commitment and job satisfaction of individuals in higher education institutions and its effect on their performance. This study focuses on various theories related to job commitment and job satisfaction. Keeping in mind the end goal to have better standard of life and to satisfy one's needs, one has to work with satisfaction as it brings about development not only for the employees but also enhances the productivity and service to the institution consequently it increases the commitment to the institution. Following are the research objectives for this study (1) To look at the interrelation between job commitment and job satisfaction among the employee of an institution of higher education (2) To examine the effect of employee on job satisfaction and job commitment due to their biographical characteristics (3) To examine the significant way to motivate employee in order to boost the job satisfaction. The result showed that there exists a critical connection between job commitment and employment fulfillment of a person. The study highlights that the higher the level of motivation the greater the enhancement of satisfaction and commitment of the employees towards their institution.


Among South Asian countries, the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is perhaps the least veil known, both in terms of its modern culture and its historical past. As a "buffer state" between the major cultures of India and Tibet, its history has remained largely unexplored by scholars of India and the West, and by those of Tibet. The in-creasing availability of authentic indigenous Bhutanese historical literature now makes such a study possible. This dissertation seeks to explore this literature and to present a diachronic account of Bhutanese history from about the 7th century A.D. to events im-mediately prior to the advent of relations with British India in the 1770's. The second chapter studies the available and potential sources for the study of Bhutan's history. Chapters three and four briefly deal with the spread of Buddhist culture from Tibet, and with various traditional conceptions of Bhutanese historiography. Chapter five describes the founding of the earliest unified national government during the 17th century, a hereditary ecclesiastic monarchy. In chapters six and seven are related the events which led to the aban-donment of hereditary monarchy in favour of a system of rule by in-carnate Lamas. The difficulties attending this attempted alteration of the government's constitutional basis dominated political events from 16944 to 1744 and these are related in chapter eight. Early contact with Manchu officialdom during the half century before 1744 is also discussed. The fundamental change in foreign policy atti-tudes towards the north which emerged at this time culminated in a more open and politically mature government during the decades before about 1770. Chapter nine describes these developments, and attempts to depict the political situation which existed in Bhutan at the time of the earliest British Indian missions. Throughout this study, the major emphasis is placed on indigenous, Bhutanese perspectives.


This studyaimed at evaluating lethality effect of natural coagulants (Moringa oleifera) and synthetic coagulants (Aluminum Sulfate type B) in treatment of raw waters, through bioassays. A completely randomized experimental design was carried out, based on lethality bioassays of the Zea mays species in waters treated with natural and synthetic coagulants. Assays were done during different times using standardized methods. Weather did not affect phytotoxicity of solutions obtained from the flocculation process, both with artificial and naturalcoagulant. Nonetheless, there are significant differences between toxic effects of the artificial and the natural coagulantsfor both seasons. Coagulation residues with Moringa oleifera resulted to be significantly less toxic than those obtained with artificial coagulant, except for the natural coagulant supernatant corresponding to the rainy season, which was statistically of similar toxicity as the artificial one. It can be affirmed that the residues obtained from flocculation made with Moringaoleifera turn out to have less phytotoxic effects than with Aluminum Sulphate; making it more attractive as a friendly alternative for water treatment.


Microphone Arrays installed on the ground are used to identify and to quantify noise sources at aircrafts. This is an important tool to assess novel treatments, to establish an empirical noise data base for noise prediction tools and to validate acoustic source models used by computational aero acoustics. An array can comprise several hundred microphones and is widely used for stationary applications in the automotive industry and in wind tunnel facilities. The focus of this presentation is on a specialised array methodology for moving objects, which are far away from the array, e.g. the altitude of an aircraft is about 200 meters for those measurements. The beam-forming map exhibits side lobes, which make the localisation and quantification of sources rather difficult. Therefore an Inverse Source Density Modelling is introduced to remove the side lobes. Care has to be taken to mitigate the frequency shift due to the Doppler effect and to be capable of processing badly conditioned matrices. The success of this approach is discussed based on measurement data.


The m-dissection of the power series 0 n n n P a q ¥ = =Σ is the representation of P as , 0 1 −1 = + + + m P P P P where . 0 Σ¥ = + + = n mn k k mn kP a q The m-dissection of continued fractions are represented in terms of power series and infinite products. In this paper, an attempt has been made to obtain results on 3- dissection of ratio of infinite products.


The genus Bannapone was described in 2000 on the basis of a single dealate queen specimen. Since its original collection in Yunnan, China, no other specimen has been reported, making it one of the rarest ant genera in the world. Here we report the collection of two workers of Bannapone also from Yunnan province. The description of the worker caste is presented. Furthermore, we found significant differences with the described B. mulanae Xu, 2000 which leads us to describe the workers as a new species, B. scrobiceps n. sp.. Finally, we briefly discuss the importance of leaf-litter collection methods to collect taxa considered as "rare".


Limited research has been done to examine teacher evaluation in rural schools. This article presents an analysis of legislation and regulation of teacher evaluation in selected rural states, highlights their commonalities and differences, reports their litigation, and speculates on potential problems that can result in rural schools. It ends with recommendations for states to consider now that the Every Student Succeeds Act (formerly No Child Left Behind) has passed, and states have the option to reconsider their teacher evaluation plans.


Metaphor is the most impassioned figures of speech that is used most frequently in English and American literature. With the help of cognitive psychology and Chinese rhetoric, researching the metaphor's form, feature and role in different styles is good to understand correctly metaphor languageand raise the level of English reading and appreciation.


The results of the study of the influence of the rigidity of the soil base on the dynamic characteristics of structures, namely the frequency, modal mass, oscillation forms are given. Two types of structural solutions of structures are considered: symmetrical in plan with respect to one axis of the building and symmetric in plan with respect to two axes of the building. The parameters for modeling the stiffness dynamic characteristics of different types of soil bases are determined.


Brain natriuretic peptide(BNP) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) were given extensive attention since they we- re discovered.First,the researchers found that they have a very close relationship with heart failure,and later confirmed they related with ischemic heart disease significantly.recently,many studies show that they also have important value for a variety of other cardiovascular disease.


ABSTRACT EXPERIMENTAL data reported in the literature for gross heating values of various types of biomass were correlated with heating values that were estimated using the Boie equation. This equation was originally developed to estimate the gross heating values of fossil fuels from their respective compositions of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. The estimated heating values agreed within 50% of the experimental data for 47 types of plants and crop residues and within 8% for cattle feedlot manure of normal quality. This correlation makes it possible to accurately predict the gross heating values of most biomass fuels of known ultimate composition and ash content.


Plasma sprayed FeSi nanocomposite coating is used more and more widely, yet the cohesive force in nanocomposite coating on mild steel is still a problem to solve. This paper aimed to use MM simulation to estimate the cohesive strength. To simulate the interfacial binding energy in plasma sprayed FeSi nanocomposite coating on mild steel, different kinds of FeSi-Fe molecular models were built. The simulation results indicated that the mild steel supporting plasma sprayed FeSi nanocomposite coating showed a higher cohesive strength with moderate thickness and thermal treated of FeSi. In the system of FeSi-Fe, the separation will take place between FeSi and Fe layer, the best thickness of plasma sprayed FeSi nanocomposite coating is about 6μm, and thermal treated under hydrogen atmosphere is about 1400K. The results of MM simulation provide some theoretical basis for preparation of plasma sprayed FeSi nanocomposite coating on mild steel with advanced cohesive strength.


Models for components and processes that are needed for simulation of thermohydraulic transient in a pool-type liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) plant are described in this report. A computer code, SSC-P, has been developed as a part of the Super System Code (SSC) development project. A user's manual is being prepared as a separate document. 27 refs., 26 figs., 1 tab.


The light in which cooperation in science appears to some political scientists is illustrated by the following article. Professor Kash argues that scientists should not make political decisions, and, furthermore, that international enterprise in science is not necessarily good politics even if it is good science. Has politics become an instrument of science?


Aims: To assess the efficacy and safety of alogliptin added to insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with insulin alone or combined with metformin.


Soft sensors are widely used in many industrial systems to monitor key variables that are difficult to measure, using measurements from other available physical sensors. Because physical sensors are susceptible to faults, it is crucial for soft sensor models to be robust against them. Recently, deep learning has shown promising results in developing data-driven soft sensors for various applications. However, existing learning-based soft sensors are still vulnerable to sensor faults, which could deteriorate the performance of the models. In this article, we propose a deep learning-based modeling framework for developing soft sensor models that are robust to sensor faults. Due to the difficulty in obtaining datasets that cover all possible sensor fault characteristics, the proposed framework is developed to be zero-shot such that the model can be trained with only fault-free dataset without requiring any sensor fault patterns, thus greatly saving the time and resources needed to collect such data. Instead, adversarial examples are used as a proxy for faulty sensor inputs so that the model can learn to be adaptive through the proposed two-stage, uncertainty-aware recurrent neural network architecture. We demonstrate our approach to the TE benchmark process and a real industrial multiphase flow process and show that robustness is achieved as the accuracy does not degrade significantly when sensor faults are present during the model evaluation.


To evaluate the operational effectiveness of C4ISR system, an integrated evaluation model based on information superiority is proposed. Firstly, the operational process is divided to four phases: battlefield surveillance, battlefield reconnaissance, data fusion and weapon guidance. Secondly, the operational capabilities of each phase is modeled considering information sensing capabilities, timely information availability and concealment capabilities. Finally, the operational process is advanced by transition probability between successive phases and the operational effectiveness of C4ISR system is thus obtained. A simulation experiment is given to show the usability of the proposed evaluation model.


The aim of the study was to identify factors in HIV‐infected patients and the health care system which contribute to late diagnosis.


The article examines the repressive policy of the USSR in relation to national minorities during the Holodomor of 1932–1933, in particular the testimony about the consequences of collectivization and famine in German colonial villages, which ethnic Germans gave to employees of the German consulate in the USSR. The article analyzes archival materials, namely detailed notes of employees of the ODPU, who were engaged in secret surveillance of representatives of German consulates, as well as their own detailed notes of consulate workers. Considerable attention in the article is devoted to the establishment of the consequences of the policy of collectivization, which in the period of the late 1920s and early 1930s became one of the causes of the Holodomor, in particular, the state of agriculture of the colonist peasants in southern and central Ukraine was established precisely at the beginning of the famine and during its greatest spread. The article attempts to analyze archival sources that serve as documentary evidence of the genocide not only of the Ukrainian people, but also of national minorities living on the territory of the USSR. The article also attempts to determine the actions of the German consulate aimed at saving and easing the lives of ethnic Germans who suffered from collectivization and hunger. In particular, about the efforts of the consulates to organize the departure of colonist peasants to Germany. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that, for the first time, an attempt was made to summarize the materials of the archives regarding information on the situation of German colonies during the Holodomor of 1932–1933, which are an important source for the general study of the Holodomor as a policy that was directed not only against Ukrainians, but also against national minorities.


Orogenic processes include the formation of oceanic and continental island arcs, subduction, accretion, collision of plates, and recycling of the subducting materials. A multi-disciplinary approach is essential for deep and comprehensive understanding of 'orogeny' involving such a large variety of geotectonic aspects. Therefore, in this thematic section, we have assembled papers spanning a wide field of subjects including stratigraphy, structural geology, petrology, mineralogy, and isotopic geochronology. This thematic section is an outcome of the topic session on 'Orogenic processes in island arcs: subduction, accretion, collision and recycling' organized by H. U. Rehman and K. Okamoto at the 121st Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of Japan in 2014, where ten oral and three poster presentations related to this topic were presented. In response to the call for submission of papers for a special issue, six articles were contributed from the presenters of the Annual Meeting in addition to two other articles invited by the guest editors from elsewhere. The first paper of the thematic section by H. Ueda et al. (2018) reports the geological evidence of material recycling in an accretionary process. The authors show new geological mapping, petrography of coarse clastic rocks, radiolarian biostratigraphy and zircon U–Pb ages on the Shiriya accretionary complex in northeast Japan. The Shiriya complex is divided stratigraphically into older and younger units. In the younger unit of the complex, pelagic chert sections directly are overlain by debris from inner trench slope without trench-fill turbidite, whereas a significant mass of turbidites considered the distal facies of the debris from adjacent inner trench slope occur in other sections. These recycled materials from inner trench slope comprise an imbricate frontal accretionary wedge together with pelagic siliceous deposits of ocean floor origins. Mass wasting and re-accretion processes at the trench recycle continental materials in non-accretionary margins. Transition from accretionary to sediment-starved trench recorded in the Shiriya complex indicates tectonic response of inner trench slope to change in frictional property of incoming oceanic plate. The second paper, by Wakabayashi (2017), shows the wide range in origins and emplacement settings of orogenic serpentinite bodies, using the California Cordillera as an example. In the California Cordillera, the largest bodies of ultramafic rocks, such as the Coast Range ophiolite (CRO) are derived from the upper plate of an oceanic subduction system. Such units differ from smaller bodies within subduction complexes that were part of a downgoing plate before being transferred to the upper plate by subduction-accretion. Some intra-subduction complex ultramafic rocks occur as nearly block-free sheets within the Franciscan Complex, and as a part of mafic– ultramafic imbricates or broken formations within the Shoo Fly Complex of the northern Sierra Nevada. The serpentinite bodies in the Franciscan Complex also occur as sedimentary serpentinite mélanges that were partly subducted after deposition in the trench via submarine sliding. Sedimentary serpentinite mélange including high-pressure metamorphic blocks is also found in the basal Great Valley Group forearc basin strata deposited on the CRO. The distinction of diverse emplacement mechanisms is significant for connecting ophiolitic rock occurrences to orogenic processes and associated tectonic mechanisms. The third paper, by S. Ueda, Yamamoto, and Terabayashi (2017), details the structural properties of ultramafic rock bodies distributed in metamorphic units in the central region of Tokunoshima, Southwest Japan. Their geological observations reveal that discrete layers of serpentinite, dioritic gneiss, and amphibolite are intercalated into pelitic schist and these rock bodies form a northwest-dipping tectonic stack. A subhorizontal psammitic schist layer overlies them. The en echelon array of rock bodies is interpreted as a duplex with the psammitic schist layer on its top and the pelitic schist layer on its bottom. It is inferred that the serpentinite-bearing duplex was formed due to the tectonic erosion and the subsequent accretionary growth operated in a Cretaceous or older subduction zone. The results offer new insight on the emplacement mechanisms of small bodies of serpentinized peridotite in metamorphic units. The fourth paper, by Fukumura, Okamoto, and Terabayashi (2018), reports metamorphic olivine related to the dehydration embrittlement in a serpentinite body. Metamorphic olivine veins in serpentinite were known in collisional tectonic belts such as the Alps, Norwegian Caledonides and Betic Cordillera. This paper describes metamorphic olivine veins in the Shiraga Serpentinite mass from the high P/T Sanbagawa belt (Southwest Japan) and is the first example of such metamorphic olivine found outside of Europe. The Sanbagawa belt is a product of relatively warm oceanic plate (Izanagi and/or Kula plates) subduction during the Cretaceous time. This paper found veins filled with forsteritic olivine and talc along shear bands in mylonitic serpentinite. The olivine-talc veins are accompanied by magnetite along the boundaries with the host rocks. The occurrence of DOI: 10.1111/iar.12292


This paper carries out the optimal allocation of the gas turbine unit in the large-scale photovoltaic power station by using adaptive artificial fish swarm algorithm,establishes the optimal allocation model for photovoltaic/turbine complementary power generation system to solve the difficulty of control and dispatching caused by the randomness and intermittence of photovoltaic generation.Objective function is composed by the gain from power selling of the complementary power generation system,Investment costs,operation cost,maintenance cost,environment cost and fuel cost of gas turbine units,in order to achieve the optimal configuration of the gas turbine unit capacity considering fully many constraints,and restrains power fluctuation of photovoltaic generation effectively.Finally the paper carries out a simulation on a 100 MW photovoltaic plant in America,and the results show that the correctness and validity of the model.


In recent years, with the continuou s innovation and development of the internet and mobile internet and financial instrument, a variety of network lending platforms are growing rapidly at home and abroad; the P2P lending model,one of the important innovation models, is attracting more and more attention and is accepted by the academic field. Comparing platforms in China and those in other countries, we can see that there are some similarities in terms of operation principles; but because of the differences in credit and legal environment, there are some problems with China's P2P network lending platforms from the aspects of trading pattern and risk control and we lagged behind in terms of development stage and future development space, and how to standardize this industry is the problem demanding urgent solution. Considering the current situation of P2P network lending platforms development at home and abroad, to better promote the development of P2P network lending platforms, we should, first, perfect the related laws and strengthen industrial supervision; second, we should strengthen the certification of platforms and prevent risk; third, we should improve the operation pattern and spread risk over broader fields; and fourth, we should improve the financial transparency of platforms.


Adopting the straight-run diesel catalytic oxidation desulphurization pilot facility and under the condition that the reactor is the static state one, the apparent time is 3~5 minutes, the reaction temperature is 60℃, the materiel circulation is 1 000 L/h, the ratio of the TS-2 oxidation catalysis to the diesel is 0.24, the ratio of the diesel to the EA-1 extractant is 2.5 ∶1, the pilot test of straight-run diesel is conducted for catalyzing-oxidate desulphurization. The production analysis and the qualification indicate that at the aforesaid condition, the main dibenzothiophene sulfide in the diesel are moved out; mixing the sulfide-enriched diesel with the catalytic diesel with the volume rate of one to ten and at the simulation conditions of the diesel hydrodesulphurization operation in the Lanzhou refinery, the sulfide in the sulfide-enriched diesel declines to 800 μg/g from 2 500 μg/g。The sulfide-enriched diesel can be used as the raw material of the catalytic-cracking diesel′s hydrogenization facility.


Chronic kidney disease is increasingly becoming a major public health problem. It is characterized by a disorder in the structure and function of the kidneys that lasts longer than 3 months. It is a condition in which there is a slow decrease in kidney function. The problem with this disease is that the signs and symptoms are often nonspecific as they can be caused by other diseases.


The terrorist explosion is dreadful for current world. In various explosive events, vehicle bomb explosion has been commonly used by terrorists to approach the targets. This paper evaluated and analyzed the minatory grades of various vehicle bombs, and calculated the failure distances of the buildings under the main impulse effect of air shock wave. Thereafter, a few kinds of setting methods of the blast resistant walls under various vehicle bombs are established. The research will provide effect protective measures for the survival ability of the important buildings under various vehicle bombs.


Neuron PID algorithm can control queue length successfully,but its neuron gain is sensitive for controlled object state.So it is difficult to guarantee the control performance because the gain depends on experience and trial me-thod.Congestion window size,loss probability and queue length differential equations were deduced based on TCP window additive-increase and multiplicative-decrease(AIMD) principle and queuing mechanism.TCP/AQM control model was obtained in Ad-hoc network through the equations linearization.Then it introduced recursion and modification gain to neuron PID based on the model.Finally,a neuron adaptive proportional summation differential(PSD) AQM was proposed.PSD algorithm can modify neuron gain dynamically.NS simulations demonstrate that PSD queue management performance is better than neuron PID under conditions of wireless packet loss,sudden flow and different link capacity.


In this study, the agricultural mechanization properties of the West Marmara Region covering Balikesir, Canakkale, Edirne, Kirklareli and Tekirdag provinces have been defined. . Statistically, West Marmara Region's tractor number, harvester number, agricultural tool-machine number and agricultural mechanization level indicators for the 2004 and 2013 period have been calculated and summarized. For the years 2004 and 2013, the tractor numbers were 113192 and 122925, harvester numbers 2475 and 3018, while agricultural tool-machine numbers were 887059 and 983301. The 2004 and 2013 mechanization indicators were defined as follows, respectively; average tractor power 37.61 kW and 38.21 kW, tractor power per processed area 2.45 kW ha-1 and 3.07 kW ha-1, tractor number per 1000 ha area 65.22 and 80.46, processed area per tractor 15.33 ha and 12.43 ha, harvester numbers per 1000 ha area 1.43 and 1.97, processed area per harvester 701.20 ha and 506.19 ha.


AbstractThe kinematic wave theory has been a widely accepted technique for modeling overland flow. Although it is recognized that overland flow is nonlinear, linear approximations have nonetheless ...


There is provided a method for distributing content over a network, comprising: receiving a request by the proxy server; by the proxy server determines the received request is directed from the source contents using one or more permanent network connection distributed or distributed from the cache; when determining that the request relates to the contents of the cache, the request sent by the proxy server to retrieve the content from the cache; relates to determining when to use one or more permanent network connections distributed content, the proxy server is used by one or more permanent network connection sends a request to retrieve content from the source.


"If you can conceive of it, you can achieve it." (Kennedy Space Center, Florida) A rural Nebraska public school district adopted this philosophy when they applied for a three-year competitive Excellence in Education Grant in late 1995. The school district serves approximately 1,400 students and is located in a community with a population slightly above 5,000. The economy is agri-related but somewhat diversified. Twenty-three percent of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch services; 11% for Title or Special Education services; and 14% for migrant education services. Six school administrators and the District Technology Team of 18 staff members had the vision to design a plan for restructuring their schools and classrooms. Not unlike other educators and psychologists (Collins, Brown and Newman 1989; Resnick 1987), the staff recognized that the major skills needed by all students were comprehension, reasoning, composition and experimentation. Skills cannot be acquired through simply teaching facts but, instead, can be acquired by providing the learner with an opportunity to interact with the content, define learning goals, and explore new understandings through authentic, challenging tasks. Technology was the major catalyst identified by staff for encouraging the learner to interact with the content. Purpose The students involved in this study will live and work in the information age. Life outside the school doors provides opportunities for students to interact with their environment through television, simulation games, home computers and videos. Unfortunately our schools have not kept up with technology that has invaded our businesses, homes and marketplace. The purpose of this study was twofold: a) to examine the changes in teachers' and students' use of technology in the classroom and; b) to determine the changes in reading and math achievement for students in grades 1-3 over a three-year period. Students used an Integrated Learning System to improve basic reading and math skills and were tested annually on a norm-referenced test. Research and evaluation of technology innovations linked to school reform have provided few definitive answers (Herman 1994). Attempts to answer questions focused on school reform with empirical data have provided little verification for policy makers, educators and the public. However, studies in public school settings produced evidence showing that increased access to information has positive effects on student learning. In order to measure these effects, evaluation in this study included alternative research and evaluation strategies that were qualitative in nature, longitudinal in design and context-centered. Procedures The information needed to answer the research questions in this study was collected from a rural Nebraska school district. The school district received funding for a three-year study to increase technology access and provide technology training to teachers and students. A computer was placed in each classroom (80 classrooms) and 27 computers were located in the elementary Integrated Learning Lab with Computer Curriculum Corporation Success Maker software. The computer software, Success Maker, automatically diagnoses and places students on the appropriate skill level while using the computer. The computer lab was used by 314 students and 13 teachers in grades 1-3 from January 1996 through May 1998. A teacher survey was used to collect data on teacher and student use of technology in the classroom. The survey instrument was developed by Sandy Blankenship, a technology consultant for Educational Service Unit #6 in Nebraska. Previously, the instrument had been used in five Nebraska school districts to assess changes in teacher and student behavior relating to the use of technology. Following 3 years of technology staff development training (6 days per year), this instrument was distributed to 80 teachers. …


For approximately 160,000 years, conditions on Earth have favored humankind, thanks to the biospheric life support system. At present, anthropogenic wastes, from hazardous chemicals to carbon dioxide, are damaging the biospheric life support system at a rate unprecedented in human history. The scientific evidence on global heating, and other types of climate change, has changed from persuasive to overwhelming, as it did previously for hazardous chemicals and physical damage to natural systems. However, unsustainable practices continue and the consequences worsen. Humankind may have to suffer horrendous, appalling events before it accepts responsibility for the severe, possibly irreversible, damage to Earth's biospheric life support system.


ABSTRACT The social, political and economic importance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is increasingly being recognised by what is routinely referred to as mainstream society. However, surprisingly little is known about the nuances of differing behaviour within this broadly defined subpopulation. In a French context, this study examines lesbians' responses to advertising that is purportedly targeted at them, including 'gender neutral-implicit' and 'gay-explicit' advertisements. This research furthers previous work by examining 'in-group' and 'out-group' lesbians' reactions to (1) gay male-explicit, (2) gay lesbian-explicit and finally (3) gender neutral-implicit advertisements. Further, this research focuses on specific reactions beyond simply 'attitude towards advertisement'; precisely, an overall 'evaluation of advertisement', the 'ability to generate curiosity' about the brand, and the 'degree of likeability of advertisement' are compared. It was found that lesbians' responses to targeted print advertisements were significantly influenced by whether they self-identify with gay males under the holistic banner of 'gay'. These findings suggest that marketing practitioners would be judicious to stop thinking in terms of one common LGBT advertising target market and start to think about the nuances of homosexual advertising that include (1) response differences to advertising between the 'G' market, comprising homosexual men, and the 'L' market of homosexual women, and (2) the subtle, but important differences found within the lesbian sub-market.


The traditional method for controlling pests is the application of chemical pesticides. Growing concern on the negative effects of chemicals has encouraged the development of alternatives. Inundatively and inoculatively applied microbial control agents (virus, bacteria, fungi, and entomopathogenic nematodes) have been developed as alternative control methods of a wide variety of pests. A mathematical model for microbial control of pests is formulated in this paper. The dynamical characteristics of the system are studied. The role of time-delay has been discussed. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the analytical findings. Biological implications have been discussed.


In this paper, we consider the problem of determining non-parametric confidence intervals for quantiles when available data are in the form of k-records. Distribution-free confidence intervals as well as lower and upper confidence limits are derived for fixed quantiles of an arbitrary unknown distribution based on k-records of an independent and identically distributed sequence from that distribution. The construction of tolerance intervals and limits based on k-records is also discussed. An exact expression for the confidence coefficient of these intervals are derived. Some tables are also provided to assist in choosing the appropriate k-records for the construction of these confidence intervals and tolerance intervals. Some simulation results are presented to point out some of the features and properties of these intervals. Finally, the data, representing the records of the amount of annual rainfall in inches recorded at Los Angeles Civic Center, are used to illustrate all the results developed in this paper and also to demonstrate the improvements that they provide on those based on either the usual records or the current records.


The results of a study performed on crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) insulated cables tested in the laboratory under accelerated conditions are described. URD-type cables rated at 15 kV were aged at 60 Hz, 6 kV/mm, (150 V/mil) and load cycled daily to 90 degrees C conductor, with water inside the pipe and outside of the samples, for periods of up to 3 years. DC testing was performed before and during the aging. An anticipated significant reduction in the AC breakdown strength is observed in control cables (not DC tested), from 44 kV/mm (1100 V/mil) for unaged cables, to 10 kV/mm (250 V/mil), for aged cables. However, there was no further reduction in the AC breakdown strength of cables subjected to DC testing as compared to those that are not tested with DC. It is concluded that AC breakdown strength is not an effective diagnostic tool for determining the effect of DC testing of URD cables aged under the conditions described. >


The paper presents the results of experiments carried out to obtain multi-component coatings that have a broader range of properties compared to their single-component counterparts. We have studied the generation of coatings based on a Co (18…20%)-Cr (5…7%)-Al (0.3…0.4%)-Y (0.2…0.5) alloy. We have also studied the chemical composition of the coating, its thickness, and the transient zone condition. We present here the results of X-ray fluorescence and X-ray spectroscopy microanalysis of such coatings. It is shown that the microtopography of surfaces depends on the coating generation conditions; the set of chemical elements in each coating is similar for all specimen, their concentration depends on the deposition conditions, and the thickness distribution is constant; there is virtually no diffusion of coating and substrate materials. We have identified an insignificant percentage of substrate materials in the generated coating. The thicker the coating, the less substrate materials it contains.


The viscous, unsteady, two-dimensional, incompressible, laminarbiofluid (blood) flow is considered  in a channel with stenosis. The hydrodynamic flow at the entrance is assumed to be fully developed and the plates are kept at a constant temperature. The mathematical modeling of the problem results in a coupled nonlinear system of partial differential equations and is given in stream function-vorticity-temperature formulation for the numerical treatment. These equations together with their appropriate boundary conditions are solved effectively using finite element method (FEM) with quadratic triangular elements due to the second order space derivatives of stream function. The solution is obtained iteratively at transient levels using FEM for the spatial discretization, and unconditionally stable backward difference scheme for the time integration. The problem domain is discretized with non-uniform mesh to be able to use more elements in the neighborhood of the stenois. The obtained numerical results are illustrated using streamlines, vorticity and temperature contours. The blood behavior along the thin channel is investigated for a symmetric stenosis of degrees 40\% and 60\%.


Although preservation of the environment quality is a universally recognized principle, environmental harm is a reality that causes damages of difficult remediation to the environment and human health. The Rio Declaration, which resulted from the Rio-92 Conference, recommends the application of the Precautionary Principle as an anticipatory tool of prevention in environmental impact assessments. Since then, the Precautionary Principle has been used in environmental assessments when current scientific knowledge is faced with the unpredictable. However, such studies often present an incipient approach on the impact on human health for not considering the Precautionary Principle. This work proposes the application of the Precautionary Principle in human health assessment when there is uncertainty on the legitimacy of the activity performed, on the exposure time and dose, and on the single cause or multiple causes of diseases that may occur as a result of an environmental alteration.


In this paper, a project and implication circuit of generation wave_gate in correlative detecting system was described. The project has been used in correlative detecting system of wide band passive radar seeker.


ABSTRACT How do teaching artists perceive the need and usefulness of a credential program specifically designed for teaching artists in dance and theatre arts?


This study examines the influence of the elements of organizational justice covered by three specific forms of justice. Distributive justice, procedural justice, and mutual justice (POS) based on organizational support. The population for this study is nurses from all private public hospitals in Padang. However, for this preliminary study, we only used 30 respondents as a sample. Use the Likert scale to collect data through questionnaires. In this study, the data was analyzed by multiple linear regression using SPSS 20.0. The results of this study indicate that distributive justice has a positive and significant impact on perceived organizational support. In addition, the results of this study also prove that procedural justice has a positive and significant impact on perceived organizational support. Finally, the results of this study show that interactive justice has a positive and significant impact on perceived organizational support.


The S3CK215 single-chip CMOS microcontroller is designed for high performance using Samsung's new8-bit CPU core,CalmRISC.It integrates LCD Controller/Driver,Operational Amplifiers,A/D Converter and D/A Converter,etc.The features of S3CK215 and its application in the design of Sound-Adjusting Meter are introducde.


A new methodology for improving the operational efficiency of ethylene cracking integrated with refining is proposed. In this work, ethylene feedstock optimization was achieved by screening the low...


This paper gives a brief overview of the new features introduced in the latest version of the tool Flow*. We mainly describe the new efficient scheme for integrating linear ODEs. We show that it can efficiently handle the challenging benchmarks on which, to the best of our knowledge, only SpaceEx works. Moreover, it is also possible to extend the method to deal with unbounded initial sets. A comparison between Flow* 1.2 and SpaceEx on those benchmarks is given. Besides, we also investigate the scalability of Flow* 1.2 based on our non-linear line circuit benchmarks.


The Zhoushan fishing ground is located in the shallowwater area of the northwest East China Sea.The formation and displacement of the fishing ground and variations in fishing season and fish crop are mainly affected by hydrologic conditions and nutrient contents there,whose variations,to a great extent,depend on the occupancy range and vanishing-growing changes in water masses.Using the data observed before the year of 1990,the water masses in the northwest East China sea have been studied by some scientists at home and abroad,but the study on the water mass in this sea area after completion in the three gorges engineering has been not reported so far.In this work,based on CTD and nutrient data obtained during the summer of 2001 and the winter of 2002,the water masses in Zhoushan fishing ground and adjacent region were divided by using the fuzzy clustering method,and the seasonal characteristics in distributions,thermohaline properties and nutrient contents in the water masses in this area were analyzed.The results showed that there are distinct seasonal characteristics in the distributions,ranges,thermohaline property and nutrient contents of the water masses in this area.In the whole study area,there are three water masses,namely,Jiang-Zhe Coastal Water(JCW),Taiwan Warm Current Surface Water(TWCSW) and Yellow Sea(Huanghai Sea) Mixing Water(YSMW) in winter,while there are four water masses,namely,the JCW,the TWCSW,Taiwan Warm Current Deep Water(TWCDW) and the YSMW in summer.The JCW has a relative small occupancy range,low temperature,high salinity and high nutrients in winter;while it has a relative large occupancy range,high temperature,low salinity and low nutrients in summer.The TWCSW extends farther northwards in winter than in summer and its thickness is much larger in winter than in summer.In the TWCSW,temperature is low,salinity is high,SiO3-Si and NO3-N are relative high,and PO4-P is low in winter,while the temperature high,salinity low,SiO3-Si and NO3-N relative low,and PO4-P high in summer.The TWCDW is a seasonal water mass,and there are relative rich nutrients in it.There are some seasonal characteristics in the occupancy range and nutrient contents of the YSMW.


Reactor configurations based on rotating solid foams for fast three-phase reactions are presented. Solid foams are used as catalyst support and stirrer to mix the gas and liquid phases and to create fine gas bubbles. Mass transfer data are presented for different solid foam stirrer configurations and are compared to a slurry reactor with a Rushton stirrer. The foam block stirrer shows a kGLaGL of 0.18 s-1, which is 60% higher than using a Rushton stirrer. With a value of 4.2x10-3 ms-1 the liquid-solid mass transfer coefficient is around 20% higher than for the Rushton stirrer with copper slurry particles.


The program and methods of field research combine harvester equipped with a system of low-frequency electromagnetic radiation grain material; specification for the design of combine radiators with the system in different locations in the course of promoting the grain of the material from the hopper to the ISU.


This article addresses how to handle tax issues in mediating civil disputes and it notes why taxes need consideration and how the parties can avoid disputes at the conclusion of the mediation and thereafter. In general, a term sheet setting out the major economic points should be used, followed by a fully negotiated settlement agreement that addresses tax issues. There are a range of available choices among binding and nonbinding term sheets and those that are explicitly neither.


Initially, Amurfina and Giramphiel do not conform to the more traditional role of the courtly lady. Instead, they are independent, powerful, and self-aware, or in other words, 'problem women.' This essay examines their role in Diu Crône and determines whether they can be rehabilitated or must remain alienated from Arthurian society.


Background: There is a growing body of literature supporting the association between maternal overinvolvement and child anxiety. Theory also suggests that perceived control in children acts as a mediator between overinvolvement and child anxiety. To date, only two experimental manipulation studies have sought to establish causal links in this relationship. This study aimed to establish whether firstly, maternal overinvolvement induces child anxiety and avoidant behaviour, and secondly, whether a child's perceived control mediates this relationship. Method: This study used an experimental repeated-measures design. 38 children aged 8-11 years completed difficult tangram puzzles, in both a high involvement and low involvement condition. Mother's were instructed on how much involvement to give in each condition. Dependent variables were self-report anxiety and perceived control, and observed avoidant behaviour. Results: Contrary to the research hypotheses, children showed significantly lower levels of avoidance in the high involvement condition than in the low involvement condition. There was a trend towards a significantly lower level of self-report anxiety in the high involvement condition. Children reported significantly lower levels of perceived control in the high involvement condition, although this was not related to increased anxiety or avoidance. Conclusions: The results do not support models that propose overinvolvement causes child anxiety. A mediational model between perceived control, parental overinvolvement and child anxiety was unable to be tested due to the contrary findings. Methodological limitations were identified and areas for future research suggested. An experimental manipulation of maternal overinvolvement 3 Table of


Many sites of high solar insolation in Australia are located far from major load centres, and it is likely that the siting of future solar power plants in Australia will necessitate extensive transmission infrastructure. The unique generation profile of solar electric plants limits the utilisation of dedicated transmission lines rated to the peak output of a plant. If a plant is oversized for available transmission, the revenue implications of curtailing peak output may not be significant. With Transmission Network Service Providers (TNSPs) and generators functioning as separate entities in the National Electricity Market (NEM), the pathway for efficient investment in transmission is not straightforward. TNSPs may be reluctant to extend the network at the scale required for long-term development of generation in a region. Moreover, solar plants can be constructed more quickly than transmission infrastructure, giving rise to the possibility of early plants being operational ahead of transmission capacity. This paper explores the impact of transmission constraint on the financial performance of three types of large-scale solar power plant operating in Cobar, New South Wales in 2009: a fixed photovoltaic (PV) plant, a dual-axis tracking PV plant, and a concentrating solar thermal (CST) plant with varying levels of thermal storage. For plants with lower capacity factors (eg. fixed PV), significant constraints on transmission capacity has been found to have a minimal effect on total generation and revenue. The impact of transmission constraint is more profound for higher capacity factor plants of the tracking PV and CST types. The implication of this work is that it can be an effective strategy to oversize solar electric plants relative to available transmission and to construct plants incrementally as a means of mitigating the risks associated with transmission investment in the NEM.


Abstract Modular multilevel converter for high voltage DC system has great potential as the key role in global energy interconnection. Adaptive reclosing or restarting after suffering from short-circuit faults is a critical segment to realize safe and stable operation. An adaptive restart scheme for the half-bridge sub-module transmission system is proposed, which is based on the active current injection of the auxiliary fault discriminate module. Combined with the engineering experience, the transient characteristics of the line current during the fault restart stage are analyzed. The ratio of the current peaks at both ends of the fault point is used as the criterion. Moreover, the restart current suppression strategy is introduced into the adaptive restart scheme. It provides a decision-making basis for discriminate the property of the fault and improves the success rate of fault restart. The simulation results show that after the external auxiliary module is introduced into the adaptive restart stage, the restart current does not exceed the rated value. Finally, The permanent fault and the transient fault can be successfully distinguished, providing a reliable guarantee for the subsequent action decision of the protection devices.


The isolation and characterization of a uronic acid isomerase from F. heparinum is described. The enzyme converts glucuronic acid and galacturonic acid to fructuronic acid and tagaturonic acid. The equilibrium point of the reaction is affected by buffers. In the presence of borate, 75% of glucuronic acid is converted to fructuronic acid. In the presence of phosphate, the equilibrium is reached when 31% of glucuronic acid is converted to fructuronic acid. Conversely, fructuronic acid and tagaturonic acid are converted to glucuronic acid and galacturonic acid, respectively. Monosaccharides derived from heparin and chondroitin sulfates do not affect the activity of the isomerase, in contrast to the monosaccharides from hyaluronic acid which have marked inhibitory (or diluting) activity upon the enzyme. The role of this enzyme in the metabolism of mucopolysaccharides is discussed.


In compliance to the studies data on the composition and properties of protein concentrates of buttermilk and whey obtained by the method of nanofiltration have been expanded and systematized. It has been found that buttermilk and whey concentrates with a mass fraction of solids of 20 % contain up to 7 and 2.3 % protein, respectively. The dispersion composition and the nature of the concentrates microstructure have been studied using an electron microscope. When buttermilk has been concentrated by nanofiltration, the average diameter of the dispersed particles has not increased and amounted to (130 ± 30) nm, and the spatial mesh size has decreased by 3.2 times. When whey has been concentrated, the particle size has increased by 1.7 times while the spatial mesh size has decreased by 1.3 times. The regularities of the joint development of lactic acid and bifidobacteria in a milk base have been revealed with a different ratio of nanofiltration buttermilk and whey concentrates to substantiate the rational composition of the milk base. It has been proven that fermented milk products based on buttermilk and whey concentrates have increased biological value. The developed products contain 44-46 % more essential amino acids, the balance coefficient of amino acid composition is 17-18 % higher than those of cultured buttermilk.


This historiographical review essay places Jeffrey Kahana's book in the context of existing scholarship on ideology and labor and employment law in the U.S. in the 18th and 19th centuries. It compares the arguments and findings of this book with works by Christopher Tomlins, Robert Steinfeld, Karen Orren, Victoria Hattam, and others. Specifically, it contrasts Kahana's analysis with that of other authors on two key questions: (1) the extent to which early American labor and employment law rules were largely based on English common law; and (2) the extent to which American rules were a product of class bias and or ant-union sentiment. On both questions, Kahana stakes out positions on the far end of the historiographical spectrum, insisting that early America almost entirely rejected English common law in this area, and that the law was driven by concerns quite separate from class or anti-union bias. Kahana's book is thus remarkably positive given the subject matter. While it may not convince those who have adopted different positions, it is a valuable contribution to the literature.


Composite pile foundation with long and short piles is a new kind of pile foundation.It is necessary to study the bearing mechanics and working behavior.In this paper,the relation between bearing capacity and settlement distribution of the axial force and skin friction along pile and the bearing mechanics of composite pile foundation with long and short piles were studied based on laboratory tests.The conclusions were valuable for engineering practice.


Complex networks attract attention in various scientific fields due to their ability to model real world phenomena and potential for problem-solving. It is essential to evaluate these networks to simulate and solve various issues. Evaluating social networks is challenging due to the unequal status of nodes and their unknown impact on everall characteristics. Existing measures of centrality often need to consider the global structure of the network, which requires the involvement of experts and creates space for multi-criteria decision-making methods usage. Unfortunately, more access to established decision-making models is often needed for various reasons. In this article, we propose an innovative approach called Dynamic Stochastic IdenTifiCation Of Models (Dynamic SITCOM), which considers the preferences of characteristic objects and the characteristic values of criteria, enabling the re-identification of multi-criteria decision models. The approach evaluates nodes in Facebook's complex social network, focusing on prediction accuracy using similarity measures and Mean Absolute Error. The study shows that a stable decision model can be created and applied to evaluate nodes in complex networks.


A method of using a photonic crystal waveguide device, comprising: a core composed of a photonic crystal having a refractive index periodicity in two or more directions perpendicular to the propagation direction of electromagnetic waves; cladding, the electromagnetic waves to the sealed said inner core, said core is disposed in contact. Further, the incident side having a phase modulation part, or near the boundary surface area of the Brillouin photons belonging to the core portion of the energy band structure of the coupler, and an electromagnetic wave propagating in the core, the incident to the core.


Objective To study the effect of Solanum nigrum total alkaloid(SNTA) on sialic acid(SA) and blocking degree of erythrocyte membrane in S_(180) tumor-bearing mice.Methods Using chromatometry to determine the erythrocyte membrane sialic acid and erythrocyte membrane blocking degree.Results SNTA could increase erythrocyte membrane sialic acid level and heighten erythrocyte membrane blocking degree in S_(180) tumor-bearing mice significantly(P0.05).Conclusion Inhibition on tumor of SNTA can be accomplished through improving erythrocyte membrane sialic acid and erythrocyte membrane blocking degree.


This paper presents a method for generating optimal flight paths across defended terrain. The terrain is described by a digital map specifying the elevation in each grid cell Threats are evaluated from line of sight calculations and the range to the threat The path of the vehicle is constrained by the physics of motion of the vehicle. The costs associated with the vehicle's motion are expressed by a multiobjective cost function that balances conflicting objectives. The solution procedure considers both hard obstacles such as the ground which cannot be passed through, and soft obstacles such as threats which can be passed through at increased cost. The problem was formulated using a state-space representation in which changing state, by moving the vehicle, corresponds to dynamically generating an arc of a graph. The cost associated with traversing each arc of the graph is a function of the terrain crossed, threats encountered, and the manoeuvre required to cause the change of state. The optimal trajectory is found using the A* algorithm. Unlike previous work using A* where solution optimality was given up to gain computational feasibility, optimality of solution was preserved by using knowledge to combine compound manoeuvres (effectively limited breath first search), search over regions of the map rather than over individual grid cells of the map and intelligent pruning of inferior states. Transactions on Information and Communications Technologies vol 2, © 1993 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3517


Large-scale Web-based applications comprise dynamic, extensible and interoperable collections of services, software components and information shared by various entities performing transactional tasks. In defining a general-purpose policy-based security framework, security policies for the confidentiality, integrity and availability of services and information need to be considered. In this paper, policies for authentication, access control, security management, identity administration and accountability are proposed. Implementation mechanisms and component-based generic security services for web-enabled applications are also discussed.


Trade is identified as one of the main drivers of economic growth. It sets the basis for economic, political and social growth. In order for Informal Cross Border Trade to be achieved, language plays a pivotal role in negotiating trade transactions. Language is used to mitigate trade forms such as transportation costs, currency costs, customs costs, information acquisition and communication costs. Therefore, it is crucial to have a shared language in executing informal cross border trade. A shared culture is also identified as a communication tool since culture is engraved in language. The paper's primary objective was to investigate the benefits of a shared language in Informal Cross border trade at Chirundu one stop border post located between Zimbabwe and Zambia. The border is located in the Mashonaland West province in Zimbabwe and the Siavonga region in the Southern part of Zambia. The study employed two primary research methods, namely interviews and questionnaires. Secondary sources were also used to substantiate the findings. Findings revealed that a shared language has many benefits that include; increased bilateral transactions costs as it becomes easy to convey transaction costs; reduced communication barriers; and increases the accessibility of product information. Cultural heritage is also communicated through shared language. It was concluded that the border lacks a shared language, and because of that, Informal Cross Border Traders are experiencing challenges such as communication barriers, miscommunication of business transactions, fraud, a decrease in sales rates, inaccessibility of product information, and difficulties in advertising products.


The effects of L-DOPA on metabolic, respiratory and vaso-motor activities as well as body temperatures were assessed in conscious rats at different ambient temperatures(T(subscript a))of 8,22 and 30℃. Direct administration of L-DOPA into the lateral cerebral ventricle of rats produced a dose-dependent hypothermia at both 8 and 22℃ T(subscript a). The hypothermia in response to L-DOPA was due to a decrease in metabolic heat production. There was a decrease in cutaneous temperatures with no change in respiratory evaporative heat loss. However, in the heat(30℃ T(subscript a)), intraventricular administration of L-DOPA produced a dose-dependent hyperthermia. The hyperthermia was due to cutaneous vasoconstriction (as estimated by a decrease in cutaneous temperatures). There was no change in either metabolic heat production or respiratory evaporative heat loss. The data indicate that L-DOPA inhibits both heat production and heat loss mechanisms in rats.


The chrysidid tribe Elampini comprises a diverse group of genera. There are a number of small (1-3 species) highly derived genera in this group. Nearly all of these occur in 2 regions, southwestern North America and the area comprising the Middle East, southern USSR and North Africa. The small North American genera are Hedychreides Bohart, Microchridium Bohart, Minymischa Kimsey, Pseudolopyga Bodenstein and Xerochrum Bobart. Those in the latter region include: Haba Semenov, Prochridium Linsenmaier and the new genus, Adelopyga, described below. One genus, Muesebeckidium Krombein, occurs in both North and South America.


: This study aimed to conduct an empirical analysis on the variables that have a significant influence on the quality of audits performed by accounting firms. To achieve its purpose, the researcher collected the financial statement data of client firms for the 2009-2015 period, the audit engagement data for client firms for the 2011-2015 period, and the accounting firm characteristic data for the 2011-2015 period. Specifically, the researcher conducted two stages of data analysis. The first stage estimated and operationalized audit quality as the absolute value of abnormal accruals; in the second stage, it regressed the absolute value of abnormal accruals to different test variables. The empirical results of this paper indicated that audit quality is influenced by the tenure of an accounting firm, the first-time audit engagements, the services other than auditing provided to client firms by an accounting firm, the market share of an accounting firm in a specific client industry, and the quick ratio of an accounting firm at least within a certain specific subsample. Therefore, the significant findings of this study suggest that auditing regulatory actions should be taken by focusing on more homogeneous groups of subsamples separately and carefully.


as well as the key players depicted in the text in question. While it has not shed all the vestiges of its original dissertation genre (mostly notably, some repetitive "reminders" recur from chapter to chapter), this work of Saint-Laurent constitutes the first real comparative study of this important collection of seven texts—each has been studied individually, and nearly all exist in modern editions and translations, and will thus be a reliable foundation for further study of these texts. While she notes the importance of the Acts of Mari for the establishment of the see of Seleucia-Ctesiphon and its own hierarchy, it might also be worthwhile to demonstrate just how the chronologically later of these texts are written specifically to "replace" or to "undo" the earlier texts from another christological tradition, most importantly in this regard, the Life of Ahudemmeh. It seems to this reviewer that there is clearly sufficient material for such a monograph on each of these texts, another indication of the usefulness of this study. Both author and printer ought also to be lauded for a text that is also remarkably free of error. Apart from the unfortunate intrusion of a Latin ex into the Greek phrase mia physis ek duo (8), and the few occasions of the ubiquitous but nonetheless erroneous expression "hearken back" I failed to notice any other such errors.


LUT UNIVERSITY LUT School of Energy Systems Degree Programme in Environmental Technology Sustainability Science and Solutions Mariia Zhaurova Utilization possibilities of CO2 from cement industry in different products Master's thesis 2018 112 pages, 14 figures, 12 tables, 4 appendices Examiners: Professor Risto Soukka Professor Jero Ahola Supervisor: Professor Risto Soukka


Consistent reporting and monitoring activities, driven by Clean Air Act Amendment requirements, may help standardize future air quality analysis and database software packages. Until then, some maintain, industry has a choice: use software that may not be as tailored to a facility's process as desired, or spend upwards of $100,000 for customized systems. Industry wants a package that will do everything for them with just a press of a button. Customers want it industry-specific and plant-specific, and they want it for under $30,000. And that's impossible at this time. Unlike other software programs, air analysis programs are very process-specific. The way are capture emissions from a paint booth vs. from an incinerator is different. So it's tough to develop one set of software that can be applied to many industries and processes. Air quality analysis software includes dispersion modeling and data management programs. Dispersion models determine the impact of a facility's emissions and compare them with acceptable regulatory levels. Data management programs include those that gather and store data, prepare estimates, and assist in periodic reporting, and compliance software, which keeps track of permit requirements and ongoing compliance.


Objective To assess environment quality of GAP base of Radix Bupleuri from Songxian in Henan province.Methods The documents and literatures were adopted in analyzing the environmental quality,including water resource and soil conditions in the cultural region.Results It was showed that the air quality reached the first grad of mark(GB3095-1996),the soil condition reached to the first grad of mark(GB15628-1995),the water resource quality reached to the first grad of mark(GB5084-92) for the planting base of Radix Bupleuri from Songxian.Conclusion The environment quality of GAP base was better for suitable cultured of Radix Bupleuri from Songxian,and also satisfied the requirement of the organic drug cultural environment.


How did apothecaries live in Madrid the critical year of 1812?. An analysis of archival sources and contemporary periodical press has helped to uncover the social, economic and professional situation of this group, analyzed educational aspects (Real Colegio de Farmacia), corporatives (Real Colegio de Profesores Boticarios) and devotionals ones (Congregacion de Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados y San Lucas Evangelista).


Poly(e-caprolactone)/clay nanocomposites were prepared by in-situ ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone by using dibutyltin dimethoxide as an initiator/catalyst. A nonmodified Na+−montmorillonite and two montmorillonites surface-modified by dimethyl 2-ethylhexyl (hydrogenated tallow alkyl) and methyl bis(2-hydroxyethyl) (hydrogenated tallow alkyl) ammonium cations, respectively, were used. The evolution of molecular weights was followed in relation to silicate surface modification and clay concentration. The alcohol-bearing organo-modified clay was a co-initiator for the polymerization reaction and thus controlled the molecular weight of the PCL chains. Furthermore, the number-average molecular weight of the growing PCL chains linearly increased with the monomer conversion. Nanocomposites were analyzed by small-angle X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetry. The clay dispersion depended on the structure of the alkylammonium used to make the clay more hydrophobic. E...


The problem of the modern family and its structural break, changing the traditional historical understanding of marriage and family in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries are studied. The analysis of new innovative forms of family relations, some of the psychological causes of the formation of non-traditional types of marriage and family are considered


Using the intelligent business division and strategy technologies,this paper gave a detailed analysis of the data gathered from the survey of Travel Industries and revealed the characteristics of the tourists who had the intention of travelling abroad in the past year,which enhanced the marketing efficiency.


HF-treated Si surfaces and the oxidation kinetics in pure water or in clean room air have systematically been studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The oxidation of heavily-doped n-type Si appears to proceed parallel to the surface, resulting in the layer-by-layer oxidation. The oxide growth rate in pure water for heavily-doped n-type Si is significantly higher than that of heavily-doped ptype Si. This is explained by the electron tunneling from the Si conduction band to adsorbed O2 molecules to form the O2 state. O2 ions easily decompose and induce a surface electric field, enhancing the oxidation rate. The growth rate of native oxide on heavily-doped n-type Si is less sensitive to the crystallographic orientations than the case of lightly doped Si where the steric hindrance against oxygen molecules significantly lowers the oxidation rate of the (110) and (111) surfaces. We suggest that the decomposed oxygen can penetrate into Si without steric hindrance. It is also found that the oxidation of heavily-doped n-type Si in pure water is effectively suppressed by adding a small amount (10 ∼ 3600 ppm) of HCI.


Most growing media for strawberries in soilless culture are peat moss, rockwool, coir, perlite or some other mixtures. Nowadays, using mixture of peat moss and perlite is one of the mostly used substrate for production of hydroponic strawberries in developing countries. The effects of three different media based on 100%: 0, 80%: 20% and 60%: 40% v/v perlite and peat moss were evaluated on quantity and quality of three varieties of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) in soilless culture. Perlite/ peat moss substrate 100%:0% ratio (v/v) produced the most number of leaves and flowers number and the number of fruits and fruit dry weight were the highest in both substrates of 100%:0 and 60%:40% perlite/peat moss. Fresno variety had the highest number of leaves production between three studied varietie., However, both Fresno and Selva had the highest number of fruits and fruit dry weight and the difference between these two varieties were not significant. All in all, the results showed that based on the goals of planting strawberries, both Fresno and Selva varieties and also 100%:0 and 60%:40% perlite/peat moss are the best ones in production of strawberries in Iran.


New research has demonstrated that circadian-controlled neuroimmune circuits regulate the function of group 3 innate lymphoid cells (IlC3s) and gut homeostasis in mice. The findings provide clues as to how environmental cues such as light can be processed and, ultimately, influence tissue physiology. IlC3s are major regulators of inflammation, metabolism and the gut micro biota. moreover, enteric IlC3s and neuronal cells have been shown to interact in the gut mucosa, with these neuroimmune interactions influencing mucosal defence. "However, whether [these] neuroimmune interactions operate at an organismal level, integrating environmental cues to coordinate tissue physiology was essentially unknown," explains author Henrique veiga-Fernandes, with this question being investigated in the new study. The researchers first demonstrated that mature intestinal IlC3s express high levels of circadian clock genes and, by examining mice with altered expres sion of Arntl (a master circadian activator), intestinal IlC3s were shown to be controlled in a circadian manner. moreover, ablation of Arntl in mice resulted in disruptions to gut IlC3 homeostasis and intestinal physiology, including increased susceptibility to infection (Citrobacter rodentium), a deregulated microbiota, impaired reactivity of the intestinal epithelium and disrupted lipid metabolism (increased expression of key epithelial lipid transporters). In contrast to changes in microbiota (antibiotic treatment) and feeding regi mens (food access restricted to a 12 h interval), which had only small effects, inversion of light–dark cycles had a profound effect on the circadian oscillations of enteric IlC3s — a full inversion of the acrophase (that is, the timing of the peak of the circadian cycle). Importantly, light was confirmed I N T E S T I N E


With the industrialization's unceasing progress,puts forward a high demands on training the application-oriented personnel.Digital Electronic Technology plays an important role in the training of application-oriented person.Takes the training of application-oriented person as an example to discuss the principle,teaching method,experimental reformation,professional capacity-training etc.on the teaching of Digital Electronic Technology.


Nordicum-Mediterraneum. Icelandic E-Journal of Nordicum and Mediterranean Studies (DOI code, author's name and issue details are available on the journal's website) Managing the Risk of Offshore Oil and Gas Accidents: The International Legal Dimension is a book from the Edward Elgar's New Horizons in Environmental and Energy Law Series. It is structured around the assessment of domestic and regional legal concepts regarding safety, liability and compensation for harm, and is divided in three Parts containing topics consisting of one or several Chapters.


A covalent hydrocarbon (R4–R1), formed in chloroform or the other aprotic solvents by cation–anion co-ordination of the tricyclopropylcyclopropenylium ion (R4+) and the tris(7H-dibenzo[c,g]fluorenemethyl)methide ion (R1–), can not be isolated in the solid state, but is converted into the corresponding hydrocarbon salt (R4+R1–) at the moment of crystallization by evaporation or refrigeration of the solutions.


Thomas P. Jones A New Beginning Teacher Induction Program for Paulsboro High School 2004-2005 Dr. Robert Kern Educational Leadership The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a new and effective beginning teacher support network at Paulsboro High School using an action research approach. During the study, a total often teachers participated ranging from one to two in years of experience in teaching at Paulsboro High School. The primary data collection techniques used in the study was surveys and one-on-one interviews with all of the teachers. The survey instrument was given to all of the teachers and one-on-one interviews were conducted before school, after school, or during common planning periods. The major finding of the project was that the district needed to provide better support for all of the new teachers entering into the district. This support was found to be both formal and informal in nature through better-training of the staff prior to the start of their careers as well as more careful pairing of the new teachers with their mentor teachers leading to a more successful mentoring program. These two suggestions were proposed to the administration of the school district with the idea of increasing student achievement through better teacher performance. Acknowledgements I would like to start by offering my sincere thanks to my wife Amy and my daughter Abigail for their support, understanding, and most of all love throughout this endeavor. If not for everything that they did for me, going through the program at Rowan University would not have been possible. For this, I pledge my never-ending love and sincere thanks to the both of you. I would also like to thank the rest of my family for their love and support throughout these last five years. I will never forget all that you have done for me while I was going through this program. For everything that you have done for us, I thank you from my heart. I would next like to thank my field mentor Mr. John Giovannitti and the rest of the administration at Paulsboro High School for everything that they did for me throughout this internship experience. Your leadership and guidance have shown me what it is like to be a true leader in a school setting. I want to thank all of you for your patience and understanding in exposing me to all aspects of being a school administrator. Finally, I would like to thank my university mentor Dr. Robert Kern and the rest of the faculty in the Educational Leadership department at Rowan University. Throughout my five years going through this program, I have learned so much about being a leader in a school setting and I feel like I am now prepared to take on this difficult task. Everyone in the department has been so knowledgeable and understanding and for this, I thank all of you. Dr. Kern, special thanks for guiding me through this internship experience. Your knowledge, understanding, and support are what got me through the tough times during the past year. Thank you for being a true mentor and leader. TABLE OF CONTENTS A cknow ledgem ents ........................................... ............................. ................... iii List of Tables ............................ ........... ................. vi C hapter


Abstract Let A≔ 1 1 0 1 , B≔ 1 0 1 1 , and for n∈ N , let Φ(n) be the number of matrices C which are products of A's and B's where both A and B must occur, such that the trace tr(C)=n. It has been conjectured that Φ(n)∼ 12 π 2 n log n, n→∞. This conjecture is disproved by showing that φ(n)≔ Φ ( n ) n log n , n⩾2, has an absolutely continuous limit distribution with respect to the Lebesque measure.


Objective: The present study was aimed to develop a novel o/w self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS)with novel synthetic oils, a variety of natural oils and surfactants/co surfactants to enhance the solubility and dissolution rate of poorly water soluble drug, glibenclamide thereby to improve its relative bioavailability. The novelty in this proposed research work is the simple process of production and easy to scale up with minimum infrastructure. Methods: The design of an optimal SEDDS is performed by preformulation solubility and ternary phase-diagram studies. The prepared self emulsifying formulations were performed for in vitro evaluation studies of droplet size, polydispersity index, drug loading, zeta potential, optical clarity, turbidity, cloud point, viscosity determination, self-emulsification time assessment, in vitro drug release and in vitro diffusion studies. Results: The results showed that Peceol as oil, Labrasol as surfactant and Transcutol HP as cosurfactant prepared stable emulsions has a refractive index as same that of water clearly indicated that the microemulsions was highly transparent. The percentage drug release for optimal formulation of glibenclamide SEDDS after 30 minutes was found to be 99.7 % when compared to API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) and marketed tablet. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that in vitro drug release and in vitro diffusion study were dependent on critical parameters such as particle size and drug loading in SEDDS formulations


oss prevention and safety programs are often implemented without a quantified design. This two-phase study was designed to determine whether such a program could be quantified, then optimized through a design that minimizes the incident rate and the human resources needed to implement the program's interventions. A model was developed for this purpose. Phase 1 of this study analyzed an oil production operation. Four categories of interventions were studied 1) behavior modification, incentives and awareness; 2) training ; 3) job/procedural design; and 4) equipment. The percentage of available time spent implementing each intervention was the independent variable (known as the intervention application rate) and the incident rate was the dependent variable. Findings show a mathematical relationship between interventions and incident rates. The resulting best-fit function is an intuitively expected, exponential function showing a decreasing incident rate with an increasing intervention application rate. This model can be used to analyze the function for a minimized incident rate (Phase 2, to be published in the June 2001 issue of PS), which aids in designing an optimized loss prevention or safety program.


Abstract : Philosophy as the parent of all science is an important study that needs to be studied, the goal is that the deepest meaning in the context of thinking becomes clearer. So that inevitably philosophical studies need to be introduced in various forms. In a more explicit context that philosophy is an attempt to invite humans to be able to use the potential of extraordinary extraordinary intelligence is able to reveal all the deepest meanings of every inch of scientific analysis that has become knowledge. In this context philosophy as a field of contemplation which leads to ways to discover the nature of what is called love of wisdom can lead us to maturity of thought so that in time it will arrive at the desired essence in philosophy. Furthermore, to find out how to achieve the essence of philosophy is by trying to recognize the method of the Systematic Method: we are known as the work of philosophy or the contents of the first philosophy (essence theory or we are familiar with the term ontology). Second is (our theory of knowledge is also familiar with the term epistemology). Third is (value theory and known as axiology). Historical Method, Critical method: this method is used by Socrates and Plato. Intuitive Method: this method is used by Plotinos and Bergson. Scholastic Method: this method was used by Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas in the Middle Ages. And next is to know other characteristics such as history, and the thoughts of the characters. Keywords : Philosophy, methods, practices, thoughts of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle


This paper proposes the way forward in dealing with the unsatisfactory case law involving loss of chance in negligence, particularly medical negligence. It seeks to show that the current approach in England and in Singapore of applying traditional causation rules is arbitrary and inadequate, and fails to meet a deserving loss of chance claim. The authors seek to examine whether loss of chance is better understood as a theory of injury instead of a theory of causation. Inspecting major common law jurisdictions and the key controversies in reconciling the case law, it will be advanced that the best method (in terms of justice and doctrinal fit) for the development in tort jurisprudence lies in recognising and valuing lost chances as a new category of damage. A lost chance should be recognised if it fulfils a twofold precondition, namely that: (i) there was a significant chance about the outcome at the time of the alleged negligence; and (ii) the injury which affected the claimant's prospects lay in the future at the time of the alleged negligence. Once this is met, damages may be awarded accordingly in proportion to the chance lost based on a weighted mean.


The emergence of new paradigms in information technology environments has lead to a dramatic growth in the amount of available web services. This raises many challenges in service computing and specifically in service composition problems. When there are multiple web services that offer the same functionalities, we need to select the best one according to its non-functional criteria (e.g. response time, price, reliability). However, proceeding in an exhaustive search is very time consuming and cannot be adopted in large scale systems. Skyline is a technique that helps reducing the size of our search space and comes as a complementary approach to the optimization methods. In fact, Skyline consists in preselecting the best candidates in the search space according to their non-functional criteria based on dominance relationships. This paper deals with some of the issues of the Skyline computation. In fact, used dominance relationships may suffer from looseness and data sparsity. Hence, the size of the Skyline may still be too large and cannot optimize service composition. We propose a new approach to overcome those problems by refining the Skyline with fuzzy techniques inspired by the Topsis method. Experimental evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed concept and the efficiency of our implementation.


Rosie Batty, 2015 Australian of the Year, whose life was laid bare after the murder of her son, Luke, could well have been the inspiration for the title of this book of ten essays. Her story would fit well with Marina Lambrou's Narratives of Trauma Relived, an essay about survivors of terrorist attacks – those sudden and unpredictable acts of one group – or, in Rosie's case, an individual – that forever change the lives of others. However, this collection of essays is not focused solely on life stories as the title may suggest. Separated into four main areas of inquiry, the essays seek to analyse strategies used to create a life story, acknowledging that differences in narrative approach which previously separated traditional forms of media are now blurred. The essayists – academics, researchers and practitioners in their respective fields – argue variously about celebrity, fame, privacy, reality, the role of audience and how narrative, linguistic and media theories inform what is happening on pages and screens all over the world. For example, celebrity can now be created through blogging or appearance on reality television shows, just as easily as it was once created through appearing in movies or having one's songs played on radio. Our selves and those of others can easily be constructed and curated in online environments, disrupting the concept of 'private' vs 'public' life. The substance of what is 'real' loses solidity as multiple versions of the same story are presented across several platforms. Developing character in narrative has traditionally been a central work of fiction. Several essayists claim that what we are now seeing is audiences bringing the same expectation to their consumption of real-life narratives. Finding transformative narratives about real people as compelling as those presented in fiction, audiences are gripped by whether the character is presented as 'authentic' and 'true', and will make judgements accordingly. It then becomes easy to ignore the ever-present ideological and political implications that ordinary people experience when their stories are told in public forums. In her essay, 'Fans Behaving Badly?', Thomas invites readers to examine 'real person fiction' – fiction created by fans and others about actors, singers and artists. She cites such examples as Colin Firth being Mr Darcy, Daniel Radcliffe being Harry Potter, and the fictionalisation of others such as tennis champions Federer and Nadal into a fictional character named Fedal. Round and Thomas – both Senior Lecturers in the Media School at Bournemouth University – have complied a well-timed collection that examines how new lifetelling is occurring across many platforms. Academics and students will find a lot to like. – Janice Simpson, Media and Communication, RMIT University


Near isothermal forging with different deformations and the same heat treatment of the electron beam welded joints for Ti2AlNb/Ti60 dual alloys were performed. The microstructures of joints of specimens were examined by OM and tensile tests at room temperature and high temperature were conducted. The results show the following: with the deformations increasing from 20% to 40%, the microstructure in the as-welded fusion zone turns finer and uniform. When deformation increases to 60%, the weld fusion zone produces recrystallization and grain grows. The spheroidization trend of α phase in the Ti60 matrix metal is evident with the increase of deformation. There are tensile specimens fracturing at the as-welded fusion zone under 20% or 60% deformation. With the increase of deformation, the tensile strength of the welded specimens decreases at first and then increases. Plasticity of specimens broken in the Ti60 alloy matrix has increasing trend, in which reduction percetage of area increases significantly.


Background: Recent ASA guidelines for the management of aneurysmal SAH (aSAH) patients recommend that low-volume hospitals ( 35 aSAH cases/year) hospitals. Using an administrative database, we sought to determine the hospital-level rates of interventional treatment for aSAH patients compared to annual aSAH patient volume in the United States from 2006 to 2010. Methods: This analysis utilized the Premier database, a representative sampling of US hospitals that includes ~15% of hospital discharges. The study period was fiscal years 2006-2010. Cases were defined by primary discharge diagnosis of aSAH (ICD 9 code 430) in patients aged ≥18years. The rates of aneurysmal clipping and coiling were determined by querying the procedure codes 39.51, 39.72, 39.75 and 39.76. The mean annual aSAH volume over the five years by hospital was classified as low ( 35). The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to test for median differences between groups and chi-square tests for differences in proportion. Results: The proportion of aSAH patients hospitalized at low, medium and high volume hospitals during the study period was 20%, 32% and 48%, respectively. Of all 14,065 cases, 2366 (17%) received clipping and 3070 (22%) received coiling. See table for hospital-level rates of intervention stratified by annual aSAH volume. Conclusion: While many aSAH patients in the United States were hospitalized at high volume hospitals from 2006 to 2010, 34% of clipping and coiling procedures were performed by low- or medium-volume hospitals. Given reports of improved outcomes at higher volume hospitals, efforts should be aimed at transferring aSAH patients from low volume to higher volume hospitals for clipping and coiling procedures.


The purpose of the research is to investigate the effect of anchor bolt clearance discrepancies on the stress distribution within the anchor bolt group due to extreme and fatigue wind loading events.  Anchor bolt clearance is defined as the length between the bottom of the base plate to the top of the concrete foundation surface.  Clearance discrepancies caused by topographical limitations and leveling procedures performed at the construction site. ABSTRACT


The diagnostic approach to anaemia is based on a battery of tests that define the nature of the abnormality in erythron function (Hillman & Finch, 1985). In particular, the initial separation of anaemia into one of three major categories (hypoproliferative, maturation defect, or haemolytic anaemia) requires measurements of red cell production and destruction (Cazzola & Finch, 1987). Some of these measurements, however, involve laboratory methods that are unreliable or cumbersome in a clinical setting, so that classification of anaemia is not infrequently inaccurate. In the last years, new tools have been developed for clinical evaluation of erythron function in man. The basic components of erythropoiesis are erythroid progenitors, their stimulation by erythropoietin, and adequate supply of iron from which to make haemoglobin (Finch, 1982). Endogenous erythropoietin production can be blunted in several anaemic conditions, and determining serum erythropoietin levels has provided clinicians with a convenient means of assessing this mechanism of anaemia. On the other hand, serum erythropoietin has proved to be of value also in the differential diagnosis of erythrocytosis. Iron delivery to erythroblasts is mediated by the interaction of plasma transferrin with surface transferrin receptors (Huebers & Finch, 19 87). One of the most valuable advances in the clinical assessment of erythropoiesis has been the detection of soluble transferrin receptors in human plasma. This has proved to have important clinical implications, since the soluble receptor level has been shown to be closely related to the number of red cell precursors in the bone marrow and to provide a reliable quantitative assay of the rate of erythropoiesis. This annotation discusses the clinical significance of serum erythropoietin and circulating transferrin receptor.


The Wellness Tourism of Traditional Chinese Medicine has a good prospects for it goes in accordance with people's life concept of "nature respecting and green consumption". Bozhou, a city of cultural and historical interest, as one of the four famous cities of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has Chinese herbal medicine widely planted, besides, Bozhou has a long history of Tra ditional Chinese Medicine, which contributes to the prosperous development of the Wellness Tourism of Traditional Chine se Medicine. The article analyzes the problems on developing the Wellness Tourism of Traditional Chinese Medicine, puts forward the focus of t he work to develop the Wellness Tourism of Traditional Chinese Medicine and proposes the development policies from four aspects: Firstly, government leading, joint development and scientific planning. Secondly, innovate marketing methods, and strive to expand customers. Thirdly, enrich the forms and contents of tourism and improve the product system of tourism. Fourth ly, cultivate compound talents , improve the quality of tourism services.


Service innovation is one means of gaining an advantage in a highly competitive environment. In addition, service delivery has played a key role in interactions with customers in recent years. Yet, research on the link between innovation and service delivery is scant. This article theoretically and empirically examines innovation in service delivery and its antecedents and consequences. The authors identify innovation orientation, external partner collaboration, and information technology capability as the antecedents of service delivery innovation and analyze the impact of service delivery innovation on firm performance. Respondents were managers in the marketing and information technology departments of financial firms in Taiwan. Overall, 298 responses were received (including 123 paired responses from both department managers). Findings indicated that service delivery innovation contributes to firm performance. These results support the crucial influences of innovation orientation and information technology capability on service delivery innovation.


Case formulation is a, … hypothesis about the causes, precipitants, and maintaining influences of a person's psychological, interpersonal, and behavioural problems. A case formulation helps organize often complex and contradictory information about a person. It should serve as a blueprint guiding treatment, as a marker for change, as a structure for enabling the therapist to understand the patient better. A case formulation should also help the therapist anticipate therapy-interfering behaviours and experience greater empathy for the patient … broadly, a psychotherapy case formulation also includes descriptive information on which the hypothesis is based and prescriptive recommendations that flow from the hypothesis (Eells, 1997a; p. 2; italics in original). The above quote by Eells highlights that a case formulation links the client and his or her problems with the treatment. It captures both the strengths and the weaknesses of the client, thereby placing the problem and the potential resolution in the context of the whole person. To use a metaphor, if the treatment is the locomotive and the client's problems are the carriages, then the case formulation is the coupling that holds the two together. Without the coupling, a treatment might chug along nicely but it will fail to bring about any movement in the problems. Clients present to a professional psychologist with a large quantity of information. There is information specific to the presenting problem, but there is also historical, familial, demographic, cultural, medical, educational and social information.