SUMMARY (1) As a major determinant of larval winter moth population levels is known to be the degree of synchrony between larval eclosion and the bud burst of the primary host-plant, the oak, it is argued that two hitherto unstudied factors have a considerable effect on the insects' population dynamics. These are: (a) the events occurring immediately after eclosion and the effect of the period of food deprivation which occurs should no food be available locally; (b) the degree to which larvae can utilize food-plant species other than the primary host. (2) Experimental evidence is presented which shows that first instar larvae can discriminate between host-plant species, and that this is unaffected by the degree of food deprivation relevant to field conditions. Also, it is shown that early deprivation has little if any adverse affects on the subsequent growth and development of larvae, and that it may confer mild advantages. (3) A comparison is made of the development of larvae reared on primary and alternative hosts before, during and after the period of peak level eclosion and oak bud burst in the field. Four of the five alternative food-plant species tested are found to support satisfactory larval growth. Further, it is only during the period of maximum oak bud burst that an oak diet results in a considerably greater reproductive success than that supported by a diet of alternative hosts. (4) It is argued that the polyphagy of winter moth larvae is a mechanism which promotes synchrony of larval eclosion with the primary host plant. It is also associated with several unusual features of winter moth biology; in particular the larval, as opposed to adult host selection and dispersal, as well as increased adult fecundity. SUMMARY (1) As a major determinant of larval winter moth population levels is known to be the degree of synchrony between larval eclosion and the bud burst of the primary host-plant, the oak, it is argued that two hitherto unstudied factors have a considerable effect on the insects' population dynamics. These are: (a) the events occurring immediately after eclosion and the effect of the period of food deprivation which occurs should no food be available locally; (b) the degree to which larvae can utilize food-plant species other than the primary host. (2) Experimental evidence is presented which shows that first instar larvae can discriminate between host-plant species, and that this is unaffected by the degree of food deprivation relevant to field conditions. Also, it is shown that early deprivation has little if any adverse affects on the subsequent growth and development of larvae, and that it may confer mild advantages. (3) A comparison is made of the development of larvae reared on primary and alternative hosts before, during and after the period of peak level eclosion and oak bud burst in the field. Four of the five alternative food-plant species tested are found to support satisfactory larval growth. Further, it is only during the period of maximum oak bud burst that an oak diet results in a considerably greater reproductive success than that supported by a diet of alternative hosts. (4) It is argued that the polyphagy of winter moth larvae is a mechanism which promotes synchrony of larval eclosion with the primary host plant. It is also associated with several unusual features of winter moth biology; in particular the larval, as opposed to adult host selection and dispersal, as well as increased adult fecundity. SUMMARY (1) As a major determinant of larval winter moth population levels is known to be the degree of synchrony between larval eclosion and the bud burst of the primary host-plant, the oak, it is argued that two hitherto unstudied factors have a considerable effect on the insects' population dynamics. These are: (a) the events occurring immediately after eclosion and the effect of the period of food deprivation which occurs should no food be available locally; (b) the degree to which larvae can utilize food-plant species other than the primary host. (2) Experimental evidence is presented which shows that first instar larvae can discriminate between host-plant species, and that this is unaffected by the degree of food deprivation relevant to field conditions. Also, it is shown that early deprivation has little if any adverse affects on the subsequent growth and development of larvae, and that it may confer mild advantages. (3) A comparison is made of the development of larvae reared on primary and alternative hosts before, during and after the period of peak level eclosion and oak bud burst in the field. Four of the five alternative food-plant species tested are found to support satisfactory larval growth. Further, it is only during the period of maximum oak bud burst that an oak diet results in a considerably greater reproductive success than that supported by a diet of alternative hosts. (4) It is argued that the polyphagy of winter moth larvae is a mechanism which promotes synchrony of larval eclosion with the primary host plant. It is also associated with several unusual features of winter moth biology; in particular the larval, as opposed to adult host selection and dispersal, as well as increased adult fecundity. SUMMARY (1) As a major determinant of larval winter moth population levels is known to be the degree of synchrony between larval eclosion and the bud burst of the primary host-plant, the oak, it is argued that two hitherto unstudied factors have a considerable effect on the insects' population dynamics. These are: (a) the events occurring immediately after eclosion and the effect of the period of food deprivation which occurs should no food be available locally; (b) the degree to which larvae can utilize food-plant species other than the primary host. (2) Experimental evidence is presented which shows that first instar larvae can discriminate between host-plant species, and that this is unaffected by the degree of food deprivation relevant to field conditions. Also, it is shown that early deprivation has little if any adverse affects on the subsequent growth and development of larvae, and that it may confer mild advantages. (3) A comparison is made of the development of larvae reared on primary and alternative hosts before, during and after the period of peak level eclosion and oak bud burst in the field. Four of the five alternative food-plant species tested are found to support satisfactory larval growth. Further, it is only during the period of maximum oak bud burst that an oak diet results in a considerably greater reproductive success than that supported by a diet of alternative hosts. (4) It is argued that the polyphagy of winter moth larvae is a mechanism which promotes synchrony of larval eclosion with the primary host plant. It is also associated with several unusual features of winter moth biology; in particular the larval, as opposed to adult host selection and dispersal, as well as increased adult fecundity.


Due to the long transmission line and low level of load, the resonance is of severity in the infirm-interconnected grid with power electronic components. This paper uses modal analysis method to analyze the resonance risk of infirm-interconnected grid considering photovoltaic power generation devices (PV). Firstly, the harmonic model of PV, as well as the transmission line, transformer, is established. Meanwhile, in order to reduce the complexity of eigenvalue computation, the harmonic modal impedance of main grid is transformed to that of PCC node connecting the infirm interconnected grid by Gauss elimination. Then a practical infirm interconnected grid in western China is used as the case study and modal analysis is utilized to study the resonance risk. The result indicates that the L-C-L filter of PV would be the main factors affecting the resonance point.


Current climate change is affecting forests and requires a specific forest management strategy. The review aims to analyze the impact of observed and projected climate change on the tree species adaptation response with regard to their intraspecific differentiation to determine the potential for further research and develop forest management adjustments in the Russian European North. The article shows that long-term responses in forest ecosystems are related not only to thermal shifts, but also to changes in moisture regime, insolation, distribution of pathogens, etc. Changes in forest ecosystems may involve physiological and genetic mutations in all species and be extended over several generations. Species must undergo evolutionary adaptation due to genetic mutations. With steady warming and changes in air and soil moisture regimes, forest productivity may increase due to a change in the growing season length, increasing photosynthetic activity. On the other hand, productivity is likely to decrease as a result of reduced precipitation and drought. Climatic changes over the vast territory of Russia will occur gradually, and their level will be different in geographically diverse regions. The forest-forming tree species will exhibit various short-term responses associated with the geographical location of the population and the climatic conditions under which the plants evolved during the stable climatic period following their dispersal in the Holocene. At the same time, inherited growth and development parameters will respond to changing climatic conditions, which will be determined by the geographical location of the forest species and their population characteristics. The differential response of tree species needs to be considered when planning forest management measures, adapting them to possible climatic changes.


ABSTRACT Socioeconomic status and social class are measured with a wide and complex range of indicators with little attention paid to the impact these choices may have on empirical findings. This research tests whether different socioeconomic indicators consistently predict motivational differences in the same sample. Two studies were conducted in the United Kingdom. The first study (N = 430) examined the relationship between income, employment, education and personal values. The study found inconsistent relationships between different socioeconomic indicators and value preferences. A similar pattern of inconsistent relationships between socioeconomic status indicators and measures of self-mastery, and personal values, was found in the second study (N = 959). The only universal finding across all socioeconomic indicators in both studies was the null relationship with self-transcendence value preferences. These results indicate that we need to be more cautious in framing socioeconomic status as a construct and more rigorous in assessing differences observed across social classes.


The present work was carried out with the purpose to evaluate the nutritional quality of duckweed (Lemna obscura) meal as ingredient in the food elaboration for red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). Three diets were prepared with inclusion levels of 15% (diet A), 25% (diet B) and 35% (diet C) and a control diet free of Lemna meal. The diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous with 30% of protein. Furthermore, commercial diet (diet D) with 40% protein was used to compare with experimental diets. The fingerlings were fed during 10 weeks consecutive and fourteen days, were evaluated the most important parameters as weight gain, consumed food, feed convertion ratio (FCR) and the protein efficiency ratio (PER). The statistical comparison revealed that there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in the values of final results of convertion among diets control, A, B, C and D. In relation to weight average final there were significant differences (P 0.05). This study showed that diet with inclusion level 25% resulted to be more efficient in how much to the evaluated parameters that the diet control. The excesses of Lemna grown in the Maracaibo lake or cultivated can be used as meal in the diets for red tilapia and represents one alternative to reduce the feeding costs, as long as it used in combination with other ingredients of high protein content.


The invention relates to a method for detecting whether a parked motor vehicle (10) has been hit or moved. In the method, at least one sensor signal (P, B, A, V, G) is received by a sensor device (20, 34, 36, 40, 44, 48) of the motor vehicle (10) by means of a control device (32) of the motor vehicle (10), said sensor signal being dependent on a relative position of the motor vehicle (10) to at least one vehicle external reference object (18, 24, 26, 50, 52). The at least one sensor signal (P, B, A, V, G) is compared with at least one predetermined signal pattern and/or with at least one predetermined interval of values and/or with at least one predetermined signal template. In the case of a difference which is determined as a result of the comparison, at least one control command (S) is emitted to at least one device of the motor vehicle (10) for initiating a protective measure.


Abstract : One hallmark of ovarian cancer is the presence of large amount of floating cells in ascites. However, it is unknown how ovarian cancer cells can survive in absence of adhesion. Our early studies showed that ovarian cancer cells express vitronectin and alphavbeta3 integrin on cell surface, and the interaction between them is essential for ovarian cancer cell survival in suspension. In present study, we found that engaging alphavbeta3 with vitronectin induced NF-kB activation; Super electrophoresis mobility shift assay with antibodies against individual member of NF-kB family showed that p5O and p65 were in the DNA-protein complex. To determine the importance of NF-kB activity in ovarian cancer cell survival, we blocked NF-KB activity by either expressing dominant negative form of IkB or using NF-kB inhibitors D6O9 or SN5O. In a 2-day growth period, the inhibition of NP- KB activity resulted in over 80% of cell death in ovarian cancer cells cultured in suspension, but did not significantly affect the survival of ovarian cancer cells cultured in adhesion. These results strongly suggest that vitronectin/ alphavbeta3 interaction-mediated NF-KB activity is essential for ovarian cancer cell survival in absence of adhesion, and may explain why ovarian cancer cells can survive in suspension.


The ever-increasing data rate and number of connections for mobile communication offer exciting user experiences in our everyday lives. Currently, the wireless communication frontier is shifting from the current fourth generation (4G) to the forthcoming fifth generation (5G). We expect much of society to go through a revolutionary change with the advent of the 5G era-a change that will involve not only the telecommunication industry but also a wide range of vertical sectors, including automobiles, robotics, health care, factory automation, agriculture, and education.


In this paper, a fault prediction method for oil well equipment based on the analysis of time series data obtained from multiple sensors is proposed. The proposed method is based on deep learning (DL). For this purpose, comparative analysis of single-layer long short-term memory (LSTM) with the convolutional neural network (CNN) and stacked LSTM methods is provided. To demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method, some experiments are conducted on the real data set obtained from eight sensors installed in oil wells. In this paper, compared to the single-layer LSTM model, the CNN and stacked LSTM predicted the faulty time series with a minimal loss.


The synthesis, characterization, and luminescence properties of (Bu4N)2[Mo6I8(NCS)6] are reported. Orange crystals of (Bu4N)2[Mo6I8(NCS)6] were crystallized from acetone solution and used for X-ray single-crystal structure determination and refinement, yielding a structure with a centrosymmetric [Mo6I8(NCS)6]2– ion. Photoluminescence studies on the crystalline solid revealed a broad excitation in the UV/Vis region and an emission around 690 nm. The red emission intensity decreases with increasing partial pressure of atmospheric molecular O2.


The aim of this study was to explore the high value-added utilization way of wasting paper. The waste corrugated carton, waste office paper and waste packaging cardboard were used as materials to make nano-cellulose with the sulfuric acid method. The H2O2-oxidized starch adhesives were prepared and modified by adding different amounts of nano-cellulose. The effects of material type and addition amount of nano-cellulose on the adhesive properties of oxidized starch were studied. The addition of nano-cellulose improved the properties of the oxidized starch adhesive. The best performance of the oxidized starch adhesives was obtained when the nano-cellulose content was 1%. Under the above condition, the viscosity, the drying speed and the bonding strength all reached their maximum values. The viscosity of the oxidized starch adhesive was 0.217 Pa·s, the water loss rate at 4 h was 43.43% and the maximum bonding strength was1.243 MPa. Compared with the oxidized starch adhesives without nano-cellulose addition, these properties were improved by 5.8%, 6.78% and 17.26%, respectively. In conclusion, the effects of nano-cellulose prepared with different materials on the properties of the oxidized starch adhesives were obtained, and a method was found for the recycling of waste packaging paper.


We report on spatially and spectrally-resolved linear optical properties induced by Direct Laser Writing in a prepared silver-doped phosphate glass, opening interesting possibilities for elementary photonics bricks. The formation mechanism of optical structures is proposed.


The effect of different drying methods on the water soluble total phenolics, flavonoids contents and antioxidant activities in sunchoke ( Helianthus tuberosus L.) powder were investigated. Three different drying methods were shade (49 h), sun (49 h) and oven at 60 °C (12 h). The Helianthus tuberosus L. powder (2 g) was extracted by water as extracting solvent with control 80 °C for 45 min. Total phenolics contents, total flavonoids contents and antioxidant capacity were measured using DPPH free radical scavenging activity, total antioxidant capacity, ABTS free radical scavenging activity, reducing power and ferrous ion chelating effect. Total phenolics contents (1.463 ± 0.005 mg GAE g –1 powder), total flavonoids contents (0.341 ± 0.003 mg QE g –1 powder), DPPH free radical scavenging activities (0.488 ± 0.006 mg AAE g –1 powder), total antioxidant capacities (68.073 ± 0.521 mg AAE g –1 powder) and ABTS free radical scavenging activities (1.473 ± 0.066 mg AAE g –1 powder) in the shade dried Helianthus tuberosus L. powder were higher than the sun and oven dried powder. Reducing power (OD 0.221 ± 0.003) and ferrous ion chelating effect (82.852 ± 0.727%) in the oven dried Helianthus tuberosus L. powder were higher than sun and shade dried powder.


An adult male snake was found dead with multiple injuries just behind the neck region in the College of Veterinary Science, Tirupati premises. The axial skeleton of the snake was studied by Alizarin red Stain method. The entire skeleton was divided into pre-caudal and post-caudal regions. Total number of vertebrae was 326 and showed 182 pairs of ribs. The hyoid bone was resembled as "Y" or fork like structure. Total 204 tracheal rings and anisodont dentition was observed. The upper jaw showed four rows of teeth and whereas lower jaw consisted of two rows of teeth. The well developed quadrate bones were observed at posterior-lateral part of the skull. Photograph showing needle shaped, recurved mandibular teeth and gradually decrease of teeth towards the posterior end.


YAML is a widely used serialisation language for data interchange and application configuration. Since its introduction, remote code execution vulnerabilities have been reported for YAML parsers, and countermeasures have been proposed. Even though denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerabilities affecting parsers for formats such as XML have been extensively studied, a similar investigation for YAML libraries is lacking. In this paper, we systematically study DoS vulnerabilities for 14 libraries for ten popular programming languages and as a result, we have discovered seven previously unknown vulnerabilities, which have been reported and are pending CVE identifiers.


A class of n-ary Poisson structures of constant rank is indicated. Then, one proves that the ternary Poisson brackets are exactly those which are defined by a decomposable 3-vector field. The key point is the proof of a lemma which tells that an n-vector $(n\geq3)$ is decomposable iff all its contractions with up to n-2 covectors are decomposable.


Mining activities are a leading cause of heavy metal contamination of soils and food plants leading to health risk fears. The concentration of heavy metals in soils, Bidens pilosa and Fadogia ancylantha in the vicinity of Bindura town were investigated. Results show that heavy metal concentration of soils and plants found around Bindura town was higher than that of the control area where there were no mining activities suggesting heavy metal contamination. The higher values of heavy metals may place consumers of these plants at health risk with time via bioaccumulation. It is suggested therefore that measures should be taken to lower plant and soil heavy metal accumulation.


The present study was conducted to explore the coloring potential of Casuarina equisetifolia L. leaves and to improve color strength of dye using different mordants. Analysis of experiment revealed that at 90 oC and 90 min could reach optimal extraction. The extracted dye was applied to the dyeing of silk fabrics using different methods, with and without mordants. It was found that mordants had a significant effect on the color of dyed silk fabrics. Color shades of tan, beige, sandy and straw were obtained. Significant differences in color strength and CIE lab coordinates were observed, depending on mordant type and mordanting method. The performance of dyeing process was evaluated by measuring the colour yield (K/S). All the dyed silk fabrics demonstrated good color fastness to washing, good fastness to rubbing and acceptable color fastness to light. The dyed samples are also tested for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and found to possess antimicrobial activity. In general, the abundantly available agricultural byproduct C. equisetifolia was found to have great potential to be utilized as a natural textile dye material.


Vilsmeier reactions of $RR_1C:CHCR_2:CHCO_2H$ $[I, R=R_2=H, R_1=Me,Et; RR_1=(CH_2)_5]$ give 15-42% isophthalaldehyde derivatives with poor selectivity. I $(R-R_2=Me)$, however, gives 45% 3,5-xylenol and 6% $2,4,6-Me_2(HO)C_6H_2CHO$.


ABSTRACT In this paper, a new approach for improving the traffic performance of regional road networks during the recovery period following a disaster life cycle is presented. Regional road networks are often uncongested and have sparse and long-spanning link densities. Consequently, they are more impacted by natural disasters and thereby by potential road closures that may be imposed afterwards. Information about road closures after disruptive events can be transmitted through roadside information dissemination methods such as variable message signs, Cooperative-Intelligent Transport Systems or highway advisory radio. This paper proposes an optimisation model to find optimal location of roadside guidance devices across a regional road network for improving total travel time (TTT) within the network. To achieve this, firstly, a network design model is formulated using a bi-level framework and implemented to find the optimal locations of roadside guidance devices that lead to reducing the TTT of a disrupted network. Secondly, two methods for solving the formulated problem are presented, an exact solution method called SO-relaxation that cuts the solution space using system optimum traffic assignment. The other method is a hybrid-GA that is a heuristic solution method. Results show that locating guidance devices optimally in a disrupted network leads to a more resilient road network in which the post-disaster TTT of the network during recovery phase is less than when no action is taken. It is also shown that the improvement achieved by roadside guidance is a function of available resources and the road users willingness to obey the guidance provided.


ABSTRACT Crystallisation is the name given to the conversion of a floating charge into a fixed charge. While much has been written on how charges are classified as fixed or floating and on the theoretical nature of the floating charge, crystallisation is, by comparison, less developed. This article offers three main contributions. First, it draws a clear distinction between two types of crystallisation: automatic and express. Second, it applies the theoretical literature on floating charges to crystallisation and examines the different meanings crystallisation takes under these theoretical frameworks. Finally, it makes an original argument on the effectiveness of express crystallisation clauses. The claim is that because a crystallised floating charge establishes the same proprietary interest as a fixed charge ab initio, the legal criteria necessary to create a fixed charge should also be necessary for the triggering of an express crystallisation clause to be effective in crystallising a charge.


The thermal hysteresis of Ohmic resistance was investigated in the pure and K- and W-substituted Tl blue bronze samples in the temperature range of 30-180 K. The results show that the hysteresis begins at the charge-density-wave (CDW) phase transition temperature T-p, and exists in a wide temperature range. The hysteresis quantified by Delta R(s)/R(m), the normalized resistance difference between the two saturation curves, increases with decreasing temperature. The behavior of the transit curve is characterized by its average d(2)[R/R(T-rev)]/dT(2), which increases with a decrease of the reversing temperature T-rev. For the effects of substitutional doping, d(2)[R/R(T-rev)]/dT(2) of the transit curve increases with impurity monotonically while the hysteresis quantity Delta R(s)/R(m) is enhanced by low-level weak pinning doping and reduced by heavily weak pinning doping or a strong pinning impurity. The present results support that the hysteresis quantity is controlled by pinning and CDW domain size, while d(2)[R/R(T-rev)]/dT(2) of the transit curve is determined only by pinning.


Afluorescence titration assaywas usedtodetect the effects ofvarious modifications ofE.coli elongation factor Tuontheformation oftheternary complex with aminoacyl-tRNAs. Thetreatment ofEF-TuGDPwith TPCK,an analogue ofthe3'terminus ofaminoacyltRNA,was foundto haveno influence on the conversion ofEF-Tu -GDPto'active' EF-Tu*GTP,but doesdecrease theaffinity oftheactivated protein for yeastaminoacyl-tRNA bymore thanthreeorders of magnitude. Modification oftheelongation factor by limited cleavage withtrypsin, leading totheexcission ofaminoacidresidues 45-58,hasonlya minor influence on ternarycomplexformation. The equilibrium dissociation constantoftheternary complex withthis trypsin-treated EF-Tu -GTPandE.coli Phe-tRNAPhe isonlyone orderofmagnitude higher thanthatoftheternary complexwithnative EF-Tu. Mutations intheaminoacidresidues 222and375of EF-Tualsohavelittle effect on ternary complex formation. ComparedwithTPCK-treated EF-Tu, the affinities ofthetwomutantspecies, designated EFtuARandEF-TuBo respectively, for[AEDANS-s2C]TyrtRNATYr areonlyslightly reducedandinthesame rangeastrypsin-cleaved EF-Tu.


Small cell carcinoma of the prostate has a poor prognosis even with standard systemic chemotherapy. We report a case, in which combination therapy with radiation and hyperthermia‐induced clinical complete response.


We study the problem of scheduling precedence-constrained jobs on heterogenous machines in the presence of non-uniform job and machine communication delays. We are given as input $n$ unit size precedence-ordered jobs and $m$ related machines such that machine $i$ can execute up to $m_i$ jobs at a time. Each machine $i$ has an in-delay $\rho^{\mathrm{in}}_i$ and out-delay $\rho^{\mathrm{out}}_i$. Likewise, each job $v$ has an in-delay $\rho^{\mathrm{in}}_v$ and out-delay $\rho^{\mathrm{out}}_v$. In a schedule, job $v$ may be executed on machine $i$ at time $t$ if each predecessor $u$ of $v$ is completed on $i$ before time $t$ or on any machine $j$ before time $t - (\rho^{\mathrm{in}}_i + \rho^{\mathrm{out}}_j + \rho^{\mathrm{out}}_u + \rho^{\mathrm{in}}_v)$. The goal is to construct a schedule that minimizes makespan. We consider schedules that allow duplication of jobs as well as schedules which do not. When duplication is allowed, we provide an asymptotic $\mathrm{polylog}(n)$-approximation algorithms both when duplication is allowed and when it is not. We also obtain a true $\mathrm{polylog}(n)$-approximation for symmetric machine and job delays. These are the first polylogarithmic approximation algorithms for scheduling with non-uniform communication delays. We also consider a more general model, where the delay can be an arbitrary function of the job and the machine executing it: job $v$ can be executed on machine $i$ at time $t$ if all of $v$'s predecessors are executed on $i$ by time $t-1$ or on any machine by time $t - \rho_{v,i}$. We present an approximation-preserving reduction from the Unique Machines Precedence-constrained Scheduling (UMPS) problem, first defined in [DKRSTZ22], to this job-machine delay model. The reduction entails logarithmic hardness for this delay setting, as well as polynomial hardness if the conjectured hardness of UMPS holds.


The issue of homelessness and its devastating impact on young people is discussed. The issue is examined with reference to the story of a young woman named Jessica and the circumstances that forced her to live in refuge homes or on the streets, dropping out of school and even spending time in prison.


This article reviews the nature of a workflow system from a systems integration perspective, focusing on points of interaction between the workflow control software and other system components, such as process design tools, legacy applications and messaging infrastructure. The characteristics of the underlying business model and its representation to the workflow system are also discussed, including requirements for business processes to span organisational boundaries. The complexity of systems integration is identified as a major constraint on effective exploitation and indicative of the need for standards to support more effective product usage and interoperability. The article draws on the Author's experience in developing workflow related standards and concludes with an assessment of their potential impact, particularly on opportunities for their use in electronic commerce.


The food we eat affects our health. This premise is at the very core of nutrition science and dietetic practice. To advance science and practice in nutrition and dietetics, it is imperative to explore and understand what people eat. Finding out what people eat is fundamental to the everyday practice of dietitians and nutritionists. However, as scientists, it is important to understand the assumptions and methods that underlie practice. This issue of Nutrition and Dietetics, a journal with the stated aim "to advance the science of human nutrition and the professional practice of nutrition and dietetics" provides us with the opportunity to reflect on current dietary assessment methods and consider how technical advances in those techniques can inform our research and practice. The ability to provide people with relevant dietary advice requires a firm evidence base. Evidence is provided by the science of nutritional epidemiology, which is based on the premise stated in the first sentence – that dietary intake influences health outcomes, either through prevention or causation. There are still much that is unknown about the diet-related aetiology of disease and how to effectively treat or prevent disease through dietary intervention. Applying the principles of nutritional epidemiology in observational and experimental study designs and population-based surveys provides the methods to examine these questions. It is therefore important to examine the method of dietary intake assessment from a nutritional epidemiological perspective to consider the validity of conclusions made about the diet-related risk of chronic disease and the effectiveness of dietary interventions. In observational studies, diet is typically measured as an exposure or an intermediate outcome for long-term health outcomes. While the measurement of population exposures such as radiation, tobacco or even alcohol has its challenges, the measurement of dietary intake is even more complex. Diet cannot be measured as a single exposure, nutrients interact and dietary intake varies over time. Yet the ability to make valid conclusions about disease aetiology or the effectiveness of an intervention relies on dietary intake assessment being valid and reliable. A systematic review of all randomised control trial evidence for the effectiveness of a dietitian counselling intervention (outside of the hospital environment) published up to October 2016 found that only 12 of the 26 included studies even attempted to measure the change in diet because of the dietetic intervention. The current evidence base and reporting clarity for dietary interventions thus requires strengthening. Technological advances have facilitated large scale dietary assessment but we need to ensure that the principles of nutritional epidemiology are still followed. To enhance the validity of diet as a measure, strategies to reduce random and systematic error occurring at each of the three stages of dietary assessment need to be considered. The first stage is the measurement or estimation of dietary intake by individuals. This is usually conducted by diet history, 24-hour recall, 24-hour record, food records, or by food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), all techniques with their own uses and limitations in terms of measuring usual intake. Where possible, methods should be validated on appropriate populations through the use of biomarkers and other techniques. Stage two of dietary assessment is the analysis of the nutritional composition of the estimated or measured dietary intake. The ability to calculate nutrients consumed relies on food composition databases and computerised software programs to access these databases. While computers can provide results to several decimal places, we need to remember that the data in these databases originated in laboratory analyses of whole foods or their ingredients, with inherent limitations. The final stage of dietary assessment is the comparison of nutrient intakes to established population-based standards such as nutrient reference values or food selection guides. Nutrition and dietetic professionals need to appreciate the sources of error in all phases of the dietary assessment process, which need to be clearly acknowledged in drawing conclusions from scientific studies. Given that nutritional epidemiology has been criticised for the lack of precision of its measures, methodological advances that improve the accuracy of dietary


Confounding is a major issue in observational studies, and it is a bias that needs to be corrected, controlled or adjusted for whatever your research question is. In this lecture we will review the definition of confounding and ways to tackle it. We will discuss two specific biases related to confounding in drug studies: confounding by indication and channelling bias. In addition, we will explain how to handle confounding in the different phases of research: 1) design phase, with an overview, among other issues, of what causal diagrams (directed acyclic graphs, DAG) are; 2) data collection and mining; 3) and finally analysis and reporting. In this latter part, we will explain how confounding is explored in datasets and the difference between confounding and modification. We will end with an overview of propensity scores, as a ways to tackle confusion in an efficient way, and a list of recommendations. Disclosure of Interest None declared


This paper presents a comparative investigation, design and development issues about six different single-stage topologies, applied as electronic ballasts, for electrodeless fluorescent lamps. The ballast is intended to feed a 100 W lamp at 250 kHz, with dimming feature. The proposed topologies use different converters for the power factor correction (PFC) stage: Buck-Boost, SEPIC, Zeta, Cúk, Flyback, and Boost. All of them operate in discontinuous conduction mode. A resonant half-bridge inverter is used as lamp power control (PC) stage. The integration of both stages (PFC and PC) is proposed in this paper. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of active switches, as well as simplify the required driving and control circuitry. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed dimming technique that achieved around 56% lamp power dimming, from 100 W down to 44 W. The implemented topologies attained high average power factor (>0.98), and low line current average total harmonic distortion (<;15.3%). A comparison among all the proposed topologies in terms of power factor, harmonic distortion, efficiency and number of components is presented. Finally, a comparison between an integrated and a nonintegrated SEPIC half-bridge converter is also performed.


Objective To study the role of inflammatory cytokines and complement in the pathophysiological process of acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods By use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA),changes serum interleukin-8、tumor necrosis factor-α and composition of complement activation(sC5b-9)levels were measured in 38 AMI and 40 healthy controls.Results The serum interleukin 8、tumor necrosis factor-α and composition of complement activation (sC5b-9)levels were higher in AMI than those in healthy controls ( P 0 01).The levels of cytokines and complement began to recover form 7 days after the AMI but they did not reach the normal level until 28 days after AMI.Conclusions The cytokines and complement participate in the pathophysiology of AMI.The levels of which are correlated with the severity of the disease.The use of anti-inflammatory may be a useful method for treatment of AMI. [


Background: Rifaximin is a non-absorbable antibiotic used to prevent relapses of hepatic encephalopathy which may also be a candidate for prophylaxis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). Aim: To detect the impact of rifaximin on the occurrence and characteristics of SBP. Methods: We prospectively studied all hospitalized patients that underwent a diagnostic paracentesis in our department from March 2012 to April 2013 for SBP and recorded all clinical data including type of SBP prophylaxis, prior use of rifaximin, concomitant complications of cirrhosis, as well as laboratory results and bacteriological findings. Patients were divided into the following three groups: no antibiotic prophylaxis, prophylaxis with rifaximin or with systemically absorbed antibiotic prophylaxis. Results: Our study cohort comprised 152 patients with advanced liver cirrhosis, 32 of whom developed SBP during the study period. As expected, our study groups differed regarding a history of hepatic encephalopathy and SBP before inclusion into the study. None of the 17 patients on systemic antibiotic prophylaxis developed SBP while 8/27 patients on rifaximin and 24/108 without prophylaxis had SBP (p=0.02 and p= 0.04 versus systemic antibiotics, respectively). In general, episodes of SBP were similar for patients treated with rifaximin and those without any prophylaxis. However, Escherichia coli and enterococci were dominant in the ascites of patients


Based on a recently collected specimen, we describe the previously unknown female of Acantholyda flaviventris Shinohara, 1991, and give a revised key to the females of the 14 species of the genus distributed in Japan.


An improved air quality model for predicting daytime urban volume‐averaged diurnal ozone concentration patterns is presented. The model, which is an Analytical Spatially‐averaged Photochemical (ASP) non‐steady state box model, is designed for screening air pollution control strategies. An evaluation of the ASP model is carried out by comparing the model results with surface monitoring data and the predictions of a well‐tested airshed model. The general performance of the ASP model is investigated for a wide range of meteorological conditions and emissions rates.


A nonautonomous diffusion model with Holling III
functional response and continuous time delay is considered in
this paper, where all parameters are time dependent and the prey
can diffuse between two patches of a heterogeneous environment
with barriers between patches, but for the predator the diffusion
does not involve a barrier between patches. It is shown that the
system is persistent under any diffusion rate effect. Moreover,
sufficient conditions that guarantee the existence of a positive
periodic solution which is globally asymptotic stable are
obtained.


(10) The missile or the like missile (1) have fixed to the hull (2) mounted wing (6) and movable wings, which are hinged to the fixed wing and connected to a drive device (12) by which the orientation of the movable wings (10) relative to the longitudinal axis (XX) by rotation relative to the fixed wing (6) can be changed. The fixed blades (6) are at least partially hollow and have an opening slot (8) along their from the fuselage (2) facing away edge (9). Each movable blade (10) is arranged in the interior of a fixed wing (6) and can, under the action of the drive device (12) from a retracted position in which it is received largely or entirely in the corresponding fixed wing (6) in at least an extended position reach in which it largely from the corresponding fixed wing protrudes (6) after this wing it has emerged through the opening slit (8). Application on missiles that are aerodynamically stable over a wide speed range.


s of articles published since 1993. Single articles and past issues of the Journal can also be ordered for a fee through the Internet (http://www.nejm.org/customer/). The New England Journal of Medicine Downloaded from nejm.org at EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIV on February 10, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 1998 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.


The invention relates to four-face four-dimensional color ultrasound and a display screen special for the four-face four-dimensional color ultrasound. The display screen special for the four-face four-dimensional color ultrasound comprises an image displaying module, a holographic projection screen, a supporting framework and reflecting surfaces. The reflecting surfaces are composed of glass, wherein holographic film is pasted on the glass, the number of the reflecting surfaces is four, and the reflecting surfaces are of a pyramid shape. Due to the facts that the four-face four-dimensional color ultrasound directly conducts projection on body data from the front side, the back side, the left side and the right side and then reproduce the body data, and observation can be conducted in a diagnosis and treatment area from multi-angle view. The positions of mirror images observed from different mirror surfaces are identical, but the observation angles are different and are consistent with a real scene. The four-face four-dimensional color ultrasound is simple in structure and convenient to use.


We report the results of an experiment to increase use of a municipal bike sharing system. Two distinct groups – those who had newly moved close to a bike station (N=3,500) and those who lived in the vicinity of a newly built bike station (N=7,000) – were randomly assigned to receive one of two versions of a postcard offering free rides. In the first version, the offer is framed in terms of what recipients get for "free†. In the second, the same offer is framed in terms of its discount value: $12 off. We find no overall difference in redemption of the offer between postcard frames but for those with a new bike dock in their vicinity the "free†message is significantly more effective. We also note new movers are almost four times as likely to redeem the offer than those with a new dock in their vicinity. As a result of the study the city transportation bureau's marketing team have used the "free†frame on subsequent materials and continue to target new movers.


The invention discloses a skin cream with strengthened microelements, in particular to the cream which is added with snake, bee, traditional Chinese medicine, microelements supplements and the like, when an emulsion substrate is prepared. The cream has high content and complete sorts of macroelements including calcium, phosphor, kalium, sodium and magnesium; the microelements include zinc, copper, ferrum, manganese, selenium and the like and also contain protein, fatty acid, amino acid, cholesterol, vitamin, hormone, various kinds of enzymes, auxin, flavone, aromatic substances, etc. Various nutrient active components take an important role in regulating life activity. Skin is the largest organ of human body and is concerned with the excretion and the metabolism of human body. The contents of zinc, copper, ferrum and selenium are most abundant. Various diseases including skin disease of human body are caused by the insufficiency or the excessive amount of elements in vivo. The skin disease is always treated by chemical medicine or hormone, thereby resulting in that various skin diseases become obstinate diseases which can hardly be cured clinically. The skin cream uses the natural microelements in animals and plants to penetrate and be absorbed by the skin, so as to complement and regulate the element balance in vivo continuously to remedy and prevent various kinds of skin diseases with surprisingly unique effect.


This is a collection of selected, peer reviewed papers from the 2013 4th International Conference on Computing, Control and Industrial Engineering (CCIE2013), October 27- 28, 2013, Wuhan, Hubei, China. The 141 papers are grouped as follows: Chapter 1: Machinery, Equipment, Automation and Control; Chapter 2: Energy, Electrical Engineering and Electronics; Chapter 3: Industrial Engineering; and, Chapter 4: Other Related Topics.


A history of images about images is as mesmerising in its own right as images themselves are. This is not merely a history of the copy—the attempt to reproduce an image through an image— but also of the various guides and diagrams that tell a story of production of images. This is also the entry point for my argument about the changing ontology of the image. This argument about ontology concerns then not merely what an image is in its essence, but how images function as as operative ontologies1: described, drawn, pictured, instructed, guided, and diagrammed into existence. Such diagrams are an educational arm of knowledge about images, but obviously they are also images already in themselves. Diagrams occupy a central role as a modern form of knowledge about images. Diagrams that describe the operations and insights of image geometry are a special case in point, where the linear perspective in (and since) the Renaissance period has given rise to a long line of commentary, in the arthistorical way of tracking the changing ontologies of the image. How to calculate image surfaces, lines, and ratios becomes instrumentalised into a productive machinery and subsequently into an analytical machinery, as is the case in the various techniques of reading the geometric data packed into an image. From Johan Heinrich Lambert's Die freye Perspective, oder Anweisung Jeden Perspektivischen Aufriß Von Freyen Stücken Und Ohne Grundriß Zu Verfertigen (1759) to Colonel Aimé Laussedat's works on photogrammetry (or "metrophotography") toward the latter part of the 19th century, the work of descriptive geometry becomes crucial to the diagram of the technical image and image as data.2 They are manuals of "this is how that operates" and take on a second order quality themselves: a cultural technique that recursively images an image. One can also observe a similarity with the function of the metapicture, as per WJT Mitchell's term that refers to such images that "might be capable of reflection on themselves, capable of providing a second-order discourse that tells us—or at least shows us—something about pictures."3 In terms of the contemporary image, the shift from questions on the ontology of digital images (do they capture reality? Do THE DIAGRAMS OF AI (IMAGE)


Pass to the Zibo vocation college "The Computer Culture foundation" the necessity, course of the exquisite course construction really settles, the organization , the course construction that course construction implement, course construction obtains the real results, the course special features of introduction, tallied up the exquisite article course construction of what time realize, hope as to it's its senior high vocational school college exquisite article course the construction has the help.


It has been suggested that revegetation in agricultural areas to tackle land degradation problems can also aid in the conservation of biodiversity in these regions. Native biota is restricted to remnant areas, which are mostly small, often unconnected, and subject to a variety of impacts from the surrounding altered landscape. The current remnant network is not sufficient to ensure the long-term persistence of the biota, and requires enhancement. Revegetation provides an opportunity to protect and add to the existing remnant network. However, there are few data available with which to assess the likely impact of revegetation on conservation values, and few guidelines as to how revegetation should be designed for conservation purposes. This paper presents an initial framework for developing revegetation strategies which tie into the existing conservation network. Revegetation can either provide buffer strips around existing remnants to protect them from external impacts, corridors between them to increase connectivity, or additional habitat to increase the area of vegetation available, or can enhance degraded remnant areas. Precise design principles and specifications for these types of revegetation are lacking, and may not be appropriate since they will depend on vegetation types and the requirements of target species. In addition, revegetation will help retain biodiversity indirectly if it helps stabilize an otherwise degrading agricultural landscape. Revegetation in agricultural areas is compared with minesite rehabilitation, where the redevelopment of functioning ecosystems and faunal habitat appears to be possible. The task is harder in the agricultural situation because the scale of modification is greater, soil changes are more difficult to redress, and recolonization by native species is less likely. Increased research effort is needed on the implementation and effects of differing types of revegetation, strategies for increasing rates of adoption of revegetation and methods of integrating conservation considerations into revegetation programmes.


This paper discusses the sociological perspective of suicide. Suicide is a social phenomenon present in every society or culture and is considered as one of the problems and challenges of modern society of the individual and the family itself as a functional unit of society. The purpose of this study is to assess, analyze and role these sociological factors that influence suicide. The paper also reviews the literature on social factors and suicide warning signs in adolescents. The review identified these social factors that appear to increase the risk of suicide: family characteristics and socio-economic status, migration and emigration, physical and sexual abuse, previous suicide attempts, drug and alcohol use, bullying, sexual orientation, etc. Adolescent suicide is a growing concern worldwide and has an impact on family, friends / community. It is an important social phenomenon and the leading cause of death in young people therefore knowledge of social factors and warning signs are essential for the effective prediction, prevention and treatment of problematic situations of adolescents.


The increasing numbers of chromium contaminated sites in Italy requires the adoption of low-cost and large scale clean-up technologies. As an alternative to the traditional methods, phytoremediation could be exploited, which uses herbaceous and woody plants in association with the rizosphere microorganisms to remove and/or detoxify soils, waters and sediments from environmental pollutants.
Trees have been suggested as suitable plants for the phytoremediation technologies, being high yielding biomass and genetically variable organisms. Particularly, species of the genus Salix are fast growing plants, excellent biomass producers, and their roots can explore large zones in deep.
Therefore, due to the need to identify plant species characterized by high phytoremediation potential, in the present study Salix spp. have been sceened for tolerance to and accumulation of trivalent chromium (CrIII).
At first, seven Salix species were considered: S. alba L. sub. typica, S. daphnoides Vill., S. elaeagnos Scop., S. fragilis L., S. purpurea L., S. matsudana Marsh. var. tortuosa e S. nigra Koidz. The responses of plants to CrIII were evaluated in terms of duration of treatment (since 4 hours to 1 year), growing environment (climatic chamber or green-house), growing substrate (hydroponics, soil, perlite), and metal concentration (50, 100 e 300 ?M di CrCl3 for hydroponic and agriperlite experiments; 50 ?moli Cr Kg-1 for soil trial).
Four Salix species were selected in perlite experiments (50 and 100 ?M di CrCl3) on the basis of cross-results relative to high CrIII tolerance and accumulation: Salix alba sub. typica; S. elaeagnos, S. fragilis e S. matsudana var. tortuosa. The remaining three species displayed low Cr accumulation and/or tolerance, and were not used for further experiments.
Selected plant species were in part grown in perlite with 100 and 300 ?M di CrCl3, and in part inside pots containing soil with no Cr (control) or CrIII 50 ?moli Cr Kg-1.
Plants grown in perlite showed a slight decrease of biomass production and reduced Fe and S contents in response to Cr treatment. Also, Cr accumulation in roots accounted for 1426 ?g Cr g-1 on a dry weight basis (d. wt.) after 28 days of treatment. Conversely, plants grown in CrIII contaminated soil produced more biomass and chlorophyll than the controls, while containing up to 700 ?g Cr g-1 d.wt. in roots after 45 days in plus Cr.
Among the four species, S. fragilis e S. matsudana were those accumulating high Cr amounts in both experiments. Therefore, the two species were further used in hydroponic experiments in the presence of 100 or 300 ?M CrIII for 15 days. Both plant species showed toxic effects due to CrIII exposure, such as decrease of leaf gas exchange and photosynthetic activity, reduction of growth, structural and ultrastructural alterations of root tips and leaves. Moreover, the increased activity of such enzymes as catalase and guaiacol peroxidase, involved in scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), was observed. Chromium accumulation in roots was significant at both short- (up to 4426 ?g Cr g-1 d.wt. after 4 hours of treatment) and long- (up to 6833 ?g Cr g-1 d.wt. after 15 days of treatment) exposure of plants to CrIII.
In conclusion, the Salix species used in this study have shown high variability in root Cr accumulation, while the translocation rate of the metal to the shoot was generally limited. The effects of chromium on plants relied on the Cr concentration applied and on the plant growing substrate. Indeed, Cr was more available in hydroponic solution than in soil and perlite and, as a consequence, it was more promptly absorbed and caused more visible phytotoxic symptoms.
Our results indicate that the employment of Salix spp., particularly of S. fragilis, may be useful in the phytoremediation of CrIII contaminated sites. In fact, S. fragilis was the species that accumulated high levels of Cr in all the experimental conditions tested. Therefore, the capacity of Cr accumulation seems to be an intrinsic species-related feature, whereas the growth medium would affect the bioavailability of Cr to plants, and therefore Cr accumulation in plant tissues.
In soil contaminated with CrIII the presence of Salix plants allowed the removal of 26% more than that measured in soil subjected to the loss of Cr for water leaching


For UK ports, today is a time of endeavoring to regain the confidence of many port users. During the past winter localized strikes in some ports and the nationwide road haulage strike which affected all ports did much to deter cargo away from the UK to other European ports. To achieve this goal of regenerated confidence one of the main arguments UK ports employ is that they are making substantial investments in both port infrastructure and equipment in order to improve service levels. On investigation, as the activities of the ports discussed reveal, there appears to be a good deal of substance to this argument.


Which is the simplest logical structure for which there is quantum nonlocality? We show that there are only three bipartite Bell inequalities with quantum violation associated with the simplest gra ...


This article discusses the feminist implications of Louisa May Alcott's 1863 Gothic story "A Whisper in the Dark," which not only expresses the anxieties that the author experienced in response to her upbringing and her social reality, but also provides an extensive critique of patriarchal culture. The essay explores the subversive nature of the story by presenting it as a dark double to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre as well as by showing how the author mocks nineteenth-century sentimentality throughout.


The article aims to establish within approximate limits the date of the last rebuilding of the Minoan palace at Knossos; it is in the form of a rebuttal to the argument of Leonard Palmer's The Penultimate Palace of Knossos. Certain limited areas of the palace (the Throne Room system, the West Magazines and adjacent structures, and the Residential Area) are selected for investigation and a date for each area is arrived at separately after detailed consideration of the evidence from stratigraphical tests. The chief sources of information are the original excavation notebooks of Evans and Mackenzie, and Pendlebury's publication of the stratigraphical museum. In each instance the results indicate no thorough rebuilding later than the LM I period. The conclusion, therefore, is that Palmer is wrong in asserting that the palace was entirely rebuilt within the LM III period.


The historian Fernand Braudel considered that geography dictates history because a certain region or a certain state requires a characteristic of its economic life. Commerce was often called in mercantilist period the blood that provides life of the nation. These data imply progress in terms of demographic beyond doubt, especially in the employment of the German minority living in the urban communes of the Banat Mountain. We retain the dual nature of their occupations, with farm work kept in the background, but the main plane dominated the gradual effect of industrial labour and business activities. Along with farmers, most Germans residing in villages and hamlets in the mountains of Banat were devoted to jobs in the service sector and small crafts area. They worked both as employers and employees in the stores and workshops in rural and urban areas where they resided. Working as sellers, barbers, blacksmiths, carpenters, tailors, butchers, tanners, plumbers, painters or as doctors, dentists, teachers, lawyers, they have contributed to the development of material and spiritual not only their own minority but of communities within which they were born and prospered.


The first is the U designation on precast concrete parts needed both as protection for your products against cheap imitations as well as an assurance for constancy in the quality. The other is just burocracy to keep the prices for concrete products artificially high. Do we really need such approvals from authorities supervising construction?.


Nanofibril is a bio material in the form of fibrils and nano-sized. These fibrils can be made from protein; one of them is soy protein isolate (SPI). Nanofibrils can be used in the fields of food and medicine, for example, shells of microcapsules, food thickener, and food texture makers. To utilize this nanofibril need to know the characteristics of nanofibrils. One of the important characteristics of nanofibrils is the diameter and length of nanofibrils. Based on the shape of the fibrils that can be taken from the image with TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) visible irregular curved fibrils. Therefore we need a measurement method that can measure the length of the nanofibrils. One such method is to trace the image of the fibril and convert it to a certain scale. Methods that can be used to trace and measure the length of the curve are using the GDG Measure It to DRAW X4, X5, X6 which is nested in Corel DRAW X4 (Evaluation Version). Based on the results of calibration and trials show this method can be used to measure the length of nanofibrils with an error of about 0.17%.


Abstract Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using theMycoplasma fermentansinsertion sequence-like element (ISLE) RW primer set amplifies DNA fromMycoplasma oralewhen more than 1 ng is present in the reaction tube. In this study, amplified products from 11 different clinical isolates and the ATCC prototype ofM. oralewere sequenced and compared to 206 bp amplicons from eight isolates and the ATCC strain ofM. fermentans. The nucleotide sequences of the amplifiedM. oraleproducts had high sequence homology (88–92%) to those fromM. fermentans, but differed at several key positions. TheM. oraleproducts contained a DraI restriction enzyme site not found in any of theM. fermentansamplified products. Consistent with this finding, the PCR products fromM. oralewere digested by DraI while the PCR products fromM. fermentanswere resistant to DraI digestion. The results suggest thatM. oralemay carry a similar IS-like element that complicates but does not negate using the ISLE PCR assay designed to detectM. fermentans. It appears possible for the RW primers to amplifyM. oraleif the mycoplasmas are present at higher concentrations. The amplified products can be differentiated from those fromM. fermentansby a rapid DraI restriction endonuclease digestion or by Southern blot analysis using the RW006 internal probe under highly stringent conditions.


In this paper we study the performance of B class of distributed optimal routing algorithms of the gradient projection type under weaker and more realistic assumptions than those considered thus far. In particular, we show convergence to an optimal routing without assuming synchronization of computation at all nodes and measurement of link lengths at all links, while taking into account the possibility of link flow transients caused by routing updates. This demonstrates the robustness of these algorithms in a realistic distributed operating environment.


In transitional countries with arid climates, water stress is rising as the demand for water rises with population, economic growth, and intensive development of agriculture and energy and change in climate environment. In this regard, transitional nations plan in national programmes and policies alternative energy sources, sustainable food development, and circular water resource usage. However, these nations frequently approach current water, energy, and food planning without taking interactions of these resources and their impact on each other into account. This paper intends to demonstrate the significance of the water, energy, and food nexus approach for Central Asian countries in transition. Kazakhstan is used as an example of a resource-rich, transitional economy in Central Asia. Kazakhstan has set a goal of reaching a 50% share of renewable and alternative energy sources in electricity generation by the year 2050 to reduce water and energy poverty, improve water and energy efficiency, achieve carbon neutrality, and rank among the top 30 developed nations. To meet the water and renewable energy goal, bioenergy plantation is anticipated to develop between 2030 and 2050. The findings of paper show that total withdrawals for bioenergy increase from the reported data of 15503.68 m3 in 2020 to 32182.16 m3 in 2050 under a bioenergy-intensive scenario. The average total increase, or 75.5%, would be 16678.48 m3. As such, policymakers and stakeholders in Central Asian region and Kazakhstan needs to carefully design its national energy goals given its future increase of water withdrawals, and shortage environment.


We sought to better understand national approaches for managing potential human health risks during outbreaks of infection with avian influenza A(H5N8) virus during 2016–17. Twenty-three countries in the Union/European Economic Area and Israel participated in this study. Risk to the general public was assessed as low in 18 countries and medium in 1 country. Of 524 exposed persons identified, 274 were passively monitored and 250 were actively monitored. Of 29 persons tested, all were negative for H5N8 virus. Vaccination and antiviral drug recommendations varied across countries. A high level of personal protection was recommended although a low risk was assessed. No transmission of this virus to humans was identified.


Urban commercial developments are an integral part of the urban land use which affect the trip generation and attraction pattern in the city. More importantly, these developments increase the demand for parking, which by law should be provided within the development. Lack of adequate parking facilities will impact the road network as it will lead to onstreet parking and additional vehicular circulation to and from public car parking areas. Furthermore, provision of parking within the premises results in an increase in the cost to the developer which can escalate the prices of the property. Therefore, regulations need to ensure that adequate number of parking are stipulated based on the type of facility. Parking regulations for office building type developments used for the city of Colombo are based on gross floor area of the building, which may not necessarily represent the parking needs of the building depending on the type of operation which takes place. Therefore, the existing parking regulations for these types of development need to be revised in order to assess the optimal parking requirement for different types of office buildings. The research aims to evaluate the trip generation patterns for different types of office developments. Based on the study results parking demand and trip attraction rate will be assessed..


To improve their personnel training quality and enhance their practical ability,and then,strengthen their social service ability,this paper discussed the quality features for undergraduates majoring biotechnology,and problems and strategy on application-type talents now.It also described key duty for university to train application-type students majoring biotechnology.


Near surface (<10 cm) sediment distributions of234Th sampled multiple times at five locations along the axis of the Hudson Estuary from the Upper Bay of New York to Haverstraw Bay are compared with210Pb data from longer cores at the same locations. The comparison indicates that while there is little net sediment accumulation anywhere except at one location in the Upper Bay, near surface sediment in this reach of the estuary is mobile on short (months) time scales. The sediment appears to be physically mixed rather than bioturbated. Comparison of the sediment inventories of234Th with calculated water column production indicates short time scale (months) variability in234Th deposition. Some parts of the bottom have234Th inventories in excess of local production but these appear to be balanced by234Th deficient areas, resulting in a general equilibrium. Sediment inventories of Pb, Cu, and Zn normalized to210Pb show no evidence of a uniquely urban source of these metals to the lower estuary. Silver distributions in sediment indicate a possible source of silver from New York City, probably related to sewage inputs.


_-ERNAND Braudel has warned that we distort history when we ignore the losers in a conflict, because losing movements are forces mL -which at every moment have influenced the final outcome. The interpretation of the ratification of the Federal Constitution in New York State exemplifies Braudel's dictum. Generations of historians have portrayed Alexander Hamilton as the epic hero of the ratification struggle: like the legendary Horatius at the bridge, Hamilton is shown defending the infant republic and winning a magnificent victory against overwhelming odds. If the apparent facts of the case seem to sustain such a treatment, a deeper look from the point of view of the AntiFederalist losers may suggest another interpretation. According to the standard version, a badly outnumbered band of Federalists had employed an arsenal of oratory, parliamentary maneuvers, and extramural persuasion at the New York Convention, apparently to little avail. Hamilton, himself, confessed ruefully, "our arguments confound but they do not convince."1 But on July 2%, 1788, Melancton Smith, hitherto the chief spokesman for the Anti-Federalists, confessed himself convinced that his position was untenable. Not only did he vote for unconditional ratification himself, but also he carried several of his friends with him, providing a bare margin of victory for the Constitution. Credit for this miracle went to Hamilton's matchless eloquence. Certainly contemporary New York City Federalists thought so, for they gave the "Federal ship" Hamilton the place of pride in their victory parade. It is hardly surprising, then, that subse-


A wavelet-based neural network with evolutionary programming is proposed. Unlike conventional backpropagation training algorithms, the evolutionary programming does not require gradient information and can provide a stochastic optimal search. Evolutionary programming is applied to optimise the wavelet neural network for function approximation. Experimental results are presented to show the potential of the evolutionary wavelet neural networks.


This chapter describes e-commerce, a trading business built on top of the internet. Different e-commerce models, such as B2B, B2C, C2C, and their major players are described. E-commerce companies like Amazon and Alibaba are used to explain the effect of e-commerce on the economy, society, and beyond. GMV, MAU, market capitalization, and other business data are presented and analyzed. Influential factors, such as user retention, government policy, payment method, and logistics, are also discussed. Finally, the emerging e-commerce model, emerging e-commerce market, and the future of e-commerce are illustrated.


This study evaluated the economic empowerment potentials of groundnut processing by women in rural areas of Northcentral Nigeria state using a sample of 100 women processors randomly selected from the study area. Data analysis wasdone using Descriptive statistics, Net Farm Income Model and Data Envelopment Analysis (D.E.A). An average netreturns of N10, 586.6 was obtainable within a processing cycle. The average pure technical and scale efficiency scoreswere 80 and 83 percent respectively. The major constraints confronting the processing of groundnut include inadequatecapital for expansion and lack of processing machines. A significant opportunity exists for empowering rural womenthrough groundnut processing.


Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) are produced by an easy, fast, and green surfactant-water-assisted mechanochemical mesostructuration (SWAMM) method, using only tannin, water, and Pluronic F127 as...


The invention relates to an electrical ceramic furnace. The invention discloses an electrical ceramic furnace with a pump-drainage type cooling structure. A microcrystalline panel is positioned over a heating plate. A regulation and control turn button and a temperature indicator are positioned right in front of a housing. The periphery of the heating plate is provided with an insulating plate. There exists gap between the heating plate and the insulating plate, and the gap forms an omega-shaped river diversion air flue, an air intake of which is positioned at the left side right in front of the furnace pan. An air-cooled exhaust opening of the omega-shaped river diversion air flue is positioned at the right side outside the heating plate. An Archimedes screw-shaped river diversion air flue is disposed between the bottom of the heating plate and the bottom of the insulating plate. An air-cooled air intake of the air flue is positioned at the opening of the center of the heating plate bottom. An air-cooled exhaust opening of the air flue communicates with the air-cooled exhaust opening of the omega-shaped river diversion air flue. A pump-drainage exhaust fan is shared at the air-cooled exhaust opening. The air-cooled air intake is provided with a thermostatic control device which needs for heat radiation and a silicon controlled radiator. The electrical ceramic furnace with the pump-drainage type cooling structure is safe and reliable, and has advantages of long service life, low noise, cost-saving performance and fast heat radiation.


The activities of the ATS-6 spacecraft are reviewed. The following subsystems and experiments are summarized: (1) radio beacon experiments; (2) spacecraft attitude precision pointing and slewing adaptive control experiment; (3) satellite instruction television experiment; (4) thermal control subsystem; (5) spacecraft propulsion subsystem; (6) telemetry and control subsystem; (7) millimeter wave experiment; and (8) communications subsystem. The results of performance evaluation of its subsystems and experiments are presented.


The purpose of this study was to compare metabolic variables during submaximal running as predictors of marathon performance. Running economy (RE) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) data were gathered during a 30 min incremental treadmill run completed within 2 weeks prior to running a 42.2-km marathon. Paces during the treadmill run progressed every 5 min from 75-100% of 10-km race velocity. Variables at each stage were analyzed as predictors of relative marathon performance (RMP) in competitive (COMP) and recreational (REC) runners. Twenty-nine runners were classified as COMP (n = 12; age 30 ± 8 years) or REC (n =17; age 20 ± 1 year) based on performance in shorter races. RMP was calculated as percent difference from predicted marathon finish time. Two methods of calculating RE were used: unscaled (ml . kg -1. km -1 ) and with allometric scaling of body mass (ml . kg -0.75. km -1 ). The COMP runners were significantly more economical than REC ( p =0.005; p =0.015 with scaling). For the whole population, RE with and without scaling was significantly correlated with RMP. Within groups, RMP was not significantly correlated with RE unless scaling was used: COMP runners at 75% ( p =0.044), 80% ( p =0.040), and REC runners at 85% ( p =0.038). Runners classified as COMP were more economical than REC, but RER was not different. The use of allometric scaling is important when assessing homogeneous groups. In this study, allometrically-scaled RE at 80-85% of 10-km velocity was the best predictor of RMP within groups.


In order to attain an expected sound insulation in buildings, it is necessary to employ appropriated constructive solutions, but it is also fundamental to guarantee compatibility with other involved design professional fields, proper detailing of solutions and correct on site mounting. A solution with a predicted high acoustic performance may result in failure if there is no proper interconnection between other design professional areas or if execution mistakes occur, even if of very small dimension. The main objective of this technical paper is to analyse the influence of defects that typically occur in buildings, located in Portugal, resulting in very poor airborne or impact sound insulation performance. The chosen situations refer to buildings with heavyweight concrete structure, where small construction defects occurred and/or wrong decisions were taken, ending up with a large reduction on the final acoustic performance. Some of these errors, given their small size or because they occurred in hidden zones, easily passed unnoticed, on site. The defects here addressed in what refers to airborne sound insulation are related with execution of double masonry hollow brick walls, sound bridges in acoustic suspended ceilings, passage of ventilation or sewage pipes, inappropriate installation of acoustic doors, shutter boxes or windows. As for impact sound insulation, the presence of rigid connections is the main focus of the characterisation here performed.


Editor,—Subhyaloidal haemorrhage in the premacular space may cause a sudden loss of central vision in eyes, where macular function was good before the incidence. It can be caused by different disorders such as vitreoretinal traction of different origins, trauma, Valsalva retinopathy, or occur spontaneously—for example, following partial detachment of the posterior hyaloid membrane. Different therapeutic approaches have been adopted for treatment of this situation. Spontaneous resorption of the haemorrhage can be awaited, which may be limited by the frequently slow course of resolution. Nd:YAG laser photodisruption of the posterior hyaloid membrane has been described to achieve distribution of the haemorrhage in the vitreous, which resulted in accelerated clearing and visual improvement.1 Pars plana vitrectomy can be performed for complete surgical separation of the posterior hyaloid membrane and removal of the whole haemorrhage.

We report on a case of acute premacular subhyaloidal haemorrhage, which was treated successfully by subsequent injection of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) and sulphur hexafluoride gas (SF6).

### CASE REPORT

A 55 year old healthy woman (apart from medically controlled arterial hypertension) presented with a 1 day history of acute decrease of central vision to 20/200 in her right eye. Visual acuity in the left eye was 20/20, and there was no history of other or previous ocular disorders. Funduscopy revealed a subhyaloidal haemorrhage in the right …


Abstract
This chapter outlines opportunities for designing place-based or localized social media services and technologies for tourist settings. Following an exploration of how ephemeral, collaborative social networks emerge, consideration is given to understanding tourist places in terms of networking and socialization. In the field of information technology design, there are many examples of experimental mobile, location-based services that provide informational overplays for tourism sites and generally seem to merely replicate the functions of guidebooks or online information services. However, viewing the performance of tourism through a lens that emphasizes place-making as a social practice could inspire the innovation and design of new mobile social technologies to enrich tourist places and interactions.


This paper presents exact ABER performance analysis for selective decode and forward (SDF) cooperative diversity system with BPSK modulation under Rayleigh fading where the relay has a MAP based receiver and the retransmission is based on log- likelihood-ratio (LLR) threshold. We also derive the optimum LLR threshold that minimizes ABER performance. It is shown that the LLR relay based SDF cooperative diversity system performs better than a SNR threshold based SDF system with lower implementation complexity than lambda-MRC and C-MRC schemes.


ALTHOUGH CHURCH-STATE RELATIONS have seldom been viewed from the standpoint of nationalism, they raise a series of questions concerning the patterns of loyalty which citizens render to both Church and State. Historians frequently find common religion to be an element of nationalism, but in the nominally Catholic countries of Latin America references to "common religion" in fact hide major diversities and degrees of belief. If reiterations of a common religious heritage by the mass of a population can strengthen their sentiments of common origin and national purpose, open conflict between religious groups may also belie national unity. Religious and national loyalties may be overlapping and mutually reinforcing, or they may be contradictory and antagonistic. The nature of the loyalties differs in time even within the same national context.


A novel technique for progressive image transmission (PIT) is presented which uses a self-supervised backpropagation neural network discrete cosine transform. The transmission sequence is determined using a backpropagation neural network (BPNN) feature importance function. Simulation results show that the PIT system can be successfully implemented using BPNN. Very good intermediate images are obtained at reasonable bit rates.<<ETX>>


Sliding mode control is a powerful approach for controlling nonlinear and uncertain systems.
This paper presents the liquid level control of the nonlinear-coupled tank system using sliding mode control
technique. At first, a static sliding mode control technique is proposed to control level height of the second
tank. According to the chattering problem that happened with static sliding mode control, integral sliding mode
controller is suggested to reduce the chattering problem, as well as guarantee the asymptotic stability of the
feedback system. The closed loop system is simulated using MATLAB Simulink to demonstrate the
characteristic performance of the developed control approaches. Therefore, the simulation results indicate that
the proposed control schemes work very well. While, the integral sliding mode control has a better performance
for the rejection of disturbance, as well as the system's parameters variation.


Callus from Lycopersicon esculentum x L. peruvianum interespecific hybrids cultured in vitro lost their morphogenetic abilities after two years. An attempt has been made to recover the organogenesis of those callus, using 5 x 5 and 3 x 3 diallelic combinations between indolacetic acid (IAA) and 6-benzyl-adenin (6-BA). Mineral salts and vitamins of the MS medium (Murashige & Skoog), were used, added with sucrose (3%) and agar (0.8%). Culture medium pH was kept at 5.5. The 5 x 5 diallelic treatments were incubated under the following conditions: day temperature = 25 ± 3°C; day length = 16 hours; light intensity = 600 lux. The 3 x 3 diallelic treatments were kept at the same conditions of daylight and temperature but at 2000 lux light intensity. Callus development and shoot formation were graded from 1 to 5, 30 days after inoculation, Shoot number and height were also evaluated. In the 5 x 5 diallelic experiment, it was observed a low number of differentiated plants. The best combinations for callus development have been 0.5, 2.5 and 5.0µM of IAA with 2.5µM of 6-BA, respectively. However in the 3 x 3 diallelic experiment, it was recorded a high frequency of shoot formations and the most efficient treatments were the 25.0 and 50.0µM concentrations of 6-BA, without any auxin. It was also observed the influence of environmental condi-tions (mainly light intensity) on the process.


The cases of Somalia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are examined here. In systemic terminology, dimensionality and both hard and soft variables raised the level of complexity of the decision processes involved. By the early 1990s, ethnic strife in Bosnia-Herzegovina and anarchy and famine in Somalia, together with major violations of human rights in both these areas, caused a radical change in attitude among governments of the major democracies as well as in both the Security Council and General Assembly of the United Nations. The decisional procedure involved needed to take into account a host of problems: historical, political and geopolitical, social and cultural, military, economic and environmental. These factors added dimensions of complexity sometimes bordering on chaos, portraying much contemporary decision-making in the search for justice and equitable resolution of conflict.<<ETX>>


This paper examines differences between beginning and experienced art teachers' perceptions of teaching and learning. The paper first discusses how experienced and novice art teachers may vary in their thinking and approaches to instructional content. It then focuses on the results of a project that investigated curriculum development and teacher thinking through the use of concept maps. The paper notes that concept maps, often used to visually represent the relationship between ideas, may provide a way of understanding, extending, and assessing art teachers' perceptions of the relationships among art content, pedagogical strategies, student learning, and other factors that influence teaching. By comparing the varying conceptions of teaching held by beginning and experienced teachers, the paper suggests ways of enriching approaches to art teacher preparation. Contains two tables, four figures, and eight references. (BT) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Differing Perceptions of Art And Teaching: Examining How Beginning and Experienced Teachers Think about Art in Instruction Elizabeth Kowalchuk Visual Art Education Program 311 Bailey Hall The University of Kansas Lawrence, KS, 66045 USA Cr) PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY E. cktn TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES 1 INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) erhrdocument has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Prepared for Stories about Perception: Honouring the Work of Ron MacGregor June 27 & 28, 1997 University of British Columbia, Vancouver 2 BEST COPY AVMLABLE


Margarines present different physical properties with respect to their purposed application. For example, a special type of fat is required for preparation of puff pastry. Puff pastry margarines (PPMs) have to be very firm and plastic. The required physical properties are thus obtained by processing suitably selected blends of fats and oils. This study focuses on the influence of processing parameters on physicochemical properties of puff pastry margarine. For this goal, two selected fat blends were considered (both palm-based): one was low-trans (0,5 ± 0,0 %) and the other was trans-free. A simple pilot-scale line, equipped with a scraped surface heat exchanger (SSHE) and a resting tube, was used to produce margarines. The chosen processing parameters were: the "buffer tank" temperature, flow rate, SSHE temperature, scraper blade rotation and resting tube temperature. A Plackett-Burman experimentation plan was used to select the parameter combinations to test (each of them possessing two levels). Produced margarines were stored at 15 °C and 20 °C. Studied properties were the solid fat content (SFC), dropping point (DP), and texture (hardness) at these two storage temperatures. Finally the results were statistically analyzed by the surface response methodology to find out the processing parameter influence on each physicochemical property.


The book explains some of the foundations and basic philosophy of cooperatives and examines the evolution of the Uganda cooperative movement. it looks at aspects which make farming a business as well as benefits members can derive by undertaking collective marketing and bargaining, working together in Area cooperative Enterprises, by adding value to their products and practicing participatory planning, monitoring and evaluation.


An electronic device and a method of providing a notification on a wireless charging state in an electronic device are provided. The method includes wirelessly charging the electronic device by using power received from an external device; checking a state of the wireless charging; when the state of the wireless charging corresponds to a certain condition, determining whether the electronic device is used by a user by using at least one sensor; and providing a notification based on whether the electronic device is used by the user.


OBJECTIVES:Host genetic factors, including the IL1 gene cluster, play a key role in determining the long-term outcome of Helicobacter pylori infection. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between selected IL1 loci polymorphisms and gastric cancer risk in an Italian population.METHODS:In a case-control study we compared the IL1B−31 and IL1B+3954 biallelic and IL1RN pentaallelic variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphisms in 185 gastric cancer patients and 546 controls randomly sampled from the general population of an area at high gastric cancer risk (Tuscany, Central Italy).RESULTS:Genotype frequencies of the IL1B−31 T/C, IL1B+3954 C/T, and IL1RN polymorphisms among our population controls were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. In multivariate analyses, no increase in gastric cancer risk was observed for the IL1B−31*C− and IL1B+3954*T− carriers; a significant 50% increase emerged for IL1RN*2 allele carriers (OR = 1.49; 95% CI: 1.01–2.21).Analyses based on combined genotypes showed also that the association with IL1RN*2 allele was limited to two-variant allele carriers who were also homozygous for the IL1B−31*T allele (OR = 2.23; 95% CI: 1.18–4.23) with a statistically significant interaction between these two genotypes (p= 0.043). Haplotype analysis showed an increased risk for the haplotype IL1RN*2/IL1B−31*T.CONCLUSIONS:Our results suggest that host genetic factors (such as the IL1RN and the IL1B−31 polymorphisms) interact in the complex process of gastric carcinogenesis in this high-risk Italian population. Overall, this effect appears more modest than previously reported in other populations, supporting the hypothesis that other still-to-be-defined factors are important in gastric carcinogenesis. These findings might be due to a haplotype effect.


¢x-Phenylsulfinyl and ~-Phenylsulfonyl radicals are generated by the reactions of ~chlorosulfoxides and oc-chlorosulfones with tributyltin hydride, respectively. High reaction concentration (0.2 M) is required to ensure efficient generations of these radicals. The 5-exo-type intramolecular cyclizations of these radicals are studied. The cyclization is most successful when the olefin is terminally substituted with an ester group. The sulfinyl group only induces mild diastereoselectivity on the cyclization. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. Radicals carrying or-sulfur functionalities (1-3) are potentially useful reactive intermediates. Because of the rich chemistry that organosulfur compounds exhibit, l the combination of sulfur functionalities with radicals will greatly enhance their synthetic utilities. 2-4 We have been interested in the study of intramolecular cyclizations of this type of radicals and performed a systematic comparison of the electron rich ~-sulfenyl radical 4 and the more electron deficient radicals 5 and 6. 5`6 On the Other hand, the influence of the chiral center of the sulfinyl group in 5 on the stereoselectivity of the cyclization has also been examined. 6 Others have also independently developed novel application of o~-sulfinyl radicals in asymmetric synthesis. 3a Herein, we report our full investigation about ~-sulfinyl and ~-sulfonyl radicals.


Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) has foreseen big changes in data gathering, processing and disseminating for monitoring specific applications such as emergency services, disaster management, and military applications etc. Since large number sensor nodes are deployed to monitor a vast field, where the operational conditions are most often harsh or even hostile so security mechanism in WSN is a greater challenge in WSN. Sensor networks pose unique challenges because of their inherent limitations in communication and computing. Sensor networks are vulnerable to security attacks due to the broadcast nature of transmission. The threats against WSN can be reduced by proper security measures. One of the commonly used methods is the use of cryptographic algorithm. This paper proposes mechanisms for Key Predistribution and mutual Authentication protocol in sensor networks using ECC with respect to constraints of WSN.


The paper describes a maximum entropy based story segmentation system for Arabic, Chinese and English. In experiments with broadcast news data from TDT-3, TDT-4, and corpora collected in the DARPA GALE project we obtain a substantial performance gain using multiple overlapping windows for text-based features.


be found in the book by Moran (1962). Further references on the change in mean fitness in time may be found in the works of Kimura and Moran cited above. In all the equations characterizing the rate of change of mean fitness in time, which have so far appeared in the literature, the evolution of gene frequencies has been represented by continuous, differentiable functions of time. Yet, if one wishes to make his model correspond more closely with reality a little reflection leads immediately to the conclusion that, since births and deaths occur in the population, a step-function on the non-negative time axis [0, co) to the rational numbers will be needed to describe the evolution of a gene frequency in time. Moreover, it is generally agreed nowadays that mathematical models describing the evolution of biological populations should be stochastic in nature, since there is an element of indeterminacy in organic evolution. But if one uses a stochastic process to represent the evolution of a biological population, then it is necessary to deal with a set of functions on some probability space, representing all possible ways a population may evolve. In such a stochastic setting each function in the set of functions under consideration is called a sample function, and a problem that arises is that of characterizing rates of change with respect to all functions in the set under consideration. If all functions under consideration are step-functions, then each sample function may be differentiated in the ordinary sense but this process yields nothing, for the derivative of each sample function is identically zero except for a countable set of points in [0, oo) at which it does not exist. What is needed is some stochastic calculus which will allow us to talk about a derivative of a set of step-functions on some probability space in a meaningful and fruitful way. The purpose of this paper is two-fold. Firstly, some elements of a stochastic calculus, which will allow us to talk about the derivative of a set of step-functions on some probability space in a meaningful way, will be presented, and, secondly, this stochastic calculus will be used to reexamine some old results and to obtain some new results with respect to some fundamental theorems of natural selection. 2. Some elements of a stochastic calculus In this section a set of functions defined on some fixed but arbitrary probability space (, ~, ,P) will be called a random function (r.f.) and will be denoted by such symbols as X(t) and Y(t). A probability space has the usual definition, K is the set of elementary events, .d is a a-algebra of sets in Q, and P is a probability measure on d/. All r.f.'s in this section will be defined on the same probability space, will take on real values, and the parameter t will vary over the set T= [0, c). We shall also assume that all r.f.'s are separable, although this assumption will not play an important role in this paper.


There is a move towards a real-time street light system that can respond to the surrounding environment or actions providing a safe nighttime environment for all road users including foot-travellers. Such street light systems are mainly controlled on the basis of a combination of sensor technologies. However, most of the current systems in Kigali are based on thresholds which may lead to errors leading to increased costs and energy wastages. This study, therefore, presents a prototype of Arduino based fuzzy logic controlled smart street lighting system so as to overcome the challenges. The study aims to implement fuzzy logic on Arduino as compared to existing solutions that depend on cloud-based solutions which are a challenge implementing in Africa. In the proposed solution PIR sensor and an LDR are used for data collection, based on the collected data, an Arduino microcontroller embedded with a Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) computes whether the lights should be ON, DIM OR OFF and an appropriate voltage is supplied. The solution was simulated on proteus and a protoype developed. The results show that the implementation of a fuzzy inference system in Arduino did not effects its functionality of the FIS.


—Transparent objects are common in our daily life and frequently handled in the automated production line. Robust vision-based robotic grasping and manipulation for these objects would be beneficial for automation. However, the majority of current grasping algorithms would fail in this case since they heavily rely on the depth image, while ordinary depth sensors usually fail to produce accurate depth information for transparent objects owing to the reflection and refraction of light. In this work, we address this issue by contributing a large-scale real-world dataset for transparent object depth completion, which contains 57,715 RGB-D images from 130 different scenes. Our dataset is the first large-scale real-world dataset and provides the most comprehensive annotation. Cross-domain experiments show that our dataset has a great generalization ability. Moreover, we propose an end-to-end depth completion network, which takes the RGB image and the inaccurate depth map as inputs and outputs a refined depth map. Experiments demonstrate superior efficacy, efficiency and robustness of our method over previous works, and it is able to process images of high resolutions under limited hardware resources. Real robot experiment shows that our method can also be applied to novel object grasping robustly. The full dataset and our method are publicly available at www.graspnet.net/transcg .