Introduction While Londoners were enjoying their fine Italianate homes of the Belle Epoque (1885-1914), elite members of the Gold Coast colony, known today as Ghana, were constructing their own elegant mansions utilizing an Italianate style that not only embraced the modernity and prosperity of the period but also rejected the British administration whose rules constrained them. (1) The ruins of the Russell House, once one of the most elegant of these homes, express this lively and tense period of change in Ghanaian history (Figure 1). Upon close examination, the structure manifests a deliberate hybrid style combining a British Italianate exterior, an Afro-Portuguese sobrado plan, and local ideas of space and organization. Russell House exemplifies how coastal elites appropriated and transformed styles and plans to communicate their status and connection to modernity. The lead patron, the Reverend John Oboboam Hammond, a well-respected Methodist minister who directed several building projects for the church, chose for his Anomabo family residence to reject the Methodist colonial vision of promoting loyalty to British rule. Although he embraced British and Methodist ideals of modern education and industry, he identified with the local elite and their right to be directly involved in coastal affairs without regard to British hegemony. History Russell House is located on the corner of Market Street and Aggrey Road in the center of Anomabo, a historically significant port city. The land was purchased on December 13, 1895. (2) A sketch of the plot is included with the land indenture (Figure 2). The siblings purchased the property from "William Topp Nelson Yankah of Anamaboe and other the senior members of his family." The land measures sixty-one feet wide and seventy-five and a half feet deep. No home on the property is indicated. Surrounding it are houses owned by Iaan, Ama Moo, Ekua Kotwiawa, Yankah, Ekua Nyami, and Kofi Intsifl. On November 1, 1897, the siblings were granted a building permit or "Towns Ordinance" to "build a house at Anamaboe ... on condition that the proposed work is completed within six months." The current structure was built between the indicated date and April 1, 1898. (3) Except for the Russell House and part of the Ama Moo family residence, none of the other homes on the plans survive today. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Family history for the Russell House dictates that while the upstairs served as a residence for family members, the lower floor was rented to merchants. This was a common arrangement used on the coast by Europeans and Africans alike. Russell House is named for an early-twentieth-century tenant, the English company H. B. W. Russell & Co., Ltd., whose store occupied the ground floor sometime after early 1915, when a representative wrote to inquire about the space. According to the family, the company agent rented the lower level for the store and used part of the upper floor for his residence. It was during this time that the premises became known around town as the Russell House, for the store name not the property owner. The descendants and current owners however call their ancestral family home abCdan, or stone house. [FIGURE 2 OMITTED] The land tenure and building permit proves this residence was built for three African siblings--the Rev. Hammond (February 2, 1860-December 28, 1918); Francis M'danyamiasi Hammond (d. September 3, 1920); and Mrs. Charlotte Oyemame Acquaah (1858--July 31, 1908). (4) This contradicts the attribution made by architect A. D. C. Hyland that this house was a "late 18th-century British colonial house." (5) This is an honest mistake, considering the strong likeness of the fagade to homes in Britain. Rev. Hammond was born in Anomabo and served in the ministry of the Wesleyan Methodist Church for thirty-two years. He was educated at the Wesleyan Schools in Anomabo and became a teacher. He entered the ministry in 1886, and was described as a "Native Assistant Missionary" in a newspaper listing from 1890. …


Background. Peat soil is a type of soil that is formed from the accumulation of half-decayed plant debris. High organic matter content and some minerals with a thickness of approximately 50 cm. The high content of organic matter in peat soils is thought to be one of the factors that play an important role in supporting the process of adaptation of functional microbes. This is because the availability of organic materials needed by functional microbes for growth and metabolism is met.Method. The sampling method used is purposive sampling. Peat water samples were taken in a composite manner from 2 locations with 10 points on the right and 10 points on the creek flow with a distance of about 10 meters at each point with a trench flow length of 100 meters. Samples were taken in the morning, afternoon, and evening from each point then the inspection was carried out at the Polytechnic Laboratory of the Ministry of Health Pontianak.Results. The distribution of Enterobacter in peat soil water samples taken in the morning, afternoon, the evening is still high with based on identification obtained an average percentage of bacteria Klebsiella Pneumonia 100%, Shigella Dysentery 100%, Proteus Vulgaris 80%, Escherichia Coli 70% and Salmonella 70% and Salmonella Typhi 20%. The coagulation test to determine the type or species of a bacterium from the Enterobacter group is carried out with an antisera test.Concl. There is a relationship between morning water samples with afternoon and evening. Based on the Kendall Tau test, the value of the p-value smaller than α (0.05) is 0.009.


Incheon is a unique city with its history, regional culture, and geopolitics; nevertheless, the tendency toward extroverted urban development has kept the city from sustaining her own identity either regionally or urbanely. As the city grew to a metropolis while incorporating Ongjin County, Kang-Hwa County, and some part of Kyoung-Gi Province into Incheon, the peculiar character of the region has been diluted. Thereby, the city government of Incheon recently announced "A policy for improvement of urban scenery in the 9 scenic areas in Incheon" and "Multilateral exploration for the betterment of Incheon City" in order to maintain a balance between extroverted and introverted urban development, which has been criticized by the public. However, these kinds of result-oriented temporary measures usually miss the quintessence of urban development programs and end up with the ever-present tendency to regress into nostalgic historicism or the glibly decorative. The policy makers take superficial modern gesture in responding to the actual and serious regional development while neglecting fundamentals of regional and territorial approaches, which reflect the nature and geopolitics of Incheon. Incheon is characterized by her hybrid culture that has been implanted by foreign immigrants since late 19th century and by its chaotic and humdrum urban scene that has resulted from intense industrialization and rapid economic growth since 1960s. The urban scene of Incheon has been distorted by a rapid change in urban infrastructure and indiscreet expansion of the city. Seeking for the regional identity of Incheon is, therefore, initiated by an exploration toward montage of urban scene, experience and collective memories, and the city culture that can be explained with local identity or the sense of place and urban landscape. This study intends to understand a city in more fundamental manner with regard to the thesis how to represent cultural urban landscape in Incheon and to examine fundamental but direct elements that sustain the local character of Incheon. The argument is focused on the urban theories after the modernism and cultural identity of Incheon as an ocean city, in order to explore strategies to improve local environment that is encompassed by the ocean and waterfront.


Abstract : Virtually every new a/c and armament program encounters unexpected SC * Complex S&C issues require nonlinear, CFD-in-the-loop simulations with control surfaces modeled. New CFD methods combined with HPC resources: 1. address S&C problems that previously were untenable, 2. overcome experimental gaps, 3. complement experiments, 4. result in safer flight testing, and 5. reduce amount of wind tunnel and/or flight testing.


Abstract The objective of this research work was to assess the existing summer fallow elimination by growing short duration leguminous crop (mungbean) and reduction in number of plows could be a good substitute in recent shift of rainfall pattern. The traditional tillage frequencies (exceeding 4–5 plow + 2 harrows) of the summer fallow land without the addition of commercial fertilizers to wheat are the century-old practices in the project area. The rainfall efficiency is very low and is certainly related to the low and marginal fertility status. The existing wheat–fallow–wheat (W–F–W) where field remains without crop for five–six months in summer was compared with the proposed wheat–mungbean–wheat (W–Mb–W) cropping system by eliminating the summer fallow. Four tillage systems, i.e. no tillage (NT), conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT), and maximum tillage (MT), were employed before wheat sowing. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Tatara) was sown at the residual moisture of the monsoon rainfall and four levels of N (0, 25, 50, and 75 kg ha−1) were added at the time of wheat sowing. Results show that the wetter year (second year) of the experiment had higher soil water (26.35%), grain yield (2,561 kg ha−1), harvest index (43.5%), and water use efficiency (WUE) (6.1 kg ha−1 mm−1). The existing W–F–W cropping system had more soil water (17%), grain yield (17%), harvest index (1%), WUE (9%), and grain N (23%) than W–Mb–W. CT system had more soil water (13%), grain yield (5%), WUE (2%), harvest index (3%), and grain N (5%) as compared with NT. CT also had more soil water contents (5%), grain yield (3%), WUE (10%),), and harvest index (3%) than MT. Nitrogen application had increased grain yield (33%), WUE (25%), harvest Index (3%), and grain N (7%) compared with the control (no N application). The present study does not suggest the replacement of summer fallow with mungbean crop as for as the grain yield and WUE is concerned. Apparently no negative impact of CT was recorded on grain yield and other parameters; however, to be on the safe side, RT with application of 75 kg N ha−1 is recommended for areas with similar rainfall pattern and soil fertility status.


Ivermectin was used for treating a breeding colony of guineapigs heavily infested with fur mite Chirodiscoides caviae. In preliminary experiments on different dosages and routes of administration, spraying with diluted Ivomec® (ivermectin 0.2 mg/ml) as well as applying undiluted ivermectin (10 mg/ml) drops on the fur proved effective and practical. The breeding colony was treated with diluted ivermectin aerosol and retreated two weeks later with undiluted ivermectin drops applied to the coat. After 3 months neither mites nor mite eggs were observed on microscopic examination. Two-and-a-half years later, the guineapigs are still free of mites.


To reach high ground in India, Bangladeshis fleeing their flooded, polluted plains and rice paddies sneak across the longest border fence in the world—1,500 miles and growing— evading guards who have orders to shoot on sight. With desertification snuffing out oppor tunity, poor Senegalese and Nigerians crowd wooden fishing boats and set sail for Spain's Canary Islands—the gateway to Europe, already partially blocked by warships from the EU's new border agency, FRONTEX . Or they trek overland across the Sahara to Libya, then pay $2,000 or more to be trafficked across the Mediterranean. And to reach flood -proof land in the developed world, whether in Houston, Holland , or Arctic Alaska, citizens often resort to lawsuits—or receive government buyouts. The Netherlands will spend $3 billion on its Room for the River program, which pays farmers to leave their land, then knocks down their dykes so floodwaters have some place to go in the below-sea-level country. In Harris County, Texas, the Federal Emergency Management Authority ( FEMA ) has helped buy and demolish 2,200 flood-threatened homes at a cost of $200 million.


Thematic
teaching has been introduced through the Malaysian Preschool Education Curriculum
Guidelines (KPM, 1993) since 1993. This research is a preliminary review aimed at looking at
the need to conduct further studies on the implementation of thematic teaching
and to determine the focus of the research. This research explores the current
understanding and practice of eight teachers from eight preschools in Selangor
and Negeri Sembilan in implementing thematic teaching. Data collected for this
research was based on document analysis, observations, and interviews. Findings of the research show that there were
various levels of understanding and methods employed in implementing thematic
teaching in the selected preschools. Teachers' understanding is divided into
several categories: 1) understanding thematic teaching as curriculum; 2)
understanding thematic teaching as an approach; 3) the minimum understanding of thematic teaching; and 4) no
understanding of thematic teaching at all. In terms of planning, only two of
the teachers integrated thematic teaching in their annual, weekly, and daily
lesson plans. The findings on the implementation of thematic teaching also show
that teachers: 1) used thematic teaching as the basis of the curriculum; 2)
applied thematic teaching as one of the teaching approaches; 3) used
thematic teaching based on the requirements of the teaching and learning; and 4) had
not used thematic teaching. This finding supports the need for further research
on thematic teaching. A detailed research
on the implementation of more practical and friendly thematic teaching for
teachers that also fulfills the principles of implementation of such teaching
and the overall developmental needs of children should be undertaken.


The invention provides an automobile front windowsill ventilation cover plate which comprises a ventilation cover plate body and a ventilation mesh. The ventilation mesh is arranged on the ventilation cover plate body. The ventilation cover plate body is sequentially provided with a plurality of fixing holes, and further provided with a first through hole and a second through hole. The first through hole is formed in the end of the ventilation cover plate body. The second through hole is formed in the middle of the ventilation cover plate body. The automobile front windowsill ventilation cover plate is in integral injection molding. According to the automobile front windowsill ventilation cover plate, the enough air supply quantity of an air conditioner is ensured, the durability of the ventilation mesh is improved, and breakage of the ventilation mesh is effectively reduced. According to the automobile front windowsill ventilation cover plate, the integral injection molding is adopted, the smooth surface can be ensured, and the defects of burrs, cementing marks, deformation, cracks and the like are avoided.


To step forward to the next phase of Smart grid, the customer should participate in the grid as an active player. Bi-directional data communication should be established to achieve the goal of Smart Grid, increasing energy efficiency in residential, industrial, commercial sectors and reliability for stable and high quality energy supply. Therefore Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) which enables customers and utility to communicate, is crucial part of the Smart Grid. It can be helpful to deliver the information about the electrical power to the customer to show how the grid works and why the Smart Grid is needed. This paper presents very low-cost entry-level power monitoring system concept, potential and future works to be done.


Let C be the plane algebraic curve defined by the polynomial P in two variables with complex coefficients. The first question under investigations is, Is there some relation between the reducibility of P and number of singularities of the the plane curve C:P(x,y)=0. The answer to this question, we use topological and algebraic properties of the plane curves. The second question is, How many irreducible components the plane curve C:P(x,y)=0 has? The answer to this question is directly related to the study of the topology of the complement of C in the complex plane by using de Rham cohomology. The main problem is to extend this result for more variables and to obtain other related results on algebraic affine hypersurfaces.


Background/Objectives: The goal of crime data mining is to understand various crime patterns in criminal behavior in order to predict crimes and anticipate criminal activity to avoid the crime not to happen. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Predicting crime is one of the global challenges facing by Law enforcement department and it requires persistent efforts in order to restrict. In this paper we are introducing a new crime pattern called regular frequent crime pattern which occurs regularly at certain time intervals using vertical data format also satisfies downward closure property. Findings: Crime patterns were not defined by statistics and its identification is more than just counting and summarizing crimes that are similar in characteristics and/or location on a map. Crime pattern is a group of one or more crimes reported to or discovered by the police. The approaches which are pattern based have the possibility to help the police department in discovering new type of crime patterns. Applications/Improvement: Our experiment results show the impact on execution time and memory. This project is also useful for police department in finding the regular-frequent crimes which are happening in today's world.


Software bloat is code that is packaged in an application but is actually not used and not necessary to run the application. The presence of bloat is an issue for software security, for performance, and for maintenance. In recent years, several works have proposed techniques to detect and remove software bloat. In this paper, we introduce a novel technique to debloat Java bytecode through dynamic analysis, which we call trace-based debloat. We have developed JDBL, a tool that automates the collection of accurate execution traces and the debloating process. Given a Java project and a workload, JDBL generates a debloated version of the project that is syntactically correct and preserves the original behavior, modulo the workload. We evaluate the feasibility and the effectiveness of trace-based debloat with 395 open-source Java libraries for a total 10M+ lines of code. We demonstrate that our approach significantly reduces the size of these libraries while preserving the functionalities needed by their clients.


Steady-state photolysis of XA (9,10-dichloroanthracene and 9-chloroanthracene) in acetonitrile-amine (triethylamine or N,N-dimethylaniline) causes the consecutive reactions (DCA→CA→anthracene), but the rate of dechlorination is not affected upon addition of azulene and ferrocene in spite of quenching of the lowest excited triplet states [ 3 XA(T ) ] of XA by these additives with quenching rate constants of the order for that of a diffusion-controlled reaction


Introduction:
 Individual behaviors in the 24h rest-activity cycle have been linked to cardiometabolic health (CMH). Studies that integrate the overall multidimensional pattern of 24-h rest-activity rhythms (RAR) and evaluate its unique relation with CMH and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are limited.

 Hypothesis:
 Disrupted RAR are associated with poorer glycemic control and T2D.

 Methods:
 Participants were n=2127 adults (mean age: 69 ± 9 y, 54% women, 62% non-White) in the MESA Sleep Study (2010-13). Interdaily stability (IS), intradaily variability (IV), most active 10 h period (M10) and least active 5 h period (L5) timing and counts, and relative amplitude (RA) (defined in Table) were derived from 7-d actigraphy data using nonparametric rhythm analysis. Multivariable linear and logistic regression was used to examine cross-sectional and prospective associations with glycemic markers and T2D at baseline and after 6 y of follow-up (2016-18).

 Results:
 Higher IS (more stable sleep-wake and rest-activity patterns across days), M10 counts (more active wake period), and RA (greater overall RAR robustness) were related to lower fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR, while higher IV (more fragmented RAR, less efficient sleep) and L5 counts (less restful sleep) were related to higher levels of these metabolic markers (Table). In cross-sectional and prospective analyses, those in the highest vs. lowest quintile of IS, M10 counts, and RA had up to 75% lower odds of T2D, while being in the highest vs. lowest quintile of IV, L5 counts, and L5 midpoint (later sleep period) was associated with up to 79% higher T2D odds with evidence of a dose-response relationship (p-trend <0.05 for all outcomes).

 Conclusions:
 A less robust and stable RAR, lower wake time activity, and a less restful and later sleep period are associated with T2D. Targeting the strength, timing, and regularity of rest-activity and sleep-wake patterns to enhance the rhythmicity of diurnal behaviors may enhance CMH and prevent T2D.


A method for correcting the effect of the inertial mass on dynamic force measurements is proposed. Based on the method, a force sensor with good static and dynamic characteristics is developed. The force sensor is composed of a strain-gauge force transducer and an accelerometer. The good static characteristics are realized by using the strain-gauge force transducer. The good dynamic characteristics are realized by correcting the effect of the inertial mass of a part of the sensor using the acceleration measured with the accelerometer. The performance of the developed force sensor is verified experimentally.


Abstract Eggs from laboratory-spawned summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) were hatched, and larvae were reared through metamorphosis in captivity. The incidence of juveniles showing a reversed asymmetry under these conditions was high – 4.4% of fish that completed metamorphosis – given that only two cases of reversal in this species have been reported previously. The importance of directionality of ocular asymmetry in flatfishes is addressed.


With silicon oxide as carrier,a catalyst with ZSM-5 molecular sieve with high ratio of n(SiO2)/n(Al2O3) as the active component was prepared for the preparation of propylene and ethylene from C4 alkenes by catalytic cracking.The precursors of alkali earth and rare earth metal oxides were used to adjust the acidic property of the catalyst.The catalyst was pretreated with steam for 24 h under these conditions of 600 ℃,atmospheric pressure and water weight hourly space velocity(WHSV)1 h-1.At 485 ℃,0.1MPa,w(H2O)∶w(C4=)=0.2/0,WHSV 3 h-1,as well as at WHSV 10 h-1 without water dilution,the conversion of C4 alkenes was more than 65% in a 20 day-long reaction process.The yields of propylene and ethylene were more than 31% and 6%,and the amount of carbon deposition on the catalyst was 1.01% using water as diluent in the reaction system.While the yields of propylene and ethylene were more than 27.5% and 4.6%,and the amount of carbon deposition on the catalyst was 4.71% without using water as diluent.The catalysts were characterized by BET,NH3-TPD and Py-IR.The results showed that the catalytic activity depended on the amount of B acid of the catalyst.


At first sight the Convention on Jurisdiction and the Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters, Brussels 1968, (more commonly known as, and hereinafter referred to as the Brussels Convention) has all the appearances of being just another piece of EC law, dreamt up in Brussels by the vast European Union machinery pursuant to the Treaty of Rome as amended. Upon further examination, however, it becomes apparent that this document does not fall into any of the tidy boxes, of Regulation, Directive or Decision that usually account for the emanations from Brussels. This piece is not the product of the Council or the Commission. It is, in fact, an international treaty between the then Member States of the European Economic Community in 1968, as independent and sovereign states, to be subsequently amended and endorsed by each of the new Member States upon accession to, what is now known as, the European Union.


Abstract : This study develops cost estimating relationships (CER) to estimate the cost of supply support for the maintenance of aircraft simulators. These CER's will be used in the Contractor Operation and Maintenance of Simulators (COMS) environment. The analysis techniques used to develop and validate these relationship include linear regression (simple and multiple), analysis of univariate distributions, simulation modeling, and linear optimization modeling. The regression analysis concludes that no useful CER is present in the cost elements represented by the sample of data gathered from actual simulator operations. There is, however, a useful CER present in another smaller set of data derived from the successful bids of eight contractors. These submissions were for maintenance with and without supply support. A simulation model was constructed to provide an independent cost estimate for use with the maintenance CER developed above. Analysis of univariate distributions was used to transform maintenance data from an operational simulator suite for use in the verification of the simulation model. Finally, an optimization model formulation is recommended for further investigation.


X-ray emission associated with the west lobe of the giant radio galaxy, 3C 236, was investigated with the Suzaku observatory, to evaluate the energetics in the lobe. After removing contamination from X-ray sources detected with Chandra and subtracting the X-ray and non-X-ray backgrounds, the Suzaku spectrum from the lobe was reproduced by a power-low model with a photon index of $\Gamma = 2.23_{-0.38-0.12}^{+0.44+0.14}$ where the first and second errors represent the statistical and systematic ones, respectively. Within the errors, the X-ray index was consistent with the radio synchrotron one, $\Gamma_{\rm R} = 1.74 \pm 0.07$, estimated in the 326 -- 2695 MHz range. This agreement supports that the X-ray emission is attributed to the inverse-Compton (IC) radiation from the synchrotron electrons filling the lobe, where the cosmic microwave background photons are up-scattered. This result made 3C 236 the largest radio galaxy, of which the lobe has ever been probed through the IC X-ray photons. When the photon index was fixed at $\Gamma_{\rm R}$, the X-ray flux density at 1 keV was measured as $S_{\rm X} = 12.3 \pm 2.0 \pm 1.9$ nJy. A comparison of the X-ray flux to the radio one ($S_{\rm R} = 1.11 \pm 0.02$ Jy at 608.5 MHz) yields the energy densities of the electrons and magnetic field in the west lobe as $u_{\rm e} = 3.9_{-0.7 -0.9}^{+0.6 +1.0} \times 10^{-14} $ ergs cm$^{-3}$ and $u_{\rm m} = 0.92_{-0.15 -0.35}^{+0.21 +0.52}\times 10^{-14} $ ergs cm$^{-3}$, respectively, indicating a mild electron dominance of $u_{\rm e}/u_{\rm m} = 4.2_{-1.3 -2.3}^{+1.6 +4.1}$. The latter corresponds to the magnetic field strength of $B = 0.48_{-0.04 -0.10}^{+0.05 +0.12}$ $\mu$G.These are typical among the lobes of giant radio galaxies. A compilation of the $u_{\rm e}$-size relation for the IC-detected radio galaxies implies that the west lobe of 3C 236 is still actively energized by its jet.


The application state of surface evaporation air cooler in the metallurgical industry was introduced,specific application examples indicates that the heat transfer equipment has more advantages than others,both saving field area operating costs.This equipment incorporates water-cooled and air-cooled,heat and mass transfer process,process of heat transfer includes latent heat transfer and distinct heat transfer,heat transfer efficiency was greatly enhanced.


The detachment and the transport of the sediments on the slope soil surface are caused by the water in the many cases, rain spray or dispersion or concentrated water rills. The development of these mechanical processes is also influenced by the factors which can be modified by the human intervention. In aim to disproof the slope soil erosion are necessary a lot of anti-erosion actions, for example the retention or conducted evacuation of the water. There is well known the location of the row crops oriented along of the level curve of the slope, but these actions are not enough for a good reducing of the erosion phenomena. For this reason is proposed another procedure, which made a soil profiling shapes. This procedure is applied using farm machinery which can profile the slope soil in the necessary shapes: billons between the crop rows and billons on the crop rows, simultaneous which other agricultural operations. In this paper is shown an analysis of the soil crisping (soil transversal shape) influence about the soil erosion. There are used erosion mathematical models based on USLE original model, which is included in the complex
software programs.


ABSTRACT This paper presents a comparative analysis of Simon Schwartz's drüben! and Colleen Frakes's Prison Island, two graphic memoirs that thematise the significance of border crossing and the overcoming of boundaries for their children protagonists. drüben! and Prison Island are autobiographical graphic narratives that rely on the spatiality of the comics medium to narrate the characters' engagement with places that have changed after the original boundaries have shifted. While scholars have so far highlighted the pedagogical relevance of drüben! in relation to other narratives that visualise life in the GDR, my analysis aims at showing how Schwartz's work emphasises the relation between free movement and confinement in the process of identity formation. By positioning drüben! and Prison Island within the context of childhood autobiographical comics that rely on spatiality, this essay proposes a reading that brings these two works together beyond their national contexts. My reading focuses on how these two graphic narratives foreground space and transitional encounters in their storytelling. Via the analysis of how the protagonists' stories are visualised in the comics medium, I argue that characters' identities can be better understood in relation to the spaces they inhabit and the boundaries they overcome.


The FAA introduced an experimental aircraft operations program at JFK Airport called the Dynamic Preferential Runway System (DPRS) in the summer of 1971. The program is designed to distribute air traffic as equally as possible over the surrounding communities, to limit periods of continuous overflight and to vary the same hours of overflight from day to day. After a full year's operation, an evaluation was made of the system's effectiveness. All of the operation's goals were moderately achieved with the greatest relief in reduced overflight afforded the most heavily impacted areas. Few residents, however, were aware of DPRS or felt that it had greatly reduced annoyance or represented a major effort by the aircraft authorities. Statistical analyses of reported annoyance obtained from two independent surveys in 1969 and 1972 reveal limited reductions in annoyance in 1972, with shifts from reported high annoyance to moderate annoyance.


W hen students consider higher education, they often ask, "Where should I go to college?" Meanwhile departments ask, "Where do we find a more diverse faculty and student body?" These questions hint at how the nature of participation in higher education is fundamentally spatial and geographic. Where universities are, from where and how far their underrepresented students or faculty come, and the complex dynamics of their geographic context matter considerably. A predominant habit of thinking and speaking about "diversity" persists, however, and might be limiting our opportunities to increase the participation of underrepresented groups and promote greater inclusion in geography as well as higher education more broadly. The so-called pipeline principle—that is, building relationships among educational institutions serving students at different stages from grade school, middle school, secondary school, community colleges, undergraduate programs, and graduate programs to faculty—is fairly well understood as a framework for recruitment efforts. It continues to serve as the underlying metaphor characterizing the way we conceive broadening the participation of underrepresented groups in higher education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, health sciences, geosciences, law, biosciences, and education, as well as in private-sector professions (Thomson and Denk 1999; Tienda 2001; Chang 2002; Jackson 2003; Alfred et al. 2005; McCarty et al. 2005; Calleros 2007; Levine et al. 2007; Cullinane 2009; Hinton et al. 2010; Subotnik et al. 2010). Yet the pipeline metaphor glosses over how such relationships are geographically contingent, spatial in nature, or connected across scales. It essentially overlooks the importance of retention and institutional climate in efforts to enhance diversity and provide


Using rigorous coupled wave theory of sub-wavelength grating mode field distribution to discuss,through the phase matching equation to establish the relationship of order of diffraction,grating vector and the waveguide transmission constant,get the waveguide grating polarizing beam function corresponding to the design parameters for Bragg.We design a subwavelength polarization the beam splitter according to the good reflection characteristics of reflective layer.In order to improve the grating coupling efficiency,increase in basal Bragg reflective layer,the polarizing beam splitter for reflecting light transmitted,and the input optical coherent superposition,satisfy phase matching conditions for coupling the output,so that the coupling efficiency is greatly increased.


In order to reduce the effects caused by complex environments and ambient light conditions, a fast, robust and effective obstacles detection method of vehicles based on image analysis of multi-feature is proposed. Firstly, regions of interest (ROI) which contain lanes, vehicles and few parts of interference background are extracted in the input image by detecting gradient feature in rows. Secondly, color segmentation is tackled in YCrCb image to reduce illumination effect. Then, lanes are detected in segmented image by Line Segment Detector (LSD) to obtain the accurate detected regions of obstacles. At last, Obstacles are detected based on an adaptive threshold. The experiment proves that the proposed method can detect obstacles with small calculating amount, high accuracy and robustness. It is suitable in practical engineering.


Information sharing among heterogeneous databases requires increasing attention and poses a pressing need. Successful protection of information by an effective access control mechanism is a basic requirement for interoperation among heterogeneous data sources. However, most existing work on access control focuses on access control model and security related information, little effort is devoted to exploring access control on the semantic-related heterogeneous databases. No current work resolves the security challenges faced by heterogeneous databases, i.e., context-aware authorization, semantic heterogeneity of databases and policy specification at different points. This paper proposes a mediation security system that secures the information sharing among heterogeneous databases with the promise to meet the above requirements. The proposed system models the flexible access control requirements specific to mediation security while providing uniform access for heterogeneous data sources.


Abstract The characteristics of sol-gel transition of a mixture made by mixing two kinds of gelling agents of different nature, i.e. gelatin and carrageenan were examined. The sample solutions consisted of 3.00 wt % gelatin solution, 1.00 wt % κ-carrageenan solution and 4.00 wt% mixed solution which was prepared by mixing the said gelatin and carrageenan solutions in the ratio 3:1. In the experiment, the optical rotation and the dynamic viscoelasticity were measured under the same temperature change program. As the sample solutions were cooled, the carrageenan solution started to show a change in the specific rotation in the first place, followed by the mixed solution and finally the gelatin solution. The gelatin and the mixed solutions had the same increasing tendency in the specific rotation, whereas the carrageenan solution changed a little. When the mixed solution was chilled to set, it turned into a highly elastic gel. In the mixed solution, the gelation of carrageenan was found to precede that of gelatin.


The challenges of learning statistics, particularly distributions and their characteristics, can be potentially monumental for vision impaired and blind students. The authors provide some practical advice for teaching these students.


Among all the constructive elements in waste containment systems (e.g. sanitary and industrial landfills and waste ponds), liners and cover systems have been seen as the greatest concern. In Brazil, the use of compacted lateritic soil for this purpose is widely accepted, due to the great occurrence of this type of soil. At the same time, the proposal of using compacted mixtures of lateritic soil and bentonite for decreasing hydraulic conductivity seems to be attractive. Besides this parameter, the compatibility between the mixture and the leachate (waste liquid) must be addressed. However, few studies were found dealing at the same time with geotechnical and chemical aspects of these mixtures for liner systems. This dissertation presents a geotechnical and geochemical evaluation of two mixtures of a typical lateritic soils and bentonite for liner usage purpose. The proportions used were 3 and 6% (dry weight). Conventional geotechnical characterization was performed, along with mineralogical and physical-chemical characterization. The hydraulic conductivity was evaluated through rigid and flexible wall permeameters. The compatibility between the soil and different chemical solutions was also assessed. The characterization results showed that, as opposed to what was expected, the clay content of the mixtures decreased when related to the natural soil sample. On the other hand, the plasticity greatly increased in the mixture samples. In terms of hydraulic conductivity, only the mixture with 6% of bentonite showed some significant decreasing in this parameter. The results also demonstrated that the bentonite addition improved the compatibility between the compacted mixtures and the chemical solutions tested. Finally, the mixture 6% (dry weight) is suggested for reducing the K parameter of this lateritic soil.


The pratima thievery in Bali has become more frequently occured recently, and the solving process of the case is only using the Indonesia's formal criminal law with inadequate recognition to the criminal adat law as consideration. How the perspective of criminal adat law in the case of pratima thievery is significantly needed, to give the best consideration when it comes to the time of judiciary judgement. The method which is used in this paper is normative method, because norm conflict occurs when punishment in given. The discussion about pratima thievery can be studied from comparing the formal criminal law with criminal adat law in each region/villages. The criminal adat law oriented in a perspective which has purpose in the sanction given to the suspected, that it is not only giving detterent effect but also returning the cosmos balance within society.


1. Perry A, Miller CR, Gujrati M, et al. Malignant gliomas with primitive neuroectodermal tumour-like components: a clinicopathologic and genetic study of 53 cases. Brain Pathol 2009; 19: 81–90. 2. Kaplan KJ, Perry A. Gliosarcoma with primitive neuroectodermal differentiation: case report and review of the literature. J Neurooncol 2007; 83: 313–8. 3. Shibahara J, FukayamaM. Secondary glioblastomawith advanced neuronal immunophenotype. Virchows Arch 2005; 447: 665–8. 4. Yan H, Parsons DW, Jin G, et al. IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in gliomas. N Engl J Med 2009; 360: 765–73. 5. Capper D, Zentgraf H, Balss J, Hartmann C, von Deimling A. Monoclonal antibody specific for IDH1 R132H mutation. Acta Neuropathol 2009; 118: 599–601. 6. Balss J, Meyer J, Mueller W, Korshunov A, Hartmann C, von Deimling A. Analysis of the IDH1 codon 132 mutation in brain tumours. Acta Neuropathol 2008; 116: 597–602. 7. Gessi M, Setty P, Bisceglia M, et al. Supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumours of the central nervous system in adults: molecular and histopathologic analysis of 12 cases. Am J Surg Pathol 2011; 35: 573–82. 8. Behdad A, Perry A. Central nervous system primitive neuroectodermal tumours: a clinicopathologic and genetic study of 33 cases. Brain Pathol 2010; 20: 441–50. 9. Okada Y, Hurwitz EE, Esposito JM, Brower MA, Nutt CL, Louis DN. Selection pressures of TP53 mutation and microenvironmental location influence epidermal growth factor receptor gene amplification in human glioblastomas. Cancer Res 2003; 63: 413–6. 10. Perry A, Aldape KD, George DH, Burger PC. Small cell astrocytoma: an aggressive variant that is clinicopathologically and genetically distinct from anaplastic oligodendroglioma. Cancer 2004; 101: 2318–26. 11. Burger PC, Scheithauer BW, editors. Tumours of the Central Nervous System. Washington DC: American Registry of Pathology, 2007. 12. Louis D, Ohgaki H, Wiestler O, Cavanee W, editors. World Health Organization Classification of Tumours; Pathology and Genetics of Tumours of the Central Nervous System. 4th ed. Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 2007.


Emiliano Ranocchi The Polish Cyborg. A Reflection on the Relationship between Man and Machine in Early Polish Modernism Far from being enthusiastic "modernolatry" of Italian futurism, Polish futurism demonstrates an attitude of ambivalence toward modernity. This is particularly evident in the Polish approach to that very synecdoche of modernity which is the machine. In his essay of 1923, the leader of the group, Bruno Jasieński, compares the fetishistic cult of the machine, which characterizes the Italian approach, with the utilitarian one of the Russians, exemplified by a quote from Majakovskij. To these two propositions, as a sort of Hegelian synthesis, he adds a Polish one consisting in the conception of the machine as a prosthesis, a continuation of the human body. Thereby he introduces an idea later known as "cyborg". The category of cyborg is also useful to understand the work of another today almost forgotten Polish writer of the Twenties, Jerzy Sosnkowski. He was the author of a short novel, A Car, You and Me (Love of Machines), in which a whole chapter concerns the chief character's dystopian nightmare wherein machines take control over the world. The third section of the essay deals with the idea of man a machine – an old, 18th century conception, which became actual anew in the 20th century and whose traces we can find among others in a well-known poem by Tytus Czyżewski. Thirty years before N. Wiener, Polish modernists seem to have sensed the social, political and anthropological implications of the mechanization of work.


BACKGROUND
 Post-operative period is crucial for the initiation of healing and prevention of complications after any surgical procedure. Due to the factors such as compliance, comprehension, retention of instructions, and other unaccounted factors, the objectives of post-operative care become unsuccessful at times. Therefore an android-based mHealth app "ExoDont" was developed to ensure a smooth post-operative period for the patients after a dental extraction. "ExoDont" app delivers reminders for post-operative instructions and drug intake at defined intervals thus fostering self-reliance in patients for their prescribed dose of medication.

 OBJECTIVE
 To design, develop and validate "ExoDont" – an innovative software application for improved adherence to postoperative instructions after tooth extraction.

 METHODS
 Post-operative treatment protocol was developed by a team of oral and maxillofacial surgeons and general dentists, following which the clinical and technological requirements of the app were determined along with the software engineers, graphic designers and applications architect in the team. "ExoDont was developed to provide timely reminders for medication and postoperative care. The app was field-tested and validated using the uMARS scale.

 RESULTS
 The "ExoDont" software design was divided into three-level architecture comprising User Interface Application, Logical Layer, and Database layer. The software architecture consists of an android-based "ExoDont" app for patients and a web version of the Admin panel. The testing and validation of the app demonstrated the highest mean score of 4.6(0.5)for Perceived Impact and the lowest mean score of 3.5(0.8)for Engagement of the "ExoDont" app.

 CONCLUSIONS
 The testing and validation of the app support the usability, functionality, and impact of the app on the users. "ExoDont" app has been designed, keeping the welfare of patients in view, in a user-friendly manner that will help patients adhere to the prescribed drug regimen and ensure easy and efficient dissemination of post-operative instructions. It can help play an instrumental role in fostering compliance within the patients and significantly decrease the complication rate after a dental extraction.


. In order to accomplish task, map building is the key technology in mobile robotic control in unknown environment. In this paper, a mathematical model of map integration is established to solve multi-robot topological map integration problem. A new method which was a combination of the classical ICP (Iterative Closest Point) algorithm and the singular value decomposition (SVD) algorithm was used. The simulation results showed that the ICP-SVD image registration algorithm applied to the topology map fusion made the algorithm implementation become more simple. What more, the model also reduced time consuming, and the matching results were better.


The study was conducted during the period 2011 – 2013 at the Experimental Station of Agriculture – Khan Krum. Studied are eight cultivars of nectarines engrafted of the seed rootstock (Elbert) and clonal GF – 677. The object of study is the following cultivars Aureliogrand, Sunfriy, Big top, Gergana, Wineberger, Nectagrand 2, Caldesi 2000, independence. Analysis of the yield data indicate that proven to high test yield characterize Independence/GF – 677, Wineberger/GF – 677, Caldesi 2000/ GF – 677 and Nectagrand 2/GF – 677 (10.7 to 13.9 kg per tree). The cultivars of rootstocks GF – 677 form more mixed, wood, color, bouquet and before temporary branches of the first order of those on seminal rootstocks.


The research outlined above resulted from a collaborative effort with Professor K. Brocklehurst at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London. I thank Professor Brocklehurst, Dr. Caroline S. Jackson, Dr. Mark Searcey, and other members of our research groups involved in the above investigations. I also thank Therapeutic Antibodies Inc. and the Wellcome Trust for financial support. I090


In this article I briefly describe the cognitive neuroscience and learning theory of suffering as the basis for an effective Cognitive-Behavioral intervention. The reader is introduced to concepts of Nondual Medicine. This article also touches on the evolution of the work of Dr. O. Carl Simonton, a radiation oncologist and the pioneer of mind-body oncology, in addressing physical, emotional, spiritual and existential suffering in cancer patients and their loved ones. Some of the presented material is hard science, some is hypothesis and theory. Some material is a new (but timeless) paradigm going beyond words and conceptual knowledge, something that needs to be experienced but points beyond both that experience and the experiencer, to what I've named here nonduality and unconditioned awareness. The Case Jason was a 38-year-old neurosurgeon with a relapse of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia and was in the third week of a bone marrow transplant. He was exhausted physically, emotionally and spiritually. The diagnosis of malignancy was for him (like for most) an existential shock. Chemotherapy was a challenge and – despite an initial relatively good prognosis – he recently learned that the disease had come back. Bone marrow transplant was his chance for a cure but it also had significant risks. Still, he was considered "lucky" that, despite his complex ethnic background, relatively quickly a matching donor was found. Now he was isolated in his room to avoid the risk of infection because his own immunity was practically non-existent until the new marrow engrafted and started production. He missed his children, didn't have energy to read, was tired of TV and just a few moments ago he exploded with anger at a young oncology fellow who was checking on him and "dared" to put her stethoscope on his night stand. The staff sympathized with him; they understood that the young doctor had made a "terrible" mistake. They found the patient's response absolutely justified in the face of the young doctor's "rude and insensitive" behavior. They had been coached by the hospital psychologist to accept that the surface of that nightstand was the only thing the patient could still control and therefore should be protected. The entire staff empathized with the patient, who gradually was losing control of more and more things in his life: his profession, his family, and eventually also his own bodily functions. The staff understood the imperative to keep the few pictures and personal items he had on the night stand in the exact order that was significant for him. They all understood that the source of his suffering was his inability to control his life. The idea that his need for control and insistence in asserting it was the source of his suffering sounded heretical. This heresy, however, was the only avenue for Jason to free himself from suffering at that time.


An integrated fixed‐film activated sludge (IFFAS) process with four media cells is operating in parallel with a conventional activated sludge (CAS) train at Lakeview Wastewater Treatment Plant (Ontario, Canada). During winter 2007, an intensive sampling campaign was conducted to monitor the temporal and spatial variations of the nitrification capacity within the two plug‐flow reactors. At the beginning of the six‐week study, the CAS train was partially nitrifying, whereas the IFFAS train was nitrifying completely using the first two IFFAS cells only. Within one week, the CAS train lost nitrification because of a drop in solids retention time and pH caused by the onset of iron overdosing. When the IFFAS train received an iron spike, the carriers at the injection point (first cell) became iron‐coated and lost 80% of their nitrification capacity. However, this train maintained its total nitrification capacity using the reserve capacity in the three remaining cells.


Professor Hideki Yokoi, Department of Electronic Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan, is focused on developing a magneto-optical waveguide with a semiconductor waveguide layer. He and his team are using wafer bonding technology and a new film forming method called the
 supersonic free jet PVD method to create an optical waveguide with an arbitrary layer structure. The research of Yokoi and the team is paving the way for the possibility to easily manufacture an optical waveguide of any layer structure, which will lead to the development of magneto-optical
 waveguides for optical nonreciprocal elements, optical integrated circuits that will integrate the optical elements with various functions, and optoelectronic integrated circuits. In addition, by replacing electrical wiring with optical wiring, there will be a suppression of heat loss and
 reduction of power consumption, reaping environmental benefits. Yokoi and the team are working alongside the International Research Centre for Green Electronics (IRCGE), which aims to contribute to green innovation. Ultimately, Yokoi hopes his findings will have benefits that will expand beyond
 the field of optical communications, including a positive environmental impact through reduced power consumption.


Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) is the most common cause of rhinitis. It is caused by environmental allergies and is characterized by an itching or running of nose, sneezing, and nasal congestion. Rupatadine is a novel drug which exhibits both anti-histaminic and antiPAF effects through its interaction with specific receptors. Rupatadine is a once daily, selective, non-sedative has a good safety profile and tolerability at the doseof 10mg/day and is devoid of arrythmogenic effects. Levocetirizine is a selective non-sedative H1 receptor antagonist which causes QT interval prolongation leading to cardiac arrhythmias. Montelukast is an orally active, highly selective leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) that inhibits the cysteinyl leukotriene receptors. It is administered once daily orally in Combination with Rupatadine and Levocetirizine to improve efficacy of treatment and quality of life of patient because of its selective action. The present study was undertaken to compare the efficacy and safety of a combination of Rupatadine with Montelukast and Levocetirizine with Montelukast in the treatment of seasonal allergicrhinitis. Efficacy of treatment with Rupatadine and Montelukast combination shows better results than Levocetirizine and Montelukast combination in reducing ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) score, TNSS (Total Nasal Symptom Score) value, AEC (Absolute Eosinophil Count) values and TLC (Total Leukocyte Count) values with 2 weeks of treatment. The study concluded that Rupatadine and Montelukast is a better choice in seasonal allergic rhinitis compared with Levocetirizine and Montelukast combination owing to its better efficacy and safety profile.


Over the last few decades the concept of equal opportunities has imperceptibly shifted from being a struggle for equality in its initial position to being a struggle for equality in its nal position, aimed at a balance of an ideal 50 per cent to the so-called 'under-represented sex'. In aiming to achieve a 'gender balance' between the two sexes in national and EU commission politics the struggle has become one of gender representation on behalf of women as a group. A notable shift has thus taken place from the initial idea of enlightened modernity about the inviolability of the individual to the inviolability of a collective sex and the right to a speci c share of positions at the elite level.


In-Memory computing has drawn many attentions as a promising solution to reduce massive power hungry data traffic between computing and memory units, leading to significant improvement of entire system performance and energy efficiency. Emerging spintronic device based non-volatile memory is becoming a next-generation universal memory candidate due to its non-volatility, zero leakage power in un-accessed bit-cell, high integration density, excellent endurance and compatibility with CMOS fabrication technology. In this paper, we present that different spintronic devices based memory, including spin-orbit torque magnetic random access memory (SOT-MRAM), domain wall motion memory, magnetic racetrack memory, could be leveraged to implement logic functions within memory without add-on logic circuits. As a case study, we employ Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm to elucidate the efficiency of such in-memory computing based on spintronic memory.


This paper shows how has been applied ISO-25964 standard to represent the UNESCO thesaurus through semantic web technologies. Based on the works done by the UNESKOS project, has been analyzed the joint use of SKOS and ISO THES ontologies to represent thesauri according to the datamodel of the ISO-25964 standard. The result has been an RDF dataset, accessible as Linked Open Data, using SKOS and ISO-THES with the properties of a vocabulary developed in the context of UNESKOS project. The conclusions point, among other aspects, a review of SKOS and adoption of appropriate technologies that facilitate the development of future works and research lines focused on the alignment of vocabularies


IN THE FIFTH MEDITATION, after presenting his a priori argument for the existence of God, Descartes compares the certainty of his conclusion with the c~rtainty of conclusions of mathematical demonstrations. In stating the view that Descartes expresses here, I shall use letters: D for the conclusion of his a priori argument, ttamely, that there is a God, and R for an example that he gives of a conclusion that he has reached in mathematics, that is, the proposition that the three angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles. Concerning the certainty of D and R, he maintains in the Fifth Meditation that he is as certain of D as of "anything else that seems most certain," implying that D is for him as cea-tain as R; and he goes on to make what is clearly intended to be a stronger claim:


Anxiety disorders continue to be a major mental health problem among Hispanic youth. A greater understanding of particular risk factors among this at-risk population may assist school health professionals in developing psychosocial interventions designed to mitigate this growing problem. The present study evaluated a variety of school factors related to anxiety among a national sample of Hispanic youth in the US. A secondary analysis of the 2016 National Children's Health Survey was conducted. A total of 2,138 of Hispanic adolescents aged 12- to 17-years-old participated in the study. A sizeable percentage (10.9%) of Hispanic youth reported anxiety. Results from the final multivariate regression model indicated that bullying others or excluding them, being bullied or excluded by others, not doing all required homework, and school contact to parents about their child's behavior were all significant risk factors for anxiety among Hispanic adolescents in the US. These risk factors should be considered when planning school health and psychology interventions for Hispanic adolescents in the US.


The odderon intercept $ \alpha $ is recalculated by the variational method based on conformal invariance. The final result is $\alpha=1-0.339 \alpha_s N/\pi$ in contrast to the published value above unity.


Method: This study was carried out to elucidate Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) prevalence and their Rifampicin resistance among patients of Ayub teaching hospital and nearby districts in Hazara division of Pakistan from July 2017 to September 2019. Total 276 clinical samples were collected (both respiratory and non-respiratory) and screened by Zeihl-Neelsen (ZN) staining initially for the presence of Acid-Fast bacilli (AFB). Samples were further subjected to GeneXpert assay for detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and Rifampicin resistance.


This paper shows a control technique that combine instantaneous linearization and neural networks, a controllers is fit from a linear model, the model is obtained for every sample time by an artificial neural network ( ANN ) trained with a direct model. The technique is probed with simulated double effect evaporator.


Planet Mercury is both difficult to observe and difficult to reach by spacecraft. Just one spacecraft, Mariner 10, flew by the planet 30 years ago. An upcoming NASA mission, MESSENGER, will be launched this year and will go into orbit around Mercury at the end of this decade. A European mission is planned for the following decade. It's worth going there because Mercury is a strange body and the history of planetary exploration has taught us that strangeness gives us insight into planetary origin and evolution.

Mercury is intrinsically the densest of the planets and it must be iron-rich. Perhaps not coincidentally it has a significant magnetic field, which may mean that it can generate a field, much as Earth generates a field. Yet Mercury is small; it has an old, heavily cratered surface, and very little atmosphere. It also has unusual spectroscopic and radar characteristics. We understand it far less well than any other planet inward of Uranus.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the association of plasma level of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) with Framingham risk score in type 2 diabetic patients without vascular diseases.

METHDOS
This cross-sectional study was conducted among type 2 diabetic patients without vascular diseases recruited from 3 affiliated hospitals of Southern Medical University between March, 2010 and May, 2011, with age- and gender-matched healthy individuals as the control group. The demographic data were collected from all the participants, and the biochemical indexes and plasma levels of AOPPs were examined. The risk of cardiovascular disease in 10 years was assessed for all the participants based on their Framingham risk scores.

RESULTS
A total of 112 diabetic patients and 49 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. The diabetic patients had significantly higher body mass index (BMI), blood glucose, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), plasma AOPPs and Framingham risk score but lower high-density lipoprotein level than the control subjects. Spearman correlation analysis showed that plasma level of AOPPs was positively correlated with the Framingham risk score (r=-0.44, P<0.001), and further multiple linear regression analysis suggested that plasma AOPPs level was independently correlated with the Framingham risk score (β0.305, P<0.001).

CONCLUSION
Type 2 diabetic patients without vascular diseases have significantly higher plasma levels of AOPPs and are at a greater risk of cardiovascular events in 10 years than healthy individuals. Plasma AOPPs are positively correlated with the Framingham risk score, suggesting the value of plasma AOPPs level in predicting the risk of cardiovascular events in these patients.


In escorting her daughter to wedding, Empress Dowager Zhao was most likely to begin wailing when her daughter made her farewell with her. At the moment, her daughter was sitting in a carriage, so she could not grasp her daughter's foot. Instead, her wailing was one by grabbing the Che Zhong.


Computing the visible portions of free-form surfaces from a given viewpoint is of great interest in many applications. It is closely related to the hidden surface removal problem in computer graphics and machining applications in manufacturing. Most of the earlier work has focused on discrete methods based on polygonization or ray-tracing, hidden curve removals and local visibility computations based on Gauss maps. In this paper we present an eecient and accurate algorithm for hidden surface and global visibility computations on free form surfaces. Given a viewpoint, it decomposes the domain of each surface based on silhouettes and boundary curves. To compute the exact visibility, we introduce a notion of \visibility curves" obtained by projection of silhouette and boundary curves and decomposing the surface into non-overlapping regions. These curves are computed using marching methods and we present techniques to compute all the components. The non-overlapping and visible portions of the surface are represented as trimmed surfaces and we present an eecient representation based on polygon trapezoidation algorithms. Given the non-overlapping regions, we use randomized algorithms for visibility computations from a given viewpoint. We demonstrate the performance of the algorithm on diierent models.


The present invention relates to a modified film-destructive peptide. The invention also relates to the use of a delivery complex and transfer the composite consisting of the modified film-destructive peptide. The modified film-destructive peptide is modified to form an oligomer of covalently attached.


One of the major challenges for vaccine producing companies is having favourable conditions for efficient expression system for living organisms in order to produce biologicals. Several companies across the globe looking for several alternative sources for better yield through efficient expression based system.


Brain computer interface spellers are facilitating disabled persons in reviving their social life. However, it has a big challenge ofperformance. Moreover, spelling is one of the earliest medical applications of brain computer interfacing (BCI). Researchers have developed numerous BCI-spellers in the past decade based on P300 event related potential (ERP), steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP), and motor imagery (MI). Therefore, this paper purports a review of the available BCIs, their virtues, challenges, current and future trends. Furthermore, it helps first hand users in picking out an appropriate speller and gives a good idea to new researchers by knowing imperfections in recent developed spellers.


When introduced in a 2018 article in the American Mathematical Monthly, the omega integral was shown to be an extension of the Riemann integral. Although results for continuous functions such as the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus follow immediately, a much more satisfying approach would be to provide direct proofs not relying on the Riemann integral. This note provides those proofs.


Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in Taiwan and is the main cause of disability globally [1]. Chiou stated that the
disability of patients with stroke is about 60% after one month, and about 50-55% for 3~6 months after stroke [2]. Yang, et al,
address most of the stroke people whose aged 65 and over are cared for at home, but the frequency of rehabilitation care for these
elderly is the lowest. Community-based care is another way to look after stroke patients in long-term condition. Currently, little
is known about community clinic care of stroke patients when the patients returned home from the hospital. The purpose of this
study is to analyze the patient data of a community clinic to understand the outcome of the care of stroke patients. A retrospective
study which reviewed the stroke patients' charts in a community clinic was adopted. Data were collected from 2011 to 2016.
389 patients' data were showed in this study. The result showed that the improvement of stroke patients in the upper limbs and
lower limbs is the most significant, and its progress can reach nearly 75~80%. Moreover, the slurred speech of this group can
be improved by about 20%. Although the symptoms of drooling and choking were also improved, the progress is about 10~15%.
This result indicates that the community clinic care may be another way to facilitate the progress of stroke patients after transition
from the hospital to the home.


Objective To compare the incidence rates of the complication of gastrointestinal tract between monitoring residual quantity of stomach group or not.Methods Ninty patients requiring mechanical ventilation and needing enteral nutrition support in ICU were randomized into observation group (n=48) and control group (n=42).The control group Was treated by traditional way and the observation group Was treated according to the" guidelines of nutritional support in critically ill patients (draft)" which was proposed in 2006.They were observed if the comphcations were happened.Results The incidence of the complications of enteral nutrition in observation group Was lower than that of control group obviously.Conclusions EN which is proposed by the "guidelines of nutritional support in critically ill patients (draft)" in 2006 is the best way for the critical ill patients needing enteral nutrition support in ICU and worth popularizing.

Key words:
ICU; Enteral nutrition; Monitoring the residual quantity of the stomach


 Abstract—Objective: With the changing trends in the new technologies and uncertainty in the market environment has really made the Indian companies competitive through new strategic initiatives faster than the competitors. In order for an organization to survive, business process transformation is not uncommon any more. Nevertheless, the transformation is a process fraught with risks. Meanwhile, there is a dilemma in business process management; namely, a firm's focus on productivity gains inhibited its flexibility and ability to innovate (Adler et al. 1999; Benner & Tushman, 2003). For instance, in the refractory industry, a firm's economic decline was directly associated with its efficiency and productivity conflicts. In essence, the existence of this dilemma is mainly due to inability of firms to pursue dual conflict objectives simultaneously. This kind of capability, which is termed as "ambidexterity" by Tushman and O'Reilly (1996), is getting increasingly crucial to market competition for a firm. Based on ambidexterity theory, developed an Ambidexterity Capability Model based on synergy of IT& Process, and test it with data from 72 firms in India, and further implications are discussed.


Abstract Differential speed rolling (DSR) was used to deform AZ31 Mg alloy samples at the two rolling temperatures of 473 and 573 K so as to investigate the effects of temperature on the microstructure and plastic anisotropy. The anisotropies in the mechanical properties of the deformed samples were examined by tension tests with respect to three directions (0°, 45°, and 90°) from the DSR deformation direction. A homogeneous and equiaxed microstructure with a mean grain size of ∼14 μm was achieved after DSR deformation at 573 K. Thus, anisotropic behaviour in the mechanical properties was mostly observed in the samples processed by DSR at 473 K. The maximum strength was observed in the 90° direction, and the elongation in the 45° direction was higher than those in other directions. A good combination of high elongation and strength together with the homogenous microstructure was attained on the sample deformed at 573 K.


Smart charging technology is one of the energy saving technologies, which reduces fuel consumption and emission effectively. However, the smart charging technology causes the abnormal situation of electrical appliances. Based on the principle of the smart charging system and the air conditioning blower control, the impact of smart charging technology on air conditioning blower control is analyzed. Then the optimizing methods were proposed based on the road test data. The optimization results indicate that, the effectiveness is obvious with the voltage fluctuation within 0.2 V, which meets the requirement of vehicle technical specification with the methods employed. The increased cost on vehicle is relatively small.


Credit risk is the most important financing risk to sci-tech enterprises, which causes financing difficulty. In view of this deficiency, this paper firstly analyzes the reasons for financing difficulties of sci-tech enterprises, then combined with the characteristics of sci-tech enterprises focus on innovation and R&D to select the index of credit risk. Finally, the logistic model is used to construct the credit risk evaluation model of sci-tech enterprises. The data of 111 science and technology listed companies were used as samples to carry on the empirical analysis and the test results show that the model has high accuracy and stability.


We present a topological degree theory for the nonlinear problem L(I − B)(x) = G(x) with applications to a class of boundary value problems of neutral equations, where L is an unbounded Fredholm operator of index zero, B is condensing and G is L-compact


Martin Luther is one of the most influential thinkers in the history of the Christian Church. 500 years ago this year, he published his 95 theses on indulgence, which launched one of the most remarkable revival movements in European history. Understanding the causes and significance of the events surrounding the Reformation remains relevant even today, Luther shared the Renaissance fascination with historical sources, becoming one of the sixteenth century's leading Christian experts on the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible. He had a keen interest in the people of the Bible as both historical and contemporary realities. The strange ambiguity in his writings on the Jews has made the topic "Luther and the Jews" a controversial and hotly debated issue, however. At the same time as exhibiting a respectful tolerance toward the Jewish people, he also shamelessly vilifies them, denigrating them with such a vehemence and rhetorical force that the Nazis enlisted him in support of their extreme antiSemitism. Is Luther's thinking concerning the Jews systematic? Or is he a Christian equally confused and angered by the consistent Jewish rejection of the gospel of Christ so that his writings on this topic are nothing but a haphazard collection of incoherent thoughts? This question is exacerbated by Luther's position within German, European, and ecclesiastical history. His personality looms large, even contemporary discussions of the relation between Jews and the more or less secularized Christian West, including the political issues of the Middle East, are colored by our understanding of Luther's position in relation to the Jews. In the following, I shall address Luther's most important writings on this topic in their historical context. How did Luther's predecessors and contemporaries view the Jews and what are the main characteristics of his early approach? What caused the apparent shift in his position? Did Luther's theological evaluation of the Jewish people change or do the strict measures against the Jews he promoted in his later years derive from other factors? Despite being aware of how our approach to this particular part of our past is shaped by more recent history, I shall not go beyond a discussion of the historical sources.


In the standard (classic) approach, galaxy clustering measurements from spectroscopic surveys are compressed into baryon acoustic oscillations and redshift space distortions measurements, which in turn can be compared to cosmological models. Recent works have shown that avoiding this intermediate step and fitting directly the full power spectrum signal (full modelling) leads to much tighter constraints on cosmological parameters. Here we show where this extra information is coming from and extend the classic approach with one additional effective parameter, such that it captures, effectively, the same amount of information as the full modelling approach, but in a model-independent way. We validate this new method (ShapeFit) on mock catalogs, and compare its performance to the full modelling approach finding both to deliver equivalent results. The ShapeFit extension of the classic approach promotes the standard analyses at the level of full modelling ones in terms of information content, with the advantages of i) being more model independent; ii) offering an understanding of the origin of the extra cosmological information; iii) allowing a robust control on the impact of observational systematics.


abstract:Milton famously claims that in Paradise Lost he will "assert eternal providence, / And justify the ways of God to men." Does he succeed? This article argues that Milton's epic, by the criteria of Immanuel Kant, for whom Milton was an immensely influential predecessor, inevitably fails as a philosophical theodicy. On the other hand, the article argues that Paradise Lost succeeds as a narrative of a fall that readers can experience as free rather than determined, and moreover that it succeeds as an example of what Kant termed "authentic theodicy."


A wideband circularly polarized (CP) annular-ring patch antenna with two proximity-coupled L-probe feeds orientated to have phases of 0deg and 90deg, using a broadband 90deg hybrid feed, is proposed. It is found that the current distribution for CP operation can be improved by cutting a smaller concentric circular slot on the original larger circular patch to form an annular-ring patch. With such an arrangement, the proposed antenna delivers a wider axial ratio (AR) bandwidth than that of the conventional circular patch with the identical feeding technique. Considering the common overlapped bandwidth limited by the impedance, AR and gain, the proposed annular-ring patch antenna exhibits an effective bandwidth of 38% from 1.5 to 2.2 GHz, which is wider than the corresponding bandwidth of 29.7% from 1.35 to 1.82 GHz for the conventional circular patch. Moreover, the effective bandwidth of 38% for the proposed annular-ring antenna is also much wider than those for the other annular-ring patch antennas in the literature.


Chen Duxiu criticized the pre-modernity of traditional culture by the idea of science,democracy and freedom.He established the way of constructing new culture in the direction of Marxist.His literature research provided the foundation for the Sinicization of Marxism.


Simple and convenient tests to clarify the deterioration characteristics of soft rocks were practiced. After discussing the correlations of testing results, 6 items are selected to evaluate the swelling potential. They are clay and silt-clay contents in the mechanical analysis of soil, the plasticity index, the amount of absorbed water in simple absorbing tests, the degree in simple collapse tests in water, and the montmorillonite content by means of the X-ray reflection method. It is found that the composite estimation of the swelling potential and the mechanical property of sampled rocks show good correspondence with the tendency of the actual earth pressure behaviors in tunneling sites.


The statistic results for a digital terrain model are presented that closely match measurements for 77% of the 189 possible combinations of 7 radar bands, 3 polarizations, and 9 terrain types. The model produces realistic backscatter coefficient values for the scenarios over all incidence angles from normal to grazing. The generator was created using measured data sets reported in the Handbook of Radar Scattering Statistics for Terrain covering L, C, S, X, Ka, Ku, and W frequency bands; HH, HV, and VV polarizations; and soil and rock, shrub, tree, short vegetation, grass, dry snow, wet snow, road surface, and urban area terrain types. The first two statistical moments match published values precisely, and a Chi-Square histogram test failed to reject the generator at a 95% confidence level for the 146 terrain models implemented. A Sea State model provides the grazing angle extension for predictions beyond the available measurements. This work will contain a comprehensive set of plots of mean and standard deviation versus incidence angle.


In this study, basic research was carried out to improve the absorption rate which is a problem in increasing the recycling rate of recycled fine aggregate and to improve the usability as concrete aggregate. It was confirmed that the absorption rate of the recycled aggregate measured after immersing in the microbial culture solution for the purpose of improving the absorption rate of the circulating fine aggregate for concrete was decreased. However, further studies such as improvement of microbial culture are required to satisfy KS standards.


Abstract Twenty pollen species recovered from auger samples of an isolated pod of sediment within the Piedmont Province of Meriwether County, Georgia, indicate a late Paleocene (early Sabinian) age for the deposit. The age assignment is based on the concurrent ranges of the species as they occur in the Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plains. No dinoflagellate cysts or acritarchs were observed in the samples examined, and their absence supports stratigraphic and sedimentologic evidence for a nonmarine origin of the sediments. The sediments have been protected from erosion by faulting along the southern margin of the basin containing them. The structural relationships and the Paleocene age for the deposit provide evidence of Cenozoic tectonic activity within the Piedmont Province of Georgia. Regional stratigraphic and sedimentologic evidence suggests that the deposit was probably a northward extension of the bauxite districts of Andersonville, Georgia, and Eufaula, Alabama. Illustrations of the twenty biostratigr...


BACKGROUND
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract localized mostly in the upper or medial part of the digestion tract.

CASE
A colonic GIST in a young woman extended to the pelvis, giving the impression of an ovarian tumor.

CONCLUSION
In the case of a pelvic mass, especially if other unusual anamnestic data and signs are present, the possibility of other than a gynecologic tumor has to be considered. Every effort should be made to identify the origin of the tumor and related anatomic structures, especially the ovaries.


In this paper, we consider an initial boundary value problem to screw pinch, which is one of important models in modern study of plasma. By virtue of delicate global priori estimates, we prove the global existence of strong solutions for screw pinch with cylindrically symmetric initial data. The initial data may be large and vacuum.


The invention relates to a bifunctional acrylate monomer obtained via photopolymerization and a preparation method thereof. Structural formula of the bifunctional acrylate monomer is represented by a formula in the invention. According to the preparation method, polyethylene glycol octylphenol ether, epoxy chloropropane, and acrylic acid are taken as raw materials; at alkaline conditions, polyethylene glycol octylphenol ether and epoxy chloropropane are reacted so as to obtain an intermediate product; the intermediate product is subjected to appropriate processing, and then is subjected to ring opening esterification with acrylic acid so as to obtain an object product; size shrinkage of the bifunctional acrylate monomer in polymerization is low; the two ends of the bifunctional acrylate monomer are connected with hydroxy groups, so that the bifunctional acrylate monomer possesses certain hydrophilic performance; product volatility is lowered; adhesive force is relatively high; and the bifunctional acrylate monomer can be widely used for fields such as painting and adhesive. Raw material cost of the preparation method is low; reaction steps are few; preparation period is short; operation is simple; controlling is convenient; by products are few; complex waste water processing is not necessary; and the preparation method is more suitable for industrial production.


To be allowed to sell Z-suspended vehicles with dipped beam Xenon or LED lighting, Scania have to develop automatic headlight level control. This master's thesis aims to be the foundation to that d ...


Abstract : The purpose of the inventory is to determine in detail what topics have been or are being investigated for the world's deserts, to appraise the reported work, and to disclose areas of study where further work is needed. The series of chapters does not attempt to recapitulate all information known about the deserts of the world, but rather comprises a compendium-guidebook to past and present research. It is based upon a critical review of the published literature augmented by consultations with specialists.


Electromagnetic stirring is an effective technique of improving the solidification structure and mechanical properties during continuous casting,because there is a notably effect of the flow on the density,segregation and inclusion of molten metal. In order to better understand the molten metal flow, the analysis software-ANSYS is used to simulate the 3D couple field of electromagnetic field and flow field for the self-developed rotating electromagnetic stirring equipment. The pure aluminum,tin and lead are used for both of experiment and simulation. The following results are obtained: 1) The magnetic induction intensity of liquid metal surface (B0) is in inversely proportional to the current frequency and is proportional to the input volt/current. 2) The maximum electromagnetic force is directly proportional to the square of magnetic induction intensity (B0) and the nth-power of current frequency decreases with the increase of the electric resistance of molten metal and changes from 1/2 to 3/2. The n is 1/2 for aluminum metal and 1 for tin metal and lead metal. 3) The rotating velocity of molten metal is directly proportional to the magnetic induction intensity(B0) and is in inversely proportional to the square root of the density of molten metal. The viscosity of molten metal has little effect on the rotating velocity. The above results are consistent with experiment results, which prove the credibility of simulate results.


Objective To investigate the relationship between the levels of total serum IgE and IL-4 in patients with seasonal contact dermatitis. Methods Total serum IgE was tested by immunoradiometric assay(IRMA) in 29 cases of seasonal contact dermatitis, 35 cases of allergic contact dermatitis and 24 cases of healthy controls. Production of IL-4 was detected by ELISA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultured with PHA for 48 hours. Results The levels of IL-4 secreted by PBMC and total serum IgE were significantly higher in patient with seasonal contact dermatitis than those in control group (P 0.01 and P 0.01, respectively) . Significant positive correlation was noticed between the levels of IL-4 and total serum IgE (r=0.96,P 0.001). Conclusion The immunopathology of seasonal contact dermatitis might differ from that of non seasonal contact dermatitis. The increased level of total serum IgE might be associated with the increased IL-4 secretion.


2. STA-1W: Stormwater Treatment Area 1 West (STA-1W) subsumed the Everglades Nutrient Removal (ENR) Project in April 1999; the ENR project had served as the prototype STA and had been in operation since 1994. After 10 years of operation this STA continued to have only low concentrations of both total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in surface water, and consistently exhibited a negative percent change in both THg and MeHg (i.e., concentrations in the outflows were consistently lower than in the inflow). Furthermore, MeHg biomagnification in resident large-bodied fishes (e.g., sunfish and largemouth bass) has remained relatively constant over the monitoring period at levels almost an order of magnitude lower than observed in fishes from the downstream Everglades. Hg levels in fish at this STA do not appear to pose a threat to fish-eating wildlife based on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) predator protection criteria.


When people get low back pain (LBP), it is not always evident when to see a general practitioner (GP) or physiotherapist, or to perform self-care. A direct correct referral is essential for effective treatment to prevent the development of chronic LBP the utmost. In the context of designing a tool that is able to provide a referral advice to a patient, 63 healthcare professionals (GPs and physiotherapists) participated in a vignette study. They had to judge 32 LBP cases on 1. see a general practitioner, 2. see a physiotherapist, and 3. perform self-care. In total, 1288 vignettes were judged. Multinomial regression analysis showed that Weight Loss, Trauma, and Nocturnal Pain are the three most significant predictive variables. A decision tree was generated that showed the same conclusion. This decision tree is the basis to build a tool that provides personalized referral advice to patients with LBP from the very beginning.


An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine with several combustion chambers, in which a gas exchange is discontinuous vornehmbar, wherein from the combustion chambers abgefuhrtes exhaust gas in at least two primary exhaust pipes (2, 3) can be guided, wherein a first main exhaust pipe (2), a first crosstalk path (4) and a second main exhaust pipe (3) a second crosstalk path (5) are associated, wherein between the first crosstalk path (4) and the first main exhaust pipe (2) at least a first crosstalk opening (2b) and between the second crosstalk path (5) and the second main exhaust pipe (3) at least one second crosstalk opening (3b) are provided, and between the first crosstalk path (4) and the second crosstalk path (5) a third cross-talk path (6) is provided with the first cross-talk path (4) via at least a third crosstalk opening (7f, 8a) and with the second crosstalk path (5) via at least one vie rte crosstalk opening (7g, 9a) is connected such that sound waves through this cross-talk paths (4, 5, 6) between the main exhaust pipes (2, 3) can run, wherein the third cross-talk path (6) substantially spatially parallel to ...


High precision time synchronization is the important condition to ensure the system-reliabity,security,precision,real-time in the network of WIA-PA when based on TDMA. It presented a time synchronization algorithm oriented WIA-PA by analyzing the characteristics of WIA-PA and several existing time synchronization protocols. This algorithm introduced Delay time synchronization algorithm based on the one-way time synchronization of WIA-PA,then we proved it by modifying the timestamp position and joining the linear regression compensation,and made it less affected by uncertainty. Finally,it is achieved on CC2530. As a result,The time synchronization algorithm can achieve a higher time synchronization precise in the content of WIA-PA.


Synopsis: Classical Optimisation Techniques, Optimisation and Inequalities, Numerical Methods of Optimisation, Linear Programming Techniques, Non-linear Programming Techniques, Dynamic Programming Methods, Variational Methods, Stochastic Approximation Procedures, Optimisation in Simulation, Optimisation in Function Spaces Classical Optimisation Techniques: Preliminaries, Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for an Extremum, Constrained Optimisation - Lagrange Multipliers, Statistical Applications Optimisation and Inequalities: Classical Inequalities, Matrix Inequalities, Applications Numerical Methods of Optimisation: Numerical Evaluation of Roots of Equations, Direct Search Methods, Gradient Methods, Convergence of Numerical Procedures, Non-linear Regression and Other Statistical Algorithms Linear Programming Techniques: Linear Programming Problem, Standard Form of the Linear Programming Problem, Simplex Method, Karmarkar's Algorithm, Zero-Sum Two Person Finite-Games and Linear Programming, Integer Programming, Statistical Applications Non-linear Programming Methods: Statistical Examples, Kuhn-Tucker Conditions, Quadratic Programming, Convex Programming, Applications, Statistical Control of Optimisation, Stochastic Programming, Geometric Programming Dynamic Programming Methods: Regulation and Control, Functional Equation and Principles of Optimality, Dynamic Programming and Approximation, Patent Care through Dynamic Programming, Pontryagin Maximum Principle, Miscellaneous Applications Variational Methods: Statistical Applications, Euler-Lagrange Equations, Neyman-Pearson Technique, Robust Statistics and Variational Methods, Penalised Maximum Likelihood Estimates Stochastic Approximation Procedures: Robbins-Monro Procedure, General Case, Kiefer-Wolfowitz Procedure, Applications, Stochastic Approximation and Filtering Optimisation in Simulation: Optimisation Criteria, Optimality of Regression Experiments, Response Surface Methods, Miscellaneous Stochastic Methods, Application Optimisation in Function Spaces: Preliminaries, Optimisation Results, Splines in Statistics, Chapter Exercises, Bibliography Index.


This paper deals with studying the behaviour of Time Petri nets in a discrete way. It is shown that although a continuous time model is used here, only a few time points are important for the determination the behaviour of the net. The computation of the boundedness is shown as a recursive-enumerative process. Qu alitative and quantitative analysis can be done using only the essential states of the net.


A methodofpermanently recording microbiological assays inwhichasubstance diffusing in agarismeasured canbeuseful inclinical and research microbiology laboratories (3). Although direct measurements ofassayplates, suchas those usedtodetermine antibiotic druglevels or toquantitate immunoglobulins, aregenerally performed (1), permanent recordings ofthese assays provide datathat canbemeasured atthe convenience oftheinvestigator andrechecked if necessary. Furthermore, theserecords permit documentation ofresults notnotedatthetime ofassay inaformsuitable forpublication (4). Although cameras andphotocopying machines havebeenusedforrecording assays, these techniques areexpensive andrequire ready access to special equipment (3). Moreover, since bothuse optical lens systems whichcancause imagedistortion, theaccuracy ofthese procedures maybe unacceptable inclinical andresearch settings. Aninexpensive photogram technique wasdevelopedinwhichaccuracy, whencompared with direct measurement, wasnotcompromised. A photogram isaformofcontact printing inwhich anobject isplaced directly onphotographic paper andexposed tolight. Adirect image ofthe object isreproduced. Thisprocess doesnotrequire special skills orphotographic equipment (2). Theaccuracy ofdirect measurement wascompared withthatofmeasurement fromaphotogrambyusing astandard microbiological antibiotic blood level assay inagarasamodel(1). Petri plates (100-mmdiameter) containing approximately 105colony-forming units ofStaphylococcus epidermidis permlofagarwerestudied. Sixwells, each4mm indiameter, weremade instreptomycin assay agar(BBLMicrobiology Systems) in10plates. Samples (20[leach) of standard solutions ofgentamicin (Schering Laboratories) containing 2.5, 5,and10tig/ml were placed inthewells. Plates wereincubated for18 hat37°C. A single diameter, representing the zoneofinhibition, wasdrawnonthebottom of theplate through thecenter ofeachwell. The photogram wasmadeasfollows. Inadarkened roomtheseplates werecentered on photographic paper(KodakKodabromide F4)and exposed tolight for2to3s.Thelight source, a standard 7.5-Wbulb, wasplaced 3ft(ca. 91.00 cm)directly abovetheplates. Thephotographic paperwasimmediately processed according to therecommendations ofthemanufacturer. The diameter ofeachzoneofinhibition ontheplates andphotograms wasmeasured withaVernier caliper tothenearest 0.1mm. Best-fit lines, correlation coefficients, andslopes werederived byusing anelectronic calculator programmed forthemethodofleast squares, andstandard curves wereplotted onsemilogarithmic paper. Todemonstrate thesensitivity ofthis technique, antibiotic assayplates wereincubated fora shorter period, 4h,at37°C. AsshowninFig. 1,distinct zonesofinhibition occur around wells containing thethree concentrations ofgentamicin. Figure 1also shows zones ofinhibition aroundpaperdiskscontaining 20 ,ul ofthestandard gentamicin solutions. A comparison ofmeanzonesizes measured directly fromtheplates andphotograms isshowninFig. 2.Thebest-fit lines hadslopes of1.761 to1.767, respectively, withcorrelation coefficients of 0.999. Aslight magnification ofzones (<5%)was seenonphotograms. Thismagnification isthe result oflight striking anopaquematerial ata finite distance fromthephotographic paper. Sincethereisnodistortion, themagnification doesnotaffect theaccuracy ofthis technique, andthusslopes andcorrelation coefficients are thesame.