The purpose of this study is to examine the role financial knowledge of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) might play in their financial behaviour. To this end, we employ a structured questionnaire survey addressed online to a convenient sample of 352 SMEs located in Greece. Using a multivariate statistical analysis, our findings indicate that despite Greek SMEs' satisfactory financial knowledge in specific areas, the majority of the respondents fail to capture gains in overall performance. More research is required to capture additional evidence in the field and in this way to inform better SMEs' managers and policy-makers.


In this study, we evaluated the development of autonomous
regulation of circulation in children who had previously been
treated for malignantt diseases, particularly leukaemia. The
relationship between BRS and PI and between BRS and BP were
suppressed, thus demonstrating the association of anthracycline
treatment with changes in cardiovascular functions. Body growth
was decreased in all children after anti-cancer therapy, and
blood pressure was lower only in the children who had
anti-cancer anthracycline therapy.


The subject is introduced by reference to work begun for the RSA's inquiry into Tomorrow's Company. Ways of thinking are presented that enable a holistic view of human social organisations to provide insights helpful in the understanding of an organisation's development. Seeing human institutions as living systems permits many analogies to be made with systems found in nature, and lessons to be learnt from them. After starting with the company the authors go on to look at the wider human society in this way, at the same time considering the influences of the human factors not present in otherwise analogous biological systems. Aspects of the human world that are treated include social change, democracy and justice, globalisation and local communities, as well as companies.


A health promotion program ‐1,2,3 Por Nuestra Salud ‐was conducted with 220 Mexican children (60% boys) with ages from 8 to 12 years. The sample included children from two elementary schools who were compared with a third school where the program was not executed. The aim of the program was to promote a healthy style through ludic activities and the acquisition of knowledge about healthy diet and physical activity. When compared to the control group, the intervention group presented significantly higher frequencies of fruit and vegetable consumption (X2, p=0.007) and non large portion selection (X2, p=0.022) and significantly lower frequencies of milk with sugar consumption (X2, p=0.003) and when buying food at school (junk food) (X2, p=0.021). The program produced successful results in variables known to be associated to overweight development but some changes should be implemented in future applications of the program in order to reach goals in variables related to physical activity where differences were not seen.


The current experiment was conducted to reduce the cost of superovulation by reducing the dose of FSH by partial replacement with PMSG. Five elite, multiparous, Murrah buffaloes, 80 to 120 days postpartum, were included in multiple-ovulation embryo transfer (MOET) schedule. The estrus was synchronized with one injection of prostaglandin. Superovulatory treatment was started from day 10 of induced estrus after ablation of dominant follicle of over 10 mm diameter, using 5.0 MHz convex-array intravaginal transducer using a B-mode scanner with aspiration assembly. Study was undertaken in two groups. For FSH treated group, Folltropin was administered in a twice- daily descending dose schedule (0–5, 5–4, 4– 3, 3–2, 2–2 ml; 20 mg/ml, total dose 600 mg of FSH. For PMSG+FSH treated group, an injection of PMSG (1000 IU) was given in the evening of day 10 followed by dose 400 mg FSH and schedule as of FSH treated group from the evening of day 11. All donors received prostaglandin injection on day 13 in morning and evening. Donors were inseminated with frozen thawed semen of proven bull on Day 15 a.m. and p.m. and Day 16 a.m. Nonsurgical embryo collection was carried out on Day 5 post-insemination. There were no differences between the mean numbers of follicles in buffaloes treated with FSH or PMSG+FSH at any time throughout the experimental period. At AI, similar numbers of corpora lutea were observed for PMSG and FSH, respectively. On the day of embryo recovery, almost similar mean numbers of corpora lutea counted in FSH and PMSG+FSH treated buffaloes were 5.5+2.5 and 2.6+0.33, respectively. A significant increase in number of anovulatory follicles in FSH and PMSG+FSH (10+0.0; 9.3+0.3, respectively) was observed, which may be the reason for lower total embryo recovery and viable embryo recovery. In conclusion, superovulatory response of PMSG+FSH was similar to FSH treated group and can be used to reduce the cost of superovulation in MOET program.


Objective\ To study the changes of help 2 T lymphocyte (Th 2) function in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and the relationship between Th 2 function and HIE. \ Methods\ The levels of interleukin IL 6,IL 8 and IL 10 in the plasma and peripheral blood mononuclearcytes (PBMC) and expression rate of IL 2 receptor (IL 2R) on T cells were measured in different HIE stages by ELISA method. The results were compared with the umbilical cord blood of normal mature neonates(control group).\ Results\ Levels of IL 6, IL 8 and IL 10 both in the plasma and the supernatant of PBMC on the first day (D1)of HIE were much higher than those of the control group ( z=4.653-5.856, P 0.01). Levels of IL 6 and IL 8 in the plasma and supernatant of PBMC were much higher in patients with moderate and severe HIE or MODS compared with patients with mild HIE and without MODS, respectively ( z=2.228-2.701,P0.05;z=2.877-4.187,P 0.01),but there was no significant difference between levels of IL 10 in different groups ( z=0.450-1.850,P 0.05). The expression rate of IL 2R on T cell on D1 of HIE was markedly lower than that in the control group ( t=3.561,P 0.01), especially in moderate and severe HIE. Levels of IL 6, IL 8 and IL 10 in the plasma were found positively correlated with each other ( r=0.629-0.746, P 0.01). Levels of IL 6, IL 8 and IL 10 in plasma and those of IL 6 and IL 8 in supernatant of PBMC in patients with HIE were found to be significanly related with the levels of serum CPK BB( r=0.489-0.691, P 0.05, 0.01), and negatively correlated with expression rate of IL 2R on T cell ( r=-0.394--0.451, P 0.05, 0.01). There was no significant difference between levels of IL 6, IL 8 and IL 10 both in the plasma and supernatant of PBMC between D1 and D3 ( z=0.314-1.371,P 0.05). Levels of IL 6 and IL 8 in plasma after disappearance of clinical manifestations(D7) were markedly lower than those of D1 and D3 ( z=2.455,P 0.05 ; z=2.725-3.856,P 0.01). Levels IL 10 in plasma were lower than those of D1 and D3, but there was no significant difference ( z=1.437,1.248,P 0.05).\ Conclusion\ High levels of IL 5, IL 8 and IL 10 in HIE suggest abnormal Th 2 function, which might play an important role in the pathogenesis of HIE.


This report examines both the office of the Solicitor General and the Justices who held that position before their elevation to the Court. After examining the office of the Solicitor General and its success before the Court, the report describes the professional careers of the four Justices who served as Solicitor General before joining the Court: William Howard Taft, Stanley Reed, Robert Jackson, and Thurgood Marshall. The final section of the report examines the career of Elena Kagan, noting in particular her service as Solicitor General.


Plastic pollution is an enormous environmental problem that has been increasing exponentially in the last few decades. Despite the huge public awareness, overall recycling rate remains only at 8.7%. Overall recycling of post-consumer plastic can be recovered only with improved separation efficiency at the Material Recovery Facilities (MRF). Therefore, the success of plastic recycling critically depends on developing cost-effective techniques that automate the entire process of sorting plastics based on their chemical composition in a high throughput fashion. At present, the most effective methods like NIR, LIBS Raman spectroscopy or AI robotic arms have poor sensitivity, subpar selectivity, increased risk of false identification and inability to detect black plastics. Here we report a novel, simple and cost-effective technique that can increase the sensitivity, molecular selectivity, and speed of plastic sorting. This approach relies on resonant excitation of molecular bonds with pulses of mid-infrared radiation that are unique to the selected resin. Non-radiative relaxation of resonantly excitation of vibrational states increases the local temperature of the irradiated area. The increased local temperature is then imaged with a highly sensitive infrared camera. Superimposition of the thermal and visible images provide identification each plastic enables high throughput sorting. This technique has the potential to sort black plastics rapidly, which is a major challenge for any other currently used technique.


School readiness is a physical and psychological maturity at the time the child will enter elementary school.  Not only academic readiness, but also the readiness of physical, emotional and social development of children contribute to the next development phase. School readiness in children can be seen through the test NST (Nijmeegse Schoolbekwaamheids Test), which is a test used to determine the extent to which children have school readiness.


This letter proposes a voltage balancing method for series-connected power devices in an LLC resonant converter. Series connection of power devices can allow an LLC resonant converter to operate in high-voltage applications. One key problem of series-connected power devices is the voltage imbalance due to device parameter deviations and gate drive delays. To achieve voltage balancing, an auxiliary module (AM) is connected in parallel with each power device. Each AM consists of a capacitor and an auxiliary switch with an antiparallel diode. The AM operates as a clamping circuit and voltage among the series-connected power devices can be shared evenly if the AM capacitor voltages are well-balanced. The AM capacitors are charged during the asynchronous period of the series-connected power devices. The excess energy of AM capacitors can be released by the freewheeling current during dead time in an LLC converter. By assigning a pulsing gate signal to AMs with higher voltages in every switching cycle, the AM capacitor voltages can be balanced. The proposed method will not induce additional power loss and does not affect the normal operation of power devices. Experimental results are provided to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.


Ultraviolet and hard X-ray (HXR) emissions in solar flares provide observational signatures of the interaction of flare-accelerated particles with the chromospheric plasma. Earlier studies have shown clear evidence of temporal and spatial relationships between UV and HXR emission, suggesting a common physical origin. However, more recent spatially resolved case studies suggest significant variations in the spatial distributions of the emission signatures, implying that the large-scale magnetic topology of the flaring region must play a crucial role in the spatial and temporal development of the localized UV and HXR emission. We present here an analysis of spatially resolved HXR emission and localized UV emission sources from 11 M and X class flares with observations from RHESSI and high-cadence 1600 Å observations from TRACE. Within each flare we address the overall temporal development of individual UV sources and relate them to associated impulsive bursts within the HXR flare profile. We find, for these large flares, that in the initial impulsive bursts of flare activity, the majority of the temporally correlated emission evolves in a series of localized co-spatial sources along the UV ribbons consistent with previous two-dimensional reconnection pictures. However, observations of impulses late in flares, show significant departures from the traditional co-spatial/co-temporal picture. The new results include extended UV ribbons with no corresponding HXR emission and marked spatial separations between temporally correlated sources of UV and HXR emission. In seven of the multi-burst events, we observe the development of independent sets of UV and HXR sources corresponding to the individual impulses seen in the temporal profile. The observed separations and the spatial development of co-temporal emission in multi-burst events emphasize the importance of a complex and time varying magnetic topology in shaping the observed emission distributions in both wavelengths. In four of the events, we observe late developing UV sources which show no relationship with the HXR emission. In these events, the emission sources show a strong relationship with lower energy, more spatially extended X-ray emission believed to be of thermal origin. This suggests that, in the later phase of these complex flares, emission from thermal processes comes to dominate non-thermal processes in the production of the UV emission.


Leadership development programs are the surest way for library administrators to recharge their vision, rekindle their enthusiasm, and renew their commitment to a positive and effective future for libraries, and especially for their libraries. After three years of experience, two as a Fellow in the ARL Research Libraries Leadership Fellows Program, and one as a mentor in the NLM/AAHSL Leadership Fellows Program, I can state with confidence that the benefits of participating are nearly identical, whether you are the mentor or you are the mentee.


Narcissism is a greatly maligned human characteristic. It's understandable. Narcissists tend not to consider others' feelings. They think only of themselves, and use those who care for them without giving anything in return. In psychological literature, narcissism is predominantly discussed within a pathological context. The focus is on helping the narcissist see past his own self and learn to relate to others more openly. Within this, the evolutionary need for narcissism tends to be ignored.
In this paper I intend to elaborate on the other side of narcissism that elicits attraction to the familiar and triggers resistance/rejection of the alien or unknown.
What is this function of narcissism? We know that all personality traits, whether they're perceived as healthy or pathological, have an evolutionary basis. They exist in order to ensure our survival as individuals and as a species. So, what about narcissism? What is it that narcissism ensures or preserves? Why do we have this trait, and do we need it?


Aim of this work is to present the thermal properties and mechanical behaviour of glass fibre/epoxy resin
filament wound tubular structures winded with different
winding angles. Conducted thermal analysis have demonstrated
thermal stability of used epoxy resin system even at
temperatures higher than 130oC and small percent of weight loss until temperature of 350oC. With help of split-disc test hoop tensile strength of manufactured composite samples was investigated. Received results have confirmed the expectations that use of higher winding angle in filament winding technology lead to better mechanical properties of composite tubular structures subjected under internal pressure. Also, fibre-matrix deboning was determined as failure mechanisms by all samples.
SEM images have confirmed good merger between reinforcement and the matrix.


of Lecture I.—Part I.—(From the Lancet). DISEASES OF THE FACE. Mr. President and Gentlemen:—My first and most obvious duty is to express to the council my sincere thanks for the honor they have conferred upon me by electing me as the Lettsomian lecturer for the current session. I must con fess that whilst I am deeply sensible of the compliment that has been paid me, I am at the same time profoundly con scious of the responsibility that so distinguished a position involves. In contemplating how I might best occupy the time al lotted to the three lectures that I shall have the honor of de livering, I remembered that for many years I had taken con siderable interest in the surgery of the face, mouth, throat, and contiguous parts; and, as I had collected several thous and references bearing on these regions—representing, as may be supposed, an immense amount of valuable informa tion—I came to the conclusion that if I sifted some of these references, 1 might be enabled to submit to the Fellows of the Society many points of more than ordinary or passing interest. I venture, therefore, to engage your attention by describing, as far as my limited time will allow, the surgery of the face, and in bringing this subject before you, I must beg your kind indulgence, inasmuch as I shall necessarily have to refer to many topics with which I feel sure you are all more or less familiar. And I wish to say, at starting, that my object is not to excite sensation, or to provoke contro versy by placing before you novelties, but is rather to group together a number of cases I have culled from various sources, including many that have been under my own ob servation, and which have special reference to the surgery of o' a region which from its conspicuousness forms a very important part of the human body. My first lecture will be devoted to the diseases, the second to injuries, and the third to the deformities of the face. In order to render my subject as complete as possible, it will be necessary for me to make a few observations on skin diseases, and these need not detain us long. ERYTHEMA, ROSEOLA AND URTICARIA. These diseases are not unfrequently met with on the face, and resemble each other in many particulars. In Erythema the face is covered more or less with blotches of either a bright red or bluish hue. Erythema circinatum is particularly seen on the chin and lips, and appears as distinct circles, or segments of circles. Erythema nodosum is some times observed on the forehead, and very much resembles the same disease noticed on the front of the legs in delicate women. It has been mistaken for nodes, but with a little care a correct diagnosis may be arrived at. In Roseola there is less swelling of the skin. The eruption is first of a bright red, which gradually subsides into a deep rosy hue. In this disorder there is more or less redness about the palate and fauces. Urticaria or Nettle rash is sometimes limited to the face, and seems to be an aggravated form of erythema or roseola, its characteristic point being the presence of a number of ele • vations or wheals of variable shape, which are produced by spasm of the muscular fibres of the skin, with a slight effu sion of serum. Mr. Erasmus Wilson has pointed out that in the wheals of urticaria an alternate contraction and relaxation of the muscular fibres may be observed, which gives an ap pearance of puslation, as of an ebb and flow of blood in the capillary vessels. All these eruptions may, in most instances, be traced to some error in diet, and are prevalent at particular seasons of the year, especially if there be sudden alterations of tempera ture. I need not add that certain medicines produce similar eruptions. As a rule these diseases require but little treat ment beyond attention to diet, with the administration of sa line purgatives, alteratives and suitable tonics.


uation of service for companies. en customer and makes it difficult to t soft factors (like ployees) play an valuation of soft ot be measured by e measurement of atch). Soft factors by people. Here uipments. The use sure and evaluate fficiently consider ents a conceptual ry to measure and es. Fuzzy sets are ements to belong zzy sets is used to ocedure of service ore important in


The effects of conventional quenching and based on quenching and carbides preprecipitation and subsequent critical quenching (QPQ) processes on the microstructure evolution, thermal stability and thermal fatigue are studied for H13 tool steel. The results show that the QPQ treatment is beneficial to precipitate smaller and more uniformly distributed carbides during the tempering. According to the analysis of microstructure and mechanical properties, it is found that the tempering after QPQ treatment can refine the grain size of the steel by about 60% and can increase the impact toughness by 34.8%. Moreover, it is also found that the activation energy required by the QPQ treatment is higher than that of the conventional quenched samples for long‐time tempering, which is mainly related to the coarsening and accumulation of carbides. According to the statistical analysis results of average thermal fatigue crack length, crack density, and surface hardness, the improvement of thermal fatigue performance of the QPQ treatment after tempering is mainly attributed to the uniform fine carbide and grain refinement, which passivates the crack tip and improves the service life to a certain extent.


The school is a privileged space that allows the individual the formation of values through knowledge and the teacher has a fundamental role in building with his students a sustainable awareness of the environment. The aim of this paper was to analyze the pedagogical practices applied by the teachers of two public state schools located in the municipalities of Capim Branco and Prudente de Morais, MG, in order to verify how often the environmental theme is worked in the classrooms. as well as whether there is ease and understanding in working interdisciplinarily on environmental issues with the disciplines that teachers teach and whether teaching resources (books, games, technologies) are available to teachers to work on such a topic. A structured and adapted questionnaire was elaborated and adapted to the PE and Middle teachers, composed of multiple choice and dichotomous questions and the information obtained was analyzed. There was little frequency in working with environmental themes in the disciplines that teachers teach and even in the face of difficulties in obtaining didactic resources to work with this theme in public schools, teachers are stimulated and develop pedagogical practice beyond the traditional, However, they contradict each other by supporting Environmental Education as a curricular discipline, which shows a lack of theoretical basis on Environmental Education.


Introduction: Adherence to the principles of professionalism enables health care team to act according to professional standards and attend to patients' health and welfare in all stages of their life while trying to sustain and promote their professional status. This study aimed to assess the health care team's compliance with professional ethical codes as a means to facilitate clinical governance. Material and methods: This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study performed by a census of 211 health care staff in Jahrom. The data gathering tool consisted of a valid, reliable questionnaire including two sections of demographic information (age, sex, employment history, and ward) and 41 questions in 8 areas based on a 5-point Likert scale. Data analysis was performed by descriptive and analytic statistics via SPSS. Results: The overall compliance with ethical codes was 3.82 ± 0.75. The highest score belonged to patient care quality improvement (4.60) and the lowest score to commitment to confidentiality (2.78). There was a significant relationship between the type of ward (p=0.03), age (p=0.003) and adherence to professional ethics. Conclusion: It seems that compliance with professionalism is moderate among health care staff in Jahrom University of Medical Sciences. It is recommended that managers, planners, and instructors tend to enhance professionalism among health care staff by setting relevant policies and running service training.


Sensorless control of PMSM is sensible to stator resistance uncertainties. In this paper, an on-line identification method of a sensorless controlled PMSM stator resistance is proposed. It is easy to implement and highly stable. A stability analysis based on the first method of Lyapunov shows the stability of the closed-loop system with the proposed estimator combined to the sensorless algorithm. This approach makes the sensorless control more robust with respect to the stator resistance variations at low speeds. The simulation and experimental results illustrate the validity of the analytical approach and the efficiency of the proposed method.


We present light pseudoscalar physics in the continuum limit of 2+1 flavour domain wall QCDby the RBC and UKQCD. We make use of a fermion action with good chiral symmetry and usetwo different lattice spacings.We use a new approach to match ensembles within the range of simulated masses, andapply a simultaneous chiral and continuum extrapolation. We discuss the evidence for chiralcurvature in our data and present continuum results for pion and kaon decay constants, f


21 E.coli was isolated from suspected cases of E.coli and its pathogenic properties had been studied,results showed that the biochemical characteristics of these bacteria were basically the same,in line with literature reports.These 21 serotypes of E.coli for identification,identified serotype 16,including seven kinds of serotype O,which were O78,O35,O24,O1,O15,O76 and O88. With 9 kinds of antibiotics(cefazolin,gentamicin,amikacin,streptomycin,ciprofloxacin,norfloxacin,penicillin,tobramycin,erythromycin) for the susceptibility,the results showed that isolates showed varying degrees of resistance,in which the sensitive rates of tobramycin and gentamicin were relatively high and amikacin was the most sensitive.


The identification of the cohesin complex and its role at the centromere permits delineation of the molecular mechanism by which cohesion is established and maintained. Among the questions that need to be answered are whether cohesin itself is a glue holding the sister chromatids together or whether it controls such a glue, whether cohesin acts between the axes of the sister chromatids or at chromatin loops, and the relationship between cohesion and kinetochore behavior. The mechanism by which the Rec8 complex persists at the centromere but then is released in meiosis II suggests a protective function that needs to be defined. The Drosophila MEI-S332 protein could be a prototype for such a guardian (Tang et al. 1998xTang, T.T.-L., Bickel, S.E., Young, L.M., and Orr-Weaver, T.L. Genes Dev. 1998; 12: 3843–3856Crossref | PubMedSee all ReferencesTang et al. 1998). Analysis of the biochemical properties of the cohesin complex will provide insights into potential activities in DNA repair and synaptonemal complex formation. Finally, the cohesin complex is unlikely to be the sole cohesion factor, and it will be important to isolate other proteins that control cohesion and to define their relationships to the cohesin complex.


Background: Gynecologic cancer and treatment related morbidities adversely affect the quality of life (QOL) and overall outcome. QOL assessment and focus on QOL improvement still lag behind in the priority list of cancer management in Indian women. Aim: To assess the quality of life in India gynecologic cancer patients and possible tools for its improvement. Methods: This review is based on PubMed literature search of all the studies related to QOL in gynecologic cancer patients in India. The studies were categorized into those assessing QOL and improving QOL. Results: Unlike the abundant literature on QOL of patients with breast and oral cancers, the studies on QOL of women with gynecologic cancers are scarce. Nonetheless, twenty-five articles could be retrieved that directed efforts to identify parameters and tools assessing QOL as well as to modify treatment strategies for better QOL. The principal of nerve sparing technique and easily reproducible steps of laparoscopy and robotic hysterectomy has been recently used in Indian patients. It helped in improving QOL of operable cervical cancer patients. Ayurveda holds an important place in Indian medicine and has effective remedies for many diseases. Studies on the use of Ayurvedic drugs during chemotherapy and radiotherapy have shown reduction in treatment related toxicities. Conclusion: Improvement in 'quality of life' should be considered as important as increment in overall survival while managing women with gynecologic cancers. Better QOL would boost the patient's and family's compliance to treatment and improve disease specific outcome. Simpler QOL assessment tools and refined multimodal therapy techniques suitable for Indian population need to be integrated in national cancer treatment guidelines.


Teachers need to organize learning that is contextual, innovative, and interesting so that students are more motivated to learn and they get better learning outcomes . The research was aimed to examine the effectiveness of role-playing model to improve the twelfth-grade social students' learning motivation and their learning achievements on accounting subject with basic competence of practicing accounting cycles of service companies. The research was conducted with a quasi experiment for 3 public high schools in Sleman Regency. There were 206 total respondents for this research. Research data was gathered by using two methods: tests and questionnaires. Independent sample t-test was used for data analysis techniques. The result of this research showed that t-test for equality of mean of learning motivation was significant (sig. = .000 <  α = .05) and learning achievement was also significant (sig. = .000 <  α = .05). At the treatment class, students' learning motivation was very high and their learning achievement was high. Thus, it was concluded that the role playing model was effective to improve the twelfth-grade social students' learning motivation and their learning achievements on accounting subject with basic competence of practicing accounting cycles of service companies.


Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are now of concern as prevalent, persistent, and toxic pollutants. PCB contamination of water and soil and bioaccumulated in food chains due to their high hydrophobicity and chemical stability. PCBs are chemicals that persist for a very long time in the environment and consequently may concentrate to a high level (10 6 ) in the food chain. They may also cause toxic effects on the animal and human reproduction, development and immunological function. That's why it is essential to determine the value of BCF for 58 PCBs. The bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of 58 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were modeled by quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) based on physicochemical & topological descriptors derived solely from molecular structure and calculated using Chem Sketch 12.0 & Dragon 6.0 software to calculate all kinds of descriptors. Descriptors utilized for the general model were selected by various statistical validation techniques. Multilinear models were developed using the best Multiple linear regression analysis (MLRA) followed by statistical evaluation by SPSS software ( IBM ) to corelate experimental BCF to a set of molecular descriptors. The proposed parameter model satisfactorily describes the relationship between observed and calculated values in terms of statistical parameters. Comparison with Alan R. Katritzky et al in their result have reported R 2 for best parameteric modeling is as R 2 =0.931. We have observed that in our case R 2 for models with one, two, three, four five and six molecular descriptors are 0.8444, 0.9108, 0.9242, 0.9389, 0.9484 and 0.9503 Our results are much more superior then the result reported by Alan R. Katritzky et al. Therefore simple 2D QSAR reported by us is much betters then the 3D QSAR modeling of Alan R. Katritzky et al.


Metal ion release, caused by synergistic effect of wear and corrosion, is one of the major concerns related to the prostheses lifetime. In this work, samples of additive manufactured Ti6Al4V are machined under dry cutting and cryogenic cooling conditions and their performances in terms of corrosion and fretting corrosion response are investigated. A wet and temperature‐controlled apparatus equipped with an electro‐chemical cell is designed and set‐up in order to evaluate the fretting corrosion effect acting at the interfaces. The obtained results show that the cryogenic machining improves the corrosion and fretting corrosion behavior of the investigated additive manufactured Ti6Al4V.


Taeho Kim, Benoit Queylat, Ambard Antoine, Adrien Couet Nuclear Fuel Cycle Process Research Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 111 Daedeok-daero 989 beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34057, Republic of Korea. Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA EDF Research and Development, Materials and Mechanics of Components, Ecuelles, 77818 Moret-sur-Loing, France


Based on Moldflow,the melt fill mold processes of injection molding a door inside-decoration panel were simulated in this paper.By comprehensive analysis and comparison among some targets,such as fill time,injection pressure,clamp force,weldline strength,warpage and material utilization ratio etc.,a design scheme of the runner system used in injection molding was optimized.The actual production showed that while injection molding the panel by making use of the running system designed optimally,the melt fill mold process and result corresponded with that of Moldflow analysis and prediction,and the panel quality met molding technical requirements.


Mandibular condylar fracturing are a common outcome of mandibular trauma. Condylar and subcondylar injuries benefit best from the retromandibular technique, which also offers the greatest exposure to the joint and ascending ramus. Objective: To determine the efficacy of the retromandibular approach in treating condylar fractures with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). Methods: A total of 25 subjects with age range 14 to 55 years having unilateral mandibular condylar fractures with disturbed occlusion utilizingretromandibular approach were included in the study. Relevant information was gathered and evaluated. Results: The average age of the sufferer was 31.18 ± 8.17 years and mean duration of fracture was 5.32 ± 0.73 days. There were 21(84%) male patients and 04 (16%) female sufferers. RTA was the most common mode of injury seen among patients (60%). The shattered segments' anatomic reduction and fixation were successful. The efficacy was 72% on basis of ease of operation and 96% on fracture stability. Conclusion: This technique is effective in term of ease of operation and fracture stability. Scar acceptability can be considered drawback of this procedure


A recent public health item in CMAJ pointed out that although the precise prevalence of problems with alcohol and other drugs among physicians is unknown, it is probably similar to that in the general population.[1][1] Single and colleagues' estimate of 9% was quoted.[2][2] This estimate applies to


This paper bases on the feature of the lathe processing,and analyzing the related technology of numerical control machining simulation in virtual manufacturing,a numerical control machining simulation system is studied through modeling the 3D geometry model and machining process simulation model.In terms of OpenGL Displaying Mechanism.The system is developed to imitate numerical control machining process of rotational parts in real-time under Visual C++6.0 environment.The NC program can be checked with this software to decrease the inconvenience and material waste more than other methods.


Chronic indurated cellulitis is a common complication of chronic venous stasis, affecting chiefly the legs. The lesion may involve the entire limb or part of it or develop as a small plaque. 1 Trauma and heart disease are some of the contributory causes. 2 Two cases of a small plaque type of chronic indurated cellulitis are reported, the lesion in each originating on a different aspect of a leg and each with a different predisposing cause. Report of Cases Case1.—A 69-year-old Negro woman was admitted to the clinic, complaining for the past six weeks of a tender, painful lesion on the right leg. For the past two years she has been taking digitalis and receiving meralluride (Mercuhydrin) sodium for cardiac decompensation. There was no history either of thrombophlebitis or of trauma at the site of the present lesion. Superficial varicosities were noted on


The freshwater environment constitutes the main subject of this dictionary. In addition to the quantitative and physical aspects of hydrology and water management, due attention has been paid to chemical and biological properties and qualitative aspects of surface and subsurface waters. The scope is relatively wide, also including relevant terms from science and engineering. As far as the depth of the coverage goes, some limitations had to be set, for example, on terms related to sedimentology and oceanography. The scope does not extend beyond the tidal limit, i.e. terms on seawater, sea waves and tides are included only as far as they affect the quantities or qualities of inland waters. The dictionary contains 5,928 numbered items consisting of basic terms and related terms in English and equivalents in French, Spanish, Dutch and German, totalling more than 37,000 terms. The terms have been derived from recent, relevant, authentic literature written by scientists in their native language. In contrast to most other technical dictionaries, not only nouns but also a fair number of verbs and adjectives have been included. This makes the dictionary a self-contained, practical companion, not only in the office but also when working abroad.


Medicinal plants have been used for many years in daily life to treat diseases all over the world. Plants are considered not only as dietary supplements of living organisms but also traditionally used for treating many health problems. Medicines such as quinines are popular Anti-malarial drug obtained from the tree barks similarly in case of aloe the leaves contain a resinous juice with several glucosides which is used as purgative. The intention of present study was to perform in-vitro anti-microbial activity and check the Anti-bacterial and Anti-fungal activity of leaf extract of Canthium Parviflorum. Petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol and aqueous extracts of this plant were obtained by soxhlet method. All these extracts were tested for the inhibition activity against the different bacterial strains i.e., Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens and fungi strains like Aspergillus flavus. The phyto-chemical screening of ethanol extract of Canthium Parviflorum revealed the presence of alkaloids. This suggests that this phyto-constituent may be responsible for anti-microbial activity.


Abstract Intrinsic sleep disorders are part of a classification of a wider group of conditions that occur during natural sleep and affect its quality. Natural sleep is controlled by a large number of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system which affect the desire to sleep and give sleep an architecture which is important for refreshment. Although widely researched in neurology and psychiatry, most of the intrinsic sleep disorders are poorly studied in relation to anaesthesia, and the literature is sparse. Obstructive sleep apnoea is the most common and important condition for anaesthetists to recognize, having a major effect on the planning of airway management peri-operatively. Most anaesthetists are less familiar with narcolepsy and restless legs syndrome, and this article concentrates on the current knowledge of the pathology and treatment of these two important conditions. In relation to anaesthesia, it is important to be aware of interactions between medication prescribed by other physicians for the treatment of these sleep disorders, as well as the impact of the conditions on the anaesthetic itself.


PurposeTo highlight advances in musculoskeletal imaging published over the past year that have potential for research and future clinical application.Recent findingsTechnical advances in CT, MRI, and ultrasonography (US) have improved the visualization of bones and soft tissues. Continued advances i


On the basis of spectrophotometric observations we reconstruct the accretion disk of the eclipsing novalike cataclysmic variable RW Tri in the wavelength region 3600-7000A. We find a radial tem perature profile th at is, on average, consistent with th at expected on the basis of the theory of optically thick, steady state accretion disks and infer a mass-accretion rate in RW Tri of ~ 10- 8 Mq yr- 1 . The line emission is dominated by two areas: one around the hot-spot region and one near the white dwarf. Both emission regions have appreciable vertical extension, and seem to be decoupled from the velocity field in the disk. In our observations RW Tri shows a number of features th at are characteristic of the SW Sex sub-class of novalike stars. The appearance of a novalike system as a UX UMa/RW Tri or SW Sex star seems to be mainly governed by the mass-transfer rate from the secondary at the time of observation.


This article introduced fault-tolerant control (FTC) schemes for over-actuated affine non-linear uncertain systems. The proposed methodologies incorporate two different control allocation (CA) units with high-level nonlinear adaptive sliding mode control (NLASMC) strategy. The first FTC strategy is active that utilizes an online CA unit to effectively manage the redundant actuators towards the chosen flight path in faulty conditions. On the other hand, the second FTC scheme is passive based on the idea of a fixed CA scheme and does not require control-input reconfiguration during the faulty condition. A robust NLASMC law is selected to enforce the state trajectories converges to the sliding manifold despite the uncertainty in the model dynamics and external disturbance effect. The proposed schemes are then applied to the nonlinear F16 aircraft detailed model equipped with thrust vectoring (TV) control. The nonlinear simulations on 6-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) F16 aircraft are performed under the failure of the aileron, rudder, and elevator. It can be visualized that both schemes performed well, but online CA scheme can cope with more faults and failures combinations in comparison to fixed CA schemes. Furthermore, both FTC approaches performed well when compared to existing methods in the literature.


We study the one dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation with power nonlinearity |u|α−1 u for α ∈ [2, 5] and initial data u0 ∈ L2(R) + H1(T). We show via Strichartz estimates that the Cauchy problem is locally well-posed. In the case of the quadratic nonlinearity (α = 2) we obtain unconditional global well-posedness in the space C(R, L2(R)+H1(T)) via Gronwall's inequality.


The introduction of new kinds of energy mixes to the electricity grid is a challenging environmental task for present and future generations as they fight the pollution and global warming issues associated with urbanization. Individual appliances and whole buildings that continuously incorporate local intelligence which originates from the new technologies of Internet of Things are the new infrastructure that this integration is based on. Smart Electricity Grids are becoming more intensively integrated with tertiary building energy management systems and distributed energy generators such as wind and solar. This new smart network type harnesses the IoT (Internet of Things) principles by generating a new network made of active elements combined with the necessary control and distributed coordination mechanisms. This new self-organized overlay network of connected DER (distributed energy resources) allows for the seamless management and control of the active grid as well as the efficient coordination and exploration of single and aggregated technical prosumer potential (generation and consumption) to participate in energy balancing and other distributed grid related services, applying energy management strategies based on control and predict of the DERs behavior for facing demand side management issues.


The addition of LLDPE-g-MA into the compound of sago starch/LLDPE was studied to improve its mechanical, morphology, degradation performance, and water absorption properties. Thermoplastic Sago Starch was composed of a mixture of sago starch and glycerol. LLDPE-g-MA was prepared in varied concentrations based on the weight of TPSS (0, 6, 8, 10, and 14 wt.%) by reacting LLDPE, maleic anhydride, and benzoyl peroxide using an internal mixer. The results showed an increase in values obtained from mechanical tests, i.e., tensile strength was improved from 0.6902 to 3.6187 N/mm2 with the addition of LLDPE-g-MA at 10 wt.%. The addition also resulted in a 1.44% increment in elongation at break and 251 N/mm2 for Young's Modulus. The surface morphology of the sample demonstrated an excellent interfacial adhesion reaction or LLDPE dispersion over the entire surface of the matrix (starch). The water absorption test continued to decrease with the increase in the LLDPE-g-MA concentration from 53 wt.% (without LLDPE-g-MA) to 14 wt.% at 10 wt.% LLDPE-g-MA concentration. The degradation performance showed that the sample could be degraded under all three conditions for up to 30 days.


Abstract Four types of MMC reinforced with B and SiC fibers were observed by X-ray CT using synchrotron radiation. Use of X-ray CT made possible the direct observation of fibers and defects in them. On the basis of X-ray coefficients of the elements in the composites the energy values of 21 and 29 KeV were selected for Al alloy and Ti alloy, respectively. The inner fiber and debonding parts of the interface between fiber and matrix were clearly observed for the composites used in this study. In the case of the silicon carbide reinforced aluminum composites, the core carbon fibers of 30 μm in diameter were also observed. The resolution of X-ray CT scanner used in this study was about 10μm. 3-dimensional images were reconstructed from several CT images. The 3-dimensional images visually displayed the inner structure and were very useful in discussing the model of the fracture process of the fibers contained in the metal matrix composites.


Business process (BP) model discovery is a pillar technique for BP model reuse. Current discovery approaches cannot deal with the functional granularity gap that exists between BP models on the one hand, and BP queries on the other hand. In addition, they focus only on the structural dimension and do not consider functional and non-functional requirements. In this paper, we present an approach for BP model discovery which resolves the above problems. We present an RDF vocabulary which captures functional and non-functional aspects in addition to the control flow perspective. Having the functional and non-functional descriptions of basic activities, we use a set of algorithms to compute those of structured activities and therefore derive different representations of the same BP model at different granularity levels. Using a set of extraction rules, we build an RDF knowledge base that can be interrogated using SPARQL.


Abstract Azadirachta indica (Neem) is very useful traditional medicinal plant in the subcontinent. Each part of the tree has some medicinal properties. In this present studies the bioactivity and antimicrobial activity of Azadirachta indica leaf extract was evaluated. For bioactivity, Brine shrimp lethality test was done for A. indica ethanolic leaf extract and determined LC50 was 37.15 μg/ml indicating that the prepared extract was rich in bioactive compounds. Ethanolic leaf extract was also used to evaluate antibacterial activity and the extract exhibited significant activity against the tested bacterial strain. However, inhibitory activity was concentration and test organism dependent. Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to the extract compare to Gram-negative bacteria. All of the tested bacteria showed sensitivity at higher concentration (7mg/ml) but multi drug resistant bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae was very sensitive even at very low concentration (2mg/ml). Further, the results depict that leaf extracts of Azadirachta indica could be used as a potential source of antimicrobial agents against the bacterial strains tested.


At the conclusion of his magisterial work on the outlaw icon Martha Jane Canary, the result of ten years of research, James D. McLaird acknowledges that folklore and fantasy are more fascinating th...


Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and built the hierarchy of the factors influencing competitiveness of "Electronics Manufacturing Industry (EMI)"at industry level and applying "Interpretive Structural Modeling fuzzy MICMAC and AHP approach. These factors have been explained with respect to managerial and government policy makers' standpoint in Indian context. Design/methodology/approach This study presents a hierarchy and weight based model that demonstrates mutual relationships among the significant factors of competitiveness of Indian Electronics Manufacturing Industry. Findings This study covers wide variety of factors that forms the bedrock of the competitiveness of the electronics manufacturing industry. ISM and fuzzy MICMAC are used to cluster the influential factors of competitiveness considering the driving and dependence power. AHP is used to rank the factors on the basis of weights. Results show that the "government role" and "foreign exchange market" have significantly high driv...


Method for the detection and counting of drops of a liquid inside a cell and system implementation. # The present invention relates to a method for the detection and counting of drops of a liquid comprising the following phases: # (i) bringing the cell balance (1) the situation steady filling, and start measuring and counting the drops; # (ii) obtaining a series of images using the digital camera (2) high speed; # (iii) extracting a representative section of the line of separation of the liquid level within the cell of the images obtained in step (ii), and # (iv) performing an analysis of the images obtained in step (iii) it based on variations of the harmonics generated in the baseline defined by the level of liquid obtained, to accurately identify the existence of a new drop immersed in the liquid level. # is also characteristic of the invention or n system for implementing said method comprising a cell balance (1), a digital high speed camera (2), illumination means (3) and a computer (4).


A new design methodology for the Cerebella Model Articulation Controller (CMAC) with the theory of variable structure system (VSS) is proposed in this paper. Variable structure system, also named as sliding mode control, is a powerful design method for controlling a nonlinear system where exists uncertainty. Generally speaking, the CMAC is first trained from an existed controller; then the CMAC can be used to instead of the original controller for achieving a fast operating system performance. Moreover, it can be easily realized through FPGA and operated in the requirement of real-time control cases. However, the overall performance of control system depends on the trained CMAC; usually, it is not easy to yield the same performance as the original controller. Therefore, how to improve the performance without learning process maybe is a good idea in designing the CMAC. The determination of the CMAC weights via the control scheme of VSS provides a solution for designing such controller. In addition, a constructed updating rule mechanism is used to enhance the characteristic of CMAC. Finally, a simulation example of controlling a nonlinear system is employed to illustrate the performance and applicability of the proposed control scheme.


As spelled out in the introduction and the opening article of this volume, both supporters and direct opponents of development share a similar notion. They conceive it at national scale, within an international context, with little or no room for play. Yet as evident in the above articles, development at people's level is diverse. Constructed in relation to particular contexts and constraints, people have individual life goals and objectives, and each life journey is different. It is important to ask: How can politicians, policy makers, development specialists, and planners acknowledge, accommodate, and/or support diverse life journeys without homogenizing and/or suppressing this field of difference? Homogenization of communities, although never fully achievable, is imposed from outside (i.e., the state, the market, the professionals, and large-scale processes such as colonialism and globalization). Located within the European capitalist thought, the hegemonic development paradigm privileges the economy, one that is largely understood through mathematics. (Buarque 1993) According to this worldview, wealth and national economic growth is a prerequisite to a - "good life" for citizens.


The study aim was to evaluate the antibacterial activities of E. Cardamomum and Mentha spicata N. hexane, methanolic and aqueous extracts. Antibacterial property of plant extracts were evaluated using disc diffusion technique against two Gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis), three Gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi) and one fungi (Candida albicans). The results showed that all the test organisms including C. albicans were resistant to the methanolic and aqueous extracts. Except Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the rest of test organisms were sensitive to n-Hexane extract with C.albicans being the most sensitive. The methanolic extract of Menth spicata was the most active inhibiting all the test organisms except Pseudomonas aeruginosa which is again resistant to this extract but C. albicans being the most sensitive. It was also found that E. coli was sensitive to both n-Hexane and aqueous extracts.


The present invention relates to a large-scale cell culture ephedra (Ephedra) ZHJ-25 CGMCC No.0359 culture as a feedstock in the production of ephedrine. The method of the present invention is to ZIJ-25CGMCC No.0359 cells seeded ephedra (Enhedra) sugar in the medium by three pathways, incubated at 25 ± 2 ℃ 20-50 days, and the culture was taken out and dried at 60 deg.] C to obtain a raw material containing ephedrine. The method of the present invention is simple, industrially continuous, semi-continuous production ephedrine; Ephedrine resulting product was stable and high yield.


In this paper, Carlitz's q-operator and the auxiliary ones are applied
to prove q-Christoffel-Darboux formulas and some Carlitz type generating
functions. In addition, the technique of exponential operator decomposition
to deduce q-Mehler's formulas for Rogers-Szego and Hahn polynomials are ¨
shown.


In this paper, we have compared various channel estimation techniques (Least Squares, Minimum Mean Square Error and Fourier Transform) for OFDM based DVB -SH system, where comb -type pilot tones are being used. In order to effectively reduce the computational complexity of MMSE while maintaining a good system performance, a c ombined estimation approach based on MMSE and Fourier Transform is proposed and simulated. The simulation results show that the proposed method suffers about 0.5dB loss but reduces the computing workload in DVB -SH system by 52% compare to conventiona l MMSE .


790 Background: The 3rd aromatase inhibitors (AI) have been demonstrated to be an effective for hormone-dependent recurrent or advanced breast cancers. And they have been considered as the effective agents for tamoxifen-resistant tumors. However, there were few data about cross-resistance between 3rd generation AI and other hormonal compounds. We assessed the efficacy of 3rd generation AI in relation to clinicopathological findings and cross-resistance between other hormonal compounds in recurrent or advanced breast cancer.

METHODS
Seventy-six recurrent patients who were treated with 3rd generation AI at our hospital between March 2000 and November 2003 were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients were postmenopausal with positive ER and/or PgR tumors and most of the cases were treated with Tamoxifen in adjuvant setting. The average of a disease-free interval (DFI) was 56.5 months in recurrent cases. The expressions of MIB-1, p53 and HER2 were evaluated by immunostaining. The 3rd generation AI includes anastrozole and exemestane, and their response rates (RR) were assessed combined or separately.

RESULTS
An overall RR of 3rd generation AI was 39.1%. The median time to progression was 8.2 months. In anastrozole-failure patients, RR of exemestane was observed in 11.1%. In patients who had progressed during 2nd generation AI or MPA, 3rd generation AI had a RR of 55.6% or 26.7%, respectively. The RR of MPA was 23.1% in patients having prior exposure to 3rd generation AI. In relation to response of 3rd generation AI, patients with soft tissue lesions had a significantly higher RR than those with viscera. And patients with longer DFI or lower proliferative activity had a higher RR.

CONCLUSIONS
Cross-resistance is incomplete between 3rd generation AI and other hormonal compounds. The 3rd generation AI might be a key drug in a recurrent or advanced setting, especially for the patients with lower proliferation or soft tissue lesions. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


Pejman Rohani discusses a new study that examined the dynamic relationship between climate variables and dengue incidence in Thailand, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.


As a relatively new profession, language teacher education has evolved and its knowledge base has greatly expanded over the past decade. We have moved from an initial behaviorist view of teacher learning in the 1960s toward a more sociocultural approach to teacher learning today (Freeman, 2016). As Freeman (2016) suggests, the term language teacher education is "a bridge that serves to link what is known in the field with what is done in the classroom, and it does so through the individuals whom we educate as teachers" (p. 9). He goes on to say that the field includes an understanding of the "so‐called parent academic disciplines of language teaching as well as the local and national policy environments which often articulate them" (p. 9). In the past few decades, Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE) has taken on a more global perspective and the knowledge base of SLTE has greatly expanded (some may say exploded) to include such topics as teacher cognition, identity, reflection, research, narrative, self‐development, philosophy, and expertise, to name but a few. However, despite these developments in SLTE and the growing publications reporting research on SLTE, we still have significant progress to make as we continue to define our goals, conceptual frameworks, and teaching methodologies, and as we respond to the growing demand for qualified language teachers. In this entry, some of the current issues related to SLTE as well as future directions of SLTE based on current trends are outlined.


Political marketing during election campaigns seems to be an everyday reality for an average citizen in Serbia. The Internet used to be considered as a bastion of freedom, different from traditional, controlled media. However, social networks have changed this - it's getting harder to isolate from politics. Voluntarily or not, we see political messages online just as we see them on TV, billboards or in the press. Not only in commercials, politicians also speak from their Facebook pages to their fans - because politicians have become celebrities, the stars. Exposure to political messages is relevant in forming public opinion, but the manipulation gets more hidden, especially during traditional and religious holidays like the Easter. It's easier to access people during leisure times and politicians tend to present themselves as 'one of us'. We researched the type of activities of political parties on Facebook and we proved that, even though the style of campaigns may vary among parties, their political PR follows the same rules as in the traditional media.


One of the most difficult challenges in business is successfully expanding your company. After all, there's more to growing an organisation than simply adding bits on to it.


Introd uction Railguns have been known for quite a long time. A schematic diagram is given in Fig. L The railgun is fed by a current source S (the usual lead-acid battery, a capacitor bank, etc). The current flows through the metallic rails A and C, which are rigidly fixed in the laboratory, as is the source S. The projectile B forms a conducting bridge between the rails. When the current flows through this dosed circuit a resultant ponderomotive force acts on the projectile along the positive Y direction. If the projectile is mobile and free to move along thiS direction (assuming the spring J{ to be absent) it can achieve higher velocities than those obtainable with conventional guns using chemical explosives.


Background. Natural killer (NK) cells participate in pig-to-primate xenograft rejection both by antibody-dependent and -independent mechanisms. A majority of human NK cells express the inhibitory receptor CD94/NKG2A, which binds specifically to human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E, a trimeric complex consisting of the HLA-E heavy chain, &bgr;2-microglobulin (&bgr;2m), and a peptide derived from the leader sequence of some major histocompatibility complex class I molecules. Methods. To use this mechanism for protection of pig tissues against human NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity, we generated transgenic pigs by pronuclear microinjection of genomic fragments of HLA-E with an HLA-B7 signal sequence and of human &bgr;2-microglobulin (hu&bgr;2m) into zygotes. Results. Three transgenic founder pigs were generated. Northern blot analysis of RNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells revealed the presence of the expected transcript sizes for both transgenes in two of the three founders. The founder with the highest expression and his offspring were characterized in detail. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and Western blot analyses demonstrated consistent expression of HLA-E and hu&bgr;2m in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of HLA-E and hu&bgr;2m on endothelial cells of many organs, including heart and kidney. In vitro studies showed that lymphoblasts and endothelial cells derived from HLA-E/hu&bgr;2m transgenic pigs are effectively protected against human NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity, depending on the level of CD94/NKG2A expression on the NK cells. Further, HLA-E/hu&bgr;2m expression on porcine endothelial cells inhibited the secretion of interferon (IFN)-&ggr; by co-cultured human NK cells. Conclusions. This novel approach against cell-mediated xenogeneic responses has important implications for the generation of multitransgenic pigs as organ donors for clinical xenotransplantation.


Software-mediated learning requires adjustments in the teaching and learning process. In par¬ticular active learning facilitated through interactive learning software differs from traditional instructor-oriented, classroom based teaching. We present behavior analysis techniques for Web-mediated learning. Motivation, acceptance of the learning approach and technology, learn¬ing organization and actual tool usage are aspects of behavior that require different analysis techniques to be used. A combination of survey methods and Web usage mining techniques can provide accurate and comprehensive analysis results. These techniques allow us to evaluate active learning approaches implemented in form of Web tutorials.


This article provides an introduction to a number of issues and resultant conflicting opinions, held by plaintiffs and defendants, that characterized the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) case. The authors discuss eight different issues and the conflicting opinions that accompany them. These issues are concerned with the (a) explanation of why some minority students fail TAAS, (b) history of racial/ethnic minority discrimination in Texas schools, (c) opportunity to learn TAAS content, (d) alignment between teaching and TAAS, (e) adverse impact of the TAAS test on minority students, (f) psychometric integrity of TAAS, (g) decision model for awarding the high school diploma, and (h) accountability model.


Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses that adversely affect crop productivity and quality. Plants need different essential minerals to grow and survive but excessive soluble salts in the soil are harmful to most of the plants. There is often an interaction between macronutrients and micronutrients in the root medium and in plants. In the present investigation effect of various levels of salinity on the mineral content of the leaves of Vetiveria zizanioides was studied. The experimental species was treated with increasing concentrations of Sodium chloride (25, 50,100, 200 and 300 mM). The concentration of sodium showed a perfect positive correlation with the increasing concentration of NaCl salinity. There was 43.18% increase in the sodium content at 300 mM NaCl over the control. Similar result was recorded in case of chloride which was increased in the leaves at all levels of salinity and also showed a perfect positive correlation. It was increased by 127.99% at 300 mM NaCl. The concentration of potassium was also increased in the leaves of Vetiveria at all salt concentrations. The concentration of Mg was slightly increased in the leaves of this grass at the lower levels of salinity. The level of 300 mM NaCl appears to be inhibitory in the uptake of magnesium. Fe content was decreased drastically at 300 mM concentration of NaCl in the rooting medium. The highest increase in the concentration of Fe for the Vetiveria was 16.21% at 200 mM NaCl. The details of other minerals studied in relation with salinity are discussed in the present paper.


The high temperature low cycle fatigue behavior of P91 weld metal (WM) and weld joints (cross-weld) is presented. Strain-controlled tests have been carried out at 400 °C and 500 °C. The cyclic behavior of the weld material (WM) and cross-weld (CW) specimens are compared with previously published base material (BM) tests. The weld material is shown to give a significantly harder and stiffer stress–strain response than both the base material and the cross-weld material. The cross-weld tests exhibited a cyclic stress–strain response, which was similar to that of the base material. All specimen types exhibited cyclic softening but the degree of softening exhibited by the cross-weld specimens was lower than that of the base material and all-weld tests. Finite element models of the base metal, weld metal and cross-weld test specimens are developed and employed for identification of the cyclic viscoplasticity material parameters. Heat affected zone (HAZ) cracking was observed for the cross-weld tests.


This paper analyzes the amakudari practice in Japan. Amakudari refers to situations where government agencies contact the private firms that they regulate, asking them to provide employment for their retiring elite bureaucrats. Upon employment at the private firms, bureaucrats may collude with their former employers to secure lucrative government contracts, avoid regulatory inspections, or obtain preferential treatment. This paper provides an explicit formalization of the implicit collusion between the regulator and the regulated. *TETSURO MIZOGUCHI Faculty of Economics, Keio University **NGUYEN VAN QUYEN Department of Economics, University of Ottawa KEIO/KYOTO JOINT GLOBAL COE PROGRAM Raising Market Quality-Integrated Design of "Market Infrastructure" Graduate School of Economics and Graduate School of Business and Commerce, Keio University 2-15-45 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8345, Japan Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan AMAKUDARI: THE POST-RETIREMENT EMPLOYMENT OF ELITE BUREAUCRATS IN JAPAN BY TETSURO MIZOGUCHI AND NGUYEN VAN QUYEN This paper analyzes the amakudari practice in Japan. Amakudari refers to situations where government agencies contact the private firms that they regulate, asking them to provide employment for their retiring elite bureaucrats. Upon employment at the private firms, bureaucrats may collude with their former employers to secure lucrative government contracts, avoid regulatory inspections, or obtain preferential treatment. This paper provides an explicit formalization of the implicit collusion between the regulator and the regulated. (JEL D02, D44, D73)


Background and objective The objective of this presentation is to assess the risk of driving with alcohol, illicit drugs and medicines in various European countries. In total nine countries participated in the study on relative risk of serious injury/fatality while positive for psychoactive substances. Six countries contributed to the study on the relative risk of getting seriously injured: Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. Four countries contributed to the study on the relative risk of getting killed: Finland, Norway, Sweden and Portugal.


This dissertation provides a framework for incorporating intelligent objects using Fuzzy ARTMAP neural networks, into existing simulations to more realistically model human decision making. This approach significantly reduces the need for updating and maintaining the behavioral aspects of the code. The framework enables the intelligent computer generated objects (ICGO) to learn from existing computer generated object rules, as well as learn from human operators participating in the simulation. Additional features such as pruning, and rule extraction, are incorporated into the methodology to increase its utility and provide a straightforward mechanism for describing rules that govern decision episodes. The final product is an ICGO that exhibits certain human behavioral traits including an ability to adapt to changes and basing decisions on previous experiences. The algorithmic aspects of the methodology are validated using benchmark databases and three test case scenarios are used to demonstrate the various tasks that comprise the methodology. These scenarios are also used to demonstrate the ICGO's ability to alter its decision making process in real-time through a simple user interface.


The tax-sharing system reform since 1994 has hardened budgetary constraints on local governments, but has not derailed the fiscal decentralization trend since China started the reform and opening up. This fiscal decentralization has provided a strong impetus to local finance, so that local governments have become quite enthusiastic in pursuing local economic development and improving local economic efficiency. As market competition intensifies, the public-owned enterprises have gradually become a financial burden on local finance. Meanwhile, the non-state sector has made an increasing contribution to the local economy and to local coffers. Therefore, it has become the optimal choice for local governments, in pursuit of their own interests, to reform the ownership structure of public-owned enterprises. I . I n t r o d u c t i o n The regional decentralization reform, which was initiated in China in the early 1980s, has greatly heightened the enthusiasm of local governments to develop the local economy. This is mainly because decentralization transferred some of the power from the central government to local governments, which, as a result, began to shoulder the function of local economic management. The central government is also restricted from too much intervention in local economic affairs. Meanwhile, the decentralization closely relates local


According to the characteristics of underwater small high-speed moving target,a fast algorithm of signal detection and parameter estimation is presented and simulated based on positive and negative hyperbolic frequency modulation(HFM) signals.A dynamic tank test of signal detection and parameter estimation of underwater small high-speed moving target is conducted by adding the time stretch factor in signal transmitting end.The echo of the high-speed moving target is sampled.A signal processing system with a core of TMS320C6701 is designed,and torpedo echo detection and parameter estimation at low signal to noise ratio(SNR) level are completed by the present fast algorithm.The results of the tank test exhibit well consistence with the simulation ones,and show that the digital signal processing(DSP) system and the fast algorithm can effectively complete the echo detection and parameter estimation of underwater small high-speed moving target at low SNR.


In 35 patients with multiple injuries hemodynamic and renal function parameters measured early after trauma were analysed by biometric methods. Statistically significant prognostic results and differences in the cybernetic behaviour could be demonstrated.


Colorectal surgeons are familiar with the 'holy plane' as the key to total mesorectal excision (TME). Although this has revolutionized the surgical treatment of rectal cancer1, another term should now be introduced into the surgical lexicon – the rectal 'no man's land'. This is the area of the distal rectum that lies within the pelvic floor musculature. It cannot usually be reached from the abdomen and has been relatively inviolate as far as surgical exploration is concerned, although its anterior compartment has been accessed by the coloproctologist and gynaecologist during rectocele repair and by the urologist during perineal prostatectomy. This region varies in length depending on age, sex and body habitus. It is this variability that determines the length of retained diseased rectal cuff (ranging from a few millimetres to several centimetres) during restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis. Retention of long lengths may mar the functional result and increases the risk of carcinoma development, particularly in the presence of dysplasia2. To avoid such a potential disaster, coloproctologists either resort to mucosectomy and transanal anastomosis or panproctocolectomy. Both have drawbacks; mucosectomy may be incomplete, risks damage to the underlying internal sphincter and may cause incontinence, whereas after panproctocolectomy the patient is left with a permanent stoma3,4. Similarly, in low rectal cancer, if tumour clearance does not leave sufficient rectal stump to facilitate a stapled anastomosis, the sphincter-saving resection is invariably abandoned in favour of an abdominoperineal excision. It is interesting to note that even in the modern era of stapling up to 52 per cent of patients undergoing surgery for rectal cancer may still be left with a permanent stoma5. Although a minority of surgeons in such circumstances may attempt a partial sphincter-conserving procedure, notably the intersphincteric approach, concerns about technical difficulty, tumour clearance and functional outcome have limited its use6–8. If access could be obtained easily to the crucial few centimetres of distal rectum lying between the superior border of the levator ani which forms the pelvic floor within the abdomen and the anorectal junction in the perineum, it should be feasible to preserve the sphincteric apparatus virtually intact. By doing so it might be possible to increase the proportion of sphincter-saving resections without jeopardizing cure. Such an approach has been developed and should significantly reduce the need for a permanent stoma in patientswith benign and malignant rectal disease. So how can this 'no man's land' be explored? For many years urologists used the anterior compartment of this space for the perineal approach to prostatectomy. As a result of elegant anatomical studies, Walsh9 demonstrated the feasibility of excising the prostate without damaging the nervi erigentes that enter the prostate at its inferolateral poles. To access the prostate, the dissection by necessity is in the rectoprostatic plane and begins above the external sphincter. Gynaecologists also pointed theway by using the rectovaginal plane in the course of posterior colporrhaphy, albeit by entering this space via the posterior vaginal wall. Both groups take great pains to avoid damage to the anterior wall of the rectum during dissection and of course have no desire to mobilize it. Dissection in the rectovaginal/ prostatic plane has been used in the development of an operation for rectal intussusception (the Express procedure)10. During development of this procedure it was realized that the rectum and mesorectum could be mobilized completely within the funnel of the pelvic floor musculature, and that the 'no man's land' could be used for sphincter preservation. It was also demonstrated that the length of the rectum contained within this muscular funnel varied significantly. Although this variation was anatomical in that it was fixed according to body habitus, it was also obvious that some variation was operator dependent. Thus, in the course of an anterior resection for low rectal cancer, the extent of rectal mobilization down to the pelvic floor via the abdomen differs according to the surgeon's skill and perseverance, compounded by anatomical variation and the shape of the pelvis. This in turn influences the length of rectum and mesorectum that remains for construction of the colorectal anastomosis. Exploitation of the rectal


Abstract There is an urgent need to preserve the traditional diet in the Mediterranean countries and to stress its important contribution to the public health. The traditional Mediterranean diet can be revitalised within a modern environment and lifestyle and be adopted not only by inhabitants of the Mediterranean region, but also by people in other countries as a health-promoting model. The Mediterranean diet can significantly decrease the risk of overall mortality.


310 Background: The quality of transurethral resection of bladder tumors strongly determines patient's tumor after-care and prognosis. En bloc resection of bladder tumors (ERBT) might improve staging quality, perioperative morbidity and influence tumor recurrence. This is the first European multi-center study which was initiated by ESUT and was conducted to evaluate the safety, efficacy and recurrence rates of electrical vs. laser ERBT. Methods: Transurethral ERBT was performed on 221 prospectively collected patients in six academic centers with either monopolar/bipolar current or holmium/thulium laser energy. Staging quality measured by detrusor muscle involvement, various perioperative/surgical parameters and 12 months follow-up data were analyzed. Results: 156 and 65 patients were treated with electrical and laser ERBT, respectively. Median tumor size was 2.1 cm with biggest up to 5 cm. Detrusor muscle was available in 97.3%. A switch to conventional TURBT was significantly more frequent in the electri...


A new volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sensing concept called humidity‐initiated gas (HIG) sensors is described and demonstrated. HIG sensors employ the impedance of water assembled at sensor interfaces when exposed to humidity to sense VOCs at low concentrations. Here, two HIG sensor variants are studied—Type I and Type II. Type I sensors benefit from simplicity, but are less attractive in terms of key performance metrics, including response time and detection limits. Type II sensors are more complex, but are more attractive in terms of key performance metrics. Notably, it is observed that the best‐in‐class Type II HIG sensors achieve <2 min response times and <10 ppb detection limit for geranyl acetone, a VOC linked to the asymptomatic form of Huanglongbing (HLB) citrus disease. Both Type I and Type II sensors are assembled from off‐the‐shelf materials and demonstrate remarkable stability at high humidity. HIG sensors are proposed as an attractive alternative to existing VOCs sensors for remote field detection tasks, including VOCs detection to diagnose HLB citrus disease.


[Objective]To discuss underlying risk factors in the process of agricultural modernization that may affect adult overweight.[Methods]Adult overweight prevalence and variables released by the US and Mainland Chinese official statistic departments were longitudinal analyed by simple regression and principle component regression,for their associations with three layers,i.e.macroscopic economy,intensive development and the use of industrialized materials in agriculture.[Results]Simple regressions showed that the prevalence of adult overweight both in the US and Mainland China had a significant association with the major representative variables of the three layers.Taking the odds of adult overweight prevalence/adult non-overweight prevalence as dependent variables,per capita GDP(thousand local currencies),crop product per hectare(t/hm2),chemical fertilizer use per unit crop(kg/t), pesticide use per unit crop(kg/t)and industrial feed production(Mt)as independent variables,a principle component regression was performed to compute the 5 coefficients respectively for Mainland China(1.015,1.114,1.010,1.022 and 1.002)and the US(1.010, 1.131,0.993,0.964 and 1.002).Both models were statistically significant.[Conclusion]The longitudinal association between intensive development as well as the use of industrialized materials in agriculture and adult overweight is likely to reflect the impact produced by the consumption of pesticides and feed addictives such as antibiotics and heavy metal.


By using inter-simple sequence repeat(ISSR) markers technique,this paper studied the genetic diversity and variation of six wild populations of Ceratoides arborescens.The results showed that at species level the percentage of polymorphic bank(PPB) was 98.05%,Nei's gene diversity(h) and Shannon's index(I) were 0.298 4 and 0.455 7,respectively.According to PPB,h and I,estimated the trend line of the average genetic diversity within each population was similar,the order was PAPBPDPCPEPF.There were more genetic variations within the population than among populations.The gene flow is 4.333 2 among populations,were greater than 1.The cluster analysis suggested that the six populations of C.arborescens could be divided into two groups,i.e.desert grassland group and typical grassland group.The habitat fragmentation was still not enough to cause the loss of specific gene,genetic drift occured very unlikely.


The site of an infamous Serb massacre of a militant Albanian extended family in March 1998 has become the most prominent sacred shrine in postwar Kosovo attracting thousands of Albanian visitors. Inspired by Smith's (2003) 'territorialization of memory' as a sacred source of national identity and MacCannell's (1999 [1976]) five-stage model of 'sight sacralization', this article traces the site's sacred memorial topography, its construction process, its social and material reproductions, and adds a sixth stage to the interpretation – the 'political reproduction'. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, the commemorative literature emanating from this shrine and on numerous interviews with core protagonists (including former guerrilla) and visitors, the article explores the ways in which the religious themes of martyrdom and sacrifice, as well as traditionalist ideals of solidarity and militancy, are embodied at the site and give sense to a nationwide celebration of ethno-national resistance, solidarity and independence. Overlooking the hamlet of Prekaz, in the central valley of Drenica where the Kosovo war was fought most intensely, the burned ruins of the Jashari family's compound stands as a reminder of a tragic event, rich JOURNEYS, VOL. 7 ISSUE 1 a1 J7.1 INSIDE-SB1 11/5/06 8:42 am Page a1


This paper describes the optimized design of two kinds of operational amplifier (OPA) in the column readout circuit and output buffer of focal plane array (FPA) circuit, based on 1.2 /spl mu/m double poly double metal (DPDM) CMOS process. Hspice simulation shows that the OPA for column readout circuit works with GBW of 0.9 MHz, power of 35 /spl mu/W, settling time of 3 /spl mu/s. The OPA in output buffer can work at GBW of 12 MHz, power of 1.8 mW, settling time of 144 ns, which may support the dimension of FPA as large as 400*400 pixels at 30 frames/sec.


It provides a gas and the amount of the liquid, in the gas mist at the optimal level by controlling the pressure and the like can be absorbed from the skin and mucous membrane of the biological gas mist apyok system gas supply means 10, a liquid reservoir for storing the liquid portion 32 and, a nozzle for supplying the gas pressure, and that the nozzle has an absorption liquid pipe for supplying a liquid to the distal end gas mist generation means for generating the gas mist (30), covering the living body's skin and mucous membranes generated gas mist and it means for the cover member and the living body 50 to form a space for sealing the gas mist supplied from the (30) therein, sensors 71 and 72 for measuring the supplying conditions of gas, liquid and gas mist, and the sensor (71 based on the measured value, 72), gas, liquid, and a control means 60 for controlling the supply of the gas mist and the gas mist generation means 30 and the nozzle gas separately into the gas mist generation means 30 the supplying Further comprise a gas supply means (42,44) raise the supply pressure of the gas mist.


Our aim is to inquire into the ways in which a presumed Brazilian "managing" of sexual categories or identities (mainly related to male homosexuality) has been conceived in anthropology since the end of the 1970, sometimes becoming an axis for building and maintaining a national identity characterized as exotic, backward and not pertaining to "the West". We also parallel two moments in the reflection about the links between sexuality, culture and politics, briefly reviewing some of early theoretical and empirical contributions that prefigure central concerns and conceptualizations in present sexuality studies which are related to instability and fluidity of sexual identities, as well as to the entanglement of sexuality with dynamic and contextual power relationships and social hierarchies.


Regions with formerly distinctive cultural characteristics are being eroded by a combination of global/national environmental legislation and standardised planning practices. Sustainability policy no longer acts as an ecological preservation measure, but more of a blunt chisel disfiguring formerly intricate cultural and formal urban landscapes. This paper examines the urban environments of the former socialist state of Montenegro, currently undergoing transition from centralised government to a civil society administrative model. It considers the role of de facto western planning processes and sustainable policy on the cultural identity of its communities. The effect on embedded traditions, urban form and cultural values is mixed, but it can be convincingly argued that in the move to 'modernisation' many of the structures necessary for the evolution of genuine ecological and architectural planning systems are being systematically dissolved. Accordingly, the author appraises the current sustainable plannin...


After a significant setback due to odor problems in 1997, a Washington State composter found that an Environmental Management System was well suited to guiding the management and infrastructure needed.


: Corporate Governance Practice is a management tool that was introduced by Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) through the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) as statutory requirement for companies listed at NSE to improve their financial performance. Though corporate governance practices have been enforced in Kenya, it has in equal measure experienced cases of mismanagement of Savings and Credit Co-Operative Societies (SACCOs) that has led to collapse of a number of them and others have experienced liquidity challenges. A case in point was the mismanagement of the giant Harambee SACCO which put management of SACCOs on the spotlight. Despite several studies on Corporate Governance Practices, it is not clear how insider lending, an aspect of corporate governance, affected the financial performance of SACCOs. The study examined effect of adoption of corporate governance practices, aforementioned, on financial performance of SACCOs. Three theories guided the study, namely; Agency, Stewardship and Stakeholder theories. The study adopted descriptive research design that involved set of methods and procedures that described intended variables and how they relate to each other. The study adopted Israel, (1992) formula to sample 53 from the population of 61 SACCOs registered with the County Co-operatives Officer in Nyandarua County, and thereafter, from the 53 sampled SACCOs, two top managers were sampled. This led to a sample of 106 respondents. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire whereas; secondary data was collected through documentary analysis. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and results presented in form of tables and charts. Of the 106 distributed questionnaires, 100 were duly filled and returned and therefore the response rate was 94.3%. The R square was equal to 0.778 while the adjusted R square value was 0.770 which means that 77.0% of the corresponding variation in financial performance of the SACCOs can be explained by corporate governance practices employed by the SACCOs. Multiple regression analysis indicated that insider lending had a great effect on financial performance of SACCOs with a coefficient of -0.391 while the appointment of internal auditor with a coefficient of 0.243. The variable on insider lending had a negative coefficient implying that a unit increase in insider lending led to a decrease in financial performance of the SACCOs by 0.391 units. The variables were all significant at p=0.000 and p=0.013 for the constant term. The study therefore fails to accept the null hypothesis that corporate governance practices have no statistically significant effect on the financial performance of SACCOs in Nyandarua County and states that corporate governance practices. Regression analysis was carried out to determine the amount of variation in financial performance explained by appointment of internal auditor. The calculated R value was 0.669. The R square was equal to 0.447 while the adjusted R square value was 0.446 which means that 44.6% of the corresponding variation in financial performance of the SACCOs can be explained by change in appointment of internal auditor. The rest of 55.4% can be explained by other factors that are not in the model.


The Internet and Apps related technologies are considered as information "super highway" since they are able to connect people, computers, and data to one another. Because of them, a new communication medium has risen, which provides an access to the large flow of information across various broad extensions. As a consequence, there has been a need for understanding the behaviors of online consumers, since Information Technology and its usage have had a massive impact on shopping behaviors as well as the rate of market success. This chapter's aim will be to sanitize the current understanding of Apps/online consumer behavior to shape Apps marketing strategies and implementations.


Protein, lipid, water and caloric contents of immature rainbow trout, relative to size of whole fish, growing at different rates were examined by use of allometric analysis (y = axb, Huxley, 1932). Fish grew at different rates as a result of differences in ration size (satiation, or 4–5% of dry body weight), temperature (7 and 12°C) and bGH (bovine growth hormone) administration. In fingerlings, protein, lipid and caloric contents tended to increase (v. body weight) as a percentage of body composition, whereas above fingerling size, protein decreased while lipid and caloric contents still increased. These trends occurred regardless of growth rate differences. The correlations between protein, lipid, caloric contents and body weight were high so reliable estimates of body components can be made from body weight for all experimental treatments. At satiation rations (7 and 12°C), there were no significant differences in protein content, but lipid and caloric contents were significantly higher in control fish. At low rations, protein and caloric contents were lower than those at satiation rations and lipid was lower than in the control group. On a dry weight basis, in uninjected fish at 12°C, ration size did not influence the percentage composition (protein and lipid) but the low ration group had lower energy values per unit of body dry weight. At low temperature (7°C satiation), fish had lower lipid and higher protein content (dry weight basis) than their controls (12°C satiation), thereby resembling bGH injected fish at satiation rations. Values of caloric content estimated from protein and lipid values by use of standard conversion factors differed sufficiently from caloric values directly determined by bomb calorimetry to suggest that caloric values of lipids may change during growth. The increase in body caloric content during growth apparently results mainly from an increase in the percentage of lipid. The similarity of body composition between different growth rate groups implied a tendency for conservation of relative proportions of components such that body composition can be approximated from body weight. Equations were also given to describe the relationship between water content and body constituents, and the relationship between condition factor (K) and both the body dry weight and lipid content.


Ankle sprain is the most common type of diseases in the body's joint sprain,and it often appears in fierce sports competitions.If it doesn't get timely and correct treatment,the sequelae will be left.In order to ensure athletes to return to trainings and competitions as soon as possible after the injury,the paper makes a collection on the recent years of the treatment and rehabilitation methods of ankle sprain of rugby players,so as to provide some references for the effective treatment.


Having external control over fundamental properties of polymers, such as their physical state, is a crucial yet challenging design criterion for smart materials. Liquifying polymers through photochemical events has significantly advanced various research lines. However, the opposite process of solidifying a polymer that is intrinsically in a liquid state reversibly with light is unattained. Herein, the light‐controlled liquid‐to‐solid transition of polysiloxanes is reported, which are decorated with a small number of azobenzene‐functionalized ureidopyrimidinone (Azo‐UPy) pendants. The UPy moieties toggle between intra‐ and intermolecular hydrogen bonding via trans→cis photoisomerization of the azobenzene. This transformation on the molecular level leads to the formation of strong supramolecular cross‐links, which, in turn, results in the macroscopic solidification of the material. The photoswitching event enables the post‐synthetic tailoring of the polymers' mechanical properties, thus providing an alternative to the addition of plasticizers or hardeners. Moreover, the adhesion strength of the photochromic material increases by a factor of 6 upon exposure to UV light. In situ illumination during rheological measurements reveals the delicate interplay between wavelength dependent penetration depth and photoswitching efficiency. This conceptually new (de)bonding on demand strategy paves the way for creating light‐responsive materials with exciting applications in temporal adhesion, recycling, lithography, and material processing.


Aiming at the importance of construction progress controlling, it analyses the kinds of factors of affecting construction progress,puts forward the effective steps that should adopt to do well the progress control,and expresses the contents of the progress controlling in the phase of construction,to help the supervision engineer do well the construction progress control and assure the trouble free operation of project programs.


Squared-error clustering algorithms for single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) hypercubes are presented. These algorithms are asymptotically faster than previous algorithms and require less memory per processing element. For a clustering problem with N patterns, M features per pattern, and K clusters, the algorithms complete it in O(K+log NM) steps on NM processor hypercubes. This is optimal up to a constant factor. Experimental results from a commercially available multiple-instruction multiple-data (MIMD) medium-grain hypercube show that the clustering problem can be solved efficiently by the machines.<<ETX>>


[Objective]To explore the effects of different aeration pattern on co-composting of night soil and leaf.[Method]In aerobic co-composting of night soil and leaf,three different ventilated way were studied.The compounds,temperature,moisture content,organic matter,pH value,NH+4-N and NO-3-N contents,and germination index (GI) were measured during composting.[Result]Three different aeration ventilated ways achieved goals of aerobic co-composting,and had the same trend and no obvious difference.The temperatures of at least 55 ℃ were all maintained for 7 d and GI exceeded 90%.[Conclusion]Three different aeration ventilated way can all achieved goals of aerobic co-composting.


The relationship between structure and mechanical properties in as-spun and heat-treated high modulus poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fibres has been examined using a combination of electron microscopy mechanical testing, and Raman microscopy. The structure of the fibres has been determined by obtaining longitudinal sections and electron diffraction from skin and core regions. Well-defined intense Raman siectra werf obtained from individual fibres and three main bands at 1280cm −1 , 1540cm −1 and 1615cm −1 have been indentified. It is shown that shifts in Raman bands during straining are a direct reflection of molecular deformation within the fibres.