This paper presents the results of a research project conducted to solve a production scheduling problem observed in a system in which meeting customer due dates is the primary objective. Each job to be scheduled is defined by its processing time, ready time, due date, weight and size. The Batch Processing Machine (BPM) can process several jobs simultaneously as a batch as long as its capacity is not violated. The processing time of a batch is the largest processing time among the jobs in the batch, and the batch ready time is the largest ready time among the jobs in the batch. Given that the problem is NP-hard we propose a Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) heuristic to minimize the total weighted tardiness on a single BPM. The computational experiments conducted to assess the quality of the solutions found show that in a computational time restricted to a maximum of 30 minutes, the proposed heuristic finds solutions considerably better than the solutions obtained after implementing a mixed integer programming model available in the literature in a commercial solver.


Over the years,Hunan Institute of Science and Technology has been exploring and innovating talent cultivating model for international economy and trade specialty.Through improving the professional training programs,strengthening practice teaching,strengthening the construction of teachers and teaching research and reform,professional construction,we has obtained achievements,and formed its characteristics,but there are still some problems in talent cultivating.The discipline construction of international trade should be strengthened,the practical teaching should be perfected,teaching level of teachers should be improved and teaching research and reform should be strengthened.


The unified modelling language (UML) is a de facto standard for object-oriented modelling. However, the formal semantics for the notations included in UML are not provided, which are a key requirement for the verification and evaluation purposes. To solve this problem, Petri nets formalism has been used as a complement to UML in several research projects. However, there is not a complete transformation technique for all concepts and diagrams of UML to an extension of Petri nets. We have recently introduced object stochastic activity networks (OSANs). OSANs are a high-level modelling formalism that integrates object-orientation into stochastic activity networks (SANs), which are a powerful and flexible stochastic extension of Petri nets. In this paper, we present some transformation techniques for the most important concepts and diagrams of UML into OSANs. The resulting OSAN models can be used for the evaluation purposes by analytic or simulation methods. As a case study, we have used the proposed technique for transformation and evaluation of a use case diagram.


Amidst tears and apprehension about a future without a man who became synonymous with Malaysia for over a generation, Malaysia's fourth and longest-serving prime minister stepped down after a sixteen-month transition on 31 October 2003, making way for the tenure of his appointed deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Malaysia's new prime minister faces an extraordinary set of challenges, many of which were the direct result of his predecessor's twenty-two-year premiership that ended on a high note of international stature and strong domestic support, especially among non-Malays. Mahathir's last year in office was indeed a tribute to his service to Malaysia, yet it was riddled with controversy at home and abroad as his style of rule and views provoked strong criticism. Abdullah's first few months in office sent a signal that his leadership differed both in style and substance. However, he needs to obtain a strong political mandate in the general election and party elections in 2004, before he can effectively implement reforms and initiate policies that address some of the problems Tun Mahathir left behind. Grand and Controversial International Exit Over the course of his twenty-two years in office, Mahathir propelled Malaysia onto the international stage, citing its success in managing ethnic tensions, promoting economic development and projecting an anti-Western stance as a calling card for the developing world and Muslim nations. While the merits of Mahathir's record in these areas remain contentious, 2003 was used to solidify his role as an international spokesman on issues of co-operation and social justice in the international community. The year saw the culmination of a gradual progression of a foreign policy over the last third of his years in office involving extensive overseas travel and the systematic expansion of his exposure in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.1 At its core Mahathir projected himself as one of the leading critics of the United States, whose policy in Iraq isolated itself from the international community.


Quantitative data obtained as a result of n-hexane and n-heptane conversion revealed significant differences in the selectivity of action of industrial zeolites-containing catalyst. Experimentally it has been found that the catalyst exhibits high isomerization activity in forming ramified hexane isomers: at 140-250 o C conversion was 55-57.2 % and the selectivity by iso-hexane 58-59.3 %.


This study evaluates undergraduate students' coffee consumption levels and investigates how it affects their psychological well-being during online learning. Caffeine is a psychostimulant that boosts body energy levels, and coffee is its primary medium in beverages, so it is popular among students due to their need for help studying, especially during online classes. However, caffeine also has adverse effects. The researchers gathered data from a sample of 100 college students through a digital survey that aimed to know their level of coffee consumption and general mental health status using the GHQ-12 questionnaire. The GHQ-12 generates social dysfunction, anxiety and depression, and loss of confidence. The data obtained from the respondents were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and measurements of this study have determined that age and social dysfunction are associated with coffee consumption. It was concluded that age is directly proportional to coffee consumption, and students with high social dysfunction tend to consume a high amount of coffee. The researchers recommend that educational institutions must hold seminars for their students to discuss this awareness and encourage dosage limits of coffee to students.


PNEUMOCEPHALUS has been noted in a variety of medical and surgical conditions. The most common etiology is accidental and iatrogenic craniofacial trauma, with an incidence of 74.9% in an extensive review of 295 cases by Markham.1Other causes include neoplasm (osteomas,2epidermoid tumors,3and pituitary tumors), spinal anesthesia.4infection,5and neurilemoma.6No cases of pneumocephalus associated with rapid pressure change have been documented previously, although Markham did report a patient in whom symptoms were exacerbated during altitude changes of some 540 m (1,800 ft). We report the case of a previously healthy scuba diver who experienced pneumocephalus likely on the basis of air trapping and barotrauma. Report of a Case A 26-year-old healthy male scuba diving instructor was referred to the St Luke's Hospital (Milwaukee) Department of Hyperbaric Medicine by the Duke University Divers Alert Network. The patient had been engaged in fresh water


Paper Several Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) techniques for Cloud resources management are considered by many researchers. ACO techniques in existence still need some improvements for effective resource management and planning with the heterogeneous and voluminous services offered. Hence, an optimized hybrid scheme that combined deterministic characteristics for exploiting ACO search process is proposed. Spanning Tree (ST) algorithm was chosen in the hybridization that obtained a faster convergence speed, minimized makespan time and throughput that ensured resource utilization in least time and cost. Extensive experiments were conducted in cloudsim simulator provided an efficient result compared to other ACO techniques as it significantly improves performance.


The author reports the results of his study examining whether sex moderates the relationship between general job satisfaction or dissatisfaction and the 25 job satisfaction factors of the Triple Audit Opinion Survey (TAOS). The author conducted Hierarchical Multiple Regression Covariance Analysis to test the homogeneity of regression (intercepts and slopes) between males and females using the five orthogonal factors derived from the 25 job satisfaction components of the TAOS as the independent variables and the general job satisfaction scores of the TAOS as the dependent variable.


Abstract The objective of this study was to determine if exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs) or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was associated with altered ovarian development or reduced spawning success in rock sole Pleuronectes bilineatus. This objective was addressed in two separate phases. In the first study, concentrations of AHs and PCBs were measured in individual fish from four sites in Puget Sound, Washington (Eagle Harbor, Sinclair Inlet, Yukon Harbor, and Pilot Point) with different levels of AH and PCB contamination in sediments and their ovarian development was monitored during the 1989–1991 spawning seasons. In these fish, egg weight was negatively correlated with levels of PCBs in the liver. However, contaminant exposure levels were not significantly associated with the probability of entering vitellogenesis or with gonadosomatic index, plasma estradiol concentrations, or fecundity. In the second study, gravid female soles were taken from Eagle Harbor, Sinclair Inlet, Yukon Harbor, and...


In order to investigate the influence of soil clay particle content on soil infiltration capacity,the researchers compounded some kinds of soils by adding sand and clay to natural soil,and then simulated the influence of artificial soil clay particle content on soil infiltration capacity by water accumulated column infiltration.The results showed that:(1) clay particle content has a great effect on soil infiltration capacity,the more clay contained,the weaker infiltration capacity.The stable infiltration rate decreased from 0.0169 cm/min to 0.0068 cm/min and 90-min cumulative infiltration decreased from 3.66 cm to 2.02 cm as clay particle(0.001 mm) content increased from 6% to 40.4%.(2) The stable infiltration rate and 90-min cumulative infiltration have negative power and exponential function relationship with clay particle content and so physical clay particle(0.01 mm) content.But the correlation with clay particle content was better.(3) Through fitting parameters of Green-Ampt model,Philip model,Kostiakov model and using these models to calculate the cumulative infiltration,the researchers found that Kostiakov model has highest fitting accuracy,Philip model took second place and Green-Ampt model was worst in this experiment.It illustrated that Kostiakov model is more practical.


Phytotoxicity and phytogenotoxicity of municipal sewage sludge. The aim of our research was to evaluate the phytotoxicity and phytogenotoxicity of Warsaw municipal sewage sludge, mixed with two different types of soils, using standard plant bioassays: the Phytotoxkit and the Allium cepa Root Tip Assay. The phytotoxicity of sludge mixtures with soils was influenced by the concentration of sludge and the type of soil. In the case of sludge/sand mixtures, even a 3% sludge concentration was phytotoxic, whereas in sludge/ /peat substrate mixtures, the phytotoxic effect was observed only in the 25% concentration. Unfortunately, in this and also a lower (6%) concentration of sludge in a sludge/peat substrate mixture, a strong phytogenotoxic effect was noticed. Therefore, the so called biological utilisation of the considered sludge seems rather hazardous for plants, especially in the case of sandy, but also in


This case study concerns the ceramic settlement on the internal walls faced in the Las Piedras project, and thus, it is in keeping with the reality of this specific organization. Therefore the applications, methods and techniques in studies, as well as, generalizations deserve a greater understanding. The development is a condominium of high standard, where the construction was divided into three phases. At the time of the study the condominium was in phase I, being eighty-four houses with two and three floors. The ceramic coating on the internal walls has as main functions the aesthetics and protection against moisture on the walls.


The article offers a brief substantive analysis of extreme necessity as a justifying circumstance under Bulgarian criminal law. In this sense, the normatively established requirements for legality of the act in case of extreme necessity are critically approached. The current regulation of extreme necessity is questioned in its part regarding the condition for success of the rescue act, which unreasonably limits its application and distinguishes it from other circumstances excluding public danger. On this basis, it is argued that de lege ferenda expands the scope of the institute by dropping the requirement for a successful outcome in Article 13 of the Bulgarian Criminal Code.


Although forms such as these have been found in a number of varieties of American English, they are, according to Atwood (1953: 35), most frequently found in the rural varieties of the Appalachian mountain range. What is referred to here as "a-prefixing" (since the ais considered structurally to be a prefix attached to the following participial form) is a linguistic phenomenon with solid historical roots in the history of the English language. Krapp (1925, 1: 268) is just one of many writers who note this form in the development of English:


Network Function Virtualization is allowing carriers to replace dedicated middleboxes with Network Functions (NFs) consolidated on shared servers, but the question of how (and even whether) one can achieve performance SLOs with software packet processing remains open. A key challenge is the high variability and unpredictability in throughput and latency introduced when NFs are consolidated. We show that, using processor cache isolation and with careful sizing of I/O buffers, we can directly enforce a high degree of performance isolation among consolidated NFs - for a wide range of NFs, our technique caps the maximum throughput degradation to 2.9% (compared to 44.3%), and the 95th percentile latency degradation to 2.5% (compared to 24.5%). Building on this, we present ResQ, a resource manager for NFV that enforces performance SLOs for multi-tenant NFV clusters in a resource efficient manner. ResQ achieves 60%-236% better resource efficiency for enforcing SLOs that contain contention-sensitive NFs compared to previous work.


Five peat soils and a mineral soil were artificially contaminated with 137 Cs. Soil solution activity and radio-lability of 137 Cs were monitored over 709 days to quantify progressive 137 Cs fixation. The peat soils fixed large amounts of 137 Cs, but less than the mineral soil did. Distribution coefficients (K d , cm 3 g -1 ) ranged from 30 to 5000 at the end of equilibration. A labile 137 Cs distribution coefficient, K dl , was estimated by a method involving solid = solution equilibration in dilute solution. In a separate study several concentrations of KCl were added to soils in increasing concentration both before and after the addition of 137 Cs. Differences in apparent adsorption strength of radiocaesium indicated that K + induced the collapse of expanded mineral interlayers, thereby trapping ions. It seemed that 137 Cs adsorbs at sites in the small micaceous clay fraction of the peat soils. The different rates of 137 Cs adsorption and fixation in the peat and mineral soils, in which the rate of access of 137 Cs to fixation sites in peat soils is less, seems to have been caused partly by lack of K, and partly by the scarcity of fixation sites.


Multiple makers exhibiting strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) in a single genomic region and a phenotype of interest generate very compelling statistical associations in the large-scale genetic-association studies. LD, especially strong LD, between variations at neighboring loci can not only make it difficult to discern markers associated with phenotype, but also create difficulties for distinguishing the functionally relevant variations from nonfunctional variations. In this paper, we compared 5 different methods, Boosting, LASSO, Ridge regression, Stepwise and Single locus analysis, for identifying real functional variations in the circumstance of LD exiting in the variations at different loci via simulation. We found that in the case of strong LD between 20 loci, Ridge regression performs the best while in the case of degenerated LD between 500 and 1000 loci, Boosting outperforms other methods.


RFQ with a harmonic higher order quadrupole mode is studied. Assuming that we superpose a higher order mode with twice the frequency of the fundamental mode, a sawtooth waveform is approximated. In such a case, the bunching function is enhanced while the transverse stability is modified. Second order longitudinal harmonic component is also required to enable the effect.


The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of Phytolysin Active prescription in therapy of urinary tract infections in pregnant women. Materials and methods. The efficacy of Phytolysin Active (1 capsule per day for 21 days) in the complex treatment for urinary tract infection was studied in comparison with the group of pregnant women using traditional antimicrobial therapy. The first group consisted of 27 pregnant women who received complex treatment (antibiotic therapy + Phytolysin Active), the second consisted of 25 women who used exclusively antibiotic therapy. Among pregnant women in the first group, symptomatic gestational cystitis was observed in 9 (33.3%) cases, and in the second group in 8 (32%) patients. Results. The effectiveness of combination therapy with the use of Phytolysin Active was proved by significant improvement in general well-being and disappearance of cystitis symptoms in 8 (88.9%) women compared with 5 (62.5%) patients in the treatment group who used exclusively antimicrobial drugs. After treatment with the addition of Phytolysin Active to antibiotic therapy, Escherichiaсoli pathogen, which is most often diagnosed in this pathology, was observed in 1 (3.7%) women compared to 5 (20%) cases in the second group. Also, 25 (92.6%) women of the first group had no recurrence of urinary tract infections for 3 months. Conclusions. Complex treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant women with the use of the drug Phytolysin Active is more effective than the use of antibiotic therapy alone, which is proved by the high rate of the pathogen elimination and absence of infection recurrence for 3 months. The synergistic action of two active components of Phytolysin Active (Polpharma) – cranberry proanthocyanidins and lactobacillus acidophilus – improves the effectiveness of treatment and prevents relapse. The study was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the institution. The informed consent of women was obtained for the research. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Key words: pregnancy, urinary tract infections, treatments, herbal medicine, cranberry, lactobacilli.


The Six Sigma methodology for quality improvement is a system of many concepts, tools, and principles. This paper discusses the basic concepts of the Six Sigma Process Improvement Methodology, presents various computer applications to demonstrate the value of information systems and information technology (IS/IT) in this methodology, and finally, presents an actual case where some of these applications were used to help a major corporation save over $2 million. It is hoped that the focus on IS/IT shows how powerful Six Sigma can be when aided by the latest computer hardware and software technology. The strategic use of IS/IT within the Six Sigma methodology will go a long way in making things easy for professionals to incorporate the principles as part of their everyday work routine.


There probably has been discussion about the meaning of history ever since the telling of history began. Even the earliest examples of oral tradition must have created more questions than answers. It is a law of life that supply produces demand. And this, as far as itis possible to guess, is good. In any case, it has happened repeatedly in recent hundreds of years that people have asked and historians have attempted to answer the natural question :What is history ? Also, there have been inquiries about the purposes, the uses and the effects of history inhuman affairs. Currently, certain skeptics want to know what proof there is that study of the past is worthwhile inan era when new conditions obviouslyare destroying everything old. The present, these modernists affirm, is all that matters. Other professional iconoclasts are concerned only with clearing the ground for the future. Even if the past is amusing, they insist, it is only an encumbrance. What is desired is an unlimited opportunity to begin anew, in the thorough manner attributed by Edward Fitzgerald to Omar Khayyam. Believers in this theory of a fresh start with the inspiration of compelling necessity are laboring under the challenge of what they call the Space Age, which conceivably is not as novel as they suppose. But the desperate pessimists, frantically willing to jump out of the jet-pad frying pan1 into the exploding target of celestial fire, are as yet a minority. The average person is an optimist. Were it otherwise such common standard procedures as developing skills, obtaining jobs, falling in love and having children soon would be abandoned. Andconsent, ifnot exuberant enthusiasm, to believe ina future of any sort must derive in part from knowledge of the past. We denizens of


In order to find out the difference of soil moisture at different mulches and different levels,collecting cultivated land and wasteland soil samples in Weinan plateau,the soil water content was determined using drying method,and soil moisture curve was draw using surfer 8.0 software,aiming to provide basis for improving soil moisture and yield per unit area.The results showed that soil moisture changed greatly more than 2 min agricultural land and wasteland soil of Weinan plateau,2~5 m varied less;soil moisture content was high in 2011 October because of precipitation.


guiding development of targeted therapeutic agents. The advent of increasing research interest and advances in noninvasive technologies may provide answers to several questions. (i) Can rosacea be detectable before it is clinically obvious? (ii) How can rosacea be diagnosed in patients with dark phototypes? (iii) How can the erythema of inflammatory papules and pustules be clearly distinguished from persistent central facial erythema? (iv) Can cellphone technology and artificial intelligence algorithms assist in self-diagnosis of rosacea and longitudinal follow-up? 'Noninvasive objective skin measurement methods for rosacea assessment: a systematic review' provides a starting point to begin addressing these questions.


The article discusses various social and economic aspects of the rule of law in places such as China, focusing on the efforts to promote justice and liberty, as well as information about political corruption in China and Chinese President Xi Jinxing's views about the powers of his nation's courts. Secret trials are mentioned, along with punishment and public office-related abuses. Nobel Prize-winning economist and philosopher Friedrich A. von Hayek's views on the rule of law are also examined.


We propose a partonic picture for high-mass diffractive dissociation events in onium-nucleus scattering, which leads to simple and robust predictions for the distribution of the sizes of gaps in diffractive dissociation of virtual photons off nuclei at very high energies. We show that the obtained probability distribution can formally be identified to the distribution of the decay time of the most recent common ancestor of a set of objects generated near the edge of a branching random walk, and explain the physical origin of this appealing correspondence. We then use the fact that the diffractive cross section conditioned to a minimum rapidity gap size obeys a set of Balitsky-Kovchegov equations in order to test numerically our analytical predictions. Furthermore, we show how simulations in the framework of a Monte Carlo implementation of the QCD evolution support our picture.


Based on the characteristic of cylinder helical spring, it builds the multi-objective optimizing mathematic model of spring under non-linear constraints. Using the method of NSGA-II, it optimizes the design parameters of cylinder helical compression spring, proves the validity and practicability of multi-goal optimizing mathematic model, also obtains the multi design schemes of the spring, and sets up the base of the optimization and decision-making of the spring design.


Indirect ambient conditions change the position of the test in one embodiment, the system and method comprising: providing a test site on a substrate, a first activatable stimulant in the test position, there is provided configured to be activated in the test position of the first activatable stimulant actuators, control actuator to activate the first activatable stimulant, and is activated by a first stimulant change the local chemical environment of the test site.


K-complex(KC)is a major component of electroencephalography(EEG)in human brain during non-rapid eye movement sleep,and there has long been a debate on its function.Some researchers consider that KC represents a sign of arousal response of brain to internal or external stimuli,and others suggest that it is a protective response to sustain sleep.In this article we put forward a functional model of KC based on the above two views and related literatures.According to our model,KC arises from three kinds of brain rhythms(sleep cyclic,central oscillation,and cortical oscillation).Based on the results of stimulus significance assessed by sleep-information assessment center,the generation of KC is related to three different responses-total arousal,sign of being awakened,and no sign of being awakened.In conclusion,KC is a reflection of cerebral state responsive to stimuli.


Tell us a little bit about your fi eld of research. My research involves monitoring structural integrity through the development of new methods to detect and evaluate structural damage, with particular focus on intelligent systems to provide accurate and automatic diagnosis about the overall structural condition. The methods I work on can be applied to several types of structures and across several research fi elds, such as aerospace, aeronautical, bridges, civil infrastructure, rotating machineries, and wind turbines. I started working in this fi eld during my PhD in 2009. At this time I was very excited to work in this fascinating fi eld and since then I have been focusing on this area. The most interesting issue is developing new methods that can lead to an increase in safety and reduce maintenance costs in structural health monitoring systems.


We construct an extension of Fock space and prove that it allows for implementing bosonic Bogoliubov transformations in a certain extended sense. While an implementation in the regular sense on Fock space is only possible if a certain operator $ v^* v $ is trace class (this is the well-known Shale-Stinespring condition), the extended implementation works without any restrictions on this operator. This generalizes a recent result of extended implementability, which required $ v^* v $ to have discrete spectrum.


We present the use of direction of arrival (DOA) of sound sources as an index during the interaction between humans and service robots. These indices follow the notion defined by the theory of interpretation of signs by Peirce. This notion establishes a strong physical relation between signs (DOAs) and objects being signified in specific contexts. With this in mind, we have modeled the call at a distance to a robot as indexical in nature. These indices can be later interpreted as the position of the user and the user herself/himself. The relation between the call and the emitter is formalized in our framework of development of service robots based on the SitLog programming language. In particular, we create a set of behaviours based on direction of arrival information to be used in the programming of tasks for service robots. Based on these behaviours, we have implemented four tasks which heavily rely on them: following a person, taking attendance of a class, playing Marco-Polo, and acting as a waiter in a restaurant.


More than 200 bridges have been designed or retrofitted in the United States using seismic isolation in the last 20 years, and more than a thousand bridges around the world now use this cost-effective technique for seismic protection. Intended to supplement AASHTO's Guide Specifications for Seismic Isolation Design (1999), this manual presents the principles of isolation for bridges, develops step-by-step methods of analysis, explains material and design issues for elastomeric and sliding isolators, and gives detailed examples of their application to standard highway bridges. Design guidance is given for the lead-rubber isolator, the friction-pendulum isolator, and the Eradiquake isolator, all of which are found in use today in the United States. Guidance on the development of test specifications for these isolators is also given.


The infrared (33–4000 cm−1) and Raman (0–3500 cm−1) spectra of (CH3)2HPBH3, (CH3)2DPBH3, and (CH3)2HPBD3 have been recorded for the solid state at low temperature. The Raman spectra and polarization have been measured for the liquid state. The spectra have been interpreted in detail on the basis of Cs molecular symmetry. The barrier to internal rotation of the CH3 group in the solid state was found to be 3.8 kcal/mole. The microwave spectrum of (CH3)2HP11BH3, (CH3)2HP10BH3, (CH3)2DP11BH3, (CH3)2DP10BH3, (CH3)2HP11BD2H, and (CH3)2HP11BD3 was recorded from 18.0 to 40.0 GHz. An rs structure was determined for the BH3 group and an r0 structure was obtained from a least squares fit for the remainder of the structural parameters. The following molecular parameters were determined: r(BHs) = 1.212±0.005 A, r(B–Ha) = 1.216±0.005 A, r(P–B) = 1.898±0.010 A, r(P–C) = 1.813±0.010 A, r(P–H) = 1.414±0.009 A, CPB = 114.6±1.0°, CPC = 105.4±1.0°, PBHs = 104.91±0.4°, PBHa = 104.81±0.4°, and BPH = 118.1±4.0°. The r(C–H) dist...


Heavy metals in sewage sludge are the major concern in sewage sludge use in agricultural practice.In this study,attapulgite,a clay known to be able to absorb heave metals,was added to sewage sludge at percentage of 6%,12% and 18%(on a dry weight basis),and was incubated for 30 d,to investigate its effect on heavy metals in sewage sludge.The results showed that attapulgite had passivation effect on Pb,Cd,Cu,Ni,Cr,and Zn in sewage sludge in the beginning of the experiment.After 30 d,passive Pb,Cd,Ni,Zn decreased or partially activated;on the contrary,passive Cu increased,while passive Cr remained stable during the incubation.


"Thesis of degree that proposes to carry out a systematization of experiences around a
An expression of feminism led by women belonging to the youth collective "Together with the people of Zipaquira' (JPZ), a group of mixed nature that has undertaken a series of organizational actions in the face of the various problems they recognize in their political and social context, promoting some strategies as processes of social resistance that go against the established model. This paper analyzes in a particular way the process of women transiting in the context of social organization, who raise and redefine the female subject and its role in the international political and social sphere from the possibility of feminism, which emerges essentially from an empirical construction and a radical position fed in the approaches of the left; understanding also the role played by the feminist women's process in the political-social organization of the collective JPZ and the type of political subject that is shaped from that experience."


The two-photon resonant, three-photon ionization spectrum of atomic iodine in the ${\mathrm{I}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ $^{2}\mathrm{P}_{1/2}$ state is presented. The ${\mathrm{I}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ $^{2}\mathrm{P}_{1/2}$ state is produced by photodissociation of methyl iodide, and its two-photon excitation spectrum exhibits ${(}^{3}$${\mathrm{P}}_{2}$)np and ${(}^{3}$${\mathrm{P}}_{2}$)nf Rydberg series converging to the ${\mathrm{I}}^{+}$ $^{3}\mathrm{P}_{2}$ ground state. With use of this technique, the single-photon forbidden np and nf series are readily observed to ng30.


Besides the high resolution imaging,stepped-frequency radar has a powerful ability on anti-jamming due to its frequency agility and coherent signal processing.The principle and the signal processing method of stepped-frequency radar are introduced firstly.Based on theoretical study and computer simulation,the anti-jamming ability of frequency agility and the coherent processing are analyzed detailedly.


The Mach operating system supports secure local communication within one node of a distributed system by providing protected communication abstraction can be extended over a network by Network Server tasks. The network servers effectively act as local representatives for remote tasks by implementing an abstraction of Network Ports. To extend the security of the port-based communication abstraction into the network environment, the network servers must protect both the messages sent over the network to network ports and the access rights to network ports. This paper describes in detail the protocols used by the network servers to support security.


A model is proposed that an ATPase called EA4 measures time for an active resumption of embryonic development at the end of Bombyx diapause. The timer function of EA4 comprises a built-in mechanism in the EA4 protein structure and it may undergo a series of conformational changes with time. The carbohydrate moiety of EA4 regulates the time measurement through its interaction with a peptide named PIN. PIN forms an equimolar complex with EA4 and presumably inhibits the conformational change of EA4 to hold the timer. Winter cold is a possible external time cue that induces the dissociation of the complex, which in turn results in the timer activation of EA4. We refer to EA4 as a time interval measuring enzyme, TIME.


Th e concept of assessment for learning in c1 assrooms emphasizes the supportive role of assessment for learning in the sense 也 atassessment occ 町 swhile learning rather 也姐 at the end of the learning uni t. Peer assessment is one of the methods which re a1 ize the conc 叩 tof assessment for learning since it provides students with OppO 出 mitiesto p ぽ ticipatein the assessment process and consequen t1 y become autonomous in learning. 百 lecurrent study examines factors influencing primary school teachers' intention to use peer 出 sessm 出 血 Englishwriting. A to 凶 of82 prim 町 schoolteachers (79 females and 3 male) in Korea responded to the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) survey. A seven -point Likert scale numbered 企 om1 (s 仕 onglydisagree) to 7 (strongly agree) was used. Results show 也 atKorean primary school teachers on average intended to use peer assessment for teaching writing in English c1 asses (M = 4.00 , SD = 1.28). Th e analysis of open-ended responses also shows that teachers are aware of the pedagogical benefits of peer assessment in English writing. Th e perceived cons 位 aintsare cen 住 edon who to involve and how to implement pe ぽ assessmentin c1 assrooms. More studies are needed to gain more information on the way of 並 lplementingpeer assessment for young EFL learners.


Today,with the economic globalization,the computerized accounting has become a main tool to deal with the present accounting work;and it is a basic approach to promote the working efficiency and keep account through computer technology instead of hand.How to exert the advantage of this accounting and use it scientifically and wisely to make the work efficient and high quality is a very important problem that we must solve today.


Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy may be considered for suspected testicular malignancy if widespread life-threatening metastases are identified on computed tomography (CT) imaging. Staging preoperatively enables this and may prevent delays in ongoing oncological care. This project aimed to increase the proportion of staging scans performed preoperatively in the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS trust.

 All referrals between 01/01/2016 and 31/12/2018 to the urology multidisciplinary team for suspected testicular cancer were reviewed. Exclusion criteria were applied prior to collecting treatment pathway data for each patient.
 Based on initial audit findings, clinicians were advised to request staging CT scans at the first urology clinic appointment. Re-audit was between 01/01/2019 and 31/12/2019.

 Initial audit included 95 patients and re-audit included 23 patients. The proportion of preoperative scans increased from 28.4% to 82.6% following intervention. Median time from first ultrasound to CT was reduced from 44 days to 17 days without affecting median time to orchidectomy (27 to 23 days) or oncology appointment (61 days).

 Requesting a staging CT scan as part of the first clinic assessment improved the proportion of preoperative scans without affecting time to surgery or oncology appointment.


by J.K. Aase and J.L. Pikul, Jr. ABSTRACT Tall wheatgrass barriers have been successfully tested in the northern Great Plains for wind erosion control and plant protection. Our objective was to document the passive forma- tion of hillside terraces occasioned by grass barriers on a variable 2 to 4% west to east slope. Eleven double-row tall wheatgrass (Elytrigia elongata (Host) Nevski) barriers with 10 15-m- wide cropping intervals 530 m long were established in 1967 on a Williams loam (fine-loamy mixed, Typic Argiboroll) 11 km north of Culbertson, Montana. The barriers were oriented north and south in traditional field orientation. In 1991 we established four transects 15 m apart across the barrier system and designated five sampling points along the transects in each cropping interval for a total of 200 sampling points. To avoid confounding by slopes parallel to the barri- ers, we selected a segment of the barrier system on a near 0% north to south slope for the measure- ments. Elevation was determined at each point, and soil cores were taken to a depth of about 90 cm to determine depth to CaCO 3 layer, and to determine total and organic carbon by 5 cm in- crements. A stair-step pattern, with a maximum drop of 30 cm from one grass barrier to an adja- cent cropping interval, was documented. Depth to CaCO 3 and organic carbon concentration in- creased downslope between barriers, showing soil movement. Grass barriers may serve as a substitute for mechanically built terraces.


The modern day management of patients with colorectal cancer and some benign colorectal diseases is based on multidisciplinary care approaches. Surgical therapy remains a mainstay for the treatment of primary colon and rectal cancers. Additionally, surgical approaches to treat metastatic colorectal cancer have been enhanced by improved staging, preoperative management, intraoperative assessment, use of intraoperative ultrasonography for hepatic metastases, and by better understanding of safe anatomic and functional limits to resection. Progress in Colorectal Surgery by Beynon and Carr is written using a clear and succinct style. Several technical developments in the realm of colorectal cancer surgery are nicely described by the authors. The expanding use of laparoscopic approaches to treat primary colorectal cancers and some benign colorectal conditions provides the surgeon with an additional option to treat these patients. Importantly, as pointed out in the text, laparoscopic approaches have been demonstrated in both case control and randomized trials to be oncologically sound approaches and to be associated with a slightly reduced length of hospital stay after the surgical procedure. Total mesorectal excision is now considered standard of care in the management of rectal adenocarcinomas. The surgical tenets and key points to perform successfully total mesorectal excision are nicely described in the text. Furthermore, the role of neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemoradiation therapy to treat patients with rectal carcinomas has led to a reduction in pelvic recurrence rates after surgical treatment of the primary tumor. The review of these multidisciplinary approaches to the patients with rectal cancer


Douglas Clayton examines the tradition of commedia dell'arte as the Russian modernists inherited it, from its origins in Italian street theatre through its various transformations: in Italy (Gozzi and Goldini's plays); in France (the development of Pierrot and the restructuring of the plot); and in Germany (Tieck's and Hoffmann's metatheatre). He also analyses crucial texts by Gozzi, Lothar, Benavente, and Schnitzler that came to play a central role in the Russian theatre. Tracing the history of commedia dell'arte on the Russian stage, he demonstrates that the introduction of the tradition was theory-driven and discusses several milestone productions in the pre- and post-revolutionary period. Clayton examines the impact of commedia dell'arte, russified as the new theatrical genre of balagan, on both popular and lesser-known Russian playwrights, and, in conclusion, explores the significance of the commedia dell'arte as a theoretical underpinning for Sergei Eisenstein's theories of theatre and film.


ABSTRACT This study examines the dividend clientele hypothesis by focusing on the preferential tax treatment of qualified dividends provided by the 2003 Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (JGTRRA) in the United States. Using the Public Use Tax File data, the author finds that the ratios of dividends to long-term capital gains before the 2003 tax act significantly declined with household tax rate differentials between dividends and long-term capital gains, but such a negative tax effect on the ratios disappears afterwards. This seemingly tax-inefficient composition of dividends and long-term capital gains after the tax act arises from households' ability to reduce their tax burdens on stocks by exploiting the new preferential tax treatments on qualified dividends under JGTRRA. That is, households in the upper tax bracket hold significantly greater shares of qualified dividends relative to ordinary dividends after the tax act.


During the period of support (Sept 2009 to March 2009), we got 35 samples analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Different sample of metal oxides such as SnO2, TiO2 and ZnO in film and powder form were sent for analyses. A survey spectrum and detailed spectrum of elements like Sn, O, C, Zn, Ti, N were obtained. The results are being used as a support with other elemental analyses. Research papers using the obtained data is under write-up, which will be communicated with dully acknowledgement of the support obtained from Kyoto-Advanced Nanotechnology Network. The obtained data are as per the expectation and are consistent with the reported binding energy values of the studied elements.


Thermal damage and energy evolution characteristics in process of impact failure of sandstone after high temperature treatment were studied by split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system. The ultrasonic P-wave velocity, density, porosity, peak stress, ET/E0, thermal damage, fracture, and energy evolution characteristics of sandstone with temperature during the experimental process were explored. Results show that, with the increase of temperature, the ultrasonic P-wave velocity and density decrease, while the porosity increases. It is found that the peak stress and ET/E0 decrease with the increase of temperature, and the decreasing trend is fitted with the simple cubic equation. Above 600°C, dynamic peak stress and ET/E0 decrease rapidly. The thermal damage of rock increases with the increase of temperature, which is in accordance with the logistic curve model. The thresholds of damage strain energy release rate are 200°C and 800°C in this research. Its total input strain energy decreases with the increase of processing temperature and decreases sharply when the temperature is over 600°C. The variation of total input strain energy has small change at the range from 400°C to 600°C.


Narrative in Tojolab'al Maya, an indigenous language of Southern Mexico, incorporates Spanish as both loan words and code switches. Some loans are longstanding and well integrated grammatically, e.g. borrowed conjunctions (/ 'and', kwando 'when') (Brody 1989), but others are less firmly embedded in the vocabulary and grammar. The latter often signal a speaker's attitude toward the participants or the information being conveyed in a discourse. I here examine the loan vocabulary and longer code switches in terms of their placement and poetic function in a narrative genre (lo 'il). It finds that the differing degrees of usage of this vocabulary suggest differing levels of vulnerability of the indigenous Tojolab'al to shift toward Spanish, as well as greater acceptance of Mexican national goals. It supports earlier findings (Garcia-Martinez 1997, Furbee 1997) that increased use of such vocabulary suggests early stages of language shift. Examples derive from a corpus of 26 accounts in Tojolab'al of a miracle experienced in 1994 by a woman in the Tojolab'al community of Lomantan. These narratives come from the woman herself and from persons in other Tojolab'al villages, so they represent different degrees of closeness to and certainty about the miracle. Some communities are known to be progovernment, and some are less supportive of federal policies and more favorable to the goals of the revolt embodied by the Zapatista movement (Ross 1995). Speakers' attitudes toward the Lomantan miracle, which is itself a religious reflection of the revolt (Furbee 1998), can be interpreted as also reflecting the speakers' political stances with respect to Mexican federal government.


The transformation of the solidification microstructure and the phase changes in AISI M2 grade high-speed steel modified with powder addition of TiB2 have been studied focusing on the effect of austenitising temperatures. In order to investigate kinetics of both the microstructure and phase transformations in eutectic carbides, primarily M2C carbide decomposition, upon heat treatments with respect to diffusion processes, different techniques of electron scanning microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry have been used.


FOR many years the synoptophore has been used as a means for measuring and treating ocular muscle imbalance. No work has apparently been done to show whether the results are repeatable, whether the range of normal is wide or narrow, or whether there is a high correlation between the synoptophore and other methods of measuring ocular muscle imbalance. In this investigation 98 young adult males (aircrew) and 2 W.A.A.F., aged 18-30 years, were examined to determine:(a) The " normal " range of synoptophore measurements. (b) The repeatability of the measurements. (c) The results using two different methods of measurement. (d) A comparison between the synoptophore simultaneous perception readings and the commonlv used Maddox rod test for heterophoria. None of these young men and women complained of any symptoms referable to their eyes.


Zhenbaowan,one of Mongolian drugs,was digested with concentrated nitric acid and perchloric acid.Fe(Ⅲ) was reduced to Fe(Ⅱ) by hydroxylammonium chloride at pH 5.0,and the iron content was 1225.70μg.g-1 determined by the spectrophotometric method.The regression equation of calibration curve is y= 0.163x-0.0014,and its correlation coefficient R =0.9999.The results using internal standard method showed that the recovery of iron was high.(98.4%-101.6%).The proposed method was simple and successfully applied to the determination of trace iron in Zhen baowan.


Anesthesia plays a substantial role in the part of pain relief during medical procedures. In general, during medical operations, the administration of anesthesia depends on the medical parameters of the cardiovascular function of the patient. In the present-day scenario, anesthetist controls the operation manually where they administer a few milliliters of anesthesia per stipulated time suitable for the requirement. Under cases where an anesthetist is unable to administer the level of anesthesia during the period of medical surgery, the patient may not undergo a successful pain-free medical surgery. In a typical anesthesia administration, two of the most important biomedical parameters are heartbeat and temperature. To solve this problem, the proposed system comprises of a micro-controlled based anesthesia device, which is methodical, and structured. The biomedical data received by the sensors is sent to the microcontroller which is a deciding factor for the amount of Anesthesia that needs to be injected periodically. In the absence of an anesthesia specialist the biomedical data can be viewed in an IOT platform "thingspeak", throughout the medical procedure, outside of the intensive care unit. The DC motor driven by the microcontroller controls the infusion pump to administer the anesthesia levels per hour.


(57) Abstract: The organic electroluminescent material is within the outer container of the portable radiotelephone is sealed with the control grid to emit the material in a pattern of pixels. The pixel produces a decorative design on the container of the phone, is controlled to generate a display region and the user input and output areas. Touch screen may be included in the user input and output area.


The political struggle in Beisong Dynasty often happened,however,it had many differences with other dynasties.The reason was that the party conception in Song Dynasty had changed.Since Wang Yucheng advanced the idea that man of honour also had party,Ouyang Xiu,Su shi and other people had interpreted and developed deeply.This idea gradually became the common understanding of scholar-bureaucrat in Beisong Dynasty.At first,it just wanted to eliminate emperor's suspicion to the party of man of honour,but it became one of the important reasons of the political struggle which was more and more fierce after Xining,and at last,it hardly escaped from the destiny of being denied by history.


This study described the design and construction of uninterruptible power supply(UPS) system for supercomputering system KISTI's supercomputer system is served for all 24 hours, and power be achieved in stable voltage and frequency range. We analyzed the electric power usage for 4 years, and we considered cost and stability and we contructed UPS for supercomputer system.


An important question when modelling option prices is which of the multitude of option pricing models to use. In this paper, the calculation of barrier option prices is considered. These exotic options are found in many financial markets the world over. It is demonstrated numerically that it is possible to replicate (with a high degree of accuracy) the barrier option prices obtained from one model by making use of a different model; these models are referred to as 'interchangeable'. Tests for the interchangeability of barrier option pricing models are developed and applied. However, the tests developed are not specific to barrier option pricing models and can also be applied to the prices of other exotic options.


The Network Anomaly Detection and Intrusion Reporter (NADIR) is an expert system which is intended to provide real-time securi W auditing for intrusion and misuse detection at Ims Alamos National Laboratory's Integrated Computing Network (ICN). It is based on three basic assumptions: 1) that statistical analysis of computer system and user activities may be used to characterize normal system and user behavior, and that gdven the resulting statistical profiles, behavior which deviates beyond certain bounds can be detected, 2) that expert sys_m techniques can be applied to security auditing and intrusion detection, and 3) that successful intrusion detection may take place while monitoring a limited set of network activities such as user authentication and access control, file movement and storage, and job scheduling. NADIR has been developed to employ these basic concepts while monitoling the audited activities oi' more than 8,000 ICN users. '.PineLos Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of Caliibrnia for the United States Department of Energy under contract W-7405-ENG-36. This work was pertbrmed under auspices of the United States Department of Energy.


The inherent losses in switched capacitor (SC) converters limit the possibility of having high efficiency at high power densities in an on-chip context. Hence, techniques are being investigated to enhance the deficient capacitance energy utilization. Resonant switched capacitor (ReSC) converters have been shown to be a promising candidate for efficient, dense, granular on-chip power supplies. In this paper, we discuss the design of an ReSC converter which uses integrated on-chip inductance in CMOS technology. We focus on a 2-phase 2:1 ReSC converter with single inductor. We discuss the practical constraints of using the on-chip air-core inductor and how it will affect the area of the converter. Using different inductor implementations, we compare the performance of the ReSC and SC converters of the same area. The results indicate the advantage of the ReSC converter over the SC one when an inductor with a relatively small area and negligible contact resistance is used that could be feasible in 3D technology.


BACKGROUND:Continuous lamivudine therapy is associated with high rates of YMDD mutations,which are the main causes of drug resistance.The current study explores the association of the emergence of YMDD mutations with pretherapy HBV genotype,HBV-DNA levels,HBeAg status,and serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT) levels in Chinese patients receiving lamivudine therapy for chronic hepatitis B.METHODS:A total of 319 chronic hepatitis B patients who received lamivudine therapy for more than a year were enrolled in this study.YMDD mutations,HBV genotype,HBV-DNA levels,HBeAg status,and ALT levels were determined prior to their lamivudine treatment and every three months for a year of this therapy.RESULTS:Among the 319 patients,137(42.95%) were infected with genotype B and 182(57.05%) with genotype C.Up to 94 patients(29.47%) developed YMDD mutations within one year of lamivudine therapy.Furthermore,50 patients with HBV genotype B and 44 patients with genotype C developed YMDD mutations(36.50% vs 24.18%,P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that pretherapy HBV genotype,HBV-DNA levels,and HBeAg status are independent factors for the emergence of YMDD mutations(HBV genotype:OR=2.159,95% CI 1.291-3.609,P=0.003;HBV-DNA:OR=1.653,95% CI 1.231-2.218,P=0.001;HBeAg:OR=2.021,95% CI 1.201-3.399,P=0.008).CONCLUSIONS:HBV genotype,HBV-DNA levels,and HBeAg status at baseline are the independent factors associated with the emergence of YMDD mutations among Chinese patients receiving lamivudine therapy for chronic hepatitis B.These findings are helpful to the development of therapeutic strategies for these patients.


Secondary olfactory connexions have received much attention in recent years, and experimental studies have shown that they are less extensive in mammals than had been thought (Clark & Meyer, 1947; Meyer & Allison, 1949). Experimental investigations of this problem in one reptilian species (Lacerta viridis-Goldby, 1937; Gamble, 1952a) have indicated that here also secondary olfactory connexions are of very much more limited extent than commonly been supposed. It has been shown, moreover (Gamble, 1952a) that secondary olfactory fibres in Lacerta cross via the habenular commissure to the opposite hemisphere, and that the anterior commissure in this species is in no way concerned with the secondary olfactory pathways. It seemed desirable that these findings, the one so similar to, the other so markedly different from, the findings in mammals, should be investigated in another and less specialized reptilian species, and for this Testudo graeca was chosen. Despite such obvious specialization as the carapace and plastron, the Chelonia are the only living reptiles which have preserved a skull form at all closely resembling that of the primitive anapsid reptiles from which all later amniotes have been derived. It might reasonably be expected that the Chelonian brain would show features characteristic of early reptiles in general; certainly the published descriptions of Chelonian brains (Johnston, 1915; Schepers, 1948) suggest that specialization is little advanced.


It has not been only the massive material wealth ,but also the conspicuous "globle problems"with an anti-subject effect that have come along with the modern industrial civilization. Criticisms conducted of the technological civilization′s viewpoint on human-nature relationships and of its viewpoint on science and technology has to be put into the orbit of Marxist philosophy.The only road to the co-ordination of human -nature relations is to proceed from philosophical criticisms to new technological revolution.


Air-fluid levels seen on decubitus plain abdominal films are most often diagnosed as pneumoperitoneum. In this paper, we present a case of massive right-sided pyopneumothorax mimicking pneumoperitoneum. An 85-year-old female presented to the emergency department (ED) with a 1-day history of decreased urine output. She appeared in distress, with tachypnea and a systolic blood pressure of 60 ~ 70 mmHg. The patient's Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was E4VtM4, i.e., confused. Physical examination revealed decreased breathing sounds on the right side and pain and guarding with palpation of the abdomen. Plain abdominal films suggested an air-fluid level. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) identified an empyema on the right-hand side with an associated air fluid level. A chest tube drained cloudy, malodorous fl uid, and the pleural fluid contained Gram-negative bacilli (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae). Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) was performed to address the persistent pleural effusion. Unfortunately, progressive hypotension developed along with generalized tonic-clonic seizures on day 18. After consultation with the family, palliative care only was administered, and the patient died 22 days after admission. Loculated or free air over the right lower lung observed on a chest X-ray should raise suspicion of a ruptured liver abscess, hollow viscus perforation and pyopneumothorax. Abdominal CT is the most reasonable next step to assist clinicians to make a decision regarding whether to provide surgical or conservative intervention.


Sclerosing mesenteri t is is a rare disorder characterized by a tumor-like expansion of the mesentery due to variable degrees of fat necrosis, chronic inflammation and fibrosis. It usually involves the root of the small bowel mesentery, but it can also involve the mesocolon, the peri-pancreatic and omental fat, and infrequently the retroperitoneal or pelvic fat. Although sclerosing mesenteritis is non-neoplastic and benign disease it can have fatal outcome. The use of drugs, trauma or ischemia of the mesentery, malignancy, autoimmunity, avitaminosis, pancreatitis, and a history of abdominal surgery has been suggested as possible causative factors. We report a rare case of a 57 year old male patient with sclerosing mesenteritis who presented with acute abdominal pain and intra-abdominal mass. He was misdiagnosed as colonic ischemia by colonoscopy which was partially excluded by the CT (computed tomography) and then underwent exploratory laparotomy and colostomy with mucous fistula. Finally, he was diagnosed correctly by histopathological examination of the paraffin section of the specimens taken during the laparotomy.


In 1990, Schnyder used a 3-spanning-tree decomposition of a simple triangulation, now known as the Schnyder wood, to give a fundamental grid-embedding algorithm for planar maps. We show that a uniformly sampled Schnyder-wood-decorated triangulation with $n$ vertices converges as $n\to\infty$ to the Liouville quantum gravity with parameter $1$, decorated with a triple of SLE$_{16}$'s of angle difference $2\pi/3$ in the imaginary geometry sense. Our convergence result provides a description of the continuum limit of Schnyder's embedding algorithm via Liouville quantum gravity and imaginary geometry.


Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) have been increasingly used over the past few
decades in a variety of structures and have become a popular alternative in
construction world. It is one of the effective techniques for strengthening and
repairing the reinforced concrete (RC) beams under flexural loads. The bond strength
is a fundamental aspect of the structural behavior, since the performances of the
concrete-reinforcement system depends on the interface. This study focused on the
effect of surface preparation on bonding performances of beam strengthened with
GFRP plate. Three beams with the dimensions of 1 00 mm x 200 mm x 1500 mm were
subjected to four-point flexural loading test. One beam was considered as
unstrengthened control beam, the second beam and the third beam were tested under two
different surface preparations which are rough (groove) surface and smooth surface.
Experimental data on load, deflection, strain and failure modes of each of the beams were
obtained and compared based on the GFRP as the strengthening material. The results
indicated that rough (groove) surface preparation increased the ultimate strength of FRP
strengthened beams compared to the smooth surface and unstrengthened beams.


Orthodontic treatment has the potential to indirectly cause periodontal changes due to biofilm accumulation, due to the difficulty of maintaining proper oral hygiene in the presence of bands and brackets. The aim of this study was to analyze the changes in the periodontium generated by orthodontic tratment due to the buildup of plaque caused by various orthodontic accessories, fixed and mobile. This study was done from a review of research literature in Pubmed, Medline, Bireme, Scielo, identification of studies related to periodontal pathogens in orthodontics was done from a computerized search. The criteria for inclusion of articles published in the period of 1987 to 2012. At the end it was concluded that the placement of orthodontic appliances leads to inflammation and influence the composition of the subgingival microbiota. However, these conditions are reversible in patients with good standard of oral hygiene. After orthodontic treatment is important to plan individually contention. The integration between orthodontics and periodontics is essential to restoring a healthy periodontium and a satisfactory occlusion.


Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous myeloid neoplasms that range from indolent conditions to forms very close to acute leukemia (AML). The International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) is the benchmark for clinical decision-making. Recently, the International Working Group for Prognosis in MDS (IWG-PM) defined 5 new cytogenetic risk groups on a large cohort of patients representing the basis for the revised IPSS (IPSS-R) together with refined categories for marrow blasts and cytopenias (Blood. 2012;120:2454-65). IPSS-R categorization enables more accurate definition of the prognosis of MDS patients, in particular those in low or intermediate-1 IPSS risk groups. Despite recent progress, the only curative treatment for MDS remains allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT), which however involves a non-negligible risk of mortality/morbidity. Allo-SCT is not considered in patients with very low IPSS-R risk, whose median survival is 9 years. Conversely, eligible patients with high or very high IPSS-R risk, whose survival is 1–2 years, should be offered immediate transplantation. Uncertainty exists about the optimal timing of allo-SCT in the low and intermediate IPSS-R risk groups, and to address this issue we performed an ad hoc decision analysis. We analyzed two cohorts of MDS patients (age 18-70 years): i) 477 patients diagnosed with MDS at the Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy between 2000–2010, who mostly received best supportive care; ii) 488 patients who received allo-SCT in the same period reported to the Gruppo Italiano Trapianto di Midollo Osseo (GITMO) registry. We adopted a continuous time multi-state Markov approach to model the natural history of the disease. Each IPSS-R risk group is represented by a state, and transition is allowed to the next state (to AML from very high risk) or to death. A transition intensity (i.e., instantaneous risk of moving to another state) is then estimated for each possible transition. Allo-SCT is modeled as a time-dependent covariate with 3 levels: i) no allo-SCT; ii) transplantation done no more than 3 months before; iii) transplantation done more than 3 months before. The effect of allo-SCT on survival was estimated by hazard ratios (HR) with respect to the no allo-SCT level. We examined two different policies: policy A) perform allo-SCT after t months since entering the low IPSS-R risk state or immediately in case of disease progression before the planned delay time t; policy B) perform allo-SCT after t months since entering the intermediate IPSS-R risk state or immediately in case of disease progression before the planned delay time t. For each policy, the expected survival of patients with different age at diagnosis was calculated. According to the model, a patient with a low IPSS-R risk is expected to spend 2.13 years in this risk group, and 2.39 years in the intermediate one. The cumulative incidence of progression from low to a higher IPSS-R risk was 27% at 3 years, while that of progression from intermediate to a higher risk was 39% at 3 years. Overall, expected survival times from diagnosis were higher under policy B vs policy A. Expected survival times were up to three years greater under policy B with respect to policy A for younger patients. When the waiting time before transplantation was progressively increased from 0 to 60 months, there was an increase in expected survival under policy A (in younger patients this increases by about two further years if transplant is delayed until 60 months in low IPSS-R risk state). Conversely, under policy B, delaying transplant further reduces expected survival, by up to about three years with a delay of 60 months after entering intermediate risk state or further progression to high risk state. In summary, this study suggests that a delayed transplantation strategy is advisable for patients with early disease, i.e. very low and low IPSS-R risk, whereas no further delay is advised for patients belonging to intermediate or higher risk categories. When indicated, setting the timing of intervention immediately after disease progression makes such a strategy easy to implement in the clinical practice. These results provide clinicians with a base of evidence to maximize the effectiveness of allo-SCT in MDS patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


The objective: Analysis of pregnancy, delivery and the condition of newborns in women with uterus scar after previous Cesarean section. Materials and methods. Observations and retrospective analysis of individual maps of pregnant women, birth record and condition of newborns in 180 women with uterus scar after previous Cesarean section from 2014-2019. Results. It was found that women in I group had no history of miscarriage, and in II group this indicator was 6.7%. We were determined that the threat of early pregnancy was observed twice often in II group as in I group. Failure uterus scar during pregnancy was diagnosing in 21.1% of women of I group against 18.9% of women of II group, as well as during childbirth in 10% of women of II group against none of women of I group. In addition, 76.7% of women of I group were born by vaginal delivery against 24.4% of women of II group. In addition, 10% of newborns in women of I group on the Apgar scale were rated 6-7 points against 65.5% in a state of varying degrees of hypoxia in women of II group. Conclusion. Pregnancy and childbirth in women with uterus scar after previous Cesarean section were accompanying by complications of fetal and neonatal disorders. More pronounced changes were observing during pregnancy, delivery and changes in the condition of newborns in women of II group against with women of I group, which can be explaining by better pre-pregnancy preparation of women of I group and better monitoring during pregnancy. Keywords: сesarean section, pre-pregnancy preparation of women, the condition of newborns.


The presence of energy hubs and the advancement in smart grid technologies have motivated system planners to deploy intelligent multicarrier energy systems entitled "smart energy hub" (S.E. Hub). In this paper, we model S.E. Hub, and propose a modern energy management technique in electricity and natural gas networks based on integrated demand side management (IDSM). In conventional studies, energy consumption is optimized from the perspective of each individual user without considering the interactions with each other. Here, the interaction among S.E. Hubs in IDSM program is formulated as a noncooperative game. The existence and uniqueness of a pure strategy Nash equilibrium (NE) is proved. Additionally, the strategies for each S.E. Hub are determined by proposing a distributed algorithm. We also address the IDSM game in a cloud computing (CC) framework to achieve efficient data processing and information management. Simulations are performed on a grid consisting of ten S.E. Hubs. We compare the CC framework with conventional data processing techniques to evaluate the efficiency of our proposed approach in determining NE. It is also shown that in the NE, the energy cost for each S.E. Hub and the peak-to-average ratio of the electricity demand decrease substantially.


In 2011, Ren's group has developed the first graphene sound source device in the world. This is the first time that the graphene applications have been extended into acoustic area. The graphene sound source can produce sound in a wide sound frequency range from 100 Hz to 50 kHz. After that, we have innovated the first graphene earphone, which can be used both for human and animals. In 2017, both the sound detection and sound emission have been integrated into one graphene device, which is called graphene artificial throat. In this book chapter, more details for developing those graphene acoustic devices will be introduced, which can help to boost the real applications of graphene devices.


PAN is a rare entity in the Chinese population (1). It is characterized pathologically by systemic necrotizing vasculitis on median-sized vessels. Renal involvement from aneurysm formation is common, but perinephric bleeding, especially bilateral, is unusual. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is critically important in controlling bleeding, salvaging renal function and arresting progression of the vasculitic process. Morbidity and mortality are frequently owed to uncontrolled sepsis and bleeding. We report a patient with classical PAN, which was complicated by perinephric hematoma and acute renal failure. Despite the initial well being of the patient, massive gastrointestinal bleeding supervened, which eventually triggered a series of fatal complications.


Introduction: Preserving Petersburg / Helena Goscilo and Stephen Norris 1. St. Petersburg and the Art of Survival / William Craft Brumfield 2. The City's Memory: Texts of Preservation and Loss in Imperial St. Petersburg / Julie Buckler 3. Unsaintly St. Petersburg? Visions and Visuals / Helena Goscilo 4. A Tale of Two Cities: Ancient Rome and St. Petersburg in Mandelstam's Poetry / Zara Torlone 5. Petersburg in the Poetry of the Russian Emigration / Vladimir Khazan 6. Multi-Ethnic St. Petersburg: The Late Imperial Period / Steven Duke 7. Leningrad Culture Under Siege (1941-1945) / Cynthia Simmons 8. Cultural Capital and Cultural Heritage: St. Petersburg and the Arts of Imperial Russia / Richard Stites 9. Strolls Through Postmodern Petersburg: Celebrating the City in 2003 / Stephen Norris


The optimal method of anaesthesia for endovascular therapy (EVT) in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) has not been identified. Nordic departments of anaesthesiology may handle EVT cases for AIS differently. The aim of this survey was to describe the current practice patterns of Nordic anaesthesia departments in anaesthetic management of EVT in AIS.


An experimental study of detectability in steady-state optical image reconstruction through varying the single target size (15 mm - 4 mm in diameters) at three different locations (center, middle and near boundary surface) and a through evaluation of our finite element based image reconstruction algorithm to distinguish multiple targets are performed in this paper. The multi-target experiments consisted of several interested geometric and contrast combinations including two targets with the same contrast (2:1 between the target and the background) at three different separation distances, two targets with different contrasts (2:1 and 4:1) at two different separation distances and three targets with the same and different sizes (20 mm, 15 mm and 8 mm in diameters) and contrasts (2:1, 4:1 and 8:1) respectively. The reconstruction algorithm used along with a few imaging enhancement methods including total variation minimization, dual meshing and spatial low pass filtering are discussed. Quantitative measures of image quality including the size, location and shape of the heterogeneity are used to quantify the analysis. The results show that near 22:1 ratio (tissue thickness relative to detectable anomaly size) can be obtained and multiple targets can be correctly resolved using dc data with an 86 mm diameter circular tissue-like phantom.


Introduction Huntington's disease (HD) services throughout the UK have grown organically and are embedded in different healthcare specialties: psychiatry, neurology and genetics. There is currently no picture of how these services are delivered nationally. This project was undertaken to map the current organisation, resources and funding of HD services and explore future resource needs. Methods This was a mixed methodology study. Existing HD services were identified using desktop research and data was collected on each service via a cross-sectional online survey and follow-up web-assisted semi-structured interviews led by the HDA or SHA. Results 31 specialist HD services were identified: 18 in England, 10 in Scotland, 2 in Wales, and 1 in N Ireland. The survey included 27 out of 31 (four centres did not respond). Over half of specialist services were led by a mental health trust (n=7) or tertiary referral hospital (n=7), and the majority had a neurologist (n=10) or psychiatrist (n=8) as clinical lead. The mean number of patients managed by each service was 173, ranging from 5 to 950. On average 18% were pre-manifest, 24% stage 1-2, 32% stage 3 and 26% stage 4-5. This project is funded solely by Roche Products Ltd.


The utility model relates to an underground space building structure. The underground space building structure comprises a space bottom used as a building foundation and a space top connected with the ground. The space top is at least provided with a first part used for bearing large pressure and a second part used for bearing small pressure, and the difference value of the first force difference between the buoyancy and pressure borne by the second part and the second force difference between the buoyancy and pressure borne by the first part is larger than the maximum breaking-resistant strength of the joint position of the two parts. A first pile body set and a second pile body set are further included, the first pile body set and the second pile body set are arranged under the first part and the second part respectively and used for supporting and fixing the first part and the second part respectively, and therefore it is guaranteed that the force difference of the buoyancy and pressure borne by the second part is smaller than the maximum breaking-resistant strength and the maximum tensile resistance of the second pile body set.


The penetration of distributed energy resources (DER) is growing at much higher rates than predicted 20 years ago. Far from being used only in residential settings, DER are now installed on distribution and transmission circuits. In this position, they do not have the same properties as traditional generators and are more flexible in many cases. The growing penetration and range of uses for DER motivate the need to reliably and safely integrate them into the grid. Operators must be able to rely on them not only for normal operation, but also during abnormal conditions like black starts or adverse cyber scenarios. To that end, we study the communications, device interfaces, and potential consequences of DER operation under abnormal and adversarial conditions. The weaknesses of communications networks are studied based on the industrial protocols used, and the benefits of security features are examined. The device interfaces are found to be vulnerable to attack based on the requirements in the IEEE-1547 standard for DER interconnection and interoperability, which is expected to be adopted in the next ten years. In addition to exploring the requirements of the standard, we show that these vulnerabilities and others do exist and can be used maliciously in a modern storage system DER. Consequences of these vulnerabilities range from exacerbated grid instability, to simultaneous loss of large portions of DER penetration, to physical damage to inverters or DER themselves and other sensitive equipment. We tie these outcomes to specific attacker actions in an effort to give operators a better threat intelligence view that allows them to prioritize mitigations. Finally, we discuss mitigations that could prevent many of the adversarial scenarios described. Some solutions can be added to existing infrastructure, while others may require longer term planning for grid modernization with consideration for security.


Cyborg insect also referred as insect-machine hybrid robot, consists of a living insect platform and an electronic backpack mounted on. The small size and magnificent walking ability of the insect make this hybrid system a potential candidate for search and rescue missions. The great locomotory capability helps the insect to cope with the complex and unpredictable terrains, whereas the tiny dimension allows it to easily enter the debris of post-disaster sites. There is a necessity to establish more controllable mobility for cyborg insects to develop more efficient maneuver plans. Here, this study demonstrates the control of sideways and forward walking in a cyborg beetle by emulating the touch responses of mechanoreceptors on the insect's elytra using the electrical stimulation. The beetle walked sideways leftward when the right elytron was stimulated, and vice versa. The forward control was attained by stimulating both elytra simultaneously. In addition, these elicited motions were found to be graded by tuning the stimulation frequency as increasing the frequency sped up the sideways walking and slowed down the forward velocity. Besides complementing the controllability of the cutting-edge cyborg insects, this graded response is essential for improving the navigation in cyborg insects for search and rescue missions.


We present two energy management systems for microgrids. First, during normal operating conditions, it is assumed that the main grid provides a desired load profile for the microgrid to follow. The objective of the microgrid is to minimize its deviation from the desired load profile. Such objective is beneficial to the main grid to levelize the fluctuation of renewable energy output. Second, during emergency operating conditions when an outage occurs at the main grid, the objective of the microgrid is to maximize supplied microgrid internal loads including traditional loads and smart homes, as well as nearby external loads that lost power due to the outage, based on their priority. A mathematical formulation for both energy management systems is presented based on mixed integer linear programming. Simulation results show the capability of the proposed formulation in obtaining optimal values within acceptable computational times, which is necessary especially during emergency operating conditions.


Neurogenic pulmonary edema is a clinical complication caused by various central nervous system disorders.It includes a variety of pathogenic factors, however, over-activation of the sympathetic nerve is the main mechanism.The main clinical manifestations are dyspnea and hypoxemia, which may be accompanied by circulatory disorder.The respiratory support therapy and circulatory support therapy are the main treatment measures.It has the characteristics of rapid progress and high mortality, which should be obtained enough attention.

Key words:
Neurogenic pulmonary edema; Pulmonary edema,


The random access methods used for support of Machine-to-Machine (M2M), also referred to as Machine-Type Communications (MTC), in current cellular standards are derivatives of traditional framed slotted ALOHA and therefore do not support high user loads efficiently. We propose an approach that is motivated by the random access method employed in LTE, which significantly increases the amount of contention resources without increasing the system resources, such as contention sub-frames and preambles. This is accomplished by a logical, rather than physical, extension of the access method in which the available system resources are interpreted in a novel manner. Specifically, in the proposed scheme, users perform random access by transmitting orthogonal preambles in multiple random access sub-frames, in this way creating access codewords that are used for contention. We show that, for the same number of random access sub-frames and orthogonal preambles, the amount of available contention resources is drastically increased, enabling the massive support of MTC users that is beyond the reach of current systems. Copyright c © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Objective:To establish a method of microbial limit test for Metronidazole-norfloxacin Suppositories.Methods:1% Tween-80 sterile sodium chloride-peptone buffer(pH=7.0) as the solvent,The solution for test were prepared by homogenate technique,Bacterial count and the controlled bacterium was examined by membrane filtration method and medium added neutralizer,The number of molds and yeast were determined with media dilution method.Results:The method can effectively eliminate the bacteriostasis effects of Metronidazole-norfloxacin Suppositories and rate of recovered of 5-positive bacteria have attained 70%,accord with the standard of Chinese Pharmacopeia(2005 Edition).Conclusion: The method is suitable for microbial limit test for Metronidazole-norfloxacin Suppositories.


Sugarcane is a renewable, natural agriculture resource and it is most important crop of India. Sugarcane Crop is a perennial crop which results into less labour and high yields. Sugarcane crop is one of the main pillar for Indian economy. Nowadays there are different diseases which affecting the sugarcane plants in diverse areas. So In this work we are going to use machine learning algorithms and image processing for sugarcane leaf disease detection. Machine learning is a trending area where the technological benefits can be imparted to the agriculture field also. In this we are going to use PCA algorithm which is one of the unsupervised machine learning algorithms. The dataset consists of 3 types of diseases. Total dataset is divided into various proportions of training and testing sets. There are various detection and classification techniques which are done using various algorithms at each stage but in PCA algorithm detection and classification is done by same algorithm which is PCA. The diseases of sugarcane consider in this project are red rot, smut, wilt.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between employees' perception of their jobs and attitudes by investigating the effect of job resources (i.e. social support) on the relationship between job demands (i.e. workload, role ambiguity) and job-related well-being (i.e. efficacy, job satisfaction) among government employees.

Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained from federal government employees responding to the 2012 Federal Employees Viewpoint Survey (US Office of Personnel Management, 2012). To test the hypotheses, hierarchical regression analyses were conducted.

Findings
Results revealed that social support served to mitigate feelings of inefficacy and simultaneously enhanced job satisfaction among employees experiencing work overload or role ambiguity, which supports the buffer hypothesis.

Research limitations/implications
Since this study analyzes data collected by OPM, some items could not be modified, and using a limited number of items could be a limitation of this paper. Given that there has been a research stream linking public service motivation to work attitudes in the field of public management, the current study suggests there may be additional factors (i.e. job demands and resources) to enhance public sector employees' work attitudes.

Practical implications
This study suggests the importance of government agencies adopting management strategies that encourage higher levels of social support from supervisors or colleagues in order to increase employees' positive attitudes toward organizations.

Originality/value
This study focuses specifically on public sector employees, a population that has received limited attention in this area.


Increasing commercial traffic over recent years is inflicting increased damage to roadways. As a result, road engineers are adopting more mechanistic performance-based road-modeling techniques to assist in the design, construction, and preservation of road assets. One such common mechanistic analysis technique is dynamic deflection pavement response induced under typical commercial truck loading. This paper presents an investigation of piezoelectric axle sensors as a possible tool for obtaining dynamic pavement deflection data under commercial truck loadings. One of the primary benefits to using piezoelectric axle sensors is that there are thousands of piezoelectric sensors already installed in roads world wide currently measuring the dynamic weights of commercial vehicles. Specifically, this research investigated the potential to use several different types and orientations of commercially available piezoelectric axle sensors to measure pavement deflection response under heavy truck loading. This researc...


Subarcsecond (0.″5) images of H2CO and CCH line emission have been obtained in the 0.8 mm band toward the low-mass protostar IRAS 15398−3359 in the Lupus 1 cloud as one of the Cycle 0 projects of the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array. We have detected a compact component concentrated in the vicinity of the protostar and a well-collimated outflow cavity extending along the northeast–southwest axis. The inclination angle of the outflow is found to be about 20°, or almost edge-on, based on the kinematic structure of the outflow cavity. This is in contrast to previous suggestions of a more pole-on geometry. The centrally concentrated component is interpreted by use of a model of the infalling rotating envelope with the estimated inclination angle and the mass of the protostar is estimated to be less than 0.09 M☉. Higher spatial resolution data are needed to infer the presence of a rotationally supported disk for this source, hinted at by a weak high-velocity H2CO emission associated with the protostar.


In the cloud computing, security is one of the biggest obstacles that hamper the widespread adoption of cloud. Several business and research organization are reluctant in completely trusting the cloud computing to shift digital assets to the third-party service providers. Hence, the objective of this is to present the security issues related to data privacy and integrity in cloud computing. 20 selected papers have been reviewed to be analysing the technique used in providing data privacy and integrity. The issues or problems related to the technique are presented.


There was performed a study of the diagnostic activity of sera with antibodies to Toxocara spp. and Echinococcus spp. in conditions of long storage at different temperature regimes. The use of cryoprotectants makes it possible to increase the safety of diagnostic sera by two times during prolonged storage at low temperatures.


In this paper, We proposed the speech communication system with emotion processing. Our system speaks a given document emotionally based on emotion extracted from speech and text. The difference point between our system and a speech dialogue system is to process emotion. When this system speaks given documents, it uses rules made from speech techniques and the analysis result of professional acting. In order to select these rules, the system extracts emotion from a document and speech. To extract emotion from a document, it uses a word emotion dictionary which shows similarity between a word and a basic emotion word in a concept hierarchy. To extract emotion from speech, it uses a speech emotion database based on the analysis result of speech. This system connects speech synthesize technique with emotion estimation technique. Now we are developing this system. After developing them, we should evaluate the effectiveness of these modules by experiments.


A method and apparatus for constructing an object in the cache system, in which a cache system, makes it possible to return the requested object that did not exist originally in cache. In one embodiment of the present invention, it is divided into components and stored in identification and that can be accessed format, to cache the image file. Cache system, the object such as an image file is determined to be missing from the cache memory, find sufficient components from the cache memory and / or external memory, to build the object from components find.


In the present communication, we introduce a class of material models primarily aimed at simulating the elastic and viscous behavior of biological soft tissues in LS-DYNA®. The constitutive law is modular and each module may comprise of different models. Consequently, the analyst may easily change models in a module and also include additional modules to account for more complex material behaviors within the same keyword. In its most general form, the material is considered nearly incompressible, anisotropic, and hyperelastic with the passive behavior defined using a decoupled strain energy function. The contractile and viscoelastic behavior of the tissue may be considered by invoking extra modules. The models are verified using a wide range of recently published results and show excellent agreement.


Football awareness is a factor influencing the athletes technical level. It is manifested as the athletes on the spot observation,feeling,spontaneous judgment,choices of strategy and reasonable moves. Psychological factors affecting the football awareness include memory and thought,action and feedback and limit of unconscious control on individual techniques. To learn football theories,to know the laws of football,to give high requirement in training,to train special perception and to reinforce antagonism and coordination are methods of developing football awareness.


Further improvements in system performance are often limited by the achievable bandwidth between processor and memory. In this paper we look at interposer-based and stacked solutions to integrate processor and 3D memory into a high performance system. The comparison is made for different technological decisions, design problems faced for choosing a certain 3D memory type from Wide IO/1–2, High bandwidth memory (HBM) and Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC). Logic die size, metal layers and material of interposer affected by routing requirements of memory systems are discussed.


This study aimed to examine the weak-form efficiency of some of the most capitalised cryptocurrencies. The sample consisted of 24 cryptocurrencies selected out of 30 cryptocurrencies with the highest market capitalisation as of October 19, 2022. Stablecoins were not considered. The study covered the period from January 1, 2018 to August 31, 2022. The results of robust martingale difference hypothesis tests suggest that the examined cryptocurrencies were efficient most of the time. However, their efficiency turned out to be time-varying, which validates the adaptive market hypothesis. No evidence was found for the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the weak-form efficiency of the examined cryptocurrencies. The differences in efficiency between the most efficient cryptocurrencies and the least efficient ones were noticeable, but not large. The results also allowed to observe some slight differences in efficiency between the cryptocurrencies with the largest market cap and cryptocurrencies with the lowest market cap. However, the differences between the two groups were too small to draw any far-reaching conclusions about a positive relationship between the market cap and efficiency. The obtained results also did not allow us to detect any trends in efficiency.


The gate location and injection molding process of a micro precision electrical connector base were optimized by Moldflow.The optimum gate location and melt filling time were determined,and the optimum injection temperature was obtained by analyzing the shrinkage of the product after molding.The effects of mould temperature on the shrinkage and maximum injection pressure were studied.


In 2004, the provincial government of Ontario passed legislation that imposed a moratorium on urban development of agricultural land within a "Greenbelt" boundary. This legislation, which became known as the Greenbelt legislation, has a direct effect on over 1.8 million acres of land located near one of the larger metropolitan areas in North America: the Greater Toronto Area. We use a hedonic model to examine 7760 farmland sales and we find evidence that the Greenbelt legislation influenced farmland property prices; the effect depends on the proximity of the farmland to the Greater Toronto Area. Copyright 2010, Oxford University Press.


Molluscs (particularly bivalves) and fish are usually proposed as good bioindicators for environmental contamination of marine ecosystems. Different steps can be recognized when assessing such contamination. The first approach consists of comparing stable residue concentrations determined in various environments or different periods. In this chapter, this is illustrated for heavy metals in bivalves from Africa. For some of them, species differences could be detected making comparison difficult: such data can only be used for comparing orders of magnitude. More detailed discussions need the data to be first corrected (normalized) as a function of the main factor influencing accumulation, which means that the transfer, excretion and accumulation mechanisms have first to be identified and understood. Such factors vary, however, with the type of residues, mainly in their liposolubility, and also with the biota concerned: age, lipid content, sex, weight, etc. The importance of this step, as well as the difficulty of coming to clear conclusions, are illustrated for heavy metals, with emphasis on the non-essential ones—mainly mercury—in bivalves. The special case of mercury contamination of the sardine in the Mediterranean Sea is also presented. Finally, the importance of speciation and detoxification as well as the "biomass effect" of phytoplankton are discussed.


In the present study, we aimed to examine the association between sarcopenia and sleep disorder in older patients with diabetes using the Japanese version of SARC‐F (SARC‐F‐J).


The invention discloses a preparation method of a low-alcohol black wolfberry-back bean-black fungus drink. The preparation method comprises a beating treatment process, an enzymolysis process, a fermentation process, a fermented juice clarifying process and an alcohol blending process. The low-alcohol black wolfberry-back bean-black fungus drink prepared by the method disclosed by the invention has unique flavor of black wolfberry, black bean and black fungus as well as relatively high nutritional value and healthcare function and good appearance and taste; and by combining the upsurge of black healthcare with the upsurge of low-alcohol drink, the low-alcohol black wolfberry-back bean-black fungus drink has remarkably high market economic values.