Aims Qianshan Pasture in the Kunlun Mountains and Cele Oasis of China are different habitats with different elevations. We compared six pasture species in terms of chlorophyll (Chl) content and fluorescence parameters to investigate the effect of habitat on photosystem II (PSII). Methods Agropyron cristatum, Bromus inermis, Festuca elata, Elymus dahuricus, Onobrychis pulchella and Medicago sativa var. luxurians, were grown in both sites. Leaf pigment content was measured by 95% ethanol method, and PSII chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were monitored by using a Plant Efficiency Analyzer (PEA). Important findings The measured physiological parameters differed greatly in all six species growing in the two habitats. In Qianshan Pasture, all species showed obviously higher Chl a, Chl b and total Chl content, while those growing in Cele Oasis had higher Chl a/Chl b. Plants in Kunlun Mountains also had markedly higher maximum fluorescence yield (Fm), maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), potential activity of PSII (Fv/Fo) and active reaction centers per cross-section (RC/CSo), as well as lower minimum fluorescence yield (Fo), absorption flux per reaction center (ABC/RC), maximal trapping flux per reaction center (TRo/RC), flux of dissipated excitation energy per reaction center (DIo/RC) and initial slope of fluorescence intensity (Mo) than those in the Cele Oasis. These parameters also showed large differences in variation amplitude between habitats. The results indicated that environmental conditions in the Cele Oasis were stressful to pasture species. It decreased chlorophyll content and inactivated PSII. The habitat in Kunlun Mountains was relatively favorable for these species.


The invention discloses a side liquid outlet jack-in infusion inserting head used for a tree. The inserting head is characterized by comprising a syringe needle and a press plate, the syringe needle is internally provided with a flow channel extending toward the front end, the front end of the flow channel is blocked to form a conical head, and liquid outlets are formed in the portion, close to one side of the conical head, of the side wall of the flow channel; an annular connector is connected with the rear end of the flow channel, a platform perpendicular to the flow channel is arranged in the annular connector, a hose connector is arranged on the side face of the annular connector, the press plate is connected to the open side of the annular connector in an airtight mode, and protrusions distributed around the rear end opening of the flow channel are arranged on the platform and abut against the inner face of the press plate. The infusion inserting head does not cut tissue fibers of a trunk, and is beneficial for wound healing and growth in the later period; holes are not blocked, when the infusion inserting head is used, a user can press the press plate to transfer force to the syringe needle through the protrusions, and therefore the syringe needle punctures in the trunk more easily.


Background: Acute abdomen is a surgical emergency and sometimes portrays a challenge as its cause remains unexplained unless explored. Recently, trend of diagnostic laparoscopy in acute abdominal conditions is growing among surgeons due to its benefits of establishing diagnosis and provision of therapy with minimal invasive approach. Objective: To assess the diagnostic and therapeutic utility of laparoscopic surgery in unexplained acute abdominal conditions. Methodology: Fifty three patients, st th from 1 September 2014 to 30 June 2015, with unexplained acute abdominal conditions on clinical and radiological assessments were subjected to diagnostic laparoscopy. Therapeutic laparoscopic surgery was offered to all diagnosed cases. Resected specimens were directed for histopathological analysis to confirm diagnosis. All patients were followed up to 3 months. The data was entered and analysis by using SPSS version 20. Results: Accurate diagnosis was established successfully in all patients. The outcome of diagnostic laparoscopy was: uncomplicated acute appendicitis in 31(58.49%) patients, complicated acute appendicitis in 5(9.43%) patients, acute cholecystitis in 1(1.88%) patients, pancreatic necrosis in 1(1.88%) patients, mesenteric adenitis in 2(3.77%) patients, caecal mass in 2(3.77%) patients, dual pathologies in 5(9.43%) patients, and gynaecological emergencies in 6(11.32%) patients. We did not need to convert to open surgery for diagnostic or therapeutic purpose in any case. No significant intraoperative and postoperative complications were observed. All patients were discharged within 2 days after surgery except three cases. There was no mortality. Conclusion: Our initial experience showed that diagnostic laparoscopy in acute abdomen is useful in establishing diagnosis, safe to perform and achieves therapeutic goals in almost all patients.


In this paper multi-objective tuning of a supplementary stabilizer for Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) is presented. A meta-heuristic optimization method named genetic algorithms (GA) is used for tuning the parameters of the proposed stabilizer. The potential of the GA for optimal setting of the proposed stabilizer are investigated. The stabilizer is designed to shift slightly damped and undammed electromechanical modes of power system. The validity of the proposed method is verified on a single-machine infinite-bus power system (SMIB) installed with a STATCOM. Several linear time-domain simulation tests visibly show the validity of proposed method in damping of power system oscillations.


Four specimens of Gynura nepalensis DC. were investigated for authentic characterization by differential cytogenetical and PCR based molecular analysis. Three specimens out of four were collected from different localities of Bangladesh viz. i) from Netrokona district (specimen A), ii) from Dhaka district (specimen B) and iii) from Bogra district (specimen D). On the other hand, specimen C was collected from Canada. The diploid chromosome number of four specimens were 2n=20 with different centromeric formulae such as 14m+6sm in specimens A, B and D while 20m in specimen C. Total length of 2n chromosome complement was 211.61 μm in specimen A, 217.58 μm in specimen B, 168.82 μm in specimen C and 197.80 μm in specimen D. The maximum range of chromosome length was found in specimen B (6.67–14.30 μm) and minimum in specimen C (6.44–10.12 μm). The four specimens have distinct CMAand DAPI-banding pattern which confined to the terminal regions of respective chromosomes. Karyotype analysis revealed that the number, location and distributions of GCand AT-rich repeats are different in these four specimens. Heteromorphicity in respect of occurrence of CMAand DAPI-banding pattern in the homologue members were observed in specimen A, C and D. The heteromorphicity might be a result of deletion of banded region from the respective homologue members. One interstitial CMA band was found on the short arm in a member of pair V in specimen A and in pair IV of specimen C. Two terminal DAPI bands were found in two chromosomes of specimens A and B. These CMAand DAPI-banded chromosomes were unique and thus could be used as marker chromosomes for the respective specimens. Only specimen C showed RAPD bands with three primers. However, the four specimens had distinguishable ISSR-banding patterns with seven primer combinations. Specimen C showed maximum ISSR bands. The combined RAPD and ISSR analysis placed specimen C in a separate cluster with the highest genetic distance. In spite of very distant location specimens A and D were placed in a sub-cluster with narrow genetic distance.


Some inorganic natural powders may be interesting to manufacture complex shapes by powder injection moulding (PIM). However, these powders may evolve chemical and physically with temperature during the manufacturing processes, inducing blusters and geometrical irregularities, particularly loss of circularity. These imperfections were associated to gas liberation and dimensional variations during the debinding and sintering treatments and not to feedstocks' fluidity. Natural powders for manufacturing products by PIM must be previously calcined before conformation, in order to eliminate possible chemical reactions and phase transformation during debinding and sintering. To highlight the effect of the calcination process in the final quality of the sinter, a complex geometrical testing-probe hase transformations alcination eedstock owder injection moulding was developed. After sintering, calcined and non-calcined powders have similar mechanical properties ( calcined 0 = 111 MPa, non-calcined 0 = 93 MPa, Weibull modulus = 10). The use of a feedstock of the natural calcined powders leads to PIM products with high geometrical reproducibility and good surface finishing. for technical applications (Barreiros and Vieira, 2006). echanical properties


An ideal on N is a family of subsets of N closed under the operations of taking finite unions and subsets of its elements. The I -open sets of topological spaces, which are determined by an ideal I on N and the topology of the spaces, are a basic concept of ideal topological spaces. However, it encounters some difficulties in the study of certain structures and mappings of topological spaces. In this paper, we discuss some properties of ideal topological spaces based on I sn -open sets, study the problem generating new topological spaces from ideals, characterize the mappings preserving I -convergence and structure special I -quotient spaces. The following main results are obtained.


The current study was conducted to assess the main and interaction effects of humic acid with different levels of phosphate fertilizer on yield and yield component of grain sorghum {Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench} grown in calcareous soil. Two field experiments were carried out consecutively at Tamiya experiment station Agric. Res. Center (A.R.C), Fayoum Governorate Egypt, during the summer growing seasons 2019 and 2020. The experimental layout was a splitsplit plot arranged in randomized complete block design with four replications. The application of phosphorus fertilizers had significant effect in all yield attributes panicle length, panicle diameter, panicle weight, 1000 grain weight, shelling percentage (%), fodder yield and grain weight. Soil application and foliar spraying of humic acid reflected positive significant influences on yield and its components in both seasons. Soil application H20 followed by H10 and Foliar spraying F2 followed by F1 were the potent treatment for increasing yield and its components compared with control treatments (without humic acid).


The purpose of this study was to evaluate all the sonographic characteristics in determining the nature of thyroid nodules. High-frequency sonograms of the thyroid were performed in 134 patients who were referred by three endocrinologists because of abnormal results on a thyroid physical examination. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and accuracy for individual sonographic characteristics were determined by comparing the results of the sonographic examination and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Of 95 patients, 81 had benign FNAB reports that included nodular goiter, Hashimoto thyroiditis, and acute thyroiditis. Fourteen patients had cells that were malignant or suspicious of malignancy. The most accurate diameter for differentiating malignant from benign nodules was 3.9 cm. Considering the high level of negative predictive value of all the sonographic criteria, it is better to observe the patients rather than to apply FNAB when there is no suspicious finding of malignancy in the sonographic examination of a nodule.


The current research aims identifying the level of knowledge the stakeholders in the pre-university education system have upon the concept of diversity as a social construct and as basis for both the cohesion degree of the employees' group (teachers, auxiliary personnel, non-didactical) and the students' group, as well as the satisfaction degree they have while participating in the didactical process. The research method is the investigation. The instrument is the questionnaire (Annex 1), which was applied to a number of 25 respondents, school inspectors for institutional management and human resources management in Romania. After its application in Google forms format, the answers were introduces in the NVivo content data analysis program, using the codes diversity type, management strategy, ethnicity, gender, religion, language, gaining information according to the table in Annex 2. As the main objective of our study was to identify the types of diversity the schools face, we therefore begin our analysis by simply asking the responders to enumerate the types of diversity they can identify in their counties. Altogether, once they are enlisted, the responders will further name the strategy they can find in the schools from their county where those types of diversity were found. Our data suggest that diversity is defined in a very unspecific, personal and subjective way, that the types of diversity are very distinct and quite difficult to manage and that an easily identifiable strategic approach is inexistent in most of the targeted counties.


We treated 220 cases of open wound in the last four years and three months, which cases were difficult to close the wound by only approximation and suture of wound margin.We chose two cases among these cases which were difficult to treat by only skin grafting, and described our method to treat such case.Such cases usually have deep dead space, necrosis extend to the surface of bone, and the wound are associated with infection, so we can not find out good recipient bed for skin graft.What is essential to treat such wound are followings;1 removal of necrosed tissue2 to fill dead space3 coverage by skinIf necrosed tissue is not removed completely, wound can never heal.It is essential to use well-vascularized tissue for filling dead space, so that we often used muscle for that.For coverage, we firstly choose free skin grafting wherever it is indicated, and secondly choose flap for the rest area where free skin grafting is not indicated.


This study aimed to explore the bereavement experiences of HIV positive women who had lost their only child. Participants were 10 women living with HIV (age range = 24–35 years) and with loss of their only child. Data on experiences of anticipatory grief and bereavement among HIV positive women were collected over a period of six months. The data were analysed thematically. Findings suggest the women to have traumatic memories of their deceased children and also from the marital disharmony which followed the loss. The participants reported to have questioned their womanhood since they did not have any surviving child and dreaded the fact that they would die childless. Women also reported a sense of persona worthlessness following the death of the child and lived in fear and uncertainty of the future concerning their own mortality.


In May 1995, numbers of little penguins, Eudyptula minor, coming ashore declined at Phillip Island and St Kilda concurrently with deaths of many penguins in western Victoria and a massive mortality of one of their food species (pilchard) throughout southern Australia. Among 1926 dead penguins reported were 131 banded birdsrecovered from Phillip Island (86% adults and 14% first-year birds), 26 from Rabbit Island and six from St Kilda. The number of banded penguins found dead per number of adult Phillip Island birds at risk was 2.3% in 1995 compared with an annual mean of 0.7% for 1970–93. Of 29 corpses autopsied, at least 26 died of starvation associated with mild–severe gastro-intestinal parasitism. Following the pilchard mortality, egg-laying by penguins in the subsequent breeding season (1995–96) was ~2 weeks later than the long-term mean and 0.3 chicks were fledged per pair compared with the long-term mean of 1.0. Unlike previous years, few penguins were recorded in Port Phillip Bay in September–October 1995, a period when pilchard schools were infrequently seen. It is concluded that the increase in penguin mortality in northern Bass Strait and the significant reduction in breeding success were associated with the widespread pilchard mortality.


This paper proposes two terahertz monolithic integrated doublers in the terahertz band (170 GHz, 340GHz), have been designed and fabricated on a 15μm thick GaAs film substrate. The front stage frequency multiplier adopts eight anodes and the rear stage adopts six anodes. Measurement has shown that the efficiency is greater than 20% in the frequency range of 157-177GHz (First stage) with the input power of 300mW, and the peak efficiency at 170GHz is 26.25%. The simulation showed efficiency is greater than 40% in the frequency range of 330-350GHz(Second stage) with the input power of 60mW, and the peak efficiency at 341GHz is 46%.


The pervaporation separation of liquid mixtures of water/ethanol and water/methanol using three zeolite (Silicalite, NaA and Chabazite) membranes has been examined using the method of molecular dynamics. The main goal of this study was to identify intermolecular interactions between water, methanol, ethanol and the membrane surface that play a critical role in the separations. This would then allow better membranes to be designed more efficiently and systematically than the trial-and-error procedures often being used. Our simulations correctly exhibited all the qualitative experimental observations for these systems, including the hydrophobic or hydrophilic behaviour of zeolite membranes. The simulations showed that, for Silicalite zeolite, the separation is strongly influenced by the selective adsorption of ethanol. The separation factor, as a consequence, increases almost exponentially as the ethanol composition decreases. For ethanol dehydration in NaA and Chabazite, pore size was found to play a very important role in the separation; very high separation factors were therefore possible. Simulations were also used to investigate the effect of pore structure, feed compositions and operating conditions on the pervaporation efficiency. Finally, our simulations also demonstrated that molecular simulations could serve as a useful screening tool to determine the suitability of a membrane for potential pervaporation separation applications. Simulations can cost only a small fraction of an experiment, and can therefore be used to design experiments most likely to be successful.


Background Pill-in-the-pocket treatment should be prescribed only if the administration of a loading oral dose of flecainide or propafenone has been proved safe in hospital, since major adverse effects have been reported in 5% of patients during in-hospital treatment. However, in emergency rooms, the oral administration of these drugs for the conversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) is very rarely used because it is time consuming. Objective To investigate whether tolerance to intravenous administration of flecainide or propafenone might predict the safety of pill-in-the-pocket treatmentdthe out-of-hospital self-administration of these drugs after the onset of palpitationsdin patients with AF of recent onset. Methods One hundred and twenty-two patients with AF of recent onset who were successfully treated (conversion of AF within 2 h without major adverse effects) in hospital with intravenous flecainide or propafenone were discharged on pill-in-the-pocket


The year was 1980, 27 years ago. I was in medical school, working hard to learn how to save lives. Though I didn't know it, my sister was working much harder—to save her own life and keep from being killed by her fiancé. At that time, I couldn't make sense of the changes I saw in her. She left her university studies; she limited her time with friends and family; she became tenuous about her opinions and future goals. These didn't fit with the smart, self-assured, talented person I grew up with. Although her fiancé seemed charming and confident, something made me uncomfortable. Why wouldn't she be honest about what was going on, or better yet, simply assert herself and leave this guy? As she remained in what seemed like a downward spiral, I felt discouraged, frustrated, annoyed, and then perplexed when she suddenly moved to a city hundreds of miles away. Just she and her fiancé—no job, no friends, no family—and she refused to get an answering machine so we could contact her. I just didn't get it. This is true for many of the people who know someone dealing with an abusive relationship. It's difficult to recognize the tactic of isolation that is frequently used to break down an individual's ability to access resources that could be helpful. It's almost impossible to understand what it is like to live in an atmosphere of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. And, though friends and family may sincerely want to say and do the right thing, they may unwittingly hurt more than they help. Family and Friends' Guide to Domestic Violence fills a much-needed gap in the literature about domestic violence. This insightful, highly readable book teaches family members and friends, and those in the helping professions, that domestic abuse is complicated and that escaping from abuse is never a simple act. Elaine Weiss, EdD, an established writer and educator whose other book is focused on the stories of women who successfully survived, now gently leads readers through the dark, often distressing realities of domestic violence. She addresses the issues that often stymie friends and relative of victims: Why do abusers abuse? Why do victims put up with it? She helps differentiate a "bad relationship" from the pattern of purposeful power and control tactics that characterize an abusive relationship. She does an excellent job of elucidating the complexities of psychological abuse and tackling special problems such as dating violence. Most importantly, she tells readers what they can do to help. Simply put, they can listen, talk, and take action. Ms Weiss offers concrete suggestions for each of these. What makes Family and Friends' Guide remarkable is the author's ability to strike a balance between compassion—for victims, for their children, for their relatives and friends—and pragmatism. This is not an "everyone can succeed if they just try hard enough" self-help book. The author is clear: escaping from an abusive relationship is complex and potentially dangerous. It takes time. If you are a friend or relative of a victim, providing support will not be easy. But the more friends and family know about domestic abuse, the better able they are to offer useful support. My sister, like the majority of women dealing with domestic violence, found her way to safety, made a healthy home for her daughter, and developed a fulfilling career and caring community. She did it on her own, with tremendous courage, faith, and endurance that continues to inspire me. Now a quarter century later, Elaine Weiss has provided a valuable resource for family, friends, and health care providers. It should be included in health education libraries; it is an important resource to help physicians become more comfortable approaching this personally difficult clinical problem. v


Agroecosystems are nowadays often confronted with ecosystem degradation due to unsustainable intensification and climate change. One reason for intensification is that the projected demand for food and feed is increasing due to global population growth and dietary changes. Additionally, drought events, which are projected to increase in both frequency and severity in the future, will potentially have strong effects on the ecosystem services provided by agroecosystems.


Creativity is the ability to provide new ideas that can be applied in problem solving or as the ability to see new relationships between previously existing elements. There are many types of art activities that can stimulate the development of creativity in early childhood such as: playing with plasticine or playdough, finger painting (swab blur), printing, sewing, drawing, coloring, collage, finger painting, blowing color bubbles, painting with thread pulling techniques. , drawing with grafito techniques and so forth. In early childhood the development of art can be developed through drawing activities. Drawing is a basic form of art. Drawing activities can be done with the graffito technique. This research was conducted at RA Al-Ikhlas which is located at Jl. Gg Mosque. Meliala Rantau Utara, Labuhanbatu Regency. This study consisted of 2 cycles and started from 07 to 26 October 2019. The subjects of this study were students of RA Al - Ikhlas group B, totaling 15 people consisting of 7 men and 8 women with the theme being developed was plants. . This study uses a classroom action research (CAR) model which consists of 2 cycles. Each cycle is carried out according to the themes and factors studied. The procedure of this research is planning, implementation, action and reflection. In interpreting the results of the analysis carried out during the process of drawing activities with the grafito technique, the researcher used percentage analysis to obtain results about increasing the development of creativity in early childhood through the application of drawing activities with the grafito technique and analysis tests using the average child and the criteria for mastery learning of children.


ABSTRACT A GIS project is an effective means of linking learning about GIS and learning with GIS, and it can enhance students' employability. However, individual project work creates challenges that could result in failed assessment. Here we adopt a mixed-methods approach to examine how students of mixed abilities cope with GIS problems and to reveal the variety of support mechanisms they adopt. We also highlight the moral dilemmas of achieving academic success independently. We conclude that more research needs to be conducted into the way staff promote the graduate attribute of independence while still supporting their students.


To generate broadly protective T cell responses more similar to those acquired after vaccination with radiation-attenuated Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites, we have constructed candidate subunit malaria vaccines expressing six preerythrocytic antigens linked together to produce a 3,240-aa-long polyprotein (L3SEPTL). This polyprotein was expressed by a plasmid DNA vaccine vector (DNA) and by two attenuated poxvirus vectors, modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) and fowlpox virus of the FP9 strain. MVAL3SEPTL boosted anti-thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (anti-TRAP) and anti-liver stage antigen 1 (anti-LSA1) CD8+ T cell responses when primed by single antigen TRAP- or LSA1-expressing DNAs, respectively, but not by DNA-L3SEPTL. However, prime boost regimes involving two heterologous viral vectors expressing L3SEPTL induced a strong cellular response directed against an LSA1 peptide located in the C-terminal region of the polyprotein. Peptide-specific T cells secreted IFN-γ and were cytotoxic. IFN-γ-secreting T cells specific for each of the six antigens were induced after vaccination with L3SEPTL, supporting the use of polyprotein inserts to induce multispecific T cells against P. falciparum. The use of polyprotein constructs in nonreplicating poxviruses should broaden the target antigen range of vaccine-induced immunity and increase the number of potential epitopes available for immunogenetically diverse human populations.


The MEIS FM sensor, its conceptual design, and its functional specifications are described. MEIS FM is a wide-angle, high-resolution multispectral imager based on state-of-the-art linear arrays and custom-designed high-resolution optics. The design has been specifically tailored to the requirements of the mapping and forestry industries, with the emphasis on the cost effective production of end-user products. >


The phenomena of rise and decline of hot major and the increasement of non state owned universities proved once more that the majors' arrangement is very important to development of university. Under the circumstance of market economy, universities must set up the market idea, which demands universities connect closely to society and adjust their resource allocation, including majors and courses arrangement according to the human resource market. Meanwhile, every university should ascertain its level and direction in the process to enter the market to cultivate eligible talents for society.


Orthogonal frequency division time synchronizer for multiple access system will set one of the minimum sampling frequency at least four times over-sampling the signal over-sampled by a master clock, and a plurality of having a higher frequency than in the transmitting device the receiving signal to the on-time signal and outputs the remaining-over respectively by a time shift determined relative to the time signal on the sampling signal and signal on-time signal. Time alignment unit calculates a correlation value with correlation each other and the signal that is known in advance for each shift signal and on-time signal, and detecting the maximum energy value among the calculated correlation values and then, the frame and compares it to a preset threshold value and it detects the start point. OFDM, the time synchronization frame, a symbol, a master clock


OBJECTIVE
To identify potential prognostic factors and criteria for early detection of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).

DESIGN
Retrospective study of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors in a cohort of 395 patients with NF1 followed up between October 1, 1988, and January 1, 1999; review of the clinical and histological characteristics of treatment and course; and analysis of p53 mutations and overexpression in tumors.

SETTING
Teaching hospital referral neurofibromatosis center for adults.

PATIENTS
Seventeen patients with NF1 (9 males and 8 females). Mean +/- SD patient age at diagnosis was 32 +/- 14 years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
(1) Clinical symptoms, (2) comparison of p53 mutations and overexpression in benign vs malignant tumors; and (3) median survival.

RESULTS
Twelve patients had high-grade tumors. All tumors except 1 developed on preexisting nodular or plexiform neurofibromas. Pain and enlarging mass were the first and predominant signs. None of the benign tumors displayed significant p53 staining or p53 mutations. Six of 12 malignant tumors significantly overexpressed p53, and 4 of 6 harbored p53 missense mutations. Median survival was 18 months overall, 53 months in peripheral locations, and 21 months in axial locations.

CONCLUSIONS
Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are highly aggressive in NF1. They mostly arise from plexiform or nodular neurofibromas. Investigations and deep biopsy of painful and enlarging nodular or plexiform neurofibromas should be considered in patients with NF1. Late appearance of p53 mutations and overexpression precludes their use as predictive markers of malignant transformation.


. The article considers the features of artistic and imaginative thinking of Bohdana Filts (1932-2021) in the vocal chamber work of late-life creativity. The author highlights the performing features of the solos chosen for analysis based on poetic texts by L.


Around the world there is a preoccupation with improving the performance of schools and school systems. Comparisons made between countries through PISA and PERLs have led to a preoccupation, and in some cases, an obsession, with securing a high position in the international league tables (Whelan 2009). The minds of policy-makers and politicians alike are sharply focused on finding effective ways of scaling the international performance ladder and moving ever closer to the elusive top. This article focuses on the potential challenges, complications and considerations for those leading change at scale. For those countries at the apex, the task is simply staying there—for some, at any cost. For others, the actions of the 'best performers' are scrutinized and analysed in the vain hope of finding the main components of their success. Reports from commercial organizations fuel this hope by reinforcing that there are consistent features of the top performing and best education systems (Mourshed et al. 2010). The implication is clear: replicating such features could pay dividends and reproducing their policies could secure better educational performance. While policy borrowing is far from a new enterprise, the harsh reality is that even the best policies travel badly. What works in Finland may not work as well, or indeed work at all, in a country with a different history, culture and social make-up. There is a powerful relationship between context and educational outcomes and, while policies can be borrowed, the cultural dimensions that make them work so well, unfortunately, cannot. There are inevitable pitfalls when superimposing policies from one context on another, and even with the most careful grafting they can disappoint by failing to deliver the outcomes anticipated. Systems with a successful track record of improvement have tended to focus on internally-generated change, rather than relying at solutions


Thus far, we established conditions under which training the last layer of an infinitely wide, 1-hidden layer neural network is equivalent to solving kernel regression with the Neural Network Gaussian Process (NNGP). We now present the result that training all layers of a neural network is equivalent to solving kernel regression with a kernel referred to as the Neural Tangent Kernel (NTK). We begin by introducing the idea of approximating a neural network via linearization around initial weights, and we show that training the corresponding linearization is equivalent to solving kernel regression with the NTK. We then utilize the theory of dual activations and the computation of the NNGP from the previous lecture to compute a closed for the NTK in terms of dual activation functions. The remarkable aspect of the linearization is that as layer-wise widths approach infinity, training the linearization is equivalent to training all layers of a neural network. As we did for the NNGP, we then lastly present empirical examples highlighting the double descent phenomenon by comparing the performance of networks of increasing width to that of the NTK.


Intelligent Scene Monitoring (ISM) is an evolutionary next step beyond basic Video Motion Detection. An ISM system takes video imagery as an input and is expected to alarm only when a specific user-defined event or sequence of events occurs in the scene. It is expected to work in "busy" scenes, alarming only on the target patterns of behaviour, to the exclusion of all other activity. A fundamental question arises out of using video as a PIDS input. What levels of performance (in terms of Probability of Detection P/sub D/ and False alarm Rate FAR)? Video (particularly outdoors) is a complex data source and the image processing task for PIDS is non-trivial in the ISM context. We have investigated the performance limits for ISM systems using neural network classifiers in an outdoors "sterile zone" application. This paper defines the sterile zone analysis and image processing tasks, the study methodology and presents some feasibility results (obtained using seal data). It presents an academic, and experimentally justifiable, viewpoint on the tractability of the problem given a predetermined system performance.<<ETX>>


The optimal power flow (OPF) problem is a critical problem for power generation and is generally non-convex. This paper mainly focuses on the tree topology of the distribution networks. It studies the two-bus network with fixed and variable voltage magnitudes. Simulation has been done in Matlab. The result shows that the OPF problem can be treated as a convex problem if one or more voltage magnitudes is fixed in a two-bus network.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how political/authoritarian regionalism affects foreign direct investment (FDI) in sub-national states in South Korea.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper employs statistical analysis to examine the relationship between regionalism and FDI, along with historical description of regionalism in South Korea.

Findings
The analyses suggest that not only authoritarian regionalism influence foreign investment to the region but also political regionalism matters. Sub-national states with higher authoritarian regionalism receive less foreign investment while sub-national states with high political regionalism, which imply political stability, receive more FDI than others.

Originality/value
The paper examined how local politics influence foreign investments in South Korea, and suggests stronger decentralization will positively influence FDI in the future.


We study dilepton production from a quark-gluon plasma of given energy density at finite quark chemical potential [mu] and find that the dilepton production rate is a strongly decreasing function of [mu]. Therefore, the signal to background ratio of dileptons from a plasma created in a heavy-ion collision may decrease significantly.


Since May 2019, Africa has been the host of the World's largest potential free trade area. The African Union (AU) with its vast majority of members agreed in March 2018 to form the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which has since been signed by 52 countries with Nigeria as the most notable exception. The AfCFTA became officially effective on 30 May 2019 as by April 22 countries had ratified it. However, it will take some time until the agreement really works. The AfCFTA contains provisions about trade in goods, trade in services as well as the movement of persons. These are subject to negotiations in a first phase. The agreement also covers competition policies, intellectual property rights (IPR) and investment, which will be negotiated in a second phase.


In this article, the results of a field research that was carried out demonstrate thepsychological effects of prayers and worships on adolescents' mental health. The resultsof the questions were examined in the context of perception of prayer-worship andmental health. A questionnaire was applied to randomly selected sample of 450adolescent studying at secondary schools in the province of Bursa, which is assumed torepresent the whole population of adolescents in Bursa. The statistics used to analyze thegathered data included chi-square test along with other descriptive statistics such asfrequencies, means and percentages. The results of statistical analyses revealed that theprayer and worship in the adolescence period have positive psychological effects uponmental health of adolescents.


Abstract THE present study was initiated to obtain further information on consumer reaction to variations in blood spot size and thick albumen height. These quality criteria, one a negative factor (blood spots—a defect) and the other a positive factor (albumen condition) have been widely used by standardization and grading agencies as well as by research workers. Since neither of these criteria is associated with nutritive value or healthfulness of eggs, it would seem that they may truly be considered quality factors only if there are positive or negative consumer responses to them. It has been assumed that the quality standards of an esthetic nature currently in use by official agencies and research workers (such as blood spots and albumen condition) reflect consumer opinion. Increasingly the weakness of this position has been recognized and consumer surveys have been carried out to determine direct reactions to so-called quality criteria. Such a study …


Past studies have reported that connective tissue disorders (CTDs) are more common in patients with specific types of headache disorders.


The labor market in Vietnam has experienced significant changes due to global trends and the demand for competitiveness in the region. This study investigates the evolving Vietnamese labor market, considering the obstacles presented by the Covid-19 pandemic and the fourth industrial revolution. The paper underscores the significance of adhering to international labor laws and standards to effectively tackle these challenges. By examining the influence of these external factors and their repercussions on labor standards, this research offers valuable insights for policymakers, employers, and workers in Vietnam. The findings emphasize the need to align domestic labor policies with international standards in order to establish a just and sustainable labor market in Vietnam amidst the evolving global landscape.


One of the most challenging problems facing criminal defense counsel in an anticipated trial arises when the state attempts to introduce uncharged misconduct (other crimes) evidence pursuant to Rule 404(b) for a relevant purpose other than "propensity" evidence barred by Rule 404(a). Often this evidence will involve alleged crimes for which the defendant has not nor will not be tried. As defense counsel we know that this type of evidence is highly prejudicial. Despite the state's lofty claims that the evidence is independently relevant to show, "motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, or absence of mistake or accident," (and the availability of limiting instructions via Rule 105), jurors are more than likely to draw the, "he's a bad guy so he is probably guilty," inference.Often misunderstood and underutilized are the foundational requirements specified by Rule 104(b), (the so-called "conditional relevance" rule), that can be employed to inhibit misuse of evidence of uncharged misconduct under Rule 404(b).The techniques outlined below are useful also in addressing a variety of issues arising under Rule 401, 402, and 403; as well as claims of "harmless error" and insufficiency of evidence.


A new equation system for C and N cycle Initially proposed from a comparative prediction of C flows in tropical fields [1], mathematically linked to climate data, biological properties of plant residues, soil moisture and soil texture [2, 3], the MOMOS model was validated [4], and then extended to prediction of N flows in 6 contrasted tropical ecosystems [5]. It was then tested on a cereal/legume intercropping in a non-fertilized Mediterranean soil, to model the C and N flows between plant organs and microorganisms from the measurement of few state variables [6,7].


This article is based on an empirically proven fact according to which a feature film is sometimes the result of a Global Creative Process (GCP), understanding this term as that which is constituted as the sum of several individual creative processes (ICP i ) from different artistic disciplines. The aim of these ICP i is, by using interactions with the object, the initial general process established by the director or interacting themselves, the achievement of an unique object. The result of all these interactions is positively affected by virtue of the synergies generated. In the following sections the thesis according to which a soundtrack —understood not only as a musical soundtrack, but as everything that is heard in the final audio mix— is the result of another GCP is raised for the first time, being this GCP, therefore, a second order GCP. For this, statements taken from the most recent theories that affect the process of recording and mixing the soundtrack will be used, as well as different aspects related to the interaction between music and sound design. A first step to realizing the practical application of this approach is to apply it directly to a specific case. Furthermore, using real extracts justifies the relevance of this approach and its usefulness. On this occasion, and with this objective in mind, two specific moments of a sequence by composer Pascal Gaigne will be explored in greater depth.


A GIS based modelling system has been designed as a tool for policy support. It allows a detailed assessment of the impact of emission reduction strategies on critical load exceedances for acidification and eutrophication in forests, heath and grassland ecosystems. Based on the results for 652 forest ecosystems in Flanders, the current emission reduction scenarios show a trend that confronts policy makers in 2010 with persistent exceedances for both acidifying and nutrient nitrogen.


A number of insecticides were investigated for cross-resistance patterns using reference susceptible and resistant cotton aphid populations and standard bioassay methods. The highest levels of cross-resistance (>1500x at LC50) were detected to pirimicarb in omethoate-. and omethoate/bifenthrin resistant populations. Cross-resistance between the organophosphates and carbamates has caused these two groups to be considered the same for the purpose of resistance management. To reduce the likelihood of difficult to control resistant populations we suggest that omethoate, dimethoate or pirimicarb use be avoided and pirimicarb used only in conjunction with Integrated Pest Management. Further study is required to determine if the carbamates aldicarb and carbosulfan should be treated separately from pirimicarb.


HTSS Using the dynamic controllable training method,the sports training system may be always in a dynamic balanceable optimization for developing the athletes or students' sports ability in the best.The method may effectively eliminate some various disturbance in speed skating training by the feedback control system theory and accelerate to the sports training target.


An efficient Web Services (WS)-enabled Architecture for RFID Environment (WSARE) is proposed based on RFID and WS. WSARE consists of the following components: Data Acquisitor, Services Manager, Business Process Rule Base, WS and RFID Database. Reducing modification and maintenance cost, crossing platform, flexibility and independence are the main characteristics of WSARE. An automatic RFID management system based on WSARE for Amusement Park (AP-WSARE) is also proposed and simulated. AP-WSARE provides a more powerful means to manage an AP. Such a system will be able to provide higher quality of service and improve the competitive force.


Hybrid materials in optoelectronic devices can generate new functionality or provide synergistic effects that enhance the properties of each component. Here, high‐performance phototransistors with broad spectral responsivity in UV–vis–near‐infrared (NIR) regions, using gold nanorods (Au NRs)‐decorated n‐type organic semiconductor and N,N′‐bis(2‐phenylethyl)‐perylene‐3,4:9,10‐tetracarboxylic diimide (BPE‐PTCDI) nanowires (NWs) are reported. By way of the synergistic effect of the excellent photo‐conducting characteristics of single‐crystalline BPE‐PTCDI NW and the light scattering and localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) of Au NRs, the hybrid system provides new photo‐detectivity in the NIR spectral region. In the UV–vis region, hybrid nanomaterial‐based phototransistors exhibit significantly enhanced photo‐responsive properties with a photo‐responsivity (R) of 7.70 × 105 A W−1 and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 1.42 × 108% at the minimum light intensity of 2.5 µW cm−2, which are at least tenfold greater than those of pristine BPE‐PTCDI NW‐based ones and comparable to those of high‐performance inorganic material‐based devices. While a pristine BPE‐PTCDI NW‐based photodetector is insensitive to the NIR spectral region, the hybrid NW‐based phototransistor shows an R of 10.7 A W−1 and EQE of 1.35 × 103% under 980 nm wavelength‐NIR illumination. This work demonstrates a viable approach to high‐performance photo‐detecting systems with broad spectral responsivity.


Objective: To compare the biomechanics character istics between dynamic interlocking intramedullary nailing designed by ourselves and static interlocking intramedullary nailing used commonly to fix the comminu ted femoral fracture, and the clinical values of the dynamic interlocking intram edullary nailing. Methods: The longitudinal compression biom echanics contrast tests were performed at the comminuted fractures of fresh femo ral bones from the dead human bodies fixed by the dynamic interlocking intramedu llary nailing or static interlocking intramedullary nailing(Orthofix, made in It aly). Results: The comminuted femoral fracture fixed by the static interlocking intramedullary nailing could provide enough stabilization at longitudinal direction and rotation, but locking nailing broke caused by this f ixation if the fixed femoral bone bore weights at early phase due to stress shie lding, which would result in fracture delayed union or even nonunion The comminu ted femoral fracture fixed by dynamic nailing had the inclination to cause nail retreated, fracture fragments separated and leg shorten, but this fixation could provide sufficient fracture stabilization. Conclusion: Comm inuted femoral fracture is another indication fixed by dynamic interlocking intr amedullary nailing.


Microblogs as a new textual domain offer a unique proposition for sentiment analysis. Their short document length suggests any sentiment they contain is compact and explicit. However, this short length coupled with their noisy nature can pose difficulties for standard machine learning document representations. In this work we examine the hypothesis that it is easier to classify the sentiment in these short form documents than in longer form documents. Surprisingly, we find classifying sentiment in microblogs easier than in blogs and make a number of observations pertaining to the challenge of supervised learning for sentiment analysis in microblogs.


Gastroenterolo Question: A 79year-old man was admitted for evaluation of jaundice and abdominal pain that began 2 weeks before admission. The patient had received right pneumonectomy for lung cancer 30 years ago and had undergone endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to remove common bile duct stones 10 years ago. Physical examination at admission revealed icteric sclera and mild right upper quadrant tenderness. Initial laboratory test result showed liver function enzyme elevation in a cholestatic pattern, and computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated multiple gallbladder stones and common bile duct stones. Therefore, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was performed to resolve the biliary obstruction. However, in addition to the bile duct stones noted on CT, there was a 8.3-cm, heterogeneously enhancing mass lesion abutting jejunum and involving many jejunal branches of superior mesenteric artery (Figure A). On retrospective review of the CT scan taken 10 years ago at the time of the initial common bile duct stone removal, a 3 2-cm mass lesion abutting jejunum at the umbilical level of mesenteric root was found to have been present (Figure B). Percutaneous biopsy had been performed 10 years ago and proliferation of spindle cells was reported to have been observed. Although surgical resection had been recommended to remove the mass, the patient was lost to follow-up. A follow-up percutaneous biopsy showed severe cellular atypia. Because the mass increased by nearly 3-fold, albeit over the period of 10 years, surgical resection was performed. What is the diagnosis of this slow growing abdominal mass? Look on page 1696 for the answer and see the Gastroenterology web site (www.gastrojournal.org) for more information on submitting your favorite image to Clinical Challenges and Images in GI.


The paper attempts to provide an outline account of the development and context of scientific and technical communication during the twentieth century. The main channels and forms of communication are reviewed, and their changing contributions to the overall pattern of information flow. The ever‐increasing volume and diversity of scientific and technical information are emphasised. The paper concludes with some reflections on what may be learnt from this history.


Module systems for proof assistants provide administrative support for large developments when mechanizing the meta-theory of programming languages and logics. We describe a module system for the logical framework LF that is based on two main primitives: signatures and signature morphisms. Signatures are defined as collections of constant declarations, and signature morphisms as homo-morphism in between them. Our design is semantically transparent in the sense that it is always possible to elaborate modules into the module free version of LF. We have implemented our design as part of the Twelf system and rewritten parts of the Twelf example library to take advantage of the module system.


Cholesteryl octanoate-octanoyl-1-13C was synthesized by a method of coupling-catalysis.The yield of 13C labeled Cholesteryl octanoate was 84.1%(based on Cholesterol),with 99.0% atom 13C 99.0% optical purity and 99.5% chemical purity.The product was characterized by HPLC-ELSD,LC-MS and 1H NMR.The structure and 13C isotopic enrichment of it was determined and measured by LC-MS and 1H NMR.


The enhancement of the ecological functions of forests through stand structure optimization is a key issue for high-quality forestry and its sustainable development on the Loess Plateau. In this study, fifty standard plots of Pinus tabuliformis Carr. forest were established in the Loess Plateau of western Shanxi, China. Eleven factors of the stand structure, three topographical factors, and four functional indices of the ecological function, including 20 sub-functional indices, were investigated and monitored. The study results indicated that the stand structure and topographical conditions could significantly affect the ecological functions of the Pinus tabuliformis forest, which was primarily reflected in the water-holding function, soil improvement function, and diversity function of understory plants, but had little effect on the function of reducing runoff and sediment yield on slope. We found that the stand density and uniform angle index could be used to achieve the optimal regulation of the stand structure to enhance the ecological functions of the Pinus tabuliformis forest. Overall, the optimization strategy for the stand structure of Pinus tabuliformis on the Loess Plateau should be to (1) determine the characteristics of the regulation target by understanding the stand structure and its ecological function characteristics through stand surveys on the altitude of the stand, stand density, uniform angle index of the individual trees in the sample plot, and average uniform angle index of the sample plot; (2) determine the optimization target by quantifying and analyzing the ecological functions of the stand, selecting a certain functional index as the optimization target, and specifying the degree of improvement in the functional index; and (3) substitute the optimization target and elevation of the stand into the corresponding stand structure optimization model and determine the regulation direction and regulation range of the stand density, uniform angle index, and specific stand structure regulation measures. The results of this study serve as a guide for optimizing the stand structure on the Loess Plateau.


The following work reports the evolution of the formation of polypyrrole (PPy) chains and it's intercalation with graphene-carbon nanotubes (G-CNT) nanocomposites. Experiments were carried out to demonstrate the growth of pyrrole through polymerization and its interaction with G-CNT using Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) for 5 – 50 cycles. The interface analysis of the nanocomposite was carried out through SEM. The G-CNT-PPy nanocomposite has shown potential to be used as a supercapacitor which can be further substantiated by CV experiments. 0.89 ml of pyrrole monomer was dispersed in 25 ml of deionized water containing 0.355 g of sodium sulphate. 0.0125 g of CNT and 0.0125 g of graphene was then added to the solution. The solution was further sonicated for 15 minutes at a constant temperature. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) was used for the synthesis of the nanocomposite film on a graphite rod at a scan rate of 10mV/s in the voltage range of 800 mV – 900 mV. The procedure was repeated for 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 cycles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized to image the evolving morphology of the G/CNT/PPy nanocomposite. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was utilized to determine the crystal structure and size of the nanocomposite film. ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURAL EVOLUTION OF GRAPHENE-CNT-POLYPYRROLE NANOCOMPOSITE. Maitri Jariwalaa, Ankarao Kalluria, Shrishti Singha, Ashish Aphalea, Isaac Macwana,b, Prabir Patraa,c a Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Bridgeport, 126 Park Avenue, Bridgeport CT 06604. b Department of Computer Engineering, University of Bridgeport, 126 Park Avenue, Bridgeport CT 06604. c Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bridgeport, 126 Park Avenue, Bridgeport CT 06604. Structural evolution of various polymers is significantly related to the synthesis and performance of nanocomposite substrates. Polypyrrole is a conductive polymer whose structure is well studied and its role in synthesizing free standing graphene films is crucial. This G-CNT-PPy hybrid nanocomposite can be used as a supercapacitor, which was also previously mentioned by Ashish et.al Figure 3: A and B (5 cycles) – Ppy and G-CNT-Ppy nanocomposite; C and D (50 cycles) – Ppy and G-CNT-Ppy nanocomposite Compared to 5 cycles, 50 cycles shows a densely polymerized Ppy as also indicated by the CV data. Comparing Ppy and G/CNT/Ppy for 5 cycles, the interface evolution of G-CNT-Ppy can be clearly observed. Furthermore, a multiple layered structure can be seen in 5 cycles G/CNT/Ppy image showing lesser quantity of Ppy compared to the 50 cycles image, where Ppy is covering the entire graphenated assembly. Also, from figure 2, with an increase in the number of cycles, the capacitive charge storage capability of the nanocomposite is seen to be increasing. Aphale et.al, Hybrid electrodes by in-situ integration of graphene and carbon nanotubes in polypyrrole for supercapacitors. Scientific Reports, 5, 14445, 2015. The elucidation of the structural evolution of G/CNT/Ppy is a good start in bringing a new biocompatible nanocomposite material to the forefront whose complete study can improve the performance of the devices such as a supercapacitors by modulating it's charging and discharging characteristics as well as its apparent use in biosensing for medical diagnostics. Figure 1 (Left): Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) set-up. Figure 2: A: CV analysis of 5 cycles; Figure B: CV analysis of 50 cycles Through CV, it can be hypothesized that with the increase in the number of cycles, the capacitance of Ppy increases pointing to an increase in the polymerization of pyrrole (Fig 2). The current through the nanocomposite increases with increasing cycles implying the intercalation of G-CNT in polymerizing Ppy that results in the formation of the interface that can be seen from the SEM analysis.


THE FUNCTIONS OF THE PRESS AND TRADITIONAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL REVOLUTION OF IRAN This thesis is essentially a study of the development of the Iranian press, principally in the latter 19th Century and early 20th Century, and its relationship with traditional Communications systems during the broad period of the Constitutional Revolution, a seminal event in contemporary Iranian history. Although the core period of the Constitutional Revolution was 1906-11, the thesis also studies the role of both mass and traditional Communications systems in the preparatory period from the early 1880s. Furthermore, it looks more briefly at the aftermath of the Constitutional period until 1925 when the Pahlavi dynasty succeeded to the throne of Iran. Thus, the thesis examines the press and its evolving role in Iranian society during a crucial period of more than 50 years after establishing a context for the introduction of printing and a press tradition in Iran. Overall, the Iranian press has had a turbulent history of some 150 years complicated by the country's struggle for democracy and national independence. The fortunes of the press have followed the politicai fortunes of the country. From the early 19th century until the Islamic revolution of 1979, the print media has been strictly controlled by the politicai regimes. The Constitutional Revolution was the first step toward the realisation of freedom of press in Iran. However, the revolutionary forces were defeated by strong feudal elements w h o were supported by British and Russian imperialists. Nevertheless, one of the most remarkable features of the revolution was the rapid development of publications and the creation of new forms of politicai journalism which deeply influenced the m o d e m history of Iran. During the revolutionary period, the number of


This invention relates to a method for prepar ing metallo-Organic compounds. More specifical ly, this invention relates to a method for prepar ing alkyl titanates. Many methods have oeen proposed and em ployed for the preparation of alkyl titanates. Among such known methods is one in which titanium tetrachloride is reacted with an alcohol in the presence of ammonia in which the reac tion is carried out in the presence of a large ex cess of alcohol. In Such a reaction, the am monium chloride formed is crystallized from Solu tion and must be filtered from the alcoholic Solu tion containing the alkyl titanate. Such a filtra tion is difficult to employ since the filtration must be carried out in a closed System. This filtra tion step results in an expensive process due to the handling losses involved and the absorptive characteristics of the Crystals formed. An object of this invention, therefore, is to prepare alkyl titanates by a process which eliminates the filtration step of the ammonium chloride formed. A further object is to provide a process which is easy to operate and economical to employ. These and other objects will become apparent from the following more complete de scription of the present invention. Broadly, this invention contemplates a method for preparation of alkyl titanates which com prises admixing titanium tetrachloride, an alco hol containing at least two carbon atoms and liquid ammonia in a closed System, the annonia, being present in amount at least equal to, and for optimum efficiency preferably in slight ex cess of, that required to react with the chloride ions released from the tetrachloride plus the amount to dissolve the ammonium chloride formed by the reaction, and separating the liquid alkyl titanate layer from the liquid annonia ammonium chloride layer, the entire process be ing carried out in the anhydrous state. The titanium tetrachloride, alcohol and liquid ammonia, may be added in any order, but it is preferred to first admix the titanium tetrachlo ride and the alcohol and then to add the result ing mixture to the liquid ammonia. The reaction must be carried out under an hydrous conditions and the ammonia, employed must be maintained in the liquid state. The re action must therefore be carried out in a closed system, the pressure in which will be at least equal to the vapor pressure of liquid ammonia, at the temperature employed. This temperature is not critical, and it has been found most con venient to operate in the neighborhood of room temperature. While this invention is useful in the prepara tion of the titanate of most any alcohol that has two or more carbon atoms in the molecule, it is particularly advantageous in the preparation of the titanates of alcohols having from 2 to 20 10


A semi-automatic test device for a time-delay characteristic of a miniature circuit breaker comprises the components of: a housing; a test power supply and a PLC control system which are arranged in the housing; an installing substrate which is arranged on the housing; a circuit positioning mechanism, a conductive contact mechanism and an automatic adjusting mechanism which are arranged on the upper side and the lower side of the installing substrate. After the circuit breaker positioning mechanism performs clamping positioning on a tested circuit breaker, the conductive contact mechanism inserts a conductive contact into the wiring chamber of the tested circuit breaker and presses to tight. A pushing arm of the automatic adjusting mechanism pushes the handle of the tested circuit breaker to a closing position. The PLC control system instructs a test power supply to perform energizing time-delay characteristic test on the tested circuit breaker. Simultaneously the automatic adjusting mechanism automatically adjusts a tripping screw of the circuit breaker, thereby finishing the time-delay characteristic test on the tested circuit breaker. The semi-automatic test device for the time-delay characteristic of a miniature circuit breaker has a simple and reliable structure and can realize automatic positioning and test on the circuit breaker. The semi-automatic test device for the time-delay characteristic of the miniature circuit breaker is particularly suitable for factory test of circuit breaker manufacturers with no over-high productivity.


The propensity of helical homochiral polymers derived from amylose to resolve optical isomers is being exploited intensively for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), using either high performance lipid chromatography (HPLC) or the simulated moving bed (SMB) principle. Several lots of an amylose derived stationary phase, Chiralpak® AS™, and its successor, Chiralpak® AS-V™, were compared by pulse injections with increasing amounts of various racemates in order to determine the loading capacity and the competitive adsorption isotherms. Software simulations allowed to assess the possible effects due to the observed variations between the chiral stationary phases (CSPs) on the performance of a pilot SMB unit. The obtained results were verified by two multi-kilogram separations performed under current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) guidelines employing the two CSPs. The results of the two production runs are discussed in the light of the recently introduced "triangle theory," which allows to account for the overload conditions prevailing under preparative chromatographic conditions and to predict optimal operating conditions. Under optimized conditions the enantiomer separation of 1.4 kg racemate/kg stationary phase per day with purities >99.6% for the target enantiomer has been achieved.


LUCIAN CONSTANTIN1,2, INES NITOI1, IONUT CRISTEA1, PETRUTA OANCEA3, CRISTINA ORBECI2, AURELIA CRISTINA NECHIFOR2* 1National Research and Development Institute for Industrial Ecology – ECOIND Bucharest, 71-73 Drumul Podul Dambovitei Street, 060652, Bucharest, Romania, 2University Politehnica of Bucharest, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, 1-7 Polizu Str., 011061, Bucharest, Romania 3University of Bucharest, Faculty of Chemistry, 4-12 Elisabeta Av., 030016, Bucharest, Romania


The research aims to determine the effect of learning organizations on married female permanent employees' performance at restaurants in Jakarta and Bali by mediating job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The phenomenon that occurs is that married female employees at restaurants tend to work less optimally and are reluctant to participate in development training programs since the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. This quantitative research was conducted with purposive random sampling on 73 married female employee respondents. The measuring instrument is a questionnaire with five-Likert scales—data processing using CB-SEM with Smart PLS program. The results showed a significant influence of learning organizations on female staff performance through the mediation of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The research contribution is expected to provide input to the management at restaurants in managing the performance of married female employees.


Background: Osteoarthritis is the most common joint condition, the fourth leading cause of disability globally and the fastest increasing major health condition. The temporal relationship between osteoarthritis and physical and psychological comorbidity is unclear and may differ by levels of socio-economic status. The aims of this study were to (i) identify if osteoarthritis was associated with the onset of depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, widespread pain, insomnia, social restriction and neurosis and (ii) determine if these relationships were moderated by education, area level deprivation or change in income. Methods: Prospective cohort study combining questionnaire data at two time points (2005, 2008) and medical record data (n1⁄4 3910). Osteoarthritis was defined by primary care consultation for osteoarthritis between 2000 and 2005, and the report of moderate/extreme pain interference in the questionnaire (2005). Logistic regression examined the association between osteoarthritis and the onset of seven comorbidities (between 2005 and 2008), first unadjusted and then adjusting for putative confounders (comorbidity, socio-demographic and lifestyle factors). Moderation of the association between osteoarthritis and onset by change in income, education and area-level deprivation was examined by including interaction terms and stratified analyses. Results were reported as odds ratios with a 95% Confidence Interval (OR; 95%CI). Results: Mean age was 63, 55% were female and 942 (24%) had osteoarthritis. In the unadjusted analysis, osteoarthritis was significantly associated with new onset of all seven comorbidities (p<0.05). After adjusting for confounders, osteoarthritis was associated with the onset of depression (OR 1.35; 95%CI 1.02, 1.79), cognitive impairment (1.36; 1.03, 1.81), widespread pain (2.49; 1.96, 3.17) and insomnia (1.58;1.14, 2.19); it was not associated with new onset of anxiety (1.29; 0.97, 1.72), social restriction (1.14; 0.86, 1.49) or neurosis (1.31; 0.86, 1.97). There was a significant non-multiplicative interaction between osteoarthritis and change in income and new onset cognitive impairment (P1⁄40.047), and between osteoarthritis and education and new onset widespread pain (P1⁄40.012). There were no significant interactions between osteoarthritis and change in income, education or area-level deprivation with new onset of depression, anxiety, insomnia, social restriction or neurosis (p>0.05). Conclusion: Consulters for osteoarthritis were more likely to develop new physical and psychological co-morbidities than those without osteoarthritis. While confounders explained some of these associations, osteoarthritis consulters may benefit from more proactive strategies to prevent further morbidity. Despite no significant multiplicative interactions, there were differences in the prevalence of new onset of morbidity in those with osteoarthritis when stratified by socioeconomic status (e.g. onset of cognitive impairment was higher in people with an inadequate income than in those with an adequate income). Osteoarthritis and baseline morbidity were higher in lower socio-economic groups and further exploration across the life course will help to establish the role of socio-economic status in the natural history of osteoarthritis and its impact. Disclosure statement: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest. O08. THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF RHEUMATOLOGY CLINICAL TRIALS. THE CANNOCK EXPERIENCE


[Objective]The aim was to analyze the mesoscale and small scale system that influenced the strong rainfall in Hunan from June 18 to 20 in 2010. [Method] By dint of regular observation material and rainfall in regional automatic station, TBB of FY-2C geostationary meteorological satellite, characteristics and causes of one heavy rainfall event in Hunan Province on 18-20 June 2010 were studied. [Result] The rainstorm happened under the southwest warm and wet torrent at the edge of subtropical high when the ground cold air intruded, which triggered the release of unstable energy. The water vapor from Bay of Bengal and South China Sea sent abundant water vapor to south China. The water vapor strengthened, which synchronized with the rainstorm. The ground mesoscale convergence line and the mesoscale low pressure intensified the rainstorm. Changes of pressure field reflected the changes of rainfall and indicated the location and movement of heavy rainfall. [Conclusion] The study provided theoretical basis to understand the rainstorm formation mechanism and improve disaster prevention capacity.


We present two standards developed by the Genomic Standards Consortium (GSC) for reporting bacterial and archaeal genome sequences. Both are extensions of the Minimum Information about Any (x) Sequence (MIxS). The standards are the Minimum Information about a Single Amplified Genome (MISAG) and the Minimum Information about a Metagenome-Assembled Genome (MIMAG), including, but not limited to, assembly quality, and estimates of genome completeness and contamination. These standards can be used in combination with other GSC checklists, including the Minimum Information about a Genome Sequence (MIGS), Minimum Information about a Metagenomic Sequence (MIMS), and Minimum Information about a Marker Gene Sequence (MIMARKS). Community-wide adoption of MISAG and MIMAG will facilitate more robust comparative genomic analyses of bacterial and archaeal diversity. The term "uncultivated majority" was coined to denote the fraction of microbes that have not yet been isolated and grown in axenic culture1,2. This diversity was originally identified by sequencing phylogenetically relevant genes, notably the 16S ribosomal RNA gene, and more recently characterized by shotgun metagenomics3,4 and single-cell genomics5,6. Large-scale sequencing efforts that accelerated discovery of this diversity, such as the Human Microbiome Project7, the Earth Microbiome Project8, and the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea9 have improved our understanding of microbial diversity and function as it relates to human health, biogeochemical cycling, and the evolutionary relationships that structure the tree of life. With advances in sequencing technologies, throughput, and bioinformatics approaches, tens to hundreds and even thousands of microbial genomes can be retrieved from complex This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Correspondence should be addressed to R.M.B. (firstname.lastname@example.com) or T.W. (firstname.lastname@example.com). Genome Standards Consortium: Nikos C Kyrpides1, Lynn Schriml39, George M Garrity9, Philip Hugenholtz35, Granger Sutton12 , Pelin Yilmaz13 , Frank Oliver Glöckner13, Folker Meyer14, Jack A Gilbert14,15, Rob Knight32 , Rob Finn33, Guy Cochrane33 & Ilene Karsch-Mizrachi34 Note: Any Supplementary Information and Source Data files are available in the online version of the paper. COMPETING FINANCIAL INTERESTS The authors declare no competing financial interests. Publisher's note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. HHS Public Access Author manuscript Nat Biotechnol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2019 March 27. Published in final edited form as: Nat Biotechnol. 2017 August 08; 35(8): 725–731. doi:10.1038/nbt.3893. A uhor M anscript


Background: To determine the clinical features and outcome in patients presenting with wheat pill poisoning. Methods: In this descriptive study 77 patients with wheat pill ingestion were included. The diagnosis was based on basis of history of consumption of wheat pills. All patients were given initial resuscitation e.g. gastric lavage with vegetable oil and shifted to intensive care unit. Serial ECG and arterial blood gases were done. If pH was less than 7.2, alkali therapy in the form of NaHCO3 (Usually 7.5% Solution) was initiated. Amiodarone was given for arrhythmias and infusion inotrops (i.e. dopamine & dobutamine) to correct hypotension. End point was death or shifting back to respective medical unit. Result: Out of 77 patients, majority (53%) were females. Maximum patients belonged to age group (20 – 30 yrs) i.e. 45 patients. Severe Metabolic acidosis was the commonest cause of death. Overall mortality was 33%. Common symptoms were vomiting, hypotension, arrhythmias, irritability, confusion and metabolic acidosis. Patients who consumed more than on tablet did not survive Patient who presented late, i.e., after 12 hrs, succumbed to death. Conclusion: Wheat pill is very common mode of suicide in a country like Pakistan as it is freely available and cheap. Arrhythmia and metabolic acidosis is the major cause of death after wheat pills ingestion.


Summary The diet of urban foxes and the availability of anthropogenic food were studied in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. A stomach analysis of 402 foxes, which were shot or found dead between January 1996 and March 1998, showed a broad variety in the diet of urban foxes, with a dominance of scavenged meat, other scavenge and cultivated fruit and crops. More than half of an average stomach content was anthropogenic. The proportion of anthropogenic food was increased in stomachs from the city centre – mainly due to the increasing proportion of scavenged meat – compared with stomachs from the periurban area. Significant seasonal variations in the diet were found for invertebrates, birds and for cultivated fruit and crops, which were all most frequently consumed in summer. A written survey among the inhabitants of three municipal districts showed that 85% of the households provided anthropogenic food which was accessible to foxes. This food supply consisted of three quarters of rubbish and compost, completed by fruit and berries and, to a lesser extent, food provisions for pets, birds, and other wild animals. In contrast, the anthropogenic food supply of allotment gardens mainly consisted of berries, completed by fruit, compost and birdseed. The anthropogenic food supply in public areas was determined by transects. The overall food supply of households, allotment gardens and public areas would be sufficient to feed a much higher number of foxes than currently present. This overabundance of food resources could explain the continual increase of urban population densities. A possible further exploitation of anthropogenic food sources is discussed considering its specific characteristics and the necessary behavioural adaptations.


In this praxis-focused article, I reflect on incorporating what disability justice activists call "collective access" into the composition classroom through a semester-long, class-wide "Accessibility Best Practices" assignment. I show how asking students to recursively address access together helped them approach writing itself as a collaborative and revisionary process.


The two species of the genus Cynopterus Cuvier viz. Cynopterus sphinx and Cynopterus brachyotis are known to occur in Indian Territory, and are widely distributed in different parts of the country. Cynopterus sphinx has one subspecies, the nominate one. The subspecies of brachyotis occurring in India are angulatus, brachysoma, ceylonensis and scherzeri, Ellerman & Morrison Scott (1966), however, Hill and Thonglongya (1972) found angulatus more similar to sphinx and regarded it as a subspecies of sphinx on the basis of its external and cranial measurements being closer to sphinx. All the measurements of different forms of Cynopterus occurring in India are so overlapping that it is difficult not only to distinguish the two species but also the measurements of different subspecies of both the species on the basis of which they have been separated, are also very much confusing and quite often one is confused for the other. Koopman (1989) also states that brachyotis and sphinx are usually confused. Hence, a detailed taxonomic study of different species and subspecies of the genus Cynopterus occurring in the Indian Territory has been made to overcome this problem and a large number of specimens from almost all parts of India has been examined for this purpose (Ghosh,M.K. 2005).


Investigations of the work place condition for flight and cabin crew in the aircraft gives knowledge to improve the environment in cockpit and cabin in order to enhance health, comfort and safety, not only for the crew but also for the passengers. Aspects of sound and vibration, air quality, medical, psychological and sociological aspects are investigated in the HEACE project. Data and parameters are recorded in real flights and reproduced in mock-ups and simulators with test persons. Parameters are varied and test persons' performance evaluated. Reported in this paper are acoustic measurements from real flights and the consequences are discussed for the creation of a good acoustic virtual reality in a mock-up or simulator.


Against the background of many historical sections within cities,explanations of norms like culture,landscape and andscape culture together with elaborations of relative conceptsexpress the indivisible connection between people and landscape culture."Creation" and"utilization" which appear in the interaction between people and landscape culture show the complementary relationship between the two.Putting these concepts in the special region of historical sections we can form the successive,accumulative,integrative and regional features of landscape culture.We can then conclude from these features the integration principles of landscape culture and historical section culture—the principles of how the historical sections within cities go along with their surrounding environment and how to deal with the landscape culture in historical sections.These principles have already become the basic reference principles for landscape design which make landscape culture shoulder the responsibility of inheriting and extending cultures of cities.


In 1989, Thomas Benjamin wrote that "the history of Chiapas is a work in progress." Events five years later proved him right. As journalists, scholars, and casual observers scrambled to explain the roots of the Zapatista rebellion, the answers were not readily available. Benjamin's very capable survey examined the political history of Porfirian and revolutionary Chiapas, and other scholars have recently tackled the nineteenth and late twentieth century, but the middle years of the last century—from 1940 to at least the middle 1970s—are still tierra incógnita. In Fronteras interiores, Antonio García de León, one of Mexico's foremost experts on modern Chiapas, tries to make sense of this period with an eye to explaining the events of 1994. Much like his previous book, modestly titled Revolución y utopía: Memorial de agravios y crónica de revueltas y profecías acaecidas en la provincia de Chiapas durante los últimos quinientos años de su historia (1985), this book is best read as an interpretive essay. Using broad strokes and proceeding more or less chronologically, García de León focuses much of his attention on land. As he tells it, land reform and other reforms enshrined in the Constitution of 1917 came late to Chiapas and were applied unevenly. With few exceptions, private property escaped Cardenismo unscathed. After 1940, the state was present mainly in its repressive functions and suffered a severe crisis of legitimacy. Significant land reform took place only in the relatively uninhabited eastern part of the state, an "escape valve" where peasants were given national plots in the Lacandón jungle. It is here that the Fuerzas de Liberación Nacional, precursor to the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN), found indigenous settlers of various ethnicities eager to organize themselves collectively and eventually take up arms against the state. Elsewhere in Chiapas, large-scale landowners (mostly cattle ranchers) were granted immunity from agrarian reform through certificados de inafectabilidad. In 1992, when President Carlos Salinas reformed Article 27 of the Constitution, 28 percent of the unprocessed land reform claims at the national level were from Chiapas. Turning his attention to politics, García de León claims that the colossal failure of the state's elite class to control Chiapas politically and develop it economically has


Geochemical characteristics of Dalma basalts from the Proterozoic Singhbhum basin of eastern Indian shield have been evaluated in the perspective of basalt geochemistry across the Archaean-Proterozoic Boundary (APB) in greenstone belt association. Most of the incompatible elements and element ratios in Dalma basalts clearly establish their depleted geochemical signature comparable to the late Archaean greenstone belt basalts. Like their late Archaean counterparts, the Dalma basalts have La/Yb = 2.50, La/Ta = 19, Ti/V = 18 and Zr/Y = 2.6. This ultrabasic and potash-poor tholeiitic association of Singhbhum basin differs remarkably from calc-alkali basalts-potassic felsic rocks assemblage of Proterozoic greenstone belts. Convincing lithotectonic association and geochemical behaviour are strongly indicative of a back-are setting for Dalma volcanism. However, due to partly modifying influence of subduction zone elements on primary primitive composition of Dalma basalts, an apparent are association is imposed in terms of certain element ratios. Taken together, the lithoassociation and geochemical data suggest that basalt magmatism in early Proterozoic Singhbhum basin is broadly similar to those found in many late-Archaean greenstone belts. Dalma basalts do not appear to fit a generalised pattern of secular m~mt1e evolution across the APB. Further, it is observed that geochemical signatures of basalts are controlled by local tectonics which persist across a preconceived discrete time plane.


This paper proposes to present a method for automatic classification of defects emphasized with eddy current. The presented methods help both at the evaluation of flaws nature using feature extraction and clustering as well as well their severity using a data mining procedure.


It was found that the development of infectious complications of necrotizing pancreatitis is accompanied by the increase in circulating endothelial cells number, procalcitonin level and number of SIRS criteria. These parameters can be used for early detection and prediction.


The use of adhesive tape to remove fibers transferred during contact between garments in criminal cases is standard forensic science practice. Problems associated with the recovery of "suspect" fibers from these tape strips are discussed. An aid to searching is suggested that eliminates these problems and provides an effective, accurate, and time-saving method for dealing with this routine task. It also allows more accurate quantitation of various fiber types present on tapes.


Selective laser melting (SLM) is a key technology for direct forming of metal parts in 3D printing technology. SLM technology can realize the direct forming of parts with complex shape, high dimensional accuracy and excellent mechanical properties. It is especially suitable for rapid manufacturing of personalized and customized structures of aerospace difficult-to-machine parts. SLM forming process involves complex physical and chemical behavior of materials. Forming mechanism is quite different from traditional casting processes. The process parameters are complex and difficult to control. In this paper, a set of SLM forming process parameters suitable for Ti6Al4V alloy has been explored through the development of a SLM forming equipment of ESO M290 in Germany. The innovation of this product application design is the SLM printing design and process of minimal size dual-antenna, and the process method and design idea are universal. SLM forming technology based on Ti6Al4V alloy will be more and more widely used in aerospace field.


We produce a measure of the pre-COVID economic effect of the 2018 presidential election outcome in Mexico and the subsequent economic changes that the economy experienced. We use the Synthetic Control methodology to estimate a counterfactual for Mexico's GDP per capita in 2010 United States dollars. The result indicates a reduction of $332.00 US dollars by the fourth quarter of 2019. A placebo test indicates that the result is statistically significant at a level of 7.14%. The comparison between counterfactual and observed income shows that GDP had a positive trend until the second quarter of 2018. Starting in the third quarter of 2018, the Mexican economy fell below that trend and displayed a different path with a negative slope. Our results are robust to alternative specifications. Additionally, we show that, at least for the previous presidential term that started in 2012, there was no first-year-of-government effect that was discussed by economists in the media to explain the contraction in 2019. We also find that there was no immediate negative impact on the Mexican economy of the election of Donald J. Trump as president of the United States in 2016, considering that he had an anti-NAFTA rethoric in campaign. Keywords: Synthetic control;Placebo test;Economic regime change;Mexican economy


For ultra high frequency(UHF)radio frequency signals in the frequency range of 860-960 MHz,a novel RFID system anti-collision algorithm based on ICA and framed-slot is proposed.When the framed-slot number is rationally chosen,each slot contains tags less than or equal to its antenna number,thus several tags can be identified simultaneously by using ICA algorithm.Simulation results show that the tag identification rate of the proposed algorithm is obviously higher than that of the traditional anti-collision algorithms and the blind separation and dynamic bit-slot grouping anti-collision(BSDBG)algorithm.As antenna number increases,the tag identification time of the proposed algorithm is much less than that of the BSDBG algorithm.The algorithm further validates the feasibility and efficiency of the blind sources separation technology for tag identification.And it has potential application value in the engineering fields that require high efficient and intelligent management.


The functions of linguistic structures and expressions reflect knowledge patterns stored in diverse parts of memory. Based on the assumption that language cannot be adequately understood without considering properties of memory, the volume brings together fourteen contributions by distinguished linguists and psychologists. As is evident in linguistic structure as well as in language use, multiple strong relations exist between the core areas of language on the one hand and memory on the other. The volume clearly shows that this new dimension of linguistic analysis has high explanatory potential beyond the field of pragmatics.


Statistical and machine learning models for predicting the Pareto optimal performance and energy efficiency trade-off options of parallel applications running on high performance computers


AbstractFeeds for carnivorous fish like Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides are commonly based on marine-origin fish meal, but this ingredient is costly. Fish meal derived from undesirable species, such as invasive Asian carp Hypophthalmichthys spp., is a promising alternative source of protein for carnivorous fish, but information regarding its biological value as a feed ingredient is limited. Accordingly, we evaluated the growth performance of juvenile Largemouth Bass (initial weight, 11.6±0.2 g [mean±SE]) reared for 8 weeks on practical diets (∼14.5% lipid, ∼42% digestible protein) containing different levels of menhaden fish meal (MFM), Asian carp meal (CFM), or a 50:50 blend of these ingredients such that 40% (40 MFM, 40 CFM) or 60% (60 MFM, 60 CFM, 60 Blend) of the estimated digestible protein content was derived from fish meal. Weight gain (329–388%), feed conversion ratio (0.78–0.97), and specific growth rate (2.65–2.88% body weight/d) were generally consistent among treatments. Although our res...


This paper investigates the use of Siamese networks for trajectory similarity analysis in surveillance tasks. Specifically, the proposed approach uses an auto-encoder as a part of training a discriminative twin (Siamese) network to perform trajectory similarity analysis, thus presenting an end-to-end framework to perform an online motion pattern extraction in the scene with an ability to incorporate new incoming trajectory(ies) incrementally. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated on four challenging public real-world datasets containing both vehicle and person targets, and compared with five existing meth-ods. The proposed method consistently shows better or comparable performance than the existing methods on all datasets.


The paper analyzed generating mechanism of CMV of cascade multilevel converter with a three-phase equivalent circuit in details and introduced harms to high power converter and frequency-conversion speed-regulation system caused by CMV. Then it discussed researching situation of suppressing CMV at present and analyzed characteristics and disadvantages of suppressing CMV methods with hardware named adding filtering equipments and changing converter's structure and suppressing CMV method with software named control strategy,so as to provide some reference for researching a new strategy to suppress CMV.At last,it proposed some future research targets of suppressing CMV of high power converters: firstly,it is important to find an optimal suppressing CMV method which can take account of utilization of DC voltage and harmonic content;secondly,it is necessary to find a unified algorithm for completely eliminating CMV which is suitable for all topologies.


ABSTRACT The importance of emblem glyphs to Maya studies has long been recognized. Among these are emblems that have yet to be conclusively matched to archaeological sites. The Water Scroll emblem glyph is one such example, although it appears numerous times in the Classic Maya written corpus between the sixth and the eighth centuries. These many references are found at a variety of sites across the lowlands, attesting to the importance of this ancient kingdom and the kings who carried this title. In the present paper, we review the epigraphic and archaeological evidence and propose that this may be the royal title of the kings who reigned from Altun Ha, in the east central Maya lowlands, in what is now Belize. In so doing, we also begin to reconstruct the dynastic history of the Water Scroll kings, from the vantage of both local and foreign sources.


In this paper, we simulate the collision of a solitary wave on a vertical wall in a uniform water channel and investigate the effect of damping on the amplitude attenuation. In order to take into account the damping effect, we introduce the Stokes damping whose dissipation is dependent on the velocity of wave motion on the surface of a thin layer of oil. That is, we use the improved Boussinesq equation with Stokes damping to describe the damped wave motion. Our work mainly focuses on the amplitude attenuation of a propagating solitary wave, which may depend on the Stokes damping together with the initial position and initial amplitude of the wave. We utilize the method of images and a powerful numerical tool (functional iteration method) for solving the improved Boussinesq equation, yielding an effective numerical simulation. This enables us to find the amplitudes of the incident wave and reflected one, whose ratio is a measure of the (wave) amplitude attenuation. Accordingly, we have shown that the reflection of a solitary wave by a vertical wall is dependent on not only the initial amplitude and position of a solitary but the Stokes damping.


Methods of dispersion compensation in fiber-optic communication lines. A new proposed method of electronic dispersion compensation in the transmission of microwave signals through fiber-optic lines. Represents is proposed the results of experimental studies of this method.


Correction factor for ablation algorithms considering decentration and transition zones Fang et al. analyzed aberrations caused by decentration treatment and optical zones after myopic corneal surgery. The analysis of experimental data presented in the article is based on the use of adjustment factors for ablation algorithms used for different conditions. These adjustment factors consider oblique incidence, reflection losses, and nonlinear incidence on the cornea and other factors that influence corneal ablation. The methodology used to deduce these factors was published by Jim enez et al. and used in subsequent papers. In addition, adjustment factor K, used in method 2 and published in Fang et al.'s paper, is