Abstract Nosemosis is a parasitic disease caused by microsporidian pathogens of the genus Nosema infecting both the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, and the Asian honey bee Apis cerana. The disease may adversely affect bee colonies and eventually result in high losses in apiculture and agriculture. We determined the Nosema species infecting honey bees and their prevalence in two islands of the Comoros Archipelago (Grande Comore (GCO) and Mohéli (MOH)) in the Southwest Indian Ocean. In Comoros, beekeeping is largely traditional and practiced at subsistence-level, including honey hunting. Five honey bee foragers from 69 colonies in different localities within the two islands were selected and screened for Nosema infection using microscopy and Polymerase Chain Reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Selected positive samples were sequenced to confirm the species identified using PCR-RFLP. We also examined spore loads to determine the intensity of Nosema infections. Nosema ceranae is the only species detected in the two Comoros islands. High prevalence occurred in the large island, GCO (73.9%), while MOH (25.0%) had a low prevalence. Spore counts indicated higher infection intensities in GCO compared to MOH. Generally, PCR-RFLP underestimated the prevalence, although microscopic and molecular diagnostics were well in agreement at the colony level. MOH had lower prevalence and infection intensity compared to GCO, which is the larger island with a higher density of human population. We postulate that the lower levels of pathogen prevalence in MOH in comparison to GCO could arise from minimal human interference.


Summary

Cirsium arvense is a noxious perennial weed which has become an increasing problem in north European countries. Biological control by natural antagonists is of increasing interest to supplement mechanical and chemical control. Several attempts to use fungi such as Alternaria cirsinoxia, Puccinia punctiformis and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum as biocontrol agents have been initiated. No mycoherbicides against C. arvense have been developed and the search for aggressive pathogens continues. In a Danish survey, several fungi were isolated from C. arvense. Four are new records in Denmark: the white rust fungus Pustula andropogonis, the leaf spot fungi Ramularia cirsii, Septoria cirsii and Phomopsis cirsii. Our study shows that P. cirsii is pathogenic to C. arvense, causing stem canker and die back, and that it may have potential as a mycoherbicide against its host. Growth characteristics of P. cirsii on artificial media are described, as well as a scale measuring severity of visible symptoms of P. cirsii on C. arvense. The taxonomic characteristics of Phomopsis spp. are compared and discussed in relation to other records of Phomopsis spp. found on Cirsium spp. and C. arvense.


A soil column culture experiment was conducted under the ecological and climatic conditions of Xinjiang to study the effect of water content in root zone on root growth,vigour and yield of cotton with the cultivars of different water-sensitivity Xinluzao 6 and Xinluzao 8 under drip irrigation with film mulching. The results indicated that the water content in root zone of 50%~55%,respectively,of field water-holding capacity before drip and 70%~75% after drip inhibited root growth and reduced root biomass. However,the root vigour and biomass in layer of 40~100 cm were enhanced under the water content condition. Furthermore,it reduced the root/shoot ratio and increased economic index that led to high yiled of cotton. The differences of response to drip irrigation among varieties were great,seed yield of Xinluzao 8 was higher in convention and sufficiency drip irrigation than that of Xinluzao 6,however,under limited drip irrigation Xinluzao 8 was significantly lower than Xinluzao 6. It will be of great importance to institute the optimum irrigation schedule under the condition that the dripping cycle is 7~8 d and the dripping quantity is 375~450 m3.hm-2,according to the differences of response to soil moisture content among varieties for abstaining high yield and high water use efficiency.


Concerns with this article have been investigated by the Psychology of Music Editorial team. An Expression of Concern was published on 15th July 2020 (https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735 620943366), drawing attention to serious ethical concerns and the possibility of unreliable data reporting. As part of a further investigation that involved requesting further information from the authors, reviews were completed by a panel of five new independent referees (all of whom are senior researchers in the field of Psychology of Music). The reviewers reached a unanimous conclusion that the reported data were not reliable, also noting ethical concerns relating to informed consent and research involving vulnerable participants. The article has now been retracted based on the panel's unanimous conclusion that the reported data were not reliable. 964704 POM0010.1177/0305735620964704 correction2020


Provided is a management computer for managing a computer system including a computer and a storage device, the computer having a virtualization management unit for managing a virtual machine, the storage device having a controller management unit for managing a logical storage area. On the computer system, a base system constituted of the virtual machine, the logical storage area, and a path is constructed, and the management computer holds service quality management information for managing service quality of the base system including a plurality of kinds of requirements, and has an information obtaining unit for obtaining information relating to performance and configuration, a state monitoring unit for monitoring the state of the computer system corresponding to monitor items for each path, a target selection unit for selecting the virtual machine, the service quality of which is not satisfied, a conformance determination unit for generating, for each path, conformance state management information for managing conformance states of the plurality of requirements set for the virtual machine, and a movement destination selection unit for selecting a movement destination of a resource that satisfies at least one requirement on the basis of the conformance state management information.


Low rates of ocular and nonocular adverse events were found in patients receiving either 0.3 mg or 0.5 mg of ranibizumab (Lucentis, Genentech) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Final 1-year results from the safety study of over 2,300 patients showed that rates of adverse events were similar to those found in other large studies of ranibizumab.


The reproductive physiology concerning the gonadotropin hormone (GTH) and its downstream target estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) is not well understood in the short mackerel Rastrelliger brachysoma, an economically important marine fish in Thailand. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the expression of both GTH and ERα in the brain and ovary of R. brachysoma was as reported in other fish species. By applying immunohistochemical techniques, we identified the distribution of ERα-immunoreactive (ir) neurons in the brain and ovary of wild female R. brachysoma during the spawning season along with the distribution of GTHs-ir cells in the ovary. The nucleus lateralis tuberis in the diencephalon had a high number of ERα-ir neurons. In the mesencephalon, dense ERα-ir neuronal fibers were mainly found in the mesencephalic cells, stratum opticum, stratum fibrosum et griseum superficiale and stratum album centrale. Both the valvula and corpus cerebelli in the metencephalon contained ERα-ir neurons in granular and Purkinje cell layers as well as the molecular layer. The ERα-ir neurons were also observed in the medulla oblongata. In the ovary, weak ERα and moderate GTHs immunoreactivities were observed in follicular cells of oocytes in early and late vitellogenic stages. This information provides baseline data required to understand not only the activity of estrogen (E2) on the brain but also the regulatory mechanism of the hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian axis of R. brachysoma.


Package integrity is a critical factor to ensure that product sterility is maintained over its entire shelf life. An exposure chamber method was developed to determine the integrity of flexible packaging systems, i.e. flexible multilayer linear low‐density polyethylene/nylon pouches with a 100, 50, 25 or 15 µm micro‐channel with 5 mm length defect in the sealing area. Viable cells of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli have been utilized as model organisms. The aerosol was generated by a nebulizer, about 2.0 × 107 CFU m−3 concentration inside the test chamber. The results demonstrated that defect pouches with a 100, 50 or 25 µm channel leakage exposed to microbiologically challenging conditions could not maintain the sterility of their contents. Micro‐channels with 15 µm diameter can be detected as the critical micro‐channel dimension for bacterial penetration for flexible pouches. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Objectives:Patients take medicine for the treatment of their illness. Drug is a double edge sword thus causes harm beside theirtherapeutic benefit. Pharmacovigilance program was designed to monitor
and report the harmful effects of drugs after they are marketedfor use
by the larger society. This research was aimed at assessing the medical students' knowledge, attitude and practice with respect to adverse
drug reaction (ADRs) and its surveillance.
Material and Methods:The questionnaire was adopted, modified and validated from previous studies. It comprised of 25 questions
(Knowledge-10, Attitude-7 and Practice-8). It was administered
Year-IV and V medical students of UniSZA. The data collected was
coded and analyzed using the SPSS version 20.
Results:The response rate was 74%. Sixty-eight percent knows
the definition of ADRs correctly; 59% of them recognized the right
functions of pharmacovigilance. In contrast, only 21% know the method
commonly used in adverse drug reactions reporting and only 15% are
aware of any nearby pharmacovigilance center. Eighty-seven percent
strongly agree that ADRs reporting is professional obligation; 98%
think ADRs reporting will benefit patients. Ninety-four percenthave
never received any training on how to report ADRs. In addition,72%
have come across ADRs but avoided to contact appropriate authority.
Conclusion:The overall medical students' knowledge on ADRs
and its surveillance was not enough; even though they had good attitudes their practice remained very poor. This has call for adjustment
of medical students' curriculum with respect to pharmacovigilance
study


Algal picoplankton are a ubiquitous component of the microbial plankton communities of both marine and freshwater ecosystems. They contribute significantly to the total biomass of phytoplankton communities, and in oligotrophic oceans and lakes can be responsible for up to 80-90% of the total daily or annual carbon production. As part of the "microbial loop," they are thought to be grazed by flagellates, ciliates, rotifers, copepods, and other metazoans, and contribute to the flow of energy to higher trophic levels. This presentation highlights their discovery, distribution, physiology, production, and contribution to pelagic food webs in marine and freshwater systems.


Abstract Spatially distributed numerical hydrologic models are useful tools for examining the long-term impact of forest harvesting in mountainous basins on streamflow regime properties. Such models require the input of long-duration subdaily meteorological time series data that are not routinely available in mountainous headwater basins. A relatively simple method is presented for extending short-duration records by using a combined stochastic–empirical technique, and the approach is demonstrated using the Redfish Creek in British Columbia, Canada. Synthetic hourly precipitation, precipitation gradient, air temperature, temperature lapse rate, wind speed, relative humidity, solar beam and diffuse irradiance, and downward longwave irradiance for two station locations are generated in a three-step process: 1) hourly precipitation is generated using a clustered rectangular pulse point process, 2) daily meteorology is generated using a multivariate first-order autoregressive process, and 3) final hourly nonp...


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to appraise and evaluate empirical research on circular economy in food systems, consolidating the existing knowledge and identifying shortcomings in this emerging body of research.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a systematic literature review of 136 studies from the electronic databases Scopus and Web of Science. The authors also developed a thematic analysis and summarized the results in a framework.FindingsThe authors identified seven critical issues for the transition to circular food systems: consumer behavior, multistakeholder coordination, business models, digital technologies, barriers, transition processes and performance and measurement systems. Moreover, the authors provide an agenda for future research on these topics.Originality/valueWhile reviews on the circular economy are spreading rapidly, no reviews have comprehensively addressed the critical issues for the transition to circular food systems in the business, management, and organization domains.


The effect of weak axisymmetric magnetic and/or electrostatic perturbations on the equilibrium of a non-neutral plasma in a Malmberg-Penning trap is analyzed. A semi-analytic solution for the potential variations inside the trap is found in a paraxial limit of the perturbations for the case of global thermal equilibrium. The fraction of magnetically and electrostatically trapped particles is calculated for a bi-Maxwellian distribution function.


The paper gives an overview over the prospects and risks of the application of bioherbicides in Organic Farming and wants to support the general acceptance by the EEC Council Regulation on Organic Production of Agricultural Products. Another problem of current importance is the maintenance of seed health. Several methods of seed treatments and their practical use are described (hot water, hot air, microwave steam, radio-frequency, low energy electrons, micro-organisms and natural substances).


Water is a business driver and a substantial source of both wealth and risk. Water is also under increasing statutory and legislative pressure as jurisdictions strive to manage water resources more holistically by addressing both surface and groundwater together, but on a more decentralized and sustainable basis. The potential collapse of the municipal water system in Cape Town, South Africa serves as a stark alarm for cities in arid and semi-arid, Mediterranean-like environments. This risk is especially true of cities like Marseilles, France and regions like California. By comparing the impacts of the water law in these different jurisdictions, this paper will look to identify the emerging revelations, as well as the common themes that need to be addressed before the problems in Cape Town are repeated and cause similar impacts elsewhere. A review of the challenges facing Cape Town, Provence and California makes clear that any solutions will require that the legal, political and financial frameworks all be addressed in a coordinated fashion.


We calculate the shear viscosity \ensuremath{\eta} and thermal conductivity \ensuremath{\kappa} of a nuclear pasta phase in neutron star crusts. This involves complex nonspherical shapes. We use semiclassical molecular dynamics simulations involving 40, 000 to 100, 000 nucleons. The viscosity \ensuremath{\eta} can be simply expressed in terms of the height ${Z}^{*}$ and width $\ensuremath{\Delta}q$ of the peak in the static structure factor ${S}_{p}(q)$. We find that \ensuremath{\eta} increases somewhat, compared to a lower density phase involving spherical nuclei, because ${Z}^{*}$ decreases from form factor and ion screening effects. However, we do not find a dramatic increase in \ensuremath{\eta} from nonspherical shapes, as may occur in conventional complex fluids.


Quercetin polyglycoside as a new bolaamphiphile is prepared via a one-pot grafting polymerization technique using sugar-based cyclic sulfite. Micelles comprising quercetin polyglycoside exhibit special pH-effects, in which the polyglycoside moieties on the surface of the micelle serve as a steric protecting group to endow chemical stabilization.


Extend Abstract: Generally, the greater the difference between evaporation and condensation temperature of ORC(Organic Rankie Cycle) is, the higher system efficiency and the larger expansion ratio will be [1,2]. Fig. 1 shows that net efficiency of theoretical cycle and expansion ratio of ORC system changes with evaporation temperature when condensing temperature is 313 K (R123 and HFO-1336mzz (Z) are selected).


Abstract The reactive MgO (r-MgO)-microbial curing technology can not only effectively improve the strength of electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) but also repair heavy metal ions. By conducting unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test, heavy metal leaching test, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), the effects of the type and concentration of sulfate on the strength and repair of heavy metals of the cured EMR under drying–wetting (DW) cycles were studied, and the strength and the evolution mechanism of heavy metal remediation is elucidated. The results indicate the following: With the increase in the number of DW cycles, the dry density of the samples in high concentration of MgSO4 first increased slightly and then decreased gradually and became stable. The dry density of the samples in Na2SO4, low concentration of MgSO4, and water generally showed a downward trend. The pH of the soaking solution slightly decreased, and the leaching concentration of heavy metal Mn2+ ions always remained at a low level. The UCS of the samples in MgSO4 first increased slightly and then decreased gradually, and then became stable. The amount of cured products first increased and then decreased, and the size of internal pores first decreased and then increased. The UCS of the samples in Na2SO4 and water gradually decreased and became stable. The amount of cured products gradually decreased, and the size of internal pores gradually increased. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the evaluation of resistance against the sulfate corrosion of cured EMR under DW cycles.


The Hall effect is shown to induce a swirling or transverse motion in the flow of an electrically conducting gas in a magnetic field and surrounded by an insulating medium. Both the two-dimmensional and the axi-symmetric floes are discussed. On the assumption that the magnetic Reynolds number and the magnetic interaction parameter are small, the transverse or helical velocity is shown to be independent of the Mach number to first order approximation. This velocity is explicitly determined for a slender symmetric flow with small Hall parameter in terms of the imposed magnetic field along the axis. A numerical example is given for a magnetic field of a single current loop.


Experimental studies have been carried out to clarify the flow around a circular cylinder accompanying asymmetric separated shear layers. To control the flow, one or two tripping wires were attached on the surface of the cylinder. Three flow patterns were employed, that is, the laminar separation, turbulent separation and direct separation types. The flow behind the circular cylinder is dominated by the both separated shear layers. The Strouhal number behind the cylinder, the base pressure and the darg force acting on the cylinder become the intermediate values between those of the upper and the lower side flow patterns. In the case of asymmetric shear layers, the correlation between the Strouhal number and the drag force is the same as that of the symmetric ones. In the case of the turbulent shear layer from one side of the cylinder, the lift force of CL=0.5∼0.8 is generated. The wake Strouhal number S*w/Us(mean), defined by the mean velocity of the two shear layers Us(mean) and the wake width at the position of vortex formation dw, becomes almost a constant for various combinations of the flow patterns.


It is now recognized that quantum systems undergoing an uninterrupted transition between two stationary states (due to the influence of a coherent perturbation) do so in a smooth, continuous process that does not involve a quantum jump. The theoretical reasons for this continuity are given, and an atomic beam experiment is described that might be used to illustrate the process.


In recent years there was a preference for healthy natural products hence an increased interest in functional food including fermented dairy products occurred. Dairy products contain nutrients essential for health, of which vitamins could help reduce the risk of certain diseases. Cheese is a highly nutritious food that can play an important role in a wellbalanced diet. The aim of this research was to investigate the vitamin composition of various types of cheese and to evaluate the vitamins intake provided by cheese as part of the daily diet. The determinations were performed on traditional Romanian cheese, meaning cow, sheep, goat and buffalo Telemea and some Kashkaval types purchased from local supermarkets. The samples were subjected to vitamins B1, B2, B12, A and E analysis using spectrofluorometric, spectrophotometric, HPLC and microbiological methods. The results showed a higher content of vitamins B2 and E in Telemea cheese while Kashkaval types were distinguished for vitamin B1, B12 and A. Regarding the vitamin content depending on raw material used for obtaining the different types of cheese, those made from goat milk recorded the highest level of the analyzed vitamins, followed by those from sheep milk, while lowest amounts were found in products


Dr Julia Laite has undertaken the arduous task of studying the evolution of prostitution in London between 1885 and 1960. Both the geographical setting and the period covered by her research are extensive, but she succeeds in presenting a new perspective on the history of London prostitution. Whilst punctuating her argument with interesting quantitative data, Laite shows that many sources deserve a more thorough textual analysis if we are to use them to understand the gradual criminalization of prostitution. Laite begins with an overview of the existing literature, highlighting the main issue concerning the historiography: historians of prostitution have focused mostly on nineteenthcentury prostitution, leaving aside local causes and other time periods, although both of these had a significant influence on how prostitution was perceived, practised, and controlled. Laite has opted not to use the archives of charitable institutions, but has focused instead on criminal and police records. She rightly defines prostitution as a diverse phenomenon: prostitution is not a single occupation but a multiform economic enterprise. Her main question focuses on the process of criminalization and how negative features of prostitution were created or aggravated by its status as a criminalized activity (p. 41). The core of her subject is therefore English legislation on prostitution over the course of almost a century; the chapters follow a chronological order, from the end of the Victorian era up to the Wolfenden Report (1957). Various themes run throughout her work: the appropriation and the use of urban space, for example, appear as essential components of the practice of prostitution and its policing. The geography of London prostitution was, and is still, varied, and no red-light districts were created, though certain areas (Soho, most notably) were renowned for the availability of sex workers. Prostitutes moved according to demand, and during the two world wars prostitutes went soliciting in those districts where soldiers were billeted or met them in clubs, bars, and private bottle parties. The interwar period saw licensed establishments taking over the commercial sex space in parallel with a multiplication of privately rented flats. As Laite rightly notes, ''prostitution was woven into the fabric of urban space, culture and economy'' and therefore evolved according to the changes felt by the urban setting (p. 86). Soliciting was not an offence (if practised without ''annoyance''), and up to World War II soliciting in the street was common for most prostitutes, regardless of their class or tariff. In trying to get access to new public spaces, women often faced excessive police zeal; ''annoyance'' was rarely proved, and arrests and condemnations were highly discretionary throughout the period. Repression increased over the years, through a range of criminal legislation and licensing laws. Scientific discoveries, such as fingerprinting, were also used to keep track of prostitutes. However, prostitutes often had a good knowledge of the law and the legal system, and strategies were put in place to avoid arrest and prosecution. Bogus marriage, moving offstreet, and the use of a legitimate business as a cover for prostitution were already common during the Edwardian era. Despite these strategies, the risks taken by prostitutes were increased when the police forced them into back alleys and other personal spaces off-street. Laite also mentions the role of the press in the upsurge of moral panics and the attention-seeking articles on prostitutes and the inherent dangers of letting them loose: the fear of white slavery, of venereal diseases, or the ''shame of London'' before the 1953 Coronation are examples of newspaper attacks against prostitutes. She convincingly argues that most of these fears and panics were unfounded and were literary creations of zealous journalists and concerned civil society, whereas public complaints against prostitutes did not increase. 526 Book Reviews


The invention relates to carboxylic acid esters of deglucoteicoplanin, i.e. of the aglycon moiety of the antibiotic teicoplanin. The compounds of the invention are conveniently prepared so that the parent substance is deglucoteicoplanin or any of the glycopeptides of the teicoplanin group, such as teicoplanin itself, one of its components, antibiotic L 17054 or antibiotic L 17046.


The capillary flow properties and morphologies of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene/polypropylene (UHMWPE/PP) blends were studied. The results show that UHMWPE is difficult to process. The melts flowed unsteadily at lower shear rate. With 10 wt % PP contained in the UHMWPE/PP blends, the apparent melt viscosity was much lower than that of UHMWPE. When the PP content increased to 20 and 30 wt %, no pressure vibration occurred throughout the whole shear rate range. Microstructure analysis showed that PP prefers to locate in the amorphous or low crystallinity zones of the UHMWPE matrix. The flowability of UHMWPE increased substantially with the addition of PP. The addition of PE could not effectively reduce the chain entanglement density of UHMWPE. The improvement of processability of UHMWPE by the addition of PE was rather limited. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 3894–3900, 2004


In this work, a new route to reduce the toxicity of the mercury electrode was presented. Nafion was used as soft template to generate nanosized Ag-Hg amalgams on the sur ace of a glassy carbon electrode other than the traditional preparation of solid amalgam electrodes. As less mercury was used and it was immobilized by Ag and Nafion film, the toxicity of mercury was reduced. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the size of the formed nano Ag-Hg amalgams was about 50 rim. Finally, the prepared electrode was used to the determination of heavy metals. Good reproducibility, linearity and sensitivity were obtained when it was utilized for the determination of Cd-2+,Cd- Ph2+ and Cu2+ in deionized water and in tap water (without any further treatment).


The objective of this study was to evaluate the usability of a mobile health (mHealth) system designed for dysphagia exercise in persons with a history of stroke.

 Five participants with a history of stroke were recruited from a tertiary health center and assessed for their ability to use and interact with the system. After being introduced to the technology, participants were asked to independently complete five tasks, one at a time. Assistance was available when required or requested. Usability was evaluated with respect to effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction when completing the prespecified goals.

 Four men and one woman between the ages of 50 and 83 years (
 M
 = 65.4) completed the usability testing. Time from stroke onset varied from 1 month to 2.5 years. Additional poststroke challenges related to the usability of the mHealth system included reduced range of motion or mobility, vision, and short-term memory difficulties. Independent success (system effectiveness) varied in this user subgroup, and the research clinician or the family member was required to adjust the level and type of support they provided (system efficiency). All participants reported satisfaction with the use of the system.

 Usability of and satisfaction with this mHealth system and others like it can be achieved in individuals who have had a stroke, either as an independent user or as a patient–caregiver dyad.


Illinois College is a small liberal arts college in Jacksonville, Illinois. We serve just under one thousand undergraduate students, more than half of whom are first generation or low income. We are a test-optional institution with an average ACT mathematics subscore of 22. The ACT benchmarks indicate that 45 percent of our students should not expect to have a successful outcome (C or better) in their first mathematics course at Illinois College. We also enroll a number of students from underresourced high schools that are unable to provide either the breadth or depth of mathematics instruction to prepare students for the rigor of the college classroom. Many of our students begin their first year of college having completed only three years of mathematics in high school, often ending their coursework with Algebra II. To address the underpreparedness of our entering students, Illinois College instituted the Yates Summer Bridge Program for first-generation college students. For two weeks prior to the start of classes, eighteen first-year first-generation students participate in a living/learning community, the purpose of which is to introduce participants to the academic rigor and expectations of Illinois


This paper examines two CDC data sets in order to provide a comprehensive overview and social implications of COVID-19 related deaths within the United States over the first eight months of 2020. By analyzing the first data set during this eight-month period with the variables of age, race, and individual states in the United States, we found correlations between COVID-19 deaths and these three variables. Overall, our multivariable regression model was found to be statistically significant. When analyzing the second CDC data set, we used the same variables with one exception; gender was used in place of race. From this analysis, it was found that trends in age and individual states were significant. However, since gender was not found to be significant in predicting deaths, we concluded that, gender does not play a significant role in the prognosis of COVID-19 induced deaths. However, the age of an individual and his/her state of residence potentially play a significant role in determining life or death. Socio-economic analysis of the US population confirms Qualitative socio-economic Logic based Cascade Hypotheses (QLCH) of education, occupation, and income affecting race/ethnicity differently. For a given race/ethnicity, education drives occupation then income, where a person lives, and in turn his/her access to healthcare coverage. Considering socio-economic data based QLCH framework, we conclude that different races are poised for differing effects of COVID-19 and that Asians and Whites are in a stronger position to combat COVID-19 than Hispanics and Blacks.


In this research, an evaluation method of health performance of detached house utilizing CASBEE Housing Health Checklist is proposed. Score on the warmth in CASBEE Housing Health Checklist is calculated from the temperatures that are simulated in the previous case study using a heat load simulation. The method to calculate the score from temperatures is based on other studies about thermal sensation, health, dwelling performance and so on. Using this score on the warmth, it is possible to predict the crisis rate of catching a cold in winter.


When experienced decision makers are presented with a choice between two alternatives, one risky and one relatively safe, which do they choose? Frequently the answer is neither. Consider, for instance, a top-level business executive faced with a threat by a union at a subsidiary company to go on strike unless a time-andmotion study is immediately discontinued. The two obvious actions of the executive are (1) ignore the threat and continue the study or (2) discontinue the study. The typical executive, however, is likely to collect more information (about the potential payoff from the study, about the union's position, etc.), to initiate negotiations with the union leaders, to delay taking any immediate actions, or to delegate the decision to the executives of the subsidiary. A typical experimental approach to studying decision making under uncertainty is to ask a subject to choose between two lotteries defined In this study over 400 top-level executives confronted four risky situations cast in an "in-basket" format. Each situation involved a choice between a risky and a sure alternative. Having the executives respond by writing memos to specify how the situation should be handled allowed an examination of a rich variety of actions for modifying risk. Responses in the form of probability equivalences and rating scales were also obtained. The results showed that the executives had a relatively strong tendency toward risk seeking, particularly when the payoffs were negative. All three response modes gave generally consistent information about risk propensity, but there were significant differences across the four situations. Overall, between one-fifth and one-half the time, the executives attempted to modify the risks especially through collecting new information. Delegating, delaying, and collecting information were positively associated with a desire to avoid risks. The Risk In-Basket was an effective way to assess risk propensity and to study risk modifications. * This research was supported by grants from the Technology Branch of the Canadian Department of Industry, Trade, and Commerce and from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. We wish to acknowledge the major contributions of our colleague William T. Stanbury to the design, data collection, and coding. Alfred Kwong assisted on the design and John Bassler contributed to the data collection and coding. We are grateful to Vinay Kanetkar and Brad Cousins for their work on the analysis. The comments on an earlier draft by an anonymous referee were helpful.


The invention is carried out as a RTA to a method for reducing the roughness of the free surface of the semiconductor wafer, the method comprising the single annealing step, comprising a single annealing step for planarizing the free surface is under a pure argon atmosphere, prior to the RTA the atmosphere of the annealing environment is purged in a controlled manner to establish a controlled purge atmosphere, characterized in that reducing the preliminary impurities of the wafer.


Background Advanced ovarian cancer is managed by extensive surgery, which could be associated with high morbidity. A personalized pre-habilitation strategy combined with an 'enhanced recovery after surgery' (ERAS) pathway may decrease post-operative morbidity. Primary Objective To analyze the effects of a combined multi-modal pre-habilitation and ERAS strategy on severe post-operative morbidity for patients with ovarian cancer (primary diagnosis or first recurrence) undergoing cytoreductive surgery. Study Hypothesis A personalized multi-modal pre-habilitation algorithm entailing a physical fitness intervention, nutritional and psycho-oncological support, completed by an ERAS pathway, reduces post-operative morbidity. Trial Design This is a prospective, controlled, non-randomized, open, interventional two-center clinical study. Endpoints will be compared with a three-fold control: (a) historic control group (data from institutional ovarian cancer databases); (b) prospective control group (assessed before implementing the intervention); and (c) matched health insurance controls. Inclusion Criteria Patients with ovarian, fallopian, or primary peritoneal cancer undergoing primary surgical treatment (primary ovarian cancer or first recurrence) can be included. The intervention group receives an additional multi-level study treatment: (1) standardized frailty assessment followed by (2) a personalized tri-modal pre-habilitation program and (3) peri-operative care according to an ERAS pathway. Exclusion Criteria Inoperable disease or neoadjuvant chemotherapy, simultaneous diagnosis of simultaneous primary tumors, in case of interference with the overall prognosis (except for breast cancer); dementia or other conditions that impair compliance or prognosis. Primary Endpoint Reduction of severe post-operative complications (according to Clavien– Dindo Classification (CDC) III–V) within 30 days after surgery. Sample Size Intervention group (n=414, of which approximately 20% insure with the participating health insurance); historic control group (n=198); prospective control group (n=50), health insurance controls (for those intervention patients who are members of the participating health insurance). Estimated Dates for Completing Accrual and Presenting Results The intervention phase started in December 2021 and will continue until June 2023. As of March 2023, 280 patients have been enrolled in the intervention group. The expected completion of the entire study is September 2024. Trial Registration NCT05256576.


Related to such phenomena as cosmic structure formation and the birth of the first stars, the epoch of reionization provides a segue from the largely homogeneous universe described by the cosmic microwave background spectrum to the complexity we see today. While there are significant ongoing efforts to observe reionization, simulating reionization is an important and active area of research because it allows the testing and refining of analytical models. However, the radiative transfer simulations widely used in research, while providing a good qualitative picture of reionization, are too computationally taxing for such applications as probing a significant amount of the parameter space of reionization models. In the present study, we present an original code for simulating reionization much more efficiently based on a semi-numerical method involving a new algorithm for calculating smoothed overdensities in real space, as opposed to the fast Fourier transform (FFT) procedure used in previous semi-numerical studies. Using a cross-correlation coefficient analysis, we find that our simulations are successful at reproducing the results of previous simulations to a high degree of accuracy. Furthermore, we find our simulation code to be highly efficient, with a run time of ∼ 10-15 minutes for the 128 3 -sized domains we simulate on in this study, and our design using a real-space smoothing algorithm promises a significant speed-up upon transfer to a graphics processing unit (GPU).


Powdery mildews are the subject of intense research due to their negative impact on agriculture or horticulture. The genetic diversity of these ascomycete fungi has only been surveyed in the last decades to investigate phylogenetic relationships and species boundaries, to propose new taxa, and to assess their biogeographic history. However, many of the resulting studies are revealing only a partial picture because of the uneven species sampling across the globe. Here, we studied three Leveillula collections occurring on wild plant species in the Iberian Peninsula, a region which lacked any previous knowledge on the genus' genetic diversity. Our study provides the first record of L. guilanensis in Europe based on specimens from two distant localities in the Iberian Peninsula; the species was so far known only from Iran. It grew on living Chondrilla juncea and was parasitized by the hyperparasite fungus Ampelomyces quisqualis. The morphological and phylogenetic assignment of another collection to L. lanuginosa is reported as well. Furthermore, we inferred a chronogram based on an Erysiphales nrITS substitution rate that dated the crown node of Leveillula back to 22.48 million years ago. Clades including the Iberian Peninsula samples originated and diversified through the Neogene (Miocene to Pleistocene). These results suggest an overall older time frame for the evolution of Leveillula compared to previous works. All in all, the present study provides additional avenues for discussing the evolutionary and biogeographic history of this genus of powdery mildews.


Hunan private education has made tremendous contribution to Hunan's economic and social development. But governments at all levels lack thorough understanding of the value of private education development,which is the main barrier that prevents Hunan private education from developing better and faster.In order to improve the environment of Hunan private education's sustainable development,hopes are laid on the following aspects:first of all, governments at all levels should improve understanding of the value of private education by taking the opportunity of implementing"Planning Outline";secondly,the central government gets a unified thought about the significance of defining private schools as"Private Institutions",promotes the modification of relevant laws and rules in order to support the development of private education;what's more,Hunan province should develop continuously the spirit of"always to be the first",and propose strongly the implement of"private institutions".


This paper deals with the analysis of the influence of humidity on the process of local anodic oxidation carried out by atomic force microscope (AFM) on GaAs (100) surfaces. Recent experiments have shown that the height and half width of oxide nanolines do not increase monotonously with relative humidity, but for lower relative humidities $(l50%)$ the lines comparable in size to those prepared at 90% were obtained. However, their height and width along the lines revealed significant variations. To better understand these phenomena, the AFM force-distance spectroscopy measurements together with computer simulations of an electric-field distribution and water bridge formation between the tip and the substrate at different relative humidities were carried out. Our experiments on AFM force-distance spectroscopy have not proved an enhanced water condensation between the tip and the surface at lower humidities. However, the simulations of the electric field in the vicinity of the tip at the early stages of the oxidation process at low relative humidities showed an increase in the average intensity in the oxide layer promoting the diffusion of oxidizing species toward the substrate and, hence, the formation of oxide lines under these conditions. Finally, our simulations on water bridge variations along the tip track showed that at lower humidities there are higher relative standard deviations in the size of the water bridge while the tip is being moved along the surface. This indicates why the oxide lines showed a bigger variability in size.


Academic Medicine, Vol. 96, No. 1 / January 2021 16 Peer Mentorship: An Often-Overlooked Tool in Underresourced Academic Departments To the Editor: The success of junior faculty in academic medicine depends on the ability to develop a career vision, establish a path to obtain that vision, and align professional activities with career goals. While these are possible to accomplish without a mentor, high-quality mentorship has been shown to correlate with improved career satisfaction, faculty retention, increased professional society involvement, greater number of research publications, and successful grant applications. However, barriers, such as not enough time on the part of the mentor and the lack of formal mentorship training limit the availability of suitable mentors in many academic departments. In addition, female faculty more often find that there are not enough role models and senior faculty to serve as mentors.


JKAMLS is a peer reviewed (external and/or internal) scientific journal published biannually. It brings the latest knowledge in the field of medico legal speciality to its readers. It invites contributions in English on all aspect of Forensic Medicine. Papers will be accepted on the basis of scientific originality and general interest.


The fractional calculus (FC) goes back to the beginning of the theory of differential calculus. Nevertheless, the application of FC just emerged in the last two decades, due to the progress in the area of chaos and nonlinear dynamics that revealed subtle relationships with the FC concepts. In the field of dynamical systems theory some work has been carried out but the proposed models and algorithms are still in a preliminary stage of establishment. Having these ideas in mind, the paper discusses the application of FC in engineering sciences.


This paper summarized the present situation of conservation and utilization of rice germplasm resources in China, pointed out the problems in applying rice germplasm resources,and proposed the corresponding countermeasure.\;


To the Editor:— In their article on false positive reactions to the Schick test (J. A. M. A. 142 :390 [Feb. 11] 1950) Cohen, Schneck and Dubow reported that comparison of results of Schick tests with circulating diphtheria antitoxin in 114 young women revealed 51 of 52 specimens of blood from Schicknegative subjects contained more than 0.01 unit of antitoxin per cubic centimeter while only 48 of 62 Schick-positive subjects had less than 0.01 unit. Further examination of those Schickpositive reactors with more than 0.01 unit, comprising 23 per cent of the total number of Schick-positive reactors, disclosed high circulating antitoxin titers, in some cases more than 10 units per cubic centimeter. The authors concluded, "The present Schick technic is significant if the reaction is negative, but there is a certain percentage of inaccuracy in positive reactions." These results are so at variance with those obtained at the School of Medicine,


British Telecom's 1984 partial privatization set in motion the privatization and deregulation of many international state-owned telecommunications carriers. Most previous research on the privatization and deregulation of state-owned telecommunications carriers has focused on the economic outcomes. However, this was also a time of changes in managerial practice and thinking influenced by organizational theory. This article presents an analysis of the use of the prescriptions of Rosabeth Kanter in the attempted reform of the organizational culture of Australia's largest business in the 1980s: the government-owned telecommunications monopoly Telecom Australia (now Telstra). It details the attempt to transform Telecom under the incipient threat of the introduction of competition to the telecommunications market and demonstrates how the country's largest change management program, Vision 2000, represented an alternative approach to telecommunications reform.


Many image processing, computer graphics, and computer vision problems can be treated as image-to-image translation tasks. Such translation entails learning to map one visual representation of a given input to another representation. Image-to-image translation with generative adversarial networks (GANs) has been intensively studied and applied to various tasks, such as multimodal image-to-image translation, super-resolution translation, object transfiguration-related translation, etc. However, image-to-image translation techniques suffer from some problems, such as mode collapse, instability, and a lack of diversity. This article provides a comprehensive overview of image-to-image translation based on GAN algorithms and its variants. It also discusses and analyzes current state-of-the-art image-to-image translation techniques that are based on multimodal and multidomain representations. Finally, open issues and future research directions utilizing reinforcement learning and three-dimensional (3D) modal translation are summarized and discussed.


Co-teaching is when two or more instructors share in the planning, organizing, simultaneous delivery, and assessment of instruction (Bacharach, Heck, & Dank, 2004). Co-teaching can provide powerful instructional benefits for both students and instructors, and can encourage creative collaborative efforts between colleagues (Conderman & McCarty, 2003). There are many different models of co-teaching (Solis, Vaughn, Swanson, & McCulley, 2012), and co-teaching can be used for both entire courses, and for individual classes within a course. At the postsecondary level, concerns about co-teaching may be raised in relation to academic freedom and workload, and these concerns may inhibit the development and encouragement of intrafaculty collaboration. In this session, participants will explore some of the benefits and tensions that co-teaching at the postsecondary level may include. Participants will be asked to draw on their own experiences and ideas about how co-teaching might work within their home faculties. Participants who have no experience with co-teaching and those who have lots of experience are welcome to engage in this interdisciplinary conversation about intrafaculty collaboration.


The objective of this study was to determine the effects of light intensity and electrical conductivity (EC) of nutrient solution on the growth and nutrient uptake of potted kalanchoe plants (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana 'Marlene') with growth stage in ebb and flow subirrigation systems. The plants were grown at four ECs of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 dSㆍm?¹ for seedling stage and four ECs of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0 dSㆍm?¹ for short day stage under three daily photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) of 6.5, 10.3, 18.2 ㏖ㆍm?²ㆍd?¹. At seedling stage, plant height was the longest under the lowest light intensity, and particularly dry weights and leaf areas were the highest at PPF 10.3 ㏖ㆍm?²ㆍd?¹. Dry weights and leaf areas were the highest at EC 1.5 dSㆍm?¹ regardless of light intensity. At short day exposure, plant height was the longest under the lowest light intensity. Dry weights, leaf areas, and number of pedicels of the plants significantly increased as light intensity increased. Under all light intensity conditions, dry weights, leaf areas, and number of pedicles increased until EC becomes to 1.0 - 2.0 dSㆍm?¹. And after reached the highest at EC 2.0 dSㆍm?¹, they decreased at EC 3.0 dSㆍm?¹. By comparing the ion uptakes at EC 1.5 dSㆍm?¹ of seedling stage and EC 2.0 dSㆍm?¹ of short day stage in which the plants grew better, we confirmed that ion balance of nutrient solution among NO₃?-N, H₂PO₄?, K?, Ca²?, and Mg²? were significantly changed at short day stage compared to seedling stage. For better growth of the plants, both ion balance and EC of nutrient solution should be considered under different light intensities at short day stage while control of EC is enough at seedling stage.


In this work, ordered mesoporous silica MCM-41 was pre- pared by hydrothermal synthesis using industrial-grade sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) as silica source, hexadecyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB) as template agent and ethyl acetate as pH regulator. The in- fluence of CTAB/SiO2 molar ratio, reaction time, aging temperature, and co-surfactant type on the structural and morphological properties of the obtained silica was studied. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption-de- sorption isotherms. Ordered mesoporous MCM-41 silica was obtained at 80 °C by using a range of CTAB/SiO2 molar ratio from 0.35 to 0.71 and reaction times up to 72 h and isopropanol (i-PrOH) as co- surfactant.


Based on the current development of small snow sweeper on the market, the paper takes man-machine engineering and the shortcomings and problems of current small snow sweeper as the starting point to design a small snow sweeper, which not only can make multi-function conversion, but also add more humanized design concepts, so as to become more convenient for people to use and meet different needs and environment, achieving the perfect unification of appearance and


This article discusses the peculiarities of developing the phonetic skills of students in English lessons. The study of the phonetic system is a rather complex aspect in the system of mastering foreign-language competencies in English lessons at school. That is why it is necessary to lay the foundation for correct pronunciation and articulation at the initial stage of training followed by the development of this skill which contributes to the development of students' abilities in oral communication in a foreign language.


This paper introduces the structure and style of SDH Transmission Network SNMS based on 2488-01B transmission equipment. On this condition, this paper also introduces the application of SDH Transmission Network SNMS


Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) may provide information regarding effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use on brain structure. Twelve MDMA users and 20 healthy controls underwent whole brain DTI data acquisition. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (Dav), and longitudinal (λ1) and transverse (λT) diffusivities were compared between MDMA users and controls in 6 regions of the corpus callosum. MDMA users also completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), and a subset of subjects completed the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Results showed significantly smaller λ1 in the rostral body of the corpus callosum in MDMA users, with no differences between groups on λT, FA, or Dav. MDMA users also had a significantly higher BIS nonplanning score and greater preference for disadvantageous choices on the IGT. There was a significant positive correlation between λ1 in the rostral body of the corpus callosum and advantageous choices on the IGT. Further research on the etiology of these findings is warranted.


Most open-pit mining operations employ blasting for primary breakage of the in-situ rock mass. Inappropriate blasting techniques can result in excessive damage to the wall rock, decreasing stability and increasing water influx. In addition, it will result in either over and/or under breakage of rocks. The presence of over broken rocks can result in decreased wall stability and require additional excavation. In contrast, the presence of under broken rocks may require secondary blasting and additional crushing. Since blasting is a major cost factor, both cases (under and over breakage) create additional costs reflected in the increase of the operation and maintenance of the machinery. Quick and accurate measurements of fragment size distribution are essential for managing fragmented rock and other materials. Various fragmentation measurement techniques are available and are being used by industry/researchers but most of the methods are time consuming and not precise. An ideally performed blasting operation enormously influences the overall mining cost. This aim can be achieved by proper prediction and attenuation of fragmentation. Prediction of fragmentation is essential for optimizing blasting operation. Poor performance of the empirical models for predicting fragmentation has urged the application of new approaches. In this paper, artificial neural network (ANN) method is implemented to develop a model to predict rock fragmentation size distribution due to blasting in Chadormalu iron mine,Iran. In the development of the proposed ANN model, ten parameters such as UCS, drilling rate, water content, burden, spacing, stemming, hole diameter, bench height, powder factor and charge per delay were incorporated. Training and testing of the model was performed by the back-propagation algorithm using 97 datasets. A four-layer ANN was found to be optimum with architecture of 10-7-5-1. Acomparison has made between measured results of fragmentation with predicted results of fragmentation by ANN and multiple regression model. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to understand the effect of each influencing parameters on rock fragmentation.


The main issue in the rural geography of Korea has been the regional impacts of rapid rural-urban migration. In the process of industrialization since the 1960s, rural areas lost more than half of their population during the period 1970-90. Depopulation rates were about 25% in the 1970s and 35% in the 1980s. As a result, almost all of rural Korea, excluding areas near metropolitan areas, have been undergoing depopulation at rates in excess of 3% per year.In this paper, the current research on rural depopulation of Korea has been reviewed with three sub-themes, that is, its cause, the pattern of rural-urban migration, and regional impacts.The rural areas in Korea were transformed to scarce population areas as a result of the rapid rural-urban migration since the 1960s. The main cause of rural-urban migration has been the urban-oriented national policy, the so-called growth centre strategy. The national planners selected a few metropolitan areas as growth centres and fostered a regional disparity. This led to the migration of, particularly, highly educated rural youths to urban areas seeking non-agricultural occupations and increased incomes. In addition, remote mountainous areas in which most of the underground resources are found, have been experiencing more severe depopulation since the 1970s, due to the new energy policy, namely, the transfer from a coal-oriented to a petroleum-oriented policy and the restrictions placed on utilization of forest areas. In this process, the most severe depopulated areas in Korea shifted from plain agricultural areas near metropolitan areas (1960s) to remote mountainous areas (1970s and the first half of the 1980s) and agriculture areas remote from metropolitan areas (after the latter half of the 1980s).With this background, the pattern of rural-urban migration in Korea can be characterized as follows from the current research:First, single migration and chain-migration has been the mainstream of rural-urban migration in Korea, especially after the 1970s. Seasonal migration is rare. Second, the high selectivity of age and education is conspicuous due to the aforementioned characteristic. Third, rural-urban migrants by reason of educational objectives show a trend towards step migration.And also, the regional impacts of rapid rural-urban migration on the rural areas can be characterized as follows from the current research:First, the elderly and the female agricultural labour force have replaced the young generation, owing to the absolute deficiency of the young labour force.Second, despite the severe shortage of labour force, the use of agricultural machinery har not been adopted by the peasants due to the lack of financial capabilities and low cost-benefit efficiency.Third, rural-urban migration in Korea has never led to an increase in cultivated landownership of remnant farmers. The migrants' lands were leased for tenant farming by the remnant farmers at high rent (almost half of the harvest). At the same time, a great increase in landownership by urban residents was witnessed.Fourth, in contrast with Japanese cases, the increase of tenant farms have brought about the standardization of farm size with an increase in cultivated land of remnant farmers. In spite of the increase of cultivated lands through tenancy, those farmers however have never been considered as belonging to the middle class, and their agricultural revenue has more often than not been less than their living expenses during the last thirty years.Fifth, the lack of labour force in rural areas has led to extensive but partially intensive land use. While the farmers changed their management to less labour-intensive farming, they had to adopt a market-oriented and labour/capital-intensive farming method in order to meet the increasing demands for cash.


In the last years, a new process leaded by organisations from the civil society have considered neighbourhoods as a new object of heritization. The emergence of the neighbourhood as a phenomenon valorized as culturalheritage, has occured in the context of urban transformations stimulated by real estate. This process has resulted from new significances of the urban environment, on its different scales, and as a result of the new relations between the neighbourhood and the city. Starting from the analysis of the neighbourhoods of Las Flores and Suarez Mujica, in Santiago, Chile, this article examines this new sense of heritization. It proposes that it has been a response to main urban transformations while has occured without the processes of urban planning. Yet, this paper proposes that the neighbourhoods considered National Monuments has shifted from the classic attributes, identified by the current Chilean National Monuments Law, to new values related to ways of living and other intangible aspects.


Biodiesel is an alternative fuel derived from vegetable oils, animal fats, or other sources, and it can be made into biodiesel blends by mixing with conventional diesel. To achieve optimal engine combustion as well as minimal emissions with biodiesel blends, on-board blend level estimation system is one of the prerequisites. The paper explores two possible approaches of estimation: 1) oxygen-based method, which differentiates diesel and biodiesel by evaluating oxygen fraction in exhaust; 2) energy-based method, which estimates the blend level by taking advantages of the fact that biodiesel has lower calorific content than diesel. By measuring injected fuel mass and calculating net heat release based on measurement of in-cylinder pressure, energy content of the fuel was estimated, thus was the biodiesel blend level. In oxygen-based method, wideband oxygen sensor can be utilized to measure exhaust oxygen concentration. The influence of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) on this method and its estimation accuracy were also analyzed and demonstrated. A high-fidelity, direct injection, diesel engine model was developed in GT-Power for validation purpose. Through simulations, the effectiveness of these two estimators was evaluated and their accuracies were compared.


The specifications accuracy of ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared (UV-VIS-NIR) spectrometer may change after used for a period of time, due to optoelectronic devices inside and environment. It directly affects the accuracy of scientific research and product quality measurement. Therefore this requires that the instrument should be checked after working a period of time. How various specifications are checked? What is chosen as a standard to check? Which method is more reasonable? If we choose unreasonable standard and checking method, the instrument will lose its accuracy. All of these are described in this paper in detail.


Simple Summary Treatment of non-resectable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) involves chemotherapy based on 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and irinotecan and monoclonal antibodies targeting VEGF or EGFR. After an initial progression, it is usual to change the chemotherapy regimen and targeted therapy, with rather moderate results. Several studies have focused on the interest of using again already used molecules and rechallenge with oxaliplatin and irinotecan bi fractionation (FOLFIRI3) have previously shown efficacy in chemorefractory patients, but desynchronized triplet chemotherapy was never tested. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new regimen so-called: FOLFIRINOX-3 bevacizumab in chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer. Abstract The care of metastatic colorectal cancers is based on combination chemotherapies including 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and monoclonal antibodies targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor or vascular endothelial growth factor. The regimen is determined based on the patient's molecular biology and general condition. Irinotecan bifractionation showed efficacy in chemorefractory patients in a previous study, FOLFIRI-3, but a desynchronized triplet has never been tested. The aim of bFOLFIRINOX-3 is to determine the safety, tolerance, and efficacy of a new regimen (FOLFIRINOX-3 bevacizumab) in chemorefractory patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of FOLFIRINOX-3 bevacizumab in chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). A standard phase I, "3 + 3" design study was performed. The standard protocol comprised simplified FOLFOX 4 (folinic acid 400 mg/m2), 5-fluorouracil (a 400 mg/m2 bolus followed by 2400 mg/m2 for 46 h), oxaliplatin (85 mg/m2) and irinotecan (administered before and after 5-fluorouracil infusion), plus bevacizumab (5 mg/kg). In a "3 + 3" design, three different doses of irinotecan were tested: 60, 70 and 90 mg/m2. The primary endpoint was the maximum tolerable dose (MTD) of irinotecan. The secondary endpoints included the objective response (at 8 and 16 weeks) according to the RECIST 1.1 criteria and progression free survival. Thirteen patients were enrolled, and twelve patients were finally evaluated for dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). The dose level defined was 70 mg/m2 irinotecan. A total of three DLTs were observed (grade 3 diarrhea): two DLTs at the 90 mg/m2 dose level and one at the 70 mg/m2 dose level. The most frequently described adverse events were asthenia (93%), diarrhea (77%), nausea (62%) and peripheral sensory neuropathy (46%). The most frequent biological event was thrombopenia (54%). Regarding efficacy, among the 11 evaluable patients, no progression was observed at 8 weeks, and the partial response rate was 18.2%. At 16 weeks, a partial response rate of 27.3% was observed, and five patients had a stable disease. The new regimen of bFOLFIRINOX-3 with irinotecan at 70 mg/m2 was well tolerated. In chemorefractory patients, this protocol shows a high response rate.


Equations of motion of a flexible multi-shaft gear train system are derived in consideration of torsion of axes, gear tooth stiffness, backlash and characteristics of driving source. When input signal is sinusoidal and loads are dry friction, viscous friction and inertia force, dynamic characteristics of a 3-shaft system, as an example, are analyzed theoretically and also investigated experimentally.


In Portugal, the COVID-19 pandemic led governments to impose measures to reduce virus transmissibility, such as homeoffice, and children were sent home to take classes via the Internet. These restrictions affected children's movement time, decreasing the daily number of steps, and interrupting sports activities. Our study aimed to assess the levels of children's physical activity during confinement. Specifically, our purpose was to analyze if the recommended daily levels by WHO guidelines were accomplished, by 6- to 10-year-old children (n=42). Actigraph accelerometers were used to measure levels of physical activity and were separated into sedentary-to-light or moderate-to-vigorous, in 4 consecutive days. Our results showed that children spent only one hour in moderate-to-vigorous physical activities per day, but it is not consecutively, thus, it is important to analyze the bouts, that provide further information regarding children activity patterns. Besides, children spend most of their time at sedentary levels, being more active during the weekend days. Regarding the environment, there are significant differences between having or not having outdoor space and living in a house or apartment. Children have increased their sedentary levels by spending more time in sedentary activities. This behavior can affect long-term mental and physical health if subjected to long-term assessment. Abstract: In Portugal, the COVID-19 pandemic led governments to impose measures to reduce virus trans-missibility, such as homeoffice, and children were sent home to take classes via the Internet. These restrictions affected children's movement time, decreasing the daily number of steps, and inter-rupting sports activities. Our study aimed to assess the levels of children's physical activity during confinement. Specifically, our purpose was to analyze if the recommended daily levels by WHO guidelines were accomplished, by 6- to 10-year-old children (n=42). Actigraph accelerometers were used to measure levels of physical activity and were separated into sedentary-to-light or moder-ate-to-vigorous, in 4 consecutive days. Our results showed that children spent only one hour in moderate-to-vigorous physical activities per day, but it is not consecutively, thus, it is important to analyze the bouts, that provide further information regarding children activity patterns. Besides, children spend most of their time at sedentary levels, being more active during the weekend days. Regarding the environment, there are significant differences between having or not having outdoor space and living in a house or apartment. Children have increased their sedentary levels by spending more time in sedentary activities. This behavior can affect long-term mental and physical health if subjected to long-term assessment.


This campaign must have had something to do with the fact that a policeman was appointed First Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. One of the first areas of impact when Andropov came to power was that the Kremlin identified corruption as the country's number one problem. It was very important for Andropov to prove that he could successfully handle this issue, which had become a serious threat to the Soviet political system. Still more crucial, he had to convince the nomenklatura that he was competent as the country's new boss. Moscow plays a key role: it is the first city in which one must prove oneself as General Secretary. Corruption was more rampant in the capital than elsewhere in the Russian Union Republic and those involved were highly organised and influential. Andropov relied on the best prosecutors in Moscow to launch his attack against corruption. If he was successful in the capital his support among the central nomenklatura would grow, making the offensive against corruption in the capital an example to follow for the rest of the country. Thus the policies that Andropov implemented in Moscow were part of a strategy aimed at reinforcing his authority throughout the Soviet Union. Despite an abundance of published research on corruption in the USSR, there are certain gaps, above all regarding documentation. Until now, relevant articles and publications on the topic have been primarily documented from the Soviet press. We would like to review the situation in the Moscow trade networks based mainly on the Soviet police primary sources.' In doing so, it is important to keep in mind the law enforcement agencies' weaknesses at the time. First, a tendency to exaggerate data: widespread corruption justifies an increase in the police force's resources, thus increasing its importance in the political system. However, the police might also, on occasion, choose the opposite route by underestimating the scope of criminality. Minimising economic infractions gives the impression that the law enforcement agencies are doing a good job, thus reinforcing their leaders' positions. Moreover, it is possible that the police make mistakes as to those suspected or accused. Nonetheless, studies on corruption based on material from law enforcement sources remain very valuable. So far, despite an increasing openness regarding the Soviet period, corruption in the 1980s has not yet been analysed using primary sources from law enforcement agencies. The second aspect is connected with the KGB's influence in Soviet society. One


The development of 3D soft‐robotic components is currently hindered by material limitations associated with conventional 3D printing techniques. To overcome this challenge, an indirect 3D printing approach based on the fabrication of 3D printed sacrificial templates is proposed. High‐resolution micromolds produced by direct laser writing are infused with polymers and then dissolved, leading to the final 3D printed soft microstructures. This method is used to indirectly print 3D and 4D soft microrobots. The versatility of this technique is shown through the fabrication and actuation of gelatin helices filled with magnetic nanoparticles. In addition, it is shown that stent‐like microstructures with shape memory properties can be manufactured with minimum features of 5 µm, which is 40 times smaller than those reported to date. In summary, the utilization of this technique can overcome obstacles associated with the fabrication of soft microrobots and surgical tools for minimally invasive surgery.


The research on the study of work processes within the warehouse: a case study XYZ Company Limited aims to study the working process within the warehouse, a case study of XYZ Co., ltd. from the observation and collecting data on the company's warehouse management process. Why-Why Analysis and Fishbone Diagram were used to find the causes and ways to increase the efficiency of moving goods within the warehouse with the ABC Analysis theory. It was found that the picking of goods was delayed due to 4 reasons: inadequate equipment, the staff who lack expertise in the operation, the process that still lacks the pattern in each step of the operation, and a variety of products. The company has technology but it cannot be used to identify location, therefore the problem of old products and new products mixed together, making management difficult. After the study company should be analyzing ABC for product classification, it can improve the storage process within the warehouse more efficiently. And finally measured 3 dimensions of logistics performance: cost dimension, time dimension, and reliability dimension for to measure the key performance indicator of work processes within the warehouse: a case study XYZ Limited.


Infrared thermography was applied to the study of heat generation in titanium alloy VТ-6 under cyclic loading. Two series of experiments on smooth specimens and specimens with preliminary fatigue crack were conducted. Spatial and temporal temperature evolution in the crack tip was recorded that allowed the estimation of dissipation zone sizes. The effects of cooling due to elastic deformation of the material, and the features of the distribution of stresses at the crack tip were observed. High-speed framing (at a frequency of 1 kHz) allowed the definition of the intensity and shape of the zone of energy dissipation caused by plastic deformation at the crack tip, as well as to compare the energy dissipation rate for different stress levels. These results were used to verify the models of inelastic deformation at the crack tip, to improve the monitoring methods of fatigue damage accumulation. Introduction. The heat Dissipation caused by the evolution of the structure of the material under cyclic deformation, is the subject of intense research over recent decades. At present it is known that under cyclic deformation processes of strain localization are accompanied by intense heat generation, which makes possible early detection by infrared thermography [1]. Due to its versatility, method of infrared thermography recently been actively used at carrying out mechanical tests as to obtain detailed information about the process of nucleation and propagation of fatigue cracks [2-3] and for studying laws of conversion and energy storage during deformation [45]. The possibilities of the method of infrared thermography allows real-time to explore the processes of change temperature caused by thermoelasticity and localization of deformation at the crack tip, as well as the effects of friction on the crack faces during its propagation. This paper is devoted to researching thermoelastic and thermoplastic effects in the crack tip propagating under the cyclic tensile stress applied normal to the plane of the crack. Experimentally obtained cooling effects caused by the elastic deformation of the material at the crack tip, and investigate the features of the distribution of stresses at the crack tip. Highspeed photography allowed us to determine the intensity and shape of the zone of energy dissipation caused by localized plastic deformation at the crack tip, and compares the rate of energy dissipation for different stress levels. Experimental conditions and material under investigation. The features of the process of heat dissipation during cyclic loading of samples titanium VT-6 with frequencies ranging from 1 to 20 Hz in low-cycle fatigue regime were investigated. Test samples were prepared from titanium sheet with thickness 3 mm. Geometry of specimens shown in Figure 1. In order to study thermal effects at the crack tip, specimen was pre-weakened by holes (Fig. 1b).At the initial stage of the experiment with the increased load was created fatigue crack with size of about 10 mm. Initiation of the cracks was carried out at an average load of 215 MPa, load amplitude 238 MPa and loading frequency 20 Hz. Then load was decreased for slow down crack propagation rate and for detailed study of heat generation processes in the crack tip. Mechanical testing were carried out at 100 KN servo-hydraulic machine Bi-00-100. Analysis of the results of quasi-static testing of investigated material determine following mechanical properties of the material: Young's modulus of 64 GPa 0.2 = 683 MPa в = 790 MPa. a) b) Fig. 1. Geometry of of the samples to study the effect of thermoelasticity (a), to study the thermal effects in the crack tip (b). During investigation the process of thermoelasticity, samples was loaded in the elastic range at frequencies 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 20 Hz and different amplitudes ranging from 100 to 350 MPa with the coefficient of asymmetry of the cycle, R = 0. To determine the strain during the experiment used an axial extensometer Bi-06-304 with an accuracy of ± 1,5 mm. The temperature field study was carried out by infrared camera FLIR SC 5000. Recording of the temperature field was carried out at frequencies from 350 to 950 Hz and a minimum spatial resolution from 2·10 -4 m. For the calibration of camera used standard calibration table. During the experiment grips and specimen was shielded from external heat sources by special screen. Surface of the specimen was polished in several stages by abrasive paper (final stage of polishing grit size does not exceed 3 μm); before start of the experiment, polished surface was covered by thin layer of amorphous carbon. Theoretical description of changes in temperature of the metal during cyclic deformation Evolution of temperature during cyclic deformation   t A        sin under the assumption of homogeneity of its distribution, the absence of structural transitions and plastic deformation can be described by the Kelvin equation:   t cos c 2 1 T Log t           , (1) where  coefficient of thermal expansion,  density, c – specific heat capacity,  Poisson's ratio,  the angular frequency of loading, t (.) time derivative. The solution of equation (1) has the form:   ] t sin c 2 1 exp[ T T 0          , (2) series expansion of (2) taking into account the smallness ofthe ratio, which stands in the exponent, gives the followingrelations for the first and second harmonic:          c 2 1 T A 0 1 ,   2 2


Cycloadditions of 2H-azirines to isobenzofurans is described. The endo and exo products were obtained and were reacted with oxygen nucleophiles. Tetrahydroquinolines or benzofuranols were obtained, usually in excellent yields. Cycloaddition of the less electrophilic azirine (14) was performed at room temperature in the presence of ZnCl 2 . The cycloadduct was hydrolysed in the reaction conditions, but dehydration to give back the original cycloadduct was obtained in the presence of 4A molecular sieves. The structure assigned in the literature to the product of hydrolysis of the cycloadduct (10) was rectified.


In order to prevent the loss of biodiversity as the result of global environmental changes, it is essential to increase the amount of land within the Protected Area networks currently in place. This is particularly important in Latin American countries, for which this option is probably the safest one considering current demographic trends and short terms threats of a growing and expanding economic activity. The Chilean Protected Area systems was one of the pioneers in Latin America, dating back to 1907, however, as is the case in most countries within the region, most areas were established based on available opportunities rather than following well defined targets and long-term conservation planning strategies. In this contribution, we present the result of Gap Analysis of Chilean terrestrial vertebrates within Chilean Mediterranean area including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and freshwater fishes in reference to an updated and refined GIS cover of Chilean Protected Areas. In general we found a large number of gap species, especially among species endemic to the Mediterranean area.


Thank you very much for reading hitlers prisons legal terror in nazi germany. Maybe you have knowledge that, people have look numerous times for their chosen novels like this hitlers prisons legal terror in nazi germany, but end up in malicious downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of tea in the afternoon, instead they are facing with some malicious virus inside their computer. hitlers prisons legal terror in nazi germany is available in our digital library an online access to it is set as public so you can download it instantly. Our digital library saves in multiple countries, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Merely said, the hitlers prisons legal terror in nazi germany is universally compatible with any devices to read.


Many controlled systems suffer from unmodeled nonlinear effects that recur periodically over time. Model-free controllers generally cannot compensate these effects, and good physical models for such periodic dynamics are challenging to construct. We investigate nonparametric system identification for periodically recurring nonlinear effects. Within a Gaussian process (GP) regression framework, we use a locally periodic covariance function to shape the hypothesis space, which allows for a structured extrapolation that is not possible with more widely used covariance functions. We show that hyperparameter estimation can be performed online using the maximum a posteriori point estimate, which provides an accuracy comparable with sampling methods as soon as enough data to cover the periodic structure has been collected. It is also shown how the periodic structure can be exploited in the hyperparameter optimization. The predictions obtained from the GP model are then used in a model predictive control framework to correct the external effect. The availability of good continuous predictions allows control at a higher rate than that of the measurements. We show that the proposed approach is particularly beneficial for sampling times that are smaller than, but of the same order of magnitude as, the period length of the external effect. In experiments on a physical system, an electrically actuated telescope mount, this approach achieves a reduction of about 20% in root mean square tracking error.


One of the main issues concerning diver visibility is that it is directly
dependent on the availability of natural light. The theories developed and discussed in the last chapter, for the most part, are only applicable under ideal situations. In other words, they can be seen as a one-way propagation special case, where path radiance can be neglected or does not pose significant issues, such as those in the development of the new Secchi disk theory.

However, the convenience of natural light is not always available nor
dependable from an operational standpoint. Also, the limited range of detection of the passive approach negates the usefulness of underwater EO systems at times, despite its higher resolution. Active EO imaging systems, like those of active sonar systems, can take advantage of extended ranges of detection and identification by applying various approaches to reduce (or discriminate against) mostly backscattered photons that enhance the range. Because of the similarities in principle between active EO and acoustical systems, and the wide-spread use of acoustical systems in underwater sensing applications, both are discussed in this chapter.


Although a number of writers have claimed that organized labor faces a crisis, there is agreement neither on its symptoms nor on remedies among those who have noted its existence. This is not the first time that organized labor was supposed to be facing a crisis; in a number of other situations, observers believed that organized labor faced serious and insol uble difficulties. The belief in a crisis in organized labor today is based upon evidence which is inadequate. Changes in oc cupational composition and the increased importance of profes sional and clerical employment are not serious obstacles to the future prosperity of organized labor. Examination and evalua tion of the available evidence supports a conclusion that the American labor movement fights harder, better, and more suc cessfully for its members than any in the world.


Road accidents can occur based on many factors and one of them is due to driver drowsiness. These fatalities could cause death which affects our country's economy. Thus, this study proposed a driver drowsiness detection based on Electrocardiogram (ECG) for the data acquisition stage. ECG has been used in collecting data from the human body that used electrodes and place it on human skin to detect the electrical activity of the heart. This study proposed a drowsiness detection through ECG signal involving 10 subjects aged in their early 20s regardless of their gender. All subject used for this test is free from any kind of drugs, alcohol or even caffeine. The ECG data were collected from a source called The ULG Multimodality Drowsiness Database (DROZY). Next, the signal obtains from the database does not need to undergo the filtering process since the R-peak of the data can easily be detected. The feature that has been extracted is the R peak so the HRV analysis can be used to classify the state of the subject, either awake or drowsy. Other than that, the data of the cardioid of each subject also being measured and the Euclidean distance of it being compared. The outcome of this study shows that the amplitude of the drowsy phase will be lower compared to the normal state and the same goes for the Euclidean distance of Cardioid based graph.


Commutators of bilinear Calder\'on-Zygmund operators and multiplication by functions in a certain subspace of the space of functions of bounded mean oscillations are shown to be compact on appropriate products of weighted Lebesgue spaces.


A service learning course has been developed through which undergraduate science students create problem-based learning materials for use in high school science classes. Undergraduate students rese...


Modern environmental and economic challenges in waste management require transition from linear to circular economic flow. In practice, this entails considerable challenges that include the change of material circle flux, the application of mathematical modelling and the use of life cycle thinking – also in the field of recovered wood (RW). To this end, the reverse logistics process model CATWOOD (CAscade Treatment of WOOD) with mechanistic modelling for detailed planning of the RW reverse flow with regular collection, innovative (cascade) sorting based on RW quality and environmentally sound recovery has been designed. As a decision support, the quantitative methods of life-cycle assessment (LCA) and societal life-cycle costing (SLCC) have been incorporated into the CATWOOD, which can choose among a few alternative scenarios. A case study has been performed in the Posavje region in Slovenia, which has discovered that reverse logistics scenarios for reuse are environmentally friendlier than those for recycling or energy recovery, but also more costly, mainly because of extensive manual labour needed and less heavy technology involved in sorting and recovery processes. Sensitivity analysis has exposed that modifying the values of the input parameters may change the final LCA and SLCC results in scenarios observed.


Urban Futures brings together commentaries from a wide range of contemporary disciplines and fields relevant to urban culture, form and society. The book concerns cities in the broadest sense, not just as buildings and spaces, but also as processes and events or sites of occupation, in which meanings are constructed in many ways. The contributors draw on their specialist areas of research to inform current debate, but they also speculate as to how cities will be shaped in the 21st century. (Routledge)


87 ist movements at the turn of the century, and by comparing the work of Jewish National School composers with that of other musicians who appropriated folk music techniques into their art music, including Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Edvard Grieg, and Béla Bartók. Schröder-Nauenburg provides an important contribution to the revival of interest in a significant body of musical works that had been overlooked in late twentieth century musicological studies of nationalist and Diaspora music. Her chronicle of the history of the emergence of "Jewishness" in the world of art music is a valuable survey of the most important composers involved in the movement, their salient works, and the compositional techniques they developed for representing Jewish culture and nationhood in music. It will be a useful resource for future scholarship.


Expedition 36 Flight Engineers Fyodor Yurchikhin and Alexander Misurkin closed the Pirs docking compartment hatch officially ending their spacewalk at 6:05 p.m. EDT.


Margrabe formula is an extension of the famous Black–Scholes model extended to two correlated stocks. In the stochastic financial mathematics approach, the difficulty of addressing this valuation lies in the fact that the difference between two log-normal distributions is not log-normal. We avoided this approach in this work and valued the European type exchange option using the Liu process, a Brownian motion's fuzzy counterpart. The work compares the proposed model values with the simulated values obtained by the Margrabe formula.


PURPOSE:To make a steel plate as a bearing material by arranging reinforcing bars inside of the steel plate of a closed section or a U-section, filling concrete in a beam from an opening of an upper side or a side upper part, positioning a beam upper part in a concrete slab and arranging a floor steel plate between side faces of the beam. CONSTITUTION:A beam A is constituted by arranging a reinforcing bar 2 inside of a steel plate 1 of a U-section with its upper part opening and by filling concrete 5 inside of the steel plate 1 from a concrete deposit port 3 of the upper edge of the steel plate 1 or from a concrete deposit port 4 on the upper side surface of the steel plate 1. Thereafter, the upper part of the beam A is positioned inside of a concrete slab B. Thereafter, a reinforcing bar 6 of the slab is positioned and arranged by way of placing it on the upper part or the upper edge of the beam A. Embossing finish is applied to the side surface of the steel plate 1 as required. Additionally in some cases, integrating the beam and the slab are integrated through concrete by way of providing a large number of holes on the side surface upper part of the steel plate 1. Additionally, there is also a case of making the steel plate 1 as a connected square corrugated steel plate.


The development of a large area, high-resolution, a-Si:H x-ray imager is reported. The array has 1536×1920 pixels, a pixel pitch of 127μm, and an area of 19.5×24.4 cm 2 . Tne array is tailored to the high frame rate and high spatial resolution requirements of diagnostic x-ray imaging. The design of this array is presented and examples of x-ray images are illustrated. Initial Measurements of the sensor capacitance and pixel time constant properties are in good agreement with theoretical expectations. These results indicate that high-resolution arrays of this construction are capable of providing fluoroscopic images at rates of at least 30 frames per second.


EU competition law applies to undertakings. The status of a trade union under EU competition law is a contentious issue. In this paper, I argue that trade unions, contrary to existing Court of Justice of the European Union jurisprudence, can be classified as "undertakings" when engaged in collective bargaining. Current case law argues that trade unions act as their members' agent when engaged in collective bargaining. As workers are not undertakings under EU competition law, trade unions are not either. This paper argues primarily that a trade union is an undertaking and that Court's approach on the agent-principal question is wrong. It further argues that a trade union is an undertaking when engaged in collective bargaining as they provide, and/or offer their services on a given market.


The evaluation of the quality of the water used for irrigation in agriculture is of great importance for the environment and human health. The continuous use of contaminated water causes pollution to soil and cultivated crops, causing various diseases associated with consumption of contaminated vegetables. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of irrigation water of three water bodies: artesian wells, cacimbas (kind of graves that collect water from swampy lands) and streams, used in the Nova Esperanca Agricultural Community, located between a peripheral urban area and a native forest in Manaus AM. Potentially toxic metals (PTM): Cd, Cu, Co, Fe, Ni, Mn and Zn were evaluated using atomic absorption spectrometry by flame and bacteriological analyses (total and faecal coliforms) by filter membrane method. The results showed high levels of total and faecal coliforms, 89,3% in water samples collected in the three water bodies, as well as high levels of TPM, especially Cd and Pb extremely toxic. Statistical tests showed the influence of the seasonal period on the average concentrations of the PTM and there is not meaning difference of these contaminants on the different water bodies during the period of this study.


The current paper discuss briefly about the IRDA act, 1999, major changes in insurance sector in India, highlights of the notified guidelines, opportunities for future growth, Sigma repor and Challenges for foreign players. The Indian insurance industry is going through fundamental changes. What was until now an area falling within the exclusive domain of the public sector in India is now open to private enterprise. Since late last year, 12 licences have been issued – eight in life and four in non-life insurance. Of these, 11 licenses have been issued to companies with 26% foreign equity each. These include Standard Life, Prudential Life, New York Life, Sun Life, Old Mutual, Cardiff, ING, AIG, Royal Insurance and Tokio General Insurance. For 150 years, the Indian insurance industry proffered life and general insurance through both Indian and foreign players. The complexion of the life insurance business in India changed 45 years ago when the life insurance business was nationalized, with this came into being the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). In 1971, nationalization was extended to the general insurance business. The result was the creation of General Insurance Company (GIC) as a holding company of four subsidiaries.


The text has studied about mensurating the most water solution in microemulsion with the conductance apparatus and the microemulsion synthesis of ZnS nanoparticles.Span80 and Tween80 being complicated surfactant and octane being oil,microemulsion is prepared with the action of the ultrasonic.The conductance of microemulsion was mensurated with the conductance apparatus.Then we got the graph by plotting with the Original lab software and confirm the most water solution in the breakpoint of the curve.By discussing that HLB affected the most water solution,we obtained the better proportion of microemulsion system.With distraction of the ultrasonic,ZnS nanoparticles were produced by TAA and Zn(Ac)_2.The sample was examined by XRD and TEM,and the results showed that it was β-ZnS with the particle diameter of 30 nm.Furthermore,it was also studied that the action temperature affected the yield ratio and the drying methods influenced particles conglomeration.


The paper analyzes the consumption practices, which people attribute to markers of poverty and wealth, and the ways of how people build a system of social inequalities around such markers on the base of economic, social and moral criteria. We show that consumption proved to be not only the economic activity but mainly that of a social and appraisal character; and can state that the difference in systems of «alternative inequalities» relates to the fact that people usually address to their different justification registers, i.e. «regimes of fairness», which are based on their different basic values. How competently a person may apply such justification registers could be either the obstacle to or a source of recovering from poverty. These conclusions are illustrated by materials of the empiric study for the concrete region.


Several interfacial modifiers were used in this paper to improve the interface bonding strength between the crumb rubber and matrix and the whole strength of Crumb Rubber Mortar(CRM).In addition,the function mechanisms of CRM by various interfacial modifiers were discussed.Based on the test results,interfacial modifiers could obviously improve the interface bonding strength between the crumb rubber and matrix and the whole strength of CRM.Silicone modified styrene-acryl ate-emulsion had the best effect.