The goal of traffic flow management in the national airspace system is to maintain efficient flow of air traffic without adversely impacting air traffic controllers' workload. It is shown in this paper that the air traffic service provider achieves this goal through a three-step process. In the first step, traffic flow management actions like Playbook and coded departure routes are used to reroute groups of aircraft flying in the same geographical neighborhood around flow- constrained areas. The rerouting process achieves the purpose of keeping traffic away from the flow- constrained areas but sometimes in the process creates congestion and bottlenecks in other regions of the airspace. To prevent this congestion, an additional layer of control is imposed on this traffic flow in the second step by temporal traffic decisions, such as miles-in-trail restrictions, which control the density of the flows along fixed paths. The aircraft comply with the miles-in-trail restriction by altering their speed, or by introducing a delay via flight path stretching or by airborne holding. In a third step, a few airborne aircraft may be locally rerouted around congested areas, while leaving other aircraft on their filed routes. The three-step hierarchical integration method is illustrated by an example that uses


Compositions and methods for diagnosing ovarian cancer in a patient and for identifying patients with an increased likelihood of having ovarian cancer are provided. The compositions include novel monoclonal antibodies, and variants and fragments thereof, that specifically bind to HE4. Monoclonal antibodies having the binding characteristics of an HE4 antibody of the invention are further provided. Hybridoma cell lines that produce an HE4 monoclonal antibody of the invention are also disclosed herein. The compositions find use in diagnostic methods as well as in screening methods for identifying patients having an increased likelihood of having ovarian cancer. Kits comprising one or more of the disclosed HE4 monoclonal antibodies and for practicing the methods of the invention are further provided. Polypeptides comprising the amino acid sequence for an HE4 epitope and methods of using these polypeptides in the production of antibodies are also encompassed by the present invention.


In previous studies, two traffic data-cleaning algorithms were developed at the Institut National de Recherche sur les Transports on the basis of filtering techniques and statistical approaches. Because of their mathematical structure (linearity of the process), both algorithms present a high level of inaccuracy in the case of nonhomogeneous traffic conditions at the location of the measurement stations (for example, free flow upstream and congestion downstream, or vice versa). A new algorithm for solving the traffic data-cleaning problem on the basis of real-time application of a dynamic first-order modeling approach was devised to take into account the nonlinearity of the traffic phenomenon. The developed algorithm, named PROPAGE, was tested using real data measurements, including a wide spectrum of traffic conditions. Compared with results from previous algorithms, the results obtained were more accurate.


Klebsiella pneumoniae is the main leading cause of hospital-acquired infection, leading to severe infections such as pneumonia and urinary tract infection. There is an urge to develop an efficient Klebsiella vaccine, and epitope-based vaccines may offer a practical choice. Therefore, this study aims to design an epitope-based vaccine construct. YidR gene is expressed in all strains of Klebsiella with 97.6% of sequence homology, which makes it a potential vaccine candidate. In silico approach was used to make a multi-epitope vaccine construct consisting of immunogenic epitopes against the YidR gene of Klebsiella. Acquired multi-epitopes vaccine was analyzed for antigenicity, allergenicity, toxicity, and various physicochemical parameters. Molecular docking simulation was performed using TLR2 and TLR4 to asses binding affinity with the designed vaccine construct. The results showed that the predicted multi-epitope-based vaccine candidate is non-allergen, non-toxic, and has an efficient binding affinity towards TLR2 and TLR4 that could effectively induce immune responses.


N-Phthalimido-N-acylnitrenium ions are generated from N-acylaminophthalimides, a new class of precursors, by treatment with hypervalent iodine compounds (PIFA and HTIB). In HFIP, the nitrenium ions undergo intramolecular electrophilic substitution reactions to afford N-aminonitrogen heterocycles in high yields. In TFEA, spirodienones bearing the 1-azaspiro[4.5]decane skeleton are obtained by treatment of N-phthalimido-3-(4-halogenophenyl)propanamides with HTIB as a result of ipso attack of the intermediate nitrenium ion. Similarly, using PIFA in TFEA, ipso cyclization of unactivated benzenoid compounds occurs to afford spirodiene derivatives. This involves loss of aromaticity despite the absence of other activating substituents on the phenyl group.


In vino synthesis of active and inactive renin has previously been demonstrated in the culture media from monolayer cultures of human chorion and myometrium (3, 8). Samples of media were assayed for renin by direct immunoassay using a specific antibody to human renin and indirectly by radioimmunoassay of generated angiotensin I. A significant linear correlation was demonstrated between active renin concentration measured indirectly and directly (r:0.9074, P<0.00l) and following activation of inactive renin (r=0.9264, P-<0.00l). This study suggests that renin produced from tissues of the female genital tract is the same as renal renin and does not simply represent another angiotensin-forming protease. Renin (EC 3.-4.99.19) the proteolytic enzyme produced by the kidney and certain extrarenal tissues in particular those of the female genital tract has been quantified until recently by indirect methods using radioimmunoassay of angiotensin I generated during incubation in virro. Difficulties in the preparation of pure renin prevented the direct measurement of renin until Galen er 01. (4) obtained high purity renin from a juxtaglomerular cell tumour and produced a specific antibody to human renin in rabbit. This was used in the direct radioimmunoassay of renin and was found to correlate with indirect measurements of non-activated and activated renin in renal venous plasma and in amniotic fluid (5). Measurements of renin in amniotic fluid by direct radioimmunoassay did not alter following acid activation of inactive renin, whilst indirect assays have indicated large quantities of inactive renin in both amniotic fluid (6) and the tissues of the female genital tract (10). In virro synthesis of active and inactive renin has been demonstrated in cultures of human chorion and myometrium (10) and although its identity has been established by chromatographic and kinetic techniques, the similarity of uterine and renal renin has been questioned (1, 7). Thus, it is important to investigate the interaction between antirenal renin and angiotensin I generating enzymes of extra renal origin. Specimens of human myometrium and fetal chorion were obtained and explants of these tissues were cultured as previously described (3). Samples of media were taken for renin assay by direct and indirect methods. Active renin concentrations were measured indirectly by radioimmunoassay of generated angiotensin I in the presence of excess sheep renin substrate as previously described (2). Total renin concentration was defined as the renin concentration measured after dialysis to pH 3.3 for 18 h, incubation at 32°C for 30 min and dialysis to pH 7.5 for 18 h. All measurements were standardised against. MRC angiotensin I (71 /328) and expressed in terms of the production of angiotensin I per ml of media per h. Renin concentrations were measured directly by radioimmunoassay as described previously (4). Levels were compared using linear regression analysis. For all samples (n =16), there was a significant linear correlation between active renin concentrations measured indirectly by generation of angiotensin I and renin concentrations measured CORRELATION OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT RENIN ASSAYS 331 by the direct method (r=0.9074, P<0.001) (Fig. 1). Levels of active renin ranged from 4.2 to 27 ng/ml/h whilst direct renin measurements ranged from 3.3 to 27 ng/ml. Two samples which generated negligible amounts of angiotensin I, indistinguishable from zero by the indirect method were below the limit of detection in the direct method. Following activation of inactive renin, total renin measurements were found to correlate significantly with the levels of renin determined by the direct method (r:0.9264, P<0.001) (Fig. 2). Levels of total renin varied between 66 and 540 ng/ml/h and negligible amounts of renin were detected in the two samples which were below the limit of detection in the direct assay. Measurements of chorionic renin (n:10) by the direct and indirect methods also correlated significantly both for active renin (r:0.9l84, P<0.001) and for total renin concentrations (r—0.9766, P-< 0.001). Active and total renin concentrations measured indirectly correlated with direct renin concentrations in samples from cultures of myometrium and chorion, indicating the immunological similarity between renins from extrarenal sources and renal renin. In an earlier study (5) a good correlation between direct and indirect measurements of renin in amniotic fluid was obtained; however, the source of renin in amniotic fluid is not known, since it may be renal renin from the fetal kidney or extrarenal renin from the surrounding membranes which contain large amounts of the enzyme. Kinetic differences between extrarenal


We observed, in free-standing films of antiferroelectric liquid crystal, dependence of the wall structure on orientation of walls with respect to the external field direction and on parity of number of smectic layer in the film. These observations are explained by anisotropy of two-dimensional elastic constants and by dependence of polarization direction on parity of the film. Investigations in electric and magnetic field allow us to determine the values of elastic constants and longitudinal polarization of the films. Different mechanisms of c -director reorientation were observed when the electric-field direction was reversed or magnetic field orientation was changed with respect to the film plane.


1 "This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: A new preparation method for anisotropic silk 2 fibroin nerve guidance conduits and its evaluation in vitro and in a rat sciatic nerve defect model Andreas 3 Teuschl, Christina Schuh, Robert Halbweis, Krisztián Pajer, Gábor Márton, Rudolf Hopf, Shorena Mosia, 4 Dominik Rünzler, Heinz Redl, Antal Nógrádi, Thomas Hausner TISSUE ENGINEERING: Part C 5 Volume 21, Number 9, 2015 doi: 10.1089/ten.tec.2014.0606, which has been published in final form at 6 10.1089/ten.tec.2014.0606. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley 7 Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving." 8 9


Established populations of Aedes aegypti, a mosquito vector of multiple major arthropod-borne viruses, were first found in three California (CA) cities in 2013. From 2013 to April 2021, Ae. aegypti thwarted almost all control efforts to stop its spread and expanded its range to 308 cities, including Exeter, in 22 counties in CA. Population genomic analyses have suggested that multiple genetically distinct Ae. aegypti populations were introduced into CA. However Ae. aegypti collected for the first time in 2014 in Exeter, appeared to be different from three major genetic clusters found elsewhere in CA. Due to intense control efforts by the Delta Vector Control District (DVCD), Ae. aegypti was thought to have been eliminated from Exeter in 2015. Unfortunately, it was recollected in 2018. It was not clear if the reemergence of Ae. aegypti in Exeter was derived from the bottlenecked remnants of the original 2014 Exeter population or from an independent invasion from a different population derived from surrounding areas. The goal of this work was to determine which of these scenarios occurred (recovery after bottleneck or reintroduction after elimination) and if elimination and reintroduction occurred to identify the origin of the invading population using a population genomic approach. Our results support the reintroduction after elimination hypothesis. The source of reintroduction, however, was unexpectedly from the southern CA cluster rather than from other two geographically closer central CA genetic clusters. We also conducted a knockdown resistance mutation profile, which showed Exeter 2014 had the lowest level of resistant alleles compared to the other populations, could have contributed towards DVCD's ability to locally eliminate Ae. aegypti in 2014.


Law capability (or more often called Mature) is an element of doing a law action. In this case, skills are often attributed directly to the person's age limit. Skills are often referred to as a major factor when wanting to do an action in the society at large. A wide range of laws and regulations governing the terms of the law capability to take legal actions both written and unwritten. Adat law regarding the legal competent. However, each indigenous people everywhere have an un written law that regulates the size or criteria for a person in a legal action. In everyday life, proficientor better known by the law community has grown to be the main requirement for a person both men and women to carry out legal action.


The relationships between inflation and macro-economic instability are discussed analytically, using a simple monetary model with rational expectations, with an application to the case of Madagascar. The recent macroeconomic history of this country suggests that high inflation is correlated with high volatility of the inflation rate and the real effective exchange rate. The relevance of this observation is confirmed by an empirical analysis of the relationships between inflation, competitiveness and instability in Madagascar.


Contents: Preface Outlawing Genocide: A crime without a name The contours of genocide Genocide in crime codes. Calling to Account: Prosecuting under a quasi-genocide statute Prosecuting without a genocide statute Prosecuting under a true genocide statute Prosecuting in international courts Suing in the world court. Genocide's Legal Environment: Ex post facto genocide Treaty violation or crime Genocide in customary law The UN Security Council and genocide. Genocidal Intent: The acts of genocide Genocide by killing Destroying a group Instant destruction Intent without intent The motives for genocide The intent of others. The Victims of Genocide: The numbers game Identifying a group A group in the eye of the beholder Genocide by mistake. The Scale of Genocide: Retail genocide Wholesale genocide Local genocide Targeting important persons Targeting political opponents. Techniques of Genocide Ethnic cleansing and genocidal intent Ethnic cleansing in the courts Human habitat Aerial genocide Nuclear genocide. Genocide by a State: Opting out The Convention's curious omission States as criminals States as perpetrators of genocide Other routes to jurisdiction States as intermeddlers A legal interest in genocide Compensation for victims. Why Genocide?: The World Court's power The need for genocide The power of domestic courts The deterrent value of genocide Appendix Bibliography Index.


: In a 1966 American Naturalist article, G. C. Williams initiated the study of reproductive effort (RE) with the prediction that longer-lived organisms ought to expend less in reproductionper unit of time. We can multiply RE, often measured in fractions of adult body mass committed to reproduction per unit time, by the average adult life span to get lifetime reproductive effort (LRE). Williams's hypothesis (across species, RE decreases as life span increases) can then be refined to read "LRE will be approximately constant for similar organisms." Here we show that LRE is a key component of fitness in nongrowing populations, and thus its value is central to understanding life-history evolution. We then develop metabolic life-history theory to predict that LRE ought to be approximately 1.4 across organisms despite extreme differences in production and growth rates. We estimate LRE for mammals and lizards that differ in growth and production by five- to tenfold. The distributions are approximately normal with means of 1.43 and 1.41 for lizards and mammals, respectively (95% confidence intervals: 1.3– 1.5 and 1.2–1.6). Ultimately, therefore, a female can only produce a mass of offspring approximately equal to 1.4 times her own body mass during the course of her life. Corytophanidae, The parameters of female snout-vent length (SVL) at maturity, average adult SVL, average hatchling SVL, average clutch size, average annual number of clutches, and average adult survival rate were gathered from both primary literature sources and previously published reviews of lizard life histories. These parameters were gathered from single literature sources for 60% of these 71 populations. If all of these data were not available for a single population (or from a single source), then average values for a species were derived from a number of studies.


Suicidal overdose, running away from home, and scarification are frequent behaviors in adolescence. Like other break-away behaviors, we understand these as corporeal embodiments anchored, in both form and substance, more on the side of psychic productions than passages-to-the-act that are known to short-circuit thinking. These behaviors are linked in part to a conscious intent that embodies the erasure, or emptying of inner tensions out of oneself, "getting a handle on them," which is synonymous with control, the transposition of psychic suffering into palpable, visible percepts and the attempt to have an effect on people around the adolescent, in order to obtain recognition and favorable rearrangements. They are also unconscious and very condensed, carrying out attempts at figuration which give form and substance to psychic representations that the subject suffering in his identity tries to avoid or cover up. Most of the adolescents in question cannot put this suffering into words. In order to prepare them for psychic work, we think it is necessary to gradually ally emotion with representation and act with speech. This can be through therapeutic acts able to foster re-binding, offered as supports to figuration. We give some examples from the experience of our staff, which for the past 15 years has been organizing brief hospital stays for suicidal youths in a specialized unit.


Background: Pain is a major complication after cardiac surgery, if it is poorly controlled, it will lead to more complication as respiratory depression, myocardial ischemia, delayed extubation, and more ICU stay, with the more analgesic consumption and patients suffering. Intrathecal morphine produces intense and prolonged analgesia and can be useful adjunct for controlling postoperative pain and facilitating early extubation after cardiac surgery. The addition of intrathecal clonidine to morphine allows the dose of intrathecal morphine to be reduced and reduces the risk of respiratory depression while maintaining good analgesia and allows early extubation. This randomized controlled study was carried out on 40 patients undergoing open cardiac surgery and was divided into two groups; group (I): is the control group (n=40) and group (II): is the morphine clonidine group (n=40), patients received intrathecal morphine 4 mcg/kg and clonidine 1 mic/kg. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of combined intrathecal morphine and clonidine on stress response, time of extubation, and postoperative analgesia after cardiac surgery. The results of our study revealed that, there was no statistical significant changes in CVP (central venous pressure), Sao2 (Oxygen saturation) and lactate level in both group, but there was a decrease in HR after induction and before bypass in the intrathecal morphine clonidine group compared with the control one, also there was a significant reduction in MAP after induction, before bypass and after bypass in morphine clonidine group vs. control group. Cortisol level was decreased after sternotomy, after ICU admission and after extubation in the morphine group vs. control group. Time to extubation, vas, and morphine consumption in 24 h were all decreased in the morphine group compared with the control one, with no significant differences in post-operative complication in both studied groups.
Conclusion: In patients with well-preserved ventricular and respiratory function scheduled for fast-track cardiac surgery, the use of combined intrathecal morphine 250 μg and clonidine provides good postoperative analgesia and early extubation without side effects.


This paper acts as an introduction to the work of the Microelectronics Technology Centre of British Aerospace at Hatfield. It concentrates, primarily, on the development of a Copper‐On‐Ceramic Technology. The philosophy of using BS 9450 principles to achieve a mature, fully documented process is outlined.


Acinetobacter baumannii is an important cause of nosocomial infections and a leading cause of mortality and morbidity among hospitalized patients and has been associated with a wide variety of diseases in the intensive care units (ICU). Widespread dissemination of A. baumannii infections, which are resistant to beta-lactams antibiotics particularly to the 3rd generation of cephalosporins and carbapenems, has become a globally significant problem.2 These extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) are enzymes, plasmid mediated and produced by gram negative bacilli that mediate a resistance to penicillins, cephalosporins, and monobactams.3 These ESBLs are commonly recognized in Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and A. baumannii and are found worldwide.4 Extended-spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBLs) of A. baumannii are encoded by TEM-type, SHV-type and CTX-M-type genes which are subjected to phenotypical resistance to penicillins and 3rd generation cephalosporins. These enzymes are mostly plsmid mediated and most are parts of the TEM and SHV families.2,5 Different microorganisms are related to contaminations in hospital environments, but the main pathogens include oxacillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus sp. (VRE), extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL), and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.6,7 A. baumannii is able to survive on human skin, equipment, and objects in different sections, especially burn centers and ICUs for a long time.8 The major problem of concern with A. baumannii is the choice of suitable antibiotic for treatment, especially in nosocomial infections.9 The aim of this study was to investigate the detection and distribution of ESBLs encoding genes and its drug resistance against carbapenems and cephalosporins among A. baumannii strains isolated from patients with burn infections.


The article describes the basic concepts of branding. It presents also a method of formation of the brand in the fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Market and on the Internet. The authors describe in detail the practical techniques as well as the formation of the brand of the Faculty of Marketing and Advertising in Social Media Marketing (SMM).


Introduction The 2010 AHA resuscitation guidelines re-emphasised the importance of chest compressions as the cornerstone of effective CPR. In an attempt to improve chest compression efficacy numerous CPR feedback devices have been developed and have demonstrated their utility in improving guideline compliant CPR but not patient outcomes. The impedance cardiogram (ICG) provides a non-invasive measure of haemodynamic status and has been investigated as an additional method of improving CPR. Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between chest compression thrust, depth and ICG amplitude during CPR and establish their correlation with invasive physiological measurements. Materials and methods Ethical approval for this study was granted by the Northern Ireland Home Office. A total of 12 porcine models were used weighing mean 31kg. Anaesthesia was achieved with intravenous propofol and inhaled isoflourane. Ventricular fibrillation was induced using a pacing wire inserted into the right ventricle. CPR was administered using the HLR-201®, Michigan Instruments. The Impedance Cardiogram (ICG) was recorded via 2 standard defibrillation electrodes. Depth (cm), thrust (kg), end-tidal CO 2 (kPa), systolic blood pressure (mmHg), carotid flow (ml/min) and cardiac output (L/min) were measured at 2 minute intervals for each model. Results There is a strong correlation between ICG amplitude and physiological parameters, comparable to correlations achieved with compression depth and thrust. (Table 1) Table 1: Summary of correlations between physiological parameters and ICG, compression depth and thrust during CPR Conclusions The ICG amplitude provides an additional measurement of CPR efficacy with physiological correlations comparable to both chest compression thrust and depth. This non-invasive measurement could be exploited in the development of new CPR feedback algorithms for automated external defibrillators.


The paper presents the results of laboratory tests concerning the cutting process of basket willow by means of disc cutting unit. A disc for cutting wood with diameter of 600mm was used in the tests. The influence of plant's moisture and the rotary speed of the disc of cutting unit on the unitary energy were determined. The most favorable values of the operating parameters of the cutting unit were selected according to the minimum energy requirement in the cutting process of the tested plant.


A deuterated cavitand host was examined for its affinity to a series of guests; for halogenated, preorganized guests binding was significantly stronger than the corresponding protium host.


A simple concurrency control mechan- ism for B+-trees Databases is intro- duced. It is based on early split- ting and catenating of nodes during a process, which are candidates for such operations later on in that process. These early operations enable to lock only the current node in the process and its father node, and hence to increase the degree of concurrency relatively to other known mechanisms.


Two of many performance requirements of the zinc orthotitanate (ZOT) ceramic thermal control paint covering parts of the Jupiter-bound Galileo spacecraft are that it be sufficiently electrically conductive so as to prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage to onboard electronics and that it adhere to and protect the substrate from corrosion in terrestrial environments. The bulk electrical resistivity of ZOT on an aluminum substrate was measured over the ranges 22°C 90°C and 0_RH 100_RH and also in soft (10 .2 Torr) and hard (10 .7 Torr) vacuums. No significant temperature dependence was evident, but measured resistivity values ranged over 9 orders of magnitude: 105 ohm-cm @ 100_RH; i0 I0 ohm-cm @ 0_RH; > 1012 ohm-cm in a hard vacuum. This latter value violates the ESD criterion for a typical 0.019 cm. thick coating. The corrosion study involved exposing typical ZOT/substrate combinations to two moisture environments--30°C/85_RH and 85°C/85_RH--for 2000 hours, during which time the samples were periodically removed for frontto-back electrical resistance and scratch/peel test measurements. It was determined that ZOT/AL and ZOT/MG systems are stable (no ZOT delamination) although some corrosion (oxide formation) and resistivity increases observed among the ZOT/MG samples warrant that exposure of such parts to humid environments be minimized.


Purpose. The goal of this article is to describe the technique used at our institution and highlight potential pitfalls during sialendoscopy.
Discussion. Indication for sialendoscopy, sialendoscopy technique are discussed.
Results. Despite the high reported success rates with sialendoscopy, the procedure is deemed to be technically challenging and correlation between success rates and operator experience has been shown.
Conclusion. Sialendoscopy is a minimally invasive technique that is gradually replacing the classic open surgical approach to the treatment of obstructive salivary gland diseases as the standard of care.


What is the difference between the approaches to learning in Russian and foreign schools? For example, why do graduates of British private schools often succeed in life, become politicians, Nobel Prize winners, and Oscar winners? The editorial board of the Positive Changes Journal tried to understand why secondary foreign education is so popular among our compatriots and find out what Russian schools lack and whether domestic education has any strengths in comparison.


Abstract Background and Aim: CD 117 (c-KIT) internal tandem duplication (ITD), octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct-4), and sex-determining region Y-box 2 (Sox-2) may govern the oncogenicity and aggressiveness of canine cutaneous mast cell tumor (MCT) in the crossbred dogs. Thus, a comprehension of this matter may help us establishing a novel platform to treat the disease in those dogs. However, evidence has lacked so far. Thus, this study aimed to survey CD 117 ITD, Oct-4, and Sox-2 expressions and their relations to the 2-tier grading in a group of Thai crossbreed dogs. The study was done using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), and immunohistochemistry. Materials and Methods: Thirty-three MCT specimens graded by the 2-tier histopathology grading were collected from the crossbred and purebred dogs. CD 117 ITD was detected by conventional PCR and immunohistochemistry. While, Oct-4 and Sox-2 expression levels were determined at the protein and mRNA levels by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR, respectively. The expression magnitude of each parameter was then related to the grades and breeds. Results: About 60.61% of specimens were low grade, while 39.39% were high grade. CD 117 ITD was not detected in all specimens. A significant increase of Oct-4 expression was found in the high-grade, crossbred dogs. Meanwhile, Sox-2 expressions were increased both in the purebred and crossbred dogs with high-grade MCT. Conclusion: The study finding has indicated that the level of Sox-2 expression may be a useful tumorigenic and prognostic biomarker because it correlates to the 2-tier grades but not dog breeds.


According to the principle of the transverse stretch tensor of object and the optic lever arm magnifying, this article designed a case tester for Young's modulus.


Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum (L.) Mill cv. Volgogradskij) crop yield reduction under salinity is mainly due to a decrease in dry matter accumulation rate during the early fruit-growing period (15–35 days after anthesis, DAA). However, partial restoration of growth occurred during the late phase of fruit development (35–45 DAA). Salt stress provoked sucrose accumulation in both apoplastic and symplastic spaces of up to 15 mМ, as well as acidification and Na+ accumulation in the apoplast and a transient increase in starch content. According to the hypothesis stated, the decrease in apoplastic pH imposed by salinity caused a loss of insoluble acid invertase activity, which was associated with sucrose accumulation, and resulted in a limiting step for fruit growth under moderate and high salinities. As a consequence of sucrose accumulation in the symplast, cytoplasmic sucrolytic activity (neutral invertase + sucrose synthase) was induced. It acted as a metabolical adaptive response by regulating the sucrose homeostasis and controlling the assimilate import, dry matter accumulation and fruit growth under salt conditions. Although the compartmentation of the hexose excess into starch could be considered as another adaptive response, the key enzyme ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase does not seem to be important in the control of fruit growth under salinity conditions.


The importance of intra- and interspecific competition in affecting the growth and survival of Dacrycarpus dacrydioides and Dacrydium cupressinum, the two dominant trees in a mixed podocarp stand in Ohinemaka Forest, south Westland, New Zealand, was investigated. Two lines of evidence (spatial patterning of trees and correlates of tree performance with neighbourhood density) were used to infer the importance of competition. Intraspecific competition among D. dacrydioides trees appeared to be intense. Mean radial growth rate (MGR) was significantly negatively correlated with the number of conspecific neighbours, and patterns of non-random mortality resulted in a shift in spatial pattern from a significantly clumped to a significantly regular distribution (...)


Novel silica-induced controlled disproportionation of α-mercaptosulfones produces α-mercapto α′-sulfonyl sulfides. Its discovery and exploitation, as the heart of a new process – vault isomerization – permits the elaboration of a more efficient synthesis of a previously described synthetic precursor.


One of the important resources in management is human resources. The importance of human resource should be realized by all levels of management. Despite the advanced technology existing in the present day, humans still play an important role for the success of an organization. The transformation of the ASN Policy and Management System, which is in 2013 still using closed career system and changed to be an open career system in 2018, and is expected to become an open system in 2025. While the transformation of the ASN policy and management approach in 2018 and in 2025 concerns on the development of the potential of Human Capital. Apparatus Resources are required to be able to think creatively and innovatively. Innovation requires various adjustments to various influences both internally and externally depending on the Apparatus Resources implementation. The need for innovation in the context of the State Administration for Local Governments is quite good but it is not enough in today's competition era even at the local level. In order to accelerate the development of human capital in supporting the effectiveness and performance of organizations, a synergy of policies or innovations is needed between strategy, organizational structure, technology, human resources, and culture.


In order to promote foreign language teaching,this paper,from the practice of teaching Chinese to foreigners,analyzes the using of transition words by Korean students,and puts forwards some advice on transition words teaching.


Exposure to diesel emissions is associated with adverse effects on respiratory health, especially in COPD and asthma. We developed an in vitro model to better understand these adverse health effects, using differentiated human PBEC that are exposed to whole DE at the air-liquid interface (ALI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of DE generated by a typical Euro V truck engine with after-treatment device, using PBEC from (ex)-smoking COPD and non-COPD patients. ALI-PBEC from 5 non-COPD donors were exposed to DE for 6 h, causing a significant increase in mRNA levels of HMOX1 (5-fold) and NQO1 (1.5-fold) (oxidative stress response). DE also significantly increased the ability of Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) to increase the marker of the response to endoplasmic reticulum stress, PPP1R15A / GADD34 (3-fold), as well as causing a non-significant increase in CXCL8 mRNA. Next, effects of shorter (2.5h) exposures were assessed using cells from COPD (n=7) and non-COPD (n=5) patients. DE increased HMOX1 mRNA (2.5-fold), which reached statistical significance only in COPD patients. Furthermore, DE caused a 40% decrease in the ability of NTHi to increase expression of the antimicrobial peptide DEFB4A , reaching significance in cells from the COPD patients. Our results demonstrate that PBEC respond to exposure to DE derived from a typical Euro V truck engine. The results indicate that DE may impair the host defence function of the airway epithelium, and provide preliminary evidence that this response may be more pronounced in cultures from COPD patients. Supported by a grant from the Lung Foundation Netherlands (#3.2.11.009).


This paper presents the solution of the optimal power flow (OPF) using the simulated annealing (SA) technique. The main goal of this paper is to verify the viability of using SA to solve the OPF problem simultaneously composed by the load flow and the economic dispatch (ED) problem. Definitions on the objective function, weights and norms are given here as well as criteria for solving the load flow. Two test systems (Six and IEEE 30 busses) are used to highlight the goodness of this solution technique.


Accepted for publication in Trends in Cognitive Sciences 1 2 3 Social Learning Strategies: Bridge-building between fields 4 5 Rachel L Kendal, Neeltje Boogert, Luke Rendell, Kevin N Laland, Mike Webster & 6 Patricia L Jones 7 8 1 Centre for Coevolution of Biology & Culture, Durham University, Anthropology 9 Department, Durham DH1 3LE, UK 10 2 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, 11 University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK 12 3 Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St 13 Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TS, UK 14 4 Department of Biology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick ME, USA 04011 15 16 Correspondence: email@example.com 17 18


The system clock oscillator is provided at a fixed frequency operation (no cycle skipping) used to provide a switching regulator, the duty cycle control. In one embodiment, the circuit according to the invention using analog feedback loop, by controlling the oscillator charge current and extend the switch ON time of the clock cycle, thereby increasing the duty cycle accordingly. Preferably, the circuit is very low drop when required a very high duty cycle out (drop-out) in operation, or a very low duty cycle in the PWM switching regulator operating at different conditions for the required extremely high switching can be achieved with a duty cycle and / or a very low duty cycle switching.


Two sites in Sweden are investigated for a potential deep repository of the nuclear waste, the Laxemar investigation area (57°5'N, 16°7'E) and the Forsmark investigation area (60°4'N, 18°2'E). In the characterisation of these sites, development of site descriptive models is an important part. Leaves are the main surface were an exchange of matter and energy between the atmosphere and the biosphere takes place, and leaf area index (LAI) of the vegetation cover is an important variable correlated to a number of ecophysiological parameters and hereby an important parameter in ecosystem models. In the investigation areas, LAI of boreal and temperate ecosystems were therefore estimated indirectly through optical measurements using the LAI-2000 (LI-COR, Cambridge UK) and TRAC (Tracing Radiation and Architecture of Canopies). On average, measured maximum LAI was .40 in Laxemar and .4 in Forsmark; minimum LAI was 1.65 in Laxemar and 1.97 in Forsmark. Forest inventory data showed that LAI is positively correlated with basal area, stand height, stand volume and breast height tree diameter. For the coniferous stands, there was also a linearly negative relationship with age. In the Laxemar investigation area, there were no significant relationships for LAI with a satellite derived kNN (kNearest Neighbor) data set with stand height, stand volume and stand age. The kNN data set can therefore not be used to extrapolate measured LAI over the Laxemar investigation area. There were significant relationships between LAI and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for coniferous, deciduous and mixed forest stands in the Laxemar investigation area. A NDVI image could be used to extrapolate LAI over the entire investigation area. For the Forsmark investigation area, effective LAI for all stands were correlated to NDVI and this relationship could then be used for extrapolation. The effective LAI image was afterwards corrected for average needle to shoot area ratio, woody to total area ratio and element-clumping index for coniferous, deciduous and mixed forest stands. NDVI modelled LAI was used to evaluate the LAI product from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and the comparison indicated that MODIS LAI was neither correlated to LAI in Laxemar nor in Forsmark. MODIS LAI also was larger than NDVI modelled LAI and it showed large variations at both sites. It is therefore not recommended to use the MODIS LAI product for future LAI estimations in these small investigation areas.


THE FIELD OF the semiconductors embraces that broad category of solid materials whose characteristics lie between those of the conductors and the insulators. The mechanisms governing their behavior are not well known. They can be broadly divided into two categories, the compounds and the elements. Among the elemental semiconductors exhibiting rectifying properties are silicon, gray tin, and germanium. Of these, germanium has been studied most intensively because its physical properties are best suited for industrial application, although silicon crystals were in use long before the rectifying properties of germanium were recognized. Thus, the following discussion presents, in engineering language but in a simplified manner, some of the mechanisms governing the behavior of germanium. However, it must be understood that because of the complexity of the subject and the lack of understanding of many of the phenomena, the explanations given are, in many cases, not rigorous and in the light of future developments may even be erroneous. However, they provide a working understanding of the behavior and limitations of germanium as applied to industrial devices, and permit following future developments of the devices with some comprehension.


Based on the background of the shield crossing the Wei River section of phase III project of Xi'an Metro Line 1, this paper makes a numerical simulation of the shield crossing the Wei River, adopts the digging parameters roughly the same as its actual construction parameters, and analyzes the law of soil displacement during its crossing by comparing the displacement nephogram and drawing the relevant curve. The conclusions are: in the process of shield excavation, the deformation of the whole soil presents a form of collapse along the tunnel axis, and the displacement of the soil presents a process of first enlargement and then smooth change.


Email of the presenting author: email@example.com Atomically thin layered crystals isolated by mechanical exfoliation method have exhibited new physical properties and provided novel applications. Moreover, hybrid structures of these 2-dimensional (2-D) layered materials with semiconductor thin films and nanostructures offer additional functionalities, such as flexibility and transferability, thereby greatly extending the applicability to the fabrication of electronic and optoelectronic devices [1,2]. Accordingly, many efforts have focused on nanomaterials growth using 2-D materials as substrates. In order to fabricate such nanomaterials with desired shapes and physical properties, however, the study on the initial growth mechanisms, such as nucleation, nuclei growth, and orientational relationship with substrate, should be accompanied in detail. Here, we report on the initial growth behavior of nanomaterials on various 2-D layered materials, including graphene, h-BN, and MoS2. "Direct growth and imaging" method was used to image nanomaterials at the early growth stages to avoid unintentional damages arising from conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation processes, as described in Fig. 1 [3]. In this method, electron-beam transparent 2-D layered materials were exploited as supporting layers for TEM measurements as well as substrates for nanomaterial growth. After 2-D layered materials were transferred onto a TEM grid by mechanical exfoliation, ZnO nanomaterials were grown directly on these 2-D materials by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and TEM measurements were conducted. Using this method, we could clearly observe the growth behavior of ZnO nanomaterials on 2-D layered materials. At the initial stage of growth, ZnO clusters, a few tens of nanometer in size, were sparsely observed, and diffraction peaks from ZnO were rarely obtained (Fig. 2). However, they showed different growth behavior as the growth proceeded. Whereas rectangular-shaped and randomly grown nanomaterials were grown on h-BN and MoS2, respectively, only hexagonal-shaped nanomaterials grown along typical [0001] direction were observed on graphene (Fig. 3). Disordered diffraction patterns of ZnO in the insets of Figs. 3a and c suggest that each nanomaterial grew with different growth directions and in-plane orientations on h-BN and MoS2. In addition, dispersive patterns from ZnO in the inset of Fig. 3b indicate no epitaxial relationship with graphene. We believe that this study will lay down the building block for fundamental understanding of the effect of substrates on material growth by bottom-up approach. [1] K. Chung et al. Science, 330, 655 (2010) [2] D. I. Son et al. Nat. Nanotechnol. 7, 465 (2012) [3] J. Jo et al. Advan. Mater. (2014) (online published)


This paper analyzes the performance of a real LTE network through the real LTE network drive tests. Test cases were performed under stationary and mobile conditions. Paper presents the results under high user mobility conditions and compares these results with the ones collected under stationary conditions. User mobility affects average received user throughput, block error rates (BLER), Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) and Reference Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) values significantly. All of the test cases were performed using real LTE device in a real LTE network. Video traffic was used in drive tests under stationary and mobile conditions. The main key performance indicators used in this paper are average sector throughput, the number of codewords (CW) used, channel quality indicator (CQI), block error rate (BLER), signal-to-noise-plus-interference ratio (SNIR), RSSI, RSRQ, and RSRP values. Average throughput values are very important to show the promised throughput performance of the LTE network. User mobility affects average delivered user throughput, BLER, and CQI values significantly.


We intend to investigate the drug-binding energy of each nucleotide inside the aminoglycoside hygromycin B (hygB) binding site of 30S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) subunit by using the Molecular Fractionation with Conjugate Caps (MFCC) strategy based on the Density Functional Theory (DFT), considering the functional LDA/PWC, OBS and the dielectric constant parametrization. Aminoglycosides are bactericidal antibiotics that have high affinity to the prokaryotic ribosomal RNA, inhibiting the synthesis of proteins by acting on the main stages of the translation mechanism, whereas binding to rRNA 16S, a component of the 30S ribosomal subunit in prokaryotes. The identification of the nucleotides presenting the most negative binding energies allows us to stabilize hygB in a suitable binding pocket of 30S ribosomal subunit. In addition, it should highlighted that mutations in these residues may probably lead to resistance to ribosome-targeting antibiotics. Quantum calculations of aminoglycoside hygromycin B-ribosome complex might contribute to further quantum studies with antibiotics like macrolides and other aminoglycosides.


A highly compact (25 × 25 × 0.8 mm3) dual-band folded square-loop antenna is proposed for reading near-field RF identification (RFID) tags. The antenna has a strong and uniform magnetic field in the near-field zone of the square loop. The side length of the square loop (∼λ/16) generates resonant frequencies in two conventional modes (0.5λ and 1.0λ). Experimental interrogation of a small RFID button tag attached to a blood sample collection tube showed that the antenna has a small interrogation zone (15 × 15 mm2), which avoids unnecessary interrogation. Experiments also showed that with an input power of 25 dBm, the antenna can tag at a distance of up to 40 mm, which confirmed its suitability for reading button-type RFID tags attached to blood sample collection tubes and other specimen containers.


The great majority of geologically young faults appear to slip at rates less than 1 mm/yr but rates are measurably higher near the western and eastern edges of the BR. There is a marked transition in NE California from strike-slip faulting at rates of 4 mm/yr across the northern Walker Lane zone to pure extension north of about Mt. Lassen. This distinct boundary is apparently related to the prevalence of strike-slip tractions on the San Andreas plate boundary south of the Mendocino triple junction (MTJ) to tensile stresses caused by Cascadia slab retreat north of the MTJ. A horizontal extension rate of 3 mm/yr is observed across the north-striking Hat Creek and related normal faults immediately north of Lassen, but this extension decreases to no more than 1 mm/yr in the Klamath Basin, about 150 km to the north. Extension rates could be as high as 1 mm/yr across the Surprise Valley fault (near the California-Nevada border) and the Steens Mountain-Pueblo Mountains fault (SE Oregon). But elsewhere in Oregon, Idaho and Montana, extension rates are < 1 mm/yr and only on the eastern edge of the BR, across the Wasatch and related faults in central Utah do rates reach 3 mm/yr.


From the onset of the financial crisis to today, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have frequented the financial headlines. Since these two housing-related government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) were taken into conservatorship by the U.S. Treasury on September 7, 2008, they have required $148 billion in taxpayer funds to cover the losses they incurred. Recent statements by the acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency suggest that the final bill to the U.S. taxpayer to resolve the insolvencies of Fannie and Freddie could exceed $400 billion.


The objective of this work is to perform transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of GaP(N,As) alloys grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on Si substrates. These alloys are of interest for the fabrication of high-efficiency tandem solar cells based on Si. The results indicated that the nucleation and growth conditions used are critical for obtaining planar epitaxial layers with a low defect density. In particular, antiphase domains are eliminated using a low growth temperature. TEM studies of these alloy layers, which contain only a few percent N, revealed no phase separation. However, electron diffraction studies revealed the first evidence of CuPt-type atomic ordering in these P-rich, dilute nitride alloy layers.


Gyroscope is the core component of the inertial navigation system.In view of the characteristics of optical fiber gyroscope's signal,the Singular Value Decomposition(SVD) method was applied into the fault occurrence.The experiment proves that the SVD method can not only detect the single gyroscope fault occurrence,but also effectively detect two-gyroscope's simultaneous fault,which can enhance the system security.The six single-degree-of-freedom gyroscopes are studied.By reasonably arranging the detection point,the on-line detection for the state of system's key parts was realized.The simulation results prove that this method is feasible and can also improve the precision and reliability of the system.


As a dentist in general practice, I was recently given firsthand experience of over-servicing by a local colleague when one of my regular patients came back to see me after a two year absence. At his last visit two years earlier, routine bitewing radiographs had confirmed that he required only minimal treatment, which included the possible need to root fill the lower left first permanent molar. The patient then decided to seek a second opinion, whereupon the second dentist carried out extensive restorative treatment. After experiencing a few problems over the next year or two, the patient decided to return. Radiographic examination revealed that twelve posterior crowns had been placed by the new dentist, who had also endodontically treated all twelve of the teeth.


Through experiments,the clay-loam,loam,and sandy soil water movement are measured for soil point source drip irrigation in the different dripper discharge and drop water.Soil water distribution characteristics and movement infiltration are studied in point-source drip irrigation.The result shows that the horizontal and vertical advance distance of soil wetted front conforms to power function of infiltration time for point source drip irrigation.The horizontal and vertical advance rates of wetted front are power function of infiltration time.The soil moisture is line function of the horizontal and vertical advance distance.The result has certain guidance functions to the direction of designing and practicing drip irrigation system.


Abstract A short review of the theories of crystal growth of perfect and imperfect planeS is given. Experimental evidence of two-dimensional nucleation mechanism of growth of perfect crystal planes is provided for the first time and some crystallographic parameters of this process are determined. A quantitative verification of Frank's theory is given by investigating the growth phenomena on nearly perfect planes. The effect of screw dislocations on crystal growth is studied and some phenomena concerning the influence of surface active impurities on crystal growth and dissolution are reported. The theory of heterogeneous phase formation is briefly discussed and an experimental verification of the basic relation following this theory is given. The effect of the crystallographic structure upon nucleation is closely studied. A method permitting the determination of the activity distribution curve of nucleation sites on the basis of their critical supersaturation is also given.


quantified direct - ly via alkaline comet assay. Furthermore, the surrogate marker γH2AX is detected by western blot analysis as well as confocal immunofluo - rescence microscopy


As Vout (2006) has recently reminded us in this journal, Johann Joachim Winckelmann's History of the art of antiquity (Geschichte der Kunst des Alterthums, 1st ed. 1764) is widely considered to be a foundational text in the history of art. Advertising itself as the first 'systematic' account of ancient art in relation to its geographical, social and political circumstances, Winckelmann filled out the well-known Plinian chronology of artists with a new analysis in terms of a succession of period styles, providing a satisfyingly scientific justification for the preference his contemporaries were beginning to accord to the art of the Greeks. Small wonder then that the book was lauded as a classic as soon as it appeared in Germany and was quickly translated into French and Italian. Nevertheless, it is also hardly surprising that this text, which promised nothing less than a 'new paradigm' for the study of antique culture, has always presented problems to its readers. These are partly caused by its magnitude of ambition. Titled, first and foremost, a 'history', Winckelmann's magnum opus in fact attempts to be many things: part systematic exploration of the social and physical factors that condition the development of all art; part impassioned disquisition on the essence of beauty; part antiquarian catalogue of the greatest surviving works of Greek and Roman art; part manual of aesthetic taste for aspiring contemporary artists. Few books since Winckelmann's History can have combined bold claims about their importance as historical scholarship with detailed instructions on how to draw a perfectly beautiful face.


Research on parental involvement (PI) testifies to its positive impact on students' academic achievement. The bulk of the literature in this domain, however, is imbued with qualitative findings leaving little room for empirical studies particularly in EFL preschool contexts. Given the importance of the understanding of the role of parental involvement in kids' language learning, and the scanty attention given to PI in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context, particularly in the Iranian context, this study was conducted to investigate the likely relationship between PI and EFL preschoolers' language learning outcomes. To this end, 50 EFL students studying in Golbaran and Setarebaran nursery schools in Gorgan, Iran together with their parents were invited to participate in this study. The data collection instruments included an achievement test along with the Family Involvement Questionnaire (FIQ) adapted from Fantuzzo, Tighe, & Childs (2000, as cited in Jeffries, 2012) consisting of three main parts, namely homebased involvement, school-based involvement and home-school conference (video and telephone). The analysis of the data revealed a moderate, positive, and significant relationship between PI and preschoolers' English achievement. Moreover, amongst PI factors, parents' school-based involvement has the strongest relationship, while home-school conference has the weakest relationship with the students' learning outcomes. In addition, the analysis of the data led to the identification of the most widely used teaching aid devices amongst the participant parents. The findings are deemed to be of important pedagogical implications for the main stakeholders, i.e., school administrators and parents.


Detection of outliers in software measurement datasets is a critical issue that affects the performance of software fault prediction models built based on these datasets. Two necessary components of fault prediction models, software metrics and fault data, are collected from the software projects developed with object-oriented programming paradigm. We proposed an outlier detection algorithm based on these kinds of metrics thresholds. We used Random Forests machine learning classifier on two software measurement datasets collected from jEdit open-source text editor project and experiments revealed that our outlier detection approach improves the performance of fault predictors based on Random Forests classifier.


Sulfur isotope analysis of individual aerosol particles – a new tool for studying heterogeneous oxidation processes in the marine environment B. W. Sinha, P. Hoppe, J. Huth, S. Foley, and M. O. Andreae Particle Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, P.O. Box 3060, 55020 Mainz, Germany Departent of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Joh.-J.-Becher-Weg 21, 55099 Mainz, Germany Biogeochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, P.O. Box 3060, 55020 Mainz, Germany Received: 17 November 2008 – Accepted: 25 November 2008 – Published: 2 February 2009 Correspondence to: B. W. Sinha (email@example.com) Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union.


The original work presented in this thesis investigates some of the mechanisms that may be responsible for the aetiology of altitude-related cough. Particular attention is paid to its relationship to the long recognised, but poorly understood, changes in lung volumes that occur on ascent to altitude. The literature relevant to this thesis is reviewed in Chapter 1.Widespread reports have long existed of a debilitating cough affecting visitors to high altitude that can incapacitate the sufferer and, on occasions, be severe enough to cause rib fractures (22, 34, 35). The prevalence of cough at altitude has been estimated to be between 22 and 42% at between 4200 and 4900 m in the Everest region of Nepal (10, 29). Traditionally the cough was attributed to the inspiration of the cold, dry air characteristic of the high altitude environment (37) but no attempts were made to confirm this aetiology. In the first formal study of cough at high altitude, nocturnal cough frequency was found to increase with increasing altitude during a trek to Everest Base Camp (5300 m) and massively so in 3 climbers on whom recordings were made up to 7000 m on Everest (8). After 9 days at 5300 m the citric acid cough threshold, a measure of the sensitivity of the cough reflex arc, was significantly reduced compared with both sea level and arrival at 5300 m.During Operation Everest II, a simulated climb of Mount Everest in a hypobaric chamber, the majority of the subjects were troubled above 7000 m by pain and dryness in the throat and an irritating cough despite the chamber being maintained at a relative humidity of between 72 and 82% and a temperature of 23oC (18). This argued against the widely held view that altitude-related cough was due to the inspiration of cold, dry air. In the next major hypobaric chamber study, Operation Everest III, nocturnal cough frequency and citric acid cough threshold were measured on the 8 subjects in the study. The chamber temperature was maintained between 18 and 24oC and relative humidity between 30 and 60% (24). This work is presented in Chapter 2 and, demonstrated an increase in nocturnal cough frequency with increasing altitude which immediately returned to control values on descent to sea level. Citric acid cough threshold was reduced at 8000 m compared to both sea level and 5000 m values. Changes in citric acid cough threshold at lower altitudes may not have been detected because of the constraints on subject numbers in the chamber. The study still however demonstrated an increase in clinical cough and a reduction in the citric acid cough threshold at extreme altitude, despite controlled environmental conditions, and thus refuted the long held belief that altitude-related cough is solely due to the inspiration of cold, dry air. If altitude-related cough is not simply due to the inspiration of cold, dry air, other possible aetiologies are:•\


Objective To study the efiect of Rhizoma Curcumae longae on cytochrome P4501A2. Methodes Caffeine was used as control drug,and pharmacokinetics was studied by HPLC.Results The metabolism of caffeine was slowed,T1/2 of caffeine in the trial group was longer than that in the control group. Conclusions Rhizoma Curcumae longae inhibits the cytochrome P4501A2.


The invention relates to a multifunctional standing-assisted closestool chair. The front end of a chair seat is rotationally connected with a seat ring connecting frame; a torsion spring baffle and a torsion spring are mounted on the seat ring connecting frame; the torsion spring baffle is connected with the rear surface of the chair seat in a contact way; a front chair leg and a rear chair leg on a same side are connected through a foldable crossing frame; lifting adjustment devices are respectively connected to the lower parts of the front and rear chair legs; and the lower parts of the lifting adjustment devices are connected with small wheels through wheel frame steering devices. The multifunctional standing-assisted closestool chair is novel, unique and simple in structure design, low in manufacturing cost, stable to sit, foldable, space-saving after being folded, convenient to mount and adjustable in height according to user needs, and can assist in standing of a user with dystasia.


Software testing in agile development is very complex issue in the IT world. Since agile methods do not focus much on testing activities and agile software development does not include testing practices required for a quality project, the process of finding the suitable method for testing, especially for large scale projects is challenging. In this paper, we propose a concept of integrated agile software testing in a large scale project. This research explains the software testing process technologies and principles for agile software testing and identifies the best practices for testing software products in agile development process.


Arnold H. Modell has been engaged in an ongoing effort to advance psychoanalysis as well as to integrate psychoanalytic theory and relevant domains of science, particularly neuroscience, with psychoanalytic practice. He has been articulating a biology and construction of meaning and the role of metaphor as he attempts to understand the relationship between mind and brain. Modell strives to understanding how "matter becomes imagination," as well as the relationship between the first-person psychological unconscious and the third-person neurophysiological unconscious. The latter, according to Modell, is interpreted by a personal "autobiographical self" and given meaning. This discussion of Modell's theories will include historical and contemporary attempts to understand how "matter becomes imagination." Although there is a growing neuroscience research base for articulating the reverse, i. e., "how imagination becomes matter," the present author will focus on the project Modell h as placed before himself and his audience. The role of consciousness in the brain-mind interface, mirror neuron systems and intersubjectivity will be discussed. Clinically, the role of trauma's effects on memory and metaphor as well as the defensive functions of non-relatedness and counter-dependency will be examined within the wider context of the very rich and subjectively meaningful journey of matter becoming imagination.


This traffic processing device calculates the current location of a vehicle, determines whether the vehicle has passed a transit point, and determines whether the transit point is a confirmed point or an unconfirmed point. Moreover, when the vehicle has been determined to be at a confirmed point, the passing information indicating that the transit point has been passed is output to a display unit.


Our investigation compared throughput metrics and utilization measures for freestanding emergency departments (FSEDs) versus hospital‐based emergency departments (HBEDs) of similar volumes in the United States.


We present non-paraxial shape-preserving accelerating electromagnetic wavepackets propagating in micro-sized curved surfaces, revealing exotic trajectories and polarization rotation dynamics caused by the interplay of interference effects and the curvature of space.


The optically pumped Cs beam frequency standard (OPCBFS) has made great progress. Results comparable to and better than the data from the best conventional magnetic state selecting primary Cs beam frequency standard have been reported. However the light frequency shift (mainly the AC Stark shift) is a new factor affecting the frequency accuracy and frequency stability in an OPCBFS. This phenomenon has been investigated in the Cs beam tube and the results have been analysed. The results are very useful for estimating the clock frequency instability caused by the light shift.


Granular materials may be circulated in a container with two symmetric convection cells under external vertical vibration conditions. Effects of the container geometry on the convection strength and segregation process are studied experimentally. First, the wall tilted outward angles are changed to observe the direction of the convection roll and convection strength. The strength of the normal convection rolls decreases by increasing the wall angles of the container from 0° (vertical walls). The convection rolls become reversed when the wall tilted outward angles are greater than a transition angle. The wall roughness and vibration velocity amplitude are also changed to investigate their influences on the convection cell strength. The segregation of a larger disk induced by the convection cells of smaller disks shows that the normal convection rolls induce the upward motion of the larger disk, and the reverse convection rolls result in the downward motion of the larger disk. The separation velocity increases linearly with the convection flow rate.


An experiment was conducted in Kharif season of 2013 to study the effect of biofertilizers, liquid bio-manure, organic nutrients, polymorphic growth hormones and multi-micronutrients on nutrient content of mung bean under custard apple based agri-horticultural system. Thirteen treatment combinations were tested in a randomized block design. The maximum nutrient content in grain and straw such as nitrogen (4.11, 1.96), phosphorous (0.69, 0.29) and potassium (1.43, 2.85) respectively were found in Bioplantomin ie liquid bio-manure when applied at 3.5 l/ha as foliar spray as compared to lowest nutrient content recorded in control.


Adjustments in inter-cultural communication of expatriate and host national in local operation by Hanna Lee Dr. Robert Woods, Committee Chair Associate Professor of Hotel Management William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration University of Nevada, Las Vegas Due to the global expansion of international hotel chains into culturally isolated countries, such as China, many hotels are in need of qualified staffs in local operation where a strong culture exists. When expatriate managers are sent abroad for overseas assignments, they are often confronted with the conflicts that are caused by inter-cultural differences between expatriates and host nationals. This paper examines several aspects of cultural and interpersonal issues involved in the conflicts, and seeks to determine any necessary adjustment from the information gathered by telephone interviews with the current expatriate managers in Beijing, China. Furthermore, the study discusses essential skills needed for expatriate and local managers to accomplish their objectives better. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ADJUSTMENTS 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT..........................................................................................2 TABLE OF CONTENTS...........................................................................3 LIST OF FIGURES.................................................................................5 LIST OF TABLES..................................................................................6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..........................................................................7 PART ONE............................................................................................8 Purpose.......................................................................................8 Statement of problems......................................................................9 Statement of objectives.....................................................................9 Justification....................................................................................9 Constraints...................................................................................9 PART TWO...........................................................................................10 Literature Review............................................................................11 Cultural Chinese history.....................................................................11 Face............................................................................................12 Culture differences............................................................................12 Confucianism..................................................................................13 Individualism vs. Collectivism.............................................................13 Power distance................................................................................14 The western culture...........................................................................15 Conflicts........................................................................................15 Feature of Chinese culture..................................................................16 Expatriates' culture shock..................................................................17 Selecting expatriates.........................................................................18 The necessity of managerial development in China.....................................19 Inter-cultural training program for foreign managers...................................19 Conclusion....................................................................................20 PART THREE........................................................................................21 Telephone interview.......................................................................22 Tell a story..................................................................................23 Inter-personal and cultural question.....................................................23 Results.......................................................................................24 Host nationals...............................................................................25 Expatriates...................................................................................26 Discussion....................................................................................27 Current cross-cultural training programs.................................................29 Training expatriates.........................................................................30 Training locals................................................................................31 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ADJUSTMENTS 4 Conclusions and recommendations for future research................................31 References....................................................................................33 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ADJUSTMENTS 5 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Eight steps of selection expatriates..................................................41 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ADJUSTMENTS 6 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Problem of local managers..........................................................35 Table 2 Problem of expatriate managers....................................................37 Table 3 Skills needed by expatriate managers..............................................39 Table 4 Skills needed by local managers....................................................40 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ADJUSTMENTS 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express the deepest appreciation to my committee chair, Professor Robert Woods and the course instructor, Professor Gail Sammons. I want to acknowledge the support and valuable advice Dr. Woods gave me. With all difficulty, Dr. Woods showed me different ways to approach research problems and encouraged me to accomplish my goals. I wish to thank Dr. Gail Sammons for being patient with me throughout the writing process. I am indebted to my former colleagues, who accepted telephone interview in Great Wall Sheraton Beijing and Grand Hyatt Beijing in China. They were very much cooperative and responsive every time I needed to contact them even though there was huge time difference. Very special thanks to my faith families in South Korea for giving me life in the first place, for educating and supporting me for many years with unconditional love. I share the credit of my work with Mr. Edward W, my editor of the paper who is always by my side with warm and great friendship through the duration of the project. Last but not the least, I thank Almighty God of reasons too numerous to mention. "Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" (Psalm 23:6). INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ADJUSTMENTS 8 Adjustments in inter-cultural communication of expatriate and host national in local operation PART ONE When China opened to the West in the late 1970s, an overwhelming number of international tourists visiting China created a huge demand for the expansion of China's thenvastly underdeveloped hospitality industry. Especially with China lifting much of its restrictions on the industry, the business potential of the field exponentially increased, drawing countless local and foreign investors into China. Now, with 54.7 million people visiting China annually (UNWTO, 2008), the growth of the Chinese hospitality industry seems to continue, if not distend to a greater extent. And with the need to build facilities for hosting inbound tourists, much of the investment towards the field has been spent on hotel construction and renovation for the past twelve years (as cited in Tsang & Qu, 2000). However, following the establishment of new hotels, it generates the need for the installment of proper management. In the case of China, the short supply of sufficientlytrained local management personnel has encouraged many international hospitality corporates to utilize their current staffs by sending them abroad to China for various training/management purposes (Treven, 2006). Unfortunately, the choice of utilizing foreign human resources (addressed as "expatriates" onward) has caused many cross-cultural and interpersonal conflicts between expatriates and locally-hired employees. This observation, thus, asks for a thorough examination of such conflicts in order to establish better and morerewarding management transition between expatriates and local staffs. By conducting qualitative interviews via telephone with two current expatriate managers who were subject to the aforementioned conflicts in China, the personal communication experiences seek to investigate feasible causes and to discover any managing adjustment necessary to the current system for expatriates to better fulfill their oversea tasks.


Sarcomas are a group of malignant diseases originating from different types of connective tissue. Not much more than 200 cases of esophageal leiomyosarcoma have been registered worldwide. The first published case of esophageal leiomyosarcoma dates to 1902. This paper describes a successful case of treatment of a 55-year-old patient with a locally advanced form of esophageal leiomyosarcoma.


Abstract In this article I seek to demystify the dress practices of Muslim women in the Arabian Gulf by focusing on the clothing choices available to elite Kuwaiti females and how those choices are exercised. I examine when and where traditional and/or modern styles are worn, what fashion sources are consulted, and who patronizes which retail venues. Given the small size, great wealth, and conservative nature of Kuwaiti society, one dresses to impress in the knowledge that one will be scrutinized by one's peers and any dress code violations will be widely noted. Clothing that is comfortably worn abroad may be rejected as unsuitable for use at home. I thus conclude that when dissonance exists between clothing, cultural values, and context, context becomes the determining factor in making dress choices.


To determine the association between vision‐related quality of life (VRQOL) and levels of visual function loss in the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial (EMGT).


A method is proposed for long baseline navigation of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) to be used in the case of a large a priori position uncertainty. The new modified method is based on the iterated Kalman filter (IKF) working with different initial linearization points. The final solution is calculated by clustering and weighting the IKF results. This approach allows position estimates to be determined in accordance with the global maximum of posteriori probability density of coordinates. The test results obtained with the use of three beacons and an underwater vehicle are presented.


We derive general properties of two-factor models of the term structure of interest rates and, in particular, the process for futures prices and rates. Then, as a special case, we derive a no-arbitrage model of the term structure in which any two futures rates act as factors. The term structure shifts and tilts as the factor rates vary. The cross-sectional properties of the model derive from the solution of a two-dimensional autoregressive process for the short-term rate, which exhibits both mean reversion and a lagged persistence parameter. We show that the correlation of the futures rates is restricted by the no-arbitrage conditions of the model. In addition, we investigate the determinants of the volatility of the futures rates of various maturities. These are shown to be related to the volatilities of the short rate, the volatility of the second factor, the degree of mean reversion and the persistence of the second factor shock. We obtain specific results for futures rates in the case where the logarithm of the short-term rate [e.g., the London Inter-Bank Offer Rate (Libor)] follows a two-dimensional process. Our results lead to empirical hypotheses that are testable using data from the liquid market for Eurocurrency interest rate futures contracts.


The future development of service industry in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic zone should adapt to the new tendency of modern service industry development, improve the geographical distribution and service function, highlight characteristic It should lay down, as soon as possible, the master plan, the specific planning and the concrete measure of modern service industry development in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei are a. Through strengthening the regional planning, adjusting the structure of service industry, expediting the foundation of modern service industrial cluster with unique characteristic, we can change the disequilibrium status quo service industry in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic zone, and thereby promote strategically the development of service industry in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic zone as a whole.


Picrinine, strictamine and nareline has been isolated from the fruit pods of Alstonia scholaris and their structure established by various spectral data. This is the first report of these alkaloids in A. scholaris fruit pods.


Vseobecný prehľad geotermalnej energie v Bulharsku Low enthalpy geothermal reservoirs have been discovered on the territory of Bulgaria. Most of the geothermal resource has been revealed. About 160 geothermal fields of totally 4600 l/s flow rate were explored. Currently application, hermal water is mainly in balneology, space heating, bottling of potable water and in swimming pools. The total installed capacity amounts to 109.7 MWt and the annual energy use is 1671.43 TJ/year. Major characteristics of geothermal fields have been summarized. Different types of application are discussed and the most perspective geothermal reservoirs selected in terms of their thermal capacity are listed.


Roger White has worked on natural resource management and watershed management in Africa and Asia for 30 years. After completing a masters degree in Tropical Agronomy he worked in Mozambique and Somalia on pasture and rangelend management and soil conservation. Following three years of rural development work in Northern Nigeria he led a DFID-funded land use planning programme in Tanzania. In 1989 he moved to Sri Lanka where he spent 11 years working on watershed management issues for the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka particularly on soil erosion, reservoir sedimentation, and livelihood issues. In 2000 he joined ICIMOD as Regional Coordinator of the People and Resource Dynamics in Mountain Watersheds Project. He also manages ICIMOD's Action Initiative on Watershed Management across the Himalayas.


Geographic differences in host plant availability are thought to result in regional adaptation of herbivores to their sympatric host species. Larvae of Papilio troilus, the spicebush swallowtail butterfly, feed only on plants of the Lauraceae. Although this insect occurs throughout the eastern United States, each host species has a distribution smaller than the range of P. troilus. In peninsular Florida, the major host is Persea borbonia; Sassafras albidum and Lindera benzoin are the predominant hosts elsewhere. The hypothesis that P. troilus are better adapted to their sympatric host plants was tested using a split-brood design comparing the larval performance of Florida, Midwest, and hybrid Florida x Midwest full-sib families on Persea, Sassafras, and Lindera. Florida larvae had higher first-instar growth rates and survival on Persea compared to Midwest larvae. In contrast, Midwest larvae had higher total larval growth rates on Sassafras and Lindera relative to Florida larvae. A significant host x geographic strain interaction was also found for pupal mass. Performance of hybrid larvae was intermediate to the parental strains, or equalled the best performing parental strain, depending on the host and per- formance measure. Regional differentiation in genetically based traits for host use indicates the existence of geographic races in P. troilus.


Here and there, we are confronted with data that suggest the occurrence of vowel geminates and glides in the Igbo language; but the traditional account of Igbo phonology assumes that they are not attested in lexical formatives. This study revisits the traditional position on the basis of synchronic data and wonders why not! In exploring the phenomena, the study adopts a syllable structure analysis in the framework of multilinear phonology within which it demonstrates that the language attests an intrinsic branching syllable nucleus which licences vowel geminates and glides, and establishes derived and inherent forms thereby. The study thus defines terminologies in its first part, including vowel geminates and glides, to provide a guide to the discourse. It also discusses the multilinear framework in syllable considerations. These are followed by the presentation of data in their classes, and their analysis. Discussions follow after, which underscore the fact of the occurrence of vowel geminates and glides in lexical formatives and derivatives in Igbo.


The performances of graphene/$Al_{x}Ga_{1-x} N$ contacts have been analyzed for the temperature range of 300 to 500 K. Analytical investigation shows that for all the compositions of Aluminium (Al) in $Al_{x}Ga_{1-x} N$, the diodes display good forward characteristics for each temperature. The required forwarding voltage is found to decrease with the increase of temperature. However, deviation of conventional characteristics is found for the graphene/GaN and graphene/$Al_{0.1}Ga_{0.9} N$ Schottky diodes. Moreover, graphene/$Al_{0.2}Ga_{0.8}N$ Schottky diode allows the highest forward current density of $6.5 \times 10^{5} Am^{-2}$ The contact resistivity is obtained smaller when the Al contents are 10% to 40 %. These consequences have been attributed to the low efficiency of Al incorporation in $Al_{x}Ga_{1-x} N$ alloy which is caused by parasitic gas phase reactions during the growth of this alloyed semiconductor. The results obtained here indicate that graphene/ $Al_{x}Ga_{1-x} N$ structure could be a potential candidate to be used as a Schottky rectifier; however, it needs proper investigation.


The cetacean sighting records from 375 sighting survey in the Tsugaru Strait for ten years were compiled and the seasonal variability and yearly trend of cetacean encounter was examined. A total of 1876 school 19065 individuals were observed, and at least 7 species are identified such as Pacific white-sided dolphin, Dall's porpoise, Habour porpoise, Minke whale, Bottle nosed dolphin, Common dolphin, and Killer whale. Except for Killer whale, the encounter of all of the cetacean were peaked during April to June. The encounter is rare during August and October, and no encounter has been recorded for this season for 10 years except for Pacific white-sided dolphin and Habour porpoise. The encounter rate of Harbour porpoise has been significantly increased. No encounter of Common dolphin and Bottle-nosed dolphin has been recorded after 2004, and the encounter to Killer whales had been occurred after 2009. Abstract Seasonal variability and yearly trend of cetacean encounters in decadal sighting survey in the Tsugaru Strait, Japan Taichi Ichimori , Shunsuke Suzuki , Senri Kojima , Kentaro Ishimori , Mai Sugitani , Ayaka Matsuda , Yudai Ono and Takashi Matsuishi 市森 大地 鈴木 駿介 小島 千里 石森 謙太郎 杉谷 舞 松田 純佳 小野 雄大 松石 隆


By synthesizing methodology, the study focused on the aspects of idea, theory, method, thinking mentality, technology, realization, application, and organization, detailed discussed possible use of the determinative and quantitative method in integration info-security evaluation system.


The age of the Tiki Formation in the South Rewa Gondwana Basin has been discussed. Available data on the vertebrate fauna, megaflora and palynoflora of the Tiki Formation have been evaluated. It is concluded that the Tiki Formation sensu lato (i.e. including the Nidhpuri beds) ranges in age from Anisian through Norian and possibly extends into the Rhaetian.
On the basis of available palynological data an attempt has been made to establish the miofloral succession in the Triassic Gondwanas of India. Presently nine successive palynological zones have been recognized. However, possibility of existence of some more palynological zones is also not ruled out.


Hermits were a special class in ancient China.It is generally considered that hermits were respected by ancient rulers,but since the pre-Qin dynasty voices against hermits had been in the ears and sometimes rather intense.This paper analyzes the two opposing phenomena and points out that ancient rulers had double standards to treat hermits with great subjective random,but that their starting point was the same is surprising.


Freesia hybrida is one of the most cultivated cut flowers worldwide. Modern technologies recommend cultivating Freesia in rotation with chrysanthemum and tomatoes, to avoid pests and diseases apparition into culture of that are the main cause of species degeneration. The greatest expenses in a Freesia culture from bulbs are made on the achievement of the bulbs but they compensate the quality and quantity of the flowers. In our research, the cultivars have been cultivated in a modern greenhouse and as we couldn't do a rotation of crops, we prevented their apparition into culture by thermal disinfection of soil before setting the crops and pest control by preventing them with several treatments recommended in this matter. The results show that the lowest number of flower stalks was recorded by 'Striped Sun' cv. while 'Troubadur' cv. has shown a higher number of floral stalks in the second year. Other researched aspects have shown a diminution of the values to the first year. The greatest diminution of the floral stem length was recorded by 'Algarve' cv. while 'Yvonne' cv. has recorded greater values of the same character in the second year. The degeneration appeared different to the researched cultivars on the aspects mentioned in the paper, even if all had benefited of the same cultural conditions.


The invention discloses a self-cleaning air and water atomizing nozzle, comprising a water cooling cylinder and a connector connecting with the cylinder. A water inlet, a water outlet, an upper air inlet and a lower air inlet are arranged on the water cooling cylinder. A piston which is connected with a cylinder rod is arranged inside the water cooling cylinder. An upper sealing cover and a lowersealing cover are respectively arranged on the upper end and on the lower end of the piston. An end of the cylinder rod penetrates out the center of the lower sealing cover. A gas track and a sealinggroove are arranged on the upper end of the connector. An air inlet is arranged on a side of the upper section of the connector. A water inlet which is communicated with the water outlet of the watercooling cylinder is arranged on a side of the lower section of the connector. A core body which is connected with the cylinder rod is arranged on the central section of the connector. A gas guide hole is arranged on a side of the upper section of the core body. A baffle is arranged on the central section of the core body. A core is arranged on the lower section of the core body. A water guide gutter is arranged on the conical surface of the cone. A blowhole is arranged on the bottom center of the cone. A spring is arranged between the top of the connector cavity and the baffle of the core body. A nozzle base is arranged on the lower end of the connector. The nozzle has the advantages of realizing automatic cleaning in pneumatic way, and avoiding the frequent blocking of the nozzle.


This paper is to focus on the filmic reflexivity that the modernizing movements in European Cinema in the 1960s showed as a new trend of film theory. While classical film theory looked at film in terms of construction and composition (like formalists) or paid attention to the transparency of the filmic medium (like realists), mirror shot in modern cinema brings out filmic reflexivity. With regard to the reflexive and reflective potential of cinema, the close-up or the human face plays a significant role. It breaks the transparency of the filmic medium and destructs illusionism of the film by adopting a mirror image. These filmic images often interrupt the narrative flow. Therefore, close-up ultimately connects the theme of the split personality or the exchanged identity and the spectator's own uncomfortable recognition. The uncertainty of subject or the topic of split subject related to an object or 'the other' is well known through many art works. This topic is also often revealed in film history. A typical example is the Doppelganger motif that has fascinated cinema since its birth. Close-up and mirror shot can also be used as filmic images to reveal split subject and identity confusion. In Joon-Ho Bong's Mother the Doppelganger motif, the close-up and the mirror shot as self-reflexive images play a significant role. Mother is a work which once again reveals "why Joon-Ho Bong" so great. Not only does Mother construct an interesting story with elements of genre film like other Bong's movies, but it deals with the topic of split subject and exchanged identity. In Mother, mother's face is reflected on the divided window of the visiting room of the prison that her son Do-Joon is hold in custody. This mother's face in close-up can be understood as mirror shot. In this moment, the image of mother gazing Do-Joon as an object changes her from an observer to an observed object. The mother's face image in this mirror shot keeps the spectator at a distance and defamiliarizes it, thus creating the moment of reflexivity. In other words, the divided window of the visiting room as mirror "implies not just confronting oneself, but also turning this gaze outward, i.e. transforming it into the gaze of the Other" (Elsaesser and Hagener 9). This is to research the reflexive image in Mother with focus on the close-up and the human face, exploring how this reflexive image is related to the narrative.


Prices of "green products" are generally higher if purchased independently and randomly. Joint procurement (JP) actions of several authorities could change this situation. Any new product introduced to the market needs to quickly increase demand in order to achieve a return on development costs, and achieve economies of scale. The combined purchasing power of public authorities working together, can effectively provide this demand and give new environmental friendly products the helping hand they need to succeed on the market.


The advancements in the field of VLSI design allow multiple cores to be integrated on a single microprocessor chip. With the saturation in the scaling down of transistors to increase speed and performance, it is highly imperative to develop multi-core architectures for increased performance. But the increase in the core count per chip makes it more critical to design an efficient memory sub-system especially for the last level cache (LLC) that is shared among all the cores in a processor. The efficient utilization of the LLC is a dominant method to achieve the best microprocessor throughput. In this paper, the Reference Table (RT) based cache design for LLC of multi-core microprocessor is proposed using LRU replacement policy. The proposed RT Cache design adjusts itself based on the workload and automatically changes the utilization of the cache blocks to cope with the changes in the set access pattern so as to decrease the number of conflict misses. Also, at the same time it takes the advantage of accessing multiple cache blocks simultaneously so as to facilitate fast cache search of the set-associative LLC. The proposed architecture has been tested for a four core x86 multi-core architecture using Multi2sim open source tool. It is observed from the simulations that the proposed design provides an increase of 15.16% in cycles per second and 2.28% increase in hit ratio for L2 cache as compared to the n-way set associative cache.


Measuring the biodiversity value in monetary could be useful information for policy-makers to estimate welfare losses caused by biodiversity reductions and perform cost-benefit analysis of biodiversity conservation projects. This study applied the approach of contingent valuation to analyze the Mekong Delta urban households' preferences and their willingness to pay for the program of biodiversity conservation in U Minh Thuong National Park, one of the largest peat swamp forests in Vietnam. The study estimated that the mean WTP of urban residents in the Mekong Delta was about VND16,510 ($0.78) per household per month for all respondents and around VND31,520 ($1.49) after excluding the protest zero and scenario rejecting respondents. Aggregately, they agreed to contribute about $10.97 million annually for the project of biodiversity conservation.