In the coming years, the crystalline silicon solar cell industry will continue to decrease module costs through a variety of enhancements to productivity and cell efficiency. Of these, advances in processing and formulation of front and back side metallization pastes/inks have the potential to lead to significant cost reductions while at the same time maintaining or even increasing cell performance. Considering the front side silver-containing pastes, four methods have been outlined in the silicon PV technology roadmap as crucial to significant cost reduction: (1) a removal of heavy metal (Cd, Pb) containing glasses for environmental reasons; (2) a reduction in the use of, and eventual replacement of the precious metal silver as a conductive medium; (3) a reduction of finger width to reduce shading losses; and (4) reliable contact to shallow/high sheet resistivity emitters in order to reduce recombination losses [1]. As a current industrial supplier of high quality front side metallization pastes, Ferro Corporation will play a role in engineering and supplying pastes that address these four issues. Towards that end, here we review the microscopic structural and electrical mechanisms of front contact formation via metallization pastes/inks and report on initial attempts to further quantify the nature of the difficulties with reliably contacting high sheet resistivity wafers.


The leafminer Liriomyza sativae Blanchard is an important insect pest on melon crops in Brazil. However, the information about its biology on melon (Cucumis melo L.) is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this research was to know some biological aspects of this pest, reared on melon plants, under laboratory conditions at 25°C. Our results showed that the biological cycle of L. sativae lasts 15.9±0.04 days (egg-adult), namely: egg (2.7±0.01 days), larva (4.1±0.03 days) and pupa (9.1±0.03 days). The sex ratio is 0.51 and the females live (19.3±1.09 days) longer than males (16.2±0.96 days). These results can help in the integrated management of L. sativae on melon crops and improve the systems for rearing this leafminer in laboratory.


The non-linear behaviour of quasi-brittle media emerges from distributed micro-cracking. This is analysed conveniently by discrete lattice models. A 3D site-bond model is specialised here for materials with three-phase microstructures: stiff inclusions in a compliant matrix containing pores. The deformation behaviour is based on analytically derived relations between bond pr operties, length scale and macroscopic elastic constants. The microstructure-model mapping is based on size distributions and v olume densities of inclusions and pores, typically obtained through analyses of 3D images. Inclusions data is used to calculate the required length scale. Pores data is used to define the failure behaviour of individual bonds. Applications of the m ethodology to cement-based materials and nuclear graphite are p resented separately in this volume.


In this paper new equivalence relations on the category $Mod(A)$ for any associative algebra $A$ and several related results are given. The new equivalence relations are defined using restrictions to subalgebras and the action of algebra automorphisms on modules.


Liver transplantation (LT) in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection often is complicated by recurrence of infection despite immunoglobulin treatment. To evaluate whether variability in HBV genomic sequences and the target of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen action in pre‐LT samples may be associated with a high recurrence rate, HBV pre‐S/S regions of 14 HBV‐positive candidates for LT (in 9 of these patients, HBV infection subsequently recurred) were amplified and sequenced. Two hundred ninety‐one mutations in 1,167 sequenced nucleotides (24.9%) were found. Of these, 120 mutations (10.2%) led to an amino‐acid change. The only significant difference between patients with and without recurrent disease was in the number of mutations in the pre‐S2 region (total mutations, P = .042; missense mutations, P = .012) of pre‐LT HBV DNA. In addition, a difference in amino‐acid level was present in the pre‐S2 region (P = .030). The delay in HBV infection recurrence was proportional to the number of pre‐LT HBV mutations in the pre‐S2 and S genes: the higher the number, the longer the interval between LT and recurrence of infection (pre‐S2, P = .0124; S, P = .0060; total number of mutations in S protein, P = .0421). In conclusion, pre‐LT determination of pre‐S/S gene sequence variability showed that heterogeneity of the pre‐S2 and, to a lesser extent, S genes was associated with a greater chance for HBV recurrence. Modification of B‐cell epitopes of S, but especially of pre‐S2, protein leading to conformational changes and alterations in the viral encapsidation and secretion process may facilitate HBV recurrence and contribute to the failure of immune globulin therapy.


Powder samples of the ternary carbide ErMn4Fe8Cx 1 were oriented under a low magnetic field HB0:5T. Analysis of the crystal texture of the samples confirms that the compound is of easy-plane type, in agreement with magnetization measurements and neutron diffraction experiments performed elsewhere. Both the latter techniques have revealed that the magnetic arrangement is rather complicated, as supported by competing contributions to magneto-crystalline anisotropy. However, assuming a reasonably simple expression for the magneto-crystalline anisotropy valid at high temperature only, the texture analysis, performed at 300K, has allowed simulation of the magnetization versus field curve for this planar ferrimagnetic structure. A comparison with the experimental magnetization curve reveals the onset of a first-order magnetization process taking place under an applied field up to 1.8T. r 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PACS: 75.30.Gw; 71.20.Lp; 61.10.Yh; 75.60. d


FoxP3+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), essential for immunologic and organismal homeostasis, have diverse functions and corresponding gene expression programs. How the many controlling transcription factors (TFs) organize to determine Treg identity and diversity remains unclear. We combined single-cell chromatin accessibility profiling, machine learning, and high-density natural genetic variation, validated with TF knockout, CRISPR-editing, and binding data, to define the Treg regulatory network. Distal enhancers proved driven by imbricated multi-TF inputs, employing strategies different from promoter regions. Topic modelling resolved a framework of chromatin programs shaped by distinct TF motifs. This framework anchored surprisingly heterogenous responses to IL2. It identified an unrecognized role for the Smarcc1 remodeler. FoxP3 impacted only some segments of this framework, either activating or repressing programs, amplifying a core Treg identity defined independently. Its absence in Treg-like cells unleashed cytokine expression, but not Th de-differentiation. This work provides a unifying scaffold to understand and manipulate Treg states.


This paper presents Adam Smith's view on taxation and public expenditure, by means of an almost literal reading of the Wealth of Nations famous passages on the "duties of the sovereign" and on the "maxims of taxation". Contrarily to the commonest usage of these passages, we will show that their core is the preoccupation with the public expenditure soaring and the defence of decentralisation. Furthermore and also contrarily to the existing interpretations we defend the non-existence of any contradiction between Smith's income and price theory (and the incidence hypothesis), provided due attention is paid to the guiding role of the "maxims".


Performance of Indian wheat production in terms of growth and instability was examined in the present study. Conventional techniques like compound annual growth rate and instability indices were used to analyse the production performance of the crop. With the implementation of All India Coordinated Wheat Improvement Project (AICWIP) during 1964-65, self-sufficiency status was achieved through the introduction of high yielding semi dwarf varieties so called green revolution technologies. Significant positive growth and low instability were noticed in area, production and productivity of wheat. The study indicates that yield growth surpassed the acreage growth and is attributed to the coordinated research and increase in area under irrigation. However, growth in acreage can be attributed to the rising MSP over years. Instability analysis indicated that wheat production is stable in the country. However, more efforts are needed to ensure food and nutritional security put forth by the burgeoning population.


This thesis presents a study of spin correlation in ttˉ production in the ATLAS detector, in proton-proton collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4:7fb\(^1\), with a centre of mass energy of \(\surd\)s = 7 TeV. Both the dilepton and single lepton channels are considered, the latter providing a greater challenge due to the necessity to reconstruct the down-type quark resulting from the W boson decay. A simple technique is employed to reconstruct single lepton ttˉ events, with the transverse angle between the charged lepton and down-type quark used as a probe of the spin correlation. In the dilepton channel, the transverse angle between both charged leptons is used. The extracted value of spin correlation in each channel is consistent with Standard Model predictions, with the result in the e\(\mu\) channel alone sufficient to exclude a model without spin correlation at 7:8\(\sigma\). Also described is the author's contribution to the maintenance and development of the Atlantis Event Display.


Abstract : A study was undertaken to find a suitable synthesis for the preparation of perfluoroalkylaluminum compounds. Several of the reactions carried out were unsuccessful: The reaction of (CF2:CF)MgBr with AlCl3 in THF resulted in a polymeric substance which upon hydrolysis gave an amount of CF2:CFH corresponding to a yield of 50% (CF2:CF)3Al:O(CH2)4, but no distillable material could be isoated; the reaction of (CF2:CF)2Hg with aluminum powder failed to yield any identifiable perfluorovinylaluminum compound; and the reaction of (CF2:CF)2Hg with AlCl3 produced only a polymer. When (CF2:CF)2Hg was treated with AlH3:NMe3 in ether, (CF2:CF)3Al:NMe3 resulted; and the compound (CF2:CF)2AlH:NMe3 could be isolated from a synproportionation of AlH3:NMe3 and (CF2:CF)3Al:NMe3. CF3AlH2:NMe3, in polymeric form, was synthesized from the reaction of AlH3:NMe3 with (CF3)2Hg. (Author)


Appropriate infant and young child feeding practices constitute a critical determinant of child growth and development. In India these practices are strongly influenced by tradition myths and beliefs. Therefore a review was done of the published article abstracts and review articles to retrieve information on prevalent myths and beliefs in India surrounding complementary feeding practices of infants. The results indicated that the most common reasons found for delayed initiation of complementary foods were perception that weaning foods have an adverse effect on health of the child and that the child will vomit everything. Mothers also believed breast milk to be sufficient for the baby till one year. Jaggery spicy foods papaya mango beet root brinjal chicken mutton fish and egg were considered as hot foods and banana lemon juice citrus foods curd butter milk and ice-cream was considered cold foods in various regions. In few other studies dhals (pulses) fruit juice spicy foods fried foods egg guava tea coffee and non- vegetarian foods were considered harmful for the child. Thus the findings necessitates a need to explore regional traditions myths and beliefs before designing and implementing any intervention for improving optimal infant and young child feeding practices especially complementary feeding practices.


Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the European Union (EU) through heavy pressure on health services, business activity and people's life To mitigate these effects, government agencies, civil society and the private sector are working together in proposing innovative initiatives In this sense, this study aims to characterize and explore the relevance of these projects to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 Design/methodology/approach: The Observatory of Public Sector Innovation provided by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development was considered to enable the identification and exploration of innovative projects to combat COVID-19 A methodology based on mixed methods is adopted to initially identify quantitatively the distribution of these projects, followed by a qualitative approach based on thematic analysis that allows exploring their relevance Findings: A total of 206 initiatives in the EU have been identified The distribution of these projects is quite asymmetric, with Portugal and Austria totaling 33 52% of these projects Most of these projects focus on the areas of public health, infection detection and control, virtual education, local commerce, digital services literacy, volunteering and solidarity and hackathons Originality/value: This work is relevant to identifying and understanding the various areas in which COVID-19 initiatives have been developed This information is of great relevance for the actors involved in this process to be able to replicate these initiatives in their national, regional and local contexts © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited


Objective. This review of international research will help clinicians recognize and treat patients who have childbirth fear, a contributing cause to the high cesarean section rate in the U.S. in hopes of lowering that rate. Methods. A review of the literature was performed using PubMed, Medline, and Science Citation Index. Search terms included "(elective) cesarean section", "cesarean section on maternal request", "vaginal versus cesarean","fear of childbirth", "screening for/treatment for fear of childbirth". Results. Cesarean sections engender many risks to mothers and newborns and the current rate of cesarean sections is high. Psychological, social and demographic characteristics put women at risk for suffering from childbirth fear, and lead to request for cesarean delivery. Screening for childbirth fear can be done using simple tools, and counseling women suffering from fear can decrease the fear and reduce cesarean rates. Conclusion. There is a benefit to screening for and treating fear of childbirth.


A correlation between sodium balance and adrenal mineralocorticoid secretion, at least in part mediated by the renin-angiotensin system, can be regarded as established 1 . Disturbances of sodium balance are usually associated with parallel alterations in extracellular fluid volume; acutely induced alterations in extracellular fluid volume are known to be followed by appropriate change in renal excretion of water and sodium 2 . It would be logical if the natriuretic component of this renal response were partly under the control of aldosterone, and indeed changes in blood volume following infusion or hemorrhage lead to reciprocal change in blood levels of aldosterone or angiotensin 3 . Although it has been repeatedly emphasized that the renal reaction to altered aldosterone level is too slow to account for the prompt natriuresis which occurs with plasma volume expansion by infusions, a reduced level could contribute to the developed response. However, many investigators have shown that the natriuretic response to plasma-expanding infusions is not prevented by simultaneous administration of mineralocorticoids 4 . Even this does not exclude a participatory role of inhibited aldosterone secretion in short-term volume adjustments, as an initial high level of a hormone does not necessarily eliminate a response to lowering of this level, as has been reported 5 for the antidiuretic effect of vasopressin. Current emphasis on renal vascular factors as mediators of volume natriuresis 6 , and the fact that this response is little altered by renal denervation 7 , could suggest that adrenal catecholamine secretion rate might also play a part in renal volume responses. Unequivocal resolution of these questions would seem to depend on studies in adrenalectomized animals. Such studies in the dog have led to the conclusion that the adrenals are not essential to natriuretic response to plasma volume expansion 8 .


The role of youth polytechnic in the provision of middle level education cannot be overemphasized. Most learners who cannot proceed to high schools and other tertiary institutions resort to youth polytechnics to gain skills which they use mainly in the informal sector. While the potential for quick expansion of youth polytechnics programs are there, there are a number of factors that are hampering their growth. The ministry of education does not fund youth polytechnics but only gives them grants to pay instructors' salaries. There is a challenge in funding education sector since resources are scarce. The government has been allocating a lot of funds to other levels of education and very little is allocated to the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). This study sought to assess alternatives of financing youth polytechnics activities and how income so generated is used to offer quality training in Imenti South District- Meru County. The researcher adopted descriptive survey design. The study targeted the two polytechnics in Imenti South District. Purposive sampling was used and a sample of 27 respondents was identified. Piloting was done in the polytechnic not involved in the study. Spearman's rank order correlation was used to compute reliability. Data was collected using questionnaires, observation guide and interview schedule. Descriptive statistics were presented in form of frequencies and percentages. Qualitative data was presented using theoretical descriptions. The study revealed that there are varied ventures in income generation activities that youth polytechnics are involved in. It was also found out that much of the income from IGAs is not accounted for, or there are no records kept both by the management and the staff. The polytechnics that are well endowed were producing more income than those which were less endowed. The income generated is used to improve the quality of education. However there are few production units in the polytechnics. The study recommended that Youth polytechnics should build sustainability of income generating activities such as running them as business enterprise. Vibrant production units should also be set up. This is key in increasing the income generated by the youth polytechnics.


AIM: To find out whether ClC 3 can influence PKC sensitivity of swelling activated chloride (VSOR Cl -) channel in mouse ventricular myocytes. METHODS: Mice with homozygous disruption of Clcn 3 gene ( Clcn 3 -/- mice) were produced by techniques of gene targeting, RT PCR and patch clamp whole cell recording, the expression of ClC 3 mRNA was detected and VSOR Cl - currents were measured. RESULTS: ①VSOR Cl - currents were significantly augmented by application of 1 μmol/L phorbol 12 myristate 13 acetate (PMA) under hypotonic condition. ②PMA application under isotonic conditions did not produce significant effects on the basal currents. The time course of swelling induced current activation in PMA pretreated cells was much faster than that in cells without PMA pretreatment. ③ The increase effects of PMA on VSOR Cl - currents were not significantly different between wild type and Clcn 3 -/- mice. ④10 μmol/L chelerythrine (CHE) pretreatment almost completely abolished the activation of VSOR Cl - currents induced by osmotic swelling and the up regulatory effects of PMA posttreatment on VSOR Cl - channel. CONCLUSION: The activation mechanism of VSOR Cl - channel in mouse ventricular myocytes is almost totally dependent on the PKC activity. The PKC dependence of VSOR Cl - channel is not affected by the molecular expression of ClC 3.


Background: The purpose of this study was to verify the
efficiency of surgical treatment of idiopathic macular hole
(IMH) using pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with peeling of
internal limiting membrane (ILM) and gas-tamponade with 15%
perflouropropan (C3F8). Methods: There were placed 52 patients
(54 eyes) in our test group (47 women, 5 men), Their mean age
was 68.2+/-5.9 years. Two patients had surgery of both eyes at
different times. The stage of macular hole has been determined
based on clinical symptoms and examination using optical
coherence tomography (OCT). The mean observation period in this
study group was 14.0+/-9.6 months. The final result of surgery
has been tested in OCT at the end of observation period. All 52
patients with IMH submitted to standard PPV with peeling of
posterior hyaloid. Trypan blue (Membrane blue) has been applied
into air filled eye for 1 minute. Then, we performed peeling of
stained ILM in macular region and tamponade with 15% C3F8.
Patient were then recommended to keep a prone position of the
head for 2 weeks. The best-corrected visual accuity (BCVA) was
determined at the end of ebservation period. Result: ILM
staining was sufficient in all cases. Average BCVA before
operation was 0.94 +/- 0.32 logMAR (0.2-1.7). Postoperative
BCVA was 0.58+/-0.33 logMAR (0.0-1.7). Visual acuity improve in
48 eyes (89%), stabilized in 5 eyes (9%), and deterioted in 1
eye (2%). By statistical evaluation is BCVA improvement
statistically significant (p=0.001). Metamorphopsia was
elimitated in 100%. Full IMH closure (flat/ closed after
Tomambe) was reached in 45 eyes (83%). Total flattening IMH
borders (flat/closed after Tomambe) was reached in 6 eyes
(11%). IMH remained open (open/elevated after Tomambe) in 3
eyes (6%). Conclusion: PPV with ILM peeling represents an
effective way for treatment of IMH. Trypan blue (Membrane blue)
staining makes ILM identification and delamination easier.


22 NOVEMBER 1923 - 2 MARCH 2004 WILLIAM J. BOUWSMA, Sather Professor of History Emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley, and past president of the American Historical Association (1978), died in Berkeley on 2 March 2004. He was eighty. He is survived by Beverly, his wife of sixty years; by four children (John and Sarah of Portland, Oregon, Phillip of Guerneville, and Paul of Santa Cruz, California); and by six grandchildren. Bouwsma was born of Dutch ancestry on 22 November 1923, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and reared in Lincoln, Nebraska. After receiving his B.A. from Harvard in 1943 and serving for three years in the army air force, he returned to Harvard to obtain his Ph.D. in 1950. After seven years of teaching at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, he came to Berkeley in 1957, and, except for two years at Harvard (1969-71), never left it. He retired from active service in 1991. Bouwsma served as chairman of the history department (1966-67, 1981-83) and vice chancellor for academic affairs (1967-69). The central theme of Bouwsma's scholarship was the history of European culture in the age of the Renaissance (or, as it came to be called during his time, in the early modern era). His first book (1957) was a study of Guillaume Postel, a French intellectual of the late sixteenth century. In 1968 he published Venice and the Defense of Republican Liberty: Renaissance Values in the Age of the Counter-Reformation. This book, which arose from an initial interest in the career of a Venetian priest, historian, and critic of the papacy, Paolo Sarpi (1552-1623), grew into an analysis of Venetian politics and its social and cultural context, and beyond that to the issues raised by the confrontation between a Renaissance republic and the Counter-Reformation papacy. Bouwsma undertook with the book to generalize the relationship between humanism and republican liberty in Italy and, implicitly, in Europe. This brought him to the Protestant Reformation and its relationship to the Renaissance as a stage in the progress of Western history, for the exploration of which he chose the unexpected form of a biography of John Calvin (1988). Twenty years elapsed between Bouwsma's treatments of his two principal themes, Venice and the Renaissance, Calvin and the Reformation. Between them lay a deep rift in the progressive narrative of Western history, which had supplied the framework for his earlier works. Bouwsma diagnosed the damage in 1978 in his masterful, troubled presidential address to the American Historical Association, "The Renaissance and the Drama of Western History." "I should like to discuss a remarkable historiographical event," he began, "the collapse of the traditional dramatic organization of Western history." He chose the subject "as appropriate for me, as a historian of the Renaissance, because of the pivotal position of the Renaissance in the traditional pattern. Indeed, the historian of the Renaissance has long been the principal guardian of that pattern. But historians of the Renaissance have lately been unable-or unwilling-to fulfill this old responsibility. Hence, this essay is also a kind of oblique professional autobiography, though I point this out only for the sake of candor, not as a further inducement to your attention. …


Design has found itself dealing with an increased degree of participation in recent years, through incremental shifts the perspective has change from customer to value co-creator. This has led to design being associated with facilitation and fostering of the diffuse design capacity of the target group than a creative endeavour undertaken by experts. Designerly education, and namely the design studios, exemplify the need for the creation of hands on knowledge for the growth of one's design capacity. However, we seem to forget this perspective when engaging in social innovation that aims towards the evolution of diffuse design capacity of creative communities. Turning to two notions that highlight the situated cognition and embodied knowledge we aim to reframe this process in the context of service design and craft in hopes that this will be conductive to transitioning towards sustainable lifestyles.


The paper analyzes the corpus delicti classification by the moment of crime completion. The author considers allocating of a large number of types of corpus delicti by the moment of completion to be unreasonable, and comes to the conclusion that many types of corpus delicti allocated in the scientific literature have no specific character, but are variations of other corpus delicti. The paper provides the author's vision of the classification of corpus delicti by the moment of crime completion.


Field experiments were conducted at the Central Potato Research Institute, Simla to study the cumulative, direct and residual effect of FYM on the potato. In the direct effect, FYM applied a 44 kg P/ha was as effective as superphosphate in increasing the yield of tubers but was less effective than the combined application of 44 kg P and 125 kg K/ha. However, FYM in the cumulative effect produced higher yield than the combined application of P and K as inorganics. The residual effect of FYM was quite substantial and was higher in a low rainfall year. On the other hand, the residual effect of PK-fertilizers was not discernible. Past applications of FYM were more effective in maintaining yield levels than the inorganic P source as judged from the lower responses of potatoes to fresh application of P. FYM was intermediate in building up available soil P as compared to 44 and 88 kg P/ha as superphosphate, while it was having an edge over potassic fertilizer in improving available soil K. Application of P alone resulted in the depletion of the soil K.


Laughing World of Ancient Russia by Likhachev is yet another landmark work in the history of the studies of Russian laugh culture after Bakhtin's Rabelais' Work and Folk Culture in the medieval and Renaissance.Likhachev,in addition to learning and absorbing Bakhtin's theory on the European Medieval laugh culture,further explores the national identity and characteristics of times in ancient Russia and makes insightful analysis of the role of laugh in the social life of ancient Russia.


Concern about emerging and re‐emerging diseases plays an increasing role in conservation and management of both captive and free‐ranging nonhuman primates (NHPs). Managers and policy makers must formulate conservation plans in an arena plagued by uncertainty, complexity, emotion, and politics. The risk analysis paradigm provides a framework that brings together scientists and policy experts to make better decisions for both people and animals. Risk analysis is a multidisciplinary, science‐based process that provides an organized and logical approach for incorporating scientific information into policy development in the real world. By blending four specific goal‐oriented stages–hazard identification, risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication–one can logically assess the probability that an adverse event, such as the introduction of an emerging disease into a naïve population, will occur. The following is a review of this process as it pertains to NHP conservation and risks associated with infectious diseases. Am. J. Primatol. 68:855–867, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


It was anticipated that laser cooling of atoms to 2 {mu}K would improve the accuracy and resolution of laser and microwave spectroscopies by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude. In state-of-the-art room temperature Cs frequency standards, the 9 GHz ground state hyperfine transition is measured with a fractional accuracy of 3 x 10{sup {minus}14}. Since all of the formerly known systematic effects that limit the accuracy increase either linearly or as some high power of the atom`s velocity, the accuracy of a laser cooled Cs standard should be {approx} 10{sup {minus}16}. However, at {mu}K temperatures, the de Broglie wavelengths of the atoms are much larger than the scale of the interatomic potential so that collision cross sections can be as large as {lambda}{sub dB}{sup 2}/2{pi} {approx} 10{sup {minus}10} cm{sup 2}. Here, collisional frequency shifts in a laser-cooled Cs fountain are measured to be {minus}1.4 x 10{sup {minus}12} corresponding to a cross section of 0.5 x 10{sup {minus}10} cm{sup 2}. The author also expects to report experimental results showing a potentially strong magnetic field dependence of these cross sections for fields smaller than 0.2 G. The field of ultra-cold collisions will also be reviewed.


DURING the last decade new methods of investigation have been introduced for the diagnosis of endocrine disorders. Among these may be mentioned : vaginal smears (Papanicolaou, 1933), cervical arborization test ( P a , 195 11, genetic sex determination (Davidson and Smith, 1954), and the various hormone titrations in urine (Jayle and CrCpy, 1950) and blood (Forbes, 1950). To these we should now add the endoscopic examinations (coelioscopy and culdoscopy). In the following pages we wish to report our observations in 35 cases of endocrine disorders in which endoscopy has enabled the rapid and accurate diagnosis of the cases studied.


The formation of left atrial thrombus (LAT) during atrial fibrillation (AF) was evaluated in 388 patients without valvular disease using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Twohundred seventy-five patients had sinus rhythm (SR), while 58 had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), and 55 had chronic atrial fibrillation (CAF). LAT was detected by TEE in 63 patients (16.2%), but it was not detected by TTE. LAT was present in 4.0% of the patients with SR, 25.9% of the patients with PAF (p<0.01 vs SR), and 67.3% of the patients with CAF (p<0.01 vs SR). PAF and CAF were each significantly more prevalent among the patients with LAT than among those without LAT. Diabetes mellitus, a prior history of stroke, smoking, and alcohol use were also more prevalent in patients with LAT than in patients without LAT. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of hypertension between the patients with and without LAT. Left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction < 60%) was more frequently observed in patients with LAT than in patients without LAT (15.9% and 7.8%, respectively, p=0.02). A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that PAF, CAF and drinking were independent predictors of LAT. A 7-fold increase in the odds ratio for the formation of LAT was observed for patients with PAF, whereas CAF was associated with a 50-fold greater risk. In conclusion, we confirmed that TEE is a sensitive test for detecting LAT while PAF was found to be an important risk factor for LAT formation, although the risk during PAF is much less than that during CAF.


We described the placing of the mobile agents in a dynamic environment. It formed a dynamic environment for a complex of dynamically changing mobile agents. We described a two-level system of connections at the global and local levels of interaction. Such a scheme allows you to support the survivability of a dynamic environment. We presented the model of placement of mobile agents in a dynamic environment, which forms the basis of the trajectory of interaction between mobile agents, enabling us to combine the dynamic environment into a unified dynamic environment. The proposed method for mobile agents parameters restoring in a unified dynamic environment, taking into account the similarity coefficients, allows restore 80% parameters of an inaccessible mobile agent. This indicates the high efficiency of the objects description in the form of a unified dynamic environment in order to maintain its integrity.


This thesis focuses on rhythmic performance with auditory and haptic feedback. Through the studies on walking and cycling I have been investigating the concept of applying ecological feedback to interactive performances. The first six studies focus on walking interaction and two remaining present an evolution of a concept of rehabilitation system with a stationary bike as a core. Through the literature reviews, I analysed the issues, but as well potential advantages of using auditory or haptic feedback in those two activities. Both of them are crucial to investigate from several reasons. Both of them are inherently rhythmical and share some kinetic functions, which make them complementary. Especially training on a stationary bike (which is easier than walking) can help to exercise elements (e.g. reciprocal flexion and extension movements of hip, knee, and ankle), which are crucial in walking. The emphasis was placed on ecological sounds utilisation due to their ability to transfer richer information than simple metronome-like sounds. They are already associated with motor actions, which adds a motivational aspect, and gives a chance to recreate a close to real auditory experience when combined with soundscape sounds. Since, walking and biking share similar kinetic patterns, improved biking performance can as well lead to improved gait patterns. Thus, systems which introduce higher motivation to exercising are desired to be developed. The main novelties, which this thesis contributes with are 1) a usage of ecological feedback and cueing in rhythmic interaction, which until now did not receive enough attention, unlike the non-ecological feedback; 2) investigation on tactile interaction within rhythmic walking scenario; 3) the first study on the influence of soundscape on rhythmic walking interaction with a focus on a preferred pace; 4) the first study on monitoring brain activity while walking with following ecological vs. non-ecological rhythmic cues; 5) a concept of a design of an audio augmented stationary bike-based system for rehabilitation. The results of the studies present interesting outcomes and reveal promising paths for future work. They are especially interesting in a context of motivation exercising for elderly and gait rehabilitation. The research which


Cardiovascular diseases are leading causes of premature mortality and disability. Although health institutions have developed and promoted cardiac rehabilitation programs, they have not attained their desired outcomes, especially among the most vulnerable groups of the population. This study qualitatively examines socially and materially deprived men's (n = 20) noncompliance with cardiovascular health guidelines following a medical intervention to the heart. By drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's sociocultural theory of practice, results indicate that precarious living conditions obstruct long-term physical recovery and illness prevention by underemphasizing the value of "health capital" and reducing the capacity to sustain lifestyle change. This study calls into question health policies that have little to no consideration of embodied practical knowledge and lived experiences.


Valle del Cauca concentrates an important fraction of the large national industry, as evidenced by its position as the first Department in industrial emissions of greenhouse gases in Colombia. To this must be added the fact that the geographic valley of the Cauca River (VRC) produces almost 80% of Colombia's sugar cane, and that pre-harvest burning is still used in 34% of the harvested area. This research is part of the CACIQUE project and measurement campaign (CAuca river valley sugarCane pre-harvest burning aIr QUality Effects), which seeks to quantify and attribute sources of pollution to the air quality measured in Palmira, center of the VRC. In this extended summary we report measurements of aerosols, in situ in the surface layer, and of the atmospheric column by solar photometry at the Palmira Headquarters of the National University of Colombia (3,512 N, 76,308 W). Instrumentation included a beta analyzer and high and low volume PM2.5 and PM10 samplers, a cascade impactor for particle size mass distribution, and a nephelometer. Solar photometry measurements show that the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 500 nm measured in Palmira (~ 0.22) is almost ~ 2 higher than in Bogotá (~ 0.14), and only marginally lower than that measured in the Carboniferous Zone of the Cesar (~ 0.28). Even more unexpected is the fact that this high AOT appears inconsistent with the comparatively low concentrations measured at the surface. Angstrom exponents, derived from photometric measurements, are in the range 0.2-2, which is indicative of a mixture of 1) predominantly fine particulate matter, which would include secondary aerosols (as revealed by our analysis of PM2.5), and soot from biomass burning, and 2) coarse material, including dust. In general, more than three quarters of the attenuation by aerosols in the atmospheric column is attributable to fine material. The mean volumetric particle size distributions in the atmospheric column were comparable to the mass distributions in the surface layer, with modal diameters of ~ 0.3 μm and ~ 6 μm in the column, and ~ 0.9 μm and ~ 5.2 μm in the column. surface layer.


PURPOSE: An LCD equipped with a Newton rings protection function is provided to block the moisture and fine material which passes a through hole. CONSTITUTION: A backlight unit(100) includes a reflection sheet(101), a light guide plate(102), an optical sheet(103), and a light source(104). An LCD panel(110) is formed on the upper of the backlight unit. A light blocking tape(120) is attached between the backlight unit and LCD panel. The backlight unit and LCD panel is included in a frame(130). A window(140) is installed to be separated from the LCD panel in the upper of the frame and forms an outer screen. A circulation hole(141) is formed in the window.


Soybean protein fiber has many excellent properties,but it has some defects such as poor crease resistance and dimensional stability.Top grade soybean protein fiber/super fine polyester blended fine tex yarn were developed by blending soybean protein fiber and super fine polyester,and adopting physically crease resistant technology in the paper.The spinning process of blended yarn was discussed in detail,and rational process parameters were decided.


The present invention, thermal energy, a method for supplying a system for processing of raw materials. The present invention also relates to equipment for operating the system and the system implementing the method. Oxygen The method raw materials (MPCS) containing dry carbon, in the first reactor, the step of gas by the gas flow gasification containing CO .FIELD 1


Smart textiles are adaptive materials that use established textile methods to integrate multifunctionalities beyond apparels. Despite recent advancement, a significant gap exists between commercial needs and the academic state of the art. In this perspective, we aim to address the gap by (i) holistically investigating smart textile system operation, (ii) exploring production methods and materials for stimuli-responsive smart textiles, (iii) discussing key emerging application areas for stimuli-responsive textiles, and (iv) identifying markets, production techniques, and strategies for future development. Stimuli-responsive smart textiles rely on materials and processes to interact with the environment and wearer. Smart textile applications, such as assistive soft robotics, smart healing, and thermal comfort regulation, require textiles to meet the needs of form and function. Smart textile commercialization requires the identification of markets ready for adaptive textiles, wherein a smart phone or patch does not address the consumer needs. Interdisciplinary collaborations can focus efforts to the right applications, bridging the gap between academic research and product relevance, bringing smart textiles into the future.


The desire not to desire is crucial to Samuel Beckett and Giacomo Leopardi. Beckett explores this theme in Proust where Leopardi's poem "A Se Stesso" is thrice quoted. Before citing this poem, Beckett catalogues Leopardi as one of the philosophers who proposed the only impossible solution—the removal of desire—to living. Leopardi expresses the desire of not desiring in his posthumously-collected Manuale di Filosofia Pratica . There is thus a fundamental common terrain in Leopardi's and Beckett's existential enquiry. This apparently negative and pessimistic outlook in both authors is a leading thread that has received critical attention. My contention, nonetheless, is that while both Leopardi and Beckett aspire to the ablation of desire, the two authors are neither nihilists nor pessimists. It is through their humour that both Leopardi and Beckett introduce a paradoxical in-between space for desire. The humorous moment conceals repressed desire, albeit it also strives to allow that same characteristic of human fallibility- desire- to be manifested. It is in this dual act that humour in Leopardi and Beckett is inextricably linked to something unsettling, grimacing but also potentially liberating.


A new typeozonegenerator withlocal dielectric barrier discharges operated inverythingas jets hasbeenexperimentally investigated forevaluating anefficient generation process oftheozonic atmosphere. Theuseofgasjets istoimprove anenhancement ofthe barrier discharges andacooling effect ontheefficiency. Theexperiments havebeenconducted tocharacterize theozonegeneration process underfollowing variable parameters: inputted discharge powerfroma high- voltage source, flowrateoftheinjected gasjets, and discharge electrode arrangements foroptimizing the efficiency. Inthis paper, afundamental design ofthe ozonegenerator andsomequantitative results are presented. The experimentally obtained evaluation indicates aneffective performance fortheefficiency ina lower range ofdischarge power.


The legitimacy of monarchical power in ancient China includes that of the dynasty and that of the monarch him-or herself.The emergence of early states in China means the birth of monarchial power,the establishment of the monarchy,and the beginning of the debate on legitimacy of monarchical power.The theory of the legitimacy of monarchial power developed with monarchy and gradually become perfect,bringing about China's unique concept of dynastic "legitimacy" and its debating system supported by destiny,moral,and public opinion.


This paper introduced the necessity and the implementation of the holistic education of the professional planning for the graduate nursing students so as to help the teachers to perform professional planning in nursing education and improve the science and effectiveness of the professional development.


Tactile apparent motion (TAM) is a perceptual phenomenon in which consecutive presentation of multiple tactile stimuli creates an illusion of motion. Employing a novel tactile display device, the Latero, allowed us to investigate this. The current study focused on the Rapidly Adapting (RA) channel and Slowly Adapting I (SAI) channel on the index finger. The experiment implemented vibrotactile masking stimuli to target the mechanoreceptive channels with the goal of gaining better insight into the involvement of mechanoreceptive channels in the perception of TAM. Masking stimuli were used because previous studies have used them to differentiate between different channels; a certain masking stimulus will impact a mechanoreceptive channel more than others. The experiment began by measuring participants' threshold for TAM stimuli by varying the stimulus intensity in a two-choice task (left vs right); participants received test trials consisting of TAM stimuli with 25 Hz and 6 Hz testing for the RA and SAI channels, respectively. Next, participants performed a series of test trials with vibrotactile masking stimuli that preceded the TAM stimuli mentioned above. The vibrotactile masking stimulus varied in duration (4 seconds vs 8 seconds) and intensity (two times vs three times the intensity of the TAM stimuli). The results suggest that there was no difference in accuracy when testing for the RA and SAI channels. The results also showed that the introduction of the masking stimuli significantly lowered accuracy. Overall, neither the RA nor the SAI channel may be uniquely involved in TAM perception. However, further improvement on the current design may aid in isolating each channel to help better understand the channel's role in TAM perception.


Abstract This article presents a review of the development and potential impact of National Curricula for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and draws parallels with the implementation of the National Curriculum for schools. It reviews changes in ITT arising from the development of ITT partnerships between schools and higher education and suggests that some of the collaborative initiatives that have been emerging from joint research and development, partly led by previous government requirements, may not be fully evaluated before they are inhibited by central definition of course content. Specific concerns about the ITT National Curricula requirements for subject specialist teaching in primary schools are discussed in terms of the Teacher Training Agency's (TTA) assumption that greater subject knowledge per se will lead to improved standards of teaching and learning, without taking sufficient account of other pedagogy and management factors. the article suggests that if the quality of ITT is to improve, there...


The degree to which the performance of the adaptive LMS transversal filter depends on the ratio of the extreme eigen-values of the input autocorrelation matrix is investigated. Subsequently, performance is related to the spectral properties of the input signal via a study of the relationship between the eigenvalues and the loci of the poles characterising the input signal.


Firstly,the formation and the essential conditions of environmental management are introduced.Secondly,the construction of our nation's environmental management is analyzed according to the actual situation.The advancement model of environmental management is proposed with the trinity of environment ISO,the clean production and environment accountant.Finally,the implementation countermeasures are proposed for the evaluation of environmental management.


Today, in order to confront the growing complexity of products and organisations, Aeronautic, Space and Defence (ASD) manufacturing enterprises are using more and more System Engineering, Product Lifecycle Management and Computer Aided Solutions for various engineering and management activities. Combined with a more and more important outsourcing, such trends led to the emergence of what is called Dynamic Manufacturing Networks (DMN). These DMNs are facing important difficulties for the establishment of PLM interoperability based on legacy PLM standards for Manufactured Product and Process data exchange, sharing and long term archiving. To address such issues, Airbus Group Innovations (AGI) has been developing a Federative Interoperability Framework (FIF) through iterations between research, operational and standardisation projects. FIF defines interoperability principles, brakes and enablers. Based on an analysis of DMN interoperability brakes and enablers, this paper proposes a new way based on FIF interoperability principles for dealing with pragmatic interoperability of PLM processes within the ASD digital business ecosystem. We propose a DMN interoperability conceptual framework, coupled with an experimental collaborative open platform (cPlatform), to achieve pragmatic PLM process interoperability. For this, we rely on DMN blueprint of PLM Business Processes developed within the frame of the IMAGINE project. The proposed approach is then assessed according to scientific, business and standardisation viewpoints. Today, Aeronautic, Space and Defence manufacturing enterprises' products and organisations are more and more complex. It motivates usage of System Engineering, Product Life cycle Management (PLM) and computer aided solutions for engineering or management activities. Dynamic Manufacturing Networks (DMN) are then emerging, but facing important difficulties for the establishment of PLM interoper- ability based on legacy PLM standards for Manufactured Product and Process data exchange, sharing and long term archiving. Extending a Federative Interoperability Framework (FIF) developed by Airbus Group Innovations (AGI) through iterations between research, operational and standardisation projects.


Part II Volume 5 Columns, reviews and letters, January 1908 - June 1909 Volume 6 Columns, reviews and letters, July 1909 - September 1910 Volume 7 Columns, reviews and letters, October 1910 - December 1911 Volume 8 Columns, reviews and letters, January 1912 - February 1913 Items from 1916 and 1928 Appendix: Reviews of Chesterton's Books in the Daily News, 1901-1913


Eighty-six specimens (58 males, 28 females) of pufferfish, Fugu vermicularis vermicularis, were collected off Futtsu, Tokyo Bay, and the toxicity of various organs was assessed.More than half of the specimens were found to possess a toxic liver, the highest and average toxicity scores being 1, 500 and 132MU/g, respectively. The testis of this pufferfish, which has been reported to be non-toxic, was found to be weakly toxic, depending upon the specimen. Most ovaries were toxic, with the highest score of 5, 900MU/g and the average score 874MU/g. The muscles were non-toxic, except for a single, weakly toxic example.It was noted that the Tokyo Bay specimens maintained a fairly high toxicity level even after the spawning season, in contrast to the observations on other pufferfishes, in which the toxicity levels sharply decreased down after spawing.


Summary form only given. New functionalized polypyrrole films containing transition metal complexes have teen prepared and studied. The strategy is based on the three-dimensional template effect of a metal center (Cu/sup l/, Co/sup II/, Zn/sup II/, Ag/sup I/) able to entwine two end-functionalized chelating ligands before polymerization. The ligands used consist of a 2,9-diphenyl-1, 10-phenanthroline subunit (dpp) bearing two pyrrole nuclei. The rigidity of the polymer matrix is sufficient to allow demetalation of the template center (by CN/sup -/ or SCN/sup -/) without collapse of the three-dimensional structure. Such a property is related to the expected complex topology of the organic backbone which certainly contains interlocking rings and various network substructures. The free ligand polymer film can be recomplexed using an appropliate metal source. Low oxidation states like copper(I), cobalt(I), formal zinc(I) and silver(0) are remarkably stabilized by the entwined and entangled system. Conductivity measurements and detailed electrochemical and spectroelectrochimical studies on several films have been carried out.


In this paper a strong form of g-irresolute function namely completely g-irresolute function is defined and its characterizations are obtained. Further strongly g- normal space, strongly g-regular space, mildly g- regular spaces are studied.


Abstract The Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 formed a watershed in the pastoral care of Western Europe. Aiming to transform nominal faith into a more active and personal religious experience, the Lateran IV decrees instigated an internal mission. In the decades immediately following the Council, its reforms were disseminated across Europe through diocesan legislation, where bishops adapted the decrees to fit local circumstances. This paper attempts to follow both the transmission and implementation of the 1215 decrees in the Northern Province, analysing both the reforming climate of northern England and the actual effects of the legislation in the approximate century and a quarter immediately following the Fourth Lateran Council.


A novel approach to the design of electroabsorption waveguide modulators for use in broadband, analog radio frequency (RF) links is presented. The approach utilizes a linear combination of two electroabsorption effects (the Franz-Keldysh effect and the quantum-confined Stark effect) to improve the spurious-free dynamic range of the waveguide modulator. Measured transfer curves verify simultaneous improvement in linearity and modulation efficiency for an exemplary combination structure. Residual absorption is modeled to determine the impact on modulation efficiency.


This paper compares the speed performance of a set of classic image algorithms for evaluating texture in images by using CUDA programming. We include a summary of the general program mode of CUDA. We select a set of texture algorithms, based on statistical analysis, that allow the use of repetitive functions, such as the Coocurrence Matrix, Haralick features and local binary patterns techniques. The memory allocation time between the host and device memory is not taken into account. The results of this approach show a comparison of the texture algorithms in terms of speed when executed on CPU and GPU processors. The comparison shows that the algorithms can be accelerated more than 40 times when implemented using CUDA environment.


This paper first analyzed the internal mechanism of high tech enterprise ′s growth and put forward the growth resource factors and growth process factors. Then, it discussed Hi Tech enterprises ′ special requirements for the two kinds of factors. At last, it put forward a model which could be used to analyze the restraining factors of Hi Tech enterprises ′ growth.


Ying Shan Memorial Hall was the place where Mo Youzhi of Dushan studied in his childhood. It was first moved to Zunyi and became a library, then moved to Nanjing (Jiangning) and thus became one of the famous libraries in south of the Yangtze Rive. Mo Youzhi devoted his life to bibliography, epigraphy and etymology, and had a great number of works. Mo Youzhi's offspring moved to Yangzhou and the books were sold out gradually.


The paper presents the modeling stage of an electromagnetic actuator, used for connecting/disconnecting modular robots. An impedance based graph method was used, pointing out the energy storing feature of magnetic core, unlike the dissipative character of reluctances method.


Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu Tampere University of Applied Sciences Master's Degree Programme in Information System Competence HENTINEN, MARI Follow-up Study on Early Phases of Utilization of Tablet Computers in Kangasala Upper Secondary School Master's Thesis 87 pages, appendices 17 pages May 2014 Personal tablet computers were taken into use in Kangasala Upper Secondary School during spring 2012 to support teaching and learning. The author of this thesis got interested in the topic due to two of her own children participating in the project and she offered to make a follow-up study on the subject. In early parts of the thesis Finnish national objectives for educational information society development and concrete actions for educational use of information and communication technology (ICT) are presented. The aim of the survey part was to find out what expectations and capabilities the teachers and students of Kangasala Secondary Upper School had for tablet assisted teaching, as well as to follow how teaching and learning changed during the early phases of implementation. The survey was carried out through three inquiries during one year. The results of the survey show that learning to utilize tablet computers effectively took a significant amount of time for both teachers and students. In the beginning, the devices took a lot of attention away from teaching and impacted the atmosphere negatively. The utilization of the devices in teaching started moderately depending on individual teachers' own interests, some teachers were not at all enthusiastic on the topic. The students expected that the devices would be exploited effectively and utilized systematically in teaching. However, the survey showed that students used only 25% of the time spend with iPad for studying whereas different entertainment took majority of time. People felt a small increase in the usefulness of the devices in teaching as the most active teachers were using new teaching methods and exploiting different learning environments for distribution of materials and returning homework. The survey period of one year was short for following long-term goals, but it was sufficient for getting feedback on the first phase in using tablets in teaching. The project had a clear connection to local implementation of the national vision and plans on educational use of information and communication technology. The project improved the school's capability of using ICT in education according to high standards. Above all, it would be important to demonstrate whether investing in devices will improve learning results in general and, in particular, teachers' and students' digital competences. This primary question remains unanswered. Thus, continuation of the research should be done.


Enzymatic hydrolysis of konjac glucomannan(KGM)by β-mannanase was studied at constant mass ratio of enzyme to substrate to investigate the reaction-diffusion mechanism.By using size exclusion chromatography(SEC),the changes in molecular weight distribution of KGM were followed during the process of hydrolysis.When the ratio of enzyme to substrate was constant,the changes in molecular weight at different KGM concentrations were remarkably different,which showed that the reaction depended on the diffusion of enzyme.The changes in molecular weight showed a zero-order kinetics.Integrating the empirical reaction kinetics and diffusion characteristics,a reaction-diffusion model was established from a series of chromatographic results.But the degradation rate was shown to be greatly affected by the diffusion of enzyme as well as the concentration of substrate.This equation of reaction kinetics indicated the importance of diffusion,and the experimental data can be well predicted at semi dilute concentrations of KGM.


Gray fuzzy evaluation model was used to comprehensively analyze and assess land ecological security of the four cities / counties,viz.Danzhou,Baisha,Changjiang and Dongfang in western Hainan.The results showed that the average score of fuzzy synthetic results of the four cities / counties was only 0.5573.It indicated that the general sustainable development level of land resources in the four cities / counties was lower,and their ecological security was appeared to be threatened.Among the four cities / counties,the sustainable development levels of land resources in Baisha and Danzhou were higher,which belonged to ecological quasi-safe area.However,Changjiang and Dongfang were in the ecologically risky areas.Therefore,several measures should be taken to improve utilization of land resources,promote ecological environment to be a virtuous cycle and realize the harmonious development between land utilization,society,economy and ecology.


Objective To investigate the clinical effect of augmented pedicle screw fixation with bone cement in the treatment for patients with lumbar degenerative disease. Methods 56 patients with lumbar degenerative disease were treated by pedicle screw fixation with bone cement and posterior lumbar interbody fusion after decompression. Bone density was measured preoperatively and insertional torque was measured before fixation. Pedicle screws were augmented with 3ml polymethylmethacrylate( PMMA) and 10 min later insertional torque was measured again. Bone graft and fixation were completed after decompression. Results All cases were followed up for 6 ~ 24( 14. 4 ± 3. 6) months. There was no complication such as internal fixation loss,broken rod was found. Radiographic assessment the cement was around the trajectories of screws. The clinical outcomes were determined using a modified Macnab criteria,which revealed that 27 patients had excellent results,22 good,and 7 fair. The insertional torque of pedicle screw had been enhanced from( 0. 61 ± 0. 23) N·m to( 1. 35 ± 0. 32) N·m after augmented with PMMA. There was significant different( P 0. 05). Conclusions Augmentation pedicle screw with bone cement of PMMA in the treatment for patients with lumbar degenerative disease can enhance the stability of screw significantly.


The research with aim of collecting and inventorying several pests of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moech) crops was carried out in Bajeng Agricultural Technology Research and Development Installation, Gowa District, South Sulawesi, and Entomology Laboratory of Indonesian Cereals Research Institute from March until October 2021 and from March until July 2022. Observations on 11 sorghum varieties (Mandau, UPCA-S1, Numbu, Kawali, Super 1, Super 2, Suri 3, Suri 4, Soper 6, Soper 7, and Soper 9) and several types of pests attacked were carried out at vegetative and generative stages by determined 25 plant samples at random. The results in 2021 showed that at vegetative stages, pests were Ostrinia furnacalis Gueene, Sesamia inferens Walker, Spodoptera frugiferda JE Smith, and Aphis sp. each with a population of 1-3 larvae/plant, 5-13 larvae/plant, and 1-2 larvae/plant respectively, while the scoring of Aphis sp. between 5-7 for all varieties of sorghum. At the generative stage of O. furnacalis and Nola sorghiella Riley was found with a population between 3-5 larvae/panicle, 9-13 larvae/panicle, and a score of Aphis sp. between 5–9. In 2022 at the vegetative and generative stage, the same pests' species were found with O. furnacalis were 1-2 larvae/plant, S. inferens 3-5 larvae/plant, and S. frugiferda 1-2 larvae/plant. The score of Aphis sp. was between 5-7 for all varieties. At the generative stage, O. furnacalis, N. sorghiella, Heliothis sp., and Aphis sp. were found. Each pest species was 3-5 larvae/panicle, 9-13 larvae/panicle, and 1-2 larvae/panicle while scoring for Aphis sp. between 5-9.


The purpose of this study is to conduct an integrated evaluation of the greenways in Cheongju City in terms of its visual landscape, ecological landscape, and physical connection. For this purpose, the study was conducted in the following four stages. First, evaluation indicators for greenway evaluation were selected based on reviewing previous studies, and field surveys were conducted. Second, findings from the field survey by each evaluation indicator were classified into 5 scales according to a statistical classification system. Third, an expert AHP survey on the evaluation indicators was carried out to calculate the weight of the indicators. Fourth, a greenway integrated-evaluation index was assessed using the findings from the field survey and the weight of indicators. The index was classified into 8 types. The results from the study were as follows. Among the greenways in Cheongju City, two locations (Toad ecological wetland section 2·3) were categorized as visual landscape superiority (type1); three locations (Toad ecological wetland section 1, Uam-mountain section 3, Sangdang Park section 2) as visual & ecological landscape superiority (type2); five locations (Uan-mountain section 1·2, Sangdang Park section 1) as visual & ecological landscape-physical connection inferiority (type3); one location (Jungang Park section 3) as ecological landscape superiority (type4); six locations (Uncheon Park section 2, Janggubong Park section 2, Geumcheon Sports Park section 1·2·3, Jungang Park section 2) as visual landscape-physical connection superiority (type5); two locations (Uncheon Park section 1, Jungang Park section 1) as physical connection superiority (type6) ; three locations (Janggubong Park section 3, Jungheung Park section 2, Sangdang Park section 3) as visual & ecological landscapephysical connection superiority (type7); and two locations (Uncheon Park section 3, Janggubong Park section 1) as ecological landscape-physical connection superiority (type8). The study result indicate that systematic planning is required for the rest of the greenways except of those categorized as type 7 having superior visual and ecological landscape and physical connectivity.


Chinese herbal medicines against pathogenic Aeromonas caviae were screened for cultured giant salamander Andrias davidianus in vitro.Effects of pH values on inhibition against A.caviae by Chinese herbal medicines were studied by agar plate diffusion method,including the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)and the minimum bactericidal concentration(MBC)of single drug and the compounds against pathogenic A.caviae by agar double dilution method.It was found that 200 kinds of Chinese herbal medicines had different antibacterial effects on the pathogenic bacterium,135 kinds showing to some extent antibacterial activity,and 65 kinds showing no antibacterial activity.Terminalia chebula Retz,Rhus chinensis Mil,Punica granate,Rheum palmatum and Sophora japonica had the minimum MIC and the minimum MBC of less than 1.0 mg/mL.Terminalia chebula Retz,Rhus chinensis Mil,Schisandra chinensis and Dendranthema morifolium showed inhibitory and bactericidal actions against A.caviae at pH near acidity.The findings provide a theoretical basis with exploitation of efficient,safe and environmental friend drugs against pathogenic bacteria in giant salamander.


as a discipline that interacts with many other areas of international law. Thus, the author makes an important effort to establish the historical attempts to transform international investment relations to a multilateral scope. This part of the book is interesting, as the author shows that international trade and international investment law are bound to each other, and also that multilateral efforts to bind countries to investment regulations have not been as successful as custom and jurisprudence. Starting in chapter three, the author manages to explain the main institutions of international investment law from a practical view, balanced with the theoretical aspects already recognized by prior authors. Hence, the book explains issues from a theoretical point of view but illustrates its positions and hypothesis through international cases. The author's methodology is based on exploring international investment law from three sources and views of international law: (i) bilateral investment agreements; (ii) customary international law; and (iii) jurisprudence. The author dedicates one chapter to each source, and places emphasis on the minimum standard of treatment, expropriation, and common elements of bilateral investment treaties. The analysis on the aforementioned issues is dynamic as the author presents the trajectory of institutions and concludes with the current trends in that field. In that light, the author concludes the book by explaining the current issues in international investment law from a global point of view, bringing to the discussion cases from many parts of the world. This chapter gives the reader an idea of the issues that most investors, academics, and governments from developing and developed countries are currently discussing and regulating, which the reader will find familiar after reading the previous chapters. The author concludes in the final chapter with his insights on potential measures that could be taken in order to address the matters articulated earlier, which the reader should judge by itself. On the whole, the book is written in a pedagogic manner—the author uses short chapters allowing the reader time to reread any specific subject. However, the book assumes a certain basic knowledge of public and private international law. Lastly, as the book reviews issues that have already been explained, it also presents different perspectives on the same subject. The book could be the best introductory manual to international protection to investment law for the student knowledgeable in general international law. It is a great tool for those who want to do a deeper study and understand the current issues regarding some disciplines in this area of knowledge. It is especially useful for the reader who is looking to learn about the existing developments in minimum standard of treatment and expropriation, its historical evolution, and its trend. The book is also a good guide to international cases on the subject, given its variety and extensive treatment. Judging from its title, I see a lack of discussion concerning policies to face the new challenges on international investment law. In general terms I recommend the book; I believe that it is easy to read, it is complete, and it raises relevant topics for the reader's analysis.


INTRODUCTION by C. Oppong - PART I: PPOPULATION PARAMETERS - The demographic profile: Sustained high mortality and fertility and migration for employment by A. Adepoju - PART II: GENDER BIASES: ASYMMETRY & INEFFIECENCY - Wives and mothers: Female farmers in Africa by A. Whitehead - Agricultural policies and women producers by C. Safilios-Rothschild - PART III: WOMEN'S WORK. TAKING IT INTO ACCOUNT - Measuring women's participation in the African labour force by R. Anker - Assessing women's economic contributions in domestic and related activities by L Goldschmidt-Clermont - Gender-sensitive statistics & the planning process by E.O. Boeteng - PART IV: BALANCING PRODUCTIVE & REPRODUCTIVE ROLES - Women's work: child-bearing and rearing in Ghana by K. Blanc & C.B. Lloyd - Women, work & fertility in Zimbabwe: Ending underdevelopment with change by R.E. Mazur & M. Mhloyi - Women's work and fertility in Swaziland by A. Adepoju - PART V: FAMILY WELFARE & PLANNING - Breast-feeding and birth spacing: Erosion of West African traditions by Y. Ofusu - Family planning and welfare in northern Ghana by K. Abu - The grandmother and household viability in Botswana by B. Ingstad - Bibliography.


38 Older adults tend to display greater brain activation in the non-dominant hemisphere during even 39 basic sensorimotor responses. It is debated whether this Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Older 40 Adults (HAROLD) reflects a compensatory mechanism. Across two independent fMRI experiments 41 involving adult-lifespan human samples (N = 586 and N = 81; approximately half female) who 42 performed right hand finger responses, we distinguished between these hypotheses using 43 behavioural and multivariate Bayes (MVB) decoding approaches. Standard univariate analyses 44 replicated a HAROLD pattern in motor cortex, but in- and out-of-scanner behavioural results both 45 demonstrated evidence against a compensatory relationship, in that reaction time measures of task 46 performance in older adults did not relate to ipsilateral motor activity. Likewise, MVB showed that 47 this increased ipsilateral activity in older adults did not carry additional information, and if anything, 48 combining ipsilateral with contralateral activity patterns reduced action decoding in older adults (at 49 least in Experiment 1). These results contradict the hypothesis that HAROLD is compensatory, and 50 instead suggest that the age-related, ipsilateral hyper-activation is non-specific, in line with 51 alternative hypotheses about age-related reductions in neural efficiency/differentiation or inter- 52 hemispheric inhibition.


Epitaxial graphene on metallic (111) surfaces has proven to stabilize metallic nanoparticles placed on top due to a moiré motif. In this work, a simplified system without the graphene layer has been examined. The modelling is based on an empirical many-body potential for the atoms of the nanoparticles and a continuous potential that treats the interaction of the nanoparticle atoms with the substrate. This potential allows to switch on and off the corrugation of the substrate surface. A molecular dynamics code featuring a Nosé-Hoover thermostat has been developed for the exploitation of these potentials. With this code, simulations were carried out on iridium nanoparticles of three different sizes: 13, 55 and 147 atoms. This lead to equilibrium structures of the nanoparticles on the substrate. Furthermore, results concerning the melting behaviour of iridium nanoparticles as a function of their size as well as the presence and corrugation of the substrate could be obtained.


As the popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) soars, we anticipate that almost everyone with a solar or wind charging station will be put in place using a solar energy system at their residence in the coming years or a wind turbine (WT) installed in the vehicle itself. EVs must run on renewable energy sources. The majority of people think that charging an electric vehicle (EV) should take no longer than 2–4 minutes, much like stopping at a petrol station to fill up your car with fuel. Electric charging will be different from what consumers are used to, even though Tesla's superchargers are attempting to accomplish this precisely. In this study, two off-grid EV battery charging techniques are presented: one uses solar (PV) and energy storage systems (ESS), while the other uses a wind turbine (WT) & ESS installed at the front of the car where airflow is there which will drive the turbine and produce power for battery charging. From simulation results, it is observed that without ESS, PV & WT charges the battery at slow rate i.e 1.5. However with ESS the rate increases to 2. So, it is concluded that PV with ESS is used to charge EVs even if PV power is small. Similarly, this is the case of WT with ESS. WT with ESS charges the battery in a small time compared to PV with ESS as the Vehicle need not have to stop to charge the battery and in running condition, it can be done so.


The study aims to identify characteristics of the modernization of waterfront areas that applied the first urban planning ordinance and bridge design associated with its projects in the prewar period, focusing on bridge designs from a standpoint of landscape design, and relationships of bridges with street, river, canal and architecture design. During an urban beauty formation period,


Cyber-physical production systems (CPPS) build a network of industrial automation components and systems to enable individualized products at mass production costs. Failures or vulnerabilities in CPPS can be life threatening and can cause physical damage while hiding the effects from monitors. Thus, software verification and validation methods need to analyze the dynamics and behavior of CPPS. In this work, we present a hybrid testbed used in Siemens Corporate Technology. The testbed combines a physical CPPS together with its virtual simulated counterpart, allowing us to verify the system using runtime monitoring, model-based testing, simulation and formal techniques.


The G20 should assume a more proactive role with regard to the future of the world trading system.A reform is needed in light of the growing fragmentation of the system and the 2030 Agenda, which calls for sustainability to be the core principle of global cooperation.


CITATION: Breakfast, N., Mekoa, I. & Theletsane, I. 2018. eetering on Africa's development trajectories - a search for an African alternative. African Journal of Public Affairs, 10(4):17-34.


Production method of the highly reactive low-viscosity modified phenolic resin is prepared by polycondensation of a phenol resin modified seokdu heavy oil or pitch, the formaldehyde polymer and the phenol under the acid catalyst present, and; High and the phenol resin generated deformation than 120 ℃ comprises the step of: at a temperature not higher than 200 ℃ lower the molecular weight of the phenol resin modified by reaction with phenol under the acid catalyst present. And obtained according to this method, the modified phenolic resin of the reactive low viscosity has a low resin melt viscosity has a high reactivity with the epoxy resin. Also yisuji may be used to produce a molding material having good moldability and a relatively low water absorption when combined with epoxy resin.


Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the most common childhood malignancies, making 40% of all lymphomas, which may clinically manifest with painless adenopathy, fever (above 38.0°C), unexplained weight loss (10% of body weight within the 6 months preceding diagnosis), and night sweats. Proximately 90% to 95% of children with Hodgkin lymphoma can be cured. Contemporary treatment programmes use a risk-based and response-adapted approach in which patients receive multiagent chemotherapy, with or without radiation therapy. Prognostic factors used to determine chemotherapy intensity include cancer stage, presence or absence of B symptoms, bulky disease, extranodal involvement, erythrocyte sedimentation rate.


Chapter 4 Radiation Damage and Annealing in Silicon after Ion Implantation Jozsef Gyulai, Kevin S. Jones, and Peter Petrik a Research Institute for Tech. Phys. and Matl. Sci., P.O.Box 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary email@example.com, email@example.com b Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611-6400 firstname.lastname@example.com ABSTRACT First, a simple microscopic scenario of implantation process is presented. This includes a discussion of primary defect formation from the crystalline state up to the amorphous state. Annealing strategies are discussed with an emphasis on understanding the effect of the annealing sequence on the defect reduction process. This section is intended to summarize how different annealing cycles (temperature as a function of time, T(t)) lead to different final states. The annealing section will complete this chapter through discussions of the solid phase epitaxial regrowth of implantation induced amorphous layers, formation of extended defects, location of these defects (most commonly dislocations) and their effect on the subsequent processing is determined by their origin. This understanding of the defect formation and annealing is used to better understand defects that commonly arise during device processing. Briefly, extreme low energy and molecular ions are dealt with.


The typical topology of power electronic transformers based on modular multilevel converters have problems such as excessive switching loss at high frequencies and power unbalance of multi-module DC/DC converters. This paper proposes a phase-shifted full-bridge zero voltage and zero current switching DC/DC converter, which improves the structure of DC/DC converter of typical topology. This improved structure can effectively reduce switching loss. Thus, it is more suitable for high frequency and high power applications. Moreover, an output current equalization control strategy is given for multi-module DC/DC converters with input in series and output in parallel structure, which can keep power balanced by balancing output current of each module. Finally, a simulation model is established and the effectiveness of improved topology and control strategy of power electronic transformer are verified.


Technological developments are increasingly rapid in the digital age today, causing the values that are born, both positive and negative also experience a tremendous surprise for humans. From these surprises, so the role of parents in educating their children also changes by the development of their times. In the 80, parents in educating their children must have experienced a difference in the digital age today. The parenting style that initially experienced differences from other parents, which only applied authoritarian, permissive, democratic types of parenting, had experienced success in educating children, but in the age of the digital era, the three parenting styles would not succeed, if they did not synchronize according to the time of the situation and conditions in terms of parenting.


Background: One of the government's strategies to support women's equal rights is to issue a policy in which people of reproductive age, both men and women, are expected to participate in the Family Planning program as an effort to raise awareness, willingness and ability of the community to improve their welfare independently. This study aims to analyze the influence of attitude, partner support, and level of education on men's participation in the use of contraception. Subjects and Method: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis. The study population was men of reproductive age. Intervention= positive attitude, strong partner support, and high education. Comparison= negative attitude, weak support, and low education. Outcome= the use of contraceptives. Data search was carried out syste¬ma¬tically using electronic databases from Pub¬med, Google Scholar, Europe PMC, Science Direct and Springer Link. Keywords used "Attitude" AND "Partner support" OR "Discuss with partner" AND "Educational status" OR "Educational level" AND "Men parti¬ci¬pa¬tion" OR "Men Involvement" AND "Contraception" OR "Family Plann¬ing" OR "Vasec-tomy" OR "Con¬dom". The selection of primary articles used the PRISMA flowchart which was analyzed using Review Manager 5.3. Results: Six studies showed that men with a positive attitude were 3.69 times more likely to use contraception than men with a negative attitude (aOR= 3.69; 95% CI= 2.23 to 6.09; p<0.001). Six studies showed that men with strong partner support are 2.48 times more likely to use contraception than men with weak partner support (aOR= 2.48; 95% CI= 2.04 to 3.02; p<0.001). Eight studies showed that men with a high level of education increased the likelihood of male contra¬ceptive use (aOR= 2.07; CI 95%= 1.45 to 2.96). Conclusion: Positive attitude, strong partner support, and a high education increase the use of male contraceptives. Keywords: attitude, partner support, level of education, contraception.


An automated system for performing measurements and processing and analysis of events in a nuclear photoemulsion is described. A block diagram of the apparatus, a packet of programs for searching for neutrino interactions in a nuclear photoemulsion, and constructions of target diagrams in x-ray emulsion cameras as well as the results of controlled measurements are presented. The creation of a charmed ..lambda../sub c//sup +/ baryon followed by decay into sigma plus, pion plus, and pion minus particles observed in the nuclear photoemulsion is described. Measurements on the system showed that linking the microscope with a computer substantially reduced the search time required for neutrino interactions in a nuclear emulsion.


continued American military presence in Afghanistan'. The unilateral American action for regime change in Iraq, made under the false assumptions of President Saddam Hussein harbouring al-Qaeda and possessing weapons of mass destruction, was followed by a military victory and political defeat. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory was the result of a series of poor choices made by the US administration: extended American occupation; failure to promote power sharing among the ethnicities and protecting the Sunni Arab Iraqi people, who were subjected to reprisals; disbanding of the Iraqi Army; and dismissal of all Iraqi public servants who were members of the Iraqi Baath Party. Ambassador Khalilzad cannot be held responsible for any of these. It is not hard to believe him when he writes that President George W. Bush told him he had learnt of the decision to dissolve the Iraqi Army after it had ceased to exist. Richard Hadley, then Deputy National Security Advisor, confirmed to Ambassador Khalilzad that the White House had no hand in the decision. The mistake was to hand over charge of postwar Iraq to the Pentagon, a symptom of the institutional dysfunctionality of the US administration. This is an honest account from an able practitioner, highly recommended for all those interested in US foreign and security policy in the early years of this century.


In her article, the author tries to find the answer to the following question: "What life tasks do the parents after an unanticipated loss of the child face?" This study results from a qualitative research, which  explores the exprerience of the surviving mothers after unanticipated loss. The autor presents the two periods of adapting to the loss of a  child and specific needs of families after bereavement. The study results show that the way of mourning is very individual. The life tasks of surviving parents depend on the general situation of the family (including the way they lived before the tragic event).  The strategies of solving these problems vary as well. However, our research proved explicitly that parents after a sudden loss of the child need help, not only psychological but also practical. Nevertheless various institutions and the people around them do not often provide them wih the help they need.


areas corresponding to the hypopigmented patches which densely fluoresced in late phase [Figs. 2, 3a, 3b]. Optical coherence tomography showed increased reflectivity and thickness of the inner retina and a corresponding decrease of reflectivity in the outer retinal layers. The retina was thin over the hypopigmented lesions [Fig 4a, 4b]. Investigations done were normal except for raised triglycerides 700 mg/dL (ref: 40140), decreased high-density lipoprotein 12 mg/dL (ref: 30-60) levels and elevated serum homocysteine levels 27.47 mcmol/L (ref: 5.90-16.0). Echocardiography was normal. Carotid Doppler showed complete occlusion of left distal internal carotid artery (ICA).


Fixed-wing towed-bird airborne electromagnetic (AEM) systems are asymmetric because the receiver flies behind and below the transmitter. As a consequence, the measured response is quite different when the aircraft flies a traverse line in the reverse direction, even when the causative bodies are symmetric. Because fixed-wing AEM survey traverses are parallel and are flown in alternating directions, the response of bodies can change markedly from one line to the next. This means that images of the measured data are complicated and difficult to interpret. In a survey in Quebec, Canada, each traverse line was flown twice, once in the normal direction and once in the reverse directions. These data were combined to give a response measured by a symmetric system termed the virtual symmetric array (VSA). The VSA response can enhance the S/N ratio, and the response will be symmetric if the con ductive targets are symmetric. Hence, any response asymmetry is indicative of asymmetry in the ground. This means that di...


We have previously reported that local injection of small doses of long-acting insulin-zinc suspension maintained sufficiently high insulin concentration in the wound fluid and accelerated the healing. The present experiment was to measure the rates of cell proliferation (reflected by DNA synthesis) and protein metabolism in the wound. These are the underlying metabolic processes responsible for the healing. Partial thickness skin donor wound was created on the back and indwelling catheters were placed in the carotid artery and jugular vein in adult rabbits under general anesthesia. The wound was covered with Aquaphor gauze, OpSite membrane, and surgical gauze. On day 7 after wounding, the wound was either injected with 0.2 units of insulin-Zn, Zn alone, or no injection; stable isotopes were infused into the jugular vein catheter in conscious rabbits for measurement of DNA synthesis, protein synthesis and breakdown in the wound. The local insulin-Zn injection raised wound insulin concentration to 168 ± 39 μU/ml. In contrast, in the control and Zn groups wound insulin concentrations were below the detectable level. The local injection of insulin-Zn suspension increased (p = 0.03) DNA synthesis in the wound with minor changes in blood glucose concentration which did not require exogenous glucose replacement. In the Zn group, whereas the rate of DNA synthesis tended to increase (p = 0.051 vs. control), the protein net balance (synthesis – breakdown) was lower (p < 0.05) than those in the control and insulin-Zn (Table 1). We conclude that local injection of a small dose (0.2 units insulin) long-acting insulin-Zn suspension stimulated wound DNA synthesis without major systemic side effects thereby providing an effective and safe approach to accelerate wound healing. Although local Zn injection might also stimulate wound DNA synthesis, the benefit on the healing process was limited by decreased net protein deposition.

Table 1.  Wound DNA and protein metabolism.   DNA synthesis Protein synthesis Protein net balance

Values are means ± SD in %/d. * p < 0.05 vs. control; + p = 0.051 vs. control;#, p < 0.05 vs. control and insulin-Zn by one-way ANOVA.

Control (n = 7) 2.9 ± 0.9 20.5 ± 8.4   7.9 ± 6.0
Insulin-Zn (n = 7)  4.2 ± 0.9* 17.9 ± 8.2   9.4 ± 6.4
Zn (n = 7)     4.1 ± 0.9+ 13.0 ± 5.8 −0.2 ± 3.4#


1. Using the method of Glenner et al. (8), we have demonstrate abundant monoamine oxidase in human skin. 2. In the epidermis, the reaction occurs in the cells of the malpighian layer. In all hair follicles, regardless of their states of activity, the wall of the pilosebaceous canal is intensely reactive. In growing follicles, the cells of the outer root sheath contain moderate enzyme activity particularly concentrated in the cells at the periphery, in the region above the bulb; small reactive granules are sparsely distributed in the cells of the dermal papilla. In quiescent follicles, there is moderate activity in the cells of the epidermal sac; the hair germ and the dermal papilla have a scant reaction. In the sebaceous glands, the duct and the undifferentiated cells at the periphery of the acini have a very strong reaction. Both apocrine and eccrine glands show strong enzyme activity. 3. Many cutaneous nerves contain monoamine oxidase. Reactive nerves form plexuses just beneath the epidermis, at the level of the sebaceous gland, and midway along the depth of the hair follicle; reactive nerves are also found around both eccrine and apocrine glands. Eccrine glands are surrounded by a richer bed of nerves than the apocrine glands are. The nerves to the arteries also contain the enzyme. 4. The localization of monoamine oxidase in human skin resembles that of succinic dehydrogenase; the cutaneous nerve fibers and the myoepithelial cells, which contain no succinic dehydrogenase, do, however, contain monoamine oxidase. 5. Many cutaneous nerve fibers, sensory and motor, seem to be reactive for both monoamine oxidase and cholinesterase, We do not know what this means in terms of physiology.


Environmental education is a concept that is used in greening the curriculum and that is done through a thematic approach, and modular approaches. Studies have been done in various countries on the implementation of environmental education but the support from the top leadership has not been good. Policies on the issue were drafted but policies can be ignored without reparations. However environmental education is an important tool towards sustainable development. The study is of value to policy makers, educators as well as other stakeholders who have interest in environmental sustainably. The study used interviews and group discussions in soliciting data relevant to the study. It sought to establish the perceptions of the participants in view of environmental education. An ethnographic approach adopted as the researcher could spend a lot of time with the respondents and also taking part in their activities. This approach was selected because it enabled the researcher to collect thick rich data that was validated through triangulating with what was collected from individual interviews and group discussions. Data was qualitatively analyzed. The results showed that some respondents seem to understand the importance of environmental education while some could not see its importance. The other angle that was knotted was that teachers are expected to implement environmental education when in their teaching program it was not part of what they were to teach. This has contributed to a lot of miss understanding as some seem not to know what to do. The findings were of importance to all in the education fraternity as well as to the environmentalists. Use of the findings could change the mindset of the community through educating the learners. Greening the curriculum was found to be important at the time world over there is a talk of greening the economy and sustainable development. Therefor the findings of the study are important in redirecting the mindset of people towards environmental protection with regard to preservation and conservation.


Bovine neutrophil activation, superoxide production, and β‐glucosaminadase release induced by various biological stimuli were examined. Plateletactivating factor (PAF) and recombinant bovine interleukin‐1 β (r‐BoIL‐1β) induced superoxide production and β‐glucosaminadase release in bovine neutrophils. When these two responses were compared, the dose requirement for maximum activation was similar for PAF (1 × 10−6 M). However, the concentration of r‐BoIL‐Ι β required for the maximum degranulation (2.5 × 10−7 M) was 100‐fold higher than that for the maximum superoxide production (2.5 × 10‐9 M). Furthermore, pretreatment of cells with recombinant bovine granulocyte‐ macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (r‐BoGM‐CSF) enhanced both superoxide production and β ‐glucosaminidase release induced by PAF. In contrast, whereas superoxide production induced by r‐BoIL‐1β was enhanced by r‐ BoGM‐CSF priming, β ‐glucosaminidase release induced by r‐BoIL‐lβ was significantly reduced by pretreatment with r‐BoGM‐CSF. CL 184,005, a PAF antagonist, inhibited PAF‐induced glucosaminidase release and superoxide production but did not inhibit r‐BoIL‐lβ ‐in‐ duced superoxide production and degranulation. In addition, it did not inhibit the priming effect of r‐BoGM‐ GSF on r‐BoIL‐lβ ‐induced superoxide production. These results suggest that (1) PAF and r‐BoIL‐1β activate bovine neutrophils by different mechanisms, (2) r‐BoGM‐CSF primes superoxide production and degranulation induced by PAF, (3) r‐BoGM‐CSF primes superoxide production but not degranulation induced by r‐BoIL‐lβ, and (4) the priming effect of r‐BoGM‐CSF is not mediated by PAF.


We study cross-sectional differences in pre-announcement and event-period private information acquisition across firm size and institutional ownership using trading volume reactions to earnings announcements. We find that abnormal volume associated with absolute price change increases with both firm size and institutional ownership, suggesting that pre-announcement private information acquisition increases with firm size and institutional ownership. We also find that abnormal volume independent of absolute price change increases with institutional ownership, suggesting that event-period private information acquisition increases with institutional ownership. In contrast, abnormal volume independent of absolute price change decreases with firm size, reflecting the previously documented positive relation between firm size and the precision of pre-announcement public information. By demonstrating that firm size and institutional ownership are determinants of pre-announcement and event--period private information acquisition, this study provides new insights regarding the incentive to acquire private information around earnings announcements and helps explain prior empirical results in trading volume reaction studies.


Abstract The surface heat fluxes through the air-sea interface for the coastal water of Kuwait have been estimated using the bulk formulas. The annual mean values of sensible, latent and infrared radiation fluxes are 19, -153 and -50 W m -2 respectively. The annual mean of recorded solar radiations is 212 W m -2 , thus, giving an annual heat flux surplus of 28 W m -2 . This suggests that the north-western region of the Arabian Gulf is an area of net heating of the surface water column, in contrast to the Gulf as a whole, where there is a net cooling of the surface water.


Cloud computing is emerging field because of its performance, high availability, least cost and many others. Besides this companies are binding there business from cloud computing because the fear of data leakage. Due lack of proper security control policy and weakness in safeguard which lead to many vulnerability in cloud computing.


A site investigation on corrosion of bottom plate in a 10 000 m3 oil tank is made. This oil tank,with 17. 85 m in height and 28. 5 m in diameter,was put into operation in 1984 and overhauled in 1997. In June of 2000,holiday-type corrosion at bottom plate was found. The corrosion control measure taken in it was a combination method,that is,coating material with sacrificial anode method. A cause and mechanism analysis on the corrosion occurred under this combination way are carried out. In the light of behavior of coating material,painting quality and proportion mismatch of coating materials,the technical point to these problems is given in the paper.


The compound Eu(Caac)3BIPY has been synthesized by the reaction of Eu(Ⅲ)chloride,acetyl acetone and 2,2-bipyridine.The compound was characterized by elemental analysis,IR spectrometry and UV spectrometry.The complex was doped with THF solution of low density polyethylene to prepare photoluminescencet polyethylene film.The film was researched by IR spectrometry,UV spectrometry and fluorescence spectrometry.The results showed that fluorescence intensity was strongest,when the content of Eu complex was 1.75%.