Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) known as greenhouse gas is the most important gas for global warming. For the reason, there have been many researches about CO 2 such as model calculations, satellite observations and direct observations recently. As computer spec get higher, the CO 2 model has been more improved and 3D distributions of CO 2 has been calculated in more detail. In Japan, the satellite observation has been high resolution by satellite, Greenhouse Observing SATellite-2 (GOSAT-2). But in urban area, CO 2 distributions are complicated because of complexed CO 2 emission source and sink around the area. Especially, in the Kanto district mega city, Tokyo is located, CO 2 emissions from power plants and human activities are very huge. Furthermore, around the city there are forests and mountains which strongly affect to CO 2 concentrations in the atmosphere through their respiration and photosynthesis. In case to calculate such the district with high spatial resolutions, the models are required to be able to represent the temporal and spatial variations of the respiration and photosynthesis of the plants precisely. It has been also pointed out that representativeness of the vertical transport of CO 2 in the models is a key subject. About satellite observations, it is not always possible to observe CO2 distributions because of to be influenced by the weather and the frequencies of them are limited, and what ca be observed are not 3 dimensional but 2 dimensional namely vertical column densities of CO 2 . On the other hand, the accuracy of the in-situ observations, is best, but there are very limited observation points. These are obstacles to grasping the detailed behavior of CO 2 concentration. In this study, a regional transport model, AIST-MM has been used to investigate the behavior of CO 2 concentrations in Kanto district (Kondo et al., 2001). Firstly, AIST-MM computes CO 2 concentrations in the outer area (630 km×550 km), and then calculates CO 2 concentrations in the inner


Tennis elbow is one of the most widely recognized reasons for elbow and forearm pain experienced in clinical practice usually connected with safe wrist or finger augmentation and holding exercises. It is a degenerative or failed healing tendon reaction described by pain at the lateral epicondyle disturbed by opposed muscle constriction of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB), expanded nearness of fibroblasts, vascular hyperplasia and disarranged collagen in the beginning of the ECRB which is the most generally influenced structure. It is commonly a business related or sport related pain issue more often than not brought about by inordinate speedy, tedious, dreary erratic constrictions and holding exercises of the wrist. The predominant arm is ordinarily influenced, with a prevalence of 1– 3% in the overall public.


This article presents an interview with Airtran Airways Chairman and CEO Joe Leonard and describes his business plan for the Orlando International Airport-based airline. AirTran's network is weighted in favor of short flights and is not the dominant carrier in any of its markets. While it is similar in some ways to JetBlue in that both are growing rapidly, Airtran is different in many respects: JetBlue has an all-coach cabin while AirTran offers a first-class section, and while JetBlue rose easily to profitability in the marketplace, AirTran has struggled. The article describes the airline's TRAX MRO management system, as well as its introduction of 737s to its fleet. A big setback was losing the bid to Southwest for the bankrupt ATA Airlines' gates at Chicago Midway in 2004.


TWC(Train to Wayside Communication) system is for data reception and transmission between TWC device on the ground which is needed for train auto operation and ATO facility on-board. TWC system is categorized into machine room equipment, wayside equipment and on-board equipment. In this paper, validation and verification will be followed by development of the software part of TWC on-board equipment in a way of Model-based design along the requirement of system.


Diabetic ketoacidosis in the pediatric population. management protocol RESUMEN La cetoacidosis diabetica se debe a un estado de deficiencia de insulina. Los criterios bioquimicos que la definen son: hiperglucemia > 200 mg/dl, acidosis metabolica con pH sanguineo 200 mg / dL, metabolic acidosis with blood pH <7.3 or bicarbonate <15 mmol / L, ketonemia and ketonuria are its defining biochemical criteria. Management includes recognition of triggering cause of misbalance and its treatment, as well as careful assessment of the degree of dehydration, with re-hydration time considered to be between 24-48 hours. Patients with shock require crystalloid resuscitation, and use of vasoactive is a consideration. Once the shock is overcome, continued electrolyte replacement and intravenous crystalline insulin infusion at a rate of 0.1 U / kg / hour are called for, as are continued monitoring of clinical status and scheduled control of laboratory parameters, so as to achieve dynamic adjustment in therapy. The decline in blood glucose levels should be around 80 - 100 mg / dL / hour. When blood glucose levels reach about 250 mg / dL, the mix of intravenous fluids must be changed to dextrose solution; continue replacement of insulin until acidosis is resolved, at which point resumption of enteral feeding and switching to subcutaneous insulin are to be defined. Cerebral edema is a highly feared complication. Keywords: Diabetic ketoacidosis, metabolic acidosis, insulin, dehydration, cerebral edema.


This study sheds light on a new generation of Swedish food producers, market gardeners, who are attracting attention in terms of food system sustainability, prompted by increasing consumer awareness about the value of healthy and locally produced food. Market gardening is part of a global agroecological movement opposed to industrialized agriculture and its negative impacts on the environment and rural communities. These food producers challenge the incumbent agri-food regime through the building of alternative food networks. This case-based study involving 14 young vegetable producers showed that young people who engage in market gardening are strongly motivated by dual incentives, namely entrepreneurship and transformation to sustainability. Six main competences were identified as important for market gardeners: practical skills related to growing vegetables, business management, innovation and continuous learning, systems thinking, pioneering, and networking. Individuals develop their skills through continuous experiential learning and gain knowledge through peer-to-peer learning using social media. However, they need to acquire certain skills relating to their daily work in the field and to managing a business. Market gardeners currently face a number of barriers erected by the sociopolitical environment, in particular regarding access to research-based knowledge, extension services, and business support.


To overcome the influence of load torque change on permanent magnet synchronous motor(PMSM) driver,a new load torque observer based on Popov super stability theory and sliding-mode control is proposed.This observer was used to estimate load torque and update the load value in real time on control system with speed regulator and current regulator.This strategy select PMSM itself as reference model and its current model as the adjustable model;the sliding mode surface on integral separation theory was formulated based on errors between two model outputs.Simulations were carried out to verify the availability of the observer.The results show this method can weaken the chattering of load torque observation value.The load torque observer can identify the initial value,jump change,impact,and fluctuation of load torque quickly and accurately.The robustness of PMSM drive system is improved by load torque observer.


Objective:To investigate the influence of pyridoxamine on the preliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs) pretreated by angiotensin Ⅱ in vitro and to explore the mechanism of this process.Method:Primary VSMCs were isolated from the thoracic aortas of spontaneously hypertensive rat.The VSMCs from 3rd to 5th generation at exponential phase of growth were selected for the experiments.Cells were devided into four groups: control group with no intervention,angiotensin Ⅱ group with 10-7 mol/L angiotensinⅡtreated,three pyridoxamine groups pretreated with 0.1 mmol/L,10 mmol/L and 10.0 mmol/L pyridoxamine respectively two hours before Angiotensin Ⅱ intervention.The proliferation of VSMCs was determined by 3-(4,5-dimehyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide(MTT) colorimetry.Advanced glycation end-products(AGEs) in cellular supernatant were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Reactive oxygen species(ROS) level was detected by flow cytometry.The mRNA expressions of receptor for AGEs(RAGE),NF-κB P65,NADPH oxidase P47phox were detected by semiquantitative fluorescence real-time polymerase chain reaction.Result:Compared with the control group,angiotensin Ⅱ group showed increased proliferation of cells(P0.01),AGEs level in cellular supernatant(P0.01) and intracellular ROS generation(P0.01).The mRNA expressions of RAGE,NF-κB P65 and NADPH oxidase P47phox were all up-regulated(P0.01).The pyndoxamine significantly inhibited the VSMCs proliferation(P0.01),reduced the AGEs level in supernatant(P0.01) and decreased the ROS generation that induced by angiotensinⅡ(P0.01).The mRNA expressions of RAGE,NF-κB P65,NADPH oxidase P47phox were also down-regulated significantly(P0.01).Conclusion:The pyridoxamine may inhibit angiotensin Ⅱ-induced VSMCs proliferation by inhibition of AGEs formation,reduction of intracellular ROS and down-regulation of the mRNA expressions of RAGE,NF-κB P65 and NADPH oxidase P47phox.


Reflections of Our Past: How Human History Is Revealed in Our Genes. John H. Relethford. Boulder: Westview Press, 2004. 257 pp.


Lighting Res. Technol. 1994; 26: 99 105. 12 Ng E. A study on the accuracy of daylight simulation of heavily obstructed buildings in Hong Kong. International Building Performance Simulation Association Conference, Brazil, 2001. 13 Galasiu A, Atif MR. Applicability of daylight computer, modeling in real case studies: comparison between measured and simulated daylight availability and lighting consumption. Building and Environment. 2002; 37: 363 77. 14 Hopkinson RG, Petherbridge P, Longmore J. Daylight. Londari Heinneman, 1966. 15 Enarun D, Littlefair P. Luminance models for overcast skies: assessment using measured data. Lighting Res. Technol. 1995; 27: 53 58. 16 Aizlewood ME. Innovative daylight systems: An experimental evaluation. Lighting Res. Technol. 1993; 24: 141 52. 17 Mardaljevic J. Daylight simulation. In Ward Larson G, Shakespeare R, editors. Rendering with radiance: the art and science of lighting visualization. San Francisco: MorganKaufmann, 1998: Chapter 6, 341 90.


Objective: To develop a method for phased diagnostics, treatment and implementation of measures to prevent appropriate forms of allergic rhinitis based on scientifi c and practical research organized by the authors of the article. Materials and methods: Th e study group comprised 60 patients aged 23 to 64 years with a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis based on the diagnostic and treatment facility in Novosibirsk in 2017, in the form of a questionnaire with further analysis and synthesis of the results of the study. Results: existing options for diagnosis, treatment, preventive measures of allergic rhinitis require optimization. Summary : the author's method of phased diagnostics, treatment and implementation of measures for the prevention of the corresponding forms of allergic rhinitis has been developed.


In this paper, based on the case of a soft soil excavations project in Zhongshan and the field measured data, the ABAQUS, a finite element software for engineering simulation, analyses the system which combines steel cement-soil pile and basement plate. Moreover it can simulate the deformation results and get the supporting stress model. The results show that the supporting effect of this system is remarkable. This simplified model calculation results are conservative. But there exists the problem of varying depth of excavations. As a result, the stress characteristics and design methods of the proposed scheme are less studied and need further research and discussion. The analysis method and the design scheme can provide useful reference for similar projects.


This handsome volume describes fully the sanatorium treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, and gives a beautifully illustrated account of the chief sanatoria of Europe and America. It does not, however, correctly represent the existing provision of sanatoria in Great Britain, as most of the establishments, where the treatment is zealously pursued in this country, have arisen since the author's last visit. Mention is made of the institutions at Veritnor, Brompton, and Craigleitli, and an appreciative account is given of the working of the last named. The


The principal aim of this thesis is to check that so near to the reality he is the model of the CAPM, this we are going to obtain applying the model to the stock market of Colombia, basing on the different theories that the model exposes and comparing them with the obtained results. This was achieved extracting the actions that more compromise on the Colombian market, they extracting to each one his thread, his risk and finally of I agree to the results observe which are those who more compromise and those of fewer risks and to check that they go of chord the model. The decision to realize this thesis was because I think that this model is vital at the moment of chooses which is the most viable and correct decision, trying to introduce the new technologies that have been arising in the last years and that they have been developing


Having analyzed existing approaches to the evaluation of the aesthetic, social and environmental comfort of urban environment, the author criticizes a modernist approach to the formation of cities. The last either lacks public space or it is poorly adapted to human needs and anthropometric characteristics. The possibility of developing the method of social interest balance as a principle of city landscape reconstruction is considered.


Four novel coordination polymers (CPs), {[Zn2(tbta)(phen)(OH)]·4H2O}n (1), {[Zn4(tbta)2(bpy)(OH)2(H2O)2]·7H2O}n (2), {[Cu2(tbta)(phen)(OH)]·4H2O}n (3) and [Cu2(tbta)(phen)2(OH)]n (4) (H3tbta = 1-(triazol-1-yl)-2,4,6-benzene tricarboxylic acid; bpy = 4,4′-bipyridine; phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. CP 1 shows a 2D bilayer network structure based on binuclear ZnII units and (tbta)3− ligands, which are arranged in an [ABAB⋯] alternation to form 3D supramolecular structures through π⋯π stacking interactions and hydrogen bonding interactions. Noticeably, CP 2 forms a 3D network structure based on binuclear ZnII units and (tbta)3− and bpy ligands. Interestingly, the lattice H2O molecules are joined by strong hydrogen bond interactions generating (H2O)10 clusters, which make contact with the 2D network to form a 3D supramolecular structure. CPs 3 and 4 have a 2D network structure. In particular, the (tbta)3− ligands in 1–4 adopt four different coordination modes. The thermal stabilities, XRD, UV, and photoluminescence properties of CPs 1–4 were also studied. Remarkably, CP 1 is a highly selective and sensitive bifunctional luminescent sensor towards Cu2+ and Cr2O72− ions. Moreover, CPs 3 and 4 exhibit photocatalytic activities for degradation of dyes (MB/MO) under UV light irradiation.


You might find this additional info useful...This article cites€73 articles, 31 of which you can access for free at: http://ajprenal.physiology.org/content/296/2/F446.full#ref-list-1This article has been cited by€6 other HighWire-hosted articles: http://ajprenal.physiology.org/content/296/2/F446#cited-by Updated information and services including high resolution figures, can be found at: http://ajprenal.physiology.org/content/296/2/F446.fullfound at: Additional material and information about American Journal of Physiology - Renal Physiology can behttp://www.the-aps.org/publications/ajprenalThis information is current as of October 12, 2012.


"Sexual behavior in Laurence's women is inseparable from their total experience of themselves" John Moss states in Sex and Violence in the Canadian Novel,1 but after an examination of the Manawaka works he is disappointed and concludes that the sexual relationships of L a u rence's artist-figure Morag G u n n do not offer us the "promised insight into artistic motivation and the creative process." 2 Moss's first statement is correct but his disappointment lies in his insistence on exploring the relationships of the heroines with their men instead of examining the detail of the imagery of the sexual encounters and the mythic prototypes implied therein.


During the present study, a total of 1506 fecal samples of Chottanagpuri sheep in and around Ranchi, were examined, out of which 942 were found positive for gastrointestinal helminthiasis and showing overall prevalence rate of 62.55%, of which trematodes were 467 (31.01%), cestodes were 329 (21.85%) and nematodes had highest prevalence i.e. 588 (39.04%) with a mixed infection of 442 (29.35%). Different trematodes detected were Fasciola spp. (28.49%) and Paramphistomum spp. (29.28%); only Moniezia expansa (21.18%) and Moniezia benedeni (12.42%) were detected in cestodes and the nematodes found were Strongyloides spp. (21.51%), Trichostrongylus spp. (6.24%), Haemonchus spp. (36.59%), Trichuris spp. (11.69%), Oesophagostomum spp. (23.44%), Bunostomum spp. (1.06%), Ostertagia spp. (13.08%) and Cooperia spp. (1.26%). Highly significant correlation (P<0.01) was recorded between animals infected and different GI helminth infections. The present research provided the prevalence pattern and risk factors associated with gastrointestinal helminthiasis.


In this paper we study differentiable convex inequalities and prove that metric regularity and Abadie's constraint qualification (CQ) are equivalent for such inequalities. For convex quadratic inequalities, we show that metric regularity, the existence of a global error bound, and Abadie's CQ are mutually equivalent. As a consequence, we derive two new characterizations of weak sharp minima of a convex quadratic programming problem.


Abstract Aim. To present a retrospective analysis of results of definitive radiotherapy for rectal cancer. Material and methods. Forty-one consecutive patients with rectal cancer (32% primary, 61% pelvic recurrence and 7% after R2 resection) who could not be treated with surgery underwent external beam radiotherapy. A median tumour dose of 64 Gy was given with 1.8–2.5 Gy per fraction using 2D or 3D technique. In 46% of patients, concurrent 5-Fu-based chemotherapy was given. The median follow-up was 54 months. Results. Clinical complete response was achieved in 39% of patients. Five-year cumulative incidence of local failure, overall survival and cancer specific survival were 76%, 26% and 30%, respectively. Of 11 patients with local control, in five cases the tumour was larger than 5 cm and in the other five the tumour was fixed. Two patients, regarded as locally controlled had non-progressive tumour without local symptoms at the last follow-up of 54 and 118 months post-radiotherapy. Late toxicity occurred in 22% of patients, all with acceptable severity. There was no bowel obstruction requiring surgery despite that in 18 patients the small bowel dose was > 60 Gy to a mean volume of 51 cm3. Conclusion. Definitive radio(chemo)therapy provides a chance for local control even in patients with large fixed or recurrent rectal cancer.


Moral education, in order to develop children's character, is involving all parties. Familyas the main actors for the development of child's moral character, but many children donot get moral education from their parents, so that school as another part has large role inthe development of the child's character. The values are developed in a basic education ofthe school curriculum aimed at developing a sustainable and systematic character.Curriculum that emphasize the integration of cognitive development and characterdevelopment through perspective taking, moral judgment, decisions making, and selfknowledge of moral, is needed. Education and moral conservation through learningactivities in schools based on local wisdom, which is developing the potential of the localculture such as traditional games, traditional songs, traditions and other arts. Traditionalgames can be integrated in curriculum as a manifestation of local knowledge, to educateyoung children since early years.


Through using the method of comprehensive research, taking the migrant rural works as research subjects, this paper makes analysis on social environmental factors influencing sport development of migrant rural workers, puts forward developing measurement and suggestions for their sport development.


In recent decades, information has become a critical asset to various organizations, hence identifying and preventing the loss of information are becoming competitive advantages for firms. Many international standards have been developed to help organizations to maintain their competitiveness by applying risk assessment and information security management system and keep risk level as low as possible. This study aims to propose a new quantitative risk analysis and assessment methodology which is based on AHP and Monte Carlo simulation. In this method, AHP is used to create favorable weights for Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability CIA as security characteristic of any information asset. To deal with the uncertain nature of vulnerabilities and threats, Monte Carlo simulation is utilized to handle the stochastic nature of risk assessment by taking into account multiple judges' opinions. The proposed methodology is suitable for organizations that require risk analysis to implement ISO/IEC 27001 standard.


Face illumination transfer is an attracting area, however, current methods ignore the illumination state in hair and shoulder regions. This paper proposes a system for human head-shoulder image illumination transfer, and our method proves better results in the hair and shoulder regions. The system consists of three stages: segmentation, transfer and composition. In the segmentation stage, we segment the input image into face, hair, and shoulder. From a head-shoulder images dataset, the system selects best match regions for input image according to their illumination, geometry and reflectance attributes. In the transfer stage, we adopt inhomogeneous illumination transfer strategies for each of the three regions. Finally, all three regions are composited together. Experimental results demonstrate that the inhomogeneous transfer strategy of our system performs better in preserving the input head-shoulder image's identification structure, reflectance attributes and texture detail, and retains the illumination of the original reference better than the homogeneous transfer strategy.


In this paper,the optimal ingredient of the polymer-fixed agent has been selected with the residual resistance factor(F RR ) as the evaluation criterion by experiments of sandpack columns.And it also has been studied that the strength of HPAM fixed in tubes by the polymer-fixed agent in different conditions.Finally,several treatments for improving recovery factor after polymer flooding have been compared by the laboratory study of physical simulation. Studies prove that with the mass proportion of the polymer-fixed agent increasing,F RR of HPAM increases gradually after polymer has been fixed.The relative molecular mass of HPAM is higher,the F RR of the fixed polymer is also greater. Data of three flow experiments demonstrater that injected solution of the polymer-fixed agent can improve the waterflood recovery efficiency 10.33% after polymer flooding,after which if in-depth profile control has been properly prosecuted ,the oil recovery increases to some extent as well.Compared with the technology of injecting depth profile control agent after polymer flooding,this polymer-fixed technology is predominant in the low cost,high oil recovery and utilizing extent of existing polymer in porous media.


The finite energy resources are the principal constraint of wireless sensor networks. The standard electronic instrumentation cant get the precision quantitative real-time measurements of wireless sensor networks power consumption. The analysis of power consumption parameters for wireless sensor networks is performed. The structure of current sensor based on controlled instrument resistor is proposed. Distributed system of energy monitoring for wireless sensor networks is designed.


Combining C/O ratio (inelastic mode) and Sigma (capture mode) measurements into one logging tool has developed into a new interpretation method for determining oil, water, and gas saturations simultaneously through casing. This interpretation method solves the limitations of both the C/O ratio and Sigma measurements when they are used alone and not in combination. The C/O ratio measurement, by itself, can not determine water saturation when gas is present. When gas is present with oil and water, the water saturation is too pessimistic and the oil saturation is too optimistic. The sigma measurement, when used by itself, has similar problems like the C/O ratio measurement, but in a different way. The Sigma measurement cannot determine oil from fresh water. The absorption rate of thermal neutrons is similar for oil and fresh water ; therefore, oil and water saturations are impossible to determine. If there is some gas present in the zone, the calculated saturations are wrong. This new interpretation model uses both the C/O ratio and Sigma data to determine oil, water and gas saturations behind casing. The C/O ratio data is cross plotted against the Sigma data. Next, the end points for oil, water and gas are determined from this cross plotted data, or calculated from the C/O ratio and Sigma equations. From the model that was determined from the data, the oil, water and gas saturations are then determined. The same interpretation method with a different model can used in shaly sands to determine oil, free water and bound water saturations. Three case histories will be used to demonstrate the results of this new interpretation technique. These examples are : 1.) oil displacing gas due to pressure depletion, 2.) oil replaced by water, and 3.) the effects of dispersed coal, (carbon) in the matrix on the C/O ratio and Sigma measurements, and how the oil and water saturations are corrected to give the correct oil and water saturations. These wells are just a few of the wells that this method has been used on, and were selected to bring attention to what can be done with this method.


There is an increasing interest in design methods and performance prediction for aircraft engine turbines operating at low Reynolds numbers. In this regime, boundary layer separation may be more likely to occur in the turbine flow passages. For accurate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions of the flow, correct modeling of laminar-turbulent boundary layer transition is essential to capture the details of the flow. To investigate possible improvements in model fidelity, CFD models were created for the flow over two low pressure turbine blade designs. A new three-equation eddy-viscosity type turbulent transitional flow model, originally developed by Walters and Leylek (2004, "A New Model for Boundary Layer Transition Using a Single Point RANS Approach, " ASME J. Turbomach., 126(1), pp. 193―202), was employed for the current Reynolds averaged Navier―Stokes (RANS) CFD calculations. Previous studies demonstrated the ability of this model to accurately predict separation and boundary layer transition characteristics of low Reynolds number flows. The present research tested the capability of CFD with the Walters and Leylek turbulent transitional flow model to predict the boundary layer behavior and performance of two different turbine cascade configurations. Flows over low pressure turbine (LPT) blade airfoils with different blade loading characteristics were simulated over a Reynolds number range of 15,000―100,000 and predictions were compared with experimental cascade results. Part I of this paper discusses the prediction methodology that was developed and its validation using a lightly loaded LPT blade airfoil design. The turbulent transitional flow model sensitivity to turbulent flow parameters was investigated and showed a strong dependence on freestream turbulence intensity with a second-order effect of turbulent length scale. Focusing on the calculation of the total pressure loss coefficients to judge performance, the CFD simulation incorporating Walters and Leylek's turbulent transitional flow model produced adequate prediction of the Reynolds number performance for the lightly loaded LPT blade cascade geometry. Significant improvements in performance were shown over predictions of conventional RANS turbulence models. Historically, these models cannot adequately predict boundary layer transition.


T errorist attacks on transit tunnels in Madrid, London, Moscow, and other cities have resulted in enormous cost in loss of life, injuries, property damage, and economic consequences. A blast in a transit tunnel is particularly dangerous because of the confined underground space and the potential for ground collapse, as well as water entry into the tunnel (if it is constructed under a body of water). Parsons Brinckerhoff used ANSYS Autodyn to perform three-dimensional coupled Euler– Lagrange (fluid–structure interaction) nonlinear finite element blast analysis to simulate explosions in a generic transit tunnel and predict the potential damage. Engineers analyzed the effectiveness of conventional protective measures, such as increasing the thickness of concrete lining or the amount of reinforcement steel, versus alternative protection measures to reduce damage to the lining and determine costs. As transportation agencies or authorities balance multiple demands, this information can assist in the decision-making process. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the American Association of Parsons Brinckerhoff used ANSYS Autodyn blast analysis to simulate explosions in a generic transit tunnel and predict potential damage.  Inside a transit tunnel State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) formed a Blue Ribbon Panel on Bridge and Tunnel Security after the terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001. The Panel identified more than 200 transit tunnels in the United States. Many of these tunnels serve transit systems carrying millions of passengers daily. Transit tunnels can be attractive terrorist targets because of easy accessibility, the presence of large concentrations of people, and the potential for costly damage to infrastructure and disruption of economic activity.


Flexural waves propagating towards sharp edges of elastic wedges are slowing down and growing in amplitudes as they approach the edges. Especially interesting phenomena may take place in wedges having cross sections described by a power‐law relationship between their local thickness and the distance from the edge, with m being a power‐law exponent. In particular, the theory shows that, for m equal or larger than 2—in free wedges, and 5/3—in immersed wedges, the incident flexural waves can become trapped near the edge and never reflect back, i.e., the above structures represent acoustic ''black holes'' for flexural waves. Because of the deviations of real manufactured wedges from the ideal power‐law profiles, first of all because of ever‐present edge truncations, the corresponding reflection coefficients are always far from zero. Therefore, in reality such homogeneous wedges can not be used as effective vibration dampers. In the present paper it is demonstrated that the situation can be significantly impro...


Abstract An isothermal section of the phase diagram for the system Pr– Pd–O at 1223 K has been established by equilibration of samples representing 13 different compositions, and phase identification after quenching by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDX). The binary oxide PdO was not stable at 1223 K. Three oxide phases were stable along the binary Pr– O; Pr2O3, Pr7O12 and a phase of variable composition between these two oxides designated as σ. Two ternary oxides Pr4PdO7 and Pr2Pd2O5 were identified and their crystal structures were determined. Liquid alloy, the intermetallic compounds PrPd, Pr3Pd4, PrPd3, PrPd5, and Pd-rich solid solution (Pds.s.) were found to be in equilibrium with Pr2O3. Based on the phase relations, two solid-state cells were designed to measure the Gibbs energies of formation of the two ternary oxides. An advanced version of the solid-state cell incorporating a buffer electrode was used for high temperature thermodynamic measurements. The function of the buffer electrode, placed between reference and working electrodes, was to absorb the electrochemical flux of the mobile species through the solid electrolyte caused by trace electronic conductivity. The buffer electrode prevented polarization of the measuring electrode and ensured accurate data. Yttria-stabilized zirconia was used as the solid electrolyte and pure oxygen gas at a pressure of 0.1 MPa as the reference electrode. Electromotive force measurements, conducted in the temperature range 925 – 1400 K, indicated the presence of a third ternary oxide Pr2PdO4, stable below 1150 ± 9 K. Additional solid state cells were designed to study this compound. The standard Gibbs energy of formation of the interoxide compounds from their component binary oxides Pr2O3 and PdO can be represented by the following equations: Pr4PdO7:Δf(ox)Go/J⋅mol−1=−43 540+0.74 T(±150)Pr2PdO4:Δf(ox)Go/J⋅mol−1=−38 805+1.91 T(±120)Pr2Pd2O5:Δf(ox)Go/J⋅mol−1=−68 640+1.28T(±270) $$\eqalign{ & {\rm{P}}{{\rm{r}}_4}{\rm{Pd}}{{\rm{O}}_7}:{{\rm{\Delta }}_{{\rm{f}}\left( {{\rm{ox}}} \right)}}{G^{\rm{o}}}{\rm{/J}} \cdot {\rm{mo}}{{\rm{l}}^{ - 1}} = - 43\,540 + 0.74\,T\left( { \pm 150} \right) \cr & {\rm{P}}{{\rm{r}}_2}{\rm{Pd}}{{\rm{O}}_4}:{{\rm{\Delta }}_{{\rm{f}}\left( {{\rm{ox}}} \right)}}{G^{\rm{o}}}{\rm{/J}} \cdot {\rm{mo}}{{\rm{l}}^{ - 1}} = - 38\,805 + 1.91\,T\left( { \pm 120} \right) \cr & {\rm{P}}{{\rm{r}}_2}{\rm{P}}{{\rm{d}}_2}{{\rm{O}}_5}:{{\rm{\Delta }}_{{\rm{f}}\left( {{\rm{ox}}} \right)}}{G^{\rm{o}}}{\rm{/J}} \cdot {\rm{mo}}{{\rm{l}}^{ - 1}} = - 68\,640 + 1.28T\left( { \pm 270} \right) \cr} $$ Crystallographic data for all three ternary oxides have been determined based on the thermodynamic information, isobaric phase diagrams and isothermal chemical potential diagrams for the system Pr–Pd –O are developed.


The present study is concerned with the investigation of the transient responses of a half-space medium with the variable material properties in the context of dual phase lag thermo-elasticity. The boundary of the medium is subjected to thermal shock. Further, the bounding surface is considered to be heated by a non-Gaussian laser beam. Kirchhoff transformation and the Laplace transform technique have been adopted to obtain the analytical solutions. Graphical results of the field components such as non-dimensional conductive temperature, non-dimensional displacement as well as non-dimensional stress have been achieved and illustrated for the different values of time and variable thermal conductivity. Significant results are obtained and it is believed that these results may support in designing the structures heated by a non-Gaussian laser beam in engineering.


Background: Anaemia is amongst the most common medical disorders encountered during pregnancy all over the world. India has a high rate of anaemia in pregnant women. Anaemia has a recognizable effect on both maternal and foetal health during pregnancy and on perinatal outcome, contributing remarkably to maternal morbidity and mortality. Routine foetal monitoring is an essential investigation for such females with special emphasis on obstetrics Doppler ultrasonography. Various changes due to foetal hypoxia due to maternal anaemia can be remarkably appreciated on Doppler helping in timely management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of maternal anaemia on foetal Doppler indices.Methods: 400 pregnant women were assessed in a cross-section observational study done in the department of Radiodiagnosis in MYH, Indore, India. These women were divided into three groups of mild, moderate and severe anaemia based on the level of haemoglobin.Results: Umbilical artery resistive and pulsatility indices were found to be increased with the increasing severity of anaemia while middle cerebral artery indices and CPR showed a decreasing trend with the increasing severity of anaemia.Conclusions: We found that severe maternal anaemia is associated with marked adaption in foetal haemodynamics. Obstetrics Doppler can be used as an accurate measure of surveillance for foetal monitoring and will help in appropriate management.


Hypothesis / aims of study Painful bladder syndrome and interstitial cystitis affect women more often than men suggesting the role of ovarian hormones in pain perception and transmission. The underlying mechanisms regulating pain fluctuations within a menstrual cycle in women are not fully understood [1]. Recent studies suggested that pelvic organ cross-sensitization triggered by pathology in one of the pelvic organs can lead to functional changes in adjacent organs. It was demonstrated that inflammation of the distal colon causes the development of a neurogenic bladder [2]. We hypothesize that changes in ovarian hormones associated with the estrous cycle will result in changes in the expression of bladder neuropeptides in female rats after colonic inflammation. The objective of this study was to identify major neurotransmitters/ neuropeptides released in the bladder during rising and falling estrogen phases of the estrous cycle using an animal model of a neurogenic bladder. Our secondary aim was to determine if similar differences in urinary neuropeptides and neurotransmitters were noted among premenopausal women with and without bladder pain.


The lateral overgrowth of thick GaN has been attempted using the sublimation method. The lateral overgrowth of 60 µm on SiO2 mask, which is about three times larger than the vertical growth, was obtained by one hour of growth at 995°C, with the stripe windows in the <1100> direction of GaN. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that the extension of threading dislocations is terminated at the SiO2/GaN interface. The dislocation density is about 109 cm-2 above the window areas, and is reduced to 106 cm-2 in the lateral overgrowth region on SiO2.


Jazayeri, Ogden and Rounds have shown that the high time complexity of Knuth's algorithm for testing attribute grammars for circularity is no accident. It was proved that there is a constant c>0 such that any deterministic Turing Machine which correctly tests for circularity must run for more than 2 ^(cn/log n) steps on infinitely many attribute grammars (AGs) (the size of an AG is the number of symbols required to write it down). The proof was rather complex; the purpose of this note is to provide a simpler one.


In order to improve the cooling of an air-cooled gas turbine (10) in the partial load operating mode it is proposed to provide a connecting line (7) between two cooling air lines (5, 6) with different pressure levels, which connecting line (7) leads from the second cooling air line (6) at a relative high pressure level to the first cooling air line (5) at a relative low pressure level. In this context, a cooling device (9) for cooling an auxiliary cooling air stream, flowing from the second cooling air line (6) into the first cooling air line (5), and an adjustment element (11) are arranged in the connecting line (7). In addition to a gas turbine (10), a method for operating such a gas turbine (10) is the subject matter of the disclosure.


We explore the fluorescence signals from a pair of atoms driven towards Rydberg states on a three-level ladder transition. The dipole--dipole interactions between Rydberg excited atoms significantly distort the dark state and electromagnetically induced transparency behavior observed with independent atoms and, thus, their steady state light emission. We calculate and analyze the temporal correlations between intensities and amplitudes of the signals emitted by the atoms and explain their origin in the atomic Rydberg state interactions.


The purpose of the present invention is to provide a resin composition having exceptional heat resistance and crack resistance, and an electric wire in which said composition is used. The resin composition according to the present invention is characterized by including a thermoplastic resin crosslinked by a polycarboxylic acid, and a crosslinking interchange catalyst.


An earth engaging wear member is rearwardly telescoped onto a support member and is releasably retained thereon by specially designed connector apparatus extending through aligned connector openings in the wear and support members. The connector apparatus includes a spool member rearwardly bearing against the wear member, a shim member forwardly spaced apart from the spool member and having a sloping rear surface, and a wedge screw member interposed between the spool and shim members. The wedge screw member has a non-tapered body threadingly engaging the spool member side portion, and a non-threaded, radially sloped surface area rampingly engaging the sloped shim surface area. Threaded advancement of the wedge screw member rearwardly moves the wear member relative to the support member to tighten an operationally-created loosened interfit therebetween.


A method was proposed to prepare a peptide-type low-phenylalanine, high-tyrosine food for curing phenylketonuria. A fish protein concentrate (FPC) and a soybean protein isolate (SPI) were used as starting materials. Each was limitedly hydrolyzed with a very small amount of pepsin The peptic hydrolysate was further hydrolyzed with Pronase under an unconventional pH-condition to liberate aromatic amino acids. These were removed by Sephadex G-15 with the aid of its adsorp tion activity. To the resulting aromatic amino acid-free fraction were added ethyl esters of L-tyrosine and L-tryptophan and the mixture was incubated with papain under such conditions as its reverse process called "plastein synthesis reaction" proceeded efficiently. The reaction product was treated by ultrafiltration to obtain a plastein as a fraction having the lowest molecular weight of 500. The yields were 69.3% from FPC and 60.9% from SPI. Phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan contents were 0.05%, 7.82% and 2.98% in the FPC plastein and 0.23%, 7.69% and 2.80% in the SPI plastein. Each plastem did not contain any free amino acids and was almost completely flat in taste and odor.


In this paper, we handle a remote ikebana (i.e., flower arrangement) system with olfactory and haptic media. In the system, a teacher or a student can hold a flower, adjust the length of the held flower's stem with a pair of scissors, and impale the flower on a flower pinholder in a 3-D virtual space. We make QoE (Quality of Experience) assessment of olfactory media to investigate the influence of the output timing of olfactory media by changing the size of smell space (defined as a sphere in which we can perceive the smell of flower). In the assessment, each subject is asked to move a rose toward or away from his/her viewpoint, and he/she judges how good the output timing of olfactory media is. We illustrate that there exists the optimum value of the smell space size, and the optimum value depends on the average movement speed and the direction of movement.


Movement Pattern Analysis (MPA) identifies signature movement patterns reflective of cognitive priorities and motivations that manifest during various stages of the human decision-making process. Prior work demonstrated high inter-rater reliability and prediction of decision-making processes in leaders. In this study we expand these prior analyses by using a larger sample of leaders, in order to refine our understanding of the stages of decision making that best reflect individual differences in the cognitive motivations that drive overall decision-making style. Expert movement analysts generated MPA profiles for 24 subjects, revealing substantial variation in their cognitive motivations across three stages of decision-making – Attention, Intention, and Commitment – particularly in terms of how individuals balanced the need for Assertion versus Perspective within each stage. Psychometric analysis revealed the three stages could be reduced to two primary factors – Attention versus Intention/Commitment – with individual differences in balancing Assertion and Perspective in Intention/Commitment being highly predictive of information-seeking processes when presented with decision-making scenarios in the laboratory. The findings reinforce the notion that decision-making style, as derived from how we understand it in MPA, substantially impacts how leaders approach and navigate actual decision-making processes. They highlight assessment of signature movement patterns as a insightful tool for revealing the cognitive motivations underlying differences among leaders.


The purpose of this study is to estimate the impacts of several large-scale mixed-use developments on inner city, which form parts of the urban regeneration plan, in the sight of the level of market-share. Using MAS(Multi-agent System), it is possible to simulate the state of spatial market competition whose structure is based on Huff's model. According to the results of this study, two simultaneous developments make more inroads into surrounding markets compared to each individual development. In addition, the trading areas for pedestrian of two development sites do not mutually influence to each other, while areas for car and public transportation are merged. Moreover, the impact is more apparent in other commercial area like neighborhood markets than general commercial zone. These outcomes imply that it is necessary to consider adequate volume of commercial facilities and distance to relieve the sales decrease of existing markets.


How to save and transfer data effectively is a big concern in the computer science.A usual means for resolving this problem is resorting to the techniques of data compression.This paper starts with a review of the principle and classification in the data compression.And then introduce a Huffman coding method for lossless comression,this algorithm adopt adaptive model.As a conclusion,the process of this method is detailed for the case study in the future.


Sierra Leone is a poor nation in the midst of a laudable campaign to bring justice and reconciliation to a people desperately in need of it. Having suffered through the scourge of a decade long civil war, the nation employed two distinct yet related institutions to take a leading role in this campaign. Uniquely, the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) sought the assistance of the United Nations (UN) in setting up the world's first "hybrid tribunal", named the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), to work alongside the already conceived of Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). These two institutions were to employ different procedures and, to an extent, different objectives in the hopes of achieving peace, justice and reconciliation.


We report a case of congenital tracheooesophageal fistula repair in which the anaesthetic management was complicated by intraoperative hypoxaemia coinciding with the surgical step of separation of the parietal pleura from the chest wall. On retrospective evaluation, intraoperative accidental endofistular intubation secondary to the pressure transmitted during surgical manipulation was reasoned out to be the most likely cause.


A brief description of the principle and application of the Impact Mill for PCC devised from the lime mud of chemical recovery plant is presented.The Impact Mill can solve the aggregative problem of the Lime Mud,produce fine PCC and control its particle size in the expected distribution,therefore can be used as paper filler.The development and application of the impact mill will make the technology of reclaiming PCC from Chemical Recovery Lime Mud perfect.


This research was doing to know the effect of cultural, social, personality and psychology that stimulate the consumer to buy the energy drink.
Data that used in this research have been achieved from questioner data of some respondent in the area selected. The data would analyzed by regression and correlation analyzing.
The result ensure that cultural, social, personality and psychology together have positive effect and significant to buying energy drink decision. This is finding out from Fhitung amount bigger than Ftabel (60,299>2,6415). Probabilitay number is 0.000 (probabilitas 2,0227). Probability also give out 0,003 that smaller than 0,05. That assumpted the second hypotesis was accepted. The social factor had positive effect and significant to buying energy drink decision. By signification 5 % (α = 0,05), and degree of freedom (n-1) = 39 found ttabel 2,0227. From calculation was got thitung 2,189 so that thitung was bigger than ttabel (2,189>2,0227). Probability also shown smaller than 0,05 that is 0,035. That assumpted the third hypotesis was accepted.The personality factor have positive effect and significant to buying energy drink decision. The personality factor have positive effect and significant to buying energy drink decision. The calculation shown thitung 2,551 so that thitung lebih besar daripada ttabel (2,551>2,0227). Probability was 0,015 smaller than 0,05. The meaning is the fourth hypothesis accepted. The last variable is psychology that have positive effect and significant to buying energy drink decision. From the calculation found thitung 3,614 so that thitung bigger than ttabel (3,614>2,0227). Probability also showed 0,001 and smaller thani 0,05. This meaning is accepting of fifth hypothesis.


This chapter examines the relationship between welfare policies, job conditions, and employee well-being. The main objective is to determine the welfare policies and identify the most useful measures for improving employee well-being and identify workplace conditions that affect employee well-being. Existing research in employee well-being focuses on identifying how one of the main areas (welfare policies or job conditions) affects an employee's well-being. However, there is a gap in research on employee well-being and the relationships between welfare policies, job conditions, and employee well-being in Slovenia. Therefore, this chapter aims to provide an overview of how welfare policies and job conditions influence employee well-being in Slovenian organizations. Descriptive quantitative research method was used for the study. Data collection of a survey instrument took place from March to July 2020. The authors used a convenience sampling method to recruit the companies. Results of this research show high levels of job satisfaction related to all aspects.


tions. If Klein is cautious in giving answers it is always with good reason. My only real problem with the book is a matter of organization. It reads more like a series of papers than a comprehensive analysis, and indeed several of the chapters have appeared separately in essentially the same form. The principle of organization is tied too closely to the data-sources, each chapter being based on a different set of documents. Thus, some questions are raised chapter after chapter, while others are discussed only when the data permit. The concluding chapter does not effectively serve the comparative objective, since it contains no summary tables (on mortality or seasonality, for example) and meanders off into new areas. The book would have been far more valuable if it had been arranged topically, with a chapter systematically comparing the data sources.


The Ofanto river drains volcanic rocks from the Monte Vulture, lacustrine-fluviolacustrine deposits associated with the same volcano and sedimentary deposits of the Southern Apennines and the Bradanic foredeep sequences. Comparing the modal composition of river sands and the outcrop area of different lithologies in the different sub-basins, an over-concentration of the volcaniclastic fraction, mainly represented by loose crystals of clinopyroxene, garnet and amphibole, is shown. This has been related to the preferential erosion of pyroclastic deposits, characterized by high production of sand-sized loose minerals, together with the carbonate lability and the low sand-sized detritus production from claystones and marls. The occurrence of volcaniclastic components upstream of Monte Vulture can be explained with a contribution from the lacustrine-fluviolacustrine deposits outcropping in the upstream sector or from pyroclastic fall deposits of Monte Vulture and/or Campanian volcanoes. This research shows that the volcanic record in the fluvial sands of the Ofanto river comes from weathering and sorting processes of volcaniclastic deposits rather than of the lavas building the main edifice. Therefore, caution must be taken during paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstructions when relating the type and abundance of the volcanic component in sediments to the weathering stage and evolutionary history of the volcano.Supplementary material at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5643959


We introduce a new presentation of the Chow ring of a matroid whose variables now admit a combinatorial interpretation via the theory of matroid quotients and display a geometric behavior analogous to that of nef classes on smooth projective varieties. We apply these properties to produce a bijection between a standard monomial basis of our presentation and a relative generalization of Schubert matroids. As a corollary we obtain the Poincare duality property for Chow rings of matroids. We then give a formula for the volume polynomial with respect to our presentation and show that it is log-concave in the positive orthant. We recover the portion of the Hodge theory of matroids in [AHK18] which implies the Heron-Rota-Welsh conjecture on the log-concavity of the coefficients of the characteristic polynomial. We emphasize that our work eschews the use of flipping, which is the key technical tool employed in [AHK18]. Thus our proof does not leave the realm of matroids.


In relative gradient algorithms of Independent Component Analysis(ICA), careful selection of step size is important to obtain good performance. In this study, an adjustable rate of relative gradient algorithm was proposed. With the changes of iteration number, the learning rate of relative gradient algorithm changed correspondingly,which solved the problem about the contradiction between the convergence rate and stability well. On this basis,this method was adopted in Blind Signal Separation(BSS) problems,and its effectiveness was validated by simulation. Adjustable rate algorithm with relative gradient has good prospects in independent component analysis.


Currently, at the circles of theory and practice in China, suspects' declaration and exculpation are vested in oral confession. But are they, to a certainty, oral confession? This is a question, which is worth farther thinking.


This article argues that women's equal participation in all levels of peacemaking and peacekeeping, as required by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325, is vital to the elimination of trafficking in women and children. This article: describes and analyzes U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325 [which addresses the unequal and detrimental effects of armed conflict on women and children and seeks to foster women's participation in all levels of decision-making in peace processes]; presents the unique, disparate impact that armed conflict has on women and children and discusses the role that militaries have in perpetuating trafficking during times of conflict; demonstrates how trafficking thrives in the post-conflict period because of peacekeepers' complicity in the practice and a lack of specific protections for trafficked victims; establishes that women's absence from peace processes perpetuates trafficking because immunity for trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and girls during conflict is often included in peace accords and post-conflict laws; and discusses how the growing militarization and the war on terror have aided the perpetuation of trafficking outside of typical armed conflict scenarios. The article concludes: that the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking should investigate and make recommendations regarding the role peacekeeping forces have in creating a demand for trafficked victims, and that implementation of the mandate of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325 must also be considered when investigating the causes of and solutions to trafficking; that peacekeeping personnel must be held to strict codes of conduct that protect the physical security and ensure the freedom of movement of women and children during and after conflict; that member states must provide effective mechanisms to guarantee the physical security of women and children during the transitional period following any armed conflict (including specific guarantees of prosecution for violations of sex exploitation and trafficking); that post-conflict reconstruction governments must adopt and implement standards to eliminate the trafficking of women and children; that all U.N. peacekeeping operations should include a gender unit within the military operation for monitoring compliance with established, strict codes of conduct; and that peacekeeping commanders should be required to report to the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking any violations by peacekeepers as part of standard U.N. peacekeeping mission reporting.


The aim of this paper is to examine measures aimed at countering workplace bullying in two OECD countries with strong historical, trade and economic links: Australia and Ireland. As most reported workplace bullying incidents are those directed by supervisors toward subordinates, we argue that a crucial issue facing organisations in both countries is the role that supervision plays in an organisation's wellness. This paper begins with an overview of extant workplace bullying research. This is followed by a summary of government/legislative measures aimed at curbing workplace bullying in Ireland and Australia. Following this, we review the role that workplace supervision plays in an organisation's wellness. We argue that organising criteria and studying different forms of dysfunctional behaviour – both egregious and innocuous may assist organisations in developing appropriate anti-bullying workplace policies. This paper is a work in progress. Material in the paper cannot be used without permission of the author. DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT WORKING PAPER SERIES I S S N 1 3 2 7 – 5 2 1 6


Incorporating selenium metal bonded to the pyridine nucleus was achieved by the reaction of selenium metal with 2-chloropyridine carbonitrile 1 in the presence of sodium borohydride as reducing agent. The resulting non isolated selanyl sodium salt was subjected to react with various α-halogenated carbonyl compounds to afford the selenyl pyridine derivatives 3a-f  which compounds 3a-d underwent Thorpe-Ziegler cyclization to give 1-amino-2-substitutedselenolo[2,3-b]pyridine compounds 4a-d , while the other compounds 3e,f failed to be cyclized. Basic hydrolysis of amino selenolo[2,3-b]pyridine carboxylate 4a followed by decarboxylation furnished the corresponding amino selenolopyridine compound 6 which was used as a versatile precursor for synthesis of other heterocyclic compound 7-16 . All the newly synthesized compounds were established by elemental and spectral analysis (IR, 1 H NMR) in addition to mass spectra for some of them hoping these compounds afforded high biological activity.


This paper investigates the problem of adaptive tracking control for a class of uncertain nontriangular nonlinear system with discrete and distributed time-varying delays. By applying the integral mean value theorem, the difficulties arising from distributed time-time delays are solved well. Moreover, an event-triggered mechanism involving saturation is introduced to reduce communication burden and maintain the competitive control capability. By utilizing the Lyapunov-Razumikhin approach, backstepping technique, and the neural network (NN) approximation-based method, an event-triggered adaptive neural control scheme is proposed for such systems. The event-based controller can ensure that all the closed-loop signals are semi-global uniformly ultimately bounded (SGUUB) while the tracking error converges to a small neighbourhood of the origin. Finally, a simulation example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed scheme.


Abstract : The empirical validity of the Mobley, Horner & Hollingsworth model of employee turnover was tested with clerical employees. Results were consistent with the model in that only intention to quit exhibited a significant regression coefficient in the prediction of turnover. Implications for future research in the area are discussed. (Author)


Objective: This study investigated compensation for loss of the fumaryl - aceto acetate hydrolase gene (Fah) by gene therapy using the Sleeping Beauty transposon system (SBTS), in a hereditary tyrosinaemia type 1 (HT-1) mouse model (Fah-/-). Methods: Twenty Fah-/- study mice, five wild-type positive controls and five Fah-/- negative controls were included. All Fah-/- mice received 2-(2- nitro-4-trifluoro-methylbenzoyl)-1,3-cyclo - hexaedione (NTBC). Fah-/- study mice were randomly injected with one of two SBTS Constructs: Fah-SBTS (containing mouse Fah gene), or forkhead box M1b (FOXM1B)-Fah-SBTS (containing mouse Fah and human FOXM1B genes). Firefly luciferase-SBTS was injected as a trace marker. NTBC treatment stopped after construct injection; Fah-/- negative controls were kept healthy with continued NTBC. Mice were weighed daily; the luciferase signal was monitored by in vivo bioluminescence, and Fah and FOXM1B gene expression were evaluated. Results: The Fah gene integrated into the mouse chromosomes within 1 week of Fah-SBTS injection (mice survived without NTBC thereafter) and within 1 month of FOXM1B-Fah-SBTS injection (mice lost weight dramatically and needed additional NTBC). Conclusion: The shorter Fah gene had an advantage over the longer FOXM1B-Fah gene for stable integration into the host mouse chromosomes.


Raising taxes on cigarettes will boost the illegal trade and reduce revenue to the State, according to a Government report.

The study, carried out by the research branch of Revenue, said about 20% of cigarettes consumed in Ireland are not taxed here.

These cigarettes include those that are produced in or smuggled into Ireland and purchased illegally, and cigarettes that are bought legally in another country and sold here.

The authors said there was some evidence cigarette tax levels "have moved beyond a critical point" at which increases in tax rates leads to lower, rather than higher, tax revenue.

"Further tax [price] rises will reduce smoking somewhat but they will also greatly encourage more untaxed consumption," it said.

"Increasing the taxation of cigarettes in Ireland no longer carries the combined benefits of better public health and higher revenue for the public finances.

At the very least, these benefits are severely weakened by the substitution of untaxed for taxed consumption."


Some Hermite-Hadamard type inequalities are provided. We deal with functions whose derivatives in absolute value are convex or concave. By defining two cumulative gaps which enable us to generalize known results in the framework of Riemann-Liouville fractional calculus, we open a new perspective on the classic statement of the inequality.


This chapter examines the transition and alignments of communities through a consideration built around the changing role of the community in the photographic archive and the shift from subjecthood to agency. It also examines the use of the photographic archive as a means of exploring the new potentialities of the community archive. The chapter reflects on the sense of the community as pictured within the archive and the increasing potential of self-archiving and curation afforded by new digital technologies. It draws on recent projects funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Connected Communities and Digital Transformations schemes. A model in which the disruptive can be privileged and the counterfactual become an essential component of the archivist's armoury is offered.


A terminal device battery (100), comprising: a battery array unit (110), itself comprising at least two batteries (BAT1, BAT2); an array control unit (120), configured so as to control the electrical connection in parallel of all batteries in the battery array unit when said unit is in charge mode and to control the electrical connection in series of all batteries in the battery array unit when said unit is not in charge mode. Also disclosed is a method for controlling the charge and discharge of the terminal device battery. Use of the present terminal device battery and control method reduces the battery array unit charge input voltage, shortening device recharge time while ensuring the high capacity of the device battery, does not require use of high-voltage batteries, and prevents charge circuit damage due to high charge voltages. The terminal device battery is low in cost and has a long product life.


S. Christodoulides, E. Dimidi, K. C. Fragkos, K. Whelan and S. M. Scott The Wingate Institute for Neurogastroenterology, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, E1 2AJ, UK, Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, School of Medicine, King's College London, SE1 9NH, UK and Centre for Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition, University College London, WC1E 6DE, UK


Abstract Midgut malrotation is usually present in the early neonatal period with intestinal obstruction and bilious vomiting. However, sometimes it may present later in childhood and adolescence with atypical features and then may remain undiagnosed for long, adversely affecting the growth and development of the child. Here we describe three cases of intestinal malrotation with various atypical presentation and imaging findings.


Two Jensen's type inequalities for convex functions defined on R k which involve elements of convex hulls are given. As their consequences the comparison theorem for weighted L-conjugate means and a Mercer's result are obtained.


For certain rivers of the Amazon basin, hydrological information can often be difficult to obtain due to the inaccessibility of the region, the sparse distribution of gauge stations, or the slow dissemination of data. Satellite radar altimeters have the potential to monitor height variations over inland waters. Here, it is shown that the ESA radar altimeter (RA2), currently operating on board the ENVISAT satellite, can successfully track rivers. Time series of relative water level variations and the annual water level hydrograph, for the 8 years of this mission, have been obtained for a selection of the Purus River. The hydrological regime is characterized by a multimodal flood wave, fast rise and slow recession. Drought has occurred during the months of August and October, and the flood has occurred during February to April. The coefficients of variation of the water stage denote lower values upstream while the values much higher downstream reaches. Overall, the altimetry results demonstrate that the ENVISAT mission is successfully monitoring the transient flood waves of this trans-boundary river. Palavras-Chave – Space altimetry, Purus River basin, hydrological regime, ENVISAT, altimetria espacial, bacia do rio Purus, regime hidrológico, ENVISAT. Anais XVI Simpósio Brasileiro de Sensoriamento Remoto SBSR, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brasil, 13 a 18 de abril de 2013, INPE


Art galleries, theaters, and museums are often communicatively inaccessible to people with aphasia. This article describes how a group of people with aphasia and a group of health and arts service providers worked together to develop an arts access initiative that involved people with aphasia in accessing museums and arts courses in the community and in organizing and managing their own arts group. Access efforts included the development of materials and methods for (1) making initial contact with arts organizations, (2) setting up information and welcoming stations at the site, (3) organizing communicatively accessible workshops, and (4) evaluating what has taken place.


e66 G ITAL CARDIOL │ VOL 16 │ SUPPL 1 AL N 5 2015 C210 LONG TERM PROGNOSIS OF MILDLY DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY Gigli M., Merlo M., Pinamonti B., Poli S., Antonini-Canterin F., Barbati G., Ramani F., Stolfo D., Sinagra G. Cardiovascular Department, Ospedali Riuniti and University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy Objective. Mildly dilated cardiomyopathies (MDCM) are a particular subgroup of dilated cardiomyopathies (DCM) characterized by systolic dysfunction but normal or slightly dilated left ventricle (LV). The natural history and long-term prognosis of the disease are currently unknown. We sought to define the incidence and predictors of long-term adverse outcomes in MDCM. Methods. From 1988 to 2008 we analyzed all DCM patients consecutively enrolled in the Trieste Heart Muscle Disease Registry. MDCM was defined as LVEF≤50% and index LV end-diastolic volume≤86 ml/m2. Results. At baseline 252 (38%) of 659 patients fulfilled MDCM criteria. They were characterized by a less advanced disease, as suggested by a shorter duration of symptoms, a less severe NYHA class and less remodeled LV at enrolment. At 10 years follow-up, all-cause mortality/heart transplant (HTx) death was 21% in MDCM and 39% in DCM (p<0.001); heart failure death/HTx and sudden death/malignant ventricular arrhythmias rates were also significantly less frequent in MDCM (p=0.004 and p=0.04, respectively). At multivariable analysis restrictive filling pattern (HR 3.23, 95%CI 1.77-5.92; p<0.001) and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) (HR 2.42, 95%CI 1.31-4.47; p=0.005) emerged as independent predictors of death/HTx, whilst LVEF was not significantly associated with adverse outcome. Conclusions. MDCM are, in most of the cases, DCM discovered in an earlier stage, with a better long-term outcome. However, in some cases MDCM could be the phenotypic expression of specific genotypes with a higher-risk profile. NSVT and impaired diastolic function might be helpful in the identification of this subgroup of MDCM with a potential worse prognosis.


Based on the applications of Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) integrated with Internet of Things (IoT), it is proposed to design a health monitoring system which finds the heart rate of patient, temperature where the patient is available and any gas environment(abnormal condition) of the patients in hospitals. In this paper, a cloud environment/IoT is created with the help of Visual studio 2010 and a Local Host(Hospital) is created which gives the information of the heartbeat of patient and his/her environment. This information is updated to a server (medical server) for getting any additional information from doctor/nurse.


An examination of public policy issues related to the growth of interstate banking, such as its potential effects on concentration, competition, and soundness in the banking industry.


Methyl esterification of soybean oil deodorizer distillate catalyzed by a nonspecific lipase was investigated.The conversion of fatty acids to methyl esters was optimized by using a statistical design.Through the single factor experiment and the orthogonal experiment,the reaction conditions were optimized.The results showed that the influence order to the conversion of fatty acid was the substrates ratio,the reaction temperature and the ratio of the input speed to enzyme column height.The best conditions of methyl esterification were as follows: temperature 55℃,ratio of fatty acid to methanol 1∶ 2,ratio of the input speed to enzyme column height 0.075 mL/(min·cm).The conversion rate was 90.87% under the best conditions.


Abstract The Heihe River Basin of northwestern China is one of several areas severely affected by desertification. This article outlines the status of desertification in this basin. There are mainly 5 types of desertification in the Heihe River Basin, namely soil and water erosion, sandy desertification, soil aridization, soil salinization and vegetation degradation. Among the 5 types of desertification, the main desertification type is sandy desertification with an area of 10 771.97 km2; Second type is soil salinization with an area of 10 591.82 km2; Next to the soil salinization is the type of soil and water erosion with an area of 5 747.68 km2 and the other types of desertification in the Heihe River Basin are soil aridization with just area of 1 369.96 km2 and vegetation degradation type with an area of 1 490.48 km2 respectively. Both natural and man-made factors are responsible for the causes of desertification development, among which the latter is the main driving force for desertification in the basin.


Figure B; Patient 2: 8 mm, Figure F; Supplementary Movie), and the patients recovered without needing oral prednisone or other targeted immunosuppressants. The second-line anticancer drugs and the long half-life of pembrolizumab (27.3 days)1 possibly contributed to the myocarditis. Therefore, patients should be monitored for myocarditis even after the completion of ICI treatment or during subsequent treatment with other anticancer drugs.


Time-depended hydrodynamic model TUBE 7 is used for modeling of field-aligned motions and temperature of polar ionosphere ions taking into account magnetosphere convection. It was shown tube geometry changing have a great influence on basic parameters of polar magnetosphere thermal plasma


With vector transformation method,the mathematical models of the double-fed wind turbine,doubly-fed generator and control system are established.Based on Matlab/Simulink,the corresponding simulation is finished.Through the simulation experiments of wind speed and power,the effectiveness of DFIG method for the Varied Speed Constant Frequency(VSCF) doubly fed induction generator is verified to realize the maximum wind speed capture


also observed a significant difference in the total number of nucleoli per zygote (6.3 versus 8.6, P<O.Ol) for pregnancy and non-pregnancy groups respectively. The number as well as the polarization of the nucleoli, seem to be reliable markers of pronuclear zygote quality.


Abstract Exceptional events may be declared exceptional due to underestimation of extreme values. We focus on the uncertainties associated with the transformation of extreme variables by a rainfall–runoff model, or by a catchment. Conditional probabilities provide a simple model that accounts for the modification of the extreme value index due to the rainfall–runoff transformation. In its original form, this model can only decrease the value of this index, but a modified form yields a family of distributions resilient to exponentially distributed perturbations, not subject to this restriction. The behaviour of these distributions in extreme values is related to the intensity of the perturbation versus the intensity of the relationship with the independent variable (rainfall). The tails of the rainfall and runoff distributions are not necessarily parallel. A case study is presented with positive – but not very different – values of the extreme value indexes. Complementary investigations are performed on synthetic data. As the model exhibits the same behaviour as a more detailed model, the transformation of the extreme value index clearly depends on the transfer function. Hydrological or hydraulic knowledge is therefore necessary to improve estimation of the upper tail of flood distributions. Citation Leviandier, T. (2010) A model capable of changing the heaviness of the tail of a probability distribution function. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(6), 992–1001.


Dimorphism or morphogenic conversion is exploited by several pathogenic fungi and is required for tissue invasion and/or survival in the host. We have identified a homolog of a master regulator of this morphological switch in the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. This non-dimorphic fungus causes vascular wilt disease in tomato by penetrating the plant roots and colonizing the vascular tissue. Gene knock-out and complementation studies established that the gene for this putative regulator, SGE1 (SIX Gene Expression 1), is essential for pathogenicity. In addition, microscopic analysis using fluorescent proteins revealed that Sge1 is localized in the nucleus, is not required for root colonization and penetration, but is required for parasitic growth. Furthermore, Sge1 is required for expression of genes encoding effectors that are secreted during infection. We propose that Sge1 is required in F. oxysporum and other non-dimorphic (plant) pathogenic fungi for parasitic growth. Citation: Michielse CB, van Wijk R, Reijnen L, Manders EMM, Boas S, et al. (2009) The Nuclear Protein Sge1 of Fusarium oxysporum Is Required for Parasitic Growth. PLoS Pathog 5(10): e1000637. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1000637 Editor: Barbara Jane Howlett, University of Melbourne, Australia Received March 31, 2009; Accepted September 25, 2009; Published October 23, 2009 Copyright: 2009 Michielse et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: Most of this work was funded by the Utopa Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com ¤ Current address: Institute of Botany, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany . These authors contributed equally to this work.


An additive manufacturing system includes a platen having a top surface to support an object being manufactured, a feed material dispenser to deliver a plurality of successive layers of feed materialover the platen, an energy source positioned above the platen to fuse at least a portion of an outermost layer of feed material, and a coolant fluid dispenser to deliver a coolant fluid onto the outermost layer of feed material after at least a portion of the outermost layer has been fused.


A criterion for the definiteness of the portioned matrices is presented,and the necessary and sufficient conditions under which the solutions for the definiteness of the matrix equation XA=B exist are given,and the general forms of the solutions are also given.


A thorough study on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation of the Maxwell-Schrödinger system in the semi-classical regime is given. For the Maxwell part which is treated classically, an alternative approach directly using the vector and scalar potentials (A and Φ) is taken. This approach is stable in the long wavelength regime and removes the need to extract the potentials at every time step. Perfectly matched layer (PML) is developed for this system. For the Schrödinger and quantum mechanical part, minimal coupling is applied to couple the charges to the electromagnetic potentials. Simulation results agree with the theory of quantum coherent states.


The aim of this research is to shed light in collaborative e-learning communities in order to observe, analyse and support the e-learning participants. The research context is the Greek teachers' e-learning community, started in 2003 as part of a project for online teachers' training and aimed at enabling teachers to acquire new competencies. However, these aims were not met because of passive participation; therefore this study aimed to enhance the Greek teachers' social engagement to achieve the new skills acquisition. Therefore, the initial sense of community identification was based on empathy; however, because it was inadequate to fully describe the context, a Sense of E-Learning Community Index (SeLCI) was developed. The new SeLCI attributes were: community evolution; sense of belonging; empathy; trust; intensity characterised by e-learners' levels of participation and persistence on posting; collaborative e-learning quality measured by the quality in Computer Supported Collaborative eLearning (CSCeL) dialogical sequences, participants' reflections on own learning; and social network analysis based on: global cohesion anchored in density, reciprocity, cliques and structural equivalence, global centrality derived from inand out-degree centrality and closeness; and local nodes and centrality in real time. Forty Greek teachers participated in the study for 30 days using Moodle and enhanced Moodle with to measure participation, local Social network Analysis and critical thinking levels in CSCeL. Quantitative, qualitative, Social Network Analysis and measurements produced by the tools were used for data analysis. The findings indicated that each of the SeLCI is essential to enhance participation, collaboration, internalisation and externalisation of knowledge to ensure the e-learning quality and new skills acquisition. Affective factors in CSCeL (sense of belonging, empathy and trust) were also essential to increase reciprocity and promote active participation. Community management, e-learning activities and lastly, the technology appear to affect CSCeL.


This ethnographic account of a night spent in an African-American heroin shooting gallery in East Harlem, present the details of how heroin, cocaine and crack are bought, injected, enjoyed and suffered on New York City's most dangerous streets. Although the narrative spans only one ten-hour session, it builds upon the author's many years of participant-observation research among drug dealers and addicts. The observations and conversations evoke the roller coaster agonies and ecstasies of heroin and cocaine addiction. They also highlight the structural contradictions and the human cost - in the form of immediate personal pain and fear - of US inner-city apartheid. By situating himself as a white researcher violating apartheid and challenging the taboos around class and sobriety, the author documents the polarization of street culture in the criminalized economy. The vacuum created by the breakdown of both the public and private sectors in inner-city communities has been filled by a dynamic underground drug economy. This expanding illegal industry, along with the state-sanctioned `war on drugs', has spawned an oppositional street culture of resistance that contradictorily is a central force in the community's devastation. While the drug addicts and dealers in this account are clearly victims, they are also the immediate agents for their neighborhood's destruction, and for their own violent suffering. At the same time, they remain `all-American' in their life view, internalizing the causes for their poverty and isolation. They direct their violence primarily against one another and against themselves. The desperation of the addicts is communicated in the minute details of how they inject themselves with potentially HIV-contaminated syringes. Simultaneously, however, the narrative emphasizes their professional skill at surviving on the street. It documents their extensive cultural capital in deploying interpersonal violence and economic deception, as well as their complex definitions of hierarchy and dignity. Ultimately, we are confronted by the banality of the painful contortions that are inherent in human quests for respect and meaning - if not ecstasy - in settings of extreme social misery.


The application of metamaterial sensors is a hot topic in the field of material measurement. However, the resonant absorption modes are difficult to be eliminated due to many metamaterial sensors containing metal arrays. In measurements of the clothing fabrics, absorption rate requires a smooth spectrum in a wide frequency range. Here, an all-dielectric metamaterial is proposed and measured, and a smooth absorption spectrum is achieved (average absorptivity of 25.2%). When this metamaterial is covered by a fabric sample (Polyester), the measured average absorptivity is 41.5%. When the thickness of the fabric sample Polyester is set to be 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, and 0.5 mm, the measured average absorptivity of the Polyester is: 41.5%, 48.3, 57.6, 62.1, respectively. Moreover, four fabric samples are measured and the achieved absorptivity is: 41.5%, 25.1%, 34.3%, and 56.6%, respectively. The simulated results are close to the measurement results. This all-dielectric metamaterial demonstrates the feasibility of clothing fabric measurement.


The 2011–2014 controversies between the Ethiopian Government and Muslim communities on the role of Islam in Ethiopia have highlighted the precarious nature of religious relations in Ethiopia. Statements by public figures and religious leaders recently have drawn attention to the nature and scope of the Ethiopian secular state order. This paper describes the recent Muslim protest movement and the response to it by the government in the light of the secular state model. While the challenges to it also extend to the large Christian community in Ethiopia, the problems became prominent mainly in the case of the Muslims, who contest perceived 'government interference' in their community life and self-organization. I present an overview of key recent events and of factors inducing conflict between state and religion. The discussion makes reference to more general debates on the 'secular model' in Ethiopia and to the familiar though somewhat worn-out paradigm of 'identity politics'. State repression of Muslim civic protest in Ethiopia revealed insecurities of the state: rather than an instance of the process of 'othering' a religious community, we see a case of political crisis, and a search for new modes of governance of diversity and communal religiosity in Ethiopia. As a result of the contestations, however, the secular order of the country will not be threatened, but modified.


A method for realizing network switch of double mode mobile terminal is provided, the double mode terminal comprises a first system I and a second system II modules, includes a system I single wait state, a system II single wait state, a system I/II double wait state, when the double module terminal is at the double wait state, the radio frequency of the system I interferes call of the system II. The method comprises: (a) the terminal cuts system I or system II network connection needed to be cut according to the target wait state and present wait state, closes corresponding system module; (b) the terminal starts modules of the system I or the system II according to the target wait state and present wait state, searches corresponding network to register; (c) storing new wait states. The invention avoides the problem of too long wait time when switching between modes, improves functionality and workability of double mode mobile phones.


High-concentration(about 2mol·l~(-1))flocculants-polyaluminum silicate chloride(PASiC)with different Si/Al mole ratios and polyaluminum chloride(PAC)were prepared using NaAlO_(2)as basification agent.The chemical species distributions of PASiC and PAC determined by Al-Ferron complexation timed spectrophotometric and ~(27)Al-NMR methods,respectively,have been studied.Al-Ferron kinetics of PASiC and PAC were also synthesized.The experimental results show that hydrolyzing with NaAlO_(2) brings more Al_(c)and less Al_(b) compared with hydrolyzing with Na_(2)CO_(3).The species distribution and transformation of PASiC are different from those of PAC,due to the interaction of polysilicic acid and hydrolyzed aluminum species.The Al_(13)/Al_(b)(decreased) while the Al_(c) increased with the increasing of Si/Al ratio.The Al-Ferron kinetics of PASiC and PAC all fit the binary pseudo 1 st order rate equation.The variability of equation constants is obvious on different syntheses method and change of Si/Al molar ratios.The results also show that flocculation efficiency of PASiC is not consistent in Al_(b)/Al_(13) content.


Herbicide mixtures, use of multiple sites of action, and other weed management practices are necessary to avoid cases of biotype resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of imazapic/imazapyr and other herbicides in mixtures to control Digitaria insularis at burndown before soybean sowing. This field research was conducted in Umuarama, State of Parana (PR), Brazil, in the 2018/19 soybean season. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block experimental design with four replications and 11 treatments composed of the application of glyphosate, clethodim, haloxyfop, imazapic/imazapyr, glufosinate, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), dicamba, triclopyr, and saflufenacil, in mixtures. Weed control was evaluated as well as soybean injury and yield. An analysis of variance and F-test were performed, and the treatment means were compared by the Scott-Knott test. All treatments showed great control over the weed and low crop injury rate while maintaining soybean yield. The application of imazapic/imazapyr in mixtures with other herbicides was effective in controlling glyphosate-resistant D. insularis in burndown before soybean sowing and with sequential application of haloxyfop + glyphosate at V3 stage of soybean. This chemical management was also selective for soybean.


Thinking about the real environmental problems that the waste produced in the desalination can cause, this article aims to analyze the soil equivalent to 500 meter radius area around where the waste is disposed to assess the impact of the chemical characteristics of the soil. he research was conducted in the Settlement Loneliness, located in the district of Mossoró-RN. Soil samples were collected shrouded reservoir where the waste was dumped at the following distances (2m, 50m, 100m e 500m away from the reservoir). With the purpose of evaluate the fertility and soil contamination with saline effluents were determined parameters: pH, electric conductivity, levels of K+, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, H+ + Al3+ Calculated the cation exchange capacity, the sum bases, the amount and percentage of exchangeable sodium. The values of present salt found in the area reveal that it is not saline, sodic or salinesodic. But the high salt contents found indicate that the zone progresses to become salinesodic, which is characterized as a condition of extreme inadequacy to soil fertility, due to high rates of basic cations, especially sodium.


Consumer credit has influenced many aspects of economic activity during the past 60 years. Much of its influence stems from the use of instalment credit to finance purchases of automobiles and other consumer durable goods. This practice, which began before World War I and developed rapidly during the 1920's, has played an important part in the development and maintenance of a wide market for consumer durable goods. In recent years there has been an increasing tendency to use consumer credit also for purchases of nondurable goods and services. Consumer credit, as the term is defined here, consists mainly of shortand intermediate-term credit. It excludes real estate mortgage credit, which is almost entirely long term. By using consumer credit, many persons who have not accumulated in advance the capital to buy goods outright have been able to enjoy those goods while meeting monthly payments convenient for their budgets. Others have been able to finance their purchases in this way without disturbing their capital investments and their planned savings programs. Consumer credit thus is an important means of financing the flow of goods and services into final consumption and is a factor influencing the level of economic activity. Over long periods of generally rising activity the extension of credit to purchasers of consumer goods has supplemented current purchasing power, and this has tended to stimulate production and employment. But substantial increases in consumer purchasing power through the extension of credit in periods of high economic activity are appropriate only when the terms on which the credit is extended are prudent, when the growth in such credit does not contribute excessively to monetary expansion, and when the new purchasing power is matched by an increase in the supply of goods at relatively stable prices. To provide consumer credit, an elaborate structure of financial and service organizations has been developed. Many of these organiza-


The electronic regulator can adjust the generated energy and protect automotive electrical appliances. The technical principle of the regulator is analyzed here and an intelligent diagnostic way using the fuzzy neural network is advanced. Thus a fault diagnostic system based on CAN is built up and is validated by experiments.


In this study, 13 advanced lines with 4 standard and a local check of Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum var. durum Desf.) were evaluated for two consecutive cropping seasons (2014-2015) at six research stations for grain yield in Ethiopia. The combined analysis of variance indicated that the main effects of location and genotype and interaction effects of genotype × year, genotype × location and genotype × year × location were highly significant for grain yield. GE interaction was analyzed using linear regression techniques. There was a considerable variation in grain yield among genotypes and environments. Stability was estimated using the Eberhart and Russell method. Stability analysis of grain yield in deferent environments showed that the variance of genotypes and genotypes × environment interactions were significant. Due to the stability analysis, Genotypes 2, 3 , 4 and 15 have b value close to one, i.e. genotypes are responsive to good environments, and it may be considered stable for grain yield in all of the environments. The deviation from regression for G7, G9, G10 and G11 are also low and because of the low value of the genotypic mean, these genotypes are intermediate stable and poorly adapted to all environments. None of the genotypes evaluated was perfectly stable in all of the environments due to lack of bthe value equal to unity. The broad sense heritability was 69.2%, indicating selection should give a good response for grain yield.


[Objective] To screen an optimal method for the extraction of volatile oil from Naokangling Capsule (NC) and processing techniques of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) inclusion compound of NC. [Methods] The study was carried out with orthogonal design . Oil-extraction ratio, oil-bearing rate and inclusion rate of β-CD inclusion compound of NC were used as indexes. [Results] The optimal process for oil extraction was adding 10-fold water in medicinal materials and then soaking for one hour and distilling for 5 hours. The optimal processing conditions for β-CD inclusion compound of NC were: the proportion of β-CD and volatile oil being 6:1, the inclusion compound being stirred for 2 hours at 40℃ . [Conclusion] This method is simple and practical and can increase the stability of preprations. It can be used for the production of β-CD inclusion compound in a large scale.