I'his article riescdxs the ycaiy pmvalznce snd frequency oS peer and sibling victimimtian as reportcd by s l q e national sample of middle-class mothers of children wilh Asperger's syndrolne and nonverbal learning disorrlers. An anonymous, mailed survey was sent to Pimilies solicited fiom two national Internet sites for parcnts af children with Aspelger's and nonverbal learning disordiers using the Coniprehensive Juvenile Vidinlization scnlc and three questions designcd to measure peer shunning. The overall prevalence rate reported by mothers oS peer victimization was 93% Mothers reported that almost thrcc-qu;uters of their children had been hit by peers or siblings in tbc past year and 75% had been emotionally bullied. On the more sewre end o S peer victimization, 10% nf ihe children were attacked by a gang in the past year and 15% were victims of nonsexual assaults to the genitals. Peer shunning also was common. A third of the children had not treen invitcd to a single birthday party in the past year, and nrany were eating alone at lunch or were picked last for teams. Peer shunning was significantly correlated with peer bullying and assault. The high ratcs of peer shunning and peer victimizatiorr reported suggest that children with Asperger's and nonverbal learning disorders may require further scrutiny and attention concerning their victimization experiences by peers and siblings. hnplicotions lor oursing professionals are reviewed.


A field experiment was conducted during 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 at Pantnagar, Uttaranchal, to study the effect of paclobutrazol and succinic acid-2, 2-dimethyl hydrazide (SADH) on growth and seed yield in pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.). Drench application of paclobutrazol @ 5, 10 and 15 mg ai/plant was given 30 days after transplanting of seedling. Foliar spray of SADH was given @ 500, 1 000 and 1 500 ppm to run-off stage at 30 and 60 days after transplanting and the control plants were sprayed with distilled water in same manner. The drench application of paclobutrazol @ 15 mg/plant significantly increased secondary branches/plant (32.22) and drastically reduced plant height (38.55 cm) which were at par with paclobutrazol @ 10 mg/plant treatment. However, maximum leaf-area index (6.99), fresh (80.06 g) and dry leaf biomass (9.66 g) were recorded with paclobutrazol @ 10 mg/plant. Among seed attributes, all the treatments delayed ripening of seeds and did not show significant effect on seeds/flower. However, paclobutrazol at 10 mg/plant significantly increased weight of seeds/flower (0.31 g), 100-seed weight(1.08 g), seed weight/plant (7.26 g) and yield/m 2 (145.2 g). In general, SADH @ 1,000 ppm ranked second in respect of 100-seed weight, seed weight/plant and seed yield/m 2 .


Abstract : Target detection, multi-target tracking and threat identification of ICBM and its warheads by sensor fusion and data fusion of sensors in a fuzzy neural network system based on the compound eye of a fly.


This document is a list of titles of Old Tuscan texts (a subset of the Tuscan texts in the online freely accessible database OVI - 'Opera del Vocabolario Italiano'); it was used as a corpus for the study on intervocalic voicing presented in the paper: Canalis, Stefano. Variable phonological rules and 'quantal' perception as a source of probabilistic sound change: The case of intervocalic voicing in Old Tuscan. Phonetica (to appear)


Abstract Abnormal concentrations of magnesia are frequently associated with massive, Cu–Zn-bearing, sulfide (pyrite and/or pyrrhotite) deposits. Research on some reported occurrences of magnesia concentrations associated with volcanogenic, massive sulfide deposits suggests that such concentrations may result from syngenetic, metasomatic alteration of volcanic rocks in the vicinity of submarine volcanic centers by hydrothermal solutions and sea-water. Inasmush as the hydrothermal solutions consist of sea-water heated during convective circulation through the volcanic pile, the eventual source of magnesia is, in all cases, the sea-water. Cordierite–anthophyllite rocks are developed through thermal metamorphism of the altered volcanic rocks. It is suggested that this explanation is also appropriate to the cordierite–anthophyllite and other rocks of the "magnesia metasomatic" suites of Orijarvi in Finland and other similar deposits occurring in south-western Finland and central Sweden.


A coupled linearly tapered transmission line directional coupler has been analysed and an asymmetrical directional coupler is shown to possess high pass characteristics.


Static liquefaction has been considered as one of the most common failure mechanisms for tailings dams. However, for tailings with relatively high permeability, the assumption of an undrained condition becomes questionable under static loading conditions. In fact, many granular soil or tailings at its in-situ density may not liquefy under static, undrained conditions. In this paper, the problems with the current design approaches for tailings dams are identified. Laboratory test results are presented to demonstrate that granular soil can become unstable under drained or nonundrained conditions. Based on the testing data, two possible new failure mechanisms for tailings dams are proposed.


Abstract This paper analyzes relationships between tropical wave activity and tropical cyclogenesis in all of the earth's major tropical cyclone basins. Twenty-nine years of outgoing longwave radiation data and global reanalysis winds are filtered and analyzed to determine statistical relationships between wave activity in each basin and the corresponding cyclogenesis. Composite analyses relative to the storm genesis locations show the structures of the waves and their preferred phase relationships with genesis. Five wave types are examined in this study, including mixed Rossby–gravity waves, tropical-depression-type or easterly waves, equatorial Rossby waves, Kelvin waves, and the Madden–Julian oscillation. The latter is not one of the classical tropical wave types, but is a wavelike phenomenon known to have a strong impact on tropical cyclogenesis. Tropical cyclone formation is strongly related to enhanced activity in all of the wave filter bands except for the Kelvin band. In each basin the structure o...


The scientific article carries out a theoretical analysis of scientific sources on the study of the prosodic level of speech and its constituent elements. Modern research that reveals the peculiarities of the development of prosodic skills in children with normotypical psychophysical development and speech disorders is substantiated. Prosodic skills in children with speech pathology were tested experimentally and a comparative analysis was carried out with peers with normotypical development. The purpose of the study is to identify the current state of formation of the prosodic level of the semiotic component, which affects the speech readiness of older preschool children with speech pathology to study in institutions of general secondary education. Research task: scientific and theoretical analysis of the problem of studying prosodic skills in children with normotypical psychophysical development and speech pathology; justification of the methodology, the tasks of which are aimed at studying prosodic skills; comparative analysis of the results of the study of the state of formation of the prosodic level in children of older preschool age with normotypical psychophysical development and with logopathology. The methods of research are tasks of the lexical, grammatical, phonetic-phonemic levels, during


Many microscopic studies of both nuclear matter and s-shell nuclei have been undertaken with recently developed realistic models of the nucleon-nucleon interaction. These studies have proven to be very useful in enhancing our understanding of nuclear structure. Microscopic treatment of all but these lightest nuclei (A<5) has proven to be extraordinarily difficult, however, because of the strong spin-isospin dependence of the interaction. We have developed a new method of performing variational calculations with realistic interactions for larger nuclei. This method does not rely upon spin and spatial symmetries of the system, as in nuclear matter calculations, or upon explicit summation over all spin states, as has been done in s-shell nuclei. Instead spin-isospin states are sampled in a random walk which takes place in a combination of spin, isospin, and coordinate space. Results of calculations of the oxygen nucleus with a V6 interaction are reported, including energy, form factor, and charge distribution.


Digital twins are applied in smart manufacturing towards a smarter cyber-physical manufacturing system for effective analysis, fault diagnosis, and system optimization of a physical system. In this paper, a framework applying a digital twin to industrial robots is proposed and realizes the real-time monitoring and performance optimization of industrial robots. This framework includes multi-domain modeling, behavioral matching, control optimization, and parameter updating. The properties of the industrial robot are first modeled in a digital environment to realize the strong interactive and all-around 3D visual monitoring. Then, behavioral matching is performed to map the virtual system to the physical system in real time. Furthermore, the control performance of the system is improved by using a fractional order controller based on the improved particle swarm optimization algorithm. This framework is applied to the experimental verification of real-time control optimization on an industrial robot. The time-domain performance is improved in the simulation and experimental results, where the overshoot is promoted at least 42%, the peak time is promoted at least 32%, and the settling time is promoted at least 33%. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework for a digital twin combined with fractional order control (FOC).


The joint venture will initially focus on producing ingredients from the larvae of the Black Soldier Fly, but plans to diversify into mealworms as well.


Modern monitoring of seismic activity at Cascade Range volcanoes began at Longmire on Mount Rainier in 1958. Since then, there has been an expansion of the regional seismic networks in Washington, northern Oregon and northern California. Now, the Cascade Range from Lassen Peak to Mount Shasta in the south and Newberry Volcano to Mount Baker in the north is being monitored for earthquakes as small as magnitude 2.0, and many of the stratovolcanoes are monitored for non-earthquake seismic activity. This monitoring has yielded three major observations. First, tectonic earthquakes are concentrated in two segments of the Cascade Range between Mount Rainier and Mount Hood and between Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak, where as little seismicity occurs between Mount Hood and Mount Shasta. Second, the volcanic activity and associated phenomena at Mount St. Helens have produced intense and widely varied seismicity. And third, at the northern stratovolcanoes, signals generated by surficial events such as debris flows, icequakes, steam emissions, rockfalls and icefalls are seismically recorded. Such records have been used to alert authorities of dangerous events in progress.


This essay briefly considers Byron's general relationship with Catholicism and then examines in greater detail his two very different accounts of confession in The Giaour and Parisina. The Giaour's approach to confession is secular, while Parisina's more religious take on confession sees it as a key that unlocks the dynamic of the Byronic Hero. The essay argues that these aspects of the poems illumine both the genesis of the Byronic Hero and the change in Byron's poetry from 1816 onwards.


Targeted strategies to overcome defects in organic semiconductors require insight into their identity and origin. Here the formation, nature, and location of defects is studied in PM6:Y6 organic solar cells by sensitive EQE measurements. Exposure of the active layer to ambient atmosphere and H2O‐saturated compressed air indicates that a trace constituent in ambient air causes the formation of defects. By exposing the active layer to O3‐enriched air, O3 is identified as the species creating defects in PM6:Y6 blends. Aging of complete inverted (n–i–p) configuration solar cells in H2O‐saturated compressed air also increases the defect response. This is attributed to a reduced band bending at the PM6:Y6 | MoO3 hole‐collecting contact, caused by a change in work function of MoO3 interacting with the H2O, which allows more defect states to be filled and available for photoexcitation. By measuring energy resolved‐electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and by fabricating semitransparent cells, regular architecture cells, and semitransparent cells with an optical spacer−mirror stack it is found that defects originate predominantly from PM6 and are located near the top electrode, independent of device polarity. Because O3 is omnipresent in ambient atmosphere, albeit in small amounts, it likely causes defects in many organic semiconductors exposed to ambient air.


Building on the recent advances in research on trust and knowledge sharing in strategic alliances, we weave together the existing literature to develop a dynamic model of trust development and knowledge sharing (TD/KS). We set forth three objectives for this paper. First, to review the literatures on trust and knowledge sharing and establish dynamic conceptualisations of both concepts. Second, to develop an integration of trust development and knowledge sharing in a dynamic setting; and finally, to offer the TD/KS model, which describes how alliances are formed, developed and dissolved, based on levels of trust and knowledge sharing between partners. We conclude our paper with theoretical and practical applications of our proposed model.


High energy micro-arc alloying process was successfully used to prepare compact microcrystalline Fe_3Al coating with a metallurgical bonding between the coating and the substrate alloy,when keeping all the parameters such as power,frequency,and time proper.Moreover,the preparation process is accompanied with a minimal thermal distortion or microstructural changes of the substrate.Air oxidation experiments at 900℃and 1000℃indicated that the Fe_3Al coating exhibited better oxidation resistance than the cast Fe_3Al,forming continuous and compact Al-rich scales with good adhesion.This may be due to the fact that the microcrystallization of Fe_3Al enhances short-circuit diffusion paths and reduces the critical Al content for the formation of a continuous Al_2O_3 scale.


Since most plants are dependent on seeds for regeneration, seed dispersal is one of the main processes influencing plant population ecology because the location where seeds land produces a template for the process occurring latter in the life cycle of a plant, including the spatial patterns of seedling distribution and plant recruitment (Wang & Smith 2002). Since most plants rely on animals for seed dispersal, an evaluation of how frugivores influence this process may enhance our understanding of plant recruitment and population dynamics.


We study the problem of causal structure learning with essentially no assumptions on the functional relationships and noise. We develop DAG-FOCI, a computationally fast algorithm for this setting that is based on the FOCI variable selection algorithm in~\cite{azadkia2021simple}. DAG-FOCI outputs the set of parents of a response variable of interest. We provide theoretical guarantees of our procedure when the underlying graph does not contain any (undirected) cycle containing the response variable of interest. Furthermore, in the absence of this assumption, we give a conservative guarantee against false positive causal claims when the set of parents is identifiable. We demonstrate the applicability of DAG-FOCI on simulated as well as a real dataset from computational biology~\cite{sachs2005causal}.


Abstract : This guidance is intended to assist Navy commands in addressing regulatory issues associated with the Clean Water Act(CWA) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program initiatives. The TMDL program is an additional mechanism within the CWA to protect waters where technology-based controls are insufficient to achieve water quality standards (WQS). Navy personnel who may benefit from this guidance include regional environmental coordinators (RECs), regional commanders and installation water program managers.


As an aid to energy planners in the developing world, this report provides a comprehensive state-of-the-art summary of direct-combustion systems for utilizing biomass residues. Off-the-shelf conventional direct combustion systems are identified, their applications are discussed, and constraints to their use in developing countries are evaluated. Attention is given both to the systems economic viability and their potential environmental impacts. Principles of biomass combustion are explained, and tables of biomass fuel analyses and sample combustion calculations are given. Handling and processing of biomass materials, including drying to aid combustion, are discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of biomass-fueled electric power plants are analyzed as are the costs associated with a typical 16-megawatt electric biomass-fueled plant producing 50% cogenerated steam. The appendix lists names and addresses of vendors of combustion systems and equipment needed to handle biomass materials. A 10-page bibliography is included.


Flow and pressure in a short diffuser placed at exit of a plane turbulent jet have been studied. With connecting two ports in the diffuser by a duct, jet direction oscillates laterally. Flow pattern in the diffuser is visualized by smoke and instantaneous velocities and pressures are measured by using hot-wire anemometers and semiconductor pressure transducers. Phased-locked ensemble averages of velocity and pressure are deduced to examine the detailed nature of the oscillatory flow. These measurements reveal that the jet attaches alternatively on both walls of the diffuser with keeping two-dimensionality. The detaching speed is much slower than the attaching one. The jet oscillation accompanies the vibration of port pressures and duct flow. By examining the results with fluid dynamics, it is clarified that the jet is bent by port pressure difference via lateral momentum equation without unsteady effect and the duct flow is driven by port pressure difference via unsteady duct flow equation. A flow model to govern the port pressure change is proposed, that is, the pressure is determined by the balance between jet entrainments and air supply. By combining these relationships, a closed feedback model of the oscillation is provided to explain flow mechanism of the oscillation.


There are a large number of illegal websites on the Internet, such as pornographic websites, gambling websites, online fraud websites, online pyramid selling websites, etc. This paper studies the use of crawler technology for digital forensics on illegal websites. First, a crawler based illegal website forensics program is designed and developed, which can detect the peripheral information of illegal websites, such as domain name, IP address, network topology, and crawl key information such as website text, pictures, and scripts. Then, through comprehensive analysis such as word cloud analysis, word frequency analysis and statistics on the obtained data, it can help judge whether a website is illegal.


The Olympic Games tradition dates back to antiquity. And we learned the quote "mens sana in corpore sano est" coming from that period. It became a paradigm in the western world, undermining any efforts of psychiatric relevance in high performance sports. With world renowned athletes himself as suffering from depression, things began to move; nowadays, sport psychiatry has moved from a theoretical option to an accepted necessity in elite sports [1]. Nonetheless, there is a remarkable lack of studies on this subject [2].


Fuzzy sets involved in many real applications. Uncertainty is an important matter of decision whether one would like to model uncertainty in an explicit way. In this paper we review traditional and recent approaches for handling. Uncertainty in geological investigations. Many types of uncertainties are classified and we outline traditional mathematical methods frequently applied in geology. Fuzzy graph seems to be one of the most efficient for geological purposes. Fuzzy Graph in Geology N. Vanitha Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, Kunthavai Naachiyaar Govt.Arts College for Women(Autonomous),Thanjavur – 613 007. Introduction Uncertainty is involved in many real applications. Apart from the definition, it is an important matter of decision whether one would like to model uncertainty in an explicit way. If not then it is typical to use a deterministic model as an approximation of the uncertain phenomenon. In this paper we shall focus on those cases in which the decision is to model uncertainty explicitly and also we follow him in the sense that we shall focus on the human-related, subjective interpretation of uncertainty which depends on the quantity and quality of information which is available to a human being about a system or its behavior that the human being wants to describe, predict or prescribe" The choice of an appropriate uncertainty calculus should depend on the causes of uncertainty, quantity and quality of information available, type of information processing required by the respective uncertainty calculus. The paper is organized The paper is organized as follows. In the next section we summarize some of the fundamental concepts, especially those ones related to uncertainty. Then we briefly recall traditional methods for handling uncertainty, together with their shortcomings. Basic Concepts The collection of well defined objects are called set. The objects in a set called elements or members of a set. If an objects X belongs to the set A we write x A ∈ otherwise


Synopsis A kinetic study oj decarburi::ation has been made by blowing CO- CO. gas mixtllres onto the inductivei)'-slirred Fe- C melts under various COII ditions. At high carbon contenls, the all/larent rate oj decarburization is in dependent oj carbon concentration and markedly influenced by Ihe flow rale oj CO- CO, gas mixture. Tem/lerature de/lendenee of the rale is relatively smaLL. II reaclion model involving the counler-diffusion b), CO and CO, in Ihe gas /lllllse and Ihe ad.-orption ~f CO. on lhe liquid iron swiace has been developed. it is concluded that at high carboll cOlllenls Ihe rale oj decarburi::alioll is coni rolled predominanl/;' by the diffusioll mle ill the gas /JIwse. It is also /n-esumed Ihat the role COllstallt oj dissociation Qf CO, on Ihe liquid iron surface is higher Ihall OJJOJ mol cm' .sec.atm, which is consislent wilh Ihe extra/lolaled value of Ihe reaction constant Jor solid Fe- C alloys.


This study aims to analyze the linguistic representations on the performance of political groups as antagonists to the rise of fascist governments and rulers. The object of study was taken by the Italian adjective-noun partigiano, which is often represented in artistic works by authors with a tendency towards sympathy for the partigiano movement. Through the influence of the Spanish series La Casa de Papel, which increased the popularity of the classic Italian song Bella Ciao, it is also analyzed how partigiano was translated into other languages, according to the historical context of their respective countries as well as their interpretation may vary within the Italian language. As a conclusion, a brief observation is raised about the use of the adjective-noun resistance, assuming the same function as partigiano, however, at present.


A detailed rockmagnetic and paleomagnetic study of the Frankenstein Intrusive Complex (FIC, 363 ± 7 Ma in age), southwestern Germany, has been carried out in order to test whether the paleomagnetic declinations within the internal parts of the European Variscides follow a common trend controlled by the structural grain of the orogen or whether the distribution of declinations follows a random pattern. In addition, new paleomagnetic data will contribute to further refine the drift history of the Armorican Terrane Assemblage during late Paleozoic times. The unmetamorphosed Frankenstein Igneous Complex forms part of the Mid-German Crystalline Rise within the Armorican Terrane Assemblage, amalgamated to Avalonia and Baltica during the Variscan orogeny. Stepwise thermal and alternating field (AF) demagnetization experiments identify four components (A, B, C n , and C r ) of magnetization. Component A is a recent viscous overprint that parallels the present-day geomagnetic field. The high unblocking temperatures of A in some samples can be explained by the presence of multidomain magnetite. Component B is carried by hematite and is considered to be a late Carboniferous remagnetization. Components C r and C n , found in 110 samples from 20 sites, are antiparallel and pass a class C reversal test. Their primary origin is further supported by a contact test. C r and C n have maximum unblocking temperatures of up to 580°C and occasionally above over 600°C, indicating magnetite and hematite to carry the characteristic remanent magnetization. Ore microscopy revealed that primary hematite lamellae in ilmenite carry C r and C n and that a secondary generation of hematite is the carrier of B. The overall site mean direction of C r and C n (20 sites) based on endpoints and remagnetization circle analysis of 198°/40° (declination/inclination) with a 95% confidence limit (α 95 ) of 4.9° and a precision parameter (k) of 45.0 defines a paleopole at 15°S, 9°W. When comparing to the apparent polar wander path for stable Europe this result indicates up to 27° counterclockwise rotation of the FIC region. This is significantly less than reported previously for the Odenwald, Spessart, Black Forest, and the Vosges Massifs of the central European Variscides. Furthermore, the resulting paleolatitude indicates significant separation between Baltica and this sector of the Armorican Terrane Assemblage in the latest Devonian.


It was found that long-lived, subnanometer-sized silver clusters can be prepared by anodic dispersion of a silver electrode in aqueous NaOH solutions (pH 10.5−12), free of stabilizing polymers. The method, described by Nouhuys in 1938, is based upon the application of a dc voltage (10−65 V) between two silver electrodes and yields a range of different clusters, colloids, and oxides. The large colloids and oxides can be removed by centrifugation leaving small colloids and clusters in the sols as revealed by the strong absorption of light at wavelengths between 210 and 400 nm. Absorption spectra of the sols remain fairly unchanged for weeks, implying the stabilization of the clusters by hydroxyl ions. Significant formation of the clusters is only observed between pH ∼10.5 and 12 and is explained by Joule heat generated in the Ag2O surface layer at the anode. At pH above 12, a passivating AgO layer forms, preventing the dispersion of clusters while no significant amounts of clusters form either at pH below 1...


Femtosecond (fs) laser becomes more popular in precise material procesing due to the limited heat affected zone (HAZ) over longer laser pulses. In this paper, micro-hole drilling in ambient air with fs fiber laser at 1030 nm is presented. Micro holes were fabricated in both transparent (polymer and glass), and non-transparent materials (metal and tissue). A scanning electron microscopy is used to investigate the hole quality. Both percusiion drilling and trepanning drilling methods were evaluated and compared. High quality micro holes with no visible micro-cracks were demonstrated. Micro-hole drilling in hard and soft tissues with no collateral thermal damage is observed. This study can be extended to MEMS, microfluidic, and micro surgery applications.


Now a day, wireless communication designs and applications require high speed, low power and area efficient Analog-toDigital Converters. Due to this Conventional Comparators has been designed. In order to maximize the speed and power efficiency even better than the existing conventional comparators, the Dynamic Regenerative Comparators came into existence. An analysis on the power consumption and delay time of conventional comparators has been obtained. From this, the main constraints which are responsible for conventional comparator delay time, high power consumption and also how to increase the speed of Dynamic Comparators can be assumed. Based on this analysis, a new Double-Tail Dynamic Comparator using Foot-Transistor Logic has been proposed. Using Foot-Transistor and TSPC Logic a new 8-Bit Double-Tail Comparator has been designed which results in significant reduction of power utilization. By using few transistors a strengthened positive regenerative feedback circuit has been designed, which is also known as FootTransistor Logic. The existing conventional comparator has been added with this foot-transistor logic to reduce the power utilization and delay time. This proposed 8-Bit Double-Tail Dynamic Comparator using foot-transistor and TSPC logic has been implemented in 180nm CMOS Technology. Comparison results and design analysis post schematic simulation verify that the power consumption is significantly reduced. Hence, this design results in consuming less power compared to existing comparator.


This paper presents an analysis method for quantum information protocols based on model checking, with special focus on the quantum privacy comparison (QPC). The security properties of these protocols can be proved but in ways with much difficulty. Here we will discuss a probabilistic model checking tool — PRISM to verify specific properties of QPC protocol with multi-body and PRISM to verify specific properties of quantum private comparison (QPC) protocol with multi-party and d-dimensional entangled states.


Objectives:  Correlate arterial lactate levels during the intraoperative period of children undergoing cardiac surgery and the occurrence of complications in the postoperative period.


This paper considers the estimate of the upper bound of second eigenvalue for the differential operator with any order.The upper of second eigenvalue is dependent on the first eigenvalue,and being independent on the measure of the domain in which the problem is concerned.The result of research is significant both in theory of differential equations and in application of mechanics and physics.


Objective: to verify the experiences of health professionals and aged individuals related to older adults' sexuality.

Method: a qualitative study conducted from March to April 2021 with 23 health professionals and 12 aged individuals treated in Primary Health Care in Queimadas/PB - Brazil. A questionnaire and an interview were used, whose data were processed in the IRAMUTEQ software.

Results: text corpus with 35 texts and 131 Text Segments, which equals to 71.2% retention, giving rise to five classes, of which classes one and four are related to the population of older adults. In turn, classes two, three and five are assigned to the health professionals.

Conclusion: the need to inform and educate older adults in terms of health was evidenced, empowering them with knowledge, changing pre-established conceptions about sexuality; as well as to train the professionals to discuss and work on the theme. The importance of health education as a strategy to improve older adults' quality of life is emphasized.


This study aims to make a meaningful contribution to the firm performance specifically nonfinancial companies listed at Amman stock exchange (ASE-Jordan), which has become a central issue for the developing countries. However, to maintain financing decisions short-term debt, long-term debt, total debt, equity factors are challenging due to many changes that occur within the Critically, firm became a major contributor to organizational cash flow. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between financing decision short term debt, long term debt, total debt, equity and firm performance in Jordan mediating by cash flow among non-financial companies listed at Amman stock exchange (ASE-Jordan). Furthermore, a quantitative research approach is selected to capture the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Nature of data is panel data comprised of firm base yearly 2000 observations of variables of interest. This study aims to cover a time period of 20 years from the year 2009 to 2019. Moreover, this study reveals that equity and ROA showed a positive significant relationship (β= 0.521, p < 0.000). As regards the second condition, the link between equity and the cash flow. The finding was consistent with the hypothesis as the result revealed a positive significant association between equity and the cash flow (β= 0.469, p < 0.001). In testing the third condition, the link between cash flow and ROA. The result was consistent with hypothesis three as it showed a positive significant effect (β= 0.819 and 0.000). The fourth condition, that is the link between equity and ROA showed a smaller beta coefficient of (β= 0.512) compared to the first model of (β= 0.521). financing decision short term debt, long term debt, total debt, equity and firm performance. However, mediate the relationship between financing decision short term debt, long term debt, total debt, equity and firm performance. Furthermore, the results of this study have implications for investors, regulators, and market participants. Policymakers might use the findings regarding earnings quality to recognize the important roles played by investment analysts and other market participants


Plasma and urinary pentachlorophenol (PCP) was measured in 209 workers who had occupational exposure to wood preservatives containing this compound and 101 workers not exposed occupationally to PCP. Workers were examined for chloracne and blood concentrations of bilirubin, γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), cholesterol and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) were determined. All the occupationally exposed groups showed evidence of PCP absorption; highest mean concentrations were found in remedial timber-treatment operatives (6.0 mmol/l for plasma and 274 nmol/mmol of creatinine for urine). Timber-yard workers also showed substantial evidence of absorption (mean plasma concentration 4.8 mmol/l). Persons formulating PCP-containing wood preservatives had the lowest concentrations of any exposed group sampled (mean plasma concentration 1.3 mmol/1, mean urinary concentration 39.6 nmol/mmol of creatinine). The occupational groups studied were not standardized for factors known to affect bilirubin, GGT, cholesterol and HDL. The inference that can be drawn from the results of these measurements is therefore limited. There was, however, no evidence of any disadvantageous effect of PCP on health as measured by these parameters. No overt case of chloracne was found.


The research reported upon here examines the functioning of NGOs and their role in combating nutritional and health problems prevalent among children, adolescents and women in three states of Northern India i.e., Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. The NGOs also dealt with other related areas to supplement and complement their main focus on health and nutrition. However, not many of them were involved in tackling endemic and emerging diseases like jaundice, TB, malaria, dengue and HIV/AIDS/STD. These should be given more emphasis. It was found also that there is no proper mechanism for obtaining and analysing information on health and nutritional services provided by voluntary organisations. Each State should have district-wise data-base on nutritional and health services provided by NGOs. Lack of coordination / support from govt. departments, and inadequacy / untimely release of budgets were among the other problems cited.


This investigation formed a prior stage of a research programme which was concerned about performance of various types of concrete under sulphate attack. It was intended to investigate into the use of superplasticizers in concrete, the aspect of compatibility among available cements & superplasticizers and to choose a suitable pair of them for the programme. Three different types of available cements & superplasticizers were considered. Details and results of this investigation are reported in this paper. The investigation clearly showed that compatibility between cement and superplasticizer is an important aspect in concrete making with superplasticizer and its performance under aggressive sulphate attack conditions later on.


The structure of 18-hydroxyballonigrin (1), isolated from Ballota acetobulosa, has been established by a combination of spectroscopic measurements and an inter-relationship with ballonigrin (3).


I love working with CompSci students on deploying a real project and seeing their eyes go wide as you walk them through bash CLI tricks,


This paper introduced the embedded real-time operation system into the study of high pressure common rail fuel injection system. Using the real-time multitask operation system OSEKWorks not only effectively improved the efficiency of software development but also improved the quality and reliability of the developed software. Using the proper partition of task and scheduling mechanism based on priority improved the efficiency of CPU, insured the need of real-time capability of electronic control fuel injection system and improved the transient response of diesel engines.The experiment proved that introducing multi-task real-time operation system into high-pressure common rail electronic control fuel injection system is the key technic that can insure the system running accurately and reliably.


Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients all over the world now have better quality of life thanks to anti-retroviral therapy (ART). To maximise the benefits of ART, patients must adhere to it religiously. The current study's goal was to assess how HIV-positive patients who visit ART clinics in Haryana's antiretroviral medication adherence affects their quality of life. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted in HIV/AIDS positive patients more than 18 years of age, registered for > 6 months, receiving ART. Result: 275 patients receiving ART participated in present study. Majority of participants were male (64.73 %), from age group of 19-45 years (73.09 %), from rural areas (53.82 %), Hindu by religion (73.83 %). Among study participants majority were skilled (47.64 %) & semiskilled (19.64 %), education wise educated upto 10th (36.73 %) & till primary education (25.82 %). Common reasons for nonadherence were forgot to take medicine (68.92 %), alcoholic consumption (60.81 %), loss of wages on the day visiting ART center (56.76 %), depressed due to lifelong treatment (45.95 %), low mood/depression due to illness (16.22 %), farther distance of the center (45.59 %) & unable to come all alone due to physical restraints (6.76 %). We noted that duration of ART more than 2 years, distance from ART centre > 25 km & compulsion to take ART were significantly related to nonadherence & difference was statistically significant. Physical quality of life scores was less in non-adherent group as compared to adherent group & difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: Counseling about typical potential obstacles to adherence, such as forgetting to take medication, drinking alcohol, losing earnings while visiting an ART centre, and depression, should be done as soon as feasible, with the proper answers offered.


An adaptive subcarrier allocation algorithm based on imperfect feedback was proposed for multiuser MIMO-OFDM systems with VBLAST architecture.Not only the feedback channel information,but also the feedback quality were considered in the algorithm.The definitions of confidence coefficient and equivalent variance were introduced to indicate the feedback quality,and the closed expressions were deduced in actual environments considering both feedback delay and feedback error.Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can improve system performance in various imperfect feedback scenarios.


level include an outcome that pertains to corroborating a subgroup claim. © 2017 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. Data sources and Methods We are using two data sources to identify subgroup claims that have been made in the abstracts of published RCTs:


The aim of this study was to determine the effect of pre-pressing enzymatic (pectinase) treatment of blackcurrant mash on the juice yield and content of polyphenolic compounds in juice and press-residue. The fruits of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) cultivars 'Ben Lomond', 'Pamyati Vavilova' and 'Karri' were collected at the experimental plots of Polli Horticultural Research Centre of Estonian University of Life Sciences (58°7'26''N, 25°32'43''E). The mash enzyme treatment with Panzym Univers enzyme preparation was dosed according to the instructions of manufacturer. The mash enzyme treatment improved juice yield depending on the cultivar up to 44.3% compared to non-treated juice. Though, the contents of polyphenolic compounds varied according to treatment in comparison with freshly frozen berries before pressing, showing up to 18% decrease of anthocyanin content in enzymatic juice and up to 29% increase of polyphenols in enzymatic pressresidue. The contents were not significantly different in treated and nontreated juice.


In order to address the effect of prior out-of-plane damage on the in-plane behavior of unreinforced masonry infills, two full-scale (24 feet tall by 28 feet long) structural clay tile infills and one frame-only (no infilling) were constructed and tested. The infilled frame, consisting of two wide flange columns surrounded by masonry plasters and an eccentric wide flange purlin, was identical to many of the infills located at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. The masonry infill was approximately 12.5 inches thick and was composed of individual four- and eight-inch hollow clay tile (HCT) units. One of the infill panels was tested out-of-plane by four quasi-static actuators -- two on each column. The test structure was deflected out-of-plane equally at all four actuator locations in order to simulate the computed deflection path of the top and bottom chords of a roof truss framing into the columns at these locations. Prior to the infill testing, a bare frame was loaded similarly in order to determine the behavior and stiffness contribution of the frame only. Following the out-of-plane test of the infilled panel, the structure was loaded in-plane to failure in order to ascertain residual strength. A second, identical infilled frame was thenmore » constructed and tested in-plane to failure. In this way, in-plane behavior with and without prior out-of-plane damage could be established and compared. For both out-of-plane and in-plane testing, reversed-cyclic quasi-static loading was used in order to obtain full tension/compression hystereses. Also, natural frequencies of the first infilled panel were determined before and after the out-of-plane testing. This paper describes the test series and discusses the conclusions pertinent to the effect of out-of-plane cracking on in-plane stiffness and behavior.« less


An expendible menses collector for insertion into the vagina and comprised of a collapsible monocoque shell of ovular form having a perforated upper hemisphere and an imperforate lower hemisphere and within which there is a chamber filled with resilient and absorbent material. The shell of the device is pliant and supple and has a circumferential seal at its major diameter that effectively engages with the vagina wall. Insertion is effected by collapse of the pliant shell and aided by lubrication released from a frangible or water soluable cell, and is implemented by a cylinder and piston applicator.


Adipose tissue and lipomas are very rare in the paranasal sinuses. Here we report a case of 14 years old male presenting with history of nasal obstruction, excessive sneezing and mouth breathing who was eventually diagnosed as maxillary antrum lipoma. It is a very rare finding and very few cases have been reported till date.


Institutional environments are challenging settings in which to provide rehabilitation. This study describes the time use of a group of inpatients, the majority diagnosed with schizophrenia, in a secure forensic psychiatric unit in Australia. Time diaries, interviews and fieldnotes were collected over 5 weeks. Eight participants completed time diaries for two consecutive days, of whom five were also interviewed using the Occupational Performance History Interview II. The participants' time use was dominated by personal care and leisure occupations. In general, the participants were dissatisfied with their time use, describing themselves as 'bored' or 'killing time'. Many perceived that the environment created barriers to their participation in valued occupations, yet some also found occupations that provided solace, challenge or a connection with the outside world. The findings indicate the importance of understanding individuals' unique occupational histories, interests and skills in order to create opportunities to engage them in relevant occupations that use personal resources, as part of forensic rehabilitation programmes, and the utility of the Occupational Performance History Interview II in this context. Further research exploring patient and staff perspectives on the challenges of occupational programming in forensic settings and the longitudinal impact of such programming on inpatients' occupational functioning, health and wellbeing is recommended.


Introduction: After several years of progresses in textile technology and wearable measurement instrumentation, applications of wearable textile-electronics systems are arising providing a stable b ...


A study was conducted to investigate the relationship of students' concept integration and achievement with time spent within a topic and across related topics in a large first semester guided inquiry organic chemistry class. Achievement was based on evidence of algorithmic problem solving; and concept integration was based on demonstrated performance explaining, applying, and relating concepts to each other. Twelve individual assessments were made of both variables over three related topics - acid/base, nucleophilic substitution and electrophilic addition reactions. Measurements included written, free response and ordered multiple answer questions using a classroom response system. Results demonstrated that students can solve problems without conceptual understanding. A second study was conducted to compare the students' learning approach at the beginning and end of the course. Students were scored on their preferences for a deep, strategic, or surface approach to learning based on their responses to a pre and post survey. Results suggest that students significantly decreased their preference for a surface approach during the semester. Analysis of the data collected was performed to determine the relationship between students' learning approach and their concept integration and achievement in this class. Results show a correlation between a deep approach and concept integration and a strong negative correlation between a surface approach and concept integration.


In this work we present a modified neural network model which is capable to simulate Markov Chains. We show how to express and train such a network, how to ensure given statistical properties reflected in the training data and we demonstrate several applications where the network produces non-deterministic outcomes. One example is a random walker model, e.g. useful for simulation of Brownian motions or a natural Tic-Tac-Toe network which ensures non-deterministic game behavior.


AbstractWhen dealing with adaptive lifting surfaces, the level of complexity of the structural design naturally increases as a consequence of the augmented functionality of the resulting system. Sp...


Concerns on genetically modified (GM) crops focused on intrinsic ethical concerns on whether it should be permissible to in~rvene in the natural process and also concerns on the principle of playing God and changing the creations ofGod. Later, bioethical debate on GM crops focused on extrinsic bioethics inclusive ofexploiting the potential benefits ofthistechnologyand corporate-dominated seed sector. Forthe purpose ofthis thesis, the discussion focuses on bioethical issuesrelatingto farmers' rightsarisingfrom GM crops. Bioethical issues on farmers' rights include the struggle ofthe farmers to balance GM crops' benefits and demands, with conventional livelihood viability, and seek to preserve their autonomy. Bioethical issues to farmers' rights also concern the right of farmers who have little control over contractual decisions leading to unfair justice. Previous research in Malaysia has not addressed these issues. This research is pertinentbecause itwould provide the investigation ofthe existing biosafety regulatory measures in protecting farmers' rights arising from GM crops and to revise any gaps in the regulatory measures. This thesis examines the bioethical issues relating to farmers' rights in the biosafety regulatory measures ofGM crops; the comprehensiveness ofthe biosafety regulatory measures in protecting bioethical issues affecting farmers' rights in Malaysia arising in GM crops as compared to other countries such as India and Australia, focusing on the farmers' rights to livelihood; and farmers' rights to contractual obligations; and suggests the biosafety regulatory measures to address the protection ofbioethical issues pertaining to farmers' rights arising from GM crops. In this research, doctrinal and empirical methods have been combined. While the doctrinal method is a research of legal preposition by way ofanalysing the existing statutory provision along with the present case laws to find out gap, the empirical research employs methods through semi-structured interviews to generate empirical data that answers research questions. The research found that the protection ofbioethical issues relating to farmers' rights arising from GM crops is significant to be addressed in the biosafety regulatory measures to ensure their rights as one ofthe stakeholders in this technology are protected against the rapid revolutionary scientific assessment ofthis technology. The research also found that the current biosafety regulatory measures, which conforms to the Precautionary Principle as the guiding principle, are incomprehensive


To find the optimal main ingredient ratio of compound fruit wine for enriching the varieties of lycopene-enriched fruit products and improving their economic value, fuzzy mathematics sensory evaluation and the D-optimal mixture design were considered. Under the main ingredient ratios of tomato juice, papaya juice, carrot juice, and gac fruit juice of 27.2%, 27.5%, 10.0%, and 35.3%, respectively, a clear and transparent compound fruit wine with a full-bodied fruit and wine aroma and mellow taste can be obtained. Meanwhile, a total of 406 metabolites were identified in the compound fruit wine, which were classified into nine superclasses including lipids and lipid-like molecules (150), organic acids and derivatives (69), and others. The relative levels of 54 metabolites after optimization were decreased significantly (VIP > 1.0, p < 0.05, FC < 0.5), while the relative levels of 106 metabolites including lycopene and (13Z)-lycopene were increased significantly (VIP > 1.0, p < 0.05, FC > 2). Furthermore, the EC50 values of this compound fruit wine after optimization of the main ingredient ratio for scavenging ABTS+·, DPPH·, O2−·, and ·OH were 78.62%, 57.74%, 42.85%, and 59.91%, respectively. Together, a compound fruit wine rich in lycopene with antioxidant activities was manufactured, which has application potential in the development of functional foods.


Dark matter constitutes about $23\%$ of the total energy density of the universe but its properties are still little known besides that it should be composed by cold and weakly interacting particles. Many beyond standard model theories can provide proper candidates to serve as dark matter and the axion introduced to solve the strong CP problem turns out to be an attractive one. In this paper, we briefly review several important features of the axion and the axion dark matter.


industrial action in support of unfair dismissals, the very contingency the legislation had tried to avert. Job protection, in the broadest sense, was also intended to be achieved under the European Communities directive on "mass" dismissals, translated into Irish law by the Employment Protection Act 1977, whose provisions are more consistent with the directive than British law as the duty to consult trade unions before "mass" dismissals take place must be "with a view to reach agreement." An evaluation of this Act's provisions would have provided a degree of completeness to the study. The Incorporated Law Society in Ireland deserves congratulations on publishing Dr. Redmond's book. There are, inevitably, a number of misprints and the proof-reading could have been tighter. Some irritating departures from normal conventions, such as "My-Ju" for "May-June" and page references written as "122-'37, 272-'3" should be eschewed in the next edition. But these are minor criticisms. Such is the value of this study for the practitioner, the student and the academic that it will easily establish for itself a reputation as the definitive work on this topic.


ration into large scale integrated circuits. A plurality of memory transistors is arrayed in a configuration having columns, each of which is associated with an address line, and rows, each of which is associated with a word line. A memory transistor is located at each intersection of an address line and a word line. Each memory tran sistor represents a bit location and includes a severable conductive link coupled in series and located on top of the field oxide surrounding the memory transistors. Each memory transistor in a particular column has its gate coupled to an address line. Each memory transistor in a particular row completes a series circuit which includes the severable conductive link between a first power supply terminal and a word line. Each word line includes a resistor coupled to the other power supply terminal. When a particular column is addressed, and the associated transistors in the address line turned on, all of the bits in the associated word will be "ones.' The memory is programmed as desired after circuit manu facture in the wafer die sort operation by severing se lected links with a laser beam. The severed device will program a "zero' into the bit location. The word lines are coupled to a decoder that employs an array of gates having input pairs, one of which displays hysteresis. The memory also includes an external program simula tion circuit which permits externally generating a par ticular digital word to simulate the memory content prior to programming.


Optical rectification in parabolic quantum wells, with an applied electric field, due to resonant intersubband transitions is analyzed using a compact density-matrix approach. The large dipolar matrix elements obtained in such structures are partly due to the small effective masses of the host materials and are interpreted in terms of the participation of the whole band structure in the optical transitions. The other origin of the large optical rectification coefficient lies in the possibility of tuning independently the frequency ω 0 of the parabolic potential and the applied electric field F


The time synchronization is a well-known challenge in wireless ad hoc networks. The paper introduces an algorithm for time synchronization in wireless sensor networks. It aims to conserve the battery power of sensors to be utilized for synchronization among the nodes in the network. The proposed synchronization approach is topology driven. In the existing literature, a wide range of protocols use flooding as the basic mechanism to create a topology. However, our method is based on the clustering of nodes with minimum hop distance from the cluster head and the chaining of cluster heads in order to create an energy-efficient topology. Also, it results in substantial reduction in the total transmission overhead. Further, it restricts the energy consumption in synchronizing the nodes of the network. Moreover, the approach avoids the loss of network coverage by electing a new cluster head in the event of cluster head failure. Finally, the simulation results exhibits that the proposed approach has significant energy savings as compared to many popular algorithms.


For irreducible interval exchange transformations, we study the relation between the powers of induced map and the induced maps of powers and raise a condition of equivalence between them. And skew production of Rauzy induction map is set up and verified to be ergodic regard to a product measure. Then we prove that almost all the interval exchange transformations are totally rank one (rank one for all powers of positive integers) by interval. As a corollary, for almost all interval exchange transformations, rank one transformations are dense $G_{\delta}$ in the weak closure.


In this paper, the possibility for studying the evolution of biological surfaces through the quasi‐Moire phenomenon is shown. General considerations are presented, but the calculations of the correlation dimension were implemented for the case of human skin.


As climate changes, boreal forest ecosystems may become subject to disturbances that were previously uncommon in some regions. In recent decades, large tracts of northeastern boreal forest of Canada have been affected by different types of climatic events causing a lot of partial and some total stand mortality. Since these disturbances may become more important drivers of forest dynamics, there is a need to document their impact on forest structure. The objectives of this study were to describe temporal dynamics of partial windthrows and determine the effect of partial windthrow on stand composition and understory vegetation. The study was conducted in the North-Shore region of Quebec (Canada). Eighteen plots in closed forests were paired with 18 adjacent windthrow areas, in which trees experienced similar edaphic and climatic conditions. Dendroecological analyses, combined with vegetation sampling, were conducted on each site to determine stand structure and vegetation development through time. Significa...


From the strategic height of sustainable development,using modern design method,advanced manufacturing technology and process,centering on the research and development of energy-saving and environment-friendly wood processing equipment,thorough analysis is made in terms of the cutting principle,structural improvement,new cutter development,new product innovation design,application of high and new technologies and promotion of the development of energy-saving and environment-friendly wood processing equipment.


The peroxidase-oxidase (PO) reaction is an important example of how oscillating reactions arise in living organisms. The reaction is important mathematically because exhibits many characteristics of chaos. Of these characteristics, sensitive dependence on initial conditions illustrates how predicting the future state of the PO reaction is next to impossible. For this reason, chaotic behavior in living organisms presents many obstacles to chemists and biologists trying to predict how systems will react to perturbations. This paper explores the chaotic behaviors of the PO reaction, using a system of four differential equations as a model. The topics analyzed are timeseries data, chaotic attractors, bifurcations, tests for sensitive dependence, Lyapunov exponents, and onedimensional time delay embedding. Oscillating Reactions Less than a century ago, oscillating chemical reactions were thought to be nothing more than erroneous results caused by chemical impurities. Few believed that a reaction, in proceeding to equilibrium, could keep oscillating back and forth between two or more colors. The LotkaVolterra Oscillator and the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reactions were two of the first oscillating reactions to be studied extensively and universally accepted to have oscillating concentrations of reactants [1]. Finding chaos in oscillating reactions is a much more recent undertaking, gaining popularity with the rise of computers. In fact there is still debate as to whether oscillating chemical reactions truly exhibit chaos, or if they are merely oscillatory with very large period [2]. However since the discovery and eventual acceptance of oscillatory reactions, many more such reactions have been designed and discovered. One of the main areas of discovery of oscillating reactions is in living systems. The peroxidaseoxidase (PO) reaction is a prime example of such a reaction. It was one of the first reactions outside of the BZ reactions to be classified as oscillating and chaotic, and is an extensively studied example of an in vivo oscillating reaction (the reaction can be carried out both in vivo and in vitro). Molecular oscillating reactions are an important area of study, as they are essential to understanding the more complex oscillating systems of organism (eg. a heartbeat)[1]. The Peroxidase-Oxidase Reaction The peroxidase-oxidase reaction is an enzyme catalyzed redox reaction. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) is oxidized and molecular oxygen acts as an electron receiver. The net reaction is 2NADH + O2 + 2H → 2NAD + 2H2O O2 and NADH are continuously added to and products are continuously removed from the experimental system via the use of a continuousflow, stirred tank reactor (CSTR). Experimentation has shown that the PO reaction exhibits oscillatory behavior and a period-doubling1 route to chaos [3]. These characteristics have been effectively modeled using a simplified eight-step 1Here I have adopted the terminology of [3]. This does not mean period-doubling in the traditional sense. From here on out, period-doubling refers to the maxima in the timeseries data. When the number of maxima in a period in the timeseries data doubles, we call it period-doubling.


Qualitative data are analyzed in an attempt to further understand the costs and benefits of utilizing nonoverlapping shift work as a strategy for balancing and weaving work and family. In addition to saving on child care costs, this strategy appeals to many families with young children because it enables the parents to provide all of the child care themselves. Though many families cite difficulties with scheduling, most say that the negative effects are tolerable because this strategy allows them to provide for their children on their own. However, two negative consequences of engaging in nonoverlapping shift work: the lack of marital couple time and the effects of "solo parenting," are also examined. Citing a need for additional research on this topic, the authors conclude with suggestions for the nature and type of research.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Arteriovenous fistula maturation requires an increase in the diameter and blood flow of the feeding artery and the draining vein after its creation. The structural properties of the native vessels may affect the magnitude of these changes. We hypothesized that an increase in the collagen content of the vascular media (medial fibrosis) preoperatively would impair vascular dilation and thereby, limit the postoperative increase in arteriovenous fistula diameter and blood flow and clinical arteriovenous fistula maturation.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS
We enrolled 125 patients undergoing arteriovenous fistula creation between October of 2008 and April of 2012 and followed them prospectively. Any consenting subject was eligible. Arterial and venous specimens were sampled during arteriovenous fistula surgery. Masson's trichrome-stained samples were used to quantify medial fibrosis. Arteriovenous fistula diameter and blood flow were quantified using 6-week postoperative ultrasound. Clinical arteriovenous fistula maturation was assessed using a predefined protocol. The association of preexisting vascular medial fibrosis with arteriovenous fistula outcomes was evaluated after controlling for baseline demographics, comorbidities, and the preoperative venous diameter.

RESULTS
The mean medial fibrosis was 69%±14% in the arteries and 63%±12% in the veins. Arterial medial fibrosis was associated with greater increases in arteriovenous fistula diameter (Δdiameter =0.58 mm; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.27 to 0.89 mm; P<0.001) and arteriovenous fistula blood flow (Δblood flow =85 ml/min; 95% CI, 19 to 150 ml/min; P=0.01) and a lower risk of clinical arteriovenous fistula nonmaturation (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51 to 0.99; P=0.04), all per 10% absolute difference in medial fibrosis. In contrast, venous medial fibrosis was not associated with the postoperative arteriovenous fistula diameter, blood flow, or clinical maturation.

CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative arterial medial fibrosis was associated with greater arteriovenous fistula diameter and blood flow and a lower risk of clinical arteriovenous fistula nonmaturation. This unexpected observation suggests that medial fibrosis promotes arteriovenous fistula development by yet undefined mechanisms or alternatively, that a third factor promotes both medial fibrosis and arteriovenous fistula maturation.


This study examined the impact of the liquidity management on the performance of the 10 (ten) manufacturing firms selected for the period of five years 2012-2016. Secondary data were collected from the annual reports and accounts of these firms. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analyses were used for data analysis. The study revealed that current ratio has negative and significant impact on profitability (ROA) of the selected firms while quick and cash ratios have positive but insignificant relationship with ROA. Therefore, it is recommended that attention should be purposely paid to Liquidity management in the manufacturing firms in Nigeria in order to enhance their profitability. Keywords :  Liquidity, Profitability, Trade-off Theory, Return on Assets. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-27-11 Publication date: September 30 th 2020


High-energy-density physics concerns the behavior of systems at high pressure, often involving the interplay of plasma, relativistic, quantum mechanical and electromagnetic effects. The field is growing rapidly in its scope of activity thanks to advances in experimental, laser and computational technologies. This 'focus on' collection presents papers discussing forefront research that spans the field, providing a sense of its breadth and of the interlinking of its parts.


Let R=k[x1, …, xn] be a polynomial ring over a field k of characteristic p>0, let m =(x1, …, xn) be the maximal ideal generated by the variables, let *E be the naturally graded injective hull of R/ m and let *E(n) be *E degree shifted downward by n. We introduce the notion of graded F‐modules (as a refinement of the notion of F‐modules) and show that if a graded F‐module ℳ has zero‐dimensional support, then ℳ, as a graded R‐module, is isomorphic to a direct sum of a (possibly infinite) number of copies of *E(n). As a consequence, we show that if I is a homogeneous ideal of R, then as a naturally graded R‐module, the local cohomology module Hmi(HIj(R)) is isomorphic to *E(n)c, where c is a finite number. If char k=0, then this question is open.


This paper overviews the recent advances in flux-adjustable permanent magnet (PM) machines for traction applications. The flux-adjustable PM machines benefit from the synergies of the high torque density and high efficiency in conventional PM machines as well as the controllable air-gap field in wound-field machines, which are attractive for the traction applications requiring enhanced capabilities of speed regulation and uncontrolled voltage mitigation. In general, three solutions have been presented, namely the hybrid excited (HE), the mechanically regulated (MR), and the variable flux memory (VFM) machines. Numerous innovations were proposed on these topics during the last two decades, while each machine topology has its own merits and demerits. The purpose of this paper is to review the development history and trend of the flux-adjustable PM machines, with particular reference to their topologies, working mechanism, and electromagnetic performance.


STEBBINS, G. L. 1971. Chromosomal Evolution in Higher Plants. Arnold, London, U.K. --. 1974. flowering Plants: Evolution Above the Species Level. Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, MA. --. 1980. Polyploidy in plants: Unsolved problems and prospects, pp. 495-520. In W. H. Lewis (ed.), Polyploidy. Plenum, N.Y. STRATHMANN, R. R. 1978. The evolution and loss of feeding larval stages of marine invertebrates. Evolution 32:894-906. TANKSLEY, S. D., D. ZAMIR, ANDC.M. RICK. 1981. Evidence for extensive overlap of sporophytic and gametophytic gene expression in Lycopersicum esc/entum. Science 213:453-455. UYENOYAMA, M. K. 1984. On the evolution of parthenogenesis: A genetic representation ofthe "cost of meiosis." Evolution 38:87-102. WAGNER, G. P. 1982. The logical structure of irreversible systems transformations: A theorem concerning Dol1o's law and chaotic movement. J. Theoret. BioI. 96:337-346. WHITE, M. J. D. 1973. Animal Cytology and Evolution. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, U.K.


The activation of the adenosine A3 receptor (A3AR) can regulate inflammation, but the way that this regulates colonic mucosal inflammation in ulcerative colitis (UC) remains unclear. This study aimed at examining A3AR expression and investigating the effect of A3AR activation on ex vivo cytokine expression and nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) signaling in colonic mucosa.


ABSTRACT Raman analyses have been performed on Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) collected in the lower stratosphere by NASA high-flying aircrafts, dust from comet 81P/Wild2 collected by Stardust mission, and three particles collected in the upper stratosphere by the balloon-borne DUSTER instrument. All samples contain amorphous carbon (aC) with different degrees of structural order. Fe oxides were detected in the IDPs, aliphatic chains were found in comet grains, and three particles collected in the upper stratosphere are calcium carbonate (calcite or aragonite). Raman spectroscopy is a valuable tool for the nondestructive analyses of micrometer-scale constituents of complex natural materials.


Abstract.— Predation affects the demography and population dynamics of prey species. Because predators commonly stalk prey from concealed routes, attack quickly, and frequently avoid areas with human observers, documenting predation under natural conditions is often difficult. An adult female American badger (Taxidea taxus) with offspring moved into a colony of Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) living under natural conditions at Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico, United States, and provided an excellent opportunity to record predations over a period of 33 consecutive days in June–July 2018. Badgers are commonly nocturnal, but the badger at our study area captured a total of 100 Gunnison's prairie dogs during daylight hours. Sixty-two of the victims were adults (≥1 year old), 32 were juveniles (≤3 months since birth), and 6 were of unknown age. Most predations occurred in mid-morning and early afternoon. Our results, which do not account for nighttime predations and therefore underestimate numbers of successful attacks, suggest that a single predatory individual can have a sudden, devastating effect on a prey species.


Objective To analyze the usage of basic drugs in non-primary health care institutions in Luzhou,Sichuan,to comment on the performance of the basic drug system,and to provide reference data for relevant ministries and departments.Methods To collect and to statistically analyze the data of the categories and sales amount of the basic drugs used by three level-3A health care institutions and nine level-2 health care institutions from Jan 1,2010 to Dec 31,2012.Results The purchasing proportion of the basic drugs in the level-3A institutions for 2010,2011,and2012 are respectively 15.62%,17.84%,20.01%;similarly,the data for the level-2A institutions are respectively 29.35%,32.16%,35.07%;the data for the level-2B institutions are respectively 34.73%,37.05%,40.02%.The sales proportion of the basic drugs for the years of 2010,2011,and2012 are respectively 10.43%,12.38%,15.04%for the level-3A institutions,25.08%,27.24%,30.12%for the level-2A institutions,and29.24%,32.08%,35.03%for the level-2B institutions.Conclusion Non-primary health care institutions should firmly execute the basic drug system,enhance the propaganda of this policy,try to increase the purchasing proportion of the basic drugs,supervise the prescription behavior of the doctors,and optimize the basic drug index in order to use drugs more appropriately and efficiently.


An electronic shelf label (1), ESL, and a method of manufacturing such an ESL are provided. The method comprises providing a transparent cover part (3) for covering a display (6) of the ESL, printing a layer of paint at the cover part, and forming a marking (8) in the layer of paint by means of laser. The present invention is advantageous in that the marking of the ESL is more wear resistant.


With a binary ice mixture of benzene (C6H6) and carbon dioxide (CO2) at 10 K under contamination-free ultrahigh vacuum conditions, the formation of benzene carboxylic acids in interstellar ice grains was studied. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to probe for the formation of new species during the chemical processing of the ice mixture and during the following temperature-programmed desorption. Newly formed benzene carboxylic acid species, i.e., benzoic acid, as well as meta- and para-benzene dicarboxylic acid, were assigned using newly emerging bands in the infrared spectrum; a reaction mechanism, along with rate constants, was proposed utilizing the kinetic fitting of the coupled differential equations.


Research on permeability characteristics of single-fractured porous media is the basis of seepage modeling in fractured media.Darcy equation and Stokes equation are respectively employed to describe fluid flow in single-fractured porous media.A general cubic law taking account of matrix permeability is derived by using continuous boundary condition,Beavers–Joseph boundary condition and Beavers–Joseph-Saffman boundary condition,and a theoretical formula of equivalent permeability is derived for single-fractured porous media by respectively satisfying the three boundary conditions.Analysis of parameters shows that the equivalent permeability of single-fractured porous media derived from the three boundary conditions is almost consistent(especially when α1),therefore the calculation can be simplified by using the classical continuous boundary condition.The result of this research provides theoretical foundation for determining parameters in analysis of fluid flow in fractured porous media.


PURPOSE: To provide a new method and device for forming an extruded meat product such as sausage into a link shape. CONSTITUTION: This link-forming device for a sausage casing packing machine 10 having a meat emulsion extruding member 16 is composed of plural parallel slender augers 34 which are attached to the casing packing machine on the downstream side from meat emulsion extruding member so as to be freely rotated and respectively have slender helical blades 46, and a driving means installed on this casing packing machine for simultaneously rotating these augers in one direction. The peripheral edges 49 of respective blades have sufficient lengths measured from respective lengthwise axial lines so as to get close mutually at a link-shaping point 52 on the extended axial line of meat emulsion extruding member. Thus, concerning this link-shaping device, the link-shaping point is gradually lengthwisely moved along with a central axial line with the simultaneous rotation of plural augers in the same direction. COPYRIGHT: (C)1994,JPO


A knowledge organisation should constantly expand and grow in order to survive in today's competitive environment. One of the key opportunities to do so is allowing employees to use the accumulated knowledge. Organisations should enable employees to share their knowledge, while employees should be able to communicate and collaborate voluntarily and immediately, create new knowledge and accumulate individual knowledge. Although the need for knowledge is clear, knowledge movement at all stages of the knowledge life cycle is characterised by leakage, depreciation, dependence and trust. The article aims to review scientific literature and analyse knowledge issues in a knowledge organisation. To achieve this aim the following objectives have been set: analysing the concept of knowledge as a key resource in an organisation, examining the concept of organisation using a systematic approach and giving a critical overview of the scientific literature on this issue, justifying the need for knowledge at different levels and identifying problematic aspects of knowledge in a knowledge management process. The research applies methods of logical analysis, abstraction and synthesis.


Object of the present invention is to provide a highly accurate time-based system to measure the value of the capacitor. According to the present invention, a capacitor to be measured is subjected to a measurement cycle, the cycle determines the size of a predetermined base reference time. In each measurement cycle, the capacitor is subjected to a charge - discharge - charge cycle, resulting in a net neutral charge accumulation. Charge - discharge - charge cycle duration and the reference time is compared to determine the capacitance.


Teaching cultural humility is required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and can improve patient satisfaction and health care outcomes. Because one‐third of the 150,000 Somali immigrants and refugees in the United States live in Minnesota, we aimed to determine whether a brief cultural immersion experience, where small groups of residents share a meal with Somali interpreters at a Somali restaurant, would affect resident knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors when caring for Somali patients in a Minnesota emergency department.


Background/aim Liver fibrosis and its end-stage cirrhosis are the main reasons of morbidity and mortality all over the world. The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Zilla spinosa (Z. spinosa) on CCl4-induced liver fibrosis, apoptosis, and oxidative stresses in rats. Materials and methods Extract of aerial part of Z. spinosa was used in this study. Thirty male Sprague‑Dawley rats were enrolled in this study and divided into five groups (six each): group 1 served as control and groups 2–5 were treated with CCl4 (1 ml/kg intraperitoneal twice a week for 8 weeks), where group 2 served as a control positive, group 3 received silymarin (50 mg/kg) daily, and groups 4 and 5 were administrated with Z. spinosa (100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively) daily for 8 weeks. At the end of each experiment, liver function tests were analyzed in serum, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA), Nitric oxide (NO), Glutathione (GSH), and hydroxyproline (HA) were analyzed in liver tissues. Liver fibrosis was confirmed histopathologically, and collagen content, caspase-3, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were assayed immunhistochemically. Results Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, MDA, NO, and HA levels were increased (P<0.05), whereas total protein and GSH were decreased (P<0.05) in CCl4-administrated rats. Histopathological results showed loss of lobular structure, fibrosis with expansion of portal tract by fibrous tissue together with inflammatory changes confined to portal tract and central vein, and intense centrilobular necrosis and remarkable fatty hydropic degeneration. In addition, extensive accumulation of connective tissue, marked depletion of glycogen, strong expression of α-SMA, and increased of caspase-3 were found in CCl4-administrated rats. Oral administration of Z. spinosa at 100 or 200 mg/kg restored the normal levels of liver function parameters, MDA, NO and GSH; decreased HA; and reduced collagen, glycogen content, caspase-3, and α-SMA in liver tissue of rats. The high dose of 200 mg/kg showed more potent effect than low dose of 100 mg/kg when compared with silymarin treatment group. Conclusion The present study clarified that Z. spinosa extract has antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in rats, and may be able to exert a therapeutic effect on developing hepatic fibrosis; moreover, high dose of 200 mg/kg appeared to be more potent than low dose (100 mg/kg).


The base station (BS) is the main device in a wireless sensor network (WSN) and used to collect data from all the sensor nodes. The information of the whole network is stored in the BS and hence it is always targeted by the adversaries who want to interrupt the operation of the network. The nodes transmit their data to the BS using multi-hop technique and hence form an eminent traffic pattern that can be easily observed by a remote adversary. The presented research aims to increase the anonymity of the BS. The proposed scheme uses a mobile BS and ring nodes to complete the above mentioned objective. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme has superior outcomes as compared to the existing techniques.


Alprazolam belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines. These medicines are thought to work by their action on brain chemicals. Alprazolam has sedative effects and is used to treat: (i) Anxiety and (ii) Panic attacks. The results obtained in this research by various HPLC analyses and other physicochemical tests have shown that alprazolam tablets manufactured by Dr. Abidi and Poursina Pharmaceutical Companies of Iran have the standard limits acceptable by the internationally well known Pharmacopoeia such as USP and can satisfy the needs of patients quite well and are quite comparable with Xanax® of USA and Apo-Alpraz® of Canada.


Inflammatory disease (ID) is a general term that covers all diseases in which chronic inflammation performs as the major manifestation of pathogenesis. Traditional therapies based on the anti‐inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs are palliative with the short‐term remission. The emergence of nanodrugs has been reported to solve the potential causes and prevent recurrences, thus holding great potential for the treatment of IDs. Among various nanomaterial systems, transition metal‐based smart nanosystems (TMSNs) with unique electronic structures possess therapeutic advantages owing to their large surface area to volume ratio, high photothermal conversion efficiency, X‐ray absorption capacity, and multiple catalytic enzyme activities. In this review, the rationale, design principle, and therapeutic mechanisms of TMSNs for treatments of various IDs are summarized. Specifically, TMSNs can not only be designed to scavenge danger signals, such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and cell‐free DNA, but also can be engineered to block the mechanism of initiating inflammatory responses. In addition, TMSNs can be further applied as nanocarriers to deliver anti‐inflammatory drugs. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of TMSNs are discussed, and the future directions of TMSN‐based ID treatment for clinical applications are emphasized.


The ability to adapt to the requirements and exigencies of time and place is a unique feature that distinguishes Shia jurisprudence from many customary jurisprudential schools, and makes it dynamic and capable to last at the same time. It enables the jurists to always find a way out of blocks without being forced to retreat from existing stances. This article aims to discover the role of the exigencies of time and space (place) in the dynamics of Shiite jurisprudence. This research based on library findings, first deals with the necessity of such adaptability, and then a reflection is made on what the concept and function of the role of time and place in jurisprudence is. Finally, dynamic juridical effort (Ijtihad), the necessity of using second order rulings alongside primary ones, mandatory and non-mandatory rulings, governmental rulings, the role of customary understanding, and conflict, are discussed as the key features and components of the dynamic jurisprudence.


The study of soil particles displacement through the passage of a tillage blade can lead to an appropriate geometrical design of soil-engaging tools, which can reduce the energy consumption required for tillage. In this study, soil displacement by a conventional sweep was measured and modelled. The sweep had a cutting width equal to 150 mm, and it was tested in an indoor soil bin containing a loam soil with 5.5% moisture content (dry basis) at a working depth of 50 mm and a travel speed of 0.133 m s. Five pins with different colors were placed at the soil surface with a certain order in front of the sweep to model the interaction of soil and the soil-engaging part of the sweep. The pins movements were tracked for 10 seconds from the moment they were in touch with the sweep using a CCTV camera installed above the sweep. Experimental results showed a general trend of the highest displacements around the center of the path of sweep, reducing at further distance away from the center. The measured lateral displacement ranged from -167 to +71 mm due to the displacements of the pins. Furthermore, a polynomial equation was fitted to the path of each pin. The extremum of these equations indicated the highest soil displacement in the paths. The method presented in this study can be used in designing problems where agricultural engineers can study the effects of sweeps with different geometries on the trend of soil translocations during the tillage.


Experimental measurements of the rheology, morphology, and flow characteristics of polymer melts containing suspended glass fibers were interpreted by employing the Doi–Doraiswamy equations for rigid rod (liquid crystalline) suspensions. The fibers were found to be generally aligned along the streamlines of the flow even at very low deformation rates. The diagonal elements of the second‐order orientation parameter tensor, which describe the perfection of the orientation, were generally predicted well by the theory using parameters obtained from rheological measurements only. Extraordinary surface irregularities were observed for suspensions extruded from circular dies, and a number of factors were examined in detail to formulate a mechanism for this flow behavior. The two most important factors affecting extrudate morphology appear to be the flexing of fibers at the surface of the extrudate and rotation of fibers in the rearranging velocity profile at the die exit.


The contrast sensitivity and dynamic range of Cd/sub 1-x/Zn/sub x/Te semiconductor detectors have been measured within the X-ray diagnostic energy range, using a contrast sensitivity phantom. The aim of this study is to optimize the image quality parameters of these solid state-ionization devices for flat panel digital radiographic applications. The experimental results of this study indicate that Cd/sub 1-x/Zn/sub x/Te detectors have excellent contrast sensitivity response and large dynamic range.


The school-review process in New South Wales (Australia) serves an accountability function to inform communities and the New South Wales Department of School Education about the success of school programs and to support schools in their efforts to improve student learning. This paper focuses on the school-development function of reviews. In particular, it explores some aspects of school improvement: the meaning of school change and school development; the types of change that are desirable and possible; ways to frame recommendations for school improvement; and guidelines for a good set of recommendations. The outcome of a school review is judged to a large extent by the set of recommendations generated by the school-review team and the extent to which it induces debate and school-improvement action. Recommendations for change should consider the school's current stage of development and its capacity to respond to the proposed change, set clear goals to achieve outcomes, and be of strategic importance to the school's development. A matrix for analyzing a set of recommendations for school change is provided. The appendix contains a matrix for evaluating types of change. (Contains 26 references.) (LMI) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. GENERATING RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT A paper to support the development of a framework for the analysis of school review recommendations. Presented at Quality Assurance Statewide Meeting, Sydney, December, 1993. John Cooney Chief Education Officer Quality Assurance U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC? Viihis document has been reproduced as received from the person or organizatIon wupnatIng a Moo ch.e.ycs haw been ,Tade to improve reprodurctlor ttualtly Point view nr opinion!, t-tated ,n dot, docuntoo! do nOt riviesent ottir.al OE RI porm< r or pole y "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) ONSW Department of School Education 2 OA REF: Cooney Change Paper.931227 Draft: 08/06/94 12:57:33 mva.0,2. AirAnstnnt. P AWY A TV S MI( TA GENERATING RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT


A novel adaptive online learning control scheme called single hidden layer neural networks disturbance observer (SHLNNDO) is developed for a class of uncertain non-affine nonlinear systems. In this paper, the term "disturbance" refers to the combination of model uncertainties and external disturbances. A general approach is provided for using SHLNNDO to enhance disturbance attenuation and robustness of current linear or nonlinear control methods. By Lyapunov's direct method, a rigorous poof shows that the SHLNNDO can approximate the effects of the disturbances arbitrarily closely. As a demonstration of the application of the approach, a new robust adaptive feedback linearization control (RAFLC) algorithm is proposed by integrating the existing feedback linearization control (FLC) method with the SHLNNDO technique. Conditions are derived which guarantee ultimate boundedness of all the errors in the combined system. Excellent disturbance attenuation ability and strong robustness of the proposed RAFLC method are shown by a numerical example.


Inspite of the fact that primary education forms the foundation on which education at the secondary and tertiary levels rests, the issue of poverty is undermining its roles in Nigeria. In this paper, this issue of poverty of primary education was examined, from the perspectives of its history, scope, indicators, in terms of inadequacy of resource inputs (i.e. funds, facilities, and teachers), narrow curriculum, and limited access. The effects of the poverty, particularly on the other education levels as well as the economy on which it depends for fund, were also examined. To eradicate/alleviate the poverty and enhance the status of primary education in the country, allocation of more funds to the education sector and primary education, recruitment of more teachers, provision of more infrastructural facilities in primary schools, among other suggestions were made.


We have investigated the ability of Thy‐1 to serve as a helper antigen in delivering intermolecular help. The parental Thy‐1 molecule, which is attached to the cell surface via a phosphatidylinositol anchor, failed to deliver intermolecular help for an antibody response to H‐2 alloantigens. This failure appears to be due to the phosphatidylinositol anchor since a Thy‐1 hybrid construct, which is expressed as a transmembrane cell surface molecule, can serve as helper antigen and deliver intermolecular help.


Background: Vikalpa Samprapti is a unique concept that helps to estimate the fractional vitiation of Dosha and to understand the Tara and Tama Bhava of dosha involvement in disease. Evaluating the Tara and Tama of dosha vitiation is known as Amshamsha Kalpana. All Acharyas are unanimous about the involvement of Tridosha and four Dushya in the manifestation of Kushta. Despite this fact, there is variation in the Lakshana of each Kushta. There are multiple doshas involved in the condition, but a predominant dosha acts as a prime one in bringing about the symptoms. The causative factors responsible for any disease are identified by the knowledge of predom- inant dosha. Drugs and diets that possess opposite qualities to that of the predominant Dosha help to reverse the Samprapti and ultimately cure the disease. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the Dosha Vikalpa in Vicharchika and thereby finding a way to combat similar conditions. Materials and Methods: The current study was a cross-sectional observational study and was carried out in 100 subjects fulfilling the diagnostic and inclu- sion criteria of either gender of Vicharchika. These patients were categorised based on Lakshana of each Dosha,detailed clinical features of Vicharchika was recorded and the dosha involvement in each Lakshana were evaluat- ed based on Dosha Lakshana explained in classics. Data obtained were analysed for statistical significance by adopting descriptive statistics. Results: The present study revealed that Vicharchika is predominantly Vataja; Vata Dosha Lakshana being considerably more observed in the highest 32 subjects (32%). Conclusion: Vikalpa Samprapti provides knowledge of Tara Tama Bhava (degree of vitiation) of Dosha in Samsarga and Sannipataja Dushti. The current study concludes that the respective Doshas are responsible for the manifestation of the partic- ular Lakshana in each Vyadhi.
Keywords: Vikalpa Samprapti, Dosha Vikalpa, Amshamsha Kalpana, Vicharchika, Tara Tama Bhava


Previous research with the visual lexical decision task demonstrated that polysemous words (multiple related senses) have a processing advantage when compared to unambiguous words, whereas homonymous words (multiple unrelated meanings) have a processing disadvantage. Although the same pattern of results was observed in Serbian, the two effects were investigated in separate studies. The aim of this study was to test whether the effects can be replicated when both types of ambiguity are presented within the same experimental list. To test this, we conducted three experiments. In the first one, the mixed presentation of unambiguous, homonymous, and polysemous words did not reveal any of the ambiguity effects, leading to the conclusion that the experimental context may affect the emergence of ambiguity effects. The other two experiments were conducted to explicitly control for the experimental context. In both experiments, we presented each ambiguity type within the same block and counterbalanced the order of the block presentation. These experiments revealed the presence of the polysemy advantage, but not the homonymy disadvantage, which is a common pattern in literature. Polysemy effects typically emerge relatively easily, whereas the homonymy disadvantage requires additional conditions. Finally, we conclude that experimental context does play a role in ambiguity processing, although the order of presentation does not affect the overall results.