Since adopting summative on-line examinations in 2005, we have increased the range of question types to include short essays and questions incorporating chemical structures and now achieve time savings of up to 90% in the marking process. Online assessments allow two novel forms of feedback: (a) an anonymised spreadsheet containing all the marked exam scripts is made available to all students and (b) Smallvoice, a novel app, provides confidential personalised feedback. Feedback statements, though written by the instructor, are selected by a computer in response to various aspects of a student's performance. There is evidence of improved student satisfaction and improved learning. Introduction Decades after the introduction of online assessment, it is still practised by a small minority of higher education institutions (Bull & McKenna, 2004). Nobody doubts that online assessment is possible –we all take part in surveys powered by such apps as Survey Monkey but there is widespread doubt that it is secure, flexible or reliable. An online assessment must of necessity be mounted on a server ahead of the examination period; this means that it can, in principle, be hacked. There is a body of literature devoted to the security of online assessments (Apampa, Wills, & Argles, 2009). Of course, it is, in principle possible for students to break into a university safe containing paper-based examinations, but this is a familiar risk, one that we are content to live with. Even though university online security systems are generally of a very high standard (universities maintain personal and often medical data), it is much easier for academic staff to imagine their students as computer hackers than as safe breakers. It is still widely believed that a computer based assessment is limited to multiple choice and related question types. Of course, these types of question are very valuable and can be automatically marked, but even the most rudimentary assessment software allows for free text entry, permitting short answers and even essays to be submitted and marked online. There are even interfaces that permit submission of drawings. Reliability is, however, most academics' major concern around e-assessment. Computers are inherently unreliable. A typical 50-seat computer cluster in a university might be expected to have two or three computers out of commission for various reasons at any one time. This is a level of unreliability we would find unacceptable in our cars or washing machines. The fear is always of a computer failure mid-assessment, so that student work ICICTE 2015 Proceedings


We develop a general method for power spectrum analysis of three dimensional redshift surveys. We present rigorous analytical estimates for the statistical uncertainty in the power and we are able to derive a rigorous optimal weighting scheme under the reasonable (and largely empirically verified) assumption that the long wavelength Fourier components are Gaussian distributed. We apply the formalism to the updated 1-in-6 QDOT IRAS redshift survey, and compare our results to data from other probes: APM angular correlations; the CfA and the Berkeley 1.2Jy IRAS redshift surveys. Our results bear out and further quantify the impression from e.g.\ counts-in-cells analysis that there is extra power on large scales as compared to the standard CDM model with $\Omega h\simeq 0.5$. We apply likelihood analysis using the CDM spectrum with $\Omega h$ as a free parameter as a phenomenological family of models; we find the best fitting parameters in redshift space and transform the results to real space. Finally, we calculate the distribution of the estimated long wavelength power. This agrees remarkably well with the exponential distribution expected for Gaussian fluctuations, even out to powers of ten times the mean. Our results thus reveal no trace of periodicity or other non-Gaussian behavior.


This paper provides a research framework for the study of internationalisation of higher education in the European Union. In a first step, a justification of research in this field is presented including a comprehensive literature review. Although many processes like 'Europeanisation' and 'marketisation ' have become conventional wisdom in the academia, empirical evidence for respective effects is still rare. In an attempt to gain empirically testable hypotheses the second part of the paper discusses and defines 'marketisation ', 'Europeanisation' (and others) as dependent variables. For the measurement of these politico-structural phenomena I present significant indicators. Theory and methodology form part of the overall research design which is outlined in part three. The paper concludes with some suggestions for the further study of HEP in the European Union.


Abstract The concept of cultural landscape embodies a dynamic understanding of history, in which past, present and future are seamlessly connected. This paper, drawn from a larger research project investigating the integration of tourism in small coastal settlements, introduces a multi‐method research strategy for interpreting cultural landscapes of tourism. The case study of a well‐known resort area on the east coast of Australia demonstrates the dynamic relationship between patterns in the landscape narrative and patterns in the built environment of small coastal settlements. In Noosa, a distinctive built form has evolved in parallel with the narrative of the place as a relaxed but stylish resort village dominated by nature. Both the narrative and physical landscape have been shaped by local and external processes of constant comparison and contrast with well known Australian and international coastal resorts. The paper illustrates how recurring themes in the local dialogue of place have flowed between ...


6 insecticides were sprayed on fall webworm nests, Hyphantria cunea (Drury), located in persimmon trees, Diospyros virginiana L. Selected trees were growing along roadsides near Auburn, Lee Co., Alabama. Test materials were applied 5 Aug to active webworm colonies by spraying individual webs and surrounding foliage with hand-pumped, compressed-air sprayers to runoff. Chevron spreader-sticker was added to all spray mixtures at the rate of 0.5 pt/100 gal. Treatments were replicated 3 times with each colony constituting a replication. Efficacy of test materials was determined 7 days posttreatment by removing the colonies from trees and counting the number of live larvae.


The author presents the clinical case of a patient in his third analysis who seemed emotionless, did not feel alive, and complained of an uncontrollable urge to gamble, with disastrous financial results. His previous four-session-a-week "orthodox" analysis had left him prey to a sense of emptiness and to intense suicidal urges. He wanted only two weekly sessions, which became three after some analytic work. The author stresses the danger of rigidly following inflexible standards and the consequent activation of a pseudo-compliance in the analysand. A more slowly paced psychoanalysis should not be considered lower in the pecking order than "high-frequency" treatment, the author maintains: It requires great creative subjective involvement on the part of the analyst and close interaction in the context of the analytic couple. The author shows how this analysis involved a series of interactions in which the analyst was called upon to exercise a complex responsiveness, attuned in each instance to the patient's current needs. Finally he focuses on some clinical passages to show how the patient's internal theories represent a glaring assault on common sense and how death was not recognized perceptionally on a realistic level, but was instead replaced with acting out death against himself by keeping himself mentally dead and by suicidal urges.


Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) Geriatrics and Gelontorogy sponsored research funds
 Background & purpose: Recently, many longitudinal studies have shown that heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is associated with various types of brain abnormalities: cerebral micro-bleeding, atrophy, or pathologic degeneration (white matter hyperintensity; WMH). These brain abnormalities are known to increase with aging and to be closely associated with cognitive impairment. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) also increases with aging, but there have been few longitudinal studies to address the relationship between HFpEF and brain abnormalities. Thus, this longitudinal study aimed to clarify this relationship by focusing on WMH volume.

 The participants were 111 well-controlled hypertensive patients aged between 65 and 75 years with normal LV contraction and no history of symptomatic heart failure, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, stroke, or cognitive dysfunction. The participants were classified into 3 groups: Low E/e", E/e" < 8; Middle E/e", 8≤ E/e" ≤ 15; and High E/e", E/e" > 15. WMH volume was quantified on brain magnetic resonance imaging using analytical software.

 During the mean 2.6 ± 1.0-year follow-up period, the rate of increase of WMH volume was significantly higher in the high E/e" group (1.1 ± 1.2 mL/year) than in the low E/e" group (0.30 ± 0.78 mL/year; P = 0.0238). Linear regression analysis including other confounders showed that the only positive association was between the rate of increase of WMH volume and the E/e" ratio (beta- coefficient = 0.225, P = 0.018).

 The severity of LV diastolic dysfunction is positively correlated with increasing WMH volume.
 Abstract P103 Figure. The rates of increase of WMH volumes


The paper introduces the orientation of hospital websites propaganda,taking the existing problems in hospital websites construction in Liaoning province as an example,it puts forward the strategies for expanding new fields of hospital propaganda and perfecting hospital websites,including the aspects of fully playing the propaganda role,standardizing websites management,extending the function of the websites,etc.


Abstract An overview of the most significant synthetic methods currently available for the preparation of functionalized organometallic compounds starting from organic halides is presented and illustrated with recent applications. 1 Introduction 2 Metal Insertion 2.1 Magnesium 2.2 Aluminum 2.3 Zinc 2.4 Indium 2.5 Manganese 3 Halogen‒Metal Exchange 3.1 Lithium 3.2 Magnesium 3.3 Zinc 4 Conclusion


This article examines the implications of Paul Willis's conceptualizations of 'common culture' and the cultural commodity for understanding sport as a popular cultural form. It argues that Willis's Ethnographic Imagination(2000) successfully addresses accusations of 'cultural populism' against his earlier Common Culture(1990) by acknowledging the tensions between creative cultural consumption and the political economy of cultural production. Hence his conceptualization of the 'doubly half-formed' cultural commodity, its usages and meanings neither determined by cultural industries nor entailing unfettered consumer 'symbolic creativity'. Arguing that sport exemplifies this contradiction, the article examines two contradictory aspects of commoditized sport as popular culture. First is the ways supporters' financial, emotional, symbolic and intellectual investments in sport constitute a material contribution to the sport commodity itself and enable an acute sense of 'authenticity' which may challenge sport's (as a cultural industry) political economy. Second is the ways supporters' 'de-fetishizing' of the sport commodity may combine with the commoditizing of athletes' labour power as workers to limit their capitalizing on the symbolic fruits of their own labour.


Optical flow methods, such as Lucas-Kanade and Horn-Schunck algorithms, are popular in motion estimation. However, they fall short on accuracy when they are applied to blurred videos. Some people utilize hybrid camera system to get a low resolution image to suppress the blurring effect so that more accurate optical flow for blurred high resolution image can be further derived, though in most of the practical environments it may not be feasible to deploy hybrid camera systems from cost perspective. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to estimate motion from a blurred video without the use of hybrid camera system, and to reduce motion blur by calculating its spatially varying blur kernels. Essentially, we first separate moving objects into small regions and use the corners of their boundaries as feature points, and then apply Hierarchical Block Matching Algorithm (HBMA) to track them between frames. Motions of non-corner pixels can therefore be estimated by interpolating the motion of these corner points, which further support the calculation of the spatially varying blur kernels for deblurring purpose. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed method.


The unprecedented heptavanadate cluster has been isolated from reactions between trisalkoxide ligands and vanadate in water at pH = 2 as a series of alkylammonium [HxV7O18(H2O)((OCH2)3CR)](4–x)- salts (1–3, R = CH2OH; 4, R = CH3). Their structures have been determined and the partial stability of 4 in water assessed by a combination of multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and ESI-MS. The heptavanadate unit reported herein could represent an intermediate species in the formation of decavanadate that is blocked by attachment of tripodal ligands.


One of the advantages of using two or more robot arms to perform the same task is the increased load carrying, handling, and manipulation capability. It is necessary to know the maximum force/moment that the robots can generate jointly at each point within their common workspace. This is the main subject of dynamic workspace analysis. In this paper, we develop a conceptually simple procedure to solve this problem. This procedure models the two cooperating robot arms as a closed chain system and is based on the theory of linear transformations and the properties of mechanics.


Accumulation, transport and toxicity of Cu in the food chain consisting of Platymonas subcordiformis,Brachionus plicatilis and Penaeus monodon were studied,Effects of Cu on the growth of organisms in the food chain were investigated and the inhibiting the concentration (EC50) of Cu was then determined according to the dynamics of the relative number of cells or total individuals of organisms, expressed in percentagn with reference to the controlled system under different culture conditions. On the basis of the variations in accumulation and percentages of accumulation of Cu in the biological phase, tbe reationship between the accumulation of Cu in organisms and its toxicity was analyzed and the main approach for determining the transport of Cu in the food chain was then discussed.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a decision model for selecting a third party logistics (3PL) provider, because international business can be a complex undertaking. It is a multi‐criteria problem, with alternative ways to weigh the importance of the chosen criteria.Design/methodology/approach – The paper used analytic hierarchy process and hierarchical decision model approaches.Findings – Given the criteria, weights and attribute scores, it was found that two 3PLs ranked very closely in the top position. It was also found that a simple ranking of the criteria can produce very similar aggregate weights, provided the number of experts is high enough. The paper contains an extensive literature review on the usage of AHP and related methods in a logistics context.Originality/value – This study applies AHP in a 3PL provider for international business, for the first time in the literature.


We study the residual coding by JPEG 2000 in a recently proposed light field compression method, WaSP, with the goal of optimizing the performance with respect to a weighted PSNR criterion, which is the objective performance criterion utilized in the JPEG Pleno Light Field standardization. In WaSP the residual view is encoded by using JPEG 2000. In here we show that instead of encoding by JPEG 2000 the RGB residual view (using the rate-distortion optimization performed by JPEG 2000 for the RGB image), one can obtain better results by performing first an RGB to YCbCr color transformation and reallocating the given bitrate to each color component optimally with respect to the weighted PSNR criterion. Then JPEG 2000 is called separately for each YCbCr component with the selected bitrates. We experiment with the proposed scheme inside the WaSP codec, and show that the weighted PSNR results are improved by nearly as much as 1 dB when compared to the default RGB encoding by JPEG 2000.


The philosophy of food is an emerging and distinctive area of philosophical inquiry, and much of the work in this area has been informed by philosophical aesthetics. In recent years, philosophers have found it especially productive to explore connections between aesthetics and the sciences and philosophy of the mind. This special issue of Crítica, Revista Hispanoamericana de Filosofía aims to bring together these two developments to explore what can be learned about food by approaching it from philosophical perspectives that are richly informed by our best aesthetic theories and our best theories of the mind. In this introduction, we contextualize the recent development of the philosophy of food as an autonomous subdiscipline within philosophy and situate the essays in the special issue in relation to that subdiscipline.


Abstract : A quality of service (QoS) management framework for systems is presented that satisfies application needs along multiple dimensions such as timeliness, reliability, cryptographic security and other application specific quality requirements. In this model, end users' quality preferences are taken into account when system resources are apportioned across multiple applications such that the net system utility accrued to the end users is maximized. The framework facilitates QoS tradeoff through a semantically rich (in terms of expressiveness and customizability) QoS specification interface that enables the end users to give guidance on the qualities they care about and the tradeoffs they are willing to make under potential resource shortages. The interface also allows the user or system administrator to define fine grained service requests easily for multi-dimensional complex QoS provisioning. Furthermore, by introducing the abstraction of Quality Index, which maps qualities to indices in a uniform way, and by the mathematical modeling of QoS Tradeoff and Resource Tradeoff, we transform the QoS management problem into a combinatorial optimization which ultimately enables us to quantitatively measure QoS, and to analytically plan and allocate resources. A series of optimization algorithms is developed that tackle the QoS management problem which is provably NP hard. The first set of algorithms treats the problem of maximizing system utility by allocating a single finite resource to satisfy the QoS requirements of multiple applications along multiple QoS dimensions. Two near optimal algorithms are developed to solve this problem. The first yields an allocation within a known distance from the optimal solution, and the second yields an allocation whose distance bound from the optimal solution can be explicitly controlled by a QoS manager.


Structures with a downward sloping waterline shape in Arctic or sub-Arctic regions experience reduced loading from ice on the structure and its foundation compared to vertical structures as the slope causes the ice to fail in bending. For the design of these structures, a numerical model is desired that can predict the loading from the ice on the structure by simulating the physical processes that occur when the ice fails. A numerical 2D lattice model has been developed to simulate level ice behavior. The model is composed of masses and interconnecting springs, taking into account deformation in tension, compression, bending, shear and torsion in the ice sheet. Deformation and failure criteria in the model are based on first principles, enabling a physically sound simulation of breaking processes. In addition, the discrete lattice model avoids stress singularities in fracture modeling since the model only describes displacements and forces in the connections and no stresses are present. In this paper interaction between ice and a downward sloping conical structure is simulated with the lattice model and compared with data from scale model tests. From the model test results it was observed that level ice and larger ice floes fail in sequential bending during interaction with a structure, giving a repetitive load pattern. Smaller ice floes split and break in bending into smaller parts and a sequential breaking pattern does not develop. The lattice model is capable of simulating failure in bending, splitting and combinations of these. In contrast, predictions of the model presented herein suffer from limitations of the contact model between the ice and the structure, the lack of a clearing mechanism and the use of a regular lattice mesh.


Blow-Up must be approached from the dual perspectives of art and commerce. It is certainly a key film in the distinguished artistic career of Michelangelo Antonioni, one of the world's great film directors. Blow-Up has excellent credentials as an art film: script and direction by Antonioni, based on a story by the Argentine modernist Julio Cortazar, and with an emphasis on theme and visual imagery rather than on genres or stars. Yet Blow-Up must also be considered an entry into the world of bigbudget commercial filmmaking: produced by Carlo Ponti for MGM, made in London at a time when that city was exporting popular culture (films, music, fashion) around the world. The artistic aspects of Blow-Up have monopolized critical discussion. Article after article has delved into the film's mysteries. The film seems to be particularly attractive to American critics, perhaps because it is one of the few widely admired art films to have achieved extensive distribution in this country. Without denying the interest of Blow-Up criticism, I would like to concentrate in this essay on the film's economic and cultural backdrop. I feel that economic and cultural factors can illuminate the film's distinctive look and feel, and can solve some, though not all , of its mysteries. The film Blow-Up was based not only on Cortazar' s short story "Las babas del diablo" (the English translation was titled "Blow-Up" after the success of the film), but also on the article "The Modelmakers" written by Francis Wyndham for the London Sunday Times Magazine. Wyndham's article is a long interview with three successful young photographers - Brian Duffy, Terence Donovan, and David Bailey - which describes the milieu of British fashion photography circa 1964. A handful of fashion photographers, with David Bailey perhaps the best known, were among the new celebrities of London in the 1960s. Young, wealthy, creative, impatient with tradition (most came from working class backgrounds), they cut dashing figures in the era of the Beatles. Their professional and personal innovations included a more directly sexual approach to fashion, photography and art photography, and a similar coming together of documentation of an event and creation of an event. The photographers observed the London scene but also helped to create it. As Alexander Walker notes, the idea of a feature film set in London on the life of a fashion photographer, and based in part on Wyndham's article, did not originate with Antonioni. The highly commercial Italian producer Carlo Ponti, working on a multi-picture production deal with MGM, began discussions on such a film in 1964. At one time David Bailey himself was scheduled to direct the film. However, Bailey turned to other projects, and the "photographer film" was stalled until Antonioni and Ponti came to an agreement on it. (Walker 316-317, 320-322) Although Antonioni was not involved in the earliest stages of the "photographer film," he did have ample opportunity to shape it to his own artistic needs. Antonioni had the idea of loosely basing the film on the Cortazar story (which concerns a photographer, a mystery, and a crucial scene of making enlargements; it is otherwise quite unlike Blow-Up). He wrote the script with his long-time collaborator Tonino Guerra and with British playwright Edward Bond. He also cast the picture, filmed it, and supervised the editing. Why was Antonioni interested in such a commercial and "trendy" subject? Without undue psychologizing, a few answers are possible. First, Antonioni had observed the London art and fashion scene in 1964, when he accompanied Monica Vitti to England for the filming of Modesty Blaise. At that time he saw something in mod London that intrigued him. In doing interviews about Blow-Up, Antonioni several times expressed interest and even a qualified support for the freedom and iconoclasm of mod London. Second, despite his critical reputation, Antonioni had not at this time established himself as a commercial filmmaker. …


They found that no appreciable difference exists between the excitability of the cortex in the higher and lower monkeys. No movement resulted from stimulation of the ascending parietal convolution ; all the motor areas are in front of the fissure ot" Bolando, and mainly confined to the ascending frontal gyrus, and the surface of this convolution which looks into the fissure of Rolando was also excitable. The order in which the areas are arranged from below upwards was (1) face and head, the former


Two-dimensional (2-D) semiconductors are emerging as strong contenders for the future of Angstrom technology nodes. Their potential lies in enhanced device scaling and energy-efficient switching compared to traditional bulk semiconductors like Si, Ge, and III-V compounds. These materials offer significant advantages, particularly in ultra-thin devices with atomic scale thicknesses. Their unique structures enable the creation of one-dimensional nanoribbons and vertical and lateral heterostructures. This versatility in design, coupled with their distinctive properties, paves the way for efficient energy switching in electronic devices. Moreover, 2-D semiconductors offer opportunities for integrating metallic nanoribbons, carbon nanotubes (CNT), and graphene with their 2-D channel materials. This integration helps overcome lithography limitations for gate patterning, allowing the realization of ultra-short gate dimensions. Considering these factors, the potential of 2-D semiconductors in electronics is vast. This concise review focuses on the latest advancements and engineering strategies in 2-D logic devices.


Activity coefficients obtained from the solid-liquid equilibrium data were used to fit the isobaric vapor-liquid equilibrium data to evaluate the vapor-phase equilibrium constant of heterodimerization of the system propanoic acid-trifluoroethanoic acid. The found hetero-dimerization constant is several times higher than that estimated on the basis of the "double-geometric-mean" rule and its temperature dependence has the form ln K AB = 7 196.7/ T - 26.80.


Cellulase is an important enzyme in the Monochamus alternatus.The effect of feeding time,no-feeding time and other conditions on cellulase of M.alternatus showed cellulase activity increased in the initial stage and then declined under the controlled conditions.At the same time,the cellulase activity was proportional to the abundance of twigs.Along with extend of the feeding time,cellulase(Cx-ase,C1-ase and β-1,4-glucosidase) activity of M.alternatus increased in the initial stage and then declined,and eventully tented be stable.


Mara Miller is a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Biographical Research at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she also teaches Japanese literature. She is the author of The Garden as an Art (SUNY Press), Terrible Knowledge (reflections on the atomic bombings, forthcoming), and six dozen articles on feminist, Asian, and environmental philosophy; aesthetics; and selfhood, in The Monist, Philosophy and Literature, The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, and Oxford's Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, Handbook of World Philosophy, and Handbook of Japanese Philosophy. Miller has been a fellow at the University of Canterbury, the Folger Library, Indiana University's Lilly Library, and Rutgers University's Center for Historical Analysis. Her doctorate, in philosophy, is from Yale University.


This paper explores the consumer concerns about privacy in Internet e-banking and examines the impacts of several variables in relation to perceived privacy protection. The findings suggest that commercial banks must effectively minimize transaction errors, eliminate unauthorized use of personal data, control offensive access and maintain transactions records. Preventive management is vital to the enhancement of privacy of Internet banking and the consumer acceptance of Internet banking services.


Gender specific vulnerability of the brain to neuro-developmental disruption leading to schizophrenia has been evidenced. Gender differences have been noted in two neuro-developmentally underpinned variables- Minor physical anomalies (MPAs) and attentional impairments in schizophrenia. We aimed to compare attention and MPAs in male and female patients with schizophrenia; to find predictors to discriminate the group based on gender; and to assess the influence of MPAs on the association between attentional impairments and gender in schizophrenia. Thirty patients with early onset schizophrenia (in remission) were recruited. While attention was assessed using the Digit span, the Digitvigilance and the Trail Making Tests, MPAs were comprehensively assessed using the 55 item Extended Waldrop Scale. Study variables were analyzed using parametric measures. Male schizophrenia patients were found to have significantly higher MPAs in skull/scalp, which discriminated the gender based classified groups. There was no significant correlation between gender and attentional measures, even with controlling for MPAs. This study supports the finding that total and specific cranio-facial MPA scores and, impaired attention are indeed illness markers in schizophrenia patients. We conclude that although present in higher numbers in male schizophrenia patients, neuro-developmental anomalies do not intercede the relationship between gender and attentional impairment.


BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder is a behavior disorder that is usually characterized by communication and social deficits and presence of repetitive/ stereotyped behavior, however there is a complex interaction between ASD, sensory-motor integration and balance and gross motor skills which needs to be assessed systematically.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: To determine the balance performances in children with autism spectrum disorder
METHODOLOGY: 30 subjects were selected purposively from various pediatric clinics. Prior consent was taken from parents and M-chart was filled to assess the symptomatology of child and thereafter children falling into low and moderate ASD symptoms were further assessed using pediatric balance scale
OUTCOME MEASURE: Pediatric balance scale (PBS)
CONCLUSION: The results obtained showed that 86% of subjects with ASD had score ranging from 35-45 whereas 6.6% of subjects had score below 35 and only 6.6% of subjects with ASD had score more than 45 which thus indicates balance deficits in children with ASD

Key words: ASD, Autism, balance, PBS.


The reduction of nitrogen oxides in gas is carried out, by means of selective reaction of the nitrogen oxide with the reducing agent in the in the solid catalyst. In order to achieve high catalytic activity, the above is carried out at high gas temperatures. As a rule, ceramic filter elements, coated with catalytic material are used. This does, however, give rise to the risk the catalytically active components are stripped from the filter during the hot gas filtration. A ceramic filter element with support material in the form of particles, with binder material and catalytic material is thus disclosed, whereby the binder material comprises catalytic material, or the binder material is partly replaced by the catalyst material and the support material particles (1) are connected to each other by means of the catalyst and/or binder material.


Objective:To explore the effect of umbilical venous catheter(UVC) on enteral feeding of very low birth weight infants(VLBWIs).Methods:From January 2005 to January 2008,86 VLBWIs were divided into UVC group(41 infants) and N-UVC group(45 infants),the start time of enteral feeding and meconium expulsion,changes of body weight,duration of hypoglycaemia,the rates of intolerance after feeding,such as vomiting,abdominal distension,necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC) were observed.Results:The success rate of umbilical vein catheterization in UVC group was 100%,retention time was(9.2±2.73) days;there was no significant difference in the start time of enteral feeding and meconium expulsion,the rates of vomiting,abdominal distension,NEC and dysfunction of liver,positive rate of blood culture between two groups(P0.05);regaining birth-weight time((11.55±3.26) days) and duration of hypoglycaemia((1.74±1.41) hours) in UVC group were shorter than those in N-UVC group.Conclusion:UVC can quickly provide venous channel in treatment of VLBWIs effectively,reduce the incidence of complication of premature infants,and not to affect the enteral feeding.


We propose a method to compose new lens system starting from lens data of plural lens sytems which have the same configuration and focal length, and show well corrected aberrations. The composite double Gauss type lenses and triplet type lens are shown as examples.


Network Representation Learning (NRL) is a method to learn a representation of a graph in a low-dimensional space, such that the representation can be later utilized easily in various machine learning tasks such as classification, recommendation, and prediction. In contrast to homogeneous networks, heterogeneous information networks (HINs) contain rich semantics and structural information due to multiple types of nodes and edges. Due to heterogeneity, the conventional representation learning methods are not directly applicable. In this paper, we propose a semi-supervised HIN embedding model, adopted from the natural language processing community. The model uses sequences of nodes obtained by random walks constrained on edge types such that the structural and semantic properties are preserved. These sequences correspond to sentences in a document. Each sequence is labeled based on the nodes contained in it. We adopt a ID-Convolutional Neural Network sentence classification model that seeks to fit a sequence classifier while optimizing the representation of the nodes. We have performed experiments on vertex classification on two widely used realworld datasets, showing better or comparable performance with respect to the state-of-the-art.


Background: Despite recommendations in the guidelines and consensus documents, there has been no randomized controlled trial evaluating oral anticoagulation (OAC) alone without antiplatelet therapy (APT) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) beyond 1 year after coronary stenting. Methods: This study was a prospective, multicenter, open-label, non-inferiority trial, comparing OAC alone to combined OAC and single APT among AF patients beyond 1 year after stenting in a 1:1 randomization fashion. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, or systemic embolism. The major secondary endpoint was a composite of primary endpoint or major bleeding according to the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) classification. Although the trial was designed to enroll 2,000 patients during 12 months, enrollment was prematurely terminated after enrolling 696 patients in 38 months. Results: Mean age was 75.0±7.6 ...


Teenagers are a new phenomenon — more affluent, more educated, more freely independent — and consequently more identifiable as a distinct social group — than any previous generation of adolescents. This most striking development of the past twenty‐five years or so is most commonly attributed to its most obvious features: affluence, education, freedom.


tumorigenesis. To investigate the basis for thw dilferences, the enzyme was partly puri8ed and characteri& from the mitochondriai and cytosolic liver fraction of mice treated with the carchvogeu p-dimethyl-amhmasobenzene (DAB). A liuear r&tiuss&lp between hrcubation time and specitk activity was observed up to about 30 min for cytosolic enuyme and 15 min for mitodmudrial enzyme irrespective of whet&r or not the enzyme was derived from treated or untreated animals. The optimum hmubation temperature was 3OC for the ensyme of botb fractious in control a&u& and 38°C for treated animals in both cases. In control and DAB treated animals the cytophrsmic rhodanese exhibited a maximum at a lower pH tbau for the mitocbondrial enzyme. The enzyme showed typical Michaelis-Menten behavior with cyanide inhibition at coucentrations higher than 25 mM for controls and 10 mM for treated animals for both fractions and thiosulfate hrhi~tiou at concentrations higher than 100 mM in all cases studied. Km values of 190 and 65.66mM were obtained for thlosulfate and 6.37 and 9.79mM for cyanide for both mitochombial and cytosollc fractions of control anhnalq while Km values of 31.75 and 4.58 mM were obtained for thiosulfate and 0.61 and 1.11 mM for cyanide in both fractions of treated animals. We demonstrated dllferences in the kinetics for rhodanese derived from mito&oudrial and cytoplPsmic fractions of livers taken from tumor bearing mice. These diierences might provide an explanation for the abnormalities of heme synthesis previously reported during bepatocarcinogenesis.


Procurement specifications have not consistently specified SILs for Rolling Stock safety related functions that implement programmable electronic systems. A UK industry working group has been debating the cause and aspiring to find a possible solution to this issue. It is recognised that there is no pan-industry agreed mechanism for the allocation of SILs and consideration has been given to identify what the building blocks are to resolve this problem. This presentation reports on the progress made so far and aims to encourage wider debate. (16 pages)


According to the statistics to the normal and specil skills of the athletes,as well as watching vedio,we elaborated and summaried seperately on the absolute advantages of America team and other top four teams' winning ways in this article.


This paper describes an image compression method based on block truncation coding (BTC) and linear regression coding (LRC) hybrid strategy. BTC is simple and easy to use, but only two representative values can not adequately represent the visual feature of image blocks. However, LRC can obtain different values of points with the line function by recording the coefficient of the regression line while the data distribution shows a linear relationship. The proposed method designs a hybrid strategy to combine the advantages of the two methods to improve image quality. In the paper, first, models are designed to rearrange the data of image blocks to satisfy a linear distribution, and then these models are used to code the image blocks. The experimental results indicated that the proposed method is superior to the BTC scheme in terms of image quality, and it can be used for image compression applications.


We propose a numerical method to compensate dispersion mismatch in optical coherence tomography (OCT) based on optical-frequency-domain reflectyometry (OFDR). Dispersion mismatch causes phase distortion in interferograms depending on wavelength and results in a loss of resolution. We introduce a method to perform the numerical compensation directly to experimental interferograms in real space. Experimental tests are performed for the case of the Mach–Zehnder type OFDR-OCT using a super-structured-grating distributed-Bragg-reflector (SSG-DBR) laser, in which the wavenumber of the optical source is swept discretely by equal interval. It is shown that the method is effective to improve images for layered transparency sheets. We also apply the method to OFDR-OCT imaging of a human nail.


Abstract : The EWITA study accomplished the following objectives: (1) Analyzed all MOS (specialties for officers) excluding infantry, armor and cavalry, currently closed to women, and determined if they should be open to women. (2) Analyzed Category I units to identify those which could or should be open to women. (3) Calculated the maximum female content of each MOS. (4) Analyzed other key factors that impact on the utilization of women in the Army and formulated appropriate recommendations.


A new BPD-PSI line-type plasma simulator is introduced. The device features two vacuum units: a target unit and an electron gun unit, connected to each other by a water-cooled electron beam transport channel. The Pierce-type electron gun is used to generate stationary or pulsed electron beam, utilized for beam-plasma discharge generation. The plasma electron density can be varied in the range of n e = 1 × 1016 - 1 × 1018 m-3 with electron temperature in the range of T e = 1-20 eV. The ion flux of 1 × 1021 m-2 s-1 and heat fluxes up to 5 MW m-2 are obtained. A set of utilized plasma and plasma-surface interaction diagnostics are described. Five demonstration experiments are presented: 1) high vs low power beam-plasma operation, 2) beam-plasma discharge with/without presence of an external magnetic field, 3) incident ion flux composition analysis, 4) incident ion energy distribution function measurement, 5) in-situ target surface temperature control and in-vacuo thermal desorption spectroscopy measurement. All of the technical features of the setup described in this paper make it a new tool for studying plasma-surface interactions.


Abstract Steels containing sufficient concentrations of silicon tend to form a low melting temperature oxide called fayalite, which then penetrates both the steel and any other oxide to form a mechanical key. As a consequence, routine descaling operations fail to remove all traces of FeO that remain attached to the final product and oxidise to form a red oxide blemish on the surface. The formation of oxides was investigated both experimentally and by developing a new theory that permits the simultaneous formation of a variety of oxides that compete to establish the final oxide structure. The theory forms the basis for studying the evolution of oxide scales as a function of silicon concentration.


In order to study the bearing capacity of polyurethane foam sandwich concrete wall-board, 6 bending specimens and 3 axial compression specimens were designed. According to the experiment, the failure patterns, loading-displacement curves and the stress-strain curves of the specimens were obtained. The results show that polyurethane foam sandwich concrete wall-board average strain of bending normal cross-section does not conform to the plane cross assumption, its failure pattern belongs to the brittle failure; it has a good overall work performance. All of this may be helped for the science research and engineering applications.


Forest harvesting systems vary from place to place. This paper concentrates on the study of one of the most complex systems, multistage timber production, which is very popular in vast forest regions of China and Russia. Based on case studies from the Heilongjiang Forest Region, in the northeast part of China, optimal operation planning for forest harvesting, and the impact of harvesting on the forest environment, economic benefit and working safety, is carried using a multi-objective optimization model. The results of the case studies, optimizing operation time schedules, show that the models are quite applicable and helpful to practical operations.


Active dry wine yeast (ADWY) in bulk form suitable for winery use has become available commercially. The performance of such yeasts under commercial conditions can be evaluated by determining yeast viability or fermentation activity. Determining viability from the staining of cells is unreliable; cell plating and counting of colonies or microscopic determination of budding cells is time-consuming. Such determinations may reflect the quality of the active dry wine yeast without indicating its performance in winery fermentation. CO2 production rate, however, may reflect actual performance under various fermentation conditions, such as SO2 concentration, yeast concentration, rehydration temperature, storage stability, etc. A recommended method for determining the fermentation activity of ADWY is described.


Coalition formation is a type of mixed-motive game in which n players strategically negotiate to secure positions in advantageous contracts. In this study, we find that systems of agents which learn by a simple linear updating rule successfully can model the outcomes of human players across five coalition formation games studied experimentally by Kahan and Rapoport (1974). "Greedy" agents, which are deterministic and maximizing in their selection of whom to offer to, achieve outcomes on par with humans within a few hundred trials. In comparison, "Matching" agents which use probability matching for selecting whom to offer to achieve overall outcomes qualitatively similar to those of humans, but not as closely as the Greedy agents do.


Arbitration — Procedure — Competence — Jurisdiction — Arbitral Commission on Property, Rights and Interests In Germany Extension of jurisdiction — Whether permissible — Request for declaratory judgment. War — Effects of outbreak of — On enemy property — Placing of enemy property under custodianship — Whether admissible in international law. 341Treaties of peace — Analogous instruments — Convention on the Settlement of Matters Arising out of the War and Occupation, 1952–1954 — Restitution provisions — Restoration of rights and interests — Chapter Ten of Convention — Restitution of shares — Conditions of — Discriminatory treatment as prerequisite of return and restoration — Meaning of "discriminatory treatment".


The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of practicing the learned practical arts and to identify its related variables. The sample for this study consisted of 468 sixth grade elementary school students from 4 resident areas with big-size, medium-size, small-size cities, and country side. The sample was surveyed using a questionnaire which consisted of two sections including practicing the learned practical arts statements and demographic information related statements. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were utilized with post hoc multiple comparison procedures with an a priori alpha level of .05. The following conclusions were drawn from this study. 1. The level of practicing the learned practical arts was just beyond the theoretical average of the instrument. 2. The variables associated with practicing the learned practical arts were found including gender difference, perceived the practical arts subject achievement, practicing intent, social economic status, parents' encouragement, and home equipment and facility level of the respondents. 3. Female students' level of practicing the learned practical arts was a little higher than that of male students. 4. The higher the perceived practical arts subject achievement, the higher the level of practicing after learning practical arts subject. 5. The higher the level of students' intent to practice, the higher the level of practicing after learning practical arts subject. 6. Stu-dents who perceived their social economic status as more stable had higher level of practicing. 7. Students who had more positive encouragement from their parents had higher level of practicing. 8. Students who had more home equipment and facility had higher level of practicing.


This article explores reasons why the level of employment of women police in the United States is relatively low and no longer seems to be increasing. Surveys were administered to all women officers and all police chiefs in a three-county area of Pennsylvania where the proportion of women police is lower than the national average. The chiefs and women officers largely agreed about the impact of many components of the hiring process. Women officers perceived more shortcomings in recruitment practices than did the chiefs, though, and put much more emphasis on the male-dominated cultures of police academies and police organizations as obstacles to both recruitment and retention of women officers.


We studied the status of breeding waterbirds in the Kumarakom Heronry in the KTDC Tourist Complex, Kumarakom, Kerala, southern India, during the period June to August 2004. Ten species of waterbirds belonging to the families Anhingidae, Phalacrocoracidae, Ardeidae and Threskiornithidae were breeding in the study area. The Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger was the most numerous species during the period of this study, and the Little Egret Egretta garzetta the least numerous. The Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax was present in reduced numbers compared with earlier reports. At one stage during the study, the numbers of Oriental Darters Anhinga melanogaster comprised about 8% of the South Asian population of this near threatened species. The Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus was found nesting in this area for the first time. Major factors having a detrimental effect on the ecosystem were a lack of regeneration of mangroves, uncontrolled growth of exotic weeds and the release of sewage water into the area. Increases in the populations of the two cormorant species and Oriental Darter and the decrease in the Black-crowned Night Heron population could be related to the construction of Thanneermukkom Saltwater Barrier across Vembanad Lake and resulting changes in the ecology of the southern portion of the lake. Because of its importance for breeding waterbirds and other migratory birds, the Kumarakom area has the potential for the establishment of a Waterbird Sanctuary.


FIELD: medicine. SUBSTANCE: device comprises a probe in the form of a hollow shaped cannula 1 with mark notches on an outer surface. On a distal end of the cannula 1, there is an active electrode 3 configured as an oblique truncated hollow tip. The active electrode 3 comprises a temperature-sensing element 2. The temperature-sensing element 2 and active electrode 3 are connected together by current conductors 9 integrated into the cannula 1, reinforced by an input holder 4, and provided with an analogue-to-digital converter 5 and a DC transducer 6 respectively, with a passive electrode 7 being also connected. Outputs of the DC transducer 6 and the analogue-to-digital converter 5 are connected to a personal computer 8. The cannula 1 is made of a medical sterilised polymer; the holder 4 is made of rubber, while the temperature-sensing element 2 is made insulated. EFFECT: using the invention enables the non-invasive method using no additional equipment for measuring the nasal mucosal temperature, pain sensitivity level even in difficult to access areas of the nasal cavity, and also a muco-ciliary clearance rate that ensures increasing the diagnostic accuracy and providing daily monitoring of the functional state of the nasal mucosal examined dynamically. 4 cl, 1 dwg, 1 tbl


We reside in information world which makes great difficulty in quantifying the aggregate volume of information put away electronically, and exist in the unit of Zettabytes or Exabyte, hence termed as Big Data. They can be unstructured, organized or semi organized, processing of these
 data cannot able to be done with normal data management techniques. Hadoop framework is utilized to process huge datasets in a proficient and economical way. MapReduce system is utilized to gather information according to the solicitation. To handle expansive volume of information legitimate
 planning is obliged to accomplish more noteworthy execution. Scheduling jobs in parallel across the nodes is an important concern in MapReduce clusters. Also to improve the performance with the large volume of data proper scheduling method should be adopted. The objective of the work is to
 study about the different scheduling techniques used in Hadoop environment and to achieve effective fairness without starvation.


This report describes development of a revised Savannah River Site (SRS) meteorological data set for the MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System (MACCS). This data set contains quality assured values of transport wind direction, wind speed, atmospheric stability class, and precipitation for all hours in each of the five years 1997-2001. Measurements collected from the SRS H-area meteorological tower are the primary source for these data. Substitution was used to complete the data set for the 2 percent of hours in which data from the H-tower record were missing or invalid.


In some real situations the population of interest is divided into two groups, of which one contains only a few units. In other cases, the population may be considered as subdivided into two group', for example, if only a few units display a value of the variable of interest which is highly different from zero, while all the other units show a value equal to or near zero. In both cases, inverse sampling is more efficient than classical fixed sample-size designs to obtain the parameter estimators for the whole population as well as for its groups (e.g., Salehi and Seber, 2004). In fact, in this design the procedure selection continues until a prefixed number of units with the characteristic of interest is sampled. Since it is not known a priori to which group the population units belong, the sample size is a random variable. Christman and Lan (2001) and Salehi and Seber (2001 2004) considered inverse sampling designs when all the population units have equal selection probabilities. In this article, we consider the general case in which the units may have unequal probabilities of being included in the sample. In fact, in many real situations different units may have different selection probabilities because of some inherent features of the sampling procedure, or in order to obtain better estimates. We derive unbiased estimators of the totals of the two groups, their variance and the corresponding unbiased variance estimators in inverse sampling with replacement. Finally, we derive similar results for more complex designs, where the selection procedure stops before observing the prefixed number of units from the rare group.


This paper investigated the mechanisms leading to cellular dysfunctions by homocysteine (HCY) after observing whether HCY of different concerntrations plus copper (Cu2+ ) could induce apop-tosis in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Cellular detachment was measured by the hemacytometer. The release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) , the level of cellular lipid peroxidation(MDA) ,the activities of cellular glutathion peroxidase(GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase(SOD) were measured by colorimetric assay. Hoechst 33258 dyeing was used to observe nuclear morphological changes. Flow cytometric assay was used to quantify the apoptotic cells. The result indicates that HCY plus copper(Cu2+) could induce apoptosis by oxidative stress, suggesting that this may lead to atherosclerosis in vivo.


A metal-base transistor is suggested. The transistor comprises a first and a second electrode (2, 6) and base electrode (6) to control current flow between the first and second electrode. The first electrode (2) is made from a semiconduction material. The base electrode (3) is a metal layer deposited on top of the semiconducting material forming the first electrode. According the invention the second electrode is formed by a semiconducting nanowire (6) being in electrical contact with the base electrode (3).


Ed Moloney's book 'Paisley. From Demagogue to Democrat' examines the Ian Paisley's biography. It states the reasons and situations which changed Paisley late in his life.


An asymmetric ligand (pdpiq = 2-(pyridine-2-yl)-6,7-diphenyl-1-H-imidazo[4,5-g]quinoxaline) and its ruthenium complexes with [Ru(L)2pdpiq]2+ (L = bpy (2,2′-bipyridine) or phen (1,10-phenanthroline)) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ES-MS, and 1H NMR. The DNA-binding behaviors of these complexes were studied by spectroscopic methods and viscosity measurements. The results indicate that the complexes can intercalate into DNA base pairs. When irradiated at 365 nm, the two complexes promote the cleavage of plasmid pBR322DNA. The mechanism of DNA cleavage is an oxidative process by generating singlet oxygen.


In this paper, a new flyback battery equalizer employing a voltage doubler rectifier is proposed. The proposed circuit transfers electric charges by utilizing the resonance between the transformer leakage inductor and secondary capacitor. Therefore, the proposed battery equalizer can reduce the switch turn off loss and snubber loss by a sinusoidal shaped current. Furthermore, the voltage stress on the rectifier diodes can be clamped to the battery stack voltage. The operational principle and characteristics are presented. To verify the performance of the proposed circuit, experimental results from four 3.8 V and 2600 mAh lithium-ion batteries are presented.


Recently, the tooling system that is essential to high speed machining-centers is changing from a BT tooling system to a HSK tooling system, because the bending stiffness and the machining accuracy of a HSK tooling system are higher than those of a BT tooling system. So we are developing a new HSK tooling system for high speed machining-centers presently. In this system, a gripper is a core part that clamps a tool-shank on a spindle shaft. In this paper, we selected the most stable shape in three models of the gripper. In order that, we modeled three different models of the gripper by using a 3D modeling/design program. Then we analyzed Stress Distribution Characteristics by using the Finite Element Analysis (FEA).


Quantum cryptography protocols make it possible not only to ensure the protection of data transmitted in a communication channel from unauthorized access by intruders, but also to detect the existence of any attempted interception. This scientific direction is currently relevant, since it is related to the problem of security and data protection in current information and communication networks. The article is devoted to quantum cryptography; it describes the development of quantum protocols as quantum key distribution systems. Grounded on the laws of quantum mechanics, the elaboration of modifications of secure data transfer protocols is shown. The authors considered the best-known protocol to be BB84 of quantum key distribution; a more modern modification of this protocol is BB84 Info-Z. Comparative analysis of these has also been carried out. It has been established that the BB84-Info-Z quantum protocol works more efficiently than BB84 since its lower error threshold allows the interceptor to obtain much less information about the secret key. The authors put forward a new idea to improve the BB84 protocol (which has been quite outdated for almost 40 years), due to the increase in modern requirements for quantum cryptography protocols. The modification is called CSLOE-2022. It enables significant intensification of cryptographic strength and the entanglement degree of the interceptor (cryptanalyst), which greatly complicates the very possibility of intercepting information. The ultimate goal of the CSLOE-2022 modification is to complicate the eavesdropping process so much that it can be considered completely useless for an attacker in terms of wasting time and resources. The modification allows exceeding the known speed limit of key generation without repeaters since it uses two sources, the phases of which, in addition to the hundreds of kilometers of fiber between them, are very difficult to stabilize. Comparison of the protocols by working distance showed that for BB84, this distance does not exceed 70 km; for BB84-Info-Z it is similar, at no more than 70 km, and the modification of CSLOE-2022 proposed by the authors theoretically allows increasing the working distance of the quantum protocol to 511 km (7.3 times).


Variations of low-frequency noise including flicker and Lorentzian spectra are the dominant source of variation of noise equivalent power (NEP) for terahertz detectors using diode-connected N-type MOS (NMOS) transistors. The low-frequency noise of Schottky diodes fabricated in the same CMOS process as the NMOS detectors are dominated by generation and recombination noise. At 1 MHz modulation frequency, the noise of Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) and its variation are ∼2× lower than those of diode-connected NMOS transistors. It should be possible to reduce the variation of NEP by ∼2× using Schottky diode detectors modulated at 1 MHz.


Machines can be readily trained to automate medical image interpretation, with the primary goal of replicating human capabilities. Here, we propose an alternative role: using machine learning to discover pragmatic imaging-based biomarkers by interpreting one complex imaging modality via a second, more ubiquitous, lower-cost modality. We applied this strategy to train convolutional neural network models to estimate positron emission tomography (PET)-derived myocardial blood flow (MBF) at rest and with hyperemic stress, and their ratio, coronary flow reserve (CFR), using contemporaneous two-dimensional echocardiography videos as inputs. The resulting parameters, echoAI-restMBF, echoAI-stressMBF, and echoAI-CFR modestly approximated the original values. However, using echocardiograms of 5,393 (derivation) and 5,289 (external validation) patients, we show they sharply stratify individuals according to disease comorbidities and combined with baseline demographics, are strong predictors for heart failure hospitalization (C-statistic derivation: 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.77-0.81; validation: 0.81, 0.79-0.82) and acute coronary syndrome (C-statistic derivation: 0.77, 0.73-0.80; validation: 0.75, 0.73-0.78). Using echocardiograms of 3,926 genotyped individuals, we estimate narrow-sense heritability of 9.2%, 20.4% and 6.5%, respectively for echoAI-restMBF, echoAI-stressMBF, and echoAI-CFR. MBF indices show inverse genetic correlation with impedance-derived body mass indices, such as fat-free body mass (e.g., {rho}=-0.43, q=0.05 for echoAI-restMBF) and resolve conflicting historical data regarding body mass index and CFR. In terms of diseases, genetic association with ischemic heart disease is seen most prominently for echoAI-stressMBF ({rho}=-0.37, q=2.4x10-03). We hypothesize that interpreting one imaging modality through another represents a type of "information bottleneck", capturing latent features of the original physiologic measurements that have relevance across tissues. Thus, we propose a broader potential role for machine learning algorithms in developing scalable biomarkers that are anchored in known physiology, representative of latent biological factors, and are readily deployable in population health applications.


In this chapter the authors discuss that despite public sector reform being a primary concern of successive national leaders of the Philippines, 'massive – and sometimes impressive – reorganization plans have not met their declared objectives'. They note that intractable and stubborn problems of Weberian bureaucracy, such as excessive rules and regulations, overlapping structures and procedures, inefficient procedures, lack of coordination, excessive partisan politics and corruption, remain. They examine how leadership can play a pivotal and key role in addressing these problems. Specifically, they argue that reforms should be multi-dimensional, going beyond reorganization and shifting organizational boxes and encompassing changes in behaviour, perspectives and attitudes. Using a concept of 'phronetic leadership', they examine three cases of national, local and civil society leaders, as well as a survey of university leaders. They conclude that leaders can make a difference by developing capacities of themselves and of others, and pushing the boundaries of continuous improvement. However, to be sustainable, public sector reforms have to be complemented by reforms of institutions, structures and procedures and anchored in behaviour, values and a common vision that is communicated well and owned by all.


At first,this paper introduces the idea of social group collaborative learning and knowledge sharing(SGCL), framework of SGCL system and its six research subtasks.Then this paper pays more attention to one of the subtasks, group cognition aggregation model research.As to group cognition aggregation,this paper suggests nodes aggregation model,relations aggregation model and users' reputation computing model.To verify these models,the paper introduces two experiments.In one experiment,we first draw individual cognition maps from directory on the Internet,then simulate user behaviors and aggregate individual cognition maps into group cognition map,at last compare the aggregation results with the original directory.In another experiment,we simulate the SGCL system with Repast.The results of the experiments show that the model and algorithm accord with the system's goal.


The influencing factors upon the regulating valve safe running were analyzed and summarized,such as the blocking,leakage,vibration,noise malfunction.Then the corresponding countermeasures were proposed,which could greatly improve the reliability and utilization ratio of regulating valve.


The Bane Line. The base line is the neutral line of the record, the horizontal line the record takes late in diastole if the pulse rate is slow enough. Fn faster hearts, the base line can be approximated by placing a horizontal line such that the areas of the late cliastolic deflections above and below it are equal. In records secured by electrical amplification the base line can be obtained by rapidly turning down the sensitivity until the amplitudes become negligible, provided this has had no effect on centering. The ballistic waves diverge from the base line in opposite directions.


Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Spirit and Salvation. Vol. 4 of A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 2016. 520 pp. $40.00. ISBN: 9780802868565. Spirit and Salvation is the fourth of Veli-Matti Karkkainen's five-volume constructive and systematic theological project. I am a former pastor and practical theologian and am fairly well […]


Continuation of application No. 1 1/516,724, filed on Sep. 5, 2006, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application No. 11/413,638, filed on Apr. 28, 2006, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application No. 10/388,389, filed on Mar. 12, 2003, now Pat. No. 7,179.892, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 10/010,942, filed on Dec. 6, 2001, now Pat. No. 7,189,819, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 10/232,030, filed on Aug. 30, 2002, now Pat. No. 7,582,733, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/058,757, filed on Feb. 14, 2005, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/724,940, filed on Nov. 28, 2000, now Pat. No. 6,905,686, which is a continuation of application No. 09/580,015, filed on May 26, 2000, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/322.289, filed on May 28, 1999, now Pat. No. 7.964,192, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/201430, filed on Nov. 30, 1998, now Pat. No. 6,787.523, which is a continuation of application No. 10/703,713, filed on Nov. 7, 2003, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application No. 1 1/520,438, filed on Sep. 12, 2006, now Pat. No. 7,790,856, which is a continuation of application No. 1 1/396,417, filed on Mar. 30, 2006, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application No. 10/704,070, filed on Nov. 7, 2003, now abandoned.


This work deals with the use of ZnS-coated TiO2 films as photoanode in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The effect of immersion time of ZnS precursor on the photovoltaic parameters of the device has been investigated. The immersion time has been varied from 30 to 90 minutes at 15 minutes interval. The sample prepared with 60 minutes of immersion time shows the highest optical reflection in the visible region while the sample prepared with 45 minutes of immersion time possesses the highest optical absorption in the UV region. The DSSC utilizing the photoanode prepared with 60 minutes of immersion time demonstrated the highest η of 0.80%, Jsc of 2.990 mA cm-2, Voc of 0.650 V and FF of 0.412. This is due to this device has the smallest charge transfer resistance at the interface of Pt/electrolyte (Rct1) of 0.480 Ω.


The invention discloses an elastic warmth retention fabric and a production method thereof. The elastic warmth retention fabric is characterized in that more than 50 wt% yarns in warp and weft of fabric are elastic yarns with a crimp recovery rate between 35% and 55%; at least 20 wt% yarns are cotton yarns, hollow yarns, cotton/acrylic yarns or viscose/acrylic yarns; and the CLO value of the fabric is 0.6-1.2 m DEG C/w, and the hygroscopicity is less than 1.5 seconds. The fabric produced by the method provided by the invention is good in elasticity, hard to distort, has no too thick and too heavy feeling, is good in warmth retention, simple in processing technique, and low in cost.


This paper reveals two major errors of the repayment of average capital plus interest computing software in CCB,which will lead to the mortgagors to obtain non-entitlement benefits and the banks to suffer economic losses at the same time.This paper points out the reason in details,such as the apparently inadequate management of the bank.Finally,it proposes the bank to make improvements as soon as possible.


Conventional electrospinning is an effective and versatile method employed for fabricating nanofibers. However, the relatively low production rate is the major challenge of electrospinning as an economic and scalable method. Recently, several approaches have been developed to ensure the high production rate of nanofibers. This paper has reviewed the latest developed electrospinning methods, such as multi-jet, needleless, bubble, centrifuge and electro-centrifuge systems. Furthermore, the jet formation in centrifugal spinning, as well as electro-centrifuge systems, was investigated through experimental and numerical analysis.


Background: Blood transfusion is often a life-saving measure for surgical patients. In the era of numerous blood-transmitted diseases and known documented complications, however, blood transfusion is limited to patients who re q u i re blood replacement therapy. In elective surgery, blood transfusion is quite uncommon and most of the cross-matched blood is not used. Time and effort spent in cross-matching for each patient undergoing a surgical procedure is considerable. This study was initiated to determine ways to reduce the unnecessary demands on our blood bank and to support a suggested blood transfusion policy in our institution. Materials and Methods: This review was carried out at King Fahd Hospital of the University, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It covered a four year period, from January 1995 - December 1998. During this time, a proposed Maha SAAbdelhadi


CLINICIANS often inquire of the roentgenologist as to the dependability of cholecystography in the diagnosis, and differential diagnosis, of gallbladder disease, and if it is preferable to give the dye orally or intravenously. The data of 20 American authors who report statistics concerning their series of cholecystographies, particularly those checked by surgery, are presented in this paper, in addition to the data which I obtained from a study of cholecystographies done in the Presbyterian Hospital, Chicago. These 20 authors reported a total of 39,280 cases, of which 5,983 came to operation. The figures are incomplete as to the method of giving the dye. From statements in their writings, however, I judge that most of Kirklin's patients were given dye orally, and most of Moore's, intravenously. These are the two largest groups of this series. Others report the dye given 6,729 times orally, and 2,431 times intravenously. It is probable that the dye was given more often orally. The figures are complete as ...


Irresponsible Business Practices (IBPs) form the counterpart of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). While the latter represents a very popular field of research, IBPs are still under- researched especially when both factors are put into context. In the furniture retail industry, IBPs are a rather recent subject in production process and supplier relationships. As the purpose of CSR is not to compromise future generations' needs, the interesting question is how young adults manoeuvre within the area of conflict of IBPs and CSR. Several studies suggest that the young adults' expectations for companies to act ethically has risen. Nevertheless, it is unclear how CSR in the context of IBPs affects young adults' reasoning (and consequently their company evaluation). This consumer company evaluation is closely linked to brand equity. Brand equity has become an important tool for improving marketing outcomes. The findings of the study enable global brands to improve their customer relationships and give an understanding under which circumstances CSR can be a failure or success. The study is exploratory in nature and therefore uses a qualitative approach. This approach was supported by the literature review since very few studies juxtaposed CSR practices and IBPs. Three focus group discussions in Sweden, Austria and Germany form the base of the empirical findings. The cross-cultural perspective was included to maximize the scope of arguments and to find out about cultural similarities and differences. The literature review will be compared with the empirics which forms the analysis. This analysis part leads over to an overarching discussion. On the basis of the analysis, consumer reasoning is not that negative as previous research suggests. Successful CSR can be possible even under the circumstance of IBPs. Contextual factors such as the price still represent the most significant variable when it comes to consumption decision. (Less)


As a special and fragile ecological environmen t, karst environment is special in development and treatment of environment pollut ion. After concisely reviewing the development history of evironment problems a nd illuminating the characteristics of karst environment, this paper, from the a ngle of humanland relationship, makes a relatively comprehensive discuss ion on the prevailing environment problems in karst areas and their influences o n the production and life of the people living in karst rural, urban and mining areas, and puts forward corresponding countermeasures to these problems.


Knowledge work has changed substant ially in practice, partly due to using advanced information and communi cat on technologies. Knowledge workers are increasingly self-organized and learn mostly informally on the work place. These changes have relevant implicati ons for human resource management. Based on data that was collected in 11 semi-structured interviews with key people in two companies, four current knowledge work pr actices in the domains of competence management, knowledge ma nagement and innovation ma nagement are richly described. These practices are then analyzed with respect to highlighting and characterising potential interface s to human resource management.


The Dengue's fever, a tropical disease, hits, annualy, from 50 to 80 million people, in more than a hundred countries, including Brazil, and 20 thousand, approximately, is the the number of deaths. This disease, with control is made by the environmental and social factors, is focused through geo-historical analysis, with emphasis on social and urban environmental issues, especially on last four decades on the brazilian space. Within this issue, there is the influence of climate, intensive and disorganized urbanization and ineffective public policies.


Urethral pressure profilometry is a tool in the diagnosis of urinary incontinence. The pressure profile along the urethra is measured by a special catheter in order to asses the contraction strength of the sphincter muscle. However, the diagnostic value of pressure profilometry is limited. We seek to increase the diagnostic value by providing a detailed spatial reconstruction of the pressure profile on the surface of the urethra. Therefore, we investigate the sampling lattice (i.e., spatial sample distribution) and its properties with respect to signal reconstruction depending on the catheter's sensor configuration and retraction motion. A sampling lattice with beneficial properties for reconstruction is generated through downsampling and a coordinate transformation of the original samples. We investigate its stability properties and present a reconstruction algorithm for the two-dimensional pressure distribution. Simulation results for signal reconstruction and stability properties conclude this work.


Abstract Museum exhibits embed values that reflect local, regional, and national identities. How, what, and even whether we choose to remember is a reflection on the "soul" of a people. The general failure to focus on the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade and its implications for America is a case in point.A review of where exhibitions were held during the bicentennial year (2007-2008) illustrates the fact of a general absence of national exhibitions on this topic. Yet, some museums did host smaller-scale exhibits on slavery and the implications of the slave trade. A focus on Charleston, South Carolina (the major port of entry for slaves during the height of the trade) allows for comparison of art and history museums. Some exhibitions emphasize issues of agency despite oppression; others highlight victimization, and subjugation. The best ways to exhibit slavery in the U.S. remains highly contested.


# 2007 International Union of Crystallography All rights reserved The title compound, disodium bis(2-aminopyridinium) hexa3-hydroxidohexa2-oxidododecaoxidohexamolybdonickelate(II) dihydrate, Na2(C5H7N2)2[H6NiMo6O24] 2H2O, features -type Anderson heteropolyoxometalate anions (Ni site symmetry 1). These anions are connected to 2aminopyridinium cations and water molecules via N—H O and O—H O hydrogen bonds to form a three-dimensional network.


Size effect has been extensively documented for most of the world capital markets including India. In this paper we examine the causes of the size effect in Indian stock market. We test whether operating, financial and liquidity characteristics substantially differentiate small firms from large firms. We also verify whether small firms are inherently riskier than large firms as implied by the risk story argument. We find statistically significant difference between small and large firms with regard to operating efficiency, financial leverage, stock liquidity, institutional neglect and distress level. The empirical results also highlight the overlapping of size and value (BE/ME) effects unlike in US market where they are found to be independent risk factors. The support for risk story provides an argument in favor of multi-factor benchmarks as compared to CAPM which fails to explain fully the cross sectional variations in average returns of size sorted portfolios as shown by previous empirical work. The findings have implications for mutual funds managers and other investment strategists as a major part of the size premium, which they perceive as arbitrage opportunity, could actually be a compensation for unaccounted risk.


Objective To evaluate the value of abnormal increase in postexercise systolic blood pressure(SBP) in diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD) in old patients.Methods Treadmill exercise testing was conducted in 66 patients,who underwent selective coronary angiography. Thirty-six of them had significant narrowing of coronary artery( patients with CAD) ,the other 30 patients served as control subjects.SBP was measured during early period of the recovery phase(6 minutes) after exercise testing.Results The abnormal increase in postexercise SBP had a positive correlation with the extent of coronary artery lesion.SBP index had higher sensitivity,specificity (P 0.05) and accuracy than those of ST-segment depression for diagnosing CAD in old patients. The combination of ST-segment depression and abnormal increase in SBP improved the specificity of ST segment depression (P 0.01) in detecting CAD.Conclusion Abnormal increase in postexercise SBP may be a sensitive and specific index for diagnosing gerontal CAD.


The performance of textiles depends not only on their initial properties but also, more importantly, on how they behave in service. A new technique, the fuzzy-comprehensive-evaluation method, for the assessment of comfort behaviour is proposed. The mathematical principle and manner of calculation for the technique, in which sets of numerical values for the evaluation of performance are obtained, are presented. As an example of the application of this method, an analysis of data from two sets of results previously obtained (the change in physical and mechanical properties of a range of fabrics after abrasion and an evaluation of preferences among female university students of the relative importance of comfort-related factors in clothing) is carried out.


To the Editor. —We read with interest the letter entitled "Benign Focal Amyotrophy," by Bertorini et al. 1 The suggestion of the authors to use this name, since it emphasizes the benign nature of the disease, has to be considered. This recommendation is based on their experience with six patients. 2 In our initial report of 23 cases, 3 having been impressed by the striking feature of restriction of muscle atrophy and weakness to one limb, either upper or lower, we felt that the term monomelic amyotrophy was more descriptive than juvenile muscular atrophy of unilateral upper extremity , suggested by Hirayama et al. 4 Furthermore, the lack of spread to other limbs, even in patients with duration of illness extending ten to 15 years, provides additional support for the use of the term monomelic amyotrophy . A recent report describing 27 patients seen at this institute reiterates this contention. 5


Stomach cancer is a common malignant disease and is generally associated with mortality. Immunotherapy, including dendritic cells combined with cytokine-induced killer cells (DC-CIK), poses a significant presence. Follow-up plays a vital role in immunotherapy with stomach cancer by effectively predicting recurrence, promptly diagnosing disease, and early intervening to improve clinical outcome and survival rate. Follow-up guideline takes into these terms which are response evaluation criteria in solid tumors, health-related quality of life, tumor markers, T-lymphocyte subsets, and cytokine on the basis of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline. At the same time, the high-level follow-up team is necessary. Hitherto, there is no specific follow-up guide for immunotherapy. This article reviews the follow-up of DC-CIK with stomach cancer, and it is expected that more researchers focus on this issue to draw up utility guidelines of immunotherapy for stomach cancer.


Wood is a natural material with great variability in its mechanical properties. This study analyzed the effectiveness of the impulse excitation technique (IET) to characterize the stiffness of 10-year-old Eucalyptus grandis wood at three different heights of 3 m, 6 m, and 9 m from the bottom (height A, B, and C, respectively). A nondestructive testing method—excitation impulse, using Sonelastic® PC-based technology—and a destructive static bending test were used. The mean value for the modulus of elasticity (MOE) in bending was 16.4 GPa and in IET the value was 16.6 GPa. The average values for MOE in static bending were 14.8 GPa at height A, 17.9 GPa at height B, and 17.0 GPa at height C, demonstrating that the greater the height in the trunk of the tree the greater its modulus of elasticity. The correlation equation between static MOE and dynamic MOE was MOESTAT = 0.743.MOEDYN + 4.0983, with the coefficient of determination of R² = 0.85.


Objective To study the effect of postoperative anticoagulant therapy after splenectomy in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension.Methods One hundred and forty patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension receiving splenectomy and periesophagastric devascularization were divided into anticoagulant group (76 cases) and control group (64 cases) by random number table,patients in anticoagulant group received postoperative anticoagulant therapy,principally according to the platelet count,gave ligustrazine,aspirin,low molecular heparin after operation; patients in control group without postoperative anticoagulant therapy.Postoperative monitoring platelet count and D-dimer,ultrasound or CT check the presence of portal vein thrombosis.Results Platelet count,D-dimer levels in anticoagulant group and control group in 2 days after operation were significantly increased,the difference was significant compared with preoperative [anticoagulant group:(95.73 ± 28.06) × 109/L vs.(38.41 ± 11.96) × 109/L,(3.61 ± 0.18) mg/L vs.(0.42 ± 0.09) mg/L;control group:(92.56 ± 27.75) × 109/L vs.(35.13 ± 11.38) × 109/L,(3.26 ± 0.16) mg/L vs.(0.37 ± 0.09) mg/L,P < 0.05].Platelet count and D-dimer levels between two groups at preoperative and postoperative in 2 days had no statistical significance (P > 0.05).Ten cases of control group occurred postoperative portal vein thrombosis,anticoagulant group were 3 cases,portal vein thrombosis incidence of anticoagulant group [3.95% (3/76)] compared with control group [15.62%(10/64)] was statistically significant (P < 0.05).Conclusion Postoperative anticoagulant therapy after splenectomy in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension is an effective method to prevent portal vein thrombosis.

Key words:
Splenectomy;  Portal vein;  Thrombosis;  Anticoagulants


The aim of this study was to optimize the diamond microfluidic device with four microchannels. The temperature distributions in electrophoretic microchips of different geometries and different materials have been analyzed by the Coventor software. Diamond microfluidic devices are very advantageous over glass or polymer microfluidic devices; they dissipate Joule heat much more efficiently because of the highest thermal conductivity coefficient of diamond.


Commissioned research report. Waihi East Ratepayers Group (WERGI) sort to undertake a snap shot survey of:- residents who had experienced
a "top-up" or "buy out" of their property, residents in the Gladstone Road area, and residents in the
Barry/Boyd and Union/Clarke/George/Gilmore/Baker areas because of concerns and an unease with how
Newmont was addressing their issues.


Detailed device parameters necessary for the enhancement-mode operation of p-GaN/u-AlxGa1-xN/u-GaN junction heterostructure field-effect transistors (JHFETs) using p-type GaN gate contacts are determined by both simulation and experiments. Threshold voltage can be precisely controlled by changing the unintentionally doped AlxGa1-xN barrier layer thickness and AlN molar fraction x.


BACKGROUND: pH measurements of platelet (PLT) components remain a key parameter when assessing how storage and shipping conditions influence the retention of PLT properties. Studies were conducted to characterize variations in pH measured with two pH meters and a blood gas analyzer.


This research work effectively characterizes the design and modelling of an optimized embedded based electro-hydraulic control system for a mash filter machine that would be adopted for industrial automation in a brewery by adopting Simulation Based Virtual Prototyping Methodology (SBVPM). The control based electro-hydraulic actuator is also characterized. The actuator is used for controlling the movements in mash filter machines in a brewery. This research also evaluates the time response of the electro-hydraulic actuator in a modelling environment before its actual deployment in the brewery so as to help the design engineer in optimizing the performance of the system. Mathematical modelling of the hydraulic actuator and its components is done and based on the mathematical equations, MATLAB/Simulink models of the actuator and its components were made. The time response of the actuator is obtained by using MATLAB/Simulink Software and a unified virtual simulation model is effectively characterized in PROTEUS ISIS 8.0. The time response graphs which are obtained in this simulation are used for performance evaluation with an existing system.


Abstract : Information was collected on 4,689 subjects who admitted to having used drugs before entering the Air Force. A correlational analysis of this sample indicated that there appears to be a general tendency to abuse several drugs if a subject has abused one, and that marijuana appears to be associated with low performance on aptitude measures and educational level. Other correlational analyses indicated that the only drug significantly associated with low Airman Performance Reports is marijuana, and that the pattern of optimal weights among background variables in forming prediction composites against Airman Performance Reports among drug abusers is not significantly different from the pattern of such weights among non abusers. (Author)


The stable operation of the calciner is influenced by many variables, such as coal injection, raw material feeding, pulverizd coal calorific value, raw ingredients and so on. In the process of long-term operation, because of various of the working conditions, there are both discrete characteristics and continuous characteristics. They make the temperature of calciner difficult to control. To supply a base for calciner temperature control, based on the statistics of the field data and expert rules of the cement plant operators, the typical working reference point of the calciner operation and various types of working conditions are proposed. Thereafter, the dynamic models of the typical working conditions are established and the identification of various working conditions of calciner is studied on. Finally, the efficiency and applicability of the models are demonstrated by simulation results.


2,2-bis(3-Amino-4-hydroxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane (BAHHFP) was electro-polymerized oxidatively on glassy carbon by cyclic voltammetry. The activity of the modified electrode towards ascorbic acid (AA), uric acid (UA) and dopamine (DA) was characterized with cyclic voltammetry and differential puls voltammetry (DPV). The findings showed that the electrode modification drastically suppresses the response of AA and shifts it towards more negative potentials. Simultaneously an enhancement of reaction reversibility is seen for DA and UA. Unusual, selective preconcentration features are observed for DA when the polymer-modified electrode is polarized at negative potential. In a ternary mixture containing the three analytes studied, three baseline resolved peaks are observed in DPV mode. At physiological pH 7.4, after 5 min preconcentration at −300 mV, peaks positions were −0.073, 0.131 and 0.280 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) for AA, DA and UA, respectively. Relative selectivities DA/AA and UA/AA were over 4000 : 1 and 700 : 1, respectively. DA response was linear in the range 0.05–3 μM with sensitivity of 138 μA μM−1 cm−2 and detection limit (3σ) of 5 nM. Sensitive quantification of UA was possible in acidic solution (pH 1.8). Under such conditions a very sharp peak appeared at 630 mV (DPV). The response was linear in the range 0.5–100 μM with sensitivity of 4.67 μA μM−1 cm−2 and detection limit (3σ) of 0.1 μM. Practical utility was illustrated by selective determination of UA in human urine.


A real-scale combustion test was conducted on a vinyl flooring in a divided space, with 50 mL of an inflammable liquid sprayed on it. The combustion behavior of the vinyl flooring was studied in real time, and the carbonization patterns of the surface and cross-sections of the carbonized vinyl floor were analyzed. When the flame ignited by gasoline reached its peak, a continuously flaming region, intermittent flaming region, plume region, etc., were formed. The combustion of 50 mL gasoline on vinyl flooring took 26 s, and a halo pattern was observed. This test involved spraying kerosene evenly on the vinyl flooring and attempting to ignite the flooring using a gas torch, which failed. After the combustion of the vinyl flooring was complete, its carbonized range was measured to be 600 mm in length and 380 mm in width, and the carbonized area was 1000 mm. Heat transformed the coated layer of surface of the carbonized vinyl flooring into a carbonized layer, which became harder. The analysis of cross-section of the boundary surface of the carbonized vinyl flooring using a stereoscopic microscope showed that the vinyl flooring was bubbling, and that the white boundary layer at the bottom of the coated layer had disappeared.


Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) measures assesses a person's perception about their physical, mental and social well being in their daily life. Lymphatic Filariasis is a major public health problem and the two major chronic manifestations are lymphoedema and hydrocele. The objective of the present study was to assess the HRQoL among filarial lymphoedema patients and to compare with age, gender and occupation matched normal individuals. A total of 239 filarial lymphoedema patients and 204 normal subjects were participated in the study. The HRQoL was assessed by using Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire. The mean age was marginally higher among the patients with higher grades of lymphoedema (P>0.05), and the average duration of disease was significantly higher (P<0.05) among higher grades of lymphoedema. The HRQoL scores were found to be significantly lower (P<0.05) among the lymphoedema patients than the normals. The mean HRQoL scores in lymphoedema patients were half or less than the half of the mean score in normal subjects. The HRQoL was found to be significantly lower (P<0.05) among the patients with Adenolymphangitis (ADL) and the HRQoL scores was found to be significantly decreased (P<0.05) with the progression of the diseases. The existing morbidity management programme should broaden its domain by incorporating programmes to improve the quality of life in all the aspects such as physical, mental and social well being of the patients. An effective mechanism should also be evolved to reach the programme to all the patients to improve its coverage and consumption.


SUMMARY:

To estimate the debility and death of a harbor seal Phoca largha stranded on the coast of Toyama Bay, Sea of Japan, on 3 March 1998, histopathological studies on the visceral organs were carried out. Abnormalities were found in four of the organs examined: considerable proliferation of actively phagocytic macrophages in the lymph node; heavy inflammation of the jejunum villi; a benign cortical adenoma in nodules present in the kidney; and a signet ring cell carcinoma (adenocarcinomatous mucocellulare) associated with a marked scirrhous cancer developed in the stomach. The mucocellular carcinoma seemed to have been a main factor in the death of the seal.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate markers of iron status and inflammation/oxidative stress in maternal and cord blood (CB) of HIV‐infected and HIV‐uninfected women as potential mechanisms for poor outcomes among HIV‐exposed, uninfected (HEU) infants.


In recent years, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor has become an active area of research. SAW sensors have high sensitivities, do not require a battery to operate, and can be measured wirelessly in harsh environments [1]. 13.5 MHz band radio waves that are used in non-contact IC cards have the advantage that fewer operating error during correspondence. Because of these advantages, 13.5MHz SAW sensors are expected success as a passive wireless sensor that can be easily used in variety locations. This paper describes the fundamental properties and applications of 13.5 MHz impedance-loaded passive SAW sensor.


As the paradigm of academic communities,academic schools and its researches had widely existed in ancient China and the western countries.However,compared with western academic history,only a few dynasties(or even era) in the history could tolerate the existence of schools.Although the practice of academic schools communities among various domestic disciplines emerged up since the implementation of reform and opening up policy,the scope of these practical groups and the depth of the discussion about them have not been satisfactory.The development of human thought has been,however,intertwined with that of schools.The development of schools has fundamental promoting function to the theoretical innovation,the development of academic learning and the discipline construction,and it is also the best choice for saving the unhealthy academic ecological environment.The formation of schools and the discipline construction are highly related and they are unitedly constructed.Therefore,fostering and developing schools are the inevitable course for local universities to make high level achievements,to highlight their academic influence and to show their achievements in key discipline construction.