We present the results of the design and implementation of the GR-MathPlayer system for the automatic acoustic rendering of Math symbols and expressions in the Greek language. GR-MathPlayer is a Maths-to-Speech system which converts Greek speech synthesis of simple or complex Mathematical expressions up to university level, as well as symbols of science included in Greek textbooks.


This article examines the quiet yet pervasive transfer of power from central governments to subnational units in Africa since the early 1990s. Central governments have justified this trend by arguing it promotes one or more of three goods: democracy, development, and accommodating diversity. The authors survey six selected countries representing federal-unitary and regional differences to evaluate their degree of formal and substantive political, administrative, and financial autonomy. Transfer of powers to subnational units, the authors conclude, is a real and nearly universal trend. However, many central governments have clawed back this grant of power in numerous ways, which led to an informal recentralization of power. Moreover, central governments of federations have deliberately strengthened local government at the expense of regional autonomy.


From Father Robert What do we usually do with leftovers? They become tomorrow's lunch or next week's garbage. Sometimes leftovers are even better the second time around – the flavors have had more time to blend together for an even more pleasing eating experience. In today's gospel story about multiplication of loaves and fish to feed the hungry crow – about food and leftovers – Jesus does far more than satisfy physical hunger and provide tomorrow's lunch for the disciples. He foreshadows the gift of His very self as the Bread of Life.


Lie algebraic method for the vibrational excited states of a SO 2 molecule has been studied. The results show that the RMS deviation of a SO 2 molecule is just only 1.66 cm -1 .


SUMMARY General adult psychiatrists are largely responsible for the care of patients with personality disorders in community and in-patient settings, and this can be associated with diagnostic and management challenges. In the first of two articles focusing specifically on borderline personality disorder (BPD), we summarise the core clinical features of the disorder and discuss appropriate diagnostic practice.


Based on the brightness temperature observations of AMSR-E in 2005 and 2006, this study attempts to find the simplest and best drought index for identifying drought areas. Totally 8 candidate drought indices were tested from the AMSR-E brightness temperature data. Assuming that the NASA AMSR-E soil moisture data obtained from complicated soil moisture retrieval algorithms are the best currently available soil drought indicator, the computed index with the best correlation with these soil moisture data should the best drought index. For each of the selected three stations in Hebei province, the temporal correlations between this drought index and the corresponding precipitation anomalies were computed for the two years. The spatial variations of this drought index and the precipitation anomaly were also compared with each other for Hebei province in March 2006. Based on these comparisons, the selected drought index was found to be useful for monitoring drought. Problems for using satellite microwave observations and future research needs on microwave drought monitoring are discussed.


Proquest Information and Learning: Foreign text omitted PHILOLOGISTS and historical linguists are well aware that the synchronic irregularities of language may be considered completely "regular" when viewed from a historical perspective. That is, the so-called "irregular" forms of the modern language are often the expected or regular outcome of some diachronic process (be it phonological, morphological, or other), and thus do not strike the specialist of historical grammar as being particularly unusual. However, it is sometimes the case that upon elucidating the diachronic regularity of some synchronically irregular form, one is confronted with a "diachronic irregularity," i.e., an outcome that is unexpected when viewed within the larger context of the general evolutionary tendencies of that language. These points can be clearly demonstrated by the Spanish imperfect indicative. A synchronic analysis of the Spanish imperfect indicative reveals only three irregular verbs, shown below in (1): The forms of these three paradigms are considered synchronically irregular because they deviate in their formation from all other second and third conjugation verbs, whose imperfect forms are comprised of the infinitival root plus the suffixal morphemes -ia, -ias, etc. (e.g., comer 'to eat' - comia, comias, etc., vivir 'to live' ~ vivia, vivias, etc.). Following this general synchronic pattern (or rule) of verb formation in the Spanish imperfect indicative, one would expect the verbs ir, ser, and ver to exhibit patterns such as ir ~ *ia, *ias, etc., ser ~ *sia, *sias, etc., ver ~ *via, *vias, etc. However, the synchronically irregular forms in (1) are easily accounted for when viewed in a historical light. The forms of ir and ser are direct descendents of their ancestral Latin forms, which have been passed on orally, from generation to generation, for over two millennia, and with very little change, other than the usual loss of final /-m/ and /-t/ (found in all verbal paradigms),1 as shown in (2): In the case of Sp. ver, one needs only to glance at the Early Old Spanish paradigm shown in (3) to explain the synchronically anomalous veia, veias, etc.: The Old Spanish infinitive was disyllabic, and the imperfect was formed regularly from it, thus, ve-er -> ve-ia, just as creia is and was derived from creer, leia from leer, poseia from poseer, and proveia from proveer. Thus the historical linguist might initially consider the forms of the imperfect indicative of Sp. ver to be perfectly "regular," or at least the expected outcome. This attitude is expressed by Lathrop: "The Spanish irregular imperfect veia reflects the regular outcome of the imperfect of veer in Old Spanish" (176). However, a closer examination of the paradigms of ir, ser, and ver brings to the fore the following four diachronic irregularities. First, in the case of ir and ser, there has been a shift in stress in the first and second persons plural from Latin to Spanish, thus: Lat. …


As climate change and energy crises increase, NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) fertilizer supply chains become more volatile. Globally, the Russian attack on Ukraine has caused the cost of gas to rise and fertilizer supplies to decline. This aggression may worsen the energy and wheat resource crisis in global supply chains. As a result of the escalation of hostilities, natural gas, oil, and coal prices have rapidly increased. In the years preceding the conflict, the agricultural sector had already begun to suffer, caused by unprecedented increases in the prices of natural gas and raw materials for the production of fertilizers stemming from Russian manipulation, especially in the gas market. Prior to the growing season, farmers were still unable to afford fertilizer prices. This situation will be exacerbated by the war. We can conclude from our results that European countries and the United States have high wheat production potential. Developed countries have significant nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer resources. Ukraine has a large yield gap, ranging between 4.5 and 7 Mg/ha. Wheat supply crises can be caused by tense geopolitical affairs, including military aggression and economic embargoes. Based on this, we recommend that decision-makers focus on crop quality to increase the country's own production.


: The current article examines the relationship between income inequality and economic growth using the Gini coefficient to measure income inequality and the GDP per capita to measure economic growth. The study shows a complex relationship between income inequality and economic growth, and the impact can vary depending on the specific context of a country. However, the results suggest that high levels of income inequality can have a negative impact on economic growth, as it limits access to education, healthcare, and other social services for low-income individuals, which can impede their ability to be productive members of the workforce. Additionally, when a large portion of wealth is concentrated in the hands of a small group of people, it can lead to reduced consumer spending, which can slow economic growth.


According to research on Boundaryless careers (i.e. careers characterised by inter-firm mobility and/or professional changes), mobile professionals should develop specific career planning competencies, especially networking (Knowing-Who) and Self-knowledge skills (Knowing-Why). This hypothesis was tested in a survey answered by 177 adults enrolled in continuing education programs. The quantitative analysis of results of the survey highlights the existence of relationships between Boundaryless career orientations, Career planning competencies (Knowing) and Emotional skills, the latter including networking and selfknowledge skills. As anticipated, results reveal relationships between "Reconversion" career orientations (people who are eager to change professions), Knowing-Who skills and a Dimension of Schutte's EI scale regarding the "Emotional Regulation of Others". This career orientation is also significantly more feminine than the others. In addition, the less mobile career orientation group (named "Specialists") is characterised by significantly lower scores on the EI dimension "Utilization of Emotions in Problem Solving". However, some other Boundaryless career orientations ("Intra-firm mobile" and "Self-Employment") also record low scores on certain EI dimensions. These results thus point that the fact relationships between Boundaryless Careers, Knowing and Emotional Intelligence need further exploration.


INFLUENCES OF DISCRETION IN CHIEF EXECTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION IN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATIONS By Kenneth N. Granberry The influence of chief executive officers and determinates of their compensation have been the subject of much research with mixed results. Findings have ranged from CEO's having little influence to their being of primary importance. Hambrick and Finkelstein's (1987) discretion theory created a theoretical bridge to explain much of this variance. Their concept of discretion offered an explanation as to why some executives influenced greatly while others had little influence. According to Hambrick & Finkelstein, those executives with greater freedom to implement decisions can significantly shape their organizations; whereas those with greater constraints and less freedom will be less able to do so. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the relationship of managerial discretion, CEO compensation, shareholder return, and corporate performance of international companies that are publicly traded in the U.S. The research questions investigated were: (1) Is there a significant difference in the average two-year CEO compensation across the three levels of management discretion for international corporations publicly traded in the United States? (2) Is there a significant difference in the two-year average shareholder return across the three levels of management discretion for international corporations publicly traded in the United States? (3) Is there a significant difference in the two-year average return on equity across the three levels of management discretion for international corporations publicly traded in the United States? (4) Is there a significant difference in the two-year average net operating profit rate of return across the three levels of management discretion for international corporations publicly traded in the United States? (5) Is there a significant difference in the two-year average price/earnings ratio across the three levels of management discretion for international corporations publicly traded in the United States? The results of this study support the influence of discretion theory on shareholder wealth, and point to the potential influence of discretion theory in corporate performance and compensation. Shareholder expectations reflect the market's assessment of future earnings, which are affected by firm performance, and in turn effect CEO compensation.


The present invention relates to a three crystal solid form of lansoprazole of formula (I) is named D, E and F type. The determination of lansoprazole and disclosed a method of making a body.


RF performance flexible thin-film transistors toward green portable devices were realized. The cellulose nanofibrillated fiber (CNF) substrate combined with Si nanomembranes (Si NMs) printing technique enables to fabricate flexible, high-speed and bio-degradable devices. Flexible Si NM thin-film transistors (TFTs) built on the CNF substrate show mobility of 336 cm/v·s and fT and fmax of 2.4 GHz and 5.1 GHz, respectively. This demonstration paves the path to entire green portable devices so as to generate less waste and save more valuable resources.


Based on the defects that oil-air distributor cannot be monitored for oil action in single line and pressure unloading oil-air lubrication system, a new structure for oil is designed. This structure is not only simple, meeting the system requirements, but indication rod is observed by the movements of the valve core, reducing the electric system monitoring,and saving the cost. The HCD library of AMESim software is used to simulate. It puts emphasis on export injection velocity under the different input pressure changes,damping hole diameter and cone valve spring stiffness. Based on the AMEsim simulation results, the gas phase velocity is set and the oil injection velocity variation is changed by Fluent UDFs, and the development of the oil-air two-phase annular flow is studied. The above results give a scientific foundation to the structure design and the choice of system working pressure.


Real-time data stream in the format of WITSML which can have frequency as low as 1 Hz is one of the best candidate to produce KPIs for the drilling operation activity. The KPIs generated from this calculation will have a relationship with other information from other data sources, known as metadata.
 The question is how can this KPI information be utilized for further analysis, wider/more complex analysis process which needs to be combined with metadata? An OLTP model is not the recommended model for data analytics but OLAP is. Another question is how will this data be stored in terms of the physical storage? We argue to use column-oriented for the physical storage which can perform analytical queries 10x to 30x faster than the row-oriented storage.
 The implementation of an OLAP model for storing KPIs data is proven to improve the performance of the analytical query significantly and combined with the implementation of column-oriented in the OLAP model improves more performance. This concludes that the implementation of OLAP with column-oriented data model can be used as the solid foundation for storing KPI data.


Floodplains play an important role in riverine hydrological and ecological environments. Accurate estimate of the spatial and temporal inundation frequency patterns is an critical step to understand how the inundation conditions affect local hydrology and floodplain ecosystems. This study presents a methodology to detect spatial-temporal changes in inundation extent associated with flood inundation frequency based on MODIS 8-day composite time-series imagery (MOD09A1) from 2000 to 2010. It takes Chowilla floodplain located in the northwestern Murray-Darling Basin of Australia as a study area. The GIS-based framework includes extraction of flow peaks from time-series of observed flow data, inundation detection from MODIS using the Open Water Likelihood index, inundation validation using modified Normalized Difference Water Index on Landsat TM image, and flood extent and frequency mapping. The study shows that the maximum inundated areas that have been inundated at least once are 12.5% of the total study area. The areas with different inundated frequencies were calculated and linked with ecological significant flood return periods. The areas that were inundated twice in the 11 years, which is equivalent to a 1-in-5 Average Recurrence Interval, occupies 27.8% of total inundated area. The results of this study provide an important indicator for the health condition and spatial distribution of some dominant species in the floodplain, such as river red gum. This, in turn, improves knowledge of eco-hydrology characteristics of floodplain ecosystem.


MoO(S2CSPri)2 (1) reacts with CH3OOCC≡CCOOCH3 (DMAC) to give the 1:1 adduct with a pentagonal bipyramidal configuration, in which DMAC is placed in the equatorial plane and the terminal oxo ligand in an apex position. Kinetic studies indicate that the reaction proceeds via a mono-capped trigonal prismatic intermediate which is formed by the coordination of DMAC to molybdenum from the bottom of the square pyramid of 1, affording the final product by the intramolecular rearrangement.


In past decades demand of food items has increased which promoted use of chemical fertilizers. Though this input enhanced the yield of crops but it caused environmental quality decay as well as emerging health hazards. This led a revolutionary awareness to find an alternative to meet with the increasing demand as well as maintained quality of environment and food produced which encouraged use of organic based farming using various kinds of raw materials. The present review deals with the various aspects related to the use of organic amendments in the soil for increasing yield of a nutritionally important crop (Solanum lycopersicum).


Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of 2009 H1N1 influenza in Fuzhou.Methods The data of 2009 H1N1 influenza cases were collected and analyzed for risk factors.Results A total of 1 701 confirmed cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza were reported in Fuzhou.There were three peaks of incidences,which occurred in the middle ten days of June,at the final ten days of September and at the beginning ten days of December,2009.Most of cases were found in urban area and the highest incidence rate was reported in Cangshan(57.59/100 000).The incidence rate was 1.44:1 for male to female.92.06% of cases occurred in population group under 29 years old.Conclusion The outbreak of 2009 H1N1 could be controlled with scientific and practical interventions.Additional measures of disease prevention and control should be implemented in schools and kindergartens.


Objective: This work proposes a model of formation of brand extension loyalty of a heritage brand parent based on the attitude towards the heritage brand parent, taking into account the mediating effect of the brand parent image and the moderating effects of the fit between the heritage parent brand and the brand extension as well as the involvement towards the product category. Methodology: An experimental study has been carried out with 328 tourists visiting the heritage destination and manipulating two levels of adjustment. A moderate mediation regression model was established using the PROCESS 3.4 software. Conclusions: The effect of the attitude towards the heritage brand on the loyalty towards the extension occurs through the image of the heritage brand. This effect is enhanced in low setting and high involvement conditions. The involvement moderates the direct effect regardless of the degree of brand extension fit. Implications: Implications are provided for the management of companies that use a heritage brand to compete in the market as well as for managers of cultural heritage.


We propose to use a buffer management scheme, called adaptive pushout, in the transmission buffer of the access point (AP) in order to solve unfairness problems between competing TCP flows over wireless LANs. The adaptive pushout comes from the observation that multiple ACK segments in a TCP connection are redundant because of the cumulative acknowledgment mechanism of the TCP. Under the adaptive pushout, an arriving packet encountering the full buffer removes one of redundant ACKs from the transmission buffer of the AP to enter there. When the buffer is full and has no redundant ACK, the arriving packet adaptively chooses one of packets in the buffer for pushing it out from the buffer. The choice of the packet to be pushed out depends on the number of uplink and downlink TCP flows, which are continuously monitored in the proposal. We have conducted simulation experiments to show that the adaptive pushout greatly improves the fairness compared with existing proposals.


In 1944, Josep Bartoli and Narcis Molins i Fabrega published a visual and lyrical history of Spanish exile in French internment camps, a damning indictment of the guilty parties responsible for the dehumanized treatment of a civilian population held captive behind barbed wire. In this essay, I examine Bartoli's carefully sequenced drawings as a parallel narrative to Molins's vignettes, expressed through the language of the body in pain, the language of trauma. I analyze Bartoli's pioneering document of visual testimony within the corpus of Spanish refugee camp literature, placing it alongside much more recent "collective memory albums" published decades later.


In contemporary Internet of Things (IoT) systems, complex software artifacts are deployed to realize the required functionalities. The business logic of these software artifacts is uniquely composed through code that is customly developed according to the requirements, while all software artifacts utilize libraries that implement generic functionalities, which are needed in the context of the realized operations. Libraries, however, often entail vulnerabilities, which may be exploited by threat agents to attack the system. In many cases, the functionality required by an application is realized by a number of alternative libraries, with each library having its own list of vulnerabilities, while differentiations in other non-functional properties (e.g. execution efficiency, memory footprint etc.) may also be present. In this paper, we present an approach for automating the task of minimizing the risk level of IoT systems that is owing to the vulnerabilities of libraries required by software artifacts. The proposed approach exploits knowledge on which libraries provide equivalent implementations of the same functionalities, and automatically assesses the risk level of candidate library combinations and finally selects the library configuration exhibiting the minimum risk level to bundle into the executable software artifact. Additionally, the risk level of candidate implementations is constantly monitored for new vulnerability identifications or fixes in the implementations, triggering new risk assessments and producing new executables as appropriate. The proposed approach can be used in IoT platform deployment to minimize the software-rooted risk level.


In this article, we prove that for any multiplication module M, the forcing linearity number of M, fln(M), belongs to {0,1,2}, and if M is finitely generated whose annihilator is contained in only finitely many maximal ideals, then fln(M) = 0. Also, the forcing linearity numbers of multiplication modules over some special rings are given. We also show that every multiplication module is semi-endomorphal.


A method for charging a battery (14) of a motor vehicle (100) by means of the electric drive (10) implies that the readiness for loading to at least one predetermined criterion is found that with such a detecting locking of a counterpart (20) to a terminal device (16) of the motor vehicle (100), and in that charging only begins after locking. In this way the battery (14) is provided in a higher degree of safety during loading.


The invention provides a load balancing device and a load balancing method both of which can improve resource distributing efficiency while can balance the service distribution of servers and flow distribution of a route. The services are divided into a plurality of service blocks according to the server resource requirements and network transmission resource requirements of the services, spare server resources and spare network transmission resources of a data center network are divided into a plurality of resource blocks, the spare server resources and the spare network transmission resources of the data center network are monitored, a corresponding relation between the combination, specific to a server, of the spare server resources and the spare network transmission resources and the resource blocks is set, the service block to which the request requirement entering the data center network belongs is identified, and the combination of the spare server resources and the spare network transmission resources is distributed to the service request based on the corresponding relation between the service block and the corresponding resource block.


DC distribution electric propulsion is the trend of ship power development in the future. The problem of selective relay protection for bus-connected equipment has not been properly solved, which directly threatens the safety of navigation. Therefore, on the basis of analyzing the short-circuit fault principle of marine DC distribution system and the simulation and experimental verification, a relay protection scheme using solid-state circuit breaker instead of the bus-tie fast fuse is proposed. The scheme uses high-speed interruption to isolate the impact of fault on bus voltage on the normal side to ensure the continuity of power supply and navigation safety. Finally, the realization method of selective relay protection for DC distribution system and the strategy of power supply recovery after fault are put forward, which meet the requirements of marine power engineering application.


Austrogautieria is proposed as a new genus to accommodate Australian species formerly placed in Gautieria but differing from other taxa in that genus in having ovoid, acuminate spores ornamented with ridges that converge at the spore apex, and either having no columella or with a reduced, inconspicuous one. These taxa are included: Austrogautieria chlorospora, A. clelandii, A. costata, A. macrospora, A. manjimupana, as new species, and the new com? bination A. rodwayi. Vittadini (1831) erected the genus Gautieria nom. cons. based on two species collected in Italy: Gautieria morchelliformis Vitt, later designated as the type species (Zeller and Dodge, 1918), and Gautieria graveolens Vitt. Both have narrowly ellipsoid to subglobose spores ornamented by gently rounded, longitudinal ridges that terminate below the spore tip (i.e., not convergent), a prominent dendroid columella, and an external layer of globose to napiform cells that separate with basidioma expansion to expose the outer glebal chambers. Zeller and Dodge (1918) accepted Vittadini's concept but later (Dodge and Zeller, 1934) expanded the genus to accommodate taxa with persistent peridia of periclinal hyphae. In addition, they included two Australian species that have ovoid, acuminate spores ornamented with ridges that converge at the spore tip and either lack a columella or have a reduced, inconspicuous one. Cunningham (1934) added four additional Australian species with such characters to the genus (albeit as nomina nuda). Both Dodge and Zeller (1934) and Cunningham (1944) regarded all hypogeous fungi with longitudinally ridged spores as Gautieria spp. Thus they synonymized Chamonixia Rolland with Gautieria, although Chamonixia is now accepted as a validly separate genus (e.g., Smith and Singer, 1959). Several Hymenogaster spp. also have spores with longitudinal ridges (Soehner, 1962; Smith, 1966; Stewart and Trappe, 1975). After a study of all taxa designated as Gautieria, we have concluded that the Australian species with ovoid, acuminate spores, spore or? namentation of longitudinal ridges that converge at the spore tip, and with either no columella or a reduced, inconspicuous one deserve generic separation. We propose the new genus Austrogautieria to accommodate these species.


The 15 former Soviet republics (CIS) all have their own national accounting and auditing certifications. They have been evolving in different directions since the break up of the Soviet Union. But they have at least one thing in common - their certifications are not held in high regard beyond their borders, and perhaps even within their own borders. Several internationally recognized certification bodies have tried to fill the market need by offering their exams within the borders of the CIS, but these attempts have been only partially successful. Because these international certification exams are offered only in the English language, the majority of accountants in the CIS are not able to take advantage of these exams. Until recently, non-English speaking accountants within the CIS had no alternatives other than their national exams, which were not held in high regard even within their borders. This situation is beginning to change. A few years ago a series of examinations based on the accounting principles used in the developed market economies was introduced in several former Soviet republics. These exams were offered in the Russian language, thus offering non-English speaking accountants an opportunity to earn a certification based on internationally recognized accounting principles. This paper reports on this movement.


When did infectious diseases become weaponized, as the title of Beyond Anthrax: The Weaponization of Infectious Diseases suggests? Why is this relevant to the busy clinician dealing with Mother Nature's infections on a daily basis? The 2001 anthrax attacks not only reminded us that germs can still be used as weapons but demonstrated that random clinicians will be the first to see and recognize cases of infection caused by bioterrorism. Although there have been scores of publications on anthrax since 2001, relatively few have been written on other microbes of concern. Beyond anthrax, a compilation written by multiple academic, government, and organizational experts, seeks to address this gap. After an introductory first chapter on the history of bioterrorism, approximately one-half of the book (Chapters 2–10) reviews specific Category A and B agents, with most chapters introduced by emblematic cases. Often missing in texts on bioterrorism and comprising one-quarter of this book, Chapters 11–15 speak to public health implications in policy, law, surveillance, psychosocial management of events, and communication with the media. Finally, the book concludes with 2 individual chapters on rapid detection and plant pathogens. Each chapter is a stand-alone summary. Chapter 1, written by Pro-MED's Stuart Handysides, broadly defines bioterrorism as the threat or use of infections as weapons and presents a unique historical summary from ancient times to the present. Chapters 2–6 make up approximately one-third of Beyond anthrax and review the relatively less-covered Category A agents: smallpox, plague, tularemia, botulism, and viral hemorrhagic fever pathogens. Although all chapters touch on epidemiology, microbiology, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and possible biowarfare use, each varies in depth, ranging from 6 text-filled pages (tularemia) to 30 pages (smallpox, viral hemorrhagic fever). Chapter 2, "Smallpox and Bioterrorism," is the most comprehensive of the group. It supplements commonly published information on diagnostic criteria and vaccination with sections on monkeypox, use of vaccine in human immunodeficiency virus, similarities to severe acute respiratory syndrome, and genetic and immunologic scenarios. Chapter 6 provides excellent tables of viral hemorrhagic fever viruses associated with bioterrorism that list differences in transmissibility, infectious dose, vaccine availability, and historical use. Chapters 7–10 address selected Category B microbes and intentional food and water contamination. Whereas Chapter 7 focuses on the naturally occurring "Vietnam time bomb" melioidosis, so-called because disease is caused by reactivation years after exposure in an endemic area, Chapter 8 cites the stability and aerosolizability of Rickettsia prowazekii in epidemic typhus fever and its likelihood for substantial spread in a louse-infested population. Chapter 9 groups together commonly-occurring Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B with Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin and relatively rare ricin in its overview of Category B biotoxins. In Chapters 11–15 on public health policy and bioterrorism response, Washington Post Science Writer David Brown's examination of "The Role of the Media in Bioterrorism" stands out as a compelling and candid advisory to public health officials. Written before the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, it cites specific examples from the anthrax letters of 2001 and offers concrete, constructive suggestions regarding communication of scientific facts in real time. The legal and surveillance chapters that follow discuss quarantine in the context of bioterrorism and the logistics of bioterrorism data collection and interpretation, respectively. Chapter 16 focuses on rapid identification methods that use serology, antigen-non-antibody target interactions, and genomics. All in all, Beyond anthrax, which is intended to be a "primer for clinicians and epidemiologists on a variety of agents, organisms, or toxins...of potential use in a biologically attack...," provides much more in its 17 chapters and 374 pages. With its substantial section on public health applications and inclusion of food, water, and plant bioterrorism and the capacity for standardization and expansion of chapter content, it would make a useful overview text on bioterrorism for medical, public health, and post-doctorate students. Newcomers to bioterrorism may also find it helpful to view the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health Web sites on bioterrorism agent categorization for additional background. For clinicians with more time who are still coming to terms with "countermeasures" parlance and who have many preparedness workshops under their belts, Beyond anthrax offers a thoughtful review of germs not-to-be-forgotten and why they matter. In short, Beyond anthrax moves us beyond anthrax.


To obtain quantitative agreement as well, it will be necessary to significantly improve the accuracy of the full-scale measurements, refine the mathematical models of teeming processes, and use better computational algorithms to study these processes. This study is a continuation of [3], which examined the dependence of the solidification process on different (physical and geometric) parameters in the continuous teeming of cylindrical steel ingots. We will employ the well-known thermal boundary layer model [4]. In modeling rectangular ingots, this model allows us to change over from a three-dimensional quasisteady Stefan problem to a two-dimensional "nonsteady" problem for a parabolic equation. Further simplification of the problem (without loss of accuracy) entails the construction of a unidimensional model which ignores the dependence of solidification on the cross section of the ingot with respect to its variation along the large side. Within the framework of this approximation, it is possible to study various interesting mathematical models of a continuous-cast ingot. For example, it is possible to allow for the motion of the melt. The present investigation examines the question of the ratios of the sides of a rectangular ingot for which it is possible to use a unidimensional approximation. To solve two-dimensional heat-conduction problems with phase transformations, we developed an algorithm based on the most rapidly converging iteration methods currently available for solving grid problems. Mathematical Model. We direct the OZ axis along ingot being withdrawn from the center. The ingot has a rectangular cross section G = {(x, y) I [xl


In the past decade, a number of new forms of governance have emerged on the world stage, driven in part by the weaknesses and failures of traditional forms of regulation. The new forms include what might be called "social regulation of the market", in which advocacy groups promoting action on a specific issue partner with the private sector to regulate the behavior of corporations. This partnership typically constructs codes of conduct, systems for monitoring and compliance, standards for public reporting, and increasingly the use of certification regimes to create market incentives for particular kinds of behavior. These systems are designed to work both with and without government involvement. This goes against our traditional views of who governs whom, and how regulatory systems are constructed. Regulation can be defined loosely as limits imposed on the behavior of particular actors, contained in rules and standards that are not voluntary. Typically, we view regulation as a function of national governments, and the targets of regulation are often the private sector. These two sides, public and private, stand in opposition to each other, especially in the United States. Increasingly, however, the borders between public and private sectors in the regulatory realm have become porous, and those doing the governance now include a variety of actors besides representatives of the state. This has changed our perceptions of what governance is, and how it is accomplished, especially in international affairs.


Meteorological considerations of grapevine damage due to temperature variations: the 2019 late spring frost and summer heat wave events in Burgundy

During 2019, the occurrence of two contrasting weather events, a cold snap and a heat wave, caused extensive damage to the vineyards of Northern Burgundy. The late spring cold snap, that occurred from May 5th to 7th, generated frost like conditions across the northern and north-western areas of the Côte-d'Or department. The weather stations of the Northern Auxois area, where the three observation and study sites are located, recorded minimum temperatures ranging between -1 and -2°C. On the 24th and the 25th of July vineyards were exposed, yet again, to an extreme temperature variation. A brief but unusually intense heat wave increased daily maximum temperatures up to 42°C in the department’s far north. Landforms such as plateaus were less exposed to the increase in temperatures due the limiting effect of higher elevations. This led to temperatures not exceeding 40°C above 300 m, elevation at which the vineyard sites of this study are located.

Weather conditions that caused the early May frost event were related to a northern circulation present over Western Europe that persisted from the 28th of April to the 6th of May. The strong anticyclonic ridge stretching from Greenland to the Iberian Peninsula directed an air mass of arctic origin towards France. On July 24th and 25th, the presence of a surface high pressure system above Scandinavia, associated with a low-pressure center located near the Atlantic Ocean, generated an influx of a very hot air mass from the northern part of the African continent through France and neighbouring countries.

The local impact of these two weather events was modulated by the topographical features specific to the study area: a limestone plateau strongly dissected by parallel valleys of S.E. / N.W. orientations. The three observation sites have similar soil characteristics and are located on south facing slopes. However, damage to vegetation was uneven across sites as well as within each site. These observations rise up the question of the influence of very fine-scale environmental conditions and the impact they might have on the different vegetative growth stages. Lastly, the variation in physiological response among grapevines and its effect on their sensitivity to the occurrence of different weather hazards is also to be considered.


Synonyms are referred to as the words similar in meaning and semantic similarity stands out to be one of the criteria of synonymy. But the attention of many linguists, both Tatar and English, is attracted by the differences between synonymic words. Our research work deals with the synonymic groups of adjectives in Tatar and English and is directed to show the semantical differences between them in comparison. We have also tried to show the general peculiarities between the synonymic groups of these two non-cognate languages.


Purpose – The purpose of this chapter is to develop a more fine-grained model of the relationship between multinational corporation (MNC) external embeddedness and subsidiary contribution to firm-level competitive advantage.

Methodology/approach – We briefly review previous international management literature and show that the conception of MNC embeddedness in external networks is often simplistic. We develop the concept of the HQ–subsidiary dyad being externally embedded and derive propositions on how this more holistic concept of MNC embeddedness influences subsidiary contribution.

Findings – We argue that subsidiary contribution depends not only on the relational embeddedness dimension of the subsidiary but that there is a complex interplay between several embeddedness dimensions on multiple levels. We suggest that the much emphasized effect of subsidiary relational embeddedness might be contingent on the HQ's own relationships, and the structure of the overall network. We also develop propositions which show that subsidiary relational embeddedness mediates the relationship between overall network structure and subsidiary contribution.

Research limitations – For the sake of theoretical stringency, we keep other influencing factors such as MNC strategy and specific subsidiary mandates as constant.

Originality/value of the chapter – Subsidiaries are an important source of firm-level competitive advantage. Subsidiary resources have also been shown to develop to a large extent in relationships with external actors. Despite this importance, we argue that our understanding of how the MNC is embedded in external networks and how this in turn influences subsidiary contribution is limited. This chapter attempts to make a first step into filling this gap.


The medium of augmented and mixed reality is creating new problem spaces in the fields of learning science. The focus of this research is how to design AR experiences that support learning. These new spaces are inherently social, tangible, and real-time. These factors all point towards key design problems. When technology enters the social space how do we design for it? What is the importance of context as a design principle?


The extension of the concept of acoustic metasurface to elastic waves in solids is considered by proposing the elastic SH wave metasurface. The designed metasurface, fabricated with two solid materials, can approximately realize impedance matching. The ability of steering SH waves is demonstrated numerically. Firstly, according to the generalized Snell's law (GSL), the designed metasurface deflect the vertical incident waves in desired directions. Then, the metasurface with the effect of focusing elastic SH waves is design to achieve a very narrow focal point. The current study can be potentially useful for applications such as directional detection, enhanced sensing and energy harvesting.


This chapter argues against the popular view that acting in accordance with one's principles excuses moral wrongdoing. That is, if one is ignorant of the moral truth, and that ignorance explains one's wrong actions in the right way, one shouldn't be blamed for doing the wrong thing. One objection I raise is that there is no good way to make sense of the notion of the ignorance explaining the action in the right way. Another, linking back to the discussion of moral motivation, is that it is rare for moral ignorance to lead to wrong action in the absence of some other blameworthy moral failing. But the chapter ends on a concessive note; there are some rare cases where a false moral belief could excuse certain wrong actions.


Historical information, research results, and codes/standards provide the basis for a profile of snow load design practices in North America. Canada prescribes 30‐year mean recurrence interval (mri) ground snow using a Gumbel distribution, whereas the United States is adopting 50‐year mri ground snow modeled with a lognormal distribution. Ground‐to‐roof conversion factors are described with reference to the Canadian studies (1956–1967) and the nation‐wide measurements used in writing the 1982 standard for American National Standards Institute. Various field investigations revealed the effects on roof snow accumulations of roof exposure to wind and sun, roof geometry, roof cladding, and building thermal losses. We describe similarities in the three major model building codes, plus standards, in the United States, and the code of Canadian. Critical research needs on snow loads are also explained.


This thesis has dealt with Value Based Management (VBM) and in what way five Swedish quoted companies maintain shareholder value. Rappaport´s theory and models from Boston Consulting Group have bee ...


Previous studies of academic web interlinking have tended to hypothesise that the relationship between the research of a university and links to or from its web site should follow a linear trend, y...


Whereas the standard economics textbook literature motivates the emergence of money by pointing to the inefficiencies of barter economies, there is virtually no historical evidence that this is how money actually came about. Due to the lack of evidence for the existence of barter economies, an attempt is made therefore to hypothesize an origin of money which is more compatible with the organization of early societies. This alternative story is explained with the help of a model of four trading merchants, in which barter is shown to be dominated by credit simply on the basis of bargaining power and the ability of a centralized middleman to complete transactions between agents. This simple model represents the ability of individuals and institutions in establishing units of account. The organization of economic transactions around lines of credit is supported with historical evidence and is found in one of history's earliest civilizations. The codification of the loan contract in ancient Babylon, when combined with the historical evidence and simple thought experiments about the viability of credit, demonstrates that credit systems are a more historically viable starting place for the emergence of money than barter.


Military target recognition is a key step in military information processing.In this paper,the features from military targets are extracted firstly,and then the features vector formed by moment feature and roundness feature is used as the input of neural network.BP neural network,self-organization neural network and Hopfield neural network are used to recognize military target.Finally the recognition result is mixed with the majority voting method.The simulation result shows the Multi-neural network is effectual.It can reach higher identification rate than that in single neural network classification,which is significative to improve the veracity of military information processing.


The purpose of this paper is to describe a process for successful space business ventures—a methodology used by highly successful commercial ventures, but relatively new to space business enterprises. What do highly successful commercial business ventures have in common? How do these companies differ from most commercial space ventures? The answer is the implementation of a state-of-the-art customer satisfaction process. Take the case of the latest winners of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. What did they do that helped to achieve this performance? The answer is they implemented an effective process that measures and achieves the highest possible level of customer satisfaction. The same process can be implemented by space enterprises to achieve comparable commercial results. This paper describes the six-step process, including examples of each step. It concludes with the strong recommendation that this process be implemented to assure success in the commercial space world.


The emergence of goodwill in the process of doing business is due to the nature of the interaction of enterprise resources with environmental factors. On the basis of research, it is proved that with a competent correlation of approaches to managing the elements of the macro- and microenvironment of the enterprise, understanding the specific features of creating goodwill taking into account the scope of activity, the enterprise will receive a number of advantages. Firstly, it is the creation of additional value of the company, secondly - the possibility of obtaining excess profits (that is, profits exceeding the industry average) and, thirdly, it is the creation of favorable prospects and prerequisites for business development. The analysis of the most popular formulations of the concept of "goodwill" used in Russian and foreign practice is carried out. According to its results, it is concluded that this term is equated with the concept of "business reputation". The article presents an attempt to streamline the understanding of key aspects of brand management within the framework of the studied models of reputation management. From the review of modern and most relevant models of assessment of the company's reputation, the relationship of the main criteria for assessing the company's reputation with business results is shown. A logical chain of goodwill potential formation has been built, based on the management of emotional involvement of customers. Based on the results of the research, within the framework of the focus groups, a criterion for assessing emotional involvement - "emotional comfort" - was proposed and evaluation coefficients characterizing the level of emotional comfort of customers were developed. The actual metrics of brand management assessment are revealed, allowing to diagnose the influence of the brand on the development of goodwill potential within the framework of the proposed complex model of the influence of brand management tools on the growth of goodwill potential.


It introduces definition、characteristic of process、application range、process principle of insulation work of polyphenyl external wall of steel wire grid,construction technique of it is illustrated from selection of materials、technical equipment、process flow and construction process,the technique can be extended which has been proved by experiences.


Introduction: Medical Management of Obesity Epidemiology of Childhood Obesity Pathophysiology of Obesity Obesity in the Context of Child and Adolescent Development Evaluation of the Obese Child Respiratory Problems in Obesity Cardiovascular Disease Insulin Resistance, The Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes Orthopedic Complications Gastrointestinal Complications Renal Complications Neurologic Complications Mental Health Issues Specific Genetic Causes of Obesity Acute Obesity Related Emergencies Practice Management Strategies for Obesity


The aim of this paper is to explore high school students' critical consciousness development in the context of youth participatory action research (YPAR) focused on food security at an alternative school in Alabama. The YPAR project took place in an elective agriscience class with 10 students (Seven Black, two white, one Latino) who were in the 10th to 12th grades. Utilizing data from researcher notes, classroom observations, and archival classroom documents, we present students' YPAR project outcomes to share their research-driven solutions to food insecurity in their community. Vignettes of classroom dialogue are also constructed to illustrate moments of reflection in the YPAR context about food security. We present three "critical moments," or instances of social analysis, to illustrate how students' individual-level attributions occurred alongside teacher dialogue and student-led investigation of structural inequities in the community. Findings illustrate how students' nonlinear critical consciousness development consisted of reliance on individual-level attributions in classroom dialogue co-occurring with systems-thinking activities and other YPAR project outcomes. This paper has implications for research on the imperfect and wavering nature of adolescent critical consciousness development in YPAR.


The present paper treats the relationship between geotechnical parameters and the mineralogical compositions, in order to understand the behavior of the Bafang lateritic fine soils and their efficient use as road embankment materials on the other hand. Thus, the field campaigns have permitted to distinguish two facies of Bafang lateritic fine soils: reddish and yellowish facies. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), the thermo-gravimetry analysis (TGA) and the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) have revealed that the reddish facies contents: kaolinite (53.34% -48.29%); hematite (16.62% - 17.40 %); gibbsite (8.26 % - 16.54%), ilmenite (7.6 % -7.98%), quartz (1.92 % - 4.65 %), illite (2.65% - 1.99 %) and accessories minerals as florencite (1.45%); montmorillonite (0.90 %) and plagioclase (0.69 %); while the yellowish facies is composed of : 65.1 % kaolinite, 11.2 % gibbsite, 9.64 % goethite, 7.02 % quartz, 3.23 % ilmenite and 2.08 % of illite. Their Silica/sexquioxide ratios correspond to those of moderate laterite. The geotechnical and mechanical characteristics have shown that the reddish and yellowish facies are respectively silty clay and sandy silt. They are plastic to very high plastic and moderately clayey to clayey materials. Moreover, they are medium swelling to high swelling. The IBR values more than 40% and the soaked CBR values prove that these materials belong to the S4 bearing capacity class. The minimum values of UCS and Rt are respectively 1.7 MPa and 0.17 MPa. Then, the results of geotechnical and mechanical properties combining to those of XRD, TGA and XRF have demonstrated that the fine lateritic soils with low silica/sexquioxide ratios values (less than 1.6) are suitable for road embankment.


When the advanced electronic packaging technology involves the processes that are incorporated with bio-related devices or integrating the chips on flexible substrate, low temperature materials are needed to reduce the risk of damaging the devices during assembly. This study focuses on developing new alloys that have the melting temperatures not exceeding 120 °C. The new alloys should have comparable functionality to the traditional Pb-free solder alloys. Three In-Bi alloys, 33InBi, 50In50Bi and 68In32Bi, were used to study the interfacial reactions with Cu substrates. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and electron probe X-ray microanalyses (EPMA) were used to characterize the intermetallic compound (IMC) formed at the interfaces. A low-temperature metastable phase, CuIn2, was identified during long-time aging in 68In32Bi/Cu. Shear tests were conducted on the joints of 17Sn-26In-57Bi/Cu and 50In50Bi/Cu due to the similar melting point of the two alloys. Due to high indium content, the deformation energy of 17Sn26In57Bi/Cu drastically decreased while the deformation energy of 50In50Bi/Cu decreased slightly. 50In50Bi/Cu also exhibits higher shear strength than the 17Sn-26In-57Bi/Cu at high-speed shear test.


OBJECTIVE
Introduction: Speed myocardial indicators and estimation of galectin-3 presented for estimation of myocardial dysfunction in children with congenital heart defects (CHD). The aim: Evaluate myocardial function while using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and galectin-3 in children with CHD after surgical correction.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Materials and methods: We examined 184 children. The study assessed both ventricle systolic and diastolic performance by TDI in combination with tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). Additionally, systolic (S') and diastolic (ratio E/E') TDI measurements were obtained at the lateral part of mitral annular, interventricular part, and lateral part of tricuspid valve (S`ma lateral, S` ma septal, S`ta lateral та E/E' malateral, E/E' maseptal, E/E' talateral). Galectin-3 amount in serum was detected by immune enzyme method by kit «HumanGalectin-3».

RESULTS
Results: Compared to results of the healthy children systolic TDI measurements in patients with CHD were significantly lower: S` ma lateral 7,81±0,10 сm/s vs 9,85±0,28 сm/s, S` ta lateral 9,70±0,12 сm/s vs 12,8±0,17 сm/s and TAPSE, 1,48±0,02 vs 2,14±0,03 сm/s (р<0,01). Ratio E/E' in patients with CHD were different from results of the healthy children in all myocardial segments: E/Е` ma lateral 7,45±0,21 vs 6,17±0,12, E/Е` ma septal 9,17±0,22 vs 7,54±0,13, E/Е` ta lateral 6,42 ± 0,14 vs 4,64±0,12, (р<0,05). Patients with CHD got galectin-3 content in serum 7,04±0,21 ng/ml vs 4,17±0,17 ng/ml (р<0,01) results of the healthy children.

CONCLUSION
Conclusions: Analyze of TDI measurements and galectin-3 content allows evaluate myocardial dysfunction in asymptomatic patients with CHD after surgical correction.


This review considers current variants of immunotherapy in patients with disseminated renal cell carcinoma. Data from experimental studies concerning defects in immunocompetent cells and mechanisms that block the normal immune response in patients with tumors are presented. Data of completed clinical trials of blockers of co-inhibiting molecules and cytokines in patients with renal cell carcinoma are analyzed.


Dutch seventeenth-century classical art occupies an important place in the European style system. Classicism in Holland has found expression in all art forms: architecture, painting, printed graphics, literature and theater. At the same time the penetration of classical ideas into any given type of art was gradual and steady. During the formation of this style in Holland the classical principles were supplemented with Baroque formal techniques and creative method of realism. Dutch seventeenth-century classicism has all the characteristics of a full-fledged, grand style: a set of formal and figurative tools, coverage of all types of art, gradual evolution, improvement and enrichment of the artistic language. A theory, developed by Dutch classical artists, influenced not only the practice of the national school artists, but also representatives of the next generations from different countries (in particular, the formation of Russian art in the 18 century).


Clinical studies demonstrated that patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) have decreased hepatic zinc levels; however the effect of zinc deficiency on the function of hepatic mitochondria has not been well studied. The present study was undertaken to determine if zinc deficiency causes mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) defect and if defected ETC function could increase hepatic oxidative stress. Adult male Wistar rats were pair‐fed with the Lieber‐DeCarli control or ethanol liquid diet for 5 months. Chronic alcohol exposure significantly increased hepatic levels of triacylglycerol and free fatty acid and induced apoptotic cell death. Zinc levels in both the whole liver and the purified hepatic mitochondria were significantly reduced by alcohol exposure in association with perturbed expression of zinc transporters. Chronic alcohol exposure also increased the levels of 4‐hydroxynonenal (4HNE) in the whole liver as well as the purified mitochondria. The expression of hepatic mitochondrial respiratory complex I, III, IV, and V were repressed by chronic alcohol exposure, which was in consistence with a significant decrease of the hepatic ATP production. Examination of the mitochondrial biogenesis markers demonstrated that chronic alcohol exposure significantly decreased AMPK, PGC1α, NRF1 and TFAM levels in association with downregulation of mitochondrial DNA expression. In order to define the link between zinc deficiency and the defect of mitochondrial respiratory complexes, HepG2 cells were treated with zinc chelator, TPEN, for 6h. Experimental zinc deficiency significantly decreased the protein levels of mitochondrial respiratory complex I, III, and IV. In addition, p‐AMPK, PGC1α, NRF1 and TFAM levels as well as mitochondrial DNA expression were significantly decreased by TPEN treatment. Consequently, mitochondrial respiratory complex I, III, or IV was silenced by corresponding shRNA, respectively. HepG2 cells with decreased expression of complex I, III, or IV by gene manipulation exhibited a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and an increase in free radical production compared to the cells transfected with scrambled shRNA. These results suggest that hepatic zinc deficiency critically mediates alcohol‐diminished mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial DNA levels which, at least partially, accounts for alcohol‐induced defect of mitochondrial ETC and overproduction of reactive oxygen species.


Electrochemical measurements and immersing corrosion test are carried out. MgZn2 reprecipitates are the besest in all the alloy phases, and slight intergranular attack occured by potentiostatic dissolution at the applied potential-1100 mV vs SCE. Cu addition results in precipitation of noble A12Cu and an increase in pitting potential. Grain boundary in the alloys containing Cu 0.7% or more are preferentially attacked, but the phase around grain boundaries remain unattacked in galvanostatic anodic dissolution at 1 mA/cm2. The fact mearly coresponds with the result of immersion corrosion test in tap water. EDXS analysis shows a Cu depleted zone around grain boundary in the alloys containing a large amount of Cu. Intergranular corrosion of AI-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys arises not from preferential dissolution of grain boundary precipitates but from that of Cu depleted zone. Stress corrosion cracking sensitivity of the alloys hes no distinct relationship with the intergranular attack.


Tree species identification and their geospatial distribution mapping are crucial for forest monitoring and management. The satellite-based remote sensing time series of Sentinel missions (Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2) are a perfect tool to map the type, location, and extent of forest cover over large areas at local or global scale. This study is focused on the geospatial mapping of the endemic argan tree (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) and the identification of two other tree species (sandarac gum and olive trees) using optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) time series. The objective of the present work is to detect the actual state of forest species trees, more specifically the argan tree, in order to be able to study and analyze forest changes (degradation) and make new strategies to protect this endemic tree. The study was conducted over an area located in Essaouira province, Morocco. The support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was used for the classification of the two types of data. We first classified the optical data for tree species identification and mapping. Second, the SAR time series were used to identify the argan tree and distinguish it from other species. Finally, the two types of satellite images were combined to improve and compare the results of classification with those obtained from single-source data. The overall accuracy (OA) of optical classification reached 86.9% with a kappa coefficient of 0.84 and declined strongly to 37.22% (kappa of 0.29) for SAR classification. The fusion of multisensor data (optical and SAR images) reached an OA of 86.51%. A postclassification was performed to improve the results. The classified images were smoothed, and therefore, the quantitative and qualitative results showed an improvement, in particular for optical classification with a highest OA of 89.78% (kappa coefficient of 0.88). The study confirmed the potential of the multitemporal optical data for accurate forest cover mapping and endemic species identification.


The purpose of this study has been to design a prototype accelerating tube, to determine the correct point shape and spacing needed to produce corona current along the tube for the case of negative-point-to-positive-plane discharge, and to study the voltage-gradient characteristics of short sections of the tube when they were evacuated to a low internal pressure.


The exponential stability and controller design problems of multi-input multi-output(MIMO) networked control systems(NCSs) with time-delay and the data packet dropout are studied.The structure of NCS with data packet dropout and time-delay in sensor-controller and controller-actuator is simplified.A model for dynamical output feedback NCS is presented.Based on the asynchronous dynamical system theory,Lyapunov stable theory and linearity matrix inequalities,the negative semi-definite matrix condition of exponential stability and the controller design of NCS are educed.Numerical examples show that the results are feasible.


MBP has computational advantage in situations where ̈ is much more difficult to deal with (numerically or analytically) than ̇. Gaussian copula and nonnormal random-effects model are special cases in which MBP applies. Once again, the situation is a little different for GLMM. Consider, for example, the following GLMM with binary observations. Suppose that, given the random effects u1, . . . ,ua and v1, . . . , vb, the yij's are conditionally independent such that


Background: A positive Interferon-γ release assay (IGRA+) after exposure to tuberculosis indicates a systemic immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). However, most people will remain IGRA-negative (IGRA-) after exposure. In mice, regulatory T-lymphocytes (T reg ) can deter the pulmonary clearance in early infection, possibly preventing a systemic immune response. Objective: To study the local immunity in TB-exposed health care workers without active disease. Methods: FACS analysis on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells including T reg cells (CD4+CD25+CD127-) and activated macrophages (HLA-DR+). Questionnaire for demographic, and health-related data. Blood IGRA. Results: Demographic and epidemiological parameters were not statistically different. Of 10 IGRA- and 12 IGRA+ subjects, the BAL of the latter group showed a higher frequency of T reg cells (median 2,5% [range 1.4-4.4%] vs. 0.7% [0.2-1.3%]; p=0.0001 for Mann-Whitney test). In contrast, the frequency of T reg cells in among peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) was similar in both groups (22% [10-38%] vs. 21% [9-27%]; p=0.87). Accordingly, activated macrophages in the BAL were found more frequently in IGRA-positive than in IGRA negative subjects (median 89% [range 77-100] vs. 95% [85-100]; p=0.04), while there was no difference in blood (91% [82-94%] vs. 86% [74-96%]; p=0.34). Conclusion: In healthy contacts of tuberculosis patients, a positive IGRA response is associated with expansion of T reg cells and activated macrophages in the BAL but not in peripheral blood. The role of these cell populations for the prevention of systemic immune responses to MTB needs to be further evaluated.


Abstract An analysis is presented of the principal rheological factors inherent in the flow of nematic solutions of rigid-chain aromatic poly(para-amides), viz., viscosity anisotropy, yield points, and viscosity peaks in the region of phase transition on the temperature and the concentration scale, thereby making it possible to use the rheological characteristics to plot phase diagrams.


This article primarily explains the design and realization of the university comprehensive information distributed system based on Oracle and introduces Oracle Distributed Database.


pain, ultrasounds, evaluation scale Abstract: The paper aims at studying the effects produced by different levels of ultrasound intensity with the frequency of 1 MHz used to treat chronic back pain. The study was conducted over a period of two years, comprising a number of 312 patients with lumbo-sacral disease, aged between 10 and 20 years old. We used a device that produces BTL-07 ultrasonic frequency of 1MHz. Continuous ultrasonic waveform with an intensity of 0.2 W/cm 2 , respectively 0.4 W/cm 2 was applied for 4 minutes. Clinical- functional parameters were followed on the onset and at the end of the recovery programme: pain, functional impotence, spinal syndrome, radicular syndrome, dural syndrome, fascial syndrome, psychological syndrome, muscle testing, gait evaluation. For the statistical processing of the data obtained, the "t" Student test was applied. It could be observed that the treatment combining Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) with ultrasounds of 0.4 W/cm 2 , applied in chronic low back pain allows a significant increase of the results during the recovery programme. Cuvinte cheie: durere lombo-sacrată, ultrasunete, scală de evaluare Rezumat: Lucrarea i si propune sa studieze efectele produse de diferite valori ale intensitatii ultrasunetului cu frecventa de 1 MHz atunci cand acestea sunt folosite in tratarea lombalgiei cronice. Studiul a fost efectuat pe o perioada de 2 ani, fiind urmariti 312 de pacienţi cu afecţiuni lombo-sacrate cu varsta cuprinsa intre 10 si 20 de ani. S-a utilizat un aparat BTL-07 care produce ultrasunete cu frecventa de 1MHz. S-au aplicat timp de 4 minute ultrasunete cu forma de und ă continuă si cu intensitatea de 0,2 W/cm 2 , respectiv 0,4 W/cm 2 . S-au urmărit parametri clinico-funcţionali la inceputul si la sfârsitul programului de recuperare: durere, impotenţă funcţională, sindrom rahidian, sindrom radicular, sindrom dural, sindrom fascial, sindrom psihic, testing muscular, evaluare mers. Pentru prelucrarea statistica a datelor obtinute s-a utilizat testul ,,t"Student. Se observa ca tratamentul care combina AINS cu ultrasunetele de 0,4 W/cm 2 , aplicat in lombalgia cronică, permite o cre stere semnificativă a rezultatelor parcursul programului de recuperare.


The invention relates to a method for the isolation of protein molecules. A sample is brought into contact with a first compound of general formula (I). X is an activatable by light function, a selectivity function Y of less than 3500 u molecular mass. D capable of selectively forming a covalent bond with a second connector function E. S spacer. The reactivity function is activated by light, then the sample with a second compound ESFSQ is brought into contact. F is a cleavable by light function and Q is a sorting function. After combining D and E, the molecules containing Q are separated from the sample. Is then cleaved with F light. By removing Q containing molecules isolated proteins are obtained.


A hundred and eighty species of Polychaeta Errantia comprise this list. A majority of them were included in a contribution to the Canadian Pacific Fauna Series (No. 9b(1)) published by my wife and self in 1948, but, not only have a number of others been described from British Columbia since then, but also there have been many modifications of classification and nomenclature suggested by other workers in the field. The purpose of the present list is to bring together all the species recorded by us from British Columbia waters up to date and to provide for these reclassifications.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My thanks first to my advisor, Xingxing Yu. He has helped me find my strengths, and directed me toward questions which truly intrigue me. He kept me moving forward in moments of frustration, set high expectations, and provided support for me to meet them. their service on my thesis committee. I would also like to thank Robin Thomas and the rest of the faculty at Georgia Tech for challenging me, for always being open to questions, and for providing examples of people who are passionate about mathematics. I benefited greatly by the influence of Professor Tom Storer in my undergraduate career at the University of Michigan. His initial encouragement kept me in mathematics, and played a role in bringing me back to it. I will strive to live up to his example as a mentor. My fellow students have provided a wonderfully collaborative environment. I have learned much from them, both academically and personally, and they have helped me to maintain balance in my life. My thanks to them all. Those important to me are too numerous to list, but include has shared in the details of the degree process, and lightened my load. My office-mates, in their turn, have provided invaluable moral support on a daily basis. Victor Morales-Duarte helped me get through comprehensive exams, and reminded me to step away from work occasionally. In addition to sharing the thesis experience, Sarah Day has been my friend, my sounding board, and my most encouraging ally. I am grateful to my friends outside Georgia Tech for their encouragement and understanding. Special thanks to Beth for her undying optimism, and to Gene and Chien, who somehow managed to ask just the right questions. Finally, thanks to my family. I am glad they raised me with a belief that I could do great things. I am even more appreciative that they provided me the opportunities to discover which things are truly great. SUMMARY Disjoint paths in graphs, and disjoint subgraphs, have applications in such areas as circuit design and multicommodity flows. They also lie at the heart of graph minor questions. Here we consider a question of finding disjoint paths connecting specific subsets of vertices in a planar graph. The specific form of that question is motivated by a problem of Robertson and Seymour on (2, 3)-linkages. Consider a plane graph G, an ordered set {a 1 , b 1 , …


Abstract Three features of Gilardi and Meseguer's recent announcement of the start of a "third generation" of diffusion research in Europe require evaluation. First, conceptualization of policy diffusion is considered a task completed by the first two "generations". Second, the work of the second generation is located against the background of globalization, democratization and the trend towards the adoption of market instruments. And, third, methodological sophistication is equated with the development of large-n empirical methodologies. Each of these features is discussed in turn. We argue that diffusion studies remain seriously hindered by a lack of clarity about the dependent variable under examination; second, that the peculiar interest of the second generation in measuring the impact of large scale diffusion mechanisms such as democratization, globalization and market orientation has led to an unfortunate focus on the adoption of particular instruments and "settings" as the sole indicators of diffusion; and third, that when we expand "what" is being diffused to include policy goals and objectives, advancing beyond the second generation requires a more plural methodological framework sensitive to context, including both the thick descriptions and the comparative small-n case studies which were a feature of earlier "first" and "second" generation studies. These points are illustrated with contemporary examples involving the development and diffusion of new "integrated" and "coherent" mixes of regulatory and market instruments in the form of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Europe.


Depression is very common in HIV positive patients. It often goes undiagnosed and untreated as it is assumed that depressive symptoms are an inevitable reaction to being diagnosed with HIV. Depression not only causes more suffering in HIV positive patients but also contributes to poor adherence to treatment. Keeping this fact in a view this cross sectional comparative study of phenomenology of depression between the HIV positive patients attending HIV clinic and the patients attending psychiatry OPD was conducted. The study included 132 HIV positive patients and 105 psychiatry OPD patients. Depression was diagnosed on SCID-I ( based on DSM IV ) and phenomenology was studied on first 27 questions of SADS-CB. Appropriate standardized statistical tools were applied. Among the screened HIV positive patients , 23.48% (31 patients) were found to be suffering from depression. There was no statistically significant difference was found in phenomenology of depression between two group. The study concluded that depression is very high in HIV positive patients. Therefore every HIV positive patients attending the HIV clinic should also be assessed thoroughly for depression. ABSTRACT


The mass spectra of 23 chromone derivatives are recorded and interpreted. Most of these are ethyl 4-oxochromen-2-carboxylate derivatives, which with two exceptions, show the molecular ion as the base peak. In the spectrum of the unsubstituted ester (XVIII), the other most important fragments are [M—C2H4], [M—OEt], [M—C2H4—CO], [M—CO2Et + 1] and the benzocyclopropenyl ion. 6-Hydroxy-2-methylchromone and several of its derivatives undergo a retro-Diels-Alder reaction (R.D.A.) and also lose the carbonyl group. Ethyl 6-amino-4-oxochroman-2-carboxylate (XXIII) shows an R.D.A. reaction as well as losing the CO2Et group. The mass spectrum of 4-oxochromen-2-carboxylic acid has been studied.


I N THE MUSIC WORLD, crossover hits are not uncommon. Think of recent successful releases by Shania Twain, Diana Krall, or Celine Dion. In book publishing they are rather more unusual. David Suzuki is, indubitably, a public figure, but the immensely popular books that bear his name are hardly essential reading in genetics, his original field. Important though they are, the writings of Alan Cairns, Wil l Kymlicka (and many other Canadian academics) are little known among the public at large. While "professional" historians sniff at the "popularizer" Pierre Berton and all his works and vice versa Canadian publishing struggles to survive, its "serious non-fiction" list kept afloat by the Aid to Scholarly Publications Program, and its trade books subject to massive re turns by "big-box bookstores" intent on moving titles through their shelves. There are, of course, many, many reasons for all of this ranging from business bottom lines and fiscal caution, through style and taste and design and marketing considerations, to the size and interests of the book-buying public and they cannot be sorted through here. Against this backdrop, however, Richard Mackie 's Island Timber warrants attention. It is a work of local history, firmly focused on a small part of east-central Vancouver Island. Yet it throws a good deal of light on Brit ish Columbia's coastal forest industry an enormously important facet of the provincial past that still awaits its mature historian. It is not an academic book, yet it has more academic substance than many works that claim an academic pedigree. And it was, for some weeks after i ts publication, the best-selling nonfiction book in the province (on the strength of this success, a second edition is now in preparation). This is not enough to proclaim: "Richard Mackie Rocks!" However, to stretch a point, perhaps he might be thought of as a sort of Ashley Mclsaac manqué someone who has successfully brought the classical sensibilities of the trained historian (and, I would add, the historical geographer) to a popular audience.


This paper addresses the issues raised by comparing Santayana's warning that 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it' (1905; The Life of Reason) with the future hopes of contemporary teenager Ramon: 'I want my kids to have a better life than I did. I'd like them to grow up in a more compassionate society'. Pollock (2000; Real Boys Voices). The conundrum raised by these quotations is that since Australia lacks a substantial body of historical writing about its own past and peoples (Indigenous or otherwise) which might appeal to a youth readership, how are we to avoid repeating the horrors of the past? Crew will suggest that perhaps one answer lies in the creation of a new and engaging historical genre for youth which applies emergent ficto-critical stylistics to the concepts of the Australian Historian, Professor Greg Denning (1994; Mr Bligh's Bad Language), who advocates, 'In writing history…I have always found that I needed to give a voice to the dead. I couldn't give them life, of course, but I could give them a voice. And I could give the living an understanding of the past for the present…' Denning, G. (2001) A Library Sailor. Limina Vol 7; ;


The project of eliminating danger and reinforcing the Huanggainao Reservoir began in 2003,and was completed and put into application in 2005.This paper clarified the common problems in the construction of the engineering of eliminating danger and reinforcing the reservoir,and put forward the countermeasures to them.The experiences of the engineering have guiding significance for the similar construction.


In IPTV networks, channel change latency is considered as a major obstacle in achieving broadcast-level quality video delivery. Because of the bandwidth limitations observed at the client side, users typically have access to a limited number of channels. As a result, channel change requests oftentimes need to go through the network, thereby leading to significant delays. In this paper, we address this problem by proposing a resource-efficient time-shifted channel reordering mechanism to minimize the channel change latency. The proposed framework exploits the differing key-frame delivery times for the adjacent sessions to dynamically arrange the switching order during the surfing periods. The simulation results show that, with the proposed framework, more than 50% improvement can be achieved in channel change latency without introducing any overhead in the network.


The measurement of insulin Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is estimated to affect 100 million people worldwide. It has been observed to increase in prevalence when a population increases its plane of nutrition and decreases its energy expenditure. A striking example of this occurred when Ethiopian Jews were moved to Israel [l]. The Pacific population of the island of Nauru was described as suffering from an epidemic of diabetes when they became affluent after the Second World War following the expansion of phosphate mining [2]. Thus we can only anticipate that the numbers suffering from this type of diabetes will remorselessly increase in the future unless we discover the factors that cause it and take appropriate steps to prevent it. It is chastening to have to admit that it is still a matter of debate as to whether insulin deficiency, insulin resistance or a combination of the two is at the heart of the disease. A major problem in disentangling this issue is the close interlocking of the regulation of glucose and insulin metabolism: insulin deficiency leads to insulin resistance and conversely hyperglycaemia is detrimental to insulin secretion. Large prospective population studies should be capable of elucidating the time course of events, but it is only in recent years that it has become possible to measure insulin concentrations in human blood in sufficient numbers of individuals and with adequate specificity to have a real prospect of progress. Even now we have to admit that we can only study insulin production and secretion at such a dis-


The paper narrates the early research on the lymphatic system in the city of Perm (Russia) in 1951 and the systematic study of lymph nodes during the period from 1954 to 1963 under the guidance of Professor Ivan Ivanovich Kositsyn. The second period of experimental lymphology development in Perm is associated with the name of Professor Elizaveta Nikolaevna Oleneva. Her research on the lymphatic vessels of various organs when creating typological models of experimental venous congestion and lymphostasis became the basis for understanding pathological processes in organ interstices. The development of clinical lymphology owes much to Professor Nadezhda Alexandrovna Garyaeva. Close scientific cooperation between the Perm and St. Petersburg lymphological schools led to the development of structural foundations of modern lymphodynamics theory. The discovery of the lymphatic valve tensor muscle determined the role of valves in lymph flow in a historical discussion question. Reconstructive-restorative operations on the thoracic duct for surgical lymphology are significant for the prevention of lymphostasis and thrombosis. The study of mass transfer laws of medicinal substances through the interstitium provided a scientific rationale for lymphotropic therapy at a new level. The terms "intersticiology," "somatic lymphedema," and "visceral lymphedema" have been introduced into scientific circulation. Analysis of fundamental lymphostasis research allowed for the development of drug treatment methods for post-radiation fibrosis and lymphedema. The Department of Human Anatomy with a course in clinical lymphology under the leadership of Professor N.A. Garyaeva, developing treatment technologies in gynecology, phthisiopulmonology, surgery, traumatology, pediatrics, and therapy, became the scientific-methodological center in the city of Perm for building knowledge in the field of lymphology. The Lymphatech Clinic, opened in 2007, gave a new impetus to the development of clinical lymphology. The Lymphatech method, providing targeted pharmacological correction of the structures and functions of the lymphatic system, has stood the test of time and proved itself as an essential pathogenetic therapy for many pathologies. Scientific and clinical results are reported and published at international conferences, including the leading journal Lymphology.


A value for the 1/2 <111> {110} antiphase boundary (APB) energy in stoichiometric NiAl has been obtained by employing the weak‐beam technique to resolve the separation of the two 1/2 <111> partial dislocations composing the <111 superdislocation.


Dear Sir The Rh antigens are encoded by a pair of homologous genes, RHD and RHCE, which are located on chromosome 1p34.1-36 3. The two genes have opposite orientations at the RH locus. RHD is flanked with two so-called Rhesus boxes. In most, D-negative Caucasoid and Chinese RHD is deleted, and a hybrid Rhesus box is present on both chromosomes (Wagner & Flegel, 2000; Wagner et al., 2001; Shao et al., 2002). Many other mechanisms, however, such as frame shift, nonsense mutation, splice site mutation and RHCE/RHD conversion were found in some D-negative individuals. In this study, blood samples were collected from 101 D-negative donors at the Shenzhen Blood Center (Shenzhen, China), between June 1999 and February 2001, and seven D-negative pregnant women (sent by hospitals in Shenzhen). One hundred and two of a total of 108 samples were investigated elsewhere (Shao et al., 2002), and six of them were studied in current report. The D antigen was determined by using human anti-D monoclonal blend reagent [immunoglobulin (Ig)M: Th28, IgG: MS-26, Immucor Diagnostik GmbH, Roedermark, Germany] with the indirect antiglobulin test. An absorption/elution test was also performed for the detection of Del. The CcEe antigens were tested through monoclonal reagents (anti-C: MS24, anti-E: MS12, anti-c: MS33, anti-e: MS16, Immucor Diagnostik GmbH) in saline. One of six samples tested D positive after absorption and elution of anti-D (Del CþcþE–eþ), whereas others were truly Rh negative (one D–CþcþE–eþ and four D–C–cþE–eþ). Through a RHD full-length coding region sequencing method (Legler et al., 2001) that amplified all 10 RHD exons with 10 pairs of D-specific intron primers, four samples (C negative) tested negative with all reactions, one RHD 1227 A allele was detected in the Del sample and the remaining sample (C positive) had sequences identical with normal RHD in exons 1 and 2 whereas exons 3–10 tested negative. In order to elucidate whether an altered RHCE or RHD gene was present in this individual, a PCR-SSP genotyping method (Lan et al., 2000) was applied, which tests the C, c, E and e alleles of RHCE, as well as RHD exons 3–7 and 9–10. All tested RHD exons gave D-negative results, and the genotype Ccee was consistent with the serological results. Because RHD and RHCE.Ce have identical sequence in exon 2 and the lower primer for exon 2 is RHD/CE specific in the sequencing method, the intron 2 of RHD was further analysed in this sample with a commercial PCR kit (G&T Company, Rockville, MD, USA), which amplified 150 bp product in intron 2 of RHD with one pair of primer (sense primer, 68842–68860 of AL139426, specific for D/c; antisense primer, 68991–68970 of AL139426, specific for D/C). The result was negative in this donor whereas DCcEe sample gave positive and dCcee gave negative results, therefore a hybrid gene RHDCE(2–10) was likely in this donor. However, it could not be excluded that the detected exon 1 of RHD might be from altered RHCE because RHD and RHCE.ce have identical sequence in exon 1. Another feature of antigenD-negative,RHD-positive alleles is the presence of the downstream Rhesus box. Three PCR methods were applied, which have sense primers located at intron 9 (Legler et al., 2001), exon 10 (Lan et al., 2000) and one nucleotide after the RHD stop codon (50-AAGCAAAAGCATCCAAGAAAAAC-30) (Xu et al., 2001), and antisense primers all located at first 200bp of 50 downstream Rhesus box (primer 50-ATGGTGAGATTCTCCTCAAAGA-30 for the third method) (Xu et al., 2001). All gave negative results in this individual. However, the downstream Rhesus box tested positive in a PCR-SSP test with the commercial kit (G&T Company) by taking Rh positive (DCcEe) and Rh negative (ddccee) as controls, of which the sense primer is specific for downstream Rhesus box (position 5708–5731, AJ252312) and the antisense primer is nonspecific located at the identical region of the Rhesus boxes (position 5982–5963, AJ252312). It seems that the sequence of the exon10ofRHD and50 end of the downstream Rhesus box is missing in this donor. In conclusion, our results suggest that a new hybrid RHD-CE(2-10) allele is present in this D-negative, C-positive Chinese individual. And, the C antigen is Correspondence: Dr Chao-Peng Shao, MD, Shenzhen Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Meigang South Street, Nigang West Road, Futian, ShenAen 518035, P.R. China. Tel.: þ86 755 8324 2567; fax: þ86 755 8322 1000; e-mail: email@example.com Transfusion Medicine, 2004, 14, 185–186


In the context of big data, China attaches great importance to the development of interdisciplinary cooperation. This article combines science animation and education through Python big data analysis, affirms the auxiliary advantages of science animation education, and analyzes the oversimplification of creative methods in science animation education during the development process. Singleness and lack of talents have put forward the concept of multi-dimensional innovation and development, promoted the cultivation of cross-cutting talents in popular science, and all parts of the country and enterprises have paid close attention to and coordinated development.


The defining features from the beginning of 20th century to the early 21"
century include numerous armed conflicts, authoritarian regimes, and
genocidal episodes, and the last quarter of the 20th century ushers in a
significant increase in attention to women's rights and protagonism in the
context of political violence and terrorism. These negative developments
necessitated research and policy initiatives on conflict prevention,
resolution, and reconstruction activities that recently focus on gender
dimensions to conflict, with a view to incorporating their concerns to
policy and academic settings, in order to better understand and respond to
the impact conflict has on men and women


The article presents the results of a pilot study of the prerequisites of verbal communication in children with congenital hydrocephalus in the preschool age. The technology logopedic work-you are with children of this category. Showing the results of its application.


Background: Due to the level of complexity of healthcare organizations, many factors play a role in improving health services. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a systematic approach to evaluate their efficiency and management system.  Balanced scorecard can play a role in this field as an evaluation system by examining the cause-and-effect relationship of goals and drawing a strategy map.  Therefore, the purpose of this research was to develop a strategy map for healthcare centers with a balanced scorecard approach.
Methods: This was a qualitative and applied research conducted using mixed methods in 2019. The statistical population of the research included all health experts from medical sciences universities across the country, 15 of whom were selected based on a targeted snowball sampling. First, through the review of texts and articles related to the literature on the subject with a general search in foreign and domestic electronic databases, a list of balanced scorecard views and the goals related to health and treatment centers of comprehensive health service centers was identified. After that, through a researcher-made questionnaire, by asking experts their opinions using fuzzy Delphi method in 2 steps, the views and goals related to comprehensive health service centers were identified. Then, through the relationships of improved network analysis process technique based on DEMETEL, in 4 steps by Excel 2016 and Matlab 2014 software, the relationships between them were examined. Finally, the effect of goals and views on each other was determined, and a strategy map was drawn.
Results: In this research, social responsibility, as a new perspective and the attitudes of patients and society, financial status and performance improvement, growth and development, and internal processes, replaced the main perspectives of the balanced scorecard, and social responsibility was designated as a new perspective. By examining the relationship between them, the perspectives of growth and development, intra-organizational processes, social responsibility, and other views were found to be effective.
Conclusion: Considering the complexity of the activities regarding comprehensive health service centers, replacing the views appropriate to the comprehensive health service centers with the main views provided by Kaplan and Norton (2004) can obtain the best results regarding the goals and strategy. Based on the cause-effect relationship of views, strengthening views and effective goals creates value for effective goals. Investing on influential views and goals will empower and promote the development of balance between income and expense, and the optimal use of resources will improve the views of society and patients and the quality of services, which is the main goal of comprehensive health service centers.


This article re-examines privatization in the broader context of reforms and development strategies. Three key issues are considered. The first issue is the theoretical justification for privatization; the second is the demand for re-regulation; and the third the sequencing of reform steps within the context of macro-economic policies and public sector reforms. A discussion of these sheds some new light on privatization, public sector reforms and the formulation of effective development strategies for developing economies.


Through the use of POVCAL software,measured from 1999~2008,the overall urban and rural areas,urban and rural areas within the internal index of poverty and the Gini coefficient.The results show that,in our current financial system,fiscal policies of redistribution income gap between urban and rural residents did not depress the expansion.Fiscal redistribution policies to improve the income gap between urban residents to play within a certain effect,the distribution of income for rural residents there also some "reverse adjustment" effect,there is significant urban-rural "duality".


The freshwater and marine ornamental fish industry is a primary pathway for hazard introduction and emergence, including aquatic animal health diseases and non-native species. Prevention measures are key to reducing the risk of hazard incursion and establishment, however, there is currently little understanding of the biosecurity practices and hazard responses implemented at post-border stages of the ornamental fish supply chain. This study addressed this knowledge gap, using questionnaires to collate information on actual biosecurity behaviours and hazard responses practised by ornamental fish retailers and hobbyist communities in England. Actual behaviours varied considerably within retailers and hobbyists, suggesting that reliance on preventative practices by individuals in the post-border stages of the ornamental fish supply chain is likely to be ineffective in minimising the risk of hazard incursion and establishment. Resources should be allocated towards improving and enforcing robust pre-and at-border control measures, such as risk-based surveillance of ornamental fish imports at border controls. In addition, these findings should be used to implement targeted awareness-raising campaigns and help create directed training on biosecurity practices for individuals involved in the post-border stages of the ornamental supply chain. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


A new model of spectral hole burning effect in EDFA is suggested. Experiments were conducted to identify the hole burning mechanism. The shape and the depth of the spectral hole are in accordance with the suggested approach.


Background. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that decreased periurethral vascularization and blood flow might lead to urinary incontinence. Three‐dimensional color histogram may better quantify the vasculature than traditional two‐dimensional Doppler ultrasound imaging.