Current state-of-the-art adaptive optics (AO) provides ground-based, diffraction-limited observations with high Strehl ratios (SR). However, a detailed knowledge of the point spread function (PSF) is required to fully exploit the scientific potential of these data. This is even more crucial for the next generation AO instruments that will equip 30-meter class telescopes, as the characterization of the PSF will be mandatory to fulfill the planned scientific requirements. For this reason, there is a growing interest in developing tools that accurately reconstruct the observed PSF of AO systems, the so-called PSF reconstruction. In this context, a PSF-R service is a planned deliverable for the MICADO@ELT instrument and our group is in charge of its development. In the case of MICADO, a blind PSF-R approach is being pursued to have the widest applicability to science cases. This means that the PSF is reconstructed without extracting information from the science data, relying only on telemetry and calibrations. While our PSF-R algorithm is currently being developed, its implementation is mature enough to test performances with actual observations. In this presentation we will discuss the reliability of our reconstructed PSFs and the uncertainties introduced in the measurements of scientific quantities for bright, on-axis observations taken with the SOUL+LUCI instrument of the LBT. This is the first application of our algorithm to real data. It demonstrates its readiness level and paves the way to further testing. Our PSF-R algorithm is able to reconstruct the SR and full-width at half maximum of the observed PSFs with errors smaller than 2% and 4.5%, respectively. We carried out the scientific evaluation of the obtained reconstructed PSFs thanks to a dedicated set of simulated observations of an ideal science case.


In health insurance markets, an insurer's Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) is the share of premiums spent on medical claims. As part of the goal of reducing the cost of health care coverage, the Affordable Care Act introduced minimum MLR provisions for all health insurance sold in fully-insured commercial markets as of 2011, thereby explicitly capping insurer profit margins, but not levels. This cap was binding for many insurers, with over $1 billion of rebates paid in the first year of implementation. We model this constraint imposed upon a monopolistic insurer, and derive distortions analogous to those created under cost of service regulation. We test the implications of the model empirically using administrative data from 2005–2013, with insurers persistently above the minimum MLR threshold serving as the control group in a difference-in-difference design. We find that rather than resulting in reduced premiums, claims costs increased nearly one-for-one with distance below the regulatory threshold, 7% in the individual market, and 2% in the group market. the impact of the 80/20 rule on MLRs, medical claims per life-year, and premiums per life-year using annual data from 2005{2013 from the National Association of Insurance (NAIC). This organization standardizes state-level reporting of insurer (cid:12)nances and formed the basis of reporting requirements that were adopted as part of federal MLR regulation. These data allow the construction of a panel both preceding and after the implementation of federal MLR regulation at the unit of observation at which the regulation applies: for each insurer, in each market segment, in each state, for each year. our


Energy and power transport in a self‐magnetically insulated triplate transmission line are examined. The experiments are done on the MITE accelerator (2 MV, 0.4 MA, 40 ns), which is one module of the electron beam fusion accelerator, EBFA I. The transport efficiency is very sensitive to the injection geometry. An abrupt transition at the beginning of the line causes ∼40% power losses through an apparent instability. The growth length of the instability is ∼53 cm in a line with a vacuum wave impedance Z0=7.6 Ω. A second loss mechanism is associated with an azimuthal asymmetry in the self‐magnetic field near the injection region. Both loss mechanisms were avoided by properly shaping the input to the transmission line and 90% energy transport and ∼100% power transport were achieved.


Coeliac disease (CD) is caused by a complex immunological response provoked by grain protein in susceptible people. The majority of people with CD are symptom‐free adults; the remainder are prone to a bewildering variety of signs and symptoms, ranging from infertility to type 1 diabetes. Many patients with undiagnosed CD spend years seeking help for complaints such as chronic tiredness or mild abdominal symptoms. In primary care, an appropriate target group to test for CD is people with anaemia (especially women), chronic tiredness, non‐specific abdominal symptoms (including so‐called "irritable bowel syndrome"), or a family history of CD. The response to an appropriate gluten‐free diet is often life‐transforming for symptomatic patients. Positive serological tests for CD require confirmation by duodenal biopsy and, if confirmed, referral to a dietitian and a coeliac society, followed by a life‐long gluten‐free diet.


In this study, multivariate demand models were estimated based on large-scale surveys of commercial vehicle operators in California to determine the current use and perceptions of advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) among these firms. Data were used for identifying organizational and operational characteristics making these technologies attractive and for predicting potential adoption of the technologies by carrier type. A secondary goal of the study was to explore the extent to which new logistics intermediaries, such as "infomediaries", are likely to develop advanced information technologies for the freight industry.


Biotic ligand model(BLM) is a model that predicts the metal bioavailability based on environmental parameters.Biological sites that interact with metal ions are considered as biotic ligands.Aquatic chemistry is taken into account by BLM model to predict the bioavailability,an important concept that is tightly associated with toxicity and has been used in water quality standard.Benefited from advancement of various sciences including environmental chemistry,biology,physiology and computer science,BLM model can use readily available water quality data to predict the bioavailability and toxicity of quite a few metals for many biological species.Water quality data can be obtained in routine water quality monitoring.Theoretical background as well as current application for BIM model in surface waters in China and other countries was introduced,drawbacks of the model were also discussed.


In this work, we studied the influence of the doping rate of the CIGSe layer on the recombination-generation mechanisms with 25 nm incorporation of a KF layer on a CIGSe solar cell. The different doping taken are Nb=1015cm-3, Nb=1016cm-3 et Nb=1017cm-3. Numerical modeling with the SCAPS-1D software shows that the generation rate varies slightly while that of recombination is very important, explained by a strong presence of traps in the CIGSe bandgap.


This study focused on using liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry to detect N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) at trace concentrations in water. The water sample was preconcentrated by solid-phase extraction method. To find an elution which can obtain higher recovery, three reagents with different organic solvents were examined. After comparing the recoveries and the standard deviation of the elution, finally the dichloromethane was determined as the elution of the experiment. Then the concentrated sample was analyzed by a method combining SPE pretreatment and LC separation with tandem mass spectrometry using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM).


Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) assures to revolutionize sensing in a spatially dispersed and dedicated manner in various applications. It requires adopting a security mechanism for critical applications. Though many cryptographic algorithms are available it strength depends upon the key used for encrypting and decrypting the collected data. Key Management Scheme (KMS), a technique for establishing and maintaining the key relation, play a vital role in any security mechanism. The proposed work was focused on pairwise key establishment using QR based matrix Decomposition method. Though many metrics are available the prime factor for any WSN is key connectivity. The proposed KMS focuses on 100% key connectivity compared to probabilistic approach. For each communications different symmetric matrices are generated and are decomposed into Q and R matrix. This scheme is implemented in LPC2148 with Xbee to check its feasibility in real time applications. Performance analysis shows that the proposed method achieves 100% key connectivity, better resilience and scalability.


The invention pertains to a portable device comprising a housing, a display, a storage medium, at least one acceleration sensor, means for calculating an activity parameter based on the signal generated by the acceleration sensor, storing the calculated parameter in the storage medium, and showing the same in the display. The said parameter is the Physical Activ ity Index (PAI) or a derivative thereof.


There have been concerns that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are over-represented but not recognised in prison populations. A screening tool for ASDs in prisons has therefore been developed. Aims We aimed to evaluate this tool in Scottish prisoners by comparing scores with standard measures of autistic traits (Autism Quotient (AQ)), neurodevelopmental history (Asperger Syndrome (and High-Functioning Autism) Diagnostic Interview (ASDI)), and social cognition (Ekman 60 Faces test). Methods Prison officers across all 12 publicly-run closed prisons in Scotland assessed convicted prisoners using the screening tool. This sample included male and female prisoners and both adult and young offenders. Prisoners with high scores, along with an equal number of age and sex-matched controls, were invited to take part in interviews. Prisoners' relatives were contacted to complete a neurodevelopmental assessment. Results 2458 prisoners were screened using the tool, and 4% scored above the cut-off. 126 prisoners were further assessed using standardised measures. 7 of those 126 assessed scored 32 or above (cut-off) on the AQ. 44 interviews were completed with prisoners' relatives, no prisoner reached the cut-off score on the ASDI. Scores on the screening tool correlated significantly with AQ and ASDI scores, and not with the Ekman 60 Faces Test or IQ. Sensitivity was 28.6% and specificity 75.6%; AUC was 59.6%. Conclusions Although this screening tool measures autistic traits in this population, sensitivity for scores of 32 or above on the AQ is poor. We consider that this limits its usefulness and do not recommend that the tool is routinely used to screen for ASDs in prisons.


Legislative measures, rather than further technological advances, are needed if there is to be any extensive development of Vessel Traffic Services. Reasons are given why this conclusion differs from that of the COST 301 Study with respect to legal liability of Vessel Traffic Services.


Abstract Two Waratah 234 single-grip harvester heads were assessed for productivity and log-processing accuracy while working in radiata pine clearfell operations in New Zealand forests. Estimated productivity, processing stockpiled trees into logs on a landing in a ground-based operation, was 77 m3 per productive machine hour (PMH) in an average tree size of 1.63 m3. In a yarder-based trial, processing trees into logs on a landing, productivity was 77 m3/PMH in an average tree size of 3.1 m3. Length-measuring accuracy in a later trial was shown to be within ± 5 cm for 93% of logs. In a second ground-based trial, estimated productivity for an average extracted tree size of 1.95m3 was: • 51 trees/PMH (100m3) for felling, tree-length delimbing and bunching. • 73 trees/PMH (143m3) for tree-length delimbing (butt-first) and bunching of manually felled trees.


The discussion of the status of the Z$sub 1$* covers the substantial improvement in the differential cross section data for K$sup +$p elastic scattering and an improved energy dependent analysis based on the K-matrix formalism, which in order to fit the data, requires a P/sub $sup 3$/$sub 2$/- resonance pole. (JFP)


A direct arithmetic of special cross positioning is researched.In this paper,the relation between positioning error,observation error and station error is discussed.Error GDOP distribution figures under various of accuracy conditions are simulated,and the rerult is of guiding significance to practical application.


The metics of Gortyna came under the jurisdiction of the special courts for foreigners, κσενεία δίκα, and of the κσένιος κόσμος, an official who is often named in Gortynian inscriptions. From one of these we can infer that freedmen were classed with metics, because of the artisan status of both.


Wnt/β-catenin is the most important and more understanding pathway in Wnt/β-pathays, which is closely related to pathogenesis and development of many solid tumors. Recently, researches discovered that Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway may be involved in malignant hematopoiesis, and abnormally activated in many hematologicalmalignancies. This article reviews the newest studies on relationship between Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway and hematological malignancies (multiple myeloma, chronic myeloid leukemia, chronic lympholytic leukemia, acute leukemia and so on) in order to reveal the related pathogenesis of hematological malignancies and provide new opinions for target therapy of these diseases.


The operation of a pulsed, watt-level, low-pressure far infrared (FIR) laser is described. Single mode output powers of 0.1-1 W are obtained from several molecular gases in the 300-1200 microm region. Plasma diagnostic applications are discussed.


The transport layer's protocols have been used in the Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in order to achieve data reliability. However, the limitations of the WSNs did not usually considered when implementing these protocols in the stack of the sensor nodes. In this paper, the TCP protocol has been modified in order to use it with the unique characteristics of the WSNs. The TCP is connection-oriented protocol, which may cause extra overhead, but it will reduce the number of redundant packets. This will also cause increasing the lifetime. In addition, that applying the TCP protocol in the WSN will make it reachable from the traditional wire or wireless network without gateway or connecter. Our proposed stack model has achieved better simulation result that the traditional sensor node stacks in term of throughput, packets loss ratio, and network lifetime.


It is shown that energy in the form of magnetic field can be converted with essentially 100% efficiency into synchrotron radiation and cosmic rays under conditions expected to be present in astrophysical objects such as the Crab Nebula. The radiation reaction from synchrotron radiation provides an effective resistance that allows merging of magnetic field lines. The induction electric field generated by this merging accelerates the electrons to restore the energy lost as radiation. In astrophysical applications this mechanism can maintain the relativistic electron energies.


Populations of phase oscillators can display a variety of synchronization patterns. This depends on the coupling between oscillators and on intrinsic properties like the oscillators' natural frequency. If several populations with unimodal frequency distribution are coupled to one another, the resulting dynamics may resemble that of a single population with multimodally distributed frequencies; see, e.g., [3-5] for related conjectures. Using an Ott-Antonsen ansatz in the all-to-all coupled Kuramoto model [1], we have proven that in the case of two symmetric networks both the subpopulation approach and the bimodal approach are equivalent and lead to the same properties as regards stability, dynamics, and bifurcations [2]. This equivalence strongly suggests a generalization to more complicated set-ups. On the one hand, our findings for two populations seem to be robust when refraining from perfect symmetry assumptions, see, e.g., [5]. On the other hand, the step to more than two populations appears to be not trivial at all. Even in the case of three populations, the network dynamics cease from being analyzed by means of the Ott-Antonsen ansatz. In our talk, we will address these three points step by step. First, we discuss the dynamics of two coupled symmetric populations of Kuramoto phase oscillators. It turns out that, compared to the bimodal network as has been studied by Martens and co-workers [3], an additional bifurcation parameter enters the system. However, we show that this parameter does not lead to new dynamical behavior, but both descriptions prove to be topologically equivalent. Second, we add asymmtry in the frequency distributions. A starting point here is the work by Pazó and Montbrió [5], which then will be compared against our results. Last, we give an outlook for investigating more than two populations, and discuss chances and problems when comparing the coupled subpopulation approach vis-à-vis the multimodal approach.


Abstract. Anti‐hepatitis B core (anti‐HBc) screening is now used in some countries as a surrogate test to reduce the incidence of posttransfusion non‐A, non‐B hepatitis. The purpose of this study was to develop and standardize an alternate assay, for the detection of anti‐HBc, based on a direct‐binding enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (db‐ELISA). Microtiter plates were coated with recombinant DNA hepatitis B core antigen. Patient antibody was detected spectrophotometrically using a goat, anti‐human immunoglobulin conjugated with horseradish peroxidase. The db‐ELISA was compared to a standard competitive‐binding ELISA (cb‐ELISA). A competitive‐binding radioimmunoassay (cb‐RIA) was used as the reference assay for this study. The specificity of the cb‐ELISA was 50% and the positive predictive value was 64% when compared to the cb‐RIA. The specificity and positive predictive value of the db‐ELISA were both 97% when compared to the cb‐RIA. Based on titration studies, the sensitivity of the db‐ELISA is at least equal to the cb‐RIA. Based on the data generated in this study, the db‐ELISA appears to be an acceptable screening test for anti‐HBc.


Instability of the seabed due to storm waves may cause damage to coastal/offshore structures. Saturated sand deposits in loose to medium dense condition contract under cyclic shearing causing the buildup of positive pore water pressure. For severe wave loadings, this could lead to a significant reduction of effective stress and soil liquefaction. In addition to detailed cyclic plasticity models for describing progressive generation of pore water pressure, a number of experimental models have been developed based on results of cyclic triaxial tests. Such tests mostly considered isotropic consolidation condition prior to cyclic shearing. However, the presence of static shear stress and hence anisotropy of geostatic stresses (e.g., under the foundation of structures) has been shown to alter the soil cyclic behavior significantly. Pan and Yang (2018) proposed a pore pressure buildup model for sands considering the effect of static shear stress ratio SSR on the residual response of the soil following anisotropic undrained cyclic triaxial tests. This study aims at modeling of wave-MHK-poro-elastoplastic seabed interaction with the focus on geomechanical investigation of pore pressure buildup in sands under various ranges of SSR.


Thus, despite a wealth of interesting material, the book's concluding attempt to argue that consumerism—a global phenomenon, but one nurtured best by European culture—has promoted "economic growth, social solidarity, and the intellectual creativity on which both depend" (p. 244) falls flat. It has not shown that preindustrial consumerism was uniquely developed in Europe, much less that this can be explained by culture; nor has it shown that "thinking with" consumer goods launched other aspects of modern social, economic and cultural change, rather than vice versa. But it is useful and provocative in the ways that it lays out a base of Eurasian commonalities to serve as a starting point from which to think about later divergences.


A new electrochemical method for the determination of albendazole was described in the presence of microwave activation.The electrochemical characteristics of albendazole were studied by cyclic voltammetry(CV) at GC electrode in an environment of microwave radiation.A considerable current enhancement was observed for albendazole in pH 1.0 H2SO4.The experimental conditions were optimized.Under the optimal conditions,albendazole was determined in the absence and presence of microwave activation.The result indicated that,in the absence of microwave activation,a good linear relationship between peak current and albendazole concentration in the range of 4.0×10-5-1.0×10-3 mol/L with a detection limit of 1.78×10-5 mol/L(S/N=3) and a linear regression equation of Ip(μA)=8.303 6c(mmol/L)+0.727 1(r=0.999 3,n=7).In the presence of 80 W microwave activation,the calibration was linear for albendazole concentration in the range of 2.0×10-5-1.0×10-3 mol/L with a detection limit of 1.01×10-5 mol/L(S/N=3) and a linear regression equation of Ip(μA)=15.41c(mmol/L)+1.435 9(r=0.998 9,n=8).The current of albendazole was about two times higher than that in the absence of microwave activation.The proposed method in the presence of microwave activation showed high selectivity,sensitivity,simple sample preparation,and was used for the determination of albendazole tablet with satisfactory results.


181 Background: Caregivers of patients with advanced cancer often face significant physical, social, and emotional distress. In many Latin American cultures, family plays a particularly important role in the decision-making process of patients with cancer, and relatives often assume the role of unpaid caregivers. However, there is limited research about the burden associated with cancer unpaid caregiving among patients living in Latin America. We aimed to describe the profile of caregivers and to identify patient-related factors associated with caregiver burden in a third-level cancer center in Mexico City. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers included in a multidisciplinary patient navigator-led supportive care program in Mexico City ( Te Acompañamos). At the time of enrollment in the program, caregivers completed a short version of the Zarit Burden scale and patients completed a series of screening questionnaires including assessments of quality of life (FACT-G), depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). Life expectancy was calculated using the palliative performance scale (PPS). We used descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression analyses to understand which patient factors were associated with higher caregiver burden. Results: A total of 321 patients with advanced cancer (58% women; average age 63.3 +/- 14 years; 32.7 with hepatopancreatobiliary tumors) and 321 caregivers (67.1% women; 44% were the patient's son/daughter; 29% were their spouses) were included. Sixty-four caregivers (20%) had a high caregiver burden (score > 16 in the Zarit scale). Caregiver burden was more common among the patients' spouses (24.1 %) followed by brothers/sisters (23.6%). On univariate analysis, moderate/severe levels of depression (p = 0.001), moderate/severe levels of anxiety (p = 0.02), and lower PPS scores (p = 0.002) were associated with a high caregiver´s burden. Multivariate analysis showed that only PPS < 180 days was associated with increased odds of having caregiver burden (2.0; 95% CI 1.8-3.7); p = 0.02). Conclusions: A significant proportion of unpaid caregivers of Mexican patients with advanced cancer report high levels of caregiver burden, and the odds of having caregiver burden are increased when the patient has a calculated life expectancy of <6 months. These results suggest targets for future supportive care interventions to improve caregiver wellbeing in Latin American and Hispanic populations.


The first objective of this study was to investigate the capabilities of ERS-2 SAR data (supplemented by one optical image) for producing fully validated regional area estimates of important crops. This study included the development of a sampling strategy in order to determine whether subsets of the region could be extrapolated to obtain similar area estimates to those obtained for the entire region. The second objective was to identify short-term opportunities and to make recommendations for increasing the exploitation of SAR data within the Agribusiness market sector. This entailed the identification of the information requirements of the agribusiness sector, and an assessment of the capability of current radar sensors. ERS-2 data were acquired over the majority of East Anglia (UK) during the 1997/1998 growing season. All radar data were radiometrically and geometrically corrected using NRSC's TSAR software. An IRS LISS-III optical image was also acquired (May 1998) and geocorrected. The ERS-2 data were classified for the winter and summer period using NRSC's SAR CLASSIFIER and the optical image was classified using ERDAS IMAGINE software to produce regional classifications. The purpose of the optical image was to improve the area estimates for the summer period. To monitor large areas on a monthly basis is currently not cost effective so a sampling strategy was devised and the regional classifications were used to extract data for 30 mini-sites. Area estimates were recalculated from the mini-sites using a defined extrapolation methodology. The crop area estimates extrapolated from the mini-sites were compared to estimates obtained for the whole region. It was assumed that if results compared well at a regional level, the sampling methodology could also be applied at a national level. The classifications have been validated and the region and mini-site area estimates have been compared with area estimates derived from [27]. The area estimates obtained for the mini-sites were considerably different to those obtained for the entire region. Further research into sampling strategies and extrapolation methodologies will therefore be required. The area estimates derived from the optical image were superior to those derived from the SAR imagery. This project indicates that current radar sensors cannot satisfy the user requirements of the agribusiness sector. Future SAR sensors, including ENVISAT (multi-polarisation data) and TERRASAR (higher spatial resolution, multi-band, multi-polarisation data), may be able to provide improved results. AGRIBUSINESS REQUIREMENTS The information requirements of the agribusiness market were identified using findings of previous user requirement studies and NRSC in-house knowledge of the market. The majority of agribusiness contributors in the study were from Spain, France and the UK. The sectors involved included fertiliser and agrochemical manufacturers/distributors, agronomy service provision companies, seed companies, machinery manufacturers, food processors, grain millers and merchants, importers/exporters and commodity brokers, insurance companies and co-operatives. Nutrient status emerged as the most common information requirement, whilst crop identification and growth stage are the least in demand for the respondents represented. Certain expected national differences emerge, such as the greater demand for water stress information in Spain, and the greater demand for disease information in the UK. This work is funded by the European Space Agency, ESRIN, Via Galileo ,00044 FRASCATI, Italy. The most desirable products in order of priority include: Nitrogen status, Crop Condition/vigour map, Soil Maps, Lodging risk map, Final yield prediction, Crop establishment map, Confirm final yield map, Crop identification map. The fact that many individual information requirements were of a similar level of importance suggests a demand for an ERS service to meet multiple information needs with its products. The preference for a suite of products has been expressed by farmer/agronomist focus groups in the UK and by individuals in agricultural institutions and agribusiness. Furthermore, given the high temporal frequency and urgency of information requirements for crop management, product dissemination is a major issue and expense. The more information requirements are met by a package of products, the more acceptably the costs of service provision and data dissemination will be absorbed. Few applications (except for example disease detection) require turn-around of less than seven days to be of value. The remaining agribusiness requirements are satisfied by data delivered days or even weeks after acquisition, which places less pressure on the structure for product dissemination, even if the medium of delivery is hard copy or CD-Rom. The overall frequency requirements are predominantly for weekly or fortnightly information during the main growing period. Many of the delivery demands made by survey respondents are ideals. In fact, a monthly (ERS-based) service may well be acceptable where the current sources are weak or non-existent. In addition, there are also significant demands for data on a monthly or annual basis, which should not present a problem to image acquisition. Recent projects to determine the validity of an operational service to farmers and growers have been based on multispectral optical instruments. The products were deemed to be of great potential value to the agricultural community, but an operational service could not be provided due to cloud cover issues. It is likely that in order to offer a robust service, optical and radar data will need to be combined. It has been shown that current radar systems can provide a method of determining "crop group" as designated by the European Union's subsidy scheme, but are not able to discriminate at the species or sub-species level. The ability of ERS SAR to identify crop groups by means of a classification technique, based on known ground truth, is tested within this study. SATELLITE DATA AND PROCESSING


Extensive and independent observations of Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) SN 2013dy are presented, including a larger set of UBVRI photometry and optical spectra from a few days before the peak brightness to ∼ 200 days after explosion, and ultraviolet (UV) photometry spanning from t ≈ –10 days to t ≈ +15 days refers to the B band maximum. The peak brightness (i.e., MB = –19.65 ± 0.40 mag; Lmax = [1.95 ± 0.55] × 1043 erg s−1) and the mass of synthesized 56Ni (i.e., M(56Ni) = 0.90 ± 0.26 M⊙) are calculated, and they conform to the expectation for an SN Ia with a slow decline rate (i.e., Δm15(B) = 0.90 ± 0.03 mag). However, the near infrared (NIR) brightness of this SN (i.e., MH = –17.33 ± 0.30 mag) is at least 1.0 mag fainter than usual. Besides, spectroscopy classification reveals that SN 2013dy resides on the border of "core normal" and "shallow silicon" subclasses in the Branch et al. classification scheme, or on the border of the "normal velocity" SNe Ia and 91T/99aa-like events in the Wang et al. system. These suggest that SN 2013dy is a slow-declining SN Ia located on the transitional region of nominal spectroscopic subclasses and might not be a typical normal sample of SNe Ia.


The size of hydraulic pipeline of directional drill directly affects the energy loss and the volume weight of the pipeline.The paper introduces an optimization design with consideration both in energy loss and pipeline volume to build up the object function of intake pipeline;the rational pipeline size is determined by programming and solution.


The current renewed interest in the study of borders and borderlands is paralleled by a growing concern and debate on the possibility of a border model, or models, and of a border theory, or theories. Certainly, there is a new attention to theoretical consideration and discussion that could help sharpen our understanding of borders. In this essay, I argue that a model or general framework is helpful for understanding borders, and I suggest a theory of borders. The seeds of my arguments are grounded in a variety of discussions and in the works of border scholars from a variety of social science disciplines. My contention is that the literature on borders, boundaries, frontiers, and borderland regions suggests four equally important analytical lenses: (1) market forces and trade flows, (2) policy activities of multiple levels of governments on adjacent borders, (3) the particular political clout of borderland communities, and (4) the specific culture of borderland communities. A model of border studies is presented in the second part of this essay, and I argue that these lenses provide a way of developing a model that delineates a constellation of variables along four dimensions.


ABSTRACT: This paper presents a dynamic simulation and analysis of the "Sierra de María" photovoltaic system (Almería, South East of Spain), which consists of two identical subsystems with: 80 kWp photovoltaic array, 1176 kWh lead-acid batteries device, 150 kVA PWM inverter and 200 kVA six pulse rectifier. The simulation and analysis of the whole photovoltaic "Sierra de María" system was made taking into account the dynamic models of photovoltaic array, battery system, inverter, rectifier and electrical network. An electromagnetic transients simulation program was employed


A sustained release composition comprising spray dried particles of at least one polysaccharide gum and at least one polyhydric sugar alcohol, as well as methods of making the sustained released composition are provided. A sustained release pharmaceutical solid dosage form, and a method of making the solid dosage form by compression are also provided.


The article introduces peculiarities of autistic children and important signs for early identification. It analyzes some possibilities of organizing and managing education of autistic children.


'THE Negroes form the largest minority group in American life, accounting for 10% of the population of the United States. They have been connected with the history of the country since the days of colonisation. It is because they were among the earliest settlers. Records dating back to 1502 show that they were in America with the earliest Spanish explorers. From 1527 to 1539 they were to be found in Florida, in the Mississipi River area and in Alabama. In 1619 they were brought into the Virginia colony, which was established by the English in 1607.


Describes Bekhmeia wetzeli n.g. n.sp., a fasciculate stromatoporoid from the lower Cretaceous Qamchuqa limestone of Bekhme gorge, Kurdistan, Iraq; a summary of the Jurassic-Cretaceous stratigraphy at the type locality is included.


There now exist close to 20 years of history in the application of Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) for the analysis of fire risk at nuclear power plants. The current methods are based on various assumptions regarding fire phenomena, the impact of fire on equipment and operator response, and the overall progression of a fire event from initiation through final resolution. Over this same time period, a number of significant fire incidents have occurred at nuclear power plants around the world. Insights gained from US experience have been used in US studies as the statistical basis for establishing fire initiation frequencies both as a function of the plant area and the initiating fire source.To a lesser extent, the fire experience has also been used to assess the general severity and duration of fires. However, aside from these statistical analyses, the incidents have rarely been scrutinized in detail to verify the underlying assumptions of fire PRAs. This paper discusses an effort, under which a set of fire incidents are being reviewed in order to gain insights directly relevant to the methods, data, and assumptions that form the basis for current fire PRAs. The paper focuses on the objectives of the effort, the specific fire events being reviews methodology, and anticipated follow-on activities.


Department of Materials Science and Engineering & CaliforniaNanosystems Institute, University of California at Los Angeles,Los Angeles, California 90095Received April 17, 2009Revised Manuscript Received May 27, 2009Conjugated polymers have been a popular research field inthepastthreedecadessincethediscoveryofconductingpolymersin 1977,


The design and performance of a laser‐excited cesium antimonide (Cs3Sb) photoemissive electron source operating in an electron‐gun configuration is described. Such an electron source has advantages of higher brightness, beam shapeability, low‐temperature operation, external modulability, and ease of service compared with conventional thermal and field emission sources. With an uncooled photoemissive source operating at 2.9 A/cm2, cathode life exceeded 50 h without degradation. Photoemissive electron sources should be especially useful in applications requiring high‐resolution imaging or high‐frequency pulsed operation.


An antimicrobial composition comprising: (a) a first component comprising at least one selected from the group of Gram-positive bactericidal or bacteriostatic compounds: lantibiotics, pediocin and nisin bacteriocin, and enzymes; and (b) a second component comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of: hops acids or hops acid derivatives, hops and hop resin derivative resin; and the said method of the solid composition to the food surface.


A transverse study has been led to the Conkouati-Douli National Park (CDNP), among hunters of the region, in order to identify hunters and convenient there pertaining. The investigation, achieved by means of a questionnaire, concerned 52 hunters. Their mean age was of 48.2 years (range: 18~62 years old). Males practised essentially hunt activity. The most group for age was represented by hunters aged less than 46 years (76.9%; p<0.01). Concerning the matrimonial status, 2 topics on three were bachelors. However, most of them (90.4%) had people to load: 46.2% (inferior to 5 peoples), 44.2% between 5 and 10 peoples. Besides, the matrimonial status didn't link to the type of hunt practised. Hunt was practised all along the year, but with the seasonal variations in dejected game term. Otherwise, 90.4% of these hunters were some permanent residents. Hunt constituted a main activity of the household chief for 67.3% (p<0.01). Among these subjects, 63.5% (p<0.02) of hunters practised an activity of subsistence. Facilities, bought in majority (p<0.001), were dominated by the rifle. In conclusion, hunt within the Conkouati-Douli National Park remain an important part of the food for the population living in the forest. In fact, it exists very little or not of alternatives of rising to provide the sufficient animal protein to communities. However, the diversity of hunt practices contributes to the overexploit of the game, therefore to rarity and/or to the certain species disappearance. Consequently, good governance improves management of the bush meat often integrating claiming of the poor farming populations in majority and needs of the conservation of the resource "wild fauna".


OF THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science Computer Science The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico


Effects of vibration absorbers on the lifting pipe in deep-sea mining have been attracting more and more attention in the recent three decades; however, there are very few reports about the influence of ocean current on the pipe vibration in the literature. Considering the geometrical features of the prototype, this paper establishes the physical model, mathematical model, and simulation model of the lifting subsystem. A comprehensive finite element model for the deep-sea mining system by the OrcaFlex is developed to explore the influences of buffer mass and sailing velocity on the deflection angle and the axial load and stress of the lifting pipe. Analytical and numerical simulations have been formulated to illustrate variation rule of longitudinal vibration and axial stress at the position of pump and buffer for the lifting subsystem to determine the dynamic vibration absorber parameters. In this paper, MATLAB and Orcaflex software are used to verify the mathematical model. The simulation results show that the attaching DVAs can effectively reduce the axial stress, and longitudinal displacement at certain positions of the lifting pipe.


This paper discusses how to assess university students' study achievement on the basis of the management manpower resources, which is one of the modern theories of management. Besides, it presents the necessity and importance of doing so. In addition, the paper analyzes the present situation in assessing university students' study achievement at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. After analyzing both the advantages and disadvantages of this assessment, this paper also puts forth some methods and rational advice to assess university students' study achievement.


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Heating and cooling load calculations are critical to size Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning (HVAC) systems and determine energy use of their operations. The ASHRAE (2009) model, which is most commonly used for heating load calculations, adopts a simplified approach by considering only steady-state instantaneous conductive heat transfer and ignoring internal heat gains and thermal storage effects. Those assumptions evaluate the worst case conditions which can reasonably occur at nights when the outdoor air temperature is lowest and with no inputs from solar, occupants, lights, or any electronic devices. However, due to thermal storage effect, heat generated in daytime can be still stored in buildings. Such ignorance leads to significantly over-sized heating system, high initial cost and a higher cost of energy uses. On the other hand, by considering passive thermal storage of buildings and allowing space air to drift to reasonably lower values, buildings need to be warmed up in the morning before being occupied. The worst case conditions might happen in the morning warm-up period, when heating is needed. This study therefore examines the thermal response of different constructions (heavy, medium, and light) of the building envelope and investigates the effect of their passive thermal storage on the size of the heating system. Results show tremendous opportunities for downsizing of the heating system while still maintaining thermal comfort requirements. As such, this paper is a fundamental study of building thermal characteristics in order to investigate the potentials of establishing a new heating device design standard.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


As the demand for replacing missing teeth with a fixed prosthesis has increased, it is imperative that a dentist should graduate with sufficient skills to provide this service to the patient efficiently. The objective of this limited study was to evaluate the capabilities of the male interns working at the KSUCD to perform full veneer, metal ceramic crown preparations. The interns were requested to provide the casts with dies or second pours of the final impressions of their patients receiving fixed prosthodontic treatment at the College of Dentistry during 2002-2003. A total of 32 casts with 52 teeth prepared for either single crown or a retainer for fixed partial dentures were submitted. Two evaluators evaluated the quality of these preparations by eye. Tapers of the 37 preparations were found to be satisfactory. 41 preparations were considered to have sufficient occlusal reduction, whereas 40 teeth had proper axial reduction accomplished with desirable marginal width for placing a metal ceramic restoration. Overall quality of 37 out of 52 preparations (71%) was considered as acceptable. 5 of the remaining 15 preparations were graded as borderline preparations with questionable prognosis and 10 preparations were so poorly accomplished that any prosthesis fabricated on them would be a failure. Due to the fact that almost 29 % of these preparations were graded as borderline or failures (15 out of 52), this study indicates the need for continued clinical supervision of the interns during their internship tenure.


We made a system which characterizes the performance of large glass filters for Suprime-Cam, prime focus camera for the Subaru telescope. We set up a standard format for the characterization based on a series of straightforward measurements. Characterization of Suprime-Cam filters has been made to be a routine work by this system. This paper describes the hardware of the system and format of the measurements. Transmittance curves of several filters measured with the system are also presented.


Theoretical investigations for obtaining x-ray point focusing by using crystals with two- dimensionally modulated surfaces are carried out. Based on the Bragg and Fresnel diffraction principles, formulae of modulated surfaces (structures) are derived for both flat and bent crystals for focusing x rays to micron or submicron size. It is found that elliptically shaped and linearly modulated structures are suitable for flat and cylindrically bent crystals, respectively. For the given Ti K(alpha) radiation and geometric parameters, Si (111) and InSb (111) reflections are used for the calculations of flat and bent crystals in terms of their focus characteristics, namely the focusing efficiency and the focus width. The influence of the distribution of the Bragg amplitude on flat and bent crystals is also discussed.


This thesis contrasts railroading history in England, France, Germany, and the United States to highlight the differences and similarities between them.


I AM, indeed, deeply appreciative of the extraordinary honour of being invited to deliver the Semon Lecture in 1969^ His many unique, scientific contributions in laryngology included pioneer efforts to establish the curative role of thyrotomy in the treatment of early cordal carcinoma^ Sir Felix Semon practised and taught conservation surgery as far back as 1880. He advocated partial laryngectomy as the procedure of choice in the treatment of unilateral lesions of the vocal cords as opposed to the then popular total laryngectomy. He resented the fact 'that there still exists amongst continental and North American surgeons—a measure of latent opposition to this conservative operation, in place of which the mutilating removal of the entire larynx is preferred'. Some of his thinking may well be applicable today to the surgical treatment of carcinoma of the epiglottis. In the autobiography of Sir Felix Semon (Semon and Mclntyre, 1926) numerous references are made to his being physician to royalty as well as to the most prominent statesmen of his day. I was particularly intrigued by his association with Mr. Gladstone. On one visit to the Gladstone estate, Sir Felix Semon brought his newly constructed, small electric laryngoscope. He was asked to demonstrate the various ways in which the instrument could be used on a living subject. Sir William Harcourt was to be the victim but before he would lend himself to being examined—he asked the following question of Sir Semon: 'Can you see with this mirror whether a


The concept of the fluid particle in porous media is introduced and a new continuum model of fluid in porous media is established in the paper, based on the continuum model of fluid in the fluid mechanics. Then the fundamental equations of the incompressible Newton fluid flowing in the isotropy porous media are derived according to the new continuum model.


The Indonesian government has merged Islamic banks in Indonesia, namely Bank Syariah Mandiri (BSM), Bank Rakyat Indonesia Syariah (BRIS), and Bank Negara Indonesia Syariah (BNIS) into Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) to strengthen the competitiveness of Islamic banks. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of mergers of Islamic banks in Indonesia which were carried out in such a short period based on factors of employee age, employee experience, and employee productivity. The method used in this study is a quantitative method sourced from secondary data, namely the annual report. Furthermore, the formulation of the problems in this study includes: (i) Is there a gap in the age and experience of employees of each ex-legacy bank?; (ii) What were each ex-legacy bank's performance and productivity conditions before the merger?; (iii) How is the productivity of the merged bank when compared to the productivity of the ex-legacy bank?. The results of this study state that there is a potential for internal conflicts related to the staffing aspect and a decrease in productivity both in terms of profit and assets from ex-legacy banks with enormous profits and assets. Therefore, the implication of this study is to provide information to government stakeholders to take follow-up actions against the merged Islamic bank to mitigate conflicts and provide benefits or maslahah for both external and internal parties. The originality of this study is to discuss mergers of Islamic banks that are associated with staffing factors and employee productivity.


In this paper, the mechanism of air breakdown of high power microwave pulse is discussed. The propagation characteristics of electromagnetic wave in air is studied through numerical simulation. The results show that the influence of plasma can not be omitted, When high power microwave pulse propagates in the plasma. When the high power microwave propagates in a rapidly created low dense plasma by gas discharge, the reflected plane wave is very weak, the influence of plasma can be omitted. When the high power microwave propagates in a rapidly created high dense plasma by gas discharge, the reflected plane wave is equal to the transmitted plane wave, the influence of plasma is significant.


Accelerating aging of aramid composites was programmed in a weathering chamber.The structure and properties were investigated by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry(ATR-FTIR),Dynamic Mechanical Analysis(DMA) and ballistic tests.The results revealed that the physical aging was the main aging mechanism in this system.The behavior of moisture absorption and desorption were different between the beginning stage and last 8 weeks.The cooperative changes in moisture and FTIR properties were observed.The glass transition temperature(Tg) was affected by aging.It is suggested the phase separation happened during the exposure.An empirical formula was obtained according to the Arrhenius model.This formula can be used to predict the degree of phase separation.Weathering aging had slightly effect on the ballistic performance of the aramid composites.


— A hybrid approach based on multirate signal processing and sensory data fusion is proposed for the condition monitoring and identification of fault signal signatures used in the Flight ECS (Engine Control System) unit. Though motor current signature analysis (MCSA) is widely used for fault detection now-a-days, the proposed hybrid method qualifies as one of the most powerful online/offline techniques for diagnosing the process faults. Existing approaches have some drawbacks that can degrade the performance and accuracy of a process- diagnosis system. In particular, it is very difficult to detect random stochastic noise due to the nonlinear behavior of valve controller. Using only Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT), frequency leakage and the small amplitude of the current components related to the fault can be observed, but the fault due to the controller behavior cannot be observed. Therefore, a framework of advanced multirate signal and data-processing aided with sensor fusion algorithms is proposed in this article and satisfactory results are obtained. For implementing the system, a DSP-based BLDC motor controller with three-phase inverter module (TMS 320F2812) is used and the performance of the proposed method is validated on real time data.


Major outbursts have been observed from the well known high-energy-peaked blazar Markarian 501 since its discovery in 1996. Two episodes of very-high-energy gamma-ray flaring events during 2005 May–July and 2012 June are of special significance, as the source exhibited extreme HBL-like behavior. The successful standard photohadronic model does not adequately explain these extraneous behaviors. We propose a two-zone photohadronic scenario to overcome this problem. In this picture, the low-energy regime (zone-1) of the spectrum follows the standard photohadronic interpretation, while the high-energy regime (zone-2) of the spectrum is new, with a spectral index δ2 ≥ 3.1, which is solely due to the extreme nature of the flaring event. We also estimate the bulk Lorentz factor corresponding to these extreme flaring events. By analyzing many flaring events before and after these extreme events we argue that the extreme HBL-like events are transient and may repeat in the future.


8:45 am Welcome Baroness Deech, Chair, Bar Standards Board Charles Plant, Chair, Solicitors Regulation Authority Professor Dan Barnhizer, Michigan State University 9:00-11:00 am What Lawyers are Supposed to Be Chair: Andrew Boon Thomas Morgan, Oppenheim Professor of Antitrust & Trade Regulation Law, George Washington University, "The Vanishing American Lawyer" Russell G. Pearce, Edward & Marilyn Bellet Professor of Legal Ethics, Morality, and Religion, Fordham University School of Law, "Law Practice as a Morally Responsible Business: Reintegrating Ethics into Economics and Law" Susan Martyn, Stoepler Professor of Law and Values, University of Toledo "The Death of Ethics" Julian Webb, Professor of Legal Education & Director UK Centre for Legal Education, University of Warwick; Senior Associate Research Fellow, IALS "The Moral Economy of Professional Regulation" Discussant: Andrew Boon 11:00-11:15 am Coffee break INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION, VOL. 17, NO. 3, NOVEMBER 2010


Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal primary malignant brain tumor in adults with poor survival due to acquired therapeutic resistance and rapid recurrence. Currently, the standard clinical strategy for glioma includes maximum surgical resection, radiotherapy, and temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy; however, the median survival of patients with GBM remains poor despite these comprehensive therapies. Therefore, the identification of new prognostic biomarkers is urgently needed to evaluate the malignancy and long‐term outcome of glioma.


Objective
To compare the efficacy and safety between mono-chemotherapy and targeted therapy as first-line regimen for patients over 80 years old with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods
108 NSCLC patients aged ≥80 years in our hospital were divided into two groups according to the therapeutic program, of which group A was mono-chemotherapy group (n=60) and group B was targeted therapy group (n=48). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS), while secondary endpoint was objective response rate (RR), disease control rate (DCR) and safety.

Results
The median PFS, and median OS in group B were significantly longer than those in group A (P=0.013, 0.025). The 1-year survival rate of group B was significantly higher than that of group A (P=0.001), and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.605). There was also no statistically significant difference in RR between the two groups (P=0.408). DCR in Group B was significantly higher than that in group A (P=0.043). The incidence of skin rash in group B was significantly higher than that in group A, and the incidence of adverse reactions and hematological toxicity in group A was significantly higher than that in group B.

Conclusions
Compared with single-agent chemotherapy, epithelial growth factor receptor-tyrosinekinase (EGFR-TKI) targeted therapy has longer PFS and OS benefits for patients≥ 80 years with advanced NSCLC, and was well tolerated by patients.

Key words:
Carcinoma, non-small-cell lung/DT; Molecular targeted therapy; Aged, 80 and over


The authors study numerically a 21-site Marland-Betts type cell of the S=1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a triangular lattice with nearest-neighbour (NN) and next-nearest-neighbour (NNN) couplings. The emphasis is on a comparison of the classical picture of this model with its quantum properties. By considering the structure function S(k) they demonstrate that there is a close connection between the classical and the quantum ground states of the system. Contrary to a previous conjecture they find no significant enhancement of the chiral order parameter with increasing strength of the NNN coupling.


Studies were conducted on the use of oil obtained from rapeseed cultivar 'Podmoskovnyj' selection of Federal Williams Research Center of Forage Production and Agroecology in feeding broiler chickens. The experiments were carried out on chickens cross-country "ROSS-308". They were grown in a cell battery. For the experiment, 5 groups were formed. In the start and finish periods, the control group received 2.5 and 3.3% sunflower oil. In the experimental groups, sunflower oil was replaced with rapeseed in the following amounts: the first — 1.0 and 1.0%, the second — 1.5 and 1.7%, the third — 2.0 and 2.5% and the fourth — 2.5 and 3.3%. Feeding was carried out with dry loose feed from a day old. Studies have found that rapeseed oil had less saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, but more unsaturated fatty acids. The amount of erucic acid was 0.20%. The digestibility of nutrients was high and practically did not differ from the control variant, as was the use of nitrogen. The inclusion of rapeseed oil in the composition of feed for broilers did not have a significant impact on the increase in live weight and feed costs. The cost of feed with increasing rapeseed oil in their composition decreased, and the efficiency of converting feed into products increased slightly. Compound feeds with rapeseed oil were not inferior in terms of the efficiency of using compound feed containing sunflower oil.


Generalization of deep neural networks (DNNs) is an open problem which, if solved, could impact the reliability and verification of deep neural network architectures. In this paper, we show that if the usual fidelity term used in training DNNs is augmented by a Lipschitz regularization term, then the networks converge and generalize. The convergence is in the limit as the number of data points, $n\to \infty$, while also allowing the network to grow as needed to fit the data. Two regimes are identified: in the case of clean labels, we prove convergence to the label function which corresponds to zero loss, in the case of corrupted labels which we prove convergence to a regularized label function which is the solution of a limiting variational problem. In both cases, a convergence rate is also provided.


Abstract Ipomoea carnea woody stems were pyrolyzed in a laboratory-scale reactor in the temperatures ranging from 350° to 600°C and at constant heating rate of 5°C/min. Yield, density, ash content, volatile matter, fixed carbon content and calorific value of the charcoal samples produced were evaluated. Charcoal yield ranged from 24.23% to 37.89 wt% and calorific value varied from 17.29 to 33.47 MJ/Kg. Conversion of charcoal fines to solid fuel improved combustion quality. Mass balance experiments of pyrolytic decomposition products of I. carnea yielded much higher percentages of non-condensable liquid (59.2–61.8 wt%) as compared to those of tar (4.2–4.8 wt%) and gas (7.3–8.2 wt%) fractions.


The complex mesophase morphologies formed by X-shaped bolapolyphiles with two chemical incompatible lateral substituents have been well investigated in recent studies. Such compounds exhibit different types of lamellar, cubic and columnar phases, depending on the chain lengths, the volume ratio of the two lateral substituents and the length of the rigid central core. The columnar mesophases represent honeycomb-like arrays of polygonal cylinders, the interior of the cylinder cells can be identical or different. In this work novel X-shaped bolapolyphiles have been synthesized. One serie of p-terphenyl derived bolaamphiphiles and one serie of oligo(phenyleneethinylene) derived bolapolyphiles are reported, where the length of both lateral chains (alkyl/semiperfluorinated alkyl chain or alkyl/alkyl) and the size of the polar headgroup has been modified. The mesophase behaviour of the synthesized compounds was investigated by means of polarization microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray scattering and was confirmed by electron density maps calculated from X-ray data. These mesogens form a huge variety of thermotropic liquid crystalline phases such as nematic and smectic phases, columnar phases with different symmetry and shape of the cylinder cross section, cubic phases und crystalline lamellar phases. Furthermore the oligo(phenyleneethinylene) derived bolapolyphiles were investigated with respect to their interaction with phospholipid membrans. INHALTSVERZEICHNIS I


The loaded rectangular cavity slot antenna is analyzed using variational methods in conjunction with simplified equivalent circuit techniques to derive accurate design guides for efficiency, bandwidth, and resonant frequency. The aperture admittance is computed and the effects of a compound aperture plane iris and of material loading are analyzed. The aperture admittance of all such loaded cavity antennas is proportional to \mu_{r} , \sqrt{\mu_{r}/\epsilon_{r}} , or 1/\epsilon_{r} , which characteristic lends to a common method of optimization of |T|^{2} (transmission cofficient). Experimental results include: 1) measurements of aperture field; 2) a comparison of theoretical and experimental value of bandwidth, efficiency, resonant frequency, and beam pattern for several experimental models; and 3) the measurement of the effect of applied dc magnetic field.


Abstract : Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is usually defined as the ability of electronic equipment to function in a fixed environment without degradation of performance due to electromagnetic interference (EMI). For present purposes, the definition of EMC is expanded to include personnel safety and a combined personnel/equipment environment subject to: EMI; RF burn hazard; Radiation hazard (RADHAZ); Hazards of electromagnetic radiation to ordnance (HERO); Hazards of electromagnetic radiation to fuel (HERF). These EMC categories are discussed. Since antenna location impacts on all of these categories, a special discussion of that topic is given.


Abstract The concept of health insurance coverage can be resolved into two different components: "prevalence" (who is insured) and "generosity" (what is guaranteed) of the insurance. This article first provides data on the prevalence of health insurance, whether public or private, in the EU member countries. Residents in EU countries without primary health insurance currently amount to 7.7 million (corresponding to 1.5 per cent of the population). To appraise the "generosity" of insurance coverage, two indicators are used: out-of-pocket expenditure and self-reported "unmet medical needs". What emerges is a positive, albeit moderately intense, relationship between prevalence and generosity of health insurance coverage.


This paper describes the recent transformation about the latest twenty years of one of the oldest streets of Bologna. Via del Pratello has always been identified as a suburb with his own tradition of community. After giving the specification of the historical context and the identification of the main reasons of change, the essay describes differents aspects that the street reveals today. Now Via del Pratello is better known as the Street of taverns with an incredible night life. This empirical research have been performed in order to define and measure how the quality of life has changed, becoming a pedestrians area.


The present invention relates to a device employing a lattice which performs high-sensitivity radiography utilizing the wave nature of X-rays or the like, and the objective of the present invention is to provide a technique which makes it possible to capture images of a specimen which is moving relative to the device. A pixel value calculating unit 51 uses a plurality of intensity distribution images of a sample 10 moving in a direction intersecting a radiation pathway, to determine whether a point (p, q) on the specimen belongs to a region (Ak) in each intensity distribution image. Further, the pixel value calculating unit 51 obtains total pixel values (Jk) in each region (Ak) by adding together the pixel values in each intensity distribution image at the point (p, q) belonging to each region (Ak). An image calculating unit 52 uses the total pixel values (Jk) in the region (Ak) to generate a required radiographic image.


Extensive studies have highlighted the roles of rainfall, impervious surfaces, and drainage systems in urban pluvial flooding, whereas topographic control has received limited attention. This study proposes a depression-based index, the Topographic Control Index (TCI), to quantify the function of topography in urban pluvial flooding. The TCI of a depression is derived within its catchment, multiplying the catchment area with the slope, then dividing by the ponding volume of the depression. A case study is demonstrated in Guangzhou, China, using a 0.5 m-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) acquired using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology. The results show that the TCI map matches well with flooding records, while the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) cannot map the frequently flooded areas. The impact of DEM resolution on topographic representation and the stability of TCI values are further investigated. The original 0.5 m-resolution DEM is set as a baseline, and is resampled at resolutions 1, 2, 5, and 10 m. A 1 m resolution has the smallest TCI deviation from those of 0.5 m resolution, and gives the optimal results in terms of striking a balance between computational efficiency and precision of representation. Moreover, the uncertainty in TCI values is likely to increase for small depressions.


The sixth-order anharmonic force field of malonaldehyde along the two proton-transfer double-well coordinates and the four O-H and C=O stretching modes is constructed at the MP2/6-31G(d,p) level. The vibrational Hamiltonian is diagonalized using the Arnoldi method. Coherent infrared (IR) vibrational spectra are predicted using the vibrational eigenstates. The three pulse IR signals, calculated in all possible phase matching directions, show specific signatures of the intramolecular proton transfer.


This paper proposes a method for making wire tools. It has been known that wire tools are used for lapping, EDM, etc. But their removal rate is very low. Then a wire tool is developed to which 10μm diamond grains are adhered by nickel plating. φ0.2mm nude wire, copper wire or piano wire, is wound from the first drum to the second one at a given speed. On the way it is plated nickel in the grains pool and diamond grains are taken in the niekel layer. By this method the number of adhered-grains can be increased. The followings are obtained. The higher the current density is, the more the number of adhered-grains are. But when it is too high, either the wire tools surface becomes rough or cracks occur on the nickel layer. The higher wirevelocity is, the less the number of adhered-grains are. When it is too high, diamond grains aren't taken in the nickel layer. On 2.27-4.55A/dm2 and 7.24-18.1mm/min, the expected wire tools can be obtained.


A hybrid approach for the enhancement of the fiber-to-silicon nitride waveguide coupling efficiency is proposed. It shows the coupling efficiency of lower than 0.7 dB/facet across the C band can be achieved.


Soil fungal diversity is essential in ecosystem functioning. Disturbances in the fungal community as a result of abiotic or biotic factors may lead to diseases in the plants. This thesis work was aimed at investigating fungal species composition in healthy looking Norway spruce and Scots pine seedlings grown in nine Swedish forest nurseries. Two methods were used to identify fungi from the seedling roots; culturing and direct sequencing techniques. For the culturing technique 1800 seedlings were sampled. For the direct sequencing technique, 180 seedlings were sampled. The seedlings sampled originated from 36 different provenances. In our results 58 different fungal species were identified. Culturing technique detected 37 fungal species whereas direct sequencing technique detected 21 of them. The most common fungal species identified by the culturing method were: Phoma muscivora, Phialocephala fortinii, Trichoderma viride, Penicillium spinolusum and Meliniomyces variabilis whereas direct sequencing showed that none of the fungi were predominant. Phoma muscivora and Melioniomyces variabilis appeared frequently in the roots and have not been identified in the Fenoscandian forest nurseries before. From our results the following conclusions were drawn; the direct sequencing and culturing techniques are needed to detect potentially all fungal community as both methods complement each other, similar fungal communities colonize Norway spruce and Scots pine seedlings in the nine different nurseries; there may be differences in fungal community structure that colonize the seedling roots of the nine different nurseries; the nurseries may have an influence in the fungal community composition in the nine different nurseries; the provenances may not have an influence on the fungal community composition; a low fungal diversity is observed in all the nine different nurseries.


This paper extends the result of Padgett (1981) and gives a Bayes estimate of the reliability function of two-parameter inverse Gaussian distribution using Jeffreys' non-informative joint prior and a squared error loss fun ction . A numerical example is given. Based on a Monte Carlo simulation, Bayes estimator of reliability is compared with its maximum likelihood counterpart.


from a reading of Ulysses, a poetics that encompasses music, literature, and art, and subsequently connects him to a larger circle of intellectuals melancholically bemoaning the decline of the Occident. Because of its comprehensive approach, Hermann Broch und die Künste will be of interest not only to Broch specialists but also to scholars of European modernity at large and will most certainly spur future research. Jens Klenner Princeton University


Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) recently developed a two-component system for use during remote inspections. The system consists of a mobile unit with television cameras and other equipment and a stationary base station. A variety of signals must be continually transmitted between the two system components as the mobile unit is moved from the location to another. Two channels of broadband (10MHz) NTSC video are transmitted from the mobile unit to the base station, and a bi-directional ``talk set`` provides audio communication between personnel at each location. In addition, several channels of RS-232 are required to support present and future instruments used at the mobile unit and controlled by personnel at the base station. Brookhaven developed a mobile unit which communicated with a base station over a 2-fiber multimode fiber optic cable. One of the design requirements was maintaining constant communication with the base station during the time the mobile unit was moved about. To provide uninterrupted communications, deployment of the 1-km long fiber optic cable was initially performed with a ``spinning reel`` mechanism. The spinning reel mechanism proved to be mechanically unsuitable, and so the cable deployment mechanism was redesigned to spool the cable off the reel. The requirement for uninterrupted communications required a two-channel fiber optic rotary joint in the design. Incorporation of the rotary joint into the design is described, and appropriate reference material is included.


The capability of flapping wings to generate lift is currently evaluated by using the lift coefficient C ¯ L , a dimensionless number that is derived from the basal equation that calculates the steady-state lift coefficient CL for fixed wings. In contrast to its simple and direct application to fixed wings, the equation for C ¯ L requires prior knowledge of the flow field along the wing span, which results in two integrations: along the wing span and over time. This paper proposes an alternate average normalized lift η ¯ L that is easy to apply to hovering and forward flapping flight, does not require prior knowledge of the flow field, does not resort to calculus for its solution, and its lineage is close to the basal equation for steady state CL. Furthermore, the average normalized lift η ¯ L converges to the legacy CL as the flapping frequency is reduced to zero (gliding flight). Its ease of use is illustrated by applying the average normalized lift η ¯ L to the hovering and translating flapping flight of bumblebees. This application of the normalized lift is compared to the same application using two widely-accepted legacy average lift coefficients: the first C ¯ L as defined by Dudley and Ellington, and the second lift coefficient by Weis-Fogh. Furthermore, it is shown that the average normalized lift η ¯ L has a physical meaning: that of the ratio of work exerted by the flapping wings onto the surrounding flow field and the kinetic energy available at the aerodynamic surfaces during the generation of lift. The working equation for the average normalized lift η ¯ L is derived and is presented as a function of Strouhal number, St.


Wireless power transfer (WPT) technology using magnetic field can transfer power to battery for drone without any electrical contact. In spite of the great advantages of the technology, WPT system generates strong electromagnetic fields (EMFs), which can cause interference on other electrical devices embedded in the drone. In this paper, we propose a three-phase resonant WPT charger for wirelessly charging drones that operate at 60 kHz. Furthermore, high Q multiple resonant reactive loop (MRRL) shielding is proposed for EMF reduction. The magnetic field simulation results obtained using FEA simulation prove that the high Q reactive loop shielding can reduce the fundamental magnetic field harmonics by 0.513mG at the observation point.


FIELD: physics, computer facilities. SUBSTANCE: method of playing back audio data and reproducing static images is proposed whereby static images and audio data are played back from data carrier and decoded on the basis of the corresponding independent moments of system time. EFFECT: efficient method of reproduction of audio and static image data. 25 cl, 8 dwg


Poor patient cooperation is thought to be the main issue when attempting to perform intravitreal injection in pediatric patients in the office. Therefore, the authors describe an alternative technique to apply intravitreal injection in an outpatient setting in cases of postvitrectomy aphakic pediatric patients.


When conducting dynamic tests, when simulating shock effects, the measurement system - from the sensor to the data acquisition unit is subject to significant overloads. In this circuit, the accelerometer is the most vulnerable link. Therefore, piezoelectric accelerometers have become widely used in measuring shocks as more reliable and durable, but they also have a number of disadvantages.

Thus, under broadband vibration effects, excitation in the region of mechanical resonance is observed. That is, the material of the sensor crystal may not have an excessive mechanical load, but generate a large amount of output charge due to the resonance of the sensor. This increases the electrical signal and can lead to saturation or, in many cases, damage to the signal shapers and amplifiers following the sensor. The result of such modes of operation is the loss of data due to the displacement of direct current over time.

There is often a shift of the zero level of the output signal. When piezoelectric elements are in resonance, there may be a relative displacement of the sensing element. This state of overload leads to the appearance of parasitic output charges, which leads to a change in the generated charge in a short period of time. Due to mechanical overload, under the action of high-intensity shocks, physical destruction of the sensor is also possible.

In many cases, the use of mechanical filters made of viscoelastic materials, which are placed between the object of measurement and the piezoelectric accelerometer (sensor), prevents the undesirable consequences of these shortcomings and improves the process of measuring shocks. The use of mechanical filters made of viscoelastic materials makes it possible to significantly reduce the amplitude of oscillations of the piezoelectric accelerometer (over -12 dB) and shift its resonant frequency towards higher frequencies.

That is, the use of mechanical filters significantly reduces the mechanical load on the sensor, which makes the process of measuring vibration (especially shock) more predictable.


Presentation of three-dimensional topographic be the best choice in planning to obtain a picture of the Earth's surface in accordance with the conditions in the field. Presentation of 3D topographic maps are used as the three-dimensional representation of objects on topographic maps. These objects may represent buildings, roads, and also as a body of water as well as the appearance of the condition of the 3D shape of the surface of the ground. Planning the road will be easy and efficient to do with the help of 3D display at the time of planning. In this research methodology consists of three phases is done using AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 software, the first is an analysis of horizontal alignment planning. Horizontal alignment is made from STA 0 + 000 to the STA 2 + 300. In planning the horizontal alignment is taken design speed of 60 km / h. Then the next stage is the analysis of vertical alignment. At this stage the planned maximum vertical alignment with the flatness of the alignment plan was not more than 8% based on the book planning procedures of inter-city road geometric No. 038 / TBM / 1997. The flatness of the specified maximum speed of the plan are taken is 60 km / h. Subsequent analysis is the analysis of the amount of excavation and embankment volume results. Analysis of cut and fill this is to look for a balanced volume by taking into account the limitation of the maximum gradient. In this analysis using the method of trial and error until the result of the balanced volume as the end of the analysis. The analysis is intended to change the slope of the vertical alignment plan. From the analysis of the obtained amount of cut volume amounted to 8576.40 m3 while the fill of 8560.45 m3. The results of the total volume is obtained from the analysis of vertical alignment of planning which has remained at maximum flatness requirement of 8% based on Perencanaan Geometrik Jalan Antar Kota Keputusan Departemen Pekerjaan Umum No. 038 / TBM / 1997.


This paper questions whether development agencies and their staff, at whatever level (community-based organisations, national or international NGOs) are sufficiently clear about their own values and roles, and seeks to analyse tensions and dilemmas that arise when roles are confused. Clarity about the roles of the people and agencies involved is essential for the development of a valid global citizens' movement that can interconnect local and global problems and actors, and work towards sustainable solutions.


BEM – FEM coupling is widely used for the simulation of the interaction between structural vibrations and radiated acoustic fields. Employing the FEM for the structure and the BEM for the acoustic field exploits the specific advantages of the two methods. However, the efficiency of BEM – FEM simulations suffers from the fully populated BEM matrices. In recent years, fast algorithms have been developed that allow a sparse representation of the BEM systems. In the presented paper, a coupling scheme is developed that accounts for the properties of the fast multipole BEM. The coupling algorithm is based on Lagrange multipliers and provides high flexibility in the choice of discretizations. For the solution of the resulting saddle point problem, an approximate Uzawa algorithm is employed.


Ultrasound measurement is a relatively inexpensive and commonly used imaging tool in the health sector. The through-transmission process of ultrasound measurement has been extensively evaluated for detecting abnormalities in tissue pathology. Compared to standard imaging parameters such as amplitude and time of flight, quantitative ultrasound parameters in the frequency domain can provide additional details regarding tissue microstructures. In this study, pressure magnitude or amplitude variation in the frequency spectrum of the received signal was evaluated as a potential imaging technique using the spectral peak density parameter. Computational C-scan imaging analysis was developed through a finite element model. The magnitude variation in the received signal showed different patterns while interacting with and without inclusions. Images were reconstructed based on peak density values that varied with the presence of solid structure. The computational results were verified with the experimental C-scan imaging results from the literature. It was found that magnitude variation can be an effective parameter for C-scan imaging of thin structures. The feasibility of the study was further extended to identify the structure's relative position along with the sample depth during C-scan imaging. While moving the structure in the direction of the sample depth, the pressure magnitude variation strongly followed a second-degree polynomial trend.


Agents are software robots and vitally used in e-Business applications. This paper discusses electronic markets and the role which agents can play in information transformation for automating electronic market transactions. A Multi Agent System is designed and developed which pertains to merchant brokering stage of Consumer Buying Behavior Model with the intent of appropriate framework.


The issues of studying regional toponymic vocabulary are currently among the priority areas of onomastic research. The particular interest is the consideration of borderland toponymic systems, since the base of toponyms that exist in border zones contain voluminous linguocultural information that reflects the interaction of languages and cultures of neighboring ethnic groups. We analyze a fragment of Smolensk-Vitebsk borderland toponymic system, a territory that historically reflects the commonality of Russian and Belarusian peoples, their languages and cultures. We describe in detail the names of settlements (oikonyms), marked on both sides of the state border. We consider their frequency, distribution by lexico-semantic groups, toponyms etymology, the presence of toponyms in lexicographic sources. Based on a comprehensive analysis of common geographical names, we prove that the commonality of toponymic systems fragment, Russian (Smolensk) and Belarusian (Vitebsk), generated by historical and geographical unity, also testifies to the deep historical commonality of two peoples – Russian and Belarusian, as well as Eastern Slavs in the whole. The material is introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.


SUMMARY This article outlines Pace University Library's commitment to address the needs of the university distance education populace. Discussion focuses on one of the programs offered by Pace University, e.MBA (Executive MBA). Pace University Library offers many services to meet the research needs of its remote users. These include remote access to electronic resources, Interlibrary Loan, atoll-free number, and an online form for submission of reference queries. To improve document delivery services, the library subsidizes SUMO Uncover, and also uses Digital Sender to e-mail or fax documents to students. Pace University Library continuously looks at new methods to effectively serve its distance education populace.


According to this letter to the editor a report from Manipur State India indicates an association between zoster (exogenously reactivated varicella-zoster virus infection) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in injecting drug users there. The frequency of zoster doubled above background levels particularly in males 12-44 years old who also had the highest prevalence of HIV. In another study of 120 injecting drug users 20 developed zoster and all were HIV positive. This correlation is higher than that for other clinical predictors of HIV (persistent lymphadenopathy weight loss or recurrent dermatoses). An increased occurrence of zoster associated with HIV infection was also found in Ho Chi Minh City and in other southeast Asian countries especially among injecting drug users. Reports from Africa also suggest that zoster is a sentinel indicator of community HIV transmission. Zoster represents a reactivation of latent gangliar varicella virus in response to immunosuppression or trauma; epidemics of endogenous immunosuppression as found with epidemic HIV infection might produce outbreaks of zoster like those in Manipur and in Viet Nam. Traumatic zoster seems unlikely in the Indian outbreak because the dermatomes were predominately on the trunk and face rather than on the hands and legs where drug injection sites usually occur.


Autoimmune gastritis, in which the H+/K+‐ATPase of parietal cells is the major antigen, is one of the most common autoimmune diseases. Here we examined if specific properties of the H+/K+‐ATPase or parietal cells are involved in rendering them autoimmune targets. The model antigens β‐galactosidase and ovalbumin (OVA) were expressed in parietal cells of transgenic mice. On experimental induction of autoimmune gastritis by neonatal thymectomy, autoantibodies to β‐galactosidase developed in mice expressing β‐galactosidase in parietal cells, a response that was independent of either the response to the gastric H+/K+‐ATPase or gastric inflammation. In contrast, mice that expressed OVA in parietal cells did not exhibit an antibody response to OVA after thymectomy. However, increasing the frequency of anti‐OVA T lymphocytes in OVA‐expressing mice resulted in autoantibodies to OVA and gastritis. These studies indicate that parietal cells can present a variety of antigens to the immune system. Factors such as the identity and expression level of the autoantigen and the frequency of autoreactive T cells play a role in determining the prevalence and outcome of the particular immune response. In addition, as not all mice of a particular genotype displayed autoimmunity, random events are involved in determining the target of autoimmune recognition.


Qualitative and quantitative dietary patterns were studied as indicators of seasonal changes in household food security in north-western Benin. These studies were carried out at both the individual level (women) and the intra-household level (husbands, wives, children 2–5 years old). Dietary changes between the intermediate period (April) and the pro-harvest period (August) included increased consumption of pulses and tubers, which compensated for a decrease in cereal consumption, and increased consumption of gifts, purchased foods, and wild foods as distinguished from foods from the household's own production. The adequacy of children's energy and protein intakes increased in the pre-harvest season, whereas those of the parents decreased Children and adults had same patterns with regard to the contribution of different food groups, except that children ate more pulses and less tubers than their parents in the pre-harvest season.


Table 1: Frequently Used Notations Subscript: i tier-2 supplier i=1,2 c/o CM/OEM Superscript& Hat: u first best decisions in the centralized chain, u equilibrium outcomes under delegation, û equilibrium outcomes under direct sourcing, System Parameters: ci production cost of tier-2 supplier, gi the density function of ci Gi the distribution function of ci Ai the working state of tier-2 supplier, 1/0=good/failure αi the mean of Ai pA1,A2 the probability with tier-2 supplier i is Ai k CM's unit production cost r OEM's unit selling price Decisions: qi the order quantity from tier-2 supplier i Functions: πj player j's profit Notations for convenience c (c1, c2) p (p11, p10, p01, p00) A (A1, A2) α (α1, α2) q (q1, q2) ′


Computer simulation of lithographic performance, including resist CD, film thickness, sidewall angle and profile has been extensively studied during the past three decades. Lithography simulation has been widely adopted as an enabling technology for high-volume chip manufacturing. However, measurement artifacts arising from CD-SEM metrology are typically ignored in simulation, due to the difficulty of accurately modeling the effect of the CD-SEM at acceptable computational speed. In this paper, we demonstrate how CD measurements can be improved by including a fast, compact CD-SEM model. For example, the variation in effective resist metrology height along contour lines extracted from a simulated CD-SEM image is characterized for a range of structures through focus. We also demonstrate how SEM settings affect the shape of extracted SEM contour and metrology height at contour edge. The Edge Placement Error (EPE) caused by SEM artifact is carefully studied.


TiO 2 , antimony-doped tin oxide and tin-doped indium oxide coatings were prepared from sols using a spray coating procedure. Coatings prepared from ethanolic sols exhibited high surface roughness. Adding butanediol to the sols, however resulted in smooth layers. Supposedly, butanediol prevents the evaporation of high quantities of ethanol from the surface of the droplets initially formed during spraying. The electrical conductivity of the layers formed is in the same range as those of dip coatings.


The observed features of the radio source indicate that the waves of solar radio bursts are convoluted with complex propagation effects. In this work, we perform ray-tracing simulations on radio wave transport in the corona and interplanetary region with anisotropic electron density fluctuations. For the first time, the variation of the apparent source size, burst duration, and source position for the fundamental emission and harmonic emission at the frequency of 35 MHz are simulated as a function of the anisotropic parameter α and the angular scattering rate coefficient η = ϵ 2/h 0, where ϵ 2 = 〈δ n 2〉/n 2 is the density fluctuation level and h 0 is its correlation length near the wave excitation site. It is found that isotropic fluctuations produce a much larger decay time than a highly anisotropic fluctuation for fundamental emission. By comparing the observed duration and source size with the simulation results in the parameter space, we can estimate the scattering coefficient and the anisotropic parameter η = 8.9 × 10−5 km−1 and α = 0.719 with a point pulse source assumption. Position offsets due to wave scattering and refraction can produce the co-spatial of the fundamental and harmonic waves in the observation of some type III radio bursts. The visual speed due to the wave propagation effect can reach 1.5c for η = 2.4 × 10−4 km−1 and α = 0.2 for the fundamental emission in the sky plane, accompanied with large expansion rate of the source size. The direction of the visual speed is mostly identical to the direction of the offset, thus, for the observation aimed at obtaining the source position, the source centroid at the starting time is closer to the wave excitation site.


The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of cast brass alloy. After the brass alloy is modified, a baked copper-aluminium intermediate alloy of Cu-5% Al is added in the alloy liquor so as to further raise said alloy strength and hardness. Said method has the advantages of simple technological process, low cost and stable properties. The cast brass alloy obtained by use of said method comes up to the performance indexes defined in state standard. Besides, it is applicable to recovery treatment of brass chips and brass leftover bits and pieces, and also applicable to modification treatment of trademark brass.


In a series of recent papers, a new formalism has been developed that explains the inner structure of dark matter halos as collisionless, dissipationless systems assembled through mergers and accretion at the typical cosmological rate. Nearby ellipticals are also collisionless, dissipationless systems assembling their mass through mergers, but contrarily to the former structures they do not continuously accrete external matter because they are shielded by their host halos. Here we explore the idea that the infall of their own matter ejected within the halo on the occasion of a violent merger can play a role similar to external accretion in halos. The predicted stellar mass density profile fits the observed one, and the empirical total mass density profile is also recovered.


In addressing the worldwide Covid-19 outbreak, one of the actions to curb the spread of the virus is to keep people with Covid-19 symptoms away from others in public places. The most easily detected symptom is high body temperature due to fever, and this is one of the common symptoms of Covid-19 patients. Several methods of body temperature detection have been implemented at the entrance of the premises. One of the most common methods is to use an infrared temperature scanner. This method has some constraints including its use which is time-consuming and can lead to further spread of the virus as gun-type scanners can be a medium of virus spread as has been held by many people. Another more advanced method is the detection of body temperature through a thermal camera with imaging. Although more sophisticated, this method also has the constraint where the temperature is usually detected as a whole and does not differentiate the temperature of the human body and other nearby objects. With a focus on this problem, this study applies a combination of object detection methods through image processing with temperature detection through thermal imaging. For the object detection process, the You Only Look Once (YOLO) model and the OpenCV library have been used, especially in detecting people and non-people. While the calculation of body temperature through thermal images has been made more accurate because the scanned temperature is more specific based on the detected objects. In this way, a person's body temperature can be separated and will not be affected by the temperature of other objects. From the results and analysis obtained, an accuracy of 100% can be achieved based on a pre-trained model for human body temperature detection. With more specific and accurate detection as produced in this study, then a warning or caution will be issued only when a person actually has a high body temperature and will then not be allowed to enter the premises.


Background and Objectives:There is serological and epidemiological evidence of an association between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and coronary artery disease. We conducted a randomized study using azithromycin treatment in Korean patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to determine whether azithromycin treatment reduced the inflammatory markers and major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Subjects and Methods:One hundred twenty nine patients were randomly selected to receive 500 mg azithromycin daily for 3 days before and after PCI, followed by 500 mg/week for 2 weeks (Group Ⅰ:64 patients, 43 male, 60.0±10.0 years), or they received a placebo (Group Ⅱ: 65 patients, 45 male, 59.6±10.1 years). Patients were followed up for 12 months. The primary endpoints were cardiac death, recurrent myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR) and Non-TLR during the 12-month follow-up. Results: There were no differences between the two groups in baseline characteristics, coronary angiography finding, lesion characteristics, baseline inflammatory markers and baseline antibody titers of Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pyroli and Mycoplasma. After the antibiotic treatment, ESR and CRP decreased from 19.6±20.7 mg/dL and 0.75±0.99 mg/dL to 9.36±10.5 mg/dL and 0.22±0.20 mg/dL in group Ⅰ (p=0.002, 0.001 respectively), and from 19.6±21.5 mg/dL, 1.44±2.69 mg/dL to 10.4±10.8 mg/dL, 0.55±1.48 mg/dL in group Ⅱ (p=0.052, <0.0001 respectively). However, there were no significant changes in the serologic markers. MACE developed in 17 (26.6%) out of 64 patients in group Ⅰ with 2 death, 2 MI and 13 TLR. In group Ⅱ, 14 (21.5%) out of 65 patients had MACE with 2 death, 1 MI and 10 TLR during the 12 -month clinical follow-up (p=NS). Conclusion:Short-term treatment with azithromycin does not reduce the major adverse cardiac events in Korean patients with ACS after PCI. (Korean Circulation J 2004;34(8): 743-751)