Despite the dramatic crisis of 2008, when the free market ideology has shown its catastrophic nature, State intervention - dubbed Keynesian policy - has been utilized to transfer massive amounts of public money to the private sector. What we need is rather a very large extension of the commons framework to subvert the domination of private property (with its rhetoric of autonomy and of the rule of law) currently sustained by both the State and the market. Commons expansion favors the opposite logic, of authentic participatory democracy in both the State and market domains. The agenda of 'less government, less market, more commons' is the only way to resurrect an alternative narrative of social inclusion (and direct satisfaction of social rights) capable of re-gaining hegemony.


An ab initio calculation is performed on the α-phase Nb-H system with the hydrogen concentrated to 1/16 based on density functional theory, to investigate the pressure effects on the geometry, electronic structure and optical properties. The results show structural phase changes from triclinic, monoclinic to orthorhombic symmetry with the increasing of pressure from 0GPa to 200GPa. A low-lying band hybridized by 1s of H with 4d, 5s of the first four neighbored Nb and s-, p-, d-states of the second ones is observed, which is separated from the metallic valence bands. The electronic structure is strongly pressure dependent in two aspects: when the pressure increases, the low-lying band is distorted and covers larger energy area, the 4d-states of Nb move downward relatively to its 4s-states; the total density of s-states is more intensitive than that of p-states around the Fermi level. The absorption spectra is drastically intensified by external pressure.


Grid-based techniques are well-suited for spatial join algorithms over General Purpose Graphic Processing Unit (GPGPU) architectures because of their non-hierarchical structure. However, these techniques are well-established years before the existence of GPU computing. As a result, they do not fully take advantage of many-core architectures. Last year, we had introduced a spatial join GPU system based on discarding even those cross-layer pairs of polygons whose Minimum Bounding Rectangles (MBRs) intersect but their rectangular intersection does not contain edges from both layers. These MBR intersections are called Common MBRs. In this extended abstract, we briefly introduce CMF-Grid: a non-uniform GPU-based grid technique over such Common MBRs, that can be used in polygonal spatial join operations such as overlay, edge-intersection etc. to significantly reduce their computationally-extensive refinement phase workload. Based on our experimental results on real datasets, CMF-Grid can cut down the refinement phase workload by more than 30, 000 times that of all-to-all algorithms and it improves upon its predecessor, CMF filter, by 700 times. Our upgraded spatial join system with ST_intersect predicate is able to process more than 600, 000 polygons with more than 2 billions edges on a single GPU in less than a second end-to-end processing time that is 225% time improvement compared to GCMF, the state of the art GPU-based system. The system also achieves up to 200-fold end-to-end speedup versus the best optimized sequential routines of GEOS C++ library as well as PostgreSQL spatial database with PostGIS.


Background: The purpose of this investigation is to compare the efficacy of antitachycardia pacing (ATP) delivered via the right ventricular (RV) lead versus ATP delivered simultaneously via the right and left ventricular leads (biventricular [BiV]) in the termination of ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT) in patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with ICD capabilities.


Block copolymers of styrene (St) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) were prepared via a two-step procedure by using bisacylphosphine oxide (BAPO) as photoinitiator. Photolysis of BAPO at λ = 420 nm in the presence of St yielded polymers with monoacylphosphine oxide terminal groups. Subsequent irradiation of the polymers in the presence of MMA at λ = 380 nm produced block copolymers. Block copolymer formation was evidenced by spectral measurements and GPC analysis.


We consider infinite sequences of symbols, also known as streams, and the decidability question for equality of streams defined in a restricted format. (Some formats lead to undecidable equivalence problems.) This restricted format consists of prefixing a symbol at the head of a stream, of the stream function `zip', and recursion variables. Here `zip' interleaves the elements of two streams alternatingly. The celebrated Thue- Morse sequence is obtained by the succinct `zip-specification' M = 0 : X X = 1 : zip(X, Y) Y = 0 : zip(Y, X) The main results are as follows. We establish decidability of equivalence of zip-specifications, by employing bisimilarity of observation graphs based on a suitably chosen cobasis. Furthermore, our analysis, based on term rewriting and coalgebraic techniques, reveals an intimate connection between zip-specifications and automatic sequences. This leads to a new and simple characterization of automatic sequences. The study of zip-specifications is placed in a wider perspective by employing observation graphs in a dynamic logic setting, yielding yet another alternative characterization of automatic sequences. By the first characterization result, zip-specifications can be perceived as a term rewriting syntax for automatic sequences. For streams σ the following are equivalent: (a) σ can be specified using zip; (b) σ is 2-automatic; and (c) σ has a finite observation graph using the cobasis (hd, even, odd). Here even and odd are defined by even(a : s) = a : odd(s), and odd(a : s) = even(s). The generalization to zip-k specifications (with zip-k interleaving k streams) and to k-automaticity is straightforward. As a natural extension of the class of automatic sequences, we also consider `zip-mix' specifications that use zips of different arities in one specification. The corresponding notion of automaton employs a state-dependent input-alphabet, with a number representation (n)A = dm ... d0 where the base of digit di is determined by the automaton A on input di-1 ... d0. Finally we show that equivalence is undecidable for a simple extension of the zip-mix format with projections analogous to even and odd.


Blood glucose system is one of the most important systems of the human body, since energy transport is fulfilled through this complex endocrine control process. Because of great importance (in case of failure, its primary consequence is diabetes mellitus), many models were published, most of them with phenomenological approach. The aim of the current paper is to analyze a new molecular model published recently [1]. Global control theoretical characteristics are determined with nonlinear analysis. Physiological working points are defined for further polytopic modeling with linearization and model reduction is discussed and presented based on medical principles.


The human HLA‐DQ8 (A1*0301/B1*0302) allelic product manifests a strong association with insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Previous biochemical studies of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II I‐Ag7 protein of IDDM‐prone non‐obese diabetic mice produced controversial results. To better define the biochemical properties of IDDM‐associated MHC class II molecules, we analyzed DQ8 proteins, in comparison to other DQ allelic products, by partially denaturing sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE). We now report that DQ8 proteins have a normal peptide occupancy and lifespan in cells. Similar to I‐Ag7, DQ8 proteins formed only a minor fraction of SDS‐stable complexes with peptides. Although this phenotype was not unique to DQ8, some DQ allelic products such as IDDM‐protective DQ6 proteins were SDS resistant. The DQ9 allelic product, differing from DQ8 only at position (P) β57, was SDS stable, suggesting that non‐Asp residues at β57 might decrease the SDS stability of DQ proteins. We identified a single peptide which specifically induced an SDS‐stable conformation in DQ8 as well as in I‐Ag7 molecules. The residues at anchor P1 in this peptide were found to influence the SDS stability of both molecules. Together with our previous observation of similar binding motifs of I‐Ag7 and DQ8, these results demonstrate an overall biochemical similarity of mouse and human diabetes‐associated MHC class II molecules. This similarity might contribute to a common immunological mechanism of IDDM in both species.


This utility model provides a automatic vehicle recording system, composed of a full shot video camera, a number plate camera, a video recording unit, an alarm unit and a main control unit; the main control unit is respectively connected with the full shot video camera, the number plate camera, the vehicle detecting unit, the video recording unit and the alarm unit; the full shot camera is used for capturing full shot video for administrative road, the number plate camera is used for shooting number plate for passing vehicles, information obtained by the full shot video camera and the number plate camera is totally recorded via the video camera unit, the vehicle detecting unit is used for detecting vehicle passing and violation information, the alarm unit is used for receiving alarming information from the main control unit. The system can represent overall process of traffic violation, and directly drive the alarm device to alarm in order to bust vehicles for traffic violation.


A detailed parametric study of airbreathing engine performance is carried out for the Lightcraft Technology Demonstrator (LTD), a 1.4‐m diameter, 120‐kg (dry mass) launch vehicle designed to become a microsatellite after reaching orbit. The LTD's pulsed detonation engine employs repetitively ignited, laser‐supported detonation waves to develop thrust by expanding high pressure blast waves over an annular, interior shroud surface. This companion paper presents the analytical LTD airbreathing inlet and vehicle aerodynamics models used to predict basic engine performance and vehicle drag characteristics, including inlet total pressure recovery, captured air mass flow rate, ram drag, etc. — all projected vs. flight Mach number and altitude. The results of this parametric study suggest an optimum inlet air gap of 3‐cm for the 100‐cm diameter centerbody (external compression inlet), and that Mach 5.5 at 30‐km is a reasonable choice for transitioning into the rocket mode.


By the method of electril charge projection the expression of charge density and field intensity on midperpendicular plane on a conductive plate are given.


It mainly introduces the method about how to create a parametric model of cylinder gear through the process from line to surface and end in solid model.Firstly,curve equations for the involute curves of the two transverse teeth profiles and root arcs and addendum arcs and helix generating line,are deduced in the spherical coordinate system environment.And the two circumstances that tooth root circle is greater or less than base circle are discussed and resolved successfully.And then, single tooth solid model is generated through boundary mixing,surfacemerging and consolidating of the single tooth's wireframe model.In the end,a common cylindrical involute gear parametric solid model is brought out through tooth root circle extruding,teeth pattern and corresponding parameter related to be added.This gear's parameters including variable coefficient can be changed easily without worrying about the problem of regenerating failure,so it can provides a base model for the study of the gear prototype system.


The Chinese medicine capsule for treating cardiac and cerebral vascular diseases is prepared with wall breaking gastrodia tuber spore powder, angelica, Chuanxiong rhizome, red peony root, peach kernel and other 17 kinds of Chinese medicinal materials. The preparation process includes grinding wall breaking gastrodia tuber spore into fine powder, dividing the other Chinese medicinal materials into two parts, decocting one part of the Chinese medicinal materials and concentrating the medicine liquid into extractum, grinding the other part of the Chinese medicinal materials into fine powder, mixing, drying to water content less than 3 %, sterilizing and encapsulating. The Chinese medicine capsule has high curative effect, simple preparation process and easy taking.


In this paper I describe an ongoing investigation of in-person grading (IPG). Having determined that IPG is reasonable from theoretical and instructor points of view [2], the study reported on here was conducted to determine if IPG was reasonable from the student perspective. The assessment of student reactions is described in some detail. The initial use of IPG and the work described here serve to pilot-test the concept and set the stage for a more formal future experiment. The work here also illustrates a multi-step approach to pedagogical study considered useful for both informing practice and leading up to more formal experimentation.


Judicial independence is a cornerstone of the rule of law and, therefore, of democratic states. In private disputes, judges must be and be seen independent in order to deliver impartial decisions. In public law disputes, judicial independence is an element of checks and balances that the cocktail called "democracy" offers: the judiciary is expected to control the excesses of the legislative and executive powers, while the legislative and the executive are expected to control the judiciary. Even more, "insofar as the state employs the judges, public law disputes might be thought to require an even greater degree of judicial distance, or structural capacity for independent evaluation of parties' claims".1 These acts of mutual control are deemed necessary for a society in which there is trust in the state and its institutions. Two assumptions underlie this type of democratic system. First, checks and balances are necessary only if one presumes that the three branches of government would have the tendency to exercise their powers excessively or to the detriment of the other branches. If the presumption was that government power can be exercised without excess, checks and balances would not be necessary. Furthermore, power could be exercised in excess of its mandate only by imperfect beings. The source of the checks and balances existing in many democratic systems is, hence, the belief that human beings are imperfect. Second, democratic systems aim to be trusted, embraced and validated during elections. A lack of trust may result in revolt, revolution, conflict and demise of the system. The citizen's trust grounds democracy and justifies its existence. Therefore, the ultimate beneficiary of the processes constituting the checks and balances should be the citizen. Trust is achieved by observation, engagement and participation. The citizen most closely engages with the executive and the judiciary, sometimes on a daily basis. The image that the executive and the judiciary project plays a crucial role in maintaining the citizen's trust and in safeguarding democracy.


There are provided systems and methods for obtaining a three-dimensional surface geometric characteristic and/or texture characteristic of an object. A pattern is projected on a surface of said object. A basic 2D image of said object is acquired; a characteristic 2D image of said object is acquired; 2D surface points are extracted from said basic 2D image, from a reflection of said projected pattern on said object; a set of 3D surface points is calculated in a sensor coordinate system using said 2D surface points; and a set of 2D surface geometric/texture characteristics is extracted.


role of small enterprises in the of the national economy transformation is clarified. The algorithm of estimation of management efficiency in Ukrainian small enterprises according to different types of economic activity has suggested. The set of indicators, which characterize the efficiency of small enterprises economic activity, has been defined. The tendencies of small business development in are has been analyzed. The rating of small enterprises economic efficiency on different types of economic activity has been carried out. The integral index of small business potential calculated. The best integrated index for small financial and insurance companies, transport, warehousing, postal and courier activities has been established. Abstract In order to assess the potential of small businesses, in the context of the structural transformation of the national economy of Ukraine, comprehensive studies are required. Both quantitative proportions of economic information inside economic structures, and their links as well as creative ability to enter new markets should be estimated. This is especially true nowadays – while organizational and institutional frameworks are being changed, particularly the reform of legislation, territorial organization of government, fiscal policy, high variability of demographic and migration processes, dynamics of global markets. The paper analyzes the trends of small business development in Ukraine and identifies the place of small businesses in the economy of the industries. It was discovered that the highest share of small businesses among all enterprises was in real estate operations – 98.8%, and the lowest in health and social assistance – 81.6%. In agriculture, 95.4% of small enterprises employ 38.6% of the population, 84.4% of employees and sell 37.7% of enterprise output. The rating of economic efficiency of small enterprises of Ukraine on different types of economic activity is carried out. A mechanism for determining the Small Business Performance Index has been proposed, which has helped to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of various sectors of the national economy. The following indicators were used to evaluate the efficiency of small business enterprises in Ukraine by different types of economic activity: number of employees, volume of sales, average salary of an employee, gross value added, net profit (loss) per 1 enterprise and 1 employee.


The basic way to realize the administrative legality is to supervise and check the administrative power through effective supervising mechanism. So an idea that administrative power is a kind of limited power must be established. The supervision over administrative power should be conducted in the following two aspects: "using power to check power" and "using right to check power" to safeguard the supervising power to be independent and feasible. Corresponding supervising procedure should be made to guarantee it.


In this paper we empirically examine differences in search behavior between men and women. We assess hypotheses regarding duration of search, wages and tenure. The hypotheses are derived from two models: the equilibrium search model with discriminatory firms by Black (1995) and an opportunity cost model that extends the Black model by incorporating age varying reservation wages. We identify effects using data on displaced workers and a differences in differences approach. We find that for men and women the duration of search is equal once we limit our estimation to women with a constant number of children in the household. Furthermore, we find no significant differences in the quality of job match between men and women. Finally, male/female wage differentials are largest among young workers but a significant portion of the difference is accounting for by changes in the number of children in the household. All these results suggest that differences in search behavior and outcomes between men and women are due to differences in nonmarket opportunities rather than to discrimination.


As an emerging multi-submersible system, Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) under a convoy of a set of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) is regarded as the future framework for underwater exploration. In this work, to improve the interoperability and communication efficiency of the multi-submersible formations, we treat the multi-submersible system as a paradigm of the underwater Internet of Vehicle (IoV) and show how to utilize the Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technique to optimize the system architecture. With the assistance of SDN, we consider the ocean current factors and propose an artificial flow potential field algorithm that combines the artificial potential field algorithm and the gradient descent algorithm, to plan the path for the multi-submersible system. In particular, to improve the safety and efficiency of path planning, we propose a dual leader-follower algorithm-based escort formation obstacle avoidance mechanism for dealing with all categories of obstacle avoidance situations. Simulation tests show that the proposed scheme performs better in data delivery among the multi-submersible system, at a lower energy cost. And it shows high stability and strong practicability in multi-submersible formation control and path planning, respectively.


I have shown that 3D CEUS is possible in early kidney transplants. This is shown to be more sensitive than DTPA in the detection of infarction and allows accurate quantification of the volume of sub-total infarction. The degree of infarction correlates with subsequent renal function, particularly at 1 and 3 months after surgery with a significant increase in creatinine and reduction in eGFR per percentage of total renal volume infarcted. The enhancement patterns measured in the cortex, medulla and main renal artery show a degree of correlation with subsequent renal function but this is multifactorial and does not appear to be a useful clinical tool in predicting outcomes. The enhancement patterns also correlate with the presence of histologically proven rejection although this is not more sensitive than measuring resistance indices which is the current standard practice. 7. Have you submitted the work for publication (if so where)?


Being the fifth most spoken language of the world, Bengali is spoken by 265 million people globally. Therefore, the recognition of handwritten Bengali characters has been an area of interest for a decade now. Previously, researchers have contributed to the recognition of Bengali numerals and basic characters e.g. vowels and consonants. However, apart from basic Bengali characters, Bengali has a wide range of compound characters as well. Not many remarkable contributions have been yet contributed to this domain. With a focus on contributing to this field, in this research, we started with 171 Bengali compound characters. We applied a modified DenseNet-201 architecture for the recognition of the compound characters. After result analysis, we achieved an overall accuracy of 96.89% which outperformed all previous studies by a remarkable margin. Hence, we concluded that our design is more capable of accurate recognition of the Bengali compound characters.


Sacred groves are small patches of forests protected by local communities on religious grounds. A repository of medicinal plants, these are a unique traditional Indian way of in-situ conservation of biodiversity. This paper deals with 18 sacred groves of Purulia District of West Bengal and also highlights the role played by these groves in medicinal plant conservation. The study for the first time records 56 species of medicinal plants growing in these groves. It also mentions the threats to the sacred groves.


The utility model relates to a wireless temperature sensor which is characterized in that: the wireless temperature sensor comprises a plurality of sets of branch node circuits and a set of main node circuit; the branch node circuits comprise a constant-current source circuit which consists of a 2.5V voltage reference chip and an operational amplifier chip, a platinum resistance which has the resistance value changing with the temperature, an AD converter which carries out analog-to-digital conversion to the voltage values of the two ends of the platinum resistance, a branch node microcontroller MCU, an erasable memory unit used for storing branch node and main node addresses and an AD error value, an electric pressure converter which supplies power for the branch node circuit, and a wireless transmission unit which carries out wireless transmission with the main node circuit; and the main node circuit comprises the wireless transmission unit which carries out the wireless transmission of data with the branch node circuits, an erasable memory, a main node microcontroller MCU, an RS232 communication port used for connecting a PC machine, and the PC machine used for inputting operational demonstration temperature. The wireless temperature sensor has high stability, reliable data transmission, low energy consumption, convenient data post treatment and high data acquisition precision.


Technology nowadays revolves around the Internet of Things (IoT) that contributes to the essential necessities of society and the growth of cities. Assorted technologies, communication protocols, and heterogeneous devices cause the complexity of IoT-developed applications and systems. Model Driven Architecture (MDA) approach reduces IoT complexity; it enables the modeling of things or objects such as devices, parts of the infrastructure, public services, Connected Vehicles (CV), etc., through different perspectives and refinements of various abstraction levels. Different IoT architectures focus on aspects such as security, scalability, and interoperability throughout the development of IoT applications. Reportedly, limited or no work is found in the literature that presents integrating MDA within IoT and taking into consideration MDA-IoT aspects upon creating an architecture that supports IoT systems based on Quality of Experience (QoE). This investigation proposes a Model Driven Development (MDD) framework for IoT systems and develops a supporting IoT reference architecture to target real-time smart-city applications with a focus on CVs. The suggested framework includes mapping an IoT Architecture with its three basic layers to an MDA architecture that facilitates designing IoT applications. The outcomes of the proposed investigation include facilitating the development of real-time IoT systems and applications that promotes improving QoE.


During the logical evolution of knowledge production models, mode 3 knowledge production is emerging and for which Quintuple Helix In-novation Ecosystem provides the adaptive context. Quintuple Helix is a new innovation ecosystem model consisting of five helices of university, indus-try, government, civil society and natural environment, and realizes its circulating operation mechanism according to the order of education system, e-conomic system, natural environment, media-based and culture-based public and political system, providing a new thinking space and realization pathway to solve many Grand Societal Challenges.


"t has been recently shown that the limit cycle situation is not valid for Hamiltonian systems in dimension two, under appropriate conditions. The applications concern global parametrizations of closed curves in the plane and optimal design problems. Here, we discuss a partial extension of this result, for certain Hamiltonian-type systems in higher dimension."


Over the last 10 years, ELIN Antriebstechnik GmbH have progressed from being a supplier of conventional traction components for rail vehicles into a reputable manufacturer and supplier of modern control and traction systems with microprocessor controlled three-phase technology. The paper summarises the company's latest developments in a series of successful three-phase systems-a new generation of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) traction inverter for light rail vehicle (LRV) applications. The inverter is designed to be as compact as possible and can be arranged for mounting either in the roof of an LRV or under its floor. Details of the inverter configuration are given together with a summary of the systems features and advantages. Finally, applications and future developments are outlined.


We have studied the gauge unification with the recent electroweak data as a function of the higgsino mass. It is shown that if the strong coupling constant is small 0.11, a consistent picture of gauge unification is not possible in the minimal supersymmetric standard model.


Practical deer management requires understandingthe relationship between the quantity
and quality of the available food and resource use by deer in the habitat. Although red deer
(Cervus elaphus) primarily forages on woody plant species from the shrub layer, supplementation
by non-browse food is very common among game managers. Provision of extra food in addition
to the natural supply has significant costs. Consequently, it is important to know how essential
this feeding may be for populations of game like red deer. In our study area we determined the
consumption by red deer of two feed types (maize silage and apple pomace which is the residue
from pressing apples) commonly offered at feeding plots in Hungary during the winter.
Additionally, we assessed the minimum distance for these feeders to have an attractive effect. We
used microhistological analysis of faeces and rumen content and macroscopic observation of
markers mixed into the food. Based on our analyses, 20 to 90% of the red deer (depending on the
date and method of investigation) had eaten the supplemental food. However, the proportion of
supplementary food in the red deer droppings collected in the immediate surroundings of the
feeding plots was always very low (<10%). The detected range of effect of the feeding plots (the
distance from which deer came to the feeder) was typically around 1.7 km, but no more than 3.2
km. All this indicates that only a part of the red deer population visits the feeding plots, and from
short distances from the forest. Thus, our data strongly suggests that supplementary food did not
necessarily play an important role in the diet of the red deer individuals regularly visiting these
sites. Managers considering supplementary feeding should evaluate the quality of the forest area
because the natural food supply can greatly influence the use of the feeding plots.


Background:  Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder affecting large segment of population and is a major public health problem. Methods: A prospective cross sectional study of 150 patients conducted in the Department of Surgery at Government Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala, India Results:  Maximum numbers of patients were in the age group of 60-69. Male to female ratio is 3.04:1.50% had duration of diabetes 200 mg/dl) at the time of admission and 44 (29.3%) had history of smoking. Conclusions:  Most important risk factors for diabetic foot ulcers were neuropathy (54%), poor glycemic control (46.7%) and PVD (35.3%), diabetic foot requires a comprehensive management.


There has been a great buzz surrounding the latest Nature paper, "Traversable wormhole dynamics on a quantum processor". The Nature paper discusses an experiment in which Google's Sycamore quantum processor is used to simulate a sparsified version of an SYK model. It is shown that the simplified model preserves the key gravitational characteristics of the original SYK model and that it is sufficient to produce a traversable wormhole behavior. The experiment does not create an actual wormhole. Rather, the team of researchers shows an equivalence between a gravity picture and a quantum information picture. This paper gives an account of the experiment and addresses philosophical questions arising from the theoretical and experimental work.


In view of traditional dust and noise monitoring status, the WSN, GPRS technology and Kingview software is used in remote monitoring system of dust and noise to design special WSN nodes. It can realize the construction site dust and noise remote online monitoring and alarm functions. Field monitoring data are uploaded to the remote computer to display and processing through the WSN nodes, ZigBee-GPRS gateway and internet network. Using Kingview software and virtual serial port COMWAY technology, we can realize wireless docking between field wireless sensor nodes and the remote computer. By the network debugging, the system performance is stable and reliable, measurement data are accurate. It has high performance to price ratio and popularization application value.


In July this year, China's Ministry of Health (MoH) commissioned an independent external mid-term review of progress in its current health system reform (HSR), itself designed after unprecedented input from six external agencies and the general public (1,2). In its draft report, as yet unreleased, the six-member team of eminent reviewers praises the leadership and financial commitment demonstrated by China's government in pursuing HSR, but among other things makes strong calls for harmonisation of urban and rural insurance schemes, further improvements to payment mechanisms and oversight of the quality of care, quantitative evaluations of key systems outputs and health outcomes and scientific evaluation of the benefit and cost-effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine.


This study is a descriptive analysis of corporate learning resource centers. The study was designed to incorporate historical background and current status, organization and personnel, types and amount of alternate delivery instruction, and selected cost considerations in the establishment and maintenance of a learning resource center. A functional definition was furnished, with a deliberative attempt to encompass related synonyms. Discussion included training types or instructional delivery medium distinctions. A contribution of this study was the development, field testing, and enhancement of a survey instrument, which reflects the steps to be followed by those planning implementation of any learning resource center. Findings of this study indicated that learning resource centers were young and transitioning to increased on-line individualized and self-paced learning. Training and learning will become much less interdependent. Training types will increasingly become nontraditional and technology driven. Courseware will be received and managed remotely. Partnerships and cooperative efforts are mandates for business and higher education. Learner mobility will become normative, not the exception. Internet training will rapidly increase, most quickly among small business. Learning resource centers will continue to become more cost effective. This study proposed the redefinition of both learner and educator roles within a changing learning resource center environment. It was suggested that the learner role must become more active and that the corporate educator role, as a result of technology, will increase in passivity, tending toward that of facilitation. Implications and recommendations were specifically noted for both business and higher education. Specified nomenclature of "learner centers" or clearly "learner centered" has been advocated, reflecting the continuing evolution of the learning resource center. Technology, instructional media, mobility, availability and sharing of resources, less formalization, life-long learning, fiscal issues, Internet access, information and knowledge explosion, and downsizing, all combine to provide the view and demarcation of the new "learner centers."


We have measured excitation function for dp → pppπ- reaction near the η production threshold. We observe an enhancement of the counting rate above the threshold which can originate from the production of the η meson in the reaction dp → 3He η and its subsequent absorption on neutron in the 3He nucleus leading to creation of the pπ- pair.


3D packaging using through silicon via (TSV) technology is becoming important in the integrated circuit (IC) packaging industry. This paper reports the wetting behavior of polymer liquids in the insulation deposition process by spin coating. Two methods containing adding wetting agent into polymer liquid and coupling agent treatments to wafer surface were implemented to improve the wettability between the liquid and the wafer. From the viscosity tests, it was found that the wetting agent could improve the flowability and have little effect on the thixotropy of liquid. Besides, the surface tension of liquid was shifted to 31.14 mN/m from 32.16 mN/m with the addition of wetting agent. The coupling agent treatment to sidewall of vias (silicon) could increase the adhesion work value by at least 8 mN/m and avoid the sagging. Moreover, the wetting dynamics revealed that adding wetting agent to polymer liquid and coupling agent treatments to wafer could improve the wetting rate and decrease the balanced contact angle.


This kind of Markofl process can be defined by its transition probabilities P_(ij)(t) satisfying conditions (1), (2), (3) and (4). In this note we have proved that without further assumptions, all the transition probabilities P_(ij)(t) possess right hand derivatives for t≥0, furthermore each of these derivatives is bounded from above.


Esterases in individual houseflies were studied by means of agargel electrophoresis according to WIEME (1959). At least ten different esterases hydrolysing α‐naphthylacetate could be demonstrated to occur in a particular strain of flies. Only one of these was present in all flies studied. A comparison of esterase patterns in parents and offspring showed the technique to be reliable and provided strong evidence that nine different esterase genes are responsible for the occurrence of the ten esterase bands referred to above, one being responsible for the production of two electrophoretically different esterases. Two of these genes were found to be probably allelic. No sex linkage was observed.


Neighborhood is of vital importance in geo-relationship.A group of immigrants from Sichuan tried their utmost to adapt to the life in Yougang village.Owing to the land compensation event,the enthusiasm of those Sichuan immigrants was frustrated.As a result,a kind of "beyond neighborhood" that exceeds natural area was constructed in the whole village.


Measurements on impurity pellet ablation trails indicate that the emission from these clouds extends much farther along the magnetic field than across it. For carbon pellets on TFTR, the aspect ratio of this cigar‐shaped plume is of the order of 10. Strong visible line emission from one of the ionization states can be imaged with high time resolution, and since ions should be well confined along the field lines, it should be possible in this way to measure the radial profile of the pitch of the total internal magnetic field. For a pellet injected along a major radius in the plasma midplane, the appropriate viewing geometry consists of imaging the pellet along its flight from behind. A detector scheme capable of accomplishing the measurement, consisting of an array of 1‐D spot‐imaging photodiodes, is described. In order to make meaningful measurements with regard to the tokamak physics of interest, it is highly desirable to measure the field angle profile with a precision of ±10 mrad or better. In order to achieve this for a cigar with aspect ratio of 10, measurement of the mean vertical position for each slice of the cigar must be made with a precision of about 10% of the vertical thickness of the cigar on that slice.


The reaction between o‐phenylenediamines, dehydroacetic acid and aromatic aldehydes is shown to give not only the expected 1,5‐benzodiazepine derivative but also a 3,4‐dihydroquinoxaline, the structure of which was determined by its 1H and 13C 1D and 2D NMR spectra. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Grayscale-weighted centroiding weights the pixel intensity to estimate the center of a circular image region such as a photogrammetric target or a star image. This is easy to realize with good robustness; however, locating accuracy varies with weight. There is no conclusion as to the relationship between weight and centroiding accuracy. To find this relationship and thus acquire the highest achievable accuracy of centroiding, one must first derive the general model of centroiding as follows. (1) Set weighting as a function that includes the grayscale intensity of each pixel and two undetermined parameters α and β. The centers were calculated from the new weights. (2) Design an accuracy evaluation method for centroiding based on a virtual straight-line target to obtain the accuracy of centroiding with various parameters. With these parameter values and accuracy records, the accuracy-parameter curve can be fitted. In the end, simulations and experiments are conducted to prove the accuracy improvement of this variable-weighted grayscale centroiding compared with traditional centroiding. The experimental result shows that the parameter α contributes significantly to accuracy improvement. When α = 1.5, locating accuracy is 1/170 pixels. Compared to centroiding and squared centroiding, the new locating method has a 14.3% and 10.6% accuracy improvement indicating that it improves locating accuracy effectively.


normality, defined as: Loss or severe impairment of the capacity for self-care and selfpreservation, or the occurrence of socially unacceptable behaviour, as a result of adverse intellectual or emotional change. Four symptoms of advanced physical disease-stroke, multiple falls, inability to walk, and incontinence-were looked for in these patients. Two or more were present in 52% of the mentally normal and in 69% of the mentally abnormal. Both groups of patients were treated in the same wards by the same staff. Three months after admission 19% of the normal and 41% of the abnormal patients had died. The higher mortality of the mentally abnormal group might have been due to faulty management of their psychological symptoms or to the association of their mental symptoms with advanced physical disease. The latter explanation seems more likely. This is supported by the findings of Dr. Mezey and his colleagues; and though Kidd' in his original study rejected this explanation he did not provide figures comparing the mortality of mentally normal and mentally abnormal patients with physical disease treated in the same unit. I have not attempted to distinguish between physical-mental and mentalphysical cases as defined by Kidd; my experience, however, lends no support to the view that " misplacement " is a significant factor in the high mortality of patients with mental symptoms admitted to a geriatric unit. In the area covered by the study of Mezey and his colleagues many more old people were admitted to the geriatric than to the psychiatric unit. Similarly in this area I was able to estimate roughly that for every patient aged 65 or over admitted to the psychiatric service four entered the geriatric unit, and two of these had significant mental abnormality. Thus two-thirds of mentally abnormal old people requiring hospitalization in this area are treated in the geriatric unit. Historically, our hospitals developed separate facilities and separate staff-training for the physically and mentally ill, and were then embarrassed by the arrival of a population of old people in whom physical and mental symptoms frequently coexisted. It is no solution to divide patients into arbitrary categories ; to define some as " misplaced "; and to suggest the establishment of a third type of hospital unit to deal with them. A more obvious solution is to provide facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental symptoms at the point of admission. This already happens in geriatric assessment units, though of course their staffs would benefit from more formal training in the management of psychological disease in the elderly. The special jointly staffed psychogeriatric unit advocated by Kay and colleagues,2 located in teaching centres, could provide this training as well as teaching medical students and nurses and conducting research. But the service needs of the country as a whole would, in my opinion, best be met by the admission in the first instance to the geriatric assessment unit of all physically ill old people, whether or not they have mental symptoms. It would be difficult and uneconomical for many psychiatric hospitals to duplicate the complex diagnostic and treatment facilities of the modern geriatric admission unit. Psychiatrists would continue to deal with the comparatively few mentally ill old people whose physical health is normal (these comprised some 8% of the patients in the series of Dr. Mezey and his colleagues). Psychiatrists could also help greatly by their regular attendance at case conferences and seminars in their local geriatric units, to whose staffs they could communicate their specialized knowledge and insight. Such a scheme could lead to a situation where the medical care of the elderly depends on the principle that mental and physical diseases occur together and should be treated together.-I am, etc.,


In this paper, the fuzzy logic algorithm for process parameters of fused deposition modeling is described. Rapid prototyping is moving towards rapid prototyping manufacturing (RPTM). Surface quality and dimensional accuracy are important with parts used for end purposes. The input process parameters taken for FDM 2000 are nozzle diameter, slice thickness and road width for the prediction of output process parameters such as surface finish, porosity and dimensional accuracy. Fuzzy Logic helps in predicting the output parameters for the given machine specific input parameters. Once the output values are known, the effectiveness of the input parameters could be analyzed and changed suitably according to the purpose. These input and output variables play a crucial role in designing the fuzzy model for effective prediction. FLC designe offers the user the ability to quantify the trade-offs among conflicting goals while striving towards the best compromise solution


This chapter presents an overview on the crisis of religious faith in Kohelet. Thought content of the book of Kohelet explains conditionalities of the milieus: the book is recognizable either in the Greek or Oriental influence. In this way the assessment can hardly come to a final decision, because the real problem and living Ecclesiastes eludes so external and straightforward interpretation. It is in relation to mainly a structural property of the personality and a certain mode of behavior of religion. The ancient Israelite conception of life is a religious harmony between the inner and outer events if the soul of man is safe and accessible. The adequate correlation between the religious and moral and physical-material events is based on the fact that the Lord is righteous and maintains righteousness. Keywords: religious faith; Kohelet; ancient Israelite conception; religious harmony


Objective To study the efficacy of strong Neo-MinophagenC(SNMC)in treating anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver function lesion.Methods 260 patients suffering with liver function lesion were divided into two groups randomly:treatment and control groups.The treatment group was given SNMC and the control group was given Glutathione sequenced with KU-HUANG.Results The recovery conditions of the treatment and control group were as seen below:The response rates of TBiL,ALT and ESR were 95.4%,96.9% and 90.8% in the treatment group respectively,and the respective rates in the control group were 92.3%,93.8% and 88.5% respectively.Time period of recovering were respectively 16.3±0.3,12.1±0.2,17.5±0.3(days)in the treatment group,and 27.9±0.6,23.3±0.3,27.4±0.4(days)in the control group.There was similar efficacy rate between the two groups,but time for which the markers recovered to normality or near normality was shorter in the treatment group than that in the control group.Conclusion The use of SNMC in treating the liver function lesion has a shorter recovery time period than Glutathione sequenced with KU-HUANG.


This dissertation seeks to improve the current understanding of the ways in which institutional reform can promote the development of stock markets in Latin America. Over the past decade, policymakers sought to stimulate the growth of capital markets in the region through the promotion of a standardized set of formal institutions. An example of this approach in the field of company law was the introduction of modern corporate governance practices into nations without a solid enforcement infrastructure. By most accounts, these efforts did not deliver on their promise of stock market development. This work identifies areas for potential reform. As a means to better understand the operation of Latin American stock markets, this dissertation draws from different sources, including the historical experience of industrialized nations, the available literature on institutional reform, the documented shortcomings of legal reform programmes and hand-collected data from various Latin American countries. The resulting analysis suggests that the promotion of Latin American capital markets may require strategies different to those that were set in motion over the past decade. The main contribution of this work is twofold. First, this dissertation brings some nuance to the discussions concerning the challenges faced by Latin American capital markets. A proper understanding of these challenges is essential for policymakers in the region, particularly after the onset of the Latin American Integrated Market. Second, this dissertation explores the use of 'transitional strategies' to overcome some of the challenges identified here. The ultimate goal of this project is to inform future reform efforts in Latin America and to offer some insights for policymakers in other emerging countries.


The distribution of Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Ni and As in waters and sediments in streams and entrapped water bodies around the mining district of Enyigba was evaluated. The result of analyses show that the concentration of Cu varies from 0.006 to 0.100 mg/l in waters in streams and mine pits (surface water), with a mean of 0.02 mg/l; Zn from 0.008 to 0.023 mg/l with a mean of 0.01 mg/l. The concentration of Pb, Ni, Cd and As in all samples of surface water is lower than 0.001 mg/l. The concentration of Pb in sediments vary from 54 mg/kg to 63356 mg/kg with a mean of 4245 mg/kg; Zn from 72mg/kg to 1386.5 mg/kg with a mean of 349.68 mg/kg; Cu from 11.5 mg/kg to 808.5 mg/kg with a mean of 84.48 mg/kg; Cd from 0.5 mg/kg to 5.5 mg/kg with a mean of 3.35 mg/kg; Ni from 0.5 mg/kg to 1197 mg/kg with a mean of 282.66 mg/kg and As from 0.05 mg/kg to 1.5 mg/kg. It is established that there is no significant pollution of surface water by heavy metals analysed, based on WHO Standard of 1993. There is however significant pollution of sediments by Pb, Zn and Ni and to a smaller extent Cu. The consequences of the observed pollution include the introduction of pollutants in the downstream reaches of the streams and the Ebonyi River during the periods of high flow, the accumulation of the pollutants in the tissues of organisms that live in the sediments which may get passed to higher organisms that prey on these organisms and the eventual effect on humans, through the food chain.


Six trials in Botswana in which an unpurified suspension of the local nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) attacking Heliothis armigera (Hb.) was tested against larvae of this species on sorghum (five trials) and on cotton (one trial) during 1971-73 are described. A commercial preparations of the NPV of H. zea (Boddie) and one containing Bacillus thuringiensis were included in two of the trials. H. armigera NPV was as effective as a standard insecticide in preventing losses of sorghum in one trial. Lowering the rate of NPV reduced the control of H. armigera larvae. There was no difference in control achieved by spraying in the morning or in the evening. Spraying every second or every third row (relying on natural spread of the virus) reduced control. Low concentrations of molasses (0.6%) made control by 100 larval equivalents (L.E.) per hectare as good as that by 200 L.E. per hectare without molasses. Neither the commercial H. zea NPV nor the Bacillus preparation was as effective as the local virus. The local virus was reasonably effective against H. armigera on cotton at very high rates and with molasses. It was not as damaging as carbaryl to populations of egg parasites and predators, but the predators did not control injurious populations of aphids and Jassids on the virus-sprayed plots.ADDITIONAL ABSTRACT:H. armigera nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) was applied in 5 trials to sorghum and in 1 trial to cotton in 1971-3. Control of H. armigera larvae in sorghum with doses of more than or equal to 100 larval equivalents (LE) of virus/ha was comparable with control by the standard insecticide, carbaryl. Lowering the rate of NPV or spraying every 2nd and 3rd row reduced control but control by 100 LE virus/ha + 0.6% molasses was comparable with control by 200 LE virus/ha. Commercial preparations of H. zea NPV and B. thuringiensis were not as effective as the local virus. The local virus gave reasonable control in cotton at 400-2000 LE/ha + molasses. Sorghum grain yields were increased from 2.5 t/ha in the untreated control to 3.4 t with 190 LE virus/ha and 3.1 t with 1.1 kg carbaryl/ha; seed-cotton yields increased from 0.02 t/ha in the untreated control to 0.7 t with NPV + molasses and 1.2 t with 0.5 kg carbaryl/ha


Globalisation and urbanisation have steadily increased the occurrence and establishment of exotic ant species around the world. Even though native Finnish ants are well-studied, knowledge about introduced exotic ants living indoors in Finland is scanty. We report here a new exotic tramp ant, Technomyrmex vitiensis, found in 2016 the first time in Finland. The species lives in the two tropical houses of the Helsinki Zoo. The species is known to have, in addition to normal alate reproductives, wingless ergatoid queens and males. Ergatoid queens made around 15% of the individuals in the studied nests, but we were unable to find ergatoid males. Ergatoid queens were also found among foragers, outside nests; a behaviour that has not been recorded earlier in Technomyrmex species. Alate males were present only in nests sampled in late autumn. Nests that were sampled in early spring contained dealate queens, but queens were not found in the late autumn.


Hydrocarbon contaminated soils were investigated to assess the level of pollution. The physicochemical properties, trace metals and total petroleum hydrocarbon content of soil samples were determined in the laboratory by extraction and spectrophotometric techniques. Total petroleum hydrocarbons levels in soils under investigation were measured as high as 9.84 ×10mgkg for soils under investigation. Multivariate statistical method was employed to evaluate the level of pollution of hydrocarbon contaminated soils. Principal component analysis carried out on soil showed that the eigenvalues of the two first principal components represent up to 67.2% of the total variance. A positive correlation of the first principal component with Cu, Cr, V, cation exchange capacity and total petroleum hydrocarbon shows pollution from oil spillage while correlation of the second principal component with Cr, Fe, V and DO shows both oil pollution and allochthnous inputs Cluster analysis shows that at about 68.56% similarity, all variables reveal a common source.


Abstract The embedded systems with application specific instruction set processors, on which specific software runs, has become an inseparable part of our everyday life. Therefore, powerful tools for their development are necessary. Each tool is used in different phases of an embedded system design. One of the key phases is the testing of processor and software functionality. The most used approach in industry is simulation. A simulation can verify that the processor design and software does not contain bugs and that both parts are optimal enough before embedded system realization. The key factor of simulation is its accuracy and speed. In this article a concept of our cycle-accurate compiled simulation is described. The simulator uses such principles which guarantee independence on a host platform, including very good performance and precision. Furthermore, it can simulate a self-modifying code and systems with external memories.


The aim of the article is to analyze the experience of using tourism and excursions in the activities of the organization «Plast» in the 20-30s of the twentieth century in Western Ukraine. Based on the study of publications in the reservoir publications of the interwar period, published in Lviv and Transcarpathia, the practice of conducting various campaigns, excursions and walks is considered. It was found that in the practice of the organization «Plast» in this period were used as hiking and skiing, water and cycling. Examples of hikes of different levels of difficulty and ways of movement are given. It has been proved that one of the important activities of Plast was camps. The activity of the camps was regulated by the rules established by the governing bodies of Plast, and the requirements for participation in the work of the camps were determined. In them, in particular, classes were held to master tourist skills, hikes were conducted. Some of the camps were nomadic (mobile). Tourist knowledge and skills were included in the requirements for obtaining reservations and skills exams. Features of the organization and carrying out of campaigns, excursions and walks of formation centers are defined. Positive features and shortcomings of tourist and local lore events conducted by Plast were revealed. One of the important activities of the reservoirs, which operated in the interwar period in Galicia and Transcarpathia, was tourism and local lore. Numerous campaigns, excursions of platoonmen of various duration were carried out. Tourist and local lore competencies are included in the list of requirements for obtaining reservoir titles and skills.The experience of organizing tourist and local lore activities in the system of work of the organization "Plast" in the interwar period in Western Ukraine requires further analysis and can be used to some extent in modern conditions.


Focusing on Chongqing Beer's hepatitis B vaccine project,based on the analytical framework of corporate governance theory of the internal mechanism and the external mechanism,this paper found that the imperfection of the legal regulation mechanism in China formed a hype atmosphere,which impeded the institutional investors' willingness to participate in the corporate governance and restricted the functions of the external mechanism seriously.Targeting the problems,the paper proposed some legal and political solutions,such as improving the legal system of information disclosure,encouraging the participation of various institutional investors,limiting the relative holding and fostering a political coordinating organ for institutional investors.


In today's scenario the consumer electronics market demands the reliable, high efficient electronic gadgets with minimum size at very reasonable cost. Usually the power supply unit plays an important role in deciding the above said factors. The main objective of the work is to design a VRM (Voltage Regulator Module) which results in highly efficient minimum size power supply unit. This work aims to achieve this using 35nm process with input voltage of 12V and output voltage of 1V. Also aiming to produce an independent controller for VRM applications. KeywordsVoltage, Controller, Efficiency.


The success of CT colonography (CTC) depends on appropriate tools for quick and accurate diagnostic reading. Current advancements in computer technology have the potential to bring such tools even to the PC level. In this paper a technique for Computed Aided Diagnosis (CAD) using CT colonography is described. The method labels positions in the volume data, which have a strong likelihood of being polyps and presents them in a user-friendly way. This method will reduce the amount of time needed by the radiologist to make a correct diagnosis. The method was tested on a study group of 18 patients and the sensitivity for polyps of 10 mm or larger is comparable to that of


Abstract Cable structures are very efficient (in economic aspect) when applied to cover large spans. The cable structure consists of a single cable or a network of cables. The cable attractive feature is the highest ratio of strength to weight amongst other carrying structural elements, usually applied in engineering practice. But a cable is a specific structural element able to response only one type of deforming ‐ tension (flexural rigidity actually vanishes). Therefore, when loaded a cable shapes the form to resist tension only. This adaptation is followed by large nonlinear displacements. Thus, the nature of geometrical nonlinear cable behavior is quitie a different from that of rigid structural elements. Both elements response via small deformations when loaded, but large displacements of a cable are conditioned by its adaptation to loading, and those of rigid structural elements ‐ by actual deformations. One can also note that deformations of a cable are significantly less than those of rigid struct...


Out of numerous factors relating to the pathogenesis and development of inflammation, the roles of plasma serine-proteases including, kallikrein, Clr, Cls, trypsin and plasmin are not thoroughly elucidated. To investigate the role of an enzyme, it is effective to use the selective inhibitor on it.In the present studies, authors used two pharmacological tools, i.e., FUT-175 (nafamostat mesilate), a selective inhibitor on serine-proteases and indomethacin, a selective inhibitor on cyclooxygenase and investigated the participation of serine-proteases in inflammation.At first, the pharmacological profile of FUT-175 was investigated in comparison with indomethacin. It was made clear that FUT-175 had selective inhibitory activities only on serine-proteases and no indomethacin-like activities.In the second, FUT-175 had significant suppressive effects on the representative models of inflammation including carrageenin-induced pleurisy and foot edema and adjuvant-arthritis in rats.These results suggest that plasma serine-proteases, especially complement system and kallikrein-kinin system play an important part in the processes of either acute or chronic inflammatory reactions.


Introduction: Sacroiliac joint dysfunctions are common among patients visiting physiotherapy offices. The main symptom of these dysfunctions is pain in the lumbosacral region of the spine. Taking the frequency of its occurrence into account, it is important to conduct an appropriate diagnosis that enables the implementation of proper treatment.


Four faint quasar candidates surrounding the wide quasar pair Tololo 1037-271/1038-272 have been observed with the aim of searching for absorption due to the intervening supercluster proposed to explain the strong correlated absorption seen between z = 1.95 and z = 2.15 in these two objects. A potential positive detection is reported in the case of Tol 1035-276, located at z(em) = 2.15, 39 arcmin southwest of the pair. Both the emission redshift of this object and two of the absorption systems seen in its spectrum match corresponding systems in Tol 1035-271/1038-272 to an accuracy well within the velocity splitting expected from the Hubble expansion at the large angular separation. In contrast, no correlated absorption is detected at a larger separation in the spectrum of Tol 1033-269 located at z(em) = 2.42, 62 arcmin west of the pair. This may indicate that the intervening supercluster has an elongated shape with its largest dimension aligned with the line of sight. 24 references.


In order to study the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of maize and its response to drought, this paper analysed the relationship between maize NDVI and drought in Liaoning province. Based on the meteorological data and NDVI data from 1998 to 2018, this paper analysed the spatial and temporal variation of maize NDVI and identified the drought occurrence in the growing season with the evaporative demand drought index (EDDI). The effect of drought disaster on maize NDVI was carried out by comparing maize NDVI and EDDI. The results could provide a basis for drought loss assessment and drought disaster prevention of maize.


City life has long been associated with the dangers of consumption. Here we focus on the consumption of opioids by Australian urban women and its effects on their sexual and reproductive functioning. We interviewed 109 Australian women with HCV (Hepatitis C) from two urban centres about contraception and their sexual and reproductive health needs. These interviews alerted us to a potential health consequence of drug use that appears to be under-researched: it appears that opioid use may reduce women's estrogen levels which in turn has consequences for their health more broadly. Here, we bring together qualitative evidence from interviews with women opioid users and from research literature to argue that women's opioid use may reduce their estrogen levels and lead to serious health consequences. At present, however, we are unaware of research that has empirically tested this proposition. This research urgently needs to be conducted, and if our theory is supported then treatment protocols and services for opioid-using women should be modified accordingly.


SQL Server, the safety of which is as important as that of IIS system,has been widely used in IIS system.This article not only analyses the hidden safety perils which may exist in SQL Server system but also gives the appropriate measures to remove them.


Conventional sources of energy have been depleting at an alarming rate, which makes future sustainable development of energy use very difficult. Thus, heat transfer enhancement technology plays an important role and it has been widely applied to many applications as in refrigeration, automotive, process industry and solar energy heater. Convective heat transfer can be enhanced passively by changing flow geometry, boundary conditions or by increasing thermal conductivity of the fluid. Another possibility for increasing heat transfer with gas is to employ extended surfaces. Transversal ribs in a channel work as fins, increasing the heat transfer area and break the laminar sub-layer creating local wall turbulence. The heat transfer rate is improved but pressure drops increased as well. In this paper a numerical investigation is carried out on forced convection in channels heated by a constant heat flux. Also conductive effects are taken into account. The fluid is air and properties are assumed as function of temperature and flow is turbulent. Ribs of the same material of the channel walls are introduced and several arrangements and shapes are analyzed. The investigation is accomplished by means of the Fluent code. Results are presented in terms of temperature and velocity fields, average heat transfer coefficients and friction factor profiles. The aim of this study is to find arrangement of ribs such to give high heat transfer coefficients and low pressure drops. The maximum Nusselt number and friction factor have been detected for dimensionless pitches equal, respectively, to 12 and 10 for square and rectangular ribs, 10 and 8, for triangular ones.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


In this paper, a mechanism of large-scale image/videos (I/Vs) automatic annotation and retrieval based on the distributed users is proposed, and a prototype system on the basis of it is implemented by the .net framework. Furthermore, the algorithm of annotating the meanings of I/Vs by their associative values with predefined categories, and the method of implementing the system is described. Experiment results regarding the evaluation that users can find their expecting I/Vs show that the proposed approach is effective and efficient for annotating and retrieving large I/Vs.


This study focuses on an analysis of responses and conversational structure by John Gruber in "The Talk Show". There are two problems to be solved in this study, namely: (1) what are the responses used by the host and the guest in "The Talk Show" by John Gruber; (2)what are the structure conversation in "The Talk Show" by John Gruber. The objectives of this study are to find the types of response, the types of structure conversation that used by John Gruber, Phill Schiller, and Craig Faderighi. The researcher uses Stentrom's theory to analyze the types of responses also Kong Rui and Su Ting's theory about structure conversation. The methodology that used in this research is descriptive qualitative. The data are words, sentences, and untterences of the conversation that used by host (John Gruber) and guest (Phill Schiller and Craig Faderighi). There are two results of this research, first result is 50 responses that used by the host and guest. The writer found 4 types of responses such as responding to statement, responding to question, responding to request, and responding to thanks. This talk show mostly uses responding to statement as the types of responses. The conversation between them mostly about asking and answering in form of statement. The second result is the structure conversation that used by John Gruber as the host of the talk show. The researcher finds 30 structures conversation that include in global structure and local structure.


ABSTRACT This study explores the role of political information seeking on social media and perceived exposure to misinformation in influencing online political engagement. A survey investigation of three Sub-Saharan African countries (Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa) suggests that both information seeking and perceived exposure to misinformation are positively associated with online political engagement. We find that younger citizens are more actively engaged in online political activities. However, we also find that perceived exposure to misinformation has varying effects on political engagement across age groups. More frequent perceived exposure to misinformation is found to be a mobilizer for online political engagement for the older population. We conclude with a discussion of how social media may facilitate greater engagement for the older population. Still, the mobilizing role of misinformation exposure raises concerns about the consequences of such political engagement. Theoretical implications for political engagement research, in general and in the countries under study, are discussed.


: The global craft beer market has seen a surge in consumer interest in recent years. Despite this trend, the technological challenges faced by small-scale brewery operators remain an under-explored area of research. This study aims to address this gap by examining the potential for operational failures through the perspectives of small-scale brewery managers. The research aims to provide insight into the complexities of supply chain management and the intricacies of economic processes within the craft beer industry. Additionally, the study seeks to evaluate the possibilities for sustainability within small-scale beer production. Given the exploratory nature of the study, a qualitative research design, specifically the constructivist approach of Grounded Theory Methodology, will be employed. The study will consist of in-depth interviews with the leaders of ten domestic and international small-scale breweries, focusing on market development opportunities, technological advancements, and sustainability. Small-scale breweries can be divided into three main components, which are closely related. Excessive losses during brewing, low automation and resulting food safety issues. The craft beer industry works with a loss ratio of at least 20%, which needs to be solved. The ultimate goal of this research is to propose innovative technological solutions that can improve the economic and food safety outcomes of small-scale beer production.


The detection of laser radiation originating from space is a positive indicator of Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (ETI). Thus far, the optical search for ETI (OSETI) has looked for enhanced brightness in the form of either narrow-band spectral emission or time correlated photons from laser pulses. In this paper, it is proposed to look for coherence properties of incoming light in a manner that can distinguish against atomic emission lines. The use of photon-sensitive detectors and a modulating asymmetric interferometer has been modeled. The results suggest that the sensitivity of detection for continuous laser sources would be better than current spectroscopic approaches, with detection thresholds of <1 photon s−1 m−2 against a background with a spectral bandwidth of 0.1 nm over an observation time of 750 s.


Stem tips and weeds of Dendrobium officinale were used as explants to produce pultaceous callus.After compared with the growing properties,sites and the rate of abduction, the stem tip is the best-selected explant for inducing callus.Water extraction and ethylalcohol precipitation was used as the method to extract polysaccharides from the Dendrobium officinale and modifred phenol-sulfuric acid is used as the method to determine the polysaccharide content. Orthogonal tests were planed to optimize combination of phytohormones and auxins for inducing pultaceous callus which grew fast and with high content of Dendrobium polysaccharides. The results indicated that MS + 1.0 mg/L naphthalene acetic acid(NAA)+ 1.0 mg/mL 6-benzylaminopurine(6-BA)+ 0.5 mg/mL 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid(2,4-D)+ 19 d was the most suitable ratio of hormones to induce pultaceous callus to grow fast.The assey of content of Dendrobium moniliforme showed that MS + 1.0 mg/L NAA + 1.0 mg/mL 6-BA + 0.5 mg/mL 2,4-D + 19 d is advantageous to improve the content of Dendrobium moniliforme.MS + 1.0 mg/L NAA + 1.0 mg/mL 6-BA + 0.5 mg/mL 2,4-D + 19 d is good for accelerating the proliferation of pultaceous callus and producing more moniliforme,and we induce a large number of pultaceous callus using this condition.Phenol-sulferic acid method is used to extract the Dendrobium moniliforme,which is totally amount to 300 gram.


A distinction is made between units and categories that are medium-independent (e.g. word class, noun phrase and clause) and those that are tied to the medium of realization. While the orthographic sentence is a typical highly conventionalised unit that is tied to the written medium, the tone unit is a typical unit of the spoken medium. There are, however, some problems related to this unit of realisation. Not only is the tone unit and its organisation into higher-level units subject to theoretical dispute, it also has a different status in speaking and reading respectively, which so far has been largely ignored in corpus linguistics.


©2019 Geir Flikke. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license. Citation: Geir Flikke (2019). From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia. Internasjonal Politikk, 77(4): 420–423. http://dx.doi.org/10.23865/intpol.v77.1986 From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia Michael McFaul Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2018)


Construction project managers face complex challenges when trying to deliver best value to their clients. International joint venture (IJV) projects can be particularly complex due to differences in political, social, legal, economic, language and cultural expectations between the partners. To provide greater insight in to the realities of these challenges, a case study investigation on a large IJV construction project (+£500m) in the UK was undertaken. As part of a wider three year ethnographic study, the researcher visited the construction site between one and three times a week for three years, and utilised participant observation as the main research tool. Data was collected through site walk-arounds, attending meetings, and informal discussions with employees. The findings revealed that the IJV partners had to try and overcome the following challenges: (i) employee loyalty and motivation towards their own companies rather than the IJV (ii) conflict and confrontation, (iii) alignment of all stakeholders to common goals, (iv) avoiding hierarchical confusion (v) creating effective communication and (vi) a lack of resource and knowledge sharing. Insights into these challenges could help project managers to better prepare for future joint-venture construction projects.


The system of soil classification developed by the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is called
Soil Taxonomy. This lesson focuses on broad descriptions of
soils at the Order level of classification.
At the completion of this lesson, students will be able to do
the following:
1. Describe the structure of the USDA soil taxonomic
system.
2. Describe the defining characteristic(s) of each of the
12 soil Orders.
3. Apply the concept of soil forming factors to the formation
and occurrence of each of the 12 soil Orders.
4. Identify regional scale occurrences of soil orders in
the USA.
The lesson is written to target educational needs of lowerlevel
undergraduate students and is open for use by the
public and educational institutions.


The aim of this work was to evaluate the agronomic characteristics, chemical composition and in vitro gas production of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) cultivars used in ruminant feed. The experimental design was a randomized block containing seven treatments and three replications totaling 21 plots. The cultivars RB835436, RB925211, RB925345, RB937570, RB945961, RB955970 e SP91-1049 was evaluated for dry matter, dry matter yield, stalk percentage, stalk tons per hectare, plant height, stalk diameter, number of tillers per linear meter, mass per stem, soluble solids content (BRIX), NDF/BRIX ratio and tons of sucrose/ha, total digestible nutrients, digestible energy, metabolizable energy, net energy and in vitro digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent, of digestion and In vitro gas production of non-fibrous carbohydrates, latency time, digestion rate and gas production of fibrous carbohydrates, and in vitro digestibility of organic matter. There was a significant difference between the cultivars regarding the neutral detergent fiber content, in vitro digestibility of organic matter, total digestible nutrients, digestible energy, net energy, degradation rates of fibrous and non-fibrous carbohydrates and latency period. There was a negative correlation between stem percentage and NDF/BRIX and positive correlation between in vitro digestibility of organic matter and total digestible nutrients. The results were submitted to analysis of variance and mean test by Scott-Knott and Pearson's correlation analysis. The statistical program used was SAEG 2000. The RB835486 variety was superior to the other cultivars, as it presented 93.28% of stem, 57.5% of in vitro digestibility of organic matter, NDF / BRIX ratio of 2.68, 43.78% NDF, latency period 2.86h and fibrous carbohydrate degradation rate of 2.26% per hour. Therefore, this cultivar was better indicated for animal feeding between May and July in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil.


The thesis is dealing with emulsions stabilized by particles, so called Pickering emulsions. Attention is paid to Pickering emulsions and their general characteristics, types of particles used, and the principles of their stabilization. It also discusses the possible applications of Pickering emulsions in dermatology and cosmetics. The experimental part of the thesis is focused on formulations of Pickering emulsions containing triacylglycerol tricapry-lin/tricaprin as an oil phase, and cellulose nanocrystals and zinc oxide in the aqueous phase, which serve as stabilizers. Characterization of prepared emulsions was performed by determining their particle size, potential, rheological properties and phase studies. Microbiological tests confirmed the antibacterial properties of the emulsions prepared.


Objective To study gene defect of a hereditary coagulation factor XIII deficiency family.Methods PCR and gene sequencing were used to detect the FXIIIA gene of peripheral white blood cell from a hereditary coagulation factor XIII deficiency family members.Results The proband had a del-aa at nucleotide(nt) 72045 in exon 5,both of her parents and sister were correspondingly heterozygotes at the same nucleotide.Conclusion The mutation was resulted in FXIIIA deficiency.


A major concern with computer-based (CB) tests of second-language (L2) writing is that performance on such tests may be influenced by test-taker keyboarding skills. Poor keyboarding skills may force test-takers to focus their attention and cognitive resources on motor activities (i.e., keyboarding) and, consequently, other processes and aspects of writing (e.g., planning, revising) might be left unattended to, which can lead to poor text quality and lower test scores. Such effects might be more pronounced for L2 test-takers. This study investigated the impact of keyboarding skills on test-takers' scores in the context of the TOEFL-iBT Writing Section. Each of 97 test-takers, with different levels of English language proficiency (low vs. high) and keyboarding skills (low vs. high), responded to two TOEFL-iBT writing tasks (independent and integrated) on the computer. Test scores were statistically compared across tasks and test-taker groups. The findings indicated that overall English language proficiency and writing ability in English contributed substantially to variance in task scores, while keyboarding skill had a significant, but weak, effect on task scores. Additionally, keyboarding skills effects depended on task type. While these findings support the claim that performance on TOEFL-iBT writing tasks depends mainly on test-taker English language proficiency, they also raise important questions about the relationships between keyboarding skills, L2 writing ability, and performance on CB L2 writing tests, as well as factors affecting these relationships.


A robust finding in psychological research is that combining information with a mechanical rule results in more valid predictions than combining information holistically in the mind. Nevertheless, information is typically combined holistically in practice, resulting in suboptimal predictions and decisions. Earlier research showed that decision makers are more likely to use mechanical prediction procedures when they retain autonomy in the decision-making process. However, it remains largely unknown how different autonomy-enhancing features affect predictive validity. Therefore, in two pre-registered studies (total N = 342), we investigated if and how prediction procedures can be designed such that they satisfy decision-makers' autonomy needs and acceptance without reducing predictive validity. Based on archival application data from a university admission procedure, participants predicted applicants' first-year GPA and chance of dropout. The results of Bayesian analyses showed that participants preferred prediction procedures in which they retained autonomy by choosing consistent predictor weights of a mechanical rule or by holistically adjusting the predictions of an optimal regression model. In general, these prediction procedures resulted in slightly higher predictive validity compared to fully holistic prediction. Providing participants with predictor validity information slightly increased predictive validity when participants could choose predictor weights, but not when making holistic predictions or adjusting optimal model predictions. Giving decision makers a role in designing mechanical rules through choosing weights based on explicit predictive validity information could help promote the implementation and validity of mechanical prediction in practice.


This paper presents a methodological/instrumental/calculative assignment used to delineate soil water balance components. From the last decade, a number of publications appeared in reputed journals on the soil water balance computation under different cropping patterns with divergent establishment methods/Resource Conservation Technologies (RCTs) without discussing much on the calculative/instrumental part. This creates confusion between budding students/scientists as they hesitate to work onto the problems of soil water balance computation during their masters or even at doctoral level because of lacked basic (instrumental/methodological) knowledge. Present compilation focused in detail on the instrumental/calculation of the soil water balance components viz . rainfall, irrigation, evaporation, transpiration, drainage, seepage and change in the soil moisture profile. Each component is of importance in calculating soil water balance. In spite of being familiar with the instrumental part, methodological and calculative parts are equally important. Currently, scientists focused on identification of opportunities for water savings and increasing water productivity; developing a better understanding of present patterns of water use and impacts of interventions. Further one could delineate the impact of a particular RCT in a particular region under diverse agro-climatic conditions for improving land and water productivity only being fully conversant with instrumental/methodological/calculative part required for calculating the soil water balance components.


The equilibrium polentials of Zn Fe,Zn Co and Zn Ni systems are close to that of Zn,but far from those of the iron group.It means that Zn electrode has much more larger exchanging current density.The anomalous codeposition of the alloy could then be explained.


BROWN Callum G. The death of christian britain : understanding secularisation, 1800-2000 London ; New York : Routledge, 2009, XIII-304 p. Collection Christianity and society in the modern world ISBN 978-0-415-47134-3 GB 194 Resume editeur : The Death of Christian Britain examines how the nation's dominant religious culture has been destroyed. Callum Brown challenges the generally held view that secularization was a long and gradual process dating from the industrial revolution. Instead, he...


Preface List of Abbreviations Introduction 1. Self-Determination as Political Ecology: The Roots of Biocultural Rights 2. Homo Economicus on Trial: Towards an Ethic of Stewardship 3. Fighting Fetishism: Biocultural Readings of Social Hieroglyphs 4. Reification: The Law as a Collective Conspiracy 5. Fighting Reification: Towards a Peoples' History of the Law 6. Rethinking Property: A Biocultural Approach 7. A Jurisprudence of Stewardship: Creating Biocultural Precedents 8. Biocultural Rights in Anglo-American Jurisprudence 9. Biocultural Community Protocols: Towards a Pluralism of Property Bibliography Case Index Index


Objectives: Abnormal bone scan findings in the spine are often nonspecific. The confidence level for the differential diagnosis between metastases and benign or degenerative changes may vary depending on their appearance, location or intensity. The recognition of a specific pattern for certain benign conditions and its subcategorization will increase the credibility of bone scan interpretation while retaining a high level of sensitivity. We report one such finding, focally increased activity on the lateral side of the cervical spine on the posterior view, most common at the C3–C5 level ("mid-cervical-lateral-focus"). Methods: Of 481 patients with various cancers who had at least 2 whole-body bone scans, 6 months or more apart, 41 patients were judged to show this characteristic "mid-cervical-lateral-focus" on at least one scan. Final diagnosis (metastasis vs. benign) for each "mid-cervical-lateral-focus" was made based on clinical grounds and serial bone scans. Results: The bone scan showed definite multiple metastases in 15 patients, and the differential diagnosis for the "mid-cervical-lateral-focus" was already clinically irrelevant in these patients. Nevertheless, the "mid-cervical-lateral-focus" was finally judged to be benign in 14 of these 15 patients and in all remaining 26 patients without other obvious metastases. The only "mid-cervical-lateral-focus" judged to be a metastatic focus was not only clinically redundant, but also the most intense among all the "mid-cervical-lateral-foci." in this series (too intense to be interpreted as benign). Conclusion: The typical "mid-cervical-lateral-focus" pattern is extremely unlikely to represent metastases (virtually 0% in patients without other obvious metastases). This knowledge helps exclude metastases on bone scans.


Australian Cedar (Toona ciliata), belongs to the Meliaceae family and has been cultivated in many Brazilian sites. When compared to natural forest species it has fast growth and has been used as an option to substitute native woods, such as mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and cedar (Cedrella odorata). The main purpose of this work was to evaluate the variation in apparent density and propose a model for stem mass estimation this study used trees with 52 months old, from plantation areas, in Campo Belo county, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Two distinct progenies were chosen and had wood discs removed in the following positions from the tree base: 0.15 m, 0.70 m, 1.30 m and 30%, 50%, 70% and 85% of the total height. Wood samples from the disks were collected in order to conduct X-ray densitometry. The X-ray densitometry allowed us to know density variation from pit to bark and from base to top of trees. The density increases from pit to bark. From base to top of the tree, the density decreases up to DBH position and, after that, increases until the top of the tree. The estimated value for mean apparent density was 0.422 g/cm3. Based on the longitudinal variation of apparent density it was possible to propose a model for mass estimation. The model, which considers the estimated apparent density, was used to estimate the total mass (ton/ha). The total mass estimated by the model (53.1 ton/ha) was greater than that estimated using DBH wood density values (50.9 ton/ha).


A 2D noninterpenetrated flexible metal-organic porous solid, {[Cu(2)(cis-chdc)(2)(bpee)] x H(2)O}(n) (1) based on a paddle-wheel building unit has been constructed using a mixed-ligand system. Guest-induced irreversible internetwork displacements of the 2D grids result in permanent porosity in the framework, as realized by the selective CO(2) sorption over N(2). The different affinity and selectivity of the solvent molecules was correlated with the internal polarity of the pore surfaces.


Objective:To explore the plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1) and P-selectin in hypertension patients and the correlations with angiotension Ⅱ(AngⅡ).Methods:We examined the levels of AngⅡ,MCP-1 and P-selectin in the plasma of 32 hypertension patients and 30 normal subjects using the radioimmunoassay and ELISA method respectively.Results:The levels of serum MCP-1 and P selectin were higher inhypertension patients compared with normal subjects( 18.66± 2.55)Vs( 15.45± 1.13)ng/L,( 11.43± 3.35)Vs( 3.47± 1.31)ng/L,respectively.But they had no correlations with the levels of serum AngⅡand blood pressure.Conclusion:The inflammatory markers of MCP-1 and P selectin are elevated in hypertension patients in comparison with normal subjects.


The objective of the study was to elucidate the binding of Hg 2+ , methyl mercury, and phenyl mercury on chitosan and barbital-immobilized chitosan by potentiometric titration and XPS and FTIR spectroscopy. Adsorption experiments were conducted at room temperature (30 °C) to optimize the percentage removal of different forms of mercury, and the data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. Speciation of inorganic, methyl, and phenyl mercury was achieved by sequentially eluting inorganic mercury using 0.1 N perchloric acid followed by methyl mercury using 0.015 N NaCl and finally phenyl mercury using 0.05 N EDTA. Potentiometric titration data and a pKa spectrum approach showed the presence of self-assembled amine/protonated amine, amine, and hydroxyl/amine functional groups. The total number of functional groups was found to be 158.05 mol ·g -1 and 68.6 mol ·g -1 for barbital-immobilized chitosan and chitosan, respectively, suggesting that a larger number of binding sites are available in barbital-immobilized chitosan for bonding to mercury. FTIR, pH, and XPS studies show that the possible functional groups in the metal binding include amino functional groups in the case of chitosan and amide groups in the case of barbital-immobilized chitosan. The peak areas of XPS Hg 4f spectra show greater adsorption for Hg using barbital-immobilized chitosan as adsorbent compared to chitosan.


We propose Logical Sensor Network(LSN) and LSN Operator to create a dedicated sensor network over a multi-institutional world-wide sensor network. LSN can logically define sensor network environment with XML and LSNO is a middleware that dynamically map and remap the logical sensor to real sensor. With this mechanism, applications can operate and be developed on the premise of detailed knowledge about the sensor network. In this paper, we propose an architecture which operates LSN mechanism with low latency and high scalability, as well as LSN schema.


Firstly a formalized represent model of indeterminate geographical objects is designed based on the quartuple (x, y, A, μ). Then a direction reference framework is constructed by revising the cone method for uncertain direction relation presentation, where the partition of direction sections is smoothly and continually, and the two neighboring sections are overlapped in the transition zones with fuzzy method. Based on these, a fuzzy description model for indeterminate direction relation is proposed with the fuzzy directional reference frame where the uncertainty of all the three parts (source object, reference object and reference frame) is taken into account simultaneously. In the end, a case study is implemented to test the rationality and viability of the model.


Reliable detection and classification of bacteria and other pathogens in the human body, animals, food, and water is crucial for improving and safeguarding public health. For instance, identifying the species and its antibiotic susceptibility is vital for effective bacterial infection treatment. Here we show that phase contrast time-lapse microscopy combined with deep learning is sufficient to discriminate four species of bacteria relevant to human health. The classification is performed on living bacteria and does not require fixation or staining, meaning that the bacterial species can be determined as the bacteria reproduce in a microfluidic device, enabling parallel determination of susceptibility to antibiotics. We assess the performance of convolutional neural networks and vision transformers, where the best model attained a class-average accuracy exceeding 98%. Our successful proof-of-principle results suggest that the methods should be challenged with data covering more species and clinically relevant isolates for future clinical use. Author Summary Bacterial infections are a leading cause of premature death worldwide, and growing antibiotic resistance is making treatment increasingly challenging. To effectively treat a patient with a bacterial infection, it is essential to quickly detect and identify the bacterial species and determine its susceptibility to different antibiotics. Prompt and effective treatment is crucial for the patient's survival. A microfluidic device functions as a miniature "lab-on-chip" for manipulating and analyzing tiny amounts of fluids, such as blood or urine samples from patients. Microfluidic chips with chambers and channels have been designed for quickly testing bacterial susceptibility to different antibiotics by analyzing bacterial growth. Identifying bacterial species has previously relied on killing the bacteria and applying species-specific fluorescent probes. We introduce deep learning models as a fast and cost-effective method for identifying bacteria species directly from phase-contrast microscopy images of living bacteria simultaneously as growth is analyzed. We envision this method being employed concurrently with antibiotic susceptibility tests in future applications, significantly enhancing bacterial infection treatments.


Lightning has been famed globally since the beginning of electricity to trigger system faults in the electric power grid. In a tropical region such as West Java, lightning strikes cause the most system faults on transmission and distribution lines. Therefore, a detailed assessment of lightning performance over the overhead-line (OHL) transmission is required to ensure grid reliability. Furthermore, this study evaluates the lightning performance of 70 kV Cikalong - Cigereleng sub-transmission in Bandung, which suffered the most lightning-related faults in the area over the last six years at twenty occurrences. Annual records of lightning events from 2017 to 2022 and an electro geometric model (EGM) according to IEEE and CIGRE were employed to analyse the fault incidences, flash density, shielding failure, and back flashover incidents onto the OHL. The results suggest that most fault incidents at 70 kV Cikalong - Cigereleng OHL were due to back flashover instead of shielding failure. The geographical condition alongside the OHL, tower specification and the design of the insulator set might have affected the back flashover events. Consequently, mitigative actions could be planned and taken accordingly.


performance of the government-lack of accountability of the top echelons of civil servants. Another way of saying the same thing is to point out that the people who work in the government are not the problem; rather, the systems in which they work are the problem.' In making the above observation I am neither breaking any new ground nor can I claim much in terms of originality. In response to the then prime minister's concern for accountability of top government officials, the Economic Administration Reforms Commission, known popularly as the L K Jha Commission, produced an absolutely superb report2 on this very subject in l282. Sadly, 11 years after this report there has not been even an iota of increase in the accountability of the officials. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons for this failure to increase accountability of seniormost government functionaries and suggest a feasible, practical and necessary game plan to achieve this goal of increased accountability.