Urgency of the research. The European vector of integration development of Ukraine has actualized the issue of improving the legal and regulatory framework for macroeconomic budgeting. Target setting. Implementation of the budget process of macrofinancial budgeting involves the availability of appropriate regulatory and methodological justification. Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. Contribution to the research and development of scientific and methodological principles of management of budget resources was made by Bogdan I. V., Babych T. S., Hasanov S. S, Zhyber T. V., Zapatrina I. V., Efimenko T. I., Kudryashov V. P., Fedosov V. M., et al. Uninvestigated parts of general matters defining. Dynamic changes in the socio-economic environment make it necessary to study the impact of new legislative initiatives on managing budget funds. The research objective. To study the legal-scientific and methodical principles of implementing macro-financial budgeting in the practice of managing budget expenditures. The statement of basic materials. Macrofinancial budgeting should be based on legally regulated long-term strategic planning, medium-term budget planning, program-target budgeting, budget program performance monitoring, transparency of spending of budget funds and accountability of spending units to executive, legislative and public authorities. Conclusions. The legal regulation of the connection of strategic macroeconomic planning with budget plans and their independent expertise, preparation of several scenarios of macroeconomic forecasts, regulation of procedures for adjusting budget indicators, and limiting expenditures will facilitate the avoidance of risks of macrofinancial budgeting.


In this paper, the study of vague structures of Γ-semigroups is initiated by introducing the concepts of vague subsemigroup, vague bi-ideal and vague (1, 2)-ideal in a Γ-semigroup and some fundamental results are obtained. Then the concept of vague weakly completely prime ideals in Γ-semigroups has been introduced and studied directly and via operator semigroups


The results from in situ stress tests, performed in the Frontier Sands and three adjacent shale intervals, were used to derive a calibrated stress profile from the LSDS log. Coupling these stresses with those from two other GRI Frontier co-op wells, a preliminary correlation was developed between measured stress and log derived stress to characterize hydraulic fracture propagation. Additionally, a correlation was investigated between measured stress and lithology using the gamma-ray log. The results of a CO{sub 2} minifrac are also discussed, determining foam leak-off properties and history matching treating pressures to calibrate the fracture design/analysis model for evaluating the main fracture treatment. The results of the history match indicate excessive height growth, as does the modeling of the main treatment, with created height much greater than propped height due to a pinch point effect in a shale above the pay. This leads to a probable explanation for the early screen-out on the main treatment based on excessive leak-off through the pinch point and a method for consideration to control this problem on future treatments.


The aim of this paper is to conceptually transfer the knowledge about the domain of urban public spaces in three case-projects, into a hierarchical and interrelated semantic structure of micro-design interventions and their mutual relationships, providing definitions of the interventions themselves. Drawing on the Incubators of Public Spaces JPI Urban Europe research project, the paper sets the ground for a digital design tool, to support co-creative urban design processes. The conceptual and operational instrument adopted for this purpose is the ontology, a method of knowledge representation and management coming from Artificial Intelligence. Ontologies, as branch of AI, are helpful to set the domain for a clear, simple and user-friendly representation of concepts and their relationships. Incubators has developed the Taxonomy of Interventions based on the experience in three 'living labs' in Brussels, London and Turin. Each living lab had the opportunity to unfold its own particular and context-based configuration that can best support the local self-organisation of places.


Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterised by unpleasant creeping sensations deep in
the legs and a nearly uncontrollable urge to move the legs in an effort to relieve them. Clinical features include:
• Unpleasant limb sensations – described as aching, burning, creeping, throbbing or tingling
• Sensations precipitated by rest and relieved by activity
• Compelling motor restlessness
• Symptoms that are worse at night
• Insomnia associated with periodic limb movements that disturb sleep
The most distinctive aspect of this condition is that lying down and trying to relax activates the symptoms. This results in difficulty falling and staying asleep. Daytime
fatigue and exhaustion may result, affecting jobs, relationships and everyday activities.


Ice-storage capsules are used in an energy-efficient air conditioning system. Experiments and numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the effects of different structural configurations of the capsules on the freezing and melting processes of the refrigerant solution sealed inside the capsules. The predictions of the numerical simulation are in good agreement with the test results. The results show that the freezing speed of the capsules equipped with a metal core is 30% to 50% faster than for capsules without the metal core. In addition, it was found that the special refrigerant solution used in the experiment had a lower freezing point and a higher freezing speed than water. The effects of the size of the metal core, and the coolant temperatures are also investigated. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Asian Res, 31(1): 21–27, 2002


The invention relates to a mobile multitask parallel processing system, which integrates six computation nodes with independent operating environments in one machine case, takes the factors of ventilation, shock resistance and the like into consideration, ensures the mobility and the portability of a computer integrated system under an emergency condition to adapt to immediate processing of remote sensing data under the emergency condition, and improves data guarantee for an emergency. The hardware of the mobile multitask parallel processing system mainly comprises a data processing node of afive-node multi-core CPU structure, a shared data storage unit and a gigabit ethernet exchanger. The shared data storage unit comprises a data management node having independent processing capacity and four blocks of 1TB hard disks to form a disk array through an RAID disk array card, and the computation nodes and the shared data storage unit are used for establishing a parallel processing platform with a plurality of computation nodes by using a local area network. The mobile multitask parallel processing system is mainly used for carrying large volume data and performing remote sensing dataprocessing on large task parallel computation, and is particularly suitable for emergency responses, call geographic information data services and the like.


This work reports the in vitro expression of Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C) putative coat protein (p29) and the production of a polyclonal antibody to be used as a tool for serological diagnosis of citrus leprosis. The ORF2/RNA1, corresponding to p29, was cloned in pET28a and transformed into Escherichia coli cells (BL21). Expression of p29 was induced in vitro and the protein was purified and used for immunization of rabbits to produce the polyclonal antibody. The anti p29 serum was shown to be highly specific to CiLV-C detection by immunological methods (Western blot, PTA-ELISA, tissue blot and in situ immunolocalization), without cross reaction with healthy citrus plants or other cytoplasmic and nuclear viruses transmitted by Brevipalpus mites. These results demonstrate that the antibody against CiLV-C p29 protein is highly specific for CiLV-C detection. In situ immunogold labeling assays on thin sections of sweet orange leaf cells infected by CiLV-C demonstrated that short, bacilliform particles present within cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum were specifically labeled, confirming their viral nature. The dense cytoplasmic viroplasm was also heavily labeled indicating that it represents a site of p29 accumulation.


Publication of the first book on the Asahi team: Asahi: A Legend in Baseball: A Legacy from the Japanese Canadian Baseball Team to its Heirs, by Pat Adachi Image : Cover


In the design of powder phosphors, the morphology and size of materials must be studied and controlled so that the desired objectives of improved powder phosphors can be achieved.It has been pre dicted that the optimum phosphor characteristics can be obtained with particle size on the order of 1μm. For the improved phosphors, the ideal morphology is that of perfect sphere. Spherical morphology is required for high brightness and high resolution. Additionally, high packing densities and low scattering of light can also be obtained by using spherical phosphors. A range of methods has been developed for the preparation of spherical particles. Spray pyrolysis is a newly developed method for the preparation of inorganic functional materials . In general, luminescent materials derived from this method have spherical morphology and fine narrow size distribution. In this method, a misted stream of precursor solution is dried, precipitated, and decomposed in a tubular furnace reactor. Particles produced by spray pyrolysis are relatively uniform in size and composition because of microscale reaction within a droplet and the lack of a milling process. Moreover, various preparation conditions have influence on the characteristics of particles prepared by spray pyrolysis.Therefore, the morphology, composition and size of particles can be controlled for good luminescent characteristics by changing the concentration of solution, spray rate, flowing rate of carrier gas and characteristics of solution. Accordingly, the luminescent intensity of powder phosphors prepared by spray pyrolysis can be improved with the changing of characteristics of particles caused by sintering temperature, morphology and size, crystallization and additive. Despite good luminescent performance, spray pyrolysis method also has a number of advantages such as simplicity of apparatus, low costing and without pollution. In conclusion, spray pyrolysis method can be a hopeful developing direction for preparation of powder phosphors.


Objective To investigate the influence of nursing intervention on blood pressure and treatment compliance of hypertension patients.Methods 42 cases of hypertension patients are randomly divided into the observation group(27 cases) and the control group(15 cases).The control group is instructed with the routine nursing,while the observation group is treated with integrated nursing intervention.Observations are carried out about the treatment compliance and control of blood pressure of both groups.Results The treatment compliance of the observation group was better than that of the control group(P005).After treatment for three months,the standard rate of blood pressure of the observation group was 92.59%,significantly higher than 53.33% of the control group(P0.05).Conclusion With improvement of hypertension patients' treatment compliance,active and effective nursing intervention measures impose active significance on controlling the blood pressure and suspending the progression of diseases.


Resistance of insects to insecticides continues to be a serious barrier to successful management of insect pests. Field populations of Helicoverpa armigera have developed resistance to every class of insecticide over the past 40 years. Insects can develop resistance through reduced target site sensitivity, enhanced metabolism and decreased penetration. In the present study, the degree to which cross-resistance is conferred between Ops and pyrethroids by selection for enhanced esterase activities were examined. Resistance was highest to the insecticide used for selection In addition; pyrethroid resistance was higher to insecticides with 3-phenoxybenzyl alcohol/aldehyde, negative cross-resistance was not measured for either acephate or indoxacarb. In contrast, high levels of cross- resistance to indoxacarb existed in both OP-R (RR: 15.8) and PYR-R (RR: 5.57) strains, a low level of resistance to spinosyn A was measured in OP-R (RR: 2.19) and PYR-R (RR: 2.99) larvae. The present studies suggest that the chemical structure of an insecticide is an important determinant of metabolism and cross-resistance. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between pyrethroid structure and cross-resistance in Helicoverpa armigera.


Stimulation of T cells through the T cell receptor (TCR) and co-stimulatory molecules induces a diverse set of signaling events leading to T cell activation. Some characteristics of T cell activation are cellular proliferation, increase in cell size and changes in metabolic pathways. Our work has primarily focused on understanding the roles that Carma1, MALT1 and Bcl10 (the CBM complex) play in T cell activation, specifically, elucidating their requirement in distinct T cell signaling pathways. Here, we show a requirement for Carma1 and MALT1 in activation of mTORC1. In the absence of Carma1 or MALT1, we noted impaired TCR/CD28-induced stimulation of ribosomal protein S6, p70S6K and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation. Further investigation into the specific molecular mechanism revealed constitutive association of MALT1 and p70S6K. Surprisingly, Bcl10 was not required for S6 or S6K phosphorylation in T cells. Pharmacological inhibition of this pathway with a MALT1 protease inhibitor (z-VRPR-fmk) impaired T cell proliferation upon TCR and co-stimulatory molecule stimulation, though this did not affect T cell "blasting" or early activation. Additionally, inhibition of MALT1 activity impaired T cell activation-induced glycolysis, as seen by a decrease in oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR). Thus, these findings present a novel mechanism for mTORC1 activation in T cells, through Carma1 and MALT1, leading to cellular proliferation and increased glycolysis.


What problems were addressed? A growing trend exists of private entities offering expensive courses to support medical school applications. These are often financially out of reach for those from poorer socio-economic backgrounds, leading to a bias of successful applications towards the richer, who can afford to be better trained, as opposed to the better skilled. Non-profit courses are often linked to a medical school society, causing a preferential bias towards the host university, and potentially providing inadequate preparation for the diverse selection procedures within other medical schools. Hence, there is a need for affordable preparatory courses, which include a diverse tutor cohort, to provide accurate admission information to all applicants, including those from poorer socio-economic backgrounds. What was tried? Medical student tutors from three universities, supervised by clinical lecturers to maintain material accuracy, coordinated a pilot philanthropic conference for 50 secondary-school students, prior to their medical application process. An outreach programme prioritised less affluent communities and a peer-assisted learning (PAL) teaching method was used, thereby incentivising the medical students through development of their organisation, communication, teaching and presentation skills, and hence avoiding the need for a financial motivation. The itinerary included 'life as a doctor and medical student', 'the application process', 'medical communication skills' and 'ethical and personal statement writing' workshops. A social media feed (facebook.com/oslersroom) encouraged collaborative learning and networking, and a website (oslersroom.com) was created, providing a social hub for students, as well as endorsing affiliated charities. Formal feedback was elicited from both tutors and attendees using an electronic survey. Multi-university committees were established to allow for longterm sustainability. What lessons were learned? On a scale of 'poor', 'indifferent', 'good' and 'excellent', 88% of attendees rated the course as 'excellent' and 12% as 'good'. Free text comments included thanks to the tutors for giving up their time, increased understanding of the roles and responsibilities of doctors, appreciation of feedback on personal statements, and calls to provide similar sessions in their local schools. Tutors (n = 8), on a scale of 1 ('poor') to 5 ('excellent'), reported improved confidence in teaching (2.8 0.9 to 4.4 0.4 points, p < 0.01) and public speaking (3.2 0.5 to 4.3 0.5 points, p < 0.05), and all tutors rated 'enjoyment' of the course overall as 'excellent'. A British Lung Foundation award was established, supporting travel to an international medical conference; this was made available for the medical students, to further nurture academic development. Use of this philanthropic PAL model results in a cost-effective, high-quality teaching session, whilst being mutually beneficial to both prospective applicants and medical students. Our approach could help overcome an unfavourable trend that excludes those with lower socio-economic backgrounds from succeeding with their medical school applications. Future conferences will obtain input from tutors and a variety of medical schools to enhance the relevance of this approach. Talks on cognitive aspects (e.g. admission examinations) should also be incorporated, but maintaining supervision by senior members of staff is necessary to ensure the accuracy of the teaching. Data on successful admission rates of participants, as well as the students' experiences of the conference, would help to understand the impact of this initiative and build upon its initial success.


Introduction: Radar techniques have made significant advances in our knowledge of the lunar surface and subsurface from Earth-based and orbital perspectives [e.g., 1-2]. Now, with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), radar is again making significant scientific contributions and collecting information necessary for a return to the Moon. The Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini-RF) instrument aboard LRO is a hybrid polarization synthetic aperture radar that showcases the power of radar science in a very small package [3]. The most basic, yet critical, advance of MiniRF is the contribution of high resolution (30 m/pixel) radar images over the entire lunar surface at 12.6 cm (S-band) and 4.2 cm (X-band) wavelengths. Mini-RF is conducting the first lunar farside radar mapping campaign, as these regions are not visible with Earthbased instruments [1]. Here, we present some inprogress Mini-RF global S-band zoom coverage maps.


PURPOSE:To prepare a multi-layer laminated sheet useful for packaging of medical supplies and foods (esp. retort food) and giving excellent interlayer adhesivity in boiling water, by laminating a specific polyolefin layer onto a nylon layer. CONSTITUTION:A laminated sheet comprising (A) a polyolefin layer consisting of (a) 99-50 wt.% of a polyethylene grafted with an unsaturated carboxylic acid (derivative) monomer (pref. maleic anhydride) and having a crystallization degree of >=40 %, or of a polypropylene grafted with the above monomer and having >=80 % of an insoluble part in boiling n-heptane, and (b) 1-50 wt.% of an ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymer having crystallization degree of 5-30 % (pref. ethylene-1- butene random copolymer having a density of 0.87-0.91 g/cm ), and (B) a nylon layer, e.g. a long chain synthetic polyamide, etc. EFFECT:The sheet has excellent water vapor transmission resistance, gas transmission resistance and oil resistance, and high strength and stiffness.


In Chinese hamsters (Cricetulus griseus), serum insulin (immunoassay) and glucose levels were comparable to those in other animals, but NEFA concentrations were extraordinarily high. The animals were given cortisone, or ovine GH, or both, sc for 10-14 days. Cortisone (1, 3 and 12 mg/day) increased serum insulin levels up to 40-fold the control value, decreased the amount of insulin extractable from the pancreas, increased serum glucose, produced glycosuria in about A3 of the animals, and increased serum NEFA, liver wt and liver total lipid. The rise in serum insulin was definite after 3 days. GH (ovine, NIH), 0.4,1 and 4 mg/day, did not produce appreciable alterations in these variables, nor alter body wt. On combined administration of these hormones, the highest levels of NEFA and liver lipid were found, but the rises in serum insulin and glucose were less than with cortisone alone.(Endocrinology 79: 749, 1966)


Fathers still too often disappear from the lives of their children, whether this be by immediately renouncing their role or due to parental separation. The situation faced by those who persevere in exercising fatherhood despite marital conflict is not an easy one, with their being called on to prove their skills as a father in a social context where mothering has become the prevailing norm, leaving them sometimes to a degree incapacitated. Evaluating this competence on a case-by-case basis presupposes an understanding of this context and consideration for the father-child relationship without requiring the father to become a kind of surrogate good enough mother. The author seeks to appraise the situation faced by such fathers on the basis of his experience as an expert for family courts.


The origin of angrites has evaded scientists due in part to unusual mineralogy, oxidized character, and small numbers of samples. Increased interest in the origin of angrites has stemmed from the recovery of approximately 10 new angrites in the past decade. These new samples have allowed meteoriticists to recognize that angrites are compositionally diverse, old, and record very early differentiation. Also, a magma ocean has been proposed to have been involved in APB early differentiation, but this remains untested for siderophile elements which are commonly cited as one of the main lines of evidence for magma oceans on the early Earth, Moon, Mars and eucrite parent body (e.g., [6]). And recent suggestions that angrites may or may not be from Mercury have also peaked interest in these achondrites. Given all of this background, a detailed understanding of the early differentiation process is desired. Previous efforts at examining siderophile element (SE) concentrations with respect to core formation processes in the APB have not resulted in any definite conclusions regarding segregation of a metallic core. The goal of this study is to summarize what is known about SE concentrations in the suite, estimate depletions of SE compared to chondrites, and apply metal/silicate experimental partition coefficients to assess whether the APB had a core.


The isomer distribution in the sulfonation of toluene with 95.8% H2SO4 at 25° in the presence of some sulfonic acids and other addenda was determined. All the addenda studied effect a decrease in the degree of ortho-substitution. Most effective are p-t-butylbenzenesulfonic acid, methyl trimethylphenylammonium sulfate and nitrobenzene. The effect of methanesulfonic acid is very small, that of water and of sodium bisulfate almost negligible. The degree of meta-substitution is small and is unaffected by the addenda.

The variations in the isomer distribution are discussed in terms of changes in the solvation of the reactants and of the transition states.


Objective: To study the relative bioavailability and to evaluate bioequivalence of irbesartan dispersible tablets. Methods: A single oral dose 150 mg irbesartan dispersible tablets and irbesartan tablets were given to 20 healthy male volunteers in a randomized crossover design. The concentrations of irbesartan in plasma were determined by HPLC-MS-MS. Results: The main pharmacokinetic parameters of test and reference tablets were as follows: tmax (1.40 ± 0.60) and (1.10 ± 0.60) h; Cmax (1 923.92 ± 668.96) and (2 016.82 ± 569.16) μg·L -1;t1/2(11.40 ± 2.50) and (12.70 ± 2.60) h; AUC0-48 (9 317.99 ± 2 680.01) and (8 926.23 ± 3 152.71) μg·h·L -1; AUC0-∞(9 350.59 ± 2 681.97) and (8 958.22 ± 3 153.97) μg · h · L -1, respectively. The relative bioavail-ability was (106.62 ±14.11)%. Conclusion: The irbesartan dispersible tablets and irbesartan tablets were bioequivalent.


In order to evaluate the influence of the volume of water in oral administration upon the absorption of orally administered antibiotics, comparative evaluation was made with AMPC which was found in the previous study to have good absorbability and ABPC having poor absorbability when orally administered. The two antibiotics were given to 4 healthy male volunteers in dose of 500mg. Water was orally given with the antibiotics in two different volumes, 30 and 150ml, in fasting and non-fasting (less than 5-minute postprandial) states, and the blood levels of the antibiotics and their excretion rates in urine were determined by cross-over method. It was suggested that AMPC, particularly when administered in fasting, would give smaller individual difference in absorbability if the volume of water was increased. In contrast, no specific effect of the amount of water was exerted upon the absorbability of ABPC given in any state of fasting and non-fasting. When given postprandially, the time required for reaching the peak blood level of both antibiotics was delayed irrespective of the volume of water.


Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with impairment of nutritional status both anthropometrically and biochemically, which results from both qualitative and quantitative changes in dietary intake alongside disease activity. Dietary intervention to replace deficiency is essential and may also be used to treat active disease and to reduce symptoms. The evidence for dietary interventions in this area is reviewed and the following recommendations made: ■ Assessment of nutritional status is an essential part of the investigation of all patients with IBD and deficiency should be actively sought. ■ Any patient with macro- or micronutrient deficiency should be referred for dietetic assessment. ■ Micronutrient deficiency (most frequently iron, vitamin B12, folate and magnesium) should be replaced aggressively, parenterally if necessary. ■ Significant improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms can be achieved by low-residue diets (for stricturing disease) and (always under dietetic supervision) management of lactose and other intolerances. ■ Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms in patients with IBD can respond to low fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharide and polyol (FODMAP) diets, again this must be done under dietetic supervision. ■ Active Crohn's disease can be treated by exclusive enteral nutrition (elemental/polymeric/altered fat formulations all have equivalent efficacy). ■ Enteral nutrition can maintain remission in Crohn's disease and in this context can be given alongside normal oral intake. ■ Nutritional support does not have an established role in the treatment of active ulcerative colitis, other than in the management of malnutrition. ■ Total parenteral nutrition should not be used unless intestinal failure occurs. ■ There is insufficient evidence to support the routine use of Ω3 fish oil, prebiotics and glutamine in the treatment of active IBD.


Significance De-repressing appendage growth induces development of ectopic wings on the dorsal prothorax (T1) of the neopteran insect Oncopeltus. These T1 wings, albeit fully developed, are small and of primarily dorsal origin. Transcriptome data indicate that incorporation of ventrally originating tissue was a key evolutionary innovation for generating large and useful T2 and T3 wings. Complimentary functional experiments reveal that wings and an adjacent thoracic plate are not developmentally distinct structures, and are coregulated to create tight wing folding that arose during the transition from paleopteran to neopteran insects. Finally, Ultrabithorax regulates the divergence of fore- and hindwing morphology, a culminating but also ancient feature of insect wing diversity. These innovations account for major features of insect wing origin and diversification. Winged insects underwent an unparalleled evolutionary radiation, but mechanisms underlying the origin and diversification of wings in basal insects are sparsely known compared with more derived holometabolous insects. In the neopteran species Oncopeltus fasciatus, we manipulated wing specification genes and used RNA-seq to obtain both functional and genomic perspectives. Combined with previous studies, our results suggest the following key steps in wing origin and diversification. First, a set of dorsally derived outgrowths evolved along a number of body segments including the first thoracic segment (T1). Homeotic genes were subsequently co-opted to suppress growth of some dorsal flaps in the thorax and abdomen. In T1 this suppression was accomplished by Sex combs reduced, that when experimentally removed, results in an ectopic T1 flap similar to prothoracic winglets present in fossil hemipteroids and other early insects. Global gene-expression differences in ectopic T1 vs. T2/T3 wings suggest that the transition from flaps to wings required ventrally originating cells, homologous with those in ancestral arthropod gill flaps/epipods, to migrate dorsally and fuse with the dorsal flap tissue thereby bringing new functional gene networks; these presumably enabled the T2/T3 wing's increased size and functionality. Third, "fused" wings became both the wing blade and surrounding regions of the dorsal thorax cuticle, providing tissue for subsequent modifications including wing folding and the fit of folded wings. Finally, Ultrabithorax was co-opted to uncouple the morphology of T2 and T3 wings and to act as a general modifier of hindwings, which in turn governed the subsequent diversification of lineage-specific wing forms.


A 40-year-old nulliparous woman, last menstrual period 8 October 1987, was admitted as an emergcncy on 15 October 1987. She gave a 1-week history of diffuse abdominal pain and flatulence. During the 12 h preccding admission she had intense colicky abdominal pain localized in the lower right quadrant with nausea and chills. A t no time had she expcrienced diarrhoea. She had been on a holiday trip to France 1-5 weeks earlier. On examination, she presented with tenderness in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen. She had a regular radial pulse of 100 bea tsh in , blood pressure of 130180 mmHg, and axillary temperature of 37.3"C. Pelvic examination revealed tenderness in the right side. Laboratory investigations disclosed a white blood cell count of 8.0 x 10y/l, haematocrit 40%, pregnancy test negative. C-reactive protein (CRP) 78 mgA, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) 16 mm/h. Because acute appendicitis could not be excluded she underwent surgery. The appendix was normal, but bilateral salpingo-oophoritis was confirmed and thcre was pus in the culde-sac. P a r e n t e d cefuroxime-metronidazole treatment was commenced. Bacteriological cult ure of abdominal pus yielded growth of a Gramnegative rod which was identified as Salrnonellu punatnu by standard microbiological methods (Kelly et ul. 1985). The organism w'as susceptible to ampicillin. piperacillin, cefuroxime, chlo-


Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia (WM) is a plasma‐cell dyscrasia characterized by the monoclonal proliferation of lymphoplasmacytes. A 48‐year‐old man presented with a 4‐year history of multiple painful, hyperkeratotic deep‐seated papules over the pressure areas of both soles. He had a 1‐year history of Raynaud's phenomenon, intermittent epistaxis, recurrent vomiting, tingling and numbness, and visual disturbances. Histological examination of a skin biopsy found amyloid‐like deposits in the upper and mid dermis involving dermal blood vessels, but apart from periodic‐acid–Schiff, various stains gave negative results for amyloid. Direct immunofluorescence was positive for IgM antibody. Hence, a diagnosis of WM with cutaneous macroglobulinosis was made. Immunoelectrophoresis found monoclonal IgM kappa antibody, and bone‐marrow examination revealed a lymphoplasmacytoid malignancy. The patient's systemic systems were attributed to hyperviscosity syndrome associated with WM and the cutaneous papules were identified as deposits of excess IgM antibodies. The patient received five cycles of chemotherapy, resulting in nearly complete resolution of the skin lesions and systemic symptoms.


The present invention provides a permanent magnet type synchronous motor suitable for for potato (demagnetization) resistance, while securing the torque characteristics, it is possible to reduce the magnet thickness (magnet usage), the electric power steering system, as a solving means therefor, A plurality of being installed on the outer periphery of the permanent magnet 25. The rotor core 23, and free to rotate a rotor (22) supported, is provided on the outside of the rotor 22, the stator winding 5 and the stator core in (3) the permanent magnet type synchronous motor having a stator (12) having, a pore length of the inner periphery of the outer peripheral portion and the stator core (3) of permanent magnets (25) L [㎜], the motor in the direction of rotation when the thickness of the central portion of the permanent magnet 29 to the t [㎜], the gap length (L) and thickness (t) L≤1 [㎜] In addition, t / (t + L) ≤0.9 It was set within the range. Motors, wire, stator core, insulators


According to the household surveys conducted in 1995 and 2002, this paper discusses the labor market transition in urban China by examining the changes in job search. The findings indicate that there is a dramatic change in job search during labor market transition. Non-market way in job allocation declines sharply, which mainly results from the changes in ownership structure and job stability by economic restructuring. The incomes are also affected by the way of job search.


The unique plateau geographical features and variable weather of Yunnan, China make transmission lines in this region more susceptible to coverage and damage by various foreign bodies compared to flat areas. The mountainous terrain also presents great challenges for inspecting and removing such objects. In order to improve the efficiency and detection accuracy of foreign body inspection of transmission lines, we propose a multi-UAV collaborative system specifically designed for the geographical characteristics of Yunnan's transmission lines in this paper. Additionally, the image data of foreign bodies was augmented, and the YOLOv7 target detection model, which offers a more balanced trade-off between precision and speed, was adopted to improve the accuracy and speed of foreign body detection.


Introduction This paper highlights the mutual influences and the relationships between the variables of type II diabetes, the type of psychiatric conditions, the administered treatment schemes, the imaging examinations and the impact on the functioning and quality of life of the patients. Objectives Analysis of the influences between diabetes and psychiatric disorders, studying the relationships between the variables of type 2 diabetes, the type of psychiatric disorders, treatmentregimens, imaging examinations and the impact on the functioning and quality of life of patients. Methods Psychiatric interview, Hamilton, Reisberg and Rosenberg scales, laboratory analysys Results Patients with pre-existing diabetes, psychiatric disorders led to deterioration of its evolution, documented by HbA1c values, treatment schedule, frequency of diabetic emergencies; the increased frequency of psychotic phenomena (hallucinations and delusional ideas) is directly proportional to the number of diabetic emergencies; patients with uncontrolled, long-term diabetes have higher scores on HAM-D and Reisberg scales, while patients with controlled diabetes have higher scores on the self-esteem and quality of life scales; in patients with taste or odor disorders, cortical atrophy may be seen on CT examination, elevated HbA1c levels and the presence of polyneuropathy; alcohol consumption, smoking, high cholesterol levels, determine the advancement of diabetic complications, and these in turn correlate with higher scores on the HAM-D scales, Reisberg; patients who show large variations in blood glucose in the first days after hospitalization are those who exhibit irritability, irritability, nervousness and heteroaggression at the time of hospitalization; Conclusions 65% patients with depressive disorders, 10% - with organic personality disorder, 25% - with affective disorders and 30% associated with cognitive impairment. The duration of diabetes mellitus, glycosylated hemoglobin levels and the presence of diabetic complications is directly related to the HAM-D and Reisberg scores; and inversely proportional to quality of life scores and self-esteem. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


A recently discovered astriclypeid, Echinodiscus colchesterensis sp. nov. from the Late Tertiary of South Africa is described and classified as ancestral to the living E. bisperforatus on the basis of certain morphological characteristics and parameters. These include a smaller interlunule angle, different ambitus shape, breadth/ length ratio, and similar growth trends.


Computer-aided evacuation simulation is a very import preliminary step when planning safety measures for major public events. We propose a novel, efficient and fast method to extract the walkable area from highresolution aerial images for the purpose of evacuation simulation. In contrast to previous work, where the authors only extracted streets and roads or worked on indoor scenarios, we present an approach to accurately segment the walkable area of large outdoor areas. For this task we use a sophisticated seeded region growing (SRG) algorithm incorporating the information of digital surface models, true-orthophotos and inclination maps calculated from aerial images. Further, we introduce a new annotation and evaluation scheme especially designed for assessing the segmentation quality of evacuation maps. An extensive qualitative and quantitative evaluation, where we study various combinations of SRG methods and parameter settings by the example of different real-world scenarios, shows the feasibility of our approach.


In this article, HIS-like resonators are proposed for mutual coupling reduction between the elements of a small array. First, a methodology is proposed for the design of HIS-like resonators. Then, a reference array made of two cavity backed patches working in L-band is designed. HIS-like resonators are then introduced in the array in order to reduce couplings between the patches in E-plane configuration. These two arrays are then manufactured with modular parts, providing the possibility to replace the patches and tune the HIS-like resonators resonant frequency. Simulated and measured S-parameters are illustrated, showing the capability of these structures to reduce significantly mutual couplings.


Morphometric, reproductive and plumage details are presented for a sample of Common Diving-Petrels found dead along Victorian beaches in early August 1985. Males predominated in the sexed sample (100 birds) and they were generally larger and heavier than females. Gonads of most males were large but whilst ovarian follicles were usually small, five females had either an egg or enlarged follicles. Food was not present in oesophagi or gizzards and birds were emaciated, with no obvious body fat and apparently atrophied muscles. The petrels represented birds (perhaps of local origin) wrecked at or just following egg-laying, presumably due to severe storms. Bill depths and widths, and wing lengths of the beach-washed birds were larger than those of museum specimens, suggesting that shrinkage affects some mensural characters. Comparison of morphometric data and plumage details of birds from this wreck with previously published data suggests that there is a need to reconsider the status of some subspecies of urinatrix. In particular we suggest that, apart from perhaps dacunhae, present data are insufficient to sustain other than urinatrix. In future examinations sample size, sex and age of fresh specimens should be taken into consideration. It follows too that earlier records of P. u. exsul in Australia are questionable.


Silver clusters consisting of ∼10 atoms are readily bound by and encapsulated within DNA strands to yield strong absorption and emission. The coordination environments, however, are poorly understood, so cluster adducts can only be empirically tuned. This work describes the C4AC4TC3G strand that templates a particular cluster adduct. Its sequence has three types of nucleobases with distinct roles—tracts of cytosines that collectively coordinate the cluster, thymine acting as a junction in the overall strand, and the adenine/guanine pair that exclusively forms the cluster. In relation to the native oligonucleotide, the DNA–silver cluster complex diffuses faster and is more compact, thus suggesting that the strands fold because of the cluster. The Ag106+ adduct emits with λex/λem = 490/540 nm, a 19% quantum yield, and a biexponential 1.1/2.1 ns lifetime. The electronic environment for the cluster is controlled by the heteroatoms in the adenine and guanine. Most significantly, the N7 and the N2 in the guanin...


This paper uses methods of spatial concentration and clustering to illustrate the changes of spatial distribution of China's cotton production at county level from 1978 to 2011. The result shows that the degree of spatial concentration of cotton production goes through three periods of declining,remaining stable and going up. The spatial disparity gets larger and the gravity center moves northwest. Cotton production is highly spatial correlated on the whole. In the local,the high value cluster areas in Huanghuaihai and middle and lower Yangtze River shrink from schistose to plaques,while a large area of high value cluster forms in the northwest cotton production areas. Using SEM model to compare the influencing factors by conducting empirical analysis on cotton production data in the year of 1981,1991,2001 and 2011,it is found that technical advance,agricultural labor,agricultural machinery and fertilizer have a remarkable effect on the distribution of cotton production; the effects of mulching film and pesticide get weaker and pesticide even shows a negative effect in last two years and irrigation has little effect; consumer market and the non-agriculturalization of agricultural labor have no significant effects on that.


Power spectra of the line-of-sight magnetograms were calculated for 16 active regions of different flare activity. Data obtained by the Michelson Doppler Imager instrument on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory in high-resolution mode were used in this study. For each active region, the daily soft X-ray flare index, A, was calculated. This index characterizes the flare productivity of an active region per day, being equal to 1 when the specific flare productivity is one C1.0 flare per day. The power index, α, of the magnetic power spectrum, E(k) ~ k-α, averaged over all analyzed magnetograms for a given active region, was compared with the flare index. It was found that active regions, which produced X-class flares, possessed a steep power spectrum with α > 2.0, while flare-quiet active regions with low magnitude of A displayed a Kolmogorov-type spectrum of α ≈ 5/3. Observational data suggest that the flare index A may be determined from the power index α by A(α) = 409.5(α - 5/3)2.49. The magnitude of the power index at the stage of emergence of an active region seems not to be related to the current flaring level of this active region, but rather reflects its future flare productivity, when the magnetic configuration becomes well evolved. This finding shows the way to distinguish at the very early stage those solar active regions that are "born bad" and have a potential to produce significant disturbances in the Earth magnetosphere.


for the 35 Intl Workshop on Water Waves and Floating Bodies, 26th–29th April, 2020, Seoul, Korea Unsteady waves generated by a ship travelling over a step bottom Mingxin Li, Zhi-Ming Yuan*, and Ronald W. Yeung 1 Dep. of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Marine Engineering, University of Strathclyde, UK 2 School of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, CA 94720, USA *E-mail address of the presenting author: firstname.lastname@example.com


Scientific Writing is about making Game DUCKHUNT using Macromedia Flash MX 2004. Scientific Writing aims to facilitate in making the game especially on flash games. Writing consists of four chapters will explain the systematic making of these games, ranging from character creation, to test applications and mempublis applications. With the writing of this application the authors hope to foster enthusiasm for the reader, not only in playing games but also in the making.


Rf magnetron sputtering system was used to deposit ZnO:Al thin film onto corning substrates as a CO gas sensor. The dependence of doping on CO gas sensing properties was investigated. The sputtering was carried out for 30 mins under rf power of 100W. The structure of the deposited ZnO:Al films were determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The CO gas sensing properties were determined by in-situ measurement for surface resistance of the thin film as a function of doping and operating temperature. It was found that ZnO:Al (4 wt%) thin film exhibits high sensitivity for CO.


Non-active civilian people appear accompanied with the recent system reformation in the PLA.They are playing important roles during the military modernization process.However,they always have serious fitness problems as for lack of regular physical excises.This paper makes a survey on physical activity condition of non-active civilian faculty in several chosen military academies,and analyzes the collected data.Based on the analysis result,this paper gives some helpful advice,and points out that a physical exercise rule is most necessary to improve the fitness of non-active civilian people.


Backgrounds/Aims Gemcitabine is still one of adjuvant options in chemotherapeutic agent for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Integral membrane transporter protein and intracellular enzymes including human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1), deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), ribonucleotide reductase (RR) M1, and M2 are known as important factors for chemosensitivity of gemcitabine. We aimed to investigate the correlation between these key molecules and 5-year actual survival in PDAC patients. Methods The expression of intratumoral hENT1, dCK, RRM1, and RRM2 was assessed immunohistochemically in 160 PDAC patients underwent surgical resection. Association between clininopathologic factors, immunohistochemical results, and overall survival were analyzed. Results Adjuvant chemotherapy including concurrent chemoradiotherapy was not associated with overall survival (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.65-1.31; p=0.658). High hENT1 expression group did not show statistical survival difference, compared with all others (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.82-1.65, p=0.396). Gemcitabine therapy and high hENT1 group was compared with all other patients, and no difference in overall survival was identified (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.68-1.42; p=0.940). And, gemcitabine therapy and high hENT1 group did not differ statistically from gemcitabine therapy and low hENT1 expression (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.55-1.56; p=0.764). The intensity of dCK, RRM1, and RRM2 expression was not associated with overall survival (p=0.413, p=0.138 and p=0.061) in univariate analysis. Conclusions The expression of hENT1, dCK, RRM1 and RRM2 may not be associated with overall survival for patients with pancreatic cancer on gemcitabine adjuvant therapy. These proteins and other factors that may interact with or confound these results should be investigated in the near future.


We consider a scenario where the dynamics of a scalar field is ruled by an exponential potential, such as those arising from some quintessence-type models, and aim at obtaining phenomenological manifestations of this entity within our Solar System. To do so, we assume a perturbative regime, derive the perturbed Schwarzschild metric, and extract the relevant post-Newtonian parameters.


Referring industrial cluster's collective brand to "regional brand" based on the development of regional industrial cluster is an obvious imperfection. The most suitable conceptual jargon should be "regional industrial cluster brand". Regional industrial cluster brands are kind of regional club goods、regional collective property right and marking intellectual property right. The legal protections of regional industrial cluster brand are supposed to adopt the modes of geographically-marked collective trademark and certificate trademark protection.


This paper makes a study of the collapsible characteristics under overburden pressure of the Western Henan loess along Zhengzhou-Xi'an high-speed railway by field experiment.The developing process in the depth of loess collapsibility under overburden pressure and the collapsible horizontal distance have also been analyzed.The results show that: the influence of soaking boundary on collapse is very clear;but collapsible rate shows a slow-fast-slow-until-stable tendency,with 60% of the total settlement immersed for 10 days and 90% for 30 days.The 0of the site is 1.30,greater than the recommended 0.9 by the code.The results show that the extent of collapsibility of this region is more intense than that of general knowledge.In the site,loess collapse under overburden pressure maximum depth laboratory test value is 19 m;and field test value is 16 m,the former is 1.2 times the latter.The collapsible horizontal distance out of the test pit is 20 m,similar with the diameter of the test pit.Therefore,no water should be kept within 20 m from the embankment toe.The research results have been applied to the Zhengzhou-Xi'an high-speed railway construction,and can be taken as reference for similar projects in this region.


OBJECTIVE
To review the experience at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in the management of suppurative complications of acute otitis media from 2000 to 2007, with an emphasis on changes in frequency over time.

DESIGN
Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING
Academic, tertiary care children's hospital.

PATIENTS
The study population comprised 87 children (age <18 years) with acute mastoiditis treated at our institution over the period of January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2007. Acute mastoiditis was defined by evidence of inflammation in the middle ear space and signs of mastoid inflammation (postauricular swelling, redness, or tenderness) or radiographic evidence of destruction of mastoid air cells, sigmoid sinus thrombosis, or abscess formation. Patients with underlying cholesteatoma were excluded.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Frequency of cases of acute mastoiditis per year.

RESULTS
The frequency of cases of acute mastoiditis at our institution was positively correlated with calendar time, both for all cases of acute mastoiditis (Spearman rank correlation, r = 0.73; P = .04) and for cases of mastoid subperiosteal abscess (r = 0.96; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS
We observed an increase in the frequency of cases of acute mastoiditis with subperiosteal abscess seen at our institution over the study period, controlling for case volume. These findings suggest an increase in incidence, although further population-based studies are required to definitively evaluate this possibility.


An atmospheric pressure molecular nitrogen dielectric barrier discharge, under relatively high frequency (130 kHz) sinusoidal excitation, is investigated by means of a coupled electro-dynamic and kinetic model. The spatio temporal evolution of charged particles and electric field along the discharge axis is analyzed in a 1.5D finite difference framework which consists of the solution of 1D continuity and 2D Poisson equations, respectively. A 0D kinetic model accounts for the evolution of N2 neutral particles considering the principal triplet electronic states , , N2 (B 3 Πg) and N2 (C 3 Πu) as well as the singlet metastable state . It is shown that the evolution of the discharge takes place in three distinct phases, each one characterized by different current waveforms. The discharge's efficiency on active species production is examined, revealing the dominant character of metastable species and . Comparison of the numerical model's results with experimental ones is performed in the framework of electrical and optical diagnostics.


A total of 100, day-old broiler chicks were randomly divided into 5 equal groups and kept under elevated temperature (93-97°F) to see the effect of ascorbic acid and acetylsalicylic acid on the feed conversion ratio (FCR), immune status and ratio of weight of bursa, thymus and spleen to body weight. Heat stress increased the FCR but decreased the immune response and ratio of bursa, thymus and spleen to body weight of the birds. Ascorbic acid and acetylsalicylic acid supplementation during heat stress had beneficial effects on FCR, immune status and ratio of bursa, thymus and spleen to body weight. Grossly, bursa, thymus and spleen of heat stressed birds were atrophied but in ascorbic acid and acetylsalicylic acid supplemented birds these organs were not atrophied. No specific histopathological changes were observed in all groups


A variety of neurological complications might occur during the course of childhood bacterial meningitis (BM). The incidence rate of neurological sequelae in patients with neurological complications is as high as 30%-50%.Therefore, in order to reduce the mortality and morbidity of childhood BM, it is of great importance to identify the complications as early as possible, standardize the treatment and enhance the understating of prevention and follow-ups.

Key words:
Bacterial meningitis; Complication; Identification; Treatment


Colorimetric measurements are equally influenced by the reflectance spectrum of the object and the illumination spectrum of the light. The 1931 CIE colorimetric measurements are made one pixel at a time; they integrate the radiances at each wavelength with three colormatching functions so as to generate three Tristimulus Values for one pixel. No information from other pixels in the field of view is used in this calculation. Our everyday experience is that color appearance of objects remain the same, regardless of substantial changes in the spectrum of the illuminant. In other words, everyday experience tells us that an object's reflectance spectrum controls appearance, while its illumination spectrum has little influence. This paper will review the history of different hypotheses explaining human color constancy and describe techniques for measuring color appearances. It will review important experiments that measure color sensations and new techniques using the introduction of a new patch in a display that destroys color matches. Human color vision is a field phenomenon. Humans calculate color sensations by comparing pixels across the entire field of view. Global changes in reflectance or illumination cause small changes in appearance: Local changes in reflectance or illumination cause large changes in sensation. The spatial interaction of all pixels in the field of view controls human color appearance.


RF circuits placed in enclosures often experience degradation in performance due to unwanted cavity resonances. These resonances need to be damped to maintain the desired performance of RF circuits. Creating discontinuities and using RF absorbers are two options adopted to suppress the unwanted resonances by shifting them to out of the desired band. This paper presents an analysis on a cavity of 60 mm x 17.5 mm x 3.782 mm by firstly placing ports at maxima of E-field and secondly using an absorber, Eccosorb BSR/MFS 1mm thick to reduce cavity resonances. A reduction of 36dB is observed in the resonance peak as an effect of the absorber.


The main purpose of this paper was to estimate morphometric variability of the water frog (Rana synklepton esculenta complex) population in Serbia. Altogether, 396 water frogs were collected at 15 localities in Serbia and analyzed using principal components for 18 selected indices, in addition to which correspondent analyses were conducted for 30 qualitative external morphological traits. The results showed that the population samples were heterogeneous and included three separate forms (Rana ridibunda, Rana lessonae and Rana kl. esculenta). Significant interspecific differences were found between R. ridibunda and R. lessonae, which are clearly distinct from each other. Rana kl. esculenta specimens were in an intermediate position between R. ridibunda and R. lessonae, with values more similar to the R. ridibunda parent species.


In recent standards of civil engineering the design of new-built constructions is being done using semi-probabilistic partial safety factor method. Using these factors, a target reliability level shall be ensured. However, these factors have been calibrated using the determinations of former codes without exact probabilistic determination. These factors are defined for new structures. When working with existing structures, circumstances are different: information can be gathered on-site, the structure has proven itself and safety measures often include more effort and less benefit when compared to the application at new structures. This is why it should be analysed if partial safety factors (PSF) should be adjusted to reach a more economic design of existing structures. In some countries, adjusted PSF already exist. To be named here are SIA 269:2011 [1] which includes a modified safety factor for permanent actions. What is more, NEN 8700:2011-12 provides adjusted factors for permanent and variable actions dependant on two target reliability levels (target i.e. reconstruction and minimum i.e. disapproval level). Besides, the working group of CEN/TC250/WG02 published a report in 2015 which among others contains adjusted PSF as well. However, in these documents no special reference to construction material is made and PSF are mainly adjusted on the demand side. For some construction materials suggestions already exist in this field. For example, in Germany some standards including adjusted PSF on the material side for concrete structures can already be used (e.g. [2] [3] [4]). In [5] a summary can be found. However, no special regularities for existing timber structures exist yet. What is more, there are few possibilities to consider properties measured on-site in design in a standardised way. That is why this contribution analyses the potential for an adjustment for PSF for existing timber structures. Abstract: The aim of this contribution is to analyse the potential for a modification of partial safety factors (PSF) for existing timber structures. Target and minimum reliability level for historic structures are discussed first. PSF are calculated with fixed sensivity factors to study the effects of a variation of input parameters. Additionally, two structural elements of representative timber constructions are analysed. Realised safety levels using PSF on the demand side from EN 1990:2010-12 and for an adaption of G as in SIA 269:2011 for selected failure modes are determined using First Order Reliability Method (FORM). Besides, the influence of a modification of M to M = 1.25 on the reliability level is studied. A potential for an optimisation of PSF for existing timber structures can be concluded. IASSAR Safety, Reliability, Risk, Resilience and Sustainability of Structures and Infrastructure 12th Int. Conf. on Structural Safety and Reliability, Vienna, Austria, 6–10 August 2017 Christian Bucher, Bruce R. Ellingwood, Dan M. Frangopol (Editors) c ©2017 TU-Verlag Vienna, ISBN 978-3-903024-28-1


Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is a respiratory tract infection caused by a newly emergent coronavirus, which was first recognized in Wuhan, China in Dec 2019. Through various mechanism action of drug which are used for the treatment of Covid-19, it is know that how actually the drug can shows its working, mechanism on this disease. Comorbidities are associated with the high mortality in patient with coronavirus disease, so they will develop a more symptoms. Peoples are suffering comorbities like Covid-19 with Diabetes, Covid-19 with Hypertension, Covid-19 and Asthma, Covid-19 and COPD, Covid-19 and HIV, etc. According to different patient age group treatment of the particular medication, dose, and route of administration should be recommend by the healthcare professional and after receiving the treatment, the patients are suffering from adverse drug reactions of some medications like allergic reactions, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, tiredness, fever, etc and drug-drug interaction may happen. Thus, this review is all about to highlight the patients who suffering from comorbidities and to study the adverse drug reactions of the medications prescribed for patient suffering from Covid-19.


This letter proposes a novel design method of the single-layer ultrawideband (UWB) 90° phase shifter, which consists of a multimode resonator with shunt stubs and longitudinally cascaded coupled lines. The physical insight and working mechanism of its ultrawide operation bandwidth are extensively illustrated in the view of group delay for the main and reference lines. Meanwhile, the return loss and phase deviation can be appropriately adjusted in the design process. The measured results exhibit its bandwidth is 122% of < ±5.4°, return loss of >10 dB, and insertion loss of <1.04 dB. The comparison shows the proposed design not only achieves wide bandwidth but also attain small phase deviation, simple geometry, and compact size. The predicted results have been well validated in the experiment.


The vase life of 'Light Pink Barbara' (LPB) and 'Boundee' (BD) after treatment with pre-cooling at 5°C for 48 h (dark condition), 1-MCP treatment by EthylBloc® (EB) sachet for 6 h and CA (CO2 20% and O2 5% at 5°C for 12, 24 and 48 h) has been investigated. All treatments decreased ethylene production in both cultivars 'LPB' and 'BD'. Pre-cooling treatment prolonged the vase life of 'LPB' but induced senescence in 'BD'. The vase life of both cut spray carnations were prolonging after by 1-MCP treatment in the form of EB. CA treatments prolonged the vase life of 'LPB' cut single carnation flowers while decreased vase life of 'BD'. The vase life of multiple flowers on a stem of 'LPB' was prolonged by pre-cooling, 1-MCP and CA for 12 h treatments. Treatments with CA for 24 h and 48 h enhanced the senescence in 'LPB'. The vase life of multiple flowers on a stem of 'BD' prolonged by 1-MCP treatment, but reduced by pre-cooling and all CA treatments. These finding suggest that CA treatment was useful to prolong the vase life and maintain the quality of 'LPB' during transportation and display. Index Team — Carnation, Vase life, Controlled Atmosphere, 1-MCP, Senescence


Land suitability index for the wheat cultivation is carried out in east of the Nile delta of Egypt. The present area occupies the southern part of Ismailia canal and is bounded by latitudes 30° 35' 10"–31° 05' 00" N and longitudes 31° 15' 0"–32° 22' 08" E. Seventeen soil profiles were dug and classified as Typic Torrifluvents, Vertic Torrifluvents, Lithic Torriorthents, Typic Torripssaments and Typic Haplosalids. The criteria of land suitability for wheat production were adopted from guidelines of FAO (1976) and were carried out using two methods (Sys's method and ALES program). Most of the soils under study were suitable for wheat crop production by using both two approaches. The Sys's method has three classes, highly suitable (S1): 30.75%, moderately suitable (S2): 60.55% and marginally suitable (S3): 8.15%. While the results obtained by using the ALES program also has three classes, highly suitable (S1): 25.50%, suitable (S2): 65.80% and permanently not suitable (NS): 8.15%. Marginally or not suitable areas occurred in lakebeds mapping unit and agree with the adverse soil physical and chemical qualities (very poor drainage, heavy soil texture, high EC, high ESP and high pH). The compare of the results of the two methods indicated that, high level of agreement between the Sys's method and the ALES program, whereas all mapping units have the same classes except for two mapping units. At the local level, this study may be utilized by farmers and decision-makers for maintaining food security and for achieving sustainable agricultural development.


With increasing pressure from many sources to improve upon the living conditions of their people African governments have over the years put in place development plans. A good example of such programmes dotted throughout the length and breath of Africa is Ghana Vision 2020 a programme of action put across by the government of the National Democratic Congress which ruled the country from 1993 to 2000. The primary aim of Ghana Vision 2020 was to make the country a middle-income country by the hear 2020. Even though this programme has been discontinued by the ruling National Patriotic Party its relevance for national development is not in doubt. The paper discusses obstacles as well as key strategies for such a development plan. The paper concludes that critical variables in the attainment of the objectives of Vision 2020 and similar development plans on the continent include political stability effective human resource development decentralized administration control of population growth incentives participation of the private sector development of science and technology judicious use of resources good leadership good governance and discipline in all facets of national life. Approached mainly from a development management perspective the paper provides valuable lessons on development management in Africa. (authors)


ABSTRACT:
This monograph summarizes the studies and research carried out in the Specialization
Course in Pedagogical Coordination developed by the Federal University of Maranhao
(UFMA). Considering the relevance of the ENEM for the young person's entry into a
Higher Education Institution and based on the role of Pedagogical Coordinator in
fostering the routine of a middle level public school, the idea of researching on
pedagogical coordination To the challenges posed by the National Examination of High
School, with the objective of Analyzing the role of the Pedagogical Coordinator in a
middle school in the organization of the school routine in response to the students'
expectations regarding the ENEM. For the accomplishment of the research it was
necessary a bibliographical and documentary revision on the High School, Teacher
Training and ENEM. We list authors whose research was published between 2001 and
2014, namely Krawczyk (2001), Cury (2006 and 2008), Libâneo (2003) Oliveira
(2007), Martins (2010), Luckesi (2011) , Piunti and Oliveira (2012), Domingues (2014).
In the field research, we applied questionnaires to three Pedagogical Coordinators, four
Teachers and five Students. We found that many of the challenges posed by the ENEM
in the school routine and that the investigated school develops a work directed towards
the third grade of the High School with focus on the preparation of the students for the
ENEM.


We consider a new mechanism for the spin current swapping effect. The effect manifests in the appearance of the transverse spin current qyx of the spin projection along x in the direction of y, in response to the longitudinal spin current of spin projection along y flowing in x direction with swapped indices qxy, hence the name spin swapping.
We show that in the presence of a chiral spin texture primary spin current produces the transverse spin current. This spin-related transport phenomenon is similar to that known for electron scattering on a charged impurity with the account of correlation between the spin rotation and the scattering angle due to spin-orbit interaction.
The discussed spin swapping mechanism originates from the electron spin correlations in real space due to an exchange interaction with chiral spin textures such as magnetic skyrmions. The spin swapping effect exists already in the first Born approximation.


Hemorrhage (i.e., massive blood loss) induces an oxidative stress and inflammatory response that can persist even following hemostasis and resuscitation. These responses can result in tissue and organ damage if therapeutic inventions are delayed. Pre‐menopausal females exhibit a survival advantage following hemorrhage compared to males of a similar age. The role of oxidative stress and inflammation on increased survival from blood loss in young females is under investigation. Examining the potential mechanisms underpinning this survival advantage following hemorrhage may facilitate the development of sex‐specific therapies. In our laboratory, we utilize lower body negative pressure (LBNP) to simulate blood loss in conscious human subjects. In this study, we hypothesized that young males would elicit a greater oxidative stress and inflammatory response compared to young females, both during and after a simulated hemorrhage via LBNP.


We consider the image of some classes of bipartite quantum states under a tensor product of random quantum channels. Depending on natural assumptions that we make on the states, the eigenvalues of their outputs have new properties which we describe. Our motivation is provided by the additivity questions in quantum information theory, and we build on the idea that a Bell state sent through a product of conjugated random channels has at least one large eigenvalue. We generalize this setting in two directions. First, we investigate general entangled pure inputs and show that that Bell states give the least entropy among those inputs in the asymptotic limit. We then study mixed input states, and obtain new multi-scale random matrix models that allow to quantify the difference of the outputs' eigenvalues between a quantum channel and its complementary version in the case of a non-pure input.


: Lampit is one of the customary apparatuses for handling rice fields to even out the land for establishing rice. The activity caused different objections in the outer muscle framework, particularly in the rump and back by reason of the little size and hard stick of the lampit . Improvements were made to overcome this situation by designing a flat seat with foam pads and adjusting the press lever found on the attached rod. This experimental research study used the same subject design, chose 30 examination subjects from ranchers in Dusun Semaja Bengkelsari, Tabanan Bali. The musculoskeletal system's complaints were obtained by using the Nordic Body Map which was measured before and after repairing the lampit design. The data were contrasted and the mean qualities when improvement, analyzed using the paired t-test (α = 0.05). The result showed a decrease in the musculoskeletal system by 51.52% (p <0.05). It could be concluded that by repairing the design of the lampit reduced complaints of the musculoskeletal system, it is recommended to continue to use and improve the lampit that has been repaired for farmers.


Attributes reduction is one of important parts researched in rough set theory.Therefore,in this paper,after proposing a concept of general discernibility matrix,both computation of a core and attribute reduction algorithms based on general discernibility matrix are introduced.The newly proposed framework can effectively avoid discretizing the continuous-valued attributes and be easily incorporated into other machine learning methods.Theoretical analysis shows the effectiveness of the algorithm.


In a recent work, a new regulator of the output of a continuous autocatalytic bioprocess, by means of recirculation loop, has been presented. It was shown that controlling the recirculation flow rate allows the stabilization of the output in presence of an uncontrolled input flow rate. In the present paper, we extend this result when the input substrate concentration is unknown. For this purpose, we propose the design of an observer of the input concentration which, coupled with a slightly different control law reminiscent of the one used in the case where the input concentration is known, guarantees the regulation of the output.


Background: Non-attendance for appointments in health care results in wasted resources and disturbs the planned work-schedules. Regular diabetes follow-up allows for assessment of glycaemic control and earlier detection of, and intervention for, diabetes related complications. Various telemedicine approaches have been shown to have a positive impact on regular follow up and patient blood glucose control. Methods: Two hundred consenting type 2 diabetics receiving care at the general outpatient department of Bingham University Teaching Hospital were recruited and randomly allocated into intervention (SMS appointment reminders) and control (regular care) study arms in blocks of 100 subjects. Socio-demographic and clinical data were obtained with standardized questionnaires from both intervention and control study arms. The data was collated and analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software 17.0. Results were presented as chi-squares, student t-test and other statistical means. Results: The subjects at baseline were comparable regarding age, sex, marital status, years post diabetes diagnosis, educational level, mean fasting blood glucose measurements and Body Mass Index. In the control arm of the study, 40% of the subjects were lost to follow up whereas only 18% of the subjects in the intervention group were lost to follow up, and this difference was statistically significant (p=0.01). Further comparative analysis of the sociodemographic characteristics of the subjects present at the end of the study with those lost to follow up showed a similarity of both groups except in their occupational groups, number of years post diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, BMI and blood pressure categories. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate the ability of SMS reminders to reduce the rate of loss to follow up among type 2 diabetics attending a primary care facility.


Inherency frequency of servomechanism is to have an influence on the key parameters of servo accuracy and response capability, and demands the calculation of inherency frequency in the design stage. Holzer algorithm has clear physical concept and simple operation. The application program of Holzer algorithm can quickly calculate inherency frequency of servomechanism drive chain, and realize the effective evaluation and optimization design.


How to access analyst reports on companies and industries through resources available through the Newman Library and the Subotnick Trading Center. Explains analyst reports that are available through other library databases, in addition to S&P Net Advantage


There are 34 family planning counselors operating in 15 family planning centers in French speaking Switzerland. The role of the counselor has changed greatly during the years; from simply imparting information on contraception, the counselor is now in charge of teenage sexual education, and in charge of evaluating demands of pregnancy termination. Counselors must undergo a basic course of 1 year which includes both theory teaching and group work, and a practical course of at least 1 year to be spent within an active family planning center. A counselor must be able to interpret the particular situation of a patient at a somatic, psychological, cultural, and social level, and to give her the best possible advice. The counselor occupies a position which bridges the work of the psychologist and that of the doctor, and a strict collaboration with the medical personnel is essential.


The power distribution network business gradually extends from the grid domain to the social service domain, and the new business keeps expanding. The edge device uses microservice architecture and container technology to realize the processing of different services by one physical device. Although the power distribution network IoT with cloud-edge architecture has good scalability, scenarios with insufficient resources for edge devices may occur. In order to support the scheduling and collaborative processing of tasks under the resource-constrained scenario from the edge device, this paper proposes a cloud-edge collaborative online scheduling method for the distribution of station area tasks under the microservice architecture. The article models the characteristics of power tasks and their constraints in the cloud-edge containerized scenario, designs the priority policy and task assignment policy based on the cloud-edge scheduling mechanism of containerized power tasks, and schedules the tasks in real time by an improved online algorithm. Simulation results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper has high task execution efficiency, can improve the completion rate of important tasks with limited resources of edge devices, and improves system security through resource replacement.


— In this paper, comparative study of two methods, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used to solve Economic dispatch problem in power systems. The feasibility of both the methods is demonstrated for a six-generator system and a fifteengenerator system. The results from the experiments show that the PSO method gives a better quality solution to the Economic Dispatch problem than the Genetic Algorithm technique.


In the shipyard, the precision requirement of the error margin is less then ± 2mm for producing 20000 mm by 20000 mm sized panels. This paper proposes a measurement system and an error correction method using several cameras and consecutive image data for a large scale panels to satisfy requested precision bounds. The purpose of this paper is the error correction of a measurement data using the matching of four consecutive camera image data that is built up using four CCD camera modules. This module consists of a CCD Camera, rotary stage and rotary stage controller. The error correction method is established using the mid point of direction vectors from each camera and a relation between the origin camera and others. The relation is estimated using corresponding points between each image plane. A direction vector from each CCD camera is measured using the change in the angle of rotary stage. Especially, to measure the dimension of the shape efficiently, a structured target must be at a center on an image plane. By the visual servoing, a target is moved to the center of the image plane. This means the motion of the measurement system, the change of the angle according to orientation of the rotary stage, is controlled by an image based feedback system. An advantage in using this method is to be able to get the measurement accuracy. With this advantage, we propose the error correction algorithm using four consecutive image data for the correction of the measurement data error. In order to evaluate the proposed algorithm, experiments are performed in real environment, shipbuilding process.


We demonstrated tomographic phase microscopy (TPM) of living diatoms in liquid in order to quantitatively analyze localization of cell components of symmetric shape cells. One TPM image includes several millions of pixel data of three-dimensional optical information such as refractive index (RI) values of cell components. In this work, the obtained TPM data of living cells were analyzed using X–Y cross sections to visualize the localization of cell components. Distribution of RI values at the cell surfaces and inside the cells were quantified. The results showed that the RI values were slightly lower at the cell center (RI ∼ 1.400) than the cell boundary (RI ∼ 1.420). RI values were fluctuated according to the depth measured from the cell surface also. Furthermore, statistical analysis by root mean square and Moran's I methods revealed unique localization of RI values for several cells among 25 individuals. In addition, the volumes of the cells estimated using TPM data corresponded to the cell volumes obtained via scanning electron microscopy. Our work proposed an effective procedure to quantitatively/statistically investigate intracellular materials of living cells based on physical information of TPM data.


most original in the book, revealing the dependence of the Ordnance on the production of guns by craftsmen who had not yet developed a standardization of parts and who were more prepared to supply other markets than the Ordnance, so that the British soldier fought in Europe with the musket of the East India Company. The section on Engineers includes a most in[ormative description of sieges, with an historical explanation of why Wellington wasted so many lives in the siege of Badajos. There follow chapters on the Infantry and Cavaky, suitably divided into training, promotions, discipline, ducation, and recruiting. The role of Light Infantry, based on the distinction between rifle and musket, as we]] as on terrain, points up the relation between tactics and technology; while recruiting by bounty, by the offer of commissions, and by exploiting the militia brings home to the modem reader what it meant to fight a great war without imposing either conscription r a more elaborate military bureaucracy. When all of this is said, a quality of synthesis missing. The book often reads like a supplement to Fortescue, specially in its interpretation of figures like the Duke of Richmond as Master General of the Ordnance or the Duke of York as


This paper makes a revision of Hegel's State theory to evaluate its currency and validity. The text proceeds taking away the habitual interpretative horizon of politic phenomena, according to which Hegel's theory points to totalitarian conclusions or keeps inscribed, disfigured, in a finalist theory of history. According to Hegel, the State reveals as a process of intersubjective relations constituted of moments or stages that constitute itself as a life community rationally founded. From this perspective, we affirm, the hegelian concept of State is fully vigent.


H. G. Wells, as the forefather of science fiction, has used the relative notion of time in his stories such as Time Machine (1895). Speed is the initiator of a discourse in which humans are floating and moving ahead and has become one of the main "discourses" of the human being. Paul Virilio's theory of "dromology", "vision machine" and "virtual reality", along with "the aesthetics of disappearance" are applied in criticizing the novel scientific discourse by Wells who engenders a machinic, in the Deleuzian sense, and a cyborg discourse, through which he connotes the imperial narratives and the dromocratic powers. The usage of the Cyborg discourse by Wells in his science fiction stories has been to emphasize how the dromological and vision discourses are the prerequisite to the panoptical discourse through the microscopic and telescopic visions. It is concluded that the splintering frame is the created visual frame in the Wellsian science fiction.


Objective To investigate the existence of neglect and explore the relationship between spacial attentional deficits and hemisphere in patients with schizophrenia. Methods 51 schizophrenic patients and 55 healthy controls were measured with line bisection test and number bisection test、 Results In the Line Bisection Test,shcizophrenic patients group showed a negative deviation, in which the 2cm line( -0.03 ± 0. 74 )% and mean ( - 0. 02 ± 0. 03 ) % deviation rates were more significantly leftward than that of the normals ( ( 0. 00 ±0.02 ) %, ( - 0.00 ± - 0.01 ) %, P < 0. 05 ) respectively. The mean deviation rates of the patients (P < 0. 01 ) and control groups (P < 0. 05 ) were also significantly leftward compared with zero value. In the number bisection test,schizophrenic patients group showed a negative deviation and a significant leftward bias on the interval 5 ( - 0.07 ±0.18)% ,7( -0.08 ±0.22)% and 9( -0.09 ±0.28)% ) than that of the normals(( -0.01 ±0.05)% ,(0.01± 0. 08 ) % and (0.00 ± 0.14 ) %, P < 0.05 respectively). Conclusion Schizophrenic patients have a right-neglect, suggesting that spacial attentional deficits exist, and it may be related to the left cerebral hemisphere dysfunction.

Key words:
Schizophrenia;  Line bisection;  Number bisection;  Neglect


To examine nuclear fuel reprocessing plant operating parameters such as maintainability, reliability, availability, equipment redundancy, and surge storage requirements and their effect on plant throughput, a computer simulation model of integrated HTGR fuel reprocessing plant operations is being developed at General Atomic Company (GA). The simulation methodology and the status of the computer programming completed on reprocessing head end systems is reported.


The results of experimental study of monitoring the microcirculation in tissue superficial layers of the internal organs at gastro-duodenal hemorrhage with the use of laser speckles contrast analysis technique are presented. The microcirculation monitoring was provided in the course of the laparotomy of rat abdominal cavity in the real time. Microscopic hemodynamics was analyzed for small intestine and stomach under different conditions (normal state, provoked ischemia, administration of vasodilative agents such as papaverine, lidocaine). The prospects and problems of internal monitoring of micro-vascular flow in clinical conditions are discussed.


Sizing is achieved by adding Petroleum Resin first to the pulp in beater and then, when it is well mixed with about 20% of precipitated calcium carbonate in the pulp, aluminium sulphate (" alum "). It will be observed the perfect of sizing on the tissue paper, or the test result of K.B.B Sizing test by sugar solution is indicated about 50 seconds, Stockigt method was 5 seconds. (40g/m2) Influences affected by the fluorescent whitening agent to the sizing effect were investigated.


Previous research on cluster-based retrieval has been inconclusive as to whether it does bring improved retrieval effectiveness over document-based retrieval. Recent developments in the language modeling approach to IR have motivated us to re-examine this problem within this new retrieval framework. We propose two new models for cluster-based retrieval and evaluate them on several TREC collections. We show that cluster-based retrieval can perform consistently across collections of realistic size, and significant improvements over document-based retrieval can be obtained in a fully automatic manner and without relevance information provided by human.


Background: Leukemia is a progressive malignant disease of the blood. Both the clinical and experimental should have studies association between acute leukemia and homeostasis. Acute leukemia is usually aggressive disease in which malignant transformation occur in the haemopoietic stem cell or early progenitor cell. Acute leukemia is defined as presences of over 20% of blast cell in the peripheral blood and /or bone marrow at clinical presentation. Aim: we conducted our study to evaluate coagulation profile (PT, APTT & Ddimer) in Sudanese Patients with acute leukemia. Method: This is a prospective analytical case control study was conducted to evaluate coagulation profile in 80 Sudanese population,40 of them with acute leukemia; study was performed to determination of PT, APTT and D-dimer , patients who attended to Radiation isotopes center of Khartoum (RICK) at Khartoum state, and enrolled 40 healthy individual during 2015...2017. Results: In disease, group males are 33(82.5%) and females are 7 (17.5%), most of participant in case group in age group between (20-30) years. The case group in our study was divided into two subgroups based on type of leukemia ALL was 26 (65%), AML 14(35%). Sara Ali Khalaf alla Mohammed, Dr. Alya Ahmed SalmanDetermination of PT, APTT and Ddimer among Sudanese patient with acute Leukemia in Khartoum State, Sudan 2017 EUROPEAN ACADEMIC RESEARCH Vol. VI, Issue 3 / June 2018 1153 There is significant correlation between case and control group in PT, PTT, and D-dimer (P values < 0.05) (Table 2). Conclusion: We conclude that there were significant variations in PT, PTT, and D-dimer between case and control group.


The financial and economic crisis occurred since 2008, has threatened economic stability in the whole euro zone. Besides it showed that the EU banking system was highly vulnerable to turbulences. This is why the EU competent institutions have elaborated since 2012 a strategy for the implementation of reforms in the financial, fiscal and economic sectors with the ultimate aim of strengthening the institutional architecture of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). One of the building blocks on which is based the above project is the establishment of the European Banking Union (EBU). The EBU is based on a single regulatory framework, known as the single rulebook. This is a set of rules contained in EU regulations and directives governing the single market of financial services. The EBU covers three crucial for the stability of the financial system issues namely: (a) the supervision of banks which is necessary to prevent banking crises, (b) the management (settlement) of banking crises and (c) the deposit guarantees. The primary element of the EBU is the creation of a supranational (European) banks prudential supervision framework including on the one hand uniform rules on financial services applicable to all Member States and on the other a Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM). This supranational system is complemented by the creation of an integrated European framework of banking sector crises settlement. Main pillar of this framework is a central supranational financial institutions resolution authority, the Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM) which is the necessary complement of SSM. The EBU last component is the establishment of an appropriate regulatory framework to provide effective deposit protection across the EU. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the general principles and specific rules governing the functioning of EBU, the emphasis given to the most recent developments related to this matter.JEL classification numbers: H3, H7, F6Keywords: Banking Union, Single Mechanism, Supervision, Resolution.


Photometric observations in the R and I bands of the detached M-type double-lined eclipsing binary CU Cnc have been acquired and analysed. The photometric elements obtained from the analysis of the light curves have been combined with an existing spectroscopic solution to yield high-precision (errors $\la$2%) absolute dimensions: $M_{\rm A}=0.4333\pm0.0017~M_{\odot}$, $M_{\rm B}=0.3980\pm0.0014$ $M_{\odot}$, $R_{\rm A}=0.4317\pm0.0052$ $R_{\odot}$, and $R_{\rm B}=0.3908\pm0.0094$ $R_{\odot}$. The mean effective temperature of the system has been estimated to be $T_{\rm eff}=3140\pm150$ K by comparing multi-band photometry (optical and infrared) with synthetic colors computed from state-of-the-art model atmospheres. Additionally, we have been able to obtain an estimate for the age (~320 Myr) and chemical composition ($[\mbox{Fe/H}]\approx 0.0$) of the binary system through its membership of the Castor moving group. With all these observational constraints, we have carried out a critical test of recent stellar models for low-mass stars. The comparison reveals that most evolutionary models underestimate the radius of the stars by as much as 10%, thus confirming the trend observed by Torres & Ribas ([CITE]) for YY Gem and V818 Tau. In the mass–absolute magnitude diagram, CU Cnc is observed to be dimmer than other stars of the same mass and this makes the comparison with stellar models not so compelling. After ruling out a number of different scenarios, the apparent faintness of CU Cnc can be explained if its components are some 10% cooler than similar-mass stars or if there is some source of circumstellar dust absorption. The latter could be a tantalizing indirect evidence for a coplanar (Vega-like) dusty disk around this relatively young M-type binary.


a large set of correlations must be corrected. In a construct validation study, numerous measures with varying degrees of unreliability exist, and it may be necessary to examine the disattenuated coefficients (Crocker & Algina, 1986). In addition, other circumstances may warrant examining the effects of changes in reliability in either direction from some present sample values, as in test construction. This creates a need for a formula that estimates the effects of changes in reliability in either direction from some sample estimate (Nunnally, 1978).


State policies which disenfranchise ex-felons, those who have served their complete sentences, have a long history. While "civil death" was a common punishment for convicts in Europe prior to the colonization of North America, ex-felon disenfranchisement statutes were adopted by several states, primarily in the South after the Civil War. There is substantial evidence that these statutes were created to exclude racial minorities. These discriminatory effects can still be seen today. Racial minorities in the United States, primarily African Americans, are incarcerated at a much higher rate than their white peers. Once convicted, these persons are often subject to disenfranchisement. Because of the racial disparities in conviction and incarceration, minority communities are often left with a diminished voice in the electoral process. Under the Voting Rights Act, as amended in 1982, any voting qualifications established by a state that result in disproportionate disadvantages for minorities are illegal. As a result, African American voters, who consistently vote for Democratic candidates 90% of the time, suffer from vote dilution due to felon disenfranchisement. Precedent suggests that courts analyzing such state statutes should consider a totality of circumstances, including the historical reasons for enactment and other harms suffered by the community. Because of this, ex-felon disenfranchisement schemes are not only a bad policy, but also are incompatible with equal voting rights as embodied in the 15th Amendment, and therefore invalid under law.


This article reflects the effect and threats that the Covid-19 virus pandemic has caused in all areas of society and, in particular in the guarantee of human rights The colombian case is contextualized, as a reference to the exceptional measures taken by various rulers of the region, which confront the limit and protection of human rights Finally, the figure of conventionality control is used typical of the American human rights protection system, is welcomed as a relevant regulatory control mechanism to face, as a region, the dynamics and challenges imposed by the health emergency on Latin American societies for the sake of attend the fulfillment of the duty against the real and effective safeguard of human rights © 2020, Universidad del Zulia All rights reserved


Conventional wisdom holds that the state under Brazil's First Republic (1889-1930) was dominated by the country's coffee planters, who blindly obeyed the precepts of economic liberalism: free trade, the gold standard, and minimal government interference. Most economic historians have argued that this orthodoxy was inappropriate for an exporting country like Brazil but was nevertheless followed out of deference to European "science" and fashion. The imported liberal model has been held responsible for retarding Brazil's development. Winston Fritsch, one of Brazil's most respected economic historians, joins a revisionist movement that challenges the accepted view of the First Republic's political economy. He demonstrates that coffee planters were not in absolute control of the state and that the Republic's economic policy was in fact somewhat flexible and inventive. Fritsch presents a sophisticated appreciation of the forces forging state policy by centering his study on federal monetary, exchange, and debt policy as well as the coffee price support program in the years between 1914 and 1930. (The pre-1914 period receives thirty pages.) He rejects the instrumentalist version of the state by demonstrating that Paulista coffee fazendeiros (planters) frequently failed to gain the federal aid they sought, even when they were in desperate straits. For example, Congress never established an institutionalized federal coffee defense program despite Paulista pleading, nor was the currency permitted to depreciate to the level fazendeiros preferred. Part of the reason coffee fazendeiros did not fully command federal policy was the influence of foreign, particularly British, lenders. Fritsch is the first economic historian of Brazil to use the Rothschild and British Foreign Office archives to good effect in explaining the mechanisms of foreign influence. (Surprisingly, for a Brazilian, he used few Brazilian archives.) His treatment of the 1924 Montagu mission, a British precursor to the U.S. Kemmerer missions, is especially revealing. The mission attempted to use the threat of withholding London loans to force the Brazilian federal government to balance its budget, sell off its public enterprises, and refrain from coffee price supports. The next year British and United States banks agreed to refuse Brazil loans until internal conditions improved. But while these direct pressures certainly conditioned Brazilian federal policy, they did not dictate policy. Fritsch rejects the simplistic dependista stance. International capitalists could cajole; they could not impose. On numerous occasions the Brazilian state refused to comply with foreign "recommendations."