The world is actively developing offshore mineral deposits (oil, gas, coal, steel and other minerals). Offshore fixed platforms are actively used for offshore production. During operation, these platforms are subject to various impacts (wave, wind, etc.), which leads to the occurrence of alternating stresses. Current AC voltages activate fatigue processes in welded joints. Therefore, the knowledge of the peculiarities of the stress state of the welded joints of offshore platforms is the key to understanding the fatigue processes taking place in them. Nowadays various theories offer different understanding of the stresses acting in a welded joint. For example, the strength theory does not take into account the presence of "hot spots" in the welded joint, assuming a uniform distribution of stresses on the welding seam. The influence of static load on the general picture of the stress state in the welded joint was also investigated. As a result of the carried out researches the location of points with the greatest concentration of pressure, influence of thicknesses, diameters and an angle of interface of connected elements is established. The calculations showed that the sharper the angle of connection of the branch to the main pipe, the lower the value of stress concentration coefficients. Stresses acting in the welded joint also increase in case of increase in the diameter and wall thickness of the offshore platform columns. The analysis of the results of the computer model showed that the greatest contribution to the stress state of the platform is the tensile force and bending moment outside the plane, which indicates that the points with the highest stress concentration will be the points located in the direction of the wave beam.


We consider the initial-value problem for the bidirectional Whitham equation, a system which combines the full two-way dispersion relation from the incompressible Euler equations with a canonical shallow-water nonlinearity. We prove local well-posedness in classical Sobolev spaces in the localised as well as the periodic case, using a square-root type transformation to symmetrise the system. The existence theory requires a non-vanishing surface elevation, indicating that the problem is ill-posed for more general initial data.


The objective of this research note is to outline the procedures adopted to identify several migrant types using the 1973 census data [for Kiribati and Tuvalu formerly the Gilbert and Ellice Islands]....A two-level approach to the data analysis was adopted. The first identified the maximum number of discrete mover-stayer patterns these data permit whereas the second level allocated these patterns to a smaller number of migration types. These procedures are outlined in turn. The concluding section of the paper deals with a problem arising from use of the concept of home island as a reference point in migration studies especially as this relates to the movement patterns of children. (EXCERPT)


A new high‐voltage driver, originally designed for an 800×600 passive matrix AFLC display application, is integrated in a 0.35μm CMOS technology. The IC features 65V driving capability on all 300 outputs and is able of generating all kinds of complex high‐voltage waveforms that are constituted out of 8 voltage levels (7 high‐voltage levels and ground).


Abstract. We consider a kinetic modulational instability of broadband (random phase) magnetic-field-aligned circularly polarized dispersive Alfvén waves in plasmas. By treating random phase Alfvén waves as quasi-particles, we consider their nonlinear interactions with ion quasi-modes within the framework of the wave-kinetic and Vlasov descriptions. A nonlinear dispersion relation governing such interactions is derived and analyzed. An explicit expression for the kinetic modulational instability growth rate is presented. Our results can be of relevance to the nonlinear propagation of incoherent Alfvén waves, which have been frequently observed in interstellar media, in the solar corona and in the solar wind, as well as in the foreshock regions of planetary bow-shocks and laboratory plasmas.


In order to quantitatively study the strata deformation in similar physical model,5 FBG sensors are installed in a 3m plane stress model,and the FBG sensors were embedded in the physical model.Based on the analysis of the FBG sensors monitoring results and the comparison with the dial gage data of corresponding position,the sensitivity of the FBG sensors in the physical model small deformation and macroscopic movement progress was studied. The results show that when the strata deformation is less than 4. 985mm,the FBG sensors can accurately reflect the movement and deformation of strata,and shows good linear relationship; When the strata deformation exceeds 4. 985mm,the sensitivity of the FBG sensors will be significantly reduced,but still reflects the movement and deformation state of strata. This research has a positive effect on the development of the strata deformation testing technology.


The global burden of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is increasing, suggesting that it will become the third leading cause of death and disability worldwide by the year 2020. The brain is known to be the functional regulator for all the metabolic activities inside the body and TBI patients that mostly have a complex metabolic alteration. There are consistent data showing that increased metabolic rate with rapid protein breakdown is common in patients with moderate and severe TBI. The aim of the current scoping review was to summarize the metabolic profile and nutritional status of TBI patients, and to investigate the influence of nutrition therapy on clinical outcomes. A review of the literature published between 2012 and 2017 was conducted. Three databases were searched including PubMed, Google Scholar, and clinical key. Hypermetabolism and malnutrition were known as physiologic consequences of TBI. Pathophysiological mechanisms of malnutrition were multifactorial and related to inadequate nutrient ingestion, abnormalities in the energy expenditure, changes in eating behavior, gastrointestinal disorders, and also side effects of drugs administered. The goal of nutrition therapy is to oppose the hypercatabolism and hypermetabolism. Initiation of nutrition support should begin as soon as the patient has been stabilized and resuscitated.


Frequency of occurrence of separate components metabolic syndrome (МS) in unorganized population of townsmen of Orenburg. During research socially-demographic characteristics, the anamnesis, a clinical condition of patients at the time of examination were studied. According to criteria IDF the AO (71,7%) and AH (71,8%) have appeared the most widespread components. At use of less rigid parameters for CW (by criteria АТР III and CRE), frequency of AO has made only 44,5% whereas the most widespread had appeared АH (71,8%) and low level HDLP(55,8%).


We study the relation between the group-algebraic approach and the dressing symmetry one to the soliton solutions of the An(1) Toda field theory in 1+1 dimensions. Originally, solitons in the affine Toda models were found by Olive, Turok, and Underwood. Single solitons are created by exponentials of elements which ad-diagonalize the principal Heisenberg subalgebra. Alternatively, Babelon and Bernard exploited the dressing symmetry to reproduce the known expressions for the fundamental tau functions in the sine-Gordon model. In this paper we show the equivalence between these two methods to construct solitons in the An(1) Toda models.


The article deals with the essence of cash flows in modern economic conditions. The method of their analysis is given, as well as the analysis of cash flows according to the given method on the materials of the operating enterprise LLC «Bureyazhilpromstroy». As a result of the analysis, weaknesses in cash flow management were identified and recommendations for their elimination were proposed.


Recent advances in computational protein design now enable the massively parallel de novo design and experimental characterization of small hyperstable binding proteins with potential therapeutic activity. By providing experimental feedback on tens of thousands of designed proteins, the design‐build‐test‐learn pipeline provides a unique opportunity to systematically improve our understanding of protein folding and binding. Here, we review the structures of mini‐protein binders in complex with Influenza hemagglutinin and Bot toxin, and illustrate in the case of disulfide bond placement how analysis of the large datasets of computational models and experimental data can be used to identify determinants of folding and binding.


Aldel'man c. 0, .pa ine Introdueeil an ~ntlrel y now \lst of proposp<l street improvements when he push· ed a I'~~olut lon by tilt' city council laBt night which will Include about twenty hlocks of new Pllvlng In tile work to be done next yt'ar. The cou ncil adopted tho r!'solution In· cludlng tht' strerts as presented by f'alne, Wll"l the pl'ovlslon that shoUld sUfficient objection al'lsc to any of them UH'Y mIght be ~ut OU', J'ublil' oplnloll will be consulted be· (OJ'e final sleps are tal<en 011 th~ Ill'Og ram. As Paine pre~ented th~ 1>111 the street. to be Paved nrc: Johnson 6tre t from D1oomlngton tu Ua vp,n· port, Juhnson street from Unven · port to the purk, Honald:; stre"~ from Dodgp to Van Buren. Bcnton Htr ct fl'om Dulm,lue to Van 1;ur~n, Vlln DUI'en SLreet trom Benton to l{lrkwond Ilvonoe, Gllbel"t "trcH from BOWery to the C. R. 1. & P . rlght·of.way, ,Pren USI! streeL fr"", CaPitol to Madison, JohnRon ~trpN f rom BoWery to lho C. It. 1. " 1', l'lght-of·way, Governol' street from Fllirchlid to BroWI1, and "'llll' .J) .to'eet fl'om Dodge to OovOl'no,', Definite tellS Taken , J)t'!lnite steps "HO tUK'·1I I'y 1:1" c.uncll In rcgUl'd tn the pavln,: Oil lJubuQue road and Klrk\\'O<'d "venuo wb '·" t,',O contracts for bOt.1 fI! the~c \lrojccls wel'p let to thc "'lIliam 1101'· 1'I11)ln Con tructlng comprnv, or 10\\:\ Cit,,.. IIol'l'abln's bid on the J)ubu· IjUO rOlld paving, f,·om '" Sun,mlt :4treel to the clt.y limits, \' ~s ~~r". ,,~n.8G. His bIll fOl' tIl , cn .. ,thtl'tl mllo stl'l[) on Kll'k\\ood avenuo, 100m the cast end of the PRvlng In IJlaco to th1' city limits, was .$8,852. The bids averaged sligh t1y under tho city engineer's estimates. A prOll08ll1 to Install fourteen n~w aU'eets lights tn v~rlou~ part~ of ti", city was a lso moved by Aldern ",n Paine. Deflnlt action on the mat · tCI· was postpuned untl! lI. (utu,'c dllte. Recoelve Petition J\ petition signed hy Jamcs Me· Clelll\n and Wllilam .uoyco Wlls re· celved agklng fot' the I)avlng of S. Gilbert "tl'eet from DOIVery ~trect to tho C, n, I, & p, rlght·o(·way, which was alreadY Included In lhe list lie ,1'alno'8 pa vlns PI'OPOSIl1. Among 1,'0 I'outlne buslnrss trans· aCted was thc acceptance of the roo


To study on the Leuckart-wallach reaction. 1-[Bis-(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]piperazine was heated with various substituted benzaldehydes or ketones by the aid of formic acid. 1-[Bis-(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]piperazine was allowed to react with substituted benzaldehydes and formic acid . Under the same condition, 1-[bis-(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]piperazine was difficult to react with acetophone. [CONCLUSION]1-[Bis-(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]piperazine was formylated by formic acid resulting from the low activity of acetophone.


Lateral buckling Stress equation, Consisting of two terms, i.e. has been Using, but for the practial purpose of use the following
 two equations are Using, i.e.
Using the above equations, the results are obtained differently
according to the shapes of beam sections, and they are rather complex.
In this study the results obtained by the theoratical equations
are compared with experimental results.
Carrying out the experiments the lateral buckling behaviours of
 H-shape steel beams are clarified and the out comes show that
 resulting stress is closer to the one obtained by the proposed
formula than the one obtained by the practical equation.


Probe microscopy techniques (Atomic Force Microscopy and Kelvin Force Microscopy) have been shown to be instrumental in the analysis of samples; such as resists and nanostructured materials. Through these techniques detailed surface information has been derived, including information such as surface roughness and surface charge distribution.Poly(Methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), remains at the forefront of resists utilised in e-beam lithography in the electronics industry. Surface morphology (specifically roughness) analysis remains a key parameter of investigation, particularly in the examination of polymeric films. This research aimed to investigate PMMA based electron beam resists as well as a novel (SML) resist material in terms of suitability for electron-beam lithography. Various concentrations (5, 7, 8, 9 and 11% w/v) of both PMMA and the novel resist material were spin-coated onto silica substrates. Samples were baked at 180oC for 3 minutes and examined under ultra-high vacuum using Omicron AFM/SPM to derive RMS values in order to assess roughness in addition to thickness measurements taken. SML resists were then utilised in the development of a new digital etch onto InGaAs/InAlAs wafer.The novel, SML resist material was found to offer smoother resist surface even at higher concentrations of polymer, a difference which was observed to be statistically significant (p 0.05) indicating that lower concentrations of the novel resist would be required to achieve the required resist thickness. Digital etching rates were found to be in agreement with previously documented findings. SML was concluded to be a superior resist in terms of thickness and smoothness, with AFM being further established as an essential characterization technique.


In wireless networks, a base station (BS) may transmit a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and secondary synchronization signal (SSS). These synchronization signals may be used by a UE for cell detection and acquisition. In a typical search operation, first, find the PSS sequence transmitted by the BS adjacent, may be performed thereafter SSS detection. In this specification, it will be further described algorithm PSS and SSS are detected from the BS. Method of detecting the BS obtains the sampled sequence by sampling the received signal from the receiver antenna, by analyzing the sampled sequence to detect the PSS in the current half-frame (HF), it was detected signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) metric is calculated based on the PSS, SNR metrics and combinations obtained a calculated SNR from the previous half frame, analyzes the SNR metrics combined to obtain timing information, the timing using information generally comprises detecting the SSS analyzes the sampled sequence.


It provides a method for detecting the level of the reservoir in the diesel engine exhaust fluid (DEF), which reservoir is operatively connected to a catalytic converter for a diesel engine. The present method for a vehicle so as to refill the auxiliary liquid reservoir. This method includes a tank connected to the level sensor sensing the diesel tank via the operation places. The method further comprising using the sensed level of the diesel fuel tank to determine whether the vehicle is on an incline. The method further comprising determining if the vehicle is on an incline substantially no, it is determined that the reservoir liquid level in DEF. Also it provides a system for detecting the level of DEF in the reservoir for.


Chlorothricin (CHL), an archetypal member of the family of spirotetronate antibiotics, possesses a tetronate-containing pentacyclic aglycone that is conjugated with a modified methylsalicyclic acid (MSA) moiety through a disaccharide linkage. MSA is a polyketide product assembled by the iterative type I polyketide synthase ChlB1. Incorporation of this pharmaceutically important moiety into CHL relies on the activities of two distinct β-Ketoacyl-ACP synthase III (KAS III)-like acyltransferases, ChlB3 and ChlB6, which function together to coordinate the transfer of MSA through ChlB2, a discrete acyl carrier protein (ACP). During the maturation of CHL, MSA needs to be further functionalized by C2-O-methylation and C5-chlorination; however, timing of this functionalization process remains poorly understood. In this study, we report comparative kinetic assays of the activities of the two KAS III-like acyltransferases ChlB3 and ChlB6 using substrates that vary in substitution extent and ACP carrier. ChlB3 prefers to transfer the immediately assembled 6-methyl-MSA moiety from ChlB1-ACP to the discrete ACP ChlB2, from which this moiety is preferred to be transferred directly onto the molecule desmethylsalicyl-CHL prior to C2-O-methylation and C5-chlorination. Consequently, MSA functionalization appears to occur at the molecule level rather than at the covalently tethered protein level, i.e., ChlB1-ACP or ChlB2. Both ChlB3 and ChlB6 are flexible in substrate tolerance, holding promise for CHL engineering-based structural diversity by using variable MSA moiety.


The growth of monoclinic Ga2O3 nanowires, nano-ribbons and nano-sheets has been investigated. Results indicate that high quality single crystal nanowires can be grown at 900°C using an Au catalyst, while single crystal nano-ribbons and nano-sheets require no metal catalyst for growth. Since bulk Ga2O3 is a promising material for high temperature sensing, Ga2O3 nanowires and nano-ribbons may prove to enhance the sensing capability due to the high surface area. We have investigated the nature of defects in this material using Electron Spin Resonance, in as grown material, as well as under annealing in a reducing gas (H2) at various high temperatures. Results indicate the presence of an oxygen deficiency in the material, resulting in a conduction electron signal that becomes enhanced with annealing. An alternate use of these nanowires for sensing applications will also be presented, involving Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.


The technology of fitting conditions(the solvent,saponified concentration and saponification time) for extracting lutein from marigold is studied.The optimal conditions are as follows:CH2Cl2-the extracting solvent,saponified solution-4% and saponification time-2 hours.After column chromatographic separation,re-crystallization treatment and supercritical fluid precipitation treatment,the purity of lutein is improved.


This paper presents an approach to optimization of critical buckling temperature based on imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) for functional graded plates (FGP) to non-uniform distributed temperature load. The objective is to maximize the critical temperature capacity of a functional graded plate. The third-order shear deformation theory is used in the mathematical formulation. The numerical results reveal that the imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) can efficiently minimize critical buckling under non-linear temperature on the FG plates.


Color-tunable Ca4-1.5xTa2O9: xTb3+ phosphors are prepared via a convenient solid-state reaction and the cross-relaxation mechanism is investigated. The concentration of Tb3+ ions greatly affects blue-green emission in Ca4Ta2O9 samples. The cross-relaxation effect is explained with the use of Raman and emission spectra and the thermal stability of Ca4-1.5xTa2O9: xTb3+ is evaluated under excitation at 254 nm. Using the theoretical fitting results, the cross-relaxation between Tb3+ ions, via energy transfer from 5D3 to 5D4, was determined to be a multipolar interaction of the dipole–dipole mechanism. The critical distance was calculated to be 15.45 A. The thermal quenching temperature (T50) is higher than 200°C. Results show that Ca4-1.5xTa2O9: xTb3+ phosphors have good thermal stability and color tunability.


Abstract Now-a-days social media is on boom and it becomes a part of individuals' daily life. All most all the people communicate with their friends, family members, peers etc using any one of the social media tools (e.g. Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram). People not only share their daily routine with others but sometimes share confidential information with each other in the forms of texts, images and audio messages. Depending on the existing political and economic instability in many countries, there is a need to monitor the content shared among users on social media. A lot of research has undergone in the past on how to monitor the shared content on social media, but they only address the text and images to some extent. According to researcher's knowledge there exists no research which address to disclose the content in audio messages which are shared on social media. In this paper the researcher's proposed a methodology which helps in detecting the unusual content shared among users on social media like (hazard, threat etc words) in the form of audio messages using Deep Learning. The results of this research are helpful in monitoring the social media content specially the audio messages by identifying hazards or threats planned before execution and in turn saving the society and mankind from destruction.


Background: Propofol binding to GABAAR sites of uncertain location potentiates receptor function and produces anesthesia in vivo. Results: A photoreactive propofol analog identifies propofol-binding sites in α1β3 GABAARs. Conclusion: Propofol binds to each class of intersubunit sites in the GABAAR transmembrane domain. Significance: This study demonstrates that propofol binds to the same sites in a GABAAR as etomidate and barbiturates. Propofol acts as a positive allosteric modulator of γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs), an interaction necessary for its anesthetic potency in vivo as a general anesthetic. Identifying the location of propofol-binding sites is necessary to understand its mechanism of GABAAR modulation. [3H]2-(3-Methyl-3H-diaziren-3-yl)ethyl 1-(phenylethyl)-1H-imidazole-5-carboxylate (azietomidate) and R-[3H]5-allyl-1-methyl-5-(m-trifluoromethyl-diazirynylphenyl)barbituric acid (mTFD-MPAB), photoreactive analogs of 2-ethyl 1-(phenylethyl)-1H-imidazole-5-carboxylate (etomidate) and mephobarbital, respectively, have identified two homologous but pharmacologically distinct classes of intersubunit-binding sites for general anesthetics in the GABAAR transmembrane domain. Here, we use a photoreactive analog of propofol (2-isopropyl-5-[3-(trifluoromethyl)-3H-diazirin-3-yl]phenol ([3H]AziPm)) to identify propofol-binding sites in heterologously expressed human α1β3 GABAARs. Propofol, AziPm, etomidate, and R-mTFD-MPAB each inhibited [3H]AziPm photoincorporation into GABAAR subunits maximally by ∼50%. When the amino acids photolabeled by [3H]AziPm were identified by protein microsequencing, we found propofol-inhibitable photolabeling of amino acids in the β3-α1 subunit interface (β3Met-286 in β3M3 and α1Met-236 in α1M1), previously photolabeled by [3H]azietomidate, and α1Ile-239, located one helical turn below α1Met-236. There was also propofol-inhibitable [3H]AziPm photolabeling of β3Met-227 in βM1, the amino acid in the α1-β3 subunit interface photolabeled by R-[3H]mTFD-MPAB. The propofol-inhibitable [3H]AziPm photolabeling in the GABAAR β3 subunit in conjunction with the concentration dependence of inhibition of that photolabeling by etomidate or R-mTFD-MPAB also establish that each anesthetic binds to the homologous site at the β3-β3 subunit interface. These results establish that AziPm as well as propofol bind to the homologous intersubunit sites in the GABAAR transmembrane domain that binds etomidate or R-mTFD-MPAB with high affinity.


Introduction: Fractures of the distal end of the femur are difficult to understand and treat, with significant repercussions on the knee joint. The aim of our work was to assess the outcome of the treatment of fractures of the lower extremity of the femur. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study carried out at the orthopedic-traumatology service of the CHU Gabriel TOURE concerning patients with a fracture of the distal end of the femur over 6 years (January 2013 to December 31, 2018). Results: We collected 41 patients with a fracture of the distal end of the femur. The male sex represented 65.9% with a sex ratio 1.92. The average age was 41, 36 with extremes of 17 and 75. Road traffic accidents were the main etiology with 87.8%. The most frequent anatomoradiological variety was type VI of SOFCOT. Associated lesions were observed in 53.6%, and open fractures type II of Gustilo and Anderson in 21.9%. Osteosynthesis with the plate blade was the most frequent with 46.3%. The prognosis was dominated by stiffness of the knee (43.9%) and vicious calluses (17.03%). At an average follow-up of 30.87 months, functional results were good in 41.5% according to SOFCOT. Conclusion: Fractures of the distal end of the femur are frequently associated with other lesions. Surgical treatment performed early and appropriately, guarantees an excellent functional result. Sometimes despite this treatment the stiffness of the knee is inevitable especially with the complexity of the fracture.


Agriculture is one field that has a big impact on people's lives and their economic situation. Poor management is the cause of agricultural losses. Farmers' lack of knowledge about disease leads to reduced yields. Farmer helpline call-centers are accessible, although they do not provide assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and communication might be problematic at times. Farmers who are unable to effectively describe disease over the phone require an investigation of the afflicted leaf area. Since photographs and videos of crops provide a better view of the crop and agricultural scientists can provide a better way to fix difficulties related to healthy crop, farmers have not been informed. Because to advancements in technology, equipment are now capable of recognizing and detecting plant illnesses. Recognizing disease early on can help to speed up treatment and reduce the impact on harvest. As a result, the focus of this research is on employing image processing to identify plant diseases.


A radiation-hardened sensor instrumentation SoC is presented in this paper. The SoC is implemented in a standard CMOS technology, and achieves MGy-level TID radiation hardness through radiation-hardening-by-design. The SoC contains several commonly used analog/mixed-signal blocks (e.g., instrumentation amplifier, ADC, bandgap voltage reference, clock reference, multiplexer, etc.) in sensor readout systems. Circuit-level radiation-hardened-by-design techniques are introduced, and the effectiveness of these techniques is proven by on-line gamma-radiation assessments. Finally, implementation details of the sensor instrumentation SoC in a commercial 65nm CMOS technology are discussed.


This in vitro study was conducted to evaluate the microhardness, rugosity and mass of composite resins (Filtek Z250/ 3M ESPE, Filtek Z350XT/ 3M ESPE, Opallis/ FGM, Filtek P90/ 3M ESPE) and a glass-ionomer resin cement (Vitremer/ 3M ESPE) following erosive challenge. Thirty cylindrical samples (5.0 mm in diameter x 2.0 mm in thickness) were prepared for each material. To assess the changes in microhardness, rugosity and mass, measurements were made before (initial) and after (final) the erosive challenge. For doing so, a microhardness tester operating at a load of 100 g for 10 seconds, a roughness tester with Ra parameter and an electronic balance with precision of 0.0001 g were used, respectively. A cola beverage was used for erosive challenge, with the samples being immersed in it for 5 minutes three times a day. When not immersed, the samples were submitted to daily pH cycling in demineralising solution for 3 hours and in re-mineralising solution for 21 hours. This procedure was performed for 14 days. Data were statistically analysed by means of ANOVA and Tukey's test (p < 0.05). Although increase in mass and decrease in rugosity were observed, the statistical results showed that erosive challenge did not interfere with physical properties. As for microhardness, composite resins Filtek Z350XT, Filtek P90 and Opallis as well as the glass-ionomer resin cement Vitremer showed significant decreases following the erosive challenge, but this was not found to be significant for Filtek Z250. Combining the three properties, microhardness, roughness and change in mass, were more stable after the erosive challenge, the resin Filtek Z250, followed by Filtek Z350XT, Filtek P90, Opallis and Vitremer, although the latter material had significant difference compared to the composite resins. One can conclude that erosive challenge affected neither rugosity nor mass of the materials studied. However, microhardness was found to be significantly reduced in Vitremer and composite resins, except for Filtek Z250. Considering the three properties as a whole, it was found better stability to the erosive challenge for composites resins. Key-words: Composite Resins. Glass-ionomer Cements. Tooth Erosion. Physical Properties.


Silicon solar panels are commonly used in photovoltaic applications. The voltage produced by individual solar cell is limited to 1 V. Hence, solar cells are connected in series/parallel in order to obtain the desired voltage suitable for power conversion. Therefore, even a very small amount of shading of solar cells/panels in the network affects the overall performance of the module significantly. If the affected panel is wired in series (in a string) with other panels, then the output of all those panels will be affected by the partial/full shading of one panel. To analyze the effect of shading on the overall system performance, we have developed a MATLAB Simulink model to calculate Power vs Voltage (P-V) and Voltage vs Current (V-I) characteristics of solar panel under different shading conditions. The MATLAB model was experimentally validated by investigating the effect of shading using AAA class solar simulator. Simulations and experimental results show that even 20-30% shading of the solar module will result in 30-40% reduction in the power output. This demonstrates the importance of developing MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) algorithms tailored to various situations which can work well in dusty environments and cloudy days. Its affect is of a prime interest to various IPP's (Independent Power Producers) especially in a large open solar farm.


0. Introduction. A convex structure consists of a set X, together with a collection fé of subsets of X, which is closed under intersection and under updirected union. The members of # are called convex sets, and ^ is a convexity on X. Vox A a subset of X, h (A) denotes the (convex) hull of A. If A is finite, then h (A) is called a, poly tope, ^ i s called a binary convexity if each finite collection of pairwise intersecting convex sets has a nonempty intersection. See [8], [21] for general references. If X is also equipped with a topology, then the corresponding weak topology is the one generated by the convex closed sets. It is usually assumed that at least all polytopes are closed. # is called normal provided that for each two disjoint convex closed sets C, D there exist convex closed sets C , D\ with


Solvent cleaning and oxygen plasma treatment were carried out on the indium-tin oxide (ITO) anodes for polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). The influences of different treatment methods on the surface properties of ITO anodes were investigated using different standard surface characterization techniques, i.e., X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle. Based on the measurements of contact angles, the surface energies of the ITO anodes were also calculated using the harmonic-mean method. We observe that the surface treatments decrease the carbon content, increase the oxygen content, reduce the surface roughness and enhance the wettability, and thereby improve the surface properties of ITO anodes. With respect to the solvent cleaning, the oxygen plasma treatment is more efficient since it brings about a better improvement in the ITO surface properties due to the contaminants can be removed effectively from the ITO surface. Furthermore, we studied the effect of surface treatments of the ITO anodes on the characteristics of PLEDs, in terms of the electrical and optical performance of the devices. Experimental results reveal that the surface treatments improve the electroluminescent characteristics of the PLEDs. The oxygen plasma treated device gives smaller turn-on voltage and driving voltage, higher brightness and efficiency as well as better quality of light emission compared to the solvent cleaned device. The result can be attributed to oxygen plasma treatment improves the surface properties of ITO anode and the interface characteristics of ITO/polymer.


An improved apparatus for obtaining short‐range intermolecular potentials is described. The measured ground state He–He potential in the range 0.49 ≤ r ≤ 1.56 A is V(r) = (215.3±9.4) × exp[−3.950±0.044)r] eV. This agrees extremely well with the results of molecular orbital theory, whereas earlier experiments were 25% lower, and is confirmed by a recent independent measurement in the range 0.9–1.5 A. A comparison is also made with statistical model calculations.


Objective To improve the understanding of the clinical characteristics of connective tissue disease with portal venous system thrombosis.Methods The clinical features of 16 patients of connective tissue disease with portal venous system thrombosis were reviewed.Results Among 16 patients,6 cases were SLE,two of them followed by APS,two followed by RA,two cases followed by pSS;1 case followed by MCTD,1 case by CREST syndrome and 2 cases by unspecific CTD.Two cases were male and 14 cases were female with the median age of 48 years.Eleven cases had portal hypertension,4 patients had deep venous thrombosis.The most common thrombosis site was portal vein(9 cases).Acute PVST could be manifested with acute abdominal pain or distention,chronic PVST could have chronic incomplete intestinal obstruction,or hematemesis/melena related to portal hypertension.Conclusions Portal venous system thrombosis can be the early one or the complicated sign in the connective tissue disease,physicians should be alert to this disease.


This study aimed at measuring the degree of arabic language teachers' practice in teaching critical reading at the basic tenth grade and its effect on students achievement and attitudes toward reading. to achieve the aims of the study, the researcher chose a random sample of (40) male and female teachers. The researchers used two instruments, which are observation form and an achievement test in reading: then they ascertained their validity and reliability. The observation form included five major skills for critical reading: distinction, method, absorption, inference and decision-making. The test included two chosen texts with a number of multiple choice questions. Results showed that the students, whose teachers practice the skills at the intermediate level, achieved better than those whose teachers practice these skills at the low level. Results also revealed that the students, whose teachers practice the skills at a large degree, achieved better than those whose teachers practiced them at the low level. In addition, results showed no difference among students' achievement according to teachers' degree of practice. Finally, the results showed no difference between students' achievement toward reading according to the type of practice.


Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a form of circulatory and respiratory support used for patients who have an almost complete loss of function of native lungs or heart. ECMO helps supplement organ function while treatment for the primary pathology is initiated. Initiation and maintenance of ECMO requires specialized skill, and knowledge of potential complications is necessary to ensure rapid and good return of organ function while minimizing patient morbidity and mortality. Weaning from ECMO requires complex studies to assess return of native cardiac function. Major complications include bleeding thrombosis and ischemia.


Recently, semantic segmentation which requires to recovering all detailed information of the original image has achieved significant improvement. In this work, we utilize skip-layer, multi-scale context module, and encoder-decoder structure to perform the task of semantic image segmentation. To handle the problem that objects with different scales, we adopt the multi-scale context information module with different convolution filters to capture diverse range information in the encoder network. Furthermore, we utilize the skip-layer to fuse semantic information produced by a coarse layer and appearance information generated by a fine layer to recover more precise and detailed results. In order to prove the effect of the proposed model, we explain the implementation details. Finally, our model attains the test set performance of 71.8% mIoU on the PASCAL VOC 2012 dataset.


This paper presents an immersive system for building virtual worlds from within the worlds themselves. The system incorporates solutions for editing and texturing terrain, adding foliage, water, structures, and text, adding and controlling lights, including the time of day, and texturing objects in the scene. In a tracked head-mounted display environment, the user controls movement using a hybrid solution combining real walking and pointing-directed flying, and selects and manipulates objects using a hybrid wand and forearm-mounted interaction tablet interface. The user receives immersive cues such as wind from fans mounted around the physical space and audio from headphones. Feedback through a vibrotactile belt and a novel passive floor technique are used to indicate to the user when she is approaching the edge of the tracked space. Preliminary user testing showed positive user experience and suggestions for future improvements.


Obtaining knowledge of characteristics of splash generated by wave impact on a concrete construction in ports and harbors is one of significant research topics for highly effective protection of the structure from salt damage. In this study, the generation process of splash by wave impact on vertical wall was captured by high-speed cameras in a laboratory flume with pure water. Using PIV and PTV techniques, spatial location, diameter, and velocity of each splash particle were measured. Further, it was shown that distribution of splash diameters was formulated by the Gompertz curve with two parameters as the Weibull and the logarithmic function of splash diameter. Moreover, mean velocity and mean direction of each diameter of splash were also presented.


Nilgiris is not only known for its biodiversity, but it is also known for its diversity in ethnic groups like Kurumbas, Todas, Irulas, Kattunayakas, Paniyas and Kotas. All these communities have their own way of utilizing the plant wealth for medicinal purposes for the wellness of their own community. A field trip was carried out to some of the Kurumba settlements and documented traditional knowledge (TK) of the group. The medical practice was documented in the order of botanical name, common name, part used, family, medicinal uses and mode of administration. Later the medical practice of Kurumba tribes was analyzed with the TK of other tribal communities in order to understand the medicinal usage pattern among different aboriginal groups settled in the region. From this study, we came to know that Kurumba tribes generally using 51 medicinal plants for treating various diseases and earlier literature revealed that more than 188 plants species were used by different other tribal communities such Todas, Irulas, Kattunayakas, Paniyas and Kotas respectively for various ailments.


Two types of microfabrics relating to pollutant adsorption were studied in the scanning electronic microscope (SEM) in a polluted, eutrophic lake, the Yangtze delta region. Agglutinational texture or the aggregates of small particles are composed of clay minerals and fine organic fragments among the silty grains and the coatings with a thickness about 1 mu m were on the surfaces of the silty grains in the sediments. The chemical constituents of the aggregates and the coatings are K, Na, Ca, Mg, Si, Al, O, Fe, Ti, C, N and P determined in X-ray energy spectrometry connected with the SEM. In some cases, Pb was detected in the aggregates in the top sediment. It is suggested that nutrients and metals are adsorbed to the aggregates, which were formed by electrostatic attraction of physicochemical floes. The coatings on the surface of quartz grains were formed by the interaction of dissociated Al, Si, Fe, etc from silicates with dissolved N, P and C nutrients in interstitial water, which was aroused by human pollution to the lake in recent two decades.


The objective of this investigation has been the determination of the sensitivity of instability growth in high energy laser propagation as seen in computer simulation to the variation of certain computational and physical parameters. The laser field has been sampled at high density in both the axial and transverse directions. Particular emphasis has been placed on the computational simulation of the instability damping effect of wind fluctuation. Because of the extreme computational demands of the full four dimensional propagation problem at high sampling density the simplifying assumption of neglect of a single transverse dimension has been made. This assumption restricts the range of phenomena which can be explored and somewhat modifies the interpretation of results, however, it reduces computational costs to the point where a hitherto unexplored region of parameter space becomes accessible. It is believed that these computational experiments are useful in validation of full four dimensional code results and determination of those physical effects which are likely to warrant further study.


In the philosophy of natural law, the doctrine of the idea of justice has always played a prominent role. Throughout its history, natural law has claimed that in our inmost conscience, there is a simple and directly evident idea, the idea of justice—the highest principle of law, as opposed to the highest principle of morality. Justice is the specific idea of law: it is reflected—more or less clearly or distortedly—in all positive laws, and is the internal measure of their correctness.


A series of new 36 B-ring 4-alkoxychalcones have be n prepared and characterized on the basis of their sp ctral data and microanalysis. All the synthesized compounds were fu ther screened for their cytotoxic activity again st Artemia salina (Brine shrimp) and one tumor cell line, namely huma n Prostate Cancer (PC-3) cell line. The results of these studies revealed that 4-alkoxychacones ( 3c-7c, 11c, 13c) bearing 4-flouro group on ring A were highly toxi c to brine shrimp with LD50 values ranging from 0.003-0.4 μg/mL as compared to Etoposide (LD 50 = 7.5 μg/mL) used as reference standard drug, whereas 4alkoxychalcones ( 3c, 5b, 5c, 6b) exhibited moderate in vitro antiproliferative activity against PC-3 with the IC 50 values ranging from 20-40 μM. The present series of 4-alko xychalcones with high level of toxicity against Artemia salina and moderate antiproliferative activity against PC-3 may prove t o be potential cell selective antitumor agents.


This article addresses the question of whether Chinese telecommunications are ready for international competition by outlining sector developments in the last decade and day‐to‐day realities posing limitations to foreign investment. Increased competition to China Telecom's monopoly since 1994 figures among reasons for the outstanding growth of the sector, as do impressive demand, large investment and government initiatives geared towards 'growth reform and services'. China's ability to conform to the regulatory guidelines of the Basic Telecommunications Agreement (BTA) is analysed, while focus is cast on basic and value‐added services, and cable television networks providing telephony and Internet access. The social dynamics of telecom deregulation are examined as related to Chinese national security, socialist market economy and information as means of empowerment for the Chinese people and the government. The article concludes that Chinese consumers stand to win the most through the spread of the information network infrastructure.


The purpose of this study was to investigate nutrients intakes and nutritional quality of Adults and Elderly People in an island area (Wando). A three-day dietary intakes survey, using a 24 hour recall method was obtained from 187 subjects aged 46 to 84 (mean age 65.3) living in an island area (Wando). Nutrient intakes were analyzed using CAN-pro soft program and compared to Korean RDA. The quality of nutrients was assessed by analyzing nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and index of nutritional quality (INQ). The average daily mean energy intakes were 1869.0 ㎉ for males and 1943.9 ㎉ for females, respectively. Daily intakes of protein for males and females were 28.0 and 30.4 g and those of fat were 31.5 and 28.51 g, respectively. Nutrient consumed below 75% of Korean RDA was protein, vitamin A, Ca and Zn in both males and females. Average CPF ratio of males and females were 78.8 : 6.0 : 15.1 and 80.0 : 6.4 : 13.4, respectively. Energy intake ratio from protein was significantly higher in over 60 years males. Carbohydrate dependency decreased with age. Protein dependency increased with age. Nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) of energy, protein, vitamin A and vitamin E were increased with age in males. The mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and index of overall dietary quality, were not significantly different by age group. Average MAR for males and females was 0.77 and 0.78, respectively. The index of nutritional quality (INQ) showed the tendency to decrease with age. Especially, there were significantly decreases in INQ of all nutrients, except protein, with age. Based on these results, it is evident that people in the island area did not consume enough nutrients. Specially, dietary intake of protein, vitamin A, vitamin E, and Ca were not adequate.


While the 'classic' approach to education in transport matters tended to focus on the ability to adapt to existing traffic conditions, the contemporary approach deals with present day mobility and eventual traffic structure changes. Children and young persons are - in future - no longer going to be trained to participate in traffic proficiently and according to existing rules. Instead, they are to appreciate traffic as a socio-societal product and to learn a new approach towards shared responsibility. To support this learning process, educational aid is needed that will motivate children and young persons to deal with the topic in line with their experiences. Suitable Internet-based educational material for cyclists is at hand for classes 5 to 7. The intention is to firm up the known positive attitude towards cycling - as found within this age group - and to redirect the approach to mobility from a one-sided focus on car usage to a more open-minded attitude towards future means of transport.


Life in our planet has originated, evolved, and adapted in specific chemical and physical environments, which also changed locally or globally due to the activities of all living systems. Among the forces that influence biological functions, such as electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical ones, gravity, quantified by the universal constant g, is everpresent. It is not surprising, therefore, that mechanical forces influence many, if not all, biological processes. Changes in the value of g therefore might lead to dramatic physiological or epigenetic changes (Pardo et al., 2005; Singh et al., 2010). Forces are not observable but their action, that is deformations, are. At the whole organism and tissue level the science of biomechanics produced very useful results in understanding the physiology and pathology of almost all the tissues, organs and the whole organism. In the last 50 years biomechanics extended its research subject to include cells and subcellular components using appropriate tools, such as micropipette aspiration, atomic force microscopy, optical tweezers, et.al, mainly in-vitro. As imaging and force manipulating techniques, which would reveal events with spatiotemporal resolution at the nano-and pico-meter scale, have come into use recently new knowledge on how cellular processes work is emerging in the literature (Seo et al., 2016). While all of these new findings are exciting they have been mainly obtained using in-vitro systems. Indeed the challenges for applying those techniques in living cells in-vivo are not trivial (Dufrene et al., 2011). The force-deformation process results in what is known as mechanical signals. Mechanical signals are of different modalities, known as local strains due to tension, compression, bending, torsion, or shear rate due to flow, or combinations thereof. When one or more of such strains are sensed by the specialized cellular mechanosensors, such as integrins at the basal cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interface, or strain sensitive ionic channels at the cell's apical surface, or junction proteins at cell-cell interface, mechanobiological events are initiated, which cross into the cytoplasm. What are the exact events that take place during the transmission of the mechanical signals from, for example the integrin—ECM molecular junction, through the integrin(s), through the cellular membrane and into the inside end point of the integrin(s) is under intense investigation. Indeed, force is a signal that cells cannot ignore (Yusko and Asbury, 2014). The " biochemical dogma " up until very recently was that a series of biochemical reactions start at the junction of integrins and a …


ABSTRACT This paper mainly discusses three issues: How Artificial Intelligence (AI) influences China's economy and shape the production factors. How to realize the network economy effect in China. What is the difference between the value of digital economy and that of traditional economy. On the basis of fully discussing the above problems, the author constructs a new AI economic growth model, and summarizes the research paradigm of digital economy based on value, network, and consensus.


The article considers the historical foundations of Russian writers' and painters' attitudes to the "demonic" and the image of the Demon during the Silver Age era. The author reveals the character of their interpretations of well-known images.


A single and simple graph is proposed, to visualize the impact of all the numerous parameters playing a role in the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor characteristics: doping and permittivity of the semiconductor, thickness, permittivity and charge of the oxide, temperature, and finally gate, drain and substrate voltages. In addition, MOS structure and capacitance properties are presented.


At the heart of this paper is the concept of open (complex) systems; a theory which seeks to explain how regularity emerges from within a system that consists of many degrees of freedom in constant flux. Theoretically dynamic patterns are founded on, and greatly inspired by the pioneering work of Hermann Haken, who introduced the concept of non-equilibrium phase transitions within natural patterns (Haken, 1983). At the heart of this theory is how patterns are formed in complex systems with small changes to the system prompting large (nonlinear) changes in the system. Kelso, Turvey and colleagues have been instrumental in applying these types of theory to the experimental analysis of perception and action (for a review, see Kelso, 1995). In these patterns, contents aren't contained but are revealed by the systems dynamics. Understanding of these theories within sports behaviour has opened up an entirely new research avenue, including synergies, cooperation, and control and order parameters. The current paper discusses and reviews the application of dynamical systems theory within performance analysis of soccer, before beginning to apply this knowledge within the development of a new framework. Data are presented as team profiles composed of perturbations, territory, possession and momentum data from English League Football. It is hypothesized that application of similar strategies on differing scales may enable researchers to efficiently spot the periods of play which are critical to success, therefore negating the pitfalls of traditional notation research. These concepts may also enable players and coaches to understand the components of 'game control' and therefore improve the standards of their game through feedback, tactical interventions, player and coach psychology and pattern prediction.


Abstract Different IS research methods focus on or measure different aspects of IS phenomena, and studies based on various me thodologies thus contribute to the accumulation of strong evidence to support IS theories. We conducted a systematic and reproducible review of ten years of Critical Incident Technique ("CIT") papers published in the IS Scholars Basket of eight journals. CIT is used extensively in industrial and organizational psychology, marketing and other business disciplines. In IS Basket journals 13 papers fully or partially applied CIT as a research method. We classified these studies per three key elements - incident elicitation, selection, and analysis—and seven criteria employed in other disciplines' CIT studies. We found that few studies used "full" CIT and we conclude that CIT is underutilized as a research method in IS. Our paper contributes by offering CIT guidelines for authors and reviewers and suggestions for using CIT to build stronger theory in several IS sub-disciplines.


Respiratory physiotherapists have a key role within the integrated care continuum of patients with respiratory diseases. The current narrative review highlights the profession's diversity, summarises the current evidence and practice, and addresses future research directions in respiratory physiotherapy. Herein, we describe an overview of the areas that respiratory physiotherapists can act in the integrated care of patients with respiratory diseases based on the Harmonised Education in Respiratory Medicine for European Specialists syllabus. In addition, we highlight areas in which further evidence needs to be gathered to confirm the effectiveness of respiratory therapy techniques. Where appropriate, we made recommendations for clinical practice based on current international guidelines. Respiratory physiotherapists have a key role within the integrated care continuum of patients with respiratory diseases. The current review highlights the diversity of the profession and addresses future research directions in respiratory physiotherapy. https://bit.ly/39jgCOK


To reduce the damages and keep the quality of agricultural products (crops) safe in harvesting time and also in operating after harvesting, and in order to designs the machines needed for processing, it seems to be necessary to have enough information about physical and mechanical properties. In this research some of the physical and gravitational characteristics as volume, mass density , true density, porosity, the angle of slip and repose, the rate of moisture, the average of geometrical dimensions, the mathematical average of diameter, sphere city and the slenderness ratio with 5% possibility level on three types of pistachio (Akbari, Khankary, fandogi) were studied in Damghan. In most cases a significant difference between Akbari and the other types was seen. There is a significant difference between three types of pistachio in the geometrical average, sphere city, shape factor, which Khanjary and Fandogi type are very different in the average of geometrical dimension and also a significant difference wasn ' t seen in Khanjary and Fandoghi types in studying dimensionslength, width, and height.


Submarine pipelines are the main means of transporting oil and gas produced offshore. The present work proposed a deep learning technology to identify damage caused by characteristic events and abnormal events using pipeline images collected by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The EfficientNet and You Only Look Once (YOLO) models were used in this study to classify images and detect events. The results show that the EfficentNet model achieved the highest classification accuracy at 93.57 percent, along with a recall rate of 88.57 percent. The combining of the EfficentNet and YOLOv5 models achieved a higher accuracy of detecting submarine pipeline events and outperformed any other methods. A new decision-making system that integrates the operation and maintenance of the model is proposed and a convenient operation is realized, which provides a new construction method for the rapid inspection of submarine pipelines. Overall, the results of this study show that images acquired via ROVs can be applied to deep learning models to examine submarine pipeline events. The deep learning model is at the core of establishing an effective decision support system for submarine pipeline inspection and the overall application framework lays the foundation for practical application.


It is with much interest that we read recent exchanges which employed the discourses of threat and protection to explore the genesis and nature of the CanMEDs framework.1,2 Different discourses allow us to consider familiar subjects from a new perspective, and it is thus that we would like to suggest an alternative discourse which has arisen in our day-to-day use of CanMEDs: namely the discourse relating to nature.

This discourse includes objects such as flowers and petals, concepts such as beauty, growth, natural variation and roles such as gardeners and that which grows. We believe that this discourse has merit as a point of view, and may also have an important application when discussing CanMEDs with medical trainees.

The choice of the familiar flower-shaped construct consisting of petals overlapping around a central point suggests that those who created CanMEDs may have been aware of similar shapes existing in nature, that they considered such shapes beautiful, and that they might have believed that the appropriate arrangement of the various competencies of a doctor possessed some degree of natural beauty. The choice of a flower further suggests simplicity, innocence and purity, which could be viewed as implying perhaps that the physician described by CanMEDs is perfect, pure or ideal, or in some way unassailable, and also that the arrangement of roles in the framework is perhaps natural, organic or innate.

The central location for 'Medical Expert' in the flower suggests that it may be 'at the heart' of each doctor's professional identity. Assuming that those who created CanMEDs had at least a passing acquaintance with botany, the radial arrangement of the petals may be interpreted to mean that each of the roles originates within, grows out from and remains attached to the Medical Expert at the centre. Absence or deficiency of one or more petals would naturally detract from the natural beauty of the whole flower.

It is common to observe flowers that lack perfect symmetry and that demonstrate inequality of petal size. To illustrate the importance of this point for the application of the CANMeds roles to medical education, we provide the following recent conversation between a medical trainee (T) and one of the authors (J):

T: Look, I don't see the point of this CanMEDs thing.

J: Um, well, it's a Royal College framework, right?

T: I know, I know, but I just don't buy it. I mean, I get Medical Expert, but what about all the other parts – what are they for?

J: They're trying to tell you that there are lots of things you have to be good at to be a great doctor. Look, think about it like this: CanMEDs is a flower, a beautiful flower. When you graduate, you'll be a Medical Expert. That's at the middle of the flower, and you can't be a doctor without that. But don't forget about all the petals. You don't have much of a flower without petals, right? You need to work to make sure you've got something on each of the petals. Ok, so you're a good Communicator, or a good Collaborator. But don't forget about being an Advocate for your patient or being a good Manager when you're in charge. I'm not suggesting all of your petals have to be exactly the same size when you leave residency, but you have to have something in each of them. Maybe your Professional is a nice-sized petal but your Scholar needs to grow a little – you can work on that. We provide the water to help you grow in residency, but it's your job to make sure you're not missing any petals. We want all of you to be complete CanMEDs flowers, even if you're all slightly different. No-one wants to grow up to be a misshapen flower with missing petals.

The production of beautiful flowers requires careful planning, appropriate selection of soil and seed, frequent watering, and dutiful nurture. We believe that the discourses of nature and horticulture may also provide us with a way to consider aspects of the training of physicians. It is interesting to consider which seeds might grow best in which soils (trainees and programs), how frequently the flower should be watered (teaching) and inspected (assessment) and how much sun and rain (positive and negative experiences) might be required for optimal growth. These discourses also allow us to consider more interesting philosophical questions. Is the process of growth passive, or does the seed play an active role? Who is responsible when a seed does not germinate? And which is most essential to the quality of the flower produced: the good seed or the expert gardener?

In summary, we believe that a range of discourses are required to help us think about the training of physicians. Our flower metaphor grounded in a discourse of nature allows us to see many positive and intriguing aspects of the CanMEDs roles for both trainees and teachers. We hope our readers have found our exploration helpful and encourage others to suggest additional interesting and valuable discourses.


For waste water in an activated sludge tank 2 provided that the necessary sludge separator 5 are accommodated in a separate, isolated from the aeration tank 2 arranged settling zone 10 8 with their inclined lamella plates 6, 7,. This calming zone 10 is connected via openings 17, 18 and inlet openings 20/11 in the partition wall 16 to the aeration tank 2, so that the inflow of the waste water / activated sludge mixture 3, 3 'to the settling zone 10 and arranged therein dirt separators 5 without turbulence and can be carried out air bubbles.


Within our overall project to improve the design of stents in terms of reduced rates of re-stenosis, there are three main methods, namely computer simulation and in vitro and in vivo experiments. These methods are closely integrated using contemporary design procedures described below, especially to accommodate patient-to-patient variation. Clinical experience shows that a small variation has considerable effects on flow characteristics of stents and in engineering terms may be described as a 'geometric risk factor'. The Robust Engineering Design procedure readily incorporates this factor which may thus become a component feature in our experimental planning. We envisage that this approach could be applied to other invasive implants with a view to enhancing their quality. Page 1 of 7 Introduction The basic working principle of cardiovascular stents has remained unchanged since they were introduced. Typically, a self-expanding or balloonexpanded metal device is inserted into an artery in order to relieve a stenosis. Thus the primary function of a stent has been considered to be its structural role. However, clinical evidence suggests that the worrying incidence of re-stenosis (20%-40% of cases world-wide) is a function of the flow characteristics of a stent. Therefore in searching for improved design configurations of stents it is important that both the structural and the flow requirements are addressed. In this investigation the design problem focuses on changes to the arrangement of important features rather than attempting to create a new working principle. Stent design configurations Early stent designs were woven from fine wire but today more elaborate designs are used, commonly laser-cut from a thin cylinder or sheet as shown in Figure 1. Fig. 1. Guidant Multilink stent Thus the numbers of possible contemporary design configurations is very large and coverage of the associated design space requires efficient design procedures such as Robust Engineering Design (RED) and Genetic Algorithms (GA). Table 1 summarises some of the basic features of stents from a comparison of several products. The number of design factors that might affect these features is estimated to be in the region of 4 to 10.


The quality of the public service has been a popular issue over the past years.Many governments have set up awards to evaluate the service performance of the public sector and encourage public organizations to devote themselves to improving their service quality.In Europe,the European Public Sector Award is the only transnational award exclusively for the public sector.This paper takes the European Public Sector Award as an example to analyzes important characteristics of this award,such as award themes,selection criteria,evaluation process,etc.It would be possible for our country to acquire some inspiration and enlightenment on the promotion of public service quality.


ABSTRACT Long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and/or indoor residual spraying, associated with case management, are key interventions in the control of malaria in Africa. The objective of this study is to comment on the role of social and behavior change communication as a potential key intervention in the control of malaria in Mozambique.


In their letter, Dr. Schoemaker et al. highlight the importance of patient and parent involvement in the development of treatment guidelines using an example from the guideline recently developed by the Paediatric Association of The Netherlands. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the team members involved in the recent ACR/Arthritis Foundation (AF) guideline agree that parents and patients have unique and valuable expertise that is necessary for the guideline development process. This response provides some clarifications regarding points made by Dr. Schoemaker et al.


Abstract The purpose of this study was to apply molecular gastronomy and spherification methodology to persimmon deserts. We prepared 'persimmon calcium alginate beads' and investigated their physical and sensory characteristics by adding different concentrations of sodium alginate (0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0%). Lightness and yellowness decreased significantly as the concentration of sodium alginate increased. However hardness, springiness, chewiness, cohesiveness, and resilience but not adhesiveness tended to increase as the concentration of sodium alginate increased. The thickness of the beads increased as the concentration of sodium alginate increased. In contrast, the thickness of the membrane decreased as the concentration of alginate increased from 0.8 to 1.0% suggesting that the amount of sodium alginate had reached a critical point. Quantitative descriptive analysis showed that voluminosity, springiness, hardness, chewiness, and residue tended to increase as the concentration of sodium alginate increased. Overall preference reached a peak at 0.4% sodium alginate.Key words : molecular gastronomy, persimmon calcium alginate bead, sodium alginate


VM: You write a lot about characters who are oppressed or disadvantaged by various circumstances (I'm thinking in particular of the wome n in your novels) but who manage to transform their experiences into something positive. RS: Yes, with Glory Days for instance, one of my pleasures in writing it was to enter into the spirit of a woman who came from the wrong side of the tracks, the underclass, but who used her gifts as a painter and singer to transcend these disadvantages. She uses her knowledge of evil, of suffering, her horrific experiences, to transform herself via her art, and as a result her paintings have this extraordinary apocalyptic edge. Glory stands for women I know in my life - usually painters or writers, who have chosen to live outside the ordinary parameters and rules of society - they have their own set of values, their own idiosyncratic way of looking at the world. They are women I admire and feel comfortable with, I enjoy writing about them, this is a very strong motivation in all my novels. All my heroines, as you say, have a strong streak of this quality, they use their suffering as a means towards wisdom and creativity, they have the humour and strength of people with nothing to lose. From Grace in Nights with Grace, a young girl who lives in the tropical forest with her out-of-control mother, to Faith and Violet in Feral City who have literally created their own little kingdom in the middle of chaos and despair, and of course Belle in Lives on Fire whose acting literally saves her, she is a woman who is prepared to take risks and find herself. She literally takes to the road. I like these sardonic, original women, their courage and humour in the face of despair, their unafraid outsider status.


The available studies on the synthesis of high T sub c superconductors (HTS) via the glass precursor approach were reviewed. Melts of the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system as well as those doped with oxides of some other elements (Pb, Al, V, Te, Nb, etc.) could be quenched into glasses which, on further heat treatments under appropriate conditions, crystallized into the superconducting phase(s). The nature of the HTS phase(s) formed depends on the annealing temperature, time, atmosphere, and the cooling rate and also on the glass composition. Long term annealing was needed to obtain a large fraction of the 110 K phase. The high T sub c phase did not crystallize out directly from the glass matrix, but was preceded by the precipitation of other phases. The 110 K HTS was produced at high temperatures by reaction between the phases formed at lower temperatures resulting in multiphase material. The presence of a glass former such as B2O3 was necessary for the Y-Ba-Cu-O melt to form a glass on fast cooling. A discontinuous YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) HTS phase crystallized out on heat treatment of this glass. Attempts to prepare Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O system in the glassy state were not successful.


The authors use the method of spin traps to detect and identify metabolites of free radical nature (short-lived amine radicals), formed in vitro in liver microsomes of rabbits during biotransformation of three representatives of carcinogenic NC: nitrosomethylurea (NMU), 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea (CCNU), and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG).


Summary Linking Ukraine's education system with the trends of global digitalization is mandatory to ensure the sustainable, long-term development of the country, as well as to increase the sustainability of the education system and the economy as a whole during the crisis period. Now the main problems of the education system in Ukraine are manifested in a complex context caused by Russian armed aggression. In the context of war, problems include differences in adaptation to online learning among educational institutions, limited access to education for vulnerable groups in the zone of active hostilities, the lack of digital educational resources suitable for online learning, and the lack of basic digital skills and competencies among students and teachers necessary to properly conduct online classes. Some of the problems of online learning were solved in the pandemic, but in the context of war Ukrainian society needs a new vision of education and continuous efforts of all social structures in the public and private environment. In the context of war, concerted action is needed to keep education on track and restore it in active zones, adapting to the needs of a dynamic society and an increasingly digitized economy. Among the urgent needs of the education system are a change in the teaching-learning paradigm, which is based on content presentation, memorization, and reproduction, and the adoption of a new, hybrid educational model that will encourage the development of necessary skills and abilities for students and learners in a digitized society and enable citizens close to war zones to learn.


Summary form only given. We have proposed and developed the generation of ultrashort pulses utilizing electrooptic phase modulation and pulse compression, which we call the "electrooptic modulation method". In this report, we present a novel quasi-velocity matched (QVM) LiTaO/sub 3/ guided-wave optical phase modulator with the resonant electrode structure. This device should lead to novel compact and stable integrated ultrashort pulse generators.


Abstract Fatigue cracking is one of the major types of distress in asphalt mixtures and is caused by the accumulation of damage in pavement sections under repeated load applications. The fatigue endurance limit (EL) concept assumes a specific strain level, below which the damage in hot mix asphalt (HMA) is not cumulative. In other words, if the asphalt layer depth is controlled in a way that keeps the critical HMA flexural strain level below the EL, the fatigue life of the mixture can be extended significantly. This paper uses two common failure criteria, the traditional beam fatigue criterion and the simplified viscoelastic continuum damage model energy-based failure criterion (the so-called GR method), to evaluate the effect of different parameters, such as reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) content, binder content, binder modification and warm mix asphalt (WMA) additives, on the EL value. In addition, both failure criteria are employed to investigate the impacts of these parameters in terms of the fatigue life of the study mixtures. According to the findings, unlike an increase in RAP content, which has a negative effect on the mixtures' fatigue resistance, a higher binder content and/or binder modification can significantly increase the EL value and extend the fatigue life as was proved before by other researchers, whereas WMA additives do not significantly affect the mixtures' fatigue behaviour. A comparison of the model simulation results with the field observations indicates that the GR method predicts the field performance more accurately than the traditional method.


A ustralia, which lies southeast of Asia between the Indian and Pacific oceans, consists of the smallest continent (and the world's largest island—approximately 4,000 km from east to west and 2,000 km from north to south) as well as the island of Tasmania. About a third of the continent is uninhabitable; in another third the rainfall is too low to permit close settlement. The climate varies from tropical to alpine, with very limited rainfall in the deserts in the center of Australia.


The honeysuckle is a kind of xylophyta with development value and various uses.It also own the higher medicine value and green and view value.In this paper,we clarified the multiple application of honeysuckle in the park and introduced the corresponding cultivation techniques.


Murtadha Muthahhari, 2018: The Effect of Price Policy, Trust and Customers
Satisfaction on Loyalty Spotify Users. Skripsi, Jakarta: Marketing Management
Concentration, Management Study Program, Departement of Management,
Faculty of Economics, State University of Jakarta. Advisory: Agung Kresnamurti
Rivai P SE, MM. & Andrian Haro S.Si, MM.
Purpose of this research are: 1) To determine whether price policy affect
significantly to customer loyalty on Spotify users. 2) To determine whether price
policy affect significantly to customer satisfaction on Spotify users. 3) To determine
whether trust affect significantly to customer loyalty on Spotify users. 4) To
determine whether trust affect significantly to customer satisfaction on Spotify
users. 5) To determine whether satisfaction customer affect significantly to
customer loyalty on Spotify users. In order to collecting data, this study using
survey questionnaire instrument. Object of this research is 200 respondents who
used Spotify premium account at least in 6 month or more. To analyze and process
the data, this research use lisrel and SPSS Ver.24.
Keywords: Price Policy,Trust, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty, Music
Streaming, Spotify.


For the period 1991-2000 the North East region experienced the slowest productivity growth rate relative to its UK regional counterparts. Manufacturing is a prominent feature of the North East landscape; to this effect the relationship between regional growth differentials and regional differences in industrial composition are explored using a technique known as shift share analysis. Output per worker data for the North East (and UK regions) for the period 1991-2000 is used to examine whether the slow productivity growth performance is attributable to the regional industrial structure. The empirical results reveal that differences can be explained by region-specific productivity differentials. These differences are attributable primarily to differences in the regions' labour productivity of given industries as opposed to between regions in sectoral composition of their economies.


The average particle diameter include 2 ㎛ or more, 50 ㎛ or less containing the active material and the average particle diameter is more than 1 ㎚, conductive ions is less than 2 ㎛ inorganic particles, and wherein the active material and the electrode film is in service is bound by the inorganic particles, and the electrode film is provided with electrodes which are laminated on the current collector. Further, as a power storage device having the electrode, and the two electrodes are disposed so as to face each other, each of the electrode films, the electrodes are, there are wound or stacked with interposed separators state between each of the electrode film, the electrode and the power storage device separator, which is filled in a metal case together with an electrolyte are provided.


Road accidents are one of the challenging problems affecting many parts of the world. The Michigan freeways are far busier today than before. This led to the increase of traffic incidents due to several factors including human errors, roadway deficiencies, environmental factors, vehicle factors, etc. A study conducted by Michigan Traffic Crash Facts (MTCF) estimates an accident will happen every 44 minutes and every six hours a person will die on Michigan roadways. The success of traffic safety and highway improvement programs depend on the analysis of accurate and reliable traffic accident data. This study discusses the present traffic accident information on 18 freeways in Michigan. It will also discuss the identification of high rate accident locations (black-spots) by using the Geographic Information System (GIS) Software and safety deficient areas on the highway. This paper particularly discusses the use of two statistical black-spot identification techniques, namely kernel density estimation (KDE) and the point density estimation (PDE). By comparing the two methods, it is found that both methods have resulted in reasonably different sets of black-spots. However, KDE is more capable of pinpointing the black-spots than the PDE method.


Abstract:One month after the publication of his poem on merchant seafaring, The Shipwreck (1762), William Falconer left merchant sailing to become a junior officer in the Royal Navy. In the midcentury, many commentators believed that the Royal Navy's sailors were superior to merchant sailors. Falconer's response can be traced by contrasting his first edition of The Shipwreck with the revisions he made to the poem after joining the Royal Navy. The revisions address directly the notion that merchant sailors value only financial reward, but then focus on the notion that sailors who fight for king and country are braver than those who move cargo. In the revised narrative of the sailors' battle with the elements, Falconer emphasizes the physical limits to their bravery, and thus suggests that merchant sailors are like Royal Navy sailors because all sailors are equally vulnerable to storms at sea.


Novel profiled irises for the design of waveguide polarizers are presented. The two degrees of freedom of their piecewise-circular profile allow one to better control the frequency behavior of the differential phase shift. Thanks to this feature, an optimum iris set can be found by selecting the discontinuities for which the differential-phase-shift deviation from the average value is minimum in the operative bandwidth. This optimum iris set can be identified for several values of the ratio r/lambda0, where r is the waveguide radius and lambda0 is the free-space wavelength at the central frequency. Hence, even if both the waveguide size and central frequency are assigned in the specifications, polarizers with a very low deviation from 90deg of the total differential phase shift can be designed. In this way, the number of waveguide transitions in the antenna feed system can be reduced and the effect of spurious higher-order-mode coupling can be minimized. A Ka-band polarizer in circular waveguide with piecewise-circular-profile irises is described, showing a return loss better than 55 dB and a phase error of about 0.9deg in a 10% bandwidth


The discovery of the accelerating universe indicates strongly the presence of a scalar field which is not only expected to solve today's version of the cosmological constant problem, or the fine-tuning and the coincidence problems, but also provides a way to understand dark energy. It has also been shown that Jordan's scalar-tensor theory is now going to be re-discovered in the new lights. In this letter we propose a way to search for the extremely light scalar field by means of a laboratory experiment using the low-energy photon-photon interactions with the quasi-parallel incident beam. The discovery of the accelerating universe requires us finally to accept a nonzero cosmological constant, which is, however, smaller than the unification-oriented theoretical expectation by as much as 120 orders of magnitude [1], known widely as the fine-tuning problem, a part of today's version of the cosmological constant problem. It seems highly remarkable to find that this fine-tuning is evaded naturally on the basis of the scalar-tensor theory (STT) invented first by Jordan [2] and now rediscovered with certain new ingredients included, to implement the scenario of a decaying cosmological constant, �obs ∼ t 2 . The age of the universe t0 = 1.37 × 10 10 y is re-expressed by ∼ 10 60 in the reduced Planckian units with c = ¯ = MP(= (8πG) 1/2 ) = 1, providing us with � (�) �


Skeleton driven character animation is the most popular animation technique. It has been widely applied in the current computer animation industry. Correct determination of joint positions plays a very important role in creating realistic skin deformation of character animation. Current various approaches of skeleton driven character animation have not addressed this issue. In this paper, we propose a statistical method to determine the correct joint position using the statistical data analysis of different X-ray joint images. First, we measure different joint positions from sample X-ray images. Then, we statistically analyse the data, and obtain relative mean and maximum and minimum positions together with the relative range of joints which are used to determine correct joint positions.


Objective To investigate the correlation between HRCT imaging phenotypes and lung function of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods The clinical data of 120 patients with COPD was retrospectively analyzed from June 2007 to June 2012 in our hospital. According to GOLD classification program,120 patients were divided into the group A( grade Ⅰ,46 cases),the group B( grade Ⅱ,34 cases),the group C( grade Ⅲ,23 cases),and the group D( grade Ⅳ,17 cases). Lung function,blood gas analysis,and HRCT imaging phenotypes were compared among the 4 groups. Results Compared with the group A,the quantitative scores of HRCT abnormalities increased significantly in the rest 3 groups with statistical significance( P 0. 05,P 0. 01). Moreover,the quantitative evaluation of HRCT showed a clear correlation with lung function classification( P 0. 05). Conclusion HRCT can be used as a quantitative evaluation of the different levels of COPD patients,which should be widely promoted in the clinical diagnosis and application.


In the year following the death of her husband, the late Ming woman poet Bo Shaojun (d. 1626) wrote a set of one hundred quatrains lamenting him. Eighty-one poems of this sequence have been preserved. In his study Mindai josei no junshi to bungaku. Haku Shōkun no Kofushi hakushu (2003) the modern Japanese scholar Kobayashi Tetsuyuki argues that Bo Shaojun's poems should be read as a report of her determination to follow her husband in death, and of the actions undertaken in preparation for that act. This review article questions his analysis by a close reading of some selected poems and Kobayashi's interpretations, and concludes that the poems do not show evidence of a deliberate program of preparation for such a chaste and loyal suicide.


Objective: To evaluate intraventricular fibrinolytic treatment with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) as a method of clearing blood from the CSF and thus preventing permanent hydrocephalus.


We present a novel double-gate structure for polymeric field-effect transistors produced from a solution of [9,9]-dioctylfluorene-co-bithiophene copolymer (F8T2) as the p-type organic semiconductor. The double-gate geometry adapts to different bias configurations and shows improved performances and higher flexibility of operation with respect to single-gate devices. The device characteristics show an increased on/off ratio and demonstrate the possibility to control the threshold voltage as well as the off current. The maximum hole mobility of 8×10−2cm2∕Vs measured for the F8T2 layer, in combination with the features of the double-gate structure, suggest the possibility to produce optimized devices with very high performances.


It has been established that intense physical exercise is associated with an increase in free radical production. Our body has defense system to combat the deleterious effect. But, when the body's natural defense system against free radicals are overwhelmed, oxidative stress increases. In the present investigation, we studied the effect of vitamin supplementation (composed of 400 IU of vitamin E and 500 mg ascorbic acid for 2 months) on oxidative and enzymatic exercise stress markers during endurance training activity in 50 trained elite Indian cyclists attending national camp at Sports Authority of India, Netaji Subas National Institute of Sports (SAI-NSNIS), Patiala, India. Serum concentrations of ascorbic acid, alpha tocopherol, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase were measured before supplementation and after completion of 2 months of antioxidant supplementation. Antioxidant supplementation led to significant increase in serum alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid from pre-supplementation to postsupplementation stage. Serum MDA concentration and SOD activity decreased significantly after 2 months of antioxidant treatment. There was increase in serum catalase activity after supplementation compared to before supplementation. The results of the present study suggest that antioxidant supplementation may strengthen the antioxidant defense system, thus reducing the oxidative stress produced after endurance training in elite Indian cyclists.


Transportation professionals in China have started using an unconventional left-turn waiting area design as an innovative approach to mitigate traffic congestion at signalized intersections. The waiting area is set up beyond the stop bar at single or dual left-turn lanes at signalized intersections with lagging protected left-turn phases. This paper evaluated the effects of left-turn waiting areas on capacity and level of service of exclusive left-turn lanes at signalized intersections using empirical data. Capacity and delay models were developed by analyzing the arrival and discharge patterns of left-turning vehicles at single and dual left-turn lanes with differently sized left-turn waiting areas. The saturation headway, start-up lost time, and clearance time for left-turning passenger cars were estimated with field data measured from 22 sites. The capacity and delay models were calibrated and validated against both field-measured and simulated data. The results of sensitivity analyses showed that left-turn waiting areas increase the capacity of left-turn lanes at signalized intersections, and the capacity gains will increase with an increase in the storage capacity of the left-turn waiting areas. A procedure was proposed to determine the level of service of left-turn lanes with left-turn waiting areas at signalized intersections.


131I is frequently used in nuclear medicine. However, unbound or released 131I accumulates in the thyroid gland and may be detrimental to normal thyroid function. The aim of the present study was to identify biomarkers for 131I exposure in rat thyroid tissue and to assess the effect on thyroid function. Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats were i.v. injected with 150 µl saline solution containing 9.0, 88, 170, 260, 340, 760, 1300, or 4700 kBq (group A-H) 131I, or mock-treated with 150 µl saline solution, and killed at 24 h after injection. Total RNA was extracted from individual thyroid tissue samples and mRNA levels were determined with the Agilent microarray platform. Nexus Expression 3.0 was used to identify differentially expressed transcripts between irradiated groups and controls. Estimated absorbed dose to thyroid (D) in groups A-H was 0.0058, 0.057, 0.11, 0.17, 0.22, 0.5, 0.8, and 3 Gy, respectively. Totally, 429 transcripts were identified with a fold change ≥ 1.5 and adjusted p-value ≤ 0.01. A trend with downregulation of thyroid hormone biosynthesis associated genes (e.g. thyroglobulin, thyroid peroxidase, the sodium-iodine symporter) was identified, but only statistically significant after 0.0058 and 0.22 Gy. Three transcripts coding for isoform 1 of the DBP protein showed monotonous decrease in downregulation with increasing D up to 0.22 Gy. Change in Dbp expression was not statistically significant for 0.5-3 Gy; however, a trend with downregulation at 0.5 and 0.8 Gy and upregulation at 3 Gy was identified. Previously, 131I (0.85-17 Gy) and 211At (0.023-32 Gy) exposure resulted in upregulation of Dbp in mouse thyroid tissue 24 h after administration. Furthermore, a monotonous decrease in Dbp downregulation was identified in mouse kidney tissue at 8 and 12 months after 177Lu-octreotate administrations (0.13-13 Gy). In conclusion, the Dbp gene is a promising candidate biomarker gene for thyroid exposure to 131I. Further studies should be performed to establish how Dbp expression varies with dose-rate, absorbed dose, and time after administration, and the role of different radiation qualities.


Guest editors Xiaodong Chen, John A. Rogers, Stéphanie P. Lacour, Wenping Hu, and Dae-Hyeong Kim introduce the Materials chemistry in flexible electronics themed issue of Chemical Society Reviews.


A lithological-paleoecological ch aracteristics of the Roza Kyrta Izpyred organic buildup at the Ilych River has been observed. Fourteen lithologic types composing the buildup and coeval deposits has been determined and their contacts were described. Trophic structure of the buildup consists of three levels. The organic buildup origin as a mud hill was identified. Location of this mud hill took place eastward of skeletal hills. Th e mud hill was formed on uplift into a depression on the carbonate platform margin deformed by a progradation of the Pre-Urals Foredeep.


This abstract refers to the effect that record-high lake levels, shoreline erosion, and the decline of the steel industry are having on present and future plans for shoreline development at the southern end of Lake Michigan. It focuses on plans which are currently being developed for the Lake Michigan shoreline within the boundaries of the states of Illinois and Indiana at the southern tip of the lake. Reference is made to the history of lake levels during the last two thousand years, and the factors that have led to the current record-high levels being experienced today. Also referred to is shoreline development in Northwest Indiana where over half of the shoreline is controlled by the steel industry.


This paper firstly reviews the course and characteristics of China communication technology reform in the last 20 years and analyzes the third communication technology reform-video technology reform from the technology,market,trade and supervision.Then it summarizes the tenor of the three reforms and describes the prospect.


This paper discusses the provision of courses of study, in the communication area, specifically designed for professional engineers in their 'formation' periods - undergraduate and graduate. It points out that the range of written communication required of professional engineers is wider than is commonly realized and indicates some of their problems and prevailing common faults. It describes activities conducted by its author in the Engineering Schools of two Universities - activities which are concerned with the use of language as a professional tool. The design of courses of study of this kind is discussed and some recommendations are made.


We introduce an iterative algorithm designed to find row-sparse matrices X ∈ RN×K solution of an underdetermined linear system AZ = Y , where A ∈ Rm×N and Y ∈ Rm×K are given. In the case K = 1, the algorithm is a simple combination of popular Compressive Sensing algorithms, which we had previously coined Hard Thresholding Pursuit. After recalling the main results concerning this algorithm, we generalize them to the case K ≥ 1 for the new Simultaneous Hard Thresholding Pursuit algorithm. In particular, we prove that any s-row-sparse matrix can be exactly recovered using a finite number of iterations of the algorithm provided that the 3sth Restricted Isometry Constant of the matrix A satisfies δ3s < 1/ √ 3. We also discuss the cost of recovering matrices at once via Simultaneous Hard Thresholding Pursuit versus recovering their columns one by one via Hard Thresholding Pursuit. Keywords— compressive sensing, sparse recovery, iterative algorithms, thresholding, joint sparsity


Law enforcement in the environmental sector has a broad dimension, not only related to aspects of material losses, aspects of state administration, but also aspects of criminal law. Enforcement in this sector even faces several challenges and obstacles, one of which concerns the various motives and perpetrators of environmental crimes that continue to grow. This study aims to analyze how progressive law should work and be applied in environmental law enforcement in Indonesia. This study highlighted that one of the ways to realize social justice for all Indonesian people as stated in the fourth paragraph of the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia is to utilize existing natural resources for the welfare of society. Article 3 paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia also mandates that the land, water and natural resources contained therein shall be controlled by the state and used as much as possible for the prosperity of the people. This study also confirms that according to many experts, progressive law is pro-justice and pro-people law. This means that in sentencing legal actors are required to prioritize honesty and sincerity in law enforcement. They must have empathy and concern for the suffering experienced by the people. Thus, the interests of the people, in this case welfare, must be the orientation and ultimate goal in administering law.


PURPOSE: to compare the characteristics of human semen preserved at +4oC and at -196oC for 24 h and to determine which technique is indicated for use in specific procedures. METHODS: semen samples of 24 voluntaries were analyzed after collection and divided into two aliquots, one of them cooled (+4oC) and the other frozen (-196oC). Samples were kept at low temperatures for 24 h and then at room temperature for 30 minutes (T1), capacitated (T2) and kept at +37oC for 90 minutes (T3), being analyzed regarding count and progressive motility at T1, T2 and T3. The General Linear Model was used to analyze results obtained with different techniques, while Wilcoxon's test was used to compare results obtained in two different moments using the same technique (a = 5% e p 0,05) between techniques in the three moments of observation. In cooled samples, there was no difference between variables after capacitation and after incubation, but, in frozen semen, count was significantly greater after capacitation. CONCLUSIONS: although there has been no significant difference between semen count and progressive motility in both techniques, the use of cooled semen is recommended for specific procedures within a short time period due to its simplicity and low cost. When frozen semen is necessary, we recommend its use soon after capacitation in order to avoid loss in quality.


The second blog from Nicola McDowell sharing her fascinating journey... waking up in hospital not realising her normal had altered.


The use of adaptive systems provides means to ensure anytime, anywhere and any device entertainment experiences for heterogeneous players. In this paper, we present an approach to dynamically transcode edutainment contents and to facilitate user interactions in context-aware scenarios. We focus on those typologies of interactive online applications, for which edutainment activities are structured as a combination of delivery of rich media contents interleaved with interactive choices made by the users (e.g., multimedia quizzes). As a matter of facts, today's edutainment contents are mostly produced to be delivered through TV or broadband networks. Thus, typically they are not encoded to be used in nomadic contexts. It turns out that the use of an adaptation process (based on user profiles) results as an important tool to face with the poor computational and networking capabilities of (mobile) devices. Moreover, a higher level of accessibility can be guaranteed to users with disabilities, since contents are transcoded based on user preferences. Results gathered from a real evaluation assessment show the viability of our solution.