.............................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iv Vita ..................................................................................................................................... vi Publications ....................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ......................................................................................................................x Chapter 1: Literature Review: Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli ..............................1 Chapter 2: Escherichia coli in Ohio specialty-crop soils contaminated with deer feces. 133 Chapter 3: Isolation of non-O157 Shiga toxin – producing Escherichia coli from ruminant manure. .............................................................................................................156 Chapter 4: Shiga toxin (stx) encoding genes in sheep and goats reared in Trinidad and Tobago. ............................................................................................................................179 Bibliography: ...................................................................................................................214 Appendix A: Identification and subtyping of Salmonella isolates using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) ...........270


The foremost concern of disaster management is to minimize human suffering, where the health sector has to play a critical role. Doctors play a major role by getting directly involved as the decision-makers and first responders in patient management. The study aimed to assess the individual level capacity of the doctors for the management of mass casualty incidents following disasters in the major curative healthcare provider in Sri Lanka. An institution-based descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out among all doctors who were permanently attached to the institution, using a self-administered, pre-tested, validated questionnaire from March 2016 to January 2017. Response rate was 89.9% (n=346). Among them, 28.9 % (n=100), 27.5% (n=95), 38.2% (n=132), 25.7% (n=89), 6.9% (n=24) had good knowledge, attitudes, experience, formal training, and participated in simulations, respectively. Further, 46.8% (n=162) had the desired goal for the management of mass casualty incidents. Those at first respondent units were more likely to have good knowledge than those at other units (p<0.05). Those who had desired goals were significantly more likely to have good knowledge, good attitudes, and prior training in the management of mass casualty incidents (p<0.001). There is a clear need for improvement in the capacity by conducting awareness programs.


Financial industries rely on a variety of data to understand an organization's financial health and performance, and analysis of financial statements is used for decision-making and understanding business activities. Financial statements often have complex, unstructured formats, making it difficult to extract useful information for decision-making. Organizing and refining these data is crucial for effective analysis. Previous research in the field of table detection has primarily centred around object detection methods, with limited exploration of methods for cell-wise information extraction by identifying row and column entities. In order to address this research gap, this paper proposes a novel dataset called TERED (Tabular Entity Relationship Establishment Dataset) to train a model to identify relationships among elements in large financial tables, such as statements and balance sheets, using computer vision techniques which have yet to be fully explored in financial analysis. The dataset contains more than 10,000 tabular data in scanned image and pdf formats and is divided into 12 classes. We trained CLF-RCNN, a Contrastive Learning based Faster RCNN model which in turn is a state-of-the-art object detection model on this dataset and achieved an F1 score of 93 % for table detection and 74% for identifying tabular entities and relationships. Additionally, we introduced a new loss term influenced by contrastive learning that improves prediction performances with our developed algorithm to return the sequential order of the unordered predictions.


Video is being watched more than ever before. It is estimated that in 2020, 82% of global IP traffic and 79% of global Internet traffic will come from video; globally 3 trillion minutes (5 million years) of video content will cross the Internet each month. According to the Cisco 2020 Forecast, that is one million minutes of video streamed or downloaded every second [1] . The rapidly increasing consumption of storage capacity and transmission bandwidth from video, especially HD and UHD video content, has made video compression a critical stage to guarantee the quality of delivery and playback.


Around the early 1930s, zines were at one time called "fanzines" and were part of the genre of science fiction pulp magazines. The descriptive information helped me understand that there are commercial zines that "are seen as markers of social status and a means of shaping identity, particularly among young adolescent girls" (p. 699). An article from Anthropology and Education Quarterly by Margaret Finders (1996), "Queens and Teen Zines: Early Adolescent Females Reading Their Way Toward Adulthood," was referenced for this information. I learned that there are self-published zines, that their creators are "zinsters" and that their content is often connected to social activism and distributed in a sort of underground world at school, record stores, and raves. I am reminded that thoughtful teens are reading and writing and addressing issues of importance to them through creative text production, and I wonder if the small collection of self-published poetic expressions and drawing I recently purchased for $5 from a street person in San Francisco would be considered a "zine." Denise Stuart University of Akron


A study was made of the indirect costs that result from pesticide usage in the United States. These costs included: 45,000 annual non-fatal and fatal human pesticide poisonings; $ 12 million in livestock losses; $ 287 million in reduced natural enemies and pesticide resistance; $ 135 million in honey bee poisonings and reduced pollination; $ 70 million in losses of crops and trees; $ 11 million in fish and wildlife losses; and $ 140 million in miscellaneous losses. The estimated total of $ 839 million annual losses attributed to environmental and social costs of pesticide use represents only a small portion of the actual costs. A more complete accounting of the indirect costs would probably be several times the total reported. The results of this preliminary assessment underscore the serious nature of the environmental and social costs of pesticide use.


This research examined the analysis of the effect of the Inflation, Rupiah Exchange Rate and BI Rate on the Net Asset Value (NAV) of Islamic Mutual Fund. Data used in this research is annualy, data start from 2015 until 2019. Sampling method used in this research is purposive sampling. This research used quantitative approach method and the analysis techniques used is multiple linear regression that using  Eviews Version 10.
Based on the result of this research showed that Inflation, Rupiah Exchange Rate and BI Rate stimultaneously has significant effect to Net Asset Value (NAV) of Sharia Mutual Balanced Fund. The results also show that inflation has a significant negative effect on the NAV of Islamic mutual funds. The Rupiah Exhange Rate (Exchange Rate) has a significant negative effect on the NAV of Islamic mutual funds and Bank Indonesia (BI) Rate significant positive effect of the NAV of Islamic mutual funds.


A pan-African professional organization of teachers. authors and researchers in politica1 science. government and development administration was formed at a meeting held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 21-23 December 1973. It is called the African Association of Politica1 Science (AAPS).


Abstract: Rawls' arguments in defence of his claim to derive principles of morality and justice from his hypothetical' original position' are critically examined and found to be unconvincing. In particular, it is pointed out that a theory of justice cannot be at one and the same time (a) descriptive‐explanatory and therefore tested against people's actual judgments in particular cases, and (b) prescriptive‐justificatory and therefore providing rationally derived principles against which people's actual judgments are tested for correctness. Rawls' attempt to conflate these two types of theory is necessarily doomed.


ABSTRACT Genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) is encountered in multi-environment trials. In sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), GEI affects crop growth and cane yield and complicates the selection of superior genotypes. The objective of this study was to assess and analyze GEI for cane yield and stalk weight to identify high-yielding, stable genotypes. Thirteen Canal Point (CP) sugarcane clones and three check varieties were evaluated at five different locations (environments) across three crop cycles (plant cane, first ratoon, and second ratoon) on the Florida organic (muck) soils. At each location, the experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with six replications. Mean stalk weight and cane yield data were collected and analyzed via the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) and genotype main effect (G) plus genotype × environment interaction (GEI), i.e. GGE biplot. The AMMI analysis for mean stalk weight and cane yield revealed that variation attributable to genotypes, environments, and GEI for these traits was significant. The GGE biplot analysis indicated that the five locations formed two mega-environments, with different winning genotypes. Two locations, Okeelanta and Duda, were non-representative of the Florida muck-soils. Among all the genotypes, CP 12–1417 had the highest mean cane yield and had the most stable performance across crop cycles. We concluded that the application of GGE biplot in our final-stage sugarcane testing program could help us identify clones best adapted to specific locations and enhance selection efficiency by helping us identify locations that provide similar information.


The paper proposes the analytical method of design of structures in the form of a flexible inextensible shell. Research topic of this paper corresponds to scientific directions of symposium System-in-Package and 3D Design & Test. As an example of such a design, a product is to promote the development of microelectronics - an aerodynamic figure is considered, which is a connected set of unfolding surfaces. The aero-figure is a 3D object and is designed in Maple based on the package commands with 4GL library. Analytical construction of 3D graphical objects is implemented on the basis of commands that allow to draw surfaces and spatial curves specified in explicit and parametric form. All elements of the aero-figure are unfolding surfaces of conical type and intersect with each other only on common boundaries - space curves. The current approach allows to design an aero-figure of specified dimensions based on the calculation of the scan elements.


This paper presents two kinds of novel discrete-time current control methods for induction motor drives that are fed by a parallel resonant DC link inverter (PRDCLI). The methods are based on using both the modified fixed band hysteresis control and optimal control. Since zero bus voltage intervals are generated on the DC link of PRDCLI, the counter electromotive force of an induction motor and the average value of the DC link voltage can be estimated. Based on the previously estimated values, the proposed current regulators predict the phase currents of one and/or two-step ahead resonant cycles. The computer simulation result shows that the proposed control schemes offer not only the advantage of zero-voltage-switching resonant inverters but also a reduced total harmonic distortion compared with conventional current regulators.


© 2020 The Author(s). Published on behalf of The Electrochemical Society by IOP Publishing Limited. Lithium metal is a high-energy-density battery electrode material, but the largely irreversible growth of lithium protrusions on an initially planar electrode during cycling makes it unsuitable for incorporation into a commercial battery. In this study, a lithium electrode with globular protrusions was stripped electrochemically, and the local morphology of the electrode as a function of time was determined by hard X-ray tomography. We demonstrate that globules are preferentially stripped compared to a planar electrode in our system, which incorporates a nanostructured block copolymer electrolyte. We report current density at the electrode as a function of micron-scale position and time. The local current density during the electrode healing process calculated from a reference frame at the electrode/electrolyte interface provides insight into the driving forces responsible for selective stripping of the globule. These results imply the possibility of discharging protocols that may return a lithium electrode to its initial planar state.


This paper deals with errors by novices and experts when interacting with the computer in normal office work. Three criteria are discussed to determine the level of expertise: a) total length of time that the user has worked computers, b) number of programs known, and c) length of daily work-time with the computer. In contrast to widespread assumptions, experts did not make less errors than novices (except knowledge errors). On the other hand, experts spent less time handling the errors than novices. A cluster analysis produced groups of Occasional-, Frequent-, Beginning- and General Users in the work force.


The present invention provides a easier way to improve the print quality of a printing medium having a lenticular lens of the printing apparatus, a printing medium and a printing method. When the slide for one end portion disposed in the shape accuracy difference lenticular lens body, upon detection of the other end of the lenticular (step S110), the detected end of the lenticular frame position as the end position of the paper stored in the buffer (step S120), control the carriage motor so that the carriage moves away from the starting position in the main scanning direction and controls the start of the print head so that the sheet edge position and the print data discharging ink of respective colors (step S130). At the end of the lenticular lens arranged good shape accuracy thereof, the ink can be attached to the lens body with respect to a more appropriate position, capable of seeking to enhance the printing quality.


The article shows that the success of a production system depends on the ability to effectively change its internal structure in connection with any change in demand or technology. Investing in a new production system as well as modifying an existing system requires informed decisions. Moreover, in a competitive envi-ronment, one of the key decisions that a manufacturing enterprise must make is the selection of appropriate manufacturing systems. The main feature of a flexible manufacturing system, which helps differentiate it from conventional manufacturing systems, is its ability to respond effectively to changes in product type through different flexibilities. Flexible manufacturing systems are well used in the manufacturing world as well as in all industries. Basic information about this technology is very important, because a flexible production system is involved in almost everything that is needed in the modern world.


When placing the electrode (29) of the grid such that a negative voltage is applied to the front of the objective lens (23), low-energy electrons in the secondary electron generated from the sample (24) by electron beams (25) the electrode since it enters the is reflected sample (24) installed in the detector side (22), high-energy electrons is not reflected by the electrodes by, not detected by the detector. Thus, it is possible to detect only the discrimination to the low energy side of the secondary electrons in the energy, it is possible to obtain a detection signal rich in example information of the surface condition of the sample.


In combined cycle power plants (CCPPs), the bypass butterfly valve is a key component to facilitate regulation of exhaust gas energy available at the turbine and to not produce too much boost pressure. The conventional damper valve causes leakage, back flow into the turbine, and damage of the blade, and the existing dual-layered seal with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and metal should be frequently replaced owing to its low durability and deterioration of mechanical properties under a high temperature. This study devised a triple offset butterfly valve with a new type of seal by alternatively laminating stainless steel and graphite to improve valve performance at the high temperature (350 °C). The slope angles of the seal contact surface to prevent friction were calculated using the mathematical models of the triple offset. Thermal-structure coupled analyses by varying the number of graphite and thickness were conducted, and the seven-layer model with the graphite thickness of 0.8 mm, which shows airtightness and smooth operation, was chosen. The contact stresses behaviors of the graphite at 350 °C and at −196 °C were investigated, and it was found that the graphite is in charge of improving driving performance of the disc at the high temperature and sealing performance at the cryogenic temperature. The performance tests and the field tests of the suggested model verified its performance at the working temperature.


—Numbers and placement of spermatophore.s on females of Euchaeta norvegica from Deepwater Dumpsite 106 in the continental slope waters off Delaware are discussed and compared to those published from Loch Etive, Scotland. Numbers of single, double, and triple placements are comparable but numbers of spermatophores placed away from the ventral face of the genital prominence are higher in specimens from Deepwater Dumpsite 106. Changes in the spermatophore before and after attachment by the male are described. These include the addition of a long stalk, an attachment plate, and in some cases, a fertilization tube. An hypothesis is advanced to explain the imprecision in spermatophore placement.


Abstract This study proposed a novel intensity weighting approach using a convolutional neural network (CNN) for fast and accurate optic disc (OD) segmentation in a fundus image. The proposed method mainly consisted of three steps involving CNN-based importance calculation
 of pixel, image reconstruction, and OD segmentation. In the first step, the CNN model composed of four convolution and pooling layers was designed and trained. Then, the heat map was generated by applying a gradient-weighted class activation map algorithm to the final convolution layer of
 the model. In the next step, each of the pixels on the image was assigned a weight based on the previously obtained heat map. In addition, the retinal vessel that may interfere with OD segmentation was detected and substituted based on the nearest neighbor pixels. Finally, the OD region was
 segmented using Otsu's method. As a result, the proposed method achieved a high segmentation accuracy of 98.61%, which was improved about 4.61% than the result without the weight assignment.


Abstract Stable aqueous wood solutions were prepared from wood chips of cedar and fir. Solutions were prepared by extraction conducted until the extract reached a constant pH. Extracts were used as...


We propose the Quality of Service (QoS) constrained workflow scheduling scheme utilizing colored Petri-Net model to apply the task division policy which enables to expand the QoS-guaranteed range, and effectively cope with resource performance variance. The proposed algorithm investigates each task's workload then decides its distribution rate. Afterwards, the proposed algorithm allocates the cheapest Virtual Machine (VM) to each task which can satisfy the subdeadline of the task. If there is no suitable VM resource, the task division policy is applied while penalty cost is considered. We compared the performance of the proposed algorithm, which is called as the Phased Workflow scheduling Scheme with Division (PWSD), with the Phased Workflow scheduling Scheme (PWS) which did not consider the division policy. The performance comparison, based on randomly generated task within the same work-flow topology, shows that the proposed scheme outperforms PWS, which means that it expands QoS-guaranteed range and enhances robustness to resource performance variance.


Much of the previous work on version support for hypertext has focused primarily on the development of functionality for specific hypertext systems and/or a specific hypertext ap plication domain. Although these models address crucial version support problems in specific hypertext application domains, they cannot be easily adapted and then integrated into other hypertext applications. Hypertext version support environments have been introduced to help alleviate these problems. They are de signed to meet the version support needs of a wide range of hypertext applications. However , so far few high level versioning facilities have been constructed in these environ ments, creating a gap between the facilities provided direct ly within the environment and the versioning needs of some applications. The intent of this research is to bridge this gap. It turned out that task-based versioning styles are easy to use by both hy pertext application developers and hypertext application us ers. As shown in previous work, task-based versioning helps to alleviate cognitive overhead and disorientation problems for users. In addition, it requires little investment from the point of view of application development, since task-based versioning does not necessarily require an application to in corporate an extra notion for individual versions. This paper presents a set of task-based hypertext versioning styles that are offered in the VerSE flexible version support environ ment and shows the direction towards the design of addition al versioning styles.


The concept of intellectual property is not new. Protection for creative works was granted under the British Statute of Anne 1710 and the Statute of Monopolies 1623.1 In the 19th century, the term intellectual property began to be used.2 Over the subsequent years, many of the legal principles governing intellectual property evolved.


In the UK forensic pathologists examine all fire fatalities. This chapter explores the reasons why this is required and the information sought. It also describes other physical manifestations of fire, such as burns, and the difficulties faced when examining fire victims. The primary purpose of any such investigation is to establish whether the victim was breathing at the time of the fire. This is most often demonstrated by determination of carboxyhaemoglobin levels in the blood.


A nonterminating extension of the Sears–Carlitz quadratic transformation formula for a well-posed ${}_3 \phi _2 $ series with an arbitrary argument is obtained as a sum of two balanced ${}_5 \phi _4 $ series. This is then extended to a very well-poised ${}_5 \phi _4 $ series with arbitrary argument. These results are used to derive some generating functions for the q-Wilson polynomials $p_n (x;a,b,c,d;q)$ when $ad = bc$ and an expression for the Poisson kernel $K_t (x,y;a,b,c,{{bc} / {a;}}q)$ as a sum of three sums of very well-poised ${}_10 \phi _9 $ series which clearly demonstrates its positivity for $0 \leqq t - 1$. Additional quadratic transformation formulas are derived, along with q-analogues of Watson's and Whipple's summation formulas.


Nanofluid exhibits higher density, higher viscosity, higher thermal conductivity and reduced specific heat capacity along with improved heat transfer characteristics. It is comparatively better than conventional fluids in terms of thermo-physical properties. This paper aims to investigate experimentally the overall performance of the shell and tube heat exchanger operated under two different configurations – without baffles (STHX_1) and with baffles (STHX_2) using 0.01 Vol.% and 0.02 Vol.% of CuO-W nanofluid.,Two different configurations, one without baffles (STHX_1) and other with single segmental baffles (STHX_2), are chosen with all other dimensional details of shell and tube remaining same. Water is used as base fluid. CuO nanoparticle is chosen, as its thermal conductivity is higher compared to other metal oxides. A comparative study on the thermal performance of these shell and tube heat exchangers are performed by considering different Vol.% concentrations of CuO-W nanofluid and the outcome are compared with the base fluid (i.e., water). The influence of varying the mass flow rate of the tube side fluid by keeping shell side fluid mass flow rate as constant and vice versa on the thermal performance of shell and tube heat exchanger are studied.,The modified shell and tube heat exchanger with baffles (STHX_2) give an improved performance. The heat transfer coefficient improved by about 11.28 and 7.54 per cent for 0.02 and 0.01 Vol.% of CuO-W nanofluid compared to water. Overall heat transfer coefficient for STHX_2 enhanced between 118.26% to 123.06% in comparison with base fluid for 0.02 Vol.% of CuO-W nanofluid whereas, it improved between 79.20% to 87.51% for 0.01 Vol.% of CuO-W nanofluid. Similarly, the actual heat transfer enhanced between 71.79% to 77.77% and between 48.71% to 55.55% for 0.02 and 0.01 Vol.% of CuO-W nanofluid, respectively. Moreover, mass flow rates of the working fluids significantly influence the performance of the shell and tube heat exchanger.,Two cases are considered here. first, by varying the shell side fluid mass flow rate and keeping the tube side fluid mass flow rate as constant. Later, tube side fluid mass flow rates are varied and shell side fluid mass flow rate is kept constant. It is found that in Case 2, for both 0.01 and 0.02 Vol.% of CuO-W nanofluid, highest performance is obtained for 150 kg/h of shell side and tube side fluid flows involving STHX_2. Finally, the modified shell and tube heat exchanger with baffle arrangement gives the best performance by using 0.02 Vol.% of CuO-W nanofluid.


The global region normalization (GRN) method is proposed to optimize the lateral superjunction (SJ), in this article. The GRN features normalizations in the global doping range of the SJ from zero to the maximum doping concentration <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${N}_{\text {max}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> that was theoretically determined by the pillar width <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${W}_{\text {SJ}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. Then the optimization covers all the possible design points of the SJ. For the SJ with given <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${W}_{\text {SJ}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and pillar length <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${L}_{\text {SJ}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, the specific ON-resistance <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${R}_{\text {on,sp}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and breakdown voltage <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {B}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> are normalized in the global region of the doping concentra- tion <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${N}_{\text {SJ}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. With the GRN method, the global normalization function <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${f}_{\eta }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is deduced to reflect the quantitative variation trend of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${R}_{\text {on,sp}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {B}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and a design formula of the optimized <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${N}_{\text {SJ}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is presented. Furthermore, lateral SJ devices were fabricated according to the formula. The measured <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${R}_{\text {on,sp}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> values of the SJ devices are reduced by almost 35% when compared with the theoretical limit of the triple RESURF device in a voltage range of 100–400 V. The experiments also reveal that the measured net <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${R}_{\text {on,sp}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of the SJ region approaches the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${R}_{\text {on.sp}} \propto {V}_{\text {B}}^{{1.03}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> relationship.


The study aimed at finding out the locus related to fecundity and providing some assistance for creating goat fecundity lines,early selection of parents,increasing selection accuracy and acceleration breeding.Six microsatellite markers OarAE101,BM1329,OarHH55,BM143,BMS2508 and LSCV043 closely associated with high reproduction in sheep and goats were analysed for polymorphisms in Xinong Saanen dairy goat.The results showed high genetic polymorphisms at the six microsatellite loci.The number of effective alleles(Ne) at 6.571 3~8.992 5,polymorphism information content(PIC) at 0.830 1~0.878 1 in Xinong Saanen dairy goat.The analysis of litter size effect of the six microsatellite loci in Xinong Saanen dairy goat indicated that the allele,109 bp at OarAE101,165 and 140 bp at OarHH55,140 bp at BMS2508,124 bp at BM143 as well as the genotype,219 bp/185 bp at BM1329 and 140 bp/120 bp at LSCV043,have positive effects on litter size.Microsatellite analysis showed that the 6 selected microsatellite loci can be used for marker assisted selection.


The objective of this research is to investigate the visitor's willingness to pay (WTP) towards sustainability of ecotourism resources at Kilim Karst Geoforest Park(KKGP) and to determine the level of satisfaction of visitors using the ecotourism resources and facilities at the park. Data are obtained by using a closed-ended and multiple categories questionnaire in a face-to-face interview. The study is based on a sample of 448 respondents that were randomly chosen for face to face interview in KKGP in May to October 2009. The results show that most of the visitors are satisfied with ecotourism resources in KGGP and many are first time visitors to the park while only a few have visited more than once. The data are analyses using descriptive analysis, factor analysis and contingent valuation method (CVM). The factor analysis divides into two parts which is perception and attitude that influenced visitors' willingness to pay towards sustainability of KKGP ecotourism. For perception, three factors have been identified; natural scenery, utilities and services, and natural environment exploration. While for attitude part, there also three factors have been defined as are protection of natural resources, attraction at KKGP natural resources, and implementation of fee. CVM is used to determine the visitors' WTP. A logit model is used to determine the willingness to pay towards sustainability of the ecotourism resources at KKGP. The results show the price of bid, income, age, strata, origin and education level are the most important and significant factors that influence and determine the amount of conservation fee charged at KKGP. In the questionnaire the respondents, who are visitors to KKGP, were asked about their attitudes, opinion and willingness to pay. The respondents answer the maximum amount they were willing to pay for the non-market goods available at KKGP based on the circumstances, and their current income and expenses. The results of the survey indicate that visitors are willing to pay RM17.27 per visit towards sustainability. Besides that, the WTP between foreign and local visitors differs. The WTP of foreign visitors (RM 23.20) is much higher than the WTP of locals (RM13.96). Based on the number of visitors to KKGP in 2008 (167 152) the expected revenue that can be collected by the management is estimated at approximately RM 2 886 542.34 a year. Findings of this study may guide and assist policy makers in managing and developing recreational sites in Malaysia.


Previous paleobotanical studies on Tertiary floras from northern Latin America have docu- mented that the lowland tropical rain forest and associated communities underwent significant change in their range and composition during the past 60 Ma. New data from pollen and spore assemblages allow refinement in the nature of these changes in three different geographic regions of the neotropics. At the northern limit in central Mexico through northern Central America, changing climates, particularly fluctuat- ing temperatures, are revealed as a principal force driving vegetation dynamics. In southern Central America (including the proto-Antilles), climatic change had less effect on the vegetation. Rather, there was extensive volcanism and profound, rapid alterations in physiography. In the Amazon Basin there were limited topographic changes and moderate climatic effects. A primary forcing mechanism was fluctuating water tables induced by sea-level changes. It is speculated that these separate histories may have elicited a reordering in the myriad of factors constituting the speciation process and, therefore, provided different mechanisms for achieving biodiversity. An awareness of these separate physiographic provinces with distinct environmental histories may be useful in 1) accounting for geographically correlated genotypic and phenotypic features within a genus; 2) understanding factors that shaped the origin and diversification of individual taxa, and 3) refining scenarios to explain diversity in various parts of the neotropics.


We demonstrate a passage from the "quasi-Plücker coordinates" of Gelfand and Retakh, to the quantum Plücker coordinates built from q-generic matrices. In the process, we rediscover the defining relations of the quantum Grassmannian of Taft and Towber and provide that algebra with more concrete geometric origins.


Optical spectrum of a hydrogenic exciton in a uniform, static magnetic field is discussed. Based on a model previously introduced by Shinada and Sugano, i. e. the "two-dimensional model," the energ...


Certain structural features of spoken Nacireman are examined both objectively and from the point of view of native Nacireman folk linguistics. Discrepancies on the phonological, morphological, and syntactic levels between the traditional folk analysis and that of modern structural linguistics are accounted for in terms of the cognitive structure and ideological orientation of the ti'cir caste, which plays a critical role in the enculturation of Nacireman children, and in terms of the internal organization and external relationships of the native academic institutions, whose function in Nacireman society can be specified only after intensive deep-structure analysis.


When two dif ferent materials are brought into contact and separated, an electrical charge is transferred from one to the other. This phenomenon is called contact electrification, contact charging, or tribocharging. Charged particles cause various secondary phenomena during powder processing, such as deposition, adhesion, and electrostatic discharge. Additionally, charged particles are used in many industrial applications such as electrophotography, electrostatic powder coating, and separation; thus, particle charge control is very important for improving particle performance. However, there are still many unknown ef fects, and in some cases, inconsistent results have been reported. In this review, the basic concepts and theories of charge transfer between solid surfaces are summarized and a description of particle charging caused by repeated impacts on a wall is formulated. On the basis of these concepts and formulations, novel methods of controlling particle tribocharging are presented. In particular, a method using an applied electric field is expected to be applicable in industrial fields.


This work describes a novel frequency based current to digital converter, which is fully realizable on a single chip. This project affords an extremely low power converter technology that is also very space efficient. The converter is completely asynchronous which yields ultra-low power during standby operation (approximately 5 nW). The input current range is programmable, and the minimum detectable current could reach the range of picoampere or even lower. System structure, operational principle, and chip test results are given in this paper.


Abstract Determining the diastereoselectivity of new synthetic molecules can be a challenge when NMR methods fail and the compounds are difficult to crystallize. Encapsulating organic crystals can be used to overcome this challenge. Here we show that the diastereomeric configuration of racemic mixtures of propargyl cyclopropanes can be determined by co-crystallization with 1,3,5,7-tetrakis(2-bromo-4-methoxyphenyl)adamantane and X-ray crystallography. Three crystal structures are reported that unambiguously identify the products of Fe-catalyzed cyclopropanations as cis- or trans-isomers. These findings expand the scope of co-crystallization with tetraaryladamantanes as a method to determine the stereochemical configuration of organic molecules that are difficult to crystallize by themselves.


2-Aminopurine (Ap) modified human telomere sequences were used to monitor the specific complex formation of the G-quadruplex and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin (TMPyP4).


The analysis of a standard flowchart for a mobile robot digital control is performed. It is shown that the controller is a unit which introduces time disturbances in the process of control. A typical control algorithm and its model based on the semi-Markov process theory are worked out. The dependencies for evaluation of walk time through the states of an ergodic semi-Markov process are obtained. The reducibility of the semi-Markov process into the Markov process with a continual time is shown. The theoretical results are confirmed by simulation with use of the Monte-Carlo method.


The present invention fluid dynamic pressure bearing assembly and relates to a motor including the same, a fluid dynamic pressure bearing assembly according to the invention in the hub base, the sleeve and coupled to an upper portion of the shaft sleeve, which shaft is inserted rotates together with the shaft When fixed to the top surface and the top surface and thus the corresponding said hub base of the rotation when the stopper plate, and the stopper plate for preventing the portion of the shaft of the shaft may include of dynamic pressure generating grooves formed in at least one.


The main objective of the research presented in this paper is to gauge the benefits of using concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) members from a seismic design perspective. To this end, a large set of composite moment-resisting (MR) frames was defined and its design was performed according to the requirements of Eurocode 8. In order to outline the set of MR frames, the methodology prescribed in FEMA P695 was used, regarding the definition of the archetypes. The basic performance groups were divided according to two seismic areas in Portugal, and considering frames of 3, 5, 8 and 12 stories. The set of 8 archetypes was designed using combinations of the following criteria: a) CFST columns of circular, square and rectangular cross section; b) behaviour factor (q) calculated according to EC8 ductility class DCM, and according to an Improved Force-Based Design (IFBD) procedure proposed by Villani et al. In total, 48 composite frames were designed. The analysis of the obtained design solutions shows that there are strong limitations when commercial square and rectangular cross-sections are used in seismic design of composite MR frames, as the majority of available members violate the EC8 cross-section slenderness requirements for medium ductility class. However, the opposite conclusion is found for circular CFST columns, as the criterion prescribed in the European code is more relaxed. Additionally, the results show that the consideration of a fixed value of the behaviour factor according to EC8 may greatly defeat its effectiveness, as the members become oversized and the purpose of using q, i.e. taking advantage of the inelastic behaviour of the structure, is compromised. However, if the Improved Force-Based Design (IFBD) procedure is adopted, the designer is able to reach a solution that is different and adjusted for every seismic scenario, with reductions in steel weight of the frame averaging 20% in the 48 designed frames. Additionally, it was also found that the use of circular CFST columns is beneficial to the composite MR frame design, as square and rectangular solutions tend to use more steel for the same archetype. Finally, one composite MR frame with circular CFST columns and an equivalent MRF with steel open profile columns were numerically modelled in OpenSees, and their seismic performance was evaluated through incremental dynamic analysis and collapse fragility assessment. The results obtained clearly indicate that composite moment-resisting frames with concrete-filled steel tube columns have a better seismic performance that an equivalent steel-only structural system.


The cyclopentadienylvanadium carbonyls CpV(CO) n (n = 4, 3, 2, 1), Cp 2 V 2 (CO) 7 , and Cp 2 V 2 (CO) 6 have been studied by density functional theory using the B3LYP and BP86 functionals. The optimized structure of CpV(CO) 4 is close to that found experimentally by X-ray and electron diffraction methods. For the coordinately unsaturated CpV(CO) n (n = 3, 2, 1) the computed v(CO) frequencies by BP86 are related to those found in low-temperature matrix isolation experiments but show some significant differences for n = 3 and 2 in band spacings suggesting some matrix effects on the geometries. An optimized structure for Cp 2 V 2 (CO) 7 is found with one symmetrical bridging carbonyl group and a V-V distance of 3.306 A (BP86) suggesting a single bond. Energetically competitive structures for Cp 2 V 2 (CO) 6 include a doubly symmetrically bridged singlet structure with only two-electron donor carbonyl groups, a triplet doubly semibridged structure, and a singlet structure with one four-electron donor bridging carbonyl group. Thermodynamic considerations rationalize why neither Cp 2 V 2 (CO) 7 nor Cp 2 V 2 (CO) 6 have yet been synthesized. Thus Cp 2 V 2 (CO) 7 is predicted to be unstable with respect to dissociation into CpV(CO) 4 + CpV(CO) 3 . Furthermore, the dissociation energy of the lowest lying singlet isomer from Cp 2 V 2 (CO) 6 to Cp 2 V 2 (CO) 5 is only 10.8 kcal/mol (BP86) consistent with the formation of Cp 2 V 2 (CO) 5 rather than Cp 2 V 2 (CO) 6 upon decomposition of the presumed CpV(CO) 3 H 2 dihydride generated by acidification of the dianion CpV(CO) 3 2- .


This paper describes the results of a literature survey on microorganisms and their ability to enhance the movement of contaminants from sediment into the overlying water. The sediments included in this discussion are from both subaqueous and wetland environments. The survey is specifically concerned with the role of microorganisms in several processes occurring in flooded soils and sediments; these processes include: formation of dissolved organic matter, both directly from nutrients in flooded soils and sediments and from living and dead plant and animal tissues; incorporation ind/or conversion of contaminants into dissolved organic form; and transformation of contaminants that enter flooded soil or sediment systems from an external source, such as tides, floodwaters, and overland runoff. This information is used to assess the importance of dissolved organic matter as a vehicle for transport of total organic matter and organic contaminants away from flooded soils and sediments. Special attention is given to the importance of microorganisms in the formation of dissolved organic matter and the transformation of contaminants into soluble form.


Abstract
Purpose
Libraries have a growing interest in project management; however, the application of formal project management practices remains small. Are libraries using formal practices and do different organizational cultures foster or hinder the use of project management?

Methodology/approach
A survey was used to investigate the prevalence of project management in the 14 Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) libraries and to assess the organizational culture of these libraries to identify whether the culture fosters project management. A two-part questionnaire included the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) by Cameron and Quinn (2011) and questions about project management practices. A project management maturity model was applied to determine the degree of project management maturity.

Findings
Even though libraries report perceived project management success, this is not often associated with the use of project management practices. Libraries with hierarchical organizational structures are less likely to have formal project management practices and libraries with clan cultures are more likely to use formal project management practices.

Originality/value
This study contributes to a small base of research on the use of project management practices in academic libraries. Specific suggestions on the value of including formal project management practices and the relationship between organizational culture and the use of project management could provide an impetus for libraries to explore the formal adoption of this practice.


Stemming from conflicts over the authority of professional archives to arrange and steward community knowledge, this article outlines the limitations of the archival apparatus to produce the conditions for social liberation through acquisition and offers suggestions for how to operate otherwise, as a collaborator in forgetting. It discusses the origins and revised mission of the Pittsburgh Queer History Project (PQHP) as a reflection of the precarious definition of community archives within the discipline and field of archival science. By retracing the steps in the PQHP's mission, as it moved from being a custodial and exhibit-focused collecting project to acting as a decentralized mobile preservation service, I argue that community archival practice is an important standpoint from which to critically reassess the capacity of institutional archives to create a more conscious and complete history through broader collecting. Specifically, I demonstrate how contemporary attention to the value of community records and community archives is frequently accompanied by a demand for such archives, records, and communities to confess precarity and submit to institutional recordkeeping practices.


From our recent catalog based on the first Gaia data release (TGAS), we select wide binaries in which both stars have been observed by the Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) or the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST). Using RAVE and LAMOST metallicities and RAVE Mg, Al, Si, Ti, and Fe abundances, we find that the differences in the metallicities and elemental abundances of components of wide binaries are consistent with being due to observational uncertainties, in agreement with previous results for smaller and more restricted samples. The metallicity and elemental abundance consistency between wide binary components presented in this work confirms their common origin and bolsters the status of wide binaries as "mini-open clusters." Furthermore, this is evidence that wide binaries are effectively co-eval and co-chemical, supporting their use for e.g., constraining age-activity-rotation relations, the initial-final mass relation for white dwarfs, and M-dwarf metallicity indicators. Additionally, we demonstrate that the common proper motion, common parallax pairs in TGAS with the most extreme separations (s $\gtrsim$ 0.1 pc) typically have inconsistent metallicities, radial velocities or both and are therefore likely to be predominantly comprised of random alignments of unassociated stars with similar astrometry, in agreement with our previous results. Finally, we propose that wide binaries form an ideal data set with which to test chemical tagging as a method to identify stars of common origin, particularly because the stars in wide binaries span a wide range of metallicities, much wider than that spanned by nearby open clusters.


We present the first fully-stabilized optical frequency comb with GHz repetition rate from a diode-pumped solid-state laser emitting at 1 μm. The carrier-envelope offset (CEO) frequency fCEO is tightly locked by fast feedback to the current of the pump diode with a bandwidth of ∼150 kHz achieved using a home-built modulation electronics. We present a detailed noise analysis of an optical comb line and compare it to the separately measured noise of the repetition rate frep and CEO beat to identify their respective contribution. The assessed comb mode linewidth is ∼780 kHz (at 1-s observation time), dominated by the residual noise of frep.


The time-dependent nonlinear Boltzmann equation, which describes the time evolution of a single-particle distribution in a dilute gas of particles interacting only through binary collisions, is considered for spatially homogeneous and inhomogeneous media without external force and energy source. The nonlinear Boltzmann equation is converted to a nonlinear partial differential equation for the generating function of the moments of the distribution function. The variational-iteration method derived by He is used to solve the nonlinear differential equation of the generating function. The moments for both homogeneous and inhomogeneous media are calculated and represented graphically as functions of space and time. The distribution function is calculated from its moments using the cosine Fourier transformation. The distribution functions for the homogeneous and inhomogeneous media are represented graphically as functions of position and time.


Objective To study the difference in therapeutic effects and side effects between aripiprazole and olanzapine.Methods A total of 8 paper about control study comparing aripiprazole with olanzapine in treatment of schizophrenia retrieved from home were subjected to variance inversion methods of fixed effects model.Results There was no significant difference on clinical efficacy between aripiprazole group and olanzapine group [χ2=0.17,P0.05,OR=0.93,95%CI(0.66~1.30)].The incidences of adverse reactions such as insomnia,tremor,headache,excitation and agitation,akathisia in aripiprazole group were significantly higher than in olanzapine group(P0.01).The incidences of adverse reactions such as weight gain in olanzapine group were significantly higher than in aripiprazole group(P0.01).Conclusion Olanzapine is as effective as but less toxic than aripiprazole for the treatment of schizophrenia.


ABSTRACT This paper arises out of our current work investigating the construction of male and female students' sexual/gender relations within school arenas. A main concern is to explore recent empirical and theoretical work on sexuality, in an attempt to critique the New Right moralism with its own contradictory form of pluralism. At the same time a critical examination of the sexual politics of the curriculum may serve to rethink the underlying values of the old dichotomies around liberal and radical modes of progressive education with reference to curriculum change. Key areas of debate include the contextualisation of sex/sexuality within schools, sexual harassment, the normalisation of heterosexualities and sex/sexuality education. We have found it useful to hold onto the tension between materialist, deconstructionist and psychoanalytic accounts of the formation of sexual subjectivities, without attempting to resolve the contradictions between them.


Academic developers play a key role in advancing instructor engagement in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) at their higher education institutions, but face structural and epistemological isolation. To leverage the knowledge and experience of developers leading SoTL efforts at their respective institutions, a group of academic developers co-created a regional community of practice (CoP) centered on developing evidence-based strategic plans and programming models to advance SoTL at their. We describe the development and outcomes of this regional CoP. Future directions for the use of such a regional CoP model to collaboratively develop cross-institutional offerings are also discussed


Patients with chronic heart failure (HF) often have limiting symptoms such as breathlessness and fatigue that impair substantially the functional capacity and quality of life. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the impact of a program of unsupervised exercise on the quality of life and functional capacity of patients with chronic heart failure. Using a controlled clinical trial randomized into two groups, 22 patients with heart failure, who attended the outpatient HF a reference hospital in the state of Goias, aged between 18 and 85 years, both sexes, class II or III. The GT training group (n=13) have walked unsupervised for 10 weeks but attended educational workshop. The CG control group (n=9) received only educational workshop. Both groups underwent assessment of functional test through the six-minute walk (6MWT) and quality of life using the SF-36, pre and post intervention. Regarding quality of life, the TG (aged 62.1 ± 11.7 years) showed improvement in six areas of the SF-36: functional capacity (p=0.003), physical appearance (p=0.01), pain (p=0.03), social (p=0.02) and emotional role (p=0.02) and mental health (p=0.003). The GC (aged 65.9 ± 11.5 years) showed improvement only in the mental health domain (p=0.03). Both groups have increased the distance during the 6MWT, the GT increased 64.1 m (p=0.004) and GC 29.1 m (p=0.03). It was possible to conclude that unsupervised exercise was effective in improving functional capacity and quality of life in heart failure patients.


We study the presence of Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) on 39 colorectal polyps by the immunoperoxidase technique. The histological examination demonstrated 15 tubular adenomas, one villous adenoma, two tubulo‐villous adenomas, six tubular adenomas with slight dysplasia, one tubular adenoma with moderate dysplasia, four tubular adenomas with severe dysplasia, three tubulo‐villous adenomas with severe dysplasia, five tubular adenomas with neoplastic degeneration, and two tubulo‐villous adenomas with neoplastic degeneration. Twenty‐eight of thirty‐nine polyps (71.79%) showed a positive staining reaction for CEA. Regarding the intensity of the reaction (classified as absent or negative [ ‐], slightly positive [ + ], and markedly positive [++]), 11/39 polyps presented a negative reaction (28.21%), 19/39 (48.71%) presented a slight reaction, and 10/39 polyps (25.64%) presented a marked reaction.


Sulfuration-coagulative precipitation-charcoal adsorption process is tested to treat mercury-contained wastewater on energy-saved light industry.The results show that under the condition pH= 7~8?FeS=1.5mg/L?PAC=50mg/L?GAC= 60mg/L,the quality of effluent is 8μg/L and removal rate of 1.6mg/L mercury is over 99.5%.


e18688 Background: Sarcomas are a group of heterogenous tumors with diverse histopathological types. They account for less than 1% of adult solid tumors (1). The estimated new cases were 13,190 with 5,130 estimated deaths in 2022(2). Survival is largely determined by presence of metastasis on diagnosis, grade, site, and size of the tumor(3). Data over 19 years in our safety net hospital were analyzed including demographic data, disease characteristics and treatment modalities in association with overall survival. Methods: All patients diagnosed with sarcoma from 1998 to 2017 were included in the analysis. Patients were categorized by insurance status, stage, site, grade, pain on presentation, and treatment modalities. Survival analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves were conducted to examine the relation between patient demographics and survival. Results: Of 163 patients included in the analysis, 54% were insured and 46% were uninsured. Uninsured patients had a higher overall survival rate compared to insured patients (HR = 0.49, CI 0.38-0.90, p = 0.014). Regarding race, 55% of patients were white, 35.6% were black and 9.2% patients were identified as other races. There was no difference in overall survival between different ethnicities. Regarding gender, 61.3% were males and 38.7% were females with no statistically significant difference in survival. Compared to stage I, stage III were 2.28 times (CI 1.27-4.08, p = 0.005) and stage IV were 5.76 times (CI 3.16-10.05, p < 0.001) more likely to die. There was no statistically significant improvement in overall survival in patients who underwent chemotherapy or radiotherapy. However, surgical intervention was associated with improved survival and patients were three times more likely to survive (0.3, CI 0.18-0.5, p < 0.001). Analysis also showed no statistically significant difference in survival in patients presenting with pain. Conclusions: Insured patients have better outcomes overall than uninsured patients in sarcomas(4). Nevertheless, within safety-net-hospitals, all patients receive necessary treatment regardless of insurance status. We found that in our institution, insurance may factor in delaying treatment due to hurdles such as prior authorizations, co-pays and coverage disruptions(5). Conversely, uninsured patients can begin appropriate treatment without such delays which could explain difference in survival rates. Additional studies are needed to identify the possible effects of insurance and pinpoint its burden on survivorship. [Table: see text]


Although prostaglandins do not appear to be critical to the functioning of normal kidneys, it has become quite clear that their local actions are essential when renal function is marginal or more severely compromised. Since most anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit prostaglandin synthesis, they can tip the balance toward renal failure.


Arguments based on unitarity and analyticity suggest that there is no 1++ partial wave in a process such as e+e− 1 γγ 1 μ+μ−. This note demonstrates that, in fact, such a partial wave does exist. Reasons for the apparent breakdown of traditional arguments are briefly discussed.


This paper shows how it is that fuzzy control may be viewed as a particular kind of stochastic (Bayesian) control. With the Bayes approach, fuzzy control may be viewed as an ensembled-average control, where the average is taken over a set of competing uncertain antecedent events, predefined on the system state space.<<ETX>>


Doha, the capital of Qatar, keeps positioning and re-inventing itself on the map of international architecture and urbanism with different expressions of its unique qualities in terms of economy, environment, culture, and global outlook. In many respects, it is pictured as an important emerging global capital in the Gulf region with intensive urban development processes. In this essay, I introduce a narrative of Doha's contemporary architecture that resembles a drama for a theater with performers contributing to scenes exhibited to the local public and the global spectator. This article was redeveloped as a book chapter. See: Narrating Doha's contemporary architecture: the then, the now, the drama, the theater, and the performance Salama, A. 2013 Middle East: Landscape, City, Architecture. Mateo, J. L. & Ivanisin, K. (eds.). London, United Kingdom, p. 94-101 8 p.


Drugs and other chemicals must be evaluated for their teratatological potential before releasing them in the market. One of the model test system that is used in screening of embryotoxic chemicals in vitro , is the micromass culture test. The test involves exposing the rat embryo limb cells or cells of central nervous system (CNS) to various test agents for different time intervals and estimating the inhibition of cell differentiation in these cell cultures. The technique can be best used for identifying strong embryotoxic chemicals due to its sensitivity to a number of classes of potent teratogens and insensitivity to non-teratogens.


Professor Li Chang-qi's "Theory of Need Intervention" about economic law obviously has the colour of "Theory of Intervention" about econmic law in capitalist countries,and the word "need" isn't suitable for defintion. Our country's economic law should reflect the real intention that the country directly control and indirectly regulate the macroscopic,social and market economic problems. Therefore, this paper puts forward new explanation about "Theory of Regulation and Control" of economic law. "Theory of Regulation and Control" has intrinsical differences from "Theory of Macroscopic Regulation and Control" in determining the nature and the scope of regulation.It′s a need to rebuild the system of economic jurisprudence,taking "Theory of Regulation and Control" as the cornerstone.


As an emerging economy, the combination of the digital economy and industrial development can lead to a variety of new industries and new formats and form new momentum. This paper aims to analyze how the digital economy affects sustainable agricultural development, through what path, and what role the factor allocation plays in this process. Based on the analysis of the impact mechanism of the digital economy on sustainable agricultural development, this paper takes 30 provinces in China from 2013 to 2020 as the research object, builds a panel data model and mediation effect model, empirical analyses on the impact of the digital economy on sustainable agricultural development, and verifies the mediation effect of factor allocation in this process. This study found that the digital economy significantly promoted sustainable agricultural development. At the national level, this obvious promotion effect was achieved by reducing the misallocation of labor and capital. At the regional level, sustainable agricultural development in the eastern region of China depended on the optimization effect of the digital economy on the allocation of labor and capital, but the situation was slightly different in the central and western regions of China. The digital economy in the central and western regions of China significantly improved sustainable agricultural development by allocation effect of labor factors. Although the allocation effect of capital factors had a positive effect on sustainable agricultural development, it was not significant. In order to promote sustainable agricultural development, the digital industry development should be accelerated, the allocation effect of the factor market should be brought into play, and the digital economy should be better integrated with sustainable agricultural development so as to realize the modernization of agricultural development.


The CrIII ion in the title compound is coordinated by six N atoms of three chelating 1,2-cyclohexanediamine (chxn) ligands, displaying a distorted octahedral environment. The crystal packing is stabilized by extensive hydrogen-bonding interactions between the N—H groups of the chxn ligands, O—H groups or O atoms of the water molecules, chloride ions and Cl atoms of the disordered [ZnCl4]2− anions.


Brake-by-wire systems are one of the key components in intelligent/unmanned vehicles that have attracted worldwide attention. Testing and evaluation of brake-by-wire systems are a significant step during the development of the technology of vehicular braking and further the advancement of intelligent/unmanned vehicles. Using the test bench to simulate different road adhesion coefficients (i.e. road surfaces) and to complete the testing and evaluation of the vehicle braking systems is of great significance and importance. A test bench for simulation of vehicular braking of 1/4 vehicle is presented and investigated in this article. It is composed of a motor, two rollers, a 1/4 vehicle suspension system, a magnetic powder clutch, a flywheel, sensors, a signal acquisition and processing system, and a controller. The wheel and vehicle speeds are simulated by the rollers and flywheel speeds, respectively. The translational kinetic energy of 1/4 vehicle is simulated by the rotational kinetic energy of the flywheel. The signal acquisition and processing system is used to acquire and process the experimental signals, such as rotational speeds and torques during tests. The magnetic powder clutch with adjusted applied currents in the test bench is used to real-timely simulate roads with different adhesion coefficients. Based on the working principle of the test bench and the fundamentals of vehicle dynamics, the prototype of the test bench is established and the simulation approach of the translational kinetic energy of 1/4 vehicle is investigated. The mathematical model of the real-time simulation about roads with different adhesion coefficients based on the magnetic powder clutch with real-time controllable transmitted torque is established. With the built 1/4 vehicle braking systems based on the test bench and road, and the corresponding established models, the comparison and analysis of the simulation results of various road surfaces are conducted. Experiments are sequentially implemented to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the test bench.


In recent years, advanced fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have been steadily developed and used in a wide spectrum of infrastructure applications. It is, however, recognized that many polymer resins soften rapidly when heated above 82°C (180°F). Hence fire vulnerability may become a future obstacle with the widespread use of FRP materials. In this paper, initial findings from an on-going project, aimed at developing temperature-resistant cement-based composite sheets for structural retrofit, were reported. Following a similar installation procedure to that of FRP sheets, it is essential to examine the effect of mix compositions on the rheological properties of the cement slurry and to develop suitable cement slurries for making thin fiber-reinforced cement sheets on the job sites. Retrofit efficiency of using both epoxy-based and cement-based thin sheets is investigated. Preliminary results are presented and discussed in this paper. It is confirmed that cement sheets could be very likely made in situ and provide a similar retrofit capacity to their FRP counterparts.


We consider here a generalization of the random quantum rotor model in which each rotor is characterized by an M-component vector spin. We focus entirely on the case not considered previously, namely when the distribution of exchange interactions has non-zero mean. Inclusion of non-zero mean permits ferromagnetic and superconducting phases for M=1 and M=2, respectively. We find that quite generally, the Landau theory for this system can be recast as a zero-mean problem in the presence of a magnetic field. Naturally then, we find that a Gabay-Toulouse line exists for $M>1$ when the distribution of exchange interactions has non-zero mean. The solution to the saddle point equations is presented in the vicinity of the bi-critical point characterized by the intersection of the ferromagnetic (M=1) or superconducting (M=2) phase with the paramagnetic and spin glass phases. All transitions are observed to be second order. At zero temperature, we find that the ferromagnetic order parameter is non-analytic in the parameter that controls the paramagnet/ferromagnet transition in the absence of disorder. Also for M=1, we find that replica symmetry breaking is present but vanishes at low temperatures. In addition, at finite temperature, we find that the qualitative features of the phase diagram, for M=1, are {\it identical} to what is observed experimentally in the random magnetic alloy $LiHo_xY_{1-x}F_4$.


Personal digital assistants are lightweight, inexpensive, and ubiquitous. Furthermore, they have desktop class operating systems features supported by industrial strength development tools. These devices provide an ideal platform for deploying a practical platform for I2C bus analysis. In this paper, we propose a low-cost, highly portable I2C bus analyzer on a PalmOS based PDA. We describe the hardware interface, the supporting libraries, and the PalmOS-complaint application. The proposed approach is flexible and supports the creation of additional bus analyzer applications by third parties. The example bus analyzer application described here provides three operating modes, passive snooping, active bus mastering, and active slave device emulation. Each mode function over number of user-selectable data rates.


Introduction Approximately one million undiagnosed persons living with HIV in Southern and Eastern Africa need to test for HIV. Novel approaches are necessary to identify HIV testing options that match the heterogeneous testing preferences of high-risk populations. This pragmatic randomised controlled trial (PRCT) will evaluate the efficacy of a preference-informed, heterogeneity-focused HIV counselling and testing (HCT) offer, for improving rates of HIV testing in two high-risk populations. Methods and analysis The study will be conducted in Moshi, Tanzania. The PRCT will randomise 600 female barworkers and 600 male Kilimanjaro mountain porters across three study arms. All participants will receive an HIV testing offer comprised of four preference-informed testing options, including one 'common' option—comprising features that are commonly available in the area and, on average, most preferred among study participants—and three options that are specific to the study arm. Options will be identified using mixed logit and latent class analyses of data from a discrete choice experiment (DCE). Participants in Arm 1 will be offered the common option and three 'targeted' options that are predicted to be more preferred than the common option and combine features widely available in the study area. Participants in Arm 2 will be offered the common option and three 'enhanced' options, which also include HCT features that are not yet widely available in the study area. Participants in Arm 3, an active control arm, will be offered the common option and three predicted 'less preferred' options. The primary outcome will be uptake of HIV testing. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval was obtained from the Duke University Health System IRB, the University of South Carolina IRB, the Ethics Review Committee at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Tanzania's National Institute for Medical Research, and the Tanzania Food & Drugs Authority (now Tanzania Medicines & Medical Devices Authority). Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals. The use of rigorous DCE methods for the preference-based design and tailoring of interventions could lead to novel policy options and implementation science approaches. Trial registration number NCT02714140.


A phospholipid-stabilized suspension composed of microbubbles containing the gas perfluorobutane (perflubutane, PFB) with an outer layer of hydrogenated egg phosphatidylserine (HEPS), which can be used as an ultrasound imaging contrast agent. Upon administration, the PFB microbubbles enhance echo differences between various tissues, which enhances the visualization of images during ultrasound. In particular, the PFB microbubbles seem to preferentially target the reticuloendothelial system (RES); they are taken up by macrophages in the spleen and liver (Kupffer cells), and are taken up in lymph nodes. This may aid in the detection and diagnosis of cancer and liver disease, and may improve imaging of the lymphatic and vascular systems. The microbubbles provide increased stability during ultrasound imaging.


Aim: The study focused on evaluating the level of protein catabolism in severely head injured patients. Methods: Nitrogen balance, serum amino acid profiles, serum proteins and immune globulin, T cell subsets were detected in twenty patients suffering from severe head injury during the first 10 days after trauma. Results: These patients had an increased urinary nitrogen excretion with a mean urinary nitrogen excretion of 16.23±5.34g/d, an altered serum amino acid profiles, a rapid decrease in the concentration of nearly all amino acids, and the serum ratio of branched chain to aromatic amino acids (BCAA/AAA). The serum protein levels such as albumin, transferrin, prealbumin and fibronectin dropped soon after the trauma and lasted for the entire period. Conclusion: Malnutrition appeared in the early period after severe head injury. CD 3 and CD 4 cells decreased at day 4 and 10. The ratio of CD 4 to CD 8 also decreased. It is suggested that the patients with changes of T cell subsets become more suscepitible to infection and death. Thus, it is necessary to strengthen alimentotherapy for severely head injured patients in the early stage.


The research study was carried out at an Ecuadorian teacher training university and aimed at bridging the gap between the exit profile requirements of student teacher graduates and the syllabus of the subject called Teaching language skills. The objective was to establish how far demo lessons (such as microteaching sessions) can facilitate the training of student teachers, and prepare them for authentic teaching-learning situations at the beginning of their careers. A qualitative paradigm based on Action Research (AR) methodology was used in two consecutive cycles employing class observation, reflection and survey questions for feedback. In the first cycle, student teachers, who gave demo lessons on how to improve listening skills, were given feedback by the class teacher and their peers. In the second cycle, which aimed at mitigating the weaknesses identified by the observers and the class teacher in the first cycle, student teachers gave demo lessons on improving speaking skills. After the two cycles were completed, the 26 participants of the module were asked to provide responses to a survey questionnaire which specifically explored their perceptions on how far the demo lessons had helped them develop their professional competencies. The researchers conclude that observations of and reflections on the demo lessons benefited not only the class teacher, who was able to improve her methodology, but it also helped the student teachers since they could improve their teaching strategies and techniques to teach English. The student teachers' answers to the survey questions proved that the activities associated with the demo lessons were considered effective for the development of their professional competencies as future teachers of English.


Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipient benefits and resources are scarce near the end of the benefit month, increasing food insecurity and worsening nutrition. Missing meals or changes in meal timing can disrupt physiologic circadian systems that impact obesity risk. We sought to study whether meal consumption patterns vary from the time since the last SNAP benefit disbursement.

 We used the USDA National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS) database to identify peaks in daily meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) consumption using piecewise linear regression consumption as a function of days since last SNAP benefit disbursement. We then used these peaks in multivariable logistic regression with meal consumption as the outcome. If no peak was identified, days since disbursement was considered linearly. Analyses were stratified by age (2–5 years, 6–17 years, 18–64 years, and >65 years), adjusted for the primary respondent, free/reduced cost school meals, weekend survey day, multi-stage sampling design, and survey weights.

 There were 1,432 households and 4,850 individuals receiving SNAP, totaling 28,688 days of meal reporting data. Most participants were 18–64 years old (59.7%) and female (53.9%). For 6–17 year-olds, peak breakfast consumption was on day 25 and dinner on day 23. There was a significant decline after peak for breakfast (change in slope after peak −0.34, P = .005), but not dinner. For 18–64 year-olds, peak breakfast was on day 15 and lunch was on day 11, but the slope did not change significantly after these days. Other age and meal combinations did not identify a peak or have a significant linear association with days since the last snap benefit.

 There were peaks in meal consumption in adolescents and working-age adults during the SNAP benefit month. Only for adolescents was there a decline in breakfast consumption after this peak. This pattern of missing breakfast and changes in meal timing may contribute to the risk of obesity. Additional research to understand what accounts for shifts in meal consumption across the benefit month, including SNAP benefit amount and benefit distribution timing (i.e., twice versus once per month), should be conducted to inform SNAP policies that work to curb the negative effects of food insecurity.

 University of Michigan.


Food labels on packaged foods should be consistent, correct, and helpful. However, they contain irregularities, including misspellings and different terms used to characterize the same ingredient. We created distribution graphs of ingredients with the highest occurrences from two databases, USDA FoodData Central and Open Food Facts, and prevalence scripts to compare the proportion of ingredients with their synonyms. Consumers with food allergies, intolerances, or mindful of their health will be informed of these alternative terms and less at risk for health problems. This will also bring awareness to the inconsistencies of food labels, thus improving the health literacy of consumers.


DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24018/ejece.2021.5.6.379 Vol 5 | Issue 6 | December 2021 58 Abstract — In massive multiple input multiple output (mMIMO) scheme, the system capacity can be improved without additional bandwidth or transmit power by using a huge antenna array at base station with as much separation between antenna elements as possible. Unfortunately, its performance depends on having a perfect channel state estimate between the base state and the users. In this paper, the bit error rate (BER) performance of a mMIMO scheme is improved using genetic algorithm-based optimization with simulation performed in MATLAB software environment. The genetic algorithm used selects the best signal required for effective transmission. Four different antenna configurations in the order of 2x2, 4x4, 8x8 and 16x16 were considered for the simulation. The encoding and decoding were done using an STBC coded. Also, filter bank multicarrier-offset quadrature amplitude modulation (FBMC-OQAM) scheme was used and simulation was carried out for 4-FBMC-OQAM, 16 FBMCOQAM, and 64 FBMC-OQAM order. The BER is computed for both the optimized and un-optimized mMIMO schemes, and the performance of both schemes is compared. Simulation results show a significant improvement in the BER of the optimized mMIMO compared to the normal (coded) MIMO scheme. The overall results show that the optimized mMIMO experience a reduced BER when compared to the normal mMIMO. In both cases, the BER reduces gradually as the number of antenna increases.


Over a wide range of doses, codeine (0.001-1.0 mg/kg/injection) and cocaine (0.001-0.3 mg/kg/injection) both maintained lever-press responding when 30 responses were required for each intravenous injection. Rate of responding for each drug increased to a maximum and then decreased as dose (milligrams per kilogram per injection) increased. Maximum response rate for cocaine (0.003 mg/kg/injection) was over 3½ times greater than the maximum response rate for codeine (0.03 mg/kg/injection). For both drugs, greatest stability of response rates across sessions was obtained at the higher doses, and changes in dose generally produced immediate changes in response rates. Injections of codeine were usually distributed in a negatively accelerated pattern within sessions while injections of cocaine were more evenly distributed. History of cocaine exposure appeared to increase response rates for low doses of cocaine in some monkeys.


L)oking very healthy. General health much improved. Appetite good. Bowels open. Discharge copious, healthy. 6.-Is now able to sit up in bed, wound healing very fast; one ligature removed to-day. The last two or three days the integuments on the inner side of the axilla have been inflamed, but appear less so to-day. 9.-The remaining two sutures came away this inorning. The patient is able to walk about the ward. 13.-A small abscess has appeared on the spot where the integument was bruised by the iron nut. 'l'his was opened, and a slight quantity of pus escaped. h'lie cicatrizationof thelarge wound has been retarded by this circumstance. Tongue furred. Pulse very feeble. There is an erysipelatous blush about the wound, apparently produced by irritation from the adhesive plaster, which has accordingly been almost all removed. 16.-Rather better. Slight discharge of pus from the aperture, but of a thin consistency. Tongue cleaner. Granulations flabby, and inclined to rise. The argent. nitras to be applied. 20.-Discharge from wound much diminished in quantity. Granulations not looking very healthy. Warm water dressing applied to stump. June 16.-Much improved-the wound entirely healed. 'T'he abscess below still discharging. 23.-Abscess not quite healed. The patient, however, is discharged,-Mr. Key thinking that the assistance of country air will speedily effect a complete cure.


Substring search is a common activity in computing. The fastest known search method is that of Boyer and Moore with the improvements introduced by Horspool. This paper presents a new implementation which takes advantage of the dependencies between the characters. The resulting code runs 25 per cent faster than the best currently‐known routine.


We propose a model for the folding of rock under the compression of tectonic plates. This models an elastic rock layer imbedded in a viscous foundation by a fourth-order parabolic equation with a nonlinear constraint. The large-time behavior of solutions of this problem is examined and found to be of approximately self-similar form.


Evliya Qelebi in Bitlis is the most significant and rewarding book on the Seyahatname of Evliya in this century. It may well be the most significant book ever written on the Seyahatname. In a lighter vein, more closely resembling the classic nineteenth-century Travels of Evliya Efendi, The Intimate Life of an Ottoman Statesman ranks together with that initial presentation of parts of the Seyahatname and ought to be required reading for any student of Ot toman Turkish history and culture. These seemingly intemperate judgements are supported by even the most superficial analysis of the books in question and they are, moreover, entirely in harmony with Evliya's own tendency to uncontrollable enthusiasm. Evliya Qelehi in Bitlis is one part of a "corpus of partial editions" of the Seyahatname ably edited by Klaus Kreiser for E. J. Brill. It exhibits all the good qualities of the first volume in this series (together with the notable defect of an absolutely scarifying price), but it embodies in addition several special virtues which arise out of Dankoff's selection of material and the contribution of his own linguistic interests to the text. Evliya is a nedim, a good companion. However exasperating he may be at his more verbose moments, his outstanding characteristic is tha t he is good company for year after year. Dankoff has chosen the very period of Evliya's life that illustrates more vividly than any other his sheer joy of living. There is no part of his vast story that can quite equal the manic adventures in Bitlis. Evliya's escape through the snow after the grim scene of bedroom fratricide at the end of the Bitlis story deserves to become one of the classic texts in the language. The translation is lively and vivid, and carries the reader along. It is truly one of those tales the reader cannot put down. The special scholarly virtue of the book, however, is Dankoff's unique contribution to our understanding of Evliya's use of language. This reviewer is one of many who have puzzled over the curious, apparently illiterate orthography that appears in odd places throughout the text. Dankoff has


In given article the essence of concepts interaction, pedagogical interaction, joint activity, experience the subject-subject of interaction of the future experts reveals, the structure experience the subject-subject of interaction of the future experts


Our property law legislation is in intense process.Some international finance institutions and the People's Bank of China have made suggestion to the legislation authority that the secured transaction law be improved.The essay (examines) our secured financing law from the prospect of international secured transaction law,and addresses some views about relevant systems restructure.The essay emphasizes on the limits on collaterals,publicity of security interests,priority rules among the completing rights on the same collateral,and enforcement of security interests.


To provide a method and apparatus for maintaining data integrity. According to this method, a physical checksum calculation is performed on a block of data. After execution of the physical checksum calculation is performed on data whose logic check is included in the block of data. If the data block passes the logical check, data blocks may be written to the nonvolatile memory. Thereafter, when the data block is read from the nonvolatile memory, physical checksum verification procedure is performed on the data block, the data block after performing the logical check on data contained in the data block is corrupted whether it is determined.


Results: preparedness of community in terms of knowledge toward the risk of disaster included well prepared category amount of 52.9%, an emergency response plan was well prepared category amount of 60.7%, disaster warning system was well prepared category amount of 80.5%, resource mobilization well prepared category amount of 50.8% and only about 1% belonging to the unwell prepared category in terms of disaster warning system and mobilization of resources


A theory is presented in which the radial distribution function (RDF) of an amorphous solid is considered to be the sum of a series of shells of n‐bond neighbors. Application of the theory to the structure of amorphous Ge accounts quantitatively for the experimental RDF out to a radius of 6A. Limits are placed on the dihedral angle distribution indicating that staggered‐like configurations are more probable than eclipsed‐like.


Introduction: The right-sided hemicolectomy is a regularly performed abdominal surgery worldwide. Reasons for possible complications and the technique of the anastomosis, especially the occurrence of Anastomotic Leakage (AL), are still discussed controversially in the literature and considered a life threatening complication. Therefore, we analyzed our data retrospectively with special focus on anastomosis related complications. Material and Methods: All patients who underwent a right hemicolectomy between 2010 and 2019 at the Department of General and Visceral Surgery at the Kepler University Clinic (KUK) – Med Campus III in Linz, Austria have been analyzed retrospectively. The following parameters were documented: Sex, age, BMI, indication for surgery, surgical approach, postoperative morbidity and mortality, technique of anastomosis, occurrence of AL, need for ileostomy, intraoperative peritonitis, postoperative revisional surgery, postoperative food intake, intraoperative peritonitis, corticosteroid intake at time of surgery, pain catheter, highest postoperative CRP level, lymph node stage (N) and the number of retrieved lymph nodes (in general and positive ones). Results: Of 641 patients, 263 (41.0%) had laparoscopic resection (7.2% conversion rate) and 378 (59.0%) underwent open surgery. 239 (37.3%) of all patients got a hand-sewn anastomosis, whereas 375 (58.5%) received stapled ones which were mostly created extra-corporally. 26 (4.06%) patients got a terminal ileostomy and were therefore excluded from other calculations, resulting in a final patient collective of n=615. The overall leakage rate was 3.9% (n=24) with a postoperative mortality of 16.7% (4 of 24 patients with leakage, p=0.015*). The occurrence of an AL was followed by average 1.92 (from 1 up to 8) revisional surgeries (p<0.001**) between the 8th and 9th postoperative day. Eight (33.3%) of the leaking anastomosis were hand-sewn and 16 (66.7%) were stapled in acute (45.8%) or elective surgeries (54.2%). Conclusion: The event of AL after right-sided hemicolectomy was rarely occurring and independent of the surgical approach as well as the anastomosis technique. Statistically significant differences in patients with leaks were found in the number of revisional surgeries, the ASA score, the postoperative 30-day morbidity and mortality, the length of the postoperative stay in hospital, highest postoperative CRP level and number of retrieved positive lymph nodes.


Although speaker normalization is attempted in very different manners, vocal tract normalization (VTN) and speaker adaptive training (SAT) share many common properties. We show that both lead to more compact representations of the phonetically relevant variations of the training data and that both achieve improved error rate performance only if a complementary normalization or adaptation operation is conducted on the test data. Algorithms for fast test speaker enrolment are presented for both normalization methods: in the framework of SAT, a pre-transformation step is proposed, which alone, i.e. without subsequent unsupervised MLLR adaptation, reduces the error rate by almost 10% on the WSJ 5k test sets. For VTN, the use of a Gaussian mixture model makes obsolete a first recognition pass to obtain a preliminary transcription of the test utterance at hardly any loss in performance.


Abstract Water conservation in residential landscapes remains essential to mitigate projected global water shortages. Social media has seldom been used to drive engagement in conservation and may be an important channel for environmental change agents to communicate to clientele and promote behavior changes. We tested messages framed with real conservation facts and narrative quotes using the split testing technique. Data were collected in real-time on Facebook and Instagram on users' engagement with water conservation messages/ads and visits to a website to learn more. We found users are more likely to engage with relatable messages containing impressive numbers and perceived measurable benefits.


In the present work, the CdTe & ZnTe thin films of different thickness were prepared in the vacuum chamber using thermal evaporation using vacuum coating unit. The prepared films were cut into pieces and characterized for structural an d optical properties. The structural analysis of as prepared samples was carried out by the XRD (PHILIPS PW 3710). The structural analysis showed that increase with thickness, cryst allanity and grain size increases where as strain and dislocatio n density decreases. With increase in deposition time, the nu cleus size increases leading to larger clusters, their coalesc ence and formation of continuous films and hence also the grain size o f these films.


Sodium dodecyl sulfate-capillary gel electrophoresis (SDS-CGE) and capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) were employed to characterize and compare ricin E purified from the small grain seeds of Ricinus communis with ricin D isoform. During the purification of ricin E using ion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography, SDS-CGE was found to be useful for monitoring the efficiencies of purification steps. SDS-CGE showed that the molecular size of ricin E was not significantly different from that of ricin D, which was confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. CIEF was useful for discriminating ricin E from ricin D based on their isoelectric points (pI). The pI values of ricin E and D were 8.6-8.8 and 7.0-7.4, respectively. This study demonstrates the usefulness of SDS-CGE and CIEF for the characterization of ricin toxins.


Obesity surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures today and laparoscopy has become the preferred technique for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. A patient transferred to the surgery service for an abdominal pain had an abdominal tomography performed which demonstrated an aspect suggestive of internal hernia. Underwent emergency laparotomy. Resection of the ischemic area was performed. Reconstruct intestinal transit was madded 4 days after primary surgery. In this case, the complete ischemia of the Bypass segment has become a challenge to reconstruct the transit.


The objective of the article is to present the main economic theories as they apply to higher education financing: human capital theory, enterprise (organisation) theory and the economics of the public sector. Human capital theory is applied in the study of the impact of monetary and non-monetary determinants on decisions concerning entrance into higher education. The theory of the enterprise leads to a better understanding of efficiency in education provision while the output of the public sector economics is used in determining the level of state intervention in the financing of higher education.


We study the KN interactions in the I(J � ) = 0(1/2 − ) and 1(1/2 − ) channels and associated exotic state � + from 2+1 f avor full lattice QCD simulation for relatively heavy quark mass corresponding to m� = 871 MeV. The s-wave KN potentials are obtained from the Bethe-Salpeter wave function by using the method recently developed by HAL QCD (Hadrons to Atomic nuclei from Lattice QCD) Collaboration. Potentials in both channels reveal short range repulsions: Strength of the repulsion is stronger in the I = 1 potential, which is consistent with the prediction of the Tomozawa-Weinberg term. The I = 0 potential is found to have attractive well at mid range. From these potentials, the KN scattering phase shifts are calculated and compared with the experimental data.


This study aimed to investigate management factors affecting the bank's staff for collection of bank loans in Kermanshah province. This study was descriptive-survey study conducted using correlation method and in terms of objective, it is applied research. The statistical population of this research to answer the questions includes all the personnel for collection of Mellat Bank's. The sample size in full number has been equal to 200 persons. The standard questionnaire "Robinson questionnaire" is used to collect data on the effective management factors. The face validity and reliability of the questionnaires have been confirmed by Cronbach to 0.89. For purpose of data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics by SPSS software are used. Data analysis showed that management factors affecting outstanding bank collection in order of preference are: (1) participative management, 2. Authority delegation, 3. to provide information, 4. forming teams, and 5. independence and freedom of action.


By summarizing the control method for all the implementation steps in one contract section of Lingxiang-Changsha expressway,including material planning,procurement,storage and withdrawal etc.,the Paper hereby proposes relevant control measure,which will play a significant role in reducing the material cost and improving the efficiency of road/bridge projects.


In this article, the author discusses the principles o f problem based learning and their application to graduate level counsellor education. Problem-based learning is an educational approach using a problem statement, around which new information and skill development is initiated via a process which utilizes professional critical thinking and reasoning skills. Using this approach, counsellor education programs can be conceptualized around three phases: an essential theory and skills phase accenting broad theoretical parameters and skill development; a problem-based learning phase integrating additional information using critical thinking and reasoning skills; and an internship phase where students apply their learning in a professional context.


Acalypha hispida is a wild flowering herbaceous plant commonly called as Red-hot cat's tail or Monkey tail, belongs to family Euphorbiaceae. It is commonly propagated by stem cuttings, but successful propagation of Acalypha hispida by stem cutting is harder, and even the basic information on these aspects are limited. Hence, an experiment was conducted to determine the effects of stem cutting types and growing media on the successful propagation of Acalypha hispida. Four types of stem cuttings (shoot tip, soft wood, semi hardwood and hardwood) and three types of media (pure sand, pure coir dust and 1:1 mixture of sand: coir dust v:v) were used, and the experiment was laid out in Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with 3×4 factor factorial arrangement. Data was analyzed by SAS 9.1.3 software. It was observed that there was a significant (P>0.05) interaction between the cutting types and media used in all the tested parameters except survival rate. All the type of cuttings planted in sand with coir dust showed highest percentage of rooted shoots with well formed root system. Hardwood cuttings planted in pure coir dust and 1:1 ratio of sand: coir dust showed not significant virtuous root weight (0.15g, 0.16g), number of leaves (13.10, 13.43), and shoot length (3.53 cm , 3.34 cm). Cutting types showed significant (P>0.05) in survival and hardwood cuttings showed highest survival rate (80.56%) compared to others. Accordingly, it could be concluded that hardwood cutting as the best material planted in a 1:1 mixture of sand with coir dust and pure coir dust medium can be used to propagate Acalypha hispida plants successfully.