Background: Infertility treatment is highly stressful for women. European Society for human reproduction suggests that measuring the quality of life of infertile women is important for effective psychological care(1). Objective:The present study aims to establish content validity of Infertility quality of life questionnaire. The researcher aims to measure quality of life using eight major constructs. They are Emotion, Belief, Behaviour, Familial, Marital, Religiosity, Social Self and Treatment. It is a paper pencil test and measures responses of participants on a 5-point rating scale. Method and Procedure:The study was conducted in two phases. During instrument design phase (phase one), the researcher a) identifiedthe constructs of the questionnaire using in-depth interviews and review of the literature and b) generated items for each construct. Phase two involved face validity, the content validity (expert judgement)and pretesting the questionnaire. The researcher procured feedback from eleven experts to rate each item based on 'Relevance', 'Clarity' and 'Necessity' representing quality of life of infertile women in treatment. Results:The items with Content Validity Ratio (CVR) of a) 0.75 and above were retained, b) 0.50 and below were eliminated and c) items between 0.75 and 0.50 were modified and retained. The Content Validity Index for Relevance indicates that 75 of the items were"Relevant' and five items required revision. The Content Validity Index for Clarity indicates that 74 of the items were rated 'Clear' and six required revision. Conclusion:In this study, the researcher constructed Infertility Quality of Life questionnaire and using expert feedback enhanced content validity of the questionnaire. The final questionnaire has 80 items. The study concludes that Infertility Quality of Life is a valid instrument which can be used to assess all relevant dimensions of quality of life of infertile women in treatment.


An eminent child psychiatrist provides an insider's, whistle-blowing perspective on the promotion of a diagnostic entity that does not exist. * Arresting case histories * A reference section


Dry preparations of α-MSH and of fiddler crab eyestalk extracts were irradiated with fast electrons. The irradiations were carried out in a vacuum and at absolute temperatures from 90°K to 420°K. The direct action of the radiation on melanin-dispersing activity in the chromatophores of appropriate assay animals can be interpreted according to target theory and also in terms of Arrhenius activation energies for yield in relation to temperature. At temperatures around 300°K the radiation sensitivity of α-MSH corresponds by target theory to a molecular mass of 1100 gm/mole. For the crab hormone the radiation-sensitive mass is about 3750 gm/mole from irradiations at that temperature. Results at various temperatures for α-MSH indicate only roughly an activation energy between 350 and 600 cal/mole. For the crab hormone two activation energies are evident, one at 200 cal/mole and the other at around 3300 cal/mole. The patterns of activation energies are reasonably distinct from those evident in such work with en...


Purpose: We investigate whether femur morphology is affected by body mass (BM). To establish deformations associated with obesity, we propose an atlas estimation framework based on diffeomorphic shape mapping that relaxes the point correspondence requirement common to many conventional shape modeling approaches. Methods: The study sample consisted of femora from 18 normal weight (BMI between 20-25) and 18 obese (BMI > 30) individuals (Texas State University Donated Skeletal Collection). Bone surface models (2,500 vertices and approximately 5,000 faces) were generated from CT scans of the specimens (512x512 matrix, 0.625x0.625x0.5 mm voxels). The surface models were input to an optimization algorithm that yielded an atlas representation of shape variability consisting of a mean bone template and diffeomorphic deformations matching the template onto each specimen. The accuracy of normal weight vs. obese classification using principal atlas deformation modes was established in leave-one-out experiments with Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. Results: We achieved 75% classification accuracy in leave-one-out SVM experiments, indicating the possibility of functional skeletal adaptations to increased body mass. By visualizing the bone surface deformation given by the SVM classification direction, we found that morphological alterations associated with obesity might include relative thickening of the femoral neck and the trochanters, and retroversion of the femoral head. Conclusions: The landmark-free atlas estimation algorithm enabled detection of morphological femur variants that might be predictive of elevated body mass.


For the time-history method in structural earthquake response calculations,the value for the Rayleigh matrix,which is identified based on two corresponding structural periods,has a great effect on the simulation results.With a three-span continuous beam bridge as engineering case,this paper selected different structural periods to calculate the corresponding Rayleigh damping matrix.The influence of the different period selections on structural seismic responses were studied.The rationality of Rayleigh matrix construction was discussed,on basis of which suggestions of defining the Rayleigh matrix was finally proposed.


The problem of the existence of a prostaglandin (PG) receptor is still controversial, but it seems to be clear that the main action of the PGs concerns the interface of the cellular membrane (which has a predominantly lipid character) and the extracellular liquid (which mainly consists of water). Also especially in the case of the exogenous PGs, the transport of these substances in the organism in influenced by the hydrophilic-hydrophobic properties of the reactive molecules. These properties can be estimated by MO studies using a solvation model and a semiempirical method of calculation. This paper is concerned with the molecules of PGA1 and PGE1. MO studies were performed for these molecules with the CNDO/SW method in order to calculate ionization potentials, dipole moments, and molecular polarizabilities. With these computed molecular properties, the electrostatic and van der Waals interactions with water and octanol molecules are evaluated and compared within the framework of the original model. This study allows the differentiation of the hydrophilic–hydrophobic character of the PGs investigated and the comparison of the results with experimental data.


In this critical reflection, we analyze our own experiences in our roles as learners, teachers, graduate students, community fa- cilitators, and peers. We provide narratives about key process- es and moments that either contributed to or undermined our attempts to create radically inclusive educational spaces, and explore the tools that are needed to cultivate embodied experi- ences of interdependence, to identify and begin to address pow- er imbalances, and to create a collective orientation to group learning and success. Our intention is to provide reflections on our own journeys, and present some of the skills we have developed along the way as a toolkit that might support adult learners and adult educators as they carve out their own paths.


The present distribution of heavy metals in the soils from Baoding urban greenlands were investigated and assessed using the contamination index of single item and comprehensive item,and the potential ecological risks of heavy metals were evaluated by the potential ecological risk index developed by Hakanson.The results indicated that the contamination of Cd was most serious in Baoding urban greenlands,the next in order being Cu,Zn and Ni,and that of Cr and Pb was the least.The ranking order of the heavy metal contamination in different types of greenland was the road greenlandthe shelter greenlandthe park greenlandthe accessory greenlandthe production greenland.The potential ecological risk index of heavy metals in road greenland(RI=212.63)and shelter greenland(RI=191.12) have both reached a medium level,and that in park greenland(RI=91.36),accessory greenland(RI=80.19)and production greenland(RI=66.00)presented a slight ecological risk.


The contribution of oral culture in comprehension of any nation is equivalent to its written literature. The study of oral tradition is interlinked to the study of orality. Orality refers to the thought and verbal expression in societies where people are unaccustomed to the technologies of literacy viz. writing and print. At the same time, orality has a vast influence on and is in contact with every aspect of economic, political, institutional and social development of human societies. Due to the deficiency of technologies of writing in oral culture, literate cultures are habitual of taking them as lacking culture. Oral cultures are living and vibrant cultures and have their own significance. Moreover, orality lies at the heart of literacy as the expression of thought and action in all literate technologies as they ultimately depend on the human ability to learn oral languages and then translate sound into symbolic imagery. Walter J. Ong argues that "many of the contrasts often made between western and other views seem reducible to contrasts between deeply interiorized literacy and more or less residually oral states of consciousness"(29).


The global convergence of ADMM for convex problems was given by He and Yuan in [5] under the variation inequality framework. However, since our optimization problem is non-convex, the convergence analysis for ADMM needs additional conditions. In non-convex optimization, convergence to a stationary point (local minimum) is the best convergence property that we can hope for. By imposing some conditions, Wen et al. [8] managed to show that the sequence generated by ADMM converges to a KKT point. In this section, along a similar line, we establish the convergence property of proximal ADMM. First of all, we present the first-order KKT conditions of our `0TV optimization problem. For simplicity, we define:


Augmented and virtual reality proved to be valuable solutions to convey contents in a more appealing and interactive way. Given the improvement of mobile and smart devices in terms of both usability and computational power, contents can be easily conveyed with a realism level never reached in the past. Despite the tremendous number of researches related with the presentation of new fascinating applications of ancient goods and artifacts augmentation, few papers are focusing on the real effect these tools have on learning. Within the framework of SmartMarca project, this chapter focuses on assessing the potential of AR/VR applications specifically designed for cultural heritage. Tests have been conducted on classrooms of teenagers to whom different learning approaches served as an evaluation method about the effectiveness of using these technologies for the education process. The chapter argues on the necessity of developing new tools to enable users to become producers of contents of AR/VR experiences.


A communication apparatus for processing the digital information from the plurality of wireless devices (103) received transmissions, the apparatus comprising: a processing environment having an input for receiving digital information, wherein the computing environment further comprises: an input detection mechanism coupled to the collection of information associated with the digital input capture data to the input; a central processing unit (113) with access to the input capture mechanism, the central processing unit (113) is adapted for decoding the digital information based on the input capture data, and for formatting the data contained in the digital information; coupled to a first wireless device first communication link (109 # 1) and coupled to a second cordless terminal second communication link (109 # 2); and a data reporting unit, operatively to the central unit (113) is coupled, said data reporting unit for the communication of the data comprising status data indicating the identity of the cordless device, a profile of the cordless device or a profile code of the cordless device or ...


Based on the particular stage of non-English major freshmen,this paper is written to probe into the difficulties of vocabulary learning and the counter-measures are proposed,which aims at offering certain help for the vocabulary learning of freshmen in the future.


The improved clinical performance of high copper amalgam has led to the introduction of several different high copper amalgams. Some of these, which contain little or no zinc, such as non-zinc Dispersalloy* and Tytin § amalgam, are more cathodic in Ringer's solution than the conventional amalgam such as Aristaloyt and Zn-containing Dispersalloy amalgams (Table 1). The placement of different amalgam restorations or other metals, gold for instance, in opposition or interproximally in the mouth, could become a cause for concern if galvanic degradation were to occur. In the present investigation, a simple experiment was performed to test this hypothesis. Aristaloy amalgam was placed in intimate contact with one of the three different materials. They were: 1) non-zinc (0.02% Zn) Dispersalloy amalgam, 2) Type III dental gold plates, and 3) zinc-containing (0.8% Zn) Dispersalloy amalgam. The cathodic area was four times the anodic area. The amalgams were triturated and condensed according to manufacturers' directions and ADA Spec. #1 for dental amalgams in specially constructed dies, which produce dumbbell axial tensile specimens (Chen, C. P. and Greener, E. H., J Oral Rehab 3:323-327, 1976). The specimens for each combination were immersed in Ringer's solution at 370C for seven days in an open top flask. At the end of seven days, the flasks were checked, and the specimens were removed from the Ringer's solution. Axial tension tests on at least four specimens of each condition were then performed in air at room temperature.


This case involves a hypothetical situation in which two business professors propose a deferred-compensation plan to the president of Stanford University after the passage of the Economic Growth and Reconciliation Act of 2001. The case has three unique aspects that enhance the students' learning experience: (1) it provides a realistic setting for students to analyze optimal compensation arrangements for tax purposes for various parties; (2) it provides an opportunity to discuss the political costs of tax planning, including scrutiny from the press, internal conflicts, and governmental reactions; (3) it provides an opportunity to discuss tax planning in a not-for-profit setting and to compare it with a for-profit setting.


Complications after chest wall resection are common and are reported to occur in approximately 40% of patients. The most frequent complications are respiratory or wound complications. Restoring rib continuity after a resection is likely to prevent respiratory complications. However many patients remain painful after a reconstruction. This article describes a new technique using a titanium alloy precontoured locking plate and locking screws to reconstruct the chest wall after resection of the 7th rib on the left.


In order to study the aging changes of intramitochondrial DNA synthesis of mouse adrenal cells, 8 groups of developing ddY mice, each consisting of 3 individuals, total 24, from fetal day 19 to postnatal newborn at day 1, 3, 9, 14, adult at month 1, 2 and 6, were injected with 3H-thymidine, sacrificed 1 hr later and the liver tissues were fixed and processed for electron microscopic radioautography. The results were analyzed and published in the previous article. Then, other 2 groups of the same strain mice which lived longer, total 6, aged at postnatal month 12 and 24 (year 1 and 2) at senescence were treated the same as before. On electron microscopic radioautograms obtained from each animal, number of mitochondria and the mitochondrial labeling index labeled with 3H-thymidine showing DNA synthesis in each adrenalin cell and noradrenalin cell, in the medulla, were counted and the results in respective aging groups were compared. From the results, it was observed that the numbers of mitochondria both adrenalin and noradrenalin cells in the adrenal medullae of mice at various ages did not increase from postnatal month 6 to 12 and 24, respectively, while the number of labeled mitochondria and the labeling indices of intramitochondrial DNA syntheses incorporating 3H-thymidine decreased from month 6 to 12 and 24 due to aging. It was seen that the activity of intramitochnodrial DNA synthesis in the adrenal medullary cells in developing and aging mice increased and decreased due to aging of animals.


We prove the optimal L 2 -extension theorem of Ohsawa–Takegoshi type on a tube domain. As an application, we give a simple proof of Prékopa's theorem.


Gold has an important role in worldwide economics. Gold is not only used in jewelry but also can be a good deal for investment however several factors can affect the fluctuation in gold which can make the risk of investing in gold is bigger for many people. Therefore, is very important to predict the gold price for people who invest in gold in order to help reduce the investment risk. This study will implement a hybrid method from Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). CNN can extract useful knowledge and learn the internal representation of time-series data, and LSTM networks will identify short-term and long-term dependencies effectively. This research will use daily time frame data and weekly time frame data. This research also tried some experiments to find the best hyperparameters of batch size and epochs in ratio data 60:40 and 80:20. The best result obtained in the daily time of ratio data 60:40 with RMSE 13.67953 and MAE 9,40998, while in ratio data 80:20 has RMSE 15,53199 and MAE 12,78120. In weekly time has obtained the RMSE 38,01949 and MAE 28,32035 for ratio data 60:40 while in ratio data 80:20 the result was RMSE 32,61283 and MAE 22,74638. Those results shows that CNN-LSTM model can predict the trend of daily time frame gold price.


Electronic comparator of two binary words with ausfallsicherheitsgerichtetem output behavior for use in automation systems with a safety function, wherein at first a two-channel, digital pre-processing unit ( 1 ) Compares the two binary words applied to the input in parallel with each other, wherein the data generated by the two channels of the pre-processing results as a one-bit digital signals (Q1, Q2) via gates (optocoupler U1 and U2 in 2 ) (By power feed from the comparator output VGL) are supplied from a fail-safety-oriented, electrically separated analog comparator ( 2 ), In which (by means of a first (TR1) and a second transformer TR2) pulses are generated that occur at the same time under identical Q1 and Q2 and can be briefly conducting, the two transistors (T5, T6), whereby oscillations in one of a capacitor (C1) and a third transformer (TR3) existing resonant circuit are triggered, then amplified (T9, T10, T13) via a further transformer (TR6) are fed to a rectifier (GL3), whose output signal (VGL) indicates the result of the comparison wherein the comparator of detecting any differences in the one-bit digital signals (Q1, ...


We have reported pyridine styrylphenanthroimidazole derivatives, SPPI-C2Py, SPPI-N1Py and SPPI-C2N1Py, as efficient electron transport materials (ETMs) for blue fluorescent OLEDs and host materials for phosphorescent organic light emitting diodes.


Three dihydrostilbene derivatives (1-3) and 5 neolignans (4-8) were isolated from the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of Pouzolzia sanguinea. Two new compounds (1 and 4) were obtained. Their structures, as well as their absolute configuration, were elucidated by means of high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and circular dichroism spectral data. Compounds 1-8 inhibited NO production in lipopolysaccharide-activated BV2 cells with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values ranging from 22.7 ± 1.5 to 61.2 ± 3.1 µM. Of these, compounds 1 and 2 exhibited the most NO inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 22.7 ± 1.5 and 25.1 ± 2.1 µM, respectively, in comparison with the positive control, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, IC50 value 22.1 ± 1.2 µM.


David Thompson is a very hardy, repeatedly and freely flowering Rosa rugosa hybrid with fragrant, double red flowers, very resistant to powdery mildew and blackspot.


The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), 21 000 yr before present, was the time of maximum land ice extent during the last ice age. A recent simulation of the LGM climate by a state-of-the-art fully coupled global climate model is shown to exhibit strong, steady atmospheric jets and weak transient eddy activity in the Atlantic sector compared to today's climate. In contrast, previous work based on uncoupled atmospheric model simulations has shown that the LGM jets and eddy activity in the Atlantic sector are similar to those observed today, with the main difference being a northeastward extension of their maxima. The coupled model simulation is shown to agree more with paleoclimate proxy records and thus is taken as the more reliable representation of LGM climate. The existence of this altered atmospheric circulation state during LGM in the model has implications for understanding the stability of glacial climates, for the possibility of multiple atmospheric circulation regimes, and for the interpretation of paleoclimate proxy records.


525 the fate of the Jews, but that he could not inform other people; to Berg this meant "the Jewish fate did not interest him particularly, other than as a part of a general burden" (p. 232). Berg's own evidence also modifies his generalization that IfZ historians were allergic to Jewish works on the Holocaust. The IfZ published H.G. Adler's work in 1960 and praised his study of Theresienstadt (p. 304). The IfZ and Wiener Library (London) planned to produce a documentation about the Third Reich's Jewish policy (p. 285). And 1960s IfZ reports cited works by Gerald Reitlinger, Leon Poliakov, and Joseph Wulf (p. 299). Above all, if "functionalism" is merely an IfZ construct to obscure perpetrators and victims, how do we account for the early "structural" works of Aly or non-Germans? In contrast, one could argue that functionalism greatly expanded the groups of perpetrators. Hans Mommsen, Berg's most consistent "structuralist," warned that viewing the SS as all-powerful could become a "passive alibi" since "responsibilities did not stop with the SS."3 Berg also totally ignores regional collections such as Paul Sauer's study on the fate of the Jews of Baden. Berg's theory that a generational change has shifted the focus onto perpetrators and victims has no room for the 1981 work on the Einsatzgruppen by Helmut Krausnick, a former party member. Indeed, Berg's much-quoted Ulrich Herbert has recently suggested an alternative hypothesis—that the debate during the Historikerstreit played a major role in causing researchers on Nazi Germany to focus on the Holocaust as the central crime of Nazi rule and World War II.4


Sintered ceramics often have different properties at the near surface from in the middle. With surface waves of different frequency or wavelength, we can estimate the depth-dependent subsurface properties, because the surface wave propagates in surface layer of about one wavelength. In this paper, the leaky surface wave velocities of Si3N4 ceramics with various porosity have been measured by a scanning acoustic microscope at 195 and 440 MHz and by time-of-flight measurement with a PVDF line focused sensor at 36 MHz. The velocities measured at 440 MHz are much higher than those at 36MHz, while the latter are very close to the Rayleigh wave velocities calculated with bulk velocities measured at 5 MHz. This shows elastic constant near surface is higher than that in the middle.


The development of complex network theory, especially the discovery of small-world characteristics in power grids, has made people more and more concerned on the structural vulnerability of electric power system. On the basis of complex network theory, this paper studies the heterogeneity of small-world power grid, specially analyzes the inherent reason for cascading failures in small-world power grid and looks for valid measures to improve the capability of the power grid to endure large-scale blackouts. Failure simulations have been done on topological models of Anhui power grid and the East China power grid. The results show that structural vulnerability of small-world power grid is the intrinsic reason for failures to cascade in the grid and external factor can hardly improve its endurance to large-scale cascading failures. Meanwhile, strategies to prevent large-scale cascading failures are presented and tested, and it is found that more reasonable resource configuration and load distribution are meaningful to increase the reliability of electricity transmission.


Between the latter nineteenth century and the 1930s there was a dramatic revolution in American families. Family size continued its long-term decline, the schooling of older children expanded dramatically and the proportion of married females' adulthood devoted to market-oriented activities increased. Over this same period there were significant reductions in mortality, especially among the young, and impressive reductions in morbidity. This paper considers all these trends jointly, modeling the changes in fertility, child schooling and lifetime married female labor supply as a consequence of exogenous changes in health. These interactions are then quantified using calibration techniques. The simulations suggest that reductions in child mortality alone cannot explain the transformation of the American family. Indeed, in our preferred calibration, reductions in child mortality lead to a modest decline in human capital and increase in fertility, with little effect on married female labor force involvement. In sharp contrast, reductions in morbidity are found to lower fertility and increase education. The time savings from lower fertility more than offset the increased time mothers invest in their childrens' quality, freeing some time for market work. However, lower fertility alone cannot account for the increase in market work of married women. In our framework, the majority of the increase is a consequence of a narrowing of the gender wage gap. More generally, viewing the implications of health improvements deepens our understanding of the American family transformation, complementing explanations based on skill biased technical change and improvements in household durable goods.


The growth in population causes a rise in demand for transport. The attributes of automobile speed and time travel are central to traffic engineering projects, such as efficiency and quality of operation tests on highways, unmarked intersections and roundabouts. This paper presents a statistical study on fitting distribution using several types of probability distributions. Several types of mixed distribution are proposed and tested in order to determine the best model in describing daily traffic. This project analysed the progress of time and vehicle speed on urban roads and investigated the statistical relationship between them in order to emphasize the ability for enhancing traffic flow Time forward and speed distribution studies afford knowledge into the aggregate flow of vehicles with significant capacity estimation applications, level of service (LOS) analysis, safety examination, etc. On the principle of information gathered from airport road 6-lane highway, a video recording technique was used to analyse the progress and speed of the vehicles. The project aims to research the time forward distribution of vehicles for mixed vehicle movement and separate leaderfollower vehicle sets on the foundation of six rates of traffic flow [0-200, 200-400, 400-600, 600-800, 800-1000 and 10001200 PCU/h]. The study of the recorded speed data is also carried out in order to acquire the speed distribution trends in mixed traffic and even the vehicle class-wise speed study is carried out in order to assess the effect of the overall movement and vehicle configuration on the distance. The findings of this project can be specifically extended to the creation of microsimulation models.


A study of the propagation characteristics and several signal integrity aspects of a conventional coplanar waveguide (CPW) is presented here. The study considers the bound and leaky modes supported by this structure up to high frequencies. The analysis of the dispersion characteristics of the structure is complemented with the study of the voltage excited along the line when fed by a delta-gap source of current. The results thus obtained allow us to discuss on the physical meaning of the modes and the relevance of the residual wave, which is key to link the practical role played by the different modal solutions with the spurious effects that may appear in the structure. The analysis of the eye-diagram performance also reveals that the signal integrity in CPW systems basically relies on the excitation of the parasitic fundamental coupled slotline mode as well as the high-frequency excitation of the continuous spectrum. These aspects have been studied in detail.


ODP Legs 106 and 109 drilled zero-age crust at Site 648 on the axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and recovered sparsely to moderately phyric but chemically homogeneous basalt. Plagioclase phenocrysts in Site 648 basalts exhibit a variety of zoning patterns and compositions including: (1) tabular (An84) cores mantled by more sodic zones (An80 and An75), (2) tabular (An80) cores mantled by narrow (An84 and An75) zones, (3) skeletal cores (An80_78) enclosing sodic (An75) patches, and (4) rounded cores (An75) surrounded by skeletal (An80_78) mantles. Backscattered electron images have been used to define zone morphologies in 28 crystals; major element compositions of the zones have been determined by electron microprobe; and Mg, K, Ti, Fe, and Sr concentrations have been determined by ion microprobe. Equilibrium partitioning of minor and trace elements between crystals and liquids occurred during stable growth of tabular cores and inner rims. Disequilibrium partitioning occurred during rapid growth of crystal rims, resulting in enrichment of incompatible trace and minor elements, and during growth of calcic zones with skeletal and acicular morphology, resulting in enrichment of Fe and Sr and depletion of Mg, K, and Ti. Crystal/liquid partition coefficients estimated from the composition of inner rims and glass are DM" = 0.03, DK = 0.15, DTi = 0.028, DFe = 0.05, and DSr = 1.82. Using these partition coefficients, we have calculated the composition of primitive liquid in equilibrium with phenocryst cores. The estimated liquid composition is similar to primitive basalt compositions from the Kane Fracture Zone except for a much higher Ca/(Ca + Na) ratio which resembles values for MAR plume basalts. The diversity in plagioclase morphologies and compositions is explained by mixing of melts at different stages of evolution and stored in separated but interconnected reservoirs, as previously suggested by Kuo and Kirkpatrick (1982).


Recent developments in imaging systems have seen the implementation of a radar matched-filtering approach. The goal of the imaging system is to obtain information about an unknown object embedded in the system, by controlling the parameters of the input and measuring the response to the known input. The main merit of using matched filtering in imaging systems is the improvement of Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). However, the correlation process used in matched filtering may result in a loss of resolution. One way to compensate for lost resolution is via pulse compression. Linear frequency modulated sinusoidal waveforms (chirps) have the property of pulse compression after correlation. Hence, both SNR and resolution can be enhanced by matched-filtering and pulse compression with a chirp. However, the theory behind the effect of chirp parameters on resolution is still not clear. In this paper, a one-dimensional theory of matched-filter imaging with a pulse compressed linear frequency modulated sinusoidal chirp is developed. The effect of the chirp parameters on the corresponding signal is investigated, and guidelines for choosing the chirp parameters for resolution considerations are given based on the developed theory and simulations. The results showed that by manipulating the center frequency, bandwidth, and duration of the chirp, the resolution can be easily enhanced.


The concept of a vertical barrier embedded in soil to protect from seismic waves of the Rayleigh type is discussed. The principle idea for such a barrier is to reflect and scatter wave energy by the barrier, thus decreasing amplitude of surface vibrations beyond the barrier. Numerical FE simulations of a plane model are presented and discussed.


In terms of combining aesthetics with utility, some species of perennial grasses are used to turf green spaces, sports grounds, slopes, the waste dumps, which require diversification of these species improvement directions. Important is obtaining new biological forms - varieties of main species of grass turf with increased resistance to drought during the summer increased land may represent an important objective of the research companies producing seed of this kind. Maintaining knowledge and genetic resources available is a foremost requirement for successful improvement activity. By hybridization to create new and original material makes an important source of variability in process improvement. The hybrid forms often show an increased variability compared with the parental forms from which they originate. The hybridization can be obtained transgression, which forms a hybrid cumulate grade attributes of the parents emphasized. Original material improvement to be maintained is divided in two categories at the beginning of works to improve existing (varieties, hybrids, lines, clones, local populations) and breeder material created by various methods conventional or unconventional (hybridization, inbreeding, vegetative multiplication, polyploidy, etc.). Achieving this goal requires the organization and the study of plant genetic resources collections as rich enough to be within the possible exploitation of genetic variability. Paper presents results that include studies of original material improvement in order to use valuable resources to create new synthetic varieties resistant to drought. To design a program to improve the species Festuca pratensis, need to consider and study the variability coefficient established between ecotypes, populations and species.


Presently the removal and the replacement of the mulch during fertilizer application in coconut plantations is.done either by mammoty or by hand . Average cost of this operation is approximately Rs. 1.20 per palm. It takes about 2 5 minutes to remove the mulching material. Generally, one person could complete about 40 50 palms/day. Removal of mulching material by hand is very laborious and time consuming. The worker has to bend to collect each piece of material in the mulch from an area of about 10 sq.m (ie: 95 sq.ft). The use of a mammoty (ie: 20 cm wide blade) is also less efficient and leads to the removal of precious organic matter and nutrients from the top layer of soil.


We give a table with all integral trees on at most 50 vertices, and characterize integral trees with a single eigenvalue 0.


Hunting is one of a human activity, which involved the harvesting of wildlife from their
habitat for human use. They are for nutritional, trade, culture and religion, and economic
purposes. Hunting in the Tropics today are less sustainable due to harvesting of wildlife
exceeds their reproduction rate and also habitat loss. This study was conducted to
elucidate the hunting patterns of the Iban community of Kampung Sebandi (N 01°36.257',
E 109°51.087') in relation to wildlife population density and abundance in Sebandi Forest
(N OJ036.920', E 109°50.823'). The results revealed that the main reason for hunting is for
subsistence, besides sport and to reduce crop pest problems. Huntings were done during
the days and night in group of three to hunters. Day hunting activities were preferred
and done by using shotguns and accompanied by dogs. The index of hunting pressure in
Sebandi Forest was 98.14. There were three types of animals usually hunted which
included bearded pig (Sus barbatus). sambaI' deer (Cen.'us 11.nZ:color) dan lesser mousedeer
(Tragulus javanicus). During the study period, the mammals hunted were lesser mousedeer, common palm civet (Paradoxurus hennaphroditus) and sambar deer with
biomass of 71.~37%, 22.18% and 6.62% respectively. Study on wildlife density and abundance in Sebandi Forest was done by usmg line
transect method. A total of 49 individuals of mammals representing 11 species and 10
families were recorded. The Families include Insectivore, Scandentia, Dermoptera,
Primates, Pholidota, Rodentia, Carnivora, and Artiodactila. The dominant species was
Plaintain squirrel (Callosciurus notatu.s) with 16 individuals or 561 individual per 100
km2 with relative abundance of 32.65%. This is followed by sambaI' deer with 12
individuals or 421 individual per 100 km2 with relative abundance of 24.49%. There were
157 birds representing 45 species and 23 families. The families include Accipitridae,
Rallidae, Columbidae, Psittacidae, Cuculidae, Strigidae, Caprimulgidae, Alcedinidae,
Megalaimidae, Picidae, Eurylaimidae, Aegithinidae, Pycnonotidae, Turdidae, Timaliidae,
Sylvidae, Muscicapidae, Dicaeidae, Nectariniidae, Sturnidae, Estrildidae, Dicruridae and Corvidae. The Sebandi Forest \vas dominated by red-throated barbet (Meg-alaima mystacophanos) and rufous-tailed tailorbird (Orthotomu.s sericeu.s) 10 individual or 3.50
individual per kilometer2 and 6.369% of relative abundance, The study on wildlife
diversity between the disturbed (secondary forest) and disturbed (plantations) areas
of Sebandi Forest showed that there was a significant different of mammals diversity with
Shannon-Weiner Index of HI = 3.322 and H2 2.000 each. However, there was no
significant difference with regard to bird diversity between the two areas. From the overall result obtained, the lower the numbers of wildlife recorded in the
numbers of species hunted, the higher their numbers recorded during the wildlife survey.
For example, there were nine individuals of lesser mousedeer hunted, thus the number of
this species was low with only one individual recorded during the wildlife survey in
Sebandi Forest. And so as for both bearded pig and sambaI' deer.


Military use of chat, as a grassroots technology, has become so widespread in the last fifteen years that Joint communities have just begun to scratch the surface of this robust communications technology. Historically, IRC room-based chat has been the preferred paradigm for tactical users, due to its ease of use and robustness on high-jitter networks. Migration to XMPP-based chat is now being discussed for a way forward, though this change in protocol raises many questions for the current concept of operations (CONOPS), especially for edge, tactical, users. This special session will focus on current research being performed within DoD to analyze current usage of chat, in order to assist Fleet users both today and in the future.


In order to increase the amount of information available on vertebral bone material properties, a three dimensional, nondestructive data collection system has been developed. To measure the deflections of a bone specimen in three dimensions, LVDTs were positioned in the three primary axes. LVDTs are used because their measurements will not be influenced by the MTS machine, and therefore the deflection read from the MTS machine can be used to check the LVDT output. LVDTs can also be rapidly and accuracy calibrated. Using LVDTs is a relatively inexpensive way to measure deflection along the three axes due to a unixial compression and, therefore, allows the calculation of Possion's ratio with respect to an axis. This method can therefore calculate all six Possion's ratios that are found in a 3 × 3 material matrix, quantities that are not well established for bone.


The topic o f local finance has been a major political issue over the last twenty years. Beginning with tax revolts and a crisis o f local finance in large parts o f Europe and the U S in the 7Os, the issue reached its peak with the spectacular defeat o f Margaret Thatcher on the question o f local taxes in 1990.l In Sweden, the early years o f the 1990s saw an extensive debate on the issue o f local finance. That debate evolved on a new form o f block grant from the central state to the municipalities, Following a cornnittee proposal, the central government introduced a grant calculated so that the larger cities in Sweden lost resources i n comparison to the earlier grant system. A collision between the central state and the big cities is , o f course, not a particular Swedish phenomenon. Rather, that question has pervaded the debate on local government through the 70s and 80s in Western Europe and USA.' This article will investigate local taxation in Sweden during the interwar period when local finances also consistentiy entered the political agendas o f the European countries. ARer s brief outline o f the development in Sweden, it will connect the issue to the political and economical theorising on tax policy, and attempt a preliminary comparison with other countries. The article will argue that the existence o f strong worker and farmer parties can explain why the political battle over local taxation seemed to be more severe in Sweden than i n other countries. Furthermore, the article will maintain that the difficulty i n overcoming the clashes also had the outcome o f giving the country a local tax system that, from a normative economical perspective, had major flaws.


This article charts the way that an idea originating in the United States – that homosexuals should be considered not as a marginalised minority but as a valuable niche market – was brought to Brazil by means of the glossy printed magazine, with its promise of attracting lucrative brand advertising. It examines two major titles –SuiGeneris and G Magazine – to show how the format was adapted in different ways to Brazilian conditions. This led to interactions with two existing factors, the LGBT+ social movement and the erotic male nude magazine, together with the contemporary phenomenon of celebrity culture. The article reviews scholarly research on the topic and tries to assess to what degree the original idea met its objectives, both on its own terms and within the wider social goal of combatting prejudice and discrimination against homosexuals.


We use an environmental scanning transmission electron microscope (ESTEM) equipped with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and a monochromated electron source to perform energy loss measurements on metallic nanoparticles (NPs) exposed to local gaseous environments at varying pressures. In particular, we characterize the effect of exposure to CO or H2 on the surface plasmon resonance of a gold NP. By addressing various sites around the perimeter of a triangular NP (edge length ~20 nm) with the electron beam in STEM mode, the energy loss spectrum resulting from site-specific excitation of surface plasmon resonance is probed with a spatial resolution of ~1 nm and energy resolution of ~100 meV. Local gas adsorption is evidenced by peak shifts in the energy loss spectrum, which are found to be positive for CO and negative for H2. Strong site selectivity is evident, with CO and H2 adsorbing preferentially at the edge and corner sites, respectively. To characterize the sign and magnitude of the energy shifts, finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations of electron-beam excitation of the NP are performed using a specialized model in which the local electron concentration is allowed to vary spatially over the particle volume. This is a result of both the inhomogeneous spatial distribution of the adsorbate and its degree of electronegativity.


Cs+ ion exchange in RbTiOPO4 and (Yb,Nb):RTP/RTP(001) has been used to locally increase the refractive indices for waveguide circuit fabrication. Ti masks were fabricated on RTP samples by conventional photolithography. Cs+ exchange was done using a CsNO3 melt at 698 K during 2 h. Elemental analysis confirms an Cs+ profile with a variable depth. Apparently the Cs+ exchange is disfavored in the doped epitaxial sample. The refractive index variation is higher for nz than for nx,y. Near-field images of the guided modes at 633, 1064 and 1520 nm were recorded. The optical characterization shows propagation losses of 5 dB/cm at 1520 nm.


FIELD: construction. SUBSTANCE: fibre is made of at least one synthetic material. The invention also relates to an artificial covering, in particular, designed for use in a sports field from artificial lawn grass. The artificial covering is made from a base, to which at least fibres are attached to produce the artificial lawn grass in compliance with the invention. The invention objective consists in development of an improved fibre to produce the artificial lawn grass, which makes it possible to reduce number of injuries on the field. The fibre for production of the artificial lawn grass comprised at least one additional component of the material, which provides for increase of the permanent volume of the fibre to develop the artificial lawn grass under effect of the external stimulating action after making of the artificial covering with the fibre for production of the artificial lawn grass. The artificial covering for the lawn may be produced by means of standard manufacturing technologies and in which the fibre for production of the artificial lawn grass is foamed and converted into a damping layer after making of the artificial lawn. EFFECT: improved playing properties or influence at playing properties of the sports field. 13 cl, 4 dwg


Resource searching is an important function for resource sharing and cooperative work in large-scale distributed networks like grid and peer-to-peer (P2P). Many works have focused on optimizing network topology in order to improve search performance. However, these works rarely take into account the interaction of nodes' optimizing behaviors and the connection cost. We propose a Non-cooperative game based Topology Optimization model (NETOP) to enhance search performance in unstructured P2P networks. Each participating node in NETOP is a rational player who selects optimizing strategy (its node degree) according to both its private information and the public information. We prove the existence and uniqueness of Nash Equilibrium (NE) of the game, and present the performance analysis of this model. Moreover, we also take network dynamics into account and extend our model to adapt to the node churn. Experimental results show that NETOP network converges rapidly and achieves higher performances. When compared with Power-law and Square-root topologies in a static condition, NETOP network achieves the same success rate with 33.3% and 6% lower connection cost, 18% and 13.2% lower average hop count, and 4.6% and 6.5% fewer messages, meanwhile in a dynamic condition, it achieves 28.9% and 11.5% lower connection cost, 14.3% and 7.7% lower average hop count, and 26.6% and 28.7% fewer messages.


We prove some properties of completely monotonic functions and apply them to obtain
new results on gamma and q-gamma functions.


Further work on (a) filter efficiencies and pressure drops for varying flow rates, (b) redesign of the present sampling device, (c) theoretical study on collection by impingement or impaction, and (d) the method used and instrumentation developed for calibration of the previously developed high altitude air flow meter is covered. (For preceding period see AECU-2680.) (auth)


ABSTRACT. A new type of airflow olfactometer is described, and results given of experiments using it to measure behavioural olfactory responses of hymenopterous parasitoids. Compared with Y‐tube olfactometers it shows several advantages. In its exposure chamber four separate abutting odour fields are presented so that the test insect can readily enter and re‐enter them. More than one odour (or different concentrations of one odour) can be tested at the same time, thereby providing complex preference test situations. The various behavioural measures that can be assessed in the apparatus are examined and discussed.


This work explores the photoremediation of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions on to nonwoven polyethylene terephthalate substrates modified by nanoscale atomic layer deposition coatings of ZnO. Removal of Cr6+ is observed to increase with ZnO thin film thickness up to 500 atomic layer deposition cycles (∼90 nm) with a maximum Cr6+ removal of 67% after an exposure of 540 J/cm2. Instead of reducing Cr6+ to Cr3+, this work shows that the mechanism for removal of the Cr ion from solution is by sorption and photoreduction of the metal onto the ZnO surface. Additionally, mixed solutions with Cr6+ and As3+ ions were tested for simultaneous photoreduction and photooxidation, showing that mixed ion solutions may better utilize photogenerated electrons and holes, simultaneously. The reported demonstration and analysis represents a facile route for reclamation of toxic components in an aqueous media.This work explores the photoremediation of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions on to nonwoven polyethylene terephthalate substrates modified by nanoscale atomic layer deposition coatings of ZnO. Removal of Cr6+ is observed to increase with ZnO thin film thickness up to 500 atomic layer deposition cycles (∼90 nm) with a maximum Cr6+ removal of 67% after an exposure of 540 J/cm2. Instead of reducing Cr6+ to Cr3+, this work shows that the mechanism for removal of the Cr ion from solution is by sorption and photoreduction of the metal onto the ZnO surface. Additionally, mixed solutions with Cr6+ and As3+ ions were tested for simultaneous photoreduction and photooxidation, showing that mixed ion solutions may better utilize photogenerated electrons and holes, simultaneously. The reported demonstration and analysis represents a facile route for reclamation of toxic components in an aqueous media.


Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. COVID-19 pandemic has a rather negative effect on patients with cardiovascular pathology, also in patients without cardiovascular disease because its pathogenesis is based on generalized vascuities of the microvasculature with the development of multiple thrombosis and thromboembolism. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the major cardiac arrhythmias and accounts for almost one third of all arrhythmias. Changes in electrical, structural, and contractile properties of cardiac tissue that are thought to underlie AF maintenance and progression are reviewed. The aim of this study is to identify the features and predictors that contribute to the onset or development of AF in patients who have had COVID -19. Methods This was a three-center prospective study, conducted in the coronary care unit during the period of February 2020 to June 2021. This study included 196 patients with AF who underwent COVID-19 at different times of this period (I group). For comparison, the data of similar 203 AF patients without COVID (II group) were analyzed in the period from February 2018 to February 2019 from the same centers... Medical history, clinical, instrumental and laboratory data, including troponin-1, tissue factor (TF), and hsCRP were studied in all patients. The data obtained was analyzed for statistical significance including multivariable logistic regression using analyses by SPSS 16. Results The compared results showed that the first-onset AF in patients from first group was observed in 18.7% compared with 8.1% in second group. In intensive care units, AF were registered in 44.2% of patients in I group vs. 7.1% of patients in II group. In first group among patients with ACS, AF occurred in 12.7% of cases vs. similar patients in II group- 8.4%. In first group hypokalemia was observed in 67.8% of cases vs. 28.6% in II group... Multivariable logistic regression was shown that among tested biomarkers, hsCRP, troponin‐I and TF were more higher in patients undergoing COVID in compared patients with AF without COVID (odds ratio, 3.48; p<0.001, 2.36 p<0.017 and 2.48 p<0.01 accordingly). Conclusions Some features of the onset or development of AF were identified in patients undergoing COVID. So, In these patients compared with AF patients without COVID, AF more often occurs in clinically severe patients, with ACS, as well as in patients with severe hypokalemia, higher hsCRP, TF and troponin values.


TThe creep behavior of the steel 403 Nb used in construction was investigated. The results show that the creep properties of the steel 403 Nb are sensitivity to the temperature. The carbides at grain boundary play an important role of pinning grain boundary, so the creep properties of the steel 403 Nb are improved.


Objective
To evaluate the effects of different ratios of medicine dosage for propofol and sevoflurane on postoperative cognitive function in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Methods
Ninety-six patients of both sexes, aged 65-75 yr, weighing 60-80 kg, of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ, scheduled for elective lower limb fracture operation under general anesthesia, with mild cognitive impairment before surgery, were assigned into 4 groups (n=24 each) using a random number table: propofol group (group P), sevoflurane group (group S) and different ratios of medicine dosage for propofol and sevoflurane groups (group PS1 and group PS2). Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to evaluate the cognitive function of patients at 1 day before operation (T0) and 7 days after operation (T1). Venous blood samples were collected at T0 and T1 for determination of the concentrations of plasma apolipoprotein J (ApoJ) and soluble CD14 (sCD14) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results
Compared with group S, MMSE and MoCA scores were significantly increased and plasma concentrations of ApoJ and sCD14 were decreased at T1, and the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction was decreased in P, PS1 and PS2 groups (P 0.05).

Conclusion
Combination of propofol 1.2 μg/ml given by target-controlled infusion and 0.7-1.2% sevoflurane inhalation for maintenance of anesthesia does not aggravate the postoperative cognitive dysfunction in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Key words:
Propofol; Anesthetics, inhalation; Cognition disorders; Postoperative complications; Aged


A college trip in 1974 took some other students and me to Harlan County. We stayed with an elderly couple in Evarts sleeping on the floor near a fully stoked coal stove. Before going to Eastern Kentucky, I read about a coal mine strike that had taken place there in 1931. Novelist Theodore Dreiser had led a contingent of seven famous writers to Harlan that year, and they had jointly written a book called Harlan Miners Speak. It told the story of courageous men and women, mostly from northern states, who had gone to southeastern Kentucky and led coal miners in a bloody struggle against a corrupt sheriff and his "gun thugs." When I landed in Harlan, I asked older miners about the Dreiser book and the leaders of the 1931 strike. Uniformly, men and women who had lived through those times didn't know what I was talking about. They had never heard of Dreiser or his union organizers. That began, for me, an exploration of leadership and of how people endeavor to make their lives better.


The article analyzes the impact of military conflicts on innovative technologies, considers the possibilities of commercial use of innovative military developments in peacetime and the impact of military conflicts on the economy. The chronology of innovative developments due to the merger of military technologies and their commercial use is studied.
It is determined that technology, more than any other external force, shapes war; and vice versa, war shapes technology. Technology opens up opportunities and changes the means of waging war. Technology has been a major source of military innovation throughout history. They cause change in war more than any other factor. The tools of warfare have evolved slowly throughout human history, but only in the modern world is there an institutionalized and rationalized mechanism for their constant and systematic renewal.
Higher levels of government spending related to the war have been found to tend to bring some positive economic benefits in the short term, especially due to the increase in economic growth that occurs during the expenditure boom in conflict. However, negative unintended consequences occur either at the same time as the war, or develop as residual effects over time, thereby harming the economy in the long run. At the same time, military conflicts are the impetus for new innovative developments. In crisis conditions, the probability of intensification of modernization processes increases, new branches and sectors of the economy appear, and high-quality structuring takes place.
Thereby, military conflicts, with many negative consequences, are a catalyst for innovation arising from scientific developments in the military sphere, as well as stimulate the industrial development of countries in a high-tech direction based on quality human capital, knowledge and innovation.


Existing literature indicates that fractures of the first metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) sesamoids are uncommon. However, it is our supposition that this injury may be under reported because it is not clinically suspected and because standard x rays (anteroposterior and lateral views) may not demonstrate the fracture.

The ulnar and radial sesamoids transmit the pull of the flexor pollicis brevis and adductor pollicis brevis to the proximal phalanx of the thumb. They are fractured …


Despite shifts towards "secularism" in the Western world, women have consistently been the target of negative sentiment due to their historically and theologically-rooted subordination to men. This thesis articulates feminist historical research methodologies which are applied to the Malleus Malejicarum ("The Hammer of the Witches"), a legal code of the Roman Catholic Inquisition. An examination of the dialectical relationship between ideology and culture in Medieval Europe progresses into a discussion of the evolution of medical, sociological, and criminological thought to contextualize struggles in the contemporary regulation of midwifery in Canada. When viewed through a historical feminist lens, the barriers to midwifery practice become a microcosm of the gender struggle in Western society, in which men have defined and classified women as "abnormal" and deviant, and systematically excluded their voices from religious, academic, and medical enterprise. Essentially, this thesis systematically places a contemporary social issue into historical and social context.


Among the Western European home furniture markets, Austria is the tenth biggest country, providing about 4% of WE demand. Over the 2008-2013 period the Austrian home furniture market, with an annual average increase of 0.5% , is one of the few WE countries (together with Norway, Switzerland , Sweden) that outperformed the Western European market The furniture distribution system in Austria mainly revolves around specialist retailers. The small independent retailers, in particular those operating in the upper price range, managed to increase slightly their sales. The report provides trends in home furniture consumption, analysis of the furniture distribution system by channel, retail formats and sales performances of top retailing companies operating in Austria.


Objective To analyze the CT findings of endobronchial tuberculosis(EBTB)and to discuss their diagnostic value.Methods CT findings of 20 patients with EBTB confirmed by fiberoptic bronchoscopic biopsy were analyzed retrospectively.Results On CT images,bronchiarctia and lobar bronchiarctia were found in all patients,conic stenosis in 11,thickened bronchial walls in 9 who comprised 5 centripetal stenosis and 4 eccentric stenosis,associated with bronchiectasis in 7,calcification in 4.Secondary atelectasis were found in 6 cases,intrapulmonary heterogeneous tuberculosis foci in 19,complicated pleural lesions in 12,and hilar and mediastinal lymphonode enlargement and calcification in 11. Conclusion EBTB has characteristic CT findings so that CT scanning is an effective modality for diagnosing this disease.


Lead in its ionized form is a hazard to the body, therefore, rapid conversion of lead into a non-ionized form is of prime importance in the treatment of lead poisoning. Lead poisoning has normally been treated with chelating agents such äs ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and penicillamine (PCA). These chelating agents are indeed highly effective in treatment ofacute lead poisoning. However, they have not been proven so in the treatment of chronic cases, or in the maintainance of low blood-lead levels among workers who are continuously exposed to lead. The use of PCA assists in the mobilization of lead, however, large doses are required and it also causes an excessive elimination of copper (Mj^sser and Bessman 1960); thereby decreasing its potential usefulness in lead poisoning. EDTA, a synthetic polyaminoacid has proved more promising in the alleviation of metal poisoning, although it too binds other metal ions besides those which require elimination from the body. Also, it does not give prompt relief of lead colic (Belknap and Perry 1954) and it is potentially nephiotonic and thus an overdose or prolonged treatment can cause nephrosis, which may or may not clear after therapy is discontinued.


The New York City Department of Transportation uses a multi-tier traffic model, the Manhattan Traffic Model (MTM), to analyze the impact of traffic management projects. One of the most complex, large-scale simulation models in existence, the MTM has different levels of detail for different sections of Manhattan and covers over 1000 miles of roads. The model includes traffic signal, parking and other information and includes scenarios for morning, mid-day and evening traffic.


The Philippines has become renowned in the past three decades as a source-country of many types of migrants. According to the most recent estimates of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, there are some 6.97 million Filipinos residing and/or working in foreign countries. Of this number, there are 2.15 million who have permanently resettled in countries of immigration such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Then there are the 2.94 million overseas Filipino workers, and an additional 1.8 million who are undocumented. As a social force, migration1 can lead to many transformations in the society migrants leave and the society they join. In Malay, migration or travel is termed merantau (or pergi merantau), which implies openness or freedom (Wang, 1997:16). This special issue of APMJ attempts to explore the role of migration in the history of the Filipino people and to provide a historical perspective to Filipino migration. Given the long history of Filipino migration, it is important to take stock and to clarify the role of migration as a factor in social change, especially in the last 100 years. It is a subject matter that has been relatively ignored perhaps because history has a tendency to focus on the history of settled or permanent populations or societies. As such, migration has not received as much attention in history and as a result, migration has been erroneously regarded as a "new" phenomenon (Rafael and Itty, 1998; Deleuze and Guattari as cited in Featherstone, 1997:239). Sociology, too, has focused on the study of society as a total system, and in the process, it leaves out the influences or links of the system to outside forces such as those links or changes brought about by migration (Featherstone, 1997:248).


= 250÷1230 GHz = 1÷5meV)andattemperaturesbetween4and300K.Theradiationwaslinearlypolarized.Theabsolutevaluesofopticaltransmis-sion (normalized to the empty-channel measurements) wereobtained in essentially the same way as described, e.g., inRef. 19.A commercial split-coil magnet, embedded into an opticalcryostat, was utilized for measurements in magnetic fieldsup to 8 T. In these measurements, we used three differentgeometries:


In Kenya, no studies have attempted to use routine health facility data disaggregated by level of care, to find out if there is a significant statistical relationship between physical accessibility and utilization of maternity services at the ward administrative level. A cross-sectional study design used publicly available geospatial data in combination with routine data from the web-based district health information software (DHIS2) platform. AccessMod (version 5.2.6) was used for travelling time analysis. ArcGIS (version 10.5) and R (version 3.5.3) sufficed for the preparation of geospatial input and the manipulation of AccessMod results respectively. The associations between the independent and dependable outcome was computed using a Zero-inflated Poisson regression model at 95% confidence level. The findings in Siaya County revealed a higher likelihood of a skilled delivery 35% (0.353; CI: 0.349–0.357) and 16% (0.164; CI: 0.162–0.167) respectively, for every unit increase in the proportion of pregnant women who could reach a hospital and health centre within an hour of walking, as compared to being within an hour of a dispensary 4.6% (0.046; CI: 0.045–0.048) using motorcycle transport. Simply advising women to opt for motorized transportation schemes to improve their access to low quality facilities, may in fact, result in diminishing returns. The immediate implication is that policy makers need to upgrade lower tier maternity health services in Siaya County, as pregnant women may value quality of services regardless of the distance. Future research should consider looking at the relationship between skilled delivery and the capacity of existing maternity health services.


inanareaofinterest scientists areenabled tomonitor dense Environmental monitoring isoneofthedriving applications temporal andspatial dataover an extended period oftime. inthedomainofsensor networks. Thelifetime ofsuch With this datatheanalysis ofcomplex interactions becomes systems isenvisioned toexceedseveral years.Toachievepossible; thistaskisalsoknownasenvironmental monitorthislongevity inunattended operation itiscrucial tomin- ing.Thus, sensor networks havethepotential tosupport imizeenergyconsumption ofthebattery-powered sensor theadvancement ofvarious fields ofresearch. nodes.ThispaperproposesDozer, a datagathering pro- Wireless sensing devices exhibit a large variety offavortocolmeeting therequirements ofperiodic datacollectionableattributes. Theyfacilitate thedeployment andare far andultra-low powerconsumption. Theprotocol compriseslessintrusive thantethered solutions. Furthermore, they MAC-layer, topology control, androuting allcoordinatedpermittemporary measurements orsurveillance ofsecluded toreduce energywastage ofthecommunication subsystem. areas.Inaddition sensornetworks should notneedanyhuUsing a tree-based network structure, packets arereliably man interaction whilefulfilling their intended tasks. Dueto routedtowards thedatasink.Parents thereby schedulethelimited capacity ofcommon powersupplies forsensor precise rendezvous timesforallcommunication withtheir networks, suchas batteries or solarcells, energyefficiency children. Ina deployed network consisting of40TinyOS-isa fundamental requisite forprolonged network lifetime. enabled sensornodes, Dozerachieves radiodutycycles in Allsensornodesareequipped withashort-ranged radio althemagnitude of0.2%.


Silicon carbide thin films were obtained on Si (100) and (111) substrates by means of vacuum laser ablation of α-SiC ceramic target. The influence of substrate temperature on composition, structure and surface morphology of experimental samples was examined using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM/HRTEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods.


In this paper, a distribution system consisting of a single manufacture and many geographically dispersed agents is studied. The manufacture distributes the trial-sale productions to many agents in an online fashion. Namely, without any information in the future, the manufacture will determine how many goods would be transported to the agents during every step. The goal is to minimize total transportation costs. The Greedy Strategy and the Balance Strategy are proposed respectively, and some results are obtained. Furthermore, the degenerated problem P1 of this problem is analyzed. Finally, we compare these two strategies and achieve some results.


New in v2.0.4

Attributes of downscaling methods are now global, instead of being stored within the Data element
Other documentation updates and enhancements


Ingo Schulze, born in 1962 in Dresden in the former GDR, uses his memories and experiences for the portrayal of various characters in his prize-winning Simple Storys (1998), a book structured in the tradition of the American short story. In twenty-nine chapters – each narrated by a different character – he weaves together a spellbinding tale of life in an East German province in 1990 as he observed it. While the prose in these stories is simple and has little unnecessary adornment, his long-awaited epistolary novel Neue Leben (2005) appears – at least at first sight – to be convoluted, longwinded, and chatty. Yet a closer look reveals a highly complex narrative structure which puts the text within the confines of a self-reflective narrative and autobiographical subject-matter. Assuming a split identity as author, fictitious editor and protagonist, Schulze creates a maximum of irony which questions memory, autobiographical truthfulness and the nature of new challenges. Schulze succeeds in matching the disillusionment of a 'gewendete' world with a deliberately 'artless' novel equally free of illusion.


A new complex_frequency vibrating screen without coarse size is introduced.Gives its constitution,working technique and application in abrasive industry.And this kind of screening machine can be widely applied in many industries,for example,screening of powder,grading,dehydration and improves economy benefit.


One of the tempeh craftsmen villages is Parerejo, Purwodadi Subdistrict, Pasuruan Regency. A total of 107 work and depend on their income as tempeh producers in that area. Thus far, most of the craftsmen only sold it in the form of fresh tempeh. Only view people are using tempeh as tempeh chips. Consequenetly, the tempeh are not sold on a day that is wasted due to the shelf life is not long enough. The introducing of implementers was carried out slowly and kinship before the main program was carried out. This program used fresh tempeh which was adjusted to the implementation of food technology knowledge. This was conducted by processing fresh tempeh into three types of diversified tempeh products such as mendoan tempeh, tempeh balls, and tempeh rolade. In this service program, communicative language was used to accompany knowledge transfer about tempeh processing to the tempe craftsmen community. This program was conducted to intend that the given information can be accepted by the community, so that this community service program get a positive response. After conducting counseling and training to the tempeh craftsmen community, some of enthusiastic were got from craftsmen when they did the activities. Most of the craftsmen did not yet know the diversification of processed tempeh products that were delivered by the team. As a result of this service program, it can be concluded that these activities were very beneficial for the tempeh craftsmen community in Parerejo Village and they hope that the service activities with more various materials.


Two experiments were carried out to investigate the role of auditory and visual imagery in word recognition processes of blind and sighted children. In Expt 1 children made lexical decisions to high auditory imagery and low auditory imagery words matched for concreteness. In contrast to results found by Paivio & Okovita (1971) in paired-associate learning, neither the blind nor the sighted benefited from auditory imagery in word recognition. In a second experiment the blind children, who cannot use visual imagery, were significantly faster in recognizing concrete relative to abstract words matched for word frequency. This result was also found for the sighted children. It is argued that this may suggest that the lexicon is structured in terms of concreteness and that visual imagery need not play a necessary role in word recognition processes.


Objective:To compare glare disability in myopic patients that underwent laser in situ keratomileusis(LASIK)and laser epithelial keratomileusis(LASEK).Methods:Thirty-one patients(62eyes)that chose to accept either LASIK or LASEK by themselves to treat myopia during 20th February,2010 and 15th April,2010 were studied including 13 patients(26 eyes)unerwent LASEK and 18(36 eyes)underwent LASIK.The contrast sensitivity and glare sensitivity were tested before surgery,one and three months after surgery for calculating the value of Gglare disability.Results:Under glare conditions,contrast sensitivity,glare sensitivity and glare disability for those underwent LASEK or LASIK were different from the status before surgery.One month after surgery,the contrast sensitivity of both group declined,and it was more obvious in low and medium frequency for those accepted LASIK,similar results was shown when compared with their counterparts(P0.01);while 3 months after the surgery,glare sensitivity and glare disability of the both groups restored to the normal range,no significant difference was found comparing with the preoperative status(P0.05).Conclusion:LASEK shows better glare disability outcomes in low frequency during the early stage after surgery comparing with LASEK.


Cloud computing offers application accessibility to clients and business firms depending upon the requirement over the globe. A major concept of CC is to distribute the massive power of memory, processing, and data to technical applications. In CC, task scheduling plays a vital part which distributes the tasks to the resources with the intention of maximization of the exploitation rate and minimization task execution time. Task scheduling can be considered as an NP hard problem and metaheuristic optimization algorithms can be applied to solve it. In this view, this paper presents an effective quantum behaved monarch butterfly optimization (QBMBO) algorithm to schedule tasks in CC environment. The QBMBO algorithm aims to allocate the tasks to achieve maximum resource utilization with minimum computational complexity. The QBMBO algorithm incorporates the concepts of quantum computing (QC) to boost of the efficacy of the classical MBO algorithm. In addition, the QBMBO algorithm derives a fitness function involving different parameters related to the cloud. To ensure the effective outcome of the QBMBO algorithm, an extensive set of experimentations were performed and the results are examined interms of distinct dimensions. The obtained simulation results demonstrated the effectual results of the QBMBO algorithm compared to other methods.


The choice to stay a relationship affected with intimate partner violence (IPV) is not one that is well understood. IPV is defined as physical, sexual, or psychological abuse against an intimate partner (Mason, Hyman, Berman, Guruge, Kanagaratnam, & Manuel, 2008). IPV goes beyond socioeconomic status and culture, and has a global prevalence of 20%, but the majority of research available does not take into account the reasoning for why women stay with an abusive partner. The purpose of this qualitative study was to obtain an understanding for why women stay with abusive partners and to determine what eventually helped them to leave the relationship. The theory was developed by employing grounded theory methodology. Purposive and snowball sampling were utilized to recruit a sample of four adult female participants who had experienced IPV and had successfully left. The data was acquired through open-ended interviews, which were later transcribed verbatim. Coding the data has been done using open, axial, and selective coding recommended in Creswell (2007). Through the coding process, a model emerged for why women leave abusive relationships, and therefore, The Acknowledgement of Abuse model was formed. The model consists of three steps that can occur in any order for a woman to reach her breaking point, and leave the relationship. These steps include gaining education to acknowledge red flags, awareness of quality of alternatives, and realizing individual unhappiness. The information gained from this research can be used to help women leave abusive relationships. EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO STAY 3 Acknowledgements I want to extend my utmost thanks to the participants who volunteered their time, and were brave enough to share their experiences with me. Without you this study would not exist and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to hear each of your stories. Thank you to my supervisor, Dr. Mary Hampton, for supporting me when I needed the help, and allowing me to do this project. Thank you to Nichole for being there every second of the way and providing amazing advice and assistance when I needed it most. Lastly, thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey and made things easier on me. I am so grateful for all of you and I truly cannot thank you enough. EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO STAY 4 Understanding the Experiences of Women Who Stay in Abusive Relationships The increasing prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) goes beyond socioeconomic status and culture (Chornesky, 2000). IPV has been defined as physical, sexual, or psychological abuse against an intimate partner (Mason, Hyman, Berman, Guruge, Kanagaratnam, & Manuel, 2008). For the purpose of this study, IPV will be defined as any form of abuse inflicted by a male partner to a female within an intimate relationship. Physical, sexual, and psychological abuse have been found to be equally damaging which is why the study will encompass all types (Mason et al., 2008). This study acknowledges that IPV can be present in married couples, homosexual couples, or where the male is the victim to abuse from the female. The majority of the literature looks at heterosexual relationships where the man is the abuser and the woman is the victim. This is because the abuse is often more prevalent and severe (Hines & Saudino, 2003). This study will expand the literature focusing on those relationships. The majority of the research regarding IPV has looked at what has allowed women to leave abusive relationships and the few studies for why they stay have been quantitative. The quantitative research has identified predictors for why women stay that can be used as baseline assumptions for qualitative research. Using a qualitative approach allows for a subjective view of what the victims of IPV are going through, while also disclosing why they personally chose to stay with an abusive partner. Qualitative research allows for the acknowledgement of confounding variables that play a role in whether the individual stays in or leaves the relationship (Creswell, 2007). Utilizing a qualitative approach, I believe I gained a better understanding of the women's personal experiences, which assisted me in forming a theory. Finding the courage to leave an abusive EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO STAY 5 relationship is extremely difficult, and because I have witnessed different friends and family members feel trapped I know how important it is to pursue research in this area and help the victims to leave. I decided to use stories from survivors of abusive relationships to get a subjective explanation for why they stayed in the relationship and what eventually allowed them to leave. There are a multitude of reasons why I believe this research is important. Although I myself have never been in an abusive relationship, I have a couple close friends that have, and I have witnessed firsthand the negative effect it had on their wellbeing, mental health, and life satisfaction in general. If they had access to help, involving how to leave an abusive relationship, I believe there would have been less negative consequences for their lives overall. I realized that there is more to be done to help victims of IPV and I wanted to be apart of assisting them to leave their relationships earlier on. Literature Review Definition Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is the most common type of violence against women. IPV is most often committed on a woman by a man within a dating relationship (Hines & Saudino, 2004). According to Straus (2004), dating is a relationship that involves meeting for social interaction with a goal to continue the relationship until one or both of the parties decide to end it or further steps towards a more committed relationship ensues. IPV can consist of physical, sexual, psychological, and financial abuse from an intimate partner (Mason et al., 2008). Physical abuse includes any physical violence such as slapping, pushing, kicking, dragging, choking, or threatening to use EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO STAY 6 using a gun or knife. Sexual abuse includes physically forcing a woman to engage in a sexual act that she did not provide consent for. This can include unwanted sexual touching, sexual degradation, or forced intercourse (Garcia-Moreno, Jansen, Ellsberg, Heise & Watts, 2006). Financial abuse is a subset of psychological abuse that occurs when the abuser controls the finances to maintain power over his partner (Mason et al., 2008). Another form of psychological abuse is when the abuser restricts the woman's contact with other people and insists on knowing where she is at all times (GarciaMoreno et al., 2006). Psychological abuse can also include verbal insults, extreme jealousy, and restricting his partner's freedom (Mason et al., 2008). It is often difficult for a woman in an abusive relationship to recognize the abuse because IPV can be a combination of the forms of physical, sexual, and psychological and can occur at varying levels depending on the extent of the abuse (Patzel, 2006). Prevalence Straus (2004) found that dating couples are more likely to be violent than married couples and that there are especially high rates of physical violence among university students in dating relationships. This is likely due to the fact that individuals are more likely to leave the relationship when the two people are just dating rather than married because there is a lesser degree of commitment to the relationship (Rusbult & Marz, 1995). In these situations women are overwhelmingly found to be the victims of IPV in heterosexual relationships (Hines & Saudino, 2003), which is why this paper will focus on female victims in heterosexual relationships. In Canada and the United States, 20-40% of university students reported one or more accounts of IPV in a 12-month period (Straus, 2004). This is comparable to studies that looked at IPV around the world and found that EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO STAY 7 10-52% of women cross culturally have reported physical abuse by their partner and between 10-30% of women that have reported sexual violence by a partner (GarciaMoreno et al., 2006). These statistics do not include the women who have not reported the abuse due to fear or lack of knowledge that they are being abused (Patzel, 2006). Theories on why women stay Personality type. Women with a specific personality type are more likely to stay and tolerate abuse (Hebert, Silver & Ellard, 1991; Rhodes & McKenzie, 1998). The specific personality type encompasses individuals who have low self-confidence and tend to self-blame or even suffer from depression (Hebert et al., 1991). Rhodes and McKenzie (1998) added that an individual who is more maladjusted or unable to deal with the demands of a normal social environment would be more likely to stay in an abusive relationship. Someone who suffers from low self-esteem is also more likely to stay in an abusive relationship because there is a feeling of entrapment due to the belief that they "cannot do any better" than the present relationship they are in (Hebert et al., 1991; Rhodes & McKenzie, 1998; Rusbult & Marz, 1995). A woman with low self-esteem has low personal power (which is defined as strength and power that individuals have within themselves) and would be more inclined to stay in an abusive relationship (Orala, McLeod, & Sharpe, 1996). Childhood abuse. Gelles (1976) study on why women who are abused choose to stay in the relationship found that the more abuse the individual is subjected to as a child, the more violence they are likely to tolerate as an adult. A child being taught that abuse is acceptable is likely to grow up with that belief so, when placed in an abusive situation, they are less likely to identify that it is abusive and rather choose to stay. There is also a EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO STAY 8 possibility that she will see the abuse as normal because of the abusive behaviours she was subjected to as a child, which will make it more di


Research in music performance has shown that human performances of notated music often deviate from an exact mathematical interpretation of the score. It is also possible to some extent to model this computationally. Parts of an existing rule system that models music performance was implemented in Igor Engraver, a music notation program. The rule system has been implemented before, but this implementation was made at a higher level of abstraction which allows the rules to work with data that is closer to real notation. The program in which the implementation was made also provides a better user interface for score input and has other performance rules that can be used in combination. A formalism for describing the rules is also presented.


In the Design Forum of last year's May issue, several vivid shortcomings of our nations' aging and overstrained infrastructure were recalled. It was explained why a major program for its modernization would provide the extra dimensions of public homeland security and safety and why such a long-term effort should be strongly supported. The highlighted security element was in addition to the usual benefits associated with an efficient infrastructure—routine everyday commerce, transportation, and standard of living. Since that issue and the Forum publication date of mid-2008, two significant events have developed: a worldwide financial crisis, accompanied by the current severe national and global economic recession; and the election of the new U.S. President Barack Obama. The stated high-priority goals of the new administration include stabilizing the financial panic and jump-starting the U.S. economy from its slump. A key component of the proposed stimulus package is new job creation through funding for infrastructure improvements. These current events are expected to present great opportunities and some latent dangers to the ultimate resolution of our infrastructure needs. A distinct positive is that the infrastructure issues have finally been at least somewhat widely acknowledged, they are receiving more media attention, and will hopefully soon see some remediation progress. ASCE and other professional, business, and civic groups should continue to strongly support and endorse these actions of the new federal administration. We, and many others, firmly believe that a serious multiyear infrastructure effort is necessary to really make a difference in our country's future. However, while definitely being a move in the right direction, the potential downside of its inclusion in this economic recovery bill is that national attention to the infrastructure problems will be short-lived and its funding support grossly inadequate to address the overall system needs. It is clear that Washington is primarily framing this new program as a fiscal stimulus to our slumping economy for job creation, which is another positive feature of the program's undertaking. Nevertheless, aside from this aspect, the essential infrastructure needs and their benefits must continue to be emphasized to preserve its longer-term funding and progress once the current economic recession ends. Unfortunately, the public, politicians, and policymakers typically are known to have rather short memories and unsteady allegiances that quickly shift with ongoing events and new pressures. Just in terms of the natural hazards of windstorms and earthquakes, we have seen the shift to the rather short-term national focus given the relatively recent Hurricanes Katrina and Andrew, together with the Northridge and Loma Prieta California earthquakes. Initially there is a strong clamor for action as the event fatalities, damage, and needs are fresh in our minds. But this urgency fades with time as other issues arise to compete for the limited budget resources of the federal government. Once the


We demonstrate that interference of ultra-fast pulses of laser light can create regular patterns in thin silicon membranes that are compatible with the formation of a uniform array of nanopores. The spacing and size of these pores can be tuned by changing the laser energy, wavelength and number of ultra-short pulses. Short pulses and wavelengths ({approx}550 nm and smaller) are needed to define controllable nanoscale features in silicon. Energy must be localized in time and space to produce the etching, ablation or amorphization effects over the {approx}100 nm length scales appropriate for definition of single pores. Although in this brief study pattern uniformity was limited by laser beam quality, a complementary demonstration reported here used continuous-wave interferometric laser exposure of photoresist to show the promise of the ultra-fast approach for producing uniform pore arrays. The diameters of these interferometrically-defined features are significantly more uniform than the diameters of pores in state-of-the-art polycarbonate track etch membranes widely used for molecular separations.


The problem of separately encoding and subsequently transmitting correlated sources over a discrete memoryless multiple-access channel is revisited. In particular, we examine the sufficient conditions on the source and the channel under which there exists a n-length block code satisfying the condition that the error probability of reconstructing the discrete memoryless multiple source is no larger than some fixed constant ϵ > 0, or in short, ϵ-lossless transmission. We modify the decoding rule of Cover-El Gamal-Salehi and analyze the error probability using Gaussian approximations to derive a second-order generalization their sufficient condition for the ϵ-lossless transmission of the correlated sources.


Geraint Parry (Cardiff University, UK) In the movie business, bigger is usually better, bigger spaceships, bigger disasters, bigger dinosaurs and the latter was especially true in the latest installment of the Jurassic Park franchise, Jurassic World. Although the Indominus rex knocked the Tyrannosaurus rex into a cocked hat when it came to size, strength, speed and special abilities, the 'scientific' details of its creation are perhaps not so far-fetched if you accept the original premise of Jurassic Park. However, that is a big IF! Twenty years ago many of us enjoyed the scientific ideas suggested by Jurassic Park, either in the Michael Crichton book or in the Spielberg film. For those younger readers who haven't seen the original film; the idea was that scientists had managed to extract dinoDNA from a mosquito that had been trapped in prehistoric amber. This DNA was attached to a nucleic acid scaffold from a frog and 'voila!' there were more Stegosauri, Brontosauri and T. rex's than you could shake a pipette at! Inevitably as we left the cinema, we asked if this would ever be 'possible'? Indeed there are current efforts to recreate long-extinct creatures, although on a slightly less ambitious scale. Whatever the source of your dinosaur DNA; be it from fossilized bones or from an amber-trapped mosquito, the chances of it being intact are essentially nil making the idea of the creation of new dinosaurs from preserved DNA more fiction than fact.


The invention discloses a meter reading system and method based on plastic fibers. The meter reading system comprises a concentrator, a local end side communication unit and at least one user side plastic fiber communication ring, wherein the concentrator is used for sending an electrical signal meter reading instruction to the local end side communication unit; the local end side communication unit is used for transforming the electrical signal meter reading instruction into an optical signal meter reading instruction and sending the optical signal meter reading instruction through the plastic fibers; the at least one user side plastic fiber communication ring comprises a plurality of user side communication units which are annularly connected in series through the plastic fibers, and each user side communication unit is used for transforming the received optical signal meter reading instruction into the electrical signal meter reading instruction and sending the electrical signal meter reading instruction to a user recorder. The meter reading system and the meter reading method, which are disclosed by the invention, can meet the requirement on reliability of the system; the system is low in cost and favorable to wide popularization and use.


Antimicrobial susceptibility tests of 15 Aeromonas hydrophila strains isolated from different aquatic animals including Chinese soft shelled turtle(Trionyx sinensis),grass carp(Ctenophyaryngodon idella),crucian carp(Carassius auratus),frog,Megalobrama amblyaphala and M.terminaiis were carried out on Mueller Hinton agar by the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method according to NCCLS guidelines.The results were analysed by WHONET5.4.Resistance of Aeromonas hydrophila to ENR,DOX,LET,and RIF was found to be higher than 40 percents.LET and DOX scatter plot indicated that they had relatively Cross Resistance.


List of tables. List of illustrations. Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. The 'Retail Revolution' Revisited 2. Prophets or Pirates? The Economics of Retail 3. Consuming Passion: The Growth of Retail Culture 4. The New Alchemy: Design in the Service of Retail 5. The New Cathedral: The Rise and Rise of the Shopping Centre 6. High Street Blues: Retailing and Urban Decline 7. The Supermarketeers: Hard Selling in the Food Business 8. Counter Revolution: Toil and Trouble in the Trade 9. Back to the Future: Retail in the 1990s and Beyond. Appendix. Bibliography. Index


Functional group free graphene materials with high electronic conductivities were prepared via solvothermal reaction of solid sulphur (S) and graphene oxide (GO) in a H2O–NMP or H2O–DMF (1 : 1 in volume ratio) solvent at 110 °C for 10 h. Ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis) analysis revealed that S exhibited strong reductive ability in a boiling GO aqueous solution. Its reducing effect could be further enhanced by using NMP or DMF as a surfactant to adjust the solvent surface tension close to the surface energy of graphene. UV/Vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results confirmed that the electronic structure of graphene had been completely restored and the oxygen contents reduced remarkably. No graphitic stacking between the reduced GO (RGO) was found. As-prepared RGO products also exhibited good dispersivities in various solvents. Moreover, it was inter-convertible between their different forms: agglomerates, simply air dried bulk solids and films and well-dispersed suspensions.


Load Frequency Control (LFC) is an important method to ensure the power quality of interconnected power systems. For interconnected power systems with uncertain parameters and load disturbances, this paper proposes a LFC technique based on distributed H-infinity control. Large-scale systems are decomposed into multiple interconnected subsystems according to a certain logic. Each subsystem has its own local controller. This strategy exchanges its measured values and integrates the information of neighboring systems into the local control target and obtains the control law of each system. Finally, a simulation result of the three-area interconnected power system verifies the effectiveness of the algorithm.


Utilizing a sample of large US banks, this study examines the benefits of bank transparency using several key performance and stability measures over the 2001-2008 period. The market's reactions to disclosure events are examined on a before-and-after comparison basis using a standard event study approach. Furthermore, the most and the least transparent banks are compared in terms of their relative performance and stability. In addition, a sample of both healthy and weak banks which are heavily involved in loan securitization and credit derivative activities are examined to identify the extent to which greater transparency stabilizes (destabilizes) and/or increases (decreases) bank performance. Finally, a logit model is used to see if bank disclosure played a role in the recent financial crisis. Surprisingly the results suggest that highly transparent banks are riskier than their less transparent peers. Specifically, greater disclosure regarding their securitization and credit derivative activities submitted on regulatory reports, as well as extensive coverage of credit derivatives in their annual report, increases the probability of an institution being classified as a "troubled" bank.