Abstract
This paper describes the design of RS/1,™ the Research System, and its use in clinical patient studies. RS/1 is an interactive computer software system developed by the Medical Systems Group at BBN.

Investigators and technicians who have never before used computers can learn RS/1 with a few hours of training. It uses familiar and intuitive concepts for data handling and data analysis, such as the "automated notebook" format of data storage, the direct use of graphs in curve-fitting, and a simple command language.

Its versatility has made RS/1 useful in clinical research contexts, especially for studies involving patient care data.


The resolution of the language question—whether to maintain the mother tongue, shift to the mainstream language, or try to maintain two or more languages in the family—creates a lot of psychological complications and linguistic reflections. The present study explores how external variables and internal controversies affect the choice of language by an individual family member as well as the family as a whole unit, and how this choice, in its turn, impacts the relationships within the family. This study draws on the several theoretical domains of immigration, psychology, and language acquisition. Relying on these theoretical frameworks, the major findings are synthesized, and a paradigm of language choice at the family level is formulated. A mixed-method research design allows a broad outlook on the Russian-speaking immigrants, comparison of immigrants from the former Soviet Union with immigrants of other nationalities, and restricted and concentrated analysis at the family level. The Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) data set helps to address the quantitative part of this dissertation, while the qualitative part is based on in-depth case studies of four immigrant families. Building on the fundamental position that development happens as the result of the resolution of controversies, I suggest that there are four levels of controversy located in the language-choice model: societal, family, personal, and eventual outcomes of these


The main principles of a choice of a polarized proton source and a crossing of depolarizing resonances during acceleration in the Booster, U‐70, UNK are discussed in the article.


Two marketing studies that investigated relationships between self-confidence and persuasibility are reanalyzed. It is shown that the results of these studies are mostly contradictory, that some conclusions drawn by the investigators are wrong, that other conclusions are dubious, and that, in all, self-confidence is not an important determinant of persuasibility.


Significance Our senses of hearing and balance rest upon the activity of hair cells, the ear's sensory receptors. Each hair cell detects mechanical stimuli with its hair bundle, an organelle comprising 10–300 cylindrical, actin-filled stereocilia. A bundle's structure is highly stereotyped: the stereocilia stand erect in a regular, hexagonal array and display a monotonic gradient in length along one axis. This precise organization is key to the operation of the hair bundle: mutations that disturb the morphology of the bundle generally result in deafness. Here we provide a detailed mathematical model of hair-bundle morphogenesis that reproduces the essential features of bundles. The model also permits prediction of the effects of mutations, some of which have already been observed. The hair bundle, an apical specialization of the hair cell composed of several rows of regularly organized stereocilia and a kinocilium, is essential for mechanotransduction in the ear. Its precise organization allows the hair bundle to convert mechanical stimuli to electrical signals; mutations that alter the bundle's morphology often cause deafness. However, little is known about the proteins involved in the process of morphogenesis and how the structure of the bundle arises through interactions between these molecules. We present a mathematical model based on simple reaction–diffusion mechanisms that can reproduce the shape and organization of the hair bundle. This model suggests that the boundary of the cell and the kinocilium act as signaling centers that establish the bundle's shape. The interaction of two proteins forms a hexagonal Turing pattern—a periodic modulation of the concentrations of the morphogens, sustained by local activation and long-range inhibition of the reactants—that sets a blueprint for the location of the stereocilia. Finally we use this model to predict how different alterations to the system might impact the shape and organization of the hair bundle.


Certain practical limitations, such as finite CSI feedback delay, make the knowledge of instantaneous perfect CSI impossible and bring the term of delayed CSIT to the forefront. In this paper, it is described how both current and delayed CSI could be exploited by generalizing the space-time interference alignment transmission algorithm (STIA) to the K (K ≥ 3) user M × N interference channel. Specifically, the degrees of freedom (DoF) gain is characterized as a function of the CSI feedback delay γ and the system parameters (K, M, N). Surprisingly, the DoF become optimal, i.e., no loss is achieved with respect to the case of perfect current CSIT, as far as the normalized CSI feedback delay is less than a specific value dependent on the number of users, and the number of transmit antennas equals to N(K - 1). The proposed algorithm reveals unprecedented properties characterizing the performance of the system by providing the limits of the multiplexing gain with relation to the feedback time delay.


We have investigated extracts of marine sponge Psammaplysilla purpurea during three collections from Mandapam (Tamil Nadu, India) and Okha (Gujarat, India) and indentified two new bromotyrosine alkaloids, purpurealidin I (7) and J (8) using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). This sponge has tremendous chemical diversity of bromotyrosine alkaloids. Here we have used the proteomics approach in identifying related bromotyrosine alkaloids based on the predicated mass fragmentation pattern. The focus is on the examination of detailed product ion spectra of six known compounds that allowed identification of new compounds based on its mass fragmentation pattern. The isotopic pattern of the peaks for protonated molecules indicated the number of bromine atoms present in the molecule. During MS/MS studies, the most prominent product ion peak is for the presence of the side chain propane with either free NH2 or NHMe or NMe2. The cleavage at C–C bond between oxime–amide carbonyl and amide–phenoxy moiety also gave characteristic product ions. The ESI-MS spectra for all three collections show that the bromotyrosine metabolites vary during different seasons and also geographical location, although some common metabolites were observed during the three collections. Thus, ESI-MS/MS is a method of choice in identifying the related compounds.


Based on the analysis of the healthcare practice in our Hospital from 2005 to 2010,we found some problems about the healthcare for high -quality talent,including index insufficiency,low health care sense, large number of risk factors and complex disease classification.Then the author put forward relative promotion measures against these problems,including enhancing physical examination and information collection,establishment of risk evaluation and monitoring mechanism,and drawing up health management intervention plans.


In this paper, we extend our previous work on,the generalized boundary integral equation (BEB) formulation for heat conduction in media with spatially varying thermal conductivity to formulate a generalized boundary integral equation for axisymmetric heat conduction in such media. The kernels of the integral equation do not contain elliptic integrals encountered in traditional BEM formulation in which Dirac Delta forcing functions are used to drive the axisymmetric adjoint equation. The resulting integral equation is implemented in a BEM code. Numerical examples are presented to validate the formulation. Quadratic elements are used and hollow and solid bodies are considered. Results are presented for the case of constant thermal conductivity and spatially varying thermal conductivity.


The Cognitive Estimation Test (CET) represents a novel diagnostic tool for quantifying the ability to provide accurate cognitive estimates. Cognitive estimates are supposed to result from frontal cortex activity. The general aim of our study was to evaluate the brain regions responsible for cognitive estimation. In a group of ten healthy volunteers we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to detect the brain systems involved in cognitive estimation. Four blocks of experimental estimation condition alternated with the control condition with each block consisting of 8 visually-presented questions. We have confirmed that the CET increases the fMRI signal in the left inferior frontal gyrus (Brodmann's Area, BA 47) and the left middle frontal gyrus (BA 9). Further we detected activation in the bilateral lingual gyrus (BA 18), right superior parietal lobule (BA 7) and cerebellum. These data indicate that CET is conn ected not only with frontal but also with parieto-occipital system activation.


Objective To discuss the effect of continuous quality improvement(CQI) on blood culture sample in ICU.Methods After the analysis was carried out for non-standard steps in testing flow of blood culture sample such as without optimal time for blood sample collection,inappropriate blood sample collection site and insufficient blood volume in ICU,the expected aim was established and then quality improvement was conducted,the effect of which was evaluated regularly.Results There existed higher testing rate of blood culture samples and there was lower occurrence of non-standard steps in blood culture sample testing(P0.01).Conclusion The implementation of CQI is beneficial to the quality improvement of blood culture sample.


Savannas are globally important ecosystems characterized by the coexistence of trees and grasses. Woody plants, which are slow-growing dominant life forms, influence the physiognomic structure and function of savanna ecosystems. Their density and distribution provides sustenance to a vast and unique savanna biodiversity, by forming a major source of food material to large mammalian herbivores, sheltering them and through their facilitation of diverse plant species.
Savanna tree existence is strongly affected by factors that determine their sapling recruitment. We defined "sapling" as a young tree, in the first season of its growth, which does not depend on cotyledonary reserves (=seedling stage) and relies on external resources to grow further. Sapling recruitment may strictly be defined as the progression of a young plant from seedling to sapling stage. However, we believe that savanna tree saplings, present within the grass layer in the initial years of their growth, are equally vulnerable to environmental stresses. This study examines the factors affecting tree sapling establishment in a humid savanna (1250 mm mean annual precipitation). Additionally, the effects of fire were tested in a greenhouse experiment. Dominant species from humid savannas (> 1000 mm MAP), Acacia karroo, Acacia sieberiana, Schotia brachypetala and Strychnos spinosa, and mesic savannas (approx. 750 mm MAP), Acacia nigrescens, Acacia tortilis, Colophospermum mopane and Combretum apiculatum, were studied. In this thesis I examined the effects of resource availability (water, nutrients and light), disturbances (fire and herbivory) and competition (grass) on the sapling ecology of these species. Sapling recruitment and growth were assessed in terms of survival and aboveground growth responses, i.e. total biomass, stem growth rates (used as proxy measures for assessing persistence) and leaf biomass proportion (important for producing root reserves necessary to resprout). I studied the effects of fire and a nutrient gradient on survival and growth of four Acacia species in the presence of grass competition, in a controlled greenhouse experiment. Generally, Acacias invest in defenses after herbivory. I also determined their physical and chemical defense investments in this experiment. Sapling survival was not influenced by nutrients but highly varied among the species due to fire, indicating that fires may have a differential effect on species composition at a landscape scale. Intermediate levels of nutrients were found to be beneficial for sapling growth than high and low levels. This may be due to an increase in grass competition at higher levels of nutrients. Fires did not have a positive influence on sapling defence investment.
To evaluate the relative importance of resource availability on sapling tree recruitment and its interactions with grass competition, I tested the effects of water (frequent irrigation vs. rainfall), shade (presence vs. absence), nutrients (addition vs. no addition) and grass competition (presence vs. absence) on sapling…


Land-use intensification has a direct effect on te rmite encounters, individuals and species richness in an ecosystem. Species richness decrease s with increase in land-use intensity. The function al groups are also affected by the degree of disturban ces within the land systems, with a higher percenta ge of damp-wood termites occurring in the primary fore st, while the fungus growers are more predominant in the disturbed environment. However, termite dens ities are independent of land-use systems. Termite activities and decomposition of tissue paper baits increases with Increase in land-use intensity, and re independent of seasonal changes. Land-use intensifi cation could therefore be an important factor in determining species richness, functional compositio n and abundance of termites in a disturbed or undisturbed ecosystem.


In light of a certain sort of fractional calculus, a generalized symmetric fractional differential operator based on Raina's function is built. The generalized operator is then used to create a formula for analytic functions of type normalized. We use the ideas of subordination and superordination to show a collection of inequalities using the suggested differential operator. The new Raina's operator is also used to the generalized kinematic solutions (GKS). Using the concepts of subordination and superordination, we provide analytic solutions for GKS. As a consequence, a certain hypergeometric function provides the answer. A fractional coefficient differential operator is also created. The geometric and analytic properties of the object are being addressed. The symmetric differential operator in a complex domain is shown to be a generalized fractional differential operator. Finally, we explore the characteristics of the Raina's symmetric differential operator.


[Objective] The purpose was to discuss the flu disease status and medication effects of leaf spot disease and "Ouxin" disease of the Cymbidium longibracteatum under the cloudiness-shed condition.[Method] The field plot trial was carried on with pot in the cloudiness-shed.The seedlings number of infecting "Ouxin" disease and leaf spot disease,per pot and lamina number of single plant were determined.[Result]The results indicated that all plants were infected by leaf spot disease and "Ouxin" disease,the average infection rate were 3.18% and 1.93% respectively.The several antiseptics which took part in the test had the control efficiency to leaf spot disease and "Ouxin" disease,and control efficiency of chlorothalonil 800 liquid was the best.[Conclusion] Leaf spot disease and "Ouxin" disease will be necessary prevented in the cultivation with antiseptics.


A guide to get you started on your World History research. If you have any questions or would like more help, please see the librarian at the Reference Desk. Assistance in primary, secondary and tertiary sources using library and Internet resources.


High rates of worker turnover have been a persistent problem in the long-term care industry. Spending on individuals with developmental disabilities represents 20 percent of all long-term care spending and 40 percent of Medicaid spending on long-term care. Using detailed data on the providers of long-term community-based residential services for persons with developmental disabilities, this research examined the consequences of high worker turnover for long-term care costs and whether a wage-subsidy policy to reduce worker turnover would have been cost-effective in this sector. Higher turnover increased state-reimbursed training expenditures, the share of workers engaged in training, and workers' compensation costs. Turnover had no effect on training expenditures that were not reimbursed by the state, nor did it affect residential vacancies. The findings indicated that providers were unlikely to reduce turnover on their own, since its associated costs were either tolerably small or borne by others. An analysis indicated that it was likely socially beneficial for the government to reduce turnover through wage subsidization in this sector.


The personnel evacuation model based on cellular automata was studied,in which the competing repulsion and friction among the pedestrians were taken into account,then the numerical simulation was conducted on pedestrian evacuation by the model. The results showed that the competing repulsion and friction have negative effect on the evacuation,which delay the evacuation process; and the more the pedestrians are,the more obvious the effect is. The multi-exits can restrain the negative effect of the repulsion and friction effectively,the pedestrian force is weakened by decreasing the pedestrian number of exits. So when the exit width is fixed,the evacuation efficiency can be improved by double exits or more exits,so as to increase the chance of escape.


A case of cavernous hemangioma which developed in the parietal convexity is reported. Angiography reveals that the mass is located extra-axially in the parietal convexity and the middle meningeal artery feeds the tumor. The feature of tumor stain is pooling or laking of contrast medium which is partially visualized even 10 minutes after injection of contrast medium. CT findings are almost identical to those of meningioma.


Dear Editor, Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases are at high risk for severe outcomes associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to the immune disturbances related to the disease, administration of immunosuppressive drugs and comorbidities [1, 2]. IgG4-related (IgG4-RD) disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect different organs and systems such as the pancreas, bile duct, major salivary glands, lacrimal glands, and retroperitoneum and lymph ducts [3]. IgG4-related disease is characterized by elevated serum IgG4 levels, neoplastic-like swelling of the affected organs, specific histopathological features, and good response to glucocorticosteroids (GCs) therapy. Recently, elevation of serum IgG4 was suggested as a predictor of mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, raising the possibility that an immunological background predisposed to increasing IgG4 production may lead to a severe course of SARS-CoV-2 infection [4]. It is however difficult to consider IgG4 level as a marker due to its variability under conditions of a number of diseases [5]. There are only a few and in some aspects contradictory data in the literature on the course and prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in IgG4-RD patients. The letter reports the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 infection of a patient who was followed up with IgG4 related disease and had received GCs therapy. A 45-year-old male patient due to swelling of the left parotid gland had been seen by an otolaryngologist a year ago. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was recommended and revealed a solid parotid mass was found (Fig. 1), and an excisional biopsy was performed. The patient was referred to the rheumatological clinic because the pathological findings of the excised tissue indicated IgG4-RD. There were no symptoms and signs suggesting rheumatic disease in the medical history and physical examination. There were no symptoms rheumatic disease in the medical history and physical examination, however, a soft tissue swelling ine the left parotid gland was observed. Results of laboratory tests (ANA, ENA profile, ACPA, serum ACE, ANCA, and RF) were unaltered. Acute phase reactants were slightly elevated, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR): 43 mm/h (normal range 0–20 mm/h), C-reactive protein (CRP): 7 mg/dl (normal range 0–5 mg/dl). Serum total IgG and IgG4 levels and IgG1/IgG4 ratio were slightly increased. Medication with GCs was administered (48 mg of prednisone daily). Significant regression was observed in the follow-up, and significant regression and later disappearance of the mass within the parotic gland were revealed with ultrasonography examination. The GCs dose was


The LHC program will include the identification of events with single high-k{sub T} photons as probes of new physics. We show that this channel is uniquely suited to search for experimental evidence of TeV-scale open string theory.


: Gamma glycine crystals using rubidium chloride as an additive (GGRC) were grown at room temperature (31 o C). The saturated aqueous solution was prepared by dissolving glycine and rubidium chloride in 3:1 molar ratio and single crystals of gamma glycine were grown in a period of four weeks by slow evaporation method. The grown crystals of GGRC were characterized by single crystal XRD analysis, UV-visible transmittance studies, dielectric studies, mechanical studies, LDT studies, The Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) efficiency of the sample was measured using a Nd:YAG laser. The results from the different studies show that gamma glycine crystal is an excellent nonlinear optical (NLO) material.


Discrete element simulations are used to investigate the as s mbling and the plastic consolidation behavior of model cohesive powders which consist of two-dimensional aggrega tes of disks. The material state varies with a reduced pressureP ∗ comparing the confining pressure to the maximum tensile cont a t force, and sensitively depends on the assembling process. If ininitially a continuous struct ure has formed before the confining stress is applied, loose configurations are obtained, with the fractal dimension of b allistic aggregation clusters characterizing density correlations on scales between the grain size and a certain b lob sizeξ. The coordination number varies with the initial agitation velocity and with the resistance to rolli ng in contacts. Under growing P , the system undergoes an irreversible collapse similar to the plastic consolidatio n f clays and powders in which the characteristic size ∼ ξ of the larger pores decreases and the microstructure of cohe si nless granular assemblies is gradually recovered.


Cold-formed steel Z-purlins are commonly used in the construction of industrial building roofs. As the restraining effect due to roof sheeting increases the strength of the purlin to a considerable extent, its design is largely influenced by the amount of rotational restraint provided by roof sheeting to purlins. Though it has been an area of research for several years, numerical modelling is not yet convincingly complete to predict this rotational restraint. In this research work, a non-linear model is developed by incorporating both purlin and sheeting along with screws and washers in the model and taking the symmetry in the deformation pattern of the Z-profile purlin-sheeting systems into consideration, and Z-purlin-sheeting systems are analysed for rotational restraint under gravity and uplift loads. The performance of the finite element model is validated by conducting experiments. Parametric study is performed using the present model to investigate the factors influencing rotational restraint and the results are included in this article.


Atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis are the common pathologic causes of such cardiovascular diseases as myocardial infarction,cerebral apoplexy,and so on.Early detecting the changes of artery's malfunction and proper treatment can effectively help to prevent those mortal diseases or slow down the its procedure.This review analyses currently used methods and devices evaluating the arterial stiffness.Three main methods and instruments which based upon analysis of pulse transit time,wave contour of the arterial pulse,and direct measurement of arterial geometry and pressure,which correspond to the evaluation of regional,local and systemic stiffness of body region are discussed.They are used in clinical laboratory and/or in clinical treatment particular attention is given to the reproducibility of each device.

Key words:
Arterial stiffness; Measurement; Device


The paper gives the quantitative description on the components of the cost of production,analyzes the production flow and production cost of logistics enterprises,and discusses the logistics cost's distributing ways,the total cost of logistics enterprises as well as the relationship between single - product cost and logistics quantity,points out that the relationship between single - product cost of logistics and logistics quantity is the relationship of decreasing change.The single cost function well explained a distinctive feature of the logistics distribution:the agglomeration effects of scale.


This study evaluated the effects of academic learning on the organization and structure of a knowledge schema among psychology students. The authors designed three studies based on the Chronometric Constructive Cognitive Learning Evaluation Model. This article describes the first method of evaluation, which included a conceptual definition task based on the Natural Semantic Networks technique. The participants' task was to define ten target concepts using verbs, nouns, or adjectives as definers, and then rate the quality of each definer, taking into account the degree of semantic relationship between it and the target concept. The results suggest that the students' initial knowledge schema underwent modifications due to the restructuration of the cognitive structure of knowledge, the assimilation of new information nodes, and the elimination or establishment of new relationships between the conceptual nodes of the knowledge schema. The measurement of these cognitive expressions of academic learning through mental representation techniques can have relevant implications for cognitive characterization in student learning and the design of new teaching strategies that take account of the cognitive psychology principles of information processing underlying academic learning.


The chymotrypsin-like family of serine protease genes includes several members that are expressed ex-clusively in subsets of hematopoietic cells. For example, human neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G are expressed only in myelomonocytic precursors, and cytotoxic-T-cell serine proteases are found only in cytotoxic lymphocytes. We have used a cathepsin G cDNA probe to clone two cathepsin G-like genes (designated CGL-1 and CGL-2) from a human genomic library. We have determined that CGL-1 is identical to a previously identified gene (known as CCPI, CTLA I, or cytotoxic serine protease B) that is expressed only in activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes. We show here that cathepsin G, CGL-1, and CGL-2 are linked on an =50-kilobase locus found on human chromosome 14 at band qll.2. This gene cluster maps to the same chromosomal band as the et and 8 T-cell receptor genes; this region is involved in most chromosomal translocations and inversions that are specifically associated with


Resume-Synthese.- Analytical Techniques for Measuring Fluxes of CO2 and CH4 from Hydroelectric Reservoirs and Natural Water Bodies.- Development and Use of an Experimental near Infrared Open Path Diode Laser Prototype for Continuous Measurement of CO2 and CH4 Fluxes from Boreal Hydro Reservoirs and Lakes.- Greenhouse Gas Fluxes (CO2, CH4 and N2O) in Forests and Wetlands of Boreal, Temperate and Tropical Regions.- Diffuse Flux of Greenhouse Gases - Methane and Carbon Dioxide - at the Sediment-Water Interface of Some Lakes and Reservoirs of the World.- Organic Carbon Densities of Soils and Vegetation of Tropical, Temperate and Boreal Forests.- Carbon Dioxide and Methane Emissions from Estuaries.- GHG Emissions from Boreal Reservoirs and Natural Aquatic Ecosystems.- CO2 Emissions from Semi-Arid Reservoirs and Natural Aquatic Ecosystems.- A Comparison of Carbon Dioxide Net Production in Three Flooded Uplands (FLUDEX, 1999-2002) and a Flooded Wetland (ELARP, 1991-2002) Using a Dynamic Model.- Gross Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Brazilian Hydro Reservoirs.- Long Term Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Hydroelectric Reservoir of Petit Saut (French Guiana) and Potential Impacts.- Production of GHG from the Decomposition of in vitro Inundated Phytomass and Soil.- Diffusive CO2 Flux at the Air-Water Interface of the Robert-Bourassa Hydroelectric Reservoir in Northern Quebec : Isotopic Approach (13C).- The Use of Carbon Mass Budgets and Stable Carbon Isotopes to Examine Processes Affecting CO2 and CH4 Production in the Experimental FLUDEX Reservoirs.- Mass Balance of Organic Carbon in the Soils of Forested Watersheds from Northeastern North America.- Planktonic Community Dynamics over Time in a Large Reservoir and their Influence on Carbon Budgets.- Production and Consumption of Methane in Soil, Peat, and Sediments from a Hydro-Electric Reservoir (Robert-Bourassa) and Lakes in the Canadian Taiga.- Bacterial Activity in the Water Column and its Impact on the CO2 Efflux.- Production-Consumption of CO2 in Reservoirs and Lakes in Relation to Plankton Metabolism.- Impacts of Ultraviolet Radiation on Aquatic Ecosystems: Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Implications for Hydroelectric Reservoirs.- Impact of Methane Oxidation in Tropical Reservoirs on Greenhouse Gases Fluxes and Water Quality.- Using Gas Exchange Estimates to Determine Net Production of CO2 in Reservoirs and Lakes.- A One-Dimensional Model for Simulating the Vertical Transport of Dissolved CO2 and CH4 in Hydroelectric Reservoirs.- Modelling the GHG emission from hydroelectric reservoirs.- Synthesis.


I N recent years there has been increasing interest in the respiratory complications of cerebral trauma as well as the role of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in respiration. 9 Published reports have concentrated on the respiratory, acid-base, and blood gas alterations seen in more severe forms of cranial trauma where the comparability of the level of injury was questionable, and multiple injuries were frequently involved. The question then arises: What part of the devastating effects of respiratory disturbance after cranial trauma is precipitated by primary neurogenic factors and what part follows as secondary effects of airway obstruction and pulmonary insufficiency? Ducker and associates have helped to elucidate part of this problem in their study of the role of raised intracranial pressure and the Cushing reflex in the genesis of pulmonary edema after head injury. ~,~,21 In an attempt to separate the primary central nervous system derangements from those caused by secondary airway and pulmonary factors, we have begun a study of respiratory function, blood, and CSF pH and gas tensions after experimental cerebral concussion (ECC). This model of head injury represents our baseline of minimal and reversible brain trauma wherein the physiopathology of blunt head injuries may be analyzed, and on which studies of more severe injury may be built. The criteria for concussion and the biomechanical aspects of the trauma were developed for the Rhesus monkey, as previously described by Ommaya, et al. ~,6,17,~8


Researchers fighting COVID-19 worked fast and furiously this year to achieve breakthroughs big and small. But for science9s relations with the wider world, this year marked a breakdown: in communication, in trust, in the sense of a shared reality. A "syndemic" is the intersection of two epidemics—two diseases ravaging a population at the same time, exacerbating each other. The world witnessed something similar this year, as SARS-CoV-2 emerged in an information ecosystem that makes it ever harder for scientific evidence to be accepted. Misinformation and lies have weakened our ability to respond to new threats, making the pandemic far worse.


This thesis is divided into three distinct yet related chapters. The first chapter deals with the question of the actual calendar which is used in Jubilees. The work criticizes scholarly opinions concerning the calendar which have gone relatively unchallenged since the Qumran discovery. The chapter concludes that while the calendar question is difficult and many calendars can be detected as functioning in the work, it is the 28-day month which is dominant and not months of 30, 30 and 31 days. In the second chapter which deals with the genealogy of the patriarchs, the attention of the reader is directed to the names of the wives of the patriarchs. The question which the thesis raises at this point is related to the function of these women in the narrative in relation to the etymology of their names. The conclusion reached is that the narrative and the etymology of the names are clearly related. For example, when the etymological meaning of a woman is favourable, the narrative at that point is positive and vice versa. Chapter Three deals with chronology which is in close proximity to both calendar and genealogy. The question the thesis asks is how the chronology of Jubilees relates to the chronologies of MT, LXX and SP and also raises the question as to which chronology that of Jubilees is dependant upon for its structure. It is determined that Jubilees and SP are most closely related. The structure itself of the chronology of Jubilees is examined and it is concluded that the design is more concerned with past history than future history. The implications of the thesis on the questions of date and authorship are considered. The conclusion is reached that the author is a member of an unnamed conservative-pietist sect who wrote at a time later than Antiochus IV.


Two types of PI controller configurations considered in this paper for the direct method of model reference adaptive PI controller using the gradient approach. The authors have generated significant insight on the inner workings of the gradient method from a 3-D spatial perspective. The type of PI control rules and the corresponding adaptation rate /spl theta/~/spl dot/ generate certain adverse effects on the overall adaptation trend. Extensive results of the adaptive algorithms for both the standard textbook PI and the modified PI control rules are presented for discussion.<<ETX>>


This study tried to cover the legal system of Promotion in Government Jobs, which is one of the most important job regulations, a way to guarantee the highly and efficient functioning in the administrative body. In addition of being material and moral motive built on public employee needs, also we try define the promotion and it's importance in Jordanian promotion legal system.
Out of this study, we have an important conclusion that promotion system even it tries to elevate the efficiency and functionality of the administrative body in the state, maintains the best human resources and talented people, it may be become a destroying method which stops job efficiency, this led trying to balance between public interest and employees interest a way from any foreign or illegal element.
Finally, we recommend some legal issues to organize promotion system, promotion should be built upon efficiency bases, taking care of all employee working of the governmental administrative body to get their opportunity to share in promotion operation.


Objective To observe the influence of hyperglyceima on short term prognosis of acute bleeding in patients without diabetes mellitus.In order to control plasma glucose and complications and reduce the mortality.Methods The fast plasma glucose levels were detected in diagnosed acute cerebral bleeding cases without diabetes mellilus.The short term prognosis was observed and compared the normal plasma glucose and hyperglyceima cases.Results Hyperglycemia was found in 58.9% cases of acute cerebral bleeding.The complications of these cases were more,the prognosis was poor,and the mortality was high.Conclusion Hyperglycemia in patients with acute cerebral bleeding could result in more complications,poor prognosis and high mortality.Controlling plasma glucose level and other complications could cut down the mortality.


Originally published in: Expression and Analysis of Recombinant Ions Channels. Edited by Jeffrey J. Clare and Derek J. Trezise. Copyright © 2006 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA Weinheim. Print ISBN: 3-527-31209-2

This article outlines electrophysiological methods for extracting biophysical parameters that describe two fundamental properties of ion channels: gating and permeation. The Introduction provides a broad overview of the general concepts of ion channel biophysics and the text a review of the kind of information that can be extracted from electrophysiological recordings. The later sections introduce several methods for the analysis of electrophysiological experiments on heterologously expressed ion channels. Many parts are explicit and can be directly applied "at the bench". Other, more advanced topics (gating current measurements, single-channel kinetic analysis) are touched upon only superficially since their application requires further background that can be found in the references.

The sections in this article are

Introduction
Expression Systems and Related Recording Techniques
Expression in Xenopus Oocytes
Expression in Mammalian Cells
Leak and Capacitance Subtraction

Macroscopic Recordings
Analysis of Pore Properties–Permeation
Analysis of Fast Voltage-dependent Block – the Woodhull Model
Information on Gating Properties from Macroscopic Measurements
Equilibrium Properties–Voltage-gated Channels
Equilibrium Properties–Ligand Gated Channels
Macroscopic Kinetics

Channel Block
Nonstationary Noise Analysis
Gating Current Measurements in Voltage Gated Channels

Single Channel Analysis
Amplitude Histogram Analysis
Kinetic Single Channel Analysis

Conclusion
Acknowledgements

Keywords:

expression of recombinant ion channels;
analysis of electrophysiological data;
expression systems;
related recording techniques;
macroscopic recordings;
analysis of pore properties-permeation;
Woodhull model;
gating properties;
channel block;
nonstationary noise analysis;
single channel analysis


Purpose : To evaluate changes of residual aneurysms according to the size of aneurysmal neck andthrombogenicity of a tungsten coil after incomplete embolization of experimental lateral aneurysms. Materials andMethods : Eleven experimental lateral aneurysms with different aneurysmal neck size were created in the commoncarotid arteries of mongrel dogs. They were then divided into narrow-neck(n=3), wide-neck(n=6) and spontaneouslythrombosed control(n=2) groups. After confirmation of aneurysmal patency, incomplete embolizations of varyingdegrees (about 30% to near total occlusion) were performed using 5mm-diameter tungsten coils. Angiography wasperformed immediately before and after, and one and six weeks after embolizations. The size of residual aneurysmwas measured on each angiogram. After the last angiography, embolized aneurysms were excised and examined underlight and electron microscopes. Results : On angiograms obtained 6 weeks after embolization, all residual narrowneck aneurysms were completely occluded, whereas in those with a wide-neck, therre was either no change (n=4) or aslight increase in size(n=2). On light microscopy, all narrow-neck aneurysms showed total organized fibrosis whileall control aneurysms and half those with a wide neck showed unorganized thrombi. The embolized group showed ahigher degree of organization in the aneurysmal cavity than did the control group. Neointima formation was seen inall embolized aneurysms, but no aneurysm showed foreign body reaction. On electron microscopy, uniform thicknessof plasma coatings was noted on the surface of the tungsten coils. Conclusion : A wide-neck residual aneurysm maypersist or increase in size, while one with a narrow-neck can be thrombosed after incomplete embolization withtungsten coils in a lateral aneurym. Careful consideration might be necessary in the embolization of wide-neckaneurysms. With plasma coatings on its surface and organized fibrosis, tungsten coil can be an useful forembolization of an aneurysm.


In recent years continuously changing market situations required IT systems that are exible and highly responsive to changes of the underlying business processes. The transformation to service-oriented architecture (SOA) concepts, mainly services and loose coupling, promises to meet these demands. However, elevated complexity in management and evolution processes is required for the migration of existing systems towards SOA. Studies in this area of research have revealed a gap between in continuous and actual tool support of development teams throughout the process phases of evolution processes. Thus, in this article we introduce a method that fosters evolution by an iterative approach and illustrate how each phase of this method can be tool-supported.


Three tidal disruption event (TDE) candidates (AT2019dsg, AT2019fdr, AT2019aalc) have been found to be coincident with high energy astrophysical neutrinos in multi-messenger follow-ups. Recent studies suggest the presence of a quasi-spherical, optically thick envelope around the supermassive black holes in TDEs, resulted from stellar debris after the disruption. We study whether the neutrino signal can be explained by choked relativistic jets inside the envelope. While powerful jets, such as that in Swift J1644+57, can successfully break out the envelope, those with relatively weak power could be choked by the envelope. Choked jets can still accelerate cosmic rays through internal shocks or reverse shocks deep in the envelope, which further produce high-energy neutrinos via interaction with the thermal photons in the envelope. We explore the parameter space of the jets that can produce detectable neutrino flux while being choked. Under reasonable assumption about the envelope mass, we find that the cumulative neutrino numbers of three TDEs are consistent with the expected range imposed by observations. Compared with other proposed models, the relativistic bulk motion of the jets in our model can magnify the neutrino flux by Lorentz boosting. The neutrino time delay relative to the optical peak time of TDEs can be explained as the jet propagation time in the envelope before being choked. The discovery of TDE-associated neutrino events may suggest that jets might have been commonly formed in TDEs, as expected from super-Eddington accretion, but most of them are too weak to break out of the envelopes.


The text contains its textures which means that it was constructed with its overall structure or literary scheme according to the authorial design, demanding the readers to pay proper attention to the literary clues or patterns such as parallel features. Matthew 24-25 shows certain parallel phenomena within certain paragraphs, for example, chiastic features in 24: 23-26, 36-41, and 42-44; contrastive figures in 24:40-41, 45-51, 25:1-13, 25:14-30, and 25:31-46, all of which demonstrate the Matthean styles or ways of writing, promoting the ideas based on the pairing system. From this observation on the stylistic construction of Matthew, we may assume that the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25) was composed of its own macro-systematic structure. By ways of inducing not a few literary clues of parallels within the Discourse, we may conclude that 24:1-35 has its chiastic structure (ABB′A′), while 24:36-25: 30 shows the parallel one (ABA′B′). In a sense, even the last section 25:31-46 produces a chiastic phenomenon: ABB′A′. As a whole, Matthew 24-25 may provide as an overall structure a macrochiasm, A (24:1-35) – X (24:36-25: 30) – A′ (25:31-46).


To determine the extent to which a sequential anesthetic technique 1) shortens time under sedation for thyroplasty with arytenoid adduction (TP‐AA), 2) affects the total operative time, and 3) changes the voice outcome compared to TP‐AA performed entirely under sedation/analgesia.


Women who stand like men. Body language and gender hierarchy in North Africa.
This article, based on field work in Algeria, deals with the different ways men and women use their bodies and how they display and affirm a gender hierarchy. The gender codes of proper posture and movement are violated by prostitutes for professional reasons. It is argued that prostitutes adopt masculine body language, thereby seeming to challenge the cultural spatial order and the gender hierarchy it reflects. However, the danger ensuing from this adoption of masculine symbols of power is averted by a change of meaning. When women use the masculine code, it does nog lead to a higher status, as it does for men, but on the contrary to social degradation. This prevents other women from standing and moving like men. Prostitutes thus contribute to the
preservation of the gender hierarchy instead of serving as a force of structural change.


Verification of dual-capable fighter aircraft has presented problems in strategic and intermediate-range arms control negotiations. A new U.S. Air Force storage plan would make a verification agreement even more difficult.


A principal-agent problem is a mathematical framework for modelling contractual relationships, where a principal delegates tasks to an agent in exchange for reward. Many real life contracts are of this type. The agent does not have the same objectives as the principal and he possesses hidden information. Two types of hidden information is generally considered: moral hazard (hidden action) and adverse selection (hidden type). This asymmetry of information can be exploited by the agent for his own benefits, which can reduce the principal's utility. The goal is find a mechanism, in the form of a contract, that aligns the principal's and agent's objectives and maximises the principal's utility. Previous economic studies focuses on finding analytical solutions on specific cases. In this study we consider numerical solution approaches for a principal agent-problem with moral hazard, and a generalised principal-agent problem with moral hazard and adverse selection problem. The moral hazard problem is a bi-level programming problem and it is solved by assuming the agent's optimal effort is an implicit function dependent on the contract. The generalised principal agent problem is an infinite programming problem. For that we propose two numerical solution methods: the discretisation method and the basis function method. Both are tested on a option contract problem with moral hazard and adverse selection. From the experiment, the discretisation method seems to be the better performer. Master of Science Thesis Nam Dang


In Prosecutor v Laurent Gbagbo, ICC Pre-Trial Chamber, 2 November 2012 it was decided that the accused former President of the Ivory Coast was fit to stand trial. Expert opinions from a general practitioner and a psychologist were not accepted and evidence from a psychiatrist was preferred. It was determined that the evidence that the accused suffered from "hospitalisation syndrome", PTSD and depression did not satisfy the test for unfitness to stand trial. The carefully reasoned judgment of the Pre-Trial Chamber raises important issues about the relevance of conditions that fall short of psychosis in terms of their potential to render a person unfit for trial under international criminal law or, more generally, under criminal law. While on this occasion the somewhat novel, internally contradictory and inadequately based expert opinions did not satisfy the Pre-Trial Chamber in this regard, it remains still possible that unusual conditions or combinations of conditions falling short of psychosis could result in a person's inability to participate meaningfully in the trial process.


The initial idea for the creation of an institute to investigate tropical diseases in Mexico can be found in Plutarco Elías Calles biographical background, who suffered from a tropical disease before being declared president. After the elections, he traveled to Europe,1 to Hamburg, to be treated for Pott's disease or tuberculous spondylitis. He conceived the project of an institute to study this type of ailments. During his presidency, the Public Sanitary Department building, currently the Ministry of Health, was constructed in front of Chapultepec (1926-1928), but the project of the institute remained pending. Later, during Abelardo Rodríguez presidency, a proposal for the creation of a public health research center was received. Political events hindered its implementation, but Gastón Melo, head of the Public Sanitary Department of, left it established in the corresponding chapter of the sixyear plan.2,3 The National Revolutionary Party, founded in 1929 by Calles, developed a government plan in 1933 and Lázaro Cárdenas' six-year plan was based on those initiatives. The official document of that plan, of December 1933, read "since Mexico is a country invaded by several tropical diseases, an institute will be stablished for the study of those ailments".4 Another proposal that reinforced the latter was that of the First National Congress of Rural Hygiene, held in Michoacán, and attended by Miguel E. Bustamante and Manuel Martínez Báez. One of the recommendations demanded for the Department of Public Health to expedite the installation of the Sanitary and Tropical Diseases Institute.5 Abstract


Background: Indoor air pollution is a constant problem in the current society, especially in the emergency department (ED). Dirty and polluted air in hospitals will reduce work efficiency of healthcare staff and could ultimately cause diseases and illness; some serious acute respiratory diseases are liable to become epidemics in the hospital. A solution to organize the medical working environment and prevent the underlying threat of nosocomial infection is becoming an increasingly important issue; therefore, a research project is designed to study the air quality in the ED of a medical center in Taiwan.
 Methods: Air quality measuring instruments were used three times a day for a non-continuous monitoring in the ED of the Taipei Mackay Memorial Hospital, including temperature, oxygen, carbon dioxide, ozone, total volatile organic compounds, suspended particulates (PM10) with a particle size of 10 microns or less, and formaldehyde. The emergency areas were classified into four types according to whether medical procedures were performed or not, is there confined space or not. The data collected from different ER zones were analyzed and compared.
 Results: The results showed that the oxygen concentration was higher than that of the general environment (20.9%) in all areas of the ED, while carbon dioxide concentration (CO 2 ) is also higher. The oxygen concentration of most places in ER exceeded 30%. The CO 2 concentration of each unit exceeds 700 ppm, especially in the internal and surgical ED, as well as the negative pressure isolation room, for which the value was close to 800 ppm (P 0.12 ppm) was detected in the nursing station the observation room and the research office. The highest concentration of ozone was also detected in the nursing station the observation room. As for the suspended particles (PM10) having a particle diameter of 10 µm or less, the level of each zone was quite low. There was a much lower concentration of volatile organic substances (VOCs) in the triage station, research office as well as corridors; while all other areas have exceeded 150 ppb.
 Conclusions: Our research indicates that the current emergency environment could be harmful to healthcare staff, and poor air quality in the ER is observed especially during busy hours, in older buildings, at intensive medical disposal areas and also in confined spaces. Some confined medical treatment spaces were prone to higher carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations that may cause fatigue and decrease of work efficiency. Therefore, improvement of air quality in ER and maintenance of emergency environment at the ideal air condition is significantly important. The ventilation of outdoor airflow and filtration of particles of the air conditioning systems should be thoughtfully planned as early as when designing an ER construction in order to avoid "sick building syndrome (SBS)". That said, a healthier working environment to the ER staffs could ultimately bring more effective work and promote better medical quality.


The rise of the development of manga in Indonesia is not out of enthusiasm for fans of manga. Genre and a lower price with a more interesting part of comics Europe to make fans of manga rise more among teenagers Surabaya. Fans of manga with the intensity of reading, certainly has the reading experience respectively. The reading experience to not only encourage their fans simply read the manga only, but also encourages them to perform activities related to the manga, one of which is joined in manga fandom. This qualitative study perspective of Cultural Studies attempted to reveal the meaning behind the behavior of fans of the manga which is a text culture, which means trying to understand these texts that does not just talk about literature, but also follows a variety of other related cultural products, among other films, costumes, merchandise/products of other cultures, or synergistic activity other. This study produced typical divergent and convergent manga fandom. Divergent manga fandom is a fan who develop many various efforts to always read manga, be active fan following of more than one fan community and expand synergistic activity. Convergence manga fandom is a fan only make one effort to reading manga, who only attended one fan community and develop only one type of activity.


Comparison of two high power pulser topologies is presented. Pulser design was aimed for piezoelectric transducer excitation, yet it can also be used for electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) or capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) excitation. Pulser can produce both single rectangular pulse and trains of rectangular arbitrary duration pulses. In order to achieve the economy of the electrical power consumption and speed both high-pulling and low-pulling elements are active switches. Energy per pulse was used to evaluate the amount of energy consumed. Two topologies were selected for evaluation: transformer output push–pull topology and half bridge output. Experimental investigation results are presented.


Objectives To compare artificial intelligence (AI) as a second reader in detecting lung nodules on chest X-rays (CXR) versus radiologists of two binational institutions, and to evaluate AI performance when using two different modes: automated versus assisted (additional remote radiologist review). Methods The CXR public database (n = 247) of the Japanese Society of Radiological Technology with various types and sizes of lung nodules was analyzed. Eight radiologists evaluated the CXR images with regard to the presence of lung nodules and nodule conspicuity. After radiologist review, the AI software processed and flagged the CXR with the highest probability of missed nodules. The calculated accuracy metrics were the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, F1 score, false negative case number (FN), and the effect of different AI modes (automated/assisted) on the accuracy of nodule detection. Results For radiologists, the average AUC value was 0.77±0.07, while the average FN was 52.63±17.53 (all studies) and 32±11.59 (studies containing a nodule of malignant etiology = 32% rate of missed malignant nodules). Both AI modes automated and assisted, produced an average increase in sensitivity (by 14% and 12%) and of F1-score (5% and 6%) and a decrease in specificity (by 10% and 3%, respectively). Conclusions Both AI modes flagged the pulmonary nodules missed by radiologists in a significant number of cases. AI as a 'second reader' has a high potential to improve diagnostic accuracy and radiology workflow. AI might detect certain pulmonary nodules earlier than radiologists, with a potentially significant impact on patient outcomes.


PurposeImproving employee's performance has always remained an area of concern in the hospitality industry where employees' performance is related to customers' satisfaction. The inadequacy of research work on demographics and organization variables' influence on contextual and task performance has led to present research. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify role of demographic and organizational variables in affecting contextual and task performance of hotel employees.Design/methodology/approachData was collected from a sample of 350 hotel employees. The research is based on primary data and a structured questionnaire.FindingsTask performance of employees increases with the age but contextual performance improves up to 40-50 years and then remains constant. Low salaries and job insecurity affected the performance of employees. A change of designation alone, without a corresponding increase in pay, did not enhance the performance of the employees. The type and size of the organization significantly affect job performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is a contribution to the theory and practice of employee management and improving employee's performance. Factors affecting contextual and task performance have been identified. Future research can be conducted based on this study.Practical implicationsThe study has highlighted the significant effect of demographic variables, organizational variables on contextual and task performance of hotel employees. The hotel industry plays an important role in economic development of a country. The study is practically helpful for hotel industry to understand what demographical and organizational variables can be considered to enhance employee's performance.Originality/valuePrevious literature has lacked in identifying factors, which can affect the contextual and task performance of hotel employees. The paper is contributing to the existing body of knowledge related to employees' performance. The managers of hotel industry can use outcome of this research to improve job performance of the employees. Findings open new avenues for future research.


Schizophrenia is a chronic, stress-related and neurobiological disorder characterized by disturbances in the form and content of an individual's thought and perceptual processes, affect and social and instrumental role behavior. Psychiatric rehabilitation denotes wide range of interventions to help people with disabilities due to mental illness in improving their functioning, quality of life, and recovery by enhancing the opportunities, skills and supports they need to succeed in regular adult roles and in the environments of their choice. Rehabilitation interventions have been developed to improve functional outcomes and to promote recovery. The purpose of this article is to study the efficacy of rehabilitation in the management of schizophrenia. Literature has been searched of both electronic databases including PubMed and manual searches. It can be said that rehabilitation in schizophrenia is an integrated approach that incorporates early detection and treatment of schizophrenia symptoms, collaboration between person with schizophrenia and caregivers in managing treatment, family and social supports and training in social, instrumental and coping skills has been documented to improve the course and outcome of schizophrenia as measured by symptoms recurrence, social functioning and quality of life.


In this article, the concept of qualification of an act, methodological bases and stages, qualification of crimes is a complex process. requires. This is because in the process of qualifying a particular crime, a person's performance is assessed by studying the facts of the case and determining the content of the criminal law common to all such crimes in the Special Part of the Criminal Code. There are basically two types of qualification of an act in criminal law: 1) formal (legal); 2) informal (doctrinal). Formal qualification is carried out by the inquiry officer, investigator, prosecutor and judges on the basis of criminal and other legal norms and is formalized by a decision. The legal literature states that the criteria for formal qualification are: a) the assessment of the act has legal significance; b) has a certain legal effect; (c) Qualifications apply to specific criminal cases. Unlike formal qualifications, informal qualifications do not have any legal consequences because they are performed by entities that do not have the authority to prosecute (e.g., lawyers, media professionals, legal scholars engaged in scientific activity). Therefore, when it comes to qualifying an act, it is often understood as a formal form.


Graphics rendering pipeline (application, geometry, and rasterizer) is the core of real-time graphics which is the most important functionality for computer games. Usually this rendering process is completed by both the CPU and the GPU, and a bottleneck can be located either in the CPU or the GPU. This paper focuses on reducing the bottleneck between the CPU and the GPU. We are proposing a method for improving the performance of parallel processing for real-time graphics rendering by separating the CPU operations (usually performed using a thread) into two parts: pure CPU operations and operations related to the GPU, and let them operate in parallel. This allows for maximizing the parallelism in processing the communication between the CPU and the GPU. Some experiments lead us to confirm that our method proposed in this paper can allow for faster graphics rendering. In addition to our method of using a dedicated thread for GPU related operations, we are also proposing an algorithm for balancing the graphics pipeline using the idle time due to the bottleneck. We have implemented the two methods proposed in this paper in our networked 3D game engine and verified that our methods are effective in real systems.


One of the most rapidly developing technologies that helps reduce the amount of work done by humans is known as "home automation." People who are looking for luxury and sophisticated home automation platforms are the target audience for some home automation systems. On the other hand, some systems are designed to be user-friendly for people who have special needs, such as the elderly and the disabled. Home automation and the use of applications that are controlled by voice are becoming more common as a result of advancements in technologies such as Google Assistance and Amazon Alexa. Now, we have developed our own version of this project, which is called "Voice Controlled Home Automation Using Google Assistant." The goal of this paper is to design a home automation board that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, and that can be concealed within the AC power units that are mounted on our walls. We are able to control all of the gadgets that are linked to the board by giving it a simple voice command such as "Okay, Google, turn on the lights." This will cause the lights to turn on. Because of this paper, we are able to control our household appliances online, manually, and using a timer.


Throughout North America, many species of aerial insectivorous birds have exhibited steep declines. The timing of these declines coincides with changes in agriculture, perhaps signaling a causal link. Increased agrochemical use, wetland drainage, and cropping intensity may indirectly influence insectivores by reducing the abundance of insect prey. Our objective was to determine whether changes in insect abundance and biomass on agricultural landscapes in the Canadian Prairies influence the foraging behaviour of breeding Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)). Swallows were studied at five sites with varying levels of agricultural intensity in Saskatchewan, where insect abundance and biomass were monitored daily with passive aerial samplers. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology was employed at Tree Swallow nest boxes to investigate adult foraging behaviour. Foraging rates (number of nest visits/h) were slightly higher on agricultural sites than at grassland sites, and were positiv...


During the last decade, national irrigation systems have expanded to summer field crops and grass, in adition to intensive traditionally irrigated crops. The maximum reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) is the starting point for their design. Nowadays the value widely used among designers, is the maximum monthly averaged ETo, usually January. This could lead to under-sized equipments which could generate water-deficits during the critical growth stages. The maximum ETo is not a single value as would be the absolute maximum, it varies according to the period considered (daily, weekly, decadic, monthly) and the probability of non-exceedence. In this study daily ETo time series, between 28 and 35 years, recorded in January at the five experimental stations of National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) were analyzed. Daily ETo values with 80%probability of non-exeedence were significantly higher than those calculated based on decadic or monthly data. The latter two were quite similar, ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 mm d-1 in the different experimental stations. The aim of this paper is to recommend ETo values to design irrigation systems in Uruguay allowing maximum productive response. The maximum yield does not necessarily correspond with the maximum economic return. Thus is necessary to continue research to evaluate the productive response to different maximum irrigation doses for the different design flows. As a result, a map of Uruguay with ETo isolines based on decadic data with 80% probability of non-exeedence is presented. The equipments designed with this method meet the crop water requirements with a 80% non-exceedence probability (four over five yeas), irrigating 20 hours a day. However, if watering times are increased to 24 hours a day the historical maximum of crop water requirements is covered, except in Salto and Tacuarembó, in which crop demand is covered with a 96 and 97% non-exceedence probability respectively.


Residual income (RI) valuation is a method of estimating firm value based on expected future accounting numbers. This study documents the necessity of using linear information models (LIMs) of the time series of accounting numbers in valuation. I find that recent studies that make ad hoc modifications to the LIMs contain internal inconsistencies and violate the no arbitrage assumption. I outline a method for modifying the LIMs while preserving internal consistency. I also find that when estimated as a time series, the LIMs of Ohlson (1995), and Feltham and Ohlson (1995) provide value estimates no better than book value alone. By comparing the implied price coefficients to coefficients from a price level regression, I find that the models imply inefficient weightings on the accounting numbers. Furthermore, the median conservatism parameter of Feltham and Ohlson (1995) is significantly negative, contrary to the model's prediction, for even the most conservative firms. To explain these failures, I estimate a...


The suspension system for a vehicle (50c) of the vehicle (50c) having a vehicle body (52c) and a plurality of wheel support assembly (50c), is inserted in the suspension system comprises a wheel supporting the vehicle body and the connection structure between components (60c). A first interconnection system (68c) interconnects the connecting structure to the wheel support assembly, the second system interconnect (302) connected to the interconnect structure and the body. The system comprises a plurality of second interconnection link structure (304, 320), one end of the link structure is pivotally connected to the connecting structure at the opposite end pivotally connected to the vehicle body. With respect to the orientation of the connection structure of the link structure, so that the longitudinal axis of the connecting structure (33b) extending toward a common point.


A decent interval has elapsed since the publication, in Religious Studies, Vol. 11 (1975), pp. 167–79, of Professor R. C. Zaehner's article: 'Why Not Islam?' The question, an intriguing one, was answered there with such ambivalence that a cynic might be forgiven for thinking he was being trifled with, while a well-wisher could easily be lost in confusion. The Professor commended Islam from the angle least worthy to command credence or to merit acceptance. His case for Islam had about it an air of almost perverse pleading, identifying Islam's main asset as an authoritarian simplicity suited to simple minds. The writer appeared to be withholding his own position by the very form of his advocacy. The article could equally be read as a subtle dissuasive. 'Sadly, debate cannot now be joined. For the piece must have been among the very last the author published. Death, as with Dickens and the mystery of Edwin Drood, silences inquiry about the puzzle of his intentions. It would be unseemly to have pressed the issues too sharply or too soon. But, at this distance of time, it may be possible to wonder in print about what Professor Zaehner's purpose really was. 'Why not…?' is a question which it is always well for us to ask about alternatives within the human, or the religious, scene. Negative questions, as the Latin grammarians have it, expect the answer Yes. 'Why not X,' however, when it comes to grips, has to pass into reasons why in the affirmative. It is in doing so that Zaehner offers what, on many counts, would seem to be dubious, even un-Islamic, reasons for his pleas.


AbstractCommunication skill is not only the technical jargon of our world, but also the language for employable criteria. Communicating in English plays a wider role in jobs. Communication skill is given importance in all the fields. Philipson (2000) describes English from various perspectives such as the influence of globalization, finance and the economy connected to world trade organization and so on. The students from Tamil medium finds too difficult to communicate with their urban peers and their thirteen years of English language education could not provide them confidence to communicate in English. For this reason a group of interested Tamil medium learners have been selected from an Engineering department. The instructor conducted an activity in the class to develop their communication ability and confidence in themselves. A pre-test has been conducted to introduction themselves. After the completion of the pre-test the learners were asked to do activity in pairs and finally a pretest has been conducted to develop their communication skill through selected pictures. The result shows that the learners have improved their confidence and enhanced their communication skill.IntroductionSpeaking is considered to be the second skill (lsrw) in the language learning. Speaking requires not only practice in the language, but also environment has some influence in developing the speaking skill. For non native speakers of English, the choice of choosing the environment or persons speaking in English is difficult, though they have good knowledge in writing skill .It encourages learning. It stimulates language learning, compels students to concentrate and organize thenideas and cultivates their ability to develop other language skills. The speaking skill demands linguistics and cognitive skill in which they are uncertain. The students participated in this training program asserted that they have practical difficulty in speaking. All the students are mostly influenced by product based teaching approach. Tsui states that a language learning process is stressful and tends to generate much anxiety in the learners (1996).Theoretical FrameworkThe study is built on the emerging interest and needs in Engineering and Technology. As a student of Engineering, he or she has to develop the English skill for the practical purpose. Philip son (2001) describes 'English ' from various perspectives, such as the influence of globalization, finance and the economy connected to Americanization, World Trade Organization, NGOs, and so on. In this 21st century speaking requires, in the fields of Engineering to share their opinions with their colleagues, superiors and give a presentation in the seminars and conferences. The learners activity performance in the classroom settings and in non-classroom settings is the reflection of successful learning outcomes of the learning. The students knowledge in English could not be used for the practical purpose because, they are not using the language .Brumfit (1993) and Barker (in Kinnell, 1990) argue that a serious mismatch between the competence, intelligence and status they have in their home countries and their low status in this country, may prove a major cause of stress.Brief Review of LiteratureIn the recent years researchers and teachers are showing much importance to learning strategies in teaching communications skills in India. Many research has been conducted to investigates the effects of strategy training on improving reading skills to name a few (for example, Albert F Rayan & Ramakrishna T. Shetty, (2008) Arun S. Patil Marc J. Riemer (2004). Richards argue that it is essential to teach students how to interact with each other in order to activate their thinking and create ideas which are crucial to second language learning. The studies show about their experience of training the students.The studyAimsThe present study fits into the context of developing speaking skill for the students' profession. …


Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion is appealing for portable millimeter- scale generators because of its simplicity, but it relies on a high temperatures. The performance and reliability of the high-temperature components, a microcombustor and a photonic crystal emitter, has proven challenging because they are subjected to 1000-1200°C and stresses arising from thermal expansion mismatches. In this paper, we adopt the industrial process of diffusion brazing to fabricate an integrated microcombustor and photonic crystal by bonding stacked metal layers. Diffusion brazing is simpler and faster than previous approaches of silicon MEMS and welded metal, and the end result is more robust.


Birobuli is located in South Palu, which has highly vulnerable to earthquakes. One of the phenomena that usually occur after an earthquake is liquefaction which causes significant damage and loss of life. Furthermore, all the infrastructure is required to analyze the effect of external load and potential hazards. This research aims to investigate the liquefaction potential in Birobuli, South Palu. The method was divided into two categories: grain size distribution analysis and empirical formula based on CPT data. The result presented a similar trend in grain size analysis which consist of all the range in the potential to liquefaction, while the CPT result describes the same meaning. The CPT 1 result showed SF<1 between 0-5m and 9-11m, while CPT 2 had fluctuating data in ranges between 0.18-2.00 in 0-4m, SF under 2 in 6-8m and 9-11m. This study was expected to provide information for local government as disaster mitigation for Birobuli Area.


The study of cross-linguistic influence, a synonym for transfer, offers linguists profound enlightenments in second language acquisition (SLA) research, provides teachers with sound insights in eff...


The construction of harmonious society demands construction of harmonious campus culture.It is a problem that the traditional construction of campus culture overemphasizes the academic index and the material cultural construction.Positive psychology which emerged several years ago emphasizes the research of human nature and human value.Positive psychology pays attention to individuals and society as well as positive prevention work,which conforms to the harmonious cultural policy.This paper takes the positive psychology as the theoretical guide,elaborates the concrete strategies of harmonious campus cultural construction from three aspects: strengthening teachers' and students' positive emotion experience,developing positive personality characteristics and providing positive harmonious campus atmosphere.This consistents with the laws of physical and mental development of students and makes students meet the needs of social development.


Abstract : The art and science of steel making and heat treating received a great impetus during World War II. A considerable portion of this impetus is attributable to the huge demand for armor for aircraft, tanks, and other armored vehicles of many types. The realization that the ballistic and mechanical properties of steel depend not, per se, upon chemical composition but upon the proper combination of hardenability and heat treatment crystallized during this period. Important contributions in the field of armor are: (1) The development of low alloy steel compositions which, through water quenching, could be heat treated to produce good physical and ballistic properties; (2) The application of water quenching to the heat treatment of armor; and (3) The widespread application of heat treatment to steel castings to meet exacting specification requirements.


Abstract The pressure and temperature dependence of the dielectric properties of a tungsten bronze group ferroelectric Ba0.4 Sr0.6 Nb2 O6, have been measured up to the pressure of 3.5 k-bar and across the c-axis. In a pressure induced paraelectric state, a Debye type relaxation mode at a frequency of 50 kHz has been identified. We associate this mode to the structural instability of the lattice and to the localised mode of the Burn's Coupled Mode Theory. The structural instability also accounts for the large relative permittivities observed for the tungsten bronze ferroelectrics.


Hyperconcentrated flows are observed in the middle Yellow River basin. They occur as a result of erosion, but once they form on slopes, they operate as a strong eroding and sediment carrying force and play an important role in drainage basin erosion and sediment production processes. Since the energy expenditure is less and sediment carrying capacity is greater, hyperconcentrated flows have very high eroding and transporting abilities. These exists a strong coupling relation between hyperconcentrated flow transport and gravitational erosion, which ensures a rapid removal of mass wasted materials. Hyperconcentrated flows are an important factor responsible for the high intensity erosion and sediment yield in the middle Yellow River basin. Many previous studies have indicated that the sediment delivery ratio on the Loess Plateau approaches 1. This can be explained by action of hyperconcentrated flows. As hyperconcentrated flows exhibit some particular behaviors in erosion and sediment production processes, the study suggests that the erosion by hyperconcentrated flows was regarded as a special type of erosion.


The study reveals the current topic of digitalization of modern education. Its importance is due to the transition to a new level of teaching in educational institutions. The study examines the development of professional pedagogical competencies as a fundamental condition that directly affects the quality of the educational process.


The author considers some of the developments that have taken place over the last few years in the field of synchronous machines of unusual geometry. Linear synchronous motors are a comparatively new development; they have the virtue of considerable higher force production but require a variable frequency supply. However, in small sizes, power integrated circuits have become available that can be used to power the machines as brushless DC drives. A tubular version using permanent magnet excitation is described. The development of disc brushless alternators is also described. In these machines the excitation winding is located on the same side of the air-gap as the AC winding. A demonstration of the use of the new 'high'-temperature superconductors, which uses a double disc form of these machines, is outlined.<
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Understanding a gradable adjective (e.g., big) requires making reference to a comparison class, a set of objects or entities against which the referent is implicitly compared (e.g., big for a Great Dane), but how do listeners decide upon a comparison class? Simple models of semantic composition stipulate that the adjective combines with a noun, which necessarily be- comes the comparison class (e.g., "That Great Dane is big" means big for a Great Dane). We investigate an alternative hypothesis built on the idea that the utility of a noun in an adjectival utterance can be either for reference (getting the listener to attend to the right object) or predication (describing a property of the referent). Therefore, we hypothesize that when the presence of a noun N can be explained away by its utility in reference (e.g., being in the subject position: "That N is big"), it is less likely to set the comparison class. Across three pre-registered experiments, we find evidence that listeners use the noun as a cue to infer comparison classes consistent with a trade-off between reference and predication. This work highlights the complexity of the relation between the form of an utterance and its meaning.


After one Saturday workshop, Chris (an 11 year old) told me he was becoming an 'elasticated learner'. This seems to succinctly sum up the purpose of education in general and the APEX (Able Pupils Extending Opportunities) out of hours sessions in particular, with the emphasis being not only on flexible, increased capacity but also on the ownership by the learner of the process. How can we help more young people to become 'elasticated learners '; high ability learners willing and able to seek out and profit from learning experiences which will challenge and extend them, take them to new and uncharted territory and contribute to their educational voyage? Good curriculum teaching and school improvement are essential, but not sole, components of provision to meet the needs of high ability pupils. Children need to gain the competence, confidence and motivation to develop and achieve their ambitions as adults to their own and society's benefits. To this end it is argued that varied out of hours learning opportunities need to be developed in a variety of venues. It is proposed that Renzulli's Enrichment Triad model is used to develop coherent provision with the Saturday Workshops and Summer Schools, which form part of the APEX (Able Pupils Extending Opportunities) Project in Bath and North East Somerset, given as examples.


In order to obtain the optimal input of water and nitrogen (W&N) suitable for the jujube trees in Northern Shaanxi, 12 treatments had been set in the demonstration base of micro-irrigation jujube tree of Mizhi County in 2014-2015 through field experiment of jujube trees under surge root irrigation (SRI), in which three soil moisture levels (high moisture level W1: 60%-85%θ, middle moisture level W2: 50%-75%θ, low moisture level W3: 40%-65%θ) and four nitrogen input levels (high nitrogen F75: 0.75 kg/plant, middle nitrogen F50: 0.50 kg/plant, low nitrogen F25: 0.25 kg/plant, no nitrogen F0: 0.00 kg/plant) were set. Through analyzing the effects of different W&N inputs on the yield, net income (NI) and W&N utilization efficiency (WUE and NUE) of jujube trees and establishing a weighted grey correlation model, the optimization of W&N input for jujube trees could be achieved under SRI. Results showed that different W&N inputs had significant influences on yield, NI, WUE and NUE. Along with the increase of soil moisture content, the yield and NUE increased, while WUE decreased gradually, and the NI had the tendency to increase first and then decrease. Along with the increase of nitrogen input, the yield, NI and WUE had the tendency to increase first and then decrease while the NUE decreased significantly, and the yield, NI, WUE and NUE could not reach the maximum at the same time. Through the study on the grey correlation model of jujube tree's comprehensive benefit based on the yield, NI, WUE and NUE, results showed the comprehensive benefit of jujube trees was significantly different when W&N input was different, and the gray correlation degree of W2F25 treatment was the highest in two years, which means that the soil moisture content of 50%-75%θ and nitrogen input of 0.25 kg/plant was the optimal W&N input for jujube trees under SRI in Northern Shaanxi area.
Keywords: surge root irrigation, input of water and nitrogen, jujube tree, comprehensive benefit, grey correlation model
DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20191203.3541

Citation: Dai Z G, Fei L J, Zhong Y, Huang D L. Water and nitrogen input optimization for jujube trees under surge root irrigation based on weighted grey correlation model. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2019; 12(3): 45–51.


Presents a new approach for nearly lossless compression of multispectral image data that exploits both spectral and spatial correlations in a simple and adaptive manner. What the authors have described is just one choice of predictor, re-ordering and encoding. A number of alternatives can be used. Implementation results with a few different choices schemes are currently under investigation and will will be described at a later date. Also, the authors need to make more detailed comparisons of compression performances obtained with other lossy and nearly-lossless schemes given in the literature.


Human plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) is a distinct extracellular selenoenzyme that detoxifies hydroperoxides when used with GSH in high ( m ~ ) non- physiological concentrations. We have discovered that NADPH and human thioredoxin reductase (TR) by itself or with thioredoxin (Trx) are efficient electron donors to this human plasma peroxidase. Incubation of 0.05 p~ TR with 0.25 p~ GSH-Px, in a system free from GSH, resulted in reduction of t-butyl hydroperoxide. Addition of Trx, 2.5 and 5 p ~ , respectively, further increased the rate of the reaction. These data were obtained using an assay measuring the oxidation of NADPH. A direct assay dem-onstrated the formation of cumyl alcohol from cumene hydroperoxide in this GSH-independent peroxidase re- action. Incubation of 0.25 p~ GSH-Px with a low concentration of GSH (10 p ~ ) , representing the upper level in plasma, plus excess glutathione reductase and NADPH did not result in any reduction of t-butyl hydroperoxide. However, after addition of 2.5 p~ human glutaredoxin, a


In the September 13,1994, issue of Eos, Ellen Druffel reported on the gender distribution of AGU Fellows [Druffel, 1994]. In brief, her findings were that women were underrepresented among AGU Fellows even when age differences and the overall low percentage of female AGU members were taken into consideration. Druffel concluded with a series of recommendations that were intended to "help balance the scales with respect to gender." It was implicit in Druffel's conclusions that gender equity is desirable. However, her rationale for achieving gender equity was not so clear. Druffel may have been implying that women are kept from achieving Fellowship by biases of some type, and therefore well-qualified candidates for Fellowship are not receiving the recognition they deserve. Alternatively, Druffel may have been conceding that the selection process for Fellowship is unbiased, but that gender equity in Fellowship is desirable in and of itself, regardless of individual achievement levels. In the latter case, her recommendations amount to the installation of gender-based quotas for Fellowship. I hope that in her reply Druffel will clarify the philosophical basis for her recommendation. However, I disagree with Druffel's conclusion, regardless of her reasons.


Based on national vehicle emission standards and fuel economy,the adaptable,adjusted IVE model and the upgraded LEAP model were used to project dynamic emission factors of CO,VOCs,NO_x,PM_(10),and CO_2 from vehicle fleets in Hangzhou during 2004 to 2030.The results show that regulated vehicle emission limits of the National Ⅰ and Ⅱ standard are not effective to reduce the emission factors of vehicles except motorcycles.Because National Ⅳ will be implemented in 2010,only the National Ⅳ vehicle emission limits can clearly reduce emission factors of all types of vehicles using both gasoline and diesel fuel.The results also show that emission factors will continue to decrease after 2010.


The recent issue of peak oil and environmental concerns has prompted deeper research into the area of alternative fuels, particularly biofuel. Two types of feedstock for biodiesel production was researched in this project, namely waste cooking oil (WCO) and Refined-Bleached-Deodorized (RBD) palm oil. The performance of the alkaline catalyst potassium hydroxide was investigated towards the methyl ester purity of the product produced using ultrasonic ransesterification. The methanol oil molar ratio used in this research was 6:1. The best conditions for biodiesel production were determined in terms of reaction time and catalyst concentration. The range of catalyst concentration and reaction time studied were 0.75 to 1.75 weight percent and 20 to 50 minutes respectively. Catalyst concentration and reaction time played a significant role in the purity of the product produced. The results show that the best catalyst concentration to produce methyl ester of high purity is at 1.75 weight percent, while the best reaction time necessary is 50 minutes. The resulting conditions were then used to synthesize the final product that was then subjected to a combustion test to determine the quantity of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emitted. WCO biodiesel was found to have 19.1% lower carbon monoxide emissions than RBD palm oil biodiesel. In terms of the amount of carbon dioxide released, WCO biodiesel had emissions higher than that of RBD palm oil biodiesel by 2.3%. In conclusion, WCO biodiesel was found to be more environmentally friendly compared to RBD palm oil biodiesel upon combustion.


This paper describes a number of broadside‐coupled microstrip structures and their use for the implementation of high‐selectivity multilayered filters. The broadside configuration allows for the introduction of cross couplings between nonadjacent resonators. The cross couplings can then be used to implement transmission zeros that can significantly increase the selectivity of the filters. Furthermore, the investigation shows that the amount of coupling can be considerably increased if the resonators are broadside coupled, thus easily allowing the implementation of broadband filters. Measured results are shown to agree with predictions, thereby fully validating the new structures described. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 30: 295–302, 2001.


The major religions are committed to incompatible world-views. Are there criteria available on the basis of which we can rationally decide among these sets of religious beliefs? Ninian Smart in Reasons and Faiths assumes that there is no a priori reason to suppose that such criteria are not possible or unavailable, and sets out a procedure for the justification of religious beliefs which primarily, though not exclusively, depends upon an appeal to religious experience. In this paper I wish to appraise the results of applying his criteria to different sets of religious beliefs and, in addition, I wish to appraise these criteria.


InP-based two-section distributed Bragg reflector lasers employing surface defined lateral gratings, which are compatible with low-cost nanoimprint technology, were fabricated. A newly developed inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching process was utilized for obtaining large aspect ratios and good device performance. The lasers operate in a single mode up to 50°C under continuous-wave conditions. A modulation bandwidth of about 10 GHz was obtained for 0.9-mm-long devices.


In response to different stimuli, including oncogenic stimuli, cells trigger different mechanisms to avoid transformation, being one of the most important the induction of senescence. This process is characterized by an irreversible block in the cellular growth. Upon v-H-Ras over expression, human normal cells undergo senescence through several cellular processes, including the activation of ERK1/2 pathway. Interestingly, the E1a gene from Adenovirus 5 has been shown to rescue cells from senescence by a yet unknown mechanism. In the present thesis, we study the role of several members of the MAPKs superfamily (ERK1/2 and ERK5) in the ability of E1a to suppress v-H-Ras mediated senescence. Our results show how E1a is able to block the activation of ERK1/2 by v-H-Ras through two different and complementary mechanisms. On the one hand, across AKT's inactivation, this in turns mediates in the stability of PEA15, a nuclear export factor of ERK1/2, allowing the nuclear accumulation of ERK1/2. On the other hand, increasing the expression, at the transcriptional level, of two inducible nuclear phosphates (MKP1 and DUSP5), which leads ERK1/2 desphosphorylation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the blockade of ERK1/2 signaling pathway could happen in response to v-H-ras over expression but also in the presence of serum, indicating the general character of our observation. This data have been obtained in transient transfection approaches as well as in human normal diploid fibroblast (IMR90). In addition, our results demonstrate how ERK5, a MAPK related to ERK1/2, is not a target of E1a protein and has no effect, or if so marginal, onto the suppression of cellular senescence. In summary, we show that the inhibitory effect of E1a on the ERK1/2 signaling pathway is a critical event to suppress the senescence program associated to v-H-Ras over expression. Our observation supports the role of E1a as an oncogene in the context of none transformed cells and demonstrates the critical role of ERK1/2 signaling pathway in the v-H-Ras associated transformation.


In "Bengal Divided", the author brings alive the personalities that dominated politics, throwing new light on historical facts and events in the turbulent pre-independence period. He dissects the process by which two separate identities were forged, culminating in the creation of East Pakistan in 1947 and Bangladesh in 1971. As the tale unfolds, so do the roles of personalities such as Chittaranjan Das, Subhas Chandra Bose, Nazrul Islam, Fazlul Huq, H.S. Suhrawardy and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. The underlying sentiment of the book is a desire to see - even if political separation continues - much greater interaction in terms of common culture, shared history and geography and economic complementarity.


The central role of military forces and the notion of Russia as an armed camp are familiar concepts. Yet little close attention has been paid to the character of Russia's military effort, its impact on civilian society and the economy, and the ways it influenced Russia's position in the world at large in times past. Because the military establishment loomed so large, the burden of military effort must have affected every other feature of Russian life. The purpose of this essay is to determine: 1) What were the most important demands made on society by the military? 2) To what extent did these demands change over the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries? and 3) how did these changes affect Russia's position as a great power, and particularly what were the consequences for Russia of the "industrialization of warfare" in the late nineteenth century? For about a century and a half, from Peter the Great's defeat of Charles XII at Poltava in 1709, until the Crimean War ended in defeat in 1856, Imperial Russia emerged successful from almost every conflict (the major exceptions are Peter's defeat by the Turks in 1711, and the War of the Third Coalition, 1805-07). From 1856 to 1917 Russia had increasing difficulty maintaining its position vis-a-vis the other major European powers and suffered major defeats in the Russo-Japanese War and in World War I. Because Russia was and is culturally different, and in many respects, backward from a Western standpoint, European observers have attributed her defeats to backwardness, while crediting "barbaric force," the weather, the errors of the opposing commanders, or some other unique factor for her victories.1 It is absurd, however, to suppose that a century and a half of remarkable good luck made special circumstances work in Russia's favor in every case. Nor is Russian


The evaluation of Progressing Cavity Pumps (PCP) in The Orinoco Oil Belt Ayacucho Area, began in the 90's, in order to handle high and low volumes of Heavy Oil with API gravities between 8 and 10°. Currently, this Artificial Lift Method represents 40% of the wells population in this area providing 60% of daily production. During the evaluation process of this technology it has been necessary to introduce improvements regarding pump design, well completion and fluids handling in order to enhance wells production, increase systems run life and reduce operational expenses. Some of the best practices and technologies that have been evaluated and are still running in San Tomé wells, are: Gas Separators and gas handlers which have been installed in vertical and deviated wells, and recently in horizontal wells with successful results. Currently, this type of equipment are been evaluated in Laboratory in order to determine their efficiency. Insertable PCP Systems, in order to reduce the work over expenses. Tapered PCP, in order to minimize gas blocking condition due to high Gas Oil Ratio handled by PCP during a short production period. PCP for High Temperature which have been installed in deep wells and Steam Injection Projects. PCP with Hydrogenated Elastomers, in order to minimize problems due to incompatibility of elastomers with diluents and some components of crude oil in Dobokubi Field. This paper describes technologies and experiences which main application has been to improve the behavior of PCP and increase wells' production of San Tomé Area.