Following the oil boom in the 1970s, Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has experienced rapid population growth and urban expansions [1], [2]. Rapid population growth has affected the city's environment, and the socio-economic conditions of its residents while massive construction of urban residential and business infrastructures and transportation networks has resulted in rising air pollution, increased frequency of flooding of the city, and rising of the land surface temperature (hereafter LST), [3], [4], [5]. In a desert environment, rising LST and the formation of urban heat island will have tremendous impacts on the health conditions especially in the case of the children, elderly, and the poor residents of the city [6]. The rapid development of geospatial technologies since the 1990s has allowed researchers to examine the changes and effects of urban expansion on LST in cities around the world [7], [8], [9], [10], [11]. LST data derived from remote sensing imageries have achieved better accuracy than those collected from ground-based weather stations [12], [13]. Yuan and Bauer (2007) examined the effect of the impervious surfaces on the seasonal variation of LST for the City of Twin Cities, Minnesota in 2002 [14]. Using Landsat TM and ASTER data, Liu and Zhang (2011) examined the influences of LST on the formation of urban heat islands for the city of Hong Kong [15]. Wang et al. (2018) used Landsat TM and ETM+ data to understand the impacts of urban expansion on LST in Nanjing City for the period between 1985 and 2009 [16]. For the city of Aksu (China), various landscape metrics were used to The Saudi capital city of Riyadh has experienced rapid population growth and urban expansion over the past 4 decades. One major consequence of such growth is the rising of the city's land surface temperature (LST). This study used Landsat 7 ETM+ sensor data to map the distribution of Riyadh's LST and then examined and modelled the impacts of five contributing factors known to increase urban LST. The contributing factors are size/area and population density of each neighbourhood, along with amounts of impervious surfaces, vegetations, and soil/sand measured through remote sensing indices NDBI, NDVI, and NDBsI. The data were analyzed using Pearson's Product Moment Correlation values, Path Analysis, and Multiple Regression analysis. The result shows that neighbourhood population densities and NDBsI index have strong positive correlations (r= 0.68 and r= 0.60) with LST. Neighbourhood area showed significant but low positive correlation (r= 0.33) and the NDBI and NDVI indices showed strong negative correlations (r= -0.55 and r= -0.64) with the LST. The multiple regression model explained about 77% of the total variation in the LST. The model can be used to predict and simulate future LST distribution for Riyadh as well as other cities in the Kingdom and the region. Centre for Research on Settlements and Urbanism


Russell et al. have found that changes in the seasonality of births may be related to changes in the climate and environment or to social differences. The authors of this commentary note that they reached similar conclusions in a previous paper. Their findings were based upon data on births and marriage published by the National Statistical Service of Greece for 1956-80. The analysis revealed a clear change in the pattern of seasonality of birth over the 25-year period characterized by a gradual shift in peak incidence from January to June a gradual smoothing of the second peak in October and a tendency of births for each month to come closer to the average monthly rate while December constantly has the fewest births. The recent seasonal variation in the pattern of births was strongly correlated with that of marriages. Further a rise in the number of births did not occur in any of the months suggesting that changes in the seasonality of births represent the seasonality of the reduction in births. The authors hypothesize that the reduction in conceptions between December and June and the resulting reduction in births between September and April represents the gradual change in Greek society from a mainly rural to a mainly urban one. The alteration gradually shifted most marriages and therefore more first conceptions from December/January to September and thus most births from October to June. The low numbers of births in December represents the time of fewest marriages before the Greek Orthodox churchs Easter celebrations.


A laboratory-made porous-layer activated charcoal coated fused silica fiber was used as a microsolid phase in headspace solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for identification of volatile organic compounds emitted by Zataria multiflora Boiss cultivated in Iran. The effect of different parameters, such as desorption time, extraction temperature, sample mass, and extraction time on extraction efficiency was studied. The optimized conditions were: desorption time 2 min; extraction temperature 25°C; sample mass 0.200 g; extraction time 25 min. The main identified volatile components were: thymol (33.6%), carvacrol (17.0%), p-cymene (11.7%), linalool (5.0%), caryophyllene (2.9%), and ot-terpineol (1.2%). These compounds were identified based on their retention indices and mass spectra (El, 70 eV). The proposed method for the analysis of volatile components emitted by Z multiflora was very simple, fast, low-cost, and did not involve any organic solvents. The total analysis time including extraction and GC analysis was only 1 h, and no manipulation of the sample was required. Precision of the proposed method was good and RSD was less than 15%.


The article deals with a number of problematic issues to achieve the objectives of defense reform to create an effective management system of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The information about the current level of logistics information systems of several leading countries and the interim conclusions are provided. The list of problems that complicate the task of creating an integrated automated logistic support system for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as the ACS of the AFU) is given, in particular, the insufficient level of resource provision, incompleteness of regulatory regulation, fragmentary informatization of logistic support processes, inhibition of research and development works on the establishment of ACS of the AFU. It is suggested to use the experience of leading countries in the field of automation of logistics of all aspects of the activity of the armed forces and to use proven software and technical solutions with significant support from suppliers, to follow the recommendations of project management and international standards in the field of systems and software engineering. Military logistics systems are larger and more diverse than civilian logistics systems, namely, they are hierarchical; geographically distributed and layered; flexible in location and delivery; with increased risks of malicious interference and loss. The practical experience of NATO member countries in the field of automation of defense ministries and development of automated control systems shows that the key approach to automating drug processes is a transition from local software and hardware solutions for individual sets of functions at various management levels in an integrated automated control system with defensive resources covering the entire management vertical from The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine up to a separate unit, a military man and an employee of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The view on the functional architecture of the prospective ACS of the AFU is presented and indicated on the obligatory integration with the automated control system of the armed forces. Further research should be carried out in the direction of studying the experience of designing, implementing and supporting automated logistics systems of NATO member countries, taking into account the requirements of regulatory and resource support.


studies such as ours will need repeating to understand the place of new imaging techniques compared with older but perhaps outdated techniques, as they become accepted into contemporary practice. This study serves to remind physicians of the need for caution in the interpretation of imaging data when deciding whether to offer carotid endarterectomy appropriately to patients. A recent Neurology editorial relative to another study draws a similar conclusion.8


In a first embodiment of the present invention, a method of interpreting a situation of a user of an electronic device is provided, comprising: gathering social data related to the user; monitoring one or more physical sensors on the electronic device in order to gather physical data related to the user; mapping structured data in the social data and the physical data to internal data types; extracting features from unstructured social data; identifying attributes related to the features; obtaining values for the identified attributes; interpreting movement of the user by examining the physical data; and detecting a situation of the user by fusing the movement of the user with the identified attributes of the features of the unstructured social data and features of structured social data.


Some influential factors of the energy consumption in the process of metallic Zinc electro-deposit was analysed in this papers.Some measures of economization on electricity and its envisage was presented too.


Combining the documents with the contemporary status of the mass sports,it re-orientated the essence of the mass sports.It propound the following theoretical turning:1)During the development,observing and catering to the diversity of the participants;2)In order to popularize,adjusting the evaluation criterions and the strategies of extension scientifically;3)Establishing the planning pattern,in which each neighbor community plans as a whole.


Ultrasonic radiation can reduce the crude oil viscosity.The results of UV spectroscopy experiment showed that the light components of crude oil increased and the heavy components reduced after ultrasound treatment.The asphaltene deposition rate on the internal surface of the pipe was retarded after ultrasonic radiation under 100~280 ℃ in dynamic thermal deposition experiment,which also proved that ultrasonic treatment can improve the stability of mixed crude oil.


If it is true that the symbol assignment accurately measures the risk associated with the damageability or repairability of each car model, then it would be reasonable to expect uniformity among insurers in the rate relativities applied to each car. In other words, the rate charged for one model of car compared to the rate charged for another model of car should be consistent from one insurer to another.


This paper studied the influences of calcium、phosphate、citrate ions concentration on the heat stability of milk protein by analysis the denaturation temperatures of milk protein. The results show that denaturation temperature of milk protein was decreased with the increase of calcium ion concentration. The addition of phospate decreased the heat stability of the milk, but the addition of a limit quantity citrate can increase the heat stability.


We establish an efficient and reliable method of wood identification that combines a non-destructive and non-invasive laboratory-scale tool, X-ray computed tomography (CT), with machine learning for image recognition. We selected six hardwood species used to create the Tripitaka Koreana and obtained the X-ray CT data of its woodblocks. Image recognition systems using the gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) or local binary patterns (LBP) were applied to the CT images and the prediction accuracies were evaluated. Because the gray level of the CT data is linearly related with the density, the CT images were preprocessed to calibrate the density. Although the resolution of the images is too low for the anatomical microstructures required for wood identification to be easily recognized visually, the predicted accuracies are quite high in both systems. However, the LBP system has slight advantages over the GLCM system. The results moreover show that the calibration of gray level to density improves the accuracies of the results. If the candidates for the wood species are selected properly and sufficient data for training is available, this technique will provide novel information about the properties of wooden historical objects. © 2019 Les Auteurs. Publié par Elsevier Masson SAS. Cet article est publié en Open Access sous licence CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).


Wide Spread Spectrum (WSS) systems have an important role in the data communication world. In this paper, an energy detecting method in a Cognitive Radio (CR) system is implemented to compare the Direct Sequence (DS), Frequency Hopping (FH) and Hybrid (H) models of WSS. Regardless of the used WSS model, the system purpose is to detect Primary User's (PU's) presence. The analytical computation and simulation results demonstrate that the DS model has the best performance considering detection probability of PU, for any identical false alarm probability (Pfa), and computational complexity aspects. Although the H model has the same performance as the DS model in detection, it suffers from more computation complexity.


There is a growing interest in the use of AI techniques for urban traffic control, with a particular focus on traffic signal optimisation. Model-based approaches such as planning demonstrated to be capable of dealing in real-time with unexpected or unusual traffic conditions, as well as with the usual traffic patterns. Further, the knowledge models on which such techniques rely to generate traffic signal strategies are in fact simulation models of traffic, hence can be used by traffic authorities to test and compare different approaches.

In this work, we present a framework that relies on automated planning to generate and simulate traffic signal strategies in a urban region. To demonstrate the capabilities of the framework, we consider real-world data collected from sensors deployed in a major corridor of the Kirklees region of the United Kingdom.


TEQC is a tool which is commonly used in GPS data translation,editing,and quality checking,it's widely used in GPS data pre-processing at present.This paper has introduced the common syntax and common instructions of TEQC when used in GPS data processing,and then summarized the common problems when using TEQC to check the quality of GPS raw data,the concrete solutions have been given at the same time.


A speed reducer eccentric oscillating-type (69) including: an outer casing (15) having internal teeth (13) formed on its inner periphery; a plurality of pinions (17, 18) which are accommodated in the outer casing (15), which have on their outer peripheries external teeth (17a, 18a) meshing with the internal teeth (13), the number of external teeth (17a, 18a) slightly less than the internal teeth (13), and which are juxtaposed in parallel in an axial direction; an even number, not less than four, of crankshafts (37) which are spaced from each other at equal angles in a circumferential direction, are being inserted in the pinions (17, 18) central portions of the crankshafts (37), in order eccentrically rotate the pinions (17, 18) when rotating crankshafts (37); a support (20) is inserted in the outer casing (15) for rotatably supporting both end portions of the crankshafts (37); an input shaft (62) rotatably supported by the outer casing (15) and having an external gear (65) coaxial with the internal teeth (13); driven external gears (66) respectively mounted on the crankshafts (37) and meshing with the external gear (65) while surrounding the driving external gear (65); and the support (20) includes: a base portion (22) located on one side of the pinions (17, 18); a portion of end plate (23) located on another side of the pinions (17, 18); characterized in that: the driven external gears (66) are classified into a plurality of paired-gear groups (67), each group consisting of two driven external gears (66) spaced apart 180 degrees in the circumferential direction; the axial positions of the two driven external gears (66) of the same group with respect to the input shaft (62) are identical, while the driven external gears (66) of different groups are offset from each other in the axial direction of input shaft (62); and the support (20) further includes: a plurality of column portions (24) formed integrally with the base portion (22) and extending into the portion of end plate (23), passing central portions of the portions column (24) through the sprockets (17, 18); and a plurality of bolts (26) which are threaded respectively in holes (25) formed in the column portions (24) and the base portion (22) in order to fix the plate portion end (23) to column portions (24), one end of each of the bolts (26) is located closer to one side of base portion (22) to the proximal end of each of the column portions (24), and space (28) formed between a bottom of each of the holes (25) and the tip of each bolt (26) is located in the base portion (22).


After a major change of 1991 in the Indian economy, there is a significant structural change not only in India but also in Punjab. Productivity in agriculture has reached its peak in Punjab and now the whole agriculture sector is burdened with the crisis of stagnation, overcapitalization, indebtedness, etc. Now it would be interesting to know the pattern and levels of income. This paper is an attempt to analyze the pattern and levels of income among loan waiver beneficiary households in Punjab using primary data of 318 households. The average household income of loan waiver beneficiary households was `229072.38, while it was the highest in Mansa district, followed by Ludhiana district and Hoshiarpur district. The study found that nearly 81 percent of the total income of households comes from agricultural sources and remaining from non-agricultural sources. Further huge inequalities of income were observed among beneficiary households. Inter-district inequalities showed that the Hoshiarpur district had minimum inequalities of income.


In 1845, the Adelaide Register newspaper reported that nineteen Catholics had been baptized at 'little Dublin' on the outskirts of Mount Barker. 'Little Dublin' was not an official place name for this spot. It is unclear whether the place name came about because there was a large number of Dubliners among the small Catholic community living there, or whether the name Dublin, or Little Dublin was being considered as an official name at the time. The place name Dublin had been considered before. In 1840, the Register reported that the map showing the allotments for a proposed village of 'Dublin' was on display at the Emu Inn, Morphett Vale. While local history shows a small Irish community in this area in the nineteenth century, and Morphett Vale was where the second Catholic Church in South Australia was built, the place name of Dublin did not eventuate. In 1876, however, the name Dublin appeared in The Hundred of Dublin: named for Irish and Dublin-born Governor MacDonnell. Before that, the town of Dublin, north of Gawler, was settled in the 1870s.


Partial dilution of clad powder and the substrate to form a new protective layer is called cladding. The present article focuses on the development of a novel surface modification technique for better resistance to wear/erosion using microwaves as a source of heat. Clads of MoCoCrSi/flyash were produced on austenitic stainless steel (SS-316) using microwave irradiation. Composite clads were established by irradiating microwaves at 2.45 GHz frequency and power of 900W using a domestic microwave applicator for 42 minutes. Characterization of the developed clads was performed in the form of metallographic (microstructure) and mechanical (hardness) tests. Careful observation of the microstructures revealed uniform grain structures, free from defects on the surface of the cladded substrate. Further, no significant cracks were found on the transverse section of the clad, characterizing good bonding between clad particles and substrate. The developed clad demonstrates significantly higher hardness than the substrate.


Purpose – The Purpose of this study is to provide an alternative way to create customer valuation metric while accounting for customer riskiness. Customer relationship management (CRM) emphasizes the importance of measuring customer value. Analytics has paved the way for innovation by providing companies valuable insights into the behavior of customers. Earlier models used to measure customer value do not take into account the types and level of risk posed by customers, such as probability of churn, regularity of purchases, etc. The authors put forth a new and innovative approach to measuring customer value while, at the same time, adjusting for customer riskiness. Design/methodology/approach – Using a non-parametric approach used in the operations research area, the authors create a risk-adjusted regency, frequency, monetary value (RARFM) score for each customer. These scores are used to segment the customers into two groups – customers with high and low RARFM scores. The authors then identify the underl...


Pricing algorithms are computerized procedures that a seller may use to adapt instantaneously its price to market conditions, including to prices quoted by its rivals. These algorithms are related to the extensive use of web-collectors which contribute in many industries to identifying the best price. In such settings, price competition operates between algorithms, no longer between executives of brick and mortar companies. In this context, the question is to know whether economic efficiency is achieved as implicit forms of collusion may arise between the sellers. This paper is aimed at discussing this conceptual issue in a price-setting homogeneous product oligopoly with decreasing returns to scale where algorithms implement downward and upward matching policies. Using fixed point argument akin to general equilibrium theory, we find a multiplicity of equilibria with prices located between collusion and Cournot, if matching is allowed upward and downward. When matching operates only for price undercutting, this multiplicity is extended up to a bottom value of the market price, close to the competitive price. This bypasses the Bertrand-Edgeworth paradox. As a result, pricing algorithms may contribute to the stability of the market and also to welfare improvement.


We investigate the second R\'enyi entropy of two intervals in the massless Thirring model describing a self-interacting Dirac fermion in two dimensions. Boson-fermion duality relating this model to a free compact boson theory enables us to simplify the calculation of the second R\'enyi entropy, reducing it to the evaluation of the partition functions of the bosonic theory on a torus. We derive exact results on the second R\'enyi entropy, and examine the dependence on the sizes of the intervals and the coupling constant of the model both analytically and numerically. We also explore the mutual R\'enyi information, a measure quantifying the correlation between the two intervals, and find that it generally increases as the coupling constant of the Thirring model becomes larger.


The multiple benefits of water reuse have yet to be fully realized in our urban water management systems. One pathway to optimal implementation is to plan for their integration with wider assets in water resource or drainage and wastewater management plans. This paper explores the perspectives of water resource and wastewater management planners. Qualitative data was gathered from a workshop organized by the Chartered Institution for Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) with 25 participants from England's Water Service Providers (WSPs), regulators (Ofwat and the Environment Agency) and consultants working within the UK water sector. The participants acknowledged that water reuse is relevant to both water resource and drainage and wastewater management planning, but that current regulatory and funding frameworks are constraining effective engagement between water resource and drainage and wastewater management planners by encouraging the development of separate plans. A general consensus of the participants was that it would be beneficial to include water reuse technology within current and future Water Resource Management Plans (WRMPs) and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). Participants suggested this could be developed through collaborative working partnerships and support from regulatory and funding frameworks that allow for the growth and development of innovative technologies and nature‐based solutions. Participants also highlighted a stronger economic case could be made for water reuse technologies if the approach seeks to capture the wider benefits and not only the 'best value' solution. Societal acceptance and the availability of good quality data will be key to the successful adoption of any incentivized water reuse schemes.


A broadband dual-polarized dual-dipole (DPDD) planar antenna is analyzed and designed for 2G/3G/4G base stations. The DPDD antenna consists of two perpendicularly crossed dual-dipole elements. Each dual-dipole element is comprised of two identical side-by-side dipoles which are connected through a coplanar strip line that also acts as an impedance transformer. Two dual-dipole elements are printed respectively on two sides of a thin substrate and are excited directly by two coaxial cables, making the antenna configuration planar, compact, and simple. Due to the mutual coupling between two crossed dual-dipole elements, a broad bandwidth can be obtained. It is shown that the DPDD antenna achieves a bandwidth of 51% (1.61–2.71 GHz) for return loss >15 dB with an isolation of higher than 30 dB. The DPDD antenna also features a high gain of about 9 dBi a half-power beamwidth (HPBW) of 65±5° over a broad bandwidth.


In recent time, several reports have been published about a more and more unhealthy population world wide, with increasing Body Mass Index (BMI) in welfare countries, such as Sweden. Diseases, such ...


Abstract In this research work, the skin pass rolling force was changed in the range of 50 to 200 kN in steps of 30 kN. The crystallographic orientation of the coatings was determined using X-ray diffraction, and texture parameters were calculated. Corrosion behaviour was assessed employing the Tafel polarisation test. It was concluded that by increasing the force the texture coefficient of the basal planes component in the coating would be decreased and conversely, other components such as prismatic planes components would be strengthened. Increasing skin pass force would also cause an increase in surface roughness and microcracks in the coating. Such increasing in prismatic component texture coefficient, roughness and microcracks of the coating would result in the decreasing of coating corrosion resistance.


The photon spectra following capture of stopped pions in 4H 12c 16o 24M d 4oc h b d f h. e, , , g, an · a ave een 1neasure or p oton energies between 50 and 160 MeV. A pair spectrometer was \ used and a resolution of 2.0 MeV FWHM was achievec. On the basis of several thousand events for each spectrunl., we obsc1·ve 4 collective excitation in the residual nucleus for capture on He, 12c d 160 , an . Such excitation is predicted theoretically, and in some cases the detailed comparison with the data is good. For 24M d. 40 c · ·f· t t t · g an . a, no s1gn1 1can s rue ure 1s seen. In addition, the transition rates to particle-stable states in 16o and 12 c have been me;asured. A continuum background consistent vvith a direct reaction mechanism is also observed for all the el'4 e1nents studied except for He. kesults for the pion capture rates in CH2 and H 2 0 are given. .. I ,, '* ~J ;~~r>~ ··;i ,j l~~ i.,_:u ~~,) '·, ~) u


Objective To assess the value of 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT in the detection of local recurrences and distant metastasis of bone and soft tissue tumors. Methods Thirty-two 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT studies from 18 patients with clinically suspected of local recurrence and/or distant metastasis of bone and soft-tissue tumors were performed. The results were correlated with histopathology findings on surgical specimens (in 15 studies) or clinical follow-up data (in 17 studies). Results On a study-based analysis, 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT had a sensitivity of 95% (19/20), a specificity of 83% (10/12) and an accuracy of 91% (29/32). The positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 90% (19/21) and 91% (10/11), respectively. Thirteen recurrent foci detected by 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT received surgical management. Conclusion 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT is high sensitive and specific to detect local and distant recurrences of bone and soft-tissue tumors.


Unusually for an African economy, Uganda's growth has been rapid and sustained for an extended period of time. Further, this growth has clearly translated into substantial declines in poverty for all socioeconomic groups and in all regions of the country. Despite this, there is concern in the country that other indicators of well-being are not improving at the same rate as incomes. This paper studies one such indicator, infant mortality. We use three rounds of the Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys to construct a national time series for infant mortality over a long period of time, 1974--99. We also use these survey data to model the determinants of infant mortality and, on the basis of those results, to examine the likelihood that Uganda will meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving infant mortality by 2015. Key results of the paper include: (1) household assets and infant mortality are significantly negatively correlated, but the correlation is small, so even if Uganda's rapid growth were to continue for another decade, the impact on infant mortality rate (IMR) will be small up to 2015; (2) after controlling for individual, household and community determinants, there is no discernable time trend (up or down) in infant mortality in Uganda; (3) observed improvements in mothers' primary school graduation rates will have a significant impact on IMRs. Plausibly attainable improvements in mothers' secondary graduation rates will have a lesser impact, largely because the improvements in graduation rates are not so great as at the primary level; (4) improvements in vaccinations for childhood diseases and in general health care services can also cause significant reductions in IMRs and (5) nevertheless, even under optimistic assumptions about improvements in health care and education, Uganda will not achieve the MDG for infant mortality. Copyright 2008 The author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Centre for the Study of African Economies. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: email@example.com, Oxford University Press.


Many teachers are concerned that the introduction of CAS calculators in 2006 will mean radical changes to the mathematics curriculum. This paper is an attempt to demonstrate, that while there will need to be changes, students will still need to be taught to understand and utilize the power of symbolic mathematics. Technology is a useful tool, to aid and enhance the teaching, not a replacement for teaching the skills and knowledge of algebra. Students will need to be able to use symbols and notation to represent situations and formulate the problem, convert these expressions into calculator syntax and interpret and assess the results and solutions. The decision by VCAA to introduce Mathematical Methods CAS as a fully accredited VCE subject from 2006 will have major implications for secondary school mathematics curriculum. The decisions that schools will make as to when and where to introduce these calculators will impact on Middle School Mathematics curriculum as well as VCE. Computer programs with the capacity to do advanced algebraic algorithms and solve complex equations have been around for more than twenty years.(Heid and Edwards, 2001) These programs have been used in universities, and also, by some secondary school teachers, with an interest in technology, but their use has been more as an adjunct than as part of mainstream curriculum. Over the next few years most, if not all schools will offer Mathematical Methods (CAS) as an alternative to Mathematical Methods. The reasons for this will vary, but for many schools, the reason is purely pragmatic. Students studying Specialist Mathematics and Further Mathematics at Year 12 will be permitted from 2006 to use approved CAS calculators in the exams. Most schools would not insist on their students buying two calculators, due to the expense this would incur, so the simplest alternative is to encourage all students to purchase CAS calculators.


Before the techie jargon makes you crazy, think about what you want to do with a mobile computer. That will tell you which kind makes sense for you.


Polypyrrole is the most widely used conducting polymer for sensors and biosensors construction once their conductivity and electroactivity do not strongly depend on the pH of the electrolyte. The aim of the present article is the improvement of amperometric ammonia determination, using dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBSA) doped polypyrrole film. This large amphiphilic dopant promotes changes on the polymeric film leading to a more accentuated current and extending the linear response over a wide concentration range, when compared with films doped with small inorganic anions, such as chloride. The sensor×s response was followed by EQCM and Raman spectroscopy experiments with the aim of elucidating the mechanism of ammonia detection.


Aiming to study the stray losses and temperature distribution of power transformer ascending flange, a 1:1 test model is built, and the corresponding three-dimensional (3D) finite-element analysis (FEA) model is established. Then the influence of shielding on stray losses distribution is simulated by surface impedance method, and the 4mm copper shielding is selected as the optimized one. Besides, a mixed steel tank lid structure is proposed to limit the maximum loss density in the tank lid. Finally, the temperature field of ascending flange based on magneto-thermal coupling method is simulated, which can provide an effective guidance for allowable lead current and the related optimization.


For many years now, Germany has been one of the most active partners of developing countries and emerging economies in the fields of climate protection and climate change adaptation. Since 2005, Germany has increased its contribution to international climate finance from its national budget by a factor of five to EUR 2.344 billion in 2014. At the Sixth Petersberg Climate Dialogue in May 2015, Chancellor Merkel made a commitment that Germany aims to double its international climate finance from the EUR 2 billion budgeted in 2014 to EUR 4 billion by 2020.


The simple repetitive control system proposed by Yamada et al. is a type of servomechanism for periodic reference input. Thus, the simple repetitive control system follows a periodic reference input with small steady-state error, even if there is periodic disturbance or uncertainty in the plant. In addition, simple repetitive control systems ensure that transfer functions from the periodic reference input to the output and from the disturbance to the output have finite numbers of poles. Yamada et al. clarified the parameterization of all stabilizing simple repetitive controllers. However, when using the method of Yamada et al., it is complex to specify the low-pass filter in the internal model for the periodic reference input that specifies the input-output characteristic. To specify the input-output characteristic more easily, Murakami et al. examined the parameterization of all stabilizing simple repetitive controllers with the specified input-output characteristic such that the input-output characteristic can be specified beforehand. However, they omitted complete proof on account of space limitations. This paper gives a complete proof of the parameterization of all stabilizing simple repetitive controllers with the specified input-output characteristic of Murakami et al. and demonstrates the effectiveness of the parameterization of all stabilizing simple repetitive controllers with the specified input-output characteristic. Control characteristics of a simple repetitive control system are presented, as well as a design procedure for a simple repetitive controller with the specified input-output characteristic.


By taking a railway passenger car system as a studying object,the vehicle was simplified as a multiple-rigid-body system composed of one carboy,two bogie frames,four wheel sets,and primary and secondary suspensions.The rails were modeled as discrete rigid bodies with lateral stiffness and damping,moving forward with their corresponding wheel sets.Moreover,the interaction forces between the wheels and the rails in rolling contact mainly included creep forces and the flange forces.The continuation methods for stationary solutions and periodic solutions to ordinary differential equations for a similar vehicle system were presented.Then,the continuation method was empleyed to study the lateral bifurcation behavior of the railway passenger car system running on a straight track with simple rails.Meanwhile,the numerical results were compared with those of the traditional vehicle system having the same suspension components but no rails.The study results showed that the bifurcation diagrams of the two models resemble each other in the investigated speed range;two Hopf bifurcation points,from which two unstable periodic solutions sub-critically bifurcate,are found in a small speed range;the difference is that the values of two Hopf bifurcation points and the critical speed of the vehicle system with simple rails are all slightly higher than the corresponding values of the traditional vehicle system with the same suspension components but no rails;the higher values are mainly related to the lateral stiffness of rails.


Hollow carbon nanospheres (abbreviated as "HCSs") with a yield of about 90% under transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscopy observations have been synthesized through a facile approach using acetone and sodium azide as reactants at 400 °C in a sealed autoclave. These HCSs have an outer diameter of 100−500 nm and a shell thickness of ∼20 nm. Their total surface area values evaluated from the analyzes of N2 adsorption isotherm data was 13.1 m2/g. The effects of reaction temperature, the dosage of the reagent, and the capacity of autoclave on the formation of the final products have been studied. Through tuning the experimental parameters, olivary carbon particles or carbon rods also have been selectively prepared. In addition, when acetone was replaced by polyethylene glycol or glucose, HCSs were obtained at 400 °C with a yield of ∼90 and ∼30%, respectively. On the basis of the experimental results, a possible formation mechanism of the hollow carbon nanospheres was discussed.


The parameters of ABC, blood gases, content of nonorganic phosphorus, 2,3 DPG and ATP in erythrocytes were studied in 161 patients with diffuse peritonitis during the early postoperative period. Considerable alterations of the oxygen transport function of blood in these patients were found. The use of Obzidan and monosubstituted potassium phosphate prevents a decrease of nonorganic phosphorus, 2,3 DPG and ATP in erythrocytes, improves the oxygen supply of the organism. The time of treatment is shorter.


The general features of the galactic environment of the solar system are described. The principal components of the distribution of matter in the solar vicinity are discussed. Special emphasis is placed upon the question of determining the total amount of matter in the vicinity of the sun.


Background  Granuloma faciale (GF) is an uncommon dermatosis of unknown pathogenesis. Multiple treatments have been proposed with varying results. We report nine cases treated successfully with cryosurgery and we review the literature.


Abstract : Background : Caudal epidural analgesia (CEA) is used in children undergoing lower abdominal surgery. Although ropivacaine, levobupivacaine and bupivacaine are commonly used, their relative potency remains poorly defined in case of CEA. The aim of this prospective, randomized, double-blind trial was to determine the minimum local analgesic concentration (MLAC) for each of these three molecules. Material and methods : Ninety-two children (between 1-8 years old) scheduled for lower abdominal surgery under sevoflurane anesthesia were included and randomized to receive CEA with ropivacaïne, levobupivacaine or bupivacaine. One mL Kg of the "study solution" was injected in the epidural space. Skin incision was allowed 15 minutes after injection. Movements and hemodynamic variability ("clinical response") associated with skin incision were used to determine the efficacy of the CEA. In all groups, the starting local anesthetic concentration was 0.16% and subsequent concentrations were determined by the clinical response of the previous patient to skin incision using the Dixon's up-and-down sequential allocation. Increments and decrements were 0.02% for each drug. Secondary endpoints were duration of analgesia, incidence of motor block and side effects (postoperative nausea and vomiting, agitation, urinary retention). Isotonic regression method was used to calculate efficient dose in 50% of patients (ED 50) and in 95% of patients (ED 95). Results : From the 92 randomized children, 87 were finally included in the protocol. Demographic characteristics were not different between groups. The ED 50 and ED 95 for bupivacaine, ropivacaine and levobupivacaine were, respectively: 0.122% and 0.179%, 0.111% and 0.176%, 0.171% and 0.216%. No difference was observed between the 3 groups in term of efficacy, duration of analgesia, muscular blockade, agitation, and postoperative nausea and vomiting. Conclusions : In the conditions of our study, MLAC of ropivacaine, and bupivacaine were comparable, much lower than that of levobupivacaine.


This data set is an LAZ (compressed LAS) format file containing LIDAR point cloud data. LIDAR-derived binary (.las) files containing points classified as bare-earth and canopy (first return) were produced for the 2007/2008 Northwest Florida Water Management District - 5 Counties (Calhoun, Holmes, Washington, Jackson and Liberty), Florida lidar mapping project. The files were provided in a scheme of FDEM-derived 5,000 x 5,000 foot (1500 x 1500 meter) tiles. When initially processed, horizontal mapping units were in UTM meters, vertical mapping units are in U.S. survey feet. The total mapping area covers approximately 2102 square miles. Original contact information: Contact Name: Mr John Crowe Contact Org: Northwest Florida Water Management District Title: Associate Hydrologist, Division of Resource Management Phone: 850-539-5999 Email: email@example.com


A modulator based on standing density waves in water for a parallel-ray interferometer is described. The local changes in the refractive index of the water lead to optical path modulation at a typical frequency of 100 kHz. This modulator is easy to construct, has a high optical efficiency and low power consumption.


As an emerging and advanced technology, Network-on-Chip (NoC) may become the alternative of the traditional bus-based System-on-Chip (SoC). In an interconnection network structure, interconnected routers are the core of the whole system and the network's performance mainly depends on their performance. There are many significant factors which determine the working mechanism of a router and its performance, such as topology, switching strategy, routing algorithm, and flow control mechanism. The switching mechanism plays a vital role to move the data from an input channel and place it on an output channel. Virtual cut through (VCT) and wormhole (WH) switching techniques are widely used in NoC architecture. In this paper, Wormhole and VCT technique has been proposed for Network on chip architecture and its performance is analyzed using the parameters such as area and speed. In this paper the designing and implementation of Wormhole and Virtual Cut through router have been discussed. The simulation of Wormhole system and VCT is done in Modelsim-SE as a simulation & debugging tool. The design is synthesized in Xilinx ISE 9.1i as well as in Quertus 8.1 for the packet size of 16 bits (0-15) on the platform of family automotive spartan2 for device-XC2S200, PQG208 package and speed -5.


High frequency cantilever beam rotating fatigue test was carried out with 0.44% carbon steel at a temperature of 500°C with a frequency of 10000rpm, and the effect of periodically applied intermittent loading upon the specimen was investigated at two stress levels that were chosen from the basic S-N curve obtained from the ordinary test without rest periods.From the obtained results, it was concluded that the existence of rest periods which were given with definite periods in the loading cycles, rather reduced the fatigue life of steel at elevated temperature, compared with that of the continuous loading test, especially in the case when loading frequency is as high as 10000rpm.Such tendency does not agree with that of the previous investigations by several authors. The cause and the meaning of these different tendencies seem to be caused by many factors, such as testing frequency, method of inserting rest period, kind of stress, but it is not easy to clarify these points at the present stage of study.


ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 05 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com A field experiment was conducted during 2012 and 2013 to assess the effect of secondary and micronutrients on growth and yield of elephant foot yam [Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson] at the Regional Centre of ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications. The experiment consisted of nine treatments viz. T1Control(no manure and fertilizer), T2FYM @ 10t/ha+N-P2O5-K2O @100-60-100 kg/ha, T3-FYM @ 10 t/ha+N-P2O5-K2O @100-60-100 kg/ha+MgSO4@ 20 kg/ha, T4FYM @ 10 t/ha+N-P2O5-K2O @100-60-100 kg/ha+ZnSO4@10 kg/ha, T5– FYM @ 10 t/ha+N-P2O5-K2O @100-60-100 kg/ha+Borax@10 kg/ha, T6 – FYM @ 10 t/ha+N-P2O5-K2O @100-60-100 kg/ha+MgSO4@ 20 kg/ha+ZnSO4@10 kg/ha, T7FYM @ 10 t/ha+N-P2O5-K2O @100-60-100 kg/ha +MgSO4@ 20 kg/ha+Borax @10 kg/ha, T8– FYM @ 10 t/ha+N-P2O5-K2O @100-60-100 kg/ha+ZnSO4@10 kg/ha+Borax @10 kg/ha,T9FYM @ 10 t/ha+N-P2O5-K2O @100-60-100 kg/ha+MgSO4@ 20 kg/ha+ZnSO4@10 kg/ha+Borax @10 kg/ha. The results revealed that manures and fertilizers did not influence days to sprouting. The pseudostem height (115.8 cm), pseudostem diameter (15.8 cm), canopy spread (109.11 cm), number of leaflets per plant (337.5) and light interception percentage (76.74%) were superior in T9(FYM @ 10 t/ha+NP2O5-K2O @100-60-100 kg/ha+MgSO4 @ 20 kg/ha+ZnSO4 @10 kg/ha+Borax @10 kg/ha)than rest of the treatments. The treatment T9(FYM @ 10 t/ha+N-P2O5-K2O @10060-100 kg/ha+MgSO4 @ 20 kg/ha+ZnSO4 @10 kg/ha+Borax @10 kg/ha)resulted in lower soil resistance. The corm diameter (25.9 cm), corm yield/plant (2375 g plant -1 ) and corm yield (42.2 t ha -1 ) were greater in T9(FYM @ 10 t/ha+N-P2O5-K2O @100-60-100 kg/ha+MgSO4 @ 20 kg/ha+ZnSO4 @10 kg/ha+Borax @10 kg/ha).The lowest growth and yield attributes, and yield were recorded in T1(control). K e y w o r d s Elephant foot yam, Corm yield, Growth, Secondary and Micro nutrients Accepted: 04 April 2019 Available Online: 10 May 2019 Article Info Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(5): 323-330


The authors have analyzed and measured the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for three coherent amplitude demodulation methods applied to detecting physiological events from electrical impedance measurements. They compare the theoretical performance of a synchronous demodulator based on an analog multiplier (AMD), a synchronous detector (SD) based on a switched-gain amplifier and a synchronous sampling method (SS) implemented using the floating capacitor technique. The authors have considered the influence of noise outside the passband for the detected signal (NOISE), i.e. physiological noise, harmonics from the injected signal (HARM), power line interference (INT) and common mode voltage (CMV). Overall, when measuring transthoracic impedance, SS using the floating capacitor technique yields up to twice as much noise as compared to SD using the AD 630, but if additional filtering is used then the same SNR results.<<ETX>>


The paper, in its introduction argues that the concept of "beauty being in eye of the beholder" is as controversial as that of the "just and unjust war" or "freedom fighting." All of these are ideologically, philosophically and socio-politically related to the theme of liberation from perceived injustices , which the Nigerian Civil War, also called "the Biafran Sessessionist War," forms the focus of Henshaw's Enough Is Enough. It is an endemic national question similar to that of the Arab-Israeli in any ways. The paper thus epitomises the background to the war, as captured in many Nigerian war literatures, with E nough Is Enough emphasising the twilight of that war. It discusses the manifest rhetorics of the war, emphasising the theatrical residues in all their philosophical and socio-cultural sensibilities, with particular attention to Henshaw's graphic character portrayals.


In the coastal region of Ecuador, five species of Leishmania affect humans, with a well documented broad spectrum of skin lesions and lymphatic involvement. Mucosal lesions of the rhino-oropharyngeal and laryngeal areas are not reported frequently. We present four cases from the coastal region with this condition, as follows: 1) mucosal injury that occurred after 25 years of the skin lesion, 2) the scars of the skin on the face and nasal mucosa lesions located closely to each other, 3) serious injuries throughout the area, including the larynx, 4) skin lesions in the leg and nose after  seven years. This report aims to update the differential diagnosis for this disease and hence providebetter treatment and prognosis for these patients.


Objecitve To explore the relationship between basal blood pressure levels and prognosis in patients with hemorrhage,and the influence of different blood pressure control strategies in hematoma expansion and bleeding again.Methods Research methods for group-control,46 patients with hemorrhage from January 2010 to January 2013 according to the basal blood pressure levels (systolic blood pressure) in the first day of admission were divided into group A (< 180 mmHg,1 mmHg =0.133 kPa) 7 cases,group B (180-200 mmHg) 6 cases and group C (>200 mmHg) 33 cases.At the same time according to different blood pressure control strategies were divided into group E (mean arterial pressure decreased ≥ 20%) 31 cases and group F (mean arterial pressure decreased < 20%) 15 cases,the prognosis among different groups was analyzed.Results The 6 months death / disability rate in group C was higher than that in group A and group B [21.2% (7/33) vs.1/7,1/6],there was significant difference (P < 0.05).There was no significant difference between group A and group B(P> 0.05).Group E patients occurred with hematoma expansion in 1 case,group F occurred with hematoma expansion in 4 cases,and bleeding again in 1 case,incidence of adverse events in group E was lower than that in group F [3.2% (1/31) vs.5/15],there was significant difference (x2 =5.642,P =0.018).Conclusion Early onset of high blood pressure (> 200 mmHg) is the independent risk factor of prognosis,and early actively antihypertensive can effectively reduce the occurrence of hematoma expansion and bleeding again.

Key words:
Cerebral hemorrhage;  Blood pressure;  Prognosis


In this study,interviews and mathematical statistics were used to study the reaction time of start of the best sprinters in the world.The results showed that athletic performance gradually increase,with the progressive of competition rounds,reaction time of start decrease until final to achieve the fastest reaction time of start.Compared with women,men starting reaction time is better than women obviously;the better the explosive power,the faster reaction time of start.


Carbon (C) storage potential was quantified for four tree species which are commonly incorporated into tree-based intercropping (TBI) systems and compared with conventional agricultural systems in southern Ontario, Canada. In the 31-year-old TBI system at the University of Guelph's Agroforestry Research Station, Norway spruce (Picea abies), white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), black walnut (Juglans nigra) and red oak (Quercus rubra) were planted in tree rows, intercropped with soybean (Glycine max). In the conventional agricultural field, soybean was grown in a monocropping system. Above and belowground tree and crop C content, soil organic C (SOC) and system level C was quantified for each tree species as well as the conventional agricultural system. Red oak TBI systems had the highest SOC followed by black walnut, Norway spruce and white cedar with values of 93.2, 83.9, 78.1, and 72.2 t C ha-1, respectively. Red oak TBI systems also had the highest mean tree C content, followed by black walnut, Norway spruce and white cedar, with values of 299.7, 285.8, 255.4 and 70.1 kg C tree-1, respectively. Total system level C, which incorporated SOC, tree C content and tree planting densities was 134.8, 126.4, 115.7, 95.6 and 75.6 t C ha-1 respectively for spruce, oak, walnut and cedar TBI systems and the agricultural field. TBI systems provide higher C sequestration potentials than conventional agricultural fields, and Norway spruce and red oak should be included into TBI systems in southern Ontario to maximize C sequestration benefits.


Abstract Over the past decade, the extensive mobility of children in West Africa has been systematically mis-specified as child trafficking. This mis-specification is a result of political framing that aims to attract funding to the activities of international agencies and NGOs. Attracting funding towards a group of relocating children that are often in critical need of support is in principle admirable. However, the simplifications resulting from framing a complex phenomenon has in this case prevented actors from taking into account the more multifaceted causes of child mobility in the region, and has thus led to mis-specified and even harmful policies. The article encourages the application ofa more solid knowledge base for future interventions in this area.


Introduction: The identification of various iron and magnesium sulfates in data from the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER), OMEGA on Mars Express, and CRISM on MRO [e.g. 1-5] provides the impetus to explore analog environments that produce these minerals on Earth. A number of mechanisms have been proposed as models of Martian surface conditions and given the diversity of surface locations on Mars where sulfates have so far been identified, a number of geochemical environments may be involved. It should also be noted that terrestrial analogs may address the geochemical and mineralogical constituents without necessarily mimicking the geologic and morphologic environment or alternately, that geomorphologic similarity to Mars does not usually incorporate similar geochemistry [6]. One of the most common areas where mineralogy similar to the acidic deposition environment inferred for the Meridiani Planum MER landing site occurs is in metal ore or other hydrothermal deposits that have been subject to alteration through exposure to air, water and microbial processes. The Leviathan Mine site was selected as an alternate to well–studied sites such as Rio Tinto, Spain [7,8], and saline lakes in Australia [9,10] due to the difference in elevation, source rock, and type of alteration setting, yet expected presence of primary and sedimentary sulfates that could be mapped in-situ and remotely for comparison with a broad range of Martian data sets and geochemical pathways. Geologic Setting: The site is located in Tertiary volcanic rocks of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, and was used economically for an elemental sulfur vein, 1-2 feet thick, first mined underground and eventually converted to an open pit operation in the 1950's [11]. Wachter [12] mapped alteration minerals in the Monitor Pass region and note extensive outcrops of jarosite throughout the quadrangle as well as other surface exposures of small sulfur seams. While the origin of the elemental sulfur at Leviathan is unclear, it has been speculated, due to the large overburden of siliceous cap rock, that the system may represent a relic volcanic vent, sulfur condensing under impermeable cap rocks or sulfur precipitation sealing overlying tuff. The open pit area, while creating water quality problems for Leviathan creek, provides an excellent exposure for comparison of various remote sensing technologies of different wavelength and spatial resolutions. Run-off from the area is channeled into retaining ponds that are allowed to evaporate creating a man-made environment similar to the transient wet-dry cycles suggested for Meridiani sediments [5].


Many analyses of lightning parameters and lightning densities are found in literature. Most of the data are based on single station measurements and therefore, strictly speaking, they are only valid for a certain altitude. With lightning location systems it is possible to collect and analyze lightning parameters over large areas. For such analyses, a lightning location network of high detection efficiency over a large area is necessary. Because the Austrian lightning location network is a network of small baselines it has a very high detection efficiency and is therefore ideal for such an investigation. In this paper we show preliminary results of lightning density and lightning peak current as a function of altitude above sea level in Austria.


Self-navigating robotic vehicles are now commercially available, and the technology supporting other important system components has also matured. Higher reliability and the obtainability of system support now make it practical to consider robotics as a way of addressing the growing operational requirement for the periodic inspection and maintenance of radioactive, hazardous, and mixed waste inventories. This paper describes preparations for the first field deployment of an autonomous container inspection robot at a Department of Energy (DOE) site. The Stored Waste Autonomous Mobile Inspector (SWAMI) is presently being completed by engineers at the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC). It is a modified version of a commercially available robot. It has been outfitted with sensor suites and cognition that allow it to perform inspections of drum inventories and their storage facilities.


The synthesis of a linear, soluble poly(p-xylylene) with high molecular weight, the phenethyl-substituted PPX (PEPPX), via a base-induced polyreaction is presented. The resulting polymers are characterized by GPC and static and dynamic light scattering. The light scattering data clearly demonstrate that PEPPX in THF is a very stiff, shape-persistent polymer with a persistence length of the order of at least 18 nm. This is rather unexpected since PPX contains two main chain σ-bonds in each monomer unit, which allow free rotation.


A recent article by the author demonstrated that the distribution and design of the double bars in Beethoven?s autograph scores has considerable significance for our understanding of how he perceived the structure of his works. The autograph of the Diabelli Variations was not then available for study but has since been acquired by the Beethoven-Haus. An examination of it throws startling new light the work's structure. Eleven different structures, proposed by different writers, can be compared with that implied by Beethoven's double bars and other notational features. This structure shows major differences from theirs. The location and design of these double bars in the autograph should therefore be indicated in any new edition, and also taken into account both by future analysts and by performers of the work.


Author affiliations: Henning Naas, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway Andres Neset, Department of medicine, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway Christian Johansson, Division of Prehospital Services, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway Anne-Cathrine Braarud, Division of Prehospital Services, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway Tomas Drægni, Division of Emergencies and Critical Care, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway Jo Kramer-Johansen*, Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Prehospital Emergency Medicine (NAKOS) and Division of Prehospital Services, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway


Buckling behaviour of simply supported functionally graded material (FGM) plates under constant and linearly varying in-plane compressive loads is investigated. The effect of shear deformation is studied using higher order shear deformation theories (TSDT and FSDT) for the case of uniform compression loading. For linearly varying load only the classical plate theory (CPT) is employed. The Poisson's ratio of the FGM plate is assumed to be constant, but the Young's modulus varies continuously throughout the thickness direction according to the volume fraction of constituents defined by the power-law, the sigmoid, or the exponential function. It is observed that the behaviour of FGM plates is quite similar to that of the corresponding isotopic plate. The ratio of the buckling load of FGM plates to that of isotropic plates is found to be more or less is independent of the loading parameter, the aspect ratio and the width thickness ratio of the plate and is a function of only the material gradient index. Relationships are developed to calculate the ratio of buckling loads for aluminium-alumina FGM plates.


Firstly the thesis studies the solar energy in urban residential districts in the north cold areas of China,and finds out there are rich solar energy.According to this study,it discusses and analyzes the forms in which the residential buildings use the solar energy in the north cold areas of China,so as to promote the utilization and development of solar energy in residential districts.


Anatomical substrates were investigated for local circuit hyperexcitability that occurs in the CA3 subfield of the rat hippocampus during postnatal week 2. A transient excess of excitatory local circuit connectivity was hypothesized to underlie this hyperexcitability. To test this hypothesis, recurrent excitatory axon arbors from single biocytin‐filled CA3 pyramidal cells were reconstructed. Arbors were analyzed in segments of area CA3 comparable in size to in vitro minislice preparations, which were shown to reproduce the developmental hyperexcitability seen in intact slices during postnatal week 2. Segments were then adjusted for hippocampal growth, based on age‐dependent changes in neuron density in stratum pyramidale. Axon arbors were found to be short and possessed very few branches during the first postnatal week. By the second postnatal week, arbors had undergone dramatic growth and were much longer and more complex in their branching patterns. By adulthood, a significant decrease in all measures of arbor length and complexity was observed. Following growth adjustment, measures of axon length and varicosity number during week 2 were not significantly different from that of adulthood. However, the number of axon branches decreased by 50%.


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretically informed analysis of the evolution of environmental management accounting (EMA) and social and environmental reporting (SER), and the accompanying development of a sustainability programme, in a large family-owned, unlisted corporation.Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal case study based on semi-structured interviews and documentary data was conducted. The main periods of fieldwork were carried out in 2007 and between 2010 and 2012. Sustainability reports were collected until 2019 when SER appeared to cease. The case analysis draws on the concepts of organisational identity (OI) and internal legitimacy (IL) to examine the decision-making and actions of a range of key organisational actors as they engage with EMA and SER.FindingsThe study demonstrates that a gap between an organisation's identity claims ("who we are") and its enacted identity ("what we do") can enable the adoption of constitutive, performative and representational EMA and SER. It illuminates the nature of the role of key actors and organisational dynamics, in the form of OI and IL, in adapting these practices. It also demonstrates that, in giving meaning to the concept of sustainability, organisational actors can draw on their organisation's identity and construct the comprehensibility of an organisational sustainability programme.Research limitations/implicationsMore empirical work is needed to examine the applicability of OI and IL to other settings. It would also be beneficial to examine the potential for OI work to allow organisations to change and reinvent themselves in response to the evermore pressing environmental crisis and the role, if any, of EMA in this process.Originality/valueThe study enriches our understanding of why and how EMA and SER evolve by demonstrating that paying attention to OI and IL can provide further insight into the decision-making and actions of organisational members as they recognise, evaluate, support and cease these practices.


This paper studies person identification using human iris based on tensor decomposition of SIFT features. First, we divide a normalized iris image into small non-overlapping image patches, each of which is represented by a SIFT descriptor. In this way, the iris image is naturally represented by a fourth-order tensor. We use tensor decomposition to obtain features of reduced dimensionality by the alternating least square algorithm. The low-dimensional features are encoded to binary codes by comparing with the mean value of every dimension. We perform iris matching by counting the average number of two binary codes in agreement. In the iris matching process, the occlusion or noisy factors are also considered. The proposed method is validated with the UBIRIS.v2 and CASIA-IrisV4 datasets.


A simple, sensitive, and rapid liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for determination of phloretin in dog plasma using darunavir as inte...


This paper presents experimental results in the development of low‐emittance relativistic electron beams with finite energy spread, which—among other applications—is suitable for suppressing collective instabilities in an electron‐ring accelerator. The measurements were performed with a divided cathode in an electron‐beam gun, one half of which is connected via a resistor with the high‐voltage terminal. The energy difference can be varied up to 100 keV in proportion to the resistance, with equal subcurrents. The beam parts are well separated, and their radial distance is about equal to the radial difference of the corresponding electron closed orbits, such that electron‐ring formation with minimum radial betatron oscillations should be possible. The beam emittance is as small as about 100 mrad cm and the current is 800 A.


REVIEW QUESTION
What are the experiences and perceptions of physical restraint policies and practices by health professionals, administrators and policy makers in the acute care sector?


Mo–Si–Ti alloys, like eutectic Mo–20Si–52.8Ti (at%), have previously been intensely investigated, owing to their excellent oxidation and creep resistance. To better understand high‐temperature mechanical behavior, a holistic assessment of microstructural features is necessary. Correspondingly, 3D‐focused ion beam tomography is carried out in Mo–20Si–52.8Ti. The results indicate a severely interconnected network of Mo solid solution (MoSS) and intermetallic (Ti,Mo)5Si3. Both phases retain similar network connectivity, lamellar sizes, etc. The brittle to ductile transition temperature (BDTT) is then determined through a series of bending tests and interpreted using the microstructural information. The BDTT is found to be ≈1100–1150 °C, different from Mo–9Si–8B with a continuous MoSS network. The BDTT is an immediate consequence of the continuous network of both MoSS and (Ti,Mo)5Si3. The MoSS network is instrumental in crack trapping and bridging, indicating that the present phase distribution maximized the mechanical performance over (Ti,Mo)5Si3. Having determined the network microstructure and BDTT, tensile creep behavior is evaluated and compared to previously published compressive creep results. The results show consistency in terms of strain rate, stress exponent, and microstructural features indicating a reliably good creep resistance for the network microstructure of Mo–20Si–52.8Ti regardless of loading direction.


The need for society and or individual self-reliance is not particularly new in the history of human being in general and in Nigeria in particular. Nigerians have for example, sought and pressed for independence and self-determination from colonial rule and in October, 1960 were granted. It is often said that self-reliance cannot be achieved without self-freedom, and so there was the justification to seek, first for political independence. It was soon realized that being merely politically independent as it were, did not mean much, unless it is matched with economic self-reliance. The term self-reliance may be defined as the ability to be self-sustaining economically without the anxiety and agony of desperately seeking for assistance. At the level of individual, self-reliance is having or ability to have the necessities of life. One of the problems we have in Nigeria today is how to inculcate the spirit and virtue of self-reliance. This study addresses the issues of self-reliance and realizes that self-reliance can be achieved through proper entrepreneurial training and education. The target audience in the realization of self-reliance objectives, the study suggests, should start with graduates, unemployed, school leavers, subsistent farmers and the disabled, as they are in greater need of employment opportunities. The methodological approach, suggests the use of train the educators, mounting workshops and seminars and employing the services of consultants and specialists.


A new measure of information in quantum mechanics is proposed which takes into account that for quantum systems the only features known before an experiment is performed are the probabilities for various events to occur. The sum of the individual measures of information for mutually complementary observations is invariant under the choice of the particular set of complementary observations and conserved if there is no information exchange with an environment. That operational quantum information invariant results in $k$ bits of information for a system consisting of $k$ qubits.


Mallomonas porifera was originally described from Middle Eocene lake sediments based on isolated siliceous microfossils and named for the single large pore found centrally on the base plate. Both domeless body and domed scales were described, however it was not known how the scales were positioned on the cell covering nor if the organism possessed bristles. Since the original description, 15 additional sam- ples taken from a long sequence of the sediment core and found to contain M. porifera have been examined, including fractured mudstone sections from each sample. The fractured surfaces were found to contain the remains of whole cells allowing for a detailed description of the siliceous cell covering. Mallomonas porifera contains three types of scales and one bristle morphology arranged in precise positions on the cell. Domed scales are restricted to the anterior of the cell and each is associated with a bristle. The domed scales transition abruptly to domeless body scales that surround the main portion of the cell and are not associated with bristles. The posterior part of the cell covering consists of large triangular-shaped and spine-bearing scales that lack the characteristic large base plate pore found on the other scale types. The relationship of M. porifera to modern taxa within the genus is discussed.


The objective of this article is to demonstrate the results of a survey conducted by the author and students of Pedagogy UNESP Marilia. Objectives: 1) verify the importance of Career Guidance (OP) in the course of teacher training, the role the teacher can play in assisting prospective students in choosing a profession 2) to investigate what it means for your student career choice, 3) identify the design that have on the subject work, 4) provide activities that encourage self-awareness and professional information, 5) encourage them to develop a project of personal and professional life. Method: action research based on Thiollent (2008). 10 meetings were held where 13 subjects established interpersonal relationships through discussions, readings, group dynamics and reflected on the multiplicity of his career choice. The results showed that the educational intervention was effective, since most of the subjects could make your career choice, acquired the concept of work, and built a project of personal and professional life. We conclude that the teacher can contribute with their students in the same awareness on the concept of work, career choice and the ability of the study to get them to achieve higher goals in life.


PRESIDENT MEZES SPEAKS the association is sure to be able to hold a w in te r collegiate tou rnam ent. ^ This lu' a n, w departure, and tile 11 l l I A I l l l l I I i i 5m' b i k i n g u n u s u a l i n t e r e s t in t h e ■ t / v v v Kl | p ro p o se d c o n t e s t s . Basketball is to Ive a g rea t favorite this fall and winter. W ith the greater p a r t of the members of last. season's successful team back and much new m a  terial out, a great schedule will lie play ed this year. Many Freshmen, who have had experience on High School teams, are eagerly aw aiting th e open ing Of the practice which begins iii a week. There is good prospects for acy eral intercollegiate games during the session. There will be a g rea t effort to revive Held hockey am ong the girl a th letes. There has l»een nothing done in this line for two or th ree years, but some of the new s tuden ts have played on team s in northern schools, and are Anxious to have a Texas team. The swimming dill* will lie in full blast next week. Many old s tuden ts have joined the d u b . ami great things are expected to lie Accomplished. I he en tire membership of the W om an's A th  letic Association will lie the largest ever, and the girls are registering from all departm en ts , old and new. TOOTBAll SQUAD STILL WORKING


Methods The study selection process for this review used a similar methodology to previous publications. A list of 19 potentially relevant cardiologyassociated studies published in 2015-16 was created through discussions with hospital-based pharmacists practising in cardiology. This list (with accompanying citations and abstracts) was used to create an online survey that was emailed to the 382 pharmacists subscribed to the Primary Care Pharmacy Specialty Network of the Canadian Pharmacists Association/Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists. Respondents were asked to select up to a maximum of 5 cardiology studies relevant to their practice. The survey was open for 2 weeks with 2 reminder emails.


What are the limits of palliative care? Recently, I was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to offer palliative care to an imprisoned animal rights activist who was refusing to eat. He was in renal failure as a consequence.


Complications limiting the use of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) include abrupt vessel closure and restenosis. Certain coronary lesions, such as chronic total occlusions and diffuse or long stenoses, pose serious technical difficulties. New devices may overcome some of these limitations. For example, atherectomy may prove useful for thrombotic vessels or diffusely diseased vein grafts, and it may lower restenosis rates in larger vessels. Stents are currently used as a bailout measure when acute dissection occurs. Although lasers produce smoother margins than does conventional PTCA and effectively ablate atherosclerotic plaque material, the restenosis rate associated with use of these devices may be similar to that of conventional PTCA.


Survival of B-biotypes and Q-biotypes of Bemisia tabaci were studied by treatment of high and low temperature. It indicated that both of the two types had strong adaptability to high temperatures, and some of the adults can survive by treatment of 45 ℃ for 1h, while survival percentage of the two types decreased quickly by treatment of 2~5 ℃ for 1~8 d, and the adults died entirely by the treatment of 2 ℃ for 4d or 5 ℃ for 8 d.


The aims of this study were to know the effect of SAVI in Jigsaw cooperative learning model on students' (1) activity and (2) learning outcome in biology at biodiversity topic. This research was conducted in SMA Negeri 3 Medan, academic year of 2015/2016. Type of research was quasi-experimental design. Population of research was all X Grade students. There were three classes as the samples whichchosen by cluster random sampling technique. Experimental class I used SAVI approach in Jigsaw model, experimental class II used Jigsaw model only, and control class used Direct Instruction model. Students' activity was measured by using observation sheet as non-test instrument. The data were analyzed with ANAVA by using SPSS v.18 software. The research result indicates that there is significant effect of SAVI approach in Jigsaw cooperative learning model on students' activity (F = 110.70; P = 0.00). Students were more active in experimental class I with mean value is 40.04 rather than in experimental class II and in control class with mean value are 35.10 and 4.36. Students' learning outcome was measured by using multiple choice-tests. The data were analyzed with ANCOVA by using SPSS v.18 software.The research result also indicates that there is significant effect of SAVI approach in Jigsaw cooperative learning model on students' learning outcome (F = 5.90; P = 0.04) with the highest mean value is 71.52.


On the basis of the theory of the rural cooperative medical system and the successful practice of rural medical system at home and aboard,the author analyses the problems and proposes some countermeasures and suggestions on the development of the new rural cooperative medical system.


Chlamydomonas reinhardtii [FeFe]-hydrogenase, HydA1(rai), was overexpressed heterologously in Clostridium acetobutylicum (strain ATCC 824), purified via Strep-Tag affinity chromatography with O2-free buffer (100 mM Tris/HCl (pH 8.0), 2 mM sodium dithionite (NaDT)), and stored at -80 °C in the same buffer supplemented with 10 % (v/v) glycerol until use, as previously described. Frozen CrHydA1 protein samples of several individual purifications were thawed, pooled, and concentrated (Amicon Ultracel 10 kDa, Millipore) up to 2 mM of protein. 20 μl of each protein sample was transferred using a Hamilton syringe into Kapton-covered acrylic-glass sample holders for XAE and stored in liquid nitrogen until use.


For malignant neoplasms, the laser surgery has much advantages. Especially laser irradiation after tumor resection could be effective in preventing the local recurrence. It obtained better result on survival compared with surgery without laser instrument. But, in experimental study, the vascular rich granuloma developed in the field of laser irradiation, where implanted DAB liver cancer cells grew fast too larger tumor than the control group in rat. From this result, there is a problem left in the indication of laser irradiation following the resection of malignant neoplasms.


The present research project was developed with the objetiveof analyzingthe use of mobile devices and anxiety in the Riobamba San Gabriel Superior Technological Intitute students. The methodology had a quantitative focus, of descriptive and transversal field. A mental health survey was applied to the population under study, which showed that 14 male participants at 63.3% make excessive use of the mobile device, and 37 women at 63.8 % answered affirmatively in the excessive use of the mobile device, whit the difference of 8 male participants surveyed at 36.4% and 21 female participants at 36.2% who responded negatively to the excessive use of de mobile device. On the other hand to identify 51 people whit anxiety levels the Zung Anxiety Self-Assessment Scale was used as an instrument of identification, being the entertainment the aplication mostly used by men and for being in touch by women. An average of 45.25 was obtained in the test and an standart deviation of 4.63, in the statistical calculation. It is generally conclued that the population presents in greater extent, a quality moderate anxiety for staying in contact with social networks, and they influences in the desperation of managing their mobile device, althougt the teacher tells them not to use them, making their more acute the anguish unleashing health problems


A novel method for chitin preparation was developed using EDTA-treated shrimp shell,as EDTA-Ca complex showed the highest stability at pH 13.Results showed that 100% of Ca and 98.7% of proteins in shrimp shell can be removed by 40-minute EDTA treatment at room temperature.The used EDTA can be recycled from the waste liquid by regulating the pH value to 1.


Five different copper structures,including atomic chains atomic monolayers and bulk crystal,have been calculated by full-potential augmented plane wave method.For atomic mono-layers,the hexagon structure was found to be energetic favourable compared with the square structure,and the nearest bond length was also longer.For atomic chains,the same result has been obtained when the equilateral zigzag structure was compared with the linear structure.The calculated density of states (DOS) of the zigzag structure showed some unusual properties,and a band gap has been found.The DOS has been analyzed for different structures to find the relations between the electronic properties and the atomic structures.


The exchange reaction between CH3+ and D2 leading to CH2D+ and CHD2+ is shown to proceed through a collision complex in which the hydrogens and deuteriums become equivalent. The rate coefficient for reaction of CH3+ with D2 is 6.1 ± 0.1 × 10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1.


International cooperation in the Czech Republic is on the birth in the fight against enforcement of financial claims. The exchange of in formation between foreign tax authorities aids in locating a large quantity of tax data which the authorities by themselves would be incapable of uncovering without foreign assistance. The matters with which I have concerned myself in t his paper definitely warrant further exploration and monitoring of their continuing deve lopment. Practice and getting new pieces of knowledge from foreign tax authorities can impro ve international enforcement of financial claims.


A semiconductor memory device including a delay locked loop (DLL) that is capable of turning off the DLL in a precharge mode while maintaining locking information stored before the DLL operates in the precharge mode is provided. The DLL includes an ON/OFF mode for turning the DLL on or off. The DLL also includes a standby mode for turning the DLL off while still maintaining locking information stored before the DLL operates in a precharge mode in response to the activation of a standby enabling signal. The standby enabling signal is inactive when the DLL locks. The standby enabling signal is active when DLL lock is complete.


To the editor:

We read with interest the article "Redefining endothelial progenitor cells via clonal analysis and hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell principles" by Yoder et al.[1][1] The authors compared 2 types of colony assays that have been shown to identify endothelial progenitor cells (


: I consider a new, non-disjunctive strategy for 'relational'or 'naïve realist' theories to respond to arguments from 'perfect' (caus-ally matching) hallucinations. The strategy, in a nutshell, is to treat such hypothetical cases as instances of perception rather than hallucination. After clarifying the form and dialectic of such arguments, I consider three objections to the strategy. I provide answers to the first two objections but concede that the third — based on the possibility of 'chaotic' (uncaused) perfect hallucinations — cannot obviously be dealt with by the proposed strategy. However, such 'chaotic' scenarios are also problematic for standard representational accounts of experience. Thus I conclude that perfect hallucinations pose no more of a threat to the relational theory than to its main representational rival.


The origin of the concept of inclusive growth and its evolution process,the reality purport,essential connotation and the core direction,policies and mechanisms selection of achieving inclusive growth,and some misunderstandings in the research of the concept are reviewed in the paper,which will deliver a new thinking space for promoting people to think about ways to speed up the transformation of economic development,seeking scientific development,and promoting social harmony.


The Himalayan orogen represents a "Composite Orogenic System" in which channel flow, wedge extrusion, and thrust stacking operate in separate "Orogenic Domains" with distinct rheologies and crustal positions. We analyze 104 samples from the metamorphic core (Greater Himalayan Sequence, GHS) and bounding units of the Annapurna‐Dhaulagiri Himalaya, central Nepal. Optical microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analyses provide a record of deformation microstructures and an indication of active crystal slip systems, strain geometries, and deformation temperatures. These data, combined with existing thermobarometry and geochronology data are used to construct detailed deformation temperature profiles for the GHS. The profiles define a three‐stage thermokinematic evolution from midcrustal channel flow (Stage 1, >700°C to 550–650°C), to rigid wedge extrusion (Stage 2, 400–600°C) and duplexing (Stage 3, <280–400°C). These tectonic processes are not mutually exclusive, but are confined to separate rheologically distinct Orogenic Domains that form the modular components of a Composite Orogenic System. These Orogenic Domains may be active at the same time at different depths/positions within the orogen. The thermokinematic evolution of the Annapurna‐Dhaulagiri Himalaya describes the migration of the GHS through these Orogenic Domains and reflects the spatial and temporal variability in rheological boundary conditions that govern orogenic systems.


Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common major birth defect in children, affecting nearly 3% of children and is the leading cause of infant mortality [1]. Heterotaxy (Htx) is a disorder of left-right (LR) patterning, in which organs, including the heart, are mispatterned relative to the LR axis. Htx is associated with severe forms of CHD, but its genetic causes remain largely undefined [2]. Exome sequencing studies of large patient cohorts have recently revealed hundreds of CHD/Htx candidate disease genes, which now need to be validated in experimental systems for causality in order to better understand the causes and biological mechanisms of CHD/Htx. Recently, the membrane-bound transcription factor MYRF has emerged as a candidate CHD/Htx gene in 14 patients with 13 unique variants. This is intriguing, as MYRF has an established role in the generation and maintenance of myelin in the central nervous system, but no known functional role in LR patterning or cardiac development. Here, we show that myrf is essential for LR patterning and gastrulation in Xenopus. Our data suggests both the LR patterning and delayed gastrulation phenotype are due to an upregulation of Nodal signaling indicating that myrf normally suppresses nodal. Searching for candidate genes downstream of MYRF, we identified the proprotein convertase FURIN as a potential target. Our results demonstrate that myrf suppresses furin transcription, which affects Nodal signaling via furin's role in nodal ligand processing. Together, we provide a plausible mechanism for LR patterning defects and congenital heart disease in patients with MYRF variants. In doing so, we hope to better elucidate the molecular mechanisms of cardiac development and LR patterning and understand how these variants lead to disease in order to eventually provide genetic counseling, prognosis and therapeutics for patients with this rare disease.


The interaction between zirconia and polyethyleneimine (PEI) has been characterized using Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). For FTIR, polyvinylimidazole with an aromatic amine group and tetraethylenepentamine were added for an in-depth study:  two new broad bands due to nitrogen coordinated with zirconium are seen in the 1580−1560 cm-1 region and 1450−1350 cm-1 region, respectively. XPS shows that both ZrOH and N+ were involved in a minor part only, in good accordance with FTIR. After a cross-linking step of the adsorbed PEI on zirconia, a ratio of about one molecule of cross-linker to five PEI units was obtained by both methods. From XPS Zr 3d signal attenuation, the PEI thickness on plates is about 1.2 and 3.5 nm before and after the cross-linking step, respectively; the cross-linked PEI thickness on zirconia membrane is larger because of the procedure of coating or porous and tubular character of membranes.


The compounds p-RC6H4CH(OAc)CH3, where R = adamanlan-1-yl, neopentyl, endo-norbornan-2-yl, and exo-norbornan-2-yl, have been prepared and pyrolysed over a temperature range of at least 50° for each compound, between 617 and 678 K. The data give the corresponding p-R σ+ values as –0.425, –0.35, –0.39, and –0.42, which show that these bulky substituents are all substantially more activating than in solution reactions in highly solvating media, where their effect is masked by steric hindrance to solvation. Each substituent is more activating than in detritiation of [p-3H]PhR in trifluoroacetic acid (which is relatively poorly solvating), but the differential effect is smaller than the difference in effects between detritiation and solvolyses of 1-aryl-1-methylpropyl chlorides in aqueous acetone (which is highly solvating). This result exactly parallels that noted previously for other bulky groups, viz. t-butyl, cyclohexyl, trimethylsilyl, and phenyl. The data confirm that p-exo-norbornan-2-yl is unambiguously more electron releasing than p-endo-norbornan-2-yl and this is interpreted as a conformational effect. These alkyl groups release electrons mainly via C–C hyperconjugation, but in the endo-compound the aryl p-orbitals are prevented from becoming coplanar with the 2,3-bond because of steric interaction between the aryl Ortho-hydrogen and the endo-6-hydrogen in the substituent: this interaction is the same as that which facilitates protiodealkylation of endo-norbornan-2-ylbenzene.


Corporate governance in the reorganization context is much more complex than in ordinary business process.The complicacy not only results from the more parties in interest,but also from the separation of the risk taker and the proceeds gainer.Rational distribution of control right in the reorganization proceedings is crucial for safeguarding the interests of parties and facilitating the success of the reorganization.In new Enterprise Insolvency Law of China,some aspects of distribution of control right in reorganization procedure are not enough clear and perfect.


Using Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions During Substorms observations, we show that the efficiency of the energy entry through the magnetopause as measured by the Poynting vector normal component depends on the combination of the solar wind speed and the southward component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF): Most efficient energy transfer occurs when the IMF BZ is only moderately negative, and the solar wind speed is high. This means that for the same level of solar wind driver parameters (electric field, epsilon, or other), different combinations of V and BZ will produce different driving at the magnetopause. The effect is strongest for low to moderate driving conditions, while the influence is smaller for the intense space weather events.


Plant-wide optimization for a complex process consisting of multiple unit processes is an effective method to achieve production with high efficiency and low consumption. However, due to the complexities of the plant-wide optimization problem such as high dimensionality, numerous constraints, and other factors, plant-wide optimization for a complex process is always a challenging problem in research. Therefore, this paper presents a plant-wide hierarchical optimization method based on a minimum consumption model which can solve the feasibility and optimality of the obtained technical indices. The plant-wide optimization problem is converted into a two-level optimization problem, including the procedure-level optimization and the process-level optimization. The presented method can simplify the original plant-wide problem and effectively reduce the computational complexity. Moreover, the hierarchical decision-making is achieved simultaneously and the efficiency of solving the optimization problem and the global convergence is improved. Finally, the presented plant-wide hierarchical optimization method is applied to the hydrometallurgy process of a gold smelter. The results verify the effectiveness of this method.


Simultaneous measurements of the backs catter cross section per unit volume and the sky temperature were made for limited volumes of rain showers using an L-band radar and an X-band radiometer. The object of the measurements was to provide data to validate the method used to compute attenuation and sky temperature given weather radar data as an input and to investigate the spatial changes in rainfall intensity and in the attenuation cross section per unit volume. The sky temperature was calculated using the radiative transfer equation and the distribution of attenuation cross section per unit volume estimated from the weather radar data, An empirical relationship between attenuation and backscatter cross sections was used based upon the results of a large number of Mie theory computations using measured raindrop size distributions.' The results of the comparisons between calculated and measured sky temperature show good agreement. The discrepancies between the measured and calculated values are due to the difference in the antenna beamwidths for the two systems (O. 6 " for the L-band radar, O. 07 " for the x-band radiometer). From these discrepancies the spatial distances over which the attenuation cross section can change significantly can be estimated. The results show that for the rain showers investigated, the attenuation cross section per unit. .. 111 volume can change an order of magnitude in 400 meters and the integrated attenuation along a horizontal line-of-sight can change an order of magnitude for a 1.5 km horizontal translation of the path.


FM is a condition causing chronic widespread pain, which is defined according to criteria published by the ACR. Although much of the epidemiological research on FM has been done in Western populations, giving a prevalence of 2–6%, a large study in Bangladesh showed a similar prevalence there. In the UK, chronic pain appears to be a common problem in some ethnic minority communities, including Bengalis. It is not clear whether the cause of pain is different in these communities, whether patients present in a different way and what role is played by social and cultural factors. Some studies have looked at acculturation (the adoption by incomers of the cultural characteristics of the host community) as a factor that may influence chronic pain in minority ethnic communities, although this factor can be difficult to measure.