We investigate a family of quasiperiodic continuous elastic beams, the topological properties of their vibrational spectra, and their relation to the existence of localized modes. We specifically consider beams featuring arrays of ground springs at locations determined by projecting from a circle onto an underlying periodic system. A family of periodic and quasiperiodic structures is obtained by smoothly varying a parameter defining such projection. Numerical simulations show the existence of vibration modes that first localize at a boundary, and then migrate into the bulk as the projection parameter is varied. Explicit expressions predicting the change in the density of states of the bulk define topological invariants that quantify the number of modes spanning a gap of a finite structure. We further demonstrate how modulating the phase of the ground springs distribution causes the topological states to undergo an edge-to-edge transition. The considered configurations and topological studies provide a framework for inducing localized modes in continuous elastic structural components through globally spanning, deterministic perturbations of periodic patterns defined by the considered projection operations.


Photoexcited states of fluorenone bisazo and triphenylamine trisazo pigments, both generating photocarriers extrinsically with the hole-transport-type arylamine molecules through the photoinduced electron transfer with high efficiency, were investigated by means of electromodulated absorption spectra. As a result, it was found that the former pigment forms a Frenkel exciton and the latter pigment a charge-transfer (CT) exciton. The different types of excitons well explained the photosensitivity of photoreceptors based on these two azo pigments.


The precision with which directional overcurrent relays (DOCRs) are set up establishes the microgrid customers' access to reliable and uninterrupted electricity. In order to avoid failure in DOCRs operation, it is critical to consider a single contingency (N-1 event) on the protection optimization setting problem (POSP). However, power systems may face cascading outages or simultaneous contingencies (N-K events), which greatly expand the problem's complexity and scale. The effect of cascading events on this problem is an open research gap. Initially, this paper proposes a novel approach to reducing the scale of simultaneous events called the N-K events scale reduction technique (N-K-ESRT). Moreover, an innovative method named fuzzy zero-violation clustering is utilized to group these contingencies. Ultimately, the DOCRs' decision parameters are generated by three optimization algorithms, namely interior point (IPA), simulated annealing, and pattern search. In all case studies (including a real industrial network called TESKO2 feeder, the IEEE Std. 399-1997, and the IEEE 14 bus systems), the capabilities of the proposed method are effectively validated based on the DOCR's tripping time and the algorithm's execution time.


This paper aims to discern the characteristics of problematic P2P lending platforms. We collected the information of 650 platforms from P2P websites manually and defined 16 variables in five dimensions. Then we used binary regression model to figure out which variables significantly influence the probability of a platform being problematic. Results show that existing time, bank custody, the number of executives with financial working experience, guarantee, annual rate, ICP certificate, backer and the type of products that the platforms offer are significant variables. Particularly, this paper discovers that the platforms offering house mortgage or car loan are less likely to have problems while those offering SEM loan are relatively riskier.


Single-cell proteins (SCPs) are dried cells of bacteria, algae, yeast, and fungi, which are rich in proteins and could be derived from waste organic matters (substrates) using microorganisms and also used as dietary supplements. The increasing number of population of the world is suffering from shortage of protein so that exposed to related deficiency diseases. The main points in the production of SCP are preference of cost-efficient substrates and non-toxic or non-pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, this paper critically reviews on the available literature on SCP productions from different substrates.


Background Axillary lymph nodes (ALN) are the most commonly involved site of disease in breast cancer that has spread outside the primary lesion. Although sentinel node biopsy is a reliable way to manage ALN, there are still no good methods of predicting ALN status before surgery. Since morbidity in breast cancer surgery is predominantly related to ALN dissection, predictive models for lymph node involvement may provide a way to alert the surgeon in subgroups of patients. Material/Methods A total of 1325 invasive breast cancer patients were analyzed using tumor biological parameters that included age, tumor size, grade, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, lymphovascular invasion, and HER2, to test their ability to predict ALN involvement. A support vector machine (SVM) was used as a classification model. The SVM is a machine-learning system developed using statistical learning theories to classify data points into 2 classes. Notably, SVM models have been applied in bioinformatics. Results The SVM model correctly predicted ALN metastases in 74.7% of patients using tumor biological parameters. The predictive ability of luminal A, luminal B, triple negative, and HER2 subtypes using subgroup analysis showed no difference, and this predictive performance was inferior, with only 60% accuracy. Conclusions With an SVM model based on clinical pathologic parameters obtained in the primary tumor, it is possible to predict ALN status in order to alert the surgeon about breast cancer counseling and in decision-making for ALN management.


WISE J085510.83–071442.5 (hereafter WISE 0855–0714) is the coldest known brown dwarf (∼250 K) and the fourth-closest known system to the Sun (2.2 pc). It has been previously detected only in the J band and two mid-IR bands. To better measure its spectral energy distribution (SED), we have performed deep imaging of WISE 0855–0714 in six optical and near-IR bands with Gemini Observatory, the Very Large Telescope, and the Hubble Space Telescope. Five of the bands show detections, although one detection is marginal (S/N ∼ 3). We also have obtained two epochs of images with the Spitzer Space Telescope for use in refining the parallax of the brown dwarf. By combining astrometry from this work and previous studies, we have derived a parallax of 0.449 ± 0.008″ (2.23 ± 0.04 pc). We have compared our photometry for WISE 0855–0714 to data for known Y dwarfs and to the predictions of three suites of models by Saumon et al. and Morley et al. that are defined by the presence or absence of clouds and nonequilibrium chemistry. Our estimates of Y − J and J − H for WISE 0855–0714 are redder than colors of other Y dwarfs, confirming a predicted reversal of near-IR colors to redder values at temperatures below 300–400 K. In color–magnitude diagrams, no single suite of models provides a clearly superior match to the sequence formed by WISE 0855–0714 and other Y dwarfs. Instead, the best-fitting model changes from one diagram to the next. Similarly, all of the models have substantial differences from the SED of WISE 0855–0714. As a result, we are currently unable to constrain the presence of clouds or nonequilibrium chemistry in its atmosphere.


The paper analyzes the relationship between the level of economic development and the characteristics of the quality of life, taking into account regional characteristics of the formation of the social sphere of regions.


Background:
 Chronic infections and hemodynamic dysfunction are risk factors for stroke. We hypothesized that blood biomarkers of infection (procalcitonin, or PCT) and hemodynamic stress (midregional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide, or MRproANP) would be associated with subclinical cerebrovascular damage (SCVD), including silent brain infarcts (SBI) and white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV).

 Methods:
 The Northern Manhattan Study was designed to assess risk factors for incident vascular disease in a multiethnic cohort. A subsample underwent brain MRI and had blood samples available for biomarker measurement (n=1178). We used logistic regression models to estimate the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (OR, 95%CI) for the association of these biomarkers with SBI, and linear regression for associations with logWMHV, after adjusting for demographic, behavioral, and medical risk factors.

 Results:
 Mean age was 70 ±9 years; 60% were women, 66% hispanic, 17% black, 15% white and 2% belonged to other ethnicities. After fully adjusting for risk factors, subjects with PCT or MRproANP in the top quartile, compared to the lowest quartile, were associated with greater odds of having SBI (adjusted OR for PCT 2.2, 95%CI 1.3-3.7; for MRproANP 3.3, 95%CI 1.7-6.3) and increased WMHV (adjusted mean change in logWMHV for PCT 0.29, 95%CI 0.13-0.44; for MRproANP 0.18,95%CI 0.003-0.36).

 Conclusion:
 Higher concentrations of PCT, a marker of infection, and MRproANP, a marker of hemodynamic stress, are independently associated with SCVD. Future biomarker- guided primary prevention studies may lead to new approaches to prevent cerebrovascular damage.


A hydro-viscous winch comprises a disc brake and a hydro-viscous brake. The hydraulic system is of utmost importance to the performance of the winch. To verify the validity of the hydraulic system, by using AMESim software, the simulation model of the hydraulic system was built and the performance analyzed. The results show that 1) the pressure and the flow rate of the disc brake hydraulic system are mainly affected by the energy accumulator; 2) Hydro-viscous brake hydraulic system pressure and lubricating oil flow rate are influenced by orifice diameter of the throttle valve; 3) during the braking period, the amplitude of the deceleration is rather small and the hydro-viscous winch hydraulic system can meet the requirements well. Research achievements of this work provides theoretical basis for optimal design of the hydro-viscous winch hydraulic system.


Objective External events affect individuals through their cognitive process, a model on how and when negative life events are associated with depressive symptoms was tested by considering individuals' internal and external factors based on the conservation of resource theory (COR). Methods We conducted a survey to test our hypotheses. Participants were college students who were selected with the cluster sampling method and were asked to complete the scales measuring negative life events, perceived social support, psychological capital (PsyCap), rumination, and depressive symptoms in the classroom with a unit of class. A total of 764 questionnaires were distributed and returned, and 703 valid data were obtained finally. Results The present study found that (1) the relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms was moderated by perceived social support negatively, such that the relationship was stronger with low perceived social support; (2) the relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms was mediated by rumination; (3) the relationship between rumination and depressive symptoms was moderated by PsyCap negatively, such that the relationship was stronger with low PsyCap; (4) the indirect relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms through rumination was moderated by PsyCap negatively, such that the indirect relationship got stronger with low PsyCap. Conclusion Rumination is an essential process for negative life events to affect depressive symptoms, PsyCap and perceived social support help alleviate the detrimental effect of negative life events from internal and external perspectives, respectively. Our research conclusion has a theoretical and practical implementation for reducing depressive symptoms in college students.


In a report of experience the project and introduction of a shop floor control system to EDP-support the production of pharmaceutical products in a medium size company is presented. Specific requirements of GMP and of a substantial amount of contract manufacturing had to be taken into account. A stepwise procedure of implementation was favourable with respect to necessary organizational changes and the modular structure of the software.


The benefits of biodegradable and compostable (B&C) products are attained when the organic waste (OW) is composted. B&C products may improve the management of OW, so that greater and cleaner OW flows can be collected and composted. In this paper we show the case of the catering sector as an example of this. Disposable tableware is usually distributed at fast food restaurants and town festivals. The high rate of meal serving makes separate collection a very difficult task. The resulting mixed heterogeneous waste (food residues and plastic cutlery) cannot be easily recycled and is therefore landfilled or incinerated. Alternatively, with B&C cutlery the resulting waste is homogeneous (food and B&C plastic waste) and thus can be recovered by bio-recycling. This study shows that: (i) composting of OW is preferable (ii) the impact is substantially decreased when catering is carried out with B&C cutlery and total waste composted; (iii) the environmental advantage of B&C products is partly due to their nature; (iv) the main advantage is due to the creation of a homogeneous, biodegradable and recyclable OW. The use of B&C products turns a non-recyclable waste into a recyclable one. This study also indicates that comparative LCA studies should first identify the real environmental problem (in this case, the waste production) and then verify how different products and processes affect the problem. Introduction As a consequence of the development of new markets energy consumption and waste production are increasing at a fast rate. Emerging countries are needing more and more fossil resources whilst the developed countries are late and hesitant in introducing energy saving programmes and controlling the release of greenhouse gases. The amount of goods produced and packed is also growing, making waste disposal an emergency for several nations. These problems represent a powerful driving force which has stimulated much interest in a potential solution, bio-based and biodegradable polymers. At an industrial level, several biopolymers have been developed and biodegradable products are already present in the market (e.g. compostable bags for the at source collection of organic waste, packaging, mulch films for agriculture, compostable cutlery and tableware etc.) [1]. Since the biodegradable "green" products displace consumer products made with traditional polymers, the question soon arises whether the claimed environmental superiority of the biopolymer and bio-products is actually founded on fact. Biodegradability and compostability can be verified thanks to a testing strategy which is well defined by the harmonised European standard EN 13432 [2]. The content of renewable carbon can be quantified by using the radiometric test described in the ASTM D6866-05 standard. The overall environmental impact of products and services can be determined by applying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA which is based on the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 series of standards is currently advocated as an important means for performing comparison between products and services. Since 1989, Novamont has been active in the bioplastics sector and is known for the production of Mater-Bi®, a family of materials containing renewable constituents [3]. The materials are available in granular form, in different grades and for a variety of manufacturing processes and products, such as films, injection moulded articles, foams. Mater-Bi is applied in different economy sectors: industry, agriculture, service and waste management. Since its establishment, Novamont has adopted precise strategies to identify products and instruments that guarantee concrete solutions aimed at linking the environment, agriculture and industry. In particular, LCA has been considered as an important tool to verify the real sustainability of bio-products [4]. It was also soon realised that the application of this methodology can be misleading if applied to merely compare the environmental impact of alternative products. A LCA approach focused on an "isolated" product does not take into account two things: (1) the framework: the possible role the products can play in a complex system and the overall impact of different systems biodegradable product can be just "eco-advertising" or part of a chain whose benefit and consequences are much larger than the single product. (2) Evolution: the today scenario is not necessarily (and hopefully) the tomorrow scenario. A product which is landfilled today (for lack of suitable infrastructures) could, due to forward looking decision makers, face a completely different waste management scenario. Therefore, the risk is to put under the microscope the single product, forgetting the interactions with the system and how the product would fit in an improved future scenario. As a consequence LCA studies, if merely applied to the products, can provide public opinion and the institutions with information which is scientifically correct but, nevertheless, potentially misleading. LCA of serving meals with disposable cutlery: is biodegradability and compostability an advantage? We have carried out a preliminary study on disposable cutlery as used in fast food restaurants, canteens and town festivals. We present this study as an example to clarify how, in our opinion, the LCA tool should be used when applied to biodegradable products. Details of this study will be published elsewhere. We were interested in verifying whether it is preferable to use B&C cutlery in place of traditional plastic cutlery. The LCA study was not just a comparison of different products. The environmental problem of today's fast food restaurants is basically one of waste management. The choice towards one option or another should be dictated by the real overall advantages which are generated in global terms. The best solution is the one which engenders fewer problems to the environment. The search for the "ecological fork" or the "ecological knife" is a senseless challenge because such products do not exist. On the other hand, efforts must be made in order to identify the best waste management system, which will differ according to the type of waste, the way it is generated and the general conditions. Waste management of fast food restaurants, town festivals etc. is today based on the collection of the mixed waste which is then disposed of according to the regional facilities. Since disposable tableware is distributed to the restaurant guests, a heterogeneous waste is generated. Together with food biodegradable waste (kitchen and guests leftovers, expired food, etc.) non biodegradable waste is produced: plastic cutlery, dishes, plastic or laminated paper cups, foam polystyrene containers, plastic bottles. In most case, the heterogeneous mixed waste is dumped in sanitary landfills. A very interesting alternative is to only use tableware that is compostable, similar to the food scraps. The mixed waste (food waste and cutlery waste) can then be collected as a whole homogeneous fraction and recycled by means of organic recovery, i.e. composting or anaerobic digestion followed by composting. Compost is a valuable soil improver. Scope of the study The main scope was to evaluate the consequences of two different systems of catering in fast food restaurants, town festivals etc. followed by two different waste treatment systems: serving 1000 meals using compostable disposable cutlery (Mater-Bi Y, a material containing a cellulose-based constituents and starch), collecting the total waste in a single homogeneous stream (compostable plastic cutlery and food waste) and compost it (see FIGURE 1) serving 1000 meals using traditional plastic cutlery, collecting the total waste in a single heterogeneous stream (not compostable plastic cutlery and food waste) and disposing it of by means of incineration with energy recovery and landfilling (see FIGURE 2). The functional unit of this study is represented by the serving of 1000 meals, which generate an organic waste of 150 kg (on average 0,150 kg/meal) with the use of 1000 sets of disposable cutlery (TABLE 1). The study has been carried out following the Life Cycle methodology in accordance with the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 series of standards. A critical review by an external expert (LCEngineering, Torino, Italy) has been performed according to the ISO 14044 requirements. Results TABLE 2 shows the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) data referring to the treatment of 150 kg organic waste. This is the amount of waste which is generated by catering 1000 meals. Composting is compared with two different waste management scenarios: landfill after stabilisation and incineration in an 84:16 ratio (corresponding to the current situation in Italy). The LCIA results of serving 1000 meals using disposable cutlery made with different materials and coupled with different systems of waste treatment are compared in TABLE 3. In FIGURES 3A and 3B, the values of non renewable energy and greenhouse gases are shown respectively. The impact of cutlery, the impact of food waste and the total impact are shown. In this case, the end of life fate for the B&C cutlery is composting, while the traditional plastics are disposed of following the typical Italian scenario. It has been also carried out a sensitivity analysis regarding a hypothetical waste management scenario: landfill after stabilisation and incineration in a 50:50 ratio (similar to Northern European countries; FIGURE 4). Conclusions The study shows that from an environmental viewpoint the preferred way of treatment of organic waste is composting. This is not surprising considering that organic waste is rather wet (it is also known as the "humid fraction" of the municipal solid waste). In the case of incineration with energy recovery, the high water content reduces the net calorific value and makes incineration of this fraction energetically unfavourable. The landfilling of organic waste is conducive of biogas formation, i.e. meth


In the paper it is shown how candidates for mobile robot operators might be trained and ranked with the help of the specific game running on a computer in virtual reality. It is also shown how playing the game improves their skills and discloses their personal features.


This paper discussed the procedure and techniques on Jiaobai (Zizania caduciflora L.)harvest, package, coldstorage, storage management and regular checking, etc. In addition, some technical parameters on maintaining Jiaobai quality during the long and cold storage were also standardized.


In order to understand more about the relationship between vascular plants and crusts after the biological sand fixation project, the vascular plants, composition, coverage and composition changes of crusts in artificial sand fixation vegetation area in Shapotou are studied by quadrat survey method. It is found that the height and coverage of shrubs will decrease with the increase of years after the sand fixation project until reaching a balanced state. The number and height of herbaceous plants will increase in the same period of time, and the thickness of crusts will also increase continuously. According to the water storage property of crusts, when the number of years increases, the thicker the crusts are, the more shrubs will be provided with growth conditions. In addition, shrub roots directly affect biological sand fixation ability, so this paper studies the ecological relationship between vascular plants and crusts after the desert sand fixation project, providing reference for more effective sand fixation work.


Psoriasis is a skin disease having unknown etiology and of chronic nature. It is relapsing and so it is a problem for medical science also. Every year more than 9 million cases of psoriasis are reported in the world. The paper deals with the role of Amrutbhallatak Avaleha & Karanjadi Lepa in the management of Ekakushtha (Psoriasis) on more than 60 cases. The ingredients of the Avaleha are Bhallatak, Guduchi & some other herbal drugs. They are Kaphavataghna and Rasayana. All the ingredients of Karanjadi Lepa are Kandughna & Kushthaghna. The duration of treatment was 90 days and all the patients were kept under strict dietary control during the treatment. The observation of effect therapy was encouraging. The Amrutbhallatak Avaleha orally was used with Karanjadi Lepa externally have got a positive effect in comparison of placebo group, which had less recurrence. The effect of therapy is presented in detail in full paper with elaborate discussion & conclusion.


Short locking and unlocking time is essepecially important in the packet clock recovery, as it determines the network resource utilization. This paper presents a novel 10-GHz all-optical packet clock extractor with ultrafast locking and unlocking time via self-phase modulation (SPM) effect of the semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). Low finesse Fabry-Perot (F-P) filter and a saturated SOA, in cascade, are used to directly extract the packet clock from the data stream. An optical bandpass filter(OBPF) is used to filter out the red-shifted parts of the packet clock in order to reduce the locking and unlocking time. We analytically investigate the impact of the locking and unlocking time thanks to the self-gain modulation (SGM) effect and self-phase modulation(SPM) effect induced by the SOA, and demonstrate 10GHz clock extraction with the establishing time of 200ps and vanishing time of 600ps experimentally.


Let R be a one-dimensional integral domain with only finitely many maximal ideals and let x be an indeterminate over R. We study the prime spectrum of the polynomial ring R[x] as a partially ordered set. In the case where R is countable we classify Spec(R[x]) in terms of splitting properties of the maximal ideals m of R and the valuative dimension of Rm . Let R be as in the abstract. Since Spec(R) is finite, Spec(R[x]) is Noetherian; Ohm and Pendleton show that every finitely generated algebra over a ring with Noetherian spectrum again has Noetherian spectrum [OP, Corollary 2.6, page 634]. Thus in our setting, the partial order on Spec(R[x]) uniquely determines Spec(R[x]) as a topological space with the Zariski topology. In the case where R is a countable one-dimensional local Noetherian domain, we show in [HW, Theorem 2.7] that there are precisely two possibilities for Spec(R[x]), one of which occurs when R is Henselian and the other when R is not Henselian. We also show that if R is a countable one-dimensional semilocal Noetherian domain having more than one maximal ideal, then the spectrum of R[x] is uniquely determined up to isomorphism by the number of maximal ideals of R. (In this latter case, R cannot be Henselian.) An important concept related to our work here and in [HW] is the n-split property introduced by McAdam in [Mc] for a prime ideal P of an integral domain D: If Da is the integral closure of D in an algebraic closure of the quotient field of D, then P is said to be n-split if there are exactly n primes in Da which lie over P. (Possibly n = oo.) We show in [HW, Theorem 1.1] that every prime ideal of a Noetherian domain D is either 1-split or oo-split and if P is a nonzero prime ideal of D that is 1-split, then D is local with maximal ideal P. It is noted in [HW, Example 1.6] that for every positive integer n, there exists a one-dimensional non-Noetherian local integral domain with n-split maximal ideal. Using the more varied behavior of the splitting of prime ideals in a non-Noetherian domain, we show in this article that the possible spectra of the polynomial ring R[x] over a one-dimensional non-Noetherian local domain R are considerably more varied than in the Noetherian case. Theorem 3.1 demonstrates that the n-split property in R yields a distinguishing characteristic of Spec(R[x]). Received by the editors July 12, 1993; originally communicated to the Proceedings of the AMS by Wolmer V. Vasconcelos. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 13E05, 13F20, 13G05, 13H99, 13J15. ? 1995 American Mathematical Society 0002-9947/95 $1.00 + $.25 per page


Oxygen deficient double perovskites RBaCo2O5.5 (R=Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd and Y) has been studied by XRD, magnetization and resistivity measurements. It has been found that the as rare earth size decreases, the distortions in structure give rise to fascinating magnetic and transport properties of such perovskites.


Aspects on furniture fires are discussed. Results on the heat release rates on burning reported in the literature are reviewed. These included the recent big project on studying Combustion Behaviour of Upholstered Furniture (CBUF) in Europe. These data are useful for working out a design fire in buildings of different uses. Important phenomena such as the possibility to flashover can be assessed.


Traditionally, residual static corrections are based on timeshifts estimated for individual CMP sorted traces, which are later resolved into surface-consistent statics. This is a stable and attractive procedure because the data flow is simple and the memory storage required is limited. An alternative station-oriented method maximizing the stack-power estimates surface-consistent static corrections directly. The statics evaluation in this method involves several CMP gathers, which should improve the prediction of statics on noise-contaminated data. In this paper the performance of the above methods will be compared using synthetic as well as real seismic data. Neither method is capable of estimating large statics compared to the dominating period, because local optimization might fail. Global Monte Carlo search by, for instance, simulated annealing has been used to overcome the cycle-skipping problems when proper field statics are missing. Although this procedure is computationally very heavy, it may be the only way to deal with large residual statics. In order to enlarge the operational field for local optimization, it is suggested that the stack-power in the frequency domain is maximized. This makes it easy to change the frequency band during the optimization. Making use of the frequency domain will also normally be faster than the traditional time-domain optimization even for a limited number of iterations. Moreover, the main memory storage required can be significantly reduced, since it is only necessary to keep the frequency band in the memory, where the signal-to-noise ratio is good.


Figure 2. The shim frame used to implement passive shim configurations. Shim elements are positioned using hollow plastic rods mounted onto the frame. 7469 Realization of a synergistic passive and active shimming system to optimize B0 field homogeneity in micro MR imaging Rahul Dewal, Zhipeng Cao, Sebastian Rupprecht, and Qing X. Yang Bioengineering, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States, Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, Radiology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States


For vegetable planting industry, root nematode is a kind of stubborn disease and insect pest. In order to improve the effect of kill root nematodes, the researchers use arduino as the core controller, use the touch switch and a temperature sensor through the sensor feedback signal, then change the pulse duty ratio control by thyristor temperature, and achieve the optimum insecticidal effect. Finally, the researchers conclude that with good temperature control, the microwave power is adjustable, the man-machine dialogue effect is good, the operation simple easy to master, and the automation level is high.


10059Background:Patients spend more time with nurses when in the hospital than with any other health care professional. Patient experience scores have been used as a measure of quality patient outc...


PRINT BACK TO T.O.C. NEXT PAGE Important Disclaimer: Colors presented in this file are provided for general color information only. Due to many different monitor settings on individual computers and different light sources these finishes may appear from actual color. Actual samples are available from the FPDC/FPS library located on the 8Th floor of FHB or may be ordered directly from manufacturers. OF 49


LiDAR detection of long-range vehicles is challenging because very few and sparse points are measured in long distances and vehicles with similar shapes of targets could lead to false positives easily. To tackle these challenges, taking the environment information (HD maps) into account could be beneficial to predetermine where targets are more or less likely to appear. Compared with semantic maps, HD maps formed by point clouds provide much richer information from surrounding static objects and scenes. In this work, we construct a GNN-based feature extraction of point cloud maps to increase the receptive fields of learning map features. Our work is based on PVRCNN, the state-of-the-art LiDAR object detection method. With point-wise and voxel-wise features obtained from PVRCNN, residual feature fusion is proposed to fuse the features from PVRCNN and the map features from GNN. Our approach is evaluated on NuScenes dataset. It achieves a 24.78% average precision improvement for long-range objects at 40–50 meters, the farthest areas with ground truth annotation. Our approach also has a 4.22% reduction of false positives in the entire sensing areas.


We have studied the magnetic‐field evolution of the fine structure splitting of the exciton bound to nitrogen (N) pairs in GaAs in the Faraday configuration. With applying the magnetic field, the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum splits into several signals and changes their intensities. The observed magneto‐PL spectra indicate the mixing between the split exciton states having the orthogonal linear polarization components in the zero‐magnetic field, which demonstrates the characteristic Zeeman effects of the anisotropic exciton structure bound to the N pairs.


Using distilled water treatment as the control,the effects of preservative with different acidities(pH 2,pH 3.5,pH 5.5) on the physiological characteristics of isolated petal of ornamental "Honghuabitao" peach were studied through water culture tests.The results showed that the relative water content and soluble protein content in the petal were gradually decreased,while malondialdehyde,anthocyanin,flavonoids and polyphenol contents generally showed an increasing trend as the water culture time prolonged.Although anthocyanin,flavonoids and polyphenol contents in pH 2 treatment were higher than those in the other treatments,its malondialdehyde content was also at higher level,which was seriously harmful to cell membrane.In addition,the petal in pH 5.5 treatment had lower anthocyanin content than that in pH 2 treatment,but it had better flower color,higher relative water content and longer viewing time.Thus,pH 5.5 was the appropriate acidity for preservative.


Digit-recurrence algorithms are widely used in actual microprocessors to compute floating-point division and square root. These iterative algorithms present a good trade-off in terms of performance, area and power. We present a floating-point division and square root unit, which implements a radix-64 floating-point division and a radix-16 floating-point square root. To have an affordable implementation, each radix-64 division iteration and radix-16 square root iteration are made of simpler radix-4 iterations: 3 radix-4 iterations in division and 2 in square root. Speculation is used between consecutive radix-4 iterations to get a reduced timing. There are three different parts in digit-recurrence implementations: initialization, digit iterations, and rounding. The digit iteration is the iterative part and it uses the same logic for several cycles. Division and square root share partially the initialization and rounding stages, whereas each one has different logic for the digit iterations. The result is a low-latency floating-point divider and square root, requiring 11, 6, and 4 cycles for double, single and half-precision division with normalized operands and result, and 15, 8 and 5 cycles for square root. One or two additional cycles are needed in case of subnormal operand(s) or result.


Objective To investigate the differences of metabolites of aconitine in rabbit urine under different routes of administration in order to demonstrate the effects of different metabolites. Methods With the method of LC/ESI-MSn,15 rabbits were divided into 3 group:1.0 mg·kg-1 AC lavage administration group,0.02 mg·kg-1intravenous injection group and physiological saline lavage group (control group),the quasi-molecule particles and each stage fragment ions were detected to identify the metabolites administration in the urine.Results Compared with control group,one major metabolite (M1) except aconitine (AC) was found in intravenous injection group,and two major metabolites (M1,M2)in lavage administration group.M1 was deduced as 16-O-demethylaconine (M1),M2 exhibited the deoxidation and nor-methyl production of aconitine,and M2 may be the metabolic products of AC which lost methylene and hydroxyl.Conclusion Two kinds of metabolites of aconitine are obtained under different routes of administration.Compared with AC,they have correlation with pharmacological and toxicological effects of AC.


This article examines the behavior of the Guantánamo detainees in terms of collaboration and disobedience and how it influences their chances of getting a release recommendation. JTF-GTMO-authored memoranda on 765 detainees are used to create a network of accusations between detainees and an attribute dataset, which are analyzed using multivariate regression and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests. It is found that while the distribution of incriminating statements obeys a power law, 62.6% of all detainees do not incriminate anyone. Yemenis and Saudi Arabians heavily over-contribute regarding incriminating statements and disobedient actions, whereas Afghans and Pakistanis under-contribute. Disobedient behaviour does not affect the likelihood of getting a release recommendation, except for hunger striking, which has a negative effect. By releasing information, detainees don't improve their own chances of getting release recommendations but impair those of the detainees they implicate. Three different groups of detainees are identified whose behavioral patterns seem to follow distinct logics. More than a decade after its installment in 2002 and six years after Obama's promise to close it down, the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp is still operating and continues to attract widespread public attention around the globe. In contrast to this high level of interest, there is little knowledge about what is occurring in what has become one of the world's most notorious prison camps. The non-scientific work on Guantánamo consists mostly of ideographic eyewitness accounts of ex-detainees (Begg 2006; Willemsen 2006; Hicks 2010), military person2 nel (Saar & Novak 2005; Cucullu 2009) and attorneys (Margulies 2006; Smith 2007a, b; Khan 2008; Denbeaux & Hafetz 2009), as well as journalistic reports (Rose 2004; Worthington 2007; Shephard 2008). While the importance of these narrations must not be downplayed, they fail to give a systematic, nomothetic analysis of what is occurring at Guantánamo. The academic work on the other hand focuses almost exclusively on the legal status of Guantánamo (Steyn 2004; Amann 2004; Chesney 2006), sometimes combined with medical (Bloche & Marks 2005; Miles 2007) or geographic-philosophical (Gregory 2006) aspects, but with little quantitative social scientific work being produced to date. So far, the only statistics-based analyses were presented by Denbeaux et al. (2006a, b, c, 2012). Their 2006 work contributed to the understanding of the composition of the population of detainees, but failed to go further by describing any mechanisms at work. The first and hitherto only published piece of work going in that direction is their 2012 working paper, which investigates factors that influence the release of detainees, but, as we will see, suffers from serious technical flaws. The persisting lack of social scientific work on Guantánamo is even more noticeable given the long history of sociological research on prisons and the social interaction of detainees (Clemmer 1940; Cressey & Krassowski 1957; Goffman 1961; Garabedian 1963; Kaminski 2004) and a deep interest in prisoner treatment in political science (Wallace 2012). Hence, there is an urgent need to conduct social scientific work capable of describing and explaining the social microcosm of Guantánamo. This paper aims to contribute to filling this gap. One topic that has not been studied systematically enough as yet is the behavior of the Guantánamo detainees and how US authorities react to it. From qualitative accounts such as those cited above we are aware of individual detainees collaborating with interrogators by releasing information or resisting doing so, participating in hunger strikes or throwing liquids at guards. We know about small rewards single detainees have received for being cooperative and cases of violent suppression of disobedient acts. But we have little knowledge about the overall picture of the detainees' behavior and its consequences. This paper attempts to en3 hance our understanding of the underlying patterns by examining the following two research questions: 1. How do the Guantánamo detainees behave in terms of (a) collaborating with interrogators by incriminating other detainees and (b) conducting disobedient acts during detention? 2. How does this behavior influence their chances of getting a release recommendation? To answer these questions, information contained in memoranda on 765 Guantánamo detainees, the Detainee Assessment Briefs (DABs) compiled by the Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO) and published by WikiLeaks in April 2011, were manually coded. The resulting new dataset consists of 25 attribute variables and a network in which directed ties represent incriminating statements between detainees. The data was analyzed using multivariate linear and logistic regression, Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, and social network analysis (SNA). The article proceeds as follows. First, the conceptual approach is set out. Second, the data and methodology are described in detail. Third, the results are presented by analyzing successively the detainees, their behavior, and the consequences of their behavior. Fourth, potential political and socio-psychological explanations for the behavior and implications for the utility of the detainees' statements are discussed. Finally, the results are summarized.


We have investigated the exciton dynamics in strained InAs/Al0.48In0.52As quantum wells with well thicknesses of 2, 4, and 5 monolayers by time‐resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. Temperature‐dependent measurements of the decay time reveal a significant drop of the decay time above a critical temperature which depends on the well width. The simultaneous measurement of the decay time and the integrated photoluminescence intensity enables us to estimate the radiative time constant. As can be shown from the temperature dependence of the decay time nonradiative processes become more and more important at higher temperatures. The strong increase of the radiative lifetime at higher temperatures is attributed to a thermal ionization of the excitons.


The invention provides a 360-degree panorama monitoring system which comprises a camera module, a video acquisition module, a video processing module and a video display module, wherein the camera module consists of 11 paths of cameras positioned on the surface of a sphere; the 11 paths of cameras are regularly distributed on the upper surface and lower surface of the sphere, and are inter-combined with one another to form a 360-degree panorama monitoring network without dead corners, so that the monitoring system can acquire video information of a panorama, therefore, all-round and high-quality 360-degree panorama monitoring is realized really; and the 360-degree panorama monitoring system is high in application prospect.


The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of non sustainability on company value. Non sustainability is defined as the incapacity for the present business model to perpetuate the same cash flow or the same profit generation. The consequence of non sustainability must be a dramatic drop in company value. This impact of non sustainability is often neglected by the traditional two steps discount cash flows method or by the residual income model. Thus empirical valuation methods presuppose often without any investigation a perfect sustainability of the present business model. Using a double exponential jump diffusion process do describe the evolutions of the company's asset, we are able to describe the consequences of large downward jumps on the asset value on the debt, equity and company value. Numerical simulations show that this impact is non linear and could be quite large especially on companies with large leverage.


We report zero-field muon spin relaxation experiments on ${\mathrm{Nd}}_{2}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$ focused on the low-temperature range for studying the Nd Schottky anomaly. In the magnetically ordered state we observed a significant increase and saturation of the muon spin precession frequency below $T=15\mathrm{K}.$ A fit based on the temperature-dependent population of the ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ Kramers ground-state doublet reveals a splitting of the doublet of $\ensuremath{\Delta}=4.2(6)\mathrm{K}$ in good agreement with the work of Adelmann et al. [Phys. Rev. B 46, 3619 (1992)]. The same model was applied to account for the temperature dependence of the dynamic relaxation rate resulting in $\ensuremath{\Delta}=4.6(5)\mathrm{K}.$ A quantitative evaluation of the temperature-dependent local magnetic field fluctuation rate is presented.


The conventional power system modeling methods have intrinsic disadvantages in representing unmodeled dynamics and ambiguous information. Specifically, the conventional modeling of converter valve usually ignores the high-frequency switching state. In order to break through the limitations of traditional modeling methods, this paper aims at giving an effective modeling strategy that can accurately describe the unmodeled dynamics and uncertainty of AC/DC hybrid interconnection systems. The validity of this method is enhanced by the model-data hybrid-driven modeling concept based on the digital twin. The proportional integral control link of voltage source converter (VSC) is modeled by the linearized mathematical method. The data-driven model of pulse width modulation (PWM) loop of VSC is trained and established by the time convolution neural network (TCN) algorithm, which can describe accurately the high-frequency switching state of switching device. The Simulation experiments on a real-world power grid demonstrate the high effectiveness of the proposed modeling method and the excellent performance of the hybrid-driven model.


How does IPR influence technological sophistication of service export? We differentiate real and nominal IPR protection to effectively overcome the measure error of IPR level in the traditional literature.We use the county-level data to examine the relationship among IPR,economic development and technological sophistication of service export.The results are as follows.First,this paper shows that,as for the global sample,there is a "U"-shape relationship between intellectual property protection and the technological sophistication of service export.Second,the research regarding developed countries shows that there exists a positive linear relationship between IPR and technological sophistication of service export,while there is a "U"-shape relation shape in developing countries.Third,per capita GDP,the proportion of service trade,the proportion of goods trade and human capital exert positive effect on technological sophistication of service export.Per capita GDP,the proportion of service trade,and education level exert a stronger effect on technological sophistication of service export in developed countries.Fourth,carbon dioxide and PM10 emissions show a negative impact on the technological sophistication of service export.


We monitored woody vegetation (dbh>1.0 in) response for up to six years following a herbicide (16 ounces imazapyr /acre), a fertilizer (365 pounds urea and 175 pounds diammonium phosphate/acre ) and a combined fertilizer and herbicide application in four mid-rotation loblolly pine stands located within the Upper Gulf Coastal Plain in Arkansas. Approximately 60-80% of the original non-pine woody vegetation died within three years following herbicide application. Non-pine mortality was greater on plots that received both an herbicide and a fertilizer application than only the herbicide application. Significant recruitment of additional woody vegetation occurred following all treatment applications, but herbicide reduced this recruitment for up to six years. Woody vegetation species richness and diversity was reduced by the herbicide application but was not altered by fertilization.


Dance is increasingly a site of research for experts within the discipline and beyond. With the development of digital technologies, artists and researchers are exploring ways to develop new dance events, to engage with audiences and in doing so, to shed more light on the art form itself whilst expanding its boundaries and limitations. Building on these developments the presentation will share problems and challenges faced when motion capture technology tries to capture dance movement which emerges through somatic movement practices, in particular, an established practice, Skinner Releasing Technique ( SRT).


The surface integrity, rot degree, mechanical damage, rupture, scar and other states of sand sugar orange fruit can be reflected from the surface defects of sand sugar orange. The surface defects of sand sugar orange can be used as an important characteristic parameter to judge the surface integrity, rot degree, mechanical damage, rupture, scar of sand sugar orange fruit. By segmenting the background of the collected feature image, the surface defects of the fruit peel were detected, the common surface defects of the orange were identified, and whether the orange was ruptured or scarred was judged, and the classification was realized.


This study is based on a sample of (742) middle-age men (16.60±42.22) with a range of (20-83) year, cardiovascular risk factors (T-c, HDL-c, LDL-c, TG, T-c/HDL, Homocysteine and hypertension) were measured for them, so that members of the sample were divided according to the variability of the BMI to three categories:( -0.25 < 29.99), (≥ 30.0) (k.g/m2). The results indicated that the statistically significant difference in the BMI is a sign of high rates of risk factors for cardiovascular disease; these rates have raised in proportions in obese individuals compared to non-obese individuals, and that these risk factors are attributed to the increase in the age group, noted that there are indicators of these dangerous factors for the age group less than (40) Years. In light of that, it is recommended to include a programs to alleviate the proportion of fats in the body as an important element of prevention and treatment for individuals who suffer from the presence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, in addition to the need for a national strategy aimed at countering its spreading especially for young people, in particular, with regard to the pattern of daily life.


Abstract : The time from initiation of the project (15-July-2015) until the first experiments could be conducted (January, 2016) was devoted primarily to obtaining IACUC approval (October 30, 2015), the subsequent ACURO approval (December 31, 2015),hiring new personnel, conducting baseline testing for procedures not involving animals, testing equipment, developing detailed experimental design, conducting required training and testing of all personnel, and setting up all necessary accounts. Beginning in January of 2016 and though the middle of July, we conducted experiments as per the SOW. Specifically, the formalin test was standardized and the morphine dose-response completed for this as well as the rat cold water tail-flick test. Carrageenan studies were conducted and effects of the compound on swelling and pain determined, along with initial experiments on the chemokine receptor antagonist (CRA) AMD3100. Methods were established for measuring a panel of chemokines and cytokines in tissue in the formalin and carrageenan assay. In year 2, it is planned to solidify studies with the formalin assay, the cold water test, and the carrageenan assay, and to complete studies with the combinations of morphine and CRAs in these tests. In selected assays, oxycontin will be compared to morphine using the CRAs. Studies will be initiated with the incisional pain model.


By giving residents access to resources for the information exchange, a village may be transformed into a smart village. The IoT is proving to be the foundation of smart towns. Health care, irrigation, climate monitoring, dairy, cattle surveillance, training and education of the agricultural and related sectors, water and drainage management, recycling and reuse, smart homes, smart lighting, wearable technology, and other verticals need to be prioritised in order to develop a smart village. Agriculture and related industries are the major arteries of the village-based economy. IoT is essential for increasing agricultural output and agro-related business revenues. It aids in lowering production costs for dairy, poultry, fish, grains, fruits, and vegetables. By managing cow sheds and the outputs produced by cattle, the suggested strategy in this study will serve to enhance the socio-economic environment while ensuring the greatest possible sustainability of natural resources and infrastructure.


Human bite wounds are less common than those caused by animal bites, and in general are contaminated by a wider range of microorganisms, thus increasing incidence of infectious complications. Patient management in the emergency room consists in aesthetic and functional rehabilitation and infection prevention. The aim of this article is to report a case of human bite to the face with upper lip and oral commissure tissue loss of a patient, who was a victim of assault, seen at a public emergency hospital in Rio de Janeiro, providing information on the clinical characteristics of the injury and the most appropriate treatment for the case studied.
Keywords: bite, face, lip, flap


We isolated a new recF mutant of Escherichia coli K-12 by insertion of transposon TnS into the recF gene. This recF400::TnS allele displayed the same phenotypic characteristics as the classic recF143 mutation. By using Mu d(Ap lac) fusions, the induction of nine SOS genes, including recA, uvrA, umuC, dinA, dinB, dinD, dinF, recN, and suUl, by UV irradiation and nalidixic acid was examined. Induction of eight genes by the two agents was impaired by recF400::TnS to different extents. The ninth fused SOS gene, dinF, was no longer inducible by UV when combined with recF400::Tn5. The generally impaired SOS response in reeF strains did not result from weak induction of recA protein synthesis, since a recA operator-constitutive mutation did not alleviate the inhibitory effect of the recF mutation. The results suggest that recF plays a regulatory role in the SOS response. It is proposed that this role is to optimize the signal usage by recA protein to become a protease. In Escherichia coli, a set of genes is coordinately expressed when the cells are exposed to agents that damage DNA or block replication (e.g., UV irradiation, mitomycin C, nalidixic acid). Several of these damage-inducible genes have been shown to improve cellular survival by providing increased repair capacity and by transiently retarding cell division (44). Accordingly, these genes have


was pleased to accept the invitation to join the RI-PATHS Advisory Board as I see it as a way to contribute to the advancement of approaches and methods to capture and describe the socioeconomic impacts resulting from research infrastructures. This will help me to ensure that the CFI remains at the forefront of research impact assessment and will guide new assessment approaches and activities at the CFI." The RI-PATHS project was presented at the 4th Meeting, as part of an workshop seeking the views and input of ELIXIR Nodes the topic of the impact of their research Participants took part in a scoping exercise during which they brainstormed impact scenarios (target audience, named service, possible measures of impact). Impact assessment at Node-level was found to be a developing area of work for most Nodes, notable exceptions the


In this paper, we address the problem of transformation of the tourism and hospitality industry in Macedonia. Despite the stable macroeconomic environment and the progress in the privatization process, the so called "transition recession" in the tourism and hospitality industry is still present. The post-privatization experience shows that the insider-oriented privatization has negative impact on the corporate governance and post-privatization financing and therefore, it seems to be the most important constraint in the restructuring of the privatized enterprises.


The research on phenolic compound degradation using chemical oxidation methods in a plasma reactor was performed with an Ozone-Plasma Hybrid Reactor (RHOP). This device operates by combining ozonation reactions in the liquid plasma within the reaction room. Furthermore, Ozone gas as a reagent is produced by the standard ozonator type Resun RSO-9805 made in Hong Kong and fed into this device, where the liquid phase is mixed within the injector. This way, the two-phase mixture reacts more intensively in RHOP. Also, this combination is designed to intensify hydroxyl radicals while the liquid phase is in an alkaline condition constantly exposed to plasma. The results demonstrated a continuous circulation for 2 hours at the initial concentration of 50 ppm for p-chlorophenol with a volume of 2 liters. This further obtained an 83.98% removal rate and 42.19% COD value decrease.


This paper raises the following thesis: those who are at the top of the "mode of domination and capital accumulation" are making decisions that are leading us to a place where survival of humanity and life in general might not be possible. Through the bookkeeping mindset of businessmen and shareholder alike, we can make sense the inner workings of capitalism and its distortions. It is quite clear now that such mindset engenders decisions that threatens the environment and the ecosystems. It is also clear why some people representing the "political class" don't take into consideration, or even disqualify, the opinions of well-respected scholars who have talked about the ongoing crisis of the biosphere and the ecosystems. Human species will survive only if capitalism ceases to exist, though it isn't the only way to ensure its survival. Within the new mode of accumulation and domination might be possible to find predatory capitalistic forms of accumulations; however, it is important to prevent them through the field of sciences and social movements.


Although the Miocene\|aged Shanwang flora from Linqu County, Shandong Province is well\|known in the world, there are some critical problems about the flora, which are described as follows: (1) the paucity of anatomical characters for the identification of taxa; (2) the low resolution of time\|scale regarding the studies of the vegetation succession;(3)the lack of standards for quantitative reconstruction of palaeoenvironment and palaeoclimate;and (4)much need of further studies of Shanwang flora in terms of large temporal and spatial scales. According to these problems we divided the diatomaceous earth with abundant fossils in the Shanwang Formation into 19 units, and collected megafossils and samples layer by layer (in centimeter scale) in order to conduct the high\|resolution and comparable studies using different materials and approaches. Some great progresses have been made pertaining to the studies on Shanwang fossil plants in the following aspects:(1)the discovery of reliable and internationally\|recognized fossil specimens of Eucommia cf. ulmoides ; (2)the establishment of a new genus ( Chaneya ); and (3)the initiation of carpological studies, e. g. research on the fruits of Quercus . Novel palynological studies have been conducted to understand the vegetation succession, indicating that the vegetation of Shanwang during the Miocene experienced 5 stages. New methods, such as Climate Analysis of Endemic Species (CASE), Co\|existence Approach (CA)and Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP), have been applied to the quantitative reconstruction of the palaeoclimate of Shanwang during the Miocene. A series of meteorological factors, e.g. Mean Annual Temperature (MAT), Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP) and Relative Humidity (RH) have been obtained. According to the latest situation in the world academic community, it is necessary to make further studies of Shanwang flora in the context of global change and Asian palaeoenvironment, and aiming at the following problems: (1) further study the process of plant evolution and vegetation succession; (2) extract the information of global climate in the high\|resolution stratigraphic sequence; (3) search new evidence for the formation and rise of eastern Asian monsoon;and (4) explore the response of plants to the changing ocean current and the third bolide\|impact event in the Cenozoic. It is no doubt that these further studies will bring about the brilliant future for the research on the Shanwang flora.


The finite element analysis in theory of elasticity is corresponded to the quadratic programming with equality constraint, which can be further transformed into the unconstrained optimization. In the paper, the neural network of finite element solving was obtained on the basis of Hopfield neural network that was reformed. And the no-error solving of finite element neural net computation was realized in theory. And a design method to construct an artificial neuron by using electronic devices such as operational amplifier, digital controlled potentiometer and so on was presented. A programmable hardware neural network of finite element can be build up by using analog switches to interconnect inputs/outputs of hardware neurons. The weights, biases and connection in the hardware neural network of finite element can be adjusted automatically by microprocessor according to the results of train to controlling system, This programmable hardware neural network of finite element has some more adaptability for different systems. In addition, the authors present the computer simulation and analogue circuit experiment to verify this method. The results are revealed that: 1) The results of improved Hopfield neural network are reliable and accuracy; 2) The improved Hopfield neural network model has an advantage on circuit realization and the computing time, which is unrelated with complexity of the structure, is constant. It is practical significance for the research and calculation.


Objective To investigate the preliminary experience of the hip resurfacing arthroplasty(HRA)for coxarthria with ankylosing spondylitis in young and middle-aged adults.Methods From April 2008 to December 2009,9 patients(11 hips) suffering from ankylosing spondylitis with coxarthria underwent HRA.The preoperative X-ray and CT scan of the patients were taken,and the prosthesis measured(15%multiplying power).The operation time,blood loss.Harris score,range of motion of the hip joint were noted.And preoperative and postoperative X-ray in all patients were compared to evaluate the clinical effects. Results The mean operation time was 96 min(80 min to 110 min)and the mean blood loss was 300 ml(200 ml to 370 ml).No wound infection,nerve or vascular injury,joint dislocation or DVT occured during the hospital stay.The follow-up of all patients were among 6 months to 21.5 months(mean 12.3 months).Harris score increased from 33.8±4.2 preoperatively to 82.3±2.4 postoperatively(P0.05).The X-ray showed no dislocation or ectopic ossification.Conclusions More bone mass could be reserved in HRA for coxarthria with ankylosing spondylitis in young and middle-aged adults,which may increase the range of motion of hip joint obviously,and improve patients' life quality.


EXAMINATION OF DISPOSITIONS AND PRACTICES IN DIVERSITY: THE IMPACT OF A TEACHER EDUCATION COURSE PROMOTING CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGY by DEUSLENE LEITE BASTOS December 2011 Advisor: Dr. Karen L. Tonso Major: Curriculum and Instruction Degree: Doctor of Education Assimilation ideology guiding teachers and policy makers to mainstream immigrant children into the American schools has prevailed in spite of pluralists' efforts for reform schools to provide more opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Research shows a need to change assimilation driven policies and practices which are harmful to students into a reconstructivist ideology that has shown to be more conducive for the application of culturally responsive teaching. Teacher education courses aimed to prepare teacher candidates for diverse classrooms have shown limitations due to abundant focus on theory or lack of elements in course work that are known to produce change in teachers' beliefs and practices. Conducted by a former teacher education professor who was an immigrant student, this study examines the impact of a teacher education course promoting culturally responsive pedagogy by comparing five course takers with 6 non-course takers.


A new method for the automated determination of uric acid in serum and urine, using the Auto Analyzersystem, is reported. This method is based on the colour reaction of uric acid with phosphotungstic acid in an alkaline solution. The results obtained by this method are satisfactory and reliable. It is considered that the method can be useful as a routine test for uric acid in clinical laboratories.


A wide variety of applications, particularly in High Performance Computing, relies on distributed environments to process and analyse large amounts of data. New infrastructures have emerged to support the execution of such computations, most of them involve distributed computing, parallelizing the computing process among the nodes of a large distributed computing platform. As the amount of data increases, the need to provide efficient, easy to use and reliable storage solutions has become one of the main issue for scientific computing. A well-tried solution to this issue is the use of Distributed File Systems (DFSs). In this paper we present and compare six modern DFSs that are today widely used to deal with the problem of storage capacities and data access, federating the resource of distributed platform.


This article presents the findings of a literature review of
research on teacher preparation for rural settings. In the past there has been little or no preparation of teachers for rural teaching, with the emphasis placed on supporting beginning teachers once they commenced (Baills, Bell, Greensill & Wilcox, 2002; Howe, 2006); now there is a strong movement to prepare preservice teachers adequately before their first teaching appointment. However, what has
become clear is that the focus of research has been predominantly on primary and secondary education. In our search we have not been able to identify a substantial body of literature about the preparation of early childhood educators for rural practice. The discussion considers the relevance of the findings for the early childhood sector,
exploring possibilities for future research both in early childhood settings and in teacher education in general in light of government agendas and policy initiatives.


Division algorithm is one important category of methods to get greatest common divisor and greatest common factor in Integer and Multinomial theory.But it is very inconvenient to calculate the greatest common divisor and greatest common factor by using division algorithm in terms of two bigger integers and two multinomials whose number of times is higher.To reduce computational time and realize the operational process,this article used functions in Matlab by using division algorithm.So we achieved two categories of division algorithm and verified the corrctness of the programme by using specific example.


A 100Mb/s optical burst transceiver is designed and implemented in this paper. Spatial oversampling technology is adopted for optical burst data recovery. Burst transmitter is implemented through controlling driver circuit of laser device. The test results show that this scheme can implement correctly burst data's transmission and reception. It can also reduce preamble overhead in burst packet head and raise bandwidth utility through eliminating waiting time needed by phase lock and clock recovery.


LZS glass-ceramics were prepared via sintering method.The crystallization and microstructure of LZS system glass-ceramics were studied by XRD and SEM.By means of orthogonal testing method,the effect of the heat treatment temperature and time on the thermal expansion properties of the glass-ceramics was discussed.The results show that Li3Zn0.5SiO4 precipitated first at the initial crystallization temperature,then quartz with increasing temperature.The length of the crystal increased after higher temperature and longer heating time.Effect of the parameters of the heat treatment process on thermal expansion coefficient was studied and the results show that the crystallization temperature was the most important factor.The thermal expansion coefficient was influenced by the major crystalline phase and its amount and could be controlled by the heat treatment process.


Objective To revise the method, which was used to repair injuried hand with an-tidromic dorsal interosseous artery resupinated island flap.Methods Blood vessel pedicle of flap was revised to fasciocutaneous pedicle .The flap and skin expanding method were used together. The flap (fasciocutaneous and adipofascied) was transfered to repair injuried hand. Results 20 flaps and 3 complex flaps (fasciocutaneous and adipofascied) were successful. The dornor of flap was directly sutured without dermoplasty. After 15 months following-up of 15 patients, the external appearance quality and feeling was recovered well. Assessing the hand function, the average losting function cost was 18%. 1 case was better, and 2 cases were good among 3 flaps (fasciocu-taneous and adipofascied) of restoring thumbers.Conclusion The revisement could increase vein reflux of flap, improve rate of success, preserve appearence of forearm, and enlarge the application scope of flap.


One of the more mysterious and still rather poorly understood diseases seen in the tropical regions of the world is Tropical Sprue (TS). TS is a clinical syndrome with an unknown etiology typically characterized by an acquired chronic diarrheal illness, small bowel mucosal abnormalities and malabsorption resulting in nutritional deficiencies and weight loss [1]. These are vague symptoms which can be produced by a large spectrum of diseases. Findings on endoscopy and histology can be nonspecific which can make the diagnosis of TS challenging [2].


Population change may beconsidered tooccur infourdimensions: quantitative, qualitative, spatial, andtemporal. Inother words, howmuch,whatkind, where, andwhen.Itisparticularly importantthatpublic health workers examineeachofthese atthis stage inthe development oftheir profession andof society. Suchexamination shouldbe madewith twoconsiderations inmindthesignificance ofpublic health activities toeachofthese dimensions ofpopulation change, andconversely, thesignificance ofeachofthemtothepresent andthefuture ofthepublic health movement.Successful public health programs ofthepasthavecontributed tothedevelopment ofcertain population changes, while inthereversesense,thechanges themselves havegiven rise tonew public health andother social problems. While attention willbedevoted essentially to the situationin the United States,of necessity an occasional reference must bemadetooccurrenceselsewhere, since directly or indirectly they bear some influence upon our own domestic scene. Consider first thequantitative aspect


In this paper, we propose and experimentally test a dynamic model-based force controller for the motion of upper limb exoskeleton robot. The system is composed of 3 degrees of freedom using an electrical actuator. This system is mainly controlled by the multi-axis force sensor signals. These are used to generate desired torques for driving the robot system. However, singularities exist when force signals in the Cartesian coordinate system are transformed to torques in the joint coordinate system. So we applied the damped least squares method. In handling loads, torque compensation regarding the weight of the object is required. Therefore, we installed the multi-axis force sensor at the robot end effector. It measures the interaction forces between the exoskeleton and the load. To compensate for the handling object, we used the static model. We performed control stability and load handling experiments to verify the effectiveness of the controller. With these experiments, we confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed controller.


Teaching resource contains mainly manpower teaching resource,material teaching resource,course resource,time and space resources,etc.The case educational reform has provided extremely a nice platform for conformity teaching resources.In the course teaching of the management special field,case teaching makes students changed from passivity into activity on their own initiatives,develops the ability to solve problems.There are many problems in the case teaching,we must carry out educational reform according to plans,by steps.with the case educational reform,we can realize the target of integrating teaching resource all round.


This article suggests that a 21st century public health perspective on community needs and resource mobilization in vision impairment be grounded in a holistic concept of the community. This perspective should recognize the nature and magnitude of blindness and visual impairment within the significant technological, demographic, political, and sociocultural changes that characterize today's complex community structures. These changing community dynamics are linked with strategies for organizing and mobilizing resources. The article concludes with three propositions and a call for political action to transform our currently fragmented system of providing services into an integrated strategy for the 21st century.


Education of oral and dental hygiene for elementary students is often constrained by the nature of children who are easily saturated, so that media and games need to be an interactive, interesting and fun simulation that entices their interest and curiosity in learning. The purpose of this research is to develop a web-based dental health ladder snake game for oral health education of the elementary school students in Indonesia. The analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation model approach is applied and tested by material and media experts. In this study, the fifth grade elementary students were participated as a trial group, and they were asked to use the designed ladder snake game. Questionnaire about the feasibility of learning media ladder snake game using a Likert scale was developed. The feasibility test results showed that the material experts were 80% (very good), media experts were 75% (Good) and 83% (excellent) for elementary students.


Because the monopoly information by the government results in the imbalance of information between the government and the public, which has greatly influenced the construction of sunshine government. The research on information imbalance has important theoretical and practical significance. The dissertation brings forward some methods to eliminate the adverse influence such as: enhancing the administrative thought of "information democracy", pushing the institutionalism of information-opening and strengthening the construction of information carrier.


This document specifies DHCP (IPv4 and IPv6) options to provision Port
Control Protocol (PCP) Servers. The use of DHCP or DHCPv6 depends on
the PCP deployment scenario.


We previously demonstrated an association between tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and chronic liver enzyme elevation in the D:A:D study. The objective of the study was to assess changes in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels after switching from TDF to tenofovir alafenamide (TAF).


The effects of irrigation amount and fertilizer rates of nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium on yield and water use efficiency of tomato were investigated in order to provide a foundation for the high tomato production.The material was"Jinpeng 1".Using a pot experiment and quadratic orthogonal regressive rotation design with four factors,including 23treatments and 4replications,the yield and irrigation water use efficiency of tomato under different irrigation amount and fertilizer rates of nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium conditions were analyzed.The results showed that with the increasing of irrigation amount,tomato yield and irrigation water use efficiency were increased at first and then decreased.Tomato yield and irrigation water use efficiency were increased at first and then decreased when added N or K fertilizer rate,what was more,which were the lowest when N or K fertilizer applied the highest level.Increasing P fertilizer rate significantly increased irrigation water use efficiency,but tomato yield was no obvious regulations.It was indicated that increasing irrigation amount significantly improved the tomato yield.With excessive water supplying,irrigation water use efficiency were down,and that caused the waste of water.The reasonable application of nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium fertilizer not only increased tomato yield,to some degree,but also improved the tomato moisture condition and enhanced irrigation water use efficiency.


Thymocytes mature in a series of stages by migrating through specific areas of the thymus and interacting with other cells to receive the necessary developmental signals; however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms governing this migration. We report that murine thymocytes with a knockout mutation in a-PAK (p21-activated kinase)-interacting exchange factor (PIX; Arhgef6), an activator of Rho GTPases, showed greatly increased motility and altered morphology in two-dimensional migration on ICAM-1. aPIX was also required for efficient positive selection, but not negative selection, of thymocytes. TCR signaling was normal in aPix 2 thymocytes, indicating that the effects of aPIX on positive selection are largely independent of TCR signaling. aPix 2 thymocytes also paused less during migration in the thymic cortex, interacted less with ICAM-1 coated beads, and could overcome TCR stop signals, consistent with defective scanning behavior. These results identify aPIX as a regulator of thymocyte migration and subsequent arrest that is linked to positive selection. T hymocyte maturation is a dynamic process that occurs in distinct spatial compartments of the thymus with the ultimate goal of producing a T cell bearing a functional and non–self-reactive TCR (1, 2). The earliest thymocyte progenitors, known as double-negative (DN) thymocytes, rearrange TCR and upregulate CD4 and CD8 coreceptors to yield CD4 + CD8 + double-positive (DP) thymocytes. A fraction of DP thymocytes successfully receive TCR-activating signals from APCs, such as cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTEC), macrophages, or dendritic cells (DCs), carrying self-peptide in a complex with MHC (pMHC). These cells are then selected for positive selection while the rest of the DP thymocytes die of TCR neglect. Positively selected DP thymocytes then become CD4 + or CD8 + single-positive (SP) thymocytes and migrate to the medulla, where autoreactive thy-mocytes are eliminated by negative selection. Various two-photon imaging studies have shown that thymocyte motility is affected by the process of positive selection (3–5), but the molecular mechanisms regulating this migration are unclear. An analysis of thymocytes from mice with a mutation in Git2 (G protein–coupled receptor kinase interacting ArfGAP 2), an Arf-GAP involved in vesicle transport and receptor recycling, revealed a block in development at the DP stage (6). Git2 2/2 thymocytes migrate faster than wild type in vitro; however, two-photon mi-croscopy in the thymus showed that Git2 2/2 thymocytes are significantly less motile in vivo. They accumulate near blood vessels in the cortex, leading to the suggestion that they are immobilized by …


The strength and duration of lymphocyte activation is determined by the net effect of positive and negative regulatory co-signaling molecules. The inhibitory receptor PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1 are both expressed on activated lymphocytes. Mice deficient of PD-1 or PD-L1 demonstrate lymphocyte hyperactivity and are prone to autoimmunity. We have shown that the expression and function of PD-1 on activated B lymphocytes can be down-regulated by certain inflammatory cytokines, rendering them resistant to PD-L1 mediated suppression. Here we further report that both PD-1 and PD-L1 expression on activated T lymphocytes can be down-regulated in a similar fashion. Thus, in addition to stimulating positive regulators, inflammatory cytokines may boost immune responses and break self-tolerance by inhibiting a negative regulator on T and B lymphocytes. Our findings may indicate a potential mechanism for the link between chronic inflammation and autoimmunity.


The modern mineral fertilizer industry are largescale factories, which produce dozens of tons of product hourly. At the same time, there are practically no robotic systems of quality control of the ongoing technological processes. In present paper, main stages of mineral fertilizer production are described, and the solution to the problem of robotic online particle size control was proposed. The general scheme and algorithm of the device functioning work were given. The developed system consists of three main units: a sampling unit, a sample delivery to the analysis area unit and a control unit with optical detection of granules. Sampling is carried out by a rotary system and further, the sample is delivered to the analysis area through linear vibrations. The entire sampling and sample delivery circuit is controlled by a computer, which built into the analysis unit. The software also allows to determine the physical parameters of the granules in the analysis area (size, color, and shape). The calculation algorithm of granule parameters consists of obtaining an optoelectronic image, its pre-processing, calculation of closed contours, approximation of found contours by ellipses and calculation of ellipse parameters. The system has an algorithm for selfdiagnosis and response to external conditions. Different solutions of the sampling system are given for two different forms of a fertilizer flow (on a conveyor belt and in a closed pipe) and they statistical characteristics (mean and standard deviation) were calculated. The obtained results are compared with similar laboratory granulometric composition control devices (Camsizer P4).


The BAYESian estimation of the survival function and failure rate in the uncensored case has been treated in PROSCHAN and SINGPURWALLA [5]. In this paper the extension of estimation to randomly censored data is considered. The time interval is partitioned into fixed class intervals. Assuming constant failure rate on these intervals and using a DIRICHLET distribution as the prior, the resulting estimates of survival function and failure rate have nice and simple forms. If instead of the fixed time intervals, one uses the "natural" intervals formed by the observed failure times, this gives essentially the same result as in FERGUSON and PHADIA [3], SUSARLA and VAN RYSIN [7], but in a much simpler form. In this situation the limiting estimates are the KAPLAN-MEIER analog for the discrete situation (not the KAPLAN-MEIER product limit estimator (KAPLAN and MEIER [4]).


A 67-year-old man was treated surgically for an extramedullary plasmacytoma, and received postoperative ionizing radiation (IR) treatment distributed over 25 fractions (1.8 Gy per fraction) to the skull vault. Three months later, he developed lichen planus (LP) at the radiotherapy site (Fig. 1a). Over the next 3 months, he developed severe lip ulceration and LP on the trunk and the glans penis. Histological examination of a skin biopsy taken from the scalp confirmed LP (Fig. 1b). The disease responded to prednisolone 30 mg tapered over 6 weeks and clobetasol propionate 0.05% ointment. There are several localized dermatoses induced by IR, including acne, erythema multiforme, folliculitis, graftversus-host disease, scleroderma and panniculitis. LP is a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease affecting predominantly the skin and mucous membranes. Köebner response to IR has been reported in two cases. There are no reports of generalized LP induced by IR. This unusual progression in our case can be explained on a molecular basis, as IR causes a series of pathophysiological reactions that begin in the skin. Our patient s lesions were most severe in the mouth. Immunological studies of LP have been confined mainly to oral LP. Activated CD8+ T lymphocytes trigger keratinocyte apoptosis by recognizing an unknown antigen that may be a self peptide associated with major histocompatibility complex class 1 molecules on lesional keratinocytes. Hence, keratinocyte antigen expression or unmasking is an early prerequisite for lesion formation. IR damages cutaneous integrity, causing the release of autoantigens or antigenic peptides. Generalized autoimmune blistering skin diseases such as pemphigus are induced by IR through antigen modification or alterations in immune surveillance. The fact that this patient developed generalized LP is intriguing and may be explained by the cascade of cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and IL-8, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-a, transforming growth factor (TGF)-b1] released from irradiated cells, which can persist for prolonged periods, causing ongoing damage. Interestingly, these chemokines are also implicated in the pathogenesis of oral LP. TNF-a, IL-1, IL-6 and IL-8 levels are (a)


Space-time adaptive processing(STAP) for airborne radar has been becoming one of the most important techniques in the research of radar area.It is one of the key techniques for new airborne radar with advanced performance.However,present radar STAP techniques have classically focused on azimuth-Doppler adaptive processing,without putting elevation information into consideration.Actually,the characters of clutter are connected with elevation angle.This paper introduces a method of extending 2D-STAP(2-dimensional STAP) technique into 3D-STAP,added elevation adaptivity.It has been proved by simulated data that 3D-STAP offers significant clutter suppression improvement and target detection improvement compared with 2D-STAP.


This paper presents an analysis of the meaning of the body practices based on the Indians' population games. In this case, the field work had done to use the observation and interview during the IX edition of the indians' games (Recife/PE – 2007). The discussion was based on the theories of Social Sciences and Physical Education. The conclusion is that: (a) the body practices (games, dances) in the context of the indians' games receives a new meaning because their traditional and modern values have changed; (b) the games became a disjunctive game in the place of being a ritual game.


Acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) elicits a form of spinal, respiratory motor plasticity known as phrenic long‐term facilitation (pLTF). Preconditioning with a single day of chronic intermittent hypoxia (8 hours, 2 min hypoxic episodes with 2 min intervals) abolishes AIH‐induced pLTF through a mechanism that requires systemic inflammation and spinal p38 MAP kinase activation (Huxtable et al., 2015). pLTF is restored by high‐dose, systemic administration of the non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug, ketoprofen, or spinal p38 MAP kinase inhibition. Similarly, preconditioning with 7 days of CIH (8 hours per day, 2 min episodes, 2 min intervals) abolishes pLTF, but we observed that phospho‐p38 within phrenic motor neurons is unchanged from control rats (Gonzalez‐Rothi and colleagues, unpublished). Thus, mechanisms whereby 7 days of CIH undermines AIH‐induced pLTF are unclear. Since CIH induces time‐dependent spinal inflammatory gene expression profiles over time (Smith et al., 2013), we hypothesize that prolonged CIH (versus a single day) blunts LTF through an inflammation‐dependent mechanism that is independent of p‐38MAP kinase. Thus, in ongoing experiments, the impact of anti‐inflammatory drugs on AIH‐induced pLTF in rats preconditioned with prolonged CIH (7 days). pLTF was restored when ketoprofen was administered each day just prior to the IH7 exposure (70% increase, p=.0013 vs. vehicle), but not when a single dose of ketoprofen was delivered just prior to assessment of pLTF (19% increase, p=0.9975 vs. vehicle). Upcoming experiments will explore the role of p38 MAP kinase with prolonged CIH exposure. These experiments are the first to explore shifting mechanisms whereby prolonged CIH and associated inflammation undermine phrenic motor plasticity. Such experiments are essential since chronic intermittent hypoxia is a hallmark of sleep apnea, a condition highly prevalent in individuals living with neurological disorders (spinal cord injury, ALS, etc.). It is therefore important to identify and mitigate factors which may undermine the potential for therapeutic interventions (i.e., repetitive AIH) to harness endogenous plasticity and ultimately improve breathing.


As of today, where does the complex and consequential relationship between the United States and China stand? Relations between the two nations are enormously complex and broad now, from security, trade, and broader economic issues, to the environment and human rights. In fact, various periods of history are marked by equilibrium or disequilibrium2: Gilpin also demonstrated in his book War and Change in World Politics that international political change is the result of efforts of political actors to change the international system in order to advance their own interests.3 Whether or not China claiming itself as a peacefully rising state intended to change the ideological landscape of the international politics, its "rise" has certainly become a hot potato for the last few decades. After more than 30 years of its fastpaced economic growth, China is now the second-largest economy in the world after the United States. With its developing global strategic clout, China is now extending its reach not only economically but also militarily, especially in the South China Sea, in addition to its enormous leap in military technology. Whether to contain China as a threat or accommodate it as a rising superpower is an inevitable question that the U.S. policy makers should answer. Hence, this paper argues in support of the balance-of-power theory by suggesting that the U.S. policy makers should make a sensible diplomatic strategy of balancing its position towards China: maintaining a strategically critical policy of yellow light with Beijing. At the end of the day, working together is hard and frustrating, but not working together is worse. 1 Master in International Security '14, Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver 2 Viotti & Kauppi, International Relations Theory, Pearson, 2012. 3 Robert Gilpin, War and Change in World Politics, Cambridge University Press; Reprint edition, 1983. 28 Journal of International Relations and Foreign Policy, Vol. 2(3 & 4), December 2014 The U.S.-China Relations at the Crossroad: Highs and Lows With hundreds of policy issues from agriculture to cyber space joining American and Chinese interests, even with close look into some of the key issues, no convincing pattern emerges between two countries. One of the most dangerous or uncertain risks posed by Washington's confusion over deterrence lies in the avoidance of a choice one way or the other about the strategy when it comes to China. Realist adherents, especially power-transition theorists, see the international system hierarchically ordered, with the most powerful state dominating the rest and that war may be more likely when states are relatively equal, particularly when the differential growth in two states' economies brings a challenger close to the reigning hegemon's power. Thucydides also argued that the differential growth in power of the various states in the system causes a fundamental redistribution of power in the system. However, at the status quo, globalization and interdependence between states cannot be ignored and this is why balance of power is at the core of realist thought which inevitably embraces interactions among states. Moreover, it is also the reality of the U.S.-Chinese relations which should not be blindsided by thoughtless pursuit of deterrence and containment. According to Viotti, although peaceful engagement has become more prominent in US relations with China since the 1970s and the Russian Federation since its entry on the world stage in 1992, in the minds of American policymakers containment has remained an important part of their strategic calculus. 7 Snyder defines deterrence as in one deters another party from doing something by the implicit or explicit threat of applying some sanction if the forbidden act is performed, or by the promise of a reward if the act is not performed: thus conceived, deterrence does not have to depend on military force. In case of the U.S.-Chinese relations where numerous internal and external factors constantly facilitate and contain the foreign policy of two states it is tightly tangled in the complex web of national interests which coincide especially in economic arena. Some scholars argue that deterrence is a nonissue for the Sino-U.S. relations because the two states' economic interdependence precludes military conflict. 4 Richard Betts, "The Lost Logic of Deterrence: What the Strategy that won the Cold War Can and Can't Do Now," Foreign Affairs (March/April 2013). 5 Viotti & Kauppi, International Relations Theory, Pearson, 2012. 6 Robert Gilpin, War and Change in World Politics, Cambridge University Press; Reprint edition, 1983. 7 Paul Viotti, American Foreign Policy, Polity Press, 2010. 8 Glenn Snyder, "Deterrence and Defense: A Theoretical Introduction," (191) (16pp.)


Using a two-dimensional, ideal MHD model, the evolution of a pure flow velocity enhancement disturbance in the solar wind in the heliospheric equatorial plane (2-D, 2-component model) and the heliospheric meridional plane (2-D, 3-component model) is investigated, respectively. It is shown that the disturbance evolves into a double shock pair, i.e., a shock system that consists of four shocks: a reverse fast shock, a reverse slow shock, a forward slow shock, and a forward fast shock from the close to the distant with respect to the Sun. The double shock pair is nearly symmetrical with respect to the central normal of the disturbance source in the heliospheric meridional plane, whereas it is asymmetrical in the heliospheric equatorial plane. On the western side of the central normal of the disturbance source in the heliospheric equatorial plane, the double shock pair structure is more evident, and the longitudinal span is wider than those on the eastern side. A preliminary analysis shows that the east-west asymmetry in the heliospheric equatorial plane is mainly attributed to the spiral structure of the interplanetary magnetic field.


Autonomous Hydroacoustic System is designed to probe a water column acoustically from the bottom to the sea surface and simultaneously to register ambient sea noise. The echosounder component works at a frequency of 130kHz. The ambient sea noise unit consists of two external hydrophones measuring the noise over the frequency spectrum from about 300 Hz to 35 kHz. The whole system is capable of operating up to the depth of 100 m self sufficiently for up to 10 days yielding a long-term data series on sound backscattering by marine organisms, gas bubbles and sea surface. It enables different dynamic surface phenomena to be evaluated, for example wind generated bubble concentrations, weather conditions and tide amplitude and periodicity.


Singapore is an independent island city-state situated in Southeast Asia just 1 degree north of the equator. It has a land area of only 625 km2 and a population of 2.75 million. Despite its relatively high population density and tropical location where epidemics still prevail, Singapore has a remarkable health record and freedom from the major infectious diseases. The city is clean, and more than 85% of the population lives in high-rise public housing apartments. The per capita income is US$9,000 a year. The infant mortality rate of 7 per 1,000 live births and life expectancy of 74 years compare favorably with the rest of the world. 1,2


Background: Non-invasive, inexpensive and easily available simple markers are needed for timely prediction of preterm labor and preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) in women at risk. Aims and objectives of current study was to study the significance of maternal hemogram parameters i.e., NLR, PLR, MPV, PDW and plateletcrit in TPL, PPROM.
Methods: A total number of 150 pregnant women, 50 with PPROM (group 1), 50 with TPL (group 2) and 50 gestation matched healthy controls (group 3) attending antenatal clinic and labor room in SVBP Hospital and associated LLRM Medical College, Meerut were recruited in study. Complete blood count was done from blood sample collected in EDTA vials using 5-part automated cell analyzer device. Hematological parameters like NLR, PLR, MPV, PDW and plateletcrit were measured from CBC.
Results: Patients with PPROM had increased NLR, PLR, MPV, PWD and plateletcrit than patients with threatened preterm labor group and healthy control group.
Conclusions: NLR, PLR, MPV, PDW, and Plateletcrit were significantly increased in both PPROM group and TPL group compared to healthy control group and have a predictive value in PPROM and TPL. Monitoring of these parameters can be promising and cost-effective methods in prediction of TPL and PPROM.