Panel count data occur in many fields, including clinical, demographic, and industrial studies, and an extensive body of literature has been established for their regression analysis. However, most existing methods apply only to situations in which both the covariates and their effects are constant or one of them may be time dependent. This study considers the situation in which both the covariates and their effects may be time dependent, and we develop an estimating equation-based approach to estimate these time-varying effects. The proposed method uses the B-splines to approximate the time-dependent coefficients, and we establish the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators. To assess the finite-sample performance of the proposed estimators, we conduct an extensive simulation study, showing that the proposed method works well in practical situations. Lastly, we demonstrate our method by applying it to data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey.


In recent years, more and more attention has been drawn to the indoor positioning algorithm based on fingerprint model. Although, such algorithm is irrelevant to the location of the signal source, it has the drawbacks of low accuracy and poor real-time capability. This paper proposes a fingerprint positioning algorithm based on multilevel manual definition. In the offline phase of the fingerprint positioning algorithm, source data in the fingerprint database is processed by average weighting method, and a high precision fingerprint database is established to improve matching accuracy. In the online phase, multilevel matching algorithm is employed to shorten matching time. Experiments based on ZigBee technology were conducted, and the results showed that the algorithm for establishing a fingerprint database can improve matching precision by 50% and shorten matching time by 50% compared to the mode of RSSI.


This study investigated the effect of sawdust at 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 wt% towards physical properties and filtration efficiency of porous clay membrane. Sawdust in various quantities was added into water containing clay, polyethylene glycol and sodium silicate and then stirred to form homogenized slurry. The slurry then was casted into Plaster of Paris (PoP) mould. The green body was cut into required sizes, dried and sintered in furnace at 1000 °C. The porosity and density of porous clay was determined by Archimedes principle, while morphology was observed by Hitachi Tabletop Scanning Electron Microscope (TTSEM). The filtration test was examined on a dead-end filtration setup in batch mode operation using nitrogen as carrier gas. Distilled water was filtered and used to determine membrane permeability, while aquaculture wastewater filtration was used to determine the turbidity removal. Turbidity of aquaculture wastewater and effluent (after filtration) were measured using turbidity meter. The results indicated that porosity increased from 38 % to 64 %, while density decreased from 1.5 g/cm3 to 0.8 g/cm3 with increasing amount of sawdust from 0 to 40 wt%. This data was supported by TTSEM which is indicate that the amount of pores increased with increasing amount of sawdust. Permeation of membrane increased from 45289 to 143999 L.h-1.m-2.bar-1 and efficiency of turbidity removal increased from 87 % to 89 % with increasing amount of sawdust from 0 to 40 wt%. As conclusion, 30 wt% was an optimum amount of sawdust which is produced ceramic membrane with good structure integrity, porosity, high permeability and high turbidity removal.


Recent measurements at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, appear to indicate a marked increase in the concentration of NO 2 over that measured 11 years ago. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1975.tb01658.x


A Relationship of Speech Perception and Amplification for Hearing-Impaired Listeners Woojae Han and Jont B. Allen Hallym Univ., Div. of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Chuncheon, Korea Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, IL, USA Individuals with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) are treated with hearing aids and/or a cochlear implant, based on their pure-tone thresholds and speech perception scores. Although these assistive listening devices do help those individuals communicate in quiet surroundings, many still have difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments. The purpose of current study is to compare results of consonant perception when using flat gain (or most comfortable level, MCL) and to see changes in consonant error rate occurred by hearing impairment after applying a frequency specific amplification. Twenty American English speakers with mild-to-moderate SNHL were tested. Isolated English consonant-vowel (CV) syllables, consisting of sixteen consonants followed by the /a/ vowel, were used as stimuli. They were presented monaurally in quiet and at five different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) in speech-weighted noise. To compare the consonant error between 'no NAL-R amplification' (flat gain) and 'NAL-R amplification' conditions, all subjects were tested in the two conditions. When simulating the NAL-R condition, its formula was calculated in two steps for each subject, by obtaining the required gain as a function of frequency. Overall consonant percent errors were decreased with NAL-R correction, compared to the no NAL-R conditions. When we look at the aided audibility and average consonant errors (or scores) after fitting a hearing aid, hearing-impaired (HI) speech perception seems better than before wearing the hearing aid. However, there is a significant difference among consonants: some consonants obtain great benefit from NAL-R and others do not. Also, subjects who have similar pure-tone audibility do not receive the same benefit from the amplification. We conclude that although current amplification fitting methods can offer positive benefit on average to the speech perception of HI listeners, they cannot offer equally positive benefits to every consonant and every HI listener.


We present monolithic 910-nm high power vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) module suitable for longdistance LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The 910-nm high-power VCSEL array is finely designed and fabricated. The output power of a single VCSEL array (163 devices) reaches nearly 2 W under QCW operation, without being cooled. Driven by the external current source, the peak output power of a single VCSEL array reaches 25.5 W under pulsed operation with a repetition frequency of 10 kHz and a pulse width of 30 ns. To improve the pusled performance of VCSEL array, the monolithic VCSEL array module with integrated driver is developed. The peak output power of this module reaches nearly 85W. And its optical pulse width is 22 ns only. Thus integrated driver circuits demonstrate much better pulsed properties. The ranging setup is built and the detection distance of more than 20 m is realized. We believe that this monolithic VCSEL array with high power, dense package and superior impulse response has great commercial potential in future applications requiring intelligent driving like LIDAR for automotive.


The present invention CONCERNS dissolvable silica xerogels controllably PREPARED BY PROCESS SOL - GEL AND USE. Specifically, the invention relates to a delivery device INCLUDING A dissolvable silica xerogel controllably whose structure has been incorporated a biologically active agent. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical preparations containing said delivery device. Furthermore, the invention relates to devices for medical use with orthopedic FINES OR SURGICAL comprising the dissolvable silica xerogels controlled manner, which may also contain a biologically active agent.


In today's world of digital communication, as technology progresses, there is more and more attention required on image security. Many visual cryptography algorithms have been suggested and digital watermarking in association with visual cryptography is also proposed for more image security. An image watermarking model based on progressive visual cryptography is proposed to decide optimal number of shares. A study on implementation of meaningful shares in combination with visual cryptography scheme for secret images is carried out for implementation of algorithm. A visual cryptography techniques are used to create meaningful shares. In this paper analysis of different algorithms are performed which generates meaningful shares. These shares are watermarked with cover images. After transmission of these watermarked images to receiving end, the receiving end will extract the shares from watermarked images and stacking of these extracted meaningful shares will generate the original secret image. Combination of Digital watermarking and visual cryptography adds enhanced security to secret images.


INTRODUCTION 1. Central to China's strategy to sustained economic growth and stability over the medium-and-long term is raising the efficiency of investment. Thus, the government's ninth five-year Economic and Social Development Plan (1996-2000) has laid down a key objective, which is to alter the pattern of economic growth from one based on an "extensive" use of investment resources to one that is based upon an "intensive," meaning efficient, use of investment resources. In its blueprint of a social market economy promulgated in late 1993, the government recognized that fiscal policy should play a prominent role in promoting structural adjustment and economic growth in China. This view was reinforced in the 15th Party Congress held in September 1997. Since early 1994, fiscal reforms have occupied a key chapter in the government's overall reform plan.


Introduction Traditional dairy products have been considered as good sources of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and ideal vehicles to deliver beneficial bacteria to human gastrointestinal tract. LAB are good candidates to be used as probiotics due to their non-pathogenic nature, good antimicrobial activity and resistance to gastrointestinal condition (1). Multi-drug resistant bacteria are involved with several community acquired and nosocomial infections as well as foodborne diseases. Biofilm formation is regarded as a major determinant factor in development of infection by pathogenic bacteria (2). Biofilm is a community of microorganisms adhering to each other on a surface which is surrounded by a matrix of extracellular polymers. Bacteria embedded in a biofilm are more resistant to antimicrobials due to the reduction of antimicrobial penetration, slower bacterial metabolic state as well as easier exchange of resistance genes among cells (3). The resistant nature of biofilm is a matter of great concern for global health care system and many studies have been conducted to explore novel, natural and effective antibiofilm agents. Fermented milk products contain different types of LAB which could be able to inhibit many pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. Antagonism is attributed to the release of a variety of functionally active compounds including organic acids, exopolycacharides and bacteriocins which are naturally released into the bacterial growth medium. These compounds have antibacterial and antibiofilm potentials which are able to inhibit bacterial infectivity. Several studies have reported antibiofilm potential of bacteriocines produced by LAB bacteria (4-5). Moreover, some studies reported that a number of exopolysacharides isolated from commercial fermented milk were capable of interfering with the adhesion of several enteric pathogens (6-7). The LAB from traditional cheese may produce bioactive compounds with antibiofilm activity and could be used for prevention of bacterial infections and food spoilage (4). However, the stability of these bioactive compounds under unfavorable conditions needs to be characterized. Thus, the current work was conducted to investigate and characterize antibiofilm potential of the cell free supernatant (CFS) of Lactobacillus plantarum spp, isolated from Siahmazgi cheese, a traditional cheese from province Abstract Biofilm formation is a major determinant factor in development of bacterial infections. In addition, bacteria embedded in a biofilm are more resistant to antimicrobials and thus the ability of bacteria to persist and grow in a biofilm seems to be the major factor for pathogenesis and therapeutic failure. In the current study, a Lactobacillus plantarum spp was isolated from Siahmazgi cheese, traditional cheese of Guilan province, Iran, and was identified using morphological, biochemical and molecular identification assays. Antibiofilm potential of the Lactobacillus plantarum spp cell free supernatant (CFS) against multidrug resistance Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was characterized. According to the results, the CFS not only reduced biofilm formation by pathogenic bacteria, but also disrupted preformed biofilms. The CFS remained unaffected by chemicals including EDTA, SDS and Tween 80, and showed stability at high temperatures (80 and 100 ̊C), as well as a wide range of pH. However, the antibiofilm activity was inhibited after treating with proteinase K. According to these results, L. plantarum spp could be regarded as a suitable strain to produce antibiofilm agents which could be used for preventive and therapeutic approaches.


sirolimus therapy may be predisposed to the development of single limb oedema. This presents a diagnostic concern due to the need to exclude mechanical obstruction, in particular malignancy. We postulate that the lymphatics may be rendered susceptible to obstruction by sirolimus, resulting in clinical manifestation in a single limb following localized inflammation or trauma. Severe and prolonged oedema following a sudden inflammatory event in patients on sirolimus therapy should alert the physician to consider its early cessation, and the contribution of other factors such as a fistula.


. We study a time-parallel approach to solving quadratic optimization problems with linear time-dependent partial differential equation (PDE) constraints. These problems arise in formu-lations of optimal control, optimal design and inverse problems that are governed by parabolic PDE models. They may also arise as subproblems in algorithms for the solution of optimization problems with nonlinear time-dependent PDE constraints, e.g., in sequential quadratic programming methods. We apply a piecewise linear finite element discretization in space to the PDE constraint, followed by the Crank-Nicolson discretization in time. The objective function is discretized using finite elements in space and the trapezoidal rule in time. At this point in the discretization, auxiliary state variables are introduced at each discrete time interval, with the goal to enable: (i) a decoupling in time; and (ii) a fixed-point iteration to recover the solution of the discrete optimality system. The fixed-point iterative schemes can be used either as preconditioners for Krylov subspace methods or as smoothers for multigrid (in time) schemes. We present promising numerical results for both use cases. on multiple shooting; methods based on domain decomposition and waveform relaxation; space-time multigrid methods; and direct time-parallel methods. Our approach is based on domain decomposition.


Collecting a blood sample is usually necessary to measure hemoglobin levels in children. Especially in small children, noninvasively measuring the hemoglobin level could be extraordinarily helpful, but its precision and accuracy in the clinical environment remain unclear. In this study, noninvasive hemoglobin measurement and blood gas analysis were compared to hemoglobin measurement in a clinical laboratory.


Abstract During our systematic studies of niobium compounds (1–4) as ion-exchange materials, it was found that niobium molybdate has a high thermal stability and can be more easily converted into a poorly crystalline form than the tin (5), thorium (6), titanium (7), and chromium (8) molybdates studied in our laboratories. We therefore decided to investigate the ion-exchange behavior of this material. The results are given below.


Traditional supply chain models were developed mainly for non-luxury companies and find very little correspondence in the field of luxury, which is considered here as a business super-area including heterogeneous enterprises, belonging to different sectors, which have in common customers characterized by the "need for luxury". In the last few years, luxury companies have paid growing attention to the management of their supply chain at a global level. This paper aims to provide an overview of how manufacturing companies use global supply chains and how their behaviors changes over time.


No-tillage systems can change the ratio between soil acidity components and crop yields over the course of time. High crop yields are not seldom observed in highly acid soils. The liming criteria established for conventional tillage soils are likely to be unsuitable for no-tillage soils. The objective of this report was to define liming criteria, based on the yield response to different soil acidity levels and layers in no-tillage systems. Six plantations were sampled in the Planalto region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with very distinct soil acidity conditions, and that have been cultivated in no-tillage system over a long period. Soil samples were taken from two soil layers (0-10 and 0-20 cm) and yields determined at 20 sites of each plantation. Based on regressions between relative grain yield and soil acidity indexes, it can be concluded that none of the soil acidity indicators individually can properly describe crop yield in the no-tillage system. Though significant, the relations between soil acidity indexes and crop yield were low and similar, independent of the soil layer. Thus, either soil layer can be used for liming diagnostic in no-tillage.


Illustrating how and where experiential learning is incorporated in a program can be challenging. In this session we discuss some initial thoughts on terminology and how a group might use the curriculum mapping tool, Curriculum Links, to capture experiential learning opportunities in a program of study.


Th is article traces the emergence of three categories of war veterans in postindependence Mozambique: former fighters of the liberation war against the Portuguese colonial administration, the former soldiers of the Mozambican Armed Forces, and former Renamo combatants who both fought in the postindependence war. The article follows the emergence, negotiation, contestation, and transformations of these categories through memory politics, bureaucratic practices of inclusion and exclusion, and veterans' collective political practices "from below." By showing how some war veterans are come to be regarded as "worthy" of privileged state resources and others as enemies of the state, while again others are in an in-between position, the article shows how war veterans come to occupy specific citizenship positions and that these positions are contingent and changeable over time.


Excessive predation pressure from the waterfowl Phalacrocorax carbo (Great Cormorant) on Plecoglossus altivelis (Ayu) has recently been a severe problem of river environment in Japan. Local fishery cooperatives are currently suffering from economic difficulties due to decrease of the fish catch of P. altivelis. Local fishery cooperatives and municipalities have been enthusiastically trying to develop countermeasures that can effectively reduce the predation pressure; however, their effectiveness and efficiency have not been systematically quantified well. This aim can be achieved with the help of an appropriate mathematical model. In this paper, based on a pure death process, a practical stochastic control model for population dynamics of released P. altivelis in river environment under predation pressure from P. carbo, harvesting by human, and environmental fluctuations is proposed. Finding an optimal management strategy ultimately reduces to solving a 2D Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation, which is performed with a finite element scheme. Its application to a Japanese river environment successfully computes the optimal management strategy that is consistent with the reality. Numerical sensitivity analysis of the presented mathematical model is also performed for comprehension of dependence of the optimal strategy on the model parameters.


This paper examines the impressive victory by President Paul Biya and his ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) in the 2002 Cameroon legislative election, especially in the light of the near collapse of the regime and the party in 1992, when it almost lost its parliamentary majority. It argues that several factors contributed to this turn of events including the president's skilful use of his power of incumbency to forestall the democratic process, the ineffectiveness of the opposition parties, and the lack of sustained support for genuine democratic change in Cameroon by France and other Western industrialised nations.


A magnetization transfer (MT)‐prepared echo‐planar imaging (EPI) pulse sequence was developed to study motor cortex activation, using a finger tapping paradigm. MT weighting resulted in a reduction of both the activated area and, in the majority of activated pixels, the functional MRI signal, regardless of the correlation coefficient threshold used in generating the activation map. The magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) was higher during task activation than during rest. Because the MT effect is strongly tissue‐dependent, these results support the hypothesis that incorporation of MT into functional MRI will help to understand the origin of the functional MRI signal.


The ability to discover required Web services and select the most proper one is becoming critical in Service-Oriented applications. Many techniques have been proposed to optimize the selections of Web Services by calculating quality of service (QoS). In this paper, we incorporate QoS advertisements of service providers into WSDL documents. The Quality Manager is introduced to discover Web services, collect quality ratings from users, and calculate QoS when a quality assessment is required. We calculate and compare user-concerned quality attributes using exception-based method. When all concerned quality attributes are retrieved, the ratings of web services are then calculated and the most suitable one is selected.


The opinion written in 1985 by Judge Richard Posner in Lake River Corp. v. Carborundum Co. is both well-known and controversial. Lake River concerns liquidated damages and penalties. The purpose of this article is to examine the case from the point of view of the Civil Law; that is, of the Continental legal system. E. Allan Farnsworth has written that the Continental legal system is not hostile towards penalties. I take issue with this statement. This paper identifies the Continental legal system's rules in relation to penalties, and then applies those rules to the Lake River case, and, because a very similar result would obtain as the one in the 7th Circuit case, the attitude of the Continental law towards penalties is shown to be similar to that of American law: penalty clauses are permissible if they are not penal.


Dr. Edward H. Hume, a Yale graduate with a Johns Hopkins M.D., went to China in 1905 under the auspices of the Yale University Mission. The next year he opened a small hospital in Changsha, Hunan, thus beginning the Hsiangya medical program which in succeeding years came to include a large hospital, a school of nursing, and a medical school. A large proportion of the book is devoted to the Humes' early years in China, although many of the experiences related by Mrs. Hume have already been described by Dr. Hume in Doctors East and West, published in 1946. Mrs. Hume's book is neither a real biography of Dr. Hume nor a history of the Hsiangya enterprise in medical cooperation between Yale and Hunan province but rather a collection of episodes from the eventful lives of the Humes. They do not substantiate common stereotypes of missionaries as somber, narrow, and intolerant people. It is obvious that the Humes enjoyed China and their Chinese friends. Although they believed that Western medicine had a great contribution to make in China, they were also convinced that the West had much to learn from China. They seem to have combined the spirit of the university, emphasizing the continuing search for new knowledge, with that of the missionary enterprise, holding to conviction of truth already known.


Stepping motors drive circuits accurate load positioning - static torque characteristics multi-step operation - torque/speed characteristics high-speed operation open-loop control closed-loop control microprocessor-based stepping motor systems.


"Material equalities may not by themselves generate much brotherhood, but they are a necessary condition of it. They may soon be a condition of government by consent: the only workable basis left for social arrangements between political equals" (p. 313). The last sentence in Hugh Stretton's book thus draws what one may take as an optimistic or an agonizing conclusion about the future of advanced industrial societies: either a significant equalization of material goods and life chances will be demanded, and produced, by forces generated out of the process of political democratization itself, or the resistance to greater social equality will be so great as to destroy political democracy where it has come to exist. Both solutions are quite possible, Stretton tells us, and his book is a new social democratic primer on how to achieve the former rather than the latter.


This study sought to examine the features that characterize parents' talk when they attempt to speak matters of sexuality to their teenage children. It identified and described various features of style which were analyzed in light of theories of pragmatics such as Brown and Levinson's Politeness theory, Austin's Speech Act theory and the theory of Cooperative Principle by Grice. The study sample consisted of parents of teenage children who were interviewed to give accounts of the kind of talk that took place between them and their children on matters of sexuality.  The results showed that features of indirectness abound in parents' utterances with only occasional direct utterances. The study provides some interesting linguistic insights into the pragmatic choices of language that people make in ordinary conversation to meet their communication needs when faced with sensitive topics such as those to do with sexuality. Key words : communication, indirectness, pragmatics, sexuality


Intraventricular injection of 6-hydroxydopamine leads to two types of alterations in the effect of norepinephrine on the cyclic 39,59-AMP content of slices of rat cerebral cortex: an early-developing, presynaptic effect and a late-developing, postsynaptic effect. The early effect is attributed to the destruction of adrenergic nerve terminals by 6-hydroxydopamine and the resultant loss of presynaptic catecholamine uptake sites. This conclusion is based on three primary observations: (a) the potentiation of the effect of a threshold concentration of norepinephrine (1 µM) by 6-hydroxydopamine followed approximately the same time course as the loss of ability of the slices to accumulate [ 3 H]norepinephrine; (b) cocaine, which inhibits the presynaptic accumulation of [ 3 H]norepinephrine, potentiated the effects of low concentrations of norepinephrine in slices from control rats but did not alter the effect of norepinephrine in slices from 6-hydroxydopamine-treated animals; (c) the EC 50 for norepinephrine was reduced from 5.2 to 1.7 µM by treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine, but the EC 50 for isoproterenol (which is not accumulated presynaptically) was not altered. Also, cocaine did not potentiate the increase in cyclic AMP content induced by isoproterenol in slices from control animals. The increase in the effect (of high concentrations (30 µM) of norepinephrine did not occur until 96 hr after treatment of the rats with 6-hydroxydopamine. This late-developing increase in responsiveness would appear to be a postsynaptic phenomenon, since it occurs during a time span (72-96 hr) when there is no further change in inhibition of the uptake of [ 3 H]norepinephrine. Furthermore, there is an increase in responsiveness to isoproterenol as well as to norepinephrine. Adenosine also causes an increase in the cyclic AMP content of rat cortext slices, but its effects are not altered by prior treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine.


Enhanced low dose rate sensitivity (ELDRS) in different process Silicon–Germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs) is investigated. Low and high dose rate irradiations are performed to evaluate the ELDRS of SiGe HBTs manufactured by Tsinghua University (THU). THU SiGe HBTs experience significantly low dose rate sensitivity than that of IBM 8HP SiGe HBTs and behave a "true" dose rate effect. TCAD models were used to explicate the microcosmic structure in THU and IBM 8HP SiGe HBTs. Comparison and discussion show that different SiGe processes may involve different HBT structures and device designs which are the critical influence of ELDRS effect. The different responses of ELDRS should be first attributed to the device structure and design in nature, particularly the geometry of emitter–base junction and the isolation structure.


Chegu-20 buried hill is an anticline-like structure with NNE axial trend, Chengnan and Ertaijie faults at both sides and developed secondary faults which cut it into several blocks. It consists of Archaeozoic and Paleozoic strata in which Cambrian and Ordovician are dominated by limestone. The tectonism and weathering make it become a good reservoir. Chegu-20 buried hill was formed in early Kongdian formation of Paleogene. Sha-3 member of Chexi sag adjacent to Chegu-20 buried hill is a favorable source-migration-trap system for hydrocarbon accumulation with developed source rocks, abundant oil sources and source sag-faulting-buried hill configuration. It is suggested that Chegu-20 buried hill might be an advantageous area for oil-gas prospecting.


Objective To elucidate the ESI-MS performance of lipophilic tanshinones and to establish a fingerprint of lipophilic tanshinones of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhiza.Methods The lipophilic tanshinones were extracted by ultrasonic wave with 95% ethanol from Radix Salviae Miltiorrhiza and the extracts were analyzed directly in positive ion mode by electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry(ESI-MS).Results The lipophilic tanshinones were easily to form molecular ions ~+ and dimeric sodium adduct ions ~+ in positive ion mode,molecular ions of lipophilic tanshinones were fragmentated through lossing H_2O,CO and A-ring cleavages in ESI-MS~2.The ESI-MS fingerprints of lipophilic tanshinone extracts with 14 selected characteristic peaks analyzed with SPSS software were characteristic and stable.Conclusion Lipophilic tanshinones have similar ESI-MS performance;the ESI-MS fingerprint is a useful tool for a rapid and special identification of lipophilic tanshinones in selected traditional Chinese medicine.


This study is to detect the toxic effect of cadmium chloride on the histological structure of the lung and the effect of parsley oil to amilorate these changes
In this experiement 40 adult male mice were divided into four groups. Goup A (control group) in this group animals were injected with the normal saline intraperitoneally single daily dose for 30 days.
Group B injected intrapertioneally with cadmium chloride single daily dose 3.5 mg/kg body weight for 30 days.
Group C injected intraperetonially with cadmium chloride in a dose of 3.5 mg/kg body weight. Intragastric tube was put to recieve parsley oil in a dose of 0.5 ml/kg body weight prior to cadmium injection. The two drugs were given for 30 days.
Group D recieved 0.5 ml/kg body weight by intragastric tube of parsley oil for 30 days.
At the end of this experiement, the animals were sacrified the lungs were collected from all groups and prepared for light microscopical examination.
Histological changes were detected in cadmium chloride treated group in comparison with the control group including congestion, inflammatory cell infiltration, interstial pneumonia (decreased alveolar space), thickening of interalveolar septum and damge to the alveolar cells. All these changes were eliminated by giving parsley oil.


Studies with cell cultures indicate that extremely low-frequency magnetic fields may exert distinct biological effects on cellular systems. In the present study, selected biological effects of such magnetic fields are investigated in mammalian J774.2 macrophages in culture. J774.2 murine macrophages were exposed to extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) (25 Hz), and stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and/or interferon-γ (IFN-γ). The generation of nitrite (NO2−), prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), chemiluminescence, and proteins were measured. While 1.5 mT and 25 Hz frequency did not affect the viability of the cells, higher flux density (2.4 mT) impaired it significantly. A 24-h exposure of the cells to such frequencies increased their chemiluminescence count rate and TNF-α levels, but not their PGE2, NO2−, or protein concentrations. These results demonstrate that exposure of J774.2 cells to extremely low-frequency magnetic field, at certain flux densities, decreases cell viability and may have biological significance in the antitumoricidal effect of such magnetic fields.


One of the key problems in detecting metal surface defects is that the lighting angles have great influence on the defect features information in the image. A multi-angle lighting multivariate image analysis approach was proposed to improve the accuracy and reliability of detection results. By adjusting the lighting height selectively, the surface images with multi-angle lighting could be obtained and used to constitute the multivariate images data, where each channel is the representation of the metal surface image with different lighting angles. It is based on the Multivariate Image Analysis (MIA) technique to extract defect features information. The effective lighting angles were selected according to score image and corresponding loading vector obtained by the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) strategy. Multivariate images with effective lighting angles were stacked and unfolded, from which the principal component scores of test images could be obtained. The Q-statistic image could be computed by removing first principal component score and the noise. With an appropriate threshold decided by training images and the morphological post-processing, the surface defects could be detected with accurate locations. Experimental work was performed. The results with lower pseudo reject rate verify the robustness and reliability of this method.


Resources and strategies to complete Research Sources Assignment. Resources and techniques for finding primary sources as defined for this assignment: surveys, experimental studies, TV programs, interviews, government publications, artworks, literary works, films, websites


The continuing expansion of mobile app ecosystems has attracted lots of efforts from the research community. However, although a large number of research studies have focused on analyzing the corpus of mobile apps and app markets, little is known at a comprehensive level on the evolution of mobile app ecosystems. Because the mobile app ecosystem is continuously evolving over time, understanding the dynamics of app ecosystems could provide unique insights that cannot be achieved through studying a single static snapshot. In this paper, we seek to shed light on the dynamics of mobile app ecosystems. Based on 5.3 million app records (with both app metadata and apks) collected from three snapshots of Google Play over more than three years, we conduct the first study on the evolution of app ecosystems from different aspects. Our results suggest that although the overall ecosystem shows promising progress in regard of app popularity, user ratings, permission usage and privacy policy declaration, there still exists a considerable number of unsolved issues including malicious apps, update issues, third-party tracking threats, improper app promotion behaviors, and spamming/malicious developers. Our study shows that understanding the evolution of mobile app ecosystems can help developers make better decision on developing and releasing apps, provide insights for app markets to identifying misbehaviors, and help mobile users to choose desired apps.


Compared to neighboring Latvia and Estonia, there has been little attention paid to nationality issues in Lithuania, a country with fewer ethnic minorities (making up approximately 20% of the population) and a more inclusive citizenship policy than her Baltic neighbors. Also, Lithuania's main problems have concerned relations with its Polish minority, whereas Latvia and Estonia have large numbers of "Russian speakers." This means that Russia has been less critical and has not sought to draw international attention to minority issues in Lithuania. As a result, the international community has praised Lithuania's laws for meeting international standards and has given a "pass" to Lithuania when it comes to the treatment of its ethnic minorities. Vesna Popovski seeks to challenge this positive assessment and is motivated by a concern for the actual implementation of laws, as opposed to the mere letter of the law, and seeks to discover the perceptions that minorities have toward their state and its policies.


is 'poco efficace, anzi disturbante* (p. 79). But then Horace was 'weak in architecture' (p. 47). He often failed also to fuse sense and metre (incidentally, Sapphics were 'the most ample and solemn metre he used'), and he was apt unnaturally to separate adjective from noun (pp. 106, 117, 36). The burlesque openings of the Odes to the Tree and the Wine-jar are characterized as rhetorical (pp. 70, 97); for the author shows no more evidence of humour than of sensibility. 'Siamo proprio ciechi?' he asks. Lo sei. His work is addressed, not to specialists, but 'to all men of good taste, whether or not they know Latin' (p. 47). Every reader is invited to judge the quotations for himself (p. 173)—the Latinless presumably from the prose translations supplied. With one exception, only Italian works are cited; naturally, perhaps, since 'foreign authors have hitherto displayed a critical sensibility inferior to ours' (p. 13). Indeed 'if Horace had only had as confidant and friend a Francesco De Sanctis, he would have been guided in his lyrics by a different criterion' (p. 76). The book claims to rest on the most modern aesthetic, but it suggests rather nineteenth-century romantic criticism run amok. It is a caricature of what Tyrrell might have produced if he had devoted a whole book to Horace. It might not seem worth troubling about, if it were not marked as 'segnalata come meritevole di premio' by the Accademia dei Lincei.


This thesis contributes to our understanding of leadership in the 21st century by analyzing three central developments that leaders are currently facing: The digital transformation, changes of organizational hierarchies as well as organizational networks. Four empirical chapters demonstrate the vast changes of work design and leadership in the digital era, reveal the influence of leaders' emotion displays on organizational hierarchies as well as the importance of leading organizational networks via stakeholder management. Implications for theory and practice are developed and possibilities for further research are outlined.


The utility model discloses a prefabricated sandwich external wall panel with thermal insulation concrete. A composite type wall panel integrating a wall body, thermal insulation and architectural ornament from inside to outside is adopted; the wall body is a concrete structural layer for bearing; a thermal insulation panel is arranged in the middle; an architectural ornament cladding panel is arranged at the outermost side; a thermal insulation connector connects the three layers integrally; and the composite external wall panel is applied to the assembly of an integral type shear wall structure or an integral type frame-shear wall structure and meets the requirements of building energy conservation and fire resistance. The prefabricated sandwich external wall panel with thermal insulation concrete disclosed by the utility model is prefabricated in a factory and is arranged at the site; the production and construction efficiencies of the external wall panel are high, and the quality of the external wall panel is ensured; and the external wall panel is energy-saving and environmentally-friendly, resists fire and preserves heat, so that the comprehensive benefits of the external wall panel are remarkable.


Recently,some studies show that HIV-1 and HBx share some biologic activities and functions which are synergistic effects during the coures of AIDS.On this review,we discuss interaction and mechnisms of the HIV-1 and HBx and its products characteristics.


In the dissertation are uncovered the theoretical and practical aspects of accounting and analysis of accounts receivable in terms of crisis management's financial and economic condition of the enterprise. The ways of forming a single economic concept of receivables in accordance with the established principles and components of the concept.Analyzed in detail the problems associated with the group of receivables. A method for the classification of receivables, which are developed using additional types of classification. Based on our ordering options for classification of receivables created its system classifier. Systematized types and methods of valuation of accounts receivable, the variety of which due to the nature of the liquid asset. Developed a comprehensive approach to the assessment of accounts receivable, which allows it to evaluate, taking into account the cost of the building over time and changes in the general purchasing power of the monetary unit.A comprehensive method of assessing the quality of accounting receivables formulated criteria and quality indicators. The state of accounting in the construction machinery industry and metallobrobotki Zaporozhye region. The causes of decline in the quality of accounting receivables identified ways to overcome them.In order to balance the logical tereticheskih concepts of modern accounting issues are investigated to improve the methodological approach to the recognition of receivables as of the accounting object.As a means to control the legality and validity of hozyaytsvennyh transactions related to accounts receivable, proposed numerical analysis that will reveal fraud, ineffective management policies, errors in accounting. A comprehensive method of calculating the provision for doubtful debts and determining the net realizable value of accounts receivable, the use of which allows the basis of a comprehensive assessment of the magnitude, composition and timing of the receivables to develop a comprehensive approach to determining the amount of provision for doubtful debts and assessments receivable at net realizable value.The proposals for the improvement of long-term receivables, offered the use of an additional sub-accounts, improved and supplemented registers analytical account of long-term receivables. The problems of the formation of the accounting information in the accounting records. Developed an optimized form of accounting accounts receivable, which is sufficient source of relevant, high-quality, detailed in the required levels of accounting information on the debts of the enterprise in the analysis of receivables, the process of developing policy crisis management condition of the company. We propose a procedure for automated developed form of accounting receivables.We studied the question of the diagnostic analysis of receivables. The causes significant intercompany lending characteristic of machine-building enterprises of Zaporozhye region. The directions to improve the analysis of receivables. Systematized modern methods of activity analysis, receivables management in the process of evaluating the financial and economic state. The principles of the analysis of the liquidity of debt, which was based on the comparative characteristic of receivables and liabilities of the Company subject to the terms of repayment.For the study of the laws, the level and prospects of development of the crisis offered a comprehensive assessment of the receivables. The uniqueness of this result together with the identification of possible areas of more in-depth analysis of the quality of credit, cash collection policy of the analyzed subject in policy crisis management makes this technique is especially important in the formation of market relations in Ukraine.Identify key ways to improve the methods of accounting and analysis of accounts receivable in a crisis management situation of enterprises. The main results of the study are introduced at machine-building enterprises.


Eco-friendly and inexpensive "green" nanocomposites with enhanced functional performances were developed by combining nanoscale hydroxyapatite (HA) synthesized from eggshell waste (nEHA) and protein-based polymer extracted from defatted soybean residues. nEHA was synthesized from chicken eggshells using an energy efficient microwave-assisted wet chemical precipitation method. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy studies confirmed the nanometer scale (diameter: 4–14 nm and length: 5–100 nm) of calcium-deficient (Ca/P ratio ∼1.53) needle-like HA. Uniform dispersion of nEHA in soy protein isolate (SPI) solution was obtained by modifying nEHA surface using a polyelectrolyte (sodium polyacrylate) dispersant via irreversible adsorption. Green nanocomposite films were prepared from SPI and surface-modified nEHA with the help of a natural plasticizer "glycerol" by solution casting. Significant improvements in tensile modulus and strength were achieved owing to the inclusion of uniformly dispersed nEHA in SPI sheets. Overall, this work provides a green pathway of fabricating nanocomposites using naturally occurring renewable polymer and inorganic moieties from eggshell waste that emphasizes the possibilities for replacing some petroleum-based polymers in packaging and other applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43477.


Based on SMART technology,we constructed a cDNA library from the tissue of tender roots of tea plant(Camellia sinensis).The results showed:without amplication of the library,the cloning efficency was 5×105,the recombinant rate was 92%,and the average size of inserted cDNA fragment was over 1 kb.It suggested that one high quality tender roots cDNA library of tea plant was successfully constructed.Then a set of clones were randomly selected and single-pass sequenced from their 5′ end.As a result,2 651 clones were sequenced and 2 600 valid sequences were generated with average size of 703 bp after vector trimming and discarding the sequences less than 100 bp,in which 404 contigs and 610 singlets were obtained after initial assembly with Phrap program.Blastx was performed against a nonredundant protein sequence database in NCBI and filtered at e-value of 1e-10,734 known functional genes,102 putative functional genes and 178 unknown mRNA were achieved.This study makes a foundation for isolation of functional genes especially those related with metabolism and control in the root of tea plant.


ABSTRACT Illegal logging has caused serious damage to the global forest environment. China, Japan, India and South Korea have been criticized for their imports of illegal timber. Based on a trade balance analysis method, this paper evaluates the imports of illegal timber of China, Japan, India and South Korea. The results show that China has serious illegal timber imports with the Republic of Congo, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, Laos, Brazil and Malaysia. India has serious illegal timber imports with Brazil and Papua New Guinea. Japan has serious illegal timber imports with the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. South Korea has serious illegal timber imports with Malaysia. In order to control the imports of illegal timber, there is a need to further strengthen international cooperation and domestic legislation, enhance the protection and cultivation of forest resources and reduce dependence on imported timber.


ABSTRACT This study analyzed data on victimization by bullying and harassment on school property in a large, diverse, random sample of high school students in Arizona using data from the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. No gender differences in frequency of victimization were detected, but differences by grade, Body Mass Index category, academic performance, depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts and actions, and feelings of safety were statistically significant, although the magnitude of the differences, as measured by effect sizes, were generally small. Implications of the findings for schools are discussed.


Following an "agency-oriented Urban Theory" as advanced by Smith (2001), this study takes the urban landscape of Vinh City in Central Vietnam as a starting point into an investigation of multiple visions of modernity (Eisenstadt, 2000) put forward by social actors, as well as into urban change resulting from the implementation of such visions. Focusing on the period from 1973 to 2011, it traces the application of three different visions for urban development in Vinh: The Socialist City, The Modern and Civilized City, and the Participatory City. Projects aiming at implementing these visions in Vinh that are presented in this study have one thing in common: they are informed by a specific view of what a city is and what it should be, and their implementation aims at changing the city in the desired direction. This goal involves not only physical change of the city, but also institutional change in the urban society. To grasp the interplay between visions of a modern city, their application through concrete projects, and the results of these implementations, the study operates with two specific terms: modern projects, and urban change. After introducing Vinh and its history, the thesis presents the period of the vision of The Socialist City and its application in Vinh through cooperation between Vietnam and the German Democratic Republic in the 1970s. It then moves on to contemporary period starting in the 1990s, during which varying and conflicting modern projects for the city were put forward by different social actors cooperating in joint projects on urban development: the Modern and Civilized City and the Participatory City. While the modes of cooperation differed between the two periods, the study concludes with the argument that the impact of these transnational projects has led to path-dependent, as well as ambivalent, urban change in Vinh.


This chapter highlights good practices and lessons learned for infusing social responsibility—contributing to the larger community and taking seriously the perspectives of others—as outcomes of college.


From the 1980s through the early 1990s, Brazil's economy encountered severe economic conditions that were not conducive to entrepreneurship. Despite these conditions, entrepreneurial endeavors were undertaken. Given the number of firms created during this period, this reactionary behavior raises questions about entrepreneurial psychodynamics. Using the psychological characteristics school of thought as a framework, this study examines the relationship between entrepreneurial behavior and the psychodynamic dimensions of disposition and business desire among entrepreneurs in Sao Paulo, Brazil during a period of economic turmoil. Results of the ANOVA technique indicate that male and female Brazilian entrepreneurs differ in both psychodynamic dimensions.


This paper proposed a tunable band pass filter. It is two-poles direct capacitive coupled resonator band pass filter which the capacitors of parallel resonators are changed by varactor diodes. The DC bias controls to change the value of capacitance in the parallel resonator for tunning the pass band. To validate the proposed design method, we fabricated the band pass filter which has tunable center frequency from 200MHz to 245MHz.


A Identification of the substance that suppresses the odor due to pyrazine derivatives. A comprising the steps of searching method of odor control agent according to pyrazine derivatives: a polypeptide having at least 80% identity in olfactory receptor OR5K1 or its amino acid sequence, the test substance and the following formula (I) (wherein, R .BACKGROUND


PURPOSE: To render a plating liquid stable and to enhance mechanical property of plated film by a method wherein nonion surfactant based on polyoxyalkylamine is added to a non-electrolytic plating liquid consisting of water soluble cupric salt, complexing agent of cupric ions, etc. CONSTITUTION: A non-electrolytic plating solution consists of at least one of water soluble cupric salts selected from the group of sulfate, nitrate, etc., at least one of cupric-ion complexing-agents selected from the group of ethylene diamine tetra- acetate, etc., a pH control agent such as alkali metal hydroxides or sulfuric acid, and a reducing agent for copper ions such as formaldehyde. The plating solution may contain a cuprous-ion complexing-agent such as sodium cyanate. To this plating solution, is added a proper amount of nonion surfactant based on polyoxyalkylamine which is obtained by adding amines to PE, PP. In this manner , the plating solution is stabilized, its service life is prolonged, the plating speed is increased, and the mechanical strength of the plated film is enhanced. COPYRIGHT: (C)1981,JPO&Japio


Summary

Propolis is a natural product that meets the requirements as functional additive for food packaging due to its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. In this work, ethanolic propolis extract (EPE) was incorporated in cassava starch films, and characterisations with respect to their microstructure, mechanical properties, water vapour permeability (WVP), moisture sorption kinetics as well as antimicrobial and antioxidant capacities were performed. The results showed that tensile strength was not affected (P > 0.05) by the presence of EPE but Young's modulus decreased about 50% when compared to control films possibly because of EPE plasticiser effect. When 1% EPE was used, changes in moisture sorption properties were detected by a slightly hydrophobic character at films WVP. When extracted from the films, propolis retained its antioxidant activity. The films exhibited antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli even at low EPE concentrations (0.5%) mainly due to its phenolic compounds.


The hanging is commonly observed in most of the crime scene in northen Indian region. Hanging is mostly suicidal in nature and the second most common way, out of various means adopted by suicide victims. An investigating officer must adopt a scientific method to evaluate the incidence by logical and proper investigations and reconstruction of the case. The present study highlight some important and meaningful points in hanging cases.


A new personal dosemeter for low energy X rays is being developed using an imaging plate (IP) fabricated by Fuji Film Co. Ltd which has 10 3 times higher sensitivity than that of the conventional X ray film badge and makes possible the direct reading of PSL (photostimulated luminescence). To investigate the sensitivity with X ray energy, the plate, which was contacted by various filters was exposed on an acrylic phantom and in free air to X rays of effective energies 12, 18, 31, 50, 60, 69, 80, 101 and 120 keV. The filter set was composed of At, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb, and their thicknesses were 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm. The exposure doses were from 0.01 to 0.1 mSv. The sensitivity of the IP without filter in free air showed a large dependence on X ray energy. The data with filters were therefore combined and by taking the weighted sum of these data the flat energy response to the dose equivalent, which is necessary for the personal dosemeter, could be obtained.


This paper explores the economic prospects for investing in the renewable energy (RE) potentials available to Nigeria, from resource availability to fiscal metrics and policy provisions. With the aid of a simplified Levelised Cost of Electricity (sLCOE) method, unit costs of electricity were simulated up to 2040 and used to derive Net Present Values (NPV), Internal Rate of Returns (IRR) and Return on Investments (ROI) for available RE resource potentials. The outcomes indicate that for a 1-gigawatt (GW) power plant capacity, the cheapest source of RE and grid-level electricity, would come from Large Hydroelectric Power (LHP) at US$28.9 MWh−1 and a 12-year payback period on investment.


The extraction of man-made objects from remotely sensed imagery has been the subject of extensive research over several decades. Technological development in the field of feature extraction from the spatial database is very fast. Now a day and in next few years it is possible to take images up to 1 meter resolution due to the development in the field of satellite sensors. To exploit this high volume data source automated information extraction techniques will be required. Automatic manmade object extraction remains an open research area in digital photogrammetry. While many algorithms have been proposed for manmade object extraction, none of them solve the problem completely. There should be a system which will extract the geometric features from Arial images; the extracted features should convert in to vector format. Vector format supports database feature, so hence the extracted vectorized image will be stored in to databases for taking further advantage. Usually the Mapping agencies undertake this task using manual techniques in an intensive manner. One has to work with Arial images, then processing of the images for extraction of geographic objects, convert the extracted objects in vector form, and store them in database. Thus the study deals with image processing, computer vision, and remote sensing. There is a consensus amongst the research literature that due to the complexity of both natural and man-made landscapes, it is going to be some time before this goal is likely to be achieved. To minimise the complexity of topographic image, in this review paper mainly two manmade objects are considered i.e. road network and buildings. Detection of the buildings manually from high resolution images requires an unacceptable amount of effort both in terms of time and cost [1]. Therefore, the aim of this review paper is to review the methodology for one of the initial steps in such a system which is automated, less complex, time saving and no need to develop a system like neural network.


This paper examines how beginner-level ESL learners developed paragraph writing skills in one fifteen-week semester-long English Communication course. Continuous assessment of the participants' Zone of Proximal Development was reflected in adjustments in the scaffolding in spoken and written tasks. The data sample consists of five ten-minute timed paragraph writings done by a group of 177 ESL undergraduate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students at a private Japanese university. First, the theoretical background is introduced, and the sample explained. Next, the analysis of the timed individual writings (839 in total) focuses on the number of words and the structure used. Finally, the effectiveness of class materials and the teacher feedback is considered in connection with the course format of 1) in-class paragraph structure instruction and group writing practice, followed by 2) a repeated two-class format that alternates pair talks and individual writings. Results indicate that within ten weeks, students became able to write a structured paragraph with an increased length. However, the decline in word count and less structured paragraphs observed in the final writing on a more complicated topic suggests the need for continued scaffolding along with vocabulary building exercises to sustain a positive learning curve.


An incremental algorithm of high efficiency for clustering based on density is presented.The main idea consists of following:(1) Sample data by using partition and sampling technology.(2) Clustering data based on density and grid.(3) In the case for threshold adjusting,it proposes an incremental algorithm to recalculate data affected only.(4) After data insertion or deletion in dynamic environment,making use of incremental algorithm to re-cluster data.The experiments show that the new algorithm can efficiently process high dimensional data with noise and speed up mining greatly.


This paper attempts to estimate a model of inflation in Tajikistan using the Johanson cointegration approach and single equation error correction model. It also develops a methodology for creating monthly real output series. The paper investigates both the short run dynamic behaviour of inflation and the long run relationship of prices with their determinants. There is evidence that in the long run prices are determined by exchange rate, money, real output and interest rates, and in the short run by past values of money growth and inflation, and current and past values of output growth and interest rate changes. The speed of adjustment of prices to their long run equilibria is determined. The results suggest controlling excessive money growth and stabilizing excessive exchange rate fluctuations should be the key ingredients of monetary policy in controlling inflation of the country.


We present results pertaining to the assimilation of real lower, middle, and upper atmosphere observations in the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) using the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) ensemble adjustment Kalman filter. The ability to assimilate lower atmosphere observations of aircraft and radiosonde temperature and winds, satellite drift winds, and Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate refractivity along with middle/upper atmosphere temperature observations from SABER and Aura MLS is demonstrated. The WACCM+DART data assimilation system is shown to be able to reproduce the salient features, and variability, of the troposphere present in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research Re‐Analysis. In the mesosphere, the fit of WACCM+DART to observations is found to be slightly worse when only lower atmosphere observations are assimilated compared to a control experiment that is reflective of the model climatological variability. This differs from previous results which found that assimilation of lower atmosphere observations improves the fit to mesospheric observations. This discrepancy is attributed to the fact that due to the gravity wave drag parameterizations, the model climatology differs significantly from the observations in the mesosphere, and this is not corrected by the assimilation of lower atmosphere observations. The fit of WACCM+DART to mesospheric observations is, however, significantly improved compared to the control experiment when middle/upper atmosphere observations are assimilated. We find that assimilating SABER observations reduces the root‐mean‐square error and bias of WACCM+DART relative to the independent Aura MLS observations by ∼50%, demonstrating that assimilation of middle/upper atmosphere observations is essential for accurate specification of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region in WACCM+DART. Last, we demonstrate that WACCM+DART is able to follow the dynamical and chemical variability during the 2009 sudden stratosphere warming, illustrating the capability of WACCM+DART to generate high‐quality atmospheric reanalysis from the surface to the lower thermosphere.


1.Defining Arabism Contemporary Arab Identity and the State 2.Building Arabism Identity building in Syria and Jordan 3.National Arabism Flagging identity on state television 4.Transnational Arabism Arab satellite television's new discourse 5.Receiving Arabism Everyday opinions from Syria and Jordan Conclusion


Background  We explored the temporal dynamics of the lactulose mannitol test and the influence of a single dose of aspirin.


Against the background of a significant global warming,the trend of shifting warm humid climate in northwest China is fixed.In order to further investigate the differences of the process and the mechanism of the climatic changes,special and temporal,the precipitation,water pressure,sunshine duration,wind speed and temperature from 140 observatories in Northwest China,potential evapotranspiration were calculated using the Penman-Monteith Method recommended by FAO.Aridity index was defined according to its relationship with precipitation.Using the method of Self-Organizing Feature Maps(SOFM),we tried to make a better regional climate classification in NW China,to find out major different abnormal centers.According this,about 43 years of aridity index in 4 different abnormal regional centers in NW China were analyzed by means of orthogonal wavelet transform.The correlation analysis at several kinds of time scales,from interannual,interdecadal to climate basic state scale was used for the impact of North Atlantic Oscillation on Aridity Index in different regional centers.At last,we tried to find out the mechanism between the two at the view of general atmospheric circulation abnormality.


In this paper the strengthening construction technology of high cut and fill subgrade is introduced from some aspects: construction technology and method for reinforcement of fill subgrade, taming method, one way geogrid, construction test, quality control and so on. Practice shows that good effect has been acquired.


Abstract: This paper discusses the function and situation of the office jobs in libraries and expounds ways to do office jobs well.


To describe acute headache diagnoses in women presenting emergently in the postpartum period and to determine which factors may be associated with secondary vs primary headache.


A tape magnetic surface flux collector motor core, and the core portion of the T-shaped flange portion (11b) of the upper (11c) Total merging portion (A) is set in a radial direction away from the T-shaped portion (11c) of (11c1) a specified amount of position, flux (11b) to the core side of the flange portion on the T-shaped portion (11c) of the inlet or outlet side, i.e., the portion from the T-shaped (11c) of a magnetic flux collector surface (11c1) L3 between the size and the core to the flange portion (11b) of the total merging portion (a) is equivalent to half or one-side width dimension L4 is greater than the magnetic flux collector surface (11c1) of. Thus, in the inlet or outlet surface and (11b) side of the flange portion of the total core joining portion (A) of the magnetic flux, the magnetic saturation hardly occurs, can be satisfactorily improved cogging, torque ripple, trans rotary voltage distortion performance, etc., there is provided a simple, low cost and good properties with the core rotation motor.


The invention provides storage interface-based expansion equipment and a clock debugging method thereof. The expansion equipment comprises a clock phase adjusting part used for generating a plurality of clock signals in the same frequency and different phases, a clock switch matrix used for selecting and outputting the clock signals, a storage interface module comprising a plurality of interface parts which work in a first clock domain and/or other clock domains different from the first clock domain, and a functional unit which controls the clock switch matrix in the first clock domain and performs data interaction with the storage interface module. The normal interaction of data can be ensured without asynchronous clock domain processing, the implementation mode is simple and the efficiency is high.


Objective:Since 2004, when all New York City jail entrants began being offered rapid testing at medical intake, HIV testing has increased 4-fold. To guide further service improvement, we determined HIV prevalence among jail entrants, including proportion undiagnosed. Methods:Remnant serum from routine syphilis screening was salvaged for blinded HIV testing in 2006. Using HIV surveillance data and electronic clinical data, we ascertained previously diagnosed HIV infections before permanently removing identifiers. We defined "undiagnosed" as HIV-infected entrants who were unreported to surveillance and denied HIV infection. Results:Among the 6411 jail entrants tested (68.9% of admissions), HIV prevalence was 5.2% overall (males 4.7%; females: 9.8%). Adjusting for those not in the serosurvey, estimated seroprevalence is 8.7% overall (6.5% males, 14% females). Overall, 28.1% of HIV infections identified in the serosurvey were undiagnosed at jail entry; only 11.5% of these were diagnosed during routine jail testing. Few (11.1%) of the undiagnosed inmates reported injection drug use or being men who have sex with men. Conclusions:About 5%-9% of New York City jail entrants are HIV infected. Of the infected, 28% are undiagnosed; most of whom denied recognized HIV risk factors. To increase inmate's acceptance of routine testing, we are working to eliminate the required separate written consent for HIV testing to allow implementation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended opt out testing model.


In this study, the conventional acid-clay method was used to evaluate its potential for recycling waste crankcase lubricating oil (WCLO). The results showed that the acid-clay method was effective in re-refining the WCLO and returning the oil to a quality comparable to oils produced from fresh lube oil stocks. This method has been reported to account for around 90% of the global waste crankcase lubricating oil treatment and is considered to be an inexpensive process. The results revealed that the acid-clay method improved the viscosity of the oil at 40°C from 104 cSt to 105.6 cSt. The flash point of the oil was also increased from 192°C in the WCLO to 204°C in the re-refined crankcase lubricating oil (RCLO). The water content reduced from 0.01% in the WCLO to 0% in the RCLO, indicating the effectiveness of the acid-clay method in removing water traces from the WCLO. Additionally, the contaminants present in the WCLO were reduced drastically, with iron and aluminum content reduced from 23.0% and 21.0% to 0.0% and 0.0%, respectively. The fuel ingress in the WCLO reduced from 4.0% to 1.0%. However, it was observed that the acid-clay method did not significantly impact the viscosity index, TBN, and density of the oil. The re-refined base oil produced by the acid-clay method can be fortified with appropriate additives and reused in vehicles, reducing environmental pollution, depleting fossil resources, and saving the country's foreign exchange used in importing fresh lubricating oil.


We describe the use of wavelength-multiplexed microring resonators as refractive index sensors embedded in microfluidic channels for parallel and differential sensing. The sensor geometry consists of two or more identical 45-micron diameter silicon ring resonators fabricated on silicon dioxide coupled to a single input/output bus waveguide. Two modes of sensing are described: parallel sensing with multiple sensors embedded in separate fluidic channels, and increased sensitivity refractive index sensing by the compensation of temperature dependence with a differential temperature referencing measurement. The first set of experiments demonstrates parallel sensing of water and aqueous salt solutions embedded in separate microchannels. The second set of experiments demonstrates the removal of temperature dependence, and thus improved refractive index detection limit, by temperature referencing using a differential measurement between two resonators.Copyright © 2010 by ASME


81N. ARTHUR H. VANDENBf:RG (R-Mlch.) (rlr ht ) receives a farewell handshake from Undersecretary of state Dean Acheson at Washln'ton's National air port ye~terday just before the senator's departure by plane for the Paris peace conference. Travelln, In the President's personal Jllllne. the Ilcred Cow, VanIItnber, was accompanied by Mrs. Vandenber, and Sen. Allen Barkley (D-Ky.). both sbown In the ,letare. Barkley I ~ en route to St. Morlts, Swlberl and, for a meetln .. of the executi ve committee 01 ~ tnter-parllamentary union. CAP WIREPHOTO)


The objective of this study was to verify the effect of oxytetracycline and virginiamycin when added to broilers feed. One thousand-two day-old broiler chicks were distributed into a floor pen, 30 of each sex per pen. Five treatments were replicated eight times and collected data were submitted to the analysis of variances according to the experimental design from randomized blocks. Experimental design was based on different treatments as follow: R 1 — 110 ppm of oxytetracycline for starter ration and 55 ppm for finisher ration; R 2  — 10 ppm of virginiamycin for starter ration and 5 ppm for finisher ration; R 3  — 110 ppm ofoxytetracycline plus 10 ppm of virginiamycin for starter ration and 55 ppm of oxytetracycline plus 5 ppm of virginiamycin for finisher ration; R 4  — 20 ppm ofvirginiamycin for starter ration and 10 ppm for finisher ration; R 5  — control (non medicated). Based on the found results we can conclude that: a) oxytetracycline and virginiamycin didn't interfere in feed consumption and weight gain in all the studied periods (0 to 28, 29 to 49 and 0 to 49 days); b) during the period from 0 to 28 days, virginiamycin (both levels) had a significant effect on feed conversion when compared to the control group (P ≤ 0.05); however, there weren't significant differences on feed conversion from birds of other treatments; c) regarding weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion, significant difference was not observed from 29 to 49 days among the different treatments; d) during the period from 0 to 49 days, the treatments R 2  (10 ppm of virginiamycin for starter ration and 5 ppm for finisher ration) and R 3  (110 ppm of oxytetracycline plus 10 ppm of virginiamycin for starter ration and 55 ppm of oxytetracycline plus 5 ppm of virginiamycin for finisher ration), showed significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) on feed conversion when compared to the control group; however, there weren't significant differences among feed conversion from birds of other treatments (R 1 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4 ); e) sex effect was highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) for all studied characteristics, showing a male superiority in all the periods; f) there weren't observed any adverse reaction among experimental drugs used in the different treatments (oxytetracycline, virginiamyci n and salinomycin).


Family planning is an important pillar for safe motherhood and good reproductive health and is influenced by number of socio-demographic factors. Since fertility in India is primarily marital this study was planned among married women. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 402 women of reproductive age group. Details regarding various socio-demographic factors with special emphasis on education and occupation of husband and wife and their socio-economic status and its relation to contraceptive usage were studied. Prevalence of contraception was found to be 61.7%. Contraceptive usage had a significantly positive relation with literacy status of women, socio economic status of the couple. On the other hand husband's educational status, occupation of women, husband's occupation did not have any relation with contraceptive usage.


The glucoside, loganin, is shown to contain the groupings C-CH3, C=C-C=O, and CO2CH3, and several new derivatives are described. As a working hypothesis formula I is advanced.


................................................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Maternal Health Services in Kenya .......................................................................... 3 1.1.2 Beyond zero campaign .............................................................................................. 4 1.1.3 Maternal health care in Kenya and devolution ......................................................... 4 1.2 Study Problem ................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Study objectives ................................................................................................................ 6 1.4 Significance of the study ................................................................................................... 6 1.5 Study Limitations .............................................................................................................. 7 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ................................................ 8 2.1 Theoretical literature ......................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Epidemiology of obstetric fistula ...................................................................................... 9 2.3 Etiological Indicators of Obstetric Fistula ........................................................................ 9 2.3.1 Maternal Indicators for Obstetric Fistula Occurrence ............................................ 10 2.3.2 Maternal Healthcare Utility Constraint ................................................................... 12


Effect of enzyme L-lisyne-a-oxidase in complex with gel (Sakap) on carcinoma of the skin of mice induced by methylcholantrene was studied. Gel application once daily during 3 weeks decreased carcinoma dimensions on 40 per cent.


This study was carried out to determine the effect of Bacillus subtilis to the physical growth characteristics of Ipomoea pes-caprae under different nickel concentrations (25, 50, 100 ppm). Plants were stem-cut and pre-planted for seven days, before subjecting to pot experimentation for a duration of three weeks using a completely randomized design with three replications. Results of the study revealed that plants grown in nickel-contaminated soil with Bacillus subtilis significantly increased its shoot length (48±2, 42.87±0.81, 39±1.73) and root length (36.53±1.53, 33.33±1.15, 26.17±0.76) compared to the plants grown in nickel-contaminated soil without Bacillus subtilis; shoot length (27±1.73, 25.67±0.58, 21±1) and root length (16.67±0.58, 15±3, 11.67±1.53). On the other hand, nickel concentration in the leaves of I. pes-caprae was higher in plants with B. subtilis (84ppm, 58ppm, 70ppm) compared to the plants without B. subtilis (48 ppm, 54 ppm, 82 ppm). Bacillus subtilis help Ipomoea pes-caprae to grow physically and become resistant even at 100 ppm of nickel concentration, thereby enhancing its accumulation potential to heavy metal. This work suggests that Ipomoea pes-caprae is a potential bioaccumulator and Bacillus subtilis is one of the most auspicious plant growth promoter rhizobacteria. Further investigation concerning the capability of I. pes-caprae as bioaccumulator using different heavy metals is highly recommended.


Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) can occur following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and may be associated with other cytopenias. It can also occur in the context of chronic red cell transfusion in patients maintained on hypertransfusion regimens. There are an increasing number of reports on the successful treatment of autoimmune cytopenias with the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody rituximab, including a few patients in a post-HSCT setting. The authors report the successful treatment with rituximab of refractory AIHA following allogeneic nonmyeloablative bone marrow transplantation in a child with sickle cell disease.


A new monotypic genus, Jablonskia, based on the South American Securinega con- gesta (Euphorbiaceae, Phyllanthoideae), resembles genera of the Antidesmeae in pollen and wood characters, but the floral structure is more similar to that in genera of Aporuseae such as Ashtonia and Richeria. From Securinega, where it was originally placed, and the taxa of Antidesmeae and Aporuseae, Jablonskia may be separated by a combination of characteristics: monoecious; inflores- cences axillary; flowers conspicuously bracteate, the staminate sessile; pollen grains prolate, exine tectate-perforate, germ pore lalongate; seeds with fleshy exotesta, paired in each locule of the irregularly dehiscing capsule; embryo with radicle equalling the cotyledons. Among the taxa of Euphorbiaceae that were never revised by Pax and Hoffmann in their long series of monographic treatments is Phyl- lanthinae. As circumscribed by Pax and Hoff- mann (1931), this subtribe included five gen- era: Zimmermannia, Securinega, Pleiostemon, Phyllanthus, and Reverchonia. Relationships in this complex have remained rather poorly understood because of the lack of comprehen- sive study since the last, now badly outdated, treatments of Mueller (1866) and Bentham (1880). In an attempt to improve the classifica- tion of this group, I have considered problems of generic delimitation in studies on Phyllan- thus (1956-58), Reverchonia (1963 with Miller), Meineckia (1965), and Margaritaria (1979). The most challenging problem of generic de- limitation involves Securinega Juss. Although Pax and Hoffmann (1931) treated Securinega in a broad sense, including Flueggea Willd., Ben- tham (1878) characterized it as a "purely arti- ficial genus" and maintained Flueggea as dis- tinct on the basis of its fruit and seed structure. After a study of this problem over the last 15 years, I have concluded that Bentham was cor- rect in separating Flueggea and that the artifi- ciality of delimitation of Securinega should be resolved by segregating those elements whose diagnostic features are incompatible with the type species, S. durissima J. F. Gmelin. Part of this task was accomplished with the reinstate- ment of Meineckia (Webster 1965), but a num- ber of discordant groups remain, including the South American plants that are the subject of this paper. The South American taxon currently known as Securinega congesta (Benth. ex Muell. Arg.) Muell. Arg. was originally described as a species


This study aimed to determine the diversity of diurnal birds at Mangrove Bay Area Preserves Teluk Besar Parit Kelabu the of this research will provide data and information about the diversity of diurnal birds in the area, so it can be used as a basis in avian wildlife conservation efforts in the areal.The study was conducted at the Mangrove Bay Preserves Teluk Besar Parit Kelabu Kubu Raya regency of West Kalimantan, using the strip method combined with point count method.Broadband observations made €‹€‹5 (five) placed randomly strip length of 200 meters with a bandwidth of observation 50 meters (25 meters to 25 meters left and right), with a path length of 200 meters. Where observation time that is in the morning starting at 5:30 to 7:30, daylight hours 13:00 to 14:30 and 16:30 to 18:00 oclock afternoon.The results found 27 types of diurnal birds that are classified into 16 tribes (family).The composition of the bird species most often found in the morning is kind Gajahan East (Numenius Madagascariensis) with a total of 65, the day of the East Gajahan (Numenius Madagascariensis) with a total of 42, and the afternoon is Species diversity index, with the highest values€‹€‹ found in the morning with a value = 1.3467, based on the composition of insectivorous bird species feed as much as 23%, 44% fish eaters and fruit eaters / plant as much as 33%. The similarity index between path between 90.74% -100%. Keyword : Diversity, diurnal bird species, protecting mangrove forest


Currently, several green propellants are under investigation to replace the toxic and carcinogenic monopropellant hydrazine (N2H4). Beside alternatives as ammonium dinitramide-based propellants, hy...


In this paper we present a novel method reducing the dynamic power consumption in FPGA-based arithmetic circuits by optimizing the bit-widths of the signals inside the circuit. The proposed method is implemented in the tool PowerBit, which makes use of macro models parameterized by word-level signal statistics to estimate the circuit power consumption during the optimization process. The power models used take in to account the generation and propagation of signal glitches through the circuit. The bit-width optimization uses a static analysis technique which is capable of providing guaranteed accuracy in the design outputs. We show that, for sample designs implemented on FPGAs that improvements of over 10% are possible for multiple bit-width allocated designs optimized for power compared to designs allocated uniform bit-widths


BACKGROUND
The anticonvulsant trimethadione is a potent inducer of ventricular septation defects, both clinically and in rodents. Teratogenicity requires its N-demethylation to dimethadione, the proximate teratogen. It was previously demonstrated trimethadione only induced membranous ventricular septation defects in rat (Fleeman et al., 2004), and our present goal is to determine whether direct administration of dimethadione increases the incidence and severity of septation defects.

METHODS
Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups and administered either distilled water (control) or four different regimens of dimethadione. The core treatment was 300 mg/kg dimethadione b.i.d. on gestation day 9, 10 with additional groups given one additional dose of dimethadione 12 hr earlier, 12 hr later or two additional doses 12 hr earlier and later. Caesarian sections occurred on gestation day 21 and fetuses were examined for standard developmental toxicity endpoints.

RESULTS
The broadest dosing regimen yielded the highest incidence and the most severe heart and axioskeletal findings with a decrease in mean fetal body weight. The overall incidence of ventricular septation defects was 74%, of which 68% were membranous and 9% muscular. Outflow tract anomalies (17%) were also observed, as were malformations of the axioskeleton (97%), but not of the long bones, and of particular interest was the high incidence of sternoschesis.

CONCLUSIONS
Unlike trimethadione, dimethadione induces more serious muscular septation defects that are believed to be more clinically relevant. This, when taken together with the high incidence of total septation anomalies suggests dimethadione is useful for the study of chemically induced ventricular septation defects.


A compacted CMOS K‐band bandpass filter incorporating meandering thin film microstrip and defective uniplanar compact photonic bandgap (UC‐PBG) slow‐wave structures for size reduction are presented. Benefited from the multilayer metal technology of the standard 0.18‐μm CMOS process, meandering thin film microstrip and broadside‐coupled structures with large coupling degree are properly constructed to realize bandpass filters with small insertion loss. The slow‐wave effect of UC‐PBG structure is investigated and a center frequency drop of 14% is achieved by the use of UC‐PBG ground. A 3.6‐dB loss 18‐GHz filter with two transmission poles has been designed and implemented in standard 0.18‐μm CMOS technology and only with an area of 0.34 mm2. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 871–874, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24180


T FOURTH ARTICLE of Thomas Aquinas's Quaestio disputata De Unione Verbi incarnati has for centuries perplexed and frustrated the interpretive efforts of his most earnest and faithfol commentators. The difficulty stems, in part, from Aquinas's introduction of a second, human esse (in addition to the divine esse) into the metaphysical constitution of Christ. He thus departs from and even seems to contradict his standard account of Christ's esse, for, time and again, he insists that Christ has only one esse, the divine and eternal esse of the Word. 1 This difficulty is compounded by the fact that De Unione itself offers little to no explanation as to what metaphysical status Aquinas is willing to grant Christ's human esse. He does state that the human esse is not accidental, but neither is it, he adds, the primary or substantial esse whereby Christ subsists. 2 This leads to the obvious questions: what is the human esse, what role does it serve, and how is this account compatible with what Aquinas says elsewhere?


CORBA(Common Object Request Broker Architecture) provides a good solution for network management because of its features of distributing,objectoriented and integrating heterogeneous network.If CORBA can be used into the area of network management,the system can be provided with the same superiority.At the same time,the realized CORBA services and tools can make the network management system suitable for the development of future.The paper gives a production of the advantages of CORBA and its application in the network management.It puts forward a new kind of management frame and gives a realization in detail.


Abstract Distortion maps are a useful tool for pairing based cryptography. Compared with elliptic curves, the case of hyperelliptic curves of genus g > 1 is more complicated, since the full torsion subgroup has rank 2g. In this paper, we prove that distortion maps always exist for supersingular curves of genus g > 1. We also give several examples of curves of genus 2 with explicit distortion maps for embedding degrees 4, 5, 6, and 12.


Abstract Aryl alkenes can be prepared from aryl ketones through reduction by refluxing with amalgamated zinc in a mixture of formic acid and ethanol.


The research area is located on the Mogaung - Kamaing-Hpakant road in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, northern Myanmar. The dominant lithologic units comprise igneous and metamorphic rocks. The present work is mainly intended to establish the petrogenesis of the igneous rocks based on the petrochemical analysis results. The igneous rocks are mainly microgranite and serpentinite. Major element analysis of some rocks was determined by XRF spectrometer and interpreted the genesis of these rock units. On the basis of the petrochemical characteristics, the microgranite of the study area is I-type peraluminous granitoid formed by partial melting of mantle and / or lower crust in the extensional tectonics.


This article chronicles the author's exploration of the provenance and content of the papers of James Sholto Douglas, a student at the University of Edinburgh during the 1750s. Extrapolating from science historian Bruno Latour's concept of "ready-made" science, the author argues that the processes of acquisition, organization, and description create a "black box" around the record. Through opening the black box, the archivist gains a better understanding, not only of the documents but also of the process behind their acquisition and description. The James Sholto Douglas papers are an excellent example of the education and thought which existed during the Scottish Enlightenment; they also constitute an excellent case study of how deconstructing a record's context can bring enlightenment. Usefull knowledge can have no enemies, out [sic] the ignorant, it cherishes youth, delights the aged, is an ornament in prosperity, and yields comfort in adversity. The great business of man is to improve his mind and govern his manners. ... James Sholto Douglas to the Belles Lettres Society University of Edinburgh, December 1758 * The author would like to thank those who provided valuable commentary and support during the writing of this paper, in particular, Patricia Kennedy, Jennifer Mueller, Joan Schwartz, Andrew Horrall, Paul Marsden, and Jennine Hurl-Eamon.


Prenatally diagnosed trisomy 16 mosaicism is associated with the increased risk of poor pregnancy outcome including intrauterine growth restriction, intrauterine death and fetal malformation. While maternal preeclampsia has also been reported in some cases, this has not been systematically evaluated.


According to the automobile insurance data, most of the victims of rear-end accidents experienced a whiplash injury classified as AIS 2 or less. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of the accelerometer array on the neck injury criteria in low speed(△V=4, 6, 8km/h) rear-end impact test. To accomplish this, rear impact simulations were conducted using the MADYMO human facet occupant model(50th percentile male) and the occupant models equipped accelerometer array. Neck injury criteria(NIC, N㎞, LNL) were then compared for the different occupant models.


From 1974 to 1982 repeated tracer tests using fluorescent dyes were carried out in the highly glaciated drainage basin of Vernagtbach. These tests enabled the quantitative determination of the runoff in the forefield of the Vernagtferner, the calculation of travel times of the stream water and estimations of the relative contributions to the entire runoff originating from individual streams. In addition, tracer tests were carried out in the firn area of the glacier resulting in data concerning the storage and travel time of meltwater inside the glacier.


New component-based techniques are emerging, leading to new ways to develop software. Industrial component technologies such as COM, JavaBeans, EJB, or CCM are powerful but their extensive use leads to component-based software products that are difficult to understand. This paper discusses several issues in visualizing component-based software products, namely the visualization of the component model itself, the visualization of software components and finally the visualization of software assemblies.


I am sitting in a bar on Seventh Avenue in Chelsea. I am being interviewed by a writer for Time magazine. It is the middle of the day and I am drinking wine. He has coffee. I am being interviewed because I have written a play about slavery in Montreal that is about to open in New York and Detroit and I have the dubious honour of being not only the most produced Canadian playwright in the United States that month but one of the first black Canadian playwrights to be commercially produced off-Broadway. The interview is not going well, nor are the rehearsals for the New York run.


An extremely halophilic archaeon Natrialba aegyptiaca produces extracellular poly‐γ‐glutamate (PGA), in which only l‐glutamate is polymerized via γ‐amide linkages. We examined the extremolyte‐like applicability of archaeal PGA and found the ameliorating effects of l‐PGA on the resistibility to freeze‐thawing and proteolysis, thermostability, and alkalotolerance of a model enzyme, labile DNA ligase. For example, the coexistence of low (e.g. 0.01 mg mL−1) and high (e.g. 0.1 mg mL−1) concentrations of l‐PGA with an average molecular mass of 1000 kDa increased the midpoint of thermal inactivation of DNA ligase by about 15°C and 18°C, respectively, and the model enzyme further remained active even under extremely alkaline conditions of pH 11.4 in the presence of the high concentration of l‐PGA. This is the first characterization of the stereo‐regular PGA molecules as atypical extremolytes. l‐PGA from extremophiles has great potential as a bio‐based protectant (or stabilizer) with industrial versatility.


Large‐scale collections of Zygnemataceae in the continental United States of America were made between March and August in 1982, 1983, and 1984. Collections were made on a 31000‐km transect through 35 states. Zygnemataceae were found at 318 sites was inspected. Temperature average 19°C and pH averaged 6.1 over all sites. Algal strains in collections were identified to genus, characterized for filament width, chloroplast number, and end wall type, then photographed and isolated into unialgal culture. Spirogyra was the most common genus collected(632 strains), followed in abundance by Zygnema (174 Strains) and Mougeotia (135 strains). These three genera contained 95% of the strains collected and were equally widely distributed. Strains of the three genera frequently occurred together; no genus displayed evidence of habitat specialization among the three habitat types: flowing water, permanent ponds or lakes, and temporary pools. In Spirogyra, strains with plane (flat) end walls were four times more abundant than those with replicate (interlocking) end walls. Spirogyra with plane end walls showed more variation in filament width than Zygnema, Mougeotia, or Spirogyra with replicate end walls. In Spirogyra with plane end walls, filament width was correlted with nuclear DNA content and number of strains found per collection site was twice that of other genera or Spirogyra, with replicate end walls. Spirogyra strains wider than 70 μm were more frequent on the northern part of the transect. It is proposed that polyploidy may be of widespread occurrence in Spirogyra with plane end walls and that associated morphological plasticity may account for the high apparent specied diversity and survival of the genus in a wider variety of microhabitats than occupied by other Zygnemataceae.


Recent study shows that recommendation system not only relys on user's static preference, but also dynamic preference. Consequently, it leads to the emergence of session-based recommendation. With the development of recurrent neural network, this kind of method can capture representations of users' sequential behaviors from a large number of sessions. However it is prone to spurious dependency problem. Recently, convolutional neural network has also shown its potential in modelling session, especially in extracting complex local pattern of subsequence. Therefore, we propose a hybrid neural model, called SGPD, for learning sequential general pattern and dependency for session-based recommendation. In SGPD, we propose recurrent residual convolution network to extract general pattern of subsequence in a session. Furthermore, the SGPD scans sequence from forward and reverse direction by bidirectional recurrent neural network, and learns sequential dependency of a session. Finally, the objective function is constructed by cross entropy and the model parameters are learned. The experimental results show that the precision rate, recall rate and mean reciprocal ranking of SGPD are greatly improved compared with the state-of-art methods. It has good application prospect.