(57) Abstract: Direct effectively incorporate device materials such as medicaments in the interior of the dispensing device from the vial is disclosed. The apparatus vials that engage the vial adapter (150), the connector (160) for coupling the container vial adapter and fluid conduit, such as a needle to provide fluid communication between the vial and the container (155), and reclosing possible to have a valve (164). The apparatus also initially may be mounted a vial to the dispensing apparatus without establishing contact of liquid between the vial and the distribution device.


Clark presents the results of three empirical (statistical) tests of the generator which appear to give it a clean bill of health. The first of the tests is the frequency test, sometimes called the equidistribution test. The second is the autocorrelation test, and the third is the run test. I propose here to look at those tests in more depth and in addition to apply the serial test to show that the generator is not statistically very satisfactory for most simulation purposes.


In order to improve epileptic focus localization performance of non-invasive recording, we propose a new method to estimates and visualize the spatio-temporal spread pattern of the epileptic spike activities especially at the onset of spikes when the activity is too small for reliable source estimation. Result of this temporal spread imaging (TSI) method from the MEG data of five patients with intractable partial epilepsy in the course of presurgical evaluation were compared to the invasive focus localization with subdural grid recording. The TSI result were compatible with conventional equivalent current dipole estimation but indicated the epileptic focus better. This method will be a useful tool for non-invasive focus localization of epilepsy patients.


Technological conditions of tube drawing influence the properties of the resulting products. In addition to mechan-ical properties, they also affect the geometry of the drawing tube ? macro geometry and microgeometry. The paper presents the results of measurements of macro geometry (roundness and cylindricity) and micro geometry (surface roughness) of the outer surface of the drawn tube. Tubes (STN 41 1353) were drawn through dies with different reduction angles (6° and 12°). On used fixed mandrels were ground the straight and spiral grooves. The effect of these grooves and hence the deformation itself has also been manifested on the outer surface of the drawn tube. On the measured roundness profiles are significantly noticeable places where the land and the groove were when drawing. This effect can also be observed on the deteriorated measured values of roundness. On the meas-ured values and roughness profiles of the outer surface of the drawn tube can also be observed the difference be-tween land and grove.


Data enables Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to quantify the impact of their initiatives to themselves and to others. The increasing amount of data stored today can be seen as a direct consequence of the falling costs in obtaining it. Cheap data acquisition harnesses existing communications networks to collect information. Globally, more people are connected by the mobile phone network than by the Internet. We worked with Vita, a development organisation implementing green initiatives to develop an SMS-based data collection application to collect social data surrounding the impacts of their initiatives. We present our system design and lessons learned from on-the-ground testing.


Abstract Carbonate reservoir is one kinds of important reservoir in the world. Because of the characteristics of carbonate reservoir, horizontal well, and acid fracturing became a key technology for efficiently developing carbonate reservoir. Establishing corresponding mathematical models and analyzing transient pressure behaviors of this type of well-reservoir configuration can provide a better understanding of fluid flow patterns in formation as well as estimations of important parameters. A coupling mathematical model for a fractured horizontal well in triple media carbonate reservoir with three kinds of reservoir outer boundaries by conceptualizing vugs as spherical shapes is presented in this article, in which the infinite conductivity of the acid fractures is taken into account. A semi-analytical solution is obtained in the Laplace domain by using source function theory, Laplace transformation, discretization of fracture, and superposition principle. Analysis of transient pressure responses indicates that several characteristic flow periods of fractured horizontal wells in triple media carbonate reservoir can be identified. Parametric analysis shows that fracture half-length, fracture number, fracture spacing, conditions of reservoir outer boundary, and so on can significantly influence the transient pressure responses of fractured horizontal wells in triple media carbonate reservoir. The model presented in this article can be applied to obtain important parameters pertinent to reservoir or fracture by type curve matching, and it can also provide useful information for optimizing fracture parameters.


Recently, direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) has drawn increasing attention as a promising kind of power source due to the lower toxicity, lower membrane permeability and higher energy density of ethanol. However, a significant challenge in the development of DEFC technology is the need for highly active catalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in an acid or alkaline environment that involve complete oxidation per ethanol molecule to CO2, which is difficult to implement at low temperatures. Pt-based alloy (Pt-M) catalysts, which enhance electro-catalytic activity due to their increase of Pt d-band vacancy and more favorable Pt-Pt inter-atomic distance, are well studied and widely used in DEFC [1]. In addition, in order to further maximize the activity of Pt-M catalysts and minimize the use of previous metals, it is helpful to load Pt-M catalysts on the surface of supporting nano-materials with low cost, high surface area, and good electrical conductivity. As a newly developed two-dimensional (2-D) carbon support, graphene has received considerable interest due to its outstanding physical and chemical properties [2, 3]. There are more and more examples of Pt-M alloys/graphene hybrids demonstrated to date [4]. However, in order to avoid aggregation of nanoparticles (NPs), many recent methods rely on specific capping agent for surface stabilization. Unfortunately, the presence of these agents around the NPs leads to decreasing their activity sites, which severely affect their chemical activities. Therefore, it is meaningful to develop surfactant-free method to synthesize Pt-M alloys/graphene hybrids. Here, we described a green, one-pot and surfactant-free route to fabricate PtPd alloy NPs on graphene (PtPd ANPs/G) sheet. As a low-cost and green solvent, ethanol was used as the reductant in this preparation. In addition, graphene sheets were used as a supporting material and stabilizing agent for the deposition of PtPd ANPs. The morphology, structure and composition of the resulting PtPd ANPs/G sheets were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution TEM and high-angle annular dark-field scanning TEM (HAADFSTEM). Fig. 1A-C shows the representative TEM images of PtPd ANPs/G at different magnifications. Lowmagnification TEM images (Fig. 1A and B) show that all the PtPd ANPs are uniformly distributed on the graphene surface. The absence of isolated PtPd ANPs in the product indicates a strong interaction between graphene and PtPd ANPs. The HRTEM image in Fig. 1C demonstrates the average diameter of the PtPd ANPs is about 7.6 nm. The inter-planar spacing is 0.192 nm, which agrees well with the (200) lattice spacing of face-centered-cubic (fcc) Pt and Pd. The elemental distribution of the PtPd ANPs/G catalyst was studied by HAADF-STEM technique. The results revealed that both Pt and Pd have a homogeneous distribution on the nanoparticles, suggesting the formation of an alloy structure. Fig. 1 (A-C) Representative TEM (A, B) and HRTEM (C) images of PtPd ANPs/G hybrids.


This is an interim working paper on the development of a an econometric model of the short-term fluctuations in output, employment and unemployment in the Scottish economy. As is argued by many previous regional modellers and analysts, it is of both theoretical and practical importance to have an in-depth understanding of the regional economic problems and adjustment mechanisms. This is particularly needed at a time when the European nations are moving towards an economic and monetary union, as the importance of 'regional' issues will increase with 'regional' adjustment mechanisms replacing nominal exchange rate mechanism.


Three strains of adenovirus were relatively stable to the effects of chloroform, extreme pH, trypsin, heat, lyophilization, and ultrasonication. The structure of the viruses and their mode of replication in cell cultures confirmed these viruses to be members of the avian adenoviruses.


D iscovering nature's limits has always been a major goal of physics research. For rare isotopes, this quest takes the form of finding the combinations of protons and neutrons that lead to a bound nuclear system. For a nucleus with a set number of protons, there is a limit to how many neutrons can be added before they stop sticking together and instead drip out. This limit, known as the neutron dripline, represents the border between the bound and unbound isotopes of a particular element. Now, for the first time in 20 years, researchers have extended the neutron dripline, locating the boundary for two elements heavier than oxygen. Deuk Soon Ahn at RIKEN, Japan, and colleagues determined the maximum number of neutrons that fluorine and neon can have, setting new constraints for theoretical calculations [1].


This work particularly focuses on compensating Joule heat in under-heated areas occurred when thin steel bar is(<20 mm)heated by transverse flux induction heater(TFIH).The under-heated areas take place in range of 50~150mm from the both edges,so Transverse Flux Induction Coil(TFIC)including a magnetic core is proposed and optimized to supplement this fault.The solutions on the electromagnetic field are obtained numerically by commercial code MAXWELL 3D software from ANSYS Corp.and then,verified experimentally by pilot-scale tests,in which the TFIH was manufactured with a nominal power of 100 kW at a fundamental frequency of 1 kHz.Ultimately,TFIC having geometrically the optimized magnetic core made the heating pattern U-shaped,so could supply a desirable temperature profile for the rolling process.


With all of the concern about Internet and computer security, there is a genuine interest in methods that can be used to provide defenses against unauthorized use and other cyberspace abuses. Whether on a stand-alone desk top computer, a road warrior's laptop or a large network, security can indeed be vital. Passwords that are typed into the system provide a measure of control, but stories abound in situations where such a safeguard has been skirted. A more comprehensive, more secure and actually simpler method of achieving keyboard security has been developed and is being exhibited in new products to provide secure keyboards and systems. This approach is based on the fingerprint of the authorized user, a "keyword" that is a little difficult to counterfeit. The system generally involves a small scanner that is incorporated into the computer case, or even the computer mouse, plus a software program that integrates the measurement, comparison with the control image and a system to admit or bar the operator. The "Key Tronic Secure Scanner Keyboard" is a typical 104-key keyboard with the scanner built into the left side of the keyboard case, providing the scanner port in a convenient position for the operator to scan in the fingerprint right on the keyboard ($150 and up; Key Tronic Corp, 509-928-8000; www.keytronic.com ). A similar system is used by Acer in their "Acer TravelMate 739TLV" laptop computer. This laptop integrates the security fingerprint system into the basic Pentium III hardware and software. The security system makes a map of the user's fingerprint and stores it in the main memory. When the machine is booted up, the user is prompted to place the finger over the scanner window. If the correct fingerprint is not given, the machine refuses to boot ($3500; Acer; 800-733-2237; www.acer.com). A special computer mouse is the component used to register and check the fingerprint of the computer user in the Siemens system. This mouse scanner uses one or more of the operator's fingers for the scan; the print is then converted into the digital image used to The NONWOVEN WEB INJ DEPARTMENTS


Epistemological realism was postulated as a prolegomenon to clinical research. Observation of single cases must precede any effort for generalization. Observation of men by men is always a field process. In clinical research the experimenter exercises a great amount of power over the subject, thus a naive empirical approach and operationism may be misleading. Clinical theory must be coated in a language different from empirical data and enable the formation of causal chains of events.


The invention provides an automatic exposure method and device for a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) image sensor. The automatic exposure method includes: after a currently-photographed image is acquired, calculating current exposure quantity and a target brightness threshold value of the image, calculating exposure quantity of a sensor, needing to be adjusted, between the current exposure quantity and the target brightness threshold value, and dividing the exposure quantity into 2n+1 exposure quantity sections; according to the exposure quantity of each section and odevity of the corresponding section, adopting an alternate adjusting mode of exposure time and analog gain to adjust the exposure quantity until the exposure quantity reaches the target brightness threshold value; if the exposure time and the analog gain are adjusted to be maximum values while the exposure quantity still does not reach the target brightness threshold value, adjusting digital gain. The automatic exposure method and device has the advantages that the advantages of a shutter priority automatic exposure mode and a gain priority automatic exposure mode are integrated, requirements on both moving object photographing and low-noise level are taken into consideration, and photographing quality of the CMOS image sensor is improved effectively.


Displacement of copper intrauterine devices (IUDs) is not uncommon complication of these methods of contraception; many literatures have reported the translocation of IUDs to the peritoneum, bladder, and myometrium. A less common complication such as perforation of the ovary has equally been reported. Copper IUD penetrating the rectum is also a rare occurrence because of the anatomical relationship of the uterus and the rectum. This series aimed at highlighting a complication of copper IUD translocating through the uterus to the rectum. We present three cases of displaced IUD managed in our facility over a 2-month period. Two of the clients had their device inserted in primary facilities in the state and one in our institution. All the clients had laparotomy in view of their unusual symptoms. It is imperative for all facility providers to evaluate any client presenting with missing string both clinically and radiologically; they should also acquire or retrain on the criteria for correct insertion of Intra Uterine Contraceptive Device.


South Africans have migrated to New Zealand either deliberately abandoning their country of birth or drawn to New Zealand as a country opening its arms to them to begin a new life. Leaving home means many do wait for their souls to arrive in their newly adopted home. Many have suffered grief and loss, while adapting and settling into a new country and culture. Most of the families that have come to New Zealand are either of English or Afrikaans background. They bring skills needed in New Zealand and while many have readily adapted there are many who have struggled with the change. This paper addresses the issue of culture shock and other associated tensions experienced by South African migrants with Afrikaans as their first language. Themes addressed in this article emerged from a review of the literature and in the course of a research project. They represent issues of importance for New Zealand teachers, social workers, counsellors, mental health workers and all who work with migrants.


The present invention relates to a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprising a structure (2) and a shock absorber (3) assembled on said structure (2) via fastening means, such as at least one means binding (31, 211) of the absorber (3) on the structure (1, 2) also forms, during said assembly, a pre-holding means.


This paper challenges the conclusions of earlier writers regarding the roles of smallholder agriculture, commercial agriculture and wage labour in rural poverty alleviation in Mozambique. We review literature from across Sub-Saharan Africa and use recently collected household level data sets to place Mozambique within this literature. Results show that, as in the rest of SSA, wage labour earnings are concentrated among the best-off rural smallholders; these earnings increase income inequality rather than reducing it. Results also suggest that the same set of households, who are substantially better-off than others, has tended to gain and maintain access to the 'high-wage' end of the labour market over time. Key determinants of access to 'high-wage' labour are levels of education and previously accumulated household wealth. Income from wage labour plays a key role in lifting out of relative poverty those 'female-headed' households that can obtain it, yet only about one in five such households earns wage income. We stress that the rural development question in Mozambique, and elsewhere in SSA, should not be framed as an artificial choice between promoting either wage labour opportunities or commercial agriculture or smallholder agriculture. The issue is what mix of approaches is needed to develop a diversified rural economy with growing total incomes, improving food security and rapid reductions in poverty. We suggest that commercial agriculture and increased rural wage labour are important components in any such strategy, but that this strategy will fail without substantial and sustained increases in the productivity and profitability of smallholder agriculture.


Automatic train protection (ATP) system of urban railway transit is very important for safe operation, where the effective transmission of train control information is the most significant factor. In the research of nationalization for the ATP system, carried out by the Ministry of Constructions and Ministry of Railways of China, the frequency shift keying (FSK) approach is adopted to modulate the train control information, as it does not need to estimate the phase of the carrier wave. This paper introduces a computer simulation method of FSK, and solves some of the key techniques, such as how to make the FSK simulation into a real-time system with continuous phase as well as dynamically changed the codes and frequencies of FSK. The computer simulated FSK was implemented in an ATP simulation system and was shown to be effective.


In this paper we study the generalised growth properties of composite entire and meromorphic functions using the generalised order and generalised lower order improving some earlier results . Mathematics Subject Classification: 30D35, 30D30


In this work the last years of Pedro Tenorio's pontificate are studied from different perspectives of analysis, a period that begins in the summer of 1393 with the coming of age of Enrique III and continues with the progressive, although never definitive, distance from the Royal Court of the Toledan Primate promptly alleviated with their participation in certain diplomatic and mediating matters that covered peninsular politics or ecclesiastical activity equally, and all this in the midst of an unceasing activity of diocesan, lordly, foundational and constructive administration aimed at materialize the power that represented the primacy of Spain.


Accueil, Amenagement et Gestion dans les Grands Sites. Aries, 18, 19 & 20 mars 1999. Les Cahiers de la Section Fran<;aise de ICOMOS, Paris (2000). 150 FF; Euro 22.87. Barclay,K. SCientific AnaZysis of Archaeological Ceramics: AHandbook of Resources. Oxbow Books, Oxford (200l). ISBN 1-842170-31-7. £4.95; US$9.95. Blonde,A. Youth and the Safeguard of He ritage; Jeu nes et Sauvegarde du Patrimoine. ICCROM, Rome (2000). ISBN 92-9077-167-4. $20.00; Euro 20.00. Brandi,C. Teoria ed esperienza dell 'arte. Atti del convegno di Siena, 12-14 Novembre 1998. Quaderni del CERR. Silvana Editoriale, Milan (200l). ISBN 88-8215-305-3. Brodie,N., Doole,]., and Renfrew, C. (eds). Trade in Illicit Antiquities. McDonald Institute Monographs, Cambridge (2001). ISBN 1-902937-17-1. £25.00; US$45.00. Brothwell, D.R. and Pollard, A.M. (eds). Handbook of ArchaeologicalSciences. Wiley, Chichester (200l). ISBN 0-471-98484-1. £125.00; $250.00. Cemea,M.Cultural Heritage andDevelopmen t:a Framework for Action in the Middle East and North Africa. World Bank (200l). ISBN 0-8213-4938-4. US$15.00. Chadburn, A. and Pomeroy-Kellinger, M. Archaeological Research Agenda for the Avebury World Heritage Site. English Heritage, London (200l). ISBN 1-874350-36-1. £5.99. Durand,1.LaConservation desMonumentsAntiques: Aries, Nfmes, Orange et Vienne au XIXe siixle. Presses Universitaires de Rennes (2000). ISBN 2-868474616. £16.50; US$29.95. Eze-Uzomaka, P. 1.Museums, Archaeologists andIndigenous Peoples:Archaeology and the Public in Nigeria. BAR S904.Archaeopress, Oxford (2000). ISBN 1-841712000. £35.00; US$70.00. Grout,K.,Purdy, P., Rymer,]. CreatingDigitalResourcesfor the VisualArts: Standards and Good Practice. Visual Arts Data Service/Oxbow Books, Oxford (2000). ISBN 1842170-13-9. £15.00; US$25.00. GUidobaldi,F. and Paribeni, A. (eds). Atti del VI Colloquia dell'Associazione Italiana per 10Studio e la Conseruazione del Mosaico. Venezia, 20-23 gennaio 1999. AISCOM. Edizioni del Girasole, Ravenna (2000). ISBN 88-7567370-5. Guzzo, P.G. (ed). Pompei: Scienza e Societa. 2501/2 Anniversario degli Scavi di Pompei: Convegno Internazionale, Napoli, 25-27 Novembre 1998. Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei/Soprintendenza archeologica delle provincie di Napoli e Caserta. Electa, Milan (2000). ISBN 88-435-7638-0. Lit 60.000; Euro 30.99. Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site:Management Plan (CD-Rom); and Nomination Document. Historic Scotland, Edinburgh (999). £7.95 (Management Plan); £10.00 (Nomination Document) plus £0.50 p&p (UK & Europe) or £1.00 (elsewhere) per item. Available from: C. Mackenzie, Retail Department, Historic Scotland, Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 ISH, UK;email: firstname.lastname@example.com. Hurd,]. and Gourley, B. Terra Britannica. A Celebration of Earthen Structures in Great Britain and Ireland. English Heritage and ICOMOS UK. James & James, London (2000). ISBN 1-902916-13-1. £15.00; US$25.00. Kallhovd, K., Magnusson,]., Larson, K.E. and Marstein, N. Conservation of Historic Timber Structures. Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford (2000). ISBN 0-750634-34-0. £35.00; US$74.95. Lemaire, R. ICOMOSUn regard en arriere, un coup d'oeil en avant. Dossier de la Commission Royale des Monuments, Sites e Fouilles, 5. ICOMOS, Liege (nd). ISBN 2-87401-076-6. Martin, S. ButrintManagementPlan (2000-2005), Butrint Foundation, London (200l). ISBN0-9535556-15. £20.00. McManus, P.(ed). Archaeological Displays and the Public: Museology and Interpretation. 2nd edition. Archetype, London (2000). ISBN 1-8732-67-0. £25.00. Melucco Vaccaro, A. Archeologia e Restauro: Storia e Metodologia del Problema. 2nd edition. Viella, Rome (2000). ISBN 88-8334-001-9. Lit. 55.000; Euro 25.82. Morris, A., Popham, M. and Wikander, K. Creating and Documenting Electronic Texts. Oxford Text Archive, Arts and Humanities Data Service/Oxbow Books, Oxford (2000). ISBN 1-842170-12-0. £10.00; US$18.00. Navarro H., X. (edJ PatrimonioArqueol6gicoIndigena en Chile. Instituto de Estudios Indigenas-Universidad de la Frontera/UNESCO, Santiago, Chile (998). ISBN 956236-114-4.


The Chinese society is now in a profound changing period of social transformation as well as system shunt.Abundant of unstable and unidentified social complications increase in this changing society,which can stimulate occurrence of many social mass contingencies,especially those involving peasants.Working strategies: 1) Dealing with contingency events with flexibility and principia;2) Ready to provide acute and detailed police alarm information all the time;3) All social participation and treatment in appropriate ways.


Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) is considered as one of the top vulnerability in today's network where an untrusted website can force the client browser to send the unauthorized valid appeal to the trusted site. Cross Site Request Forgery will let the trustworthiness of the authentic customer.So far, numerous arrangements have been proposed for the CSRF assaults, for example, the referrer HTTP header, custom HTTP header, origin header, customer site intermediary, browser module and random token affirmation. In any case, existing arrangements isn't so insusceptible as to maintain a strategic distance from this assault. Each one of the arrangements is mostly ensured as it were. This study centers around portraying the execution of various conceivable cross site demand imitation strategies and depicting the entanglements in the assortment of preventive systems of cross site demand falsification thus we proposed some barrier instrument to avoid this defenselessness.


Optometric practices offer tinted and colored contact lenses to aid in cosmetic enhancement; however, many eyecare practices are unaware of the therapeutic effects that tinting a lens (contact or spectacle) can offer.


In soil physics, many people have discussed about mechanisms of developing pref erential flow based on porous media hydraulics. In snow science, there are few studies on the prefer ential flow though the preferential flow governs a part of runoff process in a snowpack. Dry sand has a waterentry value which is a threshold value of the capillary pressure to start infiltration into dry sand. Water cannot infiltrate in the situation that the capillary pressure at the wetting front is less than the waterentry value. The preferential flow is developed in the upwardnegative gradient of the capillary pressure behind the wetting front, which is appeared in the case that the waterentry value is larger than the capillary pressure along the upper moving path of the wetting front. It is thought that the phe nomena on the preferential flow in the sand are almost same as these in the snow and the waterentry value of the homogeneous dry snow layer is important to study the preferential flow in the snowpack. In this study, the waterentry values were obtained by measuring the capillary pressure at the wetting front penetrating into the underlying dry snow. The capillary pressure was measured with the high re sponse tensiometers. The measured waterentry values were greater than the airentry value accord ing to the water retention curve for drying process. The waterentry value with large diameter is larger than one with small. The some paths of the preferential flow were observed in these experiments. On the other hand, the waterentry value was not observed and the preferential flow was not observed in the experiment which used the smaller diameters of snow particles. KEYWORD: preferential flow, waterentry value, homogeneous dry snow


Using individual survey data from Japan, this study investigates how frequency of contact with foreigners is associated with perceptions of the effects of increased immigration. The results show that frequency of contact with foreigners has a measurable effect on perceptions and that its influence varies according to household income level. More frequent contact with foreigners inclines respondents with low income to agree that if the number of foreigners increased in their community, job opportunities for Japanese will decrease. It inclines high-income respondents to agree that if the number of foreigners increased, the foreigners would be a needed labor force.


Organizational routines are some collective phenomena with multiple actors involved in. And In this paper, by taking the individual habits of the multiple actors as fundamental building blocks, we investigate organizational routines from an actor-based view, and build up a multi-agent based simulation model and realize it via Swarm package. The results of our research show that: habitual behaviors of individual actors are the micro-foundation of organizational routines, and they play an important role during the formation of organizational routines. And these, may shape some novelty directions for investigating organizational routines through multi-agent based simulation tools.


Calculations and experiments show that gain aperture in amplifier can shape a beam, making M2 close to unity under optimized conditions. This effect is modeled and a criterion for optimal effect is derived.


Objective To elucidate whether TNFα induces the IP3R1 through PKCα signaling pathway.Methods Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot assay were used to examine the effects of TNFα on IP3R1 mRNA and protein expression.Depletion PKC,PKC kinases inhibitorsm,overexpression of dominant negative mutant of PKCα and non-radioactive PKC assay were used to examine the role of PKC on the signaling pathways of TNFα-upregulated IP3R1 in HMCs.The expresion of the total PKCα and p-PKCα were assayed by Western blot.Results TNFα increased IP3R1 mRNA and protein expression in tHMCs,which were blocked by prolonged incubted chronic PMA.Safingol and also by transfection with domain negative PKCα construct.TNFα activate and promote autophosphorylation of the PKCα.Conclusion TNFα increased the expression of IP3Rl through the PKCα signaling pathways in HMCs.


The discovery of the phytotoxic action of the herbicides – the acetolactate sy ntha se inhibitors – that belong to the sulfonamides signi c antly strengt hened the weeds-killing on spik ed cereals sow ing. The derivatives of N-aryl thiazole-[1, 5-c]-pyrymidine s u l fonami d es include herbicides: chloransu lam-methyl, dichlorsulam , ora su lam, methylsulam and other s, also tria zole -pyrym d ine s ulfonam des – penoxulam and pyroxulam [ 2–4].


e20512Background: Despite advances associated with the use of targeted therapy, cytotoxic chemotherapy and immunotherapy the treatment of advanced NSCLC remains challenging. In this study we evaluated the effect of the oncolytic type 3 Dearing virus, Reolysin, in combination with standard salvage chemotherapy. Methods: This multicenter non-blinded phase II clinical trial randomized advanced stage refractory platinum doublet NSCLC patients to either docetaxel (squamous histology or pemetrexed pretreated) or to pemetrexed (non-squamous) plus or minus Reolysin. Results: No dose related toxicities were seen in a safety lead in group of patients in Arm A (N = 8) and Arm C (N = 6) allowing a total of 152 patients to be randomized as follows: Arm A: Pem (500mg/m2) IV plus Reo 4.5x1010 Day1-3 every 3 weeks; Arm B: Pem alone every 3 weeks; Arm C Doc (75mg/m2) IV plus Reo 4.5x1010Day1-3 every 3 weeks and Arm D: Doc alone every 3 weeks between January 2013 and August 2015. The arms were well balanced and at a median...


Since publication of the report of Waldhausen and Klatte (1), the author has used power retrograde femoral aortography extensively to evaluate pelvic and lower aortic disease. This procedure has the advantage of simplicity; in addition, it does not require catheterization and can be used to evaluate advanced obstructive atherosclerotic disease as long as one femoral pulse is adequate. The method is superior to translumbar aortography in this setting, by virtue of its safety, flexibility, and the ability to provide better quality contrast studies of the aortoiliac-femoral system (Fig. 1). It should be emphasized that the technic is not suitable for evaluating renal or visceral artery patency. Three years ago, while studying a patient in this manner, extravasation of contrast medium occurred through the wall of the external iliac artery despite the apparent careful intra-arterial placement of the needle. Shock from retroperitoneal bleeding soon became evident, but the patient recovered after the prompt admi...


Two hundred lines of barley germplasm (two-rowed and six-rowed), along with two check cultivars VJM 201 (two rowed) and PL 426 (six rowed) were evaluated for different morphological traits as well as for resistance to stripe rust and leaf blight during 2009–10 and 2010–11 crop seasons. Euclidean distances based on non-hierarchical cluster analysis were used to classify total accessions into different clusters. Accessions with good yield and performance for other ancillary traits were selected along with resistance to stripe rust and leaf blight diseases. The selected lines can be used in hybridization for barley improvement program.


THE YOUNG INFANT with cyanotic congenital cardiac disease presents an acute and difficult diagnostic problem. The anomalies responsible for eyanosis in some such infants are now curable surgically while, on the other hand, there remains a group of eyanotic newborn infants in whom the congenital cardiac anomalies are so complex that no surgical procedures for their correction have yet been devised. A method for early separation of these two groups of patients, that is, operable and inoperable, would be of value. Among the so-called inoperable group of patients are individuals with asplenia and congenital cardiac disease, since in these the cardiac anomalies are of such a complex nature that they usually defy surgical correction.' Among a group of cases of asplenia with congenital cardiac diseases the pathologic manifestations include persistent truncus arteriosus, transposition of the great vessels, pulmonary atresia or stenosis, common atrioventricular canal, anomalies of pulmonary veins, and cor biloculare. Moreover, several of these complex malformations usually coexist in the same patient. Visceral symmetry is common also. One step in the direction of separating by clinical means the operable from the inoperable group is to determine whether the spleen is absent. Evidence favoring asplenia includes certain changes in the peripheral blood and findings of visceral symmetry.


The insulin-like-growth-factor-I (IGF-I) peptide is known to be a marker for growth hormone administration. The development of a quantification method by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is required. This paper describes a method to quantify IGF-I using the internal standard R3 IGF-I in its oxidized forms. A deconvolution software was used to quantify the set of multi-charged molecules recorded on an ESI ion trap mass spectrometer. The results (i.e., linearity, reproducibility and concentration range) were obtained on standard samples and the described LC-ESI-MS method should be applicable to biological samples.


Police organisation is an itegral part of Indian administrative system.It is utmost importane as its main task is to maintain
peaceful environment in society which is the basic precondition for the implementation of governmental policies and of
course for the development of a country.
It is important to mention that though Puducherry was a French colony and only after the dejure transfer of on 16th August
1963 Indian laws were made applicable, British influence is dominating the organisational structure, functioning style
and various provisions enumerated in police manual.
This research paper presents an overview of the context of the study i.e. policing in puducherry. A brief historical
evolution of policing in puducherry is also described.It also takes a stock of the organisational set up and present status
of puducherry police. This atricle tried to find the work satisfaction and stress level among puduchery police.
Respondents are approached with the questions which they encouter in their daily life.


The purpose of this study was to define a data science architecture for talent acquisition. The approach was to propose analytics that derive data. The originality of this paper consists in proposing an architecture to work within the process of obtaining semantically enriched data by using data science and Semantic Web technologies. We applied the proposed architecture and developed a case study-based prototype that uses analytics techniques for résumé data integrated with Linked Data technologies. We conducted a case study to identify skills by applying classification via regression, k-nearest neighbors (k-NN), random forest, naïve Bayes, support vector machine, and decision tree algorithms to résumé data that we previously described with terms from publicly available ontologies. We labeled data from résumés using terms from existing human resource ontologies. The main contribution is the extraction of skills from résumés and the mining of data that was previously described with the Semantic Web.


This study compares and analyzes the fashion industry of Korea with that of China and Japan, the two countries geographically and culturally adjacent to Korea, by applying the generalized double diamond model to find useful measures to strengthen the global competitiveness of the Korean fashion industry. The fashion industries of Korea, China and Japan were first compared in terms of the four determinants of the double diamond model: thereafter, the double diamond model of Korea, China and Japan were compared. In this, study 31 sub-variables were extracted to measure the eight determinants and secondary data were collected from selected sources between January 2013 and May 2014. The results of comparing the domestic diamond models showed that: China is considerably better than Korea and Japan in terms of demand conditions, firm strategy, organization, and competition conditions while Japan is superior in terms of demand conditions and Korea shows better related and supporting industries conditions. When comparing and analyzing the international diamond models, Japan is superior in terms of factor conditions and China has better demand conditions, while Korea has failed to lead in any of the four determinants. When comparing and analyzing the comprehensive diamond model per country, China show superior demand conditions and firm strategy, organization, and competition conditions, Japan has better factor conditions, and Korea shows superior related and supporting industries conditions.


The research aims at showing abolition and perfection in Quran and introducing different opinions and the most famous sayings mentioned by savants about abolition and perfection of the verse - Sword verse-  to other verses and showing that Islamic Shari is the concluding Shari, and also to show the wisdom in abolition and perfection in the Holy Quran               The research used the historical and the descriptive method  The research concluded  with  some results and recommendations            Most  important results are:
1 The importance of history in forming an opinion of savants and propagators in affecting diligence concerning the stand of Muslims from others
2 To notice the concept of abolition to precedents and successors, and the condition of abolition and " Nisei" in deciding in matters between Muslims and others
3  To notice the influence of historical effects on Martyr in method and ideology
   The most important recommendations are:
1 To reread the inheritance of interpreters from the actual history accompanying the political,economic, and social effects influencing their writing
2 People must consider the situations surrounding writers and authors at any time and place


The subject of this paper is the hippocampal region of the brain in anosmatic animals. Several specimens of the brain of the bottle-nosed whale, narwhal, porpoise, and calf-seal were obtained for the purpose of studying the extent to which the hippocampus in animals totally destitute of the sense of smell, or possessing it in a very small degree, departs from the ordinary type.


The first model to predict chloride ingress into concrete was presented by Collepardi in 1970, in Italian! That model was used for some 20 years for design of concrete structures before it was realized that the main parameter, the apparent chloride diffusion coefficient, is not a material property! Since then the Collepardi model has been significantly improved and developed into more or less sophisticated probabilistic models. Today we have numerous models for predicting chloride ingress but all of them have serious limitations that restrict the present use for long term predictions. The paper describes the history of developing chloride ingress models. An overview is given of the fundamental differences between various models, from those based on Fick's 2(nd) law and constant or time-dependent diffusion coefficients and surface chloride contents to those based on chloride transport equations with or without a multi-species approach. The three main limitations are shown to be the lack of understanding the time-dependency of the apparent chloride diffusion coefficients, and the lack of good long-term data, the chloride content increase with time close to the exposed surface and the difficulties in quantifying the boundary conditions for sophisticated ingress models. (Less)


In this report we study efficient binary approximations of the FSM of ZUC-256 with high correlation around 2−21.1 between the keystream words and the LFSR. We then map these approximations into a binary distinguisher with complexity around 2234. Thereafter, we convert to an approximation in the LFSR's field Zp with correlation around 2−33.6. We share a number of observations and state open problems for further research and considerations.


which are heavier than water. All these matters are discussed with a wealth of detail' much of which is of absorbing interest; such, for example, as the fact that but for the compressibility of water, slight as it is, the miieani sea-level would be 116 feet higher than it now is, and about 4 per cent. of existing land would be subm-erged. Viscosity, surface tension, refractive index, magnetic and electrical properties, are a few of the many items relating to water oii which detailed information is given. One section treats of the constituelts of natural spring waters, another of potable watems anid the various forms of pollution, their causes and the miieans by which they may be detected. The article on uwater is typical of the whole character of the dictionary. All the different aspects of every chenmical subject arei adequately noticed, and the interest is not restricted to anpalticular section or group. Pujre chemistry, inventions, nmedicines, and the arts are all represented, and what is lackinig in the text of the work is made accessible by the copious references to origiinal publications. The sev,enth volume, now published, miiakes the new edition com-!plete. It is an invaluable work to these whose occnpati is cODnceried in anyv wav with apphecl chem'strv.


In order to protect legitimate vehicles from cheating by spurious alert messages, we propose a general filter model for Vehicular Ad-hoc Network (VANET) to distinguish spurious messages from valid ones. It is a two-layer filter, the coarse filter is responsible for rapid filtration and the fine filter is for accurate filtration. The data flow should pass through them to get the classification results. The coarse filter makes a judgment by combining several sources of information such as timeliness of the report and correlation of the accident location while the fine filter is based on Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) which includes an incremental learning part. The BPNN module refers to vehicles' reputations and behaviors in response to an event, and the support from neighbors will also be a great help. In this paper, we compare the filtering effect of incremental BPNN with several commonly used decision logics including majority voting, weighted voting and Bayesian method. The simulation results show that our scheme performs better both in filtering reliability and stability.


Description Autoimmunity in Lewy body dementia Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a brain disease that leads to progressive decline in thinking, movement, and independent function. It results from the build-up of microscopic deposits called Lewy bodies, which develop from the aggregation of a misfolded protein called α-synuclein. Gate et al. observed immune cells known as T cells in the brains of LBD patients (see the Perspective by Krot and Rolls). Genomics analysis revealed that T cells traffic to the LBD brain and are associated with neuronal damage. When stimulated with α-synuclein, LBD patient T cells secrete an inflammatory protein known to damage neurons. These findings suggest an unexpected detrimental role of the immune system in LBD. —SMH The immune system is implicated in the neurodegenerative process of Lewy body dementia. Recent studies indicate that the adaptive immune system plays a role in Lewy body dementia (LBD). However, the mechanism regulating T cell brain homing in LBD is unknown. Here, we observed T cells adjacent to Lewy bodies and dopaminergic neurons in postmortem LBD brains. Single-cell RNA sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) identified up-regulated expression of C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) in CD4+ T cells in LBD. CSF protein levels of the CXCR4 ligand, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12), were associated with neuroaxonal damage in LBD. Furthermore, we observed clonal expansion and up-regulated interleukin 17A expression by CD4+ T cells stimulated with a phosphorylated α-synuclein epitope. Thus, CXCR4-CXCL12 signaling may represent a mechanistic target for inhibiting pathological interleukin-17–producing T cell trafficking in LBD.


A Verilog-AMS model of a fractional-N frequency synthesizer is presented that is capable of predicting spurious tones as well as noise and jitter performance. The model is based on a voltage-domain behavioral simulation. Simulation efficiency is improved by merging the voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and the frequency divider. Due to the benefits of Verilog-AMS, the ΔΣ modulator which is incorporated in the synthesizer is modeled in a fully digital way. This makes it accurate enough to evaluate how the performance of the frequency synthesizer is affected by cyclic behavior in the ΔΣ modulator. The spur-minimizing effect of an odd initial condition on the first accumulator of the ΔΣ modulator is verified. Sequence length control and its effect on the fractional-N frequency synthesizer are also discussed. The simulated results are in agreement with prior published data on fractional-N synthesizers and with new measurement results.


1. Dirofilaria aethiops Webber, 1955 has been discovered in African monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops). Adult worms were found in the interfascicular connective tissue, especially in the thighs; microfilariae were found in the blood. 2. The adult worms are morphologically similar to other members of the genus, from which they differ principally in the structure of the spicules of the male worms. The thickening of the left spicule is complex at the twist; the latter is nearer to the proximal than to the distal end. The right spicule is robust and ends in a cap-like structure. 3. The microfilariae are indistinguishable from those of other members of the genus. 4. In Dirofilaria schoutedeni Vuylsteke & Rodhain, 1938 the left spicule is simpler in structure than the left spicule of D. aethiops, and the twist is nearer to the distal end than to the proximal end. The distal part of the right spicule of D. schoutedeni has longitudinal markings but no cap. 5. D. aethiops has been recorded from Tanganyika, Uganda and Gambia, in Cercopithecus and Colobus monkeys. 6. The anatomy of the female D. aethiops, as it is shown in serial sections, is briefly described.


At present, the municipal party school library because of the shortage of funds and other reasons, These causes the purchase quantity of new books to decrease year by year, pointed out the urgency of establishing a sample library, and put forward the methods and measures to create the sample library.


This study was conducted at states of Red Sea, Kasala, Gadarif, Gezira and Khartoumin the Sudan. The study was based on well designed questionnaires to obtain information on camel milk marketing using complete random design. A total of 376 questionnaires were filled during meeting with the (camel owners, camel milk consumers and camel salesmen) through field visits at production areas and sell points of the camel milk. Result revealed that most of the camel owners 68.7% in the studied states do not sold the camel milk while, 27.6% of the owners sold the camel milk. The majority of the respondent owners (68.3%) stated that they do not sold camel milk because of the restricted tradition and customs of their societies. More than half of the respondent owners (57.9%) stated that they sold 75% of their camel milk yield. Result reported that the amount of camel milk purchased by salesmen were very few, however, the daily ratio of camel milk purchased between 10 – 20 kg was 73.8%. Moreover, The purchase price of a liter of camel milk ranged from 2 to 20 SDGs. Additionally, the daily sold amount of camel milk ranged between 5 to 40 kg. The sold amount of camel milk between 10 – 20 kg ranked at the percentage of 65.9%, while, the sold amount between 5 – 10 kg ranked third by 28.9%. Small proportion of respondent salesmen (5.2%) reported that they daily sold between 20 – 40 kg of camel milk products. Concerning the constraints facing camel milk distribution, most of salesmen (79.3%) stated that the high selling Prices was one of the major obstacles limiting the distribution of camel milk in the study area, followed by the limited camel milk processing (81.6%), then came the limiting of demand (55.3%), while the limiting of profits and Taxation fees (23.7.4% and 5.3%, respectively came last.


Introduction: Immunocompromised patients experience limited inflammatory response, which can delay acute appendicitis (AA) diagnosis. Objective: To assess if immunosuppression can affect AA clinical course and evolution. Method: Comparative, retrospective analysis of patients with HIV or type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) or with no other pathology who underwent appendectomy for AA. Results: A total of 128 patients with AA who were surgically intervened were assessed (53.6% were of the female gender); mean age was 42.5 years, 15 (11.7%) had been diagnosed with HIV infection, 47 (36.7%) with DM2 and 66 (51.6%) had no other disease. The proportion of leukocytosis was lower in the HIV group (66.7%; p = 0.007). Patients with HIV and DM2 had longer evolution time (HIV 66.9 ± 61.2, DM2 90.1 ± 144 hours; p ≤ 0.001), longer hospital length of stay (HIV 11.1 ± 17.1, DM2 6.5 ± 4.1 days; p ≤ 0.0001), and a higher rate of complications (HIV 20%, DM2 23.8%; p = 0.036). The most common complication was superficial and deep surgical site infection. Right hemicolectomy was more common in the HIV group (20%; p = 0.017). There was no mortality registered. Conclusions: Immunosuppression affects AA clinical course and evolution.


New media to support information technology network had an impact and pressure to the education management of college students.How should we respond to the negative impact of new media become a priority to the education management of college students.The college should establish the service mechanism for students,democratic participation mechanisms,information disclosure mechanisms,rapid response mechanism,to actively respond to the adverse effect of the new media.


The removal organ in order to transplantation is realized often for patient deceased. It was regulation activity that passes in urgency context where laboratory play an important role. The biochemistry, immunology, haematology, toxicology and microbiology analysis allows the validation of the donors, the supervision of the functional quality of organ and the definition of the best couple donor-recipient.


To diversify the measurement techniques of Avogadro's number in physics teaching, I propose a simple acoustic method for the experimental determination of Avogadro's number based only on the measurement of the speed of sound in metals, provided that their Debye temperatures are known.


very deere Syr. I have yours of the 14 of Ianuary havinge some 3 weekes a gon acknowledged & awnswerd yours of the 20th of the same. I thanck the gentleman that lay with us of chrismas was twelvemonenth for his kynd comendations, what curtesye was showed hime, (howsoever his affection were other wayes bestowed) was playn & sincere, some 4 monethes a gon I have been towld that he was departe [d] this life, wherupon I sayd a masse of requiem for his soule. but now I am very glad to understand of his good healthe wher with f. Griffyn had some senight a goe acquainted me who is saffly arived in these partes. I was on of the first that he came to: he is not dissmissd but with leave ['is come' deleted] (against the likinge of some) arived. he is a good religieuse, playn, & sincere honest man: if his brethern were of his dictamen in the managinge of Englishe affayers we should soone have peace with them. I heere nothinge of the dimission of those 6 you mention in yoar last. I marvaile you say nothing of 4 or 5 letters I sent you synce the begininge of winter. but I suppose it fareth with me, as it doth with your self, for I had yours of the 20 of Ianuary some 3 weekes or a moneth before the 14 of the same monenth came to my handes. I cowld wish mr Ratcliff wrth you, but our wantes be soe great for money that I fear me we shall not send hime.


The current state of semantic role theory is investigated to understand the reason or reasons why, even after so long, there remains no agreement to date about two fundamental issues:  how many roles are needed and what they are;  how to distinguish a valid set of roles from an invalid one. The goal of this paper is to explore possible answers, not to assume they are final. Table of


The Appearance of the Egyptian Revolution in Social Media is a thorough study that focuses on the events of the Arab Spring and the political movements of 2013 in Egypt in relation to social media. It concludes how globalisation and the new media influenced the Egyptian society and its effect on grass-root movements. The interviews with the new generation of Egyptian citizens reveal how millennials see social media in the current political context. This book leads the reader through the posts that appeared on social sites, explains how social media influenced the process of the revolution and the role it played in the democratic transition of the country. It gives an intriguing and unique insight into the memes of the revolution, in other words, the visual expressions of the protesters. This study is recommended to all the curious minds who wish to discover more about the Egyptian Revolution, social media, and the relation of these two elements.


We address a multi-item capacitated lot-sizing problem with setup times and shortage costs that arises in real-world production planning problems. Demand cannot be back-logged, but can be totally or partially lost. The problem can be modelled as a mixed integer program and it is NP-hard. In this paper, we propose some classes of valid inequalities based on a generalization of Miller et al. [17] results. We study the polyhedral structure of the convex hull of this model which help us to prove that these inequalities induce facets of the convex hull under certain conditions.


An embodiment of the invention provides a wind pipe machine gear setting method and device and a wind pipe machine. The wind pipe machine gear setting method comprises determining a first rotating speed which is corresponding to a highest gear interface and a second rotating speed which is corresponding to a lowest gear interface and determining a rotating speed which is corresponding to a first gear interface according to the first rotating speed and the second rotating speed, wherein a first gear is the gear except a highest gear and a lowest gear in N gears. According to the wind pipe machine gear setting method and device and the wind pipe machine, the rotating speed which is corresponding to a part of gears can be determined through an automatic adjusting method, the rotating speed of the other gears can be determined according to the determined rotating speed which is corresponding to the part of gears, then the determined rotating speed of the gear is matched with a currently accessed pipe net of the wind pipe machine, and overlapping of the rotating speed is avoided.


The gold space and ore-body distribution of Ma'anqiao gold deposit,which is produced in the east-west trending brittle-ductile shearing deformation zone to the southern margin of the Shangdan fault zone in the Western Qinling Orogenic Belt,are controlled by the brittle-ductile shearing zone.Conducting the carbon-oxygen isotopes and the hydrogen-oxygen isotopes analysis test which representative samples choose in the strata rocks、ores and monzonitic granitic porphyry from the Ma'anqiao gold deposit.Furthermore,the hydrogen and oxygen isotopes study of the ore-forming fluids shows that the main ore-forming fluid is metamorphic or strata transformation hydrothermal in the early and main ore forming stages,while it is meteoric water in the late stage.The mineralization characteristics and the isotopic compositions of the Ma'anqiao gold deposit is similar to generalized Carlin-like-type or a transitional type between orogenic and Carlin-type gold deposit.


Image-based 3D modeling is often an underconstrained and noise-sensitive process. Incorporation of geometrical constraints increases the robustness of this process, even when dealing with small image sets. This relies on a human operator and his intuitive knowledge of the main properties of the objects commonly present in scenes. In this thesis we propose various approaches for the camera and model constraints satisfaction. In particular, we propose an original method for the satisfaction of constraints in an exact way. Contrary to most existing work, each proposed method is completed by algorithms dealing with problems engendered by insufficient user-provided input. The introduced methods are validated by reconstruction of 3D models from small image sets, and even from single images. The images used for reconstructions are taken from various sources, such as the Internet, postcards or architectural drawings.


Field specialists and crop advisors in southern and western Iowa report the development of potentially serious corn leaf aphid infestations. Insecticide treatment is ineffective while the tassels are still in the whorl, but fields with in-whorl aphid populations need to be watched.


Species and varieties involved: Mango (Mangifera indica): mostly seedlings of sucking and pickle types and more than 30 commercial varieties such as Neelam, Dussehari, Alphonso, Malda Citrus: pomelo (Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck) seedlings, mostly red/pink-fleshed; lime (Citrus aurantifolia (Christm) Swingle) and lemon (Citrus limon (L.)) Others: many other fruits (papaya, guava, gooseberry, date palm, coconut, banana, etc.) and vegetables (tomato, cabbage, coriander, radish and leafy vegetables)


This paper analyses the complication of influence large infrastructure projects decision-making,through study on Gray Theory establishes the model of large infrastructure projects decision-making.And by demonstration reach,gives the method of application of Grey Theory in large infrastructure projects decision-making.


Learning is a continuous process which requires guidance from and interaction with the instructor for two way flow of knowledge. Sitting in a classroom and listening to lecture is time restrictive. This paper is aimed to provide Object Oriented Design of a Learning Management System which takes the learning process beyond the limitations of time and location. This system will provide a platform that supplements the learning experiences of traditional class room teaching. The students are given to the lectures, notes to be followed under the learning activities and are able to take the tests online. The assessment and feedback is given online, teacher not only provides knowledge but also monitors the learning progress of students. This proposed system is an object oriented model for a small scale LMS designed to give the teachers an advantage of planning, organizing, creating and editing their course material, lectures, tests, assessment and monitoring the student's academic status.


This work concludes that reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) analytical techniques can be incorporated into computer network simulation modeling to yield an important new analytical tool. This paper describes the incorporation of failure and repair information into network simulation to build a stochastic computer model represents the RAM Performance of two vehicles being developed for the US Army: The Advanced Field Artillery System (AFAS) and the Future Armored Resupply Vehicle (FARV). The AFAS is the US Army`s next generation self-propelled cannon artillery system. The FARV is a resupply vehicle for the AFAS. Both vehicles utilize automation technologies to improve the operational performance of the vehicles and reduce manpower. The network simulation model used in this work is task based. The model programmed in this application requirements a typical battle mission and the failures and repairs that occur during that battle. Each task that the FARV performs--upload, travel to the AFAS, refuel, perform tactical/survivability moves, return to logistic resupply, etc.--is modeled. Such a model reproduces a model reproduces operational phenomena (e.g., failures and repairs) that are likely to occur in actual performance. Simulation tasks are modeled as discrete chronological steps; after the completion of each task decisions are programmed that determine the next path to be followed. The result is a complex logic diagram or network. The network simulation model is developed within a hierarchy of vehicle systems, subsystems, and equipment and includes failure management subnetworks. RAM information and other performance measures are collected which have impact on design requirements. Design changes are evaluated through ``what if`` questions, sensitivity studies, and battle scenario changes.


The evidence for the nature of the side chains in lignin resulting from investigations of the reactions of model substances has been summarized. The studies have involved investigation of the reactions with (a) sulfite, (b) alkali and nitrobenzene, and (c) hot alkali.

(a)Reaction with sulfite occurs readily for model substances with β-hydroxyl or α,β unsaturated keto groupings ("aldol type"). Hydroxyl groups adjacent to a ring are somewhat reactive but or-hydroxyketo groupings ("acyloin type") do not react.
(b)Alkaline oxidation to aldehyde or carboxyl with nitrobenzene is effective in degrading a side chain para to a free hydroxyl group having an oxygen atom on the α-carbon atom. Conversion of the para-phenolic hydroxyl to a methyl ether neutralizes its promoting influence.
(c)Cleavage to an aldehyde with hot alkali in the absence of air is specific for the "aldol type" grouping in the side chain. This is regarded as a reverse aldol condensation and it has been demonstrated that acetaldehyde can be isolated from such degradations.

These results, together with the behavior of lignin and its derivatives, are interpreted in terms of probable structures for the side-chain units in lignin.


In this paper, we propose an adaptive over/under data combination method, which is one of the "dephase and sum" algorithms. The traditional "dephase and sum" algorithms adopt simple modeling of the ghost by assuming calm sea-surface reflection coefficients, which is invalid in rough sea conditions. In the proposed method, the amplitude spectrum of the ghost operator corresponding to each trace is estimated from the data adaptively. After that, the data combinations are implemented using the estimated ghost operators. A real dataset is used to demonstrate the performance of our method.


Systems and methods for providing radiofrequency ("RF") energy to a target surgical site are provided. The systems include the use of at least one overlay which is super-imposed over an image of the target surgical site to assist the operator in evaluating parameters for performing the surgical procedure. The disclosure also include methods for creating at least one overlay and for using an overlay in surgical procedures using RF energy.


The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between learning style and students" reading achievement at Senior High School in Kepenuhan Sub-district. This study was a correlational research design. The respondents of this study were the second year students of Senior High School in Kepenuhan Sub-district. Total sampling was used. Thetotal sample of this study was 84 students. Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) 21 version was used to analyze the data. After analyzing by using correlation, the finding showed that there was relationship between learning style and students" reading achievement at Senior High School in Kepenuhan Sub-district in which Pearson correlation is .409 (4.09%). Then, p= .000 (0.00%) which probability <0.05. Thus, hypothesis alternative stated that there was significant relationship between learning style and students" reading achievement at Senior High School in Kepenuhan Sub-district was accepted.


The research aims to analyse the effectiveness of the implementation of cooperative learning of jigsaw-type with the card problem on learning outcomes and responsibilities of student cell material in high school. This is done because students ' understanding of the cell material is still lacking, about 60% of students have not reached the KKM. This research was conducted at the Sint Louis High School in Semarang at the time of school year 2019/2020. The samples in this study were all learners with saturated sampling techniques. The design of this research is One Group Pretest-Posttest Design. The results show the value of N-gain students in medium and high categories, the average character score of student responsibilities reaches good and very good category, so that cooperative learning of Jigsaw type assisted with card problem for effective learning outcomes and student responsibility character.


In this paper, we show explicitly the existence of lccalized vibrations, and give some discussions on the localized vibration in a finitely extended system of linear harmonic oscillators, especially in relation to the Schrodinger coordinates. A locally reduced mass, lccal strong interactions between particles, or an applied external force of high frequency, froms the cause of the existence of the localized vibration in the finitely extended system. The range of the extention of the localized vibration is also discussed briefly, being based on the Schrbdinger coordinates.


Our immense national water quality control program has been launched on a wholly empirical basis, much as our ancestors initiated early navigation improvements and flood control. Not only has there been no effort to determine the benefits of water quality control; the theoretical groundwork for optimization has not been developed. Three main national objectives for consideration are national economic efficiency, preserving and improving the national environment for man's use and development (conservation), and regional development. Although popular at present, the regional development objective is not particularly useful from an economic viewpoint. Efficiency objectives other than environmental can be evaluated but are apt to be minor. Other water quality benefits can be broken down appropriately into four main categories: (a) man's recreational environment; (b) man's home environment; (c) man's working environment; (d) intangibles related to scientific, historic, health and cultural values. In management of water quality, various technical relationships must be considered, particularly as to quantity of water needed for waste disposal, and relationship of this use to water supply withdrawals. Advanced waste treatment must be compared with other alternatives, not only of flow augmentation, but also technological process changes, distribution of effluents, and artificial river aeration.


Over the last few decades, Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) has attracted considerable interest in data mining and pattern recognition. GMM can be used to cluster a bunch of data through estimating the parameters of multiple Gaussian components using Expectation-Maximization (EM). Recently, Locally Consistent GMM (LCGMM) has been proposed to improve the clustering performance of GMM by exploiting the local manifold structure modeled by a p nearest neighbor graph. In practice, various prior knowledge may be available which can be used to guide the clustering process and improve the performance. In this paper, we introduce a semi-supervised method, called Semi-supervised LCGMM (Semi-LCGMM), where prior knowledge is provided in the form of class labels of partial data. Semi-LCGMM incorporates prior knowledge into the maximum likelihood function of LCGMM and is solved by EM. It is worth noting that in our algorithm each class has multiple Gaussian components while in the unsupervised settings each class only has one Gaussian component. Experimental results on several datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm.


The following paper offers a combined Decision Making method, which is based on four fuzzystatistical methods. This combined novel method proposes two stages of decision-making. At the first stage three fuzzy-statistical methods independently make a decision for one object. These methods are statistical method of fuzzy grades' analysis, fuzzy discrimination analysis and case based reasoning. Each of the methods makes a decision with its own approach to a problem and works with historical and expert data. These initial data are known cases of correctly made decisions with exhibited activities. The fourth method applied at the second stage makes the final decision. It carries out an expertons method that works with expert data only. The expertons method chooses the most believable decision from those offered by the above-named methods. The Decision Support system is constructed completely based on proposed combined method. The paper provides an example clearly illustrating the work of the constructed system.


The purpose of this paper is to prove a strong convergence theorem for a finite family of uniformly -Lipschitzian mappings in Banach spaces. The results presented in the paper improve and extend the corresponding results announced by Chang (2001), Cho et al. (2005), Ofoedu (2006), Schu (1991) and Zeng (2003 and 2005), and many others.


Executive functions are cognitive abilities that allocate for more goal-oriented and self-directed behavior. It is well established fact that these higher cognitive control abilities are associated with lower levels of negative emotion and allocate positive states. The objective of this piece of research was to examine the associations between positive psychological characteristics i.e. well-being, forgiveness and empathy with executive functions. The sample consisted of 100 post postgraduates who are taken from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak by using incidental sampling technique. The age range of the sample varies from 20 to 30 years. The participants are administered Subjective Well-Being Inventory (SUBI), Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and Executive Functions Index (EFI). The data were subjected to correlational analysts in order to assess the relationship between the variables. Further regression analysts was applied to identify positive psychological characteristics which predict executive functions. Results indicated that forgiveness, empathy and well-being seem associated with executive functions. Regression analysis indicated that three variables i.e. forgiveness dimensions i.e. Self and Situation and well-being total accounted for 32% of the variance in executive functions. Thus, it is evident that positive psychological attributes related to forgiveness (self & situation) and well being played a significance in executive functions.


The authors analyze the Arctic region innovative possibilities from the perspective of political ideology and strategy. The Arctic region with its natural resources and high economic potential attracts many companies and it has become an important area of transnational development. At present, the Arctic region development is of great importance in terms of natural resource management and political system development. However, the most important development issue in the Arctic is a great risk of different countries' competing interests in economic, political, and legal context. These are challenges for international partnership creating in the Arctic zone, Russian future model developing for the Arctic, and recognition of the Arctic as an important resource for the Russians. The Russian economic, military, and political expansion in the Arctic region has the potential to strengthen the national positions. The authors present interesting options for minimizing and eliminating political risks during the Arctic territories development and define an effective future planning model for the Russian Arctic.


Although many pattern classifiers based on artificial neural networks have been vigorous-ly studied, they are still inadequate from a viewpoint of classifyingdynamic (variable-and unspecified-duration) speech patterns. To cope with this problem, the generalized probabilistic descent method (GPD) has recently been proposed. GPD not only allows one to train a discriminative system to classify dynamic patterns, but also possesses a remarkable advantage, namely guaranteeing the learning optimality (in the sense of a probabilistic descent search). A practical implementation of this theory, however, remains to be evaluated. In this light, we particularly focus on evaluating GPD in designing a widely-used speech recognizer based on dynamic time warping distance-measurement. We also show that the design algorithm appraised in this paper can be considered a new version of learning vector quantization, which is incorporated with the dynamic programming. Experimental evaluation results in tasks of classifying syllables and phonemes clearly demonstrate GPD's superiority.


The tremendous changes in solid state electronics technology from few decades, it leads the Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) is trending machine in the areas of aerospace, electric and hybrid electric vehicles etc. Even though this motor is fault tolerant but it is not absolute. In order to avoid discontinuity of service, loss of economy and time wastage, predefinition of various faults is most important. Eccentricity problem is one of the mostly occurring mechanical faults in rotating machines due to the non-uniformity in air gap. It is prerequisite to forecast and diagnose the faults to achieve better performance of the motor. The simulation results for the sample 500 watt motor successfully exhibited the effects of the air gap faults and its impact on the currents through the stator windings, and analyzed how differential current varies with respect to various degrees of faults.


In the article uses a historical and comparative approach to the works of different systems: folklore and literature. The author outlines the specifics of the artistic realization of the ballad`s plot in the novel by O. Kobilyanska «On Sunday morning She Gathered Herbs». It is determined that the canvas of ballad`s history is enriched with new details. It is established that the author's interpretation of the ballad differs from the folk, because the heroes in the story are punished. This punishment is due to the sin of the Mavras.


Techniques are discussed which enable the effect of aerodynamic improvements to be evaluated utilizing computer simulation. Methods are also presented which enable such improvements to be realized. Contemporary styling concepts placing great emphasis upon aerodynamics enable minimum drag coefficients of 0.32 to be achieved. Application of such concepts and techniques can enable fuel economy improvements of 14% (20%) for full sized passenger cars and 11% (14%) for subcompacts to be realized.


Based on characters of Q—s curve of static loading test for pile and three kinds of forecasting curve models,the idea of combination prediction has been introduced into the discussion of forecasting method and theory in the loading behavior of pile,and a variable-weight combination forecasting model is put forward.The analysis of engineering project proves that the result of this model is far better than other single model.


In order to solve the problem of long distance energy transmission, divergence angle of laser transmitted by space-borne laser communication terminal must be usually very small, typically on the order of tens of microradians. But the ground testing must properly amplify the divergence angle, to ensure that the communication terminal can always in the beacon beam and communication beam range with a certain tracking accuracy. This paper uses the communication light which sensitive the intensity distribution as an example, building the theory molding and simulating for different distance and position, analyzing the influence, which provides scientific basis for space laser communication ground demonstration. Meanwhile, defocus and magnification of two kinds of divergence angle amplification method was compared. In the ground testing of a space laser communication, we give the optimal selection scheme. The result provides scientific basis and accumulated experience for the space laser communication ground test.


This letter considers a common calibration problem in robotics: determining the orientation of a three-axis gyro relative to a three-axis magnetometer. This letter first forms the calibration problem as <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R_i X m_i = R_j X m_j$</tex-math></inline-formula> and then presents two methods to solve the equation on <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$SO(3)$</tex-math></inline-formula>. The first method is to solve for <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$X$</tex-math></inline-formula> directly by regarding the equation as a homogeneous linear equation with respect to <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$X$</tex-math> </inline-formula> and subsequently enforce the solution onto <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$SO(3)$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. The second approach, utilizing geometrical properties of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$SO(3)$</tex-math></inline-formula>, transforms the equation into an equivalent linear equation in the form of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Ax = b$</tex-math></inline-formula> and invokes a recursive least-squares algorithm to solve. The proposed calibration algorithms succeed in their computational and memory efficiency and suitability for the real-time implementation on embedded systems. Both simulation and experiments on large-scale bulky unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are provided to show that the proposed formulation along with the two solvers can successfully calibrate large misalignments under small and casual movements of the UAV.


Online media is a boon to fandom. It provides mountains of information for the devout follower, while it also provides the opportunity to create and share content. The internet allows fans to transcend geographical barriers to form communities that could not otherwise exist. One particular group of A.S. Roma fans show how fans can use the 'placeless' internet to invigorate a connection to place. They use their website in conjunction with meeting at the stadium and at other places in real life. The website provides the glue to their geographically dispersed set of Romans. The web is another tool that serves the social needs of fans.


According to the biological base of psychology majors and the need of the curriculums for psychology,this article started from construction for the experimental teaching system and tried to explored an applicable experimental teaching mode for human anatomy and physiology.Through these activities,it helped students to deepen,fixed and verify the theoretical knowledge of human anatomy and physiology through doing experiments,trained students to think independently and analyze generally,and improved the comprehensive qualities.


Neural prostheses have been widely used in nerve repair medical engineering,and have resolved problems which are difficult to cure solely by drugs or surgical methods.As neural prostheses are partially implanted and need real time processing,energy and data transmission is an important part of neural prostheses,determining the practical utility of the prostheses to a large extent.This review introduced neural prostheses,the current work and development of energy supplement and the communications in vivo and in vitro.And we particularly emphasized the design of electromagnetic coupling and the Class-E amplifier for highly efficient inductive power transfer,the coil design and the choice of data modulation adapted to avoid the mutual electromagnetic interference in the dual band power and data telemetry,and the reverse data transmission which indicates the information in vivo for monitoring.


In 1996 a new five channel humidity sounder, the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B, will be be launched on the NOAA-K polar orbiting satellite. In support of the data, interpretation from this instrument, including the retrieval of water vapour profile information, an airborne millimetre wave radiometer has been developed to validate the gaseous absorption model. In particular the so called water vapour continuum absorption has been measured and compared with predictions from models based on laboratory data. The two channel scanning microwave radiometer (MARSS) with channels at 89 and 157 GHz has been operating on the C-130 aircraft of the UK Meteorological Office for five years. The MARSS results have been compared with algorithms specific to microwave and millimetre wavelengths based on independent laboratory measurements and also general purpose line by line models (GENLN2 and FASCOD3). At 89 and 157 GHz the results are broadly similar and all show good agreement except for very dry and very moist atmospheres. Averaging over all the aircraft data these three models give biases of less than 1 K for both channels and RMS errors of under 3.5 K at 89 GHz and 7.0 K at 157 GHz. Best agreement was found in middle latitudes with a model overestimate for arctic atmospheres and a model underestimate for tropical atmospheres. The Liebe MPM-89 model was generally the best, particularly for the middle latitude dataset.


Hydroxyl radical is the main species of many free radical oxidation reactions.The strong oxidation ability of hydroxyl radical can be used to oxidize organic substances and other impurities in water,decreasing the Chemical Oxygen Demand(COD) value and reaching the goal of water treatment.Aromatic hydroxylation from the reaction between hydroxyl radical and salicylate or its related compounds has been often utilized as a marker for the generation of hydroxyl radicals.We have investigated several technical aspects of applying this method to study hydroxyl radical production during the electrolysis process using the salicylic acid(2-HBA) to form 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid(2,5-DHBA).Aqueous solution of 2-HBA was electrolyzed by Ti-base lead dioxide electrode,then the solution containing 2-HBA and 2,5-DHBA was analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography(HPLC) with fluorescence detection.The results show that high pH value is better than low pH value,also high frequency is better than low frequency.


Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)−titania (TiO2) organic−inorganic hybrid powder having different microstructures was synthesized through a sol−gel process and crystallized by subsequent heat treatments at elevated temperatures. As-precipitated hybrid powder showed two distinct morphologies, one of which is spherical and the other is platelike depending upon aging time. It is presumed that the structural variation was highly related with the formation of hydrogen bonds between a chelating agent (2,4-pentanedione:  AcAc) and a polymer component (poly(ethylene oxide):  PEO). Also, microspherical particles with nanocrystalline anatase core/rutile shell structure were prepared through heat treatment at 800 °C. The mechanism of core/shell structure formation was elucidated by the shrinkage during anatase-to-rutile phase transformation, the difference in thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of two crystals, and further decomposition of remaining organic components trapped in the core. In addition, the powder with plate...


Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are two incurable neurodegenerative disorders that exist on a symptomological spectrum and share both genetic underpinnings and pathophysiological hallmarks. Functional abnormality of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), an aggregation-prone RNA and DNA binding protein, is observed in the vast majority of both familial and sporadic ALS cases and in ∼40% of FTLD cases, but the cascade of events leading to cell death are not understood. We have expressed human TDP-43 (hTDP-43) in Drosophila neurons and glia, a model that recapitulates many of the characteristics of TDP-43-linked human disease including protein aggregation pathology, locomotor impairment, and premature death. We report that such expression of hTDP-43 impairs small interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing, which is the major post-transcriptional mechanism of retrotransposable element (RTE) control in somatic tissue. This is accompanied by de-repression of a panel of both LINE and LTR families of RTEs, with somewhat different elements being active in response to hTDP-43 expression in glia versus neurons. hTDP-43 expression in glia causes an early and severe loss of control of a specific RTE, the endogenous retrovirus (ERV) gypsy. We demonstrate that gypsy causes the degenerative phenotypes in these flies because we are able to rescue the toxicity of glial hTDP-43 either by genetically blocking expression of this RTE or by pharmacologically inhibiting RTE reverse transcriptase activity. Moreover, we provide evidence that activation of DNA damage-mediated programmed cell death underlies both neuronal and glial hTDP-43 toxicity, consistent with RTE-mediated effects in both cell types. Our findings suggest a novel mechanism in which RTE activity contributes to neurodegeneration in TDP-43-mediated diseases such as ALS and FTLD. AUTHOR SUMMARY Functional abnormality of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), an aggregation-prone RNA and DNA binding protein, is observed in the vast majority of both familial and sporadic ALS cases and in ∼40% of FTLD cases, and mutations in TDP-43 are causal in a subset of familial ALS cases. Although cytoplasmic inclusions of this mostly nuclear protein are a hallmark of the disease, the cascade of events leading to cell death are not understood. We demonstrate that expression of human TDP-43 (hTDP-43) in Drosophila neurons or glial cells, which results in toxic cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43, causes broad expression of retrotransposons. In the case of glial hTDP-43 expression, the endogenous retrovirus (ERV) gypsy causally contributes to degeneration because inhibiting gypsy genetically or pharmacologically is sufficient to rescue the phenotypic effects. Moreover, we demonstrate that activation of DNA damage-mediated programmed cell death underlies hTDP-43 and gypsy mediated toxicity. Finally, we find that hTDP-43 pathology impairs small interfering RNA silencing, which is an essential system that normally protects the genome from RTEs. These findings suggest a novel mechanism in which a storm of retrotransposon activation drives neurodegeneration in TDP-43 mediated diseases such as ALS and FTLD.


Transforming growth factor-# (I'GF-#) is a potent regulator of cell proliferation and modulates the interactions of cells with their extracellular matrix (ECM), in part by inducing the synthesis of various ECM proteins. Three different isoforms of TGF-/$ are synthesized in a defined pattern in specific cell populations in vivo. In the specific case of TGF-fll, this well-defined and limited expression stands in sharp contrast to its synthesis by virtually all cells in culture. Using mammary epithelial cells as a model system, we evaluated the substratum dependence of the expression of TGF-/31. The level of TGF-fll expression is high in cells on plastic, but is strongly downregulated when cells are cultured on a reconstituted basement membrane matrix. In contrast, TGF-fl2 mRNA levels in cells on either substratum remain unchanged. Using the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene as reporter gene under the control of the TGF-/31 promoter, we show that transcription from this promoter is suppressed when the cells are in contact with either endogenously synthesized or exogenously administered basement membrane. TGF-/$1 promoter activity is strongly induced by the absence of basement membrane, i.e., by direct contact of the cells with plastic. This modulation of transcription from the TGF-fll promoter occurs in the absence of lactogenic hormones which allow full differentiation. Our results thus indicate that basement membrane is an important regulator of TGF-B 1 synthesis , and explain why most cells in culture on plastic express TGF-/~I in contrast with the more restricted TGF-/~I synthesis in vivo. We propose that there is a feedback loop whereby "I'GF-/~l-induced synthesis of basement membrane components is repressed once a functional basement membrane is present. Finally, these results together with our current knowledge of regulation of TGF-/~I and TGF-fl2 synthesis, suggest that, in vivo, TGF-/31 may play a major role in regulating the ECM synthesis and the ceI1-ECM interactions, whereas TGF-/Y2 may be more important in morphogenetic processes. M UCH attention has been focused in recent years on the biology of transforming growth factor-fl (TGF-fl),* a potent regulator of cell proliferation. TGF-/$ can exert a variety of effects, depending on the nature of the target cell and the physiological conditions. It stimulates the proliferation of many cell types ofmesenchymal origin , yet is growth inhibitory for many other cell types. A major activity of TGF-fl is its ability to stimulate the synthesis and deposition of various extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and to increase the expression of …


Patterns of dying and death are changing worldwide. Most people state their preference to die at home, yet the majority of deaths in developed countries occur in acute hospital settings.1 Concerns about the management of pain and other symptoms at home, feelings of uncertainty, caregiver burden,2 limited resources and geographic challenges for rurally-located patients3 contribute to the decision to seek hospital admission at the end of life. Traditionally, acute hospitals operate on a biomedical model of health care, where the focus of care is on cure. This can mean that unless a person is recognised as terminal or actively dying at the point of admission, differentiating between dying and deterioration from a reversible condition is inherently difficult.4 Even with a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness, receiving timely end-of-life and palliative care can be difficult. In a survey designed to measure palliative care need amongst patients in two acute hospitals, more than one third were identified as having palliative care needs.1 Even with access to prognostication tools designed to aid clinicians in recognition/diagnosis of dying, and prior knowledge of a patient's life-limiting diagnosis, the priority to treat, and the momentum towards life-saving and resuscitation that predominates acute hospitals can result in a person's end-of-life and palliative care needs remaining overlooked. This is perhaps even truer when a person's goals and preferences for care are not known. Ideally, an Advance Care Plan or similar document would exist to guide decision-making and ensure a person's care is person-centred and determined according to their values, goals and preferences, in the event they are no longer able to contribute to discussions and decisionmaking. Unfortunately however, the uptake of Advance Care Plans remains low.5 When an Advance Care Plan does not exist, an opportunity for open communication through which a person is able to explore and talk with members of their treating team and their family about their beliefs and wishes, what is important, and to what extent treatment and interventions would be desired. Unfortunately, not all deteriorating patients are afforded this opportunity. Shared decision-making is among the top priorities for hospitalised patients6 and in the absence of clear directives, families may be asked to contribute to care planning and decisions. A recent Australian audit of acute hospital deaths found some evidence of family involvement in endof-life decision-making in just over 90% of cases yet there was insufficient detail to determine whether family were active contributors to the decision-making, or simply present as decisions were made by treating teams.5 Interestingly, the work of Luo and colleagues3 published in this issue, suggests that for cancer patients admitted to an acute hospital, family involvement in decision-making may result in more aggressive care, such as admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).3 Even though ICU admission may reduce the risk of in-hospital death, it may also result in a person receiving aggressive care that is inconsistent with their life-limiting diagnosis and expressed goals or wishes3. This raises the question of whether ICU admission for the cancer patient receiving palliative care aligns with their current care preferences, or whether the admission is more reflective of the family's desire to buy more time, irrespective of the patient's life-limiting diagnosis or advanced state. The findings of Luo et al.'s study, also suggested that given the patterns of complex comorbidity in cancer patients receiving palliative care, clinical decisions should involve proper selection of appropriate care pathways to avoid excessive and ineffective end-of-life care.3 Obviously, in some circumstances, ICU admission is appropriate and necessary at the end of life, such as is the case for burns patients. In cases such as these, end-of-life care may be the primary focus of care following a planned withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.7 Ribiero, Pereira, Gomes and Nunes8 provide a systematic review, included in this issue, in which they investigated whether patients, families and healthcare teams benefit from the integration of palliative care in burns ICUs, prioritising comfort according to the patient's needs, particularly when there is no hope for recovery.8 Their review identified that all included studies referred to the integration of palliative care in this setting, yet none of the studies specified how palliative care was integrated, or what was meant by integration.8 The findings do however suggest that integration of palliative care in the burns ICU was beneficial for decision-making, symptom control, spiritual care and patient's quality of life.8 An interesting finding was that when burns patients were unable to express their preferences, just as described earlier, families were asked to share and participate in the decision-making process. Yet this had negative psychological consequences for family members, thought to be attributed to the sudden life changing nature of a critical event like a burn, especially compared to a chronic illness.8 891789 PMJ0010.1177/0269216319891789Palliative MedicineEditorial editorial2019


Malnutrition refers to an inadequate supply of nutrients and energy to the body cells, compared to the body's requirements for maintaining growth and ensuring daily functions. It is a major health burden in developing countries and can be categorized as under-nutrition and over-nutrition. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) among children under 5 years of age in a rural community of Lahore. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Lakhodair community of Lahore. A sample of 150 married females participated in the study, and a purposive sampling was used to collect data. The results revealed that 43% of the participants were male mothers, and 57% were female. PEM was categorized as mild, moderate, and severe. Severe PEM was noted in children under the age of 5 years in this Lakhodair community, with an incidence rate of 4.22%. It was concluded that the prevalence rate of PEM among children under 5 years of age in a rural community of Lahore was 4.22%. Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) determinants include protein and carbohydrate intake, housing and environmental status, father and mother's education and occupation, monthly income, socio-economic factors, dietary habits, family size, and anthropometric measures.


The method involves determining whether a 4 to 3 shift is satisfied during an execution of 3 to 4 shifting, and starting the 4 to 3 shifting before the 3 to 4 shifting is finished when the 4 to 3 shift condition is satisfied during the execution of the 3 to 4 shifting. The started 4 to 3 shifting is executed according to a predetermined hydraulic control pattern.


Welding procedure tests were arranged with orthogonal design on 13 important parameters to optimize the welding parameters for welding of U75V rails.The factors affecting the welding quality were analyzed according to the results of the welding procedure tests.Among the 13 parameters,feeding speed is the most important.The optimized welding procedure was obtained and has been successfully applied in production.