This paper provides an overview of modeling, analysis and optimization complexities encountered in the design of composite panels. Restrictions or limitations on available computer resources have limited research to problems with complexity in one of the areas. Development of new and efficient analysis models, approxim ation methods and optimization algorithms has led to more practical design where more levels of complexity are required. The paper provides an overview of the r esearch on optimization of composite panels and identifies new areas where more research and development is needed.


A new nickel, zinc, cobalt, copper and metal-free phthalocyanine was synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction of (E)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-one with 4-nitrophthalonitrile and cyclotetramerisation of (E)-4-(3-(3-oxo-3-phenylprop-1-enyl)phenoxy) phthalonitrile. The new compounds were characterized by a combination of IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, UV-Vis, elemental analysis and MS spectral data. The thermal stabilities of the phthalocyanine compounds were determined by thermogravimetric analysis.


We are assembled here this evening to commemorate one of the pioneers in radio science, Prof. Jonathan Adolf Wilhelm Zenneck. The occasion and the location of this meeting could not have been chosen more appropriately. This is the first General Assembly of URSI to be held in Zenneck's native country, Germany. Zenneck was a great advocate of URSI. Before World War II, he was chairman of the German National Committee and vice president of URSI, two posts which are now held by one of his former students, Professor Dieminger. After the War, Zenneck was elected honorary president of the German National Committee.


After reading the article by McDonald et al,1 I have several concerns about the analysis and the authors' interpretations of the results. First, a national registry encompassing carotid revascularization procedures at 141 institutions has demonstrated the folly in using large observational data to compare outcomes of carotid artery stenting (CAS) versus carotid endarterectomy.2 The referral patterns for these 2 procedures are so fundamentally different, with CAS being performed in cohorts with much higher comorbidities, that even well-performed propensity-matched analyses fail to balance groups for confounders. Despite the authors claims that their propensity match …


Cost accounting method widely used in current ERP systems can not reflect the cost in different manufacturing processes exactly.To overcome this disadvantage,activity based costing method was introduced into ERP system.The new method provides an answer for the problem caused by the changing of cost compositions in modern enterprise.Corresponding ERP cost accounting module was researched and designed.


The COVID-19 pandemic has created the distinct challenge for the piloting of drones/other UAVs for researchers and educators who are restricted to working remotely. We propose a Remote Visual Line-of-Sight system that leverages the advantages of Virtual Reality (VR) and motion capture to allow users to fly a real-world drone from a remote location. The system was developed while our researcher (VR operator) was remotely working in Vietnam with the enclosed real-world environment located in Australia. Our paper will present the system design and the challenges found during the development of our system.


The gait posture assessment device of the present invention is provided with a main unit, an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration of the main unit, and a control unit, and is a device for assessing the gait posture of a user wearing the main unit upon a predetermined region. A three-dimensional trajectory of the predetermined region excluding the component of movement in the direction of travel when walking has a pattern, wherein the pattern contains a plurality of feature points which define the features thereof. A controller, on the basis of the acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor, identifies positions of feature points of the trajectory which has been projected after removing the component of movement of the direction of travel from surfaces perpendicular to each of three axes orthogonal to one another, which are the vertical direction, the direction of travel, and the left and right directions (S103), calculates the values of characteristic factors of the trajectory on the basis of the identified positions (S104), and according to the correlation relation which has been obtained in advance between the values of the characteristic factors and the values of the indices indicating the gait posture, calculates values of the indices on the basis of the values of the calculated characteristic factors (S105), and assesses the gait posture on the basis of the calculated values of the indices (S112). Consequently, it is possible to perform a more precise and detailed evaluation of gait posture.


Purpose: There has been a growing focus on E-wallet adoption especially in emerging markets as it offers a convenient method for users to conduct cashless transactions. This study examines antecedents influencing the decision of Generation Z to adopt E-wallet. It looks into the effect of determining factors including compatibility, perceived convenience, perceived trust, perceived reputation, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and social influence on users' intention to use. The moderator role of social influence is also under examination. Research design, data and methodology: The quantitative method has been adopted to collect data from 170 Generation Z users. SmartPLS 3.0 was applied to examine the constructed hypotheses. Results: The results indicate an indirect effect between Compatibility, Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Trust and Social Influence toward intention to adopt Electronic wallet, or both of those factors are mediated by Perceived Convenience, Perceived Usefulness, and Reputation. Moreover, research finding highlights the role of Perceived Usefulness as Generation Z's intention determinant to use E-Wallet. Conclusions: This study is substantial as it selected the promising customer segment – Generation Z to examine the factors influencing their decision to adopt Electronic wallet. Marketers can navigate which dimensions should be included in marketing campaigns to encourage Generation Z's adoption.


Human activities in the past century have caused a variety of environmental problems in the Greater Everglades of South Florida. In 2000, Congress authorized the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), a $10.5-billion mission to restore the South Florida ecosystem. Many environmental projects in CERP need effective salinity monitoring in Florida Bay to provide a measure of the progress and effects of restoration on the ecosystem of the Everglades. Salinity modeling is also important given contemporary impacts and future projections of sea level rise. This study examined the potential for the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) sensor to serve as a regular salinity monitoring tool for Florida Bay. Spatially and temporally matched field data and TM imagery collected during Water Years 2004–2006 were employed to establish algorithms that quantitatively and qualitatively assess salinity in the northeastern area of the bay. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) defines Water Year as the 12-month period from October 1 of one year to September 30 of the following year, and designates it by the calendar year in which it ends. The empirical algorithms for quantitative assessment of salinity generated a reasonable level of accuracy and a neural network based technique for qualitative assessment presented a promising result. We conclude that Landsat TM can be used as a monitoring tool to assess salinity with desirable spatial and temporal resolution and accuracy. Extendibility of algorithms for the entire Florida Bay will be tested in the future.


In order to develop Java concurrent programs,Java multi-thread design patterns of different functions are classified and summarized.These patterns are analyzed and compared by examples,which can be useful for solving concurrent problems of Java programming and developing Java multi-thread programs of high quality.


The analysis and comparison on several different hydraulic tilting apparatus of electric furnace made in China at present are been made in this articles, so the application of electric hydraulic proportion speed regulating valve is the conclusion of the best planning the application in the project of overhand modification of building of the No. 3 steelmaking plant has been made and a better results have been got.


Cymbella ancyli is a diatom species inhabiting oligotrophic lakes with a carbonate substratum. C. ancyli has a relatively wide geographic distribution and is considered to be rare in present day assemblages, while it is more common in subfossil material (particularly in the Ancylus Clay). During a comprehensive investigation on the ecology and depth distribution of benthic diatoms of Lake Tovel, C. ancyli was found to colonise stone and rock surfaces in the intermediate depth zone of the lake. The intermediate depth zone is stable, because it is not influenced by water level fluctuations, temperatures are low and nearly constant, and light is attenuated but sufficient. This niche may constitute a relict refugium for Cymbella ancyli. Analysis of the ultrastructure of C. ancyli revealed that apical pores were present, not only at the footpole, but also the headpole. This finding gives further support to the opinion that this taxon is closer taxonomically to Cymbella sensu lato than to Gomphocymbella.


This document consists of abstracts and research papers from the science and engineering research semester internship fall 1996 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.


In this article, we emphasize on one hand the importance of quantifying the shortage cost in order to measure the optimal parameters for any selected inventory policy and thus enhance the performance of the supply chain and on the other hand the complexity of doing so. Then, we provide a detailed literature review of the existing various models for quantifying the shortage cost in an inventory management context along with a classification of this literature under three categories: Theoretical descriptive models, empirical approaches and simulation based models. Finally, we point out some gaps in this literature such as the lack of continuity of research in this field and the absence of generic fairly easy to apply but accurate methods and we suggest a few future perspectives.


Variable speed pumped-storage energy systems have recently received significant attention in the renewable energy field, due to its overall efficiency and great potential available worldwide. This emergent technology allows improving the potential of these systems in terms of global efficiency, smoothing the power fluctuations and simplifying the burden classical governing mechanical systems. In this paper, a small variable speed pumped-storage plant with full scale power electronics interface and permanent magnet motor generator is proposed. This approach has been experimentally validated by using a dedicated test rig.


Objective To explore the risk factors,high-risk group,clinical characteristic and therapeutic experience of pulmonary embolism(PE).Methods Clinical dates of 35 patients with PE were retrospectively analyzed.Results Among the 35 cases,31 cases(88.6%) were chronic bedrest,22 cases(62.9%) were dyspnea,19 cases(54.3%) were thoracalgia accompanied with or not feeling of impending death,5 cases(14.3%) were syncope,7 cases(20%) were PE triad.Among 35 cases,17 cases were clinical cure,15 cases were improved,3 cases died(2 cases had breathing and cardiac arrest,1 case was complicated with diffuse intravascular coagulation and alimentary tract hemorrhage).Conclusion Various risk factor was involved in the development of pulmonary embolism,such as long-term bed,tumor,surgical trauma,cyophoria,etc.Clinical symptom is complicated.Early thrombolytic therapy or anticoagulation would be better effective.


Abstract Modifications on bone surfaces are taphonomic features that allow, among other aspects of environmental reconstruction, the assessment of human presence. The agents that cause such marks are diverse and of both biotic and abiotic origin. Among the former, marks made by human tools are of paramount importance for archaeologists and paleontologists to identify. Although it is possible to erroneously assign trampling marks to cut marks, several criteria have been recently developed so as to avoid such risks. These methods are applied here to the 30,000-year-old site of Arroyo del Vizcaíno (Uruguay), where over one thousand megafaunal remains have been collected. Some of them show marks that have been interpreted to be the result of the action of human tools. Using a database built up from previous studies of experimentally made marks as an actualistic model, it was concluded that the marks in the Arroyo del Vizcaíno site are unlikely to have been made by trampling, hence leaving human agency as the most feasible cause. This has important consequences for the debate on the human peopling of the Americas and on the process of extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna.


A detailed study aimed at investigating the interfacial structure of Cu films deposited on high purity aluminum nitride (AIN) substrate, which controls the adhesive strength of the deposited Cu film, is described. In this system, the Cu films are deposited by uniform coating of nanosized Cu 2 O particles onto the substrate, oxidation of Cu 2 O to CuO by heat-treatment in air, and subsequent reduction to metallic Cu followed by electroless Cu plating. Effect of the treatment condition on the structure of composite layer formed on the A1N substrate was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, which show that the interfacial structure depends significantly on the annealing conditions. Upon heat-treatment above 800°C in air, an CuAl 2 O 4 and/or α-Al 2 O 3 phase is formed on the AIN surface. The adhesive strength of the deposited Cu film increased with increasing the annealing temperature, and maximum strength observed is ca. 4 kg per 2X2 mm 2 (kg/4 mm 2 ), much greater than that obtained by conventional electroless plating process. The formation of an interfacial oxide layer is suggested to be responsible for high adhesive strength through chemical interaction. The use of Cu 2 O particles as deposition seeds having chemical bonding with AIN substrate can be crucial in this methodology, which has important implications for practical manufacture of Cu-based electronic devices fabricated on A1N substrate.


Abstract An investigation of heat transfer between a flow and a horizontal non-circular slender cylinder is presented in this article. Both experimental and numerical approaches are considered here. When using identical cylinders and free-stream velocities, a comparison between experimental data and numerical estimation emphasizes the shear stress transport k–ω turbulent model associated with fine mesh near wall to be appropriate for estimating an average value of heat transfer coefficient in the present configuration. From a numerical parametric investigation, which is based on the latter approach, two formulations of heat transfer are to be considered as thickness does not have a real influence in heat transfer for low Reynolds numbers, whereas for higher values, both thickness and width participate in heat transfer.


We have carried out the investigation of landslide characteristics and geological environment about the typical Qingshan landslide in Laoshan area, and analyzed the topography, hydrogeology, engineering geology and other conditions related to the occurrence of the landslide. Through comprehensive analysis of various factors, the mechanism of Qingshan landslide was concluded: under the condition of human engineering activity and heavy rainfall, the original mechanical balance of the slope with poor stability was destroyed, leading to landslide occurrence. The stability evaluation of the disaster body showed that its stability was poor, the probability of disaster occurrence was big again, and the risk was great.


Any discussion of citizenship inevitably involves related issues of modernization and postmodernization and economic, cultural, and political globalization (Isin and Wood 1999). If we define postmodernization as both a process of fragmentation through which various group identities have been formed and discourses through which "difference" has become a dominant ideology, its effect on citizenship has been twofold. On the one hand, various groups that have been marginalized and excluded from modern citizenship have been able to seek recognition (Fraser 1997; Young 1990). Groups based upon ethnic, "racial," ecological, and sexual concerns have articulated claims for citizenship to include group-differentiated rights. Women have fought to expand their citizenship rights to include social rights such as access to childcare, pay equity, and rights to safe cities; ethnic and racialized minorities have sought recognition and representation; aboriginal peoples have sought representation and self-government rights; gays and lesbians have struggled to claim rights that are already extended to heterosexual couples, such as spousal benefits and common-law arrangements; immigrants have struggled for naturalization and political rights; and various ability groups have demanded recognition of their needs to become fully functional citizens of their polities. This challenged one of the most venerable premises of modernization—universalization—by exposing its limits. On the other hand, these various claims have strained the boundaries of citizenship and pitted group against group in the search for identity and recognition. As a result, while ostensibly making claims to citizenship, some members of these groups have become trapped or encased within specific identities, unable to move beyond the straitjacket that they have unintentionally created. This called into question another venerable premise of modernization that would have us


Because the demand for excellence in public education is ever present, this article explores the development of a professional enhancement program designed to select and develop a qualified, competent faculty and staff. The basis for the program is a strong educational philosophy, which leads to a vision of what schools can be. It stresses the need for leadership on the part of administrators and the awareness that good administrators are change agents. It points out that good recruitment and selection lessens the demands on a staff development program. Even so, it concludes that staff development must be a continuous process. The cornerstone of this article is a desire for excellence. Recognizing that there is no place for mediocrity in education, this information is offered for those who recognize the same.


We report the generation of Bessel-Gauss beams using a CO2 laser resonator. The cavity is composed by a plane output mirror and a total reflective axicon, this configuration had been studied previously by Gutierrez-Vega et al [J.Opt.Soc.Am.A 20, 2113-22 (2003)]. Bessel-Gauss beams are produced directly from the cavity. The use of a reflective axicon instead of a refractive one results in reduction of surface-induced aberrations, minimizing absorption and increasing the non-diffracting distance. This results in a higher power non-diffracting laser beam with potential scientific and industrial applications. In order to characterize the resonator, we have obtained its output transverse intensity distribution. Additionally, we have numerically and experimentally studied the effects of mirror tilt on the output transverse mode structure. We have made numerical simulations of the misaligned resonator modes based on Bowers's method [Appl. Opt. 31, 1185-98 (1992)]. Direct comparison of numerical and experimental results allow us to estimate the diffractive losses of the modes on the misaligned cavity and their dependence on the aligned bare cavity eigenmodes, thus providing valuable information of the output power dependence on mirror misalignment. Relevant experimental parameters and numerical procedure are fully described.


The use of ranks of infraspecific names in Salix L. published by Gaudin in Flora Helvetica (1830) is reconsidered and the identity, nomenclature and taxonomy of Salix alba L. f. tristis Gaudin and related taxa are clarified. A new combination, S. × pendulina nothof. tristis is made which is established as the correct name with new synonyms. The epitype for S. × pendulina nothof. tristis is designated.


The health of 155 former workers in a US military research program who had received multiple vaccines and 265 matched community controls was assessed. The study population was mostly male (83%) and elderly (median age, 69 years). Multiply immunized (MIP) subjects r ompletion w e ( ons, n d medical c ppeared to b .5%) and c ns were f P


In presenting this thesis as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree from Georgia State University, I agree that the Library of the University shall make it available for inspection and circulation in accordance with its regulations governing materials of this type. I agree that permission to quote from, to copy from, or to publish this thesis may be granted by the author or, in his/her absence, by the professor under whose direction it was written, or in his/her absence, by the Associate Dean, College of Health and Human Sciences. Such quoting, copying, or publishing must be solely for scholarly purposes and will not involve potential financial gain. It is understood that any copying from or publication of this dissertation which involves potential financial gain will not be allowed without written permission of the author. ________________________ Signature of Author All theses deposited in the Georgia State University Library must be used in accordance with the stipulations prescribed by the author in the preceding statement. Users of this thesis who not regularly enrolled as students at Georgia State University are required to attest acceptance of the preceding stipulation by signing below. Libraries borrowing this thesis for the use of their patrons are required to see that each user records here the information requested. An evaluation of the Pre-Release Planning Program of the Georgia Department of Corrections and a qualitative assessment of reentry experiences of program participants Abstract Background: Higher rates of HIV are seen within correctional systems across the United States. Georgia has one of the largest correctional populations in the country and HIV rates among prisoners are elevated when compared to the state as a whole. In 2008. 2.1% of state prisoners in Georgia were living with HIV. A focal point for the public health system is the moment of release and reentry into the community. Prison systems are responsible for the healthcare of persons in their custody and the public health system typically has limited access to this population until release. Federal programs like Ryan White seek to address the needs of underserved populations with limited access to HIV care. The Ryan White system has facilitated access to Georgia prisoners prior to release by funding the Pre-Release Planning Program, which provides case management and linkage to medical care for persons living with HIV in Georgia state prisons. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the …


8 ASUBTITLE: AFTER A YEAR WHICH SAW THE LARGEST DROP IN TRAFFIC SINCE 1980, US AIRLINES ARE NOW FACING THE POSSIBILITY THAT BUSINESS AND LEISURE TRAVELLERS ARE FINDING ALTERNATIVES: TRAFFIC AND YIELDS COULD SUFFER.


The Brinkman equations describe the flow of a viscous fluid in a porous matrix. Mathematically the Brinkman model is a parameter-dependent combination of both the Darcy and Stokes models. We introduce a dual mixed framework for the problem, and use H(div)-conforming finite elements with the symmetric interior penalty Galerkin method to obtain a stable formulation. We show that the formulation is stable in a mesh-dependent norm for all values of the parameter. We also introduce a postprocessing scheme for the pressure along with a residual-based a posteriori estimator, which is shown to be efficient and reliable for all parameter values.


The invention relates to a method for making a porous layer (3) on a substrate (1), wherein the porous layer (3) contains at least one ceramic material (7) and at least a metal (9). For this purpose, on the substrate (1), first, a dispersion containing at least one Metallbildner and at least one ceramic-formers applied, wherein contain at least a portion of the metal agent in the form of metal particles and / or at least a portion of the ceramic former in the form of ceramic particles in the dispersion is. Subsequently, the dispersion is transferred at a temperature above 250 ° C in a cermet coating.


In a three-dimensional measurement system based on a digital light processing projector and a camera, a height estimating function is very important. Sinusoidal fringe patterns of the projector are projected onto the object, and the phase of the measuring point is calculated from the camera image. Then, the height of the measuring point is inferred by the phase. The phase-to-height relationship is unique at each image point. However it is nonlinearly different according to the image coordinates. It is also difficult to obtain the geometrical model because of lens distortion. Even though some studies have been performed on neural network models to find the height from the phase and the related coordinates, the results are not good because of the complex relationship. Therefore, this paper proposes a hybrid method that combines a geometric analysis and a neural network model. The proposed method first finds the phase-to-height relationship from a geometric analysis for each image pixel, and then uses a neural network model to find the related parameters for the relationship. The experimental results show that the proposed method is superior to previous neural network methods.


This work addresses potential advancements in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) system, in particular focusing on membranes for gas separation at high temperature. These requirements can be met by metal and ceramic membranes and are reviewed hereinafter. High temperature membrane technology for gas separation is embryonic at this stage. The technology is attracting a large interest by research groups and is currently supported by major funding agencies around the world. Several key areas of interest include novel materials, fabrication process and membrane systems. Novel materials are required to address trace contaminants in dirty syngas processing, in particular the development of palladium alloys to tolerate sulphur. Also water has detrimental effects in many ceramic membranes, and functionalisation of silica surfaces delivers hydrostability. Fabrication processes to reduce film thickness and defects are taking ceramic membrane fluxes to 135 litres (STP) of H 2 per square metre of membrane area per minute, and at 1 atmosphere differential pressure across the membrane, and H2/CO2 selectivity in excess of 50. Palladium membranes show lower fluxes, but H 2/CO2 selectivities are several orders of magnitude higher than that for ceramic membranes. Data on the performance of scale up and long term stability of membrane systems integration in IGCC is still scarce, whilst current costs of over US$ 1,000/m2 of membrane area need to be reduced. From a technological view point, there is no single technology at the moment that can address all the future needs of syngas processing. It is likely that several technologies will address specific functions and requirements for gas separation in coal gasification.


As is known to all, with the development of society, computer multimedia technology in our country is becoming more and more mature, computer multimedia technology has been widely applied to all walks of life in today's development is becoming more and more fast, now is an era of information technology, in the new era, the digital media is becoming more and more widely applied in computer, involves the study of art influence is becoming more and more deep, the combination of digital media art and design studies, played a good boost to the development of art and spreading effect, today's art has to achieve the leap development of good in modern works, art occupies very important position. In this article, we have carried on the analysis to it, and has proposed the corresponding conception and the thought to the art design, hoped can have the promotion function to the art design development.


A descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective study with the aim of characterizing morbidity due to congenital cardiovascular malformations was carried out at the 30 th Anniversary of the Death in Combat of Ernesto Guevara and his Comrades Teaching Policlinic of Remedios during the period from May 2004 to May 2006. The universe of patients with this condition in the health area (45 children from 0 to 19 years of age) was analyzed. A questionnaire to deal with the information taken from the individual and family medical history was devised. The prevalence rate of congenital heart diseases was of 5.1 per 1000 children born alive. The most common ones were: ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect and aortic stenosis. Most of the diagnoses were made during the first year of life and the diagnosis of all complex heart diseases was made during the early neonatal period. The predominant risk factors were the infectious diseases, chronic diseases and the association of more than one risk factor. It was concluded that these malformations represent a high rate when compared to the rest of those registered in the area and that the highest rate is found in babies of mothers under age 15. The development of strategies for a correct prenatal diagnosis was recommended, as well as the surveillance of the associated risk factors and the improvement of the interrelation in the cardio-pediatric network in order to achieve an optimal follow-up of the cases.


The vibrational spectra of SbSI (Sb2S3)0.15 crystals in harmonic and anharmonic approximations are calculated by Density Functional Theory (DFT) method. Investigation of IR, R and A low frequency normal modes at points k = 0 and k = 0.5 of the Brillouin zone in SbSI (Sb2S3)0.15 crystals reveal that soft behavior of these modes mainly depends on the temperature dependent force constant Cij between Sb and I atoms and symmetry coordinates. Investigation of the mean value potential energy p(z) per one atom dependence on the amplitude of the soft mode B1u symmetry coordinates in c (z) axis direction on the phase transition region have explained why ferroelectric phase transition temperature TC depends on compression in x-y plane of the SbSI chains in SbSI (Sb2S3)x crystals.


Department of Neurosurgery, Ninth People Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, People's Republic of China Purpose: To investigate the molecular mechanism and search for candidate biomarkers in the gene expression profile of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of progressive vs non-progressive DPN patients in dataset GSE24290were screened. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted, and hub genes were extracted from the protein–protein interaction network. The expression level of hub genes in serum samples in another dataset GSE95849 was obtained, followed by the ROC curve analysis. Results: A total of 352 DEGs were obtained from dataset GSE24290. They were involved in 14 gene ontology terms and 10 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, mainly related to lipid metabolism. Eight hub genes (LEP, APOE, ADIPOQ, FABP4, CD36, GPAM, CIDEC, and PNPLA4) were revealed, and their expression level was obtained in dataset GSE95849. The receiver operatingcharacteristic curve analysis indicated that CIDEC (AUC=1), APOE (AUC=0.833), CD36 (AUC=0.803), and PNPLA4 (AUC=0.861) might be candidate serum biomarkers of DPN. Conclusion: Lipid metabolism of Schwann cells might be inhibited in progressive DPN. CIDEC, APOE, CD36, and PNPLA4 might be potential predictive biomarkers in the early DPN diagnosis of patients with DM.


Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is an epitaxial growth technique capable of growing planar layers of crystals with thicknesses up to several 10's of microns. Crystal layers can be grown sequentially without intermediate sample conditioning allowing complicated structures, such as laser-active double-clad designs, to be routinely fabricated. We have recently demonstrated output powers of more than 16W and slope efficiencies of 70% for diode-bar end-pumped planar waveguide oscillators based on PLD Yb:YAG grown on YAG substrates. Here, we present our initial results on varying the growth conditions to tailor the stoichiometry, refractive index, and spectroscopic properties of PLD grown layers. This fine level of control, made possible by this technique, opens the way to bespoke and unique gain media for novel amplifier and lasers designs.


Background: Food additives are products added to the basic foodstuffs with an aim of improving its aspect, flavor, taste, color, texture, food value and conservation. Aim of the work: This study aimed to determine the effects of AFA against the hazardous effects of sodium benzoate, chlorophyllin and monosodium glutamate. Materials and methods: This study was done on thirty male albino rats with an average body weight 120-140 g. The animals were divided into three groups (10 rats/each) as follows: Group 1: control, Group 2: rats treated with food additives mixture (sodium benzoate, chlorophyllin, and monosodium glutamate) and Group 3: rats treated with mixture, in addition to AFA (blue green algae). Blood samples were collected, and the separated sera were used for estimation of some biochemical parameters (liver enzymes, kidney function tests, glucose, HOMA-IR, protein profile and lipid profile) and hormonal levels [testosterone, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4)]. Results: The study showed an increase in levels of fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, activities of AST and ALT, urea, creatinine, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), LDL-C, VLDL, ratios of TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDLC (risk factors) in mixture group. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in protein profile (total protein, albumin and globulin), HDL-and testosterone hormone levels as compared to the control rats. On the other hand, these results turned back nearly to the normal values after receiving the AFA (blue green algae). Conclusion: the present study clearly revealed the therapeutic capability of AFA to fight the grievous effects of food additives mixture on major physiological parameters.


Background: Tropical rainforests represent the most species-rich and at the same time the most fragmented terrestrial biome on Earth. Fragmentation of tropical rainforests is having wide-ranging consequences for the maintenance of local species diversity and community assembly patterns. Aims: To examine floristic changes and changes in community phylogenetic structure in the forest fragment over the past five decades. Methods: A new taxonomic diversity algorithm (within-family diversity) was developed to assess floristic changes in the forest fragment. Community phylogenetic structure was then compared before and after fragmentation. Results: Taxonomic diversity changed greatly among families, with changes occurring randomly across the phylogeny. The forest fragment had higher phylogenetic diversity, higher mean pair-wise phylogenetic distance, but lower mean nearest-neighbour distance. The community phylogenetic structure has changed significantly from clustering to dispersion. Conclusions: High species turnover occurred in the forest fragment. While shade-tolerant species have been lost, and ruderal and alien species have been added, overall phylogenetic diversity has increased with species being more phylogenetically distant. Competitive exclusion, which was related to the relatively drier conditions in the forest after fragmentation, led the plant community phylogenetic structure to be more dispersed.


Burrs formed during face milling operations can be very difficult to characterize since there exist several parameters which have complex combined effects that affect the cutting process. Many researchers have attempted to predict burr characteristics including burr size and shape, using various experimental parameters such as cutting speed, feed rate, in-plane exit angle, and number of inserts. However, the results of these studies tend to be limited to a specific process parameter range and to certain materials. In this paper, the Taguchi method, a systematic optimization method for design and analysis of experiments, is introduced to acquire optimum cutting conditions for burr minimization. In addition, an in process monitoring scheme using an artificial neural network is presented for the prediction of burr types.


David Lewis, in his classic We, the Navigators, discussed a phenomenon that navigators in the Santa Cruz group of the southeastern Solomon Islands use for land finding. Lewis described it as akin to underwater lightning and referred to it as 'deep phosphorescence'; speakers of the local Polynesian language call it te lapa. Here I present the somewhat inconsistent lapa-related observations of experienced sailors from Taumako, Vaeakau, and other islands of the Solomons as well as my own frustrating and inconclusive efforts over nine months of field research to observe and document it.


Origin of Ostracism [Copenhagen, 1972], p. 104 n. 342) had already championed the alternative, and Brenne here presents a measured case for this. To my mind the case convinces, but there is probably more to be said either way; and if this is, as suggested, a personiμcation, one would very much like to know what was, or was deemed to be, hochwohlgeborener (T1/75 alone) about it. Other puzzles include: whether Β!οξ Λ0τοξοΚ Ροσιλο οQλ«ξ (T1/39) was a metic (cf. generally D. Whitehead, The Ideology of the Athenian Metic [Cambridge, 1977], 31–2, 72–5) or simply someone having his citizenship impugned; the meaning and implications of δθνουε'υθΚ (T1/44); why Leagros deserved the epithets β0τλαξοΚ (T1/72) and ν μαΚ (T1/73); what Megakles had to do with 'Rhoikos' (T1/86), why he was not to go to Eretria (T1/94), and what was objectionable about his (?)new hairstyle (T1/107–108); the meaning and implications of 2ζεμ Κ (T1/119–130), and much else about Menon Menekleidou of Gargettos; and the identity (Themistokles? Xanthippos?) of 'Xanthias the kithara-player' (T1/151–2). Surrounding these two substantive parts of the volume are two others: Teil I (pp. 25–35), which is S.'s own, introductory Forschungsgeschichte, and Teil IV (pp. 479–509), where S., Heftner, and Scheidel ruminate to advantage on various general aspects of this pre-Hellenistic testimony. Underpinning the project as a whole is a core bibliography (pp. 17–24, with addenda pp. 518–20); it has missed very little demanded by its purposes, and individual contributors naturally cite a broader range of material where the need arises. (See, for example, Brenne at p. 99 n. 104 on the religious/ritual aspects of ostracism.) The volume ends with a convenient Zeittafel (p. 521; Kimon's alleged premature return from ostracism in the 450s [T28] is there but, oddly, not the ostracism itself, for which see T19 and T25) and laudably lavish indexing. All in all, then, a valuable resource-bank and vade mecum for serious work on this perennially fascinating phenomenon.


The development of 3-dimensional environments to be used within a biomechanical physics simulation framework, such as Articulated Total Body, can be laborious and time intensive. This brief article demonstrates how the ARAS 360 software package can aid the user by speeding up development time.


Comparison of Two Samples.- The Linear Regression Model.- Single#x2013 Factor Experiments with Fixed and Random Effects.- More Restrictive Designs.- Incomplete Block Designs.- Multifactor Experiments.- Models for Categorical Response Variables.- Repeated Measures Model.- Cross#x2013 Over Design.- Statistical Analysis of Incomplete Data.


Summary 1. During cardiac catheterization, a pressure gradient was found between a distal point in a pulmonary vein and either or both atrial chambers during the major portion of the cardiac cycle in 2 cases of atrial septal defect, in a third case wherein an anomalous pulmonary vein drained into the right atrium, and in a fourth in which an anomalous pulmonary vein emptied into the superior vena cava. 2. The magnitude of the gradient between pulmonary vein and right atrium varied from 3.0 to 5.8 mm of mercury with an average value of 4.2 mm in the 4 cases studied. 3. Evidence that this gradient could not be entirely due to an end pressure or Pitot effect was obtained from study of a model in which the end pressure effect was shown to be 0.5 to 0.8 mm of mercury at the same calculated flow velocities. 4. It is suggested that this pressure gradient is a result of the pressure transmitted by the right ventricle through the pulmonary circulation, and is an important factor in the left-to-right shunt observed at rest during quiet breathing in uncomplicated cases of atrial septal defect.


This article presents the design of ultra wide band (UWB) square shape fractal antenna with matching strip. The impedance matching of this proposed antenna is achieved using the metal strip in ground plane at angle 60° from the centre of the patch. The experimental results of this antenna exhibit the ultra wide band characteristics from 2.355 GHz to 15.0 GHz corresponding to 145.722% impedance bandwidth. The proposed antenna has been simulated using 3D-Electromagnetic software. The experimental and simulated results are in good agreement. The measured radiation patterns of this antenna are nearly omni-directional in H-plane and bidirectional in E-plane. This antenna can be useful for transmission of high data rate wireless communications, medical imaging and other UWB applications.


One Hundred and One Years of Research on Bacterial Wilt.- Bacterial Wilt: the Missing Element in International Banana Improvement Programs.- Chair's Perspective: Diversity of Ralstonia solanacearum.- Phylogeny, Diversity and Molecular Diagnostics of Ralstonia solanacearum.- Development of a Diagnostic Test Based on the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to Identify Strains of R. solanacearum Exhibiting the Biovar 2 Genotype.- Genetic Diversity of Ralstonia solanacearum Race 3 in Western Europe determined by AFLP, RC-PFGE and Rep-PCR.- Biogeographic Studies on Ralstonia solanacearum Race 1 and 3 by Genomic Fingerprinting.- Analysis of Genetic Variation of a Population of Banana Infecting Strains of Ralstonia solanacearum.- Genetic Diversity of Ralstonia solanacearum in Japan.- Diversity of Ralstonia solanacearum in Tomato Rhizosphere Soil.- Population Structure of Ralstonia solanacearum From a Disease Nursery and Tomato Production Fields in Taiwan.- Correlation of Aggressiveness with Genomic Variation in Ralstonia solanacearum Race.- Chair's Perspective:.- Molecular Methods for Detection and Discrimination of Ralstonia solanacearum.- Adaptation of Technology for Diagnosis and Detection ofRalstonia solanacearum in Malawi and Tanzania.- Efficiency of a Vacuum Infiltration Inoculation Procedure for Detecting Ralstonia solanacearum in Soil.- Developing Appropriate Detection Methods for Developing Countries.- Evaluation of Methods for Detection of Potato Seed Contamination by Ralstonia solanacearum.- Detection of Ralstonia solanacearum in Potato Tubers, Solanum dulcamara and Associated Irrigation Water.- Selection of Ralstonia solanacearum Race 3 Specific Monoclonal Antibodies from Combinatorial Libraries.- Experiences with Bacterial Brown Rot Ralstonia solanacearum Biovar 2, Race 3 in the Netherlands.- Directions for Future Research on Bacterial Pathogenicity.- Analysis of Extracellular Polysaccharide I In Culture and In Planta Using Immunological Methods: New Insights and Implications.- Regulation of Virulence by Endogenous Signal Molecules and the Importance of Extracellular Polysaccharide During Infection and Colonization.- Function and Regulation of Pectin-Degrading Enzymes in Bacterial Wilt Disease.- The Ralstonia solanacearum hrp Gene Region: Role of the Encoded Proteins in Interactions with Plants and Regulation of Gene Expression.- Relationship of Wild Type Strain Motility and Interaction with Host Plants in Ralstonia solanacearum.- Studies on the Molecular Basis for Pathogenicity and Host Specificity in Strains of Ralstonia solanacearum Pathogenic to Banana.- Chair's Perspective: Host Resistance.- Transcriptional Regulation and Function of hsr203J, an Hypersensitivity-Related Gene of Tobacco Activated in Respons to Ralstonia solanacearum.- An Anti-Ralstonia solanacearum Protein from Potato and Its Immunogold Localization In Vivo.- Involvement of Nitric Oxide in Ralstonia solanacearum-Induced Hypersensitive Reaction in Tobacco.- Correlation of Chemical Profiles of Xylem Fluid of Tomato to Resistance to Bacterial Wilt.- Behavior of Bioluminescent Ralstonia solanacearum YN5 Containing the luxCDABE in Tomatoes Susceptible and Resistant to Bacterial Wilt.- Genetic Analysis of Quantitative Resistance Loci (QRL) of Tomato Variety Hawaii 7996 in Taiwan.- Identification and Mapping of RRS1, a Single Recessive Locus in Arabidopsis thaliana that Confers Resistance to Ralstonia solanacearum.- Mi Introgression Lines as Tools for the Genetic Analysis of Bacterial Wilt Resistance in Tomato.- Genetics of Plant Resistance to Bacterial Wilt: Round Table Report.- Worldwide Evaluation of an International Set of Resistance Sources to Bacterial Wilt in Tomato.- Selection of Processing Tomato Progenies for Resistance to Ralstonia solanacearum.- Resistance Sources to Bacterial Wilt in Eggplant (Solanum melongena).- Breeding for Resistance to Bacterial Wilt of Potatoes in Brazil.- Relationship Between Latent Infection and Groundnut Bacterial Wilt Resistance.- Inheritance of Resistance to Bacterial Wilt in Chinese Dragon Groundnuts.- Resistance to Bacterial Wilt in Uganda.- Multiplication of Ralstonia solanacearum in Capsicum annuum.- Solanum tuberosum - S. commersonii Somatic Hybrids are Resistant to Brown Rot Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum.- Chairs' Perspectives on Biological Control and Epidemiology.- The Suppression of Ralstonia by Marigolds solanacearum.- Elements of Biocontrol of Tomato Bacterial Wilt solanacearum.- The Development of a Biological Control Agent against Ralstonia solanacearum Race 3 in Kenya.- A Tentative Explanation of the Distribution, on Reunion Island, of Bacterial Wilt Caused by Either Biovar 2 or Biovar 3 of Ralstonia solanacearum.- The Effect of Temperature, Storage Period and Inoculum Concentration on Symptom Development and Survival of Ralstonia solanacearum in Inoculated Tubers.- Epidemiology of Tomato Bacterial Wilt in Agreste Region of Pernambuco State, Brazil, in 1996/1997.- Current Situation of Bacterial Wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum Smith) in Cuba.- Factors Affecting the Population of Ralstonia solanacearum in a Naturally Infested Field Planted to Tobacco.- Disease Management Session Commentary.- The Usefulness of Potato Resistance to Ralstonia solanacearum, for the Integrated Control of Bacterial Wilt.- Bacterial Wilt in Brazil: Current Status and Control Methods.- Disease Management Strategies for Control of Bacterial Wilt of Tobacco in the Southeastern USA.- Relative Importance of Latent Tuber Infection and Soil Infestation by Ralstonia solanacearum on the Incidence of Bacterial Wilt of Potato.- Maintaining Scottish Seed Potato Production Free From Ralstonia solanacearum.- Weeds as Latent Hosts of Ralstonia solanacearum in Highland Uganda: Implications to Development of an Integrated Control Package for Bacterial Wilt.- Round Table on Bacterial Wilt (Brown Rot) of Potato.- List of Authors.


In order to improve the efficiency of the thermochemical copper-chlorine cycle (Cu-Cl) for hydrogen production, a quench cell configuration for the quenching of cuprous chloride (CuCl) is being investigated. Initial testing has been performed in water to determine whether the molten cuprous chloride can be cooled enough to be quenched in hydrochloric acid (HCl (aq)). Quenching in HCl (aq) would reduce the number of components in the overall cycle, simplifying it and potentially making it more cost effective. A thermal camera was used to experimentally obtain the heat loss as the CuCl falls through the heat exchanger and into the quench cell. In addition, a FlowSense 2M shadow imaging camera was used to observe the behavior of the CuCl droplets interacting with the quench solution. It was observed that the CuCl droplet disintegrating into dust like particles as it enters the water pool and vapour was generated hence the temperature at the surface of the droplet as it entered the liquid water exceeded 100 °C.


In the contemporary "information society" the mobilization of information and knowledge may be as important as the mobilization of people in the struggle for social justice and equality. Emergent political actors, such as the new social movements (NSMs), must first reach and persuade their audiences with information and knowledge before they can hope to move them to action. In order to do so, movements must first develop strategic access to commercial news media organizations. As the major sources of political information for citizens in modern societies, news media are still one of the most crucial bottlenecks in the distribution of new information by and about emergent social movements. The question of whether (and how) the new movements can produce access to news media, and what kind of access they can produce, becomes an urgent democratic question about the possibilities and processes of social change in the United States.


As an important fiber crop, many potential applications of kenaf are being identified and developed in 21 century, especially in developed countries such as America, Japan, and France and Malaysia as well. The present study report a protocol for the efficient in vitro propagation of kenaf (H.cannabinus L) to initiate multiple shoot from mother plant part (shoot, petiole, node and leaf) through direct and indirect organogenesis using MS medium + BAP + IAA for direct organogenesis and MS medium + KN+2,4-D for indirect organogenesis to get callus and after 8 weeks, the calli were put in the MS medium + BAP +IAA for shoot induction. The highest number of shoots produced from node explants part via direct organogenesis (16.33/explants) in MS medium + 0.5 mg/l BAP +0.05 mg/l IAA. The highest percentage explants forming callus and callus generate into shoot also from node explants part which was induced 75% callus from explants and 73.33% of callus turn into shoot in MS medium + 0.1 mg/l BAP. Several subcultures were drived in order to enhance the multiplication rate. The treatments have their significant different with others. The shoots then were transferred to the root induction medium. Shoots showed the vigorous roots in the MS basal medium. The in vitro rooted plantlets were acclimatized in sand+ coco pit + vermiculite with ratio 3:2:2 and were covered with hole container for 0-15 days to test the effect of humidity to plantlets. The 9th-15th days explants covered with container showed 100% of survive. Survive well rooted plantlets were transferred to the field. Plants grew well into maturity without any remarkable morphological variations within the treatments.


Atrazine is a widely-used herbicide and always contaminates water bodies due to its relatively higher solubility and persistence. The removal efficiency of atrazine in water and the influencing factors by combined process of solar irradiation and S- doped TiO2 were studied in detail, in which S-doped TiO2 photo- catalyst with high sunlight activity was prepared by acid catalyzed hydrolysis method using thiourea as sulfur source; As a comparison, solar/TiO2 process was studied in the meantime; The experiment results showed that atrazine could be more effectively oxidized by the solar/S-doped TiO2 process than by solar/ TiO2 process, whose removal effect were 60% and 40% after 30 min's irradiation, respectively; Pseudo-first-order model could be used to simulate the oxidation process in which the degradation rate coefficients were independent of the initial concentration of atrazine; Degradation rate could be greatly affected by the concentration of H2O2, the optimum concentration for the system of solar/S-doped TiO2 was found to be 20mg/L, which was 5mg/L higher than that of solar/TiO2 system; Lower water pH favor the degradation of atrazine for the change of charge density of both the atrazine molecular and photo-catalyst surface; Humic acids decreased both the degradation rate of the two processes, and solar/S-doped TiO2 process more easily affected, for the humic acids could not only compete with molecular atrazine for radicals but also adsorb part of sunlight which can excite radical with TiO2.


The geometry, frequency and intensity of the vibrational bands of 8-hydroxyquinoline and its 5,7-dichloro, 5,7-dibromo, 5,7-diiodo and 5,7-dinitro derivatives were obtained by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations with Becke3-Lee-Parr (B3LYP) functional and 6-31G* basis set. The effects of chloride, bromide, iodide and nitro substituent on the vibrational frequencies of 8-hydroxyquinoline have been investigated. The assignments have been proposed with aid of the results of normal coordinate analysis. The observed and calculated spectra are found to be in good agreement.


This paper presents results of household surveys conducted in Trinidad's Northern Range to assess I) the source of household water, 2) the methods used for collecting and storing household water, and 3) the reliability of household water sources. This case study adds to the body of literature about household water in a part of the world and socioeconomic groups that are understudied.


The Harary index is dened as the sum of reciprocals of distances between all pairs of vertices of a connected graph. A connected graph G is a cactus if any two of its cycles have at most one common vertex. Let G(n;r) be the set of cacti of order n and with r cycles, (2n;r) the set of cacti of order 2n with a perfect matching and r cycles. In this paper, we give the sharp upper bounds of the Harary index of cacti among G(n;r) and (2n;r), respectively, and characterize the corresponding extremal cactus.


A new algorithm for scheduling the transmission of packets in routers is discussed. The approach takes into account the separation of queues in the input ports of a router and the segmentation of incoming packets into cells. Its main advantage is that, while performing as good as other existing algorithms, its complexity is considerably smaller. The feature that differentiates the algorithm is that it relies on past information in order to avoid processing of all data at every given timeslot, which is a time-consuming process.


Instrument training, which is an important sub-training area of music education, involves a wide range of learning and teaching methods extending from the beginner level to the mastery level. Regardless of the level, the methods used are one of the most important factors in this process. Although the trumpet education has been carried out for a long while with a systematic way in the world as well as in our country, the number of methods written for the trumpet is rather limited. This is an important issue in front of us regarding the selection of the most suitable methods after a thorough investigation of all available methods. In this study, we investigated the method titled "P. Clodomir Methode Complete de Trompette a Pistons", which is widely used in the trumpet education, from the perspective of the beginner level, the contents of the exercises, tones, information about scales, instrument playing styles, and duet contents. The study was conducted with the content analysis method, which is one of the qualitative analysis methods. In the study, a total of 252 exercises and duets included in the Clodomir method were investigated for the abovementioned parameters. Considering the investigated contexts, we concluded that the method was suitable for the beginner level, the etudes were planned based on a spiral progress method for the development of the performer, it did not contain information about the lip position and use of the mouthpiece, and the levels of the participants were ignored in the teacher-student duets. It was found that 16.7% of the investigated exercises required beginner level skills, 51.9% intermediate level, and 31.4% advanced level skills. The obtained results were explained in tables in the related sections. We believe that this study will be a guiding source for the trumpet teachers and students.


The study on coal-forming plants in lignite in China mainly focuses on identifications and classifications of the lignite.However,the study in overseas has mainly concentrated the study of coal-forming plants in cells and molecular level,including biomarker of the coal-forming plants in lignite,and the fire events indicated by fossil charcoal.In this paper,the authors briefly reviewed the research status,results and some problems remained on the coal-forming plants in lignite.


Bio-plastics are a form of plastics derived from plant sources such as sweet potatoes, soya bean oil, sugarcane, hemp oil, and corn starch. These polymers are naturally degraded by the action of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and algae. Bio-plastics can help alleviate the energy crisis as well as reduce the dependence on fossil fuels of our society. They have some remarkable properties which make it suitable for different applications. This paper tries to give an insight about Bio-plastics, their composition, preparation, properties, special cases, advantages, disadvantages, commercial viability, its life cycle, marketing and pricing of these products.


Features of the structures of samples of graphite obtained from thermally oxidized compositions based on uncalcined petroleum coke and high-temperature hard-coal pitch have been investigated. An interconnection of the interlayer distance with the dimensions of the crystallites in the plane of the layer and with other characteristics of the micro-and supermolecular structures of the graphitized material occurs that is unusual for carbonaceous materials have been found.


Essure, a female-sterilization device, is being reevaluated by an FDA panel 13 years after its original approval. Would concerns about its safety and effectiveness have been addressed earlier with better research and result dissemination?


On the basis of factors such as comfort, convenience, expense, etc., zinc cream (A.P.F.) and vaselined gauze were the best of the treatments investigated for breaches of skin continuity. Triple dye, used as a paint, was valuable for treating small suiperficial lesions. Suspensory bandages were of great value in the treatment of scrotal burns. There was a comparatively low incidence of sepsis, in spite of the fact that the burns were treated under an approximationto field conditions. There is no reason to suppose that mustard burns behave any differently from thermal burns in regard to their healing or liability to infection.


The diversity in mineral composition of metamorphic rocks can be regarded as the resultant of two independent variables, first of the ultimate composition of the rocks, and secondly of the grade of metamorphism, or the particular pressure-temperature conditions under which the rocks have arisen. It is clear that these two variables may well form the basis of a classification of rocks of metamorphic origin.


Previous research on broadening participation in higher education and Science Technology Engineering and Math has inadequately examined the role of place. This article explores the socio-spatial perceptions of youth of a college campus and changes in perceptions youth experience during their transition from being a university neighbor to becoming part of a university community. This study uses sketch maps and qualitative Geographic Information Systems to document the changing perceptions of 43 youth aged 14–18 during their participation in a university program. The results suggest that some students started to identify with campus spaces as a university student or employee rather than as a neighbor of the university.


An extension of current scintillation stochastic models is described to examine the alteration of the scintillation amplitude distribution with the concurrent rain fade depth on earth-space paths. Descriptive statistical results of 12.5GHz scintillation at two sites show that the long-term magnitude of tropospheric scintillation steadily increases with worsening rain attenuation.


This paper presents the feasibility study of a novel robust current-mode (CM) control method to regulate the output voltage of a Flyback converter operating in Quasi-resonant (QR) mode or Discontinuous Conduction Mode (DCM). Unlike the traditional CM technique, in the proposed solution the control variable of the loop is proportional to the dc output current. Therefore, the dc output current can be monitored from the primary side without current-sensing components or dedicated circuitry, and with a precision that is little affected by the tolerance of the parameters of the power stage. Also, unlike average current mode (ACM) control schemes used to regulate the output current, in which the averaging slows down the dynamics of the converter, this new method still provides the same excellent dynamic response as the traditional CM. In this paper a theoretical analysis of the new method is provided, showing the operating principle, the steady-state equations, and the small-signal analysis. The main nonidealities are discussed too. Finally, the simulation results will demonstrate feasibility and benefits of the method.


A scoping corrosion test was performed on candidate waste package basket materials. The corrosion medium was a pH-buffered solution of chemical species expected to be produced by radiolysis. The test was conducted at 90 C for 96 hours. Samples included aluminum-, copper-, stainless steel- and zirconium-based metallic materials and several ceramics, incorporating neutron-absorbing elements. Sample weight losses and solution chemical changes were measured. Both corrosion of the host materials and dissolution of the neutron-absorbing elements were studied. The ceramics and the zirconium-based materials underwent only minor corrosion. The stainless steel-based materials performed well except for a welded sample. The aluminum- and copper-based materials exhibited the highest corrosion rates. Boron dissolution depends on its chemical form. Boron oxide and many metal borides dissolve readily in acidic solutions while high-chromium borides and boron carbide, though thermodynamically unstable, exhibit little dissolution in short times. The results of solution chemical analyses were consistent with this. Gadolinium did not dissolve significantly from monazite, and hafnium showed little dissolution from a variety of host materials, in keeping with its low solubility.


Book synopsis: The Quiet Chameleon provides a highly readable introduction to the poetry in English which has emerged in recent times from Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Convinced that the verse from this part of the continent deserves to be much better known - given its range and technical variety - the authors seek to show both the general and specialist reader how a select group of writers are responding to Africa's contemporary situation and reflecting on personal and national issues.
They investigate the rich irony of Malawi's best known writer, Jack Mapanje, the hauntingly reflective verse of Felix Mnthali, the passionate exile voice of Frank Chipasula, the realism of Edison Mpina, and the work of other poets such as Steve Chimombo, or Zimbabwe's Musaemura Zimunya.
Close scrutiny of key texts identifies the distinctive themes, motifs and strategies of each other's work. The textual analysis is enhanced by descriptions of the poets themselves, their careers to date and their critical reception - reflecting the varied influences of personal and political experience on literary development.
What emerges is a lively, in-depth portrait of a group of poets who have been hitherto slow to come to the fore, but whose collective output is probably one of the most significant on the current African literary scene.


Lung cancer is a malignant tumor with the highest morbidity and mortality worldwide. It has been widely deemed a complicated disease caused by interactions between host and environmental factors. However, the mechanisms by which environmental risk factors and other tumor-extrinsic factors control lung carcinogenesis are still poorly understood. Bacterial infections are prevalent in lung cancer patients. Up to 50%–70% of lung cancer cases are complicated by pulmonary infections throughout the disease. In such diseases and treatments, there must be a process of microbiota dysbiosis and recovery. With extensive research on the mechanism of lung cancer occurrence, studies have discovered that the development and progression of cancer are associated with the failure of immune surveillance. Therefore, new treatments have emerged as a practical option for patients diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. An immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) is capable of relieving the immune escape. ICIs impede tumors from activating inhibitory checkpoint pathways on immune cells, thereby unleashing the host's immune response. However, inter-individual responses to ICIs are often heterogeneous. Multiple mechanisms of ICI resistance were implicated in the poor response rates, including low tumor mutational burden (TMB), low programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, poor antigenicity of tumor cells, local immunosuppression, functional exhaustion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and the absence of priming or defective antigen presentation during priming. Additionally, increasing evidence has revealed that the commensal microbiota is an essential biological factor contributing to inter-individual heterogeneity of response to ICIs. Clinical and/or preclinical studies have indicated that the gut microbiota composition can significantly influence antitumor immunity and immunotherapy efficacy. Compared with other tumor biomarkers, including PD-L1 and TMB, the commensal microbiota is plastic. Evidence has shown that anti-PD-1 response could be improved by increasing the α diversity or enhancing the abundance of specific microbes. However, most published data on the impact of microbiota in regulating the efficacy of different types of drugs were obtained by studying the gut bacteria. Given an expanding knowledge of the microbiome's effect (and specific microbes) on normal immune system development and drug action, the hypothesis that the microbiome influences therapeutic tumor responses should be further investigated. The recent discovery of the microbiome's impact on the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors and the subsequent work to elucidate the immunological mechanisms driving these effects has revolutionized microbiome research in oncology. Although recent studies in the field focused on the interplay of microbiota and immunity in the intestine, interactions between the gut microbiota and other microbiota communities with extra-intestinal organ immunity are gaining increased attention. Particularly, lung cancer-related microbiota has expanded and refined from the systemic influence of intestinal flora to the local regulation of respiratory or tumor flora. With the development of many studies, it was discovered that different bacterial parts or bacterial sources play different or even opposite roles in disease regulation. The relationship between the respiratory microbiota and the response to ICIs in lung cancer has not been widely explored, although the respiratory microbiota was found to provoke inflammation associated with lung cancer. The existing data, obtained by comparing the lung microbiota of healthy persons versus patients with different lung diseases, revealed significant differences in lung commensal composition, even in lung cancer patients. Although the microbiota identified in lung cancer may vary from one study to another depending on the sample type, sampling method, and patient cohort, the findings are consistent that lung cancer is associated with a dysregulated local microbiome, featured by increased total bacterial abundance, reduced α-diversity, and altered bacterial composition. Although there are some usual mechanisms (eg, the release of free radicals) that cause damage to DNA and other proteins, there are other complex molecular mechanisms showing the role of lung microbiota in inducing carcinogenesis. The microbiome in tumor evolution has confirmed that although the microbiome can influence cancer cells themselves, it can also modulate the cancer-immune environment. Because of the extensive exposure of the lung to external environment, it is a critical site of immune–microbiota interaction and exists in homeostasis maintained by lung-resident immune cells. Recent studies point toward the potential of locally entrenched lung microbiota to impact pulmonary immunity. It was recently demonstrated that microbiota-immune cross talk can activate tissue-resident lymphocytes to establish a protumorigenic microenvironment. The increased local bacterial diversity and altered composition of lung microbiota stimulated interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-23 production from myeloid cells. These cytokines promoted the activation and proliferation of Vy6+Vδ1+γδ T cells. An opposite Received: 22 July 2021 Accepted: 1 September 2021


This interesting and passionate volume is flawed for two reasons. First, it asks the reader to accept three propositions uncritically: (1) that Serbia is fully responsible for the wars in Croatia and Bosnia; (2) that Croatia suffered genocide at the hands of the Serbs in 1991-92; and (3) that Croatia has lost the media war with Serbia. Today it is difficult to accept the proposal that Serbia is fully responsible for the wars; it is even more difficult to agree that Croats have suffered genocide; finally, it now appears that both Croatia and Serbia have lost the propaganda war to Bosnia's Muslims. Of course, in 1993 each of these assertions seemed more accurate. The second flaw is the theory, or at least its explication, which is inadequate given its inclusion in the title of the book. For these authors, "postemotionalism" explains why Croatia has been blamed for the wars: the blame derives from the fact that Croatia has been labeled a fascist state due to a misreading of its history. So Croatia's fascist past (1941-45) has been manipulated by today's media and culture industry to (wrongly) explain Croatia's essence today. Postemotionalism is therefore one way to understand the function of historicist and reductionist interpretations. Yet these authors offer similarly reductionist interpretations in the service of the opposite thesis. For instance, Cigar, in "The Serbo-Croatian War, 1991," argues that Serbia's aggression is rooted in a centuries-old quest for Greater Serbia. At other points, the authors' rejection of condemnations of Croatia is shrill rather than convincing. Another hindrance to clarity is the fact that the concept of postemotionalism is absent from all but the introduction and one article in the book (that by Cushman). Elsewhere it is only implied. Several articles stand out, even if their conclusions are debatable: above all Letica's "The Genesis of the Current Balkan War" (which concerns only Croatia's war) and Cushman's "Collective Punishment and Forgiveness." Letica argues that Franjo Tudjman's Croatia was unfairly blamed for persecuting its Serbian population, mostly as a result of deft manipulation by Serbian propaganda of "anecdotal and historical arguments and 'argumentation' on discrimination, endangerment, and expulsion of Serbs" (94). His conclusions are contentious but are capably argued. Cushman compares the postwar fates of Italy and Croatia, arguing that Italy has been able to escape reference to its fascist past because its intellectual and political leaders created a "discourse of absolution," whereas Croatia's were unable to do so. Thus Croatia has been unable (unfairly, in Cushman's view) to overcome the legacy of the Ustasa. Mestrovic's introduction offers a passionate and compelling opening to the rest of the collection, and Sadkovich's chapter on the American media is informative. This collection is marred by some unfortunate errors, mainly typographical. Otherwise, it is an appealing volume.


Background: Malaria continues to be a major public health problem in South East Asia. Plasmodium vivax is the most widely distributed human malaria parasite with an at-risk population of 2.5 billion persons. With the implementation of molecular diagnosis, it has become evident that P.vivax mono infection could also result in multiple organ dysfunction and severe life-threatening disease as seen in P. falciparum infection. Objectives: To study the changing trends in the clinical and hematological presentation of the Plasmodium vivax malaria and to sensitize the health care provider about the changing presentation of the Plasmodium vivax mono infection and to introduce a high index of suspicion against it's potentially life threatening complications hitherto considered not significantly prevalent, by printing and publishing the data thus obtained and circulating it amongst the health care providers in and around Amritsar. Methods: This is a single center prospective study including 100 children attending thalassemia day care center and on regular blood transfusion therapy for a minimum of 2 years and whose ferritin level is above 1000 μgm/dl. Detailed history and examination were recorded in the proforma. Blood was drawn for thyroid function tests and most recent ferritin value obtained from patients record was used for analysis. Results: A total of 55 cases of vivax malaria were included in the study. Severe disease was present in 19(34.5%) cases of malaria. In addition to fever, the most common clinical features at presentation in children were: fatigue in 96.4%(53/55), headache in 54% (30/55), myalgia in 54%(30/55), arthralgia in 43%(24/55), vomiting in 64% (35/55) and nausea in 58%(32/55).Hepatosplenomegaly in 51% (28/55) of patients, splenomegaly in 26% (14/55) and hepatomegaly alone in 3% (2/55), varying degrees of icterus in 20% (11/55) and respiratory distress in 12.7% (7/55). Anemia was present in 89.1% (49/55) and thrombocytopenia (platelet count < 1,50,000/μL) was present in 45.5% (25/55) of the children. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22192/ijcrms.2017.03.04.010 Int. J. Curr. Res. Med. Sci. (2017). 3(4): 63-72 64 Conclusion: In recent years, the clinical pattern of vivax malaria has changed. Severe vivax malaria is now very common with increasing mortality. Not only the number, but also the type of complication influences the outcome of complicated malaria.


Considering the decision-maker's point of view and circumstances in the multiple criteria decision-making process, subjective judgments of criterion importance are inherently imprecise and involve many uncertainties. Interval type-2 fuzzy sets are associated with greater imprecision and more ambiguities than type-1 fuzzy sets. In the context of interval type-2 trapezoidal fuzzy numbers, this article presents an integrated approach to combine the objective and subjective importances of decision criteria. In addition, the concept of signed distances has been extended to develop a new method for acquiring objective importance values of criteria with interval type-2 fuzzy data. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed methods is illustrated by a practical example of landfill site selection.


Abstract High-temperature electrical conductivity and thermopower measurements have been performed on undoped Eu 2 CaBa 2 Cu 2 Ti 3 O 14 and doped and undoped LaYCaBa 2 Cu 2+ x Ti 3− x O 14 . These quintuple perovskites are members of a family of ordered perovskite-type oxides with double Cu–O sheets and have in-plane Cu–O bond lengths comparable to known superconductors. X-ray diffraction data and transmission electron microscopy show clear evidence of layering in both structures. LaYCaBa 2 Cu 2+ x Ti 3− x O 14 exhibits a large-small rare earth ordering on the A ′/ A ″ sites, like its quadruple perovskite counterparts. The transport data indicate that these materials behave similarly to the corresponding quadruple perovskites, but have lower carrier concentrations. The La–Y compound exhibits weaker oxygen partial pressure dependencies in the electrical properties, which are suggestive of a decrease in undesirable oxygen intercalation between the CuO 2 sheets. Upon doping with copper on titanium sites, (Cu″ Ti ), a concomitant amount of oxygen vacancies, (V •• o ), are introduced, as evidenced by TGA and in situ electrical property measurements. Possible defect models are presented and discussed in light of data from TGA, electrical property measurements, and quantitative high-resolution TEM.


ABSTRACT The design, implementation, and setup of an innovative layout for geothermal heating and cooling systems are presented. An underground heat-storage tank, used as a thermal flywheel, decouples the utility side of the system (i.e., the heat pump) from the geothermal side (i.e., the boreholes). The innovative layout allows for a more efficient exploitation of the ground energy reservoir and a sensible reduction of investment costs. A pilot system has been realized for a commercial building near the city of Perugia, Italy. The design of the heat-storage tank, the heat exchangers, the monitoring system, and the operation modes were carefully studied. The heating performance monitoring shows that the innovative approach allows for a significant reduction of the ground heat exchangers, hence requiring for fewer and/or shorter boreholes (up to 75%) while still supplying the total energy need. The peak-power demand is covered taking advantage of the high thermal capacity of the water inside the tank, while the reduced-size geothermal boreholes are used with a higher duty cycle to independently provide the total energy need.


This text is aimed at studying the transformation of strategies for economic behavior of the population of the Russian Federation. The main trigger that contributed to this was the economic crisis, which resulted in two general adaptation strategies. A passive strategy is to reduce expenditure while maintaining the same level of economic activity. Active strategy, on the contrary, implies a sharp increase in economic activity, but it is not usually associated with a reduction in expenditure. In the preprint, we focus on examining the differences between these behavior strategies, identifying the groups that follow them, and determining the factors that contribute to the choice of a strategy.


A flow injection analysis (FIA) system was built to determine boron in aqueous samples using indirect UV-visible detection. The analyzer consists of a two-line manifold in which the sample (300 μL)is introduced into a water carrier stream and the buffered chromotropic acid reagent constitutes the seconf channel. The merging point of the two streams appears just in front of the reaction coll, thus ensuring a constant reagent dilution


Theoretical calculations of electron‐impact ionization and recombination in positively charged ions are reviewed and compared to cross section measurements. In the case of ionization, the contributions of excitation autoionization and resonant recombination followed by double autoionization are considered. The excitation‐autoionization contributions can dominate the total ionization cross section even for highly ionized species. In addition, we present the results of fully relativistic calculations of ionization cross sections obtained from lowest‐order QED theory for H‐like and He‐like uranium. Finally, we consider the contribution of dielectronic recombination (DR) to electron‐impact recombination. Comparison of theoretical calculations of DR for He‐like and Li‐like carbon and oxygen ions with recent high‐resolution, merged‐beam measurements, using the electron cooler at Aarhus, seem to indicate that total DR cross sections can be accurately determined from the isolated‐resonance approximation. The effe...


This paper describes the operation and control of a variable speed Well's turbine driven permanent magnet synchronous generator connected to the grid by means of fully controlled frequency converter which consist of a PWM rectifier, an intermediate dc circuit and a PWM inverter through a LCL filter. In such systems primary aim is to achieve a low distortion, high power quality power export from the converter with the objective to regulate the power flow or power factor optimization. Control schemes are implemented for regulating the dc link voltage for varying input conditions and for regulating the grid current entering the distribution network and hence the power flow into the grid. Response of the system under steady state at balanced/unbalanced, sinusoidal/distorted grid voltage, constant/varying grid frequency and transients such as voltage sag balanced /unbalanced, step variation in input power and under different fault conditions are investigated. In each case the grid current distortion and the dynamic performance of the converter control schemes are evaluated.


Cytokines maintain homeostasis throughout pregnancy and have diverse responses to pathogens at the maternal-fetal interface. Interleukin 27 (IL-27) is a cytokine that is highly expressed in the placenta, however its functional role during pregnancy is unknown. In other contexts, IL-27 is a potent regulator of inflammation and has been shown to mediate antiviral immunity in the skin. Therefore, our objective was to determine how IL-27 contributes to immune responses at the maternal-fetal interface during congenital viral infection. To begin, we utilized an immunocompetent mouse model for Zika virus (ZIKV) infection to assess pregnancy and infection outcomes in the presence and absence of IL-27 signaling. At gestational day 13.5, we observed that the fetuses of IL-27-competent and -deficient dams had similar ZIKV burdens. However, we observed a significantly higher incidence of fetal pathology (resorption) in IL-27-deficient dams. To identify potential effectors of pathology, I evaluated IL-27 receptor (IL27RA) expression in placental tissues using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence and detected IL27RA+ immune cells throughout the maternal-fetal interface. Together these findings suggest that fetal pathology is independent of ZIKV viral burden in IL-27-deficient mice, and that IL-27 signaling may dampen pathologic immune cell responses during pregnancy. Interestingly, the placental tissues of infected, IL-27-deficient dams had significantly higher ZIKV burdens relative to IL-27-competent dams, indicating a potential antiviral role for IL-27 in the placenta. In conclusion, these data support novel antiviral and immunoregulatory roles for IL-27 at the maternal-fetal interface during congenital viral infection.
 This work was supported by the University of Pennsylvania Cell and Molecular Biology Training Grant T32 GM-07229. Additional funding provided by the Linda Pechenik Montague Investigator Award and the Pew Charitable Trusts Biomedical Scholars Program.


The article examines modern informational approaches to assess the degree of damageability of materials based on their fractographic images. The possibility of using the fractal dimension, wavelet transform and convolutional artificial neural networks for tiling and classifying the share of viscous and brittle destructions on fractures is shown. The results of experimental studies of the impact viscosity of materials with different types of crystal lattices in a wide range of temperatures are presented.


Recently, the number of mechanical engineering majors in our department has risen sharply. While growth is exciting, it has stretched the capacity of our teaching laboratory facilities. One of the greatest challenges is keeping a larger group of students engaged in learning activities during a laboratory exercise that requires students to take turns using a single, major piece of equipment. Another challenge is to the instructor's ability to grade the greater number of laboratory reports with the same degree of rigor. In preparation for the Spring 2006 course offering, I solicited and discussed ideas for improvements and changes to the laboratory format with faculty, staff, and students who had previously taken the class. Because of its small size, our machine shop is too small to allow extensive student training on the equipment; however, the students strongly recommended that more hands-on experience with manufacturing methods was needed. They suggested components of laboratory exercises that could be deleted from the formal exercise and converted into self-paced, independent student activities. Our department's machinist is heavily involved in working with students in the capstone design courses in the second half of each semester; therefore, the assistance of the staff machinist was incorporated into additional self-paced manufacturing exercises during the first half of the semester. This report describes the steps that were taken to maintain the quality of the hands-on experiences of a greater number of students in a laboratory course with limited laboratory space, a description of the modifications and innovations that were attempted, and a review of which modifications were successful and which require future modification or replacement.


This study aims to determine the role of reproductive health knowledge with early adolescent sexual behavior in Patian Village. The sample in this study amounted to 103 people who were taken by purposive sampling technique. Methods of data collection using a sexual behavior scale and reproductive health knowledge questionnaire. Based on a simple linear regression test, a significance value of 0.033 with R = -0.207 , and the value of the equation Y = 89.679 + - 1.040X, which means knowledge of reproductive health has a negative role on sexual behavior so that every increase in knowledge of reproductive health by one point (eg 89.679 -> 90,679), then sexual behavior will decrease by -1,040. In addition, an R Square of 0.043 indicates that knowledge of reproductive health has a role contribution to sexual behavior by 4.3%. Thus it can be concluded that there is a negative role of reproductive health knowledge on sexual behavior, so the higher the knowledge of reproductive health, the lower the sexual behavior of early adolescents in Patian Village.


In order to reduce the effect of hysteresis nonlinearity of piezoelectric ceramic on the tracking accuracy of the system,the classical PI hysteresis model which can be analyzed inversely is adopted to build the model of the piezoelectric ceramic in this paper.The PI hysteresis inverse model is used in the feed-forward control algorithm and the Neural PID feed-back control algorithm is designed.The feed-forward control algorithm is combined with the Neural PID feed-back control algorithm and then the compound control algorithm is attained.Let the feed-forward Control algorithm and the compound control algorithm run on the controller and experiment proves that the tracking error of the feed-forward control algorithm is 1.256μm and the tracking error of the compound control algorithm is0.092μm.The tracking accuracy has an improvement of 1.164μm by the compound control algorithm.


The invention relates to a method for observing the dislocation type of a heteroepitaxial growth material of gallium nitride (GaN) and measuring the dislocation density. The method is characterized by directly observing the dislocation type of the surface of a gallium nitride epitaxial film by using etching of molten potassium hydroxide and a potassium hydroxide and magnesia eutectic mixture in combination with a scanning electron microscope and an atomic force microscope, analyzing and researching the characteristics and the distribution of dislocations of different types and calculating the dislocation density. The method is convenient and fast and is suitable for analytical testing of nitrides which grow through different processes. The characteristics of dislocations of different types in different nitride samples can be researched to obtain the distribution of various dislocations on the surface, and the densities and the total dislocation density of the dislocations of various types can be accurately calculated.


Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is optimally suited to study surface topography and roughness at the nanometer scale where optical and other methods fail. The topography of nanocrystalline silicon is chosen as an example to demonstrate the outstanding potential of the new technique.


A method based on the study of the statistical characteristics of SERS signals is proposed to identify regimes in which most of the spectra are primarily single-molecule in nature. Once this regime is identified, the signals can be taken (with some statistical confidence) to represent single-molecule spectra and can be used to infer properties of the substrate (including its single-molecule SERS enhancement factor distribution) that would be otherwise washed out by ensemble-averaging. The method proposed here extends and complements the bianalyte SERS technique to situations in which a suitable "partner" molecule might be difficult to find or synthesize. Specific examples of the method are shown, and its advantages and limitations are discussed.


Purpose  –  The purpose of this paper is to show the dynamics of relationship marketing in e-banking by examining the association between relationship quality and online customer loyalty at different stages of the relationship lifecycle. Design/methodology/approach  – A sample of 651 customers of Iranian banks in East Azerbaijan Province who had used online banking services  was  selected for the study after completing a questionnaire. The research hypotheses were tested using  s tructural  e quation  m odeling and  the  AMOS23 software. Findings  –  The results showed that the level of  the  customer relationship determines the effect of relationship quality on customer loyalty in e-banking. Specifically, the effect of online commitment on customer loyalty decreases over time. In addition,  as  the relationship  develops  between  the  customer and  the  business, the influence of online trust on loyalty increases. Originality/value  –  The main contribution of this paper is  it enriches the relationship marketing literature with respect to the dynamics of relationship s  by challenging the effectiveness of relationship marketing, especially the use of  the  same relational constructs (online satisfaction, trust ,  and commitment) for customers at different stages of the relationship lifecycle.


The purpose of this research is to explore the current challenges of the biometric community. With the use of biometric technologies increasing rapidly, it is important to develop potential solutions to these issues across a variety of modalities. From the analysis of earlier Human-Biometric Sensor Interaction models, the students in the lab have identified many areas for potential improvements which include the device, operator, and user.


The present invention discloses a digital / analog converter DAC comprising a decoder circuit and a resolution (103). Said circuit (103) having a plurality of resistors (R-1 to R- (M + 2N)), a first set of switches (SA-1 to SA- (N + M)) and a second set of switches (and SB- 1 to SB- (N + M)). The resistor arranged in an array having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein the number of the resistors is an integer multiple number of columns and number of rows of at least one of. K jumps to the resistor pattern coupled together to form a resistor string (105). Each switching from the first and second set of switches coupled to the resistor string, and the first and second set of switches are each arranged in sequence and offset from one another by an offset value. Said first and second sets switch further disposed along the periphery of the array, such that each switch from the first set of switches located close thereto from the second set in a corresponding sequence of the switches in the switch the same row or the same column or row and is associated with the said column.


The dynamic properties of Cl−–Cl−, Cl−–Na+, and Na+–Na+ ion pairs in water are investigated. It is assumed that the interionic separations obey the generalized Langevin equation. The random forces on the ion pairs are calculated from constrained molecular‐dynamics simulations at three interionic distances for each ion pair. The Gaussianity of the random forces is checked. The time‐dependent friction kernels for the relative motions are determined from the random forces by using the fluctuation–dissipation theorem. The dependence of the friction kernels on both the solute species and the intersolute separation is explored. Special attention is paid to the relationship of the friction kernels with the characteristics of the configurations of the solvent molecules in the neighborhood of the ions. The coupling between the intramolecular motions of water and the relative ionic motions is discussed. The association–dissociation processes for the three ion pairs are analyzed within the framework of the Kramers a...


 8640 Hepatobiliary speciˆc contrast medium Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI ( EOB-MRI ) is excellent for the detection and characterization of nodular lesions and plays an important role in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC ) . Gd-EOB-DTPA is received by normal hepatocytes, and then, ex-creted into bile ducts, under mediation by hepatocyte membrane transporters. The expression of uptake transporter organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B3 ( OATP1B3 ) correlates with the enhancement ratio in the hepatobiliary phase of HCC. Consequently, OATP1B3 is the main uptake transporter of Gd-EOB-DTPA in HCC. The hepatobiliary phase of EOB-MRI can sensitively detect pathologically early HCC as a hypointense nodule, because the OATP1B3 expression decreases at an early stage of multistep hepatocarcinogenesis. Hypervascular HCC commonly presents hypointensity in the hepatobiliary phase with the decrease in the OATP1B3 expression ; however, approximately 10  of HCC atypically demonstrates hyperintensity, owing to OATP1B3 overexpression. HCC presenting hyperintensity in the hepatobiliary phase is a unique genetic subtype of HCC with a bio-logically less aggressive nature and mature hepatocyte-like molecular / genetic features. The interac-tion between b -catenin signaling and hepatocyte nuclear factor ( HNF ) 4 a may plays an important role in the OATP1B3 expression and less aggressive biological nature of the hyperintense HCC in the hepatobiliary phase. Thus, EOB-MRI is crucial for the detection and characterization of HCC as well as for personalized medicine, such as


A method of decoding a sequence of video frames to provide a method, a method of encoding multi-view sequences of frames. Coding method comprising: receiving a first view image and a second view image; odd-line first view of the image sampling and the odd columns to the first sub-frame of the video image generating package; the first sample even rows and even columns view image to the second sub-image generated video frame encapsulated; odd-line sampling of the second view image and even columns, the third sub-image to generate video frames encapsulated; second view sampling even rows and odd columns of the image, to a fourth sub-images generated video frames encapsulated; quincunx sampling pattern of a five-point video frame of the side information generating package, a first side view of a first interleaved information indicating the second image and the view image; and generating a package a second side frame of video information, information indicating a second side of the first, second, third, and fourth sub how images are tiled together to form a package in a video frame.


From the Publisher:
Co-authored by two Microsoft Project 2000 authorities-a Microsoft Project documentation manager and a Microsoft Project support engineer.


Chief physician Wang Zili has been worked around 60 years and formed his unique academic thinking. His treatment for liver diseases should conform to physiological features of liver on the foundation of liver as yielding viscus, and nourishing the liver should be the first task, he raised therapeutic methods of "softening the liver is the treatment for liver, nourishing the liver is the first step of liver-softening", and emphasized "nourishing the liver is to soften the liver, softening the liver is soothing the liver", he nourished Yin and blood of the liver in clinic, and has his unique liver-softening thinking.


In order to analyze the strength of the clutch housing,the whole transmission case model was built up by FEM(Finite Element Method),and a modification method was proposed.Comparing with the strain test result,it proves that the FEM model is reasonable,and the modification is effective.


DOI:10.23873/2074-0506-2018-10-2-110-117 Histological study of donor's duodenal mucosa biopsy specimens in the diagnosis of pancreatoduodenal complex rejection: the experience of N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine R.V. Storozhev, G.A. Nefedova, Yu.S. Teterin, G.P. Titova, I.V. Dmitriev, N.V. Borovkova, M.Sh. Khubutiya, A.V. Pinchuk N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine, 3 Bolshaya Sukharevskaya Square, Moscow 129090 Russia