Case presentation 38 year old African female presented with complaints of severe headache which had started couple of weeks prior to presentation and was progressively becoming worse. Patient underwent a CT scan of the head which revealed a 3.2 X 3.3 X 3.7 cm lobulated hyperdense periventricular mass in the left temporoparietal area with surrounding vasogenic edema with mass effect on the adjacent left lateral ventricle and 0.6 cm midline shift to the right with uncal herniation and effacement of left cerebral peduncle with dilatation of left temporal horn. MRI of the brain revealed a 3.1 X 2.6 X 3.6 cm lobulated mass in left lateral ventricle trigone. Radiologically, differential diagnoses included intraventricular meningioma, lymphoma, choroid plexus papilloma or metastasis. Patient underwent left craniotomy for tumor resection. Patient had an uneventful post-operative recovery and the resected tumor was high grade malignant neoplasm with plasmablastic features and immunohistochemical stains revealed that the tumor cells were positive for CD138, CD30, MUM-1, Bcl-2, vimentin and lambda light chains and were negative for kappa light chains, CD3, CD20, PAX-5, CD79a, GFAP, cytokeratin, AE1/AE3, synaptophysin, chromogranin, EMA, S-100, Melan-A, CD45, CD56 and EBV(EBER-ISH). Ki-67 was about 80%. Serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) was sent that showed an M-spike of 3.3 g/dl that was IgG lambda. A bone marrow biopsy showed 100 % infiltration with plasma cells. Patient underwent a CT chest/abdomen/pelvis and a PET/CT scan which revealed multiple scattered subcutaneous masses throughout the body and an asymptomatic mass near spinal cord at C1. Patient was treated with VTD-PACE regimen (bortezomib, thalidomide, decadron, cisplatin, liposomal doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide). She received two cycles of VTD-PACE chemotherapy regimen with excellent response to the treatment. Her M-spike protein which prior to treatment was 3.3 g/dl disappeared after second cycle of chemotherapy and her subcutaneous lesion also dramatically improved on repeat PET/CT scan. The C1 dural lesion also had significant improvement after the chemotherapy. Her IgG also decreased from 5070 mg/dl to 791 mg/dl. She was referred for autologus stem cell transplant. She was subsequently started on weekly cyclophosphamide, bortezomib and decadron. Discussion Malignancies of plasma cells comprise 1% of malignant neoplasms which includes multiple myeloma, solitary plasmacytomas (including solitary bone plasmacytoma and extramedullary plasmacytomas) and immunoglobulin deposition syndromes. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement of multiple myeloma itself is not a common entity. Fassas et al. published data of 18 cases over a course of 10 years. Gozzetti et al. published their data of 50 patients in 2012. Of these 50 patients, 76% had osteo-dural or primary dural multiple myeloma (OD-DMM) and 24% had central nervous system myelomatosis. They found that patients treated with novel agents had better outcome than patients treated with conventional drugs. Cases with initial presentation of intracranial plasmacytomas are even rarer. Patients with CNS myeloma have poor prognosis with median survival being around 4- 5 months. Our patient had excellent response with two cycles of VTD-PACE regimen with negative M-spike, normalization of IgG and decrease in size of subcutaneous nodules and C1 spinal lesion. She has survived for 5 months without autologus transplant and is currently on weekly cyclophosphamide, bortezomib and decadron. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Climate change can affect the efficiency with which development resources are invested and the eventual achievement of many development objectives. Drawing upon illustrative case studies in six developing countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, Tanzania, Uruguay, Nepal and Fiji, this article examines the synergies and trade-offs involved in integrating adaptation to climate change in development cooperation activities. Key barriers facing such integration are identified. An agenda is proposed for enhancing development efforts by mainstreaming climate risk management, organized around improving the usability of climate information, developing and testing climate risk screening tools, employing appropriate entry points for climate information, focusing more on implementation, and improving coordination and sharing of good practices.


The battle over lesbian sexuality and identity in feminism's second wave was one of its most crippling struggles. This essay discusses this battle by focusing on the rhetorics of radical/lesbian feminism between 1970 and 1975, contextualizing them within movement struggles over public identity, revolutionary vision, and media politics. Calling attention to the ways radical/lesbian feminists' woman-identified rhetoric engaged in strategies of containment, this essay describes a domestication of woman and radical/lesbian feminism itself.


As a miraculous agricultural country, China's agriculture has always been the foundation of its economic construction. In recent years, China has been encouraging the innovative development of modern agriculture. With the rapid development of science and technology, the characters of live standards and lifestyles have also greatly developed, and traditional agriculture has been changing quietly. The land is changing, gradually towards modern agriculture. Through literature analysis and case analysis, this paper analyzes the development trend of modern agriculture innovation and the characteristics of modern agriculture. In addition, the paper analyzes the influence of the status of Chinese agricultural product brand marketing on the modern agricultural innovation on the brand marketing of agricultural products, and puts forward the brand marketing strategy of agricultural products. In order to promote China's agricultural supply side reform, improve agricultural efficiency, increase farmers' income, accelerate the establishment and development of agricultural brand to provide a theoretical basis.


Based on the background of information innovation technology, this paper studies the design of multi-mobile apps for counselors' smart education. Educational institutions in various regions should comprehensively improve the level of implementing the concept of smart education development; the second is to strengthen the training of smart education talents and establish a long-term effect of smart education talent training. Mechanism. It has a great impact on the dissemination and sharing of educational information resources in colleges and universities, and to a certain extent hinders the development of informatization in colleges and universities. Six strategies to improve the affinity of college counselors are put forward in a targeted manner: focus on "micro-platform", strengthen theoretical literacy, and highlight personality charm; pay attention to "micro-culture", grasp the cultural characteristics of students, and establish a people-oriented concept.


The experience of implementing the state youth policy on the scale of individual subjects of the country, which has its own regional specifics and ethno-confessional features, is of scientific interest. In this regard, the article examines individual pages of implementing the youth policy in the Chuvash Republic (ChR) in the 1990s – early 2000s on the basis of diverse sources and research literature. Separately, the author focuses on some aspects of educational work, creative self-realization of young people and student self-government. The article provides information on the state policy formation, which is reflected in the adoption of a number of laws and regulations governing its activities. It is noted that in order to directly implement the youth policy on the ground, state and municipal government bodies were created to address the issues of the younger generation. As a result, the Ministry of Education and Youth Policy of the Chuvash Republic became the main authority in this area of work, which became the legal successor of the Ministry of Education of the Chuvash Republic and the State Committee for Youth Affairs of the Republic. As a result, the author comes to the conclusion that in the 1990s – early 2000s, the educational institutions of the republic developed an independent system of work with the student community, which was reflected in the emergence of student councils, trade union committees, clubs, scientific societies. Their main task was to organize leisure activities for young people in order to improve their intellectual and creative level. The developed set of measures in the form of state youth awards of Chuvashia, as well as scholarships for representatives of the youth and students of the Republic for special creative aspiration created conditions for the selection and further creative self-expression of talented young people.


The Randall-Sundrum model with all Standard Model (SM) fields in the bulk, including the Higgs, can be probed by precision measurements at the ILC. In particular, the couplings of the Higgs to the gauge bosons of the SM can be determined with high accuracy at the ILC. Here we examine the deviations in these couplings from their SM values within the framework of the Universal Randall-Sundrum Model (URSM) as well as the corresponding couplings of the first Higgs Kaluza-Klein excitation.


The aim of the present study was to investigate the pattern of luteal activity in Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes during the first 50 postpartum days by blood progesterone analysis and ultrasonographic corpus luteum detection and its effect on reproductive performance of animals. The study was conducted with 15 clinically healthy Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes after normal delivery of a single foetus, reared and fed uniformly in the presence of a breeding bull. Luteal activity was detected through enzymatic immunoassay of blood progesterone concentrations at 3-day intervals between postpartum days 1 and 50, and ultrasonographic detection of corpus luteum in one ovary. Pregnancy status was used as a criterion for reproductive performance evaluation. After birth records exploration and ultrasound pregnancy check on the 11 month after the beginning of the experiment, two groups of buffaloes were formed: group I (n=5) consisting of non-pregnant buffaloes and group II (n=10) – pregnant animals. Mean blood progesterone concentrations and the cumulative percentage of animals with corpus luteum different than the gestational one, in both groups were determined. According to the results of the study, pregnant buffaloes showed basal blood progesterone levels by the 7 postpartum day and exhibited high luteal activity between postpartum days 19–34, characterised by ultrasonographic detection of a corpus luteum different from the gestational one and blood progesterone concentrations > 0.5 ng/ml after day 34 postpartum. Buffaloes with blood progesterone concentrations < 0.25 ng/ml until the 50 postpartum day and inadequate functional activity of the corpus luteum could remain non-pregnant for a long time after parturition. In conclusion, the pattern of luteal activity in Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes during the first 50 postpartum days had an effect on their reproductive status. The received data could be used for improvement of the protocols for oestrus synchronization and postpartum anoestrus reduction.


According to the important image data and the improving image database, the thesis proposed a new method combining the improved mean shift algorithm and region method, and the simulation of the method achieves good results. It proposed a useful algorithm to the CBIR.


The design and development of a Networked Intelligent Controller (NIC) based on embedded system is presented. The developed controller is an intelligent remote unit featuring embedded technology for access control, monitoring and output control. Basically, the controller has data acquisition, computation, transducer and networked communication functions. The device has low power consumption and small size. With Ethernet, control and supervision are accomplished through an industrial local area network. Using a high integrated 32-bit RISC microprocessor combined with serial A/D and D/A converters made the electronic systems compact with high performance. The controller offers the widest range of features and flexibility, with an overall design for reliability, durability and case of installation. Expanded input and output capabilities can be added to maximate its functions. Based on ARM embedded system, the controller can even run operation systems. Such a Networked Intelligent Controller can be used for various applications involved in real-time controls.


Abstract : This report summarizes work confined to use of the moments of the density matrix, for examining transport in quantum phase based devices. There are two significant features of the approach: (1) the introduction of Bohm's quantum potential, and (2) the use of moment equations which are self-consistently coupled to Poisson's equation. There were a number of significant approximations made during this reporting period that are currently being eliminated: (1) Only two of the minimum of three moment equations have been implemented. (2) Boltsmann statistics was invoked. The results show for a double barrier structure with 500 Angstrom spacer-layers considerable structure in the charge distribution. At low values of bias and corresponding low values of current there is a buildup of charge upstream of the first barrier. As well as tunnelling into the well. At a critical value of bias a local instability of current occurs and the solutions shows a qualitative difference. Accumulation at the upstream barrier is only marginally altered, and there is a significant charge buildup in the well. The instability appears to be a precursor for this charge buildup. Keywords: Quantum potential, Density matrix, Resonant tunnelling.


Wild Ferula,a rare wild medicinal plant in Xinjiang,are declining sharply in recent years,with some species even on the verge of extinction.In addition to the known human causes(such as a large number of land clearing,over-excavation,etc.),we want to know whether it is relate to the natural environment.Hence in this paper,taking wild Ferula growing in the southern Junggar Basin as the research object,the physical,chemical and soil microbial properties of soils in its habitats were studied. Results show that the physical environment of wild Ferula was very poor.The soil pH was high and varied from 8.50 to 10.38,belonging to alkaline and strongly alkaline soil,which is very unfavorable for nutrients absorption.The soil moisture contents were very low,from1.94% to 4.33%,so that water may be a very important ecological factor limiting population distribution.The soil nutrient was very poor in wild Ferula′s growth habitat.Some essential elements of Ferula were deadly short and most of them varied significantly in different areas and soil layers.The available nitrogen contents were between 7.18 and 38.01mg/kg,decreasing rapidly with the soil depths.The available phosphorus contents were between 1.65 and 7.79mg/kg,also decreasing with the increase of soil depth.The topsoil ranks level 4,phosphorus deficient soil;10—20cm layer is more phosphorus deficient,and below 20cm is even worse.The available K contents were from 140.7 to 363.78mg/kg,with the top layers as a K rich layer.The Organic matter contents were between 5.47 and 13.89g/kg,Most of the plots belong to relatively shortage range,with some below the standard of lacking.Bacteria were dominant species,about 1.5 to 2 times more than actinomycetes and 60 to 80 times more than fungi.The average numbers of microbial organisms per gram were: bacteria 1.75×105,actinomycetes 1.04×105,fungi 2.65×103.Most bacteria lived in surface soil layer(0—10cm).There is hardly any change below 10cm.However,most of actinomycetes and fungi lived in middle soil layer(10—20cm and 20—30cm).All of these showed that Ferula,a valuable and rare medicinal plant,gradually became a rare or endangered species,mainly because of its poor habitat,in addition to human factors.More research is needed to study whether it is related to the plants themselves.


Data sharing is an integral part of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), which provide drivers with safe and comfortable driving environments. However, when data are shared among multiple vehicles, they must be encrypted multiple times. Some solutions have used identity-based broadcast encryption to solve this problem. However, these schemes have two major limitations. First, the decryption cost is linearly related to the number of data receivers, where the identity of other receivers must be known. Second, only the data sender can forward the data. To address these important deficiencies, we propose an identity-based broadcast proxy re-encryption scheme to realize flexible and efficient data-sharing in VANETs. The data sender generates a fixed ciphertext that can be obtained by newly added vehicles through authorized vehicles. Data receivers can decrypt ciphertext directly without knowing the identities of other receivers, where the decryption overhead is constant. In addition, our scheme can achieve complete anonymous data sharing to protect vehicle privacy. A security proof shows that our scheme has sufficient security, and a performance analysis shows that our scheme performs well. Our proposed scheme is thus suitable for securing VANETs.


A rapid and simple chromatographic procedure using HPLC with electrochemical detection is described for simultaneous determination of the substrates from precursor amino acids to metabolites related to synthesis and metabolism of three monoamine neurotransmitters—norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT, serotonin)—in discrete brain areas of the mouse. Under the present instrumental and mobile phase conditions, the procedure permits simultaneous determination of three monoamines (NE, DA, and 5‐HT), two precursor amino acids (tyrosine and tryptophan), and four respective metabolites (3‐methoxy‐4‐hydroxyphenylglycol, 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid, and 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid) within 10 min in one chromato graphic run. By varying column temperature, this procedure also permits simultaneous determination of 10–14 monoamine‐related substrates including the nine substrates described above within 15–21 min. The validity of the present procedure is demonstrated by analyzing the effect of an α2‐adrenergic agonist (clonidine) and an α2‐antagonist (yohimbine) in mouse hypothalamus.


ABSTRACT In recent years, a MOSFET dimension in ultra large-scale integrated circuits (ULSI's) have been kept shrinking in order to achieve higher device/circuit density and to reduce the product costs. It is well known that the threshold voltage Vth of a small device will be distinguish from that of a long or wide device, which was due to the short-channel effect (SCE), narrow-width effect (NWE), reverse short-channel effect (RSCE), and reverse narrow-width effect (RNWE). This thesis proposes a new methodology to predict the anomalous threshold voltage behaviors of submicrometer MOSFETs by using the fuzzy theory and neural network. The linearly extrapolated method " LE method " has been used to extract the threshold voltage from the MOSFET Ids-Vgs characteristics, therefore, the threshold voltage of a MOSFET will be obtained. Similarly, the same procedure can be used to extract the corresponding threshold voltage of MOSFET devices with different geometry dimension. Futhermore, first, the channel width W is setted to be constant, and then the relation of threshold voltages versus channel lengths can be obtained. Next step, the channel length L is setted to be constant, meanwhile, the relation of threshold voltages versus channel widths will be obtained. All the experiment data of threshold voltages can be treated as the training data, afterward an iterative learning keeps processing until the error percentages converged. Then, we can build up a fuzzy system with new rules. Base on these rules, any arbitrary input of channel length and channel width will be resulted in a prediction value of threshold voltage. Therefore, it can be concluded that this architecture is used to develop the complex threshold voltage behaviors cause by the devices geometry effect in our work. A good agreement has been obtained as comparing the prediction results and the experiment data. Finally, in the same token, we can extend this procedure to analyze and predict the other complex physical parameters in WAT module of an IC company.


In the 1990s, Japanese semiconductor manufacturers lost international competitiveness, failing to maintain their technological leadership. Their innovative dynamics in the old techno-governance structure based on vertical intra- and inter-firm cooperation faced limitations; they became entrapped in a DRAM-based technological trajectory. Faced by disrupting contingencies, how did they change relations with firm- and technology-related actors in ways sufficient to develop a new techno-governance structure? Through their micro-level strategies they shifted from vertical intra- and inter-firm relations to horizontal ones, while through their macro-level strategies they developed coordinating mechanisms with technology-related actors in order to consolidate innovative capability for developing the system LSI. These strategies resulted in a complex mix of modularized-product-based competition and cooperation in addition to reviving collective projects, some running even without government subsidy. Such developments, though characterized as new, remain an extension of the Japanese institutional inheritance; namely, an emphasis on a strategic mix of cooperation and competition, but with a revised understanding of cooperation. Thus, this paper analyzes how institutions restrict innovative dynamics through techno-governance structure, while they also transform path-dependently as actors struggle to develop a new structure to cope with threatening contingencies.


This paper discuss the robustness against the machine parameters of the induction motor speed estimators based on the model reference adaptive system (MRAS) and extended Kalman filter (EKF). Transient performance on a run-up process of a given motor is analyzed by using both techniques and the effects of estimator parameter variation are studied. The measured speed is compared with the one estimated on-line, the motor inputs being acquired via a data acquisition board. The performance of the two methods are compared with confidence that overall system dynamics are unchanged, since the algorithms use the same input data.


Objective: To estimate the use of chiropractic care and perceived value for spinal conditions.
Methods: National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data from the Sample Adult for 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012 and the Adult Alternative Medicine for 2002, 2007, and 2012 files were analyzed. National Population Estimates (NPE) was generated by applying the complete survey design structure. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were generated to explore the likelihood that the respondents reporting spine-related problems would see Doctors of Chiropractic (DC) or other providers compared to those reporting no spine-related problems.
Results: Reported use of chiropractic increased from 7.61% in 1997 to 10.11% in 2012 (p-value<0.001); the NPE increased by 8,023,162 adults. The OR of seeing a DC among those with the spine-related complaint was significantly higher (ranging over time from 4.31 to 3.09) than other providers, except in 2012 in which physical therapists were highest. For respondents reporting spine-related complaints, the OR was 2.40 (95%CI=1.28-4.50) for using chiropractic compared to osteopathic manipulation. Respondents with spine-related conditions were more likely to have a DC as their personal healthcare provider [OR(95%CI=3.48(2.60-4.65)]. Over 96% of those who did reported that it helped and were less likely to report using prescription medication [OR(95%CI) = 0.44(0.35-0.55)], over-the-counter medication [OR(95%CI) = 0.80(0.65-0.99)], surgery [OR(95%CI) = 0.35(0.23-0.52)], or physical therapy [OR(95%CI)=0.50(0.40-0.63)]. They were less likely to report receiving a recommendation from a medical doctor to seek chiropractic manipulation [n=224 (19.15%); OR(95%CI=0.49(0.39-0.62)].
Conclusion: The general use of chiropractic in the United States is slowly increasing but utilization is still low compared to that of primary care providers like MDs and NPs. A majority of NHIS 2012 respondents with spine-related problems used chiropractic manipulation for treatment and those who did were more likely to report that it helped and less likely to report using prescription and over-the-counter medications, surgery or physical therapy. Yet chiropractic care was hardly being recommended by medical doctors.


The NLC design includes a pair of ''Crab Cavities'' to rotate the bunches at the IP and allow a larger crossing angle. These cavities must be phased relative to each other with very high stability. Slow drifts can be measured with the electron beam, and corrected with feedback. Pulse to pulse jitter in measurement and in the cavity drive is a potential problem. We try to estimate the size of these effects.


This paper concentrates on the significance of Research and Development (R&D) for economic growth in the developing economy of Pakistan. The paper also questioned the major macro determinants of R&D in Pakistan. The study used time series data for the period 1971- 2008. The results obtained from the Ordinary Squares method showed that R&D significantly affects the Real GDP per capita in Pakistan. Health, labour force , and Physical capital are among the other determinants of Real GDP per capita. The results further show that real GDP per capita and quality of educational institutions are the significant factors which affect R&D. The Johansen Cointegration test confirmed the existence of long run relationship between R&D and economic growth. Similarly, R&D and its determinants were also found in long run relationship.It is therefore recommended to increase investment in R&D to achieve sustained economic growth. It is also recommended to collect and record quality R&D data for effective policy making in the field of science and technology, and social sectors in Pakistan.


The polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by the free radical formed in situ from the titanium (III)-acetoxime redox system was studied in aqueous sulfuric acid medium in temperature range of 293-313K. The rate of polymerization (Rp) has been measured for various concentrations of titanium (III), actoxime, sulfuric acid and monomer. Cyclic voltammetric sensing of actoxime under the kinetic conditions demonstrated its reduction behavior. The effects of some water-miscible organic solvents, surfactants and inhibitor on the rate of polymerization were investigated. From the results it was inferred that the polymerization was initiated bu an organic free radical arising from the titanium (III)-acetoxime redox system and termination took place by mutual interaction of the growing free radicals. The temperature dependence of the rate was studied and activation parameters were computed usin Arrhenius and Eyring plots. A mechanism consistent with the experimental results is proposed.


ABSTRACT Building information modelling (BIM) implementation has been mandated in the Singapore construction industry, but it is still plagued with challenges such as lack of contractor input in design models. Thus, the industry still needs changes in the BIM implementation. This study aims to identify critical drivers for change (CDCs) towards full BIM implementation, demonstrate the theoretical rational behind the CDCs, and formulate strategies to strengthen the CDCs. Conducting a questionnaire survey with 86 professionals, this study identified 31 CDCs, among which 'BIM vision and leadership from the management' was ranked top. The results indicated that these CDCs could be interpreted with an adapted organizational change framework in which process-related attributes were key to changing towards full BIM implementation. The identification of the CDCs and the strategies enables the project management team to obtain sufficient support for strengthening the positive influence from the CDCs and enhancing BIM implementation. Additionally, overseas construction practitioners can use the drivers and strategies identified in this study to prepare their customized lists of drivers and strategies.


Tourist Trip Recommender Systems (RSs) suggest points of interest (POIs) and combine them along enjoyable routes. Integrating public displays into the recommendation process promises to overcome the limitations of mobile devices, such as small screens, thereby enriching the user experience of a tourist trip RS. However, in practice, public displays are rarely integrated in this manner. In this paper, we show how amobile RS for tourist trips can be adapted to public displays and propose a Distributed User Interface (DUI) approach where the RS is distributed among both public and private devices. The results of a preliminary user study indicate that integrating public displays is perceived as attractive and novel; however, people remain concerned about privacy issues when using a public display. Public displays become more interesting when used for group recommendations; thus, we outline how our proposed approaches can be integrated into a group RS.


This paper focuses on low complexity architectures for check node processing in Non-Binary LDPC decoders. To be specific, we focus on Extended Min-Sum decoders and consider the state-of-the-art Forward-Backward and Syndrome-Based approaches. We recall the presorting technique that allows for significant complexity reduction at the Elementary Check Node level. The Extended-Forward architecture is then presented as an original new architecture for efficient syndrome calculation. These advances lead to a new architecture for check node processing with reduced area. As an example, we provide implementation results over GF(64) and code rate 5/6 showing complexity reduction by a factor of up to 2.6.


In this paper we study a mixed problem for the nonlinear Schrodinger equation that have a nonlinear adding, in which the coefficient is a generalized function. Here is proved a solvability theorem of the considered problem with use of the general solvability theorem of the article [28]. Furthermore here is investigated also the behaviour of the solution of the studied problem. aipproc class produce a paper with the correct layout for AIP Conference Proceedings 8.5in × 11in double column.


Creativity is subversive. It is something that is within all of us. We all have the ability to create. Some of us realise it, most of us don't. All of us have the ability to express ourselves creatively through the arts. Some of us realise it; others think it is something that is only for children, others that it is only available for those who can afford it. It is a sad thought that many people still see The Arts as the highest form of expression of our culture, instead of its foundation.


Introduction: The knowledge on sand dunes on Mars has increased significantly with the availability of very high resolution (VHR) images of the surface, namely, MOC N/A and HiRISE [1]. Assessing the global distribution, shape and other characteristics of dunes with a higher detail can lead to an improved understanding of the interactions between the atmosphere and the surface of the planet [2]. The sheer quantity of data to be analyzed suggests that the use of automated methods can play an important role in fully exploiting the information that is being collected by automated probes. Thus, there are published studies using automatic procedures on temporal change detection [3, 4], determination of dune heights [5], morphologies [6] and spatial patterns [7], often considering analogies with terrestrial dunes. There is an automated method [8] using texture features and a neural network based classifier to identify terrestrial dunes on images with tens of meters but with performances below 70%. We have been addressing the development of automated methods for the delineation and characterization of dune fields, with good results on VHR images of Mars [9, 10]. In here, after a short reminder of our methodology, we report the most recent advances achieved. Methodology: The supervised learning strategy followed in our approach is based on the tiling of an image into relatively small square cells, which are then classified. These simple geometric shape makes the analysis very fast and leads to a non-iterative solution which is compatible with the large amount of data to be processed. This task is done through the extraction and analysis of local information (image features) along the regular grid of the tiled image. To benefit from context and diminish the dependence on specific factors such as illumination, an aggregation of the local features of neighbouring cells is performed within a block, i.e., a region constituted by 3×3 cells, and that constitutes the detection window of the methodology [11]. This block window is moved along the whole grid with a cell-sized step in order to analyse the complete image. For the mathematical formalism and additional details, consult our previous publication [10]. For this work we test the method with two different classifiers: Support-Vector Machine (SVM), as in previous works, and Random Forests (RF), that models the classification problem using multiple decision trees trained from random subsets of data [12]. Dataset: In order to demonstrate the generalized application of supervised learning strategies we continue to enlarge our dataset, now constituted by 230 MOC N/A images distributed around the surface of the planet. All have a spatial resolution better than 6.80 m/pixel, down to 1.45 m/pixel, in order to detect in detail small dune fields. About 70% of the images constituting the dataset (160 out of 230 images) include examples of the major types of dunes, according to the literature [13-15]: barchans (13%), barchanoid (19%), transverse (2%), dome (6%), linear (8%), star (1%), sand sheet (5%) and others (17%). These 160 images were visually analysed, in order to construct a ground-truth for each of them by manually drawing the contours of the dunes. The other 70 images (30% of the dataset) contain other geomorphological structures that can be confounded with dunes (channels, crater rims, textured terrain, among others). To compare the ground-truth with the result produced by the automated classifiers, both must be in the same format. Thus, we had to tile each groundtruth exactly like its corresponding original image. Furthermore, we had to consider three types of cells: 'non-dune', 'dune' and 'unclassifiable'. To assign one of these labels to a cell, we computed the area occupied by dune terrain in the block from which it is the centre: if this area is less than 10% of the number of pixels of the block, the cell is 'non-dune'; if it is higher than 30%, the cell is 'dune'; if the area is between 10 and 30%, we decided not to classify it. Results: The performance of each classifier is evaluated through the computation of the probabilities of false negatives ( /( ) FN p FN FN TP = + ), false posi-


Leprosy is a major source of nerve damage and may lead to neuropathic pain as well as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Spinal cord stimulation is an effective treatment for CRPS, but there are no reports of this treatment in a patient with leprosy.


Instant noodles are widely consumed in Nigeria, with large of its by-products although high in energy but constituting environmental pollution in the production areas if allowed to lay waste. An eight-week feeding trial using 240 five-days old Hubbard flex broiler chicks was conducted to access the effect of feeding graded levels of indomie noodle waste (INW) in isonitrogenous diets on serum lipid profile of birds. Birds were allotted five treatments containing three replicates having sixteen birds per replicate in a completely randomized design. Five diets were compounded containing indomie noodle waste at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% replacing maize in the diets. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected from severed jugular veins of two birds per replicate and subjected to laboratory analysis for Total Cholesterol, High density lipoproteins, Low density lipoproteins and Triglycerides. Results showed that increase in INW in the diets of broilers increased total cholesterol (148.24mg/dl -192.06mg/dl, SD 61.68) and triglyceride (27.07mg/dL-91.52mg/dl, SD 40.79), favored high density lipoproteins (37.38mg/dL - 77.34mg/Dl, SD 31.88), and lowered values for low density lipoproteins (72.18mg/dL - 112.14mg/dL, SD 58.06) though there was no statistical difference (P>0.05) across the treatments. Indomie noodle waste has the potential to replace maize up to 100% with good effects on High Density Lipoproteins, Total Cholesterol within range and lower Low Density Lipoproteins values.


Facing the great impact of the Internet, Japanese translation field needs technical change. This article uses open source technology based on Web2.0 to develop Japanese Translation Information System. The research used open source software Apache as server-side application, PHP as Embedded development language, and MySQL database technology as Backend Server, realized low-cost and pollable open information system for Japanese translation. The development of the system is a technological change in the field of Japanese translation. The study in this field possesses important significance and practicable value.


Sterlinghillite is a new manganese arsenate hydrate mineral from the Sterling Hiit mine, Ogdensburg, Sussex County, New Jersey. Microprobe analysis yields MnO 39.5, FeO 0.2, MgO 0.1, ZnO 2.9, AsrO,44.7 weight percent, together with water by difference 12.6 percent. The tentative formula is Mnr(AsOo)2'4H2O. Sterlinghillite is white to light pink, occurs in 0.1 mm clusters of micron-sized crystals on loellingite-franklinite-willemite-calcite ore, and may have formed by the decomposition of loellingite. There are no crystals suitable for singlercrystal studies. The strongest lines in the X-ray diffraction pattern are: ll.l2 (100), 3.209 (100), 2.751 (60),2.848 (40), 2.880 (40), 3.692 (30), and 6.39 (30). Sterlinghillite is named for the locality. The mineral is very rare and only one specimen with a few milligrams of material has been found.


The paper studies the random bond Ising model of a spin glass of a tree of coordination number q=3. The model is studied as an example of the method of ring recurrence. A set of recursion relations between the moments of the probability distribution of the order parameter are produced. It is shown that solutions of the recursion relations exist which form an infinite bifurcating set below a critical temperature tau c. The nature of the first such solution is investigated in detail and the critical exponent analogous to beta is found.


'Redblush' grapefruit seedlings were exposed to hardening temperatures in the presence and absence of light. Both reducing and non-reducing sugars increased in leaves and wood of hardened plants and non-reducing sugars increased in roots of hardened plants. The primary sugars involved were glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Plants exposed to hardening temperatures in the dark did not harden, and water soluble proteins did not materially change in the leaves during hardening in the light.
Lower temperatures were required to kill leaves without ice on the surface than with ice, and lower temperatures were required to kill hardened leaves. Hardened leaves developed a small capacity to recover from cell dehydration due to ice nucleation indicating changes in protoplasm stability and membranes during hardening


Interest is growing in indoor cellular communications systems using very small cell sizes (tens of meters) to meet the demand for wideband wireless networks. Millimeterwave systems are attractive because they offer large bandwidths and small size. Achieving high data rates requires efficient and adaptive antenna systems. Antenna radiation patterns should be shaped for best cell illumination and capable of being altered to cope with multipath and changing propagation conditions. Microstrip ring slot and annular rings offer potential for low cost beam shaping and steering. They are compatible with MMIC technology making integration easy and are low cost. A brief discussion of antenna requirements is given. The operation of these microstrip antennas is presented along with a description of low cost adaptive arrays.


Newly synthesized title precursors can be transformed into the amino compounds which are potential candidates for biological and photochromic applications.


Objective To discuss the impact of the dynamic changes of nursing scheduling mode on nurse's subjective well-being.Methods During the past 7 years,31 intervention specialist nurses had been randomly selected and their subjective well-being degree was evaluated through interviews,tracking observation and questionnaire.The nurse's subjective well-being state in carrying out four-fold nursing scheduling mode was analyzed.Results The subjective well-being degree of nurses was gradually improved with each change of nursing scheduling mode.Conclusion According to the development and changes of the department,prompt adjustment of nursing scheduling mode can alleviate the working pressure on the nurses,arouse their occupational enthusiasm,promote team coordination and thus increase nurse's subjective well-being.


The mechanisms by which a bioactive silicate glass (designated 45S5), a borate glass, and two intermediate borosilicate glass compositions convert to hydroxyapatite (HA) in dilute phosphate solutions were investigated. The borate and borosilicate glasses were derived from the silicate glass by fully or partially replacing the SiO 2 with B 2 O 3 . Kinetic, chemical and microstructural changes accompanying the conversion of the glasses to HA were comprehensively characterized. Increasing the B 2 O 2 content of the glass produced an increase in the conversion rate and a decrease in the pH of the solution. The conversion started at the surface of the glass and moved inwhrd. For particles with a size of 150-300 μm, conversion of the borate glass went to completion within 3 days, yielding pseudomorphic HA particles with a nanoscale structure, but the silicate and borosilicate glasses were only partially converted even after 75 days, giving a composite structure consisting of a SiO 2 -rich core surrounded by a HA layer. Regardless of the composition, all the Na 2 O and B 2 O 3 present in the glass particles dissolved into solution, but the CaO either reacted to form HA or remained in the unconverted SiO 2 -rich core. A qualitative model is developed to describe the conversion of the glasses to HA.


With the use of geographic information services widely,geographic information Quality of Service(QoS) has become one of the key factors for the success of geographic information service applications.However,how to estimate geographic information service QoS reasonably is a complex issue.Based on the analysis of the current research results of geographic information QoS,the style of QoS has been summarized with three viewpoints.Then,an extensible synthesis evaluation model for geographic information QoS is established,which can define a new evaluation factor on demand,and realize comprehensive evaluation of geographic information QoS from the subjective,objective views through the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to quantify the subjective assessment of the QoS factors.Finally,the idea of the development for geographic information QoS and further research are also discussed.


Trials were conducted in 1997 and 1998 to determine if there is a range of resistance to European corn borer [Ostrinia nubilalis (Hiibner)] (ECB) in commercially available processing sweet corn (Zea mays L.). Twelve processing corn cultivars were tested in 1997 and 18 cultivars in 1998. About 40 first instar larvae of colony-reared ECB were used to infest plants in both whorl and silking stages of growth. At harvest, plants infested at the whorl stage were evaluated for numbers of larvae and larval tunnels, and length of larval tunnels. Plants infested at the silking stage were evaluated for number of larvae per ear and were rated for ear damage using a 9-point scale. Resistance rankings among cultivars were consistent between years and between silk- and whorl-infested plants. We conclude that there is a substantial range of resistance already present in processing sweet corn cultivars, and that resistance is probably a combination of both exclusion and suppression of feeding. Our findings have two immediate uses: incorporation into existing IPM programs and incorporation of identifiable resistance bearing cultivars into a long-term breeding program for resistance to ECB in sweet corn.


The aim of this work was to assess density, biomass and species composition of earthworm communities within four translocated grasslands at Runway 2, Manchester Airport. Results from this study also evaluated the availability of earthworms as a food source for displaced, protected vertebrate species. The sites studied differed in topography and method/type of soil/turf transfer. Earthworms were extracted by digging and hand sorting of soil from replicated 0.1 m2 plots, followed by vermifuge application. Monitoring from 1998‐2001 produced nine species of earthworm representing all three ecological groupings. Throughout, areas supplied with turf contained significantly (P<0.05) more earthworms with greater mass than adjacent areas supplied with soil only. Areas of hummocks and adjacent wet hollows, both covered with the same translocated turf, differed in species composition. Data are presented for mean earthworm community density and mass over the sampling period. Across all sites, figures for density and mass (in 2001), ranged from 50‐427 m ‐2 and 12‐128 g m ‐2 respectively. In all sampled areas, density and mass of earthworms has either increased or remained relatively stable, suggesting each translocation method to be successful after 4 years.


Trimethylamine oxide at temperatures between 22°–24 °C. is readily reduced by cysteine in the presence of iron or hemoglobin as a catalyst. Trimethylamine is the major product of this reduction, but appreciable amounts of dimethylamine and formaldehyde are also formed. The maximum reduction of trimethylamine oxide is between pH 7 and 8. Glutathione could not replace cysteine as a reducing agent, neither could copper or manganese replace iron compounds as catalysts. Larger amounts of iron (Fe++) could also reduce trimethylamine oxide with the formation of the above products. A mechanism for the reaction is proposed.


Fault monitoring is an important issue to be addressed for fault tolerant distributed system. With the help of an efficient fault monitoring scheme, it would be easy to determine the crash and quickly take the recovery steps. Fault monitor typically detects faults by sending and receiving messages to remote objects. One of the major responsibilities of the monitor is to adapt timeouts according to the dynamic network and system conditions, and set timeouts very close to the real delays in the system. The timeouts must not fluctuate with large amplitudes around the actual time delays. It should not adapt with sudden transients behaviors. Otherwise the number of false alarms would increase, which may trigger a heavy fault recovery mechanisms. The relationship between timeouts and monitoring intervals need to be managed intelligently. Our technique adapts the timeout on the previous history which gives us a fair idea about the work load and we use it to our advantage. When we tested the existing schemes against the three points just mentioned, to our surprise, none of the scheme complies with these points. We experimented with our technique along with some other proposed techniques, our scheme; ACID gave very good results when compared with the schemes.


Recently, several important documents have promoted inquiry-based science as the main way for science to be taught and learned. In addition, there have been advancements made in the measurement sciences that allow for sophisticated and complex ways to score and interpret student responses on assessment tasks. However, while many studies have shown the benefits of scientific inquiry in the classroom and others have described new types of psychometric models available for scoring analysis, few have combined the two to develop a better understanding of how students "know" science. This paper briefly describes an assessment system used to create items that systematically measure both students' content knowledge as well as two complex inquiry-reasoning skills. Then, using student responses to an assessment made using this system we employ multidimensional psychometric models to allow us to explain the nature of the types of knowledge students draw on when encountering scientific scenarios.


A field of study was carried out during the two consecutive years (2015-2016) on 30 years old Deglet-Nour cultivar that was grown in gypsum soil and irrigated with salt water which caused serious problems of soil salinity. Palms were fertilized with three levels of potassium (0, 2 and 3 kg /palm) as potassium sulphate K2SO4 (50%) combined with three levels of phosphorus (0, 1 and 2 kg/palm) as superphosphate (TSP) in order to study their influence on the yield, fruit quality and the necessary duration for the responses of palm tree to these fertilizing elements in such conditions. Data showed that applying 2 kg of potassium combined with 1 kg of phosphorus increased the yield and gave better results of fruits weight, length, diameter and weight of pulp. Fruits' chemical characteristic also improved by the same treatment after two years of the study. * Corresponding Author: Ouamane Rim  firstname.lastname@example.com International Journal of Biosciences | IJB | ISSN: 2220-6655 (Print), 2222-5234 (Online) http://www.innspub.net Vol. 11, No. 2, p. 68-76, 2017


One has to look hard to find fault with this work. It crosses numerous disciplinary boundaries, encompassing aspects of urban history, African and Islamic studies and cultural geography in a manner that should appeal to all those with an interest in any or all of those fields. At times, however, these ideological disciplines appear segmented into the various chapters, never truly merging the various perspectives into one. In general, the analysis focuses on the built space of Touba, the cosmology of Islam and Sufism and the development of the Mouride order. Within this analysis, Ross presents a portrait of neighbourhood development in and around Touba by focusing on Sufi ideologies and the action of urban and religious leaders in planning and development. In the focus on religious ideologies and urban leaders, however, what is often lost are the voices of other residents who live within the city and help to make it a living and organic entity. What comes across to this reviewer is a spiritually unified community who share common goals and aspirations, but certainly there are localized spaces within the city boundaries that reflect the needs and desires of residents and are at least partially unrelated to religious issues. In fairness, Ross does not claim to address these issues and perhaps this is a topic for future research. What he does do, however, is establish a new standard for the study of the metaphysical and physical design and development of Islamic and African cities. Steven J. Salm Xavier University, Cincinnati


Like each treatment for the psychiatric patients psychotherapeutic approach for the adolescent borderline patients is case by case. However some principles are derived from the characteristics of the adolescent psychology. As they put it adolescence is psychologically 'the second individuation period'. Both sexual dvive and aggressive drive are aggrevated, and 'the actual object' like parent are to be separated. Given that borderline patients are weak in their egos and show poor indentity formation 'analytic supportive psychotherpay' would be more effective than analysis itself.


Detection of liquid mixture of different volume ratio is very important in industrial purposes. The paper reports a sensing mechanism of binary liquid mixture for different volume fraction, based on the measurement of refractive index of the mixture. Here, a highly sensitive liquid filled core Photonic Crystal Fiber structure has been proposed to detect liquid mixture solution. Numerical investigation of the proposed structure is carried out by employing full vectorial Finite Element Method (FEM).


We describe a method for symplectic tracking of charged particles through static electric and magnetic fields. The method can be applied to cases where the fields have a dependence on longitudinal as well as transverse position, and where the reference trajectory may have non-zero curvature. Application of the method requires analytical expressions for the scalar and vector potentials: we show how suitable expressions, in the form of series analogous to multipole expansions, can be constructed from numerical field data, allowing the method to be used in cases where only numerical field data are available.


The following is a 2008 conjecture of Abraham, Bonnet and Kubi\'s: [ABK Conjecture] Every well quasi order (wqo) is a countable union of better quasi orders (bqo). We obtain a partial progress on the conjecture, by showing that the class of orders that are a countable union of better quasi orders (sigma-bqo) is closed under various operations. These include diverse products, such as the Dress-Shieffels product. We develop various properties of the latter product. In relation with the main question, we explore the class of alpha-wqo for countable ordinals alpha and obtain several closure properties and a Hausdorff-style classification theorem. Our main contribution is the discovery of various properties of sigma-bqos and ruling out potential counterexamples to the ABK Conjecture.


Excel has a good user interface,but it is only a stand-alone software.In order to meet the growing range needs of Internet data management,in this article,with the use of VS2005,it is easy to complete a network table,which is similar to Excel's.It achieves functions like input,modify,delete,and others.Through the adoption of embedded JavaScript,the cursor can move in the form of web pages at random.


On Thursday 3 March, nominations for our Council of Governors Elections 2016 will open for two weeks until 18 March.


Zernike circle polynomials generally employed in interferometric mastermind fitting software fail on an annular dominion. Therefore, when testing catadioptric optics erroneous results may be obtained. We performed interferometric measurements on annular pupils at increasing obscuration ratios, and we fitted the resulting aberration wave-fronts using either Zernike circle polynomials and another polynomial set orthogonal over an annulus. The results obtained with the two different sets are compared and the limits of the standard interferometric fitting software are pointed out.


The rationality of decision making during international crises was questioned by a number of studies in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Subsequent research demonstrated that the bureaucratic politics, organizational process, and individual stress models are still useful reminders of the limits to rationality in crisis situations. Yet, the author of this article contends, none of these alternatives captures the essence of decision in a time of crisis. Instead, the weight of evidence, he argues, indicates that, as a rule, policy makers do adopt rational decision-making procedures in critical situations. This finding, he concludes, underscores the responsibility of national leaders for their actions, enables political scientists to address the practical concerns of policy makers, and calls attention to the role that values play in shaping international politics.


Researchers estimating the demand for energy-using durable goods must specify consumers' beliefs about future energy prices. Policy-relevant inference hinges on this specification, yet there is little direct evidence on the nature of consumer beliefs. We provide such evidence by analyzing two decades of data on gasoline price expectations from the Michigan Survey of Consumers. We find that average consumer beliefs are indistinguishable from a no-change forecast. This finding has important implications for the literature on consumer valuation of energy efficiency, and it implies that researchers are likely justified in assuming a no-change forecast, as is common practice. Soren T. Anderson Department of Economics Marshall Adams Hall, Office 18C Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824-1038 and NBER email@example.com Ryan Kellogg University of Michigan Department of Economics 238 Lorch Hall 611 Tappan Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1220 and NBER email@example.com James M. Sallee Harris School of Public Policy Studies University of Chicago 1155 East 60th Street Chicago, IL 60637 and NBER firstname.lastname@example.com


Pretreatment composition, organic composition, and is selected from the group consisting of silicon compounds containing composition is applied using at least one composition, is coated with at least one corrosion resistant coating A, at least a method of manufacturing a repair coating on one metal surface, the at least one corrosion resistant coating a, which is at least partially removed in the region Z, a thin layer corrosion resistant coating comprising at least one silicon compound B is at least one silane, at least one silanol, at least one siloxane, a solution or at least a partial region Z as a dispersion comprising at least one polysiloxane or mixtures thereof (= siloxane composition) It is applied to. Optionally, additional corrosion coating C, may be coated onto a thin layer corrosion resistant coating B created in the silicon compound, additional anticorrosion coating C is at least one, primers, wet primer, e- coat, powder coating, an organic composition such as basecoat and clearcoat or at least one, is created by the composition is a siloxane compositions of the same type or different thin film B.


The first half of 1968 has been a recovery period for some of the organics business. Recovery, because last year failed to live up to previous expectations; demand for many basic and intermediate organics did not remain brisk last year. Thus, numerous people in the industry found themselves dealing with softening prices and overcapacity. Textiles and related chemical products were in particularly bad shape. For the chemical companies in Fortune's 500 list, the median sales gain was 5.2% last year from 1966, a sharp drop from the more usual 10% gain and 1966's 11.5% gain over 1965. So far, the industry looks considerably stronger this year; first-quarter and first-half performance, with a few exceptions, was good. Whether second-half production will hold up is uncertain. Unanswered now are questions about the effectiveness of the income surtax in curbing inflation and aiding, for example, the construction industry's financial woes. The forecasts here, however, assume a reasonably ...


The activities for molecular aggregation of various kinds of organic compounds are studied on the basis of activity in close relationship with the structure of substance and then the investigation on uses of organic materials is also made by the theoretically predicted data of activity parameters.It could be consider that the useful function materials can be selected from a great many of organic compounds by using the presented theoretical method.The above shows that the discussion of this paper is of great significance in the field of material science.


This paper deals with a Luenberger observer for a class of Takagi Sugeno (TS) descriptor systems. This kind of systems represents many fields as chemical, robotics and electrical systems. A new approach is used to study the stability analysis of the Takagi Sugeno descriptor observer system. The state estimation error leads to formulate linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) which solve the observer gains. An example for non linear descriptor system is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


In this paper we introduce MORE-GIS, a simulatorfor the simulation of mobile nodes connected to wiredand wireless network for the study of Critical Infrastructuresinterdependencies. MORE-GIS is based on agent based simulationapproach and HLA architecture. Every node is an agentthat represents a person. Agents are connected to Internetgenerating a certain amount of traffic and can move to a newgeographic position. Movements are simulated using GIS dataof roads and junctions. Every person selects the path usingthe Dijkstra's algorithm. Actually we use Repast Symphonyframework for the agent based simulation and the MobilityFramework of OMNeT++ for the simulation of the wirelessand wired communication network. They are synchronized andexchange information using the HLA architecture.


This paper studies relative arbitrage opportunities in a market with infinitely many interacting investors. We establish a conditional McKean-Vlasov system to study the market dynamics coupled with investors. We then provide a theoretical framework to study a mean-field system, where the mean-field terms consist of a joint distribution of wealth and strategies. The optimal relative arbitrage is characterized by the equilibrium of extended mean field games. We show the conditions on the existence and the uniqueness of the mean field equilibrium, then prove the propagation of chaos results for the finite-player game, and demonstrate that the Nash equilibrium converges to the mean field equilibrium when the population grows to infinity.


—This paper presents a time-domain optoelectronic picosecond pulse measurement technique, where radiated pulses from a silicon chip are sampled by a laser-gated photoconductive antenna (PCA). The PCA detector provides a measurement bandwidth up to 4.5THz. In this scheme, the radiated picosecond pulses from a silicon chip are synchronized with a femtosecond laser source in an optical sampling system. In this technique, waveform sampling is performed directly at the PCA, mitigating measurement complexities associated with loss and distortion calibrations of waveguides, coaxial cables, and connectors. The reported custom measurement technique is used to sample pulses as short as 5.4ps.


Abstract : This thesis compares the operational requirements of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) with the Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) infantry company Modified Table of Organization and Equipment (MTOE) design. The problem is determining why SBCT infantry company commanders are modifying their MTOE organization after deploying to OIF. The purpose of this thesis is to determine if there are sufficient supporting intelligence collection, analysis, and command and control assets at the company level to meet the requirements currently levied on an infantry company commander in a SBCT in Iraq. From an organizational point of view a company commander is the staff of the company. He has no staff, no help, and no analysis capability to make sense out of truly complex situations except what he sees or his subordinates tell him. The thesis compared the requirements of the OIF operating environment using the DOTMLPF model. DOTMLPF is an acronym that stands for doctrine, organization, training, material, leadership and education, personnel and facilities (DOTMLPF). These seven domains were used to determine if the company is inadequately resourced to meet the demands of intelligence collection, analysis, and command and control. The combination of document research and primary source information provide justification that, despite the best efforts of some officers, there is a large intelligence capability gap within the SBCT infantry company structure.


A multi-cylinder engine intake and exhaust system of the present invention comprises a plurality of independent exhaust passages (52) each connected to an exhaust port (18) in a respective one of a plurality of cylinders (12), a collecting pipe (56) connected to downstream ends of the plurality of independent exhaust passages (52), and a volume-enlarged portion (62b) provided downstream with respect to the collecting pipe (56). Each of at least a downstream portion of each of the plurality of independent exhaust passages (52) and at least an upstream portion of the collecting pipe (56) is formed such that a cross-sectional area thereof gradually decreases toward a downstream direction. The volume-enlarged portion (62b) is formed such that a cross-sectional area thereof is relatively increased so as to cause a positive pressure wave of exhaust gas reaching the volume-enlarged portion (62b) to be reflected and converted to a negative pressure wave. A length (L1) between an upstream end of the collecting pipe (56) and an upstream end of the volume-enlarged portion (62b) is set to a dimension which allows a negative pressure wave generated through a phenomenon that a positive pressure wave of exhaust gas discharged from a certain one of the plurality of cylinders (12) is reflected by the volume-enlarged portion (62b) at a predetermined engine speed equal to or less than the preset reference engine speed (N1), to reach the exhaust port (18) in a preceding one of the remaining cylinders (12), whose exhaust stroke immediately precedes that of the certain cylinder (12), during the overlap period (T_O/L) in the preceding cylinder (12). This makes it possible to increase engine power output with a simple configuration.


Valvular pulmonary stenosis (PS) can present with cyanosis and right heart failure in older children and adults. Transcatheter balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty is a standard intervention for severe valvular PS in all age groups. Balloon dilatation in critical PS like presentation in older age groups has unique challenges in management. These cases are associated with right ventricular dysfunction, cyanosis, pulmonary edema, injury to right ventricular structure, and arrhythmia. Imaging is an essential component for diagnosis and management. We present two such cases of older children who presented with cyanosis and right ventricular dysfunction. Detailed imaging and team approach of care helped in managing the challenges of balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty in older sick substrates.


Renewable energy is a type of energy that lasts for lifetime and creates a stable and sustainable environment for living things. Making power generation to the degree of extent in the revitalization of technology is critical for developing an unconventional society. PV solar systems are incorporated to improve system reliability, and we have designed a PV-based Hybrid Power Generation System to cause the least amount of damage to the electrical system. The type of fault that occurred must be swiftly and properly identified. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is one of the most effective method for classifying transmission line defects. In addition an ingenious Dynamic Voltage Restorer is accomplished in the Hybrid Power System in this work to provide distortion-free power generation. The simulations were run in MATLAB/Simulink, and the results-oriented performance was proven conclusively.


The evolution of lipid damage in anchovy ( Engraulis encrasicholus ) muscle was studied under different storage conditions. Fresh anchovy was exposed to salt (S condition), ice (I condition) and salt-ice (IS condition), kept in a refrigerated room (4 oC), and analyzed at days 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 of storage. A strong hydrolysis development could be assessed for all storage conditions, although a partial hydrolysis inhibition (p < 0.05) could be attained as a result of the presence of salt (S and IS conditions). In contrast, a lower (p < 0.05) primary lipid oxidation compound formation could be observed for individuals kept under I conditions. This conclusion was confirmed by the interaction compound formation study (fluorescence and browning developments) between oxidized lipids and protein-type molecules. Accordingly, a higher lipid oxidation was inferred as a result of NaCl addition to fish (S and IS conditions).


The utility model discloses a heat exchanger of a water dispenser, which comprises a hollow coil and an inner tube arranged in the hollow coil; both ends of the hollow coil are provided with three-way connectors; both ends of the inner tube respectively extend out one interface of the three-way connectors; the inner wall of the outer end of each interface is separated from the outer wall of the inner tube; diversion channels are formed between the other interfaces of the three-way connectors, the hollow coil and the outer wall of the inner tube; the inner tube arranged in the hollow coil is a spiral structure; the three-way connectors are threaded three-way connectors; both ends of the threaded three-way connectors are provided with thread, and the other end is not provided with thread; the end without thread of each threaded three-way connector is sealed and connected with the inner tube; the positions at which the three-way connectors are sealed and connected with the inner tube are welded in an argon-arc welding form; the inner tube is a red copper tube; the hollow coil is a stainless steel tube or an aluminum tube. The heat exchanger of the water dispenser of the utility model has quite high heat exchange efficiency, and can save energy.


Lack of knowledge and awareness of people on oral heath gave rise to innumerable social misbeliefs in certain communities. In today's world, it is important for every dentist to have knowledge of the trending myths and taboos in dentistry to provide quality dental care to the patients. This short review of literature discusses the various social misconceptions and commonly encountered taboos in dentistry and the reasons for such misbeliefs. (2)


Establishing method that detects different pesticides in drinking water by SPE-GC-MS with 2 kinds of internal standard material and enabling to separate 45 kinds of pesticide in 57 min.


Introduction : The Valsalva maneuver is a safe and internationally recommended first-line emergency treatment for supraventricular tachycardia(SVT)1-3. However, using Adenosine commonly cause unpleasant feeling to the patient, and cardioversion is rarely successful (5–20%)4-5. This case tends to compare effectiveness of standardized and modified Valvasalva maneuver which are executed in two different patients with SVT.


The article introduces the existing situation of the urban rail transit in developed countries of the world and analysis the advantages and the disadvantages of this transport maner.According to the practical situation of urban transport in China,the paper puts forward the necessity and several valuable advises to energetically develop our urban rail transportation.


Pregnancy is a natural phenomenon nonetheless requiring regular and ongoing surveillance to minimize the risk of pregnancy and delivery complications. Levels of maternal and neonatal mortality remain elevated in Morocco. According to a study conducted during 1996-97 the level of maternal mortality was 228 maternal deaths per 100000 live births while the level of neonatal mortality was 19.7 per 1000 live births. Regular thorough prenatal consultations help to identify and minimize pregnancy- and delivery-related complications and therefore reduce levels of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. The authors analyzed pregnancy and delivery surveillance data from Annour and El Masjid health centers for 1996 and 1999 to identify problems and obstacles to the regular follow-up of pregnancies through prenatal consultations. Most women presenting for prenatal consultation at the centers tended to be without profession to live in houses to be 20-34 years old and to have 1-4 children. A trend was found to exist toward regular follow-up at El Masjid health center compared to only irregular follow-up at the Annoud center. Furthermore women wait longer to receive care at Annoud health center than they do at El Masjid center. While the health personnel at El Masjid center are more specialized than those working at the Annoud center the latter facility is staffed with more personnel.


The successful implementation of a Quality Management System according to the requirements of ISO 9001 in Project Management depends on the knowledge of managers, specialists and external consultants on the particularities that characterize this type of organization. Precisely the objective of this article is to show how by designing and implementing, a procedure was achieved in stages and steps where necessary integrate, the distinguishing features of the Management Project with the requirements of ISO 9001, to meet the requirements of the Business Improvement process regarding Quality Management Systems for Cuban organizations apply both approaches. The application of the procedure enabled the design, implementation and certification of quality management system in the ESI-DIP Trasvases.


to be a helpfrll introduction to the study of Judaism. Bibliographies are provided for fiirther reading. The style of the writing could be improved. The author shifts verb tenses unnecessarily, leaves the reader without sufficient chronological and geographic references, and is sometimes too polemic. Most of all, a glossary of Jewish terminology would be greatly appreciated by the nonJewish reader. But these blemishes must not be allowed to obscure the real worth of the book. The reader who is seeking for a mature primer in the study of Judaism wi l l find this to be the book. Marvin E. Tate


In this paper, the scattering model, also known as random walk model, is studied with the objective to obtain a physical explanation for the texture of polarimetric SAR data. Statistical analysis of the simulated data shows that both the fluctuation of the scatterer number and the mixture of different scatterers can give non-Gaussian distributed data. The mixture of scatterers will lead to extremely heterogeneous appearance, which may be a clue to analyze the urban areas in polarimetric SAR data. Besides, the distribution of the scatterer response has effect only when the number of scatterers in a resolution cell is small, which appears in very high resolution data.


By the methods of tryptophan fluorescence quenching and change electrophoresis mobility in agarose gel it is established that in interactions of lipoproteins with polysaccharides (lipopolysaccha rides from Escherichia col, carboxymethylated and sulfoettylated в-D-glucan) a protein component of lipoproteins takes part. These transferable ligands interact on surface lipoprotein particles. The mechanism of such complexes formation can be related to typical ligandreceptor interaction.


This paper investigated how plants develop leadinged e maintenance to reduce downtime due to maintenance. This increases the quality and prod uctivity, avoiding delay in delivery of products an d satisfying customer needs. In addition to the TPM-T otal Productive Maintenance, there is another syste m based on the conditions of maintenance of machinery and equipment, performing maintenance when needed, which can be called the Routine Maintenance. This s ystem avoids the maintenance based on the estimated useful life of equipment that can perform maintenan ce prior to the time necessary, and after the break . A quantitative survey conducted in factories of ceram ic plates, and identified the high potential need f or implementing a system of routine maintenance.


In order to improve the practice effect of the vocational college students in the laboratory of basic hospital, this subject explored the "double-tutorial system" in the practice of higher vocational college students. The selection criteria of whole mentoring and professional tutors, the specific duties of tutors and the assessment standards of both tutors and students were determined according to local conditions of the personnel structure in basic hospital. The implementation of "double-tutorial system" promoted the professional ethics, interpersonal communication ability, psychological quality and professional proficiency of the higher vocational college students. Meanwhile, young teachers in the department enhanced their teaching ability, professional skills and self-confidence, so that the technical personnel construction of the department was strengthened.

Key words:
Basic hospital; Double-tutorial system; Clinical thinking; Higher vocational laboratory medical school


Objective:To conduct a comparative study on the incidence of gallstone as in TCM differentiation and typing of cholelithiasis chlecystolithiasis symptoms by observing the helicobacter pylon and on its clinical significance.Methods:After sixty-two patients of cholecystolithiasis underwent 14C-urease expiratory test,their gallbladders species cut in operations were taken to observe helicobacter pylons through gallbladder mucous histopathology and basic fuchsin'magenta staining.Results:There existed rod-shaped and spherical bacteria in pathological sections of some patients' gallbladder mucous stained through basic fuchsin' magenta staining ;the above pathological changes were particularly remarkable in the Group of liver closing with Qi stagnation and accumulation of blood stasis,and there was significant difference between the two groups(P0.05).Conclusions:Liver closing with Qi stagnation and accumulation of blood stasis contributes to high incidence of gallstone,which is the result of the existence of several factors.The existence of mucous helicobacter pylons in gallbladder mucous is likely to be associated with and the contributing factors of gallstones,but is not the principal cause of this disease.However,for caution's sake,if the patient of cholecystolithiasis is found having helicobacter pylon through 14C-urease expiratory test and through basic fuchsin' magenta staining of gastric mucosa,then this situation can serve as one of the indications for excision of gallbladder.


This thesis presents different aspects of charge injection (clockfeedthrough, CLFT) in MOS sample-and-hold (S&H) and switchedcapacitor (SC) circuits. In the beginning of this work a CLFT model known in the literature is introduced. From this, an analytical formula is derived, describing charge injection of a single transistor switch in a basic S&H configura¬ tion. Extensions are made to include the signal dependency of CLFT and to improve the accuracy of the model for small transistor dimen¬ sions. Furthermore, charge injection is represented as a function of basic design parameters of a S&H circuit. Charge compensation using "dummy switches" is thoroughly investigated. Design rules for the dum¬ mies are given for different operation modes. Complementary switches are analyzed with respect to charge injection and design formulae are developed for the estimation of their residual clock-feedthrough. Mea¬ surements of specific custom-integrated circuits are presented to validate the theoretical results obtained for the analyzed switch configurations. Charge injection in a SC amplifier circuit, as well as in SC integra¬ tors commonly used in switched-capacitor filters are analyzed. The impact of various circuit parameters on CLFT is shown quantitatively and qualitatively. Basic differences concerning charge injection between the considered circuit topologies are presented and recommendations are given for improvements. Further, the design of an experimental test-chip is described, and test procedures are presented. Finally, a determination method of the rele¬ vant model parameters is discussed.


The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a power module substrate, a low cost can be easily and reliably joined to the metal plate and the ceramic substrate, a high reliability of thermal cycle power module substrate. The manufacturing method includes: bonding the bonding surface of the ceramic substrate and the metal plate at least one side of the adhesive bonding step Sl Si and Cu, Si and Cu; by bonding Si and Cu laminated ceramic substrate and the metal plate layer pressing step S2; pressurized and heated to form a molten metal zone heating step S3 in the lamination direction; step S4 and solidifying the molten metal solidification region, Si and Cu in the bonding step S1, so 0.002mg / cm2 or more and 1.2mg / cm2 or less Si, 0.08mg / cm2 or more and 2.7mg / cm2 or less Cu is present in the interface between the ceramic substrate and the metal plate, the heating step S3 is formed by diffusion of Si and Cu to the metal plate side molten metal area.


The article examines how emerging powers – namely, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – have behaved in multilateral debates around human rights, gender and sexuality, especially at Ibsa and Brics fora. The arguments presented are derived from the first round of conversations held in 2013 by the Sexuality Policy Watch, a forum of researchers and activists which invited partners based in the Global South to launch a cross-country effort to contribute to sexuality related global policy debates. After exposing the distinct foreign policies of the five countries regarding sexuality and gender, the paper analyses their performance and shifting alliances both within the Ibsa and Brics blocks and across North-South relationships in several multilateral fora. Although the frequent use of the terms Brics, Ibsa or 'emerging powers' might lead to forming an image of cohesion, the article concludes by highlighting their heterogeneity, still more pronounced in relation to sexual and reproductive rights, for these formations are comprised by States whose interests do not fully coincide and which, not rarely, compete with each other in a variety of fronts.


Ketoconazole, an imidazole derivative, has been implicated in a number of hepatic dysfunctions. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of in vivo treatment of rats with ketoconazole on individual serum bile acid levels and the in vitro effects of ketoconazole on the hepatocellular uptake of two bile acids and two other model substrates transported by liver cells. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated i.p. with a single injection of ketoconazole of 25 mg kg-l (n = 4) or 50 mg kg-I (n = 4); the control group (n = 4) received the vehicle only at a dose of 1 ml kg-1. Blood samples were collected at 4 h after dosing. With high-performance liquid chromatography, the serum was assayed for individual serum bile acids. At the higher dose, ketoconazole produced a significant increase in serum levels of cholic acid, taurocholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, glycocholic acid, glycochenodeoxycholic acid, glycodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid and taurochenodeoxycholic acid compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Cholic acid, taurocholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid levels were significantly raised in rats treated with the lower dose. In vitro, ketoconazole strongly inhibited the hepatocellular uptake of [14C] cholic acid [14C]taurocholic acid and [1H]ouabain but not [14C ]2-aminoisobutyric acid, which indicated that the effect is relatively specific. The kinetics of inhibition were competitive and the inhibition constants for taurocholate and ouabain were 6 and 1~M, respectively. Ketoconazole inhibited both Na+-dependent and Na+-independent taurocholate uptake and stimulated bile acid counter-transport of preloaded hepatocytes. The data suggest that the rise in the serum levels of cholic and taurocholic acids after ketoconazole treatment in rats is mainly related to the inhibitory effect induced by this drug on the hepatocellular uptake of these bile acids. The effect is specific and could help to explain the mechanism by which ketoconazole induces its hepatic dysfunc-


Talak divorce is one of the forms of divorce that occurs in Indonesia, especially for couples who have been married under Islamic law. In practice, talak divorce can be initiated by the husband in several circumstances, such as if the wife violates the marriage promise or if there is disharmony in the household. However, the wife can also file for a talak divorce if the husband violates the talakagreement.The literature review conducted by the author in this article aims to analyze the decision of the Batam Religious Court Number (1616/Pdt.G/2022/PA.Btm) related to talak divorce. Normative juridical method was used in this study, which refers to Decision Number (1616/Pdt.G/2022/PA.Btm). Furthermore, the author also reviewed relevant books and documents in order to acquire the necessary data and information for writing this article.In this article, the author discusses the reasons for the termination of marriage due to talak divorce in the Batam Religious Court, as well as the legal considerations applied by the panel of judges in deciding on talak divorce. This is important to study so that the public can have a clearer understanding of the divorce process and the rights that are possessed by couples who wish to get divorced through legal channels.


Nowadays, people and their knowledge have become more significant nowadays, financial is getting more important and they manage it through selected banking system. This study investigate the relationship between product features, service quality, financial strength and soundness, and price to the factor affecting customer preferences in Islamic banking products and services. The respondents of this research are staff in SAJ Holdings Sdn. Bnd. which are participated by 100 respondents. The theoretical framework discussed the elements of product features, service quality, financial strength and soundness, and price. The findings of the study were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). Frequency analysis evaluates personal information that relates to choosing Islamic banking products and services. Most of respondents using Islamic banking as selected banking system. Descriptive statistics investigate the influence of product features, service quality, financial strength and soundness and price towards customer preferences. Price variable has less relationship towards customer preferences through the lowest mean. Pearson correlation determines the significant of product features, quality, financial strength and soundness and price. All of the variables have significant relationship towards customer preferences in Islamic banking products and services. Regression analysis determines the most important factor that gives more impact towards customer preferences. Regression analysis also shows that overall customer preferences are strongly correlated with all of the independent variable used.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to add to current discussions on the use of Lacanian psychoanalysis in organizational change. Specifically, It argues that critiques of Lacan's work must be acknowledged and incorporated into these discussions. To date, there remains a silence surrounding these critiques within organization studies.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents the existing studies that draw upon Lacan's work in the context of organizational change initiatives. It highlights the value of this theory. Next, it outlines critiques of Lacan's concepts of phallus and incest taboo, and show how these concepts can be exclusionary.Findings – The paper finds that there remains little debate within organization studies around such critiques. Lacan tends to be employed in ways that risk reproducing particular, exclusionary aspects of his theory. A homophobic and patriarchal legacy persists in appropriations of his writing. It outlines alternative ways of reading Lacan, which aim to avoid such...


The invention discloses an air pressure liquid transfer type active balance system used for being installed inside a shaft and belongs to the technical field of vibration reduction systems. The air pressure liquid transfer type active balance system used for being installed inside the shaft comprises a balance disc, a balance disc cover board, air source distributors, a vibration sensor, a rotary speed sensor, a measure and control instrument, four air inlet pipelines, a reducing valve and an air source, wherein four liquid storage cavities inside the balance disc each communicate with one air inlet channel on the air source distributors; the tail ends of the four air inlet channels on the air source distributors each communicate with one air inlet pipeline; the air inlet pipelines are each provided with one electromagnetic valve to form an electromagnetic valve set; the air source is connected with an air inlet manifold communicating with the four air inlet pipelines; and the electromagnetic valve set, the vibration sensor and the rotary speed sensor are connected with the measure and control instrument. The technical problem that an existing air pressure liquid type rotor online automatic balancer cannot be installed inside the rotary shaft is solved, the air pressure liquid transfer type active balance system can be actually applied in a partially-hollow or all-hollow rotary device of the rotary shaft, and the unbalance vibration amplitude is inhibited online to be within the allowed range.


Objective
The cadaveric specimens stained with iodine-potassium iodide can show the fine structure of muscles by Micro-CT scanning. A specimen with cleft palate was scanned using this technique to explore the relationship between the muscle fibers of pharyngeal muscles in order to guide the muscle reconstruction in cleft palate repair, so as to understand the lingual pathology secondary to cleft palate.

Methods
One unclaimed 28-week aborted stillbirth, diagnosed as Ⅱ-degree cleft palate, was dissected.The anatomic structure between orbital floor plane and mouth bottom plane was saved, and soaked in 4% for maldehyde for 8 hours. Thereafter, the subject was soaked in 3.75% iodine-potassium iodide for 7 days for staining. The stained specimens were scanned with Micro-CT. The muscle fibers were drawn in the exported DICOM images, for three-dimensional muscle reconstruction.

Results
The main muscles of velopharynx were located in the tomographic image and the three-dimensional reconstructed model, including: the levator muscle of palatine velum, the tensor velipalatini, the palatopharyngeus muscle, the palatoglossus muscle, and the upper part of the superior pharyngeal constrictor. Some local anatomical features of the muscles were also found: (1)The tensor velipalatini has a branch ended at the lateral pharyngeal wall.(2)The superior pharyngeal constrictor has multiple connections with the levator muscle of palatine velum, the tensor velipalatini, the palatopharyngeus muscle.(3)There was no obvious muscle fiber crossing between the internal muscles of the cleft palate. The muscle of uvula was not found either.

Conclusions
With the application of high-resolution Micro-CT technology, new branches of pharyngeal muscles and crossings of muscles can be recognized. In the cleft palate specimen, the main functional muscles of pharyngeal are mainly associated with superior pharyngeal constrictor. The muscles in the palate and the pharynx are interrelated and form a three-dimensional " velopharyngeal muscle complex" .

Key words:
Anatomy; Micro computed tomography; Three-dimensional anatomy; Pharyngeal muscle


Today's modern society offers many new opportunities, but also many risks. Even modernization of companies cannot completely eliminate these dangers. In the smart industry, despite significant technological progress, it is necessary to work with various raw materials, including hazardous substances. It is these raw materials that will continue to pose risks in the future for industrial accidents, which cannot be ruled out. The possible release of hazardous substances can potentially have a negative impact on the environment and safety of the population. In order to deal with certain emergencies, it is necessary to allocate a large amount of funds and resources to them. The paper focuses on risk prevention in industry and the use of modern and new approaches. Specifically, it focuses on the implementation of the prevention of leakage of hazardous substances in the gaseous state from industrial facilities. The aim of the paper is to present a new approach to the prevention of leakage of hazardous substances, which provides more realistic calculations for modeling leaks and thus helps to reduce the cost of prevention. However, security in crisis management is not diminished. ALOHA CAMEO software was used for leak modeling, which the authors commonly use in practical applications and modeling in industrial enterprises in the performance of duties in the field of civil protection and crisis management. ALOHA software is used for such modeling, serving as a support tool for modeling for all crisis managers in Industry 4.0. This paper deals with the modeling of dispersion of hazardous substances with specific properties escaping from technological equipment located inside a building. This concerns the inability of the current dispersion model software to prevent the spread of the next leak inside the building containing the substance. A solution is needed to fix this problem. This issue is well illustrated by a specific example at the end of this article. The mentioned improvement of tools for simulation of industrial accidents influences the possibilities of development also in Industry 4.0. It enables more effective preparation for the management of possible accidents with regard to the appropriate spending of funds for prevention and subsequent response.


In the article the brand names of German cars have been identified as pragmatic proper nouns which function as part naming strategies of carmaking companies in the marketing discourse; the models of the brand naming have been described, the attributes and the functions of car brand names have been found out, as well as the pattern of the marketing and naming strategies of the company correlations has been educed.


PURPOSE: An organic light emitting diode device including an inorganic layer with a hole is provided to improve luminous efficiency by extracting a waveguide mode and surface Plasmon with light using a nanolayer. CONSTITUTION: An inorganic layer(115) is formed on a first electrode(110). An organic layer(120) is formed on the inorganic layer. A second electrode(125) is formed on the organic layer. The organic layer includes a wave structure by the top part and bottom part of the organic layer. The second electrode has a wave structure by the top part and bottom part of the second electrode.


Purpose – This paper aims to describe the effects of radiation on certain classes of sensors and electronic devices and discusses the sensors used in high radiation environments.Design/methodology/approach – Following an introduction, this paper firstly discusses the effects of radiation on semiconductors. It then considers the sensor technologies employed in high radiation applications and examines the impact of radiation on MEMS devices. Finally, it describes a radiation‐tolerant imaging sensor technology.Findings – Ionising and non‐ionising radiation in terrestrial and space environments can exert a detrimental effect on semiconductor devices and has led to the development of a range of radiation hardening technologies. Most of the sensors used in nuclear power plants utilise long‐established and well‐characterised technologies which are inherently radiation‐tolerant but silicon MEMS devices are more prone to damage and a range of failure mechanisms have been identified. Most conventional image sensors...


While the claim is frequently made that quadratic utility of wealth gives rise to linear mean variance functions, the claim is in general false. This note discusses quadratic utility and its relationship to mean variance analysis.


Under normal conditions butyrate produced by obligate anaerobes (e.g. firmicutes) provides the dominant energy source for colonocytes via β-oxidation and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by reduced butyrate metabolism and intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) mitochondria (needed for β-oxidation). Given that nonhealing ulcers in UC are associated with reduced crypt fissioning and branching, we asked whether there was a relationship between mitochondrial deficiency and butyrate-induced crypt branching using colonoid cultures grown from human biopsies.

 IECs from biopsies taken from active and uninvolved areas of the same UC patient were grown in colonoid cultures. After the second passage, the colonoids with crypt branching were quantified. In separate studies, we modeled mitochondrial deficiency by shRNA knockdown of transcription mitochondrial factor A (Tfam) in human colonoids, a gene responsible for mitochondrial DNA stability and transcription. Both shControl and shTfam colonoids were treated with 5mM of Na-butyrate overnight. NCM460 cells were also treated with 5mM of butyrate overnight, and both ATP levels and TCF/LEF (b-catenin transcriptional activity) were examined.

 Colonoids from active UC segments demonstrated 27% less crypt branching than uninvolved areas. These areas also displayed reduced mitochondria complex levels by WB of IEC. To directly examine the role of mitochondria in these effects, crypt branching was examined in shTFAM-treated colonoids where crypt branching levels were 31% less than shCont-treated colonoids (Fig. 1). Butyrate treatment of both shCont and shTfam colonoids increased crypt formation by 11% and 8%, respectively compared to untreated groups. In addition, butyrate increased levels of ATP by 55% and b-catenin transcriptional activity (TCF-LEF) by >600%.

 This data was consistent with the notion that the failure to heal ulceration in UC patients involves both 1) reduction in butyrate availability from the microbiome (ie reduced stimulation) and 2) reduced mitochondria needed to metabolize butyrate. Upon effective anti-inflammatory treatment, we believe butyrate levels and IEC mitochondrial metabolism increase which contributes to IEC b-catenin signaling and enhanced crypt fissioning/branching needed for effective ulcer healing. We believe this data provide a potential mechanism for how enhanced mitochondrial function contributes to ulcer healing in IBD.