This work investigated the compressive strength of ternary blended cement sandcrete containing Afikpo rice husk ash (RHA) and sawdust ash (SDA). 105 sandcrete cubes of 150mm x 150mm x 150mm were produced with OPC-RHA binary blended cement, 105 with OPC-SDA binary blended cement, and 105 with OPC-RHA-SDA ternary blended cement, each at percentage OPC replacement with pozzolan of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%. Three cubes for each percentage replacement of OPC with pozzolan and the control were tested for saturated surface dry bulk density and crushed to obtain their compressive strengths at 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 50, and 90 days of curing. The 90-day strengths obtained from ternary blending of OPC with equal proportions of RHA and SDA were 11.80N/mm for 5% replacement, 11.20N/mm for 10% replacement, 10.60N/mm for 15% replacement, 10.00N/mm for 20% replacement, and 9.10N/mm for 25% replacement, while that of the control was 10.90N/mm. This suggests that very high sandcrete strength values could be obtained with OPCRHA-SDA ternary blended cement with richer mixes, high quality control, and longer days of hydration. Thus, OPC-RHA-SDA ternary blended cement sandcrete could be used for various civil engineering and building works, especially where early strength is not a major requirement.


Introduction: Changes in the soft palate and velopharyngeal function are among the most important concerns for maxillofacial surgeons in patients with midface deficiency, especially in those with cleft palate who needed maxillary advancement. In this study, we evaluated cephalometric changes in soft palate after maxillary advancement. Materials and Methods: This study included 16 cleft patients (7 females and 9 males), with a mean age of 22 ± 3.47. The maxillary advancement alone was done in 10 patients and bimaxillary osteotomy in the other six patients. Cephalometric characteristics were assessed before and 6 months after the surgery, and the results were analyzed using paired t-test or Wilcoxon test. Results: The results showed a 6% increase (P < 0.05) for PNS-U (soft palate length) index. In addition, PTM-UPW (upper pharyngeal space) and U-MPW (middle pharyngeal space) increased by 5% (P < 0.05) and 5% (P < 0.08), respectively, after the surgery. V-LPW (lower pharyngeal space) also increased by 0.6% but was not statically significant. Conclusions: According to the results of this study, after surgical maxillary advancement, changes were observed in upper and middle pharyngeal spaces, soft palate length, and inclination, but lower pharyngeal space remained unchanged.


This paper considers the problem of estimation and inference in semiparametric varying coefficients models when the response variable is subject to random censoring. The paper proposes an estimator based on combining inverse probability censoring weighting and profile least squares estimation. The resulting estimator is shown to be asymptotically normal. The paper proposes three test statistics with an asymptotic chi-squared calibration that can be used to test linear restrictions on the parametric components.The paper also considers the important issue of correct specification of the model and proposes a nonsmoothing test based on a Cramer-von Mises type of statistic. Monte Carlo simulations illustrate the finite sample properties of the estimators and test statistics.


We consider an iterated function system (with probabilities) of isometries on an unbounded metric space (X,d). Under suitable conditions it is proved that the random orbit {Zn}n⩾0 of the iterations corresponding to an initial point Z0∊X `escapes to infinity' in the sense that P(Zn∊K)→0, as n→∞ for every bounded set K⊂X. As an application we prove the corresponding result in the Euclidean and hyperbolic spaces under the condition that the isometries do not have a common fixed point.


It is difficult to do a frequency conversion using the current phase-locked technology when the input and output frequencies are approximatly equal or have an approximate integer multiple relationship.Based on the change law of the phase difference between the two different frequency signals,by using the phase coincidence detection circuits,the equivalent phase demodulation circuits and a filter with an adjustable bias,a new type of PLL is realized.Experimental studies are done with the results showing that the phase-locked loop has characteristics such as low noise,high stability,the easy-to-adjust output frequency.


If robots had the capability of supplying machines with workpieces which are not preoriented, there would be a substantial increase in the number of robots used in industry. A significant contribution to this development would be a method which yields a trajectory whereby such a robot held workpiece can be transported from its receptacle to a machine fixture without a collision. An algorithm is described to find such a trajectory. This algorithm employs refinement of an initial estimate of the position and orientation of a robot held workpiece. The refinement procedure uses visual information. With the refined estimate of the hand-to-workpiece transformation, the workpiece can be moved through a safe trajectory, which was established during a prior instruction phase.


Phase diagram and sulphide precipitation of a free-cutting microalloyed steel 38MnVS were calculated using Thermo-Calc thermodynamic software,and the effects of lariation of C,Mn,Si,S and V content on precipitation behavior of MnS was studied.The morphology of MnS was observed by using SEM.The simulation of solidification process of steel 38MnVS was done using Scheil-Gulliver model.Based on the observation of the three-dimensional morphology of sulfides in concasting billet of steel 38MnVS,it is indicated that the morphology of sulphide gradually changes from being elongated at the billet edges to laminar in the half from billet edge to centre,and elongated and laminar sulphide is observed in the center of billet.The elongated sulfide and the laminar sulfide formed due to eutectic reaction.Higher alloy elements content in the steel results in the morphology of sulfide changing from the elongated to the laminar.


Sit-to-stand movement is difficult for some elderly people. Therefore, it is important to provide them with feedback regarding their posture and help them stand effortlessly. A motion capture system is one of the best devices to measure posture, but it is difficult to use in everyday life because of its size, cost, and so on. Consequently, we propose a new measurement system to estimate posture during the sit-to-stand movement by using foot pressure, which can be readily used in everyday life. In this paper, the effectiveness of our measurement system is demonstrated under constrained experimental conditions.


"DodoIkire"is an example of traditional snack commonly consumed in western part of Nigeria. Effects of storage packaging modes and durations on its microbiological quality and sensory attributes at room temperature were investigated. Samples were collected from commercial sellers inIkire,Apomu and Ikoyi Towns. They were packaged and stored at room temperature (28±2oC) in three different materials namely; Open storage in disposable cup (OS), low density nylon(LD) and high density polyethylene(HD) for a month.A sample of DodoIkire was prepared in the Food processing Laboratory of Wesley university of Technology, Ondo, to serve as Control. Total viable counts and fungi counts were conducted at intervals of two weeks using pour plate method. Sensory evaluations were carried out at these intervals using semi-trained panelist on a nine point hedonic scale. The results showed that the "DodoIkire" offered for sale has low level of initial microbial loads. The choice of packaging system and duration of storage significantly influenced (p<0.05) the level of infestation within one month of storage in different materials, with OS permitting the highest, followed by LD and then HD. Similarly, these two parameters also significantly influenced (p<0.05) the rate at which sensory attributes were lost in the same order.High density polyethylene (HD) offered best protection and is hereby recommended for the storage of DodoIkire. However, consumption of DodoIkire after a month of storage should be discouraged. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */
 table.MsoNormalTable
 {mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
 mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
 mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
 mso-style-noshow:yes;
 mso-style-priority:99;
 mso-style-qformat:yes;
 mso-style-parent:"";
 mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
 mso-para-margin-top:0in;
 mso-para-margin-right:0in;
 mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
 mso-para-margin-left:0in;
 line-height:115%;
 mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
 font-size:11.0pt;
 font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
 mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
 mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
 mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
 mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
 mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
 mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}


Physical activity is an important target for improving health and well-being among cancer survivors. Cancer clinicians are uniquely positioned to promote physical activity among survivors through follow-up visits for treatment planning and surveillance. Providers should prioritize assessment of guideline-concordant physical activity and facilitate achievement of physical activity guidelines through exercise prescription, goal setting, addressing barriers, and capitalizing on support systems.


In this paper, we present a wavelength selector based on a monolithic multilayer pi'n/pin a-SiC:H optical filter that requires appropriate near-ultraviolet steady states optical switches to select the desired wavelengths in the visible-near infrared (VIS-NIR) ranges. Results show that the background intensity works as a selector in the infrared/visible regions, shifting the sensor sensitivity. Low intensities select the NIR range while high intensities select the visible part. Here, the optical gain is very high in the red range, decreases in the green range, and stays near one in the blue region decreasing strongly in the near-ultraviolet range. The transfer characteristics effects due to changes in steady state light intensity and wavelength backgrounds are presented. The relationship between the optical inputs and the output signal is established. Copyright © 2015 IFSA Publishing, S. L.


The images or social representations of current high school students are connected with the information they receive from their teachers at school, then to know the meanings of their conceptions, can help to improve the practice of Didactic in the process of teaching-learning. The aim of this research was to interpret the significations of teaching in Mexican high school students on a Chemistry course with the Theory and technique of Natural Semantic Networks (NSN). The method used for the study was research-action with a critical interpretative focus, the design of the research was cross-sectional. The population of this study was formed by 79 students officially enrolled into the UCEM (Precollege Institute of the Center of Mexico) educational system. Results have shown that students represent teaching with the meanings of: learning (semantic weight= 194) and teacher (172), despite of these meanings, it exists other words inside the SAM (Semantic Association Memory) group like values (32) and livres (161). In conclusion of this research it can be said that current social images are built with the categories of learning like a process included on teaching and professor like actor of the educational phenomenon.


In the Western United States, juvenile salmon and steelhead are especially vulnerable to streamflow depletion in the dry season. Releasing water from off-channel storage is a method of streamflow augmentation increasingly used to offset impacts of anthropogenic flow alteration. However, to date, no studies have evaluated the effects of these small-scale flow augmentations on salmonids. Here we quantify the effects of one such augmentation project on habitat connectivity, water quality, invertebrate drift, juvenile salmonid movement and survival. Our study took place in a Northern California stream and included an unusually wet summer (2019) and a more typical dry summer (2020). We found that differences in ambient streamflows between the two years mediated the physical and ecological effects of a 13.9 L/s augmentation treatment. In the dry year, flow augmentation significantly improved dissolved oxygen and habitat connectivity at sites > 1.5 km downstream from the point of augmentation and had a marginal warming effect on stream temperature. During the wet year, both dissolved oxygen and water temperature effects were negligible. In both years, augmentation had a small but positive effect on invertebrate drift. Inter-pool movement of juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and stocked Coho Salmon (O. kisutch) increased due to augmentation during the dry summer. Flow augmentation also increased the survival probability for salmonids, with a larger effect during the dry summer (24% higher survival for Coho and 20% higher for steelhead), than during the wet summer (when no effect was observed for steelhead survival and Coho Salmon survival increased by 11%). This study indicates that appropriately designed and timed flow augmentations can improve conditions for rearing salmonids in small streams, particularly during dry years. More broadly it provides empirical evidence that efforts to restore summer streamflow in small, salmon-bearing streams can yield significant ecological benefits.


72 Abstract Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the main causes of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide and is an important public health concern. A retrospective analysis of the demographics and management of patients who had a positive anti-HCV detected by enzyme immunoassay test done at Mater Dei Hospital was carried out to analyse the epidemiology of HCV infection in Malta and assess our management when compared to the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) guidelines. 72% of patients were male. The majority of patients were aged 21-50 years. The main mode of infection was via intravenous drugs use, accounting for 68% of cases. Only 56% of patients found to be HCV Ab positive had a scheduled appointment with an infectious diseases specialist or gastroenterologist documented on the MDH online appointment system. 58% of patients had HCV RNA testing done and 45% had genotype testing. 7.3% with HCV infection were given treatment, of which 43% had a Sustained Virological Response (SVR).


Given the victim-offender overlap, it has been suggested that every theory about offenders implies a corresponding theory of victimization. We assess the above assertion concerning Agnew's general theory of crime and delinquency within the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). Drawing data from the International Dating Violence Study, we examine the direct and indirect effects of the self, family, school/work, and peer domains on IPV perpetration and victimization. We found the four life domains significantly predicted both IPV perpetration and victimization and their effects on both outcome variables were mediated by the constraint and motivation factors. Our results indicate that the mechanisms that account for offending posited in Agnew's perspective appear to be equally relevant and applicable for understanding victimization.


The objective of this experiment was to determine the reproductive performance of suckled beef cows in programs of artificial insemination (AI) submitted to definitive early or temporary weaning (EW or TW) and estrous synchronization protocol to fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI). Two-hundred and five Angus x Nelore cows body with condition score 2.6±0.4 and post-partum period between 54 and 122 days were used in the trial. After EW, one-hundred, fifty three cows were separated three groups according to the AI or FTAI protocol. A group of cows was artificial inseminated according estrous detection after 10 days of definitive weaning during a period of 30 days (EW-AI, n= 53). Estrous synchronization programs to FTAI were carried out in two groups in different moments after EW. In the group EW-FTAI (n= 50), cows were treated at the moment calves were removed while in EW-FTAI 10 (n= 50) the hormonal treatment began 10 days later.  The hormonal treatment consisted of an intravaginal implant containing 1,9g of Progesterone, for 8 days, and an injection of  Estradiol benzoate (EB), 2mg, im. When the dispositives were removed, 75mcg of Cloprostenol were injected, im, and after 24 hours, 1mg of EB, im. Cows were fixed-time artificial inseminated 52 to 56 hours after implants removal. In TW-FTAI group (n= 52), cows were treated with the same hormonal therapy, but a temporary weaning of 60 hours was done after the implant removal and the FTAI moment. The breeding season was 60 days in EW-FTAI and TW-FTAI groups, 50 days in EW-FTAI10 group and 30 days in EW-AI group. In a sample of 20% of cows ovaries were scanned by ultrasound and it was determined that 55% of the cows were in anestrous. Follicular diameters were determined at beginning of hormonal treatment and at FTAI moment in cows submitted to estrous synchronization (EW-FTAI= 10, EW-FTAI10= 10 and TW-FTAI= 10) by ultrasound. The means of follicular diameters were not different (P>0.05) between groups at Day 0 (7.0±3.1mm; 8.1±1.9mm e 6.5±1.7mm) and at Day 10 (9.8±1.4mm; 12.5±1.2mm e 11.8±2.8mm). The pregnancy rates at AI were 57, 48, 48 and 46% and at the end of the breeding season were 77, 88, 68 and 78%, EW-AI, EW-FTAI, EW-FTAI10 and TW-FTAI respectively, without significance (P>0.05). According to the this study, EW didn't improve reproductive performance compared to TW associated to estrous synchronization programs to FTAI and 10 days of interval from EW and hormonal therapy didn't increase fertility in FTAI. Key words: Beef cows, early weaning, fixed-time artificial insemination.


Abstract Let π: X → ℙn be the d-cyclic covering branched along a smooth hypersurface Y ⊂ ℙn of degree d, 3 ≤ d ≤ n. We identify the minimal rational curves on X with d-tangent lines of Y and describe the scheme structure of the variety of minimal rational tangents 𝒞x ⊂ ℙTx(X) at a general point x ∈ X. We also show that the projective isomorphism type of 𝒞x varies in a maximal way as x moves over general points of X.


In medical image processing a reliable means of microaneurysms detection in digital retinal images is still an open issue. In this paper, we propose a computerized scheme to improve microaneurysm detection. Image preprocessing is followed by the detection of microaneurysm regions using edge detection. Regions corresponding to blood vessels and bright lesions were removed by image segmentation from the fundus images. Unlike other well-known approaches of machine learning classifiers, we propose a combination of microaneurysm detection and diabetic retinopathy grading using SVM. Microaneurysm detection is decisive in diabetic retinopathy (DR) grading, so we evaluated our approach on four publicly available databases,


ABSTRACT Single-point cutting tools were developed adopting a novel technique involving centrifugal casting using scrapped and discarded tools without any compositional adjustments. These tools included single-point cutting tools, drills, milling cutters, etc., and were melted in an induction furnace and cast in a vertical rotating mold. Single-point cutting tools were developed from these cast bars. The cutting ability of these developed tools was compared with that of conventional high-speed steel (HSS) tools that were procured from the market, for cutting of mild steel (A36) workpiece under identical tool geometry and cutting parameters. The cutting ability of the conventional HSS tool and the developed tool was observed to be comparable in terms of tool wear. Further, the surface-finish, force required for cutting and chip-configuration were more or less identical. The performance of the developed tool is comparable with the conventional cast HSS tool within the cutting velocity of 52.77 m/min and yields the most encouraging results, putting these tools at par with those available in the market. Thus, the novel technique adopted is claimed to be a viable method for developing single-point cutting tools without going for stringent methods of compositional adjustments and the costly forging methods for compaction.


Objectives : Hong Kong is aging fast. Advance Care Planning in Dementia (ACP-D) carries great operational value to older adults, their families, policy-makers as well as service operators. ACP-D communications is important in order to support and facilitate older adults.  However, very few studies are conducted on the specific communication skills required. Method : This article reports on findings from a qualitative study (n=7, 5 female, 3 married, average age=70) carried out during the pilot study of an ACP-D psycho-education intervention. The intervention was assessed by the first author's reflection as a researcher and participant observer, comments from the third author as ACP-D advisor and participants' feedbacks through semi-structured individual interviews. Results : Older adults were found fearful about ACP-D. Critical factors for effective ACP-D communications "H.E.A.R.T." were identified. These included: Hope, Empathetic curiosity, Autonomy, Resources and Timing. Conclusion : Given the high prevalence of dementia, it is crucial for allied healthcare professionals, adult children, potential proxies as well as older adults to learn about ACP-D communications.


The beauty of wisdom of practical writing shows the ability of the writer's overcoming difficulties and solving problems in his/her practical writing activities. And it also shows the writer's creativity, originality and skills. We analyze the beauty of wisdom of practical writing to appreciate and create more colorful and beautiful practical writing.


BACKGROUND: Hypomobility of the cervicothoracic (CT) junction has been suggested neck discomfort as one of its causes.There are, however, few trials that have contrasted the impact of CT junction mobilisation against a successful neck pain intervention. The treatment of distant spinal segments using thoracic spine manipulation is non-specific and is founded on the notion of interregional reliance.Recent studies have examined the usefulness of segment-specific spinal mobilisation in the cervical spine, although no firm findings could be drawn from earlier research. The aforementioned factors call for research into the effectiveness of a particular CT junction mobilisation vs a general thoracic manipulation intervention in neck discomfort. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Participants in a randomised clinical trial with mechanical neck soreness and Cervicothoracic junction dysfunction were randomly assigned to the mid-thoracic (T3-T6) manipulation group or the C7-T1 stage Maitland mobilisation group. The results of the cervical flexion, extension, facet flexion, and rotation degrees of movement (ROM) before and after the intervention have been measured the use of a cervical range of motion (CROM) device. The severity of self-stated ache become measured using the numerical pain score scale (NPRS). After the intervention, a one-way ANCOVA was used to evaluate the outcomes. RESULTS: For the study, 48 individuals have been enrolled, with a median age of 36.Forty eight±12.Forty eight for the thoracic manipulation organization and 34.25± 12.24 for the CT junction organization. After treatment, there were no discernible differences in cervical variety of movement (ROM) or self-said ache depth among thegroups (p-value = 0.07, 0.96, 003, 0.Forty, 0.30, 0.31 for flexion, extension, bilateralside bending, and rotation, respectively), nor in neck pain depth (p = 0.67). The cervical ROM and pain, however, extensively stepped forward in both businesses whilst in comparison within-institution, pre- and post. CONCLUSION: This preliminary investigation showed that thoracic manipulation had the same effects on the outcomes of cervical range of motion and neck discomfort as level-specific Cervicothoracic mobilisation in patients with non-specific neck pain when it was compared to remote mid-thoracic manipulation. KEYWORDS: Cervicothoracic Mobilization, Thoracic manipulation, Non-specific neck pain, ROM, mechanical neck pain


Drifting population has become a major social issue since the reform and opening to the outside world. They have done great in promotion of our social economy, but brought negative effect to the prosperity of our society. Therefore, how to supervise the drifting population and control their crimes becomes an urgent task. This paper is to analyze the major criminal characteristics, its reasons and our counterplans.


PurposeMetastatic gastric cancer is a common disease with poor prognosis. In this common disease, estimating the prognosis with a simple complete blood count has attracted the attention in many studies. However, the results of the studies are incompatible with each other. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between parameters of the complete blood count and disease prognosis in patients with advanced gastric cancer(AGC).MethodsBetween 2009 and May 2019, the files of patients with AGC were retrospectively evaluated. Blood counts of the patients were examined before receiving any treatment at the time of diagnosis of AGC. All parameters derived from complete blood count and defined in literature were evaluated in this study. These were; Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio(NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio(PLR), monocyte lymphocyte ratio(MLR), systemic immune-inflammation index(SII), hemoglobin, lymphocyte, platelet. The patients were divided in two subgroups according to the median values of NLR, PLR, MLR and SII.ResultsA total of 105 patients with AGC were included in the study. The median survival in the patients with low NLR group was 14.6 months compared with high NLR group was 7.9 months (p=0.008). In low PLR and MLR group the median survivals were 12.7 and 14.6 months compared with high PLR and MLR were 8.2 and 7.9 months respectively (p=0.019, p=0.06). There was no significant relationship with SII (p=0.375). Multivariate analysis showed that NLR was an independent predictor of overall survival.ConclusionThrough the parameters derived from complete blood count, NLR appears to be a promising prognostic marker in patients with AGC.


HE quest for legal justice leads to two principles, apparently as wide as the poles asunder. One principle states that unlimited freedom to decide each case upon its merits?according to equity and con science?is indispensable to justice, while the other principle just as positively proclaims that unlimited freedom to decide cases according to equity and con science leads to the abuses of the Star Chamber and the Third Degree. One principle decries the rule of prece dent as the source of injustice, the other principle lauds it as the very foundation of justice. Thus do the oracles of justice seem to contradict each other and cause laymen to believe that the legal system blows h?t and cold at the same breath. The paradox set forth is no figment of the imagi nation but a real problem in the growth of law. The opposing principles of justice according to an iron stan dard and justice according to conscience mark the ex treme points between which the law has fluctuated in the course of its development. The Cycle of Law embraces the period in which the law has started from a system in which one of these principles dominated, has gradually changed to a system in which the op posite principle held mastery, and has finally come back again to a condition similar to the starting-point. It is the purpose of this paper to describe this cycle in very briefest compass, to indicate the fundamental forces that have moved through the maze of decisions, statutes, constitutions, codes constituting the outward barometer of the law, to give a hasty glimpse at the general trend of centuries of legal history, omitting from view the vast minutiae of special rules so vital to the individual case, passing swiftly by whole sub jects of substantive law, and the entire science of plead ing in order that the general contour of the legal woods may stand forth in clear relief. There is no inevitable beginning nor end to such a study, nor is there any chosen people whose laws have prior claim to such a survey. It is probable that tablets of laws that crumbled to dust before the Code of Hammurabi or the Roman Laws of the Twelve Tables have gone through a process of development similar to that about to be described, but it is needless to search in the ashes of Assyrian cities for the judg ment rolls of a forgotten civilization, when evidence written in bold type in the year-books of Edward I tells us the story of the genesis of the very laws under which we are living today. The theory of the cycle of law will accordingly be illustrated by the development of the American common law or, rather, its English prototype. In describing a continuous process that winds back to a place similar to a preceding phase in its course, it makes no vital difference where a start is made. It will be convenient, however, to begin at that phase of the cycle that is characterized by stability and respect for precedent, because a legal system that has crystal lized into a definite form presents a tangible substance for analysis and the record of judgments or stone tab l ts to chronicle the finality of its achievement. A period of static equilibrium was attained by the English law by the end of the thirteenth century. By that time the reaction between the frontier justice of the Anglo Saxons and the refined law of the Normans had pro duced one fairly homogeneous system of English law; the blood feud, the wager of battle, and rough and ready methods of self-help had been partly eliminated and partly disciplined by technical procedure; scattered local customs, opposing traditions had become merged in o the King's justice administered by the King's courts; and the young legal system had grown until its # height was measured by its 471 writs and it no longer possessed the power to add another writ to its stature. At the stage of the cycle which has been arbi trarily selected as a starting-point, the English law had emerged from the unstable period of growth during which its form and content hung in a balance of prin ciples and customs; it had reached the age of assimila tion, analysis and codification. The characteristics of a legal system that had arrived at years of maturity could e read in the respect for precedent, the technical rules of pleading, the formality of writs, the dignity and solemnity of judicial procedure, the pompous Latin phrases incomprehensible to laymen, the fees and delays of court trials, the rise of a professional class of lawyers and the codification of the law by Bracton. A that time in its life history, the law delighted to wield the new-found powers that arose out of seal and parchment, writ and oath. It demanded the strict ob servance of form rather than an inquiry into the fun d mental merits of the case; inclining its judgment scales in favor of the debtor when he could successfully pass the prescribed ritual by producing eleven neigh bors to swear he did not owe the money, and inclining its scales in favor of the creditor when one false move on the part of the debtor or his aids?a mispronounced word or the lowering of an arm before the proper time ?broke the charm of the elaborate symbolism. Thus the static law brought order and respect for authority out of the chaos of Anglo-Saxon law at the expense of equity and conscience. The movement away from the static equilibrium? like all organic movements?grew out of the very con ditions of stability. The crystallization of causes of action into 471 specific forms had practically closed legal machinery to new causes of action, because as these various forms became related to each other by a net-work of logical analysis so that they grew into n organic whole, it became more and more difficult to graft an alien on to the existing system. The forces of habit, tradition and inertia under the guidance of clerks and lawyers schooled in the prevailing forms also tended to keep the law within its accustomed chan nels. While the law was thus steeling itself against


This paper presents a modified Reynolds equation for analyzing thin film lubrication with a saturated high-viscosity surface layer on a solid surface. The saturated high-viscosity characteristics of engine oil blended with additives of metallic detergents and friction modifiers were expressed using new viscosity functions with various orders termed "viscosity model 2," which is different from the previous model, termed "viscosity model 1." The viscosity function was then incorporated on the moving surface, and the fluid flow in the bearing gap was determined in a closed-form solution for order numbers N of 2 to 5. Subsequently the modified Reynolds equation was formulated by numerically integrating the flow equation. The modified Reynolds equation was applied to analyze the tapered pad bearing, and different features of the load capacity and friction coefficients from those for viscosity model 1 were clarified. The effects of the order number N , viscosity ratio, bearing length, and high-viscosity layer thickness on the load capacity and friction coefficient were elucidated. It was found that when the order number N was increased to 5, the friction coefficient decreased to a minimal value, subsequently increased to the maximum value, and then decreased to the lowest value with a decrease in the trailing gap.


Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) based imaging and velocimetry methods are demonstrated for two-phase dynamical flows involving gas-oil and air-water mixtures. We consider two extended ECT modalities in particular. Electrical capacitance volume tomography (ECVT) is applied for electrically non-conducting flows such as gas-oil, whereas displacement-current phase tomography (DCPT) is applied for conducting flows such as air-water. In addition, gas flow rates are calculated from the reconstructed image and velocity profile, and compared to the actual gas flow rate.


The constant use of pharmaceutical drugs by great part of the population and its continuous input into the environment creates a growing need of investigating its presence, behavior and the effects on aquatic biota, as well as new ways to treat wastewater containing such substances. The fluoxetine hydrochloride (FH) present in the drug Prozac is an active ingredient used in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders. Generally, these compounds enter the aquatic environment by sewage collectors systems after undergoing prior treatment in sewage treatment plants (STPs) or without any treatment. This study focused on evaluating the reduction of acute toxicity of the pharmaceutical FH, under its manipulated formula, for the marine bacterium Vibrio ficheri. It was also evaluated the acute toxicity of the aqueous solution containing the FH after its exposition to ionizing radiation from industrial electron accelerator. It was performed acute toxicity tests lasting 15 minutes, where the average EC (50) of the non-irradiated CF water solution was approximately 0.68 mg L. While the CF water solution irradiated with 1 kGy, 2.5 kGy, 7.5 kGy and 10 kGy, presented an average EC(50) 1.63 mg.L, 2.34 mg.L, 2.35 mg.L and 1.80 mg.L, respectively, showing a notable reduction of the acute toxicity for this organism.


Contents include the following: Brief History of Lidar. Long-Term Monitoring Lidars. Lidars in Field Campaigns. Ground-Based Lidar Networks. Satellite Lidars.


Previous research has shown that substantial yield improvements are possible when character-marks are not removed from hardwood furniture parts. Attempts to promote increased use of character-marked wood in furniture should be based on an understanding of how design concepts originate and move through the stages of product development. However, very little has been published concerning the product development process in the furniture industry. This study sought to expand knowledge of the activities involved in furniture product development and to explain character-mark decisions in terms of the product development process. Data gathered from in-depth interviews and a follow-up mail survey of large furniture manufacturers were used to develop a 14-stage product development model. While decisions concerning use of character-marks occurred throughout the development process, such decisions were more common as the process proceeded; few companies considered character-marks in the earliest stages of product development. Certain stages in the model emerged as particularly important to character use, such as those involving mock-ups and evaluation of designer sketches. By identifying the activities that take place in these important stages, barriers to acceptance of character-marked furniture can be better understood and addressed.


The phase relations for the Ag-Pb-O system saturated with alumina and the activity coefficient of AgO 0 . 5 in the PbO melt were investigated at 1273 K. A chemical equilibrium technique and an EMF method were applied to the measurement. In this system, there is a miscibility gap between a molten Ag-Pb alloy phase and a Pb-Ag-O oxide phase. The solubility of Ag in the oxide phase and that of Pb in the metal phase were studied as a relation of the partial oxygen pressure. These results suggest that component of silver oxide in liquid PbO phase should be represented as AgO 0 . 5 . The activity coefficient of AgO 0 . 5 in the PbO based oxide melt at infinite dilution relative to pure solid AgO 0 . 5 is 0.602 at 1273K.


A PC-based on-line system for inspecting impurities in ampoules is presented. To enhance the contrast of the background and the foreign substance in ampoule, a reflective lighting method which illuminates in side direction is designed in a vision system. To extract the trajectory of small target with interference of a complex background, a two-stage frame differencing method based on sub-pixel registration of image sequences is studied in this paper. Experiment results show that this on-line machine vision system can inspect the foreign substances effectively, and the inspection speed, the accuracy and the number of broken bottles can meet the requirement on medicine production.


Background: Mental disorder is one of the most difficult problems to overcome in the world and one of the causes is about the low emotional regulation. Emotional regulation is influenced by a person's awareness in managing his emotions. For increasing the emotional regulation need some interventions to enhance mindful thought and the benefits will appear.
Objectives: This article aimed to explain the benefits of mindful thought in emotion regulation and the type of intervention can be used to improve mindful thought in adults.
Design: This study used a scoping review to review the articles the influence of mindful thought on emotional regulation in adults.
Data Sources: Data based used were Science Direct, Scopus, SpingerLink, PubMed and Emerald Insight from 2017 to 2021. The literature obtained by using the Booleon operators "OR/AND" search. The keywords in the search were "mindfulness" OR mindfulness breathing AND "emotion regulation" OR control emotion AND "adult".
Review Methods: The analysis used was the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes for Scoping Review (PRISMA-SR).
Results: The results after screening consisting of 4 quantitative articles. This article summarizes about mindfulness intervention can increase the ability to respond to negative emotions, reduce depression, stress and also increase important components in mindful thought that can influence emotional regulation.
Conclusion: High level of mindful thoughts will influence daily life in adults for reappraisal, acceptance, problem solving and parenting. The kind of mindfulness intervention can be used for increasing quality of mindful that can affect emotion regulation in adults such as Mindfulness Meditation, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.


Objectives: To observe the therapeutic effect of Shirexiao decotion on IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α levels in the massage fluid from the patients with ⅢA prostatitis.Methods: 120 cases of ⅢA prostatitis were randomized into treatment group and control group,which were treated with Shirexiao decotion and Yinhua Miyanling tablets respectively.The IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α levels were detected by ELISE after 28 days.Results: After a course of treatment,the IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α levels were significantly decreased(P0.01).The IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α levels of treatment group decreased more than those of the control group(P0.05,P0.01).Conclusion: Shirexiao decotion is effective in decreasing IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α levels of ⅢA prostatitis,which is likely to be the mechanisms of Shirexiao decoction in treating ⅢA prostatitis.


An electrooptical engagement array architecture for performing matrix-matrix multiplication using incoherent light is presented. Key components of this newly proposed processing device include a single pulsed incoherent light source, two dynamic light valves, and a two-dimensional photodetector array.


In Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! (1936), Thomas Sutpen relates how, as the overseer of a sugar plantation in Haiti, he put down a rebellion at the outset of his career as a new-world planter. He explains that at first he did not register his danger; a US Southerner in the West Indies, Sutpen failed to "know, comprehend, what he must have been seeing every day because of [his] innocence" (203). As Sutpen never looks more deeply into the circumstances of his original insult at the door of Pettibone's Tidewater Virginia mansion, so he shows little interest in understanding the place where he set out to make his fortune. In going to sea, the 14-year-old Sutpen acted solely on his teacher's assertion that the West Indies were where "poor men went in ships and became rich" (195). He knew nothing about where the West Indies were, how he would get there, or what he would do there--only that he would make money-"it didn't matter how" (195). Sutpen launches his design with that obliviousness that is American innocence. Once on Haiti, Sutpen disregards the manifest evidence of impending "slave" revolt and hybrid racial ancestries. Sutpen's famously preserved innocence amounts to the habit of looking without seeing. The noir rebels themselves mock the American overseer's blind spot: when Sutpen searches for a missing house servant, the body shows up several days later "where he could not possibly have missed it during the first hour of the first day if it had been there" (203). When a voodoo warning appears on the planter's pillow one morning-a pig bone, some chicken feathers, a rag with pebbles tied in a sack-Sutpen does not even understand it as a sign, let alone recognize its stain as "neither dirt nor grease but blood" (203). The fetish object epitomizes the reality Sutpen disregards, "overseeing what he oversaw and not knowing that he was overseeing it" (203). For Sutpen, to look is to overlook. Tellingly, the Caribbean has suffered similar disregard for half a century in critical considerations of Faulkner's great novel of the


The interaction between riboflavin(Rf) and bovine serum albumin(BSA) was studied by fluorescence spectrum.The fluorescence of BSA was quenched by Rf and this interaction was a static quenching process.The quenching data were analyzed according to Stern-Volmer equation,and the quenching constant,binding constant and binding sites were obtained.The interaction between Rf and BSA was investigated in the presence of zinc(Ⅱ),then binding constant and binding sites were reduced.


A series of experiments was conducted to examine adult age differences in the ability to comprehend and retrieve metaphoric information. In Experiment 1, young and old adults read sentences containing common or novel metaphors and were then given a cued‐recall task. There were few differences in the ability of young and old adults to read and remember common metaphors. Age, however, seemed to be associated with the ability to make the linguistic analyses necessary to remember novel metaphors. Experiment 2 investigated the manner in which contextual information aids metaphor comprehension. The presence of appropriate context increased the sentence‐recall levels of both participants. Older adults, however, showed a significantly greater degree of improvement in their ability to make linguistic analyses of novel metaphors.


Neofuscelia halei sp. nov. is describedfrom Spain and the Canary Islands. This species, named in honor of the late Dr. Mason E. Hale, Jr., differs from the related N. verruculifera (Nyl.) Essl. primarily by its production ofalectoronic and gyrophoric acids as major medullary compounds, rather than divaricatic acid, and by its much more limited geographic distribution.


A Biometrie system is essentially a pattern-recognition system that recognizes a person based on feature vectors derived from a specific physiological or behavioural characteristics of a person. Biometrics represent the most secure way of identifying individuals. Because verification of identity is established using a physical and behavioural characteristics of a person and it is different for different individuals. In this work it is proposed to make a comparative study on various statistical models for feature extraction and different classifiers employed. Classical feature extraction techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) also called eigenfaces Linear Discriminant Analysis (FLD) also called fisherfaces and classifiers including Euclidean distance classifier Mahalanobis distance classifier Radial basis function neural network (RBF) and ¡Support Vector Machine (SVM) are considered.


This research presents a proposal to deal with the design of the exams belonging to the French area from the description of the speaking section. To do so, from a joint perspective (quantitative and qualitative research), four different sources of information were analyzed: students' surveys, syllabus, French area exams of 2013 and teachers' interviews. Those were the key to the development of the above proposal, findings such as: in the survey is evident that students do not know the criteria they are evaluated with; the contents of the syllabus should be adapted appropriately at the levels set for the language level of each course according to MCRL (A1 and A2); it is evident that there is no uniformity in the criteria for the assessment grids of evaluation of the exams; activities are not appropriate to the level of the evaluated subject and; in the interviews it is confirmed that there is no uniformity in the matters teachers take into account in order to select the activities used to evaluate the oral production in French.


Enzymatic modification of proteins from hot-pressesd double-low rapeseed meal was studied.It was shown that the solubility of rapeseed protein was greatly improved and limitedly affected by isoelectric point when it was hydrolysated by Aclase2.4L and degree of hydrolysis(DH) was above 10%.The water-tbonding capacity of rapeseed protein was lower than that of soy protein isolate,however the oil-tbonding capacity was higher compared with soy protein isolate.The water-tbonding capacity of rapeseed protein was partly reduced by enzymatic hydrolysis;on the contrary,mild hydrolysis(DH1%) can significantly increase the oil absorption of rapeseed protein by Flavourzyme.


The forest floor of Danum Valley in Sabah, Malaysia, is densely covered with thousands of miniature tower-like soil structures. This study investigated the role of earthworms, which were found to be the creators of these towers, in nutrient retention and soil turnover in tropical forests. Results showed these small earthworms are potentially major ecosystem engineers in tropical forest ecosystems, which turn over and process huge amounts of soil per year (over 88 kg per m). The worm casts were found to have significantly higher levels of nitrate and conductivity than surrounding soils. It is well known that tropical forests are scarce in nutrients, particularly nitrate. This makes the activity of earthworms potentially crucial for retaining nutrients within the ecosystem and preventing loss through leaching. Soil moisture content was found to be an important factor determining the distribution of earthworms. The implications are especially significant for dry degraded forests where our study showed that the presence of earthworms was lower than in primary and intermediate forests. INTRODUCTION It was a muggy October afternoon when we walked through waterlogged forests along the Kinabatangan River in Sabah, Malaysia. Although charismatic mega fauna such as orang-utans, proboscis monkeys and elephants were scarce, the forest floor was studded with thousands of miniature tower-like structures. What were these awkward edifices? And who was the engineer that created them? Living organisms, under the forces of natural selection do not, in general produce structures, using energy, that have no adaptive advantage. If elaborate towers are produced, there must be meaning to the production. This study investigates the role of earthworms, which we found to be associated with the towers, in nutrient retention and soil turnover in tropical forests. We use the tower-like casts as an indicator for the worm activity. The specific research questions were as follows: 1. What is the distribution of worm casts across different forest types – primary, intermediate, wet degraded and dry degraded? 2. What role do earthworms play in altering the physical and chemical properties of soil, particularly nutrient levels within the overall environment of the forest? 3. What function do the cast structures play for the earthworm?


This article describes an established ${D}$ -band waveguide impedance standard. The eight-term vector network analyzer (VNA) error model is used for our measurement system. A set of shims, a flush short, thru, and a reciprocal device are used as calibration standards to determine the error coefficients of the VNA error model. From the measured raw scattering parameters and dimensions of each shim, the error coefficients of the error model, the propagation constant of the shim, and the reflection coefficient of the flush short are found using nonlinear optimization. Then, we evaluate the uncertainty in the scattering parameter measurement by combining the fitting uncertainty, the dimension uncertainty of the shims, and the random effects of the VNA into the residual uncertainty model. Finally, we calculate the calibration and measurement capabilities (CMCs) of our measurement system.


This annotated bibliography offers representative works from material for the development of teachers and children. It is organized under several, categories significant to tile teacher in the reading curricular sphere..The whole area of reading instruction is given attention as is the role of language development as an influence upon reading.. Materials for teachers, literature for children, and available bibliographies are included..The two mail' categories in which selections are presented are Learning and the Denied Child and Reading and the Denied Learnez..(This document previously announced as ED 035 522.) (Author/NH)


Previous researchers have noted the increasing proportion of women entering the leisure services profession and have investigated many of the ramifications of this shift. Little, however has been done to understand the reasons for this increase or to identify the factors which seem to make leisure services an attractive career choice for women. The authors of this study sought to identify variables associated with personality and vocational role preference which might describe the women who are entering the profession as differing from other females. This article describes the research conducted with two major groups of students: leisure services majors and nonmajors at a large public university. Subjects were measured in the area of normal personality traits and vocational preferences. Based upon the data, women majoring in leisure services are described in both personality and vocational interest as differing from females preparing to enter other professional fields.?


A sensor network of mobile robots based on CAN bus was developed.It guarantees real time communication with less errors of all sensors.The architecture of mobile robots and the composition of sensor network were introduced in detail.The multiple access of all sensors was realized and the mobile robot is greatly improved.


The study was designed to determine whether the failure of previous studies to find a difference between the performance of children and adults in picture-recognition tasks might be due to the number, the selective content and the organization of the pictures used in certain studies of children. The results indicated that irrespective of age, subjects do much better on pictures that possess good figure-ground quality and further that when factors such as number, content and organization are controlled, there are effects due to age.


We have developed a laser induced fluorometric (LIF) detection method combined with HPLC and an analytical procedure for prostaglandins (PGs) which allows analysis of practical samples without interference from admixtures and residual reagents. We were able to derivatize PGs with 9-anthryldiazomethtane (ADAM) at 4°C in the dark after 12 hours. This method was applied to analysis of human urine (20,uL). Clear separation and detection of PGs at fmole levels could be achieved. The lower detection limit was 1.0 fmole for PGFIa. words prostaglandins, laser induced fluormetry, trace analysis, human urine It is well known that PGs play many important roles in various pathophysiological processes such as thrombus formation, and inflammatory and allergic reactions. Human health is kept by balancing these metabolites. If balancing of PG mutabilities in human body is measured, it is possible to get disease symptoms with clinical inspections. This requires development of a PG determination method of at least the 10 fmole level. Nowadays, PGs are mainly determined by using radio immunoassay (RIA). However, as RIA determines one kind of PG, it is difficult to measure other PG metabolites present. On the other hand, the simultaneous determination method of PGs by using HPLC has been studied, however. HPLC can not be used to determine ultratrace PGs, because its sensitity is insufficient. In this paper, we combined HPLC/LIF in which the latter employed, as the excitation source, the third harmonic of a pulse YAG laser (355nm, 0.7mW) Although the LIF method has provided ultrahigh sensitivity, for practical samples, the ultratrace analysis are difficult due to large and unstable background caused by admixtures and residual reagents. Then in the present study, we also examined a sample preparation procedure suitable for the practical biological materials which had no interference from those.


We propose a high-temperature actuator composite material composed of a high temperature shape memory alloy (HTSMA) TiAu with a high martensitic transformation temperature (Ms ¼ 880 K) and ferromagnetic cobalt with a high Curie temperature (TC ¼ 1388 K). This actuator material can be driven by magnetic field in a bending mode due to ferromagnetic force acting on the Co-layer and generates a large actuation strain which originates from the HTSMA. The purposes of this work are (1) to fabricate the composite materials laminated as TiAu/Co/TiAu by a diffusion bonding method through hot pressing, (2) to characterize the microstructure near the bonding interface between TiAu and Co layers, (3) to evaluate growth behavior of the diffusion layer, and (4) to determine the optimum condition for the fabrication. The composite materials were fabricated by hot pressing at 1073, 1173 and 1273 K for 10 h. The bonding interface between TiAu and Co was observed by a scanning electron microscope and concentration profiles were measured by an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In order to evaluate the growth behavior of the diffusion layer, the TiAu/Co composites were aged at 773, 1073, 1173 and 1273 K for 24 h. It was found that, after the hot pressing, TiAu and Co layers were successfully bonded, and that two reactant intermetallic compounds were formed near the TiAu/Co interface. The intermetallic compounds were identified to be C11b Ti(Au,Co)2 and C36 (Ti,Au)Co2. As for the growth behavior, the thickness of the diffusion layer was not changed by aging at 773 K. However, the thickness was increased by increasing the aging temperature above 1073 K. The apparent activation energy for the growth of the diffusion layer was estimated to be 280 � 20 kJ/mol in a temperature range of 1073–1273 K. Using the values of the activation energy and the diffusion constant, the thickness of the diffusion layer was predicted to be sufficiently thin: 12 mm by the hot pressing at 1073 K for 10 h. This predicted value was in good agreement with the experimental result of 7 mm. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.MAW200862]


BACKGROUND: Overuse of fertilizers can lead to groundwater contamination, depletion of soil microorganisms and beneficial insects, increased crop susceptibility to diseases, acidification or alkalization of soil, damage to soil structure, reduced organic matter and soil fertility. Therefore, for achieve sustainable agricultural, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of conventional fertilizers. OBJECTIVES: Current study was conducted to assess effect of different level of nitrogen fertilizer and livestock manure on crop production and protein percentage of maize. METHODS: This research was arranged via factorial experiment based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications. The treatments included nitrogen fertilizer (F1= none use of fertilizer or control, F2= 50% less than soil test or 90 kg.ha-1, F3=equal soil test or 180 kg.ha-1, F4=50% more than soil test or 270 kg.ha-1) and livestock manure (M1=none use of manure or control, M2= 20 t.ha-1). RESULT: According result of analysis of variance interaction effect of treatments on all measured traits was significant. Assessment interaction effect of treatments indicated maximum number of seed per row (42), number of row per ear (16), 1000-seed weight (280 gr), seed yield (9900 kg.ha-1) and protein concentration (10.5%) was noted for 180 kg.ha-1 nitrogen (equal soil test) with 20 t.ha-1 livestock manure and minimum of those belonged to control treatment. Comparison of different levels of nitrogen treatments showed that application of fertilizer equal soil test (180 kg.ha-1) caused 22.5% increase in number of seed per ear, 13.69% number of row per ear, 25% 1000 seed weight, 20.2% seed yield and 20.29% protein percentage were compared to control. CONCLUSION: Finally based on result of this research use 180 kg.ha-1 nitrogen fertilizer (equal soil test) and 20 t.ha-1 livestock manure improve quantitative and qualitative traits of corn and can be advised to farmers.


An experimental study deals with a high-speed hydrogen jet diffusion flame ejected vertical1y upward from a straight circular nozzle. Consideration is given to the unstable combustion characteristics of hydrogen jet diffusion flames, such as split flames and reignition phenomenon. The split flames are composed of a small flamelet on the nozzle rim and a lifted main flame at downstream. When mass flow rates of fuel reach a critical point, a small-sized flame let is found to remain in the vicinity of the nozzle exit and the flame reignition subsequent to blowout of main flame occurs repeatedly. In this study, the non-luminous hydrogen jet diffusion flames are visualized by using schlieren technique in order to analyze the combustion characteristics of hydrogen jet diffusion flames with focus on the flame reignition phenomenon.


PtxNiy alloy nanoparticles with different compositions were prepared on Carbon Nanotube (CNT) surfaces in the presence of amine-terminated poly(amido amine) dendrimer as a scaffold. PtxNiy alloys with an average diameter of 2–3 nm were uniformly deposited on dendrimer bound on CNT. The formation of the PtxNiy alloys and the presence of Pt(0), Ni(0), Ni(OH)2 and NiOOH were revealed from X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic results. The total metal content in the PtxNiy alloys increased with increasing the supplied Ni precursor, and the addition of Ni to Pt could lead the alloy formation with high thermal stability. It should be noted that the bimetallic nanoparticles with Ni up to 20 wt% showed efficient catalytic activity for methanol oxidation in proportion to Pt catalyst. This study demonstrates the promising alternative for the high demand of Pt in the cathode catalysts of direct methanol fuel cells.


This project began as an attempt to discover when marriage, as an institution, began to shift. Generally speaking, women married at much younger ages in the 19th century than they do in the present, and I was curious about how and why this divide increased. This interest began to narrow and refine itself as my project developed: rather than focus exclusively on age, I started to become more curious about how marriage was advertised to young women and girls.


This article presents test results achieved under World Harmonized Transient Driving Cycle (WHTC) run on heavy-duty diesel engine compliant with Euro VI standard. The emission cycle was performed both for cold and hot engine start up conditions. Modal analysis of emission compounds was carried out with the focus on nitro-gen oxides (NOx) emission. The scope of the work was to assess the influence of cold start effect on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system operation efficiency. Due to the fact that the urea injection strategy in SCR system can by activated only after certain exhaust gas temperature threshold is achieved, the NOx emission on WHTC cold start cycle is significantly greater than for the hot start one. Result analysis included also determination of time period needed for achieving the readiness of SCR system to work efficiently. The occurrence of ammonia slip emissions downstream SCR was also monitored.


This paper examines the relationship between Dascyllus aruanus and Pomacentrus moluccensis, two species of damselfish which commonly form mixed colonies on the reef flat of Heron Island, in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. D. aruanus, commonly known as the Humbug Damselfish, has been extensively studied. They defend their territory (consisting of branched coral) and form both conspecific and bispecific groups, cohabiting with a range of other similar damselfish species1,3,8. These groups include a range of fish sizes in a strict hierarchy led by a single dominant male of either species2. P. moluccensis has not been studied as thoroughly but has been shown to form groups with Humbugs and shares many of their characteristics1,9. To investigate the relationship between these species, 25 coral heads supporting bispecific and conspecific fish colonies were measured and the fish were counted and placed within size categories. The data revealed no significant correlation between coral size and group size, indicating an adequate resource supply. There was also a differential distribution of fish sizes found for each species, suggesting different ecological dynamics. The results suggest that the two species preferentially live together, with the dominant adult in each group equally likely to be of either species. This project raises a number of further questions and requires elaboration with a larger sample size and minimization of bias.


Abstract: In order to clarify the ecological restoration direction, this study investigated the limiting factors of the ecological restoration of the dump of Rujigou Open-pit Coal Mine in the Helan Mountain Nature Reserve from the aspects of climate, topography, and soil physicochemical properties. The main results are as follows: (1) In terms of climate, the main limiting factors in the study area were low precipitation (<200 mm) with uneven annual distribution, high evaporation (2000 mm), low temperature, less effective accumulated temperature, and large number of gale days (≥150 days). (2) The topographic limiting factors were steep slope (30°–36°) and long slope length (10–44 m). (3) In terms of soil, the main limiting factors were high contents of sand (73.40%±2.18%) and clay (13.21%±1.37%), low porosity (30.89%±0.83%), and low contents of total nitrogen (0.67±0.05 g kg–1), hydrolytic nitrogen (14.23±0.48 mg kg–1) and available phosphorus (2.81±0.44 mg kg–1). The limiting factors of the ecological restoration of the study area mainly included drought and water shortage, less effective accumulated temperature, large number of days of strong wind, steep slope, long slope length, and soil depletion. In view of the above limiting factors, countermeasures such as slope foot support, slope level arrest and consolidation, slope cover, plant measures, and muck improvement can be considered. This study provides a scientific basis and theoretical support for the selection of appropriate ecological restoration measures and improvement of restoration effectiveness for open-pit mine dumps in arid areas such as the Helan Mountains.


Some basic concepts needed for the discussion of Fermi fields have been introduced earlier, as in quantum mechanics (QM) with Grassmann variables, a representation by field integrals of the statistical operator e−βH for the non-relativistic Fermi gas in the formalism of second quantization, and an expression for the evolution operator. Here, it is first recalled how relativistic fermions transform under the spin group. The free action for Dirac fermions is analysed, the relation between fields and particles explained, an expression for the scattering matrix obtained, and the non-relativistic limit of a model of self-coupled massive Dirac fermions derived. A formalism of Euclidean relativistic fermions is then introduced. In the Euclidean formalism: fermions transform under the fundamental representation of the spin group Spin(d) associated with the SO(d) rotation group (spin 1/2 fermions for d = 4). As for the scalar field theory, the Gaussian integral, which corresponds to a free field theory is calculated. Then the generating functional of correlation functions is obtained by adding a source term to the action. The field integral corresponding to a general action with an interaction expandable in powers of the field, can be expressed in terms of a series of Gaussian integrals, which can be calculated, for example, with the help of Wick's theorem. The connection between spin and statistics is verified by a simple perturbative calculation. The appendix describes a few additional properties of the spin group, the algebra of γ matrices, and the corresponding spinors for Euclidean fermions.


The propulsion of aircrafts is today almost exclusively based on turbomachinery-based engines, which is primarily due to their unprecedented power density. Turbomachines have progressively evolved since the middle of the last century and key advances have been made in increasing reliability, availability and environmental friendliness. Today's aircraft engines consume on an average 12% less fuel than their late 1990-ies counterparts and are thanks to this much "greener". Environmentally friendly aircraft engines are


AbstractPopulations of Blueback Herring Alosa aestivalis, an important anadromous forage fish in the northeastern USA, have declined from historic levels. Measures to reduce mortality from many sources, including entrainment by hydroelectric turbines, are cited by fishery managers to be important to restoring populations. At the Crescent Hydroelectric Project (Crescent) on the Mohawk River, New York, pulsed ultrasound (122–128 kHz) was used to deter adult and juvenile Blueback Herring migrating out to sea from entering the intake channel to the headrace and turbines, where mortality may occur. To increase the deterrence rate, the sound field was extended further upriver to expose juvenile Blueback Herring to an increasing sound gradient as they migrate downriver and allow them more time to avoid the intake channel. When juvenile Blueback Herring were present upstream of Crescent and exposed to an ultrasound field, mean catch per unit effort (CPUE) by pelagic trawling in the main channel downriver of the u...


The patients exposure dose is usually expressed with reference to the detrimental health effects. The effective dose may be accepted as such a dose. To calculate effective dose, it is necessary to know the radiation doses in various organs, but this is almost impossible. The effective dose was thus estimated for intraoral examinations using organ doses determined by the Monte Carlo simulation. In addition, the mean energy imparted was also calculated. The mean energy imparted represents a useful practical quantity for estimating detrimental effects in patients. The purpose of this study was to determine patient exposure from the dose which can be easily measured in the X-ray room. Dose-area product was proved to be the best quantity for estimating mean energy imparted under appropriate conditions. The mean energy imparted could be estimated with reasonable accuracy (about 30%) from dose-area product at the same beam quality. There is a reasonable correlation between mean energy imparted and detrimental health effects for a wide range of x-ray examinations. The effective dose can be estimated from dose-area product with reasonable accuracy at the same beam quality and the same projection site. The effective dose should be estimated only at the same beam quality if the uncertainty factor of two is permissible. Effective dose for intraoral examination can be calculated practically only from the equivalent doses of the thyroid, red bone marrow, brain, bone surface, skin, upper esophagus and muscular substance. Of those, equivalent dose for the thyroid was the most effective. As the average absorbed dose for the thyroid is influenced significantly by positioning in the same site for the small field size as in intraoral examinations, this might result in a unstable effective dose. There is no such instability in the mean energy imparted. In an ideal x-ray department, patient dose measurement should be always carried out on every patient, including for the purpose of quality assurance procedures. The dose-area product method is more convenient for this purpose.


The present work describes the histological and histochemical studies of stomach and intestine of Heteropneustes fossilis. The stomach and intestinal morphology is influenced by its feeding habits. The histological studies of stomach and intestine of H. fossilis revealed the basic pattern of wall layers as that other teleost fishes and vertebrates. However, few variations were observed in the thickness of muscle layers in the pyloric regions as compared to cardio-fundic region, which may be due to the variation in feeding habits. The stomach of H. fossilis consists of two parts cardio-fundic and pyloric. Mucosa layer of cardio-fundic region formed by numerous tapered fold covered by the columnar epithelium. The gastric glands are more in cardio-fundic region while rare in the pyloric region. Histochemically all the mucous secreting cells of the stomach are positive to the PAS stain and negative to the AB stain. Intestine of H. fossilis is long, coiled and divided into three parts; proximal, middle and distal intestine. Mucosa of proximal intestine had numerous elongated and deep finger like folds called villi, lined with columnar epithelial consisting of absorptive cells and mucous secreting goblet cells. The distal intestinal region of H. fossilis contains numerous goblet cells as compared to the proximal and middle intestine region. The histochemically all the intestinal goblet cells are positive to PAS. Only proximal intestinal goblet cells are positive to AB stain but negative in middle and distal intestinal region.


The theory of light scattering by a core-shell particle is presented simply.The difference between light scattering by a core-shell particle and light scattering by a single particle is discussed.The influence of characteristics of outer layer,thickness and refractive,on light scattering by a core-shell particle is analyzed by numerical computing.


The conventional wisdom about a falling currency and exports fails to acknowledge some fundamental points. Our research highlights that such analysis typically does not account for the existence and nature of a company's competition, domestically and overseas.


It is shown that for any prime $p$ and any natural numbers $\ell, m,$ and $s$ such that $0<s<p$, the three following congruences \begin{align*}\sum_{i\ge \ell+1}(-1)^{m-i} {m \choose i}{m+s-1+i(p-1) \choose m+s-1+\ell(p-1)} &\equiv 0 \bmod p\\ \sum_{i\ge 0}(-1)^{m-i} {m \choose i}{\ell+ip \choose m+s-1}&\equiv 0 \bmod p^m\\ \sum_{j,i\ge \ell}(-1)^{j-i}{m \choose j} {j \choose i}{j+s-1+i(p-1) \choose j+s-1+\ell(p-1)}&\equiv 0 \bmod p^{m-\ell} \end{align*} hold true. The corresponding quotients involve Adelberg polynomials which can be computed explicitly, providing closed-form expressions for these sums, valid even if $p$ is not prime, when the congruences do not necessarily hold.


Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Method The levels of serum GPI in 70 patients with RA,26 patients with inflammatory diseases and 30 normal control subjects were analyzed by ELISA. The level of RF was also determined in the RA patients. Result The concentration of serum GPI in the control subjects, patients with RA and patients with inflammatory diseases was (0.09±0.03), (2.01±1.01) and (0.41±0.18)Ug/mL, respectively. The level of GPI in RA patients was significantly higher than the other 2 groups (P0.01). In addition, the level of serum GPI was positively correlated with the activity of RA. The accuracy of using GPI for diagnosing RA was 93.3%. Conclusion GPI was significantly elevated in some RA patients. GPI may be used as a marker to assess the RA activity and for clinical diagnosis of RA.


Niagara Falls, N. Y., May 17, 1905. To the Editor —Referring to your editorial inThe Journal, April 29, p. 1374, I desire to call your attention to the fact that when a girl jumps the rope to break a record the count is only for the number of times that the rope swings under the feet. While the rope is passing over the head and back to the feet a half jump takes place, thus giving the child her balance for the next spring that will throw her feet high enough to clear the rope again. Thus, in order to clear the rope 250 or more times, the same number of half-jumps are required. The succession of rope-jumps has a peculiar jar about it that is a harmful exercise for the body when long continued. When we consider also the rhythmic movement that must of necessity take place to


Stem cell homeostasis in the shoot apical meristem involves a core regulatory feedback loop between the signalling peptide CLAVATA3, produced in stem cells, and the transcription factor WUSCHEL, expressed in the underlying organising centre. Compromised CLAVATA activity leads to massive meristem overgrowth, which is thought to be caused by stem cell overproliferation. However, it is unknown how uncontrolled stem cell divisions lead to the specific changes observed in clavata mutants. Here we first quantitatively characterise these mutants, to reveal underlying tissue curvature defects. We use analytical models to show how perturbed mechanical properties and/or growth rates may contribute to altered meristem morphology. Indeed, we find that clavata meristems are softer than the wild type, and that stereotypical meristem organisation is lost, with cells instead simultaneously expressing multiple domain markers. Furthermore, we show that mutant meristematic cells are auxin-responsive, suggesting that they are functionally different from wild-type stem cells. We propose that the clavata phenotype is not caused by stem cell overproliferation, but rather by the disruption of a more complex regulatory framework that is key to maintaining distinct genetic and functional domains at the shoot apex. Summary statement Mechanical, genetic and functional evidence supported by theoretical models call into question the current definition of stem cells in the shoot apex.


The built environment has a long history of study within the field of art education as the site of material and visual culture that is reflective of, and constructed by, cultural values, traditions, and norms. As our understanding of place is challenged by postmodern theories of culture and identity, art education research and curriculum must consider methodologies that document and account for multiple narratives and viewpoints of place. Drawing on a visual ethnographic study of Panama City, Panama, I examine the figurative concept of the palimpsest as a means to analyze the ways in which built environments embody social, cultural, and historical narratives of place, highlighting the involuted relations between material, visual, cultural, and social experience. I discuss the implications of visual and arts-based methods in terms of the ways in which they might address postcolonial and postmodern concerns with such issues as hybridity, representation, and identity.


This article discusses how to use the Android and.Net development technology,to achieve a viable solution for an effective method of remote monitoring of sensors and IO devices in a wireless network environment,as a practical application of the Internet of Things.


Highly stable pulsed fiber lasers are key optical components in optical communication, optical sensing, and precision micromachining systems due to the high beam quality, high peak power, and compact configurations. However, the available optical modulators in the fiber laser suffer from the operation bandwidth limitations and poor long-term physicochemical stability. Here, we have investigated the broadband nonlinear optical absorption behavior of the chromium iodide (CrI3) film, which exhibits broadband saturable absorption towards the mid-infrared regime and excellent long-term stability. The conventional soliton fiber laser operating at telecom wavelength has been obtained from an Er3+-doped fiber laser (EDFL) utilizing CrI3 film with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 92.4 dB and a pulse width of 492 fs. In addition, a passively Q-switched operation around 2.8 μm has also been obtained from an Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser (EDZFL) modulated by the CrI3 film with a SNR of 46.8 dB and a pulse width of 766 ns. The demonstration shows that the CrI3 film exhibits robust broadband optical modulation, and may make inroads for developing highly stable ultrafast optoelectronic devices.


Vegetable soybean is an important economic and nutritious crop. In this study, 48 differentially expressed proteins were identified from filling seeds of soybean (Glycine max) cv. Mindou 6 by using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) combined with liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandemmass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/ MS). Among them, 25% were related to protein destination and storage, 42% to energy and metabolism, 15% to disease/defense, 6% to transporters, 4% to secondary metabolism, 4% to transcription, 2% to protein synthesis, and 2%to cell growth/division. Along with the maturity of seeds, the number of unchanged abundance proteins decreased, while that of both upregulated and downregulated proteins increased. Both downregulated expression of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) and upregulated expression of sucrose-binding protein (SBP) 2 precursor may contribute to increase in digestibility, nutritional value, and eating quality of vegetative seeds at suitable picking period. The pattern of unchanged proteins during the whole seed-filling stage may be also beneficial to the quality of vegetable soybean. Vegetable soybean, called ''Edamame'' in Japan or ''Mao Dou'' in China, is one of the oldest cultivated vegetables and an excellent source of proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, and phytoestrogens (Kim et al., 2014). Therefore, the immature seeds of such a soybean are directly consumed as a kind of vegetable or snack. Now, it is an important economic and nutritious crop in Southeast Asian countries or areas including China, Japan, and Taiwan, and it increasingly grows in the Western Hemisphere (Arikit et al., 2011; Juwattanasomran et al., 2011). Because immature seeds of vegetable soybean, compared with seeds of normal soybean varieties, have added-value traits, such as high sweet taste, distinct fragrance, and large size, they have high commercial price and demand. So soybean breeders always give high priority to these characters in breeding. In recent years, a great progress in improving quality traits of vegetable soybean has been made. Normally, protein and oil contents of fresh vegetable soybean seeds range from 33% to 39% and 13% to 16%, respectively (Rao et al., 2002). The different vegetable soybeans show considerable variations in the contents of sugar (15.131– 33.979 mg·g dry matter), total free amino acids (4.581–10.180 mg·g dry matter), and organic acids (3.754–6.752 mg·g dry matter) (Song et al., 2013). Zhang et al. (2015) reported that the cumulative contribution to eating quality of sucrose, fructose, glucose, raffinose, stachyose, proteins, free amino acids, and oil was 67.8%. Li et al. (2012) reported that sucrose was the highest content ( 70%) of soluble sugar at the edible stage of vegetable soybean. It is found that there are a significantly positive correlation between eating quality score and sucrose content and a significantly negative correlation between eating quality score and protein content (Zhang et al., 2015). Such an organoleptic quality of vegetable soybean is proved to be dependent on various factors, including different varieties, the harvest stage, the duration between the harvest and processing date, and storage conditions (Czaikoski et al., 2013; Li et al., 2012; Mozzoni et al., 2009; Song et al., 2013). Despite the completion of the soybean genome sequencing (Schmutz et al., 2010), functional genomics study of soybean is still challenging, and therefore proteomics approaches could alternatively be a powerful tool (Arruda et al., 2013; Komatsu and Ahsan, 2009). Hajduch et al. (2005) reported that both 2-DE and MALDI-TOF/TOF overall decrease in metabolism-related proteins and increase in proteins associated with destination and storage during seed filling. Comparative proteomics of soybean and rapeseed revealed increased expression of proteins related to glycolytic and fatty acid metabolism in rapeseed, suggesting that a possible mechanism for higher oil rapeseed is involved in the concerted commitment of hexoses to glycolysis and eventually to de novo fatty acid synthesis pathways (Agrawal et al., 2008). Until now, little is known about the protein expression changes in vegetable soybean, especially in the aspects of proteomics. To understand protein profiles related to organoleptic properties of the vegetable soybean, in this study, we carried out a detailed proteomic analysis of soybean seeds at the seed-filling stage using 2-DE followed by LC-MS/MS. Materials and Methods Plant materials and growth conditions. The vegetable soybean (Glycine max) Mindou 6 was newly bred by the Institute of Crop Sciences, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and approved by Crop variety approval committee of Fujian Province in 2013. In fall 2014, soybean Mindou 6 seeds were grown in the experimental field of Institute of Crop Sciences, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. According to morphological features of soybean, its reproductive growth can be separated into eight stages: R1 and R2 depicting flowering; R3 and R4 depicting pod development; R5 and R6 depicting seed development; and R7 and R8 depicting plant mature (Mcwilliams et al., 1999). Soybean seeds stayed green at R5 and R6 and began to turn yellow at R7 stage (Tekrony et al., 1979), therefore R5 and R6 are termed as the stage of seed filling. To investigate the dynamic protein profiles of seeds at the filling stage, the flowering days of 100 plants were tagged. Only the similar sized pods from the same part of the tagged plants were harvested and a total of 20 pods from 20 different plants were mixed as a sample. Pods including seeds were sampled at 6-d intervals from initiation of seed formation to suitable to eat as vegetable soybean. Pods appeared light yellow at 67 days after flowering (DAF67). At the whole seed-filling period (DAF49–67), the color of seeds had no significant difference. At DAF49, 55, 61, and 67, developing pods including seeds were harvested and stored in liquid nitrogen until used. Received for publication 19 May 2016. Accepted for publication 5 Sept. 2016. We thank the Fujian provincial public research institutes for basic scientific research special project (2014R1026-13 and 2016R1025-6), an open fund of State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University (ZW2013009), Fujian Provincial Major Scientific and Technological Special Project (2015NZ0002-3), an open fund of Institute of Crop Sciences, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2015QN-5), PI Project of Innovative Team in Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2016PI-40). These authors contributed equally to this work. Corresponding authors. E-mail: email@example.com. cn; firstname.lastname@example.com. HORTSCIENCE VOL. 51(11) NOVEMBER 2016 1397 GROWTH REGULATORS


This volume takes full account of recent advances in our knowledge of the molecular biology and immunology of these disorders, and casts fresh light on their ...


The invention discloses a hydraulic mud pump with a device for automatic termination of pumping during blockage of the hydraulic mud pump. The hydraulic mud pump comprises an erect mortar cylinder, a frequency converter, a pressure sensor used for measuring the pressure of an outlet, a programmable logic controller (PLC) used for controlling the frequency converter to work, and a pump pressure setting device used for setting the working pressure of the hydraulic mud pump, wherein the pressure sensor is arranged at the outlet; a cylindrical mortar inner tube is arranged between an inlet and the outlet; a transverse piston-type water tank is arranged at the middle of the mortar cylinder, and comprises a tank body; one end of the piston-type water tank is connected with a hydraulic oil cylinder; the output end of the hydraulic oil cylinder extends into the piston-type water tank and is fixedly connected with a piston of the piston-type water tank; and a transparent open heat-dissipating position indicator is arranged on the cavity, close to the hydraulic oil cylinder, of the piston-type water tank. By adoption of the hydraulic mud pump disclosed by the invention, overloading can be automatically prevented, automatic lubrication can be achieved, and accidents can be prevented.


Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) has grown exponentially in last few years and WSN based applications, including Home automation, healthcare, the environment, and the military are being used on a large scale. Despite of their powerful capabilities, as sensor nodes are resource constraint devices, implementation of WSNs is a challenging task. Lots of research has been already done to minimize energy, sensor nodes consumed in performing miscellaneous tasks, to improve the life time of the WSNs. LEACH protocol is most common bases for designing advanced routing protocols for improved power efficient WSNs. In this paper, a comprehensive review of existing power efficacy improved routing protocols has been done. Performance of these routing protocols has been also compared in term of various WSN characteristics. This paper also highlights key technological differences between most recent routing protocols. The review may be considered as a base for future research to design more routing protocols, for WSN applications, with better energy management techniques.


The budget deficit this fiscal year will probably be close to $55 billion, as estimated by both the Carter and Reagan Administrations. However, that figure represents only a part of the total amount which the Federal government will have to finance this year. In addition to the budget deficit (sometimes called the on-budget deficit), financing will be needed to cover the government's "offbudget" deficit of roughly $20 billion. The Treasury may finance a small part of this combined $75-billion deficit by reducing its cash balance, butthe bulk-about$70billion -will have to be obtained from public borrowings.


BACKGROUND
Menopause is a high-risk period for osteoporosis, which may be exacerbated by HIV and/or antiretroviral therapy (ART).

OBJECTIVE
To study the impact of switching from tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) to tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) on bone mineral density (BMD) in peri and early post-menopausal women living with HIV.

METHODS
A randomized, international, multicenter study of an early vs delayed (48-week) switch. BMD measured by DXA scan.

RESULTS
Thirty-four women enrolled; 19 in the immediate and 15 in the delayed switch arm Sept 2017 to April 2019; 30 completed the 96-week protocol. The study closed for futility during the COVID pandemic. The median (IQR) age was 51 years (47, 53), with a median (IQR) of 16.5 years (14, 23) since HIV diagnosis, median (IQR) 14 years (11, 20) of ART, and mean 8.6 years TDF. At enrollment, TDF was used in combination with a boosted protease inhibitor (n=7), a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (n=13), an integrase inhibitor (n= 11) or more than one ART class (n=3). The median (95% CI) % change in BMD at the lumbar spine from 0-48 weeks in the immediate switch group was 1.97% (-1.15, 5.49) compared to a median (95% CI) decrease of 2.32% (- 5.11, 0.19) in the delayed arm. The median (95% CI) % change in BMD from 0-96 weeks was 2.33% (0, 4.51) in the immediate arm compared to 0.70% (-3.19, 2.47) in the delayed arm.

CONCLUSION
We demonstrated a trend to increased BMD at the lumbar spine following a switch from TDF to TAF in peri-and early post menopausal women living with HIV.


This chapter introduces the idea of the robust Takagi-Sugeno (TS) framework, that is obtained as a combination of known results from the robust control area and the TS control area. This framework can be used for fault tolerant control, with the advantage that, depending on the information available about the fault, the proposed framework can give rise to different Fault Tolerant Control (FTC) strategies: passive FTC, active FTC without controller reconfiguration and active FTC with controller reconfiguration. Finally, the proposed framework is illustrated by an application to a mobile robot.


The invention discloses a nano additive modified high strength wall self heat preservation brick and a preparation method thereof. The method comprises the following steps: according to mass portion, 1 to 20 portions of bonding agent, 0.1 to 5 portions of admixture and 0.5 to 5 portions of nano additive are evenly mixed and added with admixtures, the weight of which is 0.001 to 0.1 times against the weight of the mixture, and evenly mixed again; and the mixture obtained is added with water and shaped. For the wall self heat preservation brick prepared by the method of the invention, the pressive strength is between 5 and 14MPa, the coefficient of thermal conductivity is between 0.1 and 0.2w/m.k, so that the brick is a highly efficient energy saving building material with superior performance.


Voriconazole is commonly recommended as a first-line therapy for invasive aspergillosis infections. The elderly patients are susceptible to infectious diseases owing to their decreased physical function and immune system. Our study aims to establish a population-based pharmacokinetic model for receiving intravenous voriconazole of elderly patients, and to optimize dosing protocols through a simulated approach. An accurate fit to the concentration-time profile of voriconazole was achieved by employing a one-compartment model featuring first-order elimination. The typical clearance rate of voriconazole was found to be 3.22 L/h, with a typical volume of distribution of 194 L. The covariate analysis revealed that albumin (ALB), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, and direct bilirubin had significant impacts on voriconazole clearance. Additionally, the body weight was found to be associated with the volume. Individualized dosing regimens were recommended for different ALB levels based on population PK model prediction. The proposed dosing regimens could provide a rationale for dosage individualization, improve the clinical outcomes and minimize drug-related toxicities. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


There is a growing pressure on finding alternative fiber resources due to decrease in available forest resources, rising of timber prices, and growing environmental pressure on timber harvesting. This subject has gotten the attention of many scientists in well-developed countries. Specifically, in countries like Canada with its huge forest resources and large volumes of available wood residues for the composite industry, there is an increased interest in the use of agricultural residues for composite panel manufacture. The successful production of wheat straw-based composites has been established after extensive technological developments to overcome the handling and processing problems. Resulting composites are high quality products that can stimulate the consideration and development of other value-added building materials using agricultural residues. Considering the annual production and availability of wheat straw in Turkey, there is a great potential for the production of composite panels as an alternative material to conventional panels such as particleboard and fiberboard In this paper, the utilization of agricultural waste materials as new fiber resources in the manufacture of composites like particleboard and fiberboard and their potential benefits were briefly discussed.


Two sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with sequenced anaerobic/aerobic phases were used to study biological colour removal from a simulated cotton textile effluent containing an azo reactive dye. One of the reactors was daily fed with Remazol Brilliant Violet 5R dye and the other was used as control. When operating with a sludge retention time (SRT) of 15 days the total COD removal was around 80%, with 30% being removed anaerobically. After 40–50 days of acclimatization the colour removal efficiency reached a maximum, stable value of 90% from a feed dye concentration of 90 mg/l, almost all being removed during the anaerobic phase. This colour removal was attributed to microbial degradation rather than adsorption and colour removal capacity was not lost even after a seven-day absence of dye in the fed substrate. The dye-fed reactor experienced a reduction in the ORP values attained during the non-aerated phase, after acclimatization, an effect not observed in the dye-free control. Under denitrifying conditions it was observed that the decolouration levels achieved in the anaerobic phase decreased from 90% to 70% after only two cycles with a feed containing 45–60 mg NO 3 /l. Reduction of the SRT value from 15 to 10 days reduced the biomass concentration from 2.0 to 1.2 g VSS/l and lowered colour removal levels from 90% to 30–50%. When the SRT value was increased back to 15 days the colour removal capacity of the system was completely recovered, suggesting that with a SRT of 10 days the adequate microbial population could not be installed in the reactors.


One important element of the U.S. Bureau of Mines computer-assisted mining research program is the development of a reliable coal interface detection (CID) system. Several candidate CID concepts currently being investigated by the Bureau include use of natural gamma radiation (NGR), vibration, passive infrared, video, and radar. To help establish which CID sensor technologies need to be developed for a given seam, the Bureau has collected geological and mining practices data from over 460 underground and surface mines in the United States. Also, over 500 coal and rock samples have been obtained for laboratory analyses of ash content, sulfur content, heating value, and NGR. The Bureau's findings indicate that the immediate roof strata in 81 percent of the underground mines and 93 percent of the surface mines are made up of shale, draw slate, or claystone. The immediate floor strata in 88 percent of both the underground and surface mines consist of fireclay, shale, draw slate, or claystone.


The belief has become widespread, particularly in the wake of the publication of international bestsellers such as John Gray's Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus that stress the innate differences between the minds of men and women. But now a growing number of scientists are challenging the pseudo-science of "neurosexism", as they call it, and are raising concerns about its implications. These researchers argue that by telling parents that boys have poor chances of acquiring good verbal skills and girls have little prospect of developing mathematical prowess, serious and unjustified obstacles are being placed in the paths of children's education.


The methylene-linked bis{guanidine}, H(2)C{hpp}(2) (hppH = 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidine), displays nucleophilic activity towards organic halides, including the activation of dichloromethane under ambient conditions affording the cyclic dication, [H(2)C{hpp}(2)CH(2)](2+)[Cl](2).