In the present study fluconazole (FZ) was successfully incorporated into cationic chitosan nanoparticles prepared by spray-drying method aiming dermal delivery. Particle size and zeta potential measurements, drug content, morphological, thermal and XRD analyses and FZ quantification by HPLC analyses were performed for characterizing the formulations prepared. Release behavior of FZ from the nanoparticles was determined using a Franz-diffusion cell. Thermal and XRD analyses results indicated that FZ was molecularly dispersed in chitosan nanoparticles. Cationic chitosan nanoparticles released FZ for 180 minutes indicative of the extended release of the drug. In vitro characterization results demonstrated that chitosan nanoparticles seem to be promising for enhancement of dermal delivery of FZ and could decrease potential side effects and reduce the potential of drug resistance.


Review of Some Basic Statistical Concepts Some Intermediate Data Analysis Concepts A Scientific Approach to Experimentation Completely Randomized Design (CRD) Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) Nested (Hierarchical) and Nested Factorial Designs Split Plot Type Design Latin Square Type Designs 2n Factorial Experiments (Complete and Incomplete Blocks) Fractional Factorial Experiments for Two-Leveled Factors Three-Level Factorial Experiments Mixed Factorial Experiments and Other Incomplete Block Designs Response Surface Exploration Appendices


Magnetic carbon nanotubes composites were obtained by filling carbon nanotubes with paramagnetic iron oxide particles. Detailed investigation of magnetic behaviour of resulting composites was done at different temperatures. Measurements indicate that these functionalized nanotubes are superparamagnetic at room temperature; however, no superparamagnetism was observed at 125 K and 80 K. The blocking temperature TB was estimated at 145 K. These magnetic carbon nanotubes have the potential of being used in a wide range of applications, in particular, the production of nanofluids, which can be controlled and steered by appropriate magnetic fields. Keywords—carbon nanotubes, magnetic nanoparticles, magnetization, nanofluids


It is challenging for aqueous urea injection control to achieve high NO x conversion efficiency while restricting tailpipe ammonia (NH3) slip. Optimizing the selective catalytic reduction systems can reduce diesel engine emissions, potentially improve fuel economy and urea utilization efficiency, and finally reduce aftertreatment costs. In this article, a model-based multi-objective genetic algorithm is adopted to optimize selective catalytic reduction systems related to trade-off between NO x emission and NH3 slip. Selective catalytic reduction model is a one-state selective catalytic reduction model based on continuous stirred tank reactor theory, which significantly reduces the computational burden. The optimal NH3 coverage ratio map was obtained globally based on world harmonized transient cycle. The effect of temperature on optimal NH3 coverage ratio, Zonal control logics extracted from the optimal solution, and the control problems on different zones were analyzed. The zonal control logics were validated on multiple test cycle with different initial NH3 coverage ratios. Results show that the zonal control achieves high NO x conversion while restricting the tailpipe NH3 slip. With this method, NO x emission and NH3 slip of optimal solution can meet the requirements of the Euro VI emission regulation for heavy-duty diesel engines.


Lenovo managed, from a small Chinese computer manufacturer exclusively for China, to become an international technology firm. A leader in the manufacture of computers and mobile phone, with office in the United States, and presence across the globe. The name Lenovo is synonymous to the innovation, covering all needs of the consumers. In the Greek market, the company entered about four years ago, providing the Greek market with innovative products and services at affordable prices. The firm quickly acquired a significant share of the market. At the same time, Lenovo is constantly searching for new novelties, in order to provide to its consumers latest technology products.


The paper proposes a new variational Bayesian algorithm for multivariate regression with attribute-distributed or dimensionally distributed data. Compared to the existing approaches the proposed algorithm exploits the variational version of the Space-Alternating Generalized Expectation-Maximization (SAGE) algorithm that by means of admissible hidden data - an analog of the complete data in the EM framework - allows parameters of a single agent to be updated assuming that parameters of the other agents are fixed. This allows learning to be implemented in a distributed fashion by sequentially updating the agents one after another. Inspired by Bayesian sparsity techniques, the algorithm also introduces constraints on the agent parameters via parametric priors. This adds a mechanism for pruning irrelevant agents, as well as for minimizing the effect of overfitting. Using synthetic data, as well as measurement data from the UCI Machine Learning Repository it is demonstrated that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing solutions both in the achieved mean-square error (MSE), as well as in convergence speed due to the ability to sparsify noninformative agents, while at the same time allowing distributed implementation and flexible agent update protocols.


A new type of authentication of a device or chip called Physically Unclonable functions (PUFs) is developed such that, with the built-in manufacturing differences, it provides security. A delay based Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) is implemented in this project on FPGA and its presentation is experimented. By using combinatorial logic, the PUF logic execution is done. In this project, four types of delay PUFs, viz, Arbiter PUF, Xor — Arbiter PUF, Lightweight Secure PUF and Feed Forward PUF are implemented. Delay based PUF utilize built-in delay characteristics of the physical components that alters between chip to chip. Low-cost validation of IC's based on PUFs usage is described. The CRP's usage are for the authentication of a chip or a gadget. The entire project is implemented using Verilog HDL and synthesised with a Xilinx Vivado 2012.2. This project focuses on reducing area consumption, increasing speed and consuming low power.


Nine samples of low-carbon steel were prepared by varying composition of Cr and Mn. The weight% of Cr and Mn in samples are 0.2Cr, 0.5Cr and 5Cr, and 0.5Mn, 1.0Mn and 1.5Mn respectively. The electrochemical tests such as corrosion potential, EIS, Linear polarization and Cyclic polarization were conducted on samples in simulated pore solution with and without the presence of 3.5% NaCl. Separately, samples were exposed to wet-dry corrosion test and their corrosion products were examined by XRD and FTIR. Further, oxidised surface was studied by SEM/EDS. The samples show passive behaviour in chloride free pore solution but passivity breaks after chloride addition. Even, 5Cr containing steels could not hold passive characteristic in chloride medium. In wet-dry corrosion test, 5Cr containing steels develop loose and voluminous corrosion products which is highly detrimental for rebar application. On the contrary, the lower Cr containing steels, 0.2Cr and 0.5Cr, produce thin and adherent rust in wet-dry corrosion test. In electrochemical test, these steel samples too transfer from passive to active state after chloride ion addition in pore solution but their behaviour is superior. More particularly, two steel chemistry 0.2Cr, 0.5Mn and 0.5Cr, 1.5Mn show a sign of repassivation and pitting resistance respectively. pitting potential.


Objective To understand the status of parasites infection among outpatients enrolled in hospitals in Shenzhen. Methods Serum and faeces samples of 1856 patients were collected for parasite detection with ElISA assay and Kato-Katz smear.The descriptive epidemiological method was used to summarize the characteristics of parasite infection. Results The incidence of parasite infection was 13.3%(247/1856) among outpatiens,and the major speciesof parasites detected were C.sinensis and S.japonicum.The infection rate in male was higher than that of female(P0.05),showing significant difference(P0.01),the infection rate in age group of 30-40 years was highest.Occupation was one of the factors related with parasites infestation,and the peasants were easily infected. Conclusion The infection rate of parasites was high among outpatients,the Clonorchiasis sinensis and imported Schistosomiasis were the major parastic diease to be prevented in Shenzhen areas.


Multiple sclerosis is a complex, progressive disease requiring a multidisciplinary approach to patient care; however, with the hub-and-spoke network in place, practitioners at any facility can take advantage of the care provided by the Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence.


We report ab initio [MP2(full)/6‐31G*] and force field (MMP2 extended to carbocations) results on the parent and alkylated singlet cyclopentadienyl cations. The ab initio results are complemented by force field calculations of 1,3 π‐interactions and antiaromatic destabilization energies. The antiaromatic destabilization of the singlet cyclopentadienyl cation is larger than that of cyclobutadiene. The MMP2 heats of formation of various cyclopentadienyl cations agree with experimental and ab initio data. Two Jahn–Teller distorted isomeric structures with almost identical energies are found for the parent singlet cyclopentadienyl cation. Dynamic and nondynamic correlation calculations employing the CASSCF(4,5)/6‐31G*//MP2(full)/6‐31G* and CASPT2(4,5)/6‐31G*//MP2(full)/6‐31G* levels of theory clearly show the energetic favorability of an allylic structure for the parent singlet cyclopentadienyl cation. Aklylated cyclopentadienyl cations prefer one of the two possible isomeric cyclopentadienyl cation forms. The substitution pattern determines the preferred cyclopentadienyl structure. As a consequence of its strong antiaromatic destabilization the singlet t‐butylcyclopentadienyl cation is predicted to rearrange to a homoallylic 2‐(1‐methyl‐2,4‐cyclopentadienyl)‐2‐propyl cation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 19: 1402–1420, 1998


The structural, elastic, chemical bonding, electronic and optical properties of the cubic perovskites RbCaX3 (X = F, Cl) compounds are obtained by the full-potential linear augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method based on the density functional theory. The calculated lattice constants and bulk moduli within GGA agree with previous calculations. It is found that the bulk modulus decreases as the lattice constant increases when traversing from F to Cl in RbCaX3. Both compounds are found to be elastically stable and anisotropy from the analysis of elastic constants. The analysis of Poisson's ratio, Cauchy pressure and Pugh's index ratio indicate that the RbCaF3 is brittle compound while the RbCaCl3 is ductile compound. The Debye temperature for the RbCaX3 compound evaluates from the average sound velocity. Both compounds are found to have the indirect band-gap (M-Γ) from calculating the band structure. The bonding nature of RbCaX3 compounds is ionic with a minute covalent bonding. The optical properties are calculated for radiation up to 30 eV. The main peaks of the optical spectra are discussed in terms of the calculated electronic structure. A beneficial optoelectronic and optics technology is predicted from optical spectra.


The purpose of this study is to clarify the relation between the discharge energy and the luminance strength at ignition plugs. The discharge phenomena were taken using CCD camera and recorded on video tape. The image data obtained here were analyzed through the image processing, which was able to extract the luminance strength information, so called RGB-value. The discharge energy increased linearly with the pressure in combustion chamber. It was found that an increase in the discharge energy induces the higher luminance of B-value. In other words, the color of spark at the higher pressure in combustion chamber becomes paler with an increase in the discharge energy.


Articulated pose estimation in computer vision is the study of algorithms and systems that recover the pose of an articulated body. In the context of the project, articulated body pose estimation is the process of estimating the position of human body parts and joints in a given image. Using the data obtained from a pre-trained pose estimation model namely MediaPipe, we explore the various applications that can be implemented using the data. Applications include motion capture, gait analysis, sign language detection, anomaly detection etc. The main focus is on building a yoga monitoring system, in which the user's movements and postures are analyzed and tracked for errors in the yoga routine. The user is then notified of his/her error in the posture through a display screen or a wireless speaker. The inaccurate body pose of the user can be pointed out in real-time so that the user can rectify his/her mistakes.


Abstract In this study, a simple and sensitive induction period based kinetic spectrophotometric method is reported for determination of trace amounts of piroxicam (PX). This method is based upon the inhibition effect of PX on the catalytic oxidation of m-creosol purple (MCP) with periodate. In the presence of PX, an induction period appears in the reaction system, which is proportional to the PX concentration. The decolorization of MCP at 525 nm is used to monitor the reaction spectrophotometrically. Under the optimum conditions, PX can be determined in the range of 1–12.5 μM (0.33–4.14 μg mL-1), with a 3σ detection limit of 0.54 μM (0.18μg mL-1). The relative standard deviations for six replicate determinations of 1.25, 5.0, and 10.0 μM piroxicam are 1.03 %, 0.28 %, and 0.22 %, respectively. This method could successfully be used in the determination of PX in various pharmaceutical products.


In the paper "Regional Moment:Magnitude Relations for Earthquakes and Explosions by H. J. Patton and W. R. Walter (Geophysical Research Letters, 20, 277-280, 1993), Figure la is incorrect. Because of an error in our database, the mb(Pn) values due to the formula from Evernden (1967) were plotted instead of the intended values of mb(Pn) due to the formula of Denny et. al. (1987). This error only affected the earthquakes in Figure l a and the corrected Figure l a is given below. This error does not change any of the conclusions in the original paper. The corrected Figure la still shows good separation between earthquakes and explosions, independent of magnitude. Best fit regression lines were calculated separately for the earthquake and explosion populations and are shown in Fig. l a. The two populations now have the same slope and show a separation of 1.13 log moment units (lmu). One event treated as an earthquake falls quite close to the explosion population in Figure la. This event is the May 14, 1981 event, which Taylor (1994) determined to be a large mine collapse at Gentry Mountain, Utah. It was not treated separately from the earthquakes in the original paper but here it was excluded from the earthquake regression line fit This event has some similarities to the explosions since it occurred at a very shallow depth of approximately 200 m, and is expected to radiate relatively more of its seismic energy as P waves than an earthquake.


Laser emission of CdSe excited by Ga(AsP) laser diode has been studied near liquid helium temperature both before and after irradiation with fast neutrons. Irradiation introduces new laser peaks at ~6895A, ~690A, and ~6924A, which are situated at longer wavelengths as compared to the peaks observed before irradiation. The laser peak at ~6905A can be associated with the strong spontaneous emission that is observed at the same wavelength after irradiation. These results are interpreted in terms of the recombination of excitons bound to the defects introduced by irradiation.


An efficient segmentation program for pseudoexhaustive testing using BIST is presented. The program manipulates the circuit's fanout-free regions using several heuristics. The results of segmenting the ISCAS benchmark circuits are compared to published results.


Chronic refixtory osteomyehas is caused frequently by pyogenic bacteria either by direct inoculation or via the blood stream. These micro-orgamsms can survive in certain pauents for several yean, encapsulated in bone-sequesters, abscesses and hypovascbed scars [ 11. It has been suggested by several authors that the oxygen content of the assue is cruaal and to a great extent the limiting fktor in the healing of hctures and recovery from osteomyelitis. It has been shown that variaaons in oxygen supply can change the type of tissue in those areas and causes a change to csteous cissue whereas hypoxia results in camlage formation [2]. The reduction ofbarometric pressure to 375 mmHg leading to a reduction of the ambient 0, partial pressure from 159 mmHg to 79 mmHg resulted in a marked reducaon offixture heahng in rats [3]. Further, a reduction of syntheus of the collagenous matrix as well as of minecabation induced by hypoxia was shown [4]. By measuring the uptake of radioactive calcium and the breaking strength of fractured femurs in rats, stimulation offixture heahg was found m comparison to a n o r m o b c population (51. Similar results were shown by means of autoradiography, in which animals receiving hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) showed an acceleration in all phases of fracture repair [6]. Increasing the administered amount of oxygen by extending the hyperbaric treatment from 2 to 6 per day at 2 atm led to a reduction of breaking strength of the'fi-actures m . In addiaon to convencional methods such as intensive anubiotic therapy, surgical curettage, and drainage and removal of foreign material, HBO can beneficially d u e n c e the course ofpenistent sinuses in chronic osteomyelitis. By increasing the inspired oxygen partial pressure, tissue oxygen content can be increased in both infected and uninfected bone [8]. Using a rabbit model of SlaphylouKncs a u m osteomyehtu, eradxauon of bone infection by use of HBO alone was demonstrated [9]. In a consecutive study hypoxia in infected bone was found with a mean Ib, 2.7 kPa compared with 5.9 kPa in normal tissue; a level of 13.3 kPa was achievable at 2 atm BO in osteomyelitic bone. Additionally, the killing potency of leucocytes in regard to S. auras was impaired at low P0,s and improved in hyperoxic bone [lo]. During the fiat European consensus conference on hyperbaric medicine the following conclusions and therapy recommendations were published [l l] : infected bone is hypoxic; HBO can elevate pb, in infected bone is proportional to vascularity; hypoxia impairs leucocyte bacterial k d h g hypoxia impairs fibroblastic collagen production to support angiogenesis, in controlled studies in animal models, HBO alone can eradicate S. aurw in infected bone; aminoglycoside transport across the bacterial wall is oxygendependent; hyperbaric oxygenation enhances antibiotic efficacy in a hypoxic environment [ 121. For the treatment of chronic therapyretiactory osteomyelitis three entities were dfferentiated: chronic refractory osteomyehtis of the jaws; chronic refractory osteomyelitis in other locations; acute osteomyelitis of the skull, sternum and/or vertebrae.


It is an honor to have three scholars I respect so highly read my book so closely. In the wake of the 2016 election, it has been a gift to have their reflections on my work. As I write this, we have all been sitting with the results of the presidential election for just over three full days. Starting at 10:12 p.m. (Central Time) on election night, I have received a stream of messages from reporters, media outlets, and ordinary people out there in the world who have wanted me to shed some light on what the heck just happened. Far more than I anticipated, rural parts of the upper Midwest, especially rural Wisconsin, played a key role in the outcome. It turns out that I am one of just a handful of scholars who have been focusing in on the people who live there. All of the attention now placed upon rural America is ironic, for it is in part the lack of attention—from politicians, from mass media, from society in general—that set the stage for Trump's ascendance. It is clear that there will be far more scholars of political communication turning their attention to rural places now. One question that people will be pursuing is where was the Democratic Party? In her comments, Marjorie Randon Hershey asks why there was so little mention of partisanship in the conversations I listened in on, and raises the possibility that the relative homogeneity of most of these groups I spent time with made it less likely that people would talk about partisanship. I think it is quite possible that partisanship came up infrequently because people in many of the groups had a shared partisan identity. Reflecting on my fieldnotes, and the fieldwork I have done since sending in the final version of my book manuscript, it does appear that in groups where the members openly admit to different party affiliations, references to the parties are more common. However, I think there is a distinction to be made between parties as reference categories, as identities, and as organizations. The party labels serve as useful reference points to the people I have spent time with. They mention


Barrier disruption and an excessive immune response in keratinocytes are now considered to have important roles in the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis (AD). Furthermore, disturbed keratinocyte differentiation is considered to underlie AD. ΔNp63, a p53‐like transcription factor, is a major regulator of keratinocyte differentiation. However, the functional significance of ΔNp63 in AD has not been clarified.


PURPOSE
To compare intraocular lens (IOL) decentration and tilt following a circular capsulotomy created with a femtosecond laser (laser CCC) to a manually performed continuous curvilinear capsulorrhexis (manual CCC).

METHODS
In a prospective, randomized study, a laser CCC (Alcon LenSx Inc) was performed in 20 eyes from 20 patients and a manual CCC was performed in 25 eyes from 25 patients. Intraocular lens decentration and tilt were measured using a Scheimpflug camera (Pentacam, Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH) 1 year after surgery. Uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and manifest refraction were also determined postoperatively. Between-group differences of IOL decentration and tilt as well as the correlation between IOL decentration and postoperative refractive changes and between IOL tilt and visual acuity were analyzed.

RESULTS
Horizontal and vertical tilt were significantly higher in the manual CCC group (P=.007 and P<.001, respectively). Lenses implanted after manual CCC showed greater horizontal and total decentration (P=.034 and P=.022, respectively). Significant differences were found in the homogeneity of dichotomized IOL vertical tilt and both horizontal and total decentration distribution (P=.008, P=.036, and P=.017, respectively). Total IOL decentration showed a significant correlation with changes in manifest refraction values between 1 month and 1 year after surgery (R=0.33, P=.032). A significant correlation was noted between IOL vertical tilt and CDVA (R(2)=0.17, β=-0.41, 95% confidence limit: -0.69 to -0.13, P=.005).

CONCLUSIONS
Continuous curvilinear capsulorrhexis created with a femtosecond laser resulted in a more stable refractive result and less IOL tilt and decentration than manual CCC.


This contribution represents a short introduction to the African travel notebooks, or 'Chronicles', of Mabel Virginia Anna Bent (1847-1929) - wife of the explorer James Theodore Bent (1852-1887) - and some of the resources consulted during research into the publication of these notebooks. What follows is based on a presentation made at the SCOLMA conference, the University of Birmingham, on 2 July 2014.The 19th century is studded with the derring-do of explorers in Africa and elsewhere, but we have relatively few first-hand records of husband-and-wife partnerships. And Mabel and Theodore Bent really were one of the great British travelling partnerships in terms of their results, the distances covered, and the sheer physical efforts involved over a period of nearly twenty years of journeying together between 1880 and 1897. In particular, Theodore's work in today's Zimbabwe made the couple into explorer-celebrities, and accounts of them at travellers' soirées, or sharing passenger lists with famous names, such as Stanley, are common. The couple regularly feature in the major relevant bibliographies - archaeological, ethnographical, and travel - to this day.


with some policy recommendations to address criminal retaliation, but acknowledge extreme difficulties in doing so. One limitation of this book, which the authors readily acknowledge, is that this is a circumscribed sample – black offenders from urban contexts of severe social disadvantage. Do these patterns of retaliation, as well as the virulent "honor culture" that so strongly demands violent retaliation for even minor transgressions, characterize other segments of the underworld? Does it characterize offenders in white or Latino criminal networks for whom the "code of the streets" Anderson described might not be as salient or might be different in content? For this reason, I wish they had used a phrase other than "the criminal underworld" in their subtitle, because this underworld is not homogeneous. As I'm sure the authors would agree, this cries out for more research. Still, this is a very fine ethnographic study of a topic that has rarely, if ever, been studied in depth before. It is a valuable contribution to our understandings of how racialized community disadvantage, street culture and gender intersect to perpetuate and shape violent retaliation as a preferred means of dispute resolution.


Modern, complex control systems for specific application domains often display common system design architectures with similar subsystem functionality and interactions. The similarities between these subsystems in most spacecraft can be exploited to create a model‐driven system development environment and then transformed into software or hardware either manually or automatically. Modifications to software and hardware during operations can be similarly made in the same controlled way. The approach is illustrated using a spacecraft attitude determination and control subsystem, but applies equally to other types of aerospace systems.


In this study, laser was applied to two types of cotton-based woven fabrics in order to study the effect of CO2 laser technology on colour and fabric strength properties. The woven fabrics had different fibre compositions, i.e., one was 100% cotton while the other had 60% cotton blended with 40% polyester. They were treated with different combinations of laser processing parameters, i.e., resolution (52, 60, and 68 dpi) and pixel time (110, 120, 130, and 140 μs). There were two approaches adopted: (1) laser treated and then dyed (LD); and (2) first dyed and then laser treated (DL), in order to study the effects of the two different sequences on the resultant colour. Colour properties include reflectance value, colour yield, CIE L*a*b* values and levelness measured by spectrophotometer; pH value and tensile strength were also measured. It was discovered that laser treatment had no influence on chromaticity of cotton fabrics. Moreover, fabrics treated with laser had a lighter shade than the control samples. This confirmed that both approaches, i.e., laser treatment conducted before and after dyeing, can provide a colour fading effect. The tensile strength of fabrics was affected differently in relation to the dyeing and laser process. According to results obtained from the pH measurement, it is confirmed that laser treatment can provide a colour fading effect without affecting the pH value, and the fabrics can be used instantly right after the laser treatment.


: In tbis report, the problem of testing for a cliffer ence between conclitional variance functions (or volatilites) of two independent nonlinear time series is investigated by means of an ex tensive simulation stucly. Empirical resnlts on the properties of the test proposecl eonfirm the test's valiclity, at Jeast for some types of heterosceclasticity as contrasted with homosceclastic errors as well as for some types of differences in heterosceclasticity . .\!Joreover, inter esting properties of several estimators of conclitional mean, vnriance and fourth moment functions are empirically fotmeJ too. .d. series starting from a fixed initia.l va.lne. J\1ore precisely, when ciecieling on the sa.mple size, we a.imed at obtaining elear dist.ingui shabili ty of hypotheses under scrutiny. Our preliminary si rnulation stucli es (not reportecl h er e) showed L h at ra.ther simila.r· results can be hopecl for for , sny, sampies of size 400 and still mea.ningful but much weaker results for sampies of size 300.


1. In Object Relations Theory, people who are evaluated at zero degrees of negative empathy have been diagnosed as anti-social, borderline, or narcissistic, and they (a) were exposed to an I-It form of parenting in which they were treated as a function of a parent. (b) received an insufficiency of positive introjects. (c) continually asked themselves as children, "How good do I have to be to receive the love that never comes?" (d) All of the above. 2. Which is NOT a capacity of one's real self? (a) Experiences a wide range of pleasant and unpleasant feelings. (b) Depends upon others for self-esteem. (c) Can make and follow through with commitments. (d) Can be alone without feeling abandoned. 3. Rebecca's primary way of coping with abandonment depression was by (a) drinking four to six beers daily after work. (b) overeating. (c) exercising every day. (d) being a marvelous hostess.


Most DNA shuffling methods currently used require PCR process. A novel method of DNA shuffling without PCR process is described, taking advantage of the feature of some restriction enzymes whose recognition sites differ from their cleavage sites, thus giving rise to different cohesive ends. These cohesive ends can be rejoined at their native sites from different parental sequences, generating new sequences with various combinations of mutations.


We investigate the sensitivity of two deterministic local site response models to variations in the input material parameters. The associated computer codes are SHAKE, a program that employs an equivalent linear analysis algorithm, and SPECTRA, a fully nonlinear finite element program with a constitutive model based on bounding surface plasticity. We use a stochastic approach to study the statistics of the model predictions as functions of the input parameters treated as random variables. Sensitivity is quantified in terms of the Arias intensity for both SHAKE and SPECTRA, as well as through the maximum permanent relative displacement for SPECTRA (SHAKE is an equivalent linear analysis code and thus predicts no plastic deformation). In conducting the combined deterministic-stochastic studies, we assume that the input excitation is given and use the stochastic approach to construct empirical cumulative distribution functions for the response variables. The input excitation utilized in the studies is the M6.2 seismic event that occurred in Lotung, Taiwan on July 30, 1986, better known in the literature as the LSST12 event.


Theoretical framework is a concept to see and explain phenomena that have become variables in research, which will used to analyze the data. Then the theoretical framework in This research will explain the independent variable and the dependent variable.
The two variables sequentially are effectiveness use of motion audiovisual media and the ability to write text explanation. Effectivenessis the success of a business or action taken on something, which is success  it is something that is expected by business actors or actors the action itself. So in this study, the effort or action in the form of the use of learning media, namely motion audiovisual media. This research was conducted at the Deli Husada Deli Tua Health Institute. This research using the experimental method with using two classes, namely the experimental class and the control class. Results or data that obtained in this study is effectiveness of use motion audiovisual media used researchers in learning  writing explanatory text in class VIII 7th Medan Junior High School year lesson 2019/ 2020.
Ability score student write explanatory text in experimental class average 75.97 with good category, and in class control average 65.8 of course with sufficient category. Value earned with using motion audiovisual media in the experimental class with enough category 1 student (3.33%), good category 11 students (36.67%), very good category 18 students (60%). Based on these data, it can be  oncluded that students are very good at choosing a writing theme and developing writing according to the specified theme or topic. This ability is of course on the effectiveness of using motion audiovisual media.


We have analyzed how the mechanical and geometrical parameters of the Open Through Silicon Vias influence failures induced by delamination of the interfaces. Through Silicon Vias are the units of the interconnection structure that establish the connection through the silicon die. We show that there are different factors that influence the failure of the device by analyzing the effect of external forces and different thicknesses of the layers on delamination. From our simulations we found how the mechanical and geometrical parameters influence the Energy Release Rate and therefore the probability of delamination.


The present invention is an organic diisocyanate (A), the number-average molecular weight (Mn) of the polymer polyol of 1000-5000 (B), a thermoplastic polyurethane obtained by chain extension agent and (C) are reacted, chain extender (C) consists of a linear diol (c-1) and side chain alkyl group-containing diol (c-2), a straight-chain diol in the chain extender (C) (c-1) and the side chain alkyl group the molar ratio of diol containing (c-2) (linear diol (c-1) / the side chain alkyl group-containing diol (c-2)) is 97 / 3-60 / 40, the nitrogen atom content is 1. characterized in that is less than 5 mass% to 4.0 mass%, provides a thermoplastic polyurethane.


The willingness-to-pay and willingness-to-accept divergence has been explored for the last 40 years. Researchers have investigated both the explanations for the discrepancy as well as possible ways of reducing it. One research direction of decreasing the WTA/WTP ratio is by implementing incentive-compatible methods within the experimental design. This study tests a relatively new incentive-compatible method, the Bayesian truth serum, over the traditionally employed non-incentivized introspection in an attempt to eliminate the disparity between WTA and WTP for a new product provided by Uber. BTS rewards truth telling by assigning each answer a truth score, given respondent's endorsement and a prediction of the distribution of others' answers. For the chosen research context, an altered BTS version is proposed and tested. The results indicate that the method does eliminate the discrepancy, however, removing outliers chance the result's direction significantly suggesting that BTS is inferior. Discussed are future research directions for improvements of the BTS method and implications.


With record numbers filing for bankruptcy, something besides these debtors is "broke." Question is, will upcoming recommendations of a federal commission fix anything? Michigan banker Gus PatTerson is a busy man. He works in a booming area of banking. Patterson doesn't have to get out and sell--business in his line just rolls right in with the morning mail. In a given day, Patterson picks up between 15 and 20 new leads. In fact, he's so busy that he spends two days a week just handling the paperwork for all the business that comes his way. Business is especially brisk right now, and Patterson says if seasonal trends hold, his fall season will be even busier. Patterson is assistant vice-president and bankruptcy control officer for Flint, Mich.'s Citizens Banking Corp. In his years of contesting bankruptcies, Patterson has seen it all--Chapter 7s, Chapter 13s, "Chapter 20s" (13s that degenerate into 7s), and more. Yet there are things about the record filings of bankruptcies that consumer lenders are seeing today that have even this veteran shaking his head. "You just can't believe the down-and-out people I see in court who have gotten $30,000, $40,000, even $50,000 worth of credit card lines," says Patterson. "They run them up and when the string runs out, they file for bankruptcy." But more bothersome to Patterson are the folks who run up debt in pursuit of a lifestyle they can't afford. He see? them as a cunning bunch, who exploit a liberal bankruptcy law when things get l too hot. "That kind of debtor galls me more than the dumb ones," says Patterson. And a newer risk that especially worries Patterson is the compulsive gambler--a growing threat because of the proliferation of places to wager. Bankers and other consumer lenders are seeing such problems all around the country. While Chapter 13 provides a great deal of protection to debtors who want time to repay all or a portion of their debt, Chapter 7 cases are rarely dismissed and hold out the promise of a free ride--a discharge that substantially wipes clean the credit slate. Bankruptcy isn't even a bar to obtaining new credit after emerging from court anymore. Even as consumer credit has reached further down into the quality barrel, it has also expanded in directions never seen before. Stories circulate, for instance, of college students graduating with credit-card debt in the thousands. Rumors fly about pre-teens going into hock with retailers. As the chart accompanying this article shows, personal bankruptcies broke the 1 million mark in 1996, and predictions are that 1997 filings will hit even higher levels. Already, in 1996, roughly one household out of 100 filed bankruptcy in some form. Could the picture get much darker? Yes. Forecast: Cloudy, chance of floods The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1994 set up a National Bankruptcy Review Commission that will make recommendations to Congress on revising the Bankruptcy Code. The group's report is due Oct. 20 and all indications are that in the consumer area the recommendations will tip the balance of bankruptcy law still further in debtors' favor. Key players on the commission staff are considered pro-debtor, as are a substantial number of commission members. While the Review Commission's recommendations are still being hashed out--it plans to meet this month to further consider its consumer-side proposals--creditor representatives expect little-to-no improvement in what Congress will see. The commission's procedures provide for review of any recommendations that some members have objected to, but few people expect many reversals. "I don't hold out any great hope for that" on the consumer-side recommendations, says Phil Corwin of Federal Legislative Associates, which is lobbying the bankruptcy issue for ABA. "There's no substantial issue that they've revisited that they've revised much. …


An analysis is presented of 189 industrial incidents in batch reactors involving theral-runaway chemical reactions of the type A + B -> products reported to the Health and Safety Executive in the period 1962-1987. Although not statistically significant the results of the analysis are at least indicative of problem areas which have led to overheating and eventual runaway. The prime causes of runaway have been classified under the headings of process chemistry and plant design and operation and a number of contributing factors have been identified under each. A simple strategy is described for assessing the thermalrunaway potential of reaction mixtures based on laboratory investigative techniques.


The steel strips for shadow mask from Bao Steel,Wickeder and Toyo were annealed at 730,780 and 830℃,respectively.The effect of recrystallization annealing on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the steel strips was researched by tensile test and metallographic analysis individually.The results show that the grain size is getting larger and the yield strength is smaller with the higher annealing temperature.The yield elongation percentage is not related to the recrystallization annealing temperature.The steel strip from Bao Steel is better than the steel strip from Wickeder and Toyo.The proper annealing temperature is 780℃.


OBJECTIVE To prepare sinomenine-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles with docosanoic acid glyceride as its lipid matrix and investigate its quality. METHODS An emulsification-solvent evaporation technique was adopted to prepare sinomenine-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles and the orthogonal design was applied to optimize its formula and technology. The mean particle size,drug loading capacity,drug entrapment efficiency (EE%),zeta potential,and long-term physical stability of the SLN were investigated.RESULTS The obtained solid lipid nanoparticles were round,smooth particles with average size of 208.7 nm,zeta potential-38.5 mV and entrapment efficiency 65.7%. There were no obvious changes of the particle size and entrapment efficiency at 4 ℃ within one month. CONCLUSION The SLN can be used as new sustained release preparation for Sinomenine.


Aquatic plants are important primary producers that affect the nutrient cycling in shallow coastal areas. How benthic communities composed of different plant species affect community metabolism and N fluxes is however, poorly understood, and in situ quantification is scarce. To study primary production and water‐sediment N fluxes in a benthic community consisting of various aquatic vascular plant species, diel field experiments were conducted in the Baltic Sea. Nine plant species were incubated in situ with bare sediments as control. The aim was to investigate diel community (including vascular plants, epiphytes, infauna, phytoplankton, and phytobenthos) and biomass‐specific metabolism and nitrogen fluxes among different plant species within a benthic community and to compare N fluxes between vegetated and bare sediments. The net production differed between different plant species, while the overall respiration was unaffected by the plant species present. There were no discernible differences in inorganic N fluxes between the different plant species within the benthic community and vegetated and bare sediments, whereas DON fluxes differed significantly. These results demonstrate that aquatic plant species have varying effects on ecosystem processes. Inherent differences between plant species add significant complexity to benthic functional diversity and highlight the important role that species‐rich vegetated habitats play for ecosystem functioning in shallow coastal areas.


There have been major therapeutic advances in the treatment of melanoma in recent years (1, 2). Adoptive T-cell therapy, based on tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) obtained from tumour tissues, has been developed in the field of immunotherapy. An objective clinical response of between 40% and 72% in the metastatic stage has been reported (3, 4) but the clinical response remains limited in time. In the metastatic stage of melanoma, the clinical response remains limited and short-term. A major current challenge is to increase the efficacy of TILs by countering the immune tolerance of the tumour microenvironment through identification of the molecules implicated in this phenomenon. Many factors have been suggested, including indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO), an intracellular enzyme that metabolizes tryptophan to kynurenine. Tryptophan deficiency inhibits the activity and proliferation of T cells (5). A recent paper (6) has shown that IDO1 expression in metastatic melanoma lymph nodes is associated with an increased risk of relapse and death. Thus, we hypothesize that the presence of IDO in the tumour microenvironment could inhibit the activity of TILs, and that adding an IDO inhibitor to the TILs could increase their cytotoxic activity against melanoma cells.


The evaluation of security measures' validity holds the balance in the information security. Only if the security measures implements appropriately,the risks in information system can be decreased or evaded.Evaluation of the security measures' validity is vital in judging the implementation of security measures.According to Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE) ,the validity evaluation model of security measures taken in information system is built.The results of putting the model into practice are expected and show the model is effective.


In 1833 Dupuytren first described the contracture of the hand that has since borne his name. He believed the affliction to be caused by repeated trauma to the palm. From that time on a greatdeal was written concerning this disease and the idea that trauma is an etiological factor was either supported or condemned repeatedly. In 1948 Skoog published an extensive monograph on Dupuytren's contractare. In this monumental work he incorporated a comprehensive description of the pathological changes in this disease, including the nodular hypercellular areas within the aponeurosis. He believed these cellular nodules to he the early stages of the disease. At the margins of these lesions he noted microscopic ruptures of the collagen fibers of the palmar fascia and hemosiderin deposits within the cellular areas. These, he believed, were evidence of previous small hemorrhages. Skoog concluded thatDupuytren's contracture began when microscopic ruptures of the collagen fibers of the fascia occurred. In 1958 we (Larsen and Posch) reported our interpretation of the abnormal microscopic anatomy observed in sixty-one surgical specimens of I)upuytren's eontracture (Series I). We too not-ed hemosiderin deposits present in the early st-ages of the eont-raeture. We could notidentify any areas that conclusively demonstrated rupture of the collageit fibers. Nevertheless, we feltthat the presence of hemosiderin in the early lesions of I)upuytren's contracture 'as quite importaut and that this finding made the entire matter worthy of further study. A met-hod of attacking the problem experimentally was suggested to us by some unpublished work by Pedersen and Cardner of OU institution. They scanfled the plantar fascia of monkeys, examined it under the microscope, and not-ed a lesion histologically similar to Dupuytren's contracture. To determine whether trauma could be an et-iological factor in the production


An individual's
motivation to screen for cancer is influenced by knowledge of cancer prevalence
and perceived likelihood of being diagnosed. While the relationships between health
and masculinity, identity, and attachment have been reported, much less is known
as to how these factors influence the decision to screen for cancer. This study
aimed to determine the influence identified health and social factors have on cancer
screening among Black men. Participants (N = 369) were surveyed on questions assessing
cancer knowledge, belief about cancer diagnoses, masculinity, self-esteem, attachment
style, ethnic identity, and additional social and health characteristics. Results
from the multivariate model showed that education, ethnic identity, masculinity,
and attachment were significant indicators of cancer screening. Cancer screenings
among Black men are contingent upon a myriad of psychological, social, and behavioral
factors that are not exclusive, but rather coexisting determinants of health. Understanding
the motivation for cancer screening among Black men may begin to diminish the prevalence
of having an imminent and aggressive stage of diagnosis among this gendered population.
Focusing exclusively on Black men enhances our understanding of this adult population
by considering their identity as men of color, while recognizing unique factors
that modify actions at the individual, institutional, and policy levels.


An electron microscope study of idtraihin sections of two rhabdomyosarcomas revealed the presence of cytologic characteristics previously described in neoplasias: nuclear envelope invagination, reduction in number of organelles, reduced size of mitochondria, sioollen mitochondria. In addition, one group of seven centrioles was observed and many cells revealed the presence of aggregates of small, dense particles. Groups of fibrous structures were occasionally encountered.


The ability to predict bee behavior through visual analysis of their activity at the hive entrance provides valuable insight into the hive's condition. In this study, we present an algorithm for visual monitoring of bee behavior implemented based on open source tools. The convolutional neural network (CNN) is used to detect bees on the landing board of the hive. The YOLOv8m CNN detects bees with 0.97% firstname.lastname@example.com and 0.65% email@example.com:0.95 mean average precision, respectively. Bee behavior types such as foraging, fanning, and washboarding are presented in heat and path maps. The speed patterns are used to identify the type of motion of the bees.


The new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) establishes requirements (and certain incentives) for internal compliance mechanisms that do not exist in current legislation. These requirements, which will have an impact on internal processes and staffing of firms, such as the requirement in certain cases of engaging a data protection officer, of conducting a data protection impact assessment, or making notifications of data breaches, will require firms to organize themselves prior to the GDPR becoming applicable in 2018. This article sets out first the increased territorial scope of the GDPR, prior to discussing the increased accountability of firms, focusing on data protection impact assessments, prior consultation and prior authorization, data protection officers, and data breach notifications. On the way, certain differences among the various versions of the GDPR prior to its adoption on these points will be discussed. Finally, incentives for compliance are highlighted.


The aim of the research. To develop an algorithm for the two-stage treatment of patients with tumors pancreatoduodenal zone complicated by obstructive jaundice using biliary decompression techniques at the first stage and conducting pancreatoduodenal resection at the second stage of treatment.
Materials and methods. Preliminary biliary decompression was conducted in 51 patients with prolonged obstructive jaundice and high bilirubin numbers (above 250 μmol/l). The following minimally invasive options were used for biliary decompression: percutaneous transhepatic cholangio-drainage in 21 (41.2 %), endoscopic stenting in 18 (35.3 %), various cholecystostomy (percutaneous transhepatic, contact, video laparoscopic) in 12 (25, 8 %) patients. A two-stage method has been developed for the treatment of pancreatic tumors complicated by obstructive jaundice.
Results. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangio-drainage was performed under ultrasound-X-ray navigation — in 11 (52.4 %), under angiographic control — in 10 (47.6 %) patients. Endoscopic stenting was performed in 18 (35.3 %) patients; plastic stents were used. Three options were used for pancreatojejunoanastomos: invagination ductopancreatojejunal — in 31 (60.8 %), invagination pancreatojejunal — in 16 (31.4 %), pancreatojejunal with bandage plasty of the crescent ligament of the liver — in 4 (7.8 %) patients. Diagnosis of pancreatic fistula was carried out according to the classification of ISGPF (2016). Biochemical leak was observed in 3 (5.9 %), pancreatic fistula (type B) in 2 (3.9 %) patients. Post-operative gastrostasis was detected in 3 (5.9 %) patients.
Conclusions. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangio-drainage and endoscopic stenting are the most effective methods of biliary decompression. The use of biliary decompression in patients with pancreatic tumors complicated by the development of obstructive jaundice allows patients to prepare for the execution of PDR with reduced perioperative risk.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of free cash flow (FCF) on the agency costs and how these FCF and agency costs affect the performance of REITs in Asia. Unlike previous studies that focus on conventional public listed companies and non-regulated industry, the Asian REIT industry being a highly regulated industry provides a new context for further research.

Design/methodology/approach

The samples for this study comprise REIT data from four major Asian REIT countries, namely, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. These countries are the leaders in Asian REITs which account for 94 percent of the total market capitalization of REITs in Asia. The study period is from 2002 to 2012 using panel data. This study employs GMM method which is more robust compared to previous studies that used pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) and other panel data methods.

Findings

The results indicate that FCF and agency costs persist over time in Asian REITs even though REITs are in a highly regulated industry. The findings also imply that REIT managers face substantial costs when they wish to adjust to the equilibrium level of agency costs, whereby the optimum level is always dynamic and not constant over time and moves with the changes in the determinants of agency costs. These agency costs persist over time and have significant impacts on the performance of REITs in Asia.

Research limitations/implications

There are limited data in selling, general and administrative expenses in Asian REITs which render only limited use of selling, general and administrative expenses ratio in this empirical study on Asian REITs. For future research, researchers can embark on research studies on issues that might determine the speed of adjustment toward the equilibrium level of agency costs in Asian REITs.

Practical implications

For REIT regulators in Asia, this empirical study helps to provide useful information for policy planning and formulation in REIT corporate governance; and to transform the inherent satellite structure of the externally managed REIT structure into internally managed REIT structure. For REIT managers and practitioners, this empirical study serves as a reflection for them which helps them to be more aware of the dynamism of FCF and agency costs in REITs; and alert them that these FCF and agency costs persist over time which can have significant impacts on the REIT performance, return on assets and return on equity, REIT value and REIT return, respectively in Asia. Thus, they could consider internalizing their REIT management structure for better and more efficient management in REITs in order to mitigate the agency costs that are persistent over time. As a whole, this empirical study contributes significant benefits to all level of the REIT industry in Asia.

Social implications

This implies that the REITs in Asia should consider internally managed REIT structure since the agency costs persist over time and there are always dynamic and not constant over time and moves with the changes in the determinants of agency costs. The findings also imply that the regulators in Asian REITs should enforce absolute stringent corporate governance rules and regulations in order to govern the existing inherent satellite structure of the externally managed REITs in Asia.

Originality/value

This empirical study contributes significant benefits to all levels of the REIT industry in Asia and the current limited literature on Asian REITs by examining the impact of FCF and agency costs on the performance of REITs in Asia. This is the first research to embark on FCF and agency costs on REITs in Asia. Furthermore, this study employs GMM method which is more robust compared to previous studies that used pooled OLS and other panel data methods.


Physico‐chemical interactions between drugs and plant extracts can result in the formation of nanoparticles, microparticles and precipitates. The extraction method may have an influence on the components of the plant preparations and the interactions between drugs and plant extracts. In this study the particle formation in different drug‐containing preparations of Hypericum perforatum L. was compared. The formation of nanoparticles was investigated by PCS and scanning electron microscopy. Precipitates were separated from nanoparticles by centrifugation or filtration. The particle formation in drug‐containing infusions and recon‐stituted methanolic extracts of Hypericum perforatum L. was different. In reconstituted dry extracts 21.5% 17α‐ethinylestradiol and 36.6% levonorgestrel was bound to precipitates, in aqueous Hypericum infusions less than 4% of the hormones was bound. In infusions containing desipramine nanoparticles were formed while the formation of nanoparticles in desipramine‐containing reconstituted extracts was negligible. Up to 10% of desipramine was bound to precipitates in reconstituted extracts, but only 4% was associated with the pre‐cipitate of infusions. The interactions between extracts of Hypericum perforatum L. and drugs depended on the extraction method. Reconstituted methanolic extracts showed a more intensive binding with oral contraceptives than aqueous infusions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Abstract : Thesis entitled "Strength of Evidence Letter Recognition of Rights (SPH) known by the Village Heads" examine Letter Recognition of Rights (SPH) known by the Village Heads is a form of the physical control of land. Therefore, as a form of administration that has something to do with a verification tool which evidence is to prove the possesion of a land. The proof here is the physical possesion of a land recognized equivalent, by decree of The Minister of Agrarian incurred as a village chief adjudication team. The strength of Letter Recognition of Rights is seen from various evidence has been qualified as evidence in accordance with those contained in the Civil Code of the Act (vide Article 1874 of the Civil Code), where the existence of a written statement, the witness, the recognition of the parties and the elements contained in the evidence as well as the strength of evidence under the hand. The existence of A Letter Recognition of Rights as a deed under the hand is as the basis for the issuance of certificates recognized in Government Regulation Number 24 of year 1997 on Land Registration, although the deed under the hand does not have legal force but it can be used as the base in the issuance of certificates and can have the power of legal evidence in court of law. Keywords : Strength of Evidence, Letter Recognition of Land Rights, Village Heads


This paper introduces the technical principles and application of the ultromotivity double-pipe pasting reinforcement technique, and points out that the successful application of this technique increases the economic benefit of the comprehensive development of the reconditioned oil-well and provides the successful experiences for the maintenance of the oil well.


This paper is concerned with the issue of contract bundling when a public project involves both a building stage and an operation stage. In a widely cited paper, Bennett and Iossa (2006) show that positive externality between the investments in the


The double ball-bar system is widely used to assess the performance of machine tools because of easy setup, low cost and fast measurement. Due to the volumetric error of machine tools, tool cannot be moved exactly to the desired position during circular test. Moreover, despite a careful setup, there remains some slight eccentricity of the balls relative to the circular trajectory. Thus the double ball bar cannot be coincided with nominal position of centers of balls. and the position and orientation of a measurement coordinate system are not same that of nominal coordinate system. This paper clarifies the relation between nominal and measurement coordinate system. After identifying and assessing the geometric error using the solution of ball-bar equation with least squares, the eccentricity and radius of measured circular trajectory based on measurement coordinate system are calculated.


Base on the diverse colors of phenol red under different pH condition,a colorimetric method was developed to detect pH value of Leibovitz's L-15 media,a CO2 independent medium.The absorbance of L-15 medium at 560 nm against pH value has a good linear relationship over the range of pH 6.8 to 8.5.Thus pH value can be calculated according to the absorbance at 560 nm.The effects of temperature and air on the method were studied.The method was successfully applied to pH monitor of MG-63 cell culture.


Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) is a major materials challenge for dissimilar metal welds (DMW) in pressurized water reactors. The reliability of structure integrity assessment of DMW is strongly dependent on the reliable determination of the weld residual stress (WRS) field, which is one of the primary driving forces for PWSCC. Recent studies have shown that WRS prediction using today's DMW WRS models strongly depends upon the choice of strain-hardening constitutive model. The commonly used strain hardening models (isotropic, kinematic, and mixed) are all time-independent ones that are inadequate to accounting for the time-dependent (viscous) plastic deformation at the elevated temperatures during welding. Recently, a dynamics strain hardening constitutive model has been proposed and the application of such a model has resulted in improved WRS prediction when compared to the WRS measurement results by contour method and deep-hole drilling method. In this study, the dynamic strain hardening behavior, under uniaxial tensile loading conditions, of several stainless steels and nickel alloys (SS304, Alloy 600, Alloy 82 and Alloy 52) commonly used in pressure vessel nozzle DMW are experimentally determined and compared. The extent of softening due to different duration of high-temperature exposure is studied and its influence on final residual stresses is discussed. An empirical correlation combining both the time and temperature effects on dynamic strain hardening is proposed for weld residual stress modeling.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


A substantial portion of any programmer's time is spent in debugging. One of the major services of any compiler ought to be to provide as much information as possible about compile-time errors in order to minimize the time required for debugging. A good error detection and recovery scheme should maximize the number of errors detected but minimize the number of times it reports an error when there is none. These spurious error detections and their associated error messages are usually engendered by an inappropriate recovery action.In this paper we describe a recovery scheme for syntax errors which provides high quality recovery with good diagnostic information at relatively low cost. In addition, implementation of the recovery scheme can be automated - that is, the recovery routine can be created by a parser-generator. Therefore, the compiler designer need not be burdened with the difficulties of error recovery and the programming effort necessary to design and debug a myriad of ad hoc recovery routines.


This paper briefly describes three user-oriented computer codes developed at the Ohio State University ElectroScience Laboratory: namely, the On-Aircraft Antenna Code, the Basic Scattering Code, and the Reflector Antenna Code. Each code uses the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction (GTD). An example is used to describe the basic GTD approach for all three codes. A brief description is given for each code which includes sample results compared to measurements.


Summary Based on censuses in 2021 and 2022 of Bristle-thighed Curlews Numenius tahitiensis on 10 atolls of French Polynesia, the species has declined by c.50% over the last two decades. While the species has recently been down-listed from "Vulnerable" to "Near Threatened", these new data would qualify it for an "Endangered" Red List status. The non-breeding population on Tuamotu numbers approximately 1,000 curlews and up to 1,500 individuals in all of Eastern Polynesia. On uninhabited islands, the expansion of copra (coconut pulp) exploitation has caused long-term disturbance for curlews, increased predation by pet dogs, and introduced or reinforced non-native rat populations. Climate change, particularly sea-level rise, will add to changes in land use that shrink the suitable habitat for Bristle-thighed Curlews in French Polynesia. As this study shows, obtaining population trends for species breeding in remote areas may best be achieved through surveys at key non-breeding sites.


Visible light communication and its use in wireless networks, which is referred to as light fidelity (LiFi), can potentially provide ubiquitous indoor broadband connections. Most of the existing studies on LiFi consider a device that always faces upward, disregarding the importance of the orientation of the device. This paper presents experimental results on the randomly-oriented devices and a statistical model of the LiFi channel considering the random orientation. The distribution of the cosine of the incidence angle is shown to have a Laplacian form. This distribution is then applied to study the signal-to-noise ratio of the randomly-oriented and the upward-facing devices. Finally, we show that neglecting the random orientation can lead to inaccurate conclusions. Hence, it is important to take the random orientation into account in future LiFi network analyses.


We report a case of rectal injury due to accidental insertion of a vaginal delineator into the rectum during total laparoscopic hysterectomy. A 48-year-old nulligravid woman underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy because of excessive menstruation due to uterine fibroids. The uterine manipulator was removed before cutting the vaginal wall, and a vaginal delineator was inserted. Although there was some resistance to insertion, it was thought that the delineator was guided to the correct position under the laparoscope. We noticed accidental rectal insertion, and laparotomy was performed to repair the


Albrecht, H. (1896), quoted by Moore, I. (1922). Blewett, J. (1939), "Laryngocele", The British Journal of Radiology, Volume XII, page 163. Browne, L. (1899), "The Throat and Nose and Their Diseases", Fifth Edition, pages 29 and 649. Campbell, M. D. (1946), "Laryngocele", Archives of OtoLaryngology, Volume XLIV, page 219. Chouke, K. S. (1932), "Diverticula of Larynx", Archives oj Oto-Laryngology, Volume XVI, page 538. Garel, J. (1904), !'Laryngocele ventriculaire", Lyons mlldicale, page 419; quoted by Moore, I. (1922). Hilton, J. (1837), "Description of the Sacculus or Pouch in the Human Larynx", Guy's Hospital Reports, Volume II, page 519. Howarth, W. G. (1922), Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, Volume XV, page 6. Ingals, E. F. (1899), "Eversion of the Ventricle of the Larynx, and Cyst Involving the Larynx and Side of the Neck", The Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume XXXII, page 334. Jackson, C. L. (1946), "Laryngocele", Transactions oj the American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Volume L, page 492. --(1947). "Laryngocele", The Laryngoscope, Volume LVII, page 788. Kerr, H. H., and Bradley, T. (1937), "Diverticulum of Larynx", Surgery, Volume II, page 598. Kilpatrick, F. R. (1940-1941), "Pseudo-laryngocele", Guy's Hospital Reports, Volume XC, pages 15 and 40. Lindsay, J. R. (1940), "Laryngocele Ventricularis", Annals ot Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, Volume XLIX, pages 661 and 846. Mackenzie, J. Nolan (1882), "Prolapse of the Laryngeal Ventricle with Illustrative Cases", Medical News (Philadelphia), Volume XL, page 567; quoted by Moore,!. (1922). McLaurin, J. W. (1947), "Laryngocele-Report of a Case", The Laryngoscope, Volume LVII, page 616. Moore,!. (1922), "The So-called Prolapse of the Laryngeal Ventricle and Eversion of the Sacculus", The Journal oj Laryngology and Otology, Volume XXXVII, pages 265, 333, 381. Moxon, W. (1868), "Case of Eversion of the Sacculus Laryngls", Transactions of the Pathological Society of London, Volume XIX, page 65; quoted by Moore,!. (1922). Negus, V. E. (1948), "The Mechanism of the Larynx", William Heinemann, London. Reading, P. (1941), "Mucocele of Pharyngeal Ventricle, Simulating a Laryngocele", The Journal ot Laryngology and Otology, Volume LVI, page 204. Schall, L. A. (1944), "Laryngocele Associated with Cancer", Annals oj Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, Volume LIII, page 168. Shattock, S. G. (1922), "Model Showing the Mode in which the Sacculus Ventriculi Laryngis Might be Everted by the Negative Pressure Caused by Coughing", Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, Volume XV, page 6. Simpson, W. L. (1938), "Laryngocele", Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, Volume XLVII, page 1054. Solis-Cohen, J. (1882), "A Case of Prolapse of the Laryngeal Sac", Archives of Laryngology, Volume III, page 66; quoted by Moore, I.' (1922). Spicer, F. (1921), "Case of Laryngocele", Proceedings of the Royal Society oi Medicine, Volume XIV, pages 16 and 67. Stevenson, R. Scott, and Guthrie, D. (1949), "A History of Otolaryngology", E. and S. Livingstone, Limited, Edinburgh. Taylor, H. M. (1944), "Ventricular Laryngocele", Transactions of the American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Volume LXVI, page 114; also Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, Volume LIII, page 536. Virchow, R. (1867), "Die krankhajten Geschwulste", Volume III, Part I, page 35; quoted by Moore, I. (1922).


This report is published quarterly by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Performance Assurance Organization. The Department of Energy Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS), as prescribed in DOE Order 232.2 "Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information," requires a quarterly analysis of events, both reportable and not reportable, for the previous 12 months. This report is the analysis of 76 occurrence reports and over 16 other deficiency reports (including not reportable events) identified at the INL during the period of October 2013 through December 2013. Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) operates the INL under contract DE AC 07 051D14517


School culture is a pervasive element of schools, yet it is elusive and difficult to define. Understanding school culture is an essential factor in any reform initiative. Any type of change introduced to schools is often met with resistance and is doomed to failure as a result of the reform being counter to this nebulous, yet allencompassing facet – school culture. This article defines culture as it applies to schools and examines the effects of school culture on teachers and schools in general. Underlying assumptions held by school personnel that articulate the culture of schools is also examined. The reasons for change to be accepted or rejected are also discussed.


The cracking or tearing of thin sheets of material is of considerable interest in modern-day engineering. A recent investigation into the behaviour of concrete indicated that it would be of interest to consider a probabilistic model in which a crack is regarded as some form of non-self-intersecting random walk in the plane. This paper considers some simple models and in the Appendix are included some results on paper tearing.


A spherical head model based on a resistor mesh is presented. Each resistor corresponds to the conducting electrical properties of a tissue volume. A current dipole is simulated by an electrical current source connected between two nodes in this mesh. The direct problem is solved and the accuracy of this model is evaluated in comparison with the analytical solution. The results show that the resistor mesh provides correct potential and scalp current density values. The model structure makes it easy to introduce conductivity heterogeneities such as stroke and skull anisotropy. First trials of an inverse method are also presented.


FIELD: information technologies. SUBSTANCE: server (202A) of group control receives request (2.1) of group creation from the first client (A) to create a new group, containing at least the second client (B). List (L 1 ) of group participants is then stored (2.2), and notice (2.3) on event in group is sent to home network (200B) of the second client, in order to inform the network about the fact that the second client has become the new group participant. Client may then find out, participant of which active groups he or she is, without complicated search. EFFECT: provision of possibility of guaranteed search or reception of information on membership in active groups of communication, so that the client may identify, participant of which groups he or she currently is. 25 cl, 8 dwg


FIELD: medicine. SUBSTANCE: group of inventions refers to medicine, namely to an enhanced-echogenicity interventional device comprising a device having an outer surface, and a coating of molten polymeric particles covering at least a portion of the outer surface of the above device; the coating of molten polymeric particles contains molten fluoropolymeric particles that are at least partially interconnected, and provides an irregular surface topography on the outer surface of the device; and to a method for enhancing the echogenicity of the interventional device. EFFECT: group of inventions provides achieving the higher echogenicity of the device and makes it possible to visualise a unique surface pattern of a particular device. 10 cl, 4 dwg, 2 ex


Background and context: In Argentina, every year 19,000 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed, and 30% of those cases will advance to a metastatic stage. In fact, breast cancer is the first cause of female death by tumors in Argentina. Previously, BC awareness campaigns developed by local NGOs, medical societies and/or government authorities focused their efforts in early diagnosis, and there weren't initiatives raising the awareness of those women suffering from advanced or metastatic BC. In fact, a regional survey that included Argentina reported that only 50% of respondents knew anything about mBC. Particularly in Argentina, 76% of adults considered that media and key influencers were not paying enough attention to the mBC burden of disease. Furthermore, every time mBC was mentioned, it was with a negative connotation, more of a "sentence of death" than a positive message. Aim: To raise the voice of Argentinian metastatic breast cancer patients to ensure that their situation and needs are known and addressed by the general public, media, and government authorities. Strategy/Tactics: In 2016, Pfizer along with four cancer patient advocacy organizations (MACMA, ACIAPO, SOSTEN and ACILCO) worked together to change that situation. Eleven women with mBC shared their testimonies through in-depth interviews with a message full of hope and positive feelings. These women's experience inevitably led them to take a different view at life. For them, words changed their meaning following diagnosis, when their life changed. With admirable simplicity and integrity, they shared these meanings that invited us all to appreciate life differently. These testimonies were included in a dictionary called Palabra de Mujer (Woman's Voice) where powerful words as life, love, friendship, future, among others were redefined while compared with the literature academy formal meaning. These women and the NGOs participated in a media campaign that included a press-conference, live interviews for TV shows, interviews for most important magazines and newspapers and participation at local "Grammys". To gain a national reach, the campaign had the support of advertising and a Web site where video testimonies could be found and the dictionary downloaded for free. The dictionary was also distributed to patients at different levels: patient advocacy groups, public hospitals, payers and physicians' offices. Outcomes: This campaign had a wide stakeholder reach, with an impact of +79 million impressions, 5000 dictionaries distributed and more than 50,000 unique visits to the landing page ( www.palabrademujer.com.ar ). Moreover, the city of Buenos Aires declared Palabra de Mujer of sanitary and social interest, recognizing the initiative at the legislature. Additionally, the participant NGOs are still asking for more and more dictionaries as, any time they give one of them to a mBC patient, feedback is powerful and full of hope.


Background: Steroid-resistant rejection (SRR) in liver transplantation occurs in about 10% of T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR), prognosis of SRR is known to be worse than steroid-sensitive rejection (SSR). Only a few studies describe treatment methods or features for SRR, and there is no clear consensus yet. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe the difference between SSR and SRR, and to compare the effect of the SRR treatment method performed our institution. Methods: This study is a 10-year, retrospective cohort study at Seoul St Mary's Hospital, clinical data was collected from January 2008 to December 2017. Of total 663 cases, 154 patients (23.3%) underwent steroid pulse therapy for rejection, we excluded 30 patients who did not undergo liver biopsy. After all, 124 patients (18.7%) with biopsy proven rejection (BPR) were analyzed for this study. Results: Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score (9.2±3.0 vs. 10.4±2.4, P=0.031), cold ischemic time (125.9±80.0 vs. 191.2±124.9, P=0.041), cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection (27.7% vs. 76.7%, P<0.001) showed a statistically significant difference in two groups. Multivariate analysis was performed on risk factors of SRR at first rejection. Then, CMV infection and total bilirubin at first rejection and numbers of rejection were significant results. Both overall survival and allograft survival rate of SSR patients is higher than SRR patients (P<0.001).


politically liberal policies, but the failure is not one of Strike's acuity or inability to come up with better arguments. It is built into the situation. To the extent that he has drawn on premises from both the liberal and conservative political camps, his proposals are as incoherent as might be predicted. If the liberal state may not educate, and if philosophical liberalism provides us with an overabundance of incommensurable concepts, is there any place to turn for a philosophical grounding of educational policy? There clearly is more to be said here, and, of course, much more to be said about Professor Strike's vision of education in a just society.*


The 4 He3 system is studied using the adiabatic hyperspherical representation. We adopt the current state-of-the-art helium interaction potential including retardation and the nonadditive three-body term, to calculate all low-energy properties of the triatomic 4 He system. The bound state energies of the 4 He trimer are computed as well as the 4 He+ 4 He2 elastic scattering cross sections, the three-body recombination and collision induced dissociation rates at finite temperatures. We also treat the system that consists of two 4 He and one 3 He atoms, and compute the spectrum of the isotopic trimer 4 He2 3 He, the 3 He+ 4 He2 elastic scattering cross sections, the rates for three-body recombination and the collision induced dissociation rate at finite temperatures. The effects of retardation and the nonadditive three-body term are investigated. Retardation is found to be significant in some cases, while the three-body term plays only a minor role for these systems.


The cultural translation error is one of the four translation errors,it influences the quality of English version of webpage text. This research analyzes Ten Henan Universities' English introduction at the webpage from the perspective of cultural error based on the skopos theory. The researcher concludes three aspects of problems and puts forward corresponding revisions with the hope of a further development of international communication.


This volume considers the broader framework of "cognition and culture" with a programmatic agenda. Most of its articles result from an international symposium on "Cognitive Science and the Study of Religious Experience: A Working Symposium on Theory and Method", held at the University of Vermont in 1998. Concise and profound outlines of relevant theories of P. Boyer, d'Aquili/ Newberg, D. Sperber and V.S. Ramanchandra who are absent from the volume as authors are delivered in Andresen's Introduction to illustrate the historical spread of cognitive sciences within the science of religion. She concludes by asking for new and diversified methodologies for studying religion.


With one in eight secondary care admissions and one in five deaths attributable to respiratory disease, the care needs for respiratory patients in acute and non-acute sectors is immense.


This research paper introduces a novel statement for optimizing Tsukamoto fuzzy inference system. Suppose we are given some mathematical programming problem that will solve using Tsukamoto Fuzzy Inference System. We will using the linkable label of the variable that construct from the Fuzzy Grid Partition in correcting the limitation of Tsukamoto Fuzzy Inference System. Our research will show the crisp value from the Tsukamoto Fuzzy Inference System and the crisp value from the process of optimization using Fuzzy Grid Partition. Our research will find a fair optimal solution to the original fuzzy problem.


Literary scholars have deployed the concept of "spoken language" to describe Kalman Mikszath's fiction since the success of his short story collections entitled A tot atyafiak (Slovak Kinsmen, 1881) and A jo palocok (The Good Palots, 1882). Although this stylistic concept has become a key characteristic feature of Mikszath's oeuvre, no attempt has been made to elaborate on its definition. As scholarship assumes a clear-cut and measurable distinction between the written "literary" and "spoken" language, this paper claims that this spoken language has quantifiable linguistic markers. This is demonstrated by the morphological analysis of Kalman Mikszath and Mor Jokai's fictional writings.


With the rapid development of social economy, people's living standards have been greatly improved, and the quality of life requirements have also undergone many changes. Green picking and ecological picking have become an important part of people's lives. Ecological gardens and picking gardens across the country have also developed rapidly, but the current picking is affected by the region. Northern users can use the online picking system to solve cross-regional picking and expand the picking market to meet users' online picking of original ecological fruits and vegetables in different regions.


Zig-bee interface is particularly attractive for VLSI implementations as it make the work easy in terms of implementation and also reduces the on board hardware requirement which in return is beneficial for reduction in power utilization and fast speed of operation. The main aim of the paper is to Implement Wireless Zigbee Technology into Telecommand and Telemetry system for Satellite Communication. The high speed data transfer property of the zigbee along with the power saving capability of the device to make the system more efficient. Powerful with the good performance of algorithms in such a way that the resultant system is superior to the present one in terms of area occupation on chip, power consumption of the over unit on the chip and also to look for time consumption for the operation. In other terms we can tell that we need to design and implement a system which is superior to the present one in terms of area, power and speed. In this paper we propose wireless TC-TM system for satellite communication and design, un-slotted CSMA/CA with non-beacon enabled network is used for wireless data transmission. It also presents wireless satellite architecture and highlights the usage of wireless technology in space application. It also highlights the advantage and difficulties in implementing the wireless system in satellite. Keywords— Wireless TC-TM , CSMA/CA, Zigbee


The quality of film deposition by sputtering is affected seriously by the crystalline grain size of copper target as semiconductor materials.The technique to decrease the size of grain becomes very important.A kind of copper ribbon is prepared by the rotary hearth furnace principle in this report,and the changes of the crystalline grain sizes is studied.It is observed that the smaller the diameter of crucible bottom hole is,the more rapid the speed of bottom turnplate is,the better the heat move.The closer the edge of whereabouts from bottom turnplate is when the cooling of bottom turnplate is well,and the smaller the grain of copper ribbon is.


ABSTRACT In this work, the potential of peach pit biosorption in the removal of the drug metformin hydrochloride from water is evaluated. Experiments are carried out in a closed batch system to evaluate the effect of the solution pH (2–10), temperature (25, 35 and 45 °C), stirring (100, 150 and 200 rpm) and chemical treatments. During the study, biosorbent characterization, kinetic tests, equilibrium tests and thermodynamic parameter calculations are performed. The operating conditions that show the best results for both the raw biosorbent and the biosorbent submitted to acid, basic and acid followed by basic treatments with removal capacities of 3.17, 10.83, 18.10 and 49.14 mg g−1, respectively, are pH 7, 25 °C and 100 rpm, which result in an equilibrium time of 12 h. In the kinetic study, the pseudo-second-order model represents the best fit for the experimental data, while the Langmuir model best represents the equilibrium data. The biomasses submitted to chemical treatments show a significant increase in drug removal capacity related to the raw biosorbent, with the best maximum absorption of 82.54±1.34 mg g−1 achieved after the application of the acid followed by basic treatment. These results show that peach pit has potential to be used as a low-cost biosorbent to remove drugs from water.


Higher Mathematics is a very important public elementary course of science and technology universities,it has widely applications in the natural sciences,engineering,life sciences,social sciences,economic management etc.Teachers should give positive evaluations to the students who are the principle part of higher mathematics teaching,stimulate their interests of studying,and illume their creative thinking.Thus,we can bring up students' problem-solving abilities roundly.Classroom teaching practices shows that the several solutions to one problem education is more affirmative than the Spoon-fed education.


The cyclic characteristics of the shape memory effect in Ti-Ni alloy helical springs are investigated in thermomechanical cycles. In the experiment, an offset-crank shape memory alloy heat engine is used. The results obtained show that : (1) Nonrecoverable elongation and recovery rate vary significantly in the early cycles, but show slight variations after these cycles. (2) Elongation based on reversible shape memory effect increases gradually with the number of cycles. (3)Axial force corresponding to the maximum deflection decreases slightly in the early cycles, but shows a constant value after these cycles. (4)When the maximum torsional strain on the surface of the helical spring becomes larger than 2%, the rate of increase in nonrecoverable strain becomes greater while that for axial force decreases. (5) The resting period does not affect shape memory characteristics. (6) The number of cycles to failure decreases linearly with the range of torsional strain on the surface of the helical spring.


Distributed control system(DCS) is used instead of the original time control module to realize time control for instrument compressed air drying tower in some power plant in Guangdong,China.This paper describes the transformation in terms of hardware and software,and compares the security of the control system before and after the transformation by quantitatively analyzing the operation data.It is shown that the security of the reconstructed control system has increased 28.25 times.


The Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT) is the first deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion device that will study the physics of an ignited plasma. The ability of the tokamak vacuum vessel to be maintained remotely while under vacuum has not been fully demonstrated on previous machines, and this ability will be critical to the efficient and safe operation of ignition devices. Although manned entry into the CIT vacuum vessel will be possible during the nonactivated stages of operation, remotely automated equipment will be used to assist in initial assembly of the vessel as well as to maintain all in-vessel components once the D-T burn is achieved. Remote maintenance and operation will be routinely required for replacement of thermal protection tiles, inspection of components, leak detection, and repair welding activities. Conceptual design to support these remote maintenance activities has been integrated with the conceptual design of the in-vessel components to provide a complete and practical remote maintenance system for CIT. The primary remote assembly and maintenance operations on CIT will be accomplished through two dedicated 37- x 100-cm ports on the main toroidal vessel. Each port contains a single articulated boom manipulator (ABM), which is capable of accessing half of the torus. The proposedmore » ABM consists of a movable carriage assembly, telescoping two-part mast, and articulated link sections. 1 ref.« less


Ab s t r Ac t Background and aim: Subarachnoid block (SAB) is a gold standard anesthetic technique for lower abdominal surgeries. Hypotension is a very common observation following a SAB. Perfusion index (PI) is a new parameter that can be used as a noninvasive method to find out the chances of developing hypotension after SAB. This study was aimed to find out the relation between baseline PI and the likelihood of developing hypotension after SAB in lower abdominal surgeries. Materials and methods: Our study was a prospective randomized observational study. In this study, patients were allocated in two groups according to the baseline PI. Group I includes patients with baseline PI ≤ 3.5 and group II includes patients with baseline PI > 3.5. Subarachnoid block with 15 mg 0.5% heavy bupivacaine at l4–l5 level or l3–l4 level intervertebral space was given and hypotension was mentioned as mean blood pressure <65 mm Hg. Results: The hypotension in group I was 12.28% whereas in group II was 74.58%. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that baseline PI could be a useful parameter for detecting patients at risk of developing hypotension. The area under the ROC curve for the prediction of hypotension was 0.912. The specificity and sensitivity of PI (baseline) of 3.3 to find hypotension were 75.38 and 94.12%, respectively. Conclusion: For predicting hypotension, PI can be used in patients having below umbilical surgeries under SAB. Therefore, it can be said that patients with PI (baseline) >3.5 have higher chances of developing hypotension than patients with PI <3.5.


The trade-off between the costs and benefits of disclosing a firm's private information has been the object of a vast literature. The absence of incentives to share information on a common market demand prior to competition has been advocated to interpret information sharing as evidence of collusion. Recent contributions have looked at bilateral information sharing, showing that information sharing is consistent with pairwise stability, This paper studies the networked pattern of bilateral information sharing on market demand, focusing on the role of heterogeneous information (firms' signals have different variances). We show that while pairwise stability predicts that i.i.d. signals are always shared in groups with a symmetric internal structure (both with and without side-payment and linking costs), heterogeneous signals are shared in asymmetric core-periphery architectures, in which "core" firms have more valuable information than periphery firms.


This paper focuses on the application of systems thinking, systems theory, and systems evaluation theory (SET) in evaluating modern day systems. SET consists of three steps purposively sequenced with each being a prerequisite for the success of the next step. The first foundational step is to define the system. Systems thinking provides theoretical rationale for defining the system boundaries, components, and relationships. However, there is no literature describing how to define these system elements. Using an example from the evaluation of several United States cardiac care systems, the paper shares a number of methods used to define the system boundaries, components, and relationships. The paper describes how each of these elements informs the evaluation of step two of SET—evaluating system efficiency. The discussion shares lessons learned, and notes the relationship between methods used in system and program evaluation.


This article proposes a fault-tolerant five-level inverter scheme for open-end induction motor (OEIM) drive application using a single dc link. The drive is fed with a primary inverter (a two-level inverter cascaded with a capacitor-fed H-bridge inverter) from one end and a secondary inverter (capacitor-fed two-level inverter) from the other end. The ratio of the dc-link voltage to the nominal capacitor voltage in the H-bridge and the secondary two-level inverter is maintained at 4:2:1. The capacitor balancing in the proposed scheme is achieved by space-vector (SV) redundancy. The proposed scheme gives five-level inverter operation with less number of components compared with other existing inverter topologies. Furthermore, the scheme provides fault-tolerant capability against a failure of the power switches in the H-bridges and the secondary two-level inverter. The experimental results in steady and transient states are presented. Also, the inverter operation during fault is provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.


Aims and Background Lack of Gadolinium-contrast wash-in on first-pass perfusion imaging, early gadoliniumenhanced imaging or late gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging after revascularized ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) is commonly referred to as microvascular obstruction (MVO). Additionally, T2 weighted imaging allows for the visualization of infarct-related oedema and intramyocardial haemorrhage (IMH) within the infarction. However, the exact histopathological relation of the contrast-devoid core and IMH is unknown. Methods In 8 Yorkshire swine, the circumflex coronary artery was occluded for 75 minutes by balloon catheter. After 7 days, CMR cine imaging, T2 weighted turbospinecho and LGE was performed. CMR images were compared to histological findings after phosphotungstic acid-haematoxylin and anti-CD31/Hematoxylin staining. These findings were compared to CMR findings in 27 consecutive PCI-treated STEMI-patients, using the same scanning protocol. Results In the porcine model, the infarct core contained extensive necrosis and erythrocyte extravasation, without intact vasculature and hence, no microvascular obstruction. The surrounding -Gadolinium-enhancedarea contained granulation tissue, leukocyte infiltration and necrosis with morphological intact microvessels containing microthrombi, without erythrocyte extravasation. Areas with IMH (median size 1.92 [0.36-5.25] cm3) and MVO (median size 2.19 [0.40-4.58] cm3) showed close anatomic correlation (ICC=0.85, r=0.85, p=0.03). Of the 27 STEMI-patients, 15 had IMH (median size 6.60 [2.49-9.79] cm3) and 16 had MVO (median size 4.31 [1.05-7.57] cm3). Again, IMH and MVO showed close anatomic correlation (ICC=0.87, r=0.93, p<0.001). Conclusion The contrast-devoid core of revascularized STEMI contains extensive erythrocyte extravasation with microvascular damage. Attenuating the reperfusion-induced haemorrhage may be a novel target in future adjunctive STEMI treatment.


The digital revolution is causing the new generations to demand new ways of learning. Motivating students is one crucial element of the learning-teaching process to achieve students' learning, which is the main objective of education. Using typical gaming elements in non-game environments, gamification transforms the learning process into a more motivating and enjoyable experience. Therefore, gamification offers adequate solutions for the educational needs of the new generation of students. Although most studies have found benefits from gamification, the results have not been encouraging in some cases. Several review studies suggest that more empirical studies are needed to investigate the motivating effects of using gamification in different educational settings and for specific student types. This study wants to answer whether using the proposed gamification design affects motivation, engagement, and satisfaction in teaching computer science to university students from other disciplinary areas such as journalism and audiovisual communication. The experiment consists of a gamified experience in a virtual classroom in Moodle for four weeks on general computer science content. A control group and a test group were used. The difference between the two was the use of gamified elements (points, badges, levels, task unlocking...). From the data obtained in this study, no significant differences were found in motivation and satisfaction between the different groups or the different methodologies. Our results demonstrate a specific positive correlation between engagement, motivation, and satisfaction. It is worth noting the positive values obtained in this type of course among all the students who were part of this experience and methodology.


Abstract
 Pseudactium credoi Owens and Carlton, new species, is described from three male specimens collected at a blacklight in Wilson County, Tennessee. Pseudactium credoi is similar to Pseudactium parabolicum (Brendel) and Pseudactium ursum Carlton in the form of the ventral projections of ventrite III, but secondary sexual modifications on the legs and the form of the aedeagus differ in ways that are consistent with species boundaries among other pselaphine taxa. A modified key to the species of Pseudactium Casey is provided to allow for the separation of P. credoi from the other twelve described species in the genus. This is the third species of Pseudactium described since the last revision of the genus.