sclerosis [2], stroke and hemorrhagic lesions [3], but is also a useful tool to visualize venous structures with diameters in the submillimeter range [4]. In the kidney, there are many diseases that may lead to an impaired function particularly longstanding diabetes mellitus, renal artery stenosis but also acute and chronic rejection after renal transplantation [5]. This is the reason why knowledge about the vessel structure and the degree of oxygenation is of great interest. SWI has not been established for renal imaging yet, but offers a valuable tool for abdominal measurements. Although it has recently been shown, that SWI is applicable to the abdomen [6], the technique is still in its infancy. Since SWI is based on the usage of blood as an intrinsic marker of blood oxygenation, it is very interesting to investigate the effect of an induced increase of blood flow, resulting in a higher blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast. In this study, the higher kidney function and the accompanying higher blood flow are realized by water uptake. Images have been acquired before and after water uptake in constant time intervals. A quantitative comparison of the state before and after water uptake is possible by contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) calculation. Study of Kidney SWI under Oxygenation Variation after Water Uptake Initial Results


This published email exchange with Artur Pelka (Lodz), which was conducted as part of a working group of the project "Postdramatik?" organised by the Forschungsplattform Elfriede Jelinek (http://fpjelinek.univie.ac.at/forschungsarbeiten/projekt-postdramatik-201314/) debates the viability of the term "post-drama" for texts such as those by Elfriede Jelinek. The discussion also touches on the delineation of drama and postdramatic theatre; the perceived establishment of postdramatic theatre as a 'hegemonic aesthetic yardstick' vs its introduction of new perceptions; the reception of Lehmann's Postdramatic Theatre in Britain, Germany and Poland; and the importance of experimental texts as a stimulus for postdramatic forms of theatre.


This research studied the formative prac- tices of the teacher "Lena",from her autobiographical narrative, as well as contrasting her educational expe- riences in rural, urban, and school environments. This teacher took part in Cultural Therapy in the Circles of Literacy, based on the Circles of Culture of Paulo Freire. It is also possible to reconstruct her formative journey as a woman-educator from the perspective of teacher identity, comprehending her formative journey to re - assert herself as a politicized educator, conscious of her role as an agent of change, and aware of the reali- ties that encompassed the lives of her students. The text discussed the data from the perspective of popu - lar education, as an excerpt from a Psychology Masters thesis research held in a Catholic school, designed to meet students in a social vulnerability situation. Liber - ating education thus satisfied the longings of the poor from the perspective of justice as liberation.


This paper investigates the development of accurate and efficient classifiers to identify misbehaving users (i.e., "flashers") in a mobile video chat application. Our analysis is based on video session data collected from a mobile client that we built that connects to a popular random video chat service. We show that prior image-based classifiers designed for identifying normal and misbehaving users in online video chat systems perform poorly on mobile video chat data. We present an enhanced image-based classifier that improves classification performance on mobile data. More importantly, we demonstrate that incorporating multi-modal mobile sensor data from accelerometer and the camera state (front/back) along with audio can significantly improve the overall image-based classification accuracy. Our work also shows that leveraging multiple image-based predictions within a session (i.e., temporal modality) has the potential to further improve the classification performance. Finally, we show that the cost of classification in terms of running time can be significantly reduced by employing a multilevel cascaded classifier in which high-complexity features and further image-based predictions are not generated unless needed.


This document describes a cryptographic authentication mechanism for
the Babel routing protocol that has provisions for replay avoidance.
This document updates RFC 6126bis and obsoletes RFC 7298.


To the Editor. —We have read with great interest the article by Desnoyers et al 1 in the July 1984 issue of the Archives referring to a case of pulmonary hemorrhage (PH) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although we consider that the case reported is most interesting, we disagree with these authors on several points. We herein discuss a similar patient whom we have studied recently. 2 In our case, the patient died as a consequence of two episodes of massive PH. We think that the patient described by Desnoyers et al probably also had two episodes of PH and that the first episode went unnoticed because it was attributed to a mycoplasmal pneumonia and because the anemia was presumed to be due to gastrointestinal tract bleeding. We believe that a guaiac-positive stool is not sufficient evidence to account for such severe gastrointestinal tract bleeding. Otherwise, hemolytic anemia associated with


Exposure ofleaves toS02orbisulfite isknowntoinduce peroxidation ofthylakoid lipids andtoinhibit photosynthetic electrontransport. Inthepresent study, wehaveexamined thetemporal relationship between bisulfite-induced thylakoid lipid peroxidation andinhibition ofelectron transport inanattempt to clarify theprimary mechanism ofS02phytotoxicity. Primary leaves ofbean(Phaseolus vulgaris L.cvKinghom) werefloated onasolution ofNaHSO3, andtheeffects ofthis treatment on photosynthetic electron transport weredetermined invivoby measurements ofchlorophyll a fluorescence induction andin vitro bybiochemical measurements ofthelight reactions using isolated thylakoids. Lipid peroxidation intreated leaves was followed bymonitoring ethane emission fromleaf segments and bymeasuring changes infatty acidcomposition andlipid fluidity inisolated thylakoids. A 1hourtreatment withbisulfite inhibited photosystem 11(PSII) activity by70%without modifying Photosystem1,andthisinhibitory effect wasnotlight-dependent. By contrast, lipid peroxidation wasnotdetectable until after the inhibition ofPSII andwasstrongly light dependent. Thistemporal separation ofevents together withthedifferential effect oflight suggests that bisulfite-induced inhibition ofPSII isnotasecondaryeffect oflipid peroxidation andthat bisulfite actsdirectly on oneormorecomponents ofPSII.


Make use of the fuzzy language variables and the characteristics of fuzzy number that is suitable to quantity fuzzy information, on the basis of AHP method, trying to evaluate the maintainability of equipment with fuzzy synthetic assessment method. The steps include:establish the factor aggregate, establish evaluation aggregate, ensure the power weights aggregate, constitute fuzzy relation matrix, and carry on Fuzzy synthetic assessment and so on. The examples testified that the method is easy to know the importance of each factor to maintenance design and can hold the key factors.


For many years, the City of Pretoria has been run by a transport system that is completely unco-ordinated. The system was characterised by a massive duplication of services. Rail transport at that time enjoyed government protection as entry to the transport industry was artificially made difficult for other modes of transport. Little was done to create a platform of providing a continuous transport service to the travelling public. The coming into existence of the national transport policy in 1996 presented an opportunity for various stakeholders to search for ways and means of integrating the Greater Pretoria Metropolitan Area's transport system. This paper is based on the processes undertaken by the Greater Pretoria Metropolitan Council (GPMC) in trying to create a suitable infrastructure to integrate the different transport modes in Pretoria. 2. A need to establish a Modal Integration Committee Rather than entering into destructive competition, the GPMC reckoned that it would be to the benefit of both the transport industry and the user if services are complemented where possible. This necessitated the establishment of a modal integration committee to cater for the transport needs of various segments of the travelling public. The rationale behind the establishment of the modal integration committee is to ensure that different modes strive to work together rather than working against each other. As part of its responsibilities, the committee ensures that it functions as a catalyst or facilitator striving to accomplish the government's transport goals and objectives. Also what has been given attention in the establishment phase of the committee was that no transport system can operate in a vacuum. This simply means that there are important stakeholders that should form part of the system. In trying to follow this principle, various relevant stakeholders have been invited to be part of the modal integration committee. Most importantly, representatives of the travelling public have been drawn into the process as the whole marketing effort is directed at satisfying their transport needs. The supply side is represented by different land transport modes including rail, bus and taxi. From the rail transport side, representatives of Metrorail and Mainline train services within the Pretoria area report on the developments taking place in their areas particularly with regard to aspects such as through ticketing, interchange facilities and communication network.


The paper presents a representation of a subclass of condition/event systems based on ordinary Petri nets and some extensions. A symbolic algorithm for controller synthesis is proposed which does not require computation of the whole state space.


This paper uses quantitative methods to assess the academic benefit of university electronic resources,aiming to measure the effects of library electronic resources on science research.It designs a three-level indicator system from the aspects of research output and per capita utilization rate;constructs an evaluating function so as to make quantitative evaluation of the academic benefits of library electronic resources.


Hill Street Blues marks a time in American television history when program quality won out over viewer quantity. The purpose of this essay is to explore claims to quality and innovation by examining the program in terms of narrative theory. Through detailed analysis of one episode, the series is revealed as a modernist text that mixes televisual, filmic, and literary forms and conventions. Despite its complexity, ambiguity, and discontinuity, the Hill Street Blues narrative maintains its intelligibility primarily through the use of melodrama, a storytelling mode that is characteristically straightforward and ideally suited to the television medium.


Objective To evaluate the method of endoscopic band ligation in resecting upper gastrointestinal leiomyoma . Methods We selected 59 patients with 64 small upper gastrointestinal tract leiomyo-mas by endoscopy , EUS and EUS guided fine needle aspiration. Of the 64 leiomyomas, their distribution were in esophagus 50, stomach 12 and duodenum 2. When the endoscope with transparent cap was introduced to reach the lesion, it was sucked into the cap, then released the band to ligate it. Two weeks after operation, endoscopic monitoring of the lesion was performed weekly until the complete healing of the wound. Results In the 64 lesions, 50 esophageal and 2 duodenal leiomyomas were thoroughly resected and the mean concrescence time is 3. 1 weeks and 4. 5 weeks respectively. Nine of 12 gastric leiomyomas were resected thoroughly and the other 3 were partially ligated and resulted in incomplete excision with the mean concrescence time of 4. 5weeks. No perforation occurred. Conclusions Endoscopic band ligation is an ideal method in resecting the small upper gastrointestinal leiomyomas.


An innovative deicing system for aircraft leading edges has been developed which integrates heater elements into fibre metal laminates. Such an electrical system can lead to weight reductions and more efficient performances compared to conventional bleed air systems. However, the combination of thermal and mechanical loadings also raises new questions on the durability of such a structure, in particular due to the repeated heating to elevated temperature. The linear viscoelastic creep behaviour, including the effects of temperature and ageing, is therefore investigated for manufactured FM906 glass-fibre epoxy composite as used in heated GLARE. A master curve is derived based on the time–temperature and time–age superposition. The effect of physical ageing during loading is included in a long-term creep prediction.


SIR, -Perhaps like many other organisers of courses predominantly for general practitioners I am bemused by what is recognised by regional advisers in general practice for the general practice postgraduate training allowance. The British Association of Sport and Medicine organises weekend modular courses in various branches of sports medicine aiming at training general practitioners and other doctors who wish to take the examinations for the Society of Apothecaries or the Scottish Colleges Diploma in Sports Medicine. Most of our students are general practitioners with an interest in sports medicine, often with attachments to sports clubs or sports injury clinics of various types, to which they give their professional services. Most of the clinical modules are recognised without too much of a problem, but we are repeatedly finding that exercise physiology, a knowledge of which is sadly lacking in most doctors in Britain, is not considered part of a general practitioner's training even if they decide to spend much of their working time dealing with athletes and other people who take a lot of exercise. To quote one of the regional advisers in general practice, "The (appeal) committee agreed that the accreditation of your course should not be supported since its content was not directly related to the everyday work of the general practitioner." This is a sad reflection on general practice if true. Do the physiology of locomotion, muscle fatigue, the effect of training, muscle strengthening, the physiology of adaptation to heat, acclimatisation, measurement of exercise capacity, anaerobic threshold, and body composition have no direct relation to the everyday work of the general practitioner? Is general practice limited to bed bound patients who never move? Are general practitioners never involved in the rehabilitation of a patient? As a cardiologist I find a knowledge of exercise physiology invaluable in assessing cardiac patients, and I just cannot believe that general practitioners would not find it equally useful even simply to understand what happens to a leg that has been put in plaster for a few weeks and then taken out again. The present system is arbitrary and encourages national course organisers, such as ourselves, to arrange courses only in specific regions of the country where they know the regional assessors are sympathetic to their topics. Is this really in the best interests of general practice?


The position of the water table around an oil or gas accumulation may be affected by various constraints, both geological and physical. In the complete absence of geological constraint, the table is still not likely to be horizontal, except where the average pore size in the sand is uniform all around the pool. If the average pore size is much greater at the north end of a pool, for example, than at the south end, the result of capillary forces will raise the water table at the south end with respect to the level at the north end. A simple picture of this effect is obtained by considering the following experiment. In a vessel of water, set up a ring of vertical capillary tubes of bore proportional to the mean grain size at each point along the ring representing the oil-wa er interface. The position of the top of the water columns in these capillaries will then represent the water table tilt to be expected around the pool. The paper gives the required mathematics and a numerical application to a California pool with known water table tilt. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1777------------


The aim of this commentary is to discuss in a rehabilitation perspective the published Cochrane Review "Follow-up services for improving long-term outcomes in intensive care unit (ICU) survivors" known collectively as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS by Schofield-Robinson et al. (1), under the direct supervision of the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group. This Cochrane Corner is produced in agreement with the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine by Cochrane Rehabilitation1.


Inclusion compounds have been prepared comprising g -cyclodextrin (CD) molecules as the host and half-sandwich cyano complexes of iron as the guests. High yields of crystalline one-to-one adducts were obtained by treatment of CpFe(CO) 2 CN and K[CpFe(CO)(CN) 2 ] with g -CD. In the case of CpFe(dppe)CN [dppe=bis(diphenylphosphine)ethane], a non-stoichiometric product is obtained and it is evident that the organometallic guests are easily liberated from the host cavities. The products were characterized in the solid-state by elemental analysis, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FTIR and CP MAS NMR ( 13 C, 31 P) spectroscopy. Additional information concerning the possible structure of the inclusion compounds was obtained from ab initio calculations using a two-layer approximation. The best organometallic- g -CD interaction is obtained with deep inclusion of the cyclopentadienyl ring, a geometry that is not possible in the case of the CpFe(dppe)CN system due to the size and orientation of the dppe ligand.


Summary Introduction Sitting and standing workstations can affect individual's health outcomes differently. This study aimed to assess the effects of sit and stand workstations on energy expenditure and blood parameters, including glucose and triglyceride, musculoskeletal symptoms/pain and discomfort, fatigue, and productivity among workers of assembly line of a belt factory. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 47 male assembly line workers (24 workers in sitting workstation and 23 workers in standing workstation) with at least one year of working experience. Data were gathered via demographic/occupational characteristics, Fitbit system, medical records, the Persian version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (P-NMQ), the Persian version of the Numeric Rating Scale (P-NRS), the Persian version of the Swedish Occupational Fatigue (P-SOFI), and Persian version of the Health and Work Questionnaire (P-HWQ). Results The results showed that there were no statistically significant between the demographic/occupational details of the participants in sitting and standing groups, except work experience. The findings of the present study revealed that the energy expenditure, and blood glucose/triglyceride there are not statistically differences between sitting and standing groups. In addition, the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck, lower back, knees, and ankles/feet in standing group was significantly higher than the sitting group. The means of severity of discomfort/pain in all body regions were significantly higher in standing group compared to other group. Generally, occupational fatigue was higher among the standing group compared to sitting group. About productivity, the 'concentration/focus' and 'impatience/irritability' subscales in sitting group were higher than the standing group. Contrariwise, other subscales of the productivity, including 'productivity', 'supervisor relations', 'non-work satisfaction', 'work satisfaction' in the standing group were higher than the sitting group. Conclusions To reduce the adverse effects of sitting and standing workstations on individual's health outcomes, planning to use sit-stand workstations is recommended.


In view of highly complicated calculation problems of inter-frame motion estimation of high efficiency video coding (HEVC), a fast termination algorithm of motion estimation on motion homogeneity was proposed. The motion homogeneity of the same object in video sequence was adopted to make a reasonable selection for the division method of current coding unit (CU) and end motion estimation of partly less likely complex division mode in advance. Under the current cursive depth, the CU motion difference was adopted to determine whether the current CU was the similar motion regions. For CU in the similar motion regions, after decomposition of next recursive depth small prediction unit (PU) splitting motion estimation was cut to reduce amount of calculation of motion estimation and lower calculation complexity. The results show that compared with the original HEVC encoding algorithm, the proposed algorithm can reduce en-coding time by 41.79% and 41.98% on average with peak signal-to-noise ratio(PSNR) loss of 0.052dB and 0.041dB in the low-delay and random-access cases.


Connected with the practice,this paper put forward some suggestion on the promoting the success of topics selection.There are seven aspects as follows: to control the book market correctly,to give full play to the professional advantage of editor,to know more of reader,to Cultivate and Maintain resource of author,to balance the risk and income,to create a name brand and to improve the service quality.


A new Cs+ adsorbent, Fe3O4-chitosan particles combined with ammonium molybdophosphate (Fe3O4–CTS–AMP composite) were synthesized using a facile method through coordination between CTS and AMP. The surface morphology and chemical composition characterization indicated that Fe3O4–CTS particles and AMP particles were bonded tightly and the composite behaved superparamagnetically. Cs+ adsorption properties of Fe3O4–CTS–AMP composites were studied. The adsorption data fitted well with pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir–Freundlich adsorption isotherms model. The adsorption equilibrium can be reached fast at 5 min. The maximum adsorption capacity was calculated as 177.8 mg g−1. The composite also showed high selectivity for Cs+ in coexistence with high concentration of competing cations. The adsorption mechanism of Cs+ for the composite may mainly be the exchange of Cs+ with NH4+. Therefore, the newly developed adsorbent is a kind of potential efficient composite for Cs+ removal from wastewater.


A new type of multi-clad rare-earth doped silica fiber was designed, prepared and tested for the power scaling of high power fiber lasers in the 1 .1 tm wavelength region. By means of a dedicated laboratory setup a maximum output power of more than 1 .300 watts with excellent spectral and beam behavior was achieved. The fundamental investigation of the energy transfer processes and of the fluorescence lifetimes of different Nd:Yb co-doped has been studied. Such fiber-lasers were tested in the laboratory at several materials (plastics, metals, glass) in the fields of material processing and micro-marking, respectively.


High urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio is considered a strong risk factor for hypertension. This study aimed to evaluate urinary excretion of sodium and potassium, and we analyzed these levels associated with dietary intake in Japanese adolescent football players. This cross-sectional study included 120 Japanese male adolescent football players. Over 24 h, urine was collected and measured for creatinine, sodium, and potassium levels. A dietary assessment was performed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. The study analyzed 79 participants. The mean urinary sodium was 143.2 mmol/day, urinary potassium was 42.8 mmol/day, and the mean urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio was 3.6. Compared with the Japanese Dietary Reference Intakes, the estimated salt intake was 73.4% for the participants who exceeded the sodium intake, and the estimated potassium intake was 73.4% for the participants who did not satisfy it. Multiple regression analysis revealed that milk and dairy product intake was independently and positively associated with urinary potassium (β = 0.252) and independently and negatively associated with the urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio (β = −0.254). Adolescent football players had a high-sodium and low-potassium diet, well above the Japanese Dietary Reference Intakes recommendations. Milk and dairy products could be effective for increasing urinary potassium and decreasing the urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio.


Professor Darrell Whitley has become one of the 2019 ACM Fellows "Recognized for Far-Reaching Accomplishments that Define the Digital Age". Members of the SIGEVO executive board sent Darrell a set of questions.


Categorical Date Type(CDT) can be regarded as a generalization of abstract data types,whose object is encapsulated data representation and also the control flow involved in evaluating homomorphism.So the relations of homomorphism are key ideas in construction of categorical data types,however there are some functions that are not homomorphism in data types.In this paper,we extend the homomorphism in the categorical data type,and get theoretical basis of the almost-homomorphism in the categorical data type,in the mean time,we use some examples to show the fact when homomorphism cannot be solved in the parallel computation we can use almost-homomorphism instead.In brief,almost-homomorphism is more difficult than homomorphism on the operation of the elements of tuple,and it extends the application area of CDT translation.


ACLAIM is a multi-function instrument consisting of a laser communication terminal and an imaging camera that share a common telescope. A single APS-(Active Pixel Sensor) based focal-plane-array is used to perform both the acquisition and tracking (for laser communication) and science imaging functions. ACLAIM was designed based on all commercially available catalog items. The instrument opto-mechanical design and performance is described here.


Culture filtrate of A. alternata (causal agent of chickpea blight) inhibited seed germination, plumule growth and caused blackening of seed in developing pods. The disease caused significant loss of flowers, pods and seeds in big seeded cultivar JG1265 but yield losses were greater in small seeded cultivar C 235. Sowing of diseased seeds lowered the yield. Significantly higher emergence was obtained when diseased seeds were separated (graded) and treated before sowing. Seed dressing with mancozeb resulted in max. emergence and yield, whereas triforine was most effective as a foliar spray. For integrated disease management sowing of disease, free treated seed followed by sprays of di-ammonium phosphate at 45 and 65 d were effective in minimizing disease incidence and increasing yield.


We study conditions under which, given a dictionary $F=\{f_1,\ldots ,f_M\}$ and an i.i.d. sample $(X_i,Y_i)_{i=1}^N$, the empirical minimizer in $\operatorname {span}(F)$ relative to the squared loss, satisfies that with high probability \[R\bigl(\tilde{f}^{\mathrm{ERM}}\bigr)\leq\inf_{f\in\operatorname {span}(F)}R(f)+r_N(M),\] where $R(\cdot)$ is the squared risk and $r_N(M)$ is of the order of $M/N$. Among other results, we prove that a uniform small-ball estimate for functions in $\operatorname {span}(F)$ is enough to achieve that goal when the noise is independent of the design.


The phase transition between charge- and spin-density-wave (CDW, SDW) phases is studied in the one-dimensional extended Hubbard model at half-filling. We discuss whether the transition can be described by Gaussian and spin-gap transitions under charge-spin separation, or by the direct CDW-SDW transition. These phase boundaries are determined by level crossings of excitation spectra which are identified according to discrete symmetries of wave functions. We conclude that the Gaussian and spin-gap transitions take place separately from the weak- to intermediate-coupling region, and a bond-order-wave phase exists between the CDW and the SDW states. Our results are also consistent with those of the strong-coupling theory and of the direct evaluation of the CDW order parameters.


Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized by a clonal expansion of a hematopoietic stem cell possessing a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22, the Philadelphia chromosome, as identified cytogenetically or molecularly (RT-PCR). CML accounts for 15% of adult leukemias. The disease progresses from a chronic phase through an accelerated phase to a blast phase. In the past, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network had suggested that there were three primary treatments available for CML which included: allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), IFN-α with or without cytarabine, and imatinib mesylate (Glivec®). It has been shown that Glivec is superior to the combination of interferon plus cytarabine. Although BMT can be a curative treatment for CML it is not usually used as a front-line therapy, due to limited donor availability and high toxicity of the procedure. Five-year survival rates following HLA-matched transplants are approximately 75% for patients in chronic phase.


The fluctuations in yield and consequently in production occurred due to climatic adversities in the main producing states of Brazil. Farming has changed over time, and past scenarios have shown high exploitation of natural resources focusing on soil tillage and conventional seeding methods. This study aimed to determine the yield performance of soybean grown under 10 consolidated crop succession systems. The experiment was conducted during the 2018/2019 crop season, before the research project entitled "Sustainable production systems with better use of biological and natural resources, with treatments arranged in a randomized block design and four replications". The treatments consisted of the following predecessor crops: Avena sativa, Avena strigosa, Triticum aestivum, Secale cereale, Brassica napus, Raphanus sativus, Avena strigosa + Raphanus sativus + Vicia sativa, Fallow, Avena strigosa + Lolium multiflorum, and Triticum aestivum – Fodder. Soybean was subsequently sown across winter crops. The succession that showed superior yield was Avena strigosa + Lolium multiflorum. This attribute was established by associating taller plants with the maximization of the number of grains per pod, hundred-grain mass, grain mass, and plant dry mass; in contrast, there was a lower emphasis on plant residue. The determining attributes for soybean yield were plant stand, plant height, the number of pods per plant, and total grain mass, with contrasts among groups composed of the succession of Avena sativa, Avena strigosa, Triticum aestivum, Secale cereale, and Brassica napus, distanced from Raphanus sativus, Avena strigosa + Raphanus sativus + Vicia sativa, Fallow, Avena strigosa + Lolium multiflorum, and Triticum aestivum - Fodder.


The use of herbs (medicinal plants) for the treatment of diseases is as old as the history of mankind. Sterculia setigera is an example of such plant endowed in nature to serve the needs of man. Folkloric claims on antibacterial activity of S. setigera were investigated in-vitro on a micro-scale using the Alamar Blue Assay. Three of four successive solvent extractions of the plant leaves extracts inhibited the growth of a virulent strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, H37Rv (ATCC27294) in the concentrations tested (1-128 µg/ml). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determined for the hexane, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts were 84 µg/ml, 62 µg/ml and 128 µg/ml respectively. The combined active extracts were subjected to an extensive bioactivity-guided fractionation using a combination of normal phase (NP VLC) and reverse phase (RP MPLC) chromatography. Purification of active fractions led to pure sub-fractions with good activity (MICs 15.13 µg/ml-31.43 µg/ml). The cytotoxicity effect of the most active fractions was determined against African green monkey kidney cells (Vero cells) and human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines. The fractions were non-toxic to Vero and HepG2 cells. Two pure compounds have been isolated from these active sub-fractions and structural elucidation is being carried out. The results show that S. setigera leaves are active against M. tuberculosis, and the anti-TB activity of ethnomedicinally used S. setigera leave has been confirmed by in vitro tests for the first time. This current report further suggests the presence of potential anti-mycobacterial agent(s) or anti-TB drug leads in S. setigera leaves.


Background & Aims: Mental retardation is one of the most common mental disabilities that are allocated about 3% of the world's population. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of closed kinetic chain training program on the static and dynamic balance of mentally retarded students. Materials & Methods: In a case-control study, 30 male mentally retarded students in two groups (CTL, 15 mentally retarded with a mean age of 11.23 ± 3.11 years, height 148 ± 7.51cm, weight 35.26 ± 5.13kg) and (TRN,15 mentally retarded with a mean age 11.53 ± 2.25 years, height 150 ± 7.02 cm, weight 42.12 ± 7.08 kg). TRN group performed a closed kinetic chain program for 8 weeks and three times per week. The pre-test and post-test of Sharpened Romberg test was done for measure static balance and Get Up and Go test was done for measure dynamic balance of two groups. Independent T test used to analyze the data (p≤0.05). Result: Results showed significant differences in mean TRN and CTL groups in static balance (open eye (p=0.014) and closed eye (p=0.002)) and for dynamic balance (P=0.011). Conclusion: closed kinetic chain training program improve the static and dynamic balance of mentally retarded students and can be used with other training program for the improve balance of mentally retarded students.


Experimental defocused fluorescence emission patterns from single chiral molecular systems are compared to semiclassical simulations as a means for a priori determination of chiral axis orientation in single-molecule systems. Using a coupled-oscillator model as a radiation source, we show that the basic features of defocused emission patterns from chiral fluorophores can be recovered and suggests the feasibility of chiral axis orientation determination (within some limits) in single-molecule systems.


Two approaches for drawing of stereometric objects by a constructive method are presented using algorithms designed to help solve problems in the construction of correct, visual and easy-to-draw drawings. The first approach is based on operations borrowed from engineer drawing, where standardized axonometric projections guarantee the quality of drawings. The second one is based on the experience of many generations of teachers and practitioners. A list of methodological advice has been proposed. The analytical method of reasoning in computational problems is promoted, the method of combining with the image plane is established, which visualizes the way to the result, adds empiricism to the discipline. The presented statistical survey among mathematics teachers demonstrates their attitude to the constructive solution of stereometric problems. The advantages and disadvantages of teaching constructivism methods are highlighted. It has been established that the skills of qualitative drawings contribute to the formation of life competencies of pupils.


Cloud computing is gaining popularity among small and medium-sized enterprises. The cost of cloud resources plays a significant role for these companies and this is why cloud resource optimization has become a very important issue. Numerous methods have been proposed to optimize cloud computing resources according to actual demand and to reduce the cost of cloud services. Such approaches mostly focus on a single factor (i.e., compute power) optimization, but this can yield unsatisfactory results in real-world cloud workloads which are multi-factor, dynamic and irregular. This article presents a novel approach which uses anomaly detection, machine learning and particle swarm optimization to achieve a cost-optimal cloud resource configuration. It is a complete solution which works in a closed loop without the need for external supervision or initialization, builds knowledge about the usage patterns of the system being optimized and filters out anomalous situations on the fly. Our solution can adapt to changes in both system load and the cloud provider's pricing plan. It was tested in Microsoft's cloud environment Azure using data collected from a real-life system. Experiments demonstrate that over a period of 10 months, a cost reduction of 85 percent was achieved.


Thirty six genotypes of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum  ) were studied at Jobner(Rajasthan) for their genetic divergence following D2 analysis. The study indicated that thegenotypes were grouped into six clusters and there was lack of parallelism between geneticand geographic diversity. Intra cluster distance was highest in cluster I followed by clusterII. Inter cluster distance was maximum between cluster IV and II followed by III and II.Among the 10 characters studied for genetic divergence, fat content contributed the maxi-mum accounting for 70.3% of total divergence, followed by plant height (8.6%). The studyindicated that for obtaining heterotic response as well as better segregants, inter-matingbetween genotypes of diverse clusters may be undertaken in breeding programmes for im-proving yield and quality traits.


Thermally-tuning silicon micro-cavities are versatile and beneficial elements in low-cost large-scale photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Traditional metal heaters used for thermal tuning in silicon micro-cavities usually need a thick SiO2 upper-cladding layer, which will introduce some disadvantages including low response speed, low heating efficiency, low achievable temperature and complicated fabrication processes. In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate thermally-tuning silicon micro-disk resonators by introducing graphene transparent nano-heaters, which contacts the silicon core directly without any isolator layer. This makes the graphene transparent nano-heater potentially to have excellent performances in terms of the heating efficiency, the temporal response and the achievable temperature. It is also shown that the graphene nano-heater is convenient to be used in ultrasmall photonic integrated devices due to the single-atom thickness and excellent flexibility of graphene. Both experiments and simulations imply that the present graphene transparent nano-heater is promising for thermally-tuning nanophotonic integrated devices for e.g. optical modulating, optical filtering/switching, etc.


BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Edible bananas originated mainly from two wild species, Musa acuminata Colla (AA) and Musa balbisiana Colla (BB), and triploid cultivars with an AAA, AAB or ABB genome are the most widely used. In the present study, chromosome pairing affinities are investigated in a sterile AB Indian variety and in its fertile colchicine-induced allotetraploid (AABB) derivative to determine the inheritance pattern of the tetraploid genotype. The potential implications of interspecific recombination and chromosomal composition of diploid gametes for Musa improvement are presented.

METHODS
The pairing of different chromosome sets at diploid and tetraploid levels was investigated through a combination of conventional cytogenetic and genomic in-situ hybridization (GISH) analyses of meiotic chromosomes, leading to a likelihood model of the pairing behaviour. GISH analysis of mitotic chromosomes was also conducted to reveal the chromosome constitution of hybrids derived from crosses involving the allotetraploid genotype.

KEY RESULTS
Analysis of chromosome associations at both ploidy levels suggested that the newly formed allotetraploid behaves as a 'segmental allotetraploid' with three chromosome sets in a tetrasomic pattern, three sets in a likely disomic pattern and the five remaining sets in an intermediate pattern. Balanced and unbalanced diploid gametes were detected in progenies, with the chromosome constitution appearing to be more homogenous in pollen than in ovules.

CONCLUSIONS
Colchicine-induced allotetraploids in Musa provide access to the genetic background of natural AB varieties. The segmental inheritance pattern exhibited by the AABB allotetraploid genotype implies chromosome exchanges between M. acuminata and M. balbisiana species and opens new horizons for reciprocal transfer of valuable alleles.


Despite the enormous attention received by the single-period mean-variance model in the literature, its structural relationship to the empirical world is still largely unexplored. The purpose of this note is to show that when certain consistency requirements and equilibrium conditions in the financial markets are taken into account, the collective judgment of the present literature concerning the mean-variance approach is in some respects too lenient and in other respects too harsh. In addition, it will be noted that the mean-variance model can only achieve consistency with the von Neumann-Morgenstern postulates and absolute preference (also known as first-order stochastic dominance) at the price of a severe upper bound on the risk aversion that can be possessed by the decision maker.


During the past three decades, sexual intercourse has increased in preva lence and has gradually become an earlier experience for young adoles cent females. Despite the prevalence, results of previous research have appeared to be inconsistent and noncumulative. A life course perspective and a sub-sample of Black females between 15-19 years of age from the National Survey of Family Growth Cycle III survey were used to identify the relationship between significant life events and other influences on the timing of the transition to first intercourse for these adolescents. Life events, such as dating, were important influences on the timing of transi tion, as were other demographic factors, such as mother's education and family income. It is important to understand the context and develop mental sequencing in order to understand the timing of transitions, which is quite different than simply identifying an "age of coitus."


Four of the nineteen papers in these proceedings have already been processed for inclusion in the TIC data base, and can be located by reference to the CONF- number. The remaining fifteen will be announced when they are received from AIP. (RWR)


Background: 3-Methyl indole(Skatole, 3-MI) is produced by microfloral fermentation of tryptophan in rumen and production of that has relation with the onset of respiratory problems in cattle. The aim of this study was to compare complications of 3-MI dissolved in two solvents, Cremophor and Propylene Glycol on BALB/c mice by histopathologic and stereologic studies. Materials, Methods & Results: Female Balb/C mice 56 days of age (23 - 27 g) were divided into 13 groups of eight and had access to food and water ad libitum. Mice were housed in plastic cages (4 per cage) with wire bar lids on bedding of sawdust in an air-conditioned room with 12 h light: dark cycles. After a 7-day acclimation period, for 5 groups, Mice were injected with 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800 mg/kg from solution of 3-MI in propylene glycol and similarly for 5 other groups with Cremophor. As well as 2 groups were injected with Propylene glycol and Cremophor with the dosage that is necessary for solving the highest dose of 3-MI. One group received normal saline with the volume equal with Cremophor (drug vehicle) group. Briefly, 125 mg of 3-MI was dissolved per mL of sterile filtered Propylene glycol and 30 mg of 3-MI was dissolved per mL of sterile filtered Cremophor. Once injected intra peritoneally, mice were monitored 3-4 h for external reaction signs from the injection. LD50 was determined 610.16 mg/kg 3-Methylindole and 687.5 mg/kg 3-Methylindole dissolved in Propylene glycol and Cremophor respectively with linear regression. Increase in respiration rate, tachypnea and shallow respiration was observed in clinical examination. In necropsy, alveolar and bronchial hyperemia was significant in lungs. Some superficial wounds were observed in upper respiratory airways. Trachea and Hungarian airways were severely hyperemic. There were some debris's in airways canals. We couldn't find any lesion in other organs. Histopathology showed noticeable alveolar edema and emphysema, type I pneumocytes necrosis, Slight endothelial lesions, rare degeneration of type II pneumocytes and raised nutrophil infiltration around vessels were observed in higher dosages of both groups. Moderate interstitial edema, hyperemia and increase of alveolar macrophages were observed too. Increase of lymphocytes was noticed after the dose 600 mg/kg moderately on a dose dependent manner. There was a Hyaline membrane in the wall of air sacs. Endothelial capillary damage in Cremophor dissolved 3-MI groups were slightly lower. Although damage to the vessels was not that much progressed in both groups. Stereologic study of type II pneumocytes showed a significant increase in the percentage of them in alveoli of treatment groups in a dose dependent manner compare to control and drug vehicle groups. At the highest dose (800 mg/kg) the group with Propylene glycol as solvent had significant difference with Cremophor dissolved 3-Methyl indole group and epithelialization was more severe in that. Bronchiole injuries raised in a dose dependent manner in both treatment groups. Discussion: The results of this research indicate that intraperitoneal infusion of 3-MI dissolved in Propylene glycol and Cremophor cause noticeable changes in the respiratory systems of mice. Effects of 3-MI in Propylene glycol is more severe than 3-MI dissolved in Cremophor but type of the lesions is not different. Bronchiolar lesions were moderate compare to the effects of 3-MI in some other animals. Severity of vascular lesions in Propylene glycol dissolved 3-MI was greater than groups that received the Cremophor dissolved 3-MI. Although the vascular injuries were not that much noticeable at all.


We read with interest the large and impressive study by Dubois-Laforgue et al. (1) describing the phenotype, long-term follow-up, and genotype/phenotype correlations in 201 adults with hepatocyte nuclear factor 1B (HNF1B)-associated disease. They report that patients with an HNF1B mutation have a worse renal prognosis than those with a 17q12 deletion, as they had a higher frequency of chronic kidney disease stages 3–4/end-stage renal disease and a lower median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at follow-up (42.5 vs. 75 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively; P = 0.008). The article did not comment on the fact that similar results have previously been found in two …


Properly operating heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are essential for Army facilities. Operating efficiently, they conserve energy and provide a comfortable, healthy work environment. Current design and construction practices should be capable of producing functional HVAC systems, but there are no assurances of this. Acceptance testing ensures that US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) field offices and installation Directorates of Public Works (DPWs) are receiving properly operating HVAC systems. The objective of this work was to develop simple, accurate procedures for USACE District, Area, and Resident Office construction and engineering personnel, and DPW engineering and operations and maintenance personnel to ensure that a new facility`s HVAC system is operating properly and to correct faulty existing HVAC systems. This report contains discussions on and procedures for variable air volume systems, package boilers, chillers, exhaust systems, and hydronic systems.


In this paper we present a LLR(log-likelihood ratio) operation method with reduced complexity for communication systems using the differential phase shift keying. The LLR operation is used at the receiver to restore the transmitted signal with high reliability. There are various types of reduced complexity LLR operations tuned to specific decoding method which include Log-MAP and Max-Log-MAP algorithms. We propose a new simplified Max-Log types of LLR which can further reduce the computational complexity for systems adopting differential modulation schemes.


Introduction Constructing Socially Constructed Identity Constructing a Critique of Social Constructionism Constructing Actor-Network Theory Actor-Network Theory and Identity Science, Knowledge and the Public Actors, Identities and 'Natural' Nonhumans Conclusion


To monitor regional ventricular function in man following cardiac surgery we have developed an implantable ultrasonic sensor which is attached to the epicardial surface during surgery to measure wall thickening. During the last 18 months we have implanted sensors in 33 patients for up to 2 days postoperatively. Good quality signals were obtained from 25 of the sensors, and all were extracted sucessfully in the intensive care unit. Thickening fraction (TF) was highly variable among patients, dropped transiently after surgery, but remained relatively stable in most patients during the recovery period. Four patients developed sustained systolic thinning suggestive of ischemia or infarction during the recovery period. However, none of these patients were symptomatic or had ECG changes or other positive tests for ischemia. We conclude that the method is a safe, reliable, and accurate technique to monitor the recovery of ventricular function following surgery and that it provides quantitative information not obtainable by other methods.


Abstract Computer aided design (CAD) is a key point in the development of all engineering products for cost reduction and for accelerating the update of products. Unlike mechanical design, which usually yields truly 3‐D objects, the 2‐D extruded nature of the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication process makes it extremely suitable to be represented using an automatic solid modeling flow. In this paper, the relationship between key MEMS fabrication procedures and their corresponding solid modeling functions are first correlated. Based on these correlations, a fabrication process emulator, called the NCKU Z‐Fabricator is subsequently developed to emulate MEMS fabrication, and successful microfabrication examples are demonstrated. Finally, the simulation module for a novel multi‐user MEMS platform "SMart" and the non‐traditional excimer laser ablation process are designed and demonstrated using the Z‐Fabricator. Following the correlation and methodology outlined in this paper, it is expected that users will be able to design their own process emulator to customize their own special fabrication requirements and to reduce the cost of software in a more flexible manner.


Six classroom teachers rated their Grade 4 students' behavior on five subtests and repeated the rating five months later after four classes had been exposed to self-development or relaxation-imagery programs. Correlations for students' and teachers' perceptions of students' behavior were statistically significant on two subtests at pretest and three subtests at posttest. A comparison of total mean scores of teachers' perceptions at posttest indicated a significant difference by group with the trained groups' self-esteem being superior to the other groups.


S54 Table 1 Patient characteristics, EMGpara%max, NRDI, lung function and functional status in forty-five patients with ILD. Correlation coefficients for the relationship between NRDI and individual variables given (* p <0.05) Parameter Median Range Correlation with NRDI (r=) Age (years) 65 35–85 BMI 27.5 20.6–40.7 FEV1%predicted 82.5 41 -148 -0.38* FVC%predicted 83 43–137 -0.36* TLCO%predicted 48 21–78 -0.25 EMGpara%max (%) 8.1 3.4–20.2 NRDI a.u. 148 61–514 K-BILD 65 21–100 -0.007 SGRQ 37 2.3–80 -0.74


Abstract It is becoming increasingly important to monitor zoobenthic biodiversity in seas that are under industrial and anthropogenic pollution pressure, such as the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea. This study covers crustacean species in the Turkish waters of the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea, both of which are closed systems. Sampling was carried out in July–August 2019 and yielded 32 crustacean species from the Black Sea and 77 species from the Marmara Sea. In the Marmara Sea, two species [Kupellonura mediterranea and Leucon (Macrauloleucon) siphonatus] represent new records for the Turkish waters, and 12 species [Cirolana cranchii, Cumella (Cumella) pygmaea, Cyathura carinata, Cymodoce truncata, Eurydice pulchra, Gammaropsis sophiae, Harpinia truncata, Iphinoe serrata, Iphinoe trispinosa, Liocarcinus pusillus, Nebalia strausi and Synchelidium maculatum] are new to the Marmara Sea. The following species: Gammaropsis palmata, Pontocrates arenarius, and Synchelidium haplocheles are new records for the Black Sea. The order Amphipoda dominated in both seas in terms of the number of species and the number of individuals.


Auger electron energies and binding energies of Na metal and Na compounds are compared with values for the free atom and the free ion. An important component of the differences is associated with extra-closed core relaxation. A unified treatment of all electrons outside the core is presented, complementing the approach of partitioning into intra-atomic and extra-atomic relaxation by Kowalczyk et al.


PURPOSE: To properly reproduce a channel clock corresponding to a plurality of signal formats even in the simple constitution of a PLL(phase locked loop) circuit. CONSTITUTION: In the PLL circuit for reproducing a channel clock synchronized with data read from a rotary-driven disk recording medium, the frequency division ratio of a frequency divider provided in a required signal path is switched according to the reproducing signal format of, for example a CD(compact disc) reproducing signal, a DVD(digital video disc) reproducing signal or the like. When a signal format is different, the frequency of the channel clock synchronized with the reproducing signal is also varied. However, only by the operation of switching a frequency division ratio in one PLL circuit, the channel clock is properly reproduced corresponding to the plurality of signal formats.


We study the strong consistency of estimator of fixed design regression model under negatively dependent sequences by using the classical Rosenthal-type inequality and the truncated method. As an application, the strong consistency for the nearest neighbor estimator is obtained.


Aiming at existing problems in informationization of agricultural product trading in our country such as too many websites,information asymmetry,and unintelligent information lookups,etc.,a docking system based on intelligent mobile terminals is designed. This system,which adopts the MVC three-tier architecture,implements the interaction between database,user,indexer and crawler. After the trial,this system turns out to create pretty good effect which provides users with the latest information on the agricultural market,and the service of automatic docking between agricultural product supply and demand. It is simple,efficient and fast,which can be the reference for similar applications.


Donoho and Johnstone [13] proposed a method from reconstructing an unknown smooth function u from noisy data u+ ζ by translating the empirical wavelet coefficients of u+ ζ towards zero. We consider the situation where the prior information on the unknown function u may not be the regularity of u but that of Lu where L is a linear operator (such as a PDE or a graph Laplacian). We show that the approximation of u obtained by thresholding the gamblet (operator adapted wavelet) coefficients of u+ ζ is near minimax optimal (up to a multiplicative constant), and with high probability, its energy norm (defined by the operator) is bounded by that of u up to a constant depending on the amplitude of the noise. Since gamblets can be computed in O(N polylogN) complexity and are localized both in space and eigenspace, the proposed method is of near-linear complexity and generalizable to non-homogeneous noise.


The main objective of the bachelor's thesis is to analyse the marketing strategy of the company HOME INTERIER s.r.o. The company's focus is on designing and installing interiors, but an integral part of the company's offer is furniture, interior accessories, and appliances. The theoretical part of the thesis starts with an explanation of the term marketing, the process of marketing and continues with a description of main features of a marketing strategy creation. The practical part contains an analysis of the company's marketing strategy, evaluates the strategy, and provides suggestions for improvements.


The formation of tertiary lymphoid structures, defined as aggregates of lymphoid cells, developing ectopically in nonlymphoid locations, characterized by B-/T-cell segregation, differentiation of high endothelial venules, and development of follicular dendritic cells networks, supporting a germinal centre response, is a common histological feature associated with Sjögren's syndrome. This ectopic lymphoid organization of immune cells is accompanied by the production of lymphoid chemokines and cytokines, responsible for leukocyte organization and survival. Interestingly, many of these factors detected within lymphoid structures are derived from nonhaemotopoietic stromal cells. This suggests that stromal cell activation is critically important for the maintenance and organization of tertiary lymphoid structures in inflammatory conditions.


I am pleased to report a number of successes on the research stemming from this bursary, all on the general theme of quantifying uncertainty and risky decision-making across domains. We have now measured such behavior for conscious and unconscious perception in tasks ranging from intuitive physics in infants and adults, binocular rivalry, and early visual processing. Moreover, we developed a method to discover the structure of neural representations and applied it to visual cognition. This report is structured by the papers that have stemmed in part from this bursary.


On October 23, 1997, the Clinton administration will host the White House Conference on Child Care. The administration is expected to announce several initiatives to expand federal control over day care, ranging from increased federal subsidies to public education campaigns. Those federal initiatives are misguided, largely because they seriously misread the true state of child care in the United States.


The resort is located on the southern coast of Koh Pha Ngan, and is set just steps away from the beach. It enjoys spectacular seaside surroundings, and is fringed by lush coconut palms. Situated just 5 minutes from the main port of Thong Sala, the resort..


Objective To establish a method for assay of homocysteine in plasma with high-performance liquid Chromatography.Methods plasma homocysteine was reduced by tributylphosphine and derivatized by fluorogenic thoil-specific reagent SBD-F.Derivatives of homocysteine were separated by fluorescence spectrophotometer.Results Calibration curve was linear in the range of 0~45 μmol/L for homocysteine.The recovery was 92.13%~108.04%.Intra-sample coefficient of variation was from 0.5 to 3.1%.Intra-and inter-day coefficients of variation were from 1.6% to 3.8% and from 2.8% to 4.6%.Conclusion The method that we have established has high sensitivity and good reproducibility and may be applied routine clinical use and scientific research.


To explore the effect of the presence and timing of a do‐not‐resuscitate (DNR) order on short‐term clinical outcomes, including mortality.


We have developed and tested a high resolution beta camera far a direct measurement of positron distribution on brain surface of animals. The beta camera consists of a thin CaF/sub 2/(Eu) scintillator, a tapered fiber optics plate (taper fiber) and a position sensitive photomultiplier tube (PSPMT). The taper fiber is the key component of the camera. We have developed two types of beta cameras. One is 20 mm diameter field of view camera for imaging brain surface of cats. The other is 10 mm diameter camera for that of rats. Spatial resolutions of beta camera for cats and rats were 0.8 mm FWHM and 0.5 mm FWHM, respectively. We confirmed that developed beta cameras may overcome the limitation of the spatial resolution of the positron emission tomography (PET).


A coil-capacitor target is modeled using FEM simulations and analytical calculations, which allow to explain the time evolution of such complex target during magnetic field production driven by the flow of an extremely high current generated through the interaction with a high power laser. The numerical model includes a detailed study of the magnetic field produced by the coil-capacitor target, both in the static and transient cases, as well as magnetic force and Joule heating. The model is validated by experimental data reported in literature and can be of interest for several applications. As an example, the combination of two synchronized nanosecond lasers with the purpose of producing a plasma responsible of the proton-boron (p+ + 11B → 8.5 MeV + 3α) fusion reaction, and energizing two multi-turn coils with the main purpose of confining such a plasma could enhance the reaction rate. The preliminary conceptual design of a magnetic mirror configuration to be used for confining protons and boron ions up ...


This paper traces the history of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising for prescription drugs in the United States, beginning with the enactment of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act in 1938 and continuing through the current state of FDA regulation. A detailed analysis of how the promulgation of DTC ads has affected a variety of groups (including consumers, the medical profession, pharmaceutical companies, the government, and advertisers) is followed by a brief look at a well-known DTC ad campaign (Schering-Ploughi?½s Claritin). The paper questions whether DTC ads are a constructive or a deconstructive element of the American healthcare system and concludes by offering an opinion on the current state of DTC advertising regulation and enforcement by the FDA.


We develop an analytical expression for the velocity derivative flatness factor, F, in decaying homogenous and isotropic turbulence (HIT) starting with the transport equation of the third-order moment of the velocity increment and assuming self-preservation. This expression, fully consistent with the Navier-Stokes equations, relates F to the product between the second-order pressure derivative (∂2p/∂x2) and second-order moment of the longitudinal velocity derivative ((∂u/∂x)2), highlighting the role the pressure plays in the scaling of the fourth-order moment of the longitudinal velocity derivative. It is also shown that F has an upper bound which follows the integral of k*4Ep*(k*) where Ep and k are the pressure spectrum and the wavenumber, respectively (the symbol * represents the Kolmogorov normalization). Direct numerical simulations of forced HIT suggest that this integral converges toward a constant as the Reynolds number increases.


Ovine lentivirus (OvLV), a retrovirus, infects and disseminates to various tissue organs via monocytes. The differentiation of infected monocytes into macrophages is a prerequisite for viral replication, and the presence of infected macrophages in tissue organs induces chronic immunopathology such as lymphoid interstitial pneumonia. The pulmonary intravascular macrophage (PIM) is a recently identified mononuclear phagocyte in domestic animal species, including sheep. Recombinant ovine interferon‐tau (roIFN‐τ), a type I IFN originally named as the ovine trophoblast protein, has potent antiviral activity against OvLV and human immunodeficiency virus and prevents the development of OvLV‐associated lung pathology.


average working hours of laborers have become &dquo;increasingly burdensome and invasive-more intense, fast-paced, 'flexible' and long&dquo; during the past twenty-five years. And he argues that these trends hold true not only in manufacturing in the U.S., Japan, and Western Europe, but also in agriculture and service industries. Basso anticipates that few will dispute his assertions regarding intensification of work. But he believes the general consensus regarding the length of the working day is in dispute, especially in light of the 35-hour week in parts of Germany and France. That discussion becomes one of his primary concerns. Basso reviews socio-economic literature on the question of working hours and discusses why he feels many are incorrect to follow the prophecies from Keynes to Samuelson regarding the steady march across the


Planning safe trajectories under uncertain and dynamic conditions makes the autonomous driving problem significantly complex. Current heuristic-based algorithms such as the slot-based method rely heavily on hand-engineered parameters and are restricted to specific scenarios. Supervised learning methods such as Imitation Learning lack generalization and safety guarantees. To address these problems and to ensure a robust framework, we propose a Robust-Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning (HRL) framework for learning autonomous driving policies. We adapt a state-of-the-art algorithm, Hierarchical Double Deep Q-learning (h-DDQN), and make the framework robust by (1) constituting the decision of selecting driving maneuver as a high-level option; (2) for the lower-level controller, outputting waypoint trajectories to track with a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller instead of direct acceleration/steering actions; and (3) using a Long-Short-Term-Memory (LSTM) layer in the network to alleviate the effects of observation noise and dynamic driving behaviors. Moreover, to improve the sample efficiency, we use Hybrid Reward Mechanism and Reward-Driven Exploration. Results from the high-fidelity CARLA simulator while simulating different interactive lane change scenarios indicate that the proposed framework reduces convergence time, generates smoother trajectories, and can better handle dynamic surroundings and noisy observations as compared to other traditional RL approaches.


Introduction and Objective: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) produces reproductive and respiratory disease in sows and pigs, Herd mass vaccination has demonstrated to be an effective tool to stabilize the sow herd; therefore improving reproductive efficiency and allowing the production of naive pigs at weaning . The objective of this study was to monitoring the serological response on two different schemes of mass herd vaccination with Modified Live Vaccine (Ingelvac® PRRS MLV).


A comparison of two methods of subwavelength imaging is undertaken. Pendry's superlens is compared with a computational image reconstruction technique. In both cases, limitations of materials impose limits on resolution. Both systems have similar limits, suggesting that resolution restrictions on Pendry's superlens apply generally to various forms of subwavelength imaging. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 2913–2914, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24791


This chapter provides a background on the issue of same-sex marriage that come to prominence in many countries around the world in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. It recounts the granting of the right of two women or two men to marry by the nations of the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, and Argentina. It also mentions other states that instituted alternative forms of civil union or domestic partnership, conferring all or some of the same legal benefits of marriage. The chapter focuses on the idea of marriage between two people of the same sex that has appeared in a wide variety of texts during the early modern period in Europe. It looks at references to the classical world and ancient sources that tell of emperors marrying their favorite male slaves.


Recently, the worldwide deregulation of the electric power industry is progressing. Further, it is expected that a many distributed generation facilities and energy storage systems will be installed at the end point of the power systems. Therefore, the future power system must be able to cope with these various qualities of power in the deregulated situation. The authors have proposed the FRIENDS (Flexible, Reliable, and Intelligent ENergy Delivery System) concept as a new distribution system that copes with a new framework of the electric power business in the near future. The most typical aspect of FRIENDS is the introduction of new equipment; Quality Control Centers (QCC) between distribution substations and customers. In this paper, the authors propose a concrete interior structure and investigate some control methods for realizing unbundling power quality supply and power conditioning using the proposed UPQC‐type QCC. The effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed through the instantaneous value analysis using PSCAD/EMTDC. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 146(3): 26–38, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10243


Teachers's affection has influence on their on teaching in every aspect.The affection,including teachers' love of their careers and their students as well as their own personalities,has effects on the cultivation on students' thought and behavior,the obtainment of knowledge and training on their bodies and souls etc.


A novel bidirectional electrooptic network analyzer has been demonstrated which enables the full S-parameter characterization of both electrooptic (E/O) and optoelectronic (O/E) components using a single connection of the device-under-test to the test ports. A combined two-tier E/O and O/E calibration is proposed. Measurement results which validate both the analyzer architecture and the calibration are presented.


Preferential flow in the unsaturated soil is an important and common phenomenon, which is difficult to be characterized. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the Active Region Model (ARM), which incorporated the fractal flow patterns into the continuum approach, has been developed to characterize preferential water flow in the unsaturated zone. Experiments were conducted to measure water flow process in a bare soil landfill cover and a ET landfill cover. Modeling analysis indicated that the water content distributions could be simulated generally well with the ARM by considering preferential flow in the porous media. Compared with the ARM, the continuum model underestimated percolation for both bare soil and vegetation coved plots.


The area of stereotypical thinking is researched quite well but it lacks literature on what social science students think about it and whether they have the same stereotypes. We are going to show the results of the questionnaire which concerns biases. The purpose of the investigation is to display that we almost think the same way that is why we come to false conclusions and consequently make wrong decisions. The result of our research will be useful for professors and teachers who specialize in training critical thinking and forming organizational culture of future specialists.


IN RECENT YEARS, EVIDENCE THAT SLEEP DISORDERED BREATHING IN CHILDREN LEADING TO SEVERAL END ORGAN MORBIDITIES HAS EMERGED. OF particular importance is the fact that the cardiovascular system may manifest a variety of maladaptive responses to the presence of sleep disordered breathing. The combination of large swings in intrathoracic pressures in the context of obstructed breathing, coupled with recurrent arousals and resultant sleep fragmentation, as well as gas exchange abnormalities, all likely contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.1 While the exact mechanisms have yet to be elucidated, it is currently thought that alterations in autonomic nervous system tonic and reflective functions, disruption of endothelial homeostasis, and systemic inflammation may all lead to accelerated atherogenesis and disruption of vasomotor control.

In the paper by O'Driscoll and colleagues2 in this issue of SLEEP, 50 children with a history of snoring undergoing nocturnal polysomnography were recruited to investigate the effects of sleep-related obstructive events on heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP), 2 of the common surrogate markers of cardiovascular function. Specifically, they assessed these outcomes using finger photoplethysmography, which allows for beat-to-beat noninvasive measurements of HR and MAP throughout the night. Thus, the effects of arousals and/or obstructive respiratory events on HR and MAP could be examined. In addition, fluctuations of MAP and HR were determined by partitioning respiratory events into several phases.

Although photoplethysmography enables noninvasive cardiovascular monitoring with a relatively high temporal resolution, it is not without pitfalls, since data from 9 (18%) of the children were excluded due to motion artifact and possible patient discomfort. Nevertheless, the authors were able to analyze valid data from 30 children with obstructive events, and their findings are intriguing. First and foremost, increases in MAP of 19 mm Hg during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and 13 mm Hg in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep were found during the time period elapsing from the late phase of an obstructive apnea to the postapneic phase. Similarly, the investigators reported HR increases of 21 beats per minute in NREM sleep and 15 beats per minute in REM sleep for the same segments of the apneic events. Not only are the changes comparable with those previously documented in adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA),3,4 but, interestingly, the ΔHR and ΔMAP changes were significantly greater when obstructive events occurred in NREM sleep. Although REM sleep-related obstructive events were associated with more profound oxyhemoglobin desaturations, and therefore it would be expected that vascular changes would be most prominent in REM sleep, this was not the case. The authors speculate that this REM-NREM discrepancy was related to the improved ventilatory responses to hypoxia in NREM sleep,5 such that the larger inspiratory responses in NREM sleep would be responsible for larger oscillations in HR and MAP. Indeed, the degree of oxyhemoglobin desaturation and length of the respiratory event did not significantly predict ΔHR and ΔMAP. These findings would then suggest that autonomic nervous system responses in children are more robust in NREM sleep.

Another important observation in this study is that both subcortical arousals and arousals defined according to the American Sleep Disorders Association criteria were significant predictors of ΔHR and ΔMAP. Since children with OSA are more prone to having subcortical arousals during obstructive respiratory events,6,7 the use of markers of autonomic activation for scoring respiratory events in pediatric polysomnography was previously studied.8 The significant correlation of arousals and ΔHR and ΔMAP changes reported by O'Driscoll et al2 would suggest a potential role for finger photoplethysmography during polysomnography in estimating severity of not only sleep disordered breathing, but also of cardiovascular risk when sleep disordered breathing is present.

The findings of this study may a priori support the contention that cardiovascular disease begins in children, particularly in the context of sleep disordered breathing. However, much additional work needs to be done before this conclusion can be reached. In their attempt to compare the recorded data in children with published data in adults with OSA, the authors only examined events exceeding 10 seconds' duration (i.e., events meeting adult criteria). The exclusion of events consisting of 2 or more breaths' duration, as is routinely used in pediatric scoring, makes it difficult to determine whether indeed all children with OSA develop cardiovascular alterations during respiratory events, or whether only children with more severe OSA with longer duration events will be those at risk. In addition, O'Driscoll and colleagues2 elected to analyze events in all children, including those with primary snoring (obstructive apnea hypopnea index < 1 event /h of total sleep time), a group that includes a large spectrum of sleep disordered breathing, and may somewhat underscore which disease severity is critical. The increases in MAP in children with OSA as is seen with continuous blood pressure monitoring,9 and the recent findings of relative baroreflex insensitivity secondary to intermittent hypoxia during sleep in both animal models and children,10–12 would further suggest that children with more severe OSA undergo vascular remodeling induced by recurrent obstructive events, and that, therefore, dose-dependent differences in OSA severity should be apparent.

Notwithstanding, the robust increases in HR and MAP in children with obstructive respiratory events during sleep reveal that such changes can occur even in the presence of a priori a normal cardiovascular system. It is therefore possible that autonomic disturbances elicited by sleep disordered breathing during early childhood not only may impose immediate consequences, such as hypertension, but may also adversely impact the cardiovascular system in a sustained fashion into adulthood.


Abstract Enantioenriched heterocyclic piperidines are important structural motifs present in numerous natural products and biologically active molecules. This article outlines our recent efforts to develop a straightforward access to highly functionalized piperidine derivatives with multiple stereogenic centers, in good yields and excellent stereoselectivities, via copper(I)/TF-BiphamPhos-catalyzed asymmetric 1,3-dipolar [6+3] cycloadditions of azomethine ylides with fulvenes.


The setting agent Ca(OH)2 for activation of slag cement is used in the proportions of 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% by various methods (substitution and addition by mass of slag cement). The physical properties of slag cement activated by the calcium hydroxide at anhydrous and hydrated states (fineness, particle size distribution, consistency of the cement pastes and setting times) were studied. The activation method by the mineral activator of slag cement (latent hydraulicity) accelerates the hydration process and reduces the setting times of the cement activated. Keywords—Mineral activator, slag cement, Anhydrous and hydrated states, physical characteristics.


A GM-CSF+ T helper cell subset develops from naïve precursors and switch to a TH1 phenotype during neuroinflammation. Poised for pathogenicity Production of GM-CSF by T helper cells not only guides adaptive immune responses but also can contribute to the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease. Rasouli et al. used single-cell RNA sequencing, mass cytometry, and GM-CSF fate mapper mice to identify a distinct subset of T helper cells in humans and mice that specialize in sustained GM-CSF production but lack key phenotypic features of other T helper lineages. In a murine model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, these cells were poised to up-regulate IFN-γ within the central nervous system and promote development of encephalitis, processes that required the transcription factor T-bet. These results provide insight into the identity of GM-CSF–producing CD4 T cells and their function during autoimmune neuroinflammation. Elevation of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)–producing T helper (TH) cells has been associated with several autoimmune diseases, suggesting a potential role in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. However, the identity of GM-CSF–producing TH cells has not been closely examined. Using single-cell RNA sequencing and high-dimensional single-cell mass cytometry, we identified eight populations of antigen-experienced CD45RA−CD4+ T cells in blood of healthy individuals including a population of GM-CSF–producing cells, known as THGM, that lacked expression of signature transcription factors and cytokines of established TH lineages. Using GM-CSF-reporter/fate reporter mice, we show that THGM cells are present in the periphery and central nervous system in a mouse model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. In addition to GM-CSF, human and mouse THGM cells also expressed IL-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), IL-3, and CCL20. THGM cells maintained their phenotype through several cycles of activation but up-regulated expression of T-bet and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) upon exposure to IL-12 in vitro and in the central nervous system of mice with autoimmune neuroinflammation. Although T-bet was not required for the development of THGM cells, it was essential for their encephalitogenicity. These findings demonstrate that THGM cells constitute a distinct population of TH cells with lineage characteristics that are poised to adopt a TH1 phenotype and promote neuroinflammation.


Presently wind tunnels are deployed to collect the majority of the experimental data on aerofoils and on boundary layer investigations, but they have their own disadvantages. Flight testing, especially at higher Reynolds numbers, gives a practical solution to these disadvantages, but has a critical influence on the direct cost of experiments. A design study was carried out to modify an RPV, named "Condor", to demonstrate the potential use of an RPV system for in-flight laminar aerofoil research at a fraction of the cost on a manned aircraft. A wing glove, namely an outsized and removable aerofoil section attached to the wing of the RPV, was designed and built. A wind tunnel/numerical investigation was conducted to evaluate the resulting RPV wing/glove combination. Numerical modelling proved it to be capable of providing flowfield details that pointed out the need for endplates in order to acquire infinite wing aerofoil data over the glove surface. Wind tunnel testing included pressure measurements and surface flow visualization and was most beneficial in the endplates design and in validating the pressure sensing system for future flight testing. The investigation included an effort to measure the pressure distribution produced by simulated ice formations on the glove leading edge. General observations deducted from these results are presented.


It is of significance to improve the oil recovery of carbonate reservoirs which are rich in oil resources. Most carbonate rocks are oil-wet or neutral-wet, and the heterogeneity is strong, which ma...


an the Abstract This paper highlights the results of conducted research on the issues of physiological and morphological features of new lines of fine-fiber cotton such as Gossypium barbadense L. L-2006, L-167, L-5440, L-5445, L-1, L-10, L-663, L-450, and varieties like Marvarid, Surkhan-14 and Termez-31 in different conditions of water regime. In fact, in comparing optimal water supply and modeling drought with studying the lines and varieties of fine fiber cotton depending on individual genotype reaction in different levels indicated decreasing water content and intensity of transpiration in the leaves. Moreover, the water deficiency and improving the water holding capacity and density surface of the leaves are considered as physiological and morphological characteristics which contribute to the adaptation of cotton to water deficiency in drought conditions. Besides, lysimetric experiment was carried out with new lines and varieties of fine fiber cotton at the institute of Genetics and Experimental Plan Biology at the Academy of Sciences in Uzbekistan. According to the analysis, the water supply indicated the plants were determined simultaneously in both backgrounds, when the pre-irrigation soil moisture at an optimal water supply background was 70-72% of the water content (field moisture capacity), and according to the background of a simulated drought, it was 48 -50% from the water supply. As a result, water content and intensity of transpiration in the lines and varieties of fine fiber cotton were widely indicated in the below-mentioned tables and diagrams as well as broadly discussed in the conclusion of the research work.


A communications method is presented based on the backscatter modulation of incident radio frequency signals using low-complexity tags. The incident signals arise from digital television stations used as illuminators of opportunity. A receiver detects the tag using coherent processing algorithms similar to those used in passive radar, extending the detection range over published noncoherent techniques. This method enables shared use of the UHF television band for low-data-rate applications. While analyses suggest that rates exceeding 1 kbps might be achievable at 1 km range, experimental results demonstrate the challenges in designing and implementing such a system.


. With his bestselling publication, A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking in-troduced in 1988 a new genre by connecting modern science with the question of the existence of God. In the posthumous publication Brief Answers to the Big Questions, he continues his quest for the ultimate truth. The current study presents a philosophical analysis of this search in terms of Aristotle's and Aquinas's classical philosophy. Causality is the central concept employed by Hawking. However, in modern scientific and philosophical literature, its meaning is limited to temporal causality compared to the view of classical philosophy. Only the latter one accepts causality from outside space and time, in other words, a reality transcending the material world. In a quote presented in the discussion, Hawking defines himself as an atheist. After a careful reading of his writings, however, doubts arise about his unbelief.


A rapid in-vitro seedling raising method by utilizing sandalwood seed embryo relates to the method for plant regeneration, in particular to a rapid in-vitro culturing seedling raising method using sandalwood seed embryo. Sandalwood seed embryo is put on an artificial culture media and is aseptically cultured in darkness for ten days at a temperature of 25+/-2 DEG C; on the eleventh day, on conditions that the illumination is increased to 16 hours, the darkness is 8 hours and the illumination intensity is 2000lx, the seed embryo is cultured for 10 days; and then the germinated seedling is transferred into sandy soil to culture for more than 30 days on the conditions that the temperature is 26+/-2 DEG C, the relative humidity is 75+/-5 percent, the illumination intensity is 1500-2000lx and the illumination is 12 hours, and then grows to a germination; 2-6mg of gibberellin or 2.0mg of 6-benzyl aminopurine are added into 1L of MS culture media to form the artificial culture media. The invention has the beneficial effects that the seedling raising time is shortened; the planting percent is high, being up to 87 percentage; the sprout germination is tidy; the mass production and operation are convenient; and the cost is low.


AIM To investigate the effect and safety of China-made tirofiban in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention.METHODS Seventy-two AMI patients were included in the study,who received either Tirofiban before the index procedure(n=40) or just PCI alone(n=32).The no reflow rate,TIMI myocardial perfusion grade(TMPG),major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE) and bleeding complications were compared between the two groups.RESULTS PCI were successfully performed in all patients.The no reflow rate in Tirofiban group was not significantly lower than that in control group(10% versus 25%) and the percentage of TMPG Ⅲ grade in Tirofiban group was not significantly higher than that in control group(45% versus 25%).MACE during hospitalization and bleeding complications had no significant differences between the two groups.CONCLUSION Tirofiban,a GlycoproteinⅡb/Ⅲa receptor blocker,administrated in primary PCI of AMI patients can safely reduce no reflow rate and improve myocardial perfusion.


We are moving into the last stretch of this year and things are looking up for the mining industry in sub-Saharan Africa. Although issues such as illegal mining, mining safety and licences have been headlining local newspapers, the industry as a whole seems to be making inroads to the north of us.


The authors describe the first direct application of the configuration interaction method to a calculation of the optical spectrum of an extended solid. The two-particle spectrum of the valence and conduction bands is employed as the basis, and procedures are carefully chosen to maintain size consistency. A simplified description of LiF by these methods, using only on-site particle-hole interactions, already gives very good predictions for the optical spectrum including the main exciton resonance.


The stories in this collection constitute just a small portion of a vast body of some four hundred short narratives known as otogizoshi. They represent a cross section of medieval Japan in its richness and complexity, a panoply of life teeming with all the possibilities and contradictions of the age.


The utility model provides a two steps of on -off gate valves relates to valve technical field, and what solve is current gate valve at can not relax opening - and - shutting valve's technical problem of high pressure. This gate valve includes valve body, valve rod, disk seat, and two gliding shoe brake boards about the ability on the disk seat, two shoe brake board reciprocal anchorages, and the pressure release hole has all been seted up to gliding shrouding about the ability of having planted between the two shoe brake boards on and the two shoe brake boards, valve rod and shrouding rigid coupling, the flashboard facial make -up has the spacer pin, has offered spacing recess on the shrouding, when the gate valve switch, utilize the pressure release hole to carry out the pressure release, make the valve body entrance point and the pressure differential of exit end reduce. The utility model provides a gate valve can light realization switching.


The presence of deficit bias of fiscal policy has generated a debate about the feasibility of adopting fiscal rules in order to correct it. In the absence of an evaluation for Central American and the Dominican Republic economies, this paper contributes to the discussion by analyzing the impact on macroeconomic volatility of the application of different types of rules, comparing them with the discretionary behavior followed by the authorities. Results point out that debt-goal rules based on adjustment of taxes, as well spending goals relative to output reduce macroeconomic volatility relative the discretionary case. This suggests that there is room for the improvement of the current framework of fiscal policy towards one that leads to less macroeconomic volatility. However, is important to remark that those benefits from adopting a fiscal rule are conditional to a credible commitment from the authorities with dynamic consistency of the fiscal regime.


It is well known that it is difficult to achieve disturbance-detecting and algorithm switching in autoregressive moving average(ARMA) method combined with Prony method.A new method is proposed to solve this difficulty.The method is based on normalization kurtosis to judge whether ringdown signal exists in the sliding window.With this method,a low frequency identification scheme is developed to achieve adaptive switching between the common ARMA method and the higher order ARMA method.Case studies are given to compare the performances of the proposed method with Prony method as well as normal ARMA method.The results demonstrate the validity of the proposed scheme.


This paper presents a study on edge effect of radiographic inspection for Titanium alloy joint structure with large thickness difference. And due to the existence of the defects undetected caused by edge effect in practical situation, it is significant to investigate the impact of edge effect on radiographic examination of joint structure with such a large difference in thickness. The conventional process of radiography was employed and the width of edge effect was calculated with image processing software D-tect and imageJ following obtained digital images converted from film using high-resolution digital camera. The influence factors concerning edge effect were investigated encompassing tube voltage, tube current, exposure time, thickness ratio and angle between rays transmitting direction and surface of joint structure in practical radiographic examination. Moreover the fact that edge effect can be reduced remarkably by utilization of compensation material is proved.


Stance in scientific writing has been a major focus of attention. However, studies on stance in the research article abstracts have been relatively scarce in Turkey compared to those in other academic prose. Abstracts contain various sections in which information on the purpose, method, results, and conclusions of the study is presented to promote the study and to attract readers' attention. In this respect, the abstract foregrounds the main findings and serves a promotional purpose (Hyland & Tse, 2005). By comparing abstracts written by Turkish and native writers of English, this paper tries to explore how academic writers from different scientific communities construct author's stance in research article abstracts. In particular, the present study attempts to analyze lexico-grammatical features in research article abstracts focusing specifically on stance adverbs. Stance adverbs (clearly, probably, apparently) present the attitude or assessment of the speaker/writer with respect to the proposition (Biber, 2006). The corpus consists of 240 abstracts from the disciplines of sociology, psychology, linguistics, physics, chemistry and biology. The results revealed significant differences in the total number of stance adverbs. Native writers of English employed more stance adverbs in their abstracts than Turkish writers. Differences were also found of stance adverbs in soft and hard sciences. Academic writers in the soft sciences used more stance adverbs in their abstracts. Considering variations in scientific discourse across cultures and disciplines, the results of the study may have some pedagogical implications for academic writing courses.


Iron-doped α-Al2O3 polycrystals were prepared by self-propagating chemical combustion (SPCC), followed by a brief crystallisation and sintering period under defined oxygen activity. In contrast to techniques using milled and compressed polycrystalline powders, this combustion–sintering method allows the preparation of homogeneously doped alumina polycrystals in less than 50 h. To determine the site preference and valence of iron dissolved in the oxide matrix, the complex Fe K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) was compared with fine structures obtained by multiple-scattering cluster simulations. The resulting model of the local structure around the iron was then refined with respect to the nearest oxygen coordination shell by carrying out a multiple-shell EXAFS analysis. Additionally, the valence and the coordination geometry of the dopant was determined by a comparative X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) study using standards containing either di- or trivalent iron ions with different coordinative environments. Iron was found to be trivalent, in the high-spin state and to occupy ''out-of-centre'' displaced aluminium lattice sites preferentially.


Despite extensive investigations, a topological state that hosts Majorana edge modes in the magnetic field-induced quantum disordered state of the Kitaev candidate material α -RuCl 3 has been hotly debated. To gain more insight into this issue, we measured the thermal Hall conductivity κ xy of various samples grown by the Bridgman method. The results show that the half-integer quantum thermal Hall effect is intimately related to the magnitude of longitudinal thermal conductivity and the N´eel temperature at zero field, both of which are sample dependent. Samples exhibiting the half-integer quantum thermal Hall effect have larger zero-field thermal conductivity values than a threshold value, implying that a long mean free path of heat carriers is an important prerequisite. In addition, we find that samples with a higher N´eel temperature exhibit a higher magnetic field at which quantization starts to occur. These results indicate that the quantization phenomenon is significantly affected by the impurity scatterings and the non-Kitaev interactions.


Thin films of beta barium borate (β-BBO) have been prepared by liquid phase epitaxy on Sr2+-doped α-BBO (001) substrates. The thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and X-ray rocking curve. The results of X-ray diffraction indicate that the films show highly (00l) preferred orientation on (001)-oriented substrates. The full width at half-maximum of the rocking curve for the film is as low as 676.6 arcsec, which shows the high crystallinity of the thin film. The absorption edge of β-BBO on Sr2+-doped α-BBO substrate is 190 nm. The films show second harmonic generation of 400 nm light upon irradiation with 800 nm Ti: Sapphire femtosecond laser light. These results reveal the possibility of fabricating β-BBO (001) films on (001)-oriented Sr2+-doped α-BBO substrates by LPE.


In this paper, mathematic models of processing parameters and their adaptive learning principle in strip cold rolling mill are introduced. Exponential smoothing method is used during model adaptive learning. According to the contrast between actual and calculated data, adaptive learning coefficients in the process control models are modified, thus the precision of presetting model is improved. Based on three kinds of adaptive learning modes, corresponding model adaptive learning program is developed for strip cold rolling. The practical application shows that the accuracy of this method can meet the requirement of on-line process control, and it is suitable for process control in strip cold rolling mill.