The invention discloses a preparation method of a nano-grade-carbon-clad spinel lithium titanate battery cathode material. The method comprises steps that: titanium dioxide and a lithium source are placed in a dispersant; the mixture is uniformly mixed, and is dried by baking; the dried mixture is pre-roasted for 2-36h under a temperature of 400-800 DEG C in a first atmosphere; the mixture is naturally cooled to room temperature, such that an intermediate product is obtained; the obtained intermediate product and a carbon source are placed in a dispersant; the mixture is uniformly mixed, and is dried by baking; the dried mixture of the dried intermediate product, the carbon source and the dispersant is subject to secondary roasting for 2-36h under a temperature of 700-950 DEG C in second first atmosphere; the mixture is naturally cooled to room temperature, such that nano-grade-carbon-clad spinel lithium titanate is obtained. According to the invention, with the preparation method of the nano-grade-carbon-clad spinel lithium titanate battery cathode material, a lithium titanate cathode material with a nano-grade size, uniform particle morphology, and high purity is obtained. Also, the conductivity of the lithium titanate cathode material is greatly improved.


The south-western slope of Anak Krakatau collapsed after the eruption on December 22nd, 2018 and reshaped the volcanic island landscape. This work focused on determining the geomorphological features of Mt. Anak Krakatau before and after the eruption. A total of 71 lapilli and 17 volcanic ash samples were collected from Anak Krakatau and Panjang islands on February 23, 2019, and March 14, 2019. Sentinel-2 and Planet Scope images were utilized to monitor thermal activities and the changes of the coastlines. Google Earth Pro was capitalized to determine the rills and gullies formation. After the December 2018 eruption, the height of Anak Krakatau was reduced from 258 to 126 m and, about 76 x 106 m3 of materials were eroded to the sea. The eruption caused Anak Krakatau to be covered by unconsolidated volcanic materials. About 214 of rills (dimension of 380 to 851 m and 30 to 100 cm) and 35 of the gully features (length from 150 to 841 m and width from 0.5 to 13 m) run from the highest peak to the coastline. This work can serve as a reference for predicting potentially disastrous events such as Anak Krakatau, which shows growth and destruction can be observed using remote sensing techniques.


The major clinical and pathological features of the AIDS dementia complex (ADC), or synonymously, AIDS dementia, HIV-associated dementia, and minor cognitive motor disorder, were characterized almost 20 years ago. The fundamental difficulty is that although ADC is caused by HIV itself, the presence of HIV in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has little diagnostic specificity. The authors describe a pathogenetically based approach using a combination of CSF markers. In simple terms, ADC pathogenesis can be considered to result from the evolving interactions of three factors: the driving force, HIV; the modulating influence, immune dys-regulation; and the target, central nervous system (CNS). Importantly, alteration of the immune system is likely important in permitting progressive HIV infection of the CNS and in determining its pathogenic character. In the immunological marker category, the most promising measurements are those of CSF neopterin and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1). The uncertainty of ADC diagnosis more than 20 years after its initial characterization remains a conspicuous shortcoming both in the clinic and in clinical trials. There is still a pressing need to develop objective, laboratory-based markers to aid in predicting development of ADC, establishing ADC diagnosis, and appraising disease activity, including treatment responses. While it is likely that the foundation has been laid with a number of exploratory studies already published, these have fallen short of practical clinical application.


The presentation, EEG, imaging studies, and outcome of six term neonates with middle cerebral artery infarcts are reported from Mannheim Hospital, University of Heidelberg, Germany.


Objective:This study was to investigate the expressions of aplysia ras homolog Ⅰ(ARHⅠ) and death associated protein kinase(DAPK) in endometrial carcinoma and elucidate their clinical significance.Methods:The expressions of ARHⅠ and DAPK were detected by SP and EnVision immunohistochemistry methods in 86 specimens of endometrial carcinoma,41 specimens of endometrial hyperplasia and 45 specimens of normal endometrial tissues.Results:The positive rates of ARHⅠ and DAPK were the highest in normal endometrial tissues,and decreased gradually in endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma tissues.The difference was significant(P0.05).The expression of ARHⅠ was correlated to histological classification,pathological grade and TNM stage of endometrial carcinoma.DAPK protein expression was related with histological classification and pathological grade of endometrial carcinoma.The expression of ARHⅠ protein was positively correlated with the expression of DAPK protein in endometrial carcinoma(r=0.763,P0.01).Conclusion:The down-regulation of ARHⅠ and DAPK was involved in the initiation and progression of endometrioid adenocarcinoma.


Simulation/gaming is a widely used approach to experiential education. Computers and other tools (such as dice) have long been used in the design of simulation/games, but the Internet now provides an additional tool for developing these pedagogic environments. The Internet can be used to support and enable simulation/games designed to teach in a variety of disciplines (including cross-cultural communication, political negotiations, electronic commerce and medical diagnosis). This tutorial will examine some Internet-based tools which can be used to enable playable simulation/games. It will also look at examples of Web-based resources and forums which support designers and users of simulation/games.


We describe a hybrid tool for hardware formal verification that links the HOL theorem prover and the MDG (multiway decision graphs) model checker. Our tool supports abstract datatypes and uninterpreted function symbols available in MDG, allowing the verification of high level specifications. The hybrid tool, HOL-MDG, is based on an embedding in HOL of the grammar of the hardware modeling language, MDG-HDL, as well as an embedding of the first-order temporal logic L/sub mdg/ used to express properties for the MDG model checker. Verification with the hybrid tool is faster and more tractable than using either tools separately. We hence obtain the advantages of both verification paradigms.


While pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the corner-stone of the paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF) treatment, whether left (LPVI) and right PVI (RPVI) provoke equal atrial substrate modifications (ASMs), vastly assessed by P-waves, remains unexplored. Five-minute recordings from 40 pAF patients undergoing first-time PVI were extracted before PVI (B), after LPVI (L) and RPVI (R) at 1 kHz sampling rate. Signal-averaged P-wave features of duration, amplitude and area were calculated. Heartrate fluctuations (HRF) were mitigated for duration and area (HRDur,area). Results were compared between each transition (B-L: LPVI, L-R: RPVI) and between variations in values due to transitions with non-parametric tests. Duration $(\Delta_{B-L}:-13.3\%,p=0.001, \Delta_{L-R}: +2.40\%,p=0.558)$ and amplitude $\Delta_{B-L}:-17.29\%,p=0.055,\Delta_{L-R}:+5.65\%, p=0.319)$ got decreased after LPVI and slightly increased after RPVI. HRF mitigation mostly preserved these trends but lost statistical power (HRDur: $\Delta_{B-L}: -10.54\%,p=0.141,\Delta_{L-R}: -5.52\%,p=0.740)$. LPVI showed a significantly higher effect on duration than RPVI $(p < 0.0001)$. Variations observed in P-wave features after PVI stem principally from LPVI, which contributes significantly to the ASM. Studies focusing on ASM observation should implement and prioritize the analysis of LPVI recordings.


The invention relates to a power supply device 100 for the generation of electrical energy. The power supply device 100 includes a combustion chamber 6 for burning a fuel and a thermally coupled to the combustion chamber 6. A heat generator 4 for the conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy. The electrical power generated by the thermoelectric generator 4 is supplied to an on-board network. 8


Concerns over fluctuating gas prices and global climate change have sparked an explosion of interest in new automotive technology. The global car industry has already begun to show exactly where the future of cars is going and it seems that electric and hybrid cars are the right answer. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) combine the internal combustion engine (ICE) of a conventional vehicle with an electric machine and battery, to improve the fuel economy and to reduce emissions of the whole traction system. Since there are different ways to combine the power from the electric machine and the ICE, there is still a lot of interest in research and development of new HEV operating principles. The integration of the double rotor permanent magnet synchronous machine (DRPMSM) in HEVs presents one of the possible solutions and is attracting a lot of interest. The purpose of such an electromagnetic machine is to keep the ICE at maximum efficiency during all driving conditions. In other words, the idea is to enable the ICE to operate at its optimal operating point independent of the working point at the wheel. In this paper basic topologies and structure of DRPMSM are presented and some major modes of operation are explained. Furthermore, the proposed design of DRPMSM is shown where the finite element analyses are employed to determine the performance of the machine.


Accurate determination of chromosome centromere location is of high importance in cytogenetics, particularly in karyotyping, chromosome classification and determination of exposure to genotoxic environmental effects. This study investigates the ability of CNN to accurately predict the human chromosome centromere location and the effect centering chromosomes in images, by predicted centromere location, has on classification accuracy. Dataset, used to train and test CNN models, contained 8283 annotated individual chromosome images. Prior to performing centromere detection, followed by chromosome classification, the individual chromosome images are preprocessed using sequence of filtering algorithms. The CNN model achieved an average error of 0.5586 and 0.4543 in predicting x and y coordinates of centromere location, respectively. The achieved classification accuracy of randomly oriented and centered chromosomes in images, is 71.10 and 96.73%, respectively. Achieved increase in chromosome classification accuracy of 25.63% highlights importance of chromosome centromere detection, importance of positional variation removal, and high performance of CNN in prediction of centromere location and chromosome classification.


vent such violence from being repeated. There is also the unconscious racism of the ladino photographer who orders Indians about for his profiles with a curt "sit down!" or "come here!" What are we to make of this manifestation of the 500-year colonial attitude still alive and well: was the filmmaker conscious of this and allowed it to be expressed as part of the film? Or was this perceived as the photographer's right as part of the creative process? Whatever the reason, it is an unwitting continuation of an age-old sense of ladino privilege and a bit jarring in a movie that is otherwise so sympathetic to the indigenous population.


The purpose of this study is to establish a steering model for a 4-axle 8×8 vehicle, which provides the design of the assisted steering system. To obtain the best steering performance, this system aims to minimise the turning radius. In this study, the steady-state mathematical steering model of this vehicle is established and the actual physical parameters are added to this model. By actually driving the vehicle, the model is verified and the results show that the model can accurately predict the steering behaviour of the vehicle. After correction, the model is added to assist the steering of the fourth axle and find the optimal steering mode. To evaluate the design, this model inputs the functions of time and steering wheel angle and outputs the tracks of driving this vehicle. We verify the steering assistance design of this vehicle by comparing the driving tracks with and without it.


The probability distribution of the internal rate of return of an investment is derived under conditions where uncertainty in costs and returns can be described by a multi-variate normal distribution. The paper sketches the derivation of the exact probability distribution for the rate of return and gives the normal approximation to this distribution when variances of period costs and returns are small. A number of typical normal probability models are discussed in order to demonstrate the flexibility of the approach. An extended application of the analysis is presented using a World Bank appraisal of a hydroelectric power investment in Argentina.


Based on the concept and method of energy analysis created by American famous ecologist H.T.Odum,this paper analyzes the eco-economic system of Nanchong from 1994 to 2003.The natural,social,and economical situations of Nanchong city are briefly introduced.Based on the calculation of the energy per capita(EPC),fraction of energy used from electricity(FEE),environmental loading ratio(ELR),energy investment ratio(EIR),energy yield ratio(EYR),energy dollar ratio(EDR),energy density(ED),population carrying capacity(PCC),ratio of waste to energy use(WER),energy self-(sufficiency(ES),)energy-based sustainability index(ESI) and so on,all the energy-related indexes of Nanchong are(comprehensively) analyzed compared to the other countries′and regions′.The result shows that the eco-economic system of the city is(fragile.)The city has not entered the stage of industrial accumulation.It is just a city of agriculture.The main way of its economic development should be through strengthening the secondary industry and tertiary industry.


Significance The factors controlling the large regional variations in simulated responses of extreme precipitation to global warming are poorly understood. Standard diagnostics break the responses into thermodynamic and dynamic components associated with moisture and vertical motion. The vertical motion is the more poorly understood; we use a method to understand it by decomposing it into dry and moist components. The moist component can be predicted by a simple model that explains how dynamics and thermodynamics are coupled. This allows us to explain the regional variations in vertical motion, and thus extreme precipitation, in terms of the dry quasigeostrophic forcing and moisture, a deeper level of explanation than is available from the thermodynamic–dynamic decomposition on its own. Responses of extreme precipitation to global warming are of great importance to society and ecosystems. Although observations and climate projections indicate a general intensification of extreme precipitation with warming on global scale, there are significant variations on the regional scale, mainly due to changes in the vertical motion associated with extreme precipitation. Here, we apply quasigeostrophic diagnostics on climate-model simulations to understand the changes in vertical motion, quantifying the roles of dry (large-scale adiabatic flow) and moist (small-scale convection) dynamics in shaping the regional patterns of extreme precipitation sensitivity (EPS). The dry component weakens in the subtropics but strengthens in the middle and high latitudes; the moist component accounts for the positive centers of EPS in the low latitudes and also contributes to the negative centers in the subtropics. A theoretical model depicts a nonlinear relationship between the diabatic heating feedback (α) and precipitable water, indicating high sensitivity of α (thus, EPS) over climatological moist regions. The model also captures the change of α due to competing effects of increases in precipitable water and dry static stability under global warming. Thus, the dry/moist decomposition provides a quantitive and intuitive explanation of the main regional features of EPS.


Large ports area and adaptation to heavy-loaded domestic gas burner feature largely in slotted ports.Pollu-tant emission can be well reduced by premixed burning,but the adjustable range of load reduces in the meantime.Now,study reports on the steady range of premixed flame combined with slotted ports have seldom been seen and the application is not popular.The major factors and experimental arrangements have been determined through analyzing the potential factors.On slotted ports of different width of 1.0mm,1.1mm,1.3mm and1.5mm,experiments have been carried out with na-ture gas and LPG.Upper limits of back-fire and out-flame curves of two different gases on different ports have been obtained.The experiment results and the problems existing in the experiment have been analyzed.Through the ex-perimental research,it is found that the steady range of premixed flame on slotted ports can be satisfied with some domestic gas burners and the effect is good.


The invention relates to a control device for controlling air flows in heating and / or air-conditioning systems of motor vehicles, consisting of a frame which is insertable into the heating and / or air conditioning system and comprises control means for varying the passage cross section for the air flow within the frame. DOLLAR A It is proposed that the control means are designed as a roller blind in the form of a roller conveyor provided with cutouts. The control device is designed as a cartridge which can be used for motor vehicles in the air flow channels of a heating and / or air conditioning.


The growth of online social networks has encouraged new ways of communicating and sharing information and is used regularly by millions of people; it now seems that these networks will be an enduring part of everyday life. The rapid growth of online social networks has also resulted in an increase in its use for significant criminal activities and perpetrators are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their attempt to use technology in order to evade detection and perform criminal acts. We have reviewed the existing literature of digital forensic investigation models and frameworks, most have quite similar approaches, and some of the models are generic which do not focus on the purpose of the investigation. In addition, there is no standard and consistent model, only sets of procedures and tools, thus many digital crime investigations are performed without proper guidelines. Moreover, there is no model built specifically for online social networks but in contrast digital crimes related to them are growing rapidly. To address these challenges, we have developed a standard model of digital forensic investigation for online social networks in this research. This model incorporates the existing traditional frameworks, allowing us to compile a comprehensive digital forensic investigation model specifically for the networks. In order to implement the model, we will develop a tool that is capable to automate searching, extracting, filtering and reporting important information in the networks without having to search manually. Keywords-computer security; digital forensic; online social neworks


The purpose of this research is to know the influence caused by training of professional development of principal of academic supervision and supervisor supervising on the management of academic supervision on SD pilot project in East Banjarmasin Subdistrict. The method used is quantitative descriptive approach. Data collection techniques with questionnaires. Researcher use validity and reliability test for instrument, kemudaian data analyzed with descriptive analysis and inferential analysis (determinasi). Both correlations are operated using SPSS with a significance level of 0.05 to determine the relationship of each variable. The results show: 1) there is a significant influence between the training of the principal's sustainable development of the academic supervision on the SD pilot project, 2) there is no significant influence between supervisor mentoring on the management of academic supervision on elementary school pilot project; 3) there is significant influence Between continuous professional training of headmaster training and supervisor mentoring on the management of academic supervision on elementary school pilot project.


We report spectral results from three BeppoSAX observations of the black hole candidate XTE J1650-500 during its 2001/2002 outburst. We find strong evidence for the presence of a broad and strongly relativistic Fe emission line. The line profile indicates an accretion disc extending down to two gravitational radii, suggesting the presence of a rapidly rotating central Kerr black hole. Thanks to the broad-band spectral coverage of BeppoSAX, we could analyse the 1.5-200 keV spectra of the three observations and report the presence of a strong reflection component from the accretion disc, which is totally consistent with the observed broad Fe emission line. The shape of the reflection component appears to be affected by the same special and general relativistic effects that produce the broad Fe line. We study the variation of the different spectral components from the first to the third observation, and we find that they are well reproduced by a recently proposed light-bending model.


This study was designed to investigate suicide attempters' views on problems underlying their suicidal behavior. A questionnaire comprising 17 problems was presented to 54 non-consecutive patients (men/women=25/29, mean age 36 - 14 years) admitted to a specialized psychiatric ward following an attempt. (In the large majority of cases the method was self-poisoning. 37% had previously attempted suicide.) The most common problem was 'feelings of loneliness,' followed by 'mental illness or psychiatric symptoms.' Men more often experienced socio-economical problems, whereas women more often mentioned psychiatric problems and interpersonal relation difficulties. Patients diagnosed with adjustment disorder more often experienced recent/current problems in relationships than those with other disorders. High numbers of problems mentioned were related to being "never married/single," having a poor social network and many depressive symptoms. In addition to psychiatric problems, interpersonal problems were in focus to most patients. The importance of listening to the patients' own views on their problems after a suicide attempt is discussed.


The invention relates to a blue Alps juniper cutting propagation method, which belongs to the technical field of plant propagation, and is characterized by comprising the following steps that: 1) cutting matrix is a mixture of reed powder, yellow soil, perlite and organic fertilizer with volume ratio of 3 to 5: 3 to 5: 1 to 3: 0.5 to 1.5; 2) the cutting time is the first third of March, and a tip of the previous autumn branch on each side branch is collected from a blue Alps juniper mother specimen to be cut; 3) 180 to 220ppm of Sensheng No.5 plant root promoting agent is adopted to quickly soak the basic part of the cut bar of the cutting branches for 2 to 32 seconds; 4) a 72-pore tray is used for cutting, and then a management and maintenance stage is entered; and 5) domestication is carried out when the rooting rate reaches more than 95 percent in 55 to 60 days after the cottage. The blue Alps juniper cutting propagation method is applicable to the climate soil environment in China, the rooting situation is good, the rate of finished product can reach 95 percent, and blank of relevant technical field can be filled. The method is simple to operate, the propagation speed is fast, and market prospect is good.


The Advanced Photon Source at Argonne conducted R&D on design, fabrication, prototyping, and testing of superconducting deflecting cavities aimed at the production of short x-ray pulses at the Advanced Photon Source. In collaboration with Jefferson National Laboratory, we focused on prototyping and testing a number of single-cell deflecting cavities. At ANL, we designed, prototyped, and tested silicon carbide as damping material for higher-order-mode (HOM) dampers, which are broadband, to handle the HOM power across the frequency spectrum produced by the APS beam. In collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, we have been developing state-of-the-art timing and synchronization system for distributing stable rf signals over optical fiber capable of achieving tens of femtoseconds phase drift and jitter. Collaboration with the Advanced Computations Department at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center looked into simulations of complex, multi-cavity geometries. This contribution provides a summary report on the accomplishments of the SPX R&D.


Generalization and simplification are deeply related: simpler explanations often reveal principles that apply more generally, and predictive scientific theories often boil down to a few simple (and deep) laws. This work studies the "generalization simplification" link within the formal setting of machine learning. It focuses on sample compression schemes — a type of learning algorithms that possess a certain "simplification" property. Roughly speaking, a sample compression scheme of size k means that given an arbitrary list of labeled examples, one can retain only k of them in a way that allows to recover the labels of all other examples in the list. Littlestone and Warmuth (1986) defined sample compression schemes in the context of binary classification. They showed that compression implies generalization, and asked whether the other direction holds. The first part of this work gives an a rmative answer to this question, by showing that every hypothesis class with VC-dimension d has a sample compression scheme of size exponential in d. The second part of this work extends the "compressibility learnability" connection beyond binary classification. We first consider the setting of multiclass categorization: we prove that learnability is equivalent to compression of logarithmic sample size and that the uniform convergence property implies compression of constant size. We use the compressibility-learnability equivalence to show that (i) for multiclass categorization, PAC and agnostic PAC learnability are equivalent, and (ii) to derive a compactness theorem for learnability. We then consider supervised learning under general loss functions: we show that in this case, in order to maintain the "compressibility learnability" equivalence, it is necessary to consider an approximate variant of compression. We use it to show that PAC and agnostic PAC are not equivalent, even when the loss function has only three values. The last part of this work addresses the power of SVM and kernel machines — a well-studied family of sample compression learning algorithms that is highly used in practice. We study the question "Which learnable problems can be represented in a way that enables learning by SVM?". Technically, this question boils down to relating two quantities: the VC-dimension and the sign rank. The connection we establish between these parameters has numerous implications to other fields such as complexity theory, combinatorics, and geometry; for example, it allows us to answer a question of Frankl from '89 and a question of Ben-David et al. from '02 about maximum classes. 1 T ec hn io n C om pu te r Sc ie nc e D ep ar tm en t P h. D . T he si s P H D -2 01 607 2 01 6


An important type of innovation is one that pioneers a new submarket. Klepper and Thompson (2006) and Sutton (1998) show that innovation driven by the scope of the market can explain a variety of empirical facts. We introduce a model where innovators must decide whether to pioneer a new submarket or compete in an existing one. Unlike the prior research on pionnering submarkets and industry evolution, we endogenize the existince of submarkets to pioneer and show how the model generates an equilibrium long run scope of the market. We show that the model can explain some of the important existing facts about the product life cycle. We investigate the product cycle data and show other important features that are consistent with the model. Finally, we show that the model has implications for policy directed at particular kinds of innovations.


Objective Wassel type Ⅳ-4 thumb duplication is difficult to treat because of the severe deformity,This report is on the modified Bilhaut procedure-soft tissue merged surgery for this type of deformity.Methods From August 2005 to January 2011,21 cases with Wassel type Ⅳ-4 thumb duplication,of which there were 13 males(61.9%)and 8 females(38.1%),with an average age of 1.2 years underwent modified Bilhaut procedure(soft tissue merged surgery,excising the radial thumb and reconstruct the ulnar thumb.Including tendon transfers,ligament reconstruction,joint capsule repair,forming flaps,soft tissue merge).Results 19 cases were followed up for an average of 25 months.A modified Tada scoring system was used to evaluate the results of the treatment.These were excellent in 10 cases(52.6%),good in 7cases(36.8%),fair in 2 cases(10.5%).Conclusions Our technique can provide a satisfactory thumb appearance,and functionality of thumb with Wassel type Ⅳ-4 thumb duplication.

Key words:
Thumb,abnormalities; Surgical procedures,operative


The purpose of this study are to : (1) determine the calorifid value, (2) determine performance efficient coconut shell charcoal briquette with variation of reinforcement material. The research used the experimental method by utilizing the charcoal briquettes from the coconut shell in review from variation of materials where sand and clay combined to b e molded into briquette form of honeycomb as fuel on stove to boil water. The results of The Calorific values obtained is (B1) 5542 cal/gram, (B2) 5773.333 cal/gram, dan (B3) 5839.333 cal/gram,. The result of combustions tests on the three different types of briqutte that B3 types (codes) of the most superior briquette stoves in terms of the ability to boil as many as seven times and combustion efficiency 64,15 %


In 96 out of 250 cases of bladder cancer, neoplastic tissue was found by biopsy in areas within the bladder but remote of the primary and unsuspiciously looking mucosa. Neither the histologic type of the tumour nor the degree of infiltration of the primary allow predictions regarding remote cancerous lesions within the bladder. It must be concluded: In bladder cancer, indication and choice of treatment must take into consideration that the neoplastic process involves the urinary bladder as a whole.


Abstract Background Managing and changing public opinion and behavior are vital for social distancing to successfully slow transmission of COVID-19, preserve hospital resources, and prevent overwhelming the healthcare system's resources. We sought to leveraging organic, large-scale discussion on Twitter about social distancing to understand public's beliefs and opinions on this policy. Methods Between March 27 and April 10, 2020, we sampled 574,903 English tweets that matched the two most trending social distancing hashtags at the time, #socialdistancing and #stayathome. We used natural language processing techniques to conduct a sentiment analysis that identifies tweet polarity and emotions. We also evaluated the subjectivity of tweets and estimated the frequency of discussion of social distancing rules. We then identified clusters of discussion using topic modeling and compared the sentiment by topic. Results There was net positive sentiment toward both #socialdistancing and #stayathome with mean sentiment scores of 0.150 (standard deviation [SD], 0.292) and 0.144 (SD, 0.287) respectively. Tweets were also more likely to be objective (median, 0.40; IQR, 0 to 0.6) with approximately 30% of all tweets labeled as completely objective. Approximately half (50.4%) of all tweets primarily expressed joy and one-fifth expressed fear and surprise each (Figure 1). These trends correlated well with topic clusters identified by frequency including leisure activities and community support (i.e., joy), concerns about food insecurity and effects of the quarantine (i.e., fear), and unpredictability of COVID and its unforeseen implications (i.e., surprise) (Table 1). Table 1. Topic clusters identified by topic modeling. Words contributing to the model are shown in decreasing order of weighting. The topics are labeled manually based on these words. The number of tweets primarily with that topic, mean sentiment, mean subjectivity, and sample tweets are also included. Figure 1. Emotion analysis for all tweets and stratified by tweets with the hashtag #socialdistancing and #stayathome. Comparison between the two hashtags is done using Chi-squared testing. Bonferroni correction was used to define statistical significance at a threshold of p = 0.008 (0.05/n, where n = 6 since 6 comparisons were completed). Conclusion The positive sentiment, preponderance of objective tweets, and topics supporting coping mechanisms led us to believe that Twitter users generally supported social distancing measures in the early stages of their implementation. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


Abstract Nanoscience and nanotechnology are undergoing rapid expansion owing to the promise of breakthroughs in key sectors, such as energy and medicine. As for medicine, interaction of nanomaterials with biological membranes is a key issue, both for the development of drug and gene delivery vectors and for understanding the molecular basis of nanoparticle (NP) biological activity. NP-membrane interactions are often studied with the aid of molecular simulations of model membranes, allowing to overcome the limitations in temporal and spatial resolution generally encountered by experimental techniques applied to fluid membranes. In the present review we summarize the current literature on simulations of NP-membrane interactions, focusing on small polymeric and ligand-coated NPs. Open questions emerging from experiments concern the effect of NP size, surface charge, and ligand arrangement on NP partitioning into and permeation across membranes. While simulations are contributing to significant progress in this area, some challenges remain, namely regarding the representation of the complexity of biological environments and the cooperative behavior of NPs (e.g. aggregation), as well as methodological challenges to tackle the intrinsically multi-scale nature of nano–bio interactions.


This paper proposes an iterative finite-element scheme that accounts for the inverse-magnetostrictive (Villari) effect. To do so, the permeability of magnetostrictive materials is updated according to the internal mechanical stress of the material at the end of each iteration step until convergence is reached. VSM measurements of prestressed thin-film samples are used to evaluate the stress-dependent permeability. Using the implemented scheme, it is possible to optimize the dimensions of inverse-magnetostrictive microelectromechanical pressure sensors with a view to maximum sensitivity. Such sensors feature a sandwichlike structure with a planar coil embedded between two magnetostrictive layers. To date, only insufficient simulation results regarding the optimization of such devices have been published. We present the results of simulations incorporating the inverse-magnetostrictive effect that show the influence of the dimensions of single layers on the overall sensitivity.


The present invention provides a method of manufacturing the composite material of silicon and carbon to date there is no structure of the composite obtained, and the negative electrode material having high capacity and high charge-discharge cycle performance of the lithium ions. Assembly of nano-sized silicon particles is formed by heating the carbon layer and the silicon particles in the gas by carbon-containing material. By this carbon layer, forming a wall (12) into a space containing silicon particles (11) a space (13a) and the non-silicon-containing particles (11) (13b) of the.


Background- Defense mechanisms are important psychological phenomena in individuals with alcohol dependence as well as with depression. The presence of maladaptive defences increases the propensity of depression in individuals with alcohol dependence. Also, the individuals with alcohol dependence have increased propensity of using maladaptive defenses to cope with depression. Aims- To assess the various defense mechanisms in individuals with alcohol dependence and the severity of depression in individuals with alcohol dependence. Additionally, to explore the relationship between defense mechanism types and depression severity sub-groups in individuals with alcohol dependence. Methods- It was a hospital-based study, using purposive sampling technique, where individuals who were diagnosed with alcohol dependence during their in-patient admission were assessed for depression and alcohol severity using HAMD and SADQ respectively. DSQ-40 (Defense Style Questionnaire) was used to assess defense mechanisms. Results & Conclusion- In total 50 cases the mean age was 40(±6.5). A total of 60% had depression with 22% being very severe depressed, and 28% & 10% having severe & moderate depression respectively. A total of 68% qualified for severe dependence on SADQ and the rest had moderate dependence. On statistical analysis using ANOVA, neurotic & mature factor scores differed significantly between the sub-groups of depression. Similarly, neurotic factor scores differed significantly between the sub-groups of alcohol dependence severity. Also, statistically significant correlation between severity of alcohol use and severity of depression.


Abstract : The overall purpose of the work that we have undertaken is to provide new capabilities for observing and modeling structured radiance in the atmosphere, particularly the non-LTE regions of the atmosphere. This purpose is well served by the work reported below. It is supplemented by the transition of some of our modeling and simulation capabilities to the Air Force, in the form of codes that we have developed and advice or assistance related to their use. Several investigations related to atmospheric radiance structure have been carried out. We used auroral data from the MSX UVISI Spectrographic Imagers in the EUV, visible, and NIR wavelengths to demonstrate the excellent spatial and temporal resolution of those instruments, and their utility for studying radiance structure. We identified small perturbations in the 4.3 micro below-the-horizon data from the MSX SPIRIT III radiometer as originating in the stratosphere, helping to confirm that the structure was produced by upwelling thunderstorm-produced gravity waves. We derived and implemented a new transfer-function algorithm in Atmospheric Radiance Code (ARC), and demonstrated its functionality. It enables rapid and repetitive non-LTE calculations to be carried out, which is essential for forward modeling of radiance structure. We participated in the development of the first non-LTE kinetic temperature retrieval algorithm, which will be useful for returning profiles above 100 km using data from the SABER instrument aboard NASA's TIMED satellite, and we used ARC for related model development and validation purposes.


This paper introduces and discusses the raplacement of rammed pile with boring and expanding bottom pile in the layer of silt soil,and the coordination of different Pile structures on the same basis.


An embodiment of the present invention relates to a touch screen panel and a manufacturing method thereof. The touch screen panel comprises a substrate including a sensing area and a peripheral area; multiple first sensing patterns arranged at the sensing area of the substrate by being separated in one direction and consisting of nanowires with a first density; multiple second sensing patterns arranged in a direction intersecting with the first sensing pattern, connected to each other by a connection part, and consisting of the nanowires with the first density; an insulation layer formed on the first sensing pattern, the second sensing pattern, and the connection part and patterned for the both ends of the first sensing pattern to be exposed; at least one bridge connecting the exposed part of the first sensing pattern; and multiple wires arranged at the peripheral area of the substrate each of which is connected to the first sensing pattern and the second sensing pattern and comprising nanowires with a second density higher than the first density, wherein the sensing electrode and the wire can be formed with the same material and patterned simultaneously by controlling transmittance and surface resistance by adjusting the density of the nanowire.


Purpose: To study the effect of Weishu ChongJi on gustrointestinal motility in mice. Method: The gastric empty and the gastrointestinal propulsive movement were observed in 40 mice. Result: 0.2g/10g weight can markedly increase the gastric empty and the gastrointestinal propulsive movement.


We discuss the change, or test of the serum phosphorus after oral glucose load in 38 patients with hepatic cirrhosis. The results showed that the hungry serum phosphorus declined in 2 patients (5.26%) with hepatic cirrhosis, the serum phosphorus declined in 13 cases (34.21%)after oral glucose load. The serum phosphorus debased declined straight. The lowest peak of the serum phosphorus occurred after 3 hours of the oral glucose. We should examine the serum phosphorus after oral glucose load, because our results identify that serum phosphorus decline easily after the oral glucose load in patients with hepatic cirrhosis.


The internet of things extends from machine-to-machine communication to digitally enabled clothing, watches and glasses. Adam Bender explores the fashionable new world of connected devices


Since the 2000s, numerous start-ups and agencies have argued for the necessity of analyzing social media data to 'know what people think', as they are deemed to provide access to spontaneous expression of thoughts, tastes, and representations. How do these actors, and the various types of knowledge and technology they draw upon, change the way we know and act upon people's opinions? This article offers insight on these understudied actors, by describing the emergence in France of a market for measuring online opinion. It shows two distinct trajectories of innovation, and the key role played by the early clients of these companies and by the demand for tools for online reputation management in the shaping of these instruments, and the definition of epistemic value. Both approaches of online opinion break with the classical egalitarian conception of public opinion. They instead conceive opinion as a mediated and collective process in which not all opinions have an equal value.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider how Whitefriars Housing Group has addressed the challenges faced when managing major change, and to provide a successful case study for other organisations and training providers to learn from. The article considers how to introduce a successful culture change strategy and entrench a set of values into an organisation.Design/methodology/approach – Whitefriars codified its cultural change model into seven easy‐to‐digest sections. These were then conveyed to all staff using in‐depth and innovative training methods, ranging from customer care training to theatre forums.Findings – The results, in terms of employee attitudes, customer response and external audits, were all very positive. Tangible evidence of the success of the Stardust Strategy can be found in hard figures. Sickness absence dropped over three years from 9 per cent to 4.5 per cent. Employee turnover dropped from 40 per cent on the front line to around 8 per cent.Practical implications – The pap...


The relationship between the development of the nuclear waste repository program and the concerns of local government are discussed in this paper. From the perspective of Las Vegas and Clark County, the most important issue is the transportation of the material and the utilization of certain routing schemes which could conceivably impact population and economic centers. A prime concern is the sensitivity of the Department of Energy (DOE) to local conditions and urban characteristics. Recommendations are made to begin to ameliorate these concerns.


This research discusses the importance of the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia and how this relationship has influenced and shaped U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. The relationship is framed by the international relations theory of neoclassical realism and the institutions theory of critical junctures. Through this framework, a historical and political case study is performed, analyzing the antithesis that the relationship has continued throughout history because of economic interests and oil. This paper discusses the alternative hypotheses and the other factors that have played an important role in U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, and the factors that have played an important role in shaping the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia.


Flow-induced vibration of hydrofoils affects pressure pulsations on their surfaces and influences cavitation inception and desinence. Because these pulsations depend on the hydrofoil material, cavitation inception and desinence numbers for hydrofoils of the same shape made from the diverse metals are different. This conclusion is based on the comparison of the numerical solutions of the fluid-structure interaction problems with the data of the earlier performed experiments.


The purpose of this paper is to identify the participation of clinical engineering in medical technology assessment (MTA); to assess the viability of implementing a MTA in public health care organizations in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil; and to discuss the tools that clinical engineer could use in the MTA within this context. Literature review has revealed few participation of clinical engineering in MTA at a macro level, and a significant participation at an institutional level, particularly in private hospitals in the USA. The implementation of a program of MTA at an institutional level could be feasible in the health care organizations (HCOs) that have been surveyed but the importance of MTA as a helpful tool in decision-making should be good understood by hospital administrators and governmental financial backer. The results from MTA in different HCOs would enable to improve the efficiency of allocation of resources performed by governmental entities to public HCOs. However, because of the short period in which teams of clinical engineering work in HCOs, much information about medical technologies in these HCOs are not available. This issue, together with the short knowledge about tools for MTA, it could restrict the implementation of programs of MTA in these HCOs.


The best prioritization of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) waiting for liver transplantation under the model for end‐stage liver disease (MELD) allocation system is still being debated. We analyzed the impact of a MELD adjustment for HCC, which consisted of the addition of an extra score (based on the HCC stage and waiting time) to the native MELD score. The outcome was analyzed for 301 patients with chronic liver disease listed for liver transplantation between March 1, 2001 and February 28, 2003 [United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)‐Child‐Turcotte‐Pugh (CTP) era, 163 patients, 28.8% with HCC] and between March 1, 2003 and February 28, 2004 (HCC‐MELD era, 138 patients, 29.7% with HCC). In the HCC‐MELD era, the cumulative dropout risk at 6 months was 17.6% for patients with HCC versus 22.3% for those patients without HCC (P = NS), similar to that in the UNOS‐CTP era. The cumulative probability of transplantation at 6 months was 70.3% versus 39.0% (P = 0.005), being higher than that in the UNOS‐CTP era for patients with HCC (P = 0.02). At the end of the HCC‐MELD era, 12 patients with HCC (29.3%) versus 57 without HCC (58.8%) were still on the list (P = 0.001). Both native and adjusted MELD scores were higher (P < 0.05) and progressed more in patients with HCC who dropped out than in those who underwent transplantation or remained on the list (the initial‐final native MELD scores were 17.3‐23.1, 15.5‐15.6, and 12.8‐14.1, respectively). The patients without HCC remaining on the list showed stable MELD scores (initial‐final: 15.1‐15.4). In conclusion, the present data support the strategy of including the native MELD scores in the allocation system for HCC. This model allows the timely transplantation of patients with HCC without severely affecting the outcome of patients without HCC. Liver Transpl 13:857–866, 2007. © 2007 AASLD.


We demonstrate a giant polarization splitting of the emission of a high quality monolithic microcavity with an embedded ultrathin organic tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin layer. The usual employed mechanism, based on the mismatch between the center of the mirror stopband and the wavelength of the microcavity, accounts only for a small fraction of the observed splitting. Optical and atomic force microscopy measurements allowed us to attribute it to local crystalline molecular order. This opens the way for the design and optimization of highly polarized compact optical sources.


Cultural characteristics of users play a significant role in their interactions and understanding of web based systems. Hence consideration of cultural issues in the design of a web based system can improve the usability of such a system. The relation between culture and the internet is symbiotic, that is, experience obtained from using the internet (with its rich cultural diversity) can also have an influence on the local culture. This makes culture a moving target. However to-date, not much research has been done about what cultural issues influence the usability of websites and the level of influence. This paper examines theoretically the cultural issues that influence web design/usability and the significance of this influence to the general usability of a website and also establish how culture can be utilized to develop more usable websites. Thus the main contribution of this study is to identify what characterizes usable websites with reference to cultural needs of the user, specific web features applicable to cultural dimension that can enhance cultural understanding and help web designers to customize the web sites to specific cultures.


....................................................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENT ..................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. x LIST OF FIGURE.............................................................................................................. xi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ......................................................... xii CHAPTER ONE .................................................................................................................


Zinc oxide nanowires have been synthesized using a hot tube vacuum evaporation method. Essentially, ZnO powder and silicon substrate were placed in upper and lower streams of a horizontal quartz tube, respectively and heated via a furnace up to 960 C for about 1 hour. During the heating process, evaporated ZnO vapour was transported to lower stream and deposited onto the substrate containing Au catalyst at constant pressure of 1 torr. The substrate tilt angles were chosen for 0° and 30° and argon flow rates between 1.1-5.0 sccm. Observation on FESEM/EDX and field emission results revealed the optimal growth of ZnO nanowires which occurred at an angle 30° and flow rate of 5 sccm. Parameters such as atom% of Zn and O and aspect ratio were measured and analysed.


Background
According to the studies, many pathogens function as cofactors interacting with Human papillomavirus in the development of pre-cancer or cancer of the cervix. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) pathogens including Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Gardnerella vaginalis, and Streptococcus agalactiae in people with HPV and without HPV infection, and frequency rate of these pathogens in high and low risk of HPV.

Methods
Cervical samples of 280 women who referred to Tehran west hospitals in Iran, between 2019 and 2020, were collected. After DNA extraction of samples, identification of HPV and genotyping was performed, and then, to detect each microorganism, the PCR was carried out with specific primers. Finally, the results were analyzed using descriptive statistics tests.

Results
The mean age of patients was 37 years. Two groups of patients were identified based on positivity or negativity of HPV. In HPV-positive group (118 cases), the prevalence of U. urealyticum, M. hominis, N. gonorrhoeae, G. vaginalis, and S. agalactiae was 38 (13%), 7 (62%), 5.93%, 19.49%, 0.84% respectively. In HPV-negative group (162 cases), rate of infection with U. urealyticum, M. hominis, N. gonorrhoeae, G. vaginalis, and S. agalactiae was 29.62%, 6.17%, 3.08%, 16.04%, 0.61% respectively. Among the two groups, there was only 1 patient with C. trachomatis (0.84%), seen in HPV-positive group.

Conclusion
In this study no significant association was found between HPV and bacteria such as G. vaginalis and S. agalactiae, and it was found that C. trachomatis, and especially N. gonorrhoeae are strongly associated with HPV infection.


A self-made pressure control device was developed to study the migration characteristics of chloride in concrete under pressure. The effects of water pressure, pressurized time, strength grade, water-binder ratio, chloride diffusion coefficient, saturation degree and solution concentration on chloride migration are determined. Considering with pressure, the theoretical model of velocity varies with time and position is established. The formula of water permeation depth is obtained. On this basis, the chloride migration model under the coupling of pressure permeation and diffusion is established, and compared with the chloride concentration obtained from the experiment.


Despite the high level of activity in the area of Er-doped fiber lasers and amplifiers, questions still remain regarding the values of the absorption and stimulated-emission cross sections. The disagreement between experimental and calculated values arises from a breakdown in the conventional Einstein A and B coefficient analysis when the necessary assumptions of uniform Stark-level occupations or equal transition strengths are not satisfied. By means of experimentally measured absorption and emission cross sections, we verified that the more general theory of McCumber1 successfully relates cross sections for the 4I13/2 ↔ 4I15/2 transitions. In McCumber's analysis, the emission and absorption cross sections at a given wavelength are connected by a known wavelength-dependent factor and an unknown wavelength-independent factor. Close agreement was found between the shapes of the experimental emission cross-section spectra and those calculated from the absorption cross section. To generate absolute cross sections, we developed an empirical procedure using measured linewidths to calculate the wavelength-independent factor. This technique is accurate to 15% for most glasses and, with few exceptions, is significantly better than an Einstein A/B analysis. In this way one may determine either the absorption or emission cross section if only the other is known.


Author(s): Estrada, Jess Steven | Advisor(s): Lavallo, Dr. Vincent | Abstract: Carborane anions are prized molecules due to their unique structure and bonding, as well as their anomalous stability and resistance to thermal and chemical decomposition. Since their discovery over half a century ago, they have been exploited as weakly coordinating anions stabilizing the most reactive cationic species known, but applications in catalysis by appending carborane anions as ligand substituents had never been attempted. We report a number of carborane-supported zwitterionic and anionic late transition metal complexes to serve as proof of concept for the application of anionic carborane ligand substituents in transition metal catalysis. The results from our studies confirm the anionic carborane is indeed inherently more stable than its isoelectronic neutral cousin, making it a suitable candidate for applications in catalysis. The donor properties of the 12 and 10 vertex anionic carboranes were probed to allow for the possibility of logical tuning of a given transition metal catalyst. Applications in catalysis and studies on the effect of charge as well as the development of a novel N-dicarbollide N-heterocyclic carbene are also reported. The work herein, should mitigate the development of novel single component zwitterionic and anionic transition metal complexes for applications including, but not limited to hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, α-olefin polymerization, as well as various cross coupling reactions. In addition to the aforementioned, the isolation of the first triazole radical anion is disclosed as well as the methodology to develop a library of potential isolable triazole radical anions for applications in functional materials.


Objective: The objective of the article is to know the nature of the relationship between creative capital as a positive personal touch capable of promoting sustainable entrepreneurial orientation (SEO). To increase the effectiveness of this orientation, I identified entrepreneurial resilience as an interactive variable. Research Design & Methods: The SPSS macro process program was used to test the study hypotheses by adopting questionnaire forms. These forms were utilised as a tool to collect data from a group of managers of the Southern Oil Company in Iraq. The study distributed 345 forms and received 308 valid forms for analysis. Findings: By testing a set of main and sub-hypotheses, the results showed the role of innovation capital in promoting sustainable entrepreneurial direction. This influence relationship increases with the presence of entrepreneurial resilience as an interactive variable. Implications & Recommendations: The results show the importance of personality traits in creating a sustainable entrepreneurial orientation. Nevertheless, it is important to focus on personal traits such as openness and acceptance by others, which enhance social relationships, because these relationships are significant in attracting or marketing ideas related to the environment. Contribution & Value Added: With the decline in the growth rates of countries and companies, especially with the Covid-19, it is expected that the rate of consumption of natural resources will increase. This increase helps to compensate for the losses and the decrease in profits. Thus, this study is important because it emphasizes the significance of production while maintaining principles of sustainability and requirements of preserving natural resources.


The polycyclic ring system which forms the nucleus of a series of sesquiterpene-phenol natural products, including the antimalarial 15-oxopuupehenol, can be constructed in racemic form in four efficient steps, the last of these being a stereoselective manganese(III) acetate-mediated radical cyclisation reaction.


ATL treated with first-line azidothymidine/interferon-alfa (AZT/ IFN-) as compared withfirst-line chemotherapy. This retrospective analysis was performed on 254 patients with ATL treated in multiple centers in France, the United States, the French West Indies, and the United Kingdom. Treatment choice between the three first-line modalities (ie, AZT/IFN alone, chemotherapy alone, and chemotherapy followed by maintenance AZT/IFN) was primarily based on the local policy in each center rather than on uniform criteria. Patients' demographic, clinical, and biologic characteristics were indeed comparable in the different treatment groups except for the ATL subtype, as 60% of patients who received first-line antiviral therapy alone had acute ATL, whereas 62% of patients who received first-line chemotherapy alone had ATL lymphoma. However, the significant survival advantage with AZT/IFN persisted in multivariate analysis, excluding selection bias. Although the effect of salvage therapy was not analyzed, it is unlikelythatchemotherapyforprogressivediseaseafterAZT/IFNwill have a significant impact on OS when first-line chemotherapy is not effective.Recentdataindicatethatallogeneicbonemarrowtransplantation using conventional or nonmyeloablative conditioning is a promising treatment modality in young patients. 3 However, bone marrow transplantation was not reported in any patient in our study. In this meta-analysis, AZT/IFN was compared with cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin-vincristine-prednisone (CHOP)‐ typechemotherapy,butCHOPmaynotbetheoptimalchemotherapyinATL.Indeed,recentJapanClinicalOncologyGrouptrialshave shown a survival advantage with new-generation chemotherapy protocols such as the LSG15 regimen (vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone‐ doxorubicin, ranimustine, and prednisone‐vindesine, etoposide, carboplatin, and prednisone [VCAP-AMP-VECP]). 4 However, in acute ATL, although median OS for patients who received first line AZT/IFN only was only 9 months, 5-year OS was 28%, with a plateau-shaped Kaplan-Meier survival curve. 2 Importantly, 5-year OS was 82% for patients with acute ATL who achieved complete response (CR) with AZT/IFN. 2


Platoon control of connected vehicles (CVs) can greatly improve fuel efficiency and traffic throughput. This paper proposes a unified hierarchical framework for platoon control of CVs with two different types of control modes, i.e., desired acceleration control and desired velocity control. By separating neighboring information interaction from local dynamics control, the framework divides the task of distributed platoon control into two layers, i.e., an upper-level observing layer and a lower-level tracking control layer, to address vehicle dynamics heterogeneity. Within the proposed framework, an observer is designed for following vehicles to observe the leading vehicle's states through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, while a tracking controller is designed to track the leading vehicle using local observation information. A necessary and sufficient condition is further derived to guarantee asymptotic stability of the platoon control system. Numerical simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed hierarchical platoon controller.


The operation of barrages has different restrictions and usage requirements to be observed such as hydropower, navigation or flood protection. Against this background the automatic flow and water level control of barrages is a sophisticated control task due to the non-linear behavior of the process and the multi-purpose use of the impoundment. The paper describes the use of Model-Based Design (MBD) as a method to design and simulate controller algorithms on the basis of unsteady flow simulations and by using graphical modeling tools. A MBD approach allows the designer an early verification and validation of the controller. In addition, special cases in operation can be analyzed and the impact on the impoundment can be assessed. The workflow is presented from requirements to implementation at barrages at the federal waterways. Moreover it is shown, that the automation of chains of barrages creates new demands and requires a coordinated flow management and control in order to ensure a moderate discharge to optimize the hydropower and to provide sufficient water depth for navigation.


T he hydrochloride salt form of guanfacine, a centrally acting alpha-2 adrenergic agonist with antihypertensive activity. Alpha-2 receptor stimulation by guanfacine hydrochloride results in a decreased sympathetic outflow from the vasomotor center to the heart, kidneys, and peripheral vasculature. T his leads to a decrease in heart rate and peripheral vascular resistance. (NCI05) Qeios · Definition, February 7, 2020


A new class of adjustable window functions for designing FIR filters based on Gegenbauer polynomials is introduced. In addition to the usual parameters controlling the mainlobe width and, correspondingly, the minimum attenuation of the resulting filter, these windows provide an additional parameter which can by used to combine the two window design methods: to minimize the peak sidelobe ripple of the frequency response and to minimize the energy in the sidelobes, i.e. the Dolph-Chebyshev and the Saramaki windows are shown to be special cases of the proposed window function. The new window possesses analytic expressions in both the time and frequency domains: the expressions are more straightforward than in the case of Kaiser or Saramaki windows.


Lung Carcinoids (L-CDs) are uncommon low-grade neuroendocrine tumours that are only recently becoming characterised at the molecular level. Notably data on the molecular events that precipitate altered gene expression programmes are very limited. Here we have identified two discrete L-CD subtypes from transcriptomic and whole-genome DNA methylation data, and comprehensively defined their molecular profiles using Whole-Exome Sequencing (WES) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. Subtype (Group) 1 features upregulation of neuronal markers (L-CD-NeU) and is characterised by focal spindle cell morphology, peripheral location (71%), high mutational load (P=3.4x10-4), recurrent copy number alterations and is enriched for Atypical Lung Carcinoids. Group 2 (L-CD-PanC) are centrally located and feature upregulation of pancreatic and metabolic pathway genes concordant with promoter hypomethylation of beta cell and genes related to insulin secretion (P<1x10-6). L-CD-NeU tumours harbour mutations in chromatin remodelling and in SWI/SNF complex members, while L-CD-PanC tumours show aflatoxin mutational signatures and significant DNA methylation loss genome-wide, particularly enriched in repetitive elements (P<2.2 x 10-16). Our findings provide novel insights into the distinct mechanisms of epigenetic dysregulation in these lung malignancies, potentially opening new avenues for biomarker selection and treatment in L-CD patients.


The conformation of the eight-membered membered 12H-dibenzo[d,g][1,3,2]dioxasilocin ring system was investigated both in the solid-state by X-ray crystallography and in solution by NOE experiments. Ab initio Hartree−Fock calculations were performed to locate all stationary points for the unsubstituted 12H-dibenzo[d,g][1,3,2]dioxasilocin ring system. The MM2* force field was parametrized to reproduce our ab initio results, and these data were compared to the experimental data. The transition states for conformational interchange were identified. The pseudoequatorial preference for a methyl substituent on either the C(12) carbon atom or silicon is greater than the difference in energy between a boat-chair and twist-boat conformation in 2,4,8,10-tetra-tert-butyl-substituted 12H-dibenzo[d,g][1,3,2]dioxasilocins. The conformations observed in the solid-state X-ray crystal structures of 12H-dibenzo[d,g][1,3,2]dioxasilocins are sensitive to crystal-packing forces and may be different from that in solution.


In this paper we proposed a method for evaluating a homogeneous broadening (DeltaE(h)) and inhomogeneous broadening (DeltaE(i)) of the resonant energy level width independently by using current-voltage characteristics in double barrier resonant tunneling diodes (DBRTDs). The line shape of the resonant energy broadening is assumed as a convolution of Lorentz function and a Gauss function. Measured transmittance in GaAs0.25P0.75/GaAs DBRTDs grown by MOCVD is well fit to the convolution function. The DeltaE(h), DeltaE(i) were estimated as 4.3[meV] and 1.0 [meV], respectively, where the measured energy-voltage conversion factor 17 is 0.3[eV/V].


Objective: To explore the structural change of spleen on different growth period tumor-bearing mice.Methods: 60 mice were divided into 6 groups: 20~25-days normal saline control group,20~25-days tumor control group,9~10-weeks normal saline control group,9~10-weeks tumor control group,12-months normal saline control group,12-months tumor control group.Evaluating of the experimental result included the tumor weight,tumor indexe,spleen weights,spleen index,relative areas of spleen white pulp(AW),splenic nodule number(NS),spleen S100+DC density and spleen macrophage diameter.Results:(1)Following aging,spleen index decreased,but,the spleen weights of tumor-bearing mice were increased in 9~10-weeks and 12-months.(2) The tumor index in 9~10-weeks tumor control group was significantly higher than the other groups(P0.01).(3) AW and NS in tumor control group were descended than normal saline control group(P0.01),except the 20~25-days tumor control group.(4) The macrophage in 9~10 weeks tumor control group was larger than normal saline control group,but it is reverse change in 20~25days mouse.Conclusion:The spleen of tumor-bearing mice in 9~10-weeks was more sensitive than others.


Using active loads in circuits that result in negative differential resistances at various nodes in the circuit are used for producing resistance cancellation, gain, oscillations, and other types of effects not seen in passive circuits. We aim to demonstrate these properties in metamaterial unit cells with the hope of mimicking the circuit behavior in bulk media. In the metamaterial unit cells, we were able to experimentally show resistance cancellation by controlling the quality of the resonance of the unit cell, oscillation and harmonic generation in the unit cell, and mixing within the unit cell between incident signals and the self generated oscillations and harmonics.


SUMMARY This study focuses on the unstructured-mesh multi-grid computation of two-dimensional, steady, transonic Rows governed by the Euler or Navier-Stokes equations (in the laminar, low-Reynolds number regime). The central question is the construction of an algorithm of truly O(N) complexity for second-order accurate schemes. This is achieved either by the ldquo;first-order/second-order" Defect-Correction process, or directly by a fully ldquo;second-order" approach. Relations between levels are controlled by a coarsening method introduced by Guillard. This work attempts to follow the available theoretical facts to build several strategies that are then evaluated for a set of airfoil flows.


Abstract Ternary blends based on polyamide 6 (PA6)/acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR)/polycarbonate (PC) were prepared by melt compounding via extrusion process. The effect of organoclay (OC), compatibilizer, and blend ratio was investigated on structural and mechanical properties of the blend. The effect of OC and compatibilizer studied on crystallization temperature, melting temperature, and crystallinity of PA6/NBR/PC ternary blends was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. Improvement in the crystal structure of compatibilized blend compared to unfilled blend was observed by polarized optical microscope. Dispersion of OC into PA6/NBR/PC ternary blends was done by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy-dispersive X-ray. The results confirmed the exfoliation of OC particles into the polymer matrix. The improvement in yield stress and tensile modulus of the ternary blend was observed in the presence of OC. The impact strength showed an increase using NBR-glycidyl methacrylate-grafted (g-GMA) to prepare compatibilized PA6/NBR/PC ternary blend.


Summary The lysis by plasmin of fibrin clots prepared from plasminogen-deficient fibrinogen, and by urokinase of similar clots prepared from plasminogen-rich fibrinogen has been studied. In a simple system containing no plasminogen the clot lysis time is inversely proportional to the concentration of added plasmin, and zero order kinetics are obeyed. The reciprocal of the lysis time is a measure of the fibrinolytic activity in the system, and may be used to study antiplasmins. When serum was included a reduction in reciprocal lysis time resulted, the extent of which varied linearly with the amount of serum added. These relationships persisted whether soluble or insoluble plasmin preparations were used and whether or not chloride ions were present. They indicate that serum antiplasmins behave as irreversible or pseudo-irreversible inhibitors. It was found that sodium chloride exerts a potentiating effect on fibrinolysis by plasmin, but does not influence the extent to which the enzyme is inhibited by serum antiplasmins. When fibrin clots were prepared from plasminogen-rich fibrinogen, and urokinase was included, a direct relationship was found to exist between the concentration of urokinase and the square of the reciprocal clot lysis time. When serum was added, vigorous inhibition of fibrinolysis resulted when sodium chloride was present; no inhibition was observed in its absence. It is proposed that sodium chloride weakens the interaction between plasminogen and fibrin in the clots, and renders the plasmin produced by the action of urokinase more susceptible to inhibition by antiplasmins. Evidence in support of this hypothesis is presented and the kinetics of fibrinolysis by plasmin, and its inhibition, are discussed.


Zirconium dioxide (zirconia) has three allotropes: mono‐clinic, tetragonal and cubic. The disruptive phase transformation between the first two can be suppressed by total stabilization in the cubic form. Using microwave route, high‐temperature cubic phase of ZrO2 is synthesized without any stabilizing dopant. Here, we report on the structural and magnetic studies of Co‐doped ZrO2 composites doped up to 30%. The XRD profile of the as‐prepared bulk powder and 400°C sintered Zr1‐xCoxO2 compositions do not show any impurity peaks up to 30% doping. The presence of Co2+O2− impurity beyond 30% doping serves as an evidence for substitution of Co at Zr‐site. A volume contraction of the crystal lattice for Co‐doped ZrO2 cell further signifies the incorporation of Co dopant in the host lattice. The magnetic hysteresis shows an increase in magnetic moment with increase in Co concentration. The magnetic moment calculated per cobalt atom is 0.06 µB for 10%; 0.11 µB for Co=20, 30 and 0.22 µB for 40% Co. The M vs. H plots for the as‐prepared as well as 400°C annealed samples essentially show typical hysteresis loops, indicating that they are room temperature ferromagnetic. M vs. T curves at 500 Oe also follow the same trend as that of M vs. H measurements, showing magnetization to be retained up to room temperature. Our magnetic data indicates that Co could induce true room temperature ferromagnetism in ZrO2.


This paper presents a novel energy efficient and delay aware handover decision policy based on Markov decision process (MDP) for a two-tier (macro-femto) wireless network. We propose a novel reward function and formulate a novel transition probability matrix to be used in MDP in order to take optimal handover decision. Simulation results reveal that, compared to other competitive handover policies, the proposed policy can significantly reduce the power consumption as well as handover delay at the mobile terminals.


Abstract The paper discusses the potential agricultural value of 10 Bromus species in the section Ceratochloa. The species are bunch grasses poorly adapted to soils which are prone to waterlogging or are heavy‐textured, very acidic, or have moderate to high levels of aluminium. They are moderately deep‐rooted with good drought tolerance on better soils but require warm soil temperatures for reliable establishment. The seeds do not flow readily as they are generally large, light, and often have awns and fine hairs on the seed coat. The seed requires additional processing to be sown commercially. Forage is generally of high quality and palatability, and endophytic fungi are not a problem. Prairie grass (B. willdenowii Kunth) is a large‐tillered short‐lived, productive, winter‐active species demanding very high soil fertility. It requires a long rotation interval between grazings and has poor tolerance to close continuous grazing. This inflexibility limits its role on farms. Grazing brome (B. stamineus Desv....


A test platform of electronic products which based on the CAN bus technology was constructed in this paper.As the bus technology used,this platform implemented the electronic products test automatically.The key technology was the detection algorithm of auto node which added to the CAN bus.This algorithm divided the node of CAN bus into main node and sub-node.The main node would auto detect the sub-node,and mark it.Then the test information would be exchanged between sub-node and main node after the sub-node was marked,and the detection of the electronic products will be performed.


This short essay will treat metric and free verse, with the awareness of the anachronistic quality of these topics. Notwithstanding, this is the purpose of this short essay which dares to start from the astral consideration of the meaning of poetry. Through this way, coming back to its inner metric and structure, poetry may compose the partiture of an urban renovation movement, creating conditions for a modern interpretation of urban spaces as common goods, where the ineffable power of the poetical word can introduce a new perception of life into the cities.


Based on the methods of literature and statistical analysis,the author counts the number of gold medal,medals obtained by participating countries in IAAF World Championships in Athletics,and the number of countries whose athletes earned top 8.After statistical analysis,dynamic transmutation of the world's competitive pattern of track and field is combed in this paper.Research results indicate that:there is an obviously stratified tendency of all the competition groups with clearer competitive opponent relations;there is an unbalanced development between competitive regions with great regional differences;enhanced international exchanges lead to more comprehensive and diversified competition patterns;accelerated replacement from the old generation to the young leads to many newly emerging forces.


A photovoltaic array in or on a building may increase the potential for ignition of materials, furnish additional areas that may intensify and propagate flames, and/or may provide situations that increase the potential for shock hazards. A lack of specific requirements for photovoltaic installations in the various building and electrical safety-related codes is considered an impediment to the widespread application of photovoltaic systems, as it may result in inconsistency in inspector judgements and uncertainties on the part of the builder and user. This paper presents results to date of efforts to develop safety-related systems and component requirements for photovoltaic modules to minimize these inconsistencies and uncertainties.


Little work has been done on potassium (K) and zinc (Zn) in combination with farm yard manure (FYM) under rainfed conditions of NWFP. This study was designed to examine the effects of un-irrigated cropping patterns and organic and inorganic fertilizers on wheat crop. Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of cropping patterns and farm yard manure, potassium and zinc on phenology and grain yield of wheat under rainfed (barani or un-irrigated) conditions at Agricultural Research Station, Serai Naurang Bannu for two years during 2001-02 and 2002-03. The experiment was designed in RCB design with split arrangements. Two factors were studied in the experiment. Effects of five cropping patterns i.e., fallow-wheat, groundnut-wheat, mungbean-wheat, sorghum-wheat & pigeon pea-wheat and three organic and in-organic fertilizers on subsequent wheat crop were observed. Data revealed that both the cropping patterns and manures/fertilizers had non-significant effect on days to anthesis, seed fill duration and days to maturity of wheat. Highest grain yield (3194 kg ha -1 ) was produced by wheat fallowing mungbean. Based on two years average, it is concluded that wheat following mungbean produced more yield and wheat following groundnut produced less yield under dryland conditions. The present findings revealed that pigeon pea-wheat cropping pattern seems to be more sustainable in terms of yield under rainfed conditions and use of FYM, K and Zn should be included in integrated crop management approaches for sustainable crop production.


Over the past years, cars' computing, sensing, and networking capabilities have rapidly increased, and the automotive development aims for autonomous driving. However, the driver is still the focal point for decision making. It has to be alert at all times to avoid traffic accidents due to human factors like tiredness, inattentiveness, and intoxication. Therefore, there is a need for a system that monitors the driver and intervenes before human failure can have a negative impact on traffic. A variety of commercially available wearable IoT devices, such as smartwatches, bracelets, and rings, are capable of monitoring human health conditions. However, those devices come with technological differences and manufacturer-specific implementations. This paper proposes a prototype for a human-sensing and health monitoring system based on wearable sensor devices. The aim is to find a solution that ignores the technological heterogeneity of IoT devices and generalises their implementation into the automotive system. Consequently, the data should be available to be analysed together with the data collected from the vehicular sensors. Our solution is compatible with open-source platforms Eclipse Hono and Kuksa.


Sera from 50 patients with Hodgkin's disease, 78 patients with non‐Hodgkin non‐leukemic malignant lymphomas, and 75 patients with different types of solid malignant tumors were investigated for the presence of immune complexes using the (125I) C1q‐binding test. All patients were untreated. An increased serum C1q‐binding activity was found in 22% of the patients with Hodgkin's disease, 35.9% of the non‐Hodgkin lymphoma patients and in 37.3% of the patients with solid tumors. The C1q‐binding material detected in the patients' sera had properties similar to those of immune complexes. On sucrose density gradient it sedimented as a 10‐30 s material. It contained IgG which were dissociated under acid conditions. Passage through anti‐IgG immunoabsorbent removed its C1q‐binding properties. A prevalent association was found between the presence of serum immune complexes and disseminated disease stages in all the patient groups included. A similar association was found between the presence of serum immune complexes and general symptoms among the malignant lymphoma patients. The nature of the antigens involved in the complexes remains unknown.


The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Research Station at Sungai Asap, Belaga, Sarawak is
located approximately 100 km from Bintulu town. The 120 hectares of logged-over forest is
administered by MPOB as a conservation area and designated as a model for oil palm plantation.
It involves the integration of oil palm plantation and forested area. The logged-over forest had
been selectively logged by logging company between 10 to 15 years before MPOB came in 200~
A study was conducted to determine the floristic and stand structure of logged-over forest in
Sungai Asap for conservation purpose. Specifically the objectives ofthis study were to determine
the tree species composition, diversity and forest stand structure of logged-over forest in Sg.
Asap. A total of 22 sampling plots of 20 x 20 m were established within two biodiversity strips
which have been established by MPOB. The plots were enumerated for tree species composition,
stand density, diameter size distribution and vertical vegetation layers. A total of 1075 trees
above 5 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) were enumerated which consisted of 45 families and
187 species. The most dominant species as indicated by their important value index (lVI) was
Macaranga triloba (6:92%). The other two dominant species were Shorea parvifolia (3.97%) and
Shorea sp. (3.94%). The number of tree per ha or tree density was 1222 and total tree height had
an average of 10.97 m. The mean diameter at breast height and basal area were 13.85 cm and
29.39 m2ha-1 , respectively. Emergent tree was represented by a single species, Shorea parvifolia
which recorded at 38 m. Dipterocarpaceae family dominated all canopy layers. The stand
structure characteristics of logged-over forest showed good regeneration indicated by high
population of medium-sized individuals in term of tree height.


The United States Justice Department's unexpected announcement in May 2004 that it would begin the first federal investigation into the 1955 murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi surprised even Till...


In this review, selected species of the genus Echinacea have been discussed in terms of their historical uses, and their modern implications for health benefits. Included herewith is also a summary of the physiologically active components within Echinacea , the medicinal value of these components, the mechanisms of action of these bioactive compounds, and their potential role in cancer therapy and prevention. Includ ed is a synopsis of our pre-clinical work indicating the in vivo results of dietary consumption of Echinacea , in normal and cancerbearing mice. We have demonstrated immune system stimulation, specifically of those immune cells involved in cancer defense. We have shown also, a significant life span extension in Echinacea -consuming mice bearing leukemia. We have also demonstrated that in elderly mice, dietary Echinacea can resurrect the specific, anti-cancer immune cells to levels of that of young adult mice. Even though there has, in recent decades, been an acceptance of the health benefits of herbs in general, and Echinacea specifically, in terms of prophylaxis and therapy, there is still no standardization within o r among the various manufacturers of the derivatives of this plant. Because of the lack of s tandardization or government regulations overseeing the preparation of these products, quali ty variation is dramatic from batch to batch, even within the same manufacturer. In spite of the abundant evidence - both historical and modern - for the medicinal value of 3 major species within genus Echinacea, this wide variability, continues to prevent this plant f rom entering mainstream medicine.


Neonates are unable to clear Pneumocystis (PC) infection with the same efficiency as adults. The alveolar macrophage (AM) phenotype of neonates during infection varies from that of adults, leading to a delayed inflammatory response and a slower clearance of infection. Upon infection with PC, neonatal AMs appear to maintain an alternatively activated phenotype, where as adults tend to adopt a classical AM phenotype. Previous data from our lab has shown that an elevated expression of TGFβ in neonatal lungs suppresses the ability of AMs to respond to PC. Use of a conditional smad4 KO model in which TGFβ signaling is defective in macrophages allowed us to show that blocking the TGFβ signaling pathway improves clearance of PC in neonatal mice. To further examine the response of neonatal AMs, in vitro immunoflourescence assays were performed to examine NFκB translocation to the nucleus. We found that, while neonatal AMs translocate NFκB in response to zymosan, they remain unresponsive to PC cysts. This data suggests that the unresponsiveness of neonatal AMs to PC infection may be due in part to reduced response of macrophages to PC cysts, in addition to the immunosuppressed lung environment. We hypothesize that the down regulation of molecules involved with NFκB translocation to the nucleus results in the reduced response of AMs to PC.


Empirical methods in corporate finance for some time focused on the short-term market reaction to corporate announcements. The associated theories rely heavily on market imperfections such as taxes, transaction costs, information issues and contracting problems to obtain short-term market reactions in a rational setting. A critical assumption in these environments is that managers are concerned with long-run or intrinsic market value. A more recent empirical literature explicitly examines the long-run performance of firms. If short-term reactions to an announcement reflect favorable information about the long-run, then this should be evident in long-term accounting performance. Long-run market returns, on the other hand, should not be abnormal. These predictions are often inconsistent with what has been found in the data, especially with regard to equity issuance. Loughran and Ritter (1995) and others find a 70% average price appreciation in the year prior to the announcement of an issue followed by a return of only 5% per year for five years after the issue. This is well below the returns on seemingly comparable firms. These empirical results about long-run performance exist in a theoretical vacuum. Corporate theory based on information transmission can give announcement effects, but has little to say about long-run returns (other than that they should not be abnormal). One recent conjecture that has gained a substantial following is the market timing or window of opportunity hypothesis. According to this conjecture, the market occasionally becomes unrealistically optimistic about the firm's prospects, as reflected, for instance, in the 70% run up in price prior to issuance. Managers realize that the market is overly optimistic and take advantage of this window of opportunity by issuing securities at inflated prices. The poor accounting performance and low returns subsequent to the issue provides evidence that the market was overly optimistic. The purpose of our paper is to show how recent advances in dynamic asset pricing can deliver a rational theory of SEO underperformance. We develop a simple model of corporate investment that is capable of explaining the observed pattern of returns around equity issuance. We conclude that it is not the issuance of securities that is important, but the investment of the funds in real assets that drives security returns. The observed return pattern surrounding equity issues is consistent with the theoretically derived, dynamic, endogenously determined risk of the firm. We use firm level data to develop additional tests of the theory.


Dislocated Si, SiGe, SiC, and SiGeC n-type heterostructures, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, were characterized by capacitance–voltage profiling and deep-level transient spectroscopy. Exclusively dislocation-related defects were found in the different layers, which correspond to the well-known defects found in plastically deformed silicon.


The results from analyzing and evaluating the water quality of Wanfeng lake show that its total nitrogen,phosphorus and permanganate content exceeds the standard,especially 23 times for phosphorus,and the water quality evaluated by the comprehensive nutrient index is light eutrophication.The paper provides the theoretical basis for protecting and harnessing the ecological environment of Wanfeng lake by analyzing the reason of water lettuce pollution.


The video game poses a challenge in terms of copyright protection due to the complexity and novelty of its nature, in essence being comprised of multiple copyrightable elements, resulting in jurisdictionally diverse legal classification and harmonisation within the EU is not yet achieved. As the varying options of copyright classification of video game affects the applicability of EU anti-circumvention law, and thus, the evaluation of digital rights management-systems, which is an important part of this thesis, clarification was called for. It was found that there are indications that a video game should not be considered a mere computer program, but rather a complex amalgamation of intellectual works.

The rapid technological development has made it comparably easy to gain unauthorised access to and use of copyrighted content, resulting in a growing illegal consumption of video games. To counter this, right holders implement digital rights management-systems (DRM-systems) to protect and manage their exclusive rights through restricting or preventing unauthorised access and use. Of tools used, technological protection measures (TPMs) in particular are from a lawful end-user perspective perceived as over-restrictive, complicating and limiting the access and the use of the video game, including acts that do not require right holder authorisation. In light of this, the impact of implemented DRM-systems, TPMs in particular, on illegal consumption and end-user's attitudes is illustrated and the de facto effectiveness of TPMs evaluated. It is argued that TPMs are not truly effective in preventing illegal consumption – indeed some scholars suggest that TPMs might even increase the magnitude of copyright infringement following increasing levels of discontent within the video gaming community.

Another aspect to the implementation of DRM-systems, specifically TPMs, is the potential conflict created as the right holder's fundamental right of property is pitted against the end-user's fundamental right of freedom of expression and information. This called for the application of a fundamental rights perspective, investigating whether TPMs may be interfering with end-users fundamental rights and, if so, whether it is considered a violation or not. It is shown that TPMs can interfere with the right of freedom of expression and information, but so far relevant case law implies that such interference is not considered a violation, in part due to the wide margin of appreciation awarded EU Member States. However, current case law does not seem entirely preclude that as a possible future outcome.

In conclusion, TPMs does not only inconvenience lawful end-users whilst being de facto ineffective in preventing illegal consumption of video games, but TPMs also interferes with end-user fundamental rights, although violation has not been confirmed. It is thus proposed that TPMs in their current format may not be the preferred solution to counter video game piracy and ensure right holder exclusive rights.


Further technological advances are in great need for improving our understanding about critical biological and fundamental pathological processes, such as tissue development and cancer progression, or for the discovery and screening of novel pharmacological drugs. Preclinical experimentation demands for highly reliable and physiologically-relevant systems capable of recapitulating the complex human physiology. Traditional in vitro models, albeit widely employed, fail to reproduce the complexity of the native scenario with cells displaying aberrant gene expressions. Similarly, in vivo animal models, such as mice, poorly mimic the human condition and are ethically questionable. During the last decades, a new paradigm in preclinical modelling has emerged aiming to solve the limitations of the aforementioned methods. The combination of advanced tissue engineering, nanotechnology, and cell biology has resulted in the development of cutting-edge microfluidics-based models with an unprecedented ability to recreate within a microfluidic device the native habitat of cells within a microengineered chip. A diverse variety of micro- and bio-fabrication techniques is available for the development of microfluidic devices. Among all them, UV-photolithography and soft lithography is the considered the gold-standard method for the fabrication of chips due to its simplicity, versatility, and rapid prototyping. In this work, we describe the step-by-step fabrication procedure of a microfluidic chip by UV-photolithography and replica molding and discuss about their potential applications in the biomedical field.


A method for the prevention of postpartum polymorbid pathology of cows using the drug VITAPOL® pulvis, which increases the number of clinically healthy cows in the postpartum period by 22,5%, reduce the number of recorded cases of both individual and polymorbid diseases (placental retained and ketosis by 7,5%, metritis-hypoluteolysis and placental retained-ketosis-hypoluteolysis by 5%, ketosis-metritis and metritis – by 2,5%.) which significantly reduces the cost of treatment of animals and the time spent by specialists with sick animals.


Pre-interview interactions between qualitative researchers and research subjects are characterized by two-way sense-making processes, through which research subjects attempt to make sense of researchers' intentions, and what they themselves stand to gain or lose from participating in a given research. Based on a reflexive account of my ethnographic fieldwork experiences in Kenya's South Coast region, among men known as 'beach boys' and as participants of 'female sex tourism', I illustrate how the concerns and interests of my target interviewees were generated and negotiated during the pre-interview phase. I do so by analysing our pre-interview interactions, drawing links between my assigned identities, asymmetries between us and the concerns and interests that were generated, as the men considered their participation or non-participation in the research.


This is the third in a series of studies examining young students' attitudes toward and knowledge about computers. Data were collected at the end of students' third and fourth grade academic years and analyzed with respect to their "love" of computers, their feelings of competence in using them, and the number of computer terms they listed in three minutes. Comparisons were made across five New York City "midtown" fourth grade classes varying widely in teacher experience and practice, as well as with respect to findings at a more affluent, less racially diverse "uptown" school. Absence of teacher incentives and training contributed to failures in effectively structuring classroom computer access around challenging assignments that might have served to increase computer literacy and to narrow gender and racial gaps. Contrasts with the more affluent "uptown" school in terms of facilities and scheduling, home Internet access, and "computer literacy" gains are striking. Implications are drawn for changes in curriculum priorities, administrative practices, and ongoing inservice teacher education to better ensure equitable computer access and student learning.