Objective To evaluate the effects of clopidogrel on NSTE -acute coronary syndrome and plasma N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide. Methods A total of 80 patients with NSTE-acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) were single-blinded randomly separated into two groups:clopidogrel treatment groups (n = 40) and routine therapy group (n = 40). The treatment group received (300 mg loading dose clopidogrel and followed by 75 mg daily thereafter),while the routine therapy group received routine therapy. By using ELISA,the plasma concentrations of NT-proBNP both in patients with NSTE-ACS,and in 40 adults with stable angina (SAP group),were detected at the admission to the hospital and at 8 weeks after treatment. These are then compared to 40 healthy adults(control group). Results The plasma NT-proBNP concentration of NSTE-ACS patients was significantly higher than that in patients with stable angina (SAP)and control group (P 0.05). There were no significant differences in plasma NT-proBNP concentration of SAP group and control group (P 0.05). After 8-week therapy,the levels of plasma NT-proBNP in NSTE-ACS patients decreased significantly (P 0.05),so as in the clopidogrel group (P 0.05). Conclusion The plasma NT-proBNP concentration significantly increases in NSTE-ACS,which is a good indicator for prognosis in patients with NSTE acute coronary syndrome. Clopidogrel could decrease the plasma concentration of NT-proBNP,which may provide a clinical evidence of using clopidogrel in NSTE-ACS patients.


Introduction. The development of pedagogical science requires the introduction of new technologies, forms, and methods of influencing children's microcommunity. At the present stage of social development, the need for moral and ethical education of the younger generation increasingly arises as the assimilation of external requirements for behavior in accordance with their own convictions, which are actively developing in primary school age. In this regard, it is relevant to study the possibilities of using the reflective environment in multidirectional mathematics and music lessons. The purpose of the study was to study the development of moral and ethical qualities as a result of the organization of a reflective environment at mathematics and music lessons for children of primary school age. Materials and methods. The experimental study was conducted from September 2016 to May 2020. The study was conducted in the Municipal Educational Institution "General Secondary School No. 22" and the Municipal Budgetary General Education Institution "General Secondary School No. 28" in Orekhovo-Zuevo, Moscow Region. Two hundred and twelve schoolchildren studying at these schools took part in the study. The χ2-Pearson statistical test was used for statistical processing. Results. The results obtained during the ascertaining stage of the experiment made it possible to identify and characterize a number of shortcomings in the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components of the moral and ethical development of primary schoolchildren. In accordance with the need to develop moral and ethical qualities, an appropriate reflective environment was organized in the experimental classes of both schools. The development of moral and ethical qualities of primary schoolchildren through the reflective environment was successful, which is confirmed by statistically significant differences at the control stage of the experiment (χ2 = 42.27>χ20.05). Discussion of results and conclusion. The need for the formation of reflexive abilities in primary school age necessitates the creation of a special environment, the use of effective author's techniques. It is advisable to include the use of reflective practice-oriented situations in the structure of mathematics and music lessons.


In the first part of the paper I give some brief background to the newly introduced "required knowledge" in reading literacy for grade 3 in the Swedish compulsory school. After that I develop a the ...


Abstract Microdous chalmersi is an Odontobutidae fish that mainly inhabits in East and Southeast Asia. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of M. chalmersi was first determined and described. It was 16,485 bp in length and composed by 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, a putative light strand origin of replication (OL) and a putative control region (D-loop). The overall nucleotide composition was 28.9% of A, 16.0% of G, 25.0% of T, and 30.1% of C, with a total of 53.9% A + T content. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that M. chalmersi had the closest evolutionary relationship with Micropercops swinhonis. The availability of the M. chalmersi mitogenome would contribute to further phylogenetic research of Odontobutidae and genetics studies of this species.


The present invention relates to a device for determining a value dermatitis (Z), the apparatus comprising: a photoelectric measuring device (1) for recording three-dimensional image of human or animal skin (H) above inflamed area (E), (B ), wherein, by the optoelectronic measuring device capable of detecting the three-dimensional image (B) is a value associated with the area (a), the value of the space (V) and color values (F.); calculation means (2) for use by meter associated with the detected area value (a), the value of the space (V) and the color value (F) dermatitis calculated value; and a display unit (3) for displaying the calculated value of dermatitis. Through color value calculation unit demarcation to each image point and by giving the value of space delimitation of the individual pixels of the value associated with the division of the area of the three-dimensional image is recorded inflammation focus (C) and adjacent to and surrounding the inflammatory foci the region around the lesion inflammatory foci (U), and each of the magenta color value with a value in the CMYK color model corresponds.


To evaluate the protective effect of Xinfuli Granule(XFLG)on myocardial cells in rats with myocardial injury and necrosis.Methods Rat model of myocardial injury and necrosis was prepared by subcutaneously injecting isoproterenol (20 mg/kg).The rats were randomly divided into five groups.The normal group and the model group were treated by normal saline of 10 ml/kg,the large and small dosages XFLG group were medicated with XFLG 10 g/kg and 5 g/kg respectively,and the propranolol group was treated by propranolol(4 mg/kg),once a day for successive 8 days.Animals were sacrificed on the 9th day,then the heart was taken out and the cardiac index calculated,The pathological changes in myocardial cells of the rats were observed under electron microscopy.Results The changes of myocardial cells in XFLG group were obviously alleviated compared with those in the model group,and restoration reaction was the main manifestation.Conclusion XFLG was proved to have certain effect in preventing and protecting myocardial cells in rats with myocardial injury and necrosis.


OBJECTIVESurgical treatment of odontoid fractures that do not allow interfragmentary fracture compression involves either posterior atlantoaxial arthrodesis or additional anterior stabilization using a plate construct. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical and radiographic outcome after anterior plate fixation of odontoid fractures that were not suitable for anterior screw fixation. METHODSWe reviewed the clinical and radiographic records of 9 patients with an average age of 54 years at the time of surgery who had undergone anterior plate fixation of an odontoid fracture. Indications for using a plate construct were odontoid fractures with anterior oblique fracture lines, fractures with comminution or major displacement, and pathological fractures. RESULTSEight patients returned to their preinjury activity level and were satisfied with their treatment. One patient reported chronic pain symptoms and a notable decrease in cervical spine motion. Using the Smiley-Webster Scale to quantify their clinical outcome, we achieved an overall outcome score of 1.6. Bony fusion was achieved in all patients. Reduction or fixation failed in 2 patients. Reoperation for technical failures was not necessary in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONWe had promising results using anterior plate fixation for surgical treatment of odontoid fractures that did not allow interfragmentary fracture compression. Because this method avoids the rigid fixation of the atlantoaxial joint in contrast to techniques of posterior cervical arthrodesis, it seems to be a practical option for the management of fracture types that require additional stabilization of the odontoid.


Background: After forty years, the literature on therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is still contradictory. Researchers need to share their experiences to build up a concencus on basics of TDM. Material and Methods: The electronic database between 1/3/2013 and 31/12/2013 was retrospectively searched for information about TDM for carbamazepine, valproic acid, phenytoin and digoxin serum level measurements. Results: 184 carbamazepine, 283 valproic acid, 64 phenytoin and 135 digoxin tests were performed. Neurology Department requested 59% of total anti-epiteptics. 48% of digoxin requests were from Emergency and Intensive Care Units. 101 (55%) of carbamazepine results and 43 (68%) of phenytoin results were in the sub-therapeutic range; 158 (56%) of valproic acid results were in the therapeutic and 55 (41%) of digoxin results were in above therapeutic range. Conclusion: The study results suggested that digoxin tests were mostly requested to confirm drug toxicity while neuorologic drug requests mostly aimed to manage drug dosage. Percentage of test requests were in line with some of the previous studies and contrary to some others. A request form including the information about the drug dosage and dosing interval, the patient's response, indication for TDM is strongly suggested by the authors of this study. The laboratory should be able to read this basic information in order to be actively involved in test process.


Using numerical methods, the authors investigate plasma diffusion in tokamaks when impurity ions of light elements are present. The model considered makes use of neoclassical expressions for diffusion fluxes and takes ionization and recombination processes into account. The question of the boundary conditions for the initial system of equations is discussed. The new boundary conditions for the proton and impurity ion densities are zero partial ion-ion fluxes at the boundary of the plasma column. The computational results show that the presence of impurity ions in the plasma column of a tokamak – even in relatively small amounts – strongly influences the spatial distribution of the protons. The entire diffusion process can be broken down into a number of stages which differ one from the other with regard to the amount of impurities in the system. If the proportion of impurities ξim does not exceed 0.01 of the electron density, the highly ionized ions collect at the centre of the plasma. If ξim > 0.01, the proton profile becomes flat within a short time and the impurities become more evenly distributed over the plasma cross-section.


A simple two-photon two-colour excitation scheme has been investigated, using a UV Ar+-ion laser pumped-dye laser system, for isotopic analysis of Sr by continuous wave laser resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS). Strontium ion yield measurements were made in an ion microprobe with multi-collection facility, employing both thermal evaporation and solid target sputtering by primary ion beams of O+, Ar+, and Xe+, for producing neutral Sr atoms. These measurements have displayed a consistent depletion of the odd 87Sr : 86Sr isotope ratio from the standard value by as much as 10%(or 100‰) and the dependence of this observed even–odd mass isotopic selectivity of the ionization process on the resonant dye laser power has been examined. The elemental selectivity of the ionization scheme for Sr has also been demonstrated to be in excess of 106 over isobarically interfering Rb. The ionization yields obtained with both thermal evaporation and primary ion beam sputtering are compared with the results of simple mathematical analyses of the resonance ionization process and possible reasons for the quantitative differences observed between the measured and the predicted results are suggested and discussed.


Chile has a significant potential for solar energy; the solar irradiation in the northern desert is amongst the highest in the world and the surface of the country compared to the number of inhabitants is huge. Furthermore, electricity prices are relatively high and the investment climate could be considered as good with a low political risk. At the moment however, the solar energy market could be described as underdeveloped and no major subsidizing systems exist. First signs of the planning of major scale exploitation of solar technologies are present however. For this reason it was investigated if implementing photovoltaic solar systems in the Chilean electricity market could be profitable.
Methodology
Since the northern part of Chile has the highest irradiation and the Metropolitan area the largest number of inhabitants, the report focused on these two geographic areas for the implementation of the photovoltaic solar systems. By comparing the costs of these systems to the costs of delivering energy in the conventional way, it was calculated whether solar energy had reached grid parity.
Different types of solar systems were considered in the analyses. Large scale solar plants were analysed in case of connection to the distribution or transmission grid. Home solar systems were taken into account as well; stand alone storage and grid connected systems were considered.
Concluding
According to the investment model that was developed, investments in photovoltaic solar projects in Chile should be considered as extremely risky concerning the height of the IRR values and the estimations that were done. Nevertheless, first signs of photovoltaic solar systems starting to be competitive within the market were present. Regarding the expectations for price development of photovoltaic modules and an increase in electricity price for the future, it should be stated that Chile has potential to develop an important photovoltaic solar market with world's highest amount of irradiation and its good investment climate.


This paper describe an experimental method implementing Progressive photon mapping on contemporary hardware PC with GPU. The overview of Progressive photon mapping as well as its GPGPU-specific modification. The experimental results are shown as well along with the performance measurements.


This volume aims at analyzing the relationship between the dialogical accomplishment of spoken talk-in-interaction on the one hand and entrenched patterns of linguistic and socio-cultural knowledge (constructions, frames, and communicative genres) on the other. The contributions share a usage-based perspective on linguistic structure and meaning and address linguistic patterns in different languages such as English, French, German, and Swedish.


In highly competitive industries producing products such as intelligent mobile multimedia terminals, sensor/MEMS-based u-healthcare systems, and energy saving high performance communication devices, the components and materials determine the properties and character of the end customer service and make or break the competitive power of those industries. Thus, the development of source technologies through interdisciplinary research in the fields of electronics, physics, material science, chemistry, and biology for convergence components and materials is the key to the creation of new industries and the establishment of future industrial infrastructures.


This study analyzed the biomass combustion in a vertical counter-current fixed-bed. The experimental device, designed and constructed in the framework of BioF2S project funded by IRESEN, consists of a vertical tube combustion chamber, a steel grate with circular holes of 4 mm diameter, air supply system, data acquisition system and various measurements equipment (flow meter, thermocouples and gas analyzer). Experimental tests were carried out with wood pellets solid fuel for three normal volume flow rates (2.5, 3.25 and 4 Nm3/h). The effect of this fundamental parameter on instantaneous temperature profiles, average temperature at the combustor center, bed height, combustion layer thickness, ignition front velocity and mass ignition rate was shown. Gas emissions analyses have also been discussed.


Objective To observe the serum tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and epidermal growth factor(EGF) in patients with lung cancer,to provide a supplementary diagnostic tool for the disease. Methods Radioimmunoassay was used to examine the serum TNFα and EGF in patients with lung cancer(n=46),benign lung disease(n=35) and healthy adults(n=32).Results The average levels of TNF-α and EGF in patients with lung cancer were significantly higher than those with benign lung disease and healthy adults(F=175.41,106.05;q=16.14-23.34;P0.01),furthermore,the average levels of TNF-α and EGF of cancer patients with metastasis were significantly higher than that without metastasis(t=6.43,9.70;P0.01).Serum TNF-α and EGF in the cancer patients were decreased significantly after chemotherapy(t=5.39,3.02;P0.05). Conclusion Serum TNF-α and EGF can be regarded as an indicator for the diagnosis,estimation of lung cancer,and judgment of its prognosis.


Problems with legal quality will not only increase effort and costs of the law enforcement organisations, but also undermines the regulating power of the legislator. Unintended use or even abuse of the law may be the result. Governments therefore should improve their legal quality. The complexity of legislation however makes this task a hard one. The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (DTCA in Dutch: Belastingdienst) has developed a method and supporting tools that support a systematic translation of (new) legislation into the DTCA's processes. This POWER-method and tools help to improve the quality of (new) legislation and codify the knowledge used in the translation processes in which legislation and regulations are transformed into procedures, computer programs and other designs. Thereby the time-to-market of the implementation of legislation will be reduced. In this article we explain some knowledge representation techniques that we use to improve legal quality. We will also show its application and give real-life examples of anomalies detected. In contrast to other knowledge modelling approaches the POWER-approach is focused on modelling legal sources rather than expert knowledge. Expert knowledge however is still needed to find the correct interpretations but also for efficiency reasons. Starting with representing the (legal) experts' knowledge (using scenarios) helps us to find the adequate scope (the legal sources to be analysed). Confronting the expert with differences between the model build out of the experts' knowledge and the ones we make out of the other knowledge sources (specifically the law) causes the legal experts to see things in a different light and has often led to changes in the law.


Introduction: In this study we present a 55-year-old male patient (index case) who came to Dicle University and detected to have a homozygous C282Y mutation. His family and close relatives were also evaluated for the same reason as it is a rare mutation. Patient and Method: We have evaluated ALT, AST, Fe, TIBC, ferritin, %TS parameters of the patient, his family, and the close relatives. Hemochromatosis mutations in HFE gene detected with Real-Time-PCR. Result: 34 relatives of the patient were evaluated upon detection of homozygous C282Y mu- tation in index case. Ferritin level was 7134 ng/mL in index patient. Hepatomegaly and excess iron in liver was detected. It was learned that patient was discharged from internal disea- ses department by phlebotomy recommendation. In 17 relatives of the patient heterozygous C282Y mutation, in four of them heterozygous H63D mutation was detected. In two cases homozygouse C282Y mutation was detected. Conclusion: HFE gene mutation survey causing hereditary hemochromatosis is very rare in Turkey. For the first time, HFE gene mutations were encountered in a family living in Black Sea region and rare C282Y mutation was detected. In this study a second extended family focus with frequent HFE gene mutation was discovered in a village with high frequency of endogamy in Diyarbakir region. Necessary attempts were made especially for close surve- illance of the two patients carrying C282Y homozygous gene mutation. We concluded that biochemical and genetic surveys and genetic consulting are important for public health.


Based on the discussion of the UPFC(Unified Power Flow Controller)model and the al-gorithm of transient stability of system with UPFC,the effect of UPFC on transient stability of power system under the random faults and three different control strategies is emphasized.App-lying the non-sequential Monte-Carlo simulation,the results of probabilistic stability calculation for the modified EPRI-36bus system are given.It is pointed that both positive and negative effects are possible under same UPFC control strategy and same initial conditions.The selection of the suitable control strategy and parameters and the best installation place and switching time is very important for the improvement of system transient stability.This project is jointly supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(59977004),Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province(00104421),and Doctor Center Foundation of Edu-cation Ministry.


[Objective] The study aimed to put forward optimization plan for the main influencing factors in the processing production of preserved Szechuan pickle.[Method] The quadric regression rotation combination with 5 factors was used to study the influences of the 5 main factors(application rates of N and P,salt concentration,salted temperature and time) on the nitrite content in the processing production of preserved Szechuan pickle.[Result] The regression analysis showed that except for P application rate,the other 4 influencing factors had extremely significant influences on nitrite content.According to the regression equation,the suitable ranges of the 5 influencing factors were obtained by statistical optimization method.Under the condition of field N and P application rates of 228.6~252.9 and 396.0~430.8 kg/hm2,salt concentration of 11.31 %~12.38 % and salting temperature of 28.63~31.05 ℃,salting the preserved Szechuan pickle for 22.74~26.31 d could make nitrite content be at very low level.[Conclusion] The optimization plan put forward according to the regression equation obtained by quadric regression rotation combination for main influencing factors had higher credibility and supplied theoretical basis for reducing nitrite content in edible preserved Szechuan pickle.


The Entomological Society of America (ESA) Standing Committee on Systematics Resources in Entomology has as its primary responsibility the implementation of the ESA National Plan for Systematics Resources (see Bull. Entomol. Soc. Am. 20: 236–42). Progress is being made in attaining that long-term goal. Also, over the past two years the Committee has been pursuing various short-term projects that are of interest to a majority of the membership. These short-term projects have resulted in reports on a protocol for voucher specimens (Yoshimoto 1978, Bull. Entomol. Soc. Am. 24: 141–2), and reviews of charges for identification services (Chilson 1978, Bull. Entomol. Soc. Am. 24: 167–9). Future reports will review (1) the current situation regarding potential for relocation of collections and distribution of primary type materials, and of publications concerning needs for identification of specimens associated with ecological studies (Eldridge 1978, Bull. Entomol. Soc. Am. 24: 23–24), (2) Federal regulations affecting collecting, shipping, and receipt of specimens, (3) status of insect systematics training and manpower, (4) curricula in systematics training, and other matters.


Objectives To assess the extent of interaction between body mass index (BMI) and triglyceride (TG) level and its effects on blood pressure (BP) in elderly individuals in China. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Data were taken from a cross-sectional study called the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Participants The analytic sample included 3629 subjects aged 45 to 96 years. Main Outcome Measurements Data were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, which is a cross-sectional study. Age-adjusted partial Pearson's correlation test was used to compare various characteristics and BP. Adjusted associations were first used as linear regression models, as appropriate. Then, general linear models adjusted for related potential confounders were used to examine the synergistic effects of BMI and TG level on BP. Finally, a binary logistic regression model adjusted for confounding factors was used to examine the association between BMI or TG level and hypertension. Results Age-adjusted partial Pearson's correlation coefficient showed that the TG level was positively correlated with both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in both men and women with BMI < 24.0 kg/m2; however, TG level was positively correlated with DBP in women with BMI ≥ 24.0 kg/m2 but not with DBP in men with BMI ≥ 24.0 kg/m2. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that BMI level was significantly and positively associated with both SBP and DBP in men and women with BMI < 24.0 kg/m2, and TG level was significantly and positively associated with SBP in women with BMI < 24.0 kg/m2, independent of other confounding factors. A general linear model analysis with adjustment for confounding factors (age, educational level, marital status, current residence, smoking, eating habits, taking activities, antidiabetic medication, antihypertensive therapy, fasting plasma glucose [FPG], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR], and serum uric acid [SUA]) showed no interaction between BMI and TG level and SBP (men, β = 0.572, P = 0.845; women, β = 0.122, P = 0.923) and DBP (men, β = -0.373, P = 0.810; women, β = 0.272, P = 0.828). A binary logistic regression model analysis with adjustment for confounding factors (age, educational level, marital status, current residence, smoking, drinking, eating habits, taking activities, major accidental injury, physical activity, history of cardiovascular disease, history of liver disease, antilipidemic medication, antidiabetic medication, antihypertensive therapy, FPG, LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], eGFR, and SUA) showed that overweight and obese men and women were more likely to have hypertension (men: odds ratio [OR] = 1.781, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.393–2.277; women: OR = 1.653, 95% CI = 1.330–2.055) and women with high TG were more likely to have hypertension (OR = 1.558, 95% CI = 1.219–1.992). Conclusion An interactive effect of BMI and TG level on BP was not observed in either men or women; however, independent effects of BMI on BP were observed in both men and women, and an association between TG level and hypertension was observed in women.


Context: Type of dentition and age related changes may affect the behavior of dental hard tissues under thermal stress. Aim: This study was conducted to analyze the effects of varying temperatures on extracted teeth of different age groups in a simulated laboratory set up. Settings and Design: Experimental pilot study. Methods and Material: Extracted teeth from three age groups (deciduous, young permanent and adult permanent) were collected and were exposed to three different temperatures (400°C, 700°C and 1000°C) in a laboratory set up. Post-test changes were analyzed visually and radiographically. Results: (1) The colour changes of the teeth may serve as an indicator for the temperature to which they were exposed. (2) Deciduous teeth tolerated thermal stress with lesser morphological changes compared to young and adult permanent teeth. (3) Coronal dentin of elderly permanent teeth appeared to be more resistant to thermal stress compared to that of young permanent teeth. (4) The root portion of the teeth showed better tolerance to temperature while crown was fragmented easily under thermal stress. Conclusion: The age factor and type of the dentition may influence the heat induced changes in teeth. These variables should be taken into consideration while applying comparative dental identification methods where dental hard tissues are exposed to extreme temperatures.


: The accounting information system's output, financial reports, serves as both internal and external users' main information source. Users can use them to see the company's financial performance, evaluate the resource management sector, and forecast the company's future growth. The foundation of the company decision-making process is data from financial reports. Financial statements are prepared using a variety of techniques and steps, all of which have an impact on the numbers that are displayed in them. The chosen accounting policies have a significant impact on the accuracy of financial statements. The attainment of the company's goals, which are represented in the achievement of the highest profit as well as the preservation of liquidity and the continuity of operations, is aided by


Morphological changes of each developing phases of Gloiopeltis tenax spore from spore attachment to formation of burgeons were investigated in the laboratory.G.tenax spores include tetraspore and carpospore which both like balls,having similar morpha and size with a diameter of about 22.0 μm.Development process and morphological changes of these two spore species were also similar.Under the incubation conditions such as salinity of 32,temperature of 16℃ and light intensity of 6 000 lx(photonperiod of 12 h:12 h LD),the first spore division occurred 22 hours after attachment,and further cell divisions formed a multicellular disk after 6 days.The disk which developed most quickly began to germinate burgeons after 80 days.Morphological changes of different developing phases of G.tenax spore were similar to those of G.furcata spore.


A model for work-function variability (WFV) based on grain orientation differences of the polycrystalline metal gate is proposed, and the impact of the WFV on device and circuit performance is investigated. The model predicts that the WFV will surpass random dopant fluctuation beyond the 22-nm technology node and become the dominant factor to significantly increase static RAM failure probabilities. The prediction is verified through experimental characterization and analysis.


OBJECTIVE To study the contribution of the ATP-sensitive K+(KATP) channel to the antihypertrophic effect of kappa opioid receptor(κ-OR) agonist U50488H in the hypertrophic cardiac myocytes from neonatal rats.METHODS The primary cultures of neonatal rats ventricular myocytes were used as models.The hypertrophic cardiac myocytes were induced by phenylephrine(PE) 10 μmol·L-1.The cells were exposed to culture medium alone (normal control),5-hydroxydecanoic acid (5-HD) 100 μmol·L-1,glibenclamide(Gli) 50 μmol·L-1,PE 10 μmol·L-1+U50488H 1 μmol·L-1,PE 10 μmol·L-1+Gli 50 μmol·L-1+U50488H 1 μmol·L-1 and PE 10 μmol·L-1+5-HD 100 μmol·L-1+U50488H 1 μmol·L-1 groups,respectively.After Gli 50 μmol·L-1 or 5-HD 100 μmol·L-1 firstly was added into cell medium,30 min later,U50488H 1 μmol·L-1 was added into cell medium and cultured for 30 min before PE 10 μmol·L-1 was added into cell medium,48 h later,total protein content was assayed by Lowry method.The cardiomyocyte volume was measured by computer photograph analysis system.Kir6.2 expression was determined by Western blotting.RESULTS Compared with normal control group,PE 10 μmol·L-1 increased the total protein content and the cardiomyocyte volume by 52.2% and 95.0%,respectively,but had no effect on Kir6.2 expression.Compared with PE 10 μmol·L-1 group,κ-OR agonist U50488H reduced the total protein content and the cardiomyocyte volume by 42.3% and 47.9%,respectively,but Kir6.2 expression was increased by 39.2%.Compared with PE 10 μmol·L-1+U50488H 1 μmol·L-1 group,Kir6.2 expression decreased by 49.3% and 52.1%,and the antihypertrophic effect of U50488H was attenuated in the presence of a nonselective KATP channel blocker Gli 50 μmol·L-1,or a specific blocker of mitochondial KATP channel 5-HD 100 μmol·L-1,and there was no significant deference between the 2 blockers.CONCLUSIONKATP,especially the mitochondial KATP,mediates the antihypertrophic effects of U50488H.


Teaching a freshman-level introductory course in computer programming can be challenging. Although most college students are familiar with computer science, they seem to be unaware of what being a computer scientist means. These activities help them understand the depth and diversity a computer science undergraduate degree can entail. All the activities outlined below do not require a computer lab, are extremely cost-effective, and require minimum preparation. Additionally, the activities are easy to do with a variety of age groups and various number of students and are specifically designed not to require students to have any prior computer experience. The main goal is to introduce various computer science topics using fun physical activities and everyday experiences that are familiar. The paper will provide the instructions for each of the activities and the learning objectives. The activities included are: (1) Loops with Music, (2) Network Topology and Problem Solving, (3) Linked List with Yarn and Paper Bags, (4) Sorting Algorithms with Paper Bags, and (5) Recursion Introduction: Simple Tower of Hanoi with Colored Paper. Introduction and Background Faculty members of West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) are encouraged to try new ideas in the classroom and participate in the ongoing outreach activities on and off campus. As a faculty advisor to a student organization dedicated to recruiting and retaining future generations of females into the STEM fields (Association for Women Engineers, Scientists, or Mathematician Empowerment also known as AWESOME), there have been numerous occasions to participate in outreach events. This led to the development of fun, interactive, easily transportable, and low cost activities to promote computer science to young kids (e.g., Daisy Scouts/Cub Scouts) through college students. These activities are designed to be done without computers as access to a computer lab is often impractical, simply not available, or not easily transportable. Today with the popularity of smart phones and the increasing use of tablets in classrooms, most kids, even very young kids, have interacted with a computer at some point. The activities described in this paper are designed to go beyond simply teaching someone to program and are focused on the concepts behind programming and those foundational concepts within the field of computer science. The end goal of these activities is to introduce students to the "science" of computer science. Most careers in computer science go beyond simply sitting around programming in a specific language and require many other skills (problem solving, logical reasoning, critical thinking, etc.). All activities outlined below are programming language independent but could be tailored to whatever specific programming language you wish (or could be done using generic pseudo-code). It has been demonstated 5 that hands-on activities for computer science topics increase both student awareness and interest in the field of computer. The development of these computer-free hands-on activities for computer science topics was inspired by the Computer Science (CS) Unplugged website . CS Unplugged 2 provides videos, worksheets, and teaching guides to a variety of computer science activities. All the CS Unplugged 2 activities are "universal" computer topics (and, thus, not language specific or even programming specific). This paper is an expansion and continuation of 3 and includes general computer science concept activities, as well as presenting the details for activities focused on intermediate-level general programming concepts. "Network Topology and Problem Solving" was directly inspired by the CS Unplugged 2 activity entitled "Routing and Deadlock" and specifically their use of "The Orange Game". The "Network Topology and Problem Solving" activity uses "The Orange Game" as a warm-up round before proceeding into the more complex ideas. "Sorting Algorithms with Paper Bags" was also inspired by the CS Unplugged 2 activity for searching – but instead of using cards with numbers and volunteers, this activity uses labelled lunch bags. The "Linked List with Yarn and Paper Bags" was a spin-off activity after development of the "Sorting Algorithms with Paper Bags" activity for demonstrating sorting algorithms with paper bags.


The experiment was carried in INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) at Theix, France. Two grasses (perennial ryegrass and tall fescue) were grown in sward boxes (0,13 m2), using three different sward horizontal distribution (pure, alternate rows and alternate strips) and three defoliation intervals (3,5, 7 and 14 days between two successive defoliation) with four replications. Four months after sowing, at defoliation date, sward boxes were offered to four individual dry ewes and removed after 340 bites.m-2 had been taken. For each grass species, the population density and the tiller mass, sward height, herbage production, bite depth and bite mass and growth, senescence and defoliation fluxes were studied. Taller swards generated by less frequent defoliation, resulted in larger numbers for bite depth and size than for shorter. On the other hand, under more frequent defoliation, sward height was maintained lower, and bite and size were smaller. The horizontal distribution of the sward resulted in different responses in relation to the growth, senescence and defoliation fluxes. In alternate row arrangement, tall fescue probably had the growth flux limited by interspecific competition.


Printed electronics makes it possible to fabricate devices on thin and flexible substrates at a low cost and with simple processing. However, substrate characteristics can make patterning challenging. Here, we report our approach for processing printed silver patterns on an extremely hydrophobic ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) foil substrate. The effects of selected surface modification methods on substrate characteristics and final print quality were studied, and the thermal characteristics of ETFE were determined. Conductive silver patterns were fabricated using both screen printing and inkjet printing techniques. Additionally, intense pulse light method was compared to thermal annealing as an alternative annealing method. The surface modification of ETFE was observed to affect ink wetting and print quality. It was concluded that the impact of the chosen annealing method on the final characteristics of the printed structures was significant.


The new political and social context following the "Arab Awakening" has highlighted two elements that are common to the demands of all the countries involved: the will to break with authoritarianism and a demand for improved living conditions for the people. The changes in the public space have produced a new political and social panorama that has shown that, far from being apathetic, Arab societies have taken the reigns regarding their future development. Beyond the differences in how events in the last few years in the Arab world are labelled, the reality is that the magnitude of the protests, their popularity, their initial consequences (the overthrow of the ruling regimes) and the subsequent reforms that the movement has prompted (in Morocco and Jordan, for example), show a clear break from the past. With the initial euphoria over, both in the countries in question and outside, the level of optimism generated at the outset by the unexpected and considerably quick fall of the Tunisian and Egyptian autocrats has gradually diminished. Not just because of repressive actions, in some cases the outbreak of war, resulting from the revolutionary wave (in Libya, Yemen, Syria or Bahrain), but also due to the realisation that the transformation processes were going to be lengthy, complex and replete with nuances. After the "Spring" came the "Islamist winters," after the "Arab revolutions" came the so-called "Arab regressions" and the analyses of the situation have been tainted by a dose of scepticism. Many have come to question whether it was "worth it" and if in fact "everything was changed in order to change nothing." Ultimately, this evolution in the interpretation of events reveals the underlying tensions between the expectations that sparked the transition process towards democracy and the possibilities of achieving the established goals, especially because of the immediacy that was demanded. How could the desires of the people marry with the realisation that transitions are slow and complex processes, with their own rhythms and effects that are not likely to be seen until the medium or long term? So, it is important to take stock for a moment and clarify, as far as is possible, what steps, both forward and backward, can be identified within the transition scenario. This is not a definitive overview, but rather an analysis of the events in their own time frame, looking at what has changed and what has resisted change, what has remained and what has been totally renewed by the new actors that are emerging with great force. To this end, it is essential to keep in mind the main aspirations of the movements in question. These aspirations converge in more or less three – or even four – ideals that were chanted repeatedly during the days of the "revolution" and which continue to have great presence in the collective imagination: Dossier


Colour pattern and size variation in the widespread Indo-Pacific Meadow Argus butterfly, Junonia villida (Fabricius, 1787), are reviewed based largely on examination of c. 1500 museum specimens from across its entire geographical range. Including villida, 14 available species-group names for this taxon are documented. The butterfly is recorded from some 200 islands or island groups. Larvae are reported to feed on 24 genera of flowering plants from 12 families. While the suggestion of H.T.G. Watkins that geographical variation in villida can be summarized by four segregates (eastern Pacific, Maluku–Papuan, Sunda–Australian, Chagos Islands) is found to have some validity, there are numerous exceptions. Based on a discussion of biological factors that may be responsible for the pattern of variation observed, it is concluded that, with the exception of J. villida chagoensis, a geographical isolate with a recognisable and constant phenotype not seen in any other population, any attempt at further formal division of this butterfly into subspecies is at present difficult or impossible to support. Reaching this conclusion has only been possible through the use of major museum collections. This leads to the perspective that variable species exhibiting seasonal polyphenism and migration, such as J. villida, need to be studied using a variety of techniques to explore their phenotypic plasticity before attempts are made to recognise numerous subspecies.


Students' study motive is the mental liability and attitude pointing to certainaim of study and caused by their need of study. Therefore, study motive is closely relatedto the individual mental liability and attitude. There are great differences in the study moti-ve in adult students. So it is very important to train and inspire their study motive. Onlywhen their study motive is trained and inspired can they become initiative and active in th-eir study. Teachers should help students gradually building up definite study aim which willbecome the initiative drive to study actively.


From Plato to Spinoza and for modern philosophers, the question of ethics is clearly central to human concerns. But what is ethics? Are conceptions of ethics the same today as they were in the past? Do different ethics exist for the different kinds of patients we treat? We will attempt to suggest a definition of ethics and identify the historical background which, in Europe and the United States, determine our attitude towards ethics. Today, in the Western world, the interests of the individual outweigh those of science and even of society. Ethics implies respect and care for the patients. Informed consent is the basis of any medical intervention. This approach is fragile and at all stages of an illness, and particularly in the end of life situation, every person involved in caring for the sick must be vigilant and resist utilitarian pull economic pressures exercise over us.


This study determined the influence of the principal's leadership style and work motivation on the performance of high school teachers. Data in this study were collected through distributing the questionnaires to respondents. The results of the questionnaire were analyzed by using multiple regression analysis through t-test, F-test, and the coefficient of determination. Population in this study was all high school teachers in Air Kumbang subdistrict of Banyuasin district totaling 85 people. The sampling technique used was saturation. The research sample was 85 high school teachers. The results showed 1) there was a positive and significant effect of leadership style on teachers' performance; 2) there was a positive and significant influence of work motivation on teachers' performance; 3) there was a significant influence simultaneously of leadership style and work motivation on the performance of high school teachers in Air Kumbang sub-district Banyuasin.


The starting point of this study is the crossover phenomenon and how the needs of adult readers of young adult fiction can be met in the library services. To investigate this, the main focus is on ...


Intravascular optical coherence tomography IVOCT is a catheter-based imaging modality that uses near-infrared light, to produce high-resolution cross-sectional images of the vessel wall. Segmentation of the vessel wall is important to indicate stenosis and analyze atherosclerotic plaques. In this study we use the recently proposed region detector, named Extremal Region of Extremum Level (EREL), to detect the lumen and media contours in IVOCT frames, and then we used a region selection method to detect the most precise lumen and media contours from the extracted ERELs. We evaluated the proposed method on the dataset containing 142 IVOCT images. We get, the average Hausdorff Distances (HD) and Dice metric (DSC) between the extracted ERELs and the lumen and media contours, 0.045 mm, 0.141 mm and 0.986, 0.96, respectively. The results of our study showed that the IVOCT image segmentation using the proposed method is more robust and more precise than state-of-the-art.


How does this form of communication change the process and outcome of group discussions, as compared to the "normal" face to face (FtF) medium of group discussion, where participants communicate by talking, listening and observing non-verbal behavior, and where there is no lag between the sending and receipt of communication signals? This paper briefly ~*mmarizes the resUltS of a controlled laboratory experiment designed to quantif~ the manner in which conversation and group decision making varies between FtF and CC. Those who wish more detail are referred to the literature review which served as the basis for the design of the experiment (Hiltz, 1975) and to the full technical report on the results (Hiltz, Johnson, Aronovitch, and Turoff, 1980). This paper is excerpted from a longer paper on the analysis of communications process in the two media and their correlates (Hiltz, Johnson and Rabke, 198Q).


The purpose of this research is to explore the structure of employee energy and analyze its differences in demographic variables as well as the differences between groups. The study collected 294 questionnaires of employees in Chinese insurance companies. Confirmatory factor analysis and one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used in the data analysis. The results showed that employee energy is a three‐dimensional concept that comprises basal energy, growing energy, and behavioral energy. Employee energy only has significant differences on monthly income and the level of positions, and the employees who have high employee energy share the characteristic of both high monthly income and the level of positions. Respondents were divided into four groups: 1) high‐positive‐energy, 2) low‐positive‐energy, 3) low‐negative‐energy, and 4) high‐negative‐energy employees. High‐positive‐energy employees showed the characteristics of high basal energy, high growing energy, and high behavioral energy, showing a feature of plump wings. Finally, this research put forward suggestions to provide a reference for energy management. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Inspired by humpback whale's flippers (1, 2), this study investigated the effect of aspect ratio and shape of protuberances on the performance of airfoil with protuberances on leading edge. NACA0012 foil is used for modifying the leading edge with three different forms and three aspect ratios (1, 2, 3). The experiment of the airfoils was carried out in a low-speed wind tunnel, including airfoil performance measurements and visualization of airfoil surface flow field by oil film. The results of performance experiments show that when the aspect ratio equal to 1, the stall-delay phenomenon is very clear. It means that it is more useful than the high AR foil at high attack angle. The airfoil performance with protuberances on leading edge has no significant increase in lift, but the drag was reduced. The most significant effect for performance took place for the foil with longest amplitude of the protuberances. The flow visualization results show that the airfoil's flow field becomes very turbulent on the wing surface after stall angle. But the protuberance foil's flow field distribution was regular. From the difference between these two results, one could conclude the reason why the leading edge protuberance delayed stall and reduce the drag. The results of CFD simulation by Star-CCM+ was also accordant to experiments. The results will provide some base for the application of small aspect ratio wing with leading edge protuberances to the situations with a wide range of attacking angle.


Abstract : Knowledge about the economics of medical care is scanty, and it is not clear whether the market for physician services can be better characterized as monopolistic or competitive. This paper attempts to shed some light upon that question.


The Seattle University Law Review has assembled a selection of articles in tribute to the career of Chancellor William T. Allen of the Delaware Court of Chancery. During his time as Chancellor he wrote more than 450 opinions with slightly over half in the area of corporate law. The articles compiled by the Seattle University Law Review and authored by Jesse A. Finkelstein, James C. Freund, D. Gordon Smith, and Eric Chiappinelli seek to capture Chancellor Allen's contribution to corporate law over his twelve years on the bench by delving into disparate aspects of Chancellor Allen's career. This article briefly describes the aspects of Chancellor Allen's career that each author addresses in their individual submissions. Each contribution offers an examination of a different aspect of Chancellor Allen's career on the bench. They are a collective appreciation of the work of Chancellor Allen, and serve as a welcome to him as he undertakes his academic career.


We report on the design and operation of an optimized version of a Q‐switched, mode‐locked, and cavity‐dumped ruby‐laser oscillator. The modulator window is much narrower than that assumed in conventional active mode‐lock theory, and is shown to yield much shorter pulses than the latter in cases where the number of round trips is restricted. To allow a high‐power pulse (≊1 GW) to evolve in the oscillator, and to allow simple synchronization to a (∼100 ns fixed delay) CO2 laser, a limit of 23 round trips was chosen, but similar limits may be imposed by lasers having short‐gain duration as in an excimer laser. Details are given on the single spark gap switching element and Pockels cells, with an analysis of their expected switching speeds, in order to establish the effectiveness of the modulator, as compared to conventional sinusoidally driven active mode lockers. Single pulses of 50–70 mJ are reliably cavity‐dumped after only 100‐ns delay (23 round trips) with pulse length adjustable from 50–100 ps with ±5...


Bacterial flora found on the human skin is generally considered as commensals and sometimes as pathogen both normally and potentially. Research studies gradually are changing our knowledge on the interaction of host and cutaneous bacteria. Advanced studies in microbiology and immunology have shown that a skin bacterium has a great impact on protection against infection and also on reaction patterns regarding immunity system. The present article mainly emphasized on general features of resident skin bacteria of human and their mode of action along with antibiotic effect.


Gas emission in volcanic areas is one of the features that can be used for geothermal exploration and to monitor volcanic activity. Volcanic gases are usually emitted in permeable zones in geothermal fields. The use of thermal infrared radiometers (TIR) onboard of advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometers (ASTER) aims to detect thermal anomalies at the ground surface related to gas emissions from permeable zones. The study area is located around Bandung Basin, West Java (Indonesia), particularly the Papandayan and Domas craters. This area was chosen because of the easily detected land surface temperature (LST) following emissivity and vegetation corrections (Tcveg). The ASTER TIR images used in this study were acquired by direct night and day observation, including observations made using visible to near-infrared radiometers (VNIR). Field measurements of volcanic gases composed of SO2 and CO2 were performed at three different zones for each of the craters. The measured SO2 concentration was found to be constant over time, but CO2 concentration showed some variation in the craters. We obtained results suggesting that SO2 gas measurements and Tcveg are highly correlated. At Papandayan crater, the SO2 gas concentration was 334.34 ppm and the Tcveg temperature was 35.67 °C,  results that are considered highly anomalous. The same correlation was also found at Domas crater, which showed an increased SO2 gas concentration of 35.39 ppm located at a high-anomaly Tcveg of 30.65 °C. Therefore, the ASTER TIR images have potential to identify volcanic gases as related to high Tcveg.


This multi-source diary study examined the role of partners for employees' daily recovery from job stress in a sample of dual-earner couples. We hypothesized that employees' daily psychological det...


The voltage-gated sodium channel Na V 1.5 is responsible for the initial upstroke of the action potential in cardiac tissue. Levels of intracellular calcium modulate inactivation gating of Na V 1.5, in part through a C-terminal EF-hand calcium binding domain. The significance of this structure is underscored by the fact that mutations within this domain are associated with specific cardiac arrhythmia syndromes. In an effort to elucidate the molecular basis for calcium regulation of channel function, we have determined the solution structure of the C-terminal EF-hand domain using multidimensional heteronuclear NMR. The structure confirms the existence of the four-helix bundle common to EF-hand domain proteins. However, the location of this domain is shifted with respect to that predicted on the basis of a consensus 12-residue EF-hand calcium binding loop in the sequence.Thisfindingisconsistentwiththeweakcalciumaffin-ity reported for the isolated EF-hand domain; high affinity binding is observed only in a construct with an additional 60 residues C-terminal to the EF-hand domain, including the IQ motif that is central to the calcium regulatory apparatus. The binding of an IQ motif peptide to the EF-hand domain was characterized by isothermal titration calorimetry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The peptide binds between helices I and IV in the EF-hand


Summary Diabetes management has increasingly focused on the prevention of macrovascular disease, in particular for type 2 diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy, one of the mai n microvascular complications of diabetes, is also an important public health problem . Much of the care invested in retinopathy relates to treatment rather than preve ntion of disease. Tight glycaemic and blood pressure control helps to reduce the risk of retinopathy but this is not easy to achieve in practice and additional treatments are needed for both primary and secondary prevention of retinopathy. A renin angiotensin system (RAS) has been identified in the eye and found to be upregulated in retinopathy. This has led to specific interest in the role of RAS blockade in retinopathy prevention. The re cent DIRECT programme assessed use of the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) candesartan in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Although the primary trial endpoints were not met, there was a clear trend to less severe retinopathy with RAS blockade. A smaller tr ial, RASS, reported reduced retinopathy progression in type 1 diabetes from RAS blockade with both the ARB losartan and the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapr il. The clinical implications of these new data are discussed. How did you gather, select and analyze the information you considered in your review? The information for this review was gathered at an advisory meeting held to disc uss diabetic retinopathy and its prevention in the light of new clinical trial data on r enin angiotensin system blockade What is the take home message for the clinician? Good control of glycaemia and blood pressure is central to reducing risk of diabetic retinopathy but is not easy to achieve. There is a need for additional therapy for prevention of retinopathy development a nd progression and new clinical trial evidence suggests that drugs that block the reni n angiotensin system may be effective. It is not clear whether this effect is specific to RAS blockade or is largel y explained by blood pressure lowering.


Introduction: The present study was conducted at S. R. T. R. Medical College, Ambajogai. Fifty hypertension cases and 50 controls were taken according to different age groups. Platelet aggregation, plasma fibrinogen level and euglobulin clot lysis time were compared with age matched control and also cases were compared amongst themselves depending upon the duration of hyper tension. Analysis of results showed a statistically significant increase in platelet aggregation and plasma fibrinogen level in all the hypertensive cases when compared with age matched control. Euglobulin clot lysis time showed a statistically significant with age matched control. When the increase in Euglobulin clot lysis time (decrease in fibrinolysis) was correlated with duration of hypertension, it was found that the decrea exposure.


Consumer Buying Behavior which is dependent on several independent and intervening factors. The article tries to find out the influence of consumer need, information search, product awareness, evaluation of alternatives and purchase decision influence over consumer buying behavior with respect to nature of family. One objective of this study is reached through proper methodology. Sample size is 730 in all obtained through quota sampling in Chennai. Researcher designed questionnaire is with 5 point scale in the continuum of agreeing. Reliability of this tool is 0.78 to 0.90. Various statistical tools employed were descriptive statisticsand multiple group analysis was used for data analysis. The study concluded that the promoters/sellers should display the necessary information regarding the product features and technical information given to the joint family group. If the manufacturers concentrate over these ideas given it is definite to win more consumers.


Eye Detection has an important role in the field of biometric identification and known as one method of person's identification. In recent years, many efforts have been done which can detect eye automatically and with different image conditions. However, each method has its own drawbacks which can control some of these conditions. In this paper, different methods of eye detection will be categorized and explained. In each category, the advantages and disadvantages of each method will be presented.


This paper contributes a theoretical framework for data-driven feedback linearization of nonlinear control-affine systems. We unify the traditional geometric perspective on feedback linearization with an operator-theoretic perspective involving the Koopman operator. We first show that if the distribution of the control vector field and its repeated Lie brackets with the drift vector field is involutive, then there exists an output and a feedback control law for which the Koopman generator is finite-dimensional and locally nilpotent. We use this connection to propose a data-driven algorithm for feedback linearization. Particularly, we use experimental data to identify the state transformation and control feedback from a dictionary of functions for which feedback linearization is achieved in a least-squares sense. Finally, we provide numerical examples for the data-driven algorithm and compare it with model-based feedback linearization. We also numerically study the effect of the richness of the dictionary and the size of the data set on the effectiveness of feedback linearization.


The nation-state of Canada developed pragmatically, in a long series of events. Not so long ago the notion of mutual respect 1 between bureaucratic administrators and the "public" was more of a utopian dream than any reality in practice. The "mob" was a group objectified, and often, guided by paternalistic authority and discipline. Contemporary Canada reveals a different environment; mutual respect is a goal that, on occasion, can be witnessed in the interactions between citizens and government officials. Most importantly though, it is no longer a dream. Mutual respect is now a realistic and anticipated goal that many are striving toward. Ultimately, however, it is a democratized administration that citizens seek, one that is capable of adjusting to the dynamic social environment and that welcomes and invites citizen participation in the development of policy.


The influence of flow rate and die geometry on the observable flow rate/pressure relationship of a linear high density polyethylene is investigated using a capillary rheometer. The experimental results are applied to an adapted version of the relaxation–oscillation model proposed by Molenaar and Koopmans for describing the oscillating flow regime. The current model allows for a quantitative description of the hysteresis cycle in the oscillating flow regime in terms of the main experimental variables, such as imposed flow rate, reservoir (barrel) volume, and material compressibility.


Soils used for growing irrigated pasture in northern Victoria have shallow (0.10-0.15 m) topsoils and dense, clay subsoils. Reducing soil limitations to root growth and function has the potential to increase pasture production. Therefore, subsoil modification treatments, comprising loosening and fragmentation of the B horizon to depths of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 m, the incorporation of calcium ameliorants, superphosphate and application of organic matter to the soil surface, were compared with unmodified soils and a 0.4 m deep topsoil, in a red-brown earth over a 2-year period (1994-96). Subsoil modification improved the physical condition of the soil. Air-filled porosity of the deep-modified soils (0.4 and 0.6 m deep), 24 h after irrigation, exceeded 15% at 0.1 and 0.3 m depths in both years, and was always higher than in the unmodified soils. Penetrometer resistance was markedly lower in the deep-modified subsoils in both years. Greater earthworm activity was associated with these improved soil physical conditions. However, the soil treatments did not result in greater root length or root mass beneath the pasture. In the first year, pasture yield was greater on the deep-modified soils (25-31 t DM/ha) than on the unmodified soils (19 t DM/ha). In the second year, the yield advantage of the deep-modified treatments decreased to 11%, despite the maintenance of improved soil physical conditions. In both years, pasture yields were highest where there was an initial surface application of 20 t DM/ha organic matter to a modified soil. We conclude that structural modification of the B horizon can increase pasture yields on this soil. However, further research is necessary to maintain these yield increases beyond the initial year and to develop more practical systems of soil modification.


This article aims to present the results that emerged after conducting research " impact of graduates Centro Agroempresarial y Desarrollo Pecuario del Huila" , this research is descriptive, which can measure the information collected and then describe , analyze and interpret systematically studied the characteristics of the phenomenon based on the reality of the raised stage. 2014 - An analysis from the socioeconomic aspects, degree of satisfaction with the program completed outside his occupation and professional profile, learners and Livestock Agribusiness Development Center  Huila in the periods between 2012 It starts.


An effluent re-use system is examined in which all effluent was stored until it could be used for the irrigation of crops, the storage having sufficient capacity to limit overloading to one in ten years. Three methods for estimating the required storage capacity were compared using climate data from four locations in New South Wales, Australia. A daily soil water budget identified the irrigation opportunities, and a storage subroutine in the budget calculated the peak storage requirement in each year The first method used the ninth decile in the cumulative probability distribution of the annual peak storage requirements as a direct estimate of the storage capacity with a 10% frequency of overloading. The other methods used the peak storage requirement in selected design years. These represented years with either the tenth smallest annual irrigation potential or the tenth largest annual rainfall. Methods which used design years tended to underestimate the storage requirements because the indices did not assess the daily distribution of rainfall within a month or year. Although the overload frequency was set at 10%, the overload was less than 2% of the total volume of effluent because overloading did not occur throughout the year.


Rapid growth of the demand for computational power by scientific, business and web-applications has led to the creation of large-scale data centers consuming enormous amounts of electrical power. We propose an energy efficient resource management system for virtualized Cloud data centers that reduces operational costs and provides required Quality of Service (QoS). Energy savings are achieved by continuous consolidation of VMs according to current utilization of resources, virtual network topologies established between VMs and thermal state of computing nodes. We present first results of simulation-driven evaluation of heuristics for dynamic reallocation of VMs using live migration according to current requirements for CPU performance. The results show that the proposed technique brings substantial energy savings, while ensuring reliable QoS. This justifies further investigation and development of the proposed resource management system.


A clinically relevant inhibitor for Heptosyltransferase I (HepI) has been sought after for many years and while many have discovered or designed novel small molecule inhibitors, these compounds lack the bioavailability and potency necessary for therapeutic use. Extensive characterization of the HepI protein has provided valuable insight into the dynamic motions necessary for catalysis that could be targeted for inhibition. Structural similarity inspection of Kdo2-lipid A suggested aminoglycoside antibiotics as potential inhibitors for HepI. Multiple aminoglycosides have been experimentally validated to be first-in-class nanomolar inhibitors, with the best inhibitor demonstrating a Ki of 600 +/− 90 nM. Detailed kinetic analyses were performed to determine the mechanism of inhibition while circular dichroism spectroscopy, intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, docking, and molecular dynamics simulations were used to corroborate kinetic experimental findings. Kinetic analysis methods include Lineweaver-Burk, Dixon, Cornish-Bowden and Mixed-Model of Inhibition which allowed for unambiguous assignment of inhibition mechanism for each inhibitor. In this study, we show that neomycin and kanamycin b are competitive inhibitors against the sugar acceptor substrate while tobramycin exhibits a mixed inhibitory effect and streptomycin is non-competitive. Molecular dynamics simulations also allowed us to suggest that the inhibitors bind tightly and inhibit native dynamics due to a major desolvation penalty of the enzyme active site. While aminoglycosides have long been known as a class of potent antibiotics targeting bacterial ribosomes' protein synthesis, they also have been scientifically shown to impact cell membrane stability. Our discovery suggest an additional novel mechanism of action of aminoglycosides in the inhibition of HepI which may provide a viable repurposing strategy of an available drug for disrupting lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis.


Coadministration of antibody-drug conjugates with the parent antibody improves delivery to solid tumor beds. Coadministration of antibody-drug conjugates with the parent antibody improves delivery to solid tumor beds.


A spectroscopic ellipsometry compatible approach is reported for the optical study of Si quantum dots (QDs) in Si-rich nitride/silicon nitride (SRN/Si3N4) superlattice, which based on Tauc-Lorentz model and Bruggeman effective medium approximation. It is shown that the optical constants and dielectric functions of Si QDs are strongly size dependent. The suppressed imaginary dielectric function of Si QDs exhibits a single broad peak analogous to amorphous Si, which centered between the transition energies E1 and E2 of bulk crystalline Si and blue shifted toward E2 as the QD size reduced. A bandgap expansion observed by the TL model when the size of Si QD reduced is in good agreement with the PL measurement. The bandgap expansion with the reduction of Si QD size is well supported by the first-principles calculations based on quantum confinement.


The infectious disease process has been studied since the times of Louis Pasteur and Jonas Salk. Three key components comprise any infection: the agent, the spread, and the incubator (host). When considering these three components, it is recognized that the causative agents have remained relatively consistent through the years and include bacterium, spirochetes, virus, fungi, chlamydiae, parasite, ricketsettia, protozoans, and helminths, to name the more common. These agents can be located in both animate and inanimate environments and are spread by being released from their usual environment. The invasion and multiplication of these agents, microorganisms, throughout the host leads to the signs and symptoms and responses exhibited by the patient. Home health care nurses are well aware of the transmission of organisms from the more common body systems, such as respiratory gastrointestinal (GI), genitourinary, integumentary, and cardiovascular. Home care nurses also need to become increasingly aware o the spread of infectious diseases through nonhuman channels, such as through flies, mosquitoes, ticks, parrots, and contaminated food sources, as well as transmission through water, ventilation systems, the soil, and contaminated infusion products, such as drugs and blood products.


In the title compound, C9H7ClN2O6, the nitro groups and the ester group make dihedral angles of 44.0 (1), 89.6 (1) and 164.1 (1)°, respectively, with the benzene ring. In the crystal, molecules are linked through weak C—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding interactions. Molecules are stacked via π–π interactions about inversion centers, with a centroid–centroid distance of 3.671 (2) Å.


In the continuous-casting process, mold-level control is one of the most important factors that ensures the quality of high-efficiency continuous casting slabs. In traditional mold-level prediction control, the mold-level prediction accuracy is low, and the calculation cost is high. In order to improve the prediction accuracy for mold-level prediction, an adaptive hybrid prediction algorithm is proposed. This new algorithm is the combination of empirical mode decomposition (EMD), variational mode decomposition (VMD), and support vector regression (SVR), and it effectively overcomes the impact of noise on the original signal. Firstly, the intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) of the mold-level signal are obtained by the adaptive EMD, and the key parameter of the VMD is obtained by the correlation analysis between the IMFs. VMD is performed based on the key parameter to obtain several IMFs, and the noise IMFs are denoised by wavelet threshold denoising (WTD). Then, SVR is used to predict each denoised component to obtain the predicted IMF. Finally, the predicted mold-level signal is reconstructed by the predicted IMFs. In addition, compared with WTD–SVR and EMD–SVR, VMD–SVR has a competitive advantage against the above three methods in terms of robustness. This new method provides a new idea for mold-level prediction.


In the present investigation targets of natural nickel and isotopically pure 60Ni were bombarded by deuterons with energies of 8.9 MeV and 8.6 MeV respectively. From the resulting proton energy spectra a number of angular distribution measurements have been made for the 58Ni(d, p)59Ni and 60Ni(d, p)61Ni reactions and spin and parity assignments made to states of 59Ni and 61Ni. The results have also been compared with the gross structure peaks in the proton spectra recently reported by Schiffer, Lee and Zeidman.


I. INTRODUCTION Among the seven nations of South Asia forming the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC),1 India stands out as the only country that has declared itself a secular State. In each of the remaining six nations, one or another spiritual faith has the status of the officially adopted or legally promoted religion-Buddhism in Bhutan2 and Sri Lanka;3 Hinduism in Nepal;4 and Islam in Bangladesh,5 Maldives,6 and Pakistan.7 Constitutionally, India is a secular country and therefore has no State religion. However, it has developed over the years its own unique concept of secularism that is fundamentally different from the parallel American concept of secularism requiring complete separation of church and state, as also from the French ideal of laicite.8 Despite the clear incorporation of all the basic principles of secularism into various provisions of the Constitution when originally enacted, its preamble did not then include the word secular in the short description of the country, which it called a "Sovereign Democratic Republic." This was, of course, not an inadvertent omission but a well-calculated decision meant to avoid any misgiving that India was to adopt any of the western notions of a secular state. Twenty-five years later-by which time India's peculiar concept of secularism had been fully established through its own judicial decisions and state practice, the preamble to the Constitution was amended to include the word "secular" (along with "socialist") to declare India to be a "Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic."9 This Article briefly states and explains the constitutional, statutory, and judicial framework of India's religion-state relations, and the unique balance that is found in that framework between secularism and freedom of religion-namely that, in India, the law of the land determines the scope of religion in society; it is not religion that determines the scope of the law. Part II below explains the foundational role India's Constitution plays in its religion-state relations. Part III briefly looks into the legislative enactments and governmental mechanisms relating to or having a bearing on religious matters. Part IV illustrates how the courts have interpreted India's concept and principle of secularism and religious freedom. II. CONSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS Constitutionally, India is a secular nation, but any "wall of separation" between religion and state exists neither in law nor in practice-the two can, and often do, interact and intervene in each other's affairs within the legally prescribed and judicially settled parameters. Indian secularism does not require a total banishment of religion from the societal or even state affairs. The only demand of secularism, as mandated by the Indian Constitution, is that the state must treat all religious creeds and their respective adherents absolutely equally and without any discrimination in all matters under its direct or indirect control. In this Part, Section A below describes the constitutional mandates that apply to all religions, and Section B discusses the provisions that relate to certain religious communities and their faiths. A. General Provisions The Constitution of India contains in its chapter on Fundamental Rights several provisions that emphasize complete legal equality of its citizens and prohibit any kind of religion-based discrimination between them. Among these provisions are the following: "The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India."10 "The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or any of them."11 "No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion . . . be subjected to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to access to or use of various public places. …


This paper analyzes the self-organization characteristic of military academies scientific research system by means of the self-organization theory, and sheds light on the way of promoting more achievements and more talents on the military academies scientific research. Meanwhile the paper points out it is necessary for the military academies to accurately orientate the scientific research work, actively boost subject cooperation and academic exchange, then strengthen and perfect scientific promotional mechanism and feedback mechanism.


By using the methods of documentation and comparative analysis,we had analyzed the result of 11th National Swimming Game,which made a big progress since 2008.On the other hand,there still exist some 'Chinese significant features',such as 'national games phenomenon' has become the rule;key players made outstanding achievements and the champion was younger;the male athletes perform worse than the female athletes.The main reasons that obstruct China's competitive swimming were as follows: the National Games system and strategy was out of keeping with the times;the low level of domestic games made low pressure of the athletes;we need pay great attention to player's psychological training and improve their self-adjusting ability;men and women projects need to be more balance.


For the synthesis and design of distillation columns the knowledge of azeotropic points is most important. Therefore, a computerized data bank for azeotropic data has been established at the University of Oldenburg to supplement the existing mixture information stored in the Dortmund Data Bank. To check questionable literature data and to extend the contents of the computerized data bank, more than 500 azeotropic and zeotropic data for binary and ternary systems have been measured up to pressures of 3.5 bar with the help of a wire band column. A total of 38 binary azeotropic and zeotropic data for various ethers (MTBE, TAME, TAEE, ETBE, IPTBE) with different alcohols have already been published (Gmehling et al., 1995). A total of 273 binary and 28 ternary azeotropic and zeotropic data are reported in this paper.


Image mosaic is a hot research topic in the field of image processing.The technique of image mosaic is to fuse multiple images with overlapping regions into a single image,in order to better enhance visual perception such as the surveillance and reconnaissance.The infrared online monitoring system acquires the running status information of equipments by the remote,non-contact,real-time,fast method and etc.,and then timely trouble shooting.In this paper,a composition program of infrared online monitoring system based on image mosaic is proposed.It firstly describes the basic concept and application value of the image mosaic,then completes the image mosaic using Harris corner detection algorithm,which has proved that the technique of image mosaic has a vital application value on thermal faulty online monitoring system.


This work concerns the Pittsburgh Agreement, which was signed in 1918 by T. G. Masaryk and the representatives of American Czech and Slovak immigrant communities. The aim of the agreement was to unite European Czechs and Slovaks, and to create an independent Czechoslovakia. The agreement was also supposed to show the Americans and their president, Woodrow Wilson, that Czechs and Slovaks are able to reach agreement and that the idea of Czechoslovakia is worth supporting. This thesis describes the historical background of the agreement, then the process of its creation, followed by its results. It argues that Masaryk's refusal to follow the terms of the agreement led not only to the formation of a Slovak fascist state during World War II but to the ultimate break-up of Czechoslovakia following the Cold War.


Background. Depression is a common and serious disorder among low-income adolescent mothers in low-and middle-income countries where resources for treatment are limited. We wished to identify, among adolescents with perinatal depression and their health providers, factors influencing health service utilization for the condition in Nigeria to inform new strategies of care delivery.Methods. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were carried out among low-income adolescent women with a history of perinatal depression and separately with primary care clinicians treating this condition in Ibadan, Nigeria. Semi-structured interview guides were used to obtain views on the factors that promote or hinder help-seeking and engagement. FGDs were conducted until saturation of themes was achieved. Transcripts were analyzed using content analysis framed by the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable PopulationsModel and triangulation between patients and providers. Results. A total of 17 women and 25 care providers participated in 6 FGDs. Perceived benefits of treatment received for perinatal depression were strong motivation for service utilization. Significant stigma regarding adolescent pregnancy and perinatal depression created obstacles to care. Providers expressed negative stereotypes associated with adolescent pregnancy. However, individual patient resilience was a major enabling factor facilitating service engagement. Older and more experienced care providers were perceived to deliver more tolerant and supportive care that adolescent mothers valued. Conclusions. Participants identified an unsupportive and stigmatizing clinic environment as a major barrier to accessing available care. Interventions to reduce stigma among healthcare providers may improve services for this vulnerable population.


Microstructure, properties and boron distribution of HAZ in an ultra low carbon bainitic Cu containing steel were investigated by welding simulation on a Gleeble 1500 thermal simulator. The influence of t 8/5 on bainitic morphology and the microstructure on low temperature toughness were discussed. PTA (particle tracking autoradiograph) technology was employed to display the distribution of B in HAZ. The results indicated that excellent low temperature toughness and lower FATT could be obtained under different welding conditions in HAZ. When cooled at medium rate, the granular bainite formed at higher temperature divide the austenite grain, and result in forming a finer lath bainite at lower temperature which has better low temperature toughness.


Luminisity distances to the high-redshift Ia supernovas measured by the Supernova Cosmology Project team with the relativistic correction factors for redshift and time dilation led to the sensational conclusion about acceleration of universe expansion. The effect of relativistic aberration of high-redshift sources requires an additional correcting factor for the observed luminosities of SN Ia supernovas which can reduce the data to fit the universe with lambda = 0, i.e. without acceleration.


This work describes a regression method for determining, to a good approximation, the parameters of an adapter from banana plugs to a coaxial connector from a measurement of the input admittance of one of two identical adapters separated by a set of Lecher lines of different lengths. The method has been experimentally proved.


This study discusses the use of Function Point Analysis, focusing on software development to the public sector. Aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of its use through the relationship between the results obtained and the intended objectives and the resources used. This study, which is exploratory and seeks to provide public agencies with experience in the use of the technique, as well as several recommendations for the use of a metric to estimate the size of software. The research aims to evaluate the use of the metric from the standpoint of effectiveness and efficiency. At this point, it is noticed that the researched institutions are well prepared, have the knowledge and use it to obtain information about deadlines and costs in software development. Finally, it is concluded that the adoption of Function Point Analysis will only be effective if the software requirements are developed more clearly and thoroughly since it is the key input of the metric.


In order to produce chitin derivative with high-quality,the processing for producing chitin from puparia of silkworm Bombyx mori were optimized:puparia were dipped in 3% HCl for 22 h at 30 ℃,then in 5% NaOH for 4 h at 85 ℃,followed by decoloring in 10% H2O2for 0.5 h under 85 ℃. The chitin produced with above technics is white tabular solids or powder with 5%~10% water content,0.63%~0.81% ashy substance and 5.86%~6.02% nitrogen.The productivity of processing was 32%.Its quality indexes reached that of edible chitin.


When it was discovered that a synthetic preparation which has been given the trade name phenyl cellosolve possessed marked sarcopticidal properties, the outcome was a natural desire to use it for the treatment of scabies, but before this was done it became necessary to determine any harmful side effects it might produce when applied to the skin of man. Phenyl cellosolve* (monophenyl ether of ethylene glycol) is a liquid preparation, with an aromatic odour and has a bitter taste producing


The date in my title refers to the publication of three texts written by Dalí that have Picasso as their subject. One was a poem that formed part of the booklet Conquest of the Irrational that came out late in 1935 (it was published separately in English under the title "The Art of Picasso"[1]). And then there were two texts included in the special issue of Cahiers d'Art dedicated to Picasso that came out early in 1936,[2] an "Invitation" so to speak to the Picasso exhibition that opened in Barcelona in January 1936 and the text "Les pantoufles de Picasso," or "Picasso's Slippers." These three texts, coming after sporadic references to Picasso in Dalí's earlier writings, form a high point in Dalí's growing preoccupation with Picasso at the time – his looking to Picasso, as my title implies. Only later, in The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí, with its many references to Picasso, and later still, in his famous lecture "Picasso and I," will this engrossment in Picasso come again to the fore. Two of the texts, "The Art of Picasso" and the "Invitation," are laudatory enough of Picasso while, at the same time, aggrandizing Dalí himself. My main concern, however, is with "Picasso's Slippers," his major text devoted to Picasso at the time. I won't speculate about any effect that its publication may have had on the relationship between Picasso and Dalí. What is quite apparent, however, is that while we find numerous references to a continuous contact between the two up to that time, there is hardly any actual contact between them later on (notwithstanding the letters and postcards sent to Picasso by Dalí and Gala to which Picasso appears not to have responded). Be that as it may, it is quite obvious that this text does constitute a watershed point of some sort. In what follows I take off from some insights already given expression in my earlier book, Salvador Dalí's Art and Writing (1996)[3] – this with the addition of quite a few pivotal new insights.


Aim: Drought is one of the most important abiotic stresses that affect the yield of crops globally. The present investigation was conducted to identify small millet genotypes tolerant to seedling stage drought stress.
Study Design: The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications with genotypes and stress treatments as factors.
Place and Duration of Study: It was carried out at Department of millets, Centre for plant breeding and genetics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during 2019.
Methodology: Ten varieties of various small millets, CO 7 (foxtail millet), CO 4 and ATL 1 (little millet), CO 15 and CO 9 (finger millet), ATL 1 and CO (PV) 5 (proso millet), MDU 1 and CO 2 (barnyard millet) and CO 3 (kodo millet), were used for the study. In vitro screening of the seedlings in Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)-induced water stress at four levels (0, -3, -5 and -7 bars) were carried out based on germination percent, shoot and root length, plant height stress tolerance index (PHSI), root length stress tolerance index (RLSI) and seedling vigour index (SVI).
Results: Analysis of variance of the genotypes and PEG treatments revealed significant variation for genotypes, treatments and genotype x treatment interactions at P< 0.001. A declining trend for germination percent, shoot length and root length was observed as the stress levels were increased. However, at mild and moderate stress root length was slightly increased. Under mild (-3 bars) and high stress (-7 bars), CO 7 (foxtail millet) recorded the highest SVI percent over control values (165% and 65% respectively). Under moderate stress CO 4 (little millet) recorded the highest SVI (191%). The lowest SVI values under high stress, 4% and 8%, were recorded for ATL 1 (little millet) and CO 3 (kodo millet) respectively.
Conclusion: Based on invitro screening of small millet varieties for seedling stage water stress, foxtail millet variety CO 7 and kodo millet variety CO 3 can be concluded as the tolerant and susceptible varieties respectively. Further a controlled field experiment may be carried out to understand the field level tolerance of the varieties and their growth stages to drought.


Cultural psychology, as one of the youngest, yet fastest growing social sciences, has been explored in most parts of the world and approached from a great diversity of angles. What must be continuously researched in the theory, method and critique of cultural psychology, however, are historical, intercultural and political perspectives. To take up this thesis seriously, the present commentary illustrates the fundamentally historical, intercultural and political nature of cultural affect, cognition and behaviour. It concludes with the suggestion of an inbetween cultural and cultural political stance that the critical-intellectual cultural psychologist takes.


Management theory and practice suggest a wide range of instruments used in organizations in order to measure performance, whether individual or organizational. The purpose of this paper is to mention some of these tools, with an emphasis on the balanced scorecard. Although numerous organizations have adopted the balanced scorecard as a means to increase organizational performance, few of them have succeeded in making it really work. Moreover, individual performance appraisal is often regarded as a coercive instrument rather than a procedure meant to foster the employee's performance which, in turn, should contribute to enhancing the organization's overall performance. The hereby article aims at highlighting some of the advantages, as well as shortcomings of the balanced scorecard, followed by drawing conclusions regarding the way in which the balanced scorecard can and must contribute to organization's well being.


Abstract : This report provides the results of the 1979 NASA/ASEE Engineering Systems Design Group. It summarizes a view of the 1995-2000 civil aviation avionics system. Following discussion of the Group's and avionics system's objectives, it describes the scenarios considered, the avionics technologies, the 1995-2000 avionics system, and the evaluation of impacts. The last chapter provides conclusions and recommendations. (Author)


The cooperative has long been recognized by governments as a vehicle for poverty reduction. In Nigeria, however, the term 'cooperative' has traditionally been restricted to those organizations registered with government. This leads to an underestimation of the contribution of cooperatives to society because the activities of non-registered organizations with cooperative characteristics go unnoticed. This paper compares registered and non-registered cooperatives in Nsukka to ascertain whether registration really makes a difference. The analysis shows that membership of both registered and non-registered societies is dominated by men. However, the non-registered societies are, on average, younger (in terms of both membership and date of establishment) than the registered group. The non-registered societies are also much smaller than the registered ones. While the non-registered societies source their credit from the informal sector, their registered counterparts source theirs from government and the formal sector, essentially because government does not recognize non-registered societies as cooperatives. Although both the amount and spread of investment are significantly higher among the non-registered cooperatives than the registered ones, there is no significant difference between the two groups in terms of income earned. This is apparently due to government support of the registered cooperatives, which props up their income. In addition, the non-registered societies are more oriented towards community development in their investment. Thus, neglecting the activities of non-registered groups may not only be detrimental to development, but may also be disadvantageous to poverty alleviation programmes. This is particularly important for the international development/donor agencies and NGOs with a special focus on cooperatives or similar groups.


We monitored 94 mottled sculpins (Cottus bairdii) marked with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to examine seasonal movement patterns. High detection efficiency (mean ± standard error = 0.76 ± 0.03) of PIT-tagged fish was obtained with a portable antenna. Nighttime searches were more effective than daytime relocations in summer, and smaller fish (<65 mm) were detected more readily than larger fish (≥65 mm). Sculpins used erosional habitats more than depositional habitats, particularly during summer and nighttime. Search attempts within a 150 m reach showed that displacement, mean movement distance, and home range did not differ significantly between summer and winter, suggesting that season did not strongly influence movement. Additionally, movement metrics were unrelated to sculpin size. However, supplementary searches of a larger reach (700 m) showed that 16% of PIT-tagged fish moved more than 100 m over 1 year, with a maximum displacement of 511 m, and mobile fish typically displayed upstream b...


Objective: This study aims to investigate which, if any head and neck symptoms (trismus, dysphagia, alterations in speech or facial movements, and dyspnea) might be good predictors of outcomes (mortality, tracheostomy, discharged, decannulated) and prognosis of tetanus patients. Methods: Design: Retrospective Cohort Study Setting: Tertiary National University Hospital Patients: Seventy-three (73) pediatric and adult patients diagnosed with tetanus and admitted at the emergency room of the Philippine General Hospital between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2017. Demographic characteristics, incubation periods, periods of onset, routes of entry, head and neck symptoms, stage, and outcomes were retrieved from medical records and analyzed. Results: Of the 73 patients included, 53 (73%) were adults, while the remaining 20 (27%) were pediatric. The three most common head and neck symptoms were trismus (48; 66%), neck pain/ rigidity (35; 48%), and dysphagia to solids (31; 42%). Results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only trismus (OR = 3.742, p = .015) and neck pain/ rigidity (OR = 4.135, p = .015) were significant predictors of decannulation. No dependent variable/symptoms had a significant effect in predicting discharge and mortality. Conclusion: Clinically diagnosed tetanus can be easily recognized and immediately treated. Most of the early complaints are head and neck symptoms that can help in early diagnosis and treatment resulting in better prognosis. In particular, trismus and neck pain/rigidity may predict the outcome of decannulation after early tracheotomy, but not of discharge and mortality.


Chen Lanbin took office under Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang,being the first supervisor of overseas studies,legal advocate for oversea Chinese workers,and first envoy to USA and Japan.He overcame difficulties in establishing the Sino-US relationships and promoting cross-cultural exchange.His difficult choice between Chinese and foreign,new and old,and tradition and modern reflected his cultural character of being at the same time traditional,progressive,and moderate.