The expansion of the radiative transfer equation (RTE) into spherical harmonics results in the P N approximation, consisting of (N + 1)2 simultaneous, first-order partial differential equations (PDEs). This system of equations is generally solved subject to a set of so-called Marshak's boundary conditions, although some ambiguity exists in multidimensional media, for which the set provides more than the necessary number of conditions. In recent work Modest has shown that the general 3-D P N approximation can be formulated as a set of N(N + 1)/2 second-order, elliptic PDEs, using the original set of Marshak's conditions, and which can be solved with standard PDE solution packages. In this article the Marshak boundary conditions are reexamined in the light of the elliptic formulation, culminating in a self-consistent set of N(N + 1)/2 conditions along the boundary of the enclosure. The elliptic set of PDEs is reformulated and reduced considerably by limiting considerations to isotropic scattering. As an example, the 2-D P 3 approximation is extracted, and sample 2-D P 1, P 3, and P 5 computations are compared with Monte Carlo results.


The human being has created different cultures in different places and so different cultural zones came into being. All ancient civilizations developed around certain places. The first actual merger of civilizations took place during Arabic Imperial period. By merging, it developed into particular Arab--- Islam culture of neither pure religious nor ethnic. My paper aims to display the assimilation and compatibility by explaining briefly the merger among different cultures.


Abstract : The geophysical data profiles of the underway data are displayed in computer plots. In addition, these plots indicate ship's position, speed, course, cruise station numbers, etc. All data are plotted against distance in nautical miles along track.


The celebration of the eucharist among American Pentecostals has rarely occurred more than once each month. In fact, for many Pentecostal denominations, the observance of the Lord's Supper is decreed by the denominational disciplines to be conducted on the first Sunday of each month. Students of denominational Pentecostalism have noted, that this observance is both more frequent than in many other fundamental ecclesial communities, and that it is often experienced as a highpoint of worship and communal devotion. The overwhelming majority of American Pentecostals adhere to a Zwinglian theology of Christ's presence in the eucharist, espousing the bread and wine only as tokens of a past event and only as symbols of a separate spiritual reality. Yet the universally deep experiences of the presence of the Risen Christ and the power of his Spirit, which are hallmarks of all Pentecostal assemblies, tend to infuse their eucharist with an intense awareness of the actual presence of Christ the Lord in the sharing of bread and cup. Beyond this, there is a growing tendency among several groups, of classical Pentecostal heritage, to revive even further the celebration of the eucharist 1. One striking example of this movement can be found at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Oral Roberts is best known as an evangelist and 'faith healer', whose world wide crusades in tents and meeting halls have attracted both approval and criticism from different quarters. Roberts, who has sought to be a servant of the Word according to his vision of that ministry, was,


This note formulates a dynamic two-country (developed and developing countries) Chamberlin-Heckscher-Ohlin model of trade with endogenous time preferences a la Uzawa (1968). We examine the relationship between initial factor endowment differences and trade patterns in the steady state. In particular, to highlight the integration of developing countries (e.g., China) into the world trading system, we concentrate on the case of asymmetric size of two countries (in terms of population). It will be shown that (i) given that the representative household in each country supplies an equal amount of labor, only intra-industry trade occurs in the steady state irrespective of differences in the number of representative households and that (ii) the number of households being equal, the country with less labor efficiency becomes the net exporter of the capital-intensive good.


: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic on psychological wellbeing among healthy working adults. This qualitative, cross-sectional study was conducted in Kanyakumari District, Tamilnadu, and the southernmost state of India. A convenient sample of 610 healthy working adults was participated and completed a self-administered questionnaire. The data collection tool contains two sections including baseline information, assessment of psychological wellbeing. Chi-square χ² test was used to test the association between demographic variables and scores of psychological wellbeing. One way ANOVA test was used to compare the mean score between groups. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the frequencies of variables. A significant P value was set at 0.05 at 95% confidence interval. The majority of participants (31.8%) belonged to 41-50 years of age. More than half (56.9%) of participants were females. The study findings revealed that 16.4% were had poor psychological wellbeing, 53.8% were had an average level, 21.3% had a good level and 8.5% were had an excellent level of psychological wellbeing. Additionally, gender, age, monthly income, history of quarantine, tested positive for the Corona Virus had a strong association with Psychological wellbeing. The study results concluded that the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic had a strong association with the psychological wellbeing of working adults. It also suggested having highly prioritized actions for early recognition of psychological problems, expanding counseling activities by the health authorities to avoid negative outcomes due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.


When the ecological movement emerged in the 1960s, it warned that continued consumerism and growth would lead to ecological catastrophe. This "green" philosophy represented a challenge to the basic tenets of Marxism, which traditionally ignored issues of ecological sustainability. Tracing the history of the integration of ecological understanding with Marxist philosophy, The Greening of Marxism explores the influence of green politics on Marxism, examines the new politics emerging from these movements, and shows how red-green alliances can transform the political landscape.


Background: Hepatoid adenocarcinoma is a malignant lesion arising from an anatomic site other than the liver with histological features similar to hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatoid adenocarcinoma has been reported from various anatomical sites, but adrenal hepatoid adenocarcinomas are extremely rare.Case Description: A 70-year-old male with well-controlled hypertension presented with chronic abdominal pain and was found to have a large left-sided supra renal mass. The lesion showed radiological features suggestive of malignancy with local invasion. There was biochemical evidence of primary aldosteronism and a non-suppressed overnight dexamethasone suppression test. He underwent open left-sided adrenalectomy: histologically the tumour demonstrated features typical of a hepatoid carcinoma with bile production and immunohistochemical staining for Hep Par-1 and CD10 demonstrating a hepatic canalicular pattern. Adrenocortical-specific immunohistochemical markers (Inhibin and melan A) and neuroendocrine markers (synaptophysin and chromogranin) were negative. He did not have clinical or biochemical evidence of cirrhosis, Hepatitis B or C infection. Triple-phase CT scanning of the abdomen before resection of the adrenal lesion and five months following surgery did not show any significant lesion in the liver suggestive of primary hepatocellular carcinoma, except an 8 mm non enhancing benign-appearing cystic lesion.Conclusion: Most hepatoid adenocarcinomas originate from the gastro-intestinal tract. We present a patient with hepatoid adenocarcinoma masquerading as adrenocortical carcinoma due to misleading imaging and biochemical evidence. Very little is known about their pathogenesis, especially those with an atypical site of origin such as the adrenal gland.


Understanding the routes to chaos occurring in atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge systems by changing controlling parameters is very important to predict and control the dynamical behaviors. In this paper, a route of a quasiperiodic torus to chaos via the strange nonchaotic attractor is observed in an atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge driven by triangle-wave voltage. By increasing the driving frequency, the discharge system first bifurcates to a quasiperiodic torus from a stable single periodic state, and then torus and phase-locking periodic state appear and disappear alternately. In the meantime, the torus becomes increasingly wrinkling and stretching, and gradually approaches a fractal structure with the nonpositive largest Lyapunov exponent, i.e., a strange nonchaotic attractor. After that, the discharge system enters into chaotic state. If the driving frequency is further increased, another well known route of period-doubling bifurcation to chaos is also observed.


I feel that I am going to have a hard time before me, not only today, but tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. Especially today it will be difficult because we have been involved with problems of mobilization by new techniques, and it is hard to change our minds to these completely different problems which we shall discuss today and tomorrow. Today, I must once again bring up a few questions of physiology, pathophysiology, and what we wish our new drum to do. That is the first question, and the second question is how can a graft survive if it is used as a new drum? I will cover these today, and then tomorrow morning I shall go on with certain problems of plastic surgery of the middle ear, including the skin; what kind of a graft to use; what we do with the mucosa, and what we do when


Marx's theory of civil society is established based on Hegel's theory of civil society The emergence of civil society in China is the base to build a harmonious society in reality.Building a harmonious society and the healthy development of civil society are closely related.Marx 's,theory shows tells us that the idea of civil society:civil society is a realistic basis for the development of human freedom,but also the historical part of the liberation of humanity,in the building of a harmonious socialist society,we must deal with the growth of civil society dialectically to fully rely on the power of the state,and to overcome the shortcomings of civil society,so as to achieve social harmony.


On the basis of histological studies it has been generally accepted that certain cortical sulci, such as the central sulcus and the lunate sulcus in primates, reliably delimit one cytoarchitectonic region from another (Connolly, '50 ). There are many instances, however, where the cytoarchitecture is similar on both sides of a sulcus. This occurs, for example, within somatic sensory cortex of the raccoon. The lack of a clear cytoarchitectonic difference in such cases in no way argues against the delimiting character of these sulci, however, since adjacent gyri separated by a sulcus may be functionally distinct. Indeed, electrophysiological mapping studies in a variety of mammals have shown that sulci often lie between physiological distinct regions within and around somatic sensory cerebral cortex (Woolsey, '60). The primary purpose of the study reported below was that of specifically testing the hypothesis that neocortical sulci demarcate one type of physiological subdivision from another. By means of evoked potential mapping techniques this hypothesis was tested in a series of closely related carnivores that exhibit different neocortical fissure patterns. The results that were obtained confirmed this hypothesis for the sulci within and around the somatic sensory cerebral cortex in ten animals from five genera of the family Procyonidae. Further hypotheses pertaining to the underlying causes of fissure fonnation are discussed, and additional data are presented which indicate a correlation between certain aspects of behavioral expression and the differential enlargement of specific cortical somatic sensory subdivisions. METHOD


The laser damage threshold for the onset of surface melting is measured. The dynamics and evolution of surface morphology are observed for different pulse power densities and number of laser pulses. With the power density increase, a sputtering phenomenon in the radial direction towards the periphery of the ablated zone is observed. The accumulation effect of heat due to pulses successively bombarding the surface is also evident. The damage threshold value calculated by the thermal model is in good agreement with the measured data in our experiment. As for the morphological changes, the thermal pressure model and shock pressure model can give a reasonable explanation. The periodic structure of ripples on the surface can be explained well by transverse surface acoustic wave theory.


Distribution system operators in rural areas of Germany are frequently facing imminent equipment overloading caused by the feed-in of local renewable Distributed Generation (DG). A grid operator's last resort to maintain system stability and avoid protection tripping is to temporarily curtail local feed-in until hosting capacity in the network has caught up with the demand. Due to technological limitations in today's networks the volume of curtailed energy can be greater than what would strictly be necessary. This paper presents a case study of a 110 kV overhead line in Avacon's network and demonstrates the limitations of today's approach to DG curtailments, especially the relative coarse granularity of control steps. The authors develop a novel control algorithm for emergency curtailments that takes advantage of technological improvements and describes the architecture for a successful deployment at the example of Avacon's network and SCADA. The authors compare the amount of curtailed energy under today's best practice with the theoretical optimum and the novel approach.


This paper presents a case study of word order variation in subordinate clauses (henceforth 'subclauses') in Heritage Danish in Argentina. In European Danish, the placement of the sentence adverbial traditionally distinguishes so-called main clause word order (conj>S>Vfin>Adv) and subclause word order (conj>S>Adv>Vfin). The paper shows that this normative distinction still holds in more than half of the subclauses in Heritage Danish in Argentina, and, except for the relative clauses, to an even higher degree than in colloquial European Danish. Hence, the word order distribution in Heritage Danish also differs from Heritage Norwegian and Swedish where word order in subclauses has become optional due to incomplete acquisition of the heritage language.


Tumefactive demyelination (TD) presents with large inflammatory lesions mimicking tumors or other space‐occupying lesions. Limited epidemiological, clinical and radiological data exist for TD. We aimed to report the incidence rate, and clinical and radiological features of TD in Olmsted County, Minnesota.


Because a physician has possessed himself of an electrocardiograph, a polygraph, an x-ray machine, a blood pressure instrument, or some ingenious form of stethoscope, it does not at all follow that he has become competent to judge a patient's condition; not infrequently the very reverse is the case, formore often than not the limitations of these devices are far from being comprehended. Thomas Lewis, British Medical Journal 19191 In 1912, the then British Medical Journal published Thomas Lewis's work entitled "The electrocardiogram and its importance in the clinical examination of heart affections."2 His recording apparatus was enormously cumbersome compared with today's sleek machines (fig 1), but, remarkably, he could record amplitude in the range of 0.1 millivolts. Lewis's classic representation of the normal PQRST complex is still instantly recognisable over a century later (fig 2).1 2


This paper presents a critical review and comparison of the results of recently published studies in the fields of human–machine interface and the use of sonomyography (SMG) for the control of upper limb prothesis. For this review paper, a combination of the keywords "Human Machine Interface", "Sonomyography", "Ultrasound", "Upper Limb Prosthesis", "Artificial Intelligence", and "Non-Invasive Sensors" was used to search for articles on Google Scholar and PubMed. Sixty-one articles were found, of which fifty-nine were used in this review. For a comparison of the different ultrasound modes, feature extraction methods, and machine learning algorithms, 16 articles were used. Various modes of ultrasound devices for prosthetic control, various machine learning algorithms for classifying different hand gestures, and various feature extraction methods for increasing the accuracy of artificial intelligence used in their controlling systems are reviewed in this article. The results of the review article show that ultrasound sensing has the potential to be used as a viable human–machine interface in order to control bionic hands with multiple degrees of freedom. Moreover, different hand gestures can be classified by different machine learning algorithms trained with extracted features from collected data with an accuracy of around 95%.


This study examined the effects that three perceptual constructs (country image, emotional solidarity, and life satisfaction) and three functional variables (sex, education, and income) have on local residents' support-for-tourism attitude. Using the data generated from a case study in Hanoi (Vietnam), the findings revealed that the perceptual model could explain 32% of the total variance of support-for-tourism, while the functional model only contributed 3.6% to the explanation. Among the perceptual constructs, only country image did not generate any significant influence on the dependent component. Among the functional variables, education was the only significant predictor of the support attitude. The outcomes advocate a psychological approach in tourism research and management with the focus on the examination and control of tourism actors' perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors.


The problem of an optimal attitude control is studied for a tethered system under a constant thrust in noncoplanar orbital transfer. The contributions of this article mainly include two aspects: first, a noncoplanar orbital transfer scheme and second, a closed-loop optimal control method. Based on a constant thrust, a noncoplanar orbital transfer scheme between two sun-synchronous orbits is proposed, enabling convenient engineering implementation. Compared with existing closed-loop control methods, the hierarchical finite-time attitude tracking control method is presented in the last cycle of the closed-loop optimal control to reduce the error at the final moment. A numerical case of a tethered system in noncoplanar orbital transfer is studied to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.


It is simpler to accept the testimony of the poem: that he did have a cold from which he recuperated in the country, that he had been invited by Sestius and read the dreary speech dutifully to avoid possible embarrassment at the meal, that he thought it a good joke on himself when the cold after all prevented his attendance, and that he invented only the frivolous supposed causation in the poem. One may still wonder who were expected to read it. It is too good-natured to be one of his venomous attacks on someone who was to read it and suffer from it. Possibly it was only a pretended attack like the fourteenth to Calvus, and Sestius was to read and enjoy it. But if the testimony of Cicero, as quoted by the editors, is about the same Sestius, he does not seem affable enough for this, and we have no evidence in the self-revealing pages of Catullus of such an intimacy with him as would justify such a liberty. The probability is that it was meant to be read by Catullus' friends rather than by Sestius.


Decision support systems are characterized by large data sets and complex queries with multi-way joins, aggregation and nesting. SQLmpp is a highly parallel database server designed to efficiently support these applications. SQLmpp's query processing strategy is driven by three principal goals: (1) data parallelism in all operations, (2) maximal use of any relevant indexes, and (3) minimal processing of complete relations. This paper describes the general query processing techniques and the specific operations used to achieve these goals.<<ETX>>


Pollen structure of three species of Apinagia (Podostemaceae) that grow in the Paranean Province, South America, are described. The pollen grains are isopolar, tricolpate, spheroidal to subprolate, with microechinate sculpture. The ornamental processes are of different size. The colpus membrane has similar ornamentation as the non-apertural wall but larger. Ultrastructural studies of the wall demonstrated that the ectexine is composed of a tectum, a granular infratectum formed by cylindrical elements, similar to rounded cords of different diameter and a basal layer. The general morphology and exine ultrastructure are similar to that of other taxa of Podostemaceae ( Marathrum , Mourera , Podostemum , Tristicha ). These are the first palynological descriptions of Apinagia , using transmission electron microscopes (TEM). Pollen quantity per anther is also reported for the first time.


The nomenclatural analysis included 12 autochthonous and mostly endemic species from the genera Atocion Adans., Cerastium L., Heliosperma (Rchb.) Rchb., and Silene L. (Caryophyllaceae). In conformity with ICBN, 12 new infra - specific taxa are described with locus classicus on the territory of Serbia. Also presented are 24 new nomenclatural combi - nations, including several for endemic taxa not present in Serbia. The nomenclature of certain taxa is supplemented by a short taxonomic-chorological review. Results of these studies will be incorporated in the next volume of "Flora of Serbia".


Enzyme technology, a subfield of biotechnology is associated with the application of enzymes as tools of industry, medicine and agriculture. It offers an increasing potential for the production of goods to meet various human needs [1,2]. The industrial enzymes include pectinases, cellulases, amylases and proteases. The majority of these enzymes are derived from fungi (e.g., Aspergillus) and bacteria (e.g., Bacillus). In the food industry, enzymes are used in extraction to increase the yield of fruit and vegetable juices, to control clarity of juices, to enzymatically peel fruits, to improve the texture of fruits and vegetables, to produce wine; and to extract pigments and food colorings [3]. They have also been applied in the textile industry as well as in coffee and tea fermentation processes [4,5].


Abstract Although there are many similarities between aircraft and industrial gas turbines, the operating environment for the industrial engine has placed different demands on materials development to enable industrial engines to operate continuously at full load on a wide range of gaseous and liquid fuels with high levels of reliability and availability. The demand for improved engine efficiency continues to drive cycle pressures and temperatures higher and this trend is expected to continue. Over the past 15 years, a major development theme for industrial gas turbines (IGTs) has been the reduction of NOx emissions to improve air quality and this is now mandatory in many areas of the world. With a continuing need for fossil fuels and diminishing reserves, applications in power generation and in the oil and gas sectors increasingly require engines to operate in hostile environments and on poorer quality fuels. A new challenge is the requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The gas turbine forms an integral part of many of the zero emissions power plant concepts under development for large scale power generation and in smaller sizes is being developed to operate on renewable fuels. Materials and coating selection approaches to meet these diverse and often conflicting requirements are reviewed and the materials developments considered necessary for the next generation of IGTs are outlined.


High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment is a noninvasive treatment, in which focused ultrasound is generated outside the body and coagulates a diseased tissue. The advantage of this method is minimal physical and mental stress to the patient, and the disadvantage is the long treatment time caused by the smallness of the therapeutic volume by a single exposure. To improve the efficiency and shorten the treatment time, we are focusing attention on utilizing cavitation bubbles. The generated microbubbles can convert the acoustic energy into heat with a high efficiency. In this study, using the class D amplifiers, which we have developed, to drive the array transducer, we demonstrate a new method to coagulate a large volume by a single HIFU exposure through generating cavitation bubbles distributing in a large volume and vibrating all of them. As a result, the coagulated volume by the proposed method was 1.71 times as large as that of the conventional method.


John Quiggin noted recently that risk is to the 21st century what globalisation was to the late 20th century. The application of "risk analysis" to virtually every facet of human endeavour bears witness to its popularity and, more importantly, its potential utility as a prism through which to generate technical knowledge. Much of what we enjoy in terms of scientific progress, material wealth and public service is the outcome of the management of risk. The advances we take for granted in medicine and the management of pestilence and disease, for example, have all been reliant on risk assessment and innovations in risk management protocols. Equally, the advances we observe in the built environment and the engineering marvels of the modern world rest on risk analysis as the basis for structural design. In business and finance, too, the principles of risk management define the operating parameters on which the banking, insurance and fund management industry has come to dominate the global economy, in the process transforming the nature of work, production and consumption. Even in the social sciences, risk analysis has enjoyed wide application, utilised in psychology, economics, criminology, social work and public policy. Put simply, risk analysis is the singular most important analytical tool of the modern world in large measure responsible for much of the economic, technological and social innovations we enjoy today. This makes it all the more strange that in International Relations (IR) risk has enjoyed much less attention; its utilisation, theorisation and application to understanding state–state relationships or state–market relations, for example, have remained mostly invisible. Stranger still is the fact that IR as a discipline grapples with one of the most recurrent structural risks of all, the problem of war and the management of power. Its very subject matter is about the management of risks across geographic space and the mechanisms of governance that either moderate risk or contribute to it. International Relations should, then, be at the forefront of research and theory development into risk and risk studies, or at least make wide


Abstract Using a new sample of individual-level data compiled from the manuscript returns of the 1901 Census of Canada, this article examines the assimilation of male wage-earning immigrants (mainly from the UK) in Montreal and Toronto. Unlike studies of post-World War II immigrants to Canada, and some recent studies of 19th century immigration to the United States, we find slow assimilation to the earnings levels of native-born English mother-tongue Canadians. While immigrants from the UK were about as likely as the Canadian-born to be in craft jobs, they were much less likely to work in the clerical sector. Within the blue-collar sector, English and Scottish immigrants were at little disadvantage.


This article is concerned with theoretical,conceptual and methodological approach. Analyzing "micro-sociology" in special,that the theory developed and expanded structural-functional school anthropologists' achievements is attempted to be proved. The practical influence the theory cast after anthropology combined with sociology is addressed. "Micro-sociology" was not largely applied by Fei Xiaotong,but that it is a summarizing term of his whole thought is discussed.


Mucin (MUC) proteins are the main component of mucus and constitute part of the innate immune response. High production of mucins and mucus is characteristic in inflammatory lung diseases. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Human Metapneunovirus (hMPV) are RNA viruses belonging to the Paramyxoviridae family and represent the most important cause of severe lung diseases such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis in young children, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Although these viruses are close-related, the host immune response elicited by them is widely different. In this work we evaluated the lung gene expression of secreted (MUC2, MUC5AC, MUC5B, MUC8 and MUC19) and cell surface (MUC1, MUC3, MUC4, MUC13, MUC15, MUC16, MUC20, MUC21 and MUC22) mucins by qRTPCR in human epithelial cells infected with RSV or hMPV. Our data indicate that the MUC expression by RSV and hMPV differ significantly, as we observed a stronger induction of MUC8, MUC15, MUC20, MUC21 and MUC22 by RSV infection at 48 and 72 h than by hMPV. On the other hand, the expression of MUC2, MUC5B and MUC1 was dominated by the infection with hMPV at the same time points. No significant MUC5AC, MUC19, MUC3, or MUC13 expression was observed after any of the infections. Together, these data indicate that RSV appears to be a stronger inducer of MUC response than hMPV and suggest that MUC expression contribute to the differential immune response induced by these two major human respiratory viruses


This paper analyses the evolution of the Bamileke bocage (hedgescape) between 1900 and 1960. The process was nonlinear and consisted in waves of extension and withdrawal resulting from farmers' innovations and foreign influences. We distinguish four time periods, which we feel correspond to evolutionary phases of the wooded landscapes: the arrival of the Europeans (1900-1915), the period from European pacification to the liberalisation of the coffee trade (1915 to 1945), the period of liberalised coffee trade (1945 to 1960), and the period of havoc at the time of independence (around 1960). At the beginning of the 20th century, clusters of hedgerows were all that remained in the mainly savannah landscape around settlements. Between 1915 and 1945, the hedgerow system quickly spread and dominated the landscape. The Bamileke region appeared to have crossed a demographic threshold that required a more intense land development system with a more developed bocage. Coffee production, which was introduced by the French, provided the farmers with an alternative cash crop. The best lands were used to grow coffee, not to rear livestock, formerly the traditional source of income. The enclosure system was gradually abandoned, with hedges used mainly to delineate allocated lands and as a source of wood and non-wood forest products. After 1945, the system continued to expand in the colonised areas. But it later shrank in areas where conflict broke out in the early days of independence. It later again expanded, but sometimes in a modified form.


The effectiveness of various graphic programs using Autodesk Inventor Professional 11 is described in the paper. The technological and demonstration platform is assembled into a single software package, linked to the concept of the project. The centralized use of this platform in its final form and in the process of creating and promoting software allows avoiding additional costs for software and hardware.


Leser-Trelat sign is characterized by the abrupt appearance of multiple seborrheic keratoses combined with internal malignancy.If seborrhoeic keratoses have rapid increase in size and number combined with pruritus,it usually indicates internal cancer,and relevant screening test should be conducted,especially immunohistochemical analysis on epidermal growth factor of the keratoses.This paper reports a case of seborrheic keratosis with Leser-Trelat sign combined with lung cancer in order to strengthen the understanding of this disease by clinical physicians.


A game apparatus 3A includes: a registration information storage section 171 that stores pieces of individual information about game apparatuses 3 registered as communication partners, with which the game apparatus 3A communicates, and pieces of distinguishing information, about the game apparatuses 3, associated with the pieces of individual information; a connection determination section 101 that determines whether a game apparatus 3B, corresponding to one of the stored pieces of individual information, is connected to a server device 8; a first acquisition section 103 that acquires, when the game apparatus 3B is connected to the server device 8, a piece of individual information about a game apparatus 3C communicating with the game apparatus 3B; and a communication state display section 104 that visibly displays, based on the pieces of individual information, communication states of the game apparatus 3B and the game apparatus 3C associated with each other.


Piscidin 1 (Pis-1) from hybrid striped bass possesses antibacterial activities with high cytotoxicity. Previously, we reported that Pis-1[NkG], where Gly8 was substituted with positively charged Lys peptoid in Pis-1, shows high antibacterial activity with more potent bacterial cell selectivity than parent Pis-1 and Pis-1[PG] with Pro substitution at Gly8. Here, we investigated the effects of hydrophobic peptoid substitutions on antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of Pis-1. We designed Pis-1[NaG] and Pis-1[NlG] peptides, where Gly8 was replaced with alanine or leucine peptoids. Although hydrophobicity was increased in Pis-1[NaG] and Pis-1[NlG] compared with that in Pis-1[NkG], Pis-1, and Pis-1[PG], these peptides retained high antibacterial activity and showed no hemolytic activity when used at 100 μM. All peptoid-substituted peptides penetrated well the bacterial membrane and localized inside of the cytoplasm, while Pis-1 and Pis-1[PG] depolarized membrane severely. The flexible hinge structure formed by peptoid residues compared with the rigid bent structure formed by proline may explain their differential mechanisms of action. Most hydrophobic peptide, Pis-1[NlG], showed the most efficient inhibition of LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-induced nitric oxide production, indicating that it can be a potent antimicrobial peptide with anti-inflammatory activities. Peptoid substitution may facilitate the development of potent peptide drugs with bacterial cell selectivity.


initis plastica is a rare complication of adenocarcinoma and can affect a variety of organs. Symptoms can arise slowly and may be nonspecific in early stages of disease development. Its detection on sonography has rarely been described, and no cases of its images in the stomach could be found. We describe a case of linitis plastica of the stomach, pylorus, and proximal duodenum initially diagnosed on the basis of abdominal sonography ordered to rule out an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Dynamic sonographic imaging of the stomach antrum and pylorus allowed for an immediate visual explanation of the patient's gastric outlet obstruction symptoms.


The importance of world class manufacturing is obvious to the modern manufacturers. According to the impression of Importance of achieving world-class in manufacturing companies and the role of the performance evaluation on achieving world-class, in this research, Identification and Ranking the Effect of Performance Evaluation on world-class components in Nahavand Cement Company was surveyed. Whole of the firm's personnel (136 persons) were selected as the population. These Materials and Methods' is applicable and descriptive-survey. the questionnaire distributed among personnel after the provision Based on Research hypotheses and 120 questionnaires delivered completely and then hypotheses analyzed with descriptive and illative Statistics and one sample t-test and freidman test using SPSS software. The results shown


Crustal extension in the Bullfrog Hills and Bare Mountain area of southwest Nevada is associated with movement along a regional detachment fault. Normal faulting in the upper plate and rapid cooling (denudation) of the lower plate were coeval with Miocene silicic volcanism and with west-northwest transport along the detachment fault. A west-northwest progression of tilting along upper plate normal faults is indicated by ages of the volcanic rocks in relation to angular unconformities. Near the breakaway, tilting in the upper plate occurred between 12.7 and 11.6 Ma, continued less strongly past 10.7 Ma, and was over by 8.2 Ma. Ten to 20 km west of the breakaway, tilting occurred between 10.7 and 10.33 Ma, continued less strongly after 10.33 Ma, and was over by 8.1 Ma. The cooling histories of the lower plate metamorphic rocks were determined by thermochronologic dating methods: K-Ar and Ar-40/(39)A on muscovite, biotite, and hornblende, Ar-40/(39)A on K-feldspar, U-Pb on apatite, zircon, and sphene, and fission track on apatite, zircon, and sphene. Lower plate rocks 10 km west of the breakaway cooled slowly from Early Cretaceous lower-amphibolite facies conditions through 350+/-50 degrees to 300+/-50 degrees C between 57 and 38 Ma, then cooled rapidly from 205+/-50 degrees to 120+/-5O degrees C between 12.6+/-1.6 and 11.1+/-1.9 Ma. Lower plate rocks 20 km west of the breakaway cooled slowly from Early Cretaceous upper-amphibolite facies conditions through 500+/-50 degrees C at 78-67 Ma, passed through 350+/-50 degrees to 300+/-50 degrees C between 16.3+/-0.4 and 10.5+/-0.3 Ma, then cooled rapidly from 285+/-50 degrees to 120+/-50 degrees C between 10.2 and 8.6 Ma. Upper plate tilting and rapid cooling (denudation) of the lower plate occurred simultaneously in the respective areas. The early slow-cooling part of the lower plate thermal histories was probably related to erosion at the Earth's surface, which stripped off about 9 km of material in 50 to 100 m.y. The results indicate an initial fault dip greater than or equal to 30 degrees and a 12 mm yr(-1) west-northwest migration of the locus of rapid tilting in the upper plate.


In this work, experimental vapor-liquid equilibria (VLE) of water + ethanol + five aroma compound (two monoterpene hydrocarbons, alpha-pinene and D-limonene, and three oxygenated compounds, linalool, citral, and linalool oxide) mixtures were measured at boiling point at 101.3 kPa for ethanol molar fractions ranging from 0.0140 to 0.8389. The five aroma compounds were selected for their strong contribution to the aroma of the distillate of bitter orange essential oil. First, the thermodynamic consistency of the experimental VLE data was validated. Then the NRTL and Henry's law type models were tested to correlate the experimental data. Good agreement was obtained with both models to predict the phase equilibrium of the oxygenated compounds, and a better agreement was obtained with Henry's law type models for the monoterpene hydrocarbons in this kind of mixture.


When it comes to maximising the safety and security of today's tertiary institutions, there are undoubtedly tremendous challenges. This is particularly so in terms of incorporating new technology, specifically surveillance systems, in the securing of large-scale and diverse campus environments, with multiple buildings often spread out over the campus terrain. The main challenge then for campus security managers is to change the mindset of campus guards in order for the latter to take into account the new challenges and risks to student and staff alike in keeping them optimally safe. This article looks at the concept 'Campus Safety and Security' and how campus security staff are facing up to the various challenges in changing and professionalising their approach, training and use of up-to-date new technological systems as aids in the provision of all-encompassing 24/7 safety and security on campus.


Paul and the Faithfulness of God is ordered in four parts: "Paul and His World" (chs. 1–5), "The Mindset of the Apostle" (chs. 6–8), "Paul's Theology" (chs. 9–11), and "Paul in History" (chs. 12–16). The first part focuses on the first-century context, looking at the Jewish environment, Greek philosophy, Greek religion, and the Roman Empire. Wright dealt quite extensively with early Judaism in the first volume in this series (The New Testament and the People of God [NTPG], Fortress, 1992), and in the last decade he has written on the Roman Empire. There is notable expansion on his thought in the current volume's chapters on Greek philosophy and religion, and both of these chapters are engaging and insightful. Wright makes a strong case that in Paul's world, what we think of as "religion" and "politics" were inseparable.


Computers are a fact of life. Bill Gates believes that their impact on society is only just beginning. Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, thinks that their potential impact is overrated, though he attributes the low rate of inflation to the effect of the computer in lowering costs. Just as was the case with the typewriter, the new technology of computers was 20 years or more in making a major impact on the economy. Only now are word processors significantly reducing the need for secretarial help. In particular, the computer has had a major beneficial effect in the financial world for two reasons. First, the financial arena is a numerate environment and, second, it is a very large and wealthy environment with plenty of capital to invest in new technology.


In order to study the characteristics of thermoregulation in little buntings (Emberia pusilla) and chestnut buntings (E. rutila), their resting metabolic rate (RMR), body temperature (Tb), body weight were measured at ambient temperature (Ta) ranged from 5 - 30℃, and thermal conductance were calculated. The experiments were taken from April to June in 1999, the results are obtained mainly as follows:The minimum metabolic rate of little buntings and chestnut buntings were 4.19ml O2/g.h and 3.99ml O2/g.h respectively, which were 181% and 146% of the expected value from their body mass according to Aschoff and Pohl'51. The minimum thermal conductance (C) of little buntings and chestnut buntings were 0.26ml O2/g.h. 癈 and 0.23ml O2/g.h. ℃ separately, which were 138% and 140% of predicted values respectively according to Aschoff[6]. The temperature regulation index [F index] of little buntings and chestnut buntings were 1.31 and 1.04 respectively, all higher than 1.In conclusion, the adaptation of little buntings and chestnut buntings to environmental climate were by the means of RMR and thermal conductance and regulate their body temperature well.


The Miocene PX1 gabbro-pyroxenite intrusion located in the Basal complex of Fuerteventura displays a remarkable vertical magmatic layering. This 3.5 by 5.5 km alkaline pluton was emplaced over a short period of time between 21.2 ± 0.2 Ma and 19.5± 0.4 Ma (Ar/Ar on amphibole) in Jurassic oceanic sediments overlying the Atlantic oceanic crust. Pressure and temperature estimates using clinopyroxene chemistry (Soesoo, 1997) yield 2Kbar and 1050 to 1100 ̊C, respectively.


The bean leaf beetle is an annual pest of soybean in Midwestern states. Adult beetles feed on all aboveground plant parts and are especially fond of soybean pods late in the growing season. In addition to the physical injury that bean leaf beetle adults cause to soybean plants, this insect also transmits bean pod mottle virus a potentially yield-robbing plant disease which makes proper management of this insect even more critical. This report focuses on managing second-generation beetles with insecticides to control late-season pod injury. Disciplines Agricultural Science | Agriculture This northeast research and demonstration farm is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ farms_reports/1779 Iowa State University, Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm ISRF00-13 Late-Season Management of Bean Leaf Beetles in Soybeans Marlin E. Rice, professor Ken Pecinovsky, superintendent Introduction The bean leaf beetle is an annual pest of soybean in Midwestern states. Adult beetles feed on all aboveground plant parts and are especially fond of soybean pods late in the growing season. In addition to the physical injury that bean leaf beetle adults cause to soybean plants, this insect also transmits bean pod mottle virus a potentially yield-robbing plant disease which makes proper management of this insect even more critical. This report focuses on managing secondgeneration beetles with insecticides to control late-season pod injury. There are three population cycles of bean leaf beetles in Iowa. Bean leaf beetle adults are commonly found on alfalfa after emerging from overwintering habitats. These overwintered populations move quickly into soybean, sometimes as soon as the plants crack the ground. This colonization of soybean is typical in Iowa, but because the overwintering bean leaf beetle population is usually small, adults often are not obvious on young soybean plants. The first generation follows the overwintered population and typically occurs on latevegetativeand early-reproductive-stage soybeans. The second generation in late summer occurs mostly on soybean in all stages of pod development. It is common for adults from the end of the first generation and the beginning of the second generation to occur at the same time in a field, thereby making the two populations indistinguishable from each other. Materials and Methods Soybeans were planted on May 10 in 30-inch rows. On August 10, a large population of bean leaf beetles was found in R5 (beginning seed)stage soybean; the beetle population averaged 132.8 beetles per 20 sweeps. Five treatments were established in the field: 1) Warrior T (3.2 oz/acre), 2) Lorsban 4E (2 pints/acre), 3) Sevin XLR (2 pints/acre), 4) Furadan 4F (0.5 pint/acre), and 5) an untreated check. All insecticide treatments were applied in 20 gallons of water per acre broadcast over the row. Plots were eight rows in width and 60 feet in length. Treatments were applied on August 10 and each was replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. Twenty sweeps were taken in each plot on August 16, 24, 31, and September 7 (approximately 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks, respectively) after application to test the long-term efficacy against second generation bean leaf beetles. Beetles were counted at the end of each 20-sweep sample and released back into the plot from which they were collected. Soybeans were machine harvested on September 30. Results and Discussion A variety of insecticides are labeled for management of bean leaf beetles in soybeans, although there is little published information on the performance of these insecticides. Insect control is always a prime consideration when selecting a product, but another consideration in choosing an insecticide near the end of the growing season is the length of the preharvest interval. Commonly available insecticides and their preharvest intervals are Ambush 2EC (60 days); Asana XL (21 days); Lorsban 4E (28 days); Penncap-M (20 days); Pounce 3.2EC (60 days); Sevin XLR Plus (Rhone-Poulenc label states "5 days," whereas the Aventis label states "within 21 days of harvest of dried beans or peas, seed, or hay"); and Warrior T (45 days). A 60-day preharvest interval may exclude some chemicals from being used, especially for lateseason insect management. A 12-year population study conducted at Iowa State University shows that the bean leaf beetle Iowa State University, Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm ISRF00-13 population has steadily increased during the past 4 years (Fig. 1). It is believed that the relatively mild winters of the past three years have allowed above-average survival of overwintering beetles. This situation, coupled with an increase in the acres of early-planted (April) soybean, has contributed to damaging populations of bean leaf beetles throughout most of Iowa. One week after application, the bean leaf beetle density was reduced significantly in all insecticide treatments with Warrior and Lorsban providing the best level of control (Table 1). Two weeks after application, bean leaf beetle densities increased in all plots but were substantially smaller in the Warrior and Lorsban treatments compared with Sevin and Furadan treatments. Three and 4 weeks after the initial insecticide application, there was a natural decline in the insect population, but the Warrior and Lorsban treatments continued to suppress the beetle population to levels significantly lower than the other insecticides. The performance of Lorsban in our study was nearly identical to that of Warrior. In spite of the performance of the insecticides in reducing insect densities, a significant yield benefit was detected only in the Warrior treatment. Table 1. Average insect densities (± standard error) and soybean yields from insecticide-plots treated for second-generation bean leaf beetles, Nashua, Iowa, 2000. Bean leaf beetles/20 sweeps (mean ± S.E.) Treatment Rate/acre Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Bushels/A Warrior T 3.2 oz. 0.5 ± 0.3c 24.5 ± 4.8d 40.5 ± 5.5b 3.3 ± 0.3b 61.8 ± 0.7a Lorsban 4E 2 pints 5.3 ± 2.0c 45.3 ± 2.7d 22.8 ± 3.6c 11.5 ± 1.3b 58.3 ± 0.7b Sevin XLR 2 pints 9.3 ± 2.5bc 127.3 ± 6.6c 63.5 ± 5.4a 40.0 ± 3.9a 59.4 ± 1.2b Furadan 4F 0.5 pint 30.5 ± 3.6b 168.8 ± 13.1b 59.8 ± 10.1a 40.8 ± 10.0a 59.1 ± 0.8b Check — 94.8 ± 14.3a 206.3 ± 14.7a 61.3 ± 3.2a 44.5 ± 6.8a 58.8 ± 0.9b Week 1, 2, 3, and 4 are August 16, 24, 30, and September 7, respectively. Numbers in the same column and followed by the same letter are not significantly different (P > 0.05, LSD). Fig 1. A 12-year population trend for second-generation bean leaf beetles in central Iowa soybean.


Cognitive radio (CR) plays an important and promising role in solving wireless spectrum scarcity problems by exploiting wireless spectrum bands that have been underutilised thus far. CR is a type of wireless communication in which wireless devices use environmental sensing to detect and change transmission parameters. The authors propose the probabilistic and deterministic path detection (PDPS) Protocol for CR networks in this study. PDPS aims to increase the probability of finding the path of best quality between any source and any destination. The performance of the proposed protocol is evaluated by conducting comprehensive simulation scenarios and experiments using a special simulator, which was built using Java. The simulation results highlight the benefits of the proposed path selection technique in comparison to state-of-the-art protocols. Comparisons are carried out using several performance metrics; namely throughput, stability and end-to-end delay.


Although the pleural effusions and empyemas which complicate pulmonary tuberculosis appear similar in the roentgenograms to those found in other types of pleural disease, the course, frequency, ultimate results, and treatment are not comparable. The effusions developing in tuberculous patients have been studied in detail from laboratory and clinical aspects, but neglected from the roentgenologic standpoint. This study was undertaken to correlate spontaneous pleural effusions with the various stages of chronic pulmonary tuberculosis, and also to determine the relative frequency of this condition in the different age and sex groups, the roentgenologic type, and the subsequent course. Because interpretations of symptoms and physical findings always vary, major emphasis has been placed upon a study of the roentgenograms and minor emphasis upon the clinical data and laboratory reports, except for necropsy findings. Between the years 1919 and 1938, inclusive, 5,731 patients were admitted to Glen Lake Sanatorium...


Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has conducted Summer Research Vessel (RV) surveys in the Maritimes Region, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions 4VWX5Yb, using a standardized protocol since 1970 (Figure 1). Results of these surveys provide information on trends in abundance for most groundfish species in the Maritimes Region. While these data reflect trends in biomass and abundance and are a critical part of science-based stock assessments, a full assessment, including other sources of data, would be required to evaluate the impacts of management measures on population status. Resource Management requested a review of the DFO RV Survey information on the following list of fish stocks: 4Vn, 4VsW, and 4X5Y Atlantic Cod; 4VW and 4X5Y Haddock; 4X and 4VW White Hake; 4VWX Silver Hake; 4VWX+5 Pollock; Unit II and Unit III redfish; 3NOPs4VWX5Zc Atlantic Halibut; 4VW and 4X American Plaice; 4VW and 4X Witch Flounder; 4VW and 4X Winter Flounder; 4VW and 4X Yellowtail Founder; 4VW and 4X Smooth Skate; 4VW and 4X Thorny Skate; 4VW and 4X Barndoor Skate; 4VW and 4X Winter Skate; 4VW and 4X Little Skate; 4VW and 4X Atlantic Wolffish; 4VW and 4X Monkfish; 4VW and 4X Longhorn Sculpin; 4VWX Spiny Dogfish; 4X and 4VW Red Hake; 4X and 4VW Sea Raven; 4X and 4VW Ocean Pout. In addition, biomass trends relative to the Scotia Fundy Groundfish Advisory Committee (SFGAC) accepted biomass reference points were requested for White Hake (biomass for lengths >41 cm in 4X) and Unit III redfish (biomass for lengths >22 cm). The survey information will be used by DFO Resource Management as background for discussions with various stakeholders on recommendations for management measures and to determine which stocks should be reviewed in more detail in 2020.


Simple Summary The aim of the study was to determine the morphological and morphometrical features of the auditory ossicles in the red fox. Moreover, for the first time, shape analysis was performed on all the middle ear bones by geometric morphometry. The auditory ossicles play a vital role in transmitting sound waves through the middle ear. The malleus was considered to be the largest bone, with three distinctive processes. The overall shape of the incus was found to be similar to that in other mammals. The presence of a prominent muscular process was noted on the head of the stapes and the convex base which closes the window of the inner ear. Abstract The use of carnivores as experimental models in auditory biology has led to a significant improvement regarding our understanding of the structure and function of the ear. Considering that data regarding the anatomy of the middle ear in the red fox are rare, this study aimed to describe the morphological and morphometrical features of the auditory ossicles in the red fox, as well as to provide their shape characteristics by geometric analysis. Nine adult red foxes were used in the study. The malleus, incus and stapes were extracted from the middle ear, prepared, photographed and measured using the software. For the geometric analysis, 19 landmarks were used. Following Principal Component Analysis (PCA), PC1 was found to explain approximately half of all variance (incus: 49.97%; malleus: 49.93%; stapes: 58.49%). The study demonstrated the similar anatomical organization of the auditory ossicles in line with important morphometric and basic geometric data, which can contribute to this field and add a useful perspective to the literature.


The present invention discloses a flexible HVDC converter charging system, said means comprising a flexible HVDC active end of the DC line connected to the inverter and the other terminal of the inverter; further comprising at least one set of parallel charging resistor and a bypass switch in parallel with the charging resistor and a bypass switch connected in series in the DC circuit, said charging method comprising the steps of: bypass switch OFF, a charging resistor of the DC line; an active terminal through the inverter AC the charging system is completed; an active converter unlock end, establishing a DC voltage; stabilized DC voltage, the inverter unlocking other end; close the other end of the bypass switch converter submodule voltage stability, bypassing the charging resistor, complete the charging process. Such a charging method can be effectively suppressed when the active terminal of the inverter the inverter to charge the other end, the other end of the inverter overcurrent unlocked state due to the DC link direct voltage difference generated at both ends of.


China has been cooperating with Algeria on engineering projects for years.The Algerian market has become one of the largest overseas contracted project markets for China.In recent years,there has been some changes in this market,which creates new challenges for the Chinese contractors.The Chinese companies need to solve the problems caused by cultural differences in the marketing and project management.They should be aware of and take advantage of the cultural differences and improve their multi-cultural management.Only by finding the right solution to break through this bottleneck can the Chinese companies keep sustainable development overseas.


In order to overcome the difficulty in quantifying rework by traditional project schedule management tools, this study proposes an innovative method, namely improved Critical Chain Design Structure Matrix (ICCDSM). From the perspective of information flow, the authors firstly make assumptions on activity parameters and interactions between activities. After that, a genetic algorithm is employed to reorder the activity sequence, and a banding algorithm with consideration of resource constraints is used to identify concurrent activities. Then potential criticality is proposed to measure the importance of each activity, and the rework impact area is implicated to indicate potential rework windows. Next, two methods for calculating project buffer are employed. A simulation methodology is used to verify the proposed method. The simulation results illustrate that the ICCDSM method is capable of quantifying and visualizing rework and its impact, decreases iterations, and improves the completion probability. In this vein, this study provides a novel framework for rework management, which offers some insights for researchers and managers.


Abstract The performances of Large White (27), Landrace (27), and Duroc (27) gilts on an ad libitum feeding regime were compared over the liveweight range 25–85 kg. Landrace gilts had the highest voluntary feed intakes; and the appetite of Durocs exceeded that of Large Whites, but only at ⩾ 65 kg liveweight. The breeds did not differ in growth rate, but Landrace gilts had higher feed conversion ratios and carcasses of lower lean content than the Duroc and Large White gilts which were similar in these traits. Landrace carcasses had a relatively lower proportion of bone and the three breeds had similar carcass lean: bone ratios. Duroc gilts had the highest killing-out percentages and Large Whites the lowest, but the breed differences were not significant. There were only small breed differences in joint proportions of the carcass and no breed effect on the distribution of lean tissue. A proportion of Duroc and Landrace carcasses had pale, soft, exudative musculature but the condition was not found in the La...


We report our search for optically thick radio cores in 16 narrow-waist bipolar nebulae. Optically thick cores are a characteristic signature of collimated ionized winds. Eleven northern nebulae were observed with the Very Large Array (VLA) at 1.3 and 0.7 cm, and five southern nebulae were observed with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at 6 and 3.6 cm. Two northern objects, 19W32 and M1-91, and three southern objects, He 2-25, He 2-84, and Mz 3, were found to exhibit a compact radio core with a rising spectrum consistent with an ionized jet. Such jets have been seen in M2-9 and may be responsible for shaping bipolar structure in planetary nebulae.


The present invention relates to a cosmetic composition for preventing or alleviating sensitive skin, containing a mixture extraction oil of Euryale ferox Salisb., Euphorbia lathyris L. and Rosa multiflora Thunb. According to the present invention, the mixture extraction oil of the present invention can prevent or alleviate sensitive skin having a deteriorated skin barrier function and accompanied by various types of dermatitis by activating PPARα and reinforcing the skin barrier.


Streams and rivers, whether large or small, cross the majority of our country's urban centers. These streams should be an inseparable part of urban planning in modern cities. The town of Thessaloniki is subjected to torrents that stem from the surrounding hills and, after crossing the urban areas of Thessaloniki, outfall in the Thermaikos gulf. These torrents belong in the category of streams of hilly areas, so the environmental potential is mild. Intense floods appearing in Thessaloniki's conurbation happen mostly due to human activity. The purpose of this paper is the research of the natural factors that form the torrential potential of the research area (climate, relief, vegetation, geological support) and the man-made activities at the stream beds.


By using the Maxwell′s equations and axial symmetry,a method on calculating non-static axial symmetry fields with unstable charge source is given.


This white book provides an insight into the issues surrounding the impact of increasing levels of DER on the generator and network protection and the resulting necessary improvements in protection testing practices. Particular focus is placed on ever increasing inverter-interfaced DER installations and the challenges of utility network integration. This white book should also serve as a starting point for specifying DER protection testing requirements and procedures. A comprehensive review of international DER protection practices, standards and recommendations is presented. This is accompanied by the identifi cation of the main performance challenges related to these protection schemes under varied network operational conditions and the nature of DER generator and interface technologies. Emphasis is placed on the importance of dynamic testing that can only be delivered through laboratory-based platforms such as real-time simulators, integrated substation automation infrastructure and fl exible, inverter-equipped testing microgrids. To this end, the combination of fl exible network operation and new DER technologies underlines the importance of utilising the laboratory testing facilities available within the DERlab Network of Excellence. This not only informs the shaping of new protection testing and network integration practices by end users but also enables the process of de-risking new DER protection technologies. In order to support the issues discussed in the white paper, a comparative case study between UK and German DER protection and scheme testing practices is presented. This also highlights the level of complexity associated with standardisation and approval mechanisms adopted by different countries.


e15759 Background: Reprogrammed energy metabolism has become the characteristic of cancer recently. Transporters act as amino acid sensors involved in mTOR recruitment and activation, which is crucial for the growth of both normal and tumor cells. L-type amino acid transporter 2 (LAT2), a Na+ -independent neutral amino acid transporter, is encoded by the SLC7A8 gene and responsible for transporting neutral amino acids, including a mTOR activator, glutamine. LAT2 was reported to be overexpressed in gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cells. However, the role of LAT2 in chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer remains unclear. Methods: The effects of LAT2 on biological behaviors of pancreatic cancer cells were analyzed. LAT2 and LDHB levels in tissues were detected, and the clinical value was evaluated. Results: We demonstrated that LAT2 played an oncogenic role and decreased the gemcitabine sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Survival analysis indicated that high expression of both LAT2 and LDHB was related to a poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, we found that LAT2 could promote proliferation, inhibit apoptosis, activate glycolysis and alter glutamine metabolism to activate mTOR in vitro and in vivo. Next, the combination of gemcitabine with an mTOR inhibitor (RAD001) could reverse the decrease in chemosensitivity caused by LAT2 overexpression in pancreatic cancer cells. Mechanistically, LAT2 promoted glycolysis and decreased gemcitabine sensitivity via regulating two glutamine-dependent positive feedback loops (the LAT2/p-mTORSer2448 loop and the glutamine/p-mTORSer2448/glutamine synthetase loop) in pancreatic cancer. Conclusions: Our data indicates that LAT2 functions as an oncogenic protein and could regulate glutamine-dependent mTOR activation to promote glycolysis and decrease gemcitabine sensitivity in pancreatic cancer. The LAT2-mTOR-LDHB pathway might be a promising therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer.


For both the electrical stimulation and recording of cultured neurons, the CMOS-based microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are one of the most promising electronic devices used nowadays. To ensure a robust transmission of the information between the chip and external devices, the MEA chip requires integrated analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Moreover, the presence of a large number of read-out channels on chip poses stringent requirements on both area and power consumption for the design of the ADCs. Thus, this Master's thesis work proposes a low-power and compact successive approximation register (SAR) ADC for such bio-electronic chips. In this thesis, some low-power ADC topologies are first investigated and the SAR ADC is finally chosen, that is the optimum solution for the application. The choice of multiplexing the read-out channels of the MEA chip for the analog-to-digital conversion is then presented while the requirements for the ADC are derived. In this work, the design of each part of the converter is described, starting from the switched-capacitor array which is usually used as a sample and hold (S/H) as well as a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The size of the switches that are providing the signals to the DAC is optimized considering the timing requirements. Furthermore, low power solutions are proposed for the comparator while good performances are achieved for both noise and speed. A successive approximation register logic is finally used to provide the digital control signals. The performance of the SAR ADC is evaluated with post-layout simulations. All the preliminary requirements are met and the proposed converter represents a promising solution for low-power applications. In conclusion, the specifications of the entire data-conversion system are compared with the ADCs currently implemented on the MEA device and a possible improvement of the chip is presented.


Wireless mesh network (WMN) is used to develop techniques for guaranteeing end-to-end delay performance over multihop wireless communication networks. The aim of WMN is to provide seamless communication in large heterogeneous networks and between heterogeneous devices. According to the architecture of WMN, mesh cloud will allow scaling the network easily. Hence we are addressing WMNs as scalable networks. Routing protocols play an important role in increasing the performance of WMN as the size of network is scaled. Routing process is also affected by the type of communication, like unicast and multicast. Multicasting is eminent type of communiqué nowadays, due to its applications like Distance Learning, Access to Distributed Data Base and Teleconferencing etc. This paper proposes the multicast routing protocol for WMN. Multicast Ad hoc on demand Distance Vector (MAODV) is modified to support scalable WMN. MAODV creates bi-directional shared multicast trees for connecting multicast sources and receivers. In this research work authors briefly narrate the MAODV protocol and it is compared with unicast AODV. Using NS2 a simulation based performance evaluation is done by considering performance metrics, such as Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), endto-end delay, throughput, overhead and dropped packets. Results show that MAODV routing protocol throughput is 43% and PDR is 31% more than AODV. Bandwidth utilization is measured in terms of overhead; the MAODV is having 50% less


The main objective of the present study is to measure the extent of market segmentation for video-on-demand (VoD) services in the EU. We examine access to VoD catalogues in other countries and compare the content of film catalogue available across countries. Using various sources of data on VoD services we find that cross-border access to VoD services in the EU28 is extremely limited at 1.9% of available VoD services in the EU. Cross-border availability of film titles reaches 16.8%. Netflix performs better with 31% cross-border availability. Cross-border availability in VoD catalogues remains far below the 40% availability observed in digital film downloads, 80% in digital music downloads and 93% in e-books catalogues. Even within EU Member States, the VoD market is very fragmented with catalogue overlaps between local VoD providers in the order of 30-50% only. Consumers incur high switching costs to access a wider variety of products in this segmented market.


This paper proposes the application of ASP-based sequential pattern mining techniques in the analysis of evidence collected according to the practice of digital forensics. In particular, it reports preliminary results concerning the analysis of anonymised mobile phone recordings, which highlight the sequences of events in a given time span.


Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-enabled mobile relaying is regarded as an important wireless connectivity component in areas without infrastructure coverage due to its rapid response, strong mobility, and low cost. This paper studies a delay tolerant UAV-enabled mobile relaying system and adopts the load-carry-and-deliver paradigm. The UAV is employed to assist in the information transmission from a ground transmitter to a ground receiver with their direct link blocked. Two kinds of UAV flight trajectories are proposed in this system, i.e., a straight line and circular trajectory. Suppose that the UAV employs time-division duplexing (TDD)-based decode-and-forward (DF) relaying. This paper then aims to maximize the spectrum efficiency (SE) and energy efficiency (EE) in of the UAV-enabled relaying system by jointly optimizing the time allocation, flight speed, and the flying radius of the circular trajectory. Then, we develop an efficient algorithm by leveraging the bisection method and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Simulation results show the superiority of the proposed algorithm as compared to other benchmark schemes. In addition, numerical results show that, when the communication distance is 1000 m, the SE and EE performance of the circular trajectory is better than the SLF trajectory when the obstacle height is greater than 300 m. Thus, the height of the obstacle between the communication nodes and the trade-off between the SE and EE should be taken into account when we design the optimal trajectory of the UAV-enabled mobile relaying system.


The main objective of this paper is to explain the process of knowledge acquisition utilising the method for the decomposition of the components of a system to extract design rules. The furnished drawing of a dwelling is considered as the language of a designer. These drawings contain the semantic knowledge that can he called general architectural know-how. This paper bases on the decomposition of the syntax of a room image. The syntax of a room image consists of walls, windows, circulation zones and furniture such as beds, wardrobes, commodes, dressing tables, etc. The syntax of a room image has some linkages. The designer put the syntax together with the joints of circulation zones as a grammar to match. The existing relations between the objects in a design can be called grammar. An experiment is applied to three classes of a CAAD course organised by the Turkish Chamber of Architects. The living room is given already furnished in the experiment and the rest of a dwelling is expected to be furnished. In the first phase, the experiment is applied on two different classes in different times. It is interesting that the same grammar is used by 6 of 8 couple of designers for 3 different types (A, B and D) of bedrooms. Only one of the bedrooms (C type) has different design styles in spite of looking much like each other. In the second phase, for the third class of 6 groups, plan is modified slightly. In this case all of the 6 couples of designers use the same grammar for 2 alternatives of D type bedroom for parents. An original method is applied in the elicitation of the knowledge in this experiment. The properties of the objects and their links are represented by a semantic network graph. This paper also presents the grammar of the furnished rooms and shows the density of preferences. Design rules are extracted from these drawings of a furnished dwelling by searching for similarities in the plans designed by different designers. The designers have some specifications about the grammar of furnishing and an image schema of the proposed room in their minds, depending on their education and experiences. During the design of a room, designers look for differences and the similarities existing in the syntax of the proposed room image and the image of furnished room on the screen. If these images match with each other, the designers satisfy with the result. This paper investigates the image schemata of the designers by evaluating their drawings. Some design rules are represented by means of image schemata. Matching the joints of circulation zones, the designers put the syntax of different image schemata together and they can illustrate different alternatives, restricted by the translation of these image schemata. INTRODUCTION: The main objective of this paper is to explain the process of knowledge acquisition utilising the method for the decomposition of the components of a system to extract design rules. The furnished drawings of a dwelling is considered as the language of a designer. These drawings contain the semantic knowledge that can be called general architectural know-how. This paper bases on the decomposition of the syntax of a room image. The syntax of a room image consists of walls, windows, circulation zones and furniture such as beds, wardrobes, commodes, dressing tables, etc. The syntax of a room image has some linkages. The designer put the syntax together with some kind of joints that can be called a grammar. Design rules are extracted from the drawings of the image schemata. EXPERIMENT: This experiment is applied on three classes of a CAAD course organised by the Turkish Chamber of Architects. There are 34 students who do furnishing for the same type of dwellings utilising similar kinds of symbols (as syntax) that are defined in advance by the experimenters. 15 of the designers are architects, 5 of them are graduated and 2 of them are graduate students; 15 of the them are undergraduate students in architecture and 4 of them are city planning graduate students. The graduated students have experience for 1 to 11 years in professional practice. Students' average age is 22.41 years and it is 33 years for all the CAD students. The experiment is conducted on couples of the students. 2 Students worked on the same design task in front of a computer and utilised AutoCAD R12 for this experiment. The students are given


The ideal topical issue or monograph should be more than just a compilation of high-quality research papers. It should cover the broad range of aspects of the topic, including various standpoints, new developments, the activities of young or recently established research groups, as well as information on new books and papers or even relevant specialist conferences. The ideal topical issue also has to be compiled by a leading expert on the subject in question, and so generally it will be guest editors who are best qualified to do this under the ''meta-guidance'' of a team of editors. It is for these reasons that we have decided to refine the structure ofZeitschrift fur Psychologie/Journal of Psychology (ZfP/JoP), the second oldest psychology journal in the world, from this issue onwards. The journal will continue to consist entirely of topical issues. Each will now generally start with a Review Article or an Editorial covering the major aspects of the topic, followed by three to five highquality Research Papers written by international experts. These ''conventional'' scientific papers will generally be supplemented by one or more Research Spotlight articles, allowing the guest editor to add information about promising work that is still ongoing at the time of publication, including (for instance) work that is of interest and note but that has not yet been developed to the point where a full original paper is warranted. Opinion pieces examining the pros and cons of scientific approaches, the significance of results or their consequences for society will be a further core element of the new ZfP/JoP. Finally, brief Horizons articles will inform readers about current activities related to the respective topic (i.e., conferences, meetings, new research programs, books, and announcements). The editors of the journal feel sure that this more up-to-date structure for a scientific journal will enhance its readability and, we hope, stimulate its acceptance and distribution. To this end, the publisher is now producing the issues in a new and more attractive layout, with a more robust cover, and is giving the individual issues of Zeitschrift fur Psychologie/Journal of Psychology an ISBN to make them available for purchase individually via any online or regular bookstore. At this juncture I'd like to thank Peter Smith for doing the job of compiling the very first issue with the new features! He has put together an exciting issue about cyberbullying, containing not only a brief editorial review article about ''Abusive Relationships in Cyberspace'' written by himself and five original papers covering various aspects to the topic, but also using the Research Spotlight format for brief reports about the situation in Germany and the Czech Republic. Critical commentaries about measurement and definition of cyberbullying are outlined in an Opinion article. Finally, everybody who is interested in new programs and various other activities concerned with cyberbullying will be thankful for the five reports Peter Smith selected for the Horizons section. It is the hope and the wish of the whole editorial team that the new structure for ZfP/JoP, along with the selection of topics alternating between basic research and more applied research, will help not only to contribute to scientific communication but also the transfer of scientific knowledge into society in general.


In the previous repor1), YONE inferred that the death of fish during transportation or while keeping after transportation is mainly attributable to infection. The present study was carried out to demonstrate that the inference is correct. The present paper deals with the isolation of bacteria from the liver of red sea bream (Chrysophyrys major) which died during keeping after the "keep on closed system" and the pathogenicity of the isolates. The results obtained can be summarized as follows: 1) The adding of chlortetracycline (CTC) and nitrofuran derivatives suppressed the increase of bacterial count and the consumption of dissolved oxygen by bacteria in the sea water in polyethylene cases. 2) The mortality in the CTC group was lower than that in the non-added group. 3) Numerous bacteria existed in the liver of dead fish in the non-added group, but bacteria was not detected in those in the CTC group. 4) Of the isolates distinguished into thirteen groups, those belonging to groups V, IX, and X showed pathogenicity. 5) Organisms belonging to group X were isolated from the majority of livers of dead fish in the non-added group and accounted for 87 percent of the total isolates from the liver. On the other hand, group V was isolated from only one. Organisms belonging to groups V and X were also isolated from the sea water in polyethylene cases of the non-added group. 6) The conclusion that the death of fish during the keeping after the "keep on closed system" is caused by the infection of pathogens is led from the above results.


Access to information is vital to the journalism profession. Nigerian journalists have over the years been practicing in an environment that is bedeviled with the dearth of information that should have been a public right, but the enactment of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in 2011 has paved the way for everyone hopefully, to get access to information on request. This study set out to find out the level of awareness of the provisions of FOI by journalists in AkwaIbomState and to find out the impression journalists in AkwaIbomState have about FOI Act. The study also investigated the experience of practicing journalists in AkwaIbomState since the FOI came into force as well as the perception of journalists in AkwaIbomState with regards to the enforcement/compliance with the provisions of the FOI. The Anchoring this study on the Libertarian or free press and the social responsibility theories, the survey method was adopted to investigate the reaction of Akwa Ibom State Journalists as regards the Freedom of Information Act. A total of 166 copies of the questionnaire were distributed in Nine Chapels of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state. Data collected showed that many journalists have not read the FOI Act, but are aware of its enactment. Among those who have read the Act, inaccessibility to information still prevails as journalists are still faced with the challenge of accessing information both in private and government institutions. It also shows that the benefits of the FOI Act is that of freedom of expression, press freedom and right to access information which is the hallmark of the FOI Act as there is a euphoric response by Akwa Ibom state journalists to the enactment of the Act as they wait to utilize its provisions. The study therefore recommends that journalists should read the FOI Act, sensitization about the FOI Act should be conducted, public officers should update all information in their custody so as to facilitate easy and rapid release of information when requested, the right of access to information should be enjoyed by everyone and the FOI Act should be enforced.


The classical centrifugal-sudden approximation (cCSA) in molecular collision dynamics is studied. Following the traditional quantal approach, the problem is first formulated in the body-fixed (BF) coordinate system exactly. Attempts to deduce the cCSA from the BF Hamiltonian, however, fail to provide proper directional information for the relative motion. Instead, the cCSA can be derived from the uncoupled angular momentum representation in the space-fixed coordinate system, and directional information can then be obtained. The cCSA is applied to the study of transport and relaxation cross-sections of the He-N2 and Ar-N2 systems. For both systems the dynamical error is investigated by comparing the cCSA results with exact classical trajectory results, while for the He-N2 system the quantization error is obtained by comparing the cCSA and quantal centrifugal-sudden approximation results. The cCSA is found to be accurate for the viscosity and diffusion cross-sections. Encouraging results were found for the ...


With the portable information terminal in the vicinity of the ID recognition unit of the notebook PC, by reading out the ID from the portable information terminal, and know the network address of the portable information terminal, a notebook PC establishes a network connection with a portable information terminal. Further, the notebook PC via a network, the appropriate operation information, and transmits it to the portable information terminal. For example, during presentation execution transmits the screen information of the presentation operations in a portable information terminal. Thus, it is by using the one of the devices connected to a wireless or wired network to control the operation of the other device. A portable information terminal device, a presentation, a remote control, network,


A mathematical model predicting the microstructure of plate during controlled cooling was proposed. Based on the developed model, the phase transformation during accelerated cooling of Q345B steel plates was simulated. The theoretical calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental data. The effects of controlled cooling parameters on product microstructure were studied.


Significance Light intensity–dependent bidirectional phototaxis is vital for microorganisms (e.g., green algae) to gain energy or escape from damage. Inspired by nature, artificial phototactic micro/nanomotors (MNMs) have been developed, which cannot only serve as perfect model systems for nonequilibrium physics but have great potentials in microfluidics and biomedical applications. However, unlike the biological microorganisms that possess the bidirectional phototactic capability by natural evolution, it is still challenging for the artificial MNMs to realize the similar biomimetic phototaxis, which greatly limits their applicability. Here, we innovatively combine the self-diffusiophoresis and self-thermophoresis mechanisms to achieve a visible light–driven MNM, exhibiting bidirectional phototaxis and intriguing light-controlled collective behaviors. These findings thus constitute an important step toward developing biomimetic photoresponsive active systems. In nature, microorganisms could sense the intensity of the incident visible light and exhibit bidirectional (positive or negative) phototaxis. However, it is still challenging to achieve the similar biomimetic phototaxis for the artificial micro/nanomotor (MNM) counterparts with the size from a few nanometers to a few micrometers. In this work, we report a fuel-free carbon nitride (C3N4)/polypyrrole nanoparticle (PPyNP)-based smart MNM operating in water, whose behavior resembles that of the phototactic microorganism. The MNM moves toward the visible light source under low illumination and away from it under high irradiation, which relies on the competitive interplay between the light-induced self-diffusiophoresis and self-thermophoresis mechanisms concurrently integrated into the MNM. Interestingly, the competition between these two mechanisms leads to a collective bidirectional phototaxis of an ensemble of MNMs under uniform illuminations and a spinning schooling behavior under a nonuniform light, both of which can be finely controllable by visible light energy. Our results provide important insights into the design of the artificial counterpart of the phototactic microorganism with sophisticated motion behaviors for diverse applications.


This study describes the current provision of daycare for elderly people in Sweden. Daycare offers an interesting and relatively unknown field for investigation. It is necessary to provide a comprehensive picture of the provision of daycare, i.e. number of daycare centres, personnel and economic resources. In spring 1995 a survey was carried out in a representative sample of 70 Swedish municipalities. A questionnaire was sent to all 376 identified daycare centres in the participating municipalities and 312 responded. The results show that daycare may be categorized into two main groups and five types, according to the aims, locations and activities offered at the centre. Converting the findings from the survey into national estimates, there are approximately 1500 daycare units serving about 45,000 pensioners on a regular basis, at an annual cost of 500 million SEK.


Kinetic and analytical models to describe reactions with the radicals in water, initiated by the cavitation effects are developed. The equation to make quantitative assessment of the OH• and H• radicals' concentration change in time in the liquid phase is obtained.


From May to December, 1992 we studied the earthworm activity, as part of the ECOFIT Program at Surrao ( 30km from Boa Vista), verifying the duration of the activity and quantifying it through the casts deposited on the soil surface. Three transects were stablished: a 100m long in the savanna, a 40m in the transitional area and 100m long in the forest. Specimens were collected monthly along the transects according to the method proposed by TSBF and the casts were collected from the squares previously placed on the transects. Two earthworm species were found in the three areas: Pontoscolex roraimensis and Pontoscolex corethrurus. The first species depositing its casts on the soil surface. Rainy season wich usually occurs from April to August, determined the duration of activity for the two species (however, 1992 was atypical in that rainy season, only started in May). P. roraimensis produced casts in the three areas from May to August followed by aestivation. In the savanna, P. corethrurus started aestivation in the same period as P. roraimensis but remained active until November in the two other areas. P. roraimensiswas found up 50m from the forest border, being associated to the presence of Curatella americana and Byrsonima sp, two typical savanna bushes.


Advanced countries around the world are spurring the development of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) that can operate autonomously at marine environment. The key enabling technology for such USVs is the mission planning system (MPS) that can autonomously navigate through the harsh waters. The MPS not only has the functions for the navigation, but also has the capabilities, such as obstacle avoidance, malfunction corrections, dealing with unexpected events, return home functions, and many other eventualities that cannot be programmed in advance. The autonomy levels are increasingly moving higher and it is foreseeable that the trend will continue in the future. The main purpose of this paper is the analysis of the MPS onboard the USVs, in terms of the categories, functions, and technological details. Also, we analyze the case study of autonomous mission planning control systems in various fields and introduce the features that constitute the critical functionalities of the mission planning systems.


The effect of flow velocity on the performance of neem seed oil on corrosion rate of low carbon steel was investigated using the weight loss method. The coupons were flush mounted in inhibited and uninhibited corrosive media for 96 h. The flow velocity was varied for Reynolds numbers of 3705, 3054, 2220 and 734. The result showed that the inhibitor performed very well with time under flow conditions with better performance at laminar flow.


During construction of the second phase project of Ninghai power plant 1 000 MW ultra-supercritical boiler unit,induction heating equipment was used for experiment on welding heat treatment technique,which well solved the problem of temperature difference between inner and outer wall occurring in the process of welding preheat and post-welding heat treatment of the SA335-P92 steel tube,significantly improved the welding heat treatment quality.This experiment method can be used as a reference by other project in welding preheat and post-welding heat treatment for ultra-supercritical boiler unit.


To determine the efficacy of amoxicillin prophylaxis and of tympanostomy tube insertion in preventing recurrences of acute otitis media, we randomized 264 children 7 to 35 months of age who had a history of recurrent otitis media but were free of middle ear effusion to receive either amoxicillin prophylaxis, bilateral tympanostomy tube insertion or placebo. The average rate of new episodes per child year of either acute otitis media or otorrhea was 0.60 in the amoxicillin group, 1.08 in the placebo group and 1.02 in the tympanostomy tube group (amoxicillin vs. placebo, P < 0.001; tubes vs. placebo, P = 0.25). The average proportion of time with otitis media of any type was 10.0% in the amoxicillin group, 15.0% in the placebo group and 6.6% in the tympanostomy tube group (amoxicillin vs. placebo, P = 0.03; tubes vs. placebo, P < 0.001). At the 2-year end point, the rate of attrition was 42.2% in the amoxicillin group, 45.5% in the placebo group and 26.7% in the tympanostomy tube group. Adverse drug reactions occurred in 7.0% of the amoxicillin group and persistent tympanic membrane perforations developed in 3.9% of the tympanostomy tube group. The observed degree of efficacy of amoxicillin prophylaxis and of tympanostomy tube insertion must be viewed in light of the fact that study subjects proved not to have been at as high risk for acute otitis media as had been anticipated and in view of the differential attrition rates. We conclude that in the age group we studied, amoxicillin prophylaxis is the preferred first measure in attempting to prevent recurrences of acute otitis media and that tympanostomy tube insertion is a reasonble next alternative.


Several recent studies have revealed that anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with i-factor, a bone substitute material, is safe and effective, with a superior fusion rate. Clinical studies with i-factor have thus far been shown favorable results, despite theoretical concerns; moreover, no adverse events related to i-factor after ACDF have been reported. Herein, we discuss two cases that presented unexpected bone formation after ACDF using polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage with i-factor. A 60-year-old male patient underwent stand-alone ACDF surgery at the C4–5–6–7 level. The appropriate PEEK cage was selected, filled with an i-factor 2.5 mL divided into 1/3 that was intermixed with autologous bone chips, The patient developed mild dysphagia 1 month after surgery. A simple cervical spine radiograph showed unexpected bone formation in the anterior portion of the vertebral body at C6 and C7 levels. A 67-year-old male patient underwent stand-alone ACDF surgery at the C3–4 level. The appropriate PEEK cage was selected, filled with 1 mL of i-factor 1 mL that was intermixed with autologous bone chips. The patient developed mild dysphagia 3 months after surgery. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed the presence of a bridging bone at the graft level, but showed unexpected bone formation in the anterior portion of the vertebral body. The unexpected bone formation causing dysphagia that we observed may be due to the high potent bone-inductive capacity of i-factor, but instead because there are no guidelines on proper dosage and usage. Further biomechanical studies are required to determine the optimal dose and usage instruction of i-factor.


Our aim is to develop oligonucleotide-gold and oligonucleotide-semiconductor "quantum dot" (QD) labeled probes that will provide gold-labeled and QD-labeled messenger ribonucleic acid or mRNA targets following in situ hybridization (ISH). Such goldand QD-labeled targets will enable their correlative detection using complimentary multi-modal microscopic methods at low(optical imaging following further autometallographic (AMG) amplification), intermediate(fluorescence imaging), and highresolution (electron microscopy or EM) with improved sensitivities. We tested oligonucleotide-ultrasmall gold (commercial Nanogold® with 1.4 nm metal core diameter and ~2.7 nm overall diameter; Nanoprobes, NY 11980, USA) [1]. However, dark metal granules and precipitates were observed following hybridization [2]. One successful oligonucleotide-Nanogold® hybridization has been reported with under moderate conditions (46 °C for 3 h) [3]; the reported oligonucleotide-Nanogold® conjugate yield was up to 30% [3]. In general, higher temperatures and longer hybridization times are preferred for ISH, and Nanogold® and QDs do not survive the hybridization step(s)


Forced vibration of muscle has been known to evoke the group Ia (Gla) discharges in the relevant dorsal afferents and it is also known that they can sometimes 五 re at the frequency as high as 350 c/s-400 c/s and that the discharge rate was just at the same frequency as that of the applied vibration if the tip of vibrator was placed close enough to the primary ending which is under observation (Granit & Henatsch , 1956; Bessou & Laporte , 1962; Bianconi & van der Meulen , 1963). These spindle discharges are transmitted monosynaptically to motoneurons , excite them and eventually drive them to fire repetitively. When the rate of vibratory stimulus is relatively low enough , motoneurones usually fire exactly at the same frequencγas that of the applied vibration. However ,once the vibratory frequency exceeds a certain rate ,the exact correspondence of motoneuronal firing rate to the applied vibration disappears. They can not fire exactly corresponding beyond some frequency but do fire at some constant rate which is usually lower than , and at the same time , in 幽 dependent from , the rate of vibration applied. If we take the minimum amplitude (displacement) of vibration which is found necessary and enough to evoke the repetitive motoneuronal 五 ring at some pre-determined rate , the value of this minimum displacement may differ along the parameter of vibratory frequency. This has been our main interest during our research described here. The relation between the minimum amplitude and the rate of vibration is studied and discussed in this paper.