Estimates of global methane hydrate volume spans four orders of magnitude, mainly because commonly used seismic methods are not easily sensitive to the bulk concentration of hydrate in the sea-floor section. Electromagnetic (EM) methods can be used to augment seismic data collected over hydrates, which are electrically resistive compared to surrounding sediment, and can provide additional information to constrain the volume of gas hydrate in the subsurface. We have been developing inductive marine EM techniques for this purpose and have collected controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) data in two regions: Hydrate Ridge (Oregon) and the Gulf of Mexico. At Hydrate Ridge, we found a resistive region that coincides with the seismic bottom simulating reflector (BSR), a seismic horizon commonly associated with the phase transition of solid hydrate to free gas. Resistive regions above the seismic BSR are inferred to be hydrate, and resistive areas below are inferred to be free gas. At one of four locations surveyed in the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi Canyon 118, we were able to differentiate chirp acoustic blanking due to carbonate and gas hydrate at two sea-floor vents. One vent is electrically conductive and is actively venting fluids and has sea-floor carbonates. The second vent is electrically resistive and is currently inactive, but the pavement of dead methanotropic clam shells suggests it once was active and any methane that was here froze into hydrate. We are able to distinguish between carbonate and hydrate, in contrast to the other mapping techniques, because the carbonate here is highly fractured, allowing saline pore waters to dominate the EM signal. These projects to date have provided a basis for the use of EM as an additional tool for carrying out global studies focused on directly quantifying the distribution, concentration, and total volume of hydrate accumulations.


The public transport network description model, the public transport vehicle generation model, the dwell time model and the public transport vehicle operation mode are developed. Then MTSS is taken as simulation platform to build the microscopic traffic simulation model of public transport vehicle operation. The simulation model is validated with field observed data for both curbside stop and bus bay, the error between observed data and simulation data is within 10%, which shows that the simulation model can describe public transport vehicle operations and interactions between public transport vehicle and other traffic. Finally, the simulation model is used to study traffic flow characteristics of public transport stop influence section under different traffic conditions, and obtained some valuable conclusions.


Abstract The management of overwintering honeybee colonies is pivotal for the apiculture industry in China. To investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in the seasonal regulation of the development of Apis mellifera carnicas hypopharyngeal gland (HG), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and large-scale proteomics (isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification; iTRAQ) were employed. In total, 3,025 proteins were identified at two-time points: winter (constituting group A) and early spring (constituting group B). Among them, 24 proteins were quantified and compared to identify their differential expression patterns. The TEM profiles and iTRAQ analysis results might aid in understanding the molecular mechanisms associated with the seasonal changes in honeybee HG. For example, the acinar cells of spring worker honeybees had more mature organelles. Furthermore, the ribosomal structures and protein biosynthesis were strengthened. However, the amount of exocrine royal jelly produced could not have satisfied the demand of the feeding larvae and queen. Honeybees might suffer reduced immune function during their feeding stage. The present study elucidates the regulatory mechanisms of HG on overwintering and spring arousal in honeybees. The results might provide a practical and theoretical guideline for the overwintering management program of the apicultural industry.


This paper deals with the importance of involving suppliers in new-product development and focuses on the toolmaking industry because of its integration into the supply chain. Using a case-study methodology an in-depth analysis of the situation in the Slovenian toolmaking sector was carried out in order to identify the roles of toolmakers in the supply chain and in new-product development in relation to their capabilities. The results of the research are summarized in a model of the roles of toolmakers in the supply chain, in which the roles reflect the different stages of development of individual capabilities.


From a suitable reorganisation of the sum‐over‐states (SOS) equations of the usual time‐independent perturbation theory, recurrent expressions for static polarizability (α) and second‐ (beta;) and third‐(γ) order hyperpolarizabilities are obtained. These expressions are given in a well‐adapted way for computer implementation and lead to an efficient algorithm reducing the computing time by a factor of 50 with respect to a "brute‐force" translation of the standard SOS equations.


A nested complex source beam (NCSB) method based on the method of moment (MoM) solution is proposed for electromagnetic scattering analysis. In the finest level, the far field contribution of each basis function is expressed with that of complex source beams (CSBs) distributed evenly on the equivalent surface for every group. Furthermore, the far-field coupling of CSBs in the son level group also can be represented by that of CSBs in the father level group. With the operation above, a nested multilevel structure for the CSB method is obtained. Numerical results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.


The influence of deformation speed on the deformation behaviour of high purity aluminium was investigated. By varying the initial height-to-diameter ratio a considerable influence on the deformation behaviour could be noticed. Lubrication of the specimen end faces was found to have an influence on the flow behaviour and on the roughness of the specimen interface at pressing platens. The results of temperature measurements during deformation agree with work-hardening behaviour of the specimens. Flow curves calculated with the measured temperature rises do not agree with results obtained at lower strains by other workers. The possible reasons are discussed.


The purpose o f this study was to examine differences in students' reading selfefficacy, students' personal perceptions o f the learning environment, and change in reading level across instructional programs. In addition, the study explores the relationship between students' personal perceptions of the learning environment as measured by the My Class Inventory-Short Personal Form (MCI-SPF) and student reading self-efficacy as measured by the Reader Self-Perception Scale (RSPS). Analyses showed that: 1) Students in the Success for All (SFA) reading program exhibited higher levels o f general reading self-efficacy than did students in the language-based comparison group, 2) Students in the SFA instructional program felt more positive about their performance than did students in the language-based comparison group, 3) Students participating in the SFA instructional program were more likely to describe the social feedback received more positively than students participating in the language-based comparison group. With respect to reading levels the analyses indicated that change in students' reading levels as measured by the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) was not significantly different between the two programs. Also, the relationship between changes in students' reading levels as measured by the DRA and student self-efficacy as measured by the RSPS is weak and manifests itself only within the RSPSProgress subscale. In addition, analyses suggested that students with high subscale scores on MCISPF Satisfaction and MCI-SPF Difficulty subscales were more likely to be members o f vii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. the language-based instructional program. The relationship between students' personal perceptions o f the learning environment as measured by the MCI-SPF and student reading self-efficacy as measured by the RSPS is weak and manifests iteself as a positive relationship between the MCI-SPF Satisfaction subscale and the RSPSPhysiological State subscale, and as a negative relationship between the MCI-SPF Difficulty subscale and the RSPS-Physiological State subscale. This repeated pattern o f findings across instructional programs suggests that specific components of an instructional program in reading may exert a certain degree o f influence on student self-efficacy toward reading. The findings suggest the need for additional research to identify which components of instructional programs are most instrumental in contributing to the formation o f high reading self-efficacy and positive perceptions o f the learning environment.


This paper presents an anticorrosive method to protect bamboo from the corrosion induced by coating a layer of epoxy resin on the surface of bamboo slices. Four surface modifications including heat treatment, alkali treatment, coupling treatment and acetylation treatment are applied to bamboo slices. The results indicate that the ultimate tension of bamboo slices decreases when corroded in solutions with different pH for different time, while epoxy resin protects
the bamboo slices from corrosion to maintain the tensile properties by coated on its surface.
The surface morphology indicates that four modifications have different degrees of influence
on the surface and material of bamboo slices, which can reduce the ultimate tension of bamboo slices, but improve the interfacial combination between the surface of bamboo slices and epoxy resin. Acetylation treatment was the most effective modification analysed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) among them.


The devolopment of any economic activity occurs in the requirement of some certain motives,which allows no exception among the realm of enterprises' technological innovation.This paper,sets forth from the following three perspectives which include dynamic mechanism of technological innovation,the motivation of technological innovation and dynamic system of technological innovation,gives a comprehensive generalization and summarization of the present situation of the technological innovation dynamics from both home and abroad.And on that basis,it puts forward some future key points and breaking points in that field.


Oxygen therapy remains a crucial intervention in critical care. One of the core aspects in oxygen therapy concerns the optimal oxygenation level, which is commonly measured in the form of partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2). Multiple randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have been performed to investigate different oxygenation goals in critical care [1, 2]. However, one important challenge, as demonstrated by a recent network meta-analysis [2], is that most RCTs only compared two oxygenation levels that differed across studies, making it difficult to determine an optimal oxygenation goal [2]. While several meta-analyses have been performed, most have dichotomised oxygenation goals into liberal (i.e. targeting a higher oxygenation level) versus conservative (i.e. targeting a lower oxygenation level): a relatively qualitative oversimplification of the problem [3, 4]. Therefore, further investigations are needed to determine a more quantitative optimal oxygenation goal. Maintaining PaO2 in the 70–150 mmHg range might lead to improved survival, compared to a PaO2 outside of this range, in critically ill patients receiving oxygen therapy. Different PaO2 targets in the 70–150 mmHg range might not lead to different outcomes. https://bit.ly/3zTngq6


In the satellite communication market, both the increase in communication traffic and the growth in demand for mobile stations are advancing, and there is a strong demand for higher output power, more compact transmitters for satellite communication earth stations. By using GaN (gallium nitride) with high dielectric breakdown voltage instead of the conventional GaAs, we realized high-voltage operation and high power density, and developed a miniature, high output power device for a transmitter. With the newly developed device, a line-up of Ku-band devices consisting of two types of internally matched GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) and GaN monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) for driver-stage has been commercialized (See Figure. 1)


The study investigates how shareholders are constructed and engaged with through public relations in the Australian financial sector. The web sites and annual and sustainability reports of major Australian companies and investment funds were examined through qualitative content analysis. Findings indicate that a hierarchical distinction exists within the discrete but amorphous stakeholder group known as shareholders, where privilege and disadvantage exist alongside disparate levels of power and agency. This is perpetuated by and through irresponsible public relations, which constructs a discourse of ownership that excludes citizens as legitimate stakeholders limiting their capacity to influence more ethical corporate decisions and practices. Recommendations are offered for how public relations might engage shareholders more responsibly.


Five compounds were isolated from culture of Phalosposporium sinensis chen sp nov (虫草头孢菌). They were deduced as stearic acid (Ⅰ),soyasapogenol B(Ⅱ),daucosterol (Ⅲ), uracil (Ⅳ) and D mannitol (Ⅴ) by IR, MS and other chemical methods. Among them, Ⅱ and Ⅲ were first isolated from Phalosposporium sinesis.


Abstract This article examines European memory and memory politics. Taking as my starting point the deepening divisions between the "old" and "new" members of the European Union since the 2004 and 2007 enlargements, I investigate whether differences in official memory concerning World War II on the one hand and communism on the other should be regarded as permanent. Using examples from the development of West-European postwar memory-regimes and comparing them to the current state in postcommunist Europe I suggest that with respect to historical memory the two parts of Europe underwent similar developments, crises and debates, thus making eventual convergence and consensus possible. However, there are various factors that complicate progress in this area: postcommunist countries have to contend not only with their wartime history but also with the experience of communism, which latter colours the assessment of the former.


During a 14 month period, 7 of 48 children attending a day care center developed HIb disease. Five infants developed meningitis, 1 septic arthritis and the 7th infant had pneumonia and septicemia. Surveillance studies showed that at least 58% of infants carried HIb in their nasopharynx on 1 occasion.Specific measures were instituted to control the outbreak; these included antimicrobial prophylaxis and immunization with HIb polysaccharide vaccine. Ampicillin (100 mg/kg/d) was administered to 6 asymptomatic carriers of ampicillin-susceptible HIb. At 1 and 7 days after therapy, HIb was isolated from 3 infants and at 14 days, 4 of 5 infants had positive cultures. HIb vaccine was administered subcutaneously to 34 children. Sera obtained prior to immunization showed detectable antibody in all infants. Only 9 (26%) infants had two-fold or greater rises in serum HIb antibody titers after vaccination. Antibody response was independent of age, pre-immunization antibody concentration and HIb carrier status. Vaccine was not only ineffective in reducing the carrier rate, it failed to prevent acquisition of the organism by non-carriers. An 18 month old infant previously identified as a carrier, developed meningitis 4 months after receiving and responding to the vaccine.HIb is a highly contageous agent capable of causing disease in closed populations of susceptible infants.


The structure of the retina and tapetum lucidum of the teleost Howella is described. The tapetum is a diffuse reflector composed of lipid spheres. The photoreceptor layer of the retina contains only rods; in section the rods appear segmented, perhaps arranged in stacks but their precise arrangement remains to be determined.


Calcium hydroxide is used in the treatment of different traumatized teeth. New concepts about the effects of calcium hydroxide on vital pulps and immature non vital teeth are developed. Some clinical techniques and their results are described.


The purpose of this study was to to identify the factor that causes the intention to purchase imitation apparels among Generation Y. The dependent variable in this research is the intention to purchase imitation apparel which is measured by independent variables such attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, economic benefit and hedonic benefit as well. The respondents were consumers from Generation Y who are ages between 18 to 35 years old, who have experienced in purchasing imitations. Therefore, 140 questionnaires were being collected and used in this study. The finding showed that attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, economic benefit and hedonic benefit, have influence on the intention to purchase imitations apparels among Generation Y. All variables show significance relationship towards the factor to purchase imitations apparels. Meanwhile, the researcher apply questionnaire as the process to gather all the data from sample respondents in accomplish the research objectives. To analyze the data, descriptive analysis, reliability test, correlation analysis and standard coefficient were used. The result of the study presented in this research agreed that attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, economic benefit and hedonic benefit, can influence the intention to purchase imitations apparels among Generation Y.


The detailed account of the local atomic structure and structural disorder at 5~K across the phase diagram of K$_x$Fe$_{2-y}$Se$_{2-z}$S$_z$ $(0 \leq z \leq 2)$ high temperature superconductor is obtained from neutron total scattering and associated atomic pair distribution function (PDF) approach. Various model independent and model dependent aspects of the analysis reveal a high level of structural complexity on the nanometer length-scale. Evidence is found for considerable disorder in the $c$-axis stacking of the FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_{x}$ slabs, presumably associated with substoichiometric potassium intercalation. The faulting does not exhibit any noticeable S-content dependence. In contrast to non-intercalated FeSe parent superconductor, substantial Fe-vacancies are present in K$_x$Fe$_{2-y}$Se$_{2-z}$S$_z$, deemed detrimental for superconductivity when ordered. Our study suggests that distribution of vacancies significantly modifies the effective interatomic potentials which, in turn, affect the nearest neighbor environment, in agreement with observed evolution of the PDF signal. Complementary aspects of the data analysis imply existence of a cross-over like transition at around $z=1$ from predominantly vacancy-disordered state at the selenium end to more vacancy-ordered state closer to the sulfur end of the diagram. The S-content dependent measures of the local structure are found to correlate with the electronic state, suggesting that local structure may play an important role in the observed electronic properties. The local structural measures do not evolve across the superconducting T$_C$ in the Se endmember, and exhibit distinct behavior with S-content for z 1. This behavior appears to be anti-correlated with the evolution of the Fe-vacancy distribution with S content, reinforcing the idea of the relationship of Fe vacancies to the local structure and observed properties.


Vertebrate remains have been found on gravel bars of the Red River in southwest Arkansas, northeast Louisiana, and east Texas. The majority of these specimens were recovered by amateur archaeologists and Dr. Frank Schambach of the Arkansas Archaeology Survey. Extinct species of bison (Bison sp.), mastodon (Mammut americanum), pampathere (Holmesinaseptentrionalis), llama (Palaeolamamirijica), tortoises (Geochelone sp.), and (Terrapenesp.) indicate a Pleistocene component in the region's alluvium. The giant tortoise, pampathere, and llama represent first known occurrences of these species for the state of Arkansas. Search times between finds were recorded for seven localities. The richest gravel bar averaged one man-minute per find. The least productive bar averaged 82.5 man-minutes per find. The average collection rate for allbars was one find per 19.5 man-minutes.


Elsewhere 1 two of us (A. G. and M. W. B.) have summarized our clinical experience with acacia in the treatment of nephrotic edema. In a consecutive series of 40 patients it was found that 36, or 90 per cent, could be relieved of edema when they followed a regimen of diet, ingestion of potassium nitrate and injections of acacia. The reason acacia originally was administered is obvious. It was thought that injections of solutions of this colloid material would increase the colloid osmotic pressure of the serum in cases of nephrotic edema and thus facilitate the reabsorption of the fluid resulting from edema. However, actual determination of colloid osmotic pressure before and after a therapeutic course of injections of acacia did not reveal consistent differences. Goudsmit, Binger and Power 2 found that after completion of a course of injections of acacia the colloid osmotic pressure in 43 per cent


For individuals that already have been diagnosed with T2DM, accurate and timely prediction of blood glucose levels is critical to prevent hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic episodes. In clinical practice, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is used for the efficient management of glucose levels and, thus, diabetes. Several machine learning (ML) models can be used for the development of risk prediction models on glucose levels. Specifically, in this paper, we aim to develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI) framework for the short-term prediction of individuals' glucose values based on CGM data. The efficacy of three tree-based regressors is now under assessment in a public CGM data set. Ultimately, these models will be evaluated in real-life conditions in pilot demonstrators of the SmartWork project, whose aim is to develop an AI system for older office employees workability sustainability.


In this study, the computationally efficient inelastic buckling analysis program is developed to be used as the research tool in finding buckling strength of inelastic members. The program can determine buckling loads and buckled shapes of elastic and inelastic members which failed by flexural, lateral-torsional and/or local buckling. It can analyze singly and doubly symmetric I-shape members. In the program, the web of the member is modeled using the plate element and the flanges are modeled by beam elements. Multilinear isotropic hardening rule and the incremental theory of plasticity are used to simulate the inelastic stress-strain relationship from material tests. The program is verified using theoretical solutions and experimental results. The results from the program show good agreement with those from experiments and theory.


Then Colonel Wayne A. Downing was a student at the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, from 1979 to 1980 when he wrote this article. Like other forward thinkers during the late 1970s, he came to the conclusion that the US Army's attrition doctrine was bankrupt. He contributed this article to Military Review to argue for abandoning attrition warfare in favor of maneuver warfare as an operating style. The article appeared in the January 1981 edition, and as a result, Downing was consulted during the composition of the 1986 version of US Army Field Manual (Fm) 100-5, Operations. THE US ARMY is currently pursuing a general warfare doctrine which is bankrupt-it will not work in practice. The avowed intent to defeat the Soviets in Central Europe with forward-oriented, firepower and attrition methods is doomed to failure given the realities of the balance of power between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Not only is the American obsession with firepower and attrition inhibiting the Army's ability to defend Europe successfully, it also directly impedes the US ability to fight limited conflicts in other key areas of the world. The premise of this article is that the US Army must embrace a maneuver-oriented doctrine in order to carry out its land combat mission successfully. This maneuver-oriented doctrine must focus on the vulnerable centers of gravity of our potential enemy. It should embrace the fundamentals of what B.H. Liddell Hart termed "the indirect approach" through emphasis on surprise, maneuver, and physical and psychological dislocation of the enemy. Development of Current Army Doctrine Throughout most of its long and illustrious history, the US Army has successfully employed firepower and attrition to overwhelm opponents. Beginning in the American Civil War and continuing through the two world wars, Korea and Vietnam, the United States has applied its technical and materiel superiority to annihilate opponents with firepower. Maneuver has consistently been subordinated to the effective application of firepower. l The US penchant for technology, innovation and management techniques developed the application of firepower to a fine art and an unprecedented degree of effectiveness. German soldiers, for example, describe World War II experiences against the Americans in terms of being "steamrollered" and "pulverized" by a seemingly inexhaustible supply of munitions delivered by a plethora of weapons systems. One of the primary lessons the US Army felt it learned from World War II was the requirement for closely coordinated and effective firepower.2 In the Korean War, the United States used firepower with devastating tactical effect-initially to stem the North Korean onslaught and later to compensate for the numerical superiority of the Chinese. Firepower became a force multiplier and even, in many cases, a substitute for maneuver units on the battlefield. The role of tactical air power, especially close air support, came to the fore in this conflict.3 In Vietnam, the application of firepower-attrition reached unequaled efficiency and tactical effectiveness. Infantry (both light and mechanized), armor and cavalry were employed to locate the enemy while firepower destroyed him.4 Infantry units were even known as "target acquisition agencies" in some US divisions. Slogans, such as "Bullets Not Bodies" and "Pile On" still ring in the ears of many of the Army's Vietnam-experienced officers and noncommissioned officers. Vietnam was a war fought to inflict maximum attrition by the skillful application of massed firepower.5 As the nation began its disengagement from Vietnam, the Army's focus returned to Europe. In the NATO arena, the United States found a revitalized Warsaw Pact in the process of unprecedented modernization. The Army soon realized that it had sacrificed a decade of doctrinal and materiel advances in the Central Region. As this rude awakening was occurring, the 1973 Arab-Israeli War illuminated the realities of modem combat with advanced weapons systems. …


very briefly the responsibility of the central administration towards the civil service, constantly emphasising the special importance of inspection, in which he includes examining the organisation of the service, and the determination of statutory rules. The author pays special attention to programmes of Africanisation (chapter 7), summing up the arguments for it, and noting the ultimate risks, of politicisation on one hand and, on the other, of leaving the agents of the former colonial power, who are generally ill-adapted to new situations—the more so, the better the compensation schemes which induced them to leave, although this was not the original intention of such schemes. This is relevant to his examination of all aspects of the procedures and standards of recruitment (chapter 8). On the thorny question of remuneration (chapter 4), Adu compares the highest salaries with the much lower average income per head of these countries, and observes that this calls for the attention of governments from two points of view: the total cost of staff salaries in relation to the budget and the relationship between the public and the civil servant, who should not appear to be a member of a privileged class. Finally, several chapters are devoted to other aspects of the management of the civil service, including discipline and financial control. Certain reflections which go beyond the formal framework of the study are particularly welcome, in that they show that the civil service is necessary in order to ensure that government decisions are realistic (chapter n ) . This work is a serious contribution to the knowledge of the problems of one part of Africa, in a field which is, however, comparatively well documented. His work will be valued outside the countries whose civil service he has studied. This book, as a synthesis of experience, and a source of suggestions based on comparative study, is bound to be useful both to students and to men of affairs in the African states of the Commonwealth. JEAN FOURRE Conseil d'etat, Paris


The problem of determining stress distribution in a thin circular elastic plate containing unsymmetrical cruciform crack is considered. The faces of the crack are subjected to different internal pressures. The problem is reduced to a pair of dual integral equations. These equations. are further reduced to simultaneous. Fredholm integral equations of the second kind which are solved numerically. Quantities of physical interest are calculated.


The purpose of this study is to evaluate the structural behavior of concrete‐filled steel tube (CFT) column to H‐beam connections with vertical through‐plate through full‐scale experiments and examine retrofit methods using the finite element method to improve the connection performance. For this purpose, monotonic loading tests were performed on three full‐scale specimens with varying thickness of vertical through‐plate. The experiments showed that the specimens suffer from a brittle failure due to the stress concentrations and residual stresses at the welds before the beams reach their plastic moment capacity. A series of sectional analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of the thermally induced residual stresses due to welding and then the strain concentrations in the welded connection were estimated by comparing the experimental maximum strain and the analytical mean strain values. Based on these results, a retrofit model for reinforcing a stiff plate on the upper flange of the beam was proposed and analyzed to reduce the stress concentrations in the welded connection. The results showed that using the proposed retrofit approach, the stress concentration at the connection between the vertical through‐plate and the top flange is reduced by 72%, and the strength of the connection is increased by 70%, which is 10% higher than the analytical plastic moment capacity of the beam.


Dr Hadi: Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the means or avenues to understand the virus and develop preventative and control measures. This includes but is not limited to: the usage of mathematical modeling to understand virus transmission, structural biology to determine virus structure and develop vaccines, computational biology to understand virus evolution, as well as docking studies to screen for drugs and inhibitors. Dr Zubair: AI has the potential to help in all the stages of healthcare, from syndromic surveillance through to rapid diagnosis tests, and faster drug development. AI-based systems are already being deployed to diagnose coronavirus infection in China. A system named 'Coronavirus Chest CT Smart Evaluation System' developed by YITU technologies for the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center (SPHCC) can now diagnose the suspected cases within seconds. AI may also help determine which patients should be prioritized for treatment. A population-wide mortality rate of 3% conceals the fact that young healthy people are much less likely to die than older people who may also have preexisting respiratory conditions. Machine learning methods can be trained to quickly learn which factors predict a higher risk of mortality, as well as the interventions and population-level controls, led to reduced harm. AI-based methods incorporating genetic, biological and environmental data could ultimately aid in the discovery of a cure for the coronavirus. 2. What is in-silico screening, andwhy is it particularly important in the case of the coronavirus outbreak?


In this work, the technique of development and application is studied in teaching the higher and applied mathematics of an adaptive learning test. Details are analyzed of the requirements that such a test should sa-tisfy, in particular, the observance of the content balance, systematic repetition of the basic knowledge of the school course, the study of the timekeeping of the work of students, and the conduct of distraction analysis. The paper investigates the methodology of combining traditional teaching during classroom sessions, adaptive training testing and microlearning technology. It is proposed to use small-scale adaptive training tests that are consistent with the work program of the course and correspond to the content of a particular classroom activity or a topic taken for independent study. The purpose of testing is primarily the training. The tes-ting is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the student's independent work and the realization of personality-oriented learning. The adaptive teaching test is allow in automatic mode to identify gaps in the knowledge of a particular student and individually select appropriate methodological materials for independent study. According to the results of the adaptive testing, an individual profile of the student is formed, which shows exactly which topics and at what level were worked out. Each adaptive test contains a repetition block, the content of which is clearly focused on the topic of the course, which is being studied at the moment. It is proposed to use methodological materials developed with the use of microlearning techno-logy. In such training content, the material is fed in short, but full-fledged concentrated portions. The method proposed in the work systematically implements the individual approach, facilitates repetition, reduces the problem of insufficient concentration of attention and raises the effectiveness of studying the course as a whole.


This research is about legal protection in the perspective of human rights rights of suspects and potential violations in criminal case investigations. The purpose is to protect the rights of suspects, ensure legal certainty and avoid ill-treatment, and know the obstacles. This research is an empirical legal research. Research location at Sidoarjo Regional Police Station. Data analysis using descriptive qualitative, using content analysis techniques. Legal protection of suspect rights in criminal case investigations can be realized properly if there is a commitment to enforce the law seriously, and the community also provides control to reduce potential human rights violations. In Law Number 8 of 1981 concerning the Criminal Procedure Code as a basis, the examination process at the Sidoarjo Regional Police, investigators in the case of investigations of suspects pay attention to their human rights, give freedom to use a Legal Advisor, give freedom when answering investigator questions, do not emphasize when conducting examinations, notify legal counsel or family if the suspect is ill in custody, treats well when investigating. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26905/idjch.v9i1.2203


For many of its Asian neighbors, China aspires to renew its historical role as regional hegemon. Beijing's consistent attempts of economic coercion to shape the foreign and defense policy decision-making of its neighbors have pushed Asia's middle powers to develop new security partnerships. As the respective wealthiest and the largest democracies, and the second and third largest economies in Asia, Japan and India stand out as a potential counterbalance to China's assertiveness. South Korea and Australia are also reacting to pressures from China and looking to diversify their trade and investment and deepen regional cooperation in the face of Chinese pressure. China's militarization of strategic waterways in the South China Sea over the past decade also kicked off a new period of hedging and balancing in Southeast Asia for the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and others. Beijing's political rhetoric has heightened fears that war across the Taiwan Strait, and over the East China and South China Seas, is on the near horizon. But the rest of Asia is not standing still.


This paper reports on the design and the effectiveness of a five-minute IS promotional talk that is used in one of the leading Australian universities to promote IS courses to existing accounting students. In particular, this paper explains in details the elements that were employed by the promotional talk to stimulate accounting students' interest in IS courses and shaping their perception towards the IS discipline. The paper then develops an evaluation mode and a survey questionnaire, and uses structural equation modelling to evaluate the effectiveness of the promotional talk. Evaluation results show that, by providing useful and sufficient information regarding available IS courses and by providing justified reasons to take IS courses, the five-minute IS promotional talk is indeed effective in promoting accounting students' interest in IS courses and their perception of the relevance of IS courses to their current degree.


The recent observation that the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) may prefer a neutrino excess has triggered a number of works studying this possibility. The effect obtained by the non-interacting massless neutrino excess could be mimicked by some extra radiation component in the early universe, such as a cosmological gravitational wave background. Prompted by the fact that a possible candidate to source those gravitational waves would be cosmic strings, we perform a parameter fitting study with models which considers both cosmic strings and the effective number of neutrinos as free parameters, using CMB and non-CMB data. We find that there is a correlation between cosmic strings and the number of extra relativistic species, and that strings can account for all the extra radiation necessary. In fact, CMB data prefer strings at a 2sigma level, paying the price of a higher extra radiation component. CMB data also give a moderate preference for a model with ns=1. The inclusion of non-CMB data lowers both the preference for strings and for the extra relativistic species.


This paper offers a review of the literature dealing with the causes of the Colombian armed conflict. Its key objective is to discuss why the reduction of the levels of the conflict-related violence was unequal in various parts of the country between 2003 and 2010. The author addresses economic, institutional, and social causes as well as embraces the ongoing theoretical debates on the issue. The paper affirms that it is precisely the diversity of the causes that makes the Colombian conflict such a complex one, and that any related study must address all of the causal variables and perpetuating factors involved.


Objective To determine the ef fectiveness of the Child-to-Child School Health Program (CtCSHP) on the oral health behavior of Grade I pupils in the Division of La Union, Philippines within fi ve months of implementation. Methods A randomized trial was applied to the subjects. First, an assessment of the oral health behavior of the pupils in terms of toothbrushing and sodium fluoride mouth rinsing was conducted before the start of the study. The schools were randomly distributed to either the test group or control group. The Child-to-Child School Health Program (CtCSHP), utilizing the "Little Doctors' Club," and dental health education were provided to the test group, while only dental health education was provided to the control group. Toothbrushing and mouth rinsing with sodium fl uoride (hereafter simply "mouth rinsing") were the prevention methods used. Data was gathered using toothbrushing and mouth-rinsing cards. An assessment of the oral health behavior and an analysis of the signifi cant differences between the oral health behaviors of the test and control groups were conducted after fi ve months after the interventions. Eight public elementary schools were randomly chosen from the two districts in the Division of La Union to comprise the test group (four schools) and the control group (four schools). A total of 353 Grade 1 pupils took part in the study: 178 pupils in the test group and 175 pupils in the control group. To establish whether or not there is a signifi cant difference between the oral health behaviors of the test and control groups, the data were entered in a statistical tool pack and analyzed with a t-test. Results The oral health behavior of the test group in terms of toothbrushing and mouth rinsing improved during November but deteriorated during December. Great progress was observed during the succeeding months from January to March. The oral health behavior of the control group improved only during November, eventually declining from December to March. Moreover, although there was no signifi cant difference between the test and control groups in toothbrushing for November (p=0.1018), a signifi cant difference was noted from the months of January to March. Regarding mouth rinsing, it was found that there was a signifi cant difference between the test and control groups in all the months (<0.001). Conclusion The study reveals that the CtCSHP was effective in improving the oral health behavior of the pupils. This implies that the actual involvement of the little doctors in the CtCSHP in conducting the toothbrushing and mouth rinsing drills contributed immensely to the attainment of their objectives. The signifi cant difference found between the oral health behaviors of the test and control groups revealed further that the CtCSHP has been successful in raising and at the same time sustaining the oral health behavior of the pupils.


In this work, based on the research of treatment results of 646 patients that were operated for nodular and multinodular nontoxic goiter in Hospital St. Elizabeth endocrinology center, in the period from 1997 to 2013, an analysis of the malignant tumor frequency in patients with follicular thyroid tumors who underwent surgical treatment for the nodular goiter was performed. In this group gender and age characteristics of patients with follicular thyroid tumors were identified, and also an evaluation of surgical treatment safety in patients operated for follicular thyroid tumors was performed.


The grid file can be used for the implementation of a database to handle range queries and partially specified queries. Although an upper bound of two disc accesses for a single record retrieval is guaranteed, the number of directory entries is an exponential function of the number of data buckets if the data distribution is heavily non uniform. A new method is presented for partitioning the search space for constructing a grid directory. It improves the ratio of the number of directory entries to the number of data buckets. The directory expansion appears to have a quadratic or cubic rate when the data distribution is non uniform. An implementation of the method is presented. Simulation results are given for both the traditional grid file partitioning method and the new method.<<ETX>>


Linearizing the Almost Ideal Demand System (LAIDS) by recourse to the Stone share weighted price index is common practice. Two issues are addressed here. First, scrutiny of the errors-in-variables implications of the linearization reveals that, not only is the SUR estimator inconsistent, but a consistent IV estimator cannot be constructed. Second, some alternatives to the Green-Alston elasticities specifically designed for the LAIDS model are developed, but neither these nor the Green-Alston elasticities are found to have any advantages over the conventional elasticity formulae. Some errors in the Green-Alston (1990) paper are corrected. The inconsistency and elasticity issues are documented by a Monte Carlo investigation.

http://agecon2.tamu.edu/people/faculty/capps-oral/agec 635/Readings/evaluating the linearized almost ideal demand system.pdf


The present invention relates to an inducible expression system using the nucleotide sequences coding for a transcriptional activator of eukaryotic or viral origin and a recombinant adenoviral vector comprising a gene of interest placed under the control of a promoter inducible in trans by said transcriptional activator. It also relates to a recombinant adenoviral vector carrying a first expression cassette coding for a transcriptional activator and a second cassette carrying a gene of interest placed under the control of a promoter inducible in trans by said transcriptional activator The invention has also relates to an infectious viral particle, its preparation process, a eukaryotic cell and a pharmaceutical composition comprising such a vector or expression system as well as their use for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes.


We present the application of artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) ground planes to low-profile resonant cavity antennas. Our novel high-gain microstrip patch antenna has a partially reflective surface (PRS) superstrate and an AMC is utilised as ground plane to reduce the antenna profile. The antenna is studied using a resonant cavity model with the microstrip patch source internal to the cavity. The antennas are formed by the ground plane and a metallodielectric electromagnetic band gap (MEBG) array that acts as a PRS. The profile of the antenna is reduced to half by virtue of employing the AMC ground plane instead of a PEC one.


Increased blood flow velocity in the contralateral vertebral artery (VA) is a common finding in subclavian steal syndrome, but its clinical relevance is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the degree of velocity increase in the contralateral VA correlated with the severity of the steal.


Acute myeloid leukaemias (AMLs) are a heterogeneous family of hemopoietic malignancies that share a high frequency and a high degree of Pgp-mediated multidrug resistance (MDR), one of the major causes of treatment failure. Induction treatment (FLAI), including 5 days administration of Idarubicin (IDA- 10mg/sqm/day), in combination with high-dose Arabinosyl Cytosine (HDAC-2g/sqm/day) and Fludarabine (FLUDA-25mg/sqm/day) was adopted as induction treatment of newly diagnosed patients with AML, except acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). In our previous experience (Russo et al. Leuk. Lymphoma, 2001), FLAI regimen showed to be highly effective (CR rate 72%), also in AML MDR-pos patients, with a low extra-hematological toxicity. In this prospective randomized trial, FLAI was compared with ICE (IDA 10mg/sqm/day x 3 days + AC p.c 100mg/sqm/day x 10 days + VP16 100mg/sqm/day x 5 days) for induction of remission. Post-induction treatment program included: HDAC (3g/sqm/12h x 6 days), MEC (Mitoxantrone 12 mg/sqm/day x 4 days, Etoposide 100 mg/sqm/day x 4 days, Cytarabine 1 gr/sqm/day x 4 days) and allogeneic or autologous BMT. Over a period of 2 years, 118 patients were randomly assigned to FLAI (67) or ICE (51). The clinical and hematological characteristics of the two patient population were not different. In the FLAI group, the complete remission (CR) rate was 72% after the first course and 76% after HDAC; in the ICE group, the CR rate was 53% and 69%, respectively (P 1.0 x 109/L and platelets > 50 x 109/L was significantly better in FLAI arm than in ICE arm. In both groups, it was seen an approximately equal rate of FUO, Gram negative/Gram positive bacteremias and systemic fungal infections. Infections and haemorrhages caused death during induction (DDI) in 3% of patients treated with FLAI and in 10% of patients treated with ICE. Non-hematological toxicity of FLAI was mild and significantly lower than ICE. In particular, in the FLAI arm, only 3/67 pts developed a grade 3 or 4 gastro-intestinal toxicity, whereas in ICE arm 16/51 patients experienced this toxicity (p=0.0001). Other grade 3 or 4 toxicity (ipertransaminasemia, cutaneus toxicity, renal or cardiac failure) were seen in 1/67 pts in FLAI arm versus 7/51 pts in ICE arm (p=0.02). In conclusion, these preliminary results strongly suggest that FLAI, as single induction course, is an highly effective regimen with a limited non-haematologic toxicity. Furthermore, FLAI seems to be more effective than ICE to overcome Pgp-mediated multidrug resistance.


Deep renovation of existing buildings represents an important strategy to go beyond the standard energy retrofit (as the increasing of thermal insulation of building envelope) and to provide more benefits to residents considering non-energetic aspects, like the improvement of architectural quality of building and of indoor life quality. In this context, facade's additional elements (balconies, solar greenhouses, etc.) can be effective solutions in order to increase thermal and acoustic performances as well as providing a more living space to the outside. This paper analyzes and compares different technical construction systems for facade improvement in order to define robust solutions correlated both to outdoor climate context (to increase energy performances towards nearly Zero Energy Buildings) and to outdoor noise for a better acoustic sound insulation. A case study is presented, and dynamic energy simulations, performed on a building made with materials and construction technology widespread in Italy ...


Fiscal space and its implication on social safety-net policy development convey critical information about an economy and have a direct effect on policymaking process for achieving sustainable poverty reduction and economic growth.


Few attempts have been made to construct and apply measures of modernization and of consequent stress which will differentiate members of tribal populations under the impact of developmental change...


During the last decade, there has been increased use of neural networks (NNs), fuzzy logic (FL) and genetic algorithms (GAs) in artificial intelligence (AI). Since these three methods are complementary rather than competitive, a better performance model which has combined GAs, FL and NNs comes into being gradually. This paper presents genetic-fuzzy-neuro (GF-N) model to design the dual-fuzzy neural-networks (DFNNs) controller. For the convenience of adaptive control, the structure of the two-fuzzy neural-network controller is divided into two parts. Each part is a fuzzy neural-network (FNN). The adaptive controller uses two FNNs. One FNN is used to identify a fuzzy model of controlled object. The other is onlinetracking learning the suitable control policy.


1. An Introduction to CGE Modelling -- 2. Useful CGE Modelling Packages -- 3. Application of CGE Modelling on Tourism -- 4. Collecting Background Information for a Tourism CGE Model -- 5. Creating a Tourism CGE Model -- 6. Preparing Database for a Tourism CGE Model -- 7. Model Implementation and Testing -- 8. Interpretation of Results from a Tourism CGE Model -- 9. Frontiers of Tourism CGE Modelling.


Introduction. Reforming the pension system in Ukraine is associated with the need to introduce a second funded level of pension insurance in the face of a steady deficit of the Pension Fund, the presence of significant shortcomings in the mechanism for calculating pension payments that do not depend on the volume of contributions paid for compulsory state pension insurance of the level of pensions, the level of which in the conditions the constant rise in prices for essential goods and services causes the impoverishment of the population.

The purpose of the article is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the domestic practice of generating budget revenues for the Pension Fund of Ukraine and spending in the context of permanent changes in the country, identify the main trends and challenges and determine the main directions for reforming the pension system of Ukraine.

Results. An analysis was made of the domestic practice of generating budget revenues for the Pension Fund of Ukraine in the context of a reduction in incomes of the population due to quarantine measures due to the spread of COVID-19, job losses, crisis phenomena in the country's economy, as well as additional items of expenditure of the Pension Fund budget aimed at material support of citizens retirement age. The shortcomings of the current practice of functioning of the solidary system of pension insurance are identified.

Conclusions. Substantiated proposals for the effective implementation of the second funded level of the pension insurance system in Ukraine. It has been determined that the combination of a solidary and funded pension insurance system in today's conditions is the best option, since it will diversify various types of risks and provide basic types of pensions.


This volume is the result of the Young Researcher Seminar held in Innsbruck, Austria, on the occasion of the World University Winter Games 2005. The topic under discussion was: 'Young Elite Athletes and Education - A European Perspective for Student-Athletes'. "Young Elite Athletes and Education" features nine papers, each of which was given the 'Young Researcher Award', as well as two other original research publications. The topics covered in these research papers include selection methods in youth sports, educational options for elite athletes, and career development or further education.


On the basis of symptomatology, reaction on indicator plants, particle morphology serology, the two major viruses infecting bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) in and around Bangalore were identified as potato virus Y (PVY) and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV).


Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) occurs increasingly with age and is associated with an increase in all-cause mortality. Mutations in DNMT3A, the gene most commonly altered in CHIP, are nearly universal in individuals by the age of 50 but not everyone develops CHIP. This dichotomy suggests that environmental factors likely play a major role in CHIP emergence. However, the environmental drivers of DNMT3A-mutant CHIP have not been determined.
 Infection has been reported to be epidemiologically linked to a variety of cancers, including acute myelogenous leukemia. In prior work, we demonstrated that systemic chronic infection depletes the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) pool as a result of excessive differentiation. Since prior studies showed that Dnmt3a-mutant HSCs demonstrate defective differentiation and enhanced self-renewal, we hypothesized that infection may provide an environmental selection pressure to favor the expansion of Dnmt3a-mutant HSCs over their wild-type (WT) counterparts.
 First, to confirm whether Dnmt3a mutations affect hematologic responses to infection, we infected WT and Mx1-Cre Dnmt3af/f mice, in which Dnmt3a-deletion was induced by PIPC treatment, with M. avium. After four weeks of infection, we found few differences in the number of HSCs, Ki67+ levels, or apoptosis in the blood and bone marrow of WT and Dnmt3a-/- mice. However, Dnmt3a-deficient mice became anemic upon M. avium infection, suggesting a defect in differentiation. To examine the differentiation capacity of DNMT3A-mutant HSCs in response to inflammatory stress, we conducted in vitro differentiation assays with human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors. Human CD34+ cells in which DNMT3A was disrupted by CRISPR gene editing did not differentiate normally in response to treatment with interferon gamma (IFNy), showing little change in either their HSCs or neutrophil numbers after culture with IFNy compared to control CD34+ cells. These data demonstrate a striking defect in inflammation-induced differentiation in DNMT3A-mutant murine and human HSCs.
 Next, we utilized a mathematical model to predict the relative prevalence of different populations of HSCs when exposed to the same chronic infectious stress. Specifically, we modeled the behavior of a "minor population" of Dnmt3a-mutant HSCs, compared to a "major population" of WT HSCs. This modeling exercise demonstrated that impaired HSC differentiation in Dnmt3a-mutants during inflammatory stress is sufficient to enable the minor Dnmt3a-mutant HSCs to quickly overtake the major WT population. To test this prediction, we created mosaic mice by transplanting a 1:6 mixture of Dnmt3a-/- and WT competitive WBM into lethally irradiated WT mice. Two months after transplantation, mosaic mice were systemically infected with M. avium, and the infection was allowed to continue for 2 months prior to examining the bone marrow by flow cytometry. In line with the modeling prediction, there was a significant expansion of HSCs only among the infected mosaics containing Dnmt3a-mutant marrow. Expansion of Dnmt3a-mutant cells was also detectible in downstream populations (i.e., multipotent progenitors (MPPs)). Dnmt3a-mutant HSCs expansion was similar upon infection of mosaics created with Vav-Cre Dnmt3af/f donors, where no PIPC-injections are required.
 To assess the role of IFNy signaling in Dnmt3a-mutant clonal expansion, we infected mosaic mice containing a 1:6 ratio of Dnmt3a-/- IFNyR1-/- DKO to WT HSCs. Strikingly, no clonal expansion was evident among infected mosaics with the DKO minor population, indicating a requirement for IFNy signaling for Dnmt3a-mutant clonal expansion. Next, we conducted RNA-seq to compare the expanded Dnmt3a-mutant population versus an unexpanded Dnmt3a-mutant population. These data showed that, in stark contrast to WT HSCs, the differentiation factor Batf2 was not induced in Dnmt3a-mutant HSCs upon M. avium infection. By using Batf2-/- mice, we found that Batf2-mutant HSCs are resistant to depletion during chronic infection, thus phenocopying Dnmt3a-mutant HSCs
 In summary, we present the first controlled biological experiment to demonstrate that an environmental factor - infection - can promote Dnmt3a-mutant CHIP. Our studies indicate that a defect in differentiation is sufficient to confer a survival advantage to Dnmt3a-mutant clones during infectious conditions.

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Abstract : This Final Technical Report covers the integration of oxide ferroelectric thin films (e.g. bismuth titanate = Bi4Ti3Ol2 = BTO or lead zirconate titanate = PZT) into the gate dielectric of a metal-insulator-silicon field effect transistor (MISFET), capable of functioning in a non-volatile, non- destructive readout (NDRO) ferroelectric random access memory (FERRAM). Also provided is a detailed description of the test vehicles implemented for the study of fabrication process integration and optimization and the resultant properties of ferroelectric/(semiconductor) memory FET (FEMFET) and related structures. The Interim Report covering the first phase of this contract described an investigation of UHV-deposited ferroelectric fluoride (BaMgF4 = BMF) films as gate insulators; however, BMF transistor structures exhibited rather poor reproducibility, and electrical instability manifested as poor retention capability. Results of the second phase of this program are presented in this report, which focuses on exploration of oxide ferroelectric films for the FEMFET gate dielectric. There is growing evidence that layers of ferroelectric oxides, when suitably processed may possess switching and stability properties that are far superior to those attainable with BMF layers.


Coded aperture X-ray computed tomography (CAXCT) systems reconstruct high quality images of the inner structure of an object from a few coded illumination measurements. Since the computed tomography (CT) system matrix is highly structured, random coded apertures lead to lower quality image reconstructions. In this paper, the noisy forward models of CAXCT in both Gaussian noise and Poisson noise are formulated and analyzed. In addition, a coded aperture optimization approach based on sparse principal component analysis is proposed to maximize the information sensed by a set of fan-beam projections. The complexity of the proposed optimization method is on the same order of magnitude as that of state-of-the-art methods but provide superior image quality. Computational experiments using simulated datasets and real datasets show gains up to $\sim$4.3 dB with SNR = 25 dB in the reconstruction image quality compared with that attained by random coded apertures.


Basically, people who have a spiritual intelligence will become an independent person, feeling his life is filled with values so that the formation of the desired characters. Based on the existing problems, in Islamic Junior High School is still some students have poor etiquette, spoken word irreverent, then there are students who do not know the procedures for ablutions, and there are still students who joke and mess around when praying. So from the above problems researchers interested in studying further with regard to research. The purpose of this study was to determine how the planning, implementation and impact of the implementation development of spiritual quotient in shaping character students in integrated Islamic Junior High School Rabbi Radhiyya East Curup. This study is a qualitative research with descriptive qualitative approach to describe the data obtained. Techniques in collecting data through observation, interviews, documentation with informants numbering headed person. For their analysis, the use of data reduction, data presentation, data verification, and triangulation of data. Based on the research showed that: 1) Planning spiritual development quotient in shaping character students' in integrated Islamic Junior High School Rabbi Radhiyya is organized with the early stages of making lesson plans that include: describing the learning objectives, define the material in accordance with the competencies that have been determined, organize materials based on the order and groups, allocating time, define the methods, designing learning procedure, determine the source of learning, and determining appropriate valuation techniques. 2) Implementation of spiritual development quotient in shaping character students' in integrated Islamic Junior High School Rabbi Radhiyya work effectively, which in the implementation of learning implemented using a variety of methods, media, and strategy which is then combined with the values of Islam, after the learning process is done ends with the evaluation activities both pretest, post test and control of the students' everyday. 3) Impact of spiritual development that is done is that students can understand and practice the spiritual values and the values of character, obtaining a satisfactory value, enthusiastic and active in learning, good manners, respect, honesty, and discipline.


The synthesis and characterization of the potential herbicide safener N-dichloroacetyl-2,2,4,5 tetramethyl-1,3-oxazolidine were described in this paper.At first,3-nitro-2-butanol was synthesized with nitroethane and acetaldehyde,the yield was 62.3%;then it was reduced to 3-amino-2-butanol with iron powder and concentrated HCl,and the yield was 74.13%.The title compound was prepared from 3-amino-2-butanol,acetone and dichloroacetyl chloride with triethylamine as acid acceptor.The orthogonal experiment shows that the optimum conditions were toluene as solvent,reaction temperature 0 ~5℃ and the reaction time 2hours,and the yield was 83.14%.The structures of the compound was confirmed by IR,1H NMR and13C NMR.The preliminary biological test show that the compounds protected maize against injure by acetochlor to some extent.


Radio observations of Gamma Ray Bursts afterglows are fundamental in providing insights into their physics and environment, and in constraining the true energetics of these sources. Nonetheless, radio observations of GRB afterglows are presently sparse in the time/frequency domain. Starting from a complete sample of 58 bright Swift long bursts (BAT6), we constructed a homogeneous sub-sample of 38 radio detections/upper limits which preserves all the properties of the parent sample. One half of the bursts have detections between 1 and 5 days after the explosion with typical fluxes F>100 muJy at 8.4 GHz. Through a Population SYnthesis Code coupled with the standard afterglow Hydrodynamical Emission model (PSYCHE) we reproduce the radio flux distribution of the radio sub-sample. Based on these results we study the detectability in the time/frequency domain of the entire long GRB population by present and future radio facilities. We find that the GRBs that typically trigger Swift can be detected at 8.4 GHz by JVLA within few days with modest exposures even at high redshifts. The final SKA can potentially observe the whole GRB population provided that there will be a dedicated GRB gamma-ray detector more sensitive than Swift. For a sizable fraction (50%) of these bursts, SKA will allow us to perform radio-calorimetry, after the trans-relativistic transition (occurring ~100 d), providing an estimate of the true (collimation corrected) energetics of GRBs.


The environmental effects of climate change pose numerous issues to urban development located along coastal areas. New Zealand, an island nation surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, is facing great challenges caused by sea-level rise and more frequent extreme storm events. Therefore, planning resilient waterfronts that adapt to the changing climate is vital to the creation of sustainable urban development in New Zealand coastal cities. Although research on rising sea levels has led to several national guidelines and policies, plans and actions have not been adequately developed at the local government and community levels. To deliver a climate adaptation plan that could motivate the local communities requires innovative design solutions and close engagement with community members to ensure their real needs are met. This article presents a case study in Whangarei, New Zealand that demonstrates how student-community engagement can shape a sustainable urban waterfront adapted to the changing climate. The Hīhīaua Peninsula project was initiated by Momentum North (MN), a community group founded in 2016 based on Northland Region, in collaboration with the Hīhīaua Community and Unitec Institute of Technology. Hīhīaua Peninsula was chosen as the first project because of its central location, its waterfront features, as its consistency with plans from the Whangarei District Council.


The geostatistical method, formulated in the groundwater field, has been applied to identify contaminant sources in river pollution problems. The problem consists of recovering a contaminant source at a known location from a finite number of concentration measurements. It is an ill‐posed problem, whose solution is nonunique and cannot be determined through standard techniques. The presence of dead zones has been considered because of their relevant influence on transport processes. The possibility of linear decay reactions in the main stream and in the dead zones has also been included. Applications to field data show that the method is efficient in recovering the release history of an arbitrarily distributed source as well as multiple independent point sources, given a finite number of observed concentrations at one or several downstream points. The influence of the degree of dispersion on the observations is stressed. Finally, the effects of measurement errors and of the number of measurement points have been investigated.


Trade and transaction can be carried out using not only real money but also the virtual one. Pre-payment process using virtual money has been supported by existed NFC(Near Field Communication) device. This particular device operates in RF(Radio Frequency) band. In this paper, the SCSP(Self Courier Service and Payment) system is presented, which is an innovative and secure NFC micro-payment system based on card emulation operating mode. It allows guarantee mobile-to-POS micro-payment services, even the need for special hardware. A validation scheme is described in order to demonstrate the system effectiveness. And a simple test circuit has also been set up and tested to validate the design. The system could be a candidate for the mobile payment of express industry.


In the title compound, C16H15N3O2·H2O, the mean plane of the approximately planar pyrazole ring [maximum deviation = 0.0474 (18) Å] makes dihedral angles of 86.32 (11) and 45.04 (10)° with the phenyl and pyridine rings, respectively. The dihedral angle between the phenyl and pyridine rings is 69.62 (11)°. In the crystal, intermolecular O—H⋯O and O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds connect the components into chains along [010]. The crystal structure is further stabilized by π–π stacking interactions with centroid–centroid distances of 3.7730 (12) Å.


Background:Improvements in anesthesia gas delivery equipment and provider training may increase patient safety. The authors analyzed patient injuries related to gas delivery equipment claims from the American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims Project database over the decades from 1970s to the 2000s. Methods:After the Institutional Review Board approval, the authors reviewed the Closed Claims Project database of 9,806 total claims. Inclusion criteria were general anesthesia for surgical or obstetric anesthesia care (n = 6,022). Anesthesia gas delivery equipment was defined as any device used to convey gas to or from (but not involving) the airway management device. Claims related to anesthesia gas delivery equipment were compared between time periods by chi-square test, Fisher exact test, and Mann–Whitney U test. Results:Anesthesia gas delivery claims decreased over the decades (P < 0.001) to 1% of claims in the 2000s. Outcomes in claims from 1990 to 2011 (n = 40) were less severe, with a greater proportion of awareness (n = 9, 23%; P = 0.003) and pneumothorax (n = 7, 18%; P = 0.047). Severe injuries (death/permanent brain damage) occurred in supplemental oxygen supply events outside the operating room, breathing circuit events, or ventilator mishaps. The majority (85%) of claims involved provider error with (n = 7) or without (n = 27) equipment failure. Thirty-five percent of claims were judged as preventable by preanesthesia machine check. Conclusions:Gas delivery equipment claims in the Closed Claims Project database decreased in 1990–2011 compared with earlier decades. Provider error contributed to severe injury, especially with inadequate alarms, improvised oxygen delivery systems, and misdiagnosis or treatment of breathing circuit events.


Based on the basic structure of typical high-pressure gear pump, a new kind of high-pressure gear pump was designed and applied in water hydraulic transmission system. In this design, the floating plate of typical gear pump is ceramiclized to improve its wear-resisting property; the balance chamber was used to brace and lubricate the axle. Furthermore, the radial unbalanced force induced by the pressure difference of input and output is balanced by the structure of balance chamber. The dynamic characteristic of gear pump is improved and the axel wear is reduced. By using tip relief of tooth flank profile modification, the leakage rate of gear flank is effectively reduced, and the volume efficiency is improved.


This paper investigates the relationship between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and economic growth in a group of 16 Arab countries from 1970 to 2008. The empirical analysis also addresses the role of what are identified in the literature as local i°preconditionsi± for deriving growth benefits from FDI. Using a dynamic panel approach, it is found that the impact of FDI on economic growth in Arab countries is limited or negligible. The findings also suggest that financial development, trade openness, human capital and infrastructure quality are not significantly improving Arab countriesi¯ capacity to reap growth benefits from FDI. The paper suggests that the preconditions should not be seen as of equal importance. The sectoral composition of FDI plays a critical role in deriving FDI growth benefits which might make it a i°necessaryi± precondition for FDI to promote economic growth, while other factors such as financial development, trade openness, human capital and infrastructure quality could be seen as sufficient preconditions for reaping FDI growth dividends. The paperi¯s findings have important policy implications as Arab countries can turn to domestic policy solutions to direct FDI inflows to the dynamic sectors and focus not only on FDI i°quantityi± but also on FDI i°qualityi±. Meanwhile, efforts should be made to reform and improve institutional quality, macroeconomic policies, and domestic financial markets.


In many cases, mitigation of the impact of localized groundwater contamination can be achieved, or enhanced, by using groundwater withdrawal and/or injection to control plume migration. However, for complicated flow domains, where multiple wells are required, the determination of the pumping rates necessary to achieve a specific plume manipulation objective is nontrivial. A relatively simple and flexible methodology is presented for initial screening estimation of pumping rates that will achieve plume manipulation objectives. Plume manipulation objectives are formulated as unconstrained nonlinear minimization problems using penalty function methods. For solution, a nonlinear mathematical programming algorithm is loosely coupled to a finite difference simulator of the hydraulic response of the flow domain to pumping and a numerical integration routine for plume tracking.


Industry cluster which has been an important pattern of regional development promotes the economic development in most developed regions. Comparatively, industry cluster in underdeveloped regions fails to reach the expected effect, which had been brought into researchers' great focus. This paper generalizes the present state of study about industry cluster in underdeveloped regions , and the aim is to help us to make dynamics of underdeveloped regions' industry cluster understood all-roundly.


OBJECTIVE To investigate a qualitative and quantitative analysis method of four kinds of macrophytes,i.e.Laminaria japonica,Ulva lactuca L.,Grateloupiafilicina and Porphyra tenera Kjellm by high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(HPLC/QqQ-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry(HPLC-Q-TOF-MS).METHODS The mass spectrometry was performed in positive mode,using precursor ions at m/z 58.34 and 92.18 as quantitative ions for Glycine betaine and Trigonelline,respectively.Glycine betaine and Trigonelline were separated with high efficiency in the Selective Reaction Monitoring(SRM) mode on CNWSIL SCX column.RESULTS The detection limit of glycine betaine and trigonelline were 0.12 and 0.06 μg·L-1,respectively.The recoveries were 83.76% and 95.54% with the relative standard deviations(RSDs) less than 6%(n=3).In addition,the proposed fragmentation pathways of the suspected betaines were explained using Q-TOF Premier MS.The method confirmed that the suspected betaines definitely existed in the samples,and they were semi-quantitatively analyzed.The concentrations of betaines in the four kinds of Macrophytes were from under detection limit to 1 015.3 ng·g-1.CONCLUSION This method is sensitive,specific and rapid.Therefore,it can be used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of betaines in Macrophytes.


The objective of this work was to establish a protocol for the rootstock of 420-A micropropagation. The establishment of the cultures was accomplished with nodal segments, whose source of explants was the budding of woody stakes stored under refrigeration. In the initial cultivation were tested: the effect of 6-benzilaminopurine and kinetin with 0, 1, 5 and 10 µM concentrations, different culture medium (MS, NN and WPM) and dilutions of the basic medium (MS, MS/2, MS/4 and MS/8). In the alongation and multiplication steps were tested the following culture medium: MS, MS/2, NN and WPM. In the rooting were tested: the MS/2 culture medium with or without activated coal (1gL-1). In the acclimatization were tested the substrate vermiculite, Plantmax and carbonized rice hulls. The kinetin didn't present effect on the budding and the growth of the nodal segments. BAP already promoted an increase in the number of sprouts per explant. The increase in the concentration of BAP reduced the number of leaves emitted by explant and increased the vitrification symptoms, being the best results obtained with 1 µM of BAP. In the initial cultivation the MS medium culture with the normal concentration of salts allowed the largest growth of the buddings. The dilutions of the MS medium in ¼ and 1/8 showed very harmful to the development of the rootstock '420-A', being quite harmed the growth of the shoots after the first subcultivation. During the multiplication the medium MS/2 showed more appropriate. The roots happened naturally during the multiplication, being unnecessary the use of activated coal in the culture medium. The acclimatization was accomplished with success in a misty camera, being obtained high survival rates in vermiculite (95,8%) and Plantmax® (87%). It is concluded that the rootstock '420-A' can be micropropagated by initial cultivation of nodal segments in a culture medium of MS+1µM of BAP, multiplication by sectionalizing the shoots in MS/2 medium and acclimatization in vermiculite substratum or Plantmax®.


There have been a number of uncontrolled studies in which nasal or face-mask ventilation was used successfully to treat acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.1–8 The concern remains, however, that when this approach is unsuccessful, the delay in intubation and mechanical ventilation may adversely affect the outcome.7 The study by Brochard and coworkers9 in this issue of the Journal firmly establishes a role for noninvasive ventilation in the management of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This study shows that in most patients with severe abnormalities of arterial-blood gas levels and a high risk of death,10 pressure-support . . .


Aerial photographs are a valuable resource for archaeological assessment, but their accurate interpretation is extremely labour intensive. The application of digital image processing techniques to the assessment process has, to-date, primarily focused on providing automatic measurement and correction of distortions inherent in oblique images. However, the monument discovery and mapping process has remained a task for the human operator. The automatic detection and mapping of archaeological evidence from aerial photographs poses significant challenges for digital image processing. The major sources of these difficulties are: • the extremely low signal-to-noise ratio of most monuments visible in aerial photographs; • the fact that earthwork monument boundaries do not adhere to any strict morphological constraints, other than the fact that many can be loosely defined as 'sub-circular' closed loops; • the fact that nearly all monuments are visible only as thin boundary features, with no morphologically or texturally recognisable internal features; • the presence of clutter primarily modern day objects of relatively high contrast, such as walls, houses, trees, and roads; and • monument damage and occlusion, both of which further add to the problem of incomplete boundary


The production of these guidelines, written by South African medical practitioners, is a most welcome and important step in the treatment of cancer pain in this country. The overall prevalence of pain in cancer patients is estimated to be 53%, and 64% in patients with advanced and metastatic disease. Too often, the only guidelines available to us are those written by practitioners in other countries which may be inappropriate for implementation here owing to the differing availability of drugs or disease profile.


The effects of low velocity impact on woven composite panels are presented in this study. In the experimental program, 8 ply, 16 ply and 24 ply VARTM manufactured woven composite panels were subjected to low velocity impact loads. The laminates were held in a special fixture, which was designed to simulate simply supported boundaries. Impact experiments were conducted using a Dynatup low velocity impact testing machine where a drop-weight system was used to strike each panel at 90° incidence under controlled conditions of impact velocity. The impactor used was of a constant weight and tip diameter. The impact height and hence the velocity and energy were used as variables in the study. Preliminary impact tests were performed to establish the incipient damage (lower bound) and visible back face damage and spalling (upper bound) energy for each of the 8 ply (thin), 16 ply (moderately thick) and 24 ply (thick) woven graphite/epoxy laminates. Seven energy levels were selected to study the progressive deformation and damage mechanics. It is shown that threshold damage criteria can be established by using a simple FFT smoothening of impact load-time history data.Copyright © 2002 by ASME


Effective prevention of criminal offences in passenger road transport includes the development and implementation of safer infrastructure and modern modification of the safety features of vehicles. It is important to adopt and enforce legal initiatives to reduce the main risks that entail serious traffic accidents. One of the main priorities of appropriate prevention is to improve legal education of the public.

The aim of the article was to consider the current state of prevention of criminal offences in passenger road transport on the territory of Europe. Observation and comparative law were the main methodological tools.

The conducted research showed that the EU states apply a variety of approaches to the prevention of criminal offences in automobile passenger transport, such as Vision Zero and the systemic approach Safe System with its Sustainable Safety sub-topic. The need to adopt the experience of Sweden and the Netherlands, which have achieved impressive road safety indicators, in Ukraine seems justified. The eCall traffic accident detection and prevention system and the ESRA innovative prevention method can be examples for implementation in Ukraine. Belgium's school education program Road Safety Weeks is aimed at minimizing teenage drunk driving, speeding, driver fatigue and distraction. The idea of the programme can be implemented into the relevant preventive activities in Ukraine. A promising vector of further scientific research will be a comparative analysis of the implementation of crime prevention on passenger road transport in the EU countries.


Underground interchanges differ from traditionally accepted road tunnel design templates, which often are based upon twin tube uni-directional tunnels with longitudinal or semi-transverse ventilation systems. Although interchange tunnel lengths are typically shorter than those which traditionally cause concern, design features often include multi-lane tunnels with slip roads and several route choices, in areas where traffic congestion can be expected. Statutory Authorities are understandably concerned with the potential risks associated with such schemes, and a generic strategy for risk reduction has yet to be developed. This paper discusses possible means to assess the risks of these schemes and compare tunnel design alternatives with the traditional open interchanges which include flyovers and roads at grade. The methodology includes an assessment of the environmental impact of the possible options, fire and traffic accident risks and the commercial factors which influence design choices. A recently proposed scheme in a major capital is used as an example of application of a risk assessment methodology and some concerns of the Statutory Authorities are highlighted. (A)


T HE modification of the Social Security Act creating Professional Standards Review Organizations (PSROs) was enacted more than two years ago. In looking at its accomplishments, its problems, and its directions one is tempted to compare it with a child of the same age. Two-year-old children are apt to be noisy, messy, and obviously dependent; being newly injected into the family, they may modify the habits of the parents into new patterns. It is difficult to describe the accomplishments of a two-year-old child except in terms of other two-year-old children. The problems are usually obvious and the future directions for most hold bright promise-at least in the opinions of the parents. The legislative act creating PSROs is long, detailed, and complex. One might question whether this a good form of legislation for an essentially untested innovation. To many it would have seemed more appropriate to have been firm in principle and mandate but to have been much more flexible as to the process of quality assessment. However, we have a specific mandate and are proceeding under it. First, it would seem useful to review the history of this mandate, at least superficially, in order to clarify the intent. This act was passed in I972. As recently as i962 the passage of such legislation was unthinkable, and no such project was even introduced into the Congress of the United States or into any state legislature. Was this because the quality of medical care was not in need of review as to quality at any time in the preceding decades? Most of our quality controls in health have


INFLUENCE OF CANDIDATE GENE VARIANTS ON EARLY ONSET OF DRINKING AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE PERTAINING TO ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE FAMILY HISTORY U. Preuss1, M. Ridinger2, C. Fehr2, G. Koller3, B. Bondy3, N. Wodarz2, M. Soyka4 and P. Zill3 Martin-Luther-University, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics, Halle, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Regensburg, Germany, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany and Privatklinik Meiringen, Meiringen, Switzerland


Supergranules are observed in the high photosphere as large convection eddies with horizontal diverging flows from the cell centre and subsiding flows at the cell borders.


The idea of our proof is the following. If I = lλ U l2 is a link, partitioned into two sublinks lί and l2, then the 2-fold branched covers over l19 l2, and the whole of I, are all quotients of a Z 2 0 Z 2 cover branched over I. After possibly multiplying by 2, the diagram consisting of these branched covers bounds a corresponding diagram of 4-manifolds, and the signatures of the various links involved are expressible in terms of the signatures of these 4-manifolds (and the euler numbers of the branch sets); see e.g., [3]. The result is then a consequence of a relation among these 4-manifold signatures (Lemma 1). This more general setting requires that we consider links in 3-manifolds other than homology spheres; in § 2 we discuss the signature in this context. (It becomes necessary to prescribe a particular 2-fold branched cover. However, we sacrifice some generality inasmuch as we restrict ourselves to oriented, nullhomologous links: it would otherwise be necessary to prescribe a framing of the link as well.) In § 3 we set up the diagram of covering spaces, and in § 4 derive the relation between the signatures of the manifolds therein. Section 5 contains some consequences of this, including the appropriate generalization of Theorem 1. All manifolds of dimensions 3 and 4 are to be oriented; manifolds of dimensions 1 and 2 are oriented only when this is explicitly


A method is described for producing thrombi in the femoral veins of dogs by non-invasive, non-traumatic means. Previous studies have shown a decline in venous PO2 in the depths of valve pockets during non-pulsatile flow, which may be reflected in progressive endothelial hypoxic injury. It has also been shown that healthy well oxygenated platelets and leucocytes attach themselves to such damaged endothelium. Dogs anaesthetised by Sagatal (Nembutal) were kept in the supine position with extended legs for 6 hours; some were not allowed to move or be moved for the whole experimental period; others had their legs moved passively at 20 minute intervals - these two groups were "motionless" and "frequently moved" controls. The third (experimental) group were kept motionless for 2½ hours, and allowed to wake slightly as the first anaesthetic dose wore off; during this time they began to shiver. This movement effects pulsatile venous flow and vibrates the valve cusps in the deep vein. Venography was employed to identify the presence of thrombi which were checked at autopsy. Results showed numerous (70%) "classical".thrombi among 12 limbs in the experimental group. Of the 18 control limbs only one showed a thrombus, this being in the frequently moved group. No thrombi were found in the 10 limbs left motionless. The hypothesis that endothelial hypoxia is the primary instigator of deep venous thrombosis, therefore appears to be supported. Thrombosis develops when pulsatile flow is restored. The animal model described is the subject of developmental studies, and is available for further investigation of interaction between blood elements and venous endothelium, together with prophylactic techniques.


This research focuses on the flow shop production scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times. The study reviews and analyses the methods used in the literature to solve this problem. The analyses were performed using the number of papers published during the study period, the approach used to develop solution methods, the type of objective function and performance criterion adopted, and the additional constraints considered. It were identified and analysed 83 papers that address the flow shop scheduling problem with setup times separated from processing times. The results of the review and analysis showed several opportunities for future research on this topic, including 1
working with setups dependent on batch sequences

2
sing bi- and multi-criteria functions related to the flow time objective

3
adding practical constraints faced by production systems.


We present an automated approach to relatively completely verifying safety (i.e., reachability) property of higher-order functional programs. Our contribution is two-fold. First, we extend the refi...


In this paper, I prove that the sub-Coulomb $A(d,p)B$ reaction amplitude, which is a solution of the three-body Faddeev equations in the Alt-Grassberger-Sandhas (AGS) form, is peripheral if a peripheral is the corresponding DWBA amplitude. Hence the Faddeev's reaction amplitude for the sub-Coulomb $A(d,p)B$ reactions can also be parametrized in terms of the ANC of the $(n\,A)$ bound state. First, I consider the original AGS equations with separable potentials and prove that such equations are peripheral at sub-Coulomb energies. After that, the two-particle AGS equations are derived for the general potentials for sub-Coulomb transfer reactions. The effective AGS potentials are expressed in terms of the DWBA amplitudes for the sub-Coulomb reactions. Again, I demonstrate that the amplitude of the $A(d,p)B$ transfer reaction obtained from the AGS equation is peripheral and can be parametrized in terms of the ANC for the $(nA)$ bound state because the corresponding DWBA amplitude is peripheral. Finally, the AGS equations are generalized by including the optical nuclear potentials in the same manner as it is done in the DWBA. The obtained two-particle AGS equations contain the DWBA effective potentials with distorted waves generated by the sum of the nuclear optical and the channel Coulomb potentials. The AGS equation for the $A(d,p)B$ reactions is analyzed above the Coulomb barrier and it is shown again that the reaction amplitude satisfying generalized AGS equation with optical potentials depends on the ANC if a peripheral is the DWBA amplitude. The two-body AGS equations are generalized by including the intermediate three-body continuum and more than one bound state in each channel.


Fusarium asiaticum was used to investigate factors affecting the regulation of deoxynivalenol (DON) production. In liquid medium supplemented with a low concentration of rapamycin, F. asiaticum grew at approximately 40% of its normal rate but did not produce DON. RNA levels were measured by next generation RNA sequencing. In low concentration rapamycin, expression levels of DON-related genes were low, but expression of the FaTor (target of rapamycin of F.asiaticum) gene was not suppressed. How-ever, expression of the FaTap42 gene, which interacts with FaTor, was suppressed to nearly 70%. FaSit4 and FaPpg1 genes, which were downstream of FaTap42, were down regulated. However, expression of the FaPp2A gene, another phosphatase downstream of FaTap42, was not affected by low concentration rapamycin. These findings reveal that low concentration rapamycin differentially suppresses genes downstream of the FaTor pathway.


In the last decades Translation Studies has explicitly tried to develop and to look upon itself as an interdiscipline. This evolution as well as this selfesteem have not only widened the scope of the field, they also have created a sometimes unclear eclecticism of topics, influences and methods. Characteristic of a still not too well established and not always acknowledged discipline, research in Translation Studies has been looking for common interests and common grounds with other disciplines in an ambitious, but often unstructured way.


A series of unprecedented bifunctional materials response to both mechanical and electrical stimuli have been developed with torsional cruciform π-architectures composed of donor and acceptor axes. These cross-conjugated geometries possess spatially separated HOMO and LUMO located on the donor and acceptor axis, respectively. A unique charge transfer (CT) process from one axis to the other in the excited state is evidenced by theoretical calculations and spectral analysis. This unusual electronic nature along with the conformational flexibility of compounds is found to be significant for their effective mechanochromic (MC) and electrochromic (EC) performances. Through changing substituents on one bar, systematic and comparative studies have been carried out to explore the structural impacts on the MC and EC properties. Based on the structure–property relationships, remarkable MC materials with emission shifts above 70 nm and excellent EC materials with high optical contrast (70%) and fast response time (0.59 s for fading, 1.44 s for colouring) are obtained. Besides, an effective method for selectively modulating the LUMO energy level as well as bandgap is also attained.


The level of intracellular proteolytic activities was measured in Bacillus thuringiensis sporulating cells and it is shown that the maximum is reached after 4 h from onset of sporulation (t4). A purification procedure using cells harvested at t5 is reported, which leads to the isolation of an intracellular protease totally different from the extracellular enzymes and from another intracellular fraction detected in crude extracts.

The homogeneity of the purified enzyme was verified using immunological techniques, electrophoretic migration and kinetics of thermodenaturation. Its molecular weight was estimated to be about 23000. This enzyme was characterized as a seryl protease, totally inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride or EDTA and requiring Ca2+ ions for activity. From the esterolytic activity of the enzyme we deduce a chymotrypsin-like specificity.

The pure protease was able to cleave specifically the β' subunit of the form II of B. thuringiensis RNA polymerase purified from t5 sporulating cells. The vegetative holoenzyme and core enzyme appear much less susceptible to the action of the protease. Moreover the σ and α subunits do not seem to be altered by similar treatments. The existence of a mechanism regulating the level of intracellular proteases during the sporulation phase is postulated.


Objective To investigate the effect of edaravone on kidney injury and survival rate in rabbits with septic shock.Methods After treatment with three different doses(6.0,3.0 and 1.5mg/kg) of edaravone to rats suffered septic shock for one hour,the mortality of animals within 24 hours was observed.Another batch of rats which suffered septic shock for one hour was treated with three different does of edaravone as above.SOD,CAT,LDH,lactic acid and MDA in renal tissue were determined.Renal morphological changes were detected.Results Compared with septic shock group,the death rate in edaravone-treated groups was lower than that in the model group(P0.05) in a dose-dependent manner.The mortality rate of the 3 different doses group was 10%,10% and 30%,respectively.Meanwhile,in renal tissues of rats in edaravone-treated groups,the level of SOD was increased while the level of LD and the activity of LDH and MDA were remarkably decreased.Histological observation showed no swelling glomerulus but congestion,edema and inflammatory cells infiltration in renal tissue.Edaravone treatment attenuated the above pathological changes.Conclusion Edaravone could significantly increase the protection against kidney injury and decrease the mortality in septic shock,which may be related to its function of improving antioxidant capacity in body of septic shock.


Most people will doubtless agree that in the educational, business, and industrial fields the need for positive viewpoints and a willingness to work intelligently for the common good are personal qualities which make for national progress. These goodwill attitudes constitute what the psychologists call the virtues of leadership, and provide spurs to great enterprises. But in terms of training people to adopt such characteristics, a framework of reference is essential.