This paper proposes a linear method for wind turbine blade fatigue testing at Siemens Wind Power. The setup consists of a blade, an actuator (motor and load mass) that acts on the blade with a sinusoidal moment, and a distribution of strain gauges to measure the blade flexure. Based on the frequency of the sinusoidal input, the blade will start oscillating with a given gain, hence the objective of the fatigue test is to make the blade oscillate with a controlled amplitude. The system currently in use is based on frequency control, which involves some non-linearities that make the system difficult to control. To make a linear controller, a different approach has been chosen, namely making a controller which is not regulating on the input frequency, but on the input amplitude. A non-linear mechanical model for the blade and the motor has been constructed. This model has been simplified based on the desired output, namely the amplitude of the blade. Furthermore, the model has been linearised to make it suitable for linear analysis and control design methods. The controller is designed based on a simplified and linearised model, and its gain parameter determined using pole placement. The model variants have been simulated in the MATLAB toolbox Simulink, which shows that the controller design based on the simple model performs adequately with the non-linear model. Moreover, the developed controller solves the robustness issue found in the existent solution and also reduces the needed energy for actuation as it always operates at the blade eigenfrequency.


Extracting dietary fiber from the peel of red bean by orthogonal test,formed by 4 factors(extracting temperature,extrachting time,liquid to material ratio,concentration of lye)and 3 levels,making the ratio of diefary fiber as inspection farget to determine the optimal technical parameters.The results showed that the best extracting parameters of dietary fiber was:extracting temperature of 55 ℃,extracting time of 9 h,liquid to material ratio of 6,concentration of NaOH 1.5%,the ratio of dietary fiber was the highest,51%;in addition,single test of the best grinding particle showed that when grinding particle size of peel of red bean was 1.0~1.5 mm,the ratio of dietary fiber was the highest,it was 53.5%.


The theme of my Bachelor thesis is The Competitiveness Analysis of the Company CB s.r.o. In theoretical part of the thesis I worked up scientific literature knowledge which concerns the competition and competitiveness theme. Practical part is aimed at company introduction and competitiveness evaluation with the help of analysis. In the thesis conclusion I suggested arrangements for competitiveness improvement based on ascertained information.


Jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba) is a fast-growing wood species that is widely utilized for light construction and other purposes in Indonesia. The objectives of the current study were to determine the effects of monoethylene glycol (MEG) and SiO2 nanoparticles (nano SiO2) impregnation treatment on the dimensional stability and density of jabon wood and to identify the characteristics of impregnated jabon wood. Wood samples were immersed in water (as untreated), MEG, 0.5% MEGSiO2, then impregnated by applying 0.5 bar of vacuum for 60 min, and then applying 2.5 bar of pressure for 120 min. The results showed that impregnation with MEG and Nano SiO2 had a significant effect on the dimensional stability of jabon wood. Polymers can fill cell walls in wood indicated by increasing weight percentgain, antiswelling efficiency, bulking effect, and density, then decreasing in water uptake value. Jabon wood morphology by using SEM showed that MEG SiO2 polymers can cover part of the pitsin the wood vessel wall of jabon. This finding was reinforced by EDX results showing that the silicon content was increased due to the addition of SiO2 nano. The XRD diffraction pattern indicated that MEG SiO2 treatment increased the degree of crystallinity in wood samples. Overall, treatment with 0.5% MEG SiO2 led to the most improvement in the dimensional stability of 5-year-old jabon wood in this study.


The sonnet in its Shakespearean form holds a prominent place in the poetry of the Bulgarian Orthodox priest Dimitar Popnikolov-Topolin (1886–1962) whose ample oeuvre has only partially been published. This article seeks to situate Topolin's poems within the seven-centuries old European tradition of this influential lyric genre. As it turns out, Topolin's numerous sonnet variations consistently work towards overcoming the cult of the superb human personality celebrated as an idol in Western Renaissance classical literary samples. Thus, Dimitar Topolin turns into a unique Bulgarian Orthodox "Shakespeare" who breathes new life into the sonnet form and fills it with the spiritual essence of Eastern Christian sensibility and worldview.


Mutations in either the Niemann-Pick type C1 or C2 (NPC1/NPC2) gene result in a fatal lysosomal storage disorder, Niemann-Pick type C (NP-C) disease, for which there is no effective cure. The disease is characterized by systemic and neurodegenerative symptoms arising from toxic accumulation of unesterified cholesterol within the late endosome and lysosome, with a common cause of death for patients being respiratory failure or recurrent infection of pulmonary tissue. Interestingly, the disease symptoms are heterogeneous, with age of onset and severity varied, even among siblings with the same mutations in the NPC1 or NPC2 gene causing this monogenic disease. To date there is no clear explanation for disease severity in siblings with the same mutation. As siblings are raised in the same environment, the major hypothesis of this thesis is that there are genetic modifiers that explain variation in disease severity within siblings. To determine if there are genetic variants associated with disease severity, exomes were sequenced from five sibling pairs exhibiting divergent onset and progression of NPC disease. Out of 23,105 genes, 26 variants were identified that were predicted to have functional consequences in NP-C patients, of which homozygous MUC5B and MARCH8 variants segregated across siblings that exhibited increased and decreased severity of disease, respectively. A cluster of variants was discovered on chromosome 11 belonging to the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family. Further investigation of one of these variants, a frameshift insertion in MMP-12, confirmed that this locus regulates the accumulation of unesterified cholesterol in primary neurons derived from a murine model of NPC disease. However, this region on chromosome 11 did not have any statistically significant copy number alteration detectable through a depth of coverage analysis. Overall, these results provide groundwork into the sequence variants mediating disease severity, which with further investigations, may be novel pharmacological targets to treat NPC disease.


Based on the introduction of the three ways of paying back mortgage,that is:paying the capital and interest by the same amount every month;paying the capital by the same amount every month and paying the capital and interest once and for all when the morgage is due,the paper analyzes the behaviour of prepayment of mortgage from the two sides of both the borrower and the bank.It concludes that it is very necessary for the bank to impose fine for prepayment through constructing the analysis model of game theory,then it gives some suggestions on the standard of charge penalty for prepayments by banks from three ways:compensation for the service cost of prepayment;loss compensation for idle fund and loss compensation for the shrink of expected profit after prepayment.


Tremendous improvements in information networking capabilities have brought with them increased security risks resulting from the deterioration of the ability of a physical layer of computer security to protect an organization's information system. As a result, audit committees have had to deal with new security issues as well as the need to understand the cyber perpetrator and ensure the proper training of employees to consider cybersecurity risks. Standard setters including the Institute of Internal Auditors and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants have issued guidance about lines of defense and reporting on an entity's cybersecurity risk management program and controls, respectively. Each of these topics is considered along with how cybersecurity guidance from COBIT, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Center for Internet Security can be mapped into five cyber infrastructure domains to provide an approach to evaluate a system of cybersecurity.


In line with recent critiques of communicative language teaching (Byrnes and Maxim 2004; Byrnes 2006), this paper considers how instances of spontaneous, creative language play can afford access to a range of linguistic practices that are often devalued or ignored in classrooms. To this end, it examines how university students in an advanced Spanish conversation course jointly manipulate linguistic forms, semantic units, and discursive elements for the amusement of themselves and others. The analysis suggests that these humorous moments provide opportunities for new and more varied forms of participation and language use, contributing to the expansion of learners' overall communicative repertoires. That is, it illustrates how co-constructed episodes of unscripted language play can destabilize institutionally-sanctioned assumptions about what counts as a meaningful or legitimate act of language use, momentarily reconfiguring the definition of linguistic expertise and broadening the possibilities for acceptable language use. Following Hall et al. (2006), the authors advocate a view of learners as multicompetent language users (V. Cook 1991, 1992, 1999), whose language knowledge is grounded in the actual linguistic practices in which they engage.


ABSTRACT Neopatrimonial exercise of power, combining ruler appropriation of resources with ruler discretionality in the use of state power, remains present to varying degrees in contemporary Latin America. Building on an extensive literature, this article provides a delimited conceptualization and measurement of neopatrimonialism for 18 countries in the region and examines the effects of neopatrimonial legacies on poverty with cross-national quantitative analysis. The study finds that higher levels of neopatrimonialism have a significant, substantive impact on poverty levels, controlling for other relevant demographic, socioeconomic, and political factors. It confirms the importance of a cumulative record of democracy for poverty alleviation, while the analysis indicates that neopatrimonialism limits the effects of the political left in power on poverty reduction.


The article proposes an algorithm for analyzing the development scheme and the gathering system for oil fields at a late stage of development in order to increase their investment attractiveness. The algorithm is carried out in several stages and is based on the use of the theory of fuzzy sets, which allows us to consider the field as a kind of fuzzy set and break down individual aspects of its operation into subsets.


Objective:To construct and express a Pichia pastoris expression vector of HBV X protein for exploring the contribution of X protein to the chronic hepatitis and the hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:X gene with XhoⅠ and XbaⅠ restriction enzyme sites was obtained by PCR, and subcloned into the pPICZαA vector.After identified by restrictive enzymes digestion and sequencing, reconstructed plasmid was transformed into P.pastoris GS115.Expression of X protein was assayed in P.pastoris GS115 culture supernatant by SDS and Western blotting.Results:The target gene X frag-ment about 465 bp was intergrated into the genome of P.pastoris GS115.The recombinant X protein with molecular weight of 17 kDa was secreted into the culture supernatant and was confirmed by Western blotting.Conclusion:P.pastoris expression vector pPICZαA-HBx was constructed successfully and recombinant X protein was expressed in P.pastoris GS115.


Introduction Land-use change has significant impacts on the carbon cycling of terrestrial ecosystems. In particular tropical ecosystems are affected by ongoing land-use change, primarily driven by the demand for timber and arable land. Since biophysical and biogeochemical feedbacks influence the global climate, an improved understanding how different landuse types affect carbon cycling in tropical ecosystems is needed. However, continuous measurements of ecosystem scale carbon fluxes are still scarce in tropical regions, with only few localities in Central America. Although carbon accounting within the Clean Development Mechanism (Kyoto Protocol) might also be an option for Panama, no information on carbon sinks and sources of Panamanian ecosystems is available up to now. Within our project, we thus aim to quantify the carbon dioxide and water vapour fluxes of two tropical ecosystems with different land-use in Panama (afforestation and pasture), to assess potential differences in the driving factors of net ecosystem fluxes, and to estimate the carbon sequestration potentials for both land-use types.


A Hebrew translation of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence was administered to 36 kindergarten children of advantaged Ashkenazi or European-origin in Israel and a comparable group of 27 children of Sephardi or North African origin. A series of background controls was built into the design to ensure equivalence but for subcultural membership. The Ashkenazim scored significantly higher on five of the subtests and on the Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs. Improved economic status has not modified the pattern of ethnic subgroup's differential preparation for school work.


ABSTRACT Tridiagonal Toeplitz P-matrices, M-matrices and totally positive matrices are characterized. For some classes of tridiagonal matrices and tridiagonal Toeplitz matrices, it is shown that many algebraic computations can be performed with high relative accuracy.


Abstract : This thesis concentrates on developing a spreadable model that can be used by Marine logisticians in computing sustainment requirements and the resulting tactical motor transport lift requirements necessary to keep a notional sized maneuver element supported on a daily basis in the Marine Corps projected maneuver warfare environment. Sustainment computations are limited to resupplying the maneuver element with food, water, fuel, and ammunition. Using an "add-in" simulation package the planning factors are allowed to take on a more realistic stochastic nature. From the simulation trial runs, distribution frequencies are generated; thus, enabling the planner to establish various customer service levels. For example, if the stated goal is to support the maneuver element with a minimum of 85 percent of their requirements then it is a simple procedure to analyze the pertinent distribution frequency and establish how many gallons of fuel, water, or short tons of ammunition are required. The major finding of the thesis is the apparent inconsistency of consumption and usage factors used in computing fuel requirements for various end items, e.g, a five ton truck requiring 230 gallons daily compared to a MiAl tank using 86.5 gallons. (KAR) P. 2


The recycling of household waste through the anaerobic digestion of solid household waste into biogas represents one of the current topics that address the issues and environmental sustainability: renewable energy, depollution in urban ecology, methanogens in green chemistry. In this research, this contribution deals with the experimental digestion of household food waste (HFW) and vegetable, fruit and garden waste (VFG), using a chemical reactors, in order to evaluate the effect of temperature in the different phases, of 25oC, 35oC, 45oC, 55oC, and 65oC, at different Dry/humidity ratios: 40%, 50%, and 60%, on the production rate of biogas, in the food waste of the inhabitants of the city of Ouargla in Sahara (Algeria) (presentational sampling in terms of the amount of protein-rich and fatty food waste, and the ambient temperature). The result of research revealed that (under high temperature and wetting conditions) show the impact of the proteins and fats in the food waste on the high amount of biogas emitted (100% augmented) compared to the vegetable, fruit and garden waste.


A business ought to be able to breed an adequate amount of cash and cash equivalent to meet its short-term liabilities if it is to carry on and develop in business. For that reason, working capital management which helps an entity to, efficiently and effectively manage current assets and liabilities is a key factor in the company's long-term success; without working capital, the noncurrent assets will not function. The better the degree to which current assets exceed current liability, the more solvent or liquid a company is likely to be. This paper observes the relationship between working capital management practices of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the performance and profitability of these businesses in the Kumasi Metropolis distinctively Asafo, to evaluate key ratios of industries of such working capital management policies in ensuring that current assets meets current liabilities, to assess the degree to which management of SMEs are dedicated to the effective and efficient management of working capital. The implication of the findings is that the government of Ghana should pursue policies aimed at encouraging training and improving the managerial skills of SME owner/managers as well as creating the enabling environment for the development of improved modern technologies to transform the business processes of these vital industries.


The mechanical characteristics of scoliosls correction vising six sorts of spinal instrumentation were analysed. The results showed that Harrington instrumentation can provide a large corrective bending moments for a lateral curve more than 50 degrees, Luque's method can pro-ride a corrective force for the curve and rotation, and Zielke instrumentation appears to have a significant action for correcting rotation. If two techniques were used in combination according to the principles of basic mechanics, reliable corrective effect would be obtained and spinal complications might be decreased.


Nine fatal cases of acute suprarenal insufficiency occurring in pregnancy are described in which death was apparently due to acute suprarenal insufficiency. The history of these cases was similar to that described in similar conditions in non-pregnant patients by other authors. The symptoms of these patients were classified into four groups as described by Arnaud (1900), Lavenson (1908), and Simpson (1937). The predisposing factors in the cases described appeared to be obstetric shock, pre-eclamptic toxaemia, or late vomiting of pregnancy. In some cases the pathological lesion was thrombosis of the central veins without destruction of the gland substance, and it is suggested that in these cases the lesion may not be irreparable.


Nowadays,Metallographic analysis is widely used in the destructive physical analysis(DPA)and failure analysis.The quality of sample preparation directly affects the test results.In extreme cases,incorrect operation may result in false interface,so as to get the wrong conclusions.Therefore,the science behind sample preparation is researched.


Early rhenana, Late rhenana and linguiformis Conodont Zones are recognised in the upper Frasnian Neuville, Valisettes and Matagne Formations of southern Belgium, and documented by their index-taxa. The age of the base of the Matagne Formation shifts from the Early and Late rhenana Zones in the southern Dinant Basin into the linguiformis Zone in the more northerly Philippeville Massif. In the first area conodont biofacies analyses reveal a deepening of the shelf below the base of the diachronic Matagne Formation; within the lower part of the Matagne shales biofacies analyses indicate shallowing depositional conditions followed by a progressive deepening. The Lower Kellwasser Event is situated close to the base of the Matagne Formation in the southern part of the Dinant Synclinorium and at the base of the Valisettes Formation in the Philippeville Massif. The Upper Kellwasser Event is correlated with the base of the Matagne Formation in the latter area.


In marine ecological environment monitoring, the acquisition of node location information is crucial, and the absence of location information can render the collected data meaningless. Compared to the rest of the distance-based localization methods, the received signal strength (RSS)-based localization technique has gained significant interest due to its low cost and the absence of time synchronization. However, the acoustic signal propagates in the complex and changeable aqueous medium, and, in addition to the time-varying path loss factor (PLF), there is often a certain absorption loss, which seriously deteriorates the localization accuracy of the RSS-based technique. To address the above challenges, we propose a novel high-precision and high-robustness localization (NHHL) algorithm that introduces an estimation parameter to conjointly estimate the marine node location and the ambient PLF. Firstly, the original non-convex localization problem is converted into an alternating nonnegative constrained least squares (ANCLS) framework with the unknown PLF and absorption loss, and a two-step localization method based on the primitive dual interior point method and block co-ordinate update method is presented to find the optimal solution. In the first step, the penalty function is utilized to reformulate the localization problem and find an approximate solution. Nevertheless, due to inherent errors, it is unable to approximate the constraint boundary and the global optimum solution. Subsequently, in the second step, the original localization problem is further transformed into a generalized trust region sub-problem (GTRS) framework, and the approximate solution of the interior point method is utilized as the initial estimation, and then iteratively solved by block co-ordinate update to obtain the precise location and PLF conjointly. Furthermore, the closed-form expression of the Cramér–Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the case of the unknown path loss factor and absorption loss is derived to evaluate the our NHHL algorithm. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the presented NHHL algorithm compared with the selected benchmark methods in various marine simulation scenarios.


Despite limited attention to geomorphic hazards in Saudi Arabia, the mountainous region in the south‐west portion of the Kingdom has experienced a series of devastating debris flows, landslides, rockfalls, and debris floods during the past several decades. While undisturbed hillslopes are relatively stable, many rock slides, rockfalls and landslides are associated with cut and fill slopes of mountain roads and other disturbances in this steep terrain. These human‐induced geomorphic hazards act synergistically to exacerbate downslope and downstream disasters, such as debris flows and debris floods. The progressive sediment loading in low‐gradient channels (wadis) together with large convective rainfall events, have caused episodic evacuation of these ephemeral channels. As such, hydrogeomorphic linkages between hillslope and channel mass wasting processes may be temporally separated as wadis accumulate sediment, posing challenges for prediction of the timing of damaging debris flows. Furthermore, there is little appreciation of the extent to which human‐related disturbances (e.g., mountain roads, construction sites, overgrazing) contribute to these downstream disasters or the vulnerability of passengers, residents, or herders to these anthropogenically induced hazards. Such knowledge and information is needed to develop effective hazard mitigation and real‐time warning systems for this and similar dry mountain regions that experience episodic storms. Here we demonstrate the need for improved road location, construction practices, and land management in this steep terrain as well as better appreciation of the hillslope and in‐channel hazard nexus to reduce downstream impacts of geomorphic disasters.


From the turn of the century, a new wave of individual media-influenced globalization has emerged. Social networks such as Instagram have become new marketing tools, and their use becomes an essential point in creating the mental image of a place, mainly through images, since they are capable of delivering a message quickly and efficiently. The physical space must have aesthetic value to stand out in this competitive virtual space, relying on world trends, but modifying and adapting them to the reality and needs of the local population. One of the world trends in place branding is the reproduction of food markets, places surrounded by the idea of tradition, and sociability. This paper aims to stimulate the perception of food markets and highlight their importance in the urban fabric through these new conditionally social media tools, in particular, the study of the CEASA food market in Brasilia, Brazil. The urban planning and construction of Brasilia, based on modernist concepts, created a city with several public areas but few that have quality and activities that promote the meeting and permanence of people. One of the places that allow this meeting is the CEASA food market, a momentary meeting with a clear objective: the food products trade. Promoting changes in this space, both physical and virtual, would allow the food market to become a centrality in the city, broadening its target audience by promoting activities and events beyond commercial activity, while giving visibility to it as crucial for the functioning of the city.


Objectives: Our aim is to compare the values of the LL and spinopelvic parameters of patients with stage 1-2 spondylolisthesis to the normal population and to show the importance of these parameters regarding sagittal balance.
Methods: The lateral radiographs of a total of 125 patients were evaluated comparatively and retrospectively concerning the lumbosacral parameters. The parameters we used for the evaluation were PI, PT, SS, lumbar lordosis angle (LLA), L5 incidence (L5I), L5 slope (L5S) and sacral table angle (STA).
Results: Lumbosacral parameters including PI, PT, SS, LLA, L5 incidence, L5S and STA values were compared in healthy and spondylolisthesis groups. When each parameter were compared between males and females to assess the gender effect in patient and healthy groups, there was no significant difference between males and females in the measurements (p>0,05).
Conclusions: Abnormal sagittal spinopelvic parameters are the spinopelvic parameters which are commonly used nowadays for their effects on the development of the spondylolisthesis and should take place in the routine practice. It was assessed that low SS values in our study, which were different from other similar studies, may be a compensation mechanism developed by patients to reduce pain and maintain the sagittal balance.


We report observations of the linear polarization of the WASP-18 system, which harbors a massive (∼10 MJ) planet orbiting close to its star with an orbital period of 0.94 days. We find that the WASP-18 system is polarized at ∼200 parts-per-million (ppm), likely from the interstellar medium predominantly, with no strong evidence for phase-dependent modulation from reflected light from the planet. We set an upper limit of 40 ppm (99% confidence level) on the amplitude of a reflected polarized light planetary signal. We compare the results with models for a number of processes that may produce polarized light in a planetary system to determine whether we can rule out any phenomena with this limit. Models of reflected light from thick clouds can approach or exceed this limit, but such clouds are unlikely at the high temperature of the WASP-18b atmosphere. Additionally, we model the expected polarization resulting from the transit of the planet across the star and find that this has an amplitude of ∼1.6 ppm, which is well below our detection limits. We also model the polarization due to the tidal distortion of the star by the massive planet and find that this is also too small to be measured currently.


This study aims to determine the Formative Evaluation of the Implementation of Economic Subjects in class XI in Aliyah Al-Badar Lessons Kasongan academic years 2013-2014. To get the data the researchers used several methods, namely: Interview, observation, and documentation. Planning is the preparation done by teachers in economics before carrying out the formative evaluation, namely to create a syllabus and lesson plans, so that the implementation of formative evaluation can be run properly. Implementation of formative evaluation of economic subjects held in Aliyah Al - Badar is in conformity with the relevant teacher planning, even in the learning system that is taught to students of economic subjects has been going well despite the shortcomings, especially infrastructure and facilities such as libraries, laboratories, and textbooks are very minimal. Follow up of the results of the formative evaluation, after carrying out the formative evaluation of the test results will be notified to the learning outcomes of students who either can continue to the next lesson, but for the students who have not reached the learning outcomes, KKM will be held remedial for improved results. Constraints in the learning process faced by teachers are mastery of the material, therefore the teachers of economics should be ready in the mastery of the material that will be presented to the learner.


Richardson's second novel, Clarissa, takes for its heroine a woman who writes her will; his last, Sir Charles Grandison, is named instead after a hero who executes others'. Grandison executes the will of a man who has tried to kill him, the wills of two men whose lives he has saved, and even a will that does not exist. After his father dies intestate, Grandison takes advantage of the semantic overlap between "will" and "intention" to claim that there is something for him to execute: "that intention will I execute with as much exactness, as if he had made a will."1 Sir Hargrave Pollexfen asks Grandison to administer his property in the same breath as he asks a clergyman to care for his soul: "Be my executor. And do you, good Bartlett, put me in the way of repentance" (6:31:143). The desire of women throughout Europe to make Sir Charles their husband is matched only by the wish of men throughout England to make him their executor—requests which, unlike the competing demands of four English and two Italian ladies, he never refuses.


A review of wind turbine technology showed that many flaws in both the flow models and computations are involved in the traditional fundamentals. While traditional methods for design and computation are all based on the airfoil theory, a new method based on turbine theories has been developed and is shown to be ideally applicable. Against the traditional method, the new method also considers non-uniform pressure distribution in flows downstream of the rotor plane and is thus highly accurate. The blade efficiency or tip swirl number has been introduced. It enables computation of the power coefficient to be very reasonable. Its optimum can be directly applied to the geometrical design of turbine blades. Between the tip speed ratio  blade efficiency  and power coefficient cp, a closed solution of both the optimum design and the operation of wind turbines exists. It is demonstrated that the maximum achievable power coefficient can be 10% larger than that predicted by all previous theories.


A synopsis and key emphasizing vegetative characters are provided for the 967species (in 36 genera) of Lejeuneaceae with undivided underleaves recorded from the New World.


The use of two-dimensional Fourier optical signal processing has been applied to the field of surface defect detection. Both transmissive and reflective objects can be analyzed using this system. The object is placed in a coherent optical processing system. By selectively blocking information in the frequency spectrum which contribute to background light and noise levels, only information relating to physical defects in the test object will be observed at the output plane of the system. The system has been observed to be relatively impervious to mechanical vibration, allows for the inspection of large areas instantaneously, and has relatively good resolution.


This conference brings back great memories of the wonderful venue at the Mutiara Beach Resort. The great Malaysian food and the music of Siti Nurhaliza really emphasized that Penang is the "Pearl of the Orient." The River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre REDAC organized the first of a series of triennial International Conferences on River Management in the 21st Century. The purpose is to provide a major forum for exchanging views on the latest research issues and application methods related to rivers. Under the dynamic leadership of N. A. Zakaria and the steadfast workmanship of A. Ab Ghani, this first conference received considerable support from numerous national and international organizations. Some of the issues discussed include dealing with flash floods, urban drainage, water scarcity, water pollution, watershed management, and river conservation. The challenges ahead focus on ways to preserve the natural environment of rivers in the presence of major development of river basins. The concepts include sustainable urban drainage systems,


It is shown that, contrary to previous thinking, the return current driven by a thick target flare beam may be unstable to ion sound wave generation in the deep chromosphere, particularly for intense hard beams and early in the flare. This is so despite the strong collisional attenuation of the beam and the high plasma density in the chromosphere because the low ionisation there results in a high drift velocity of the few free electrons available to carry the return current. The resulting ion acoustic wave generation will enhance local beam heating and affect diagnostics through the presence of enhanced microscopic and return current electric fields.


We explain a general concept for the implementation of adaptive multigrid methods for conforming, nonconforming and mixed finite elements on locally refined grids. AMS Subject Classification: 65N30


The present invention defines a mechanical fuse (20) for a cord around the neck (30). When the predetermined direction (70) of the fuse exceeds a predetermined tension force component, so that the mechanical fuse cord around the neck opening, the rupturable member (50) comprises a mechanical fuse is designed to fuse at the predetermined strength at break. Breaking element having a breaking plane (51), when the force component exceeds the value of the fuse results in the determined force, the fracture occurs in the fracture plane stress fracture plane. Mechanical fuse further comprises a housing (60,61,62), the housing component is arranged to pull in the predetermined direction (70) is conducted to the fracture plane, but prohibit the force component in the other direction is transmitted.


While the concept of intersectionality has increasingly established itself in the social sciences over the past two decades, the intersections of some social positions have received more attention ...


We explore the extent to which organizational capabilities are location-specific by studying the location choices and longevity of East German machine tool producers that relocated to West Germany after World War II. Relocating firms were similar in performance to experienced West German incumbents; they outperformed new entrants without prewar industry experience. This suggests they were able to build on capabilities acquired before the war. Even though relocating firms tended lo locate in industry agglomerations and in urbanized regions, we find no evidence suggesting that firm performance benefited from agglomeration economies. Copyright 2011 The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Associazione ICC. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.


There are some defects in the revocable marriage system in China,which should specify deceit as one cause of the revocable marriage.The law should name the subject of the right of claim of revocable marriage according to distinct circumstances and make certain of the liability of fault respondent and normalize the applying procedure of revocable marriage.


Extensive well testing in geothermal resources has been carried out throughout the western United States and in northern Mexico since 1975. Each resource tested and each well test conducted by LBL during the eight-year period are covered in brief. The information, collected from published reports and memoranda, includes test particulars, special instrumentation, data interpretation when available, and plots of actual data. Brief geologic and hydrologic descriptions of the geothermal resources are also presented. The format is such that well test descriptions are grouped, in the order performed, into major sections according to resource, each section containing a short resource description followed by individual test details. Additional information regarding instrumentation is provided. Source documentation is provided throughout to facilitate access to further information and raw data.


The response of Triticum durum Desf metabolism and growth to field water deficit conditions was investigated in a less drought tolerant cv. (Valnova) and a more drought tolerant cv. (Simeto). Plants were grown without irrigation in a Mediterranean environment, characterised by dry-hot conditions. The two cvs showed differences in height, fresh and dry matter production. The total amount of proteins, as well as K, Ca, and Mg contents, in leaves, culms and kernels were always significantly higher in Simeto, with protein and K increasing in seeds and culms of both cvs.


Thermal resistance of wall constructions plays a key role in determining the cooling load of buildings especially in regions with extreme ambient temperatures. With the construction industry having several options for wall material, selection of the best alternative is mainly based upon their thermal resistance. Experimental data presently available on wall resistances are based on steady state measurements
which are not real indicators of their performance. Onsite real time thermal performance data under summer conditions of four commonly used wall constructions in Saudi Arabia have been collected using experimental study in a test room maintained under similar conditions for all the wall. The time lag, decrement factor and their relative thermal resistance values indicate that Insulated brick walls and Adobe walls are the most suited candidates in terms of thermal performance for decreasing the cooling load. This study will help construction engineers to select the appropriate building wall material and also to estimate the air conditioning system capacity.


Through the sinusoid loading dynamic triaxial test, the liquefaction property of saturated loess and sand selected from a civilian airport of Lanzhou, Gansu are examined. Based on the laboratory results, a comprehensive assessment on the earthquake liquefaction potential of the loess and sand is given using the liquefaction resistance shear stress method,ground motion evaluation obtained from seismic hazard assessment and one-dimensional FEM analysis. It is found that under the effect of ground motion with exceedance probability of 10% within 50 years, the loess in study is more susceptible to liquefaction than the sand.


We outline three attempts to replicate experiments that reported priming effects on time preferences measured by delay discounting. Experiment 1 tested the claim that images of poverty prime impulsive choice in people from less affluent backgrounds compared with people from more affluent backgrounds. Experiment 2 tested the claim that mortality salience—thinking about death—primes people to place more value on the future than people who thought about dental surgery. Experiment 3 tested the claim that an episodic foresight manipulation primes greater discounting than no episodic foresight. Experiments 1 and 2 failed to replicate the effects of priming on discount rates. Experiment 3 was a successful and very close replication of the effect of episodic foresight on discount rates.


This paper summarizes over a decade of research on natural language dialogue with robotic agents, and their required underlying knowledge representation and reasoning abilities. The major features that characterize robots as spoken dialogue partners with humans, are: 1) the robot and human share a perceptual eld containing objects they can both point to and manipulate ; 2) robots are actors as well as speakers and hear-ers.


It has been recently researched that Venus's D/H ratio is on the order of 100-150 times higher than the Earth. As a general rule of thumb, as the D/H ratio increases, the object increases in age. The youngest stars have D/H ratios of lower than 1* 10-5 (1D/100,000H), the ocean world/Earth aged stars 1* 10-4 to 1.6 *10-4 (1D/10,000H to 1H/6,250H respectively), and the old/dead stars and stellar remains 1* 10-3, (1D/1000H). Venus's is 1.6 * 10-2 to 2.5 * 10-2, (1D/62.5H) to 1D/40H). What this tells us is that Venus, according to the general theory is at least 100 to 156 times older than the Earth, because its deuterium ratios are 100 to 156 times higher. This is subject to change as more information is gathered, but places Venus in the class of extraordinarily old objects, which has never been done before.


Leucine synthesis was found to be localized in chloroplasts of higher plants. The introductory enzyme of the isopropylmalate pathway, the 2-isopropylmalate synthase, was strongly feedback-regulated by leucine. The pH optimum of the enzyme was between 7.0 and 9.0. The Km values were 5 microM for acetyl-CoA and 75 microM for 2-oxoisovalerate.


The parallel hybrid turbofan propulsion (PHTF) system, with a high and low spool connected motor/generator, applied to a single aisle aircraft, has been study extensively and been shown to provide both gas turbine level and aircraft level benefits. With significant electrification of the propulsion system, the degree of subsystem electrification should also be considered. Thus this current study focuses on the PHTF, considering not only the PHTF operating modes but also the secondary power subsystems (electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic) which interface with the propulsion system. Secondary power subsystem options range from hydraulic or electric for actuation to pneumatic or electric for the environmental control system. Each combination has been explored and evaluated within the UTRC aircraft systems integrated model (ASIM) – architecture exploration and evaluation (AEE) framework to identify the aircraft subsystem architecture that best complements the preferred hybrid propulsion system, where the hybrid propulsion system encompasses low and high spool machine size, usage scenario, and boost power source. Energy cost reduction and technology risk are evaluated for each design space architecture. The results show that a mild PHTF, using a low level of stored electric energy is preferred with a combination of electric and hydraulic actuation, electric wing anti-ice, and electric engine accessories. A bleed and electric based pneumatic system, each pared with an ECS optimized for the type of pneumatic system show similar energy cost performance.


The video object detection is one of the key challenges in the field of object detection. The detection accuracy and real-time performance must be considered, and requirement for detection continuity is also put forward. This article proposes a detection continuity loss (DCL) to solve the problem of poor detection continuity in the video object detection. The proposed loss function is aimed at three different situations of poor detection continuity, and corresponding loss functions are designed respectively. DCL can be used in combination with the loss function of existing video object detection algorithms. Experimental results show that the use of DCL to optimize the loss function of the existing algorithms improve the detection accuracy performance.


In the general framework of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF), the classical process leading to DT ignition is the conversion of the shell kinetic energy into internal energy of a central hot spot, which further acts as an ignition spark. The advent of petawatt class lasers opens the possibility to directly deliver the ignition energy to the compressed fuel at stagnation time. This scheme, known as fast ignition, has first been proposed by Tabak et al. in 1994 [1]. Recently, Betti et al. [2] proposed to ignite the target by means of a strong convergent shock launched in the target at the end of the compression phase and prior to the final focalisation of fuel at target center. Moreover, more recently, this new concept has been experimentally studied at the OMEGA laser facility Theobald et al. [3]. It was demonstrated that a properly timed final shock significantly enhances the neutron yield. This somehow intermediate scheme is highly attractive, because it relaxes the high implosion velocity requirement of the central hot spot ignition approach, and, at the opposite of fast ignition, it does not require any cone-in-a-shell target nor multipetawatt ignition laser [4]. In this work, we study the potential of shock ignition in the context of the HiPER project [5]. CHIC 1D and 2D numerical simulations are used to provide guidelines for physical understanding, optimization, and robustness analysis of the shock ignition process. Further on, we study the possibility of using a bipolar igniting shock, driven by a specific set of laser beams, in order to enhance laser target coupling at the end of the coasting phase of the shell. Fast ignition scheme is studied in the context of the HiPER project [6]. This concept can be divided in two separate stages. In the first phase the DT shell is compressed on a low adiabat ∼1, sub-ignition


A dynamic renormalization-group theory is applied to analyze the anomalously dynamic scaling property of the kinetic roughening growth equation of the conservative and non-conservative Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equations.The anomalous scaling exponent and roughness exponent were obtained by analyzing the scaling behavior of the corresponding time evolution equation for the local derivatives.The results show that the dynamic scaling property of a growth equation is independent of the dimension of the system.These two equations do not have the anomalous scaling property,but both exhibit Family-Vicsek scaling.Our results are consistent with previous calculations which make use of scaling analysis.


A dominant technique in early variational approaches was Dirichlet's principle, which lost favor after some mathematicians (notably Weierstrass) pointed out its weaknesses. Here we will discuss Dirichlet's principle, its flaws, and its salvation via direct minimization methods. [3]


Indirect vocabulary learning places emphasis on vocabulary acquisition through extensive reading,while direct vocabulary learning stresses direct learning of forms and meanings of words through vocabulary-oriented tasks.The former fails to eliminate the contradiction between reading and poor vocabulary knowledge,and the latter faces the problem of how to automate the newly-learned decontextualized vocabulary knowledge into linguistic competence.The four-week experiment on three parallel groups in Shenzhen Polytechnic indicates that glosses or dictionaries are less helpful to indirect vocabulary learning,weak L2 learners' poor vocabulary knowledge greatly retards their vocabulary growth,and direct vocabulary learning helps enrich the weak L2 learners' vocabulary knowledge.


In this paper we show that the spaces sp(a) are Banach spaces under the natural norm and in fact share many properties that the usual lp spaces have. Our main results give characterizations of the surjective isometries of sp(a). These turn out to be quite different than the results for lp. For example, we show that for a 7 1, an operator T is a surjective isometry if and only if T is a modulus one multiple of the identity. The methods used are valid for both real and complex scalars. They involve the use of a disjoint support condition together with a property of semi inner products. In the complex case the information on isometries allows us to give complete descriptions of the Hermitian operators as well as the adjoint abelian operators. Surprisingly, we show that for a ^ 1, these classes of operators coincide. This last result sheds some light on a question asked by the authors in a previous paper [2].


The present paper describes the result of the error estimation of a numerical solution to topology optimization problems of domains in which boundary value problems are dened. In the previous paper, we formulated a problem by using density as a design variable, presented a regular solution, and called it the H1 gradient method. The main result in this paper is the proof of the rst order convergence in the H1 norm of the solution in the H1 gradient method with respect to the size of the nite elements if rst order elements are used for the design and state variables.


he compares audiences of contemporary music, the classical repertory, and early music. The latter is found to possess some comparative advantages, one of which is its emphasis on innovation. The second chapter of the next section ("Investigación y transferencia") explores this last idea. Elena CastroMartínez, Albert Recasens, and Ignacio Fernández de Lucio have conducted surveys and interviews featuring the organizers of three early-music festivals, revealing a number of fields and methods where these institutions actively pursue a quest for innovation (see Elena Castro-Martínez, Albert Recasens, and Ignacio Fernández-de-Lucio, "Innovation in Early Music Festivals: Domains, Strategies, and Outcomes," in Managing Cultural Festivals, ed. Elisa Salvador and Jesper Strandgaard Pedersen [New York: Routledge, 2022], 73–92). The previous chapter, by Bernardo García-Bernalt Alonso, deals with the specifics of the musical repertoire performed. In line with his characterization of the Spanish early-music movement, the FeMAUB has concentrated on Spanish and Ibero-American composers. But it has not been content with presenting music that already circulated on the scene: its design of thematic editions—a new one each year— has served as a springboard for the recovery of previously unavailable music and as a series of "conceptual frameworks for musicological reflection" (1:219). The graphs representing "heritage recovery" through the years are impressive; also striking is the relationship between musicologists and performers. The author concludes with a perceptive definition of FeMAUB:


From CD to DVD to Blu-ray Disc, that optical disc all adopted the error-correction code to improve the storage. The error-correction code for the Blu-ray Disc, the up-to-the-minute optical disc, is more advanced than others. Many new technologies are applied in the Blu-ray Disc, especial the error-correction code which called Picket code is more powerful than RS and RSPC code. In the same condition, the error-code rate of the optical disc which used the Picket code is 1.5x10-18, and the optical disc used RSPC is 5.7x10-7. In this paper, the characteristic of those technologies which used in the optical disc will be discussed, include RS code used in CD system, RSPC code used in DVD system, and Picket code. Finally, it will add two different error matrixes to simulate the process of the error-correction code for the DVD system. In this simulating process, especially, we will compare the RS and RSPC code from mathematical direction in the simulation which is different from the professional comparison, this method can be easily accepted by beginner and the comparative result is very intuitionistic for freshman.


Determining the baseline utilization of best
practices among clinicians, with regard to HIV care and disclosure of status to
at-risk partners, is critical to addressing HIV prevention issues and disease
transmission. In this study, we examined clinicians' utilization of best
practices for HIV/AIDS care and the disclosure of HIV status to sexual and
needle-sharing partners (HSSNSP). We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 100
clinicians to assess knowledge, attitude, and behavior towards best practices
for HIV care and disclosure of HSSNSP. Multiple logistic regression analysis
was used to determine factors associated with the utilization of clinical best
practices for HIV care and disclosure of HSSNSP. Forty eight percent of the
participants revealed poor behaviors. Fifty six percent showed less positive
attitudes towards clinical best practices for HIV care and disclosure of
status. Less than half (32%) of the participants had earned at least 1 HIV/AIDS
CME credit in the past two years. Our study showed strong associations between
the utilization of best practices for HIV care and the disclosure of status,
and clinician attitudes and knowledge levels. Further research that aims to
improve knowledge and attitudes on clinical best practices for providing
HIV/AIDS care and the disclosure of status is needed. This improvement may lead
to increase in the utilization of best practices for HIV care and disclosure of
status, and contribute to decreases in disease transmission rates.


The article deals with the identity of the famous and esteemed across all Russia archpriest Ioann Kronshtadsky (Sergiyev). Attention is drawn to activity of Ioann Kronshtasky (Ivan Ilyich Sergiyev, 1829-1908), as the spiritual pastor and thinker, had huge value in education of the people and life of the Russian society at the end of XIX the beginning of the XX centuries. Ioann Kronshtasky practiced working methods with flock extraordinary for the time. He much and emotionally preached, arranged Houses of diligence for work therapy of the needing sectors of society, resorted to the General confession and so forth. Ioann Kronshtadsky was an example for many priests of the end of XIX the beginning of the XX centuries to what the responses which remained in separate editions or periodicals testify.


Recent years have witnessed the development of laser electrophotography as one of the major technologies for document printing, serving a wide range of market applications. With the evolution of color and market demand for color hard copy, electrophotography is again taking center stage to serve the customer need in quality, cost and convenience. Today, electrophotographic technology is used to offer products for color document printing for desktop, mid-volume and high-speed applications. Total cost of ownership, convenience and quality today favor the use of this technology over alternatives in many applications. Development of higher speed color electrophotographic engines demands very high speed, Raster Input Processors and pre-press applications that are expected to become available in the market during the next five years. This presentation will cover the changing environment of office communication and the continuing role of electrophotography in color document printing.


The existence of an eigenvalue embedded in the continuous spectrum is proved for the Neumann problem for Helmholtz's equation in a two-dimensional waveguide with two outlets to infinity which are half-strips of width and , where is a small parameter. The width function of the part of the waveguide connecting these outlets is of order ; it is defined as a linear combination of three fairly arbitrary functions, whose coefficients are obtained from a certain nonlinear equation. The result is derived from an asymptotic analysis of an auxiliary object, the augmented scattering matrix. Bibliography: 29 titles.


Traditional sport of the Chinese minorities and folk dance are of long standing, well established and vigorously developed. They take root at the soil of traditional culture of nationalities. They have their strong nationality features and the rich flavor of life. The mass participates in them extensively. In this paper the Dongba jump, a sort of traditional sports dance was expounded. The customs and habits, the religious belief, the military affairs and battles, the productive labor as well as the love and marriage of the Naxi minority etc. were revealed. The indomitable spirit and limitless creativity of the Naxi people were extolled.


Based on two models: a partial vector error correction model (P-VECM) and a general VECM, this paper analyzes the monetary policy interdependence between the People's Bank of China (PBC) and the Federal Reserve (Fed) for the period 2007-2011. The results show that there is a long-run equilibrium relation between the interest rates of the two currency areas, and interest rates smooth function in the two countries in monetary policy practice all reflect well. The interest rate adjustment of the PBC is based mainly on domestic macroeconomic situation, and the inflation has a greater impact than that of output gap. This paper finds no leader-follower pattern between the two central banks. These results will be significant to further understand China's monetary policy adjustment in theory and practice.


Summary. Serum ferritin was measured in 61 patients with autosomal dominant hereditary spherocytosis (HS), 44 splenectomized and 17 with intact spleens. In the majority (78%) the serum ferritin concentration was not elevated. Thirteen (22%) had mildly elevated levels, including five splenectomized females (range 181‐236 μg/l), and eight males, two with intact spleens (range 236‐436 μg/l). The serum ferritin was not raised in 15 of the 17 non‐splenectomized individuals. This group included one female who had been venesected for iron overload and further investigations have shown that both the genes for HS and haemochromatosis are present in her family.


A comparing study between two different heating systems has been accomplished. The analysis has been conducted with an apartments building as a reference project. The building is located in the municipality of Sodertalje. The goal of the analysis is to determine which of the heating system is beneficial for older apartment buildings in terms of energy and cost. The systems that have been treated are a central heating system with a counterflow heat exchanger and a central heating system with an exhaust air heat pump.The central heating system (Eq unit) is a central exhaust- and supply air system with heat recovery. The system uses a counterflow heat exchanger to transfer the heat energy between the exhaust- and supply air. The central heating system (Energy well) is the latest technical solution of a central exhaust air system. The system recovers heat from exhaust air by condensing exhaust air heat pumps. The heat pumps are in an exhaust air chamber and it´s placed on the attic floor. The recovered heat energy sends then to the mechanical room to heat up the water system.The analysis has been accomplished by using theoretical energy- and cost calculations, interviews and data collection. The energy calculations are based on an energy balance equation to determine the bought energy consumption. The cost calculation is based on a life cycle cost equation and a cost equation per produced heat energy. The results of both heating systems have been compared with each other.The results showed that the heating system Energy well was most beneficial in both energy and cost perspective. The annual consumption of bought energy was lower each year than the heating system (Eq unit) with a counterflow heat exchanger. The operating costs of the system were lower than Eq unit, the installation costs were lower than Eq unit and final was the life cycle cost less than the heating system (Eq unit) with counterflow heat exchanger. But the service cost was higher than the heating system Eq unit.The conclusion of the theoretical investigations gave better values for the heating system Energy well. This means than Energy well is most beneficial from the energy and cost perspectives. Contrariwise has the heating system with counterflow heat exchanger a lower risk of an operational failure to occur in reality.


A method is described for measuring the differential absorption spectra of pale- colored fine-wool fabrics in the visible and ultraviolet regions. A strip of the fabric is immersed in a liquid having a refractive index close to that of wool and compared in an ultraviolet spectrophotometer with a similarly immersed uncolored or bleached strip of the same fabric. The method is applied to the measurement of the absorption spectra of normal un bleached wool fabrics and to fabrics which have been yellowed either by heating at 97° C. in an aqueous buffer solution at pH 8 or by exposure to ultraviolet irradiation. Fabrics which have been dyed or treated with reagents producing colored derivatives of particular amino acid residues in the wool proteins have also been tested. Sizing and finishing agents in the fabric which absorb in the visible or ultraviolet regions are detected by the method. When wool is yellowed by heating or exposing to ultraviolet irradiation, its absorp tion increases far more in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum, especially at 3100-3300 Å, than in the visible region above 3900 A.


There exist a new physics model. Real physical world is 5-dimensional space-time. Human world is 4-dimensional space-time. Human world just is the projection of real physics world. Particle wave is present in 5-dimensional space-time. So we can derive out Mass-energy equation. So we can derive out all results of Special Relativity Theory. In 5-dimensional space-time, speed of all particles is the light speed c. It is reason that the light speed c is very special. Coordinates transformation in 5-dimensional space-time, can derive out Lorentz transformation. The new physics model theory is a equivalent theory with Special Relativity Theory. In 5-dimensional space-time, there only exist space expansion or space contraction. In 5-dimensional space-time, there not exist time expansion or time contraction, time is absolute. In 5-dimensional space-time, particle rest mass only is particle movement portions at 4th dimensional space. The new 5-dimensional space-time theory, is consistent with space-time system of Special Relativity Theory, and it can transition to space-time system in Lorentz symmetry breaking smoonthly. The new 5-dimensional space-time theory has more wide range adaptation than Special Relativity Theory.


The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function®—Adult Version (BRIEF-A) is a standardized measure that captures an adult's executive functions in his or her everyday environment. The current study provides additional statistical evidence to support interpretation of BRIEF-A scores across raters and over time.

 Participants were adults, ages 18 to 90 years, from the BRIEF-A Self-Report (N = 1,050) and Informant-Report (N = 1,200) standardization samples, as well as an interrater sample (n = 180) and test–retest samples (n = 50 for Self, n = 44 for Informant). Interrater correlations, base rates of interrater differences, and score differences required for statistical significance were examined. Test–retest correlations and score differences required for statistical significance were examined. Base rates of elevated T scores (≥ 65) were calculated for the standardization samples across age groups.

 Interrater correlations ranged from .44 to .68 with an interrater difference of 17–20 T-score points considered significant at p < .05. Approximately 55–73% of raters reported scores within 10 T-score points. Test–retest scores were highly correlated (Self: r = .82–.94; Informant: r = .91–.96), with a between-test difference of 7–11 T-score points considered significant at p < .05. Base rates of elevated T- scores ranged from 3.3% to 15.4% for the Self-Report Form and 4.5% to 16.3% for the Informant-Report Form across the scales/indexes.

 These data allow clinicians to interpret BRIEF-A scores across raters and over time by determining the statistical significance of BRIEF-A score differences, as well as quantifying the frequency of the observed differences.


The invention discloses a method for cleaning organic compound detection bottles through ultrasonic waves. The method includes the following operating steps that a mesh is arranged at the bottom of a cleaning tank, and tap water is added to the cleaning tank, wherein water needs to not overflow out of the cleaning tank; an open glass container is arranged on the mesh, supports are placed in the glass container, and hooks for fixing the detection bottles are arranged on the supports; the glass container is further filled with ethyl alcohol, wherein the horizontal plane of the ethyl alcohol is higher than the upper ends of the hooks; an ultrasonic cleaner is started, the frequency is adjusted to 40 KHz, time is set within 15 min and 20 min, and then the detection bottles can be automatically cleaned. According to the method, dirt on the inner walls of the detection bottles can be effectively removed, the ultrasonic cleaner generates 40000 times of high-frequency cleaning per second, in combination with the tools, dirt in the detection bottles can be effectively removed, and cleaning efficiency is improved.


— In this paper, we proposed a new methodology for the faults photovoltaic generator modeling, especially when it subjected to the open-circuit and short-circuit faults at its components: cells, bypass diodes and blocking diodes. The highlight of the proposed algorithm focused on the mathematical modeling that based on known electrical laws, of the IV characteristic of the faulty PV generator. This model is able to develop a rich database , containing six electrical faults types, which can uses in the diagnosis area of the photovoltaic generators. NOMENCLATURE I_SRC = String Reversed Current. I_SSC = String Supplied Current. I_Cell = Cell Current. V_Cell = Cell Voltage. I_Cell_Short_Circuit = Cell Short Circuit Current. V_Cell_Open_Circuit = Cell Open Circuit Voltage. nc = Cells Number. I_Group = Group Current. V_Group = Group Voltage. I_Bypass_Diode = Bypass Diode Current. ng = Groups Number. I_Module = Module Current. V_Module = Module Voltage. nm = Modules Number. I_String = String Current. V_String = String Voltage. ns = Strings Number. I_PV = Generator Current. V_PV = Generator Voltage. PHI = Photo-Current. I 0 = Reverse Saturation Current. DTV = Diode Thermal Voltage. a = Diode Ideality Factor. R S = Cell Series Resistance. R SH = Cell Shunt Resistance. V / I = Voltage / Current. V imposed = Voltage Imposed.


Marine macroalgae are characterized for their production of wide array of biocidal substances. It is recorded that more than 600 secondary metabolites have been isolated from seaweeds; among which most of them are toxic substances acting as chemical defense system for protection from their grazers. They normally produce such kinds of bioactive substances in a response to predation, competition for space and tide variations. Hence possibilities for exploring the antimicrobial compounds of seaweed origin International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 09 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com

https://www.ijcmas.com/8-9-2019/K. G. Anitha, et al.pdf


The statistics of the outage events in the reverse link of a direct sequence code-division multiple access (DS/CDMA) wireless system are investigated taking into account the effects of correlated Rician fading. The outage probability and the average fade duration are derived by assuming a constant multipath intensity profile, which includes a direct-path component in the first path. Simulations have been carried out which validate the analytical results.


Abstract : A theoretical and experimental Investigation of the Mechanisms via which a gas, at high pressures, undergoes electrical breakdown has been carried out. Theoretically, a model has been developed to describe the initial phases of breakdown in the regime where the Townsend avalanche mechanism does not apply. The model is based on electron Kinetics in regions of highly inhomogeneous electric fields.


Children tuberculosis disease is a complicated problem where overdiagnosis
and underdiagnosis are common hence scrutiny is needed in anamnesia and
physical examination. In particular, Kupang City area is notified as the highest
case among other regencies with patient proportion finding scope of 5%. In
establishing pediatric TB diagnosis scoring system can be used, but bearing in
mind that it is a complex system a diagnosis system which can be used by various
parties in early detection for pediatric TB case is needed. Research design used
was case-control. Case population was pediatric patient with TB as registered in
Pediatric Poly of RSDU WZ YOHANES, Kupang City. Multiple logistic
regression analysis result showed that variables which can be formulated as
pediatric TB incidence diagnostic were contact history (OR 20,3 CI95% 4,48-
89,95), disease symptom (OR 13,83 CI95% 2,61-73,09), room humidity (OR 4,58
CI95% 1,11-18,83), and room density (OR 4,13 CI95% 1,02-16,71). Pediatric TB
incidence diagnostic index formulations were -4,690 + 3,011 (Contact
history(contact exist)) + 2,627 (Disease Symptom (showing both disease symptom
criteria including chronic cough ≥ 3 weeks and repeated fever with no obvious
cause) + 1,523 (Room humidity ( 60%)) + 1,419 (room density (room
width 2 persons)). Government is expected to facilitate
and empower local community to accommodate a mutual cooperation in creating
healthier physical environment of home.
Keywords: Pediatric Tuberculosis, Environment, Index, Diagnosis, Kupang City


In this work, a method for generating the dynamic equations of flexible robots with open-chain linkage mechanisms is developed. A general transformation matrix associated with the elastic deformation is introduced. In determining the elastic response, a method of separation of variables and the Galerkin's approach are suggested for the boundary-value problem with time-dependent boundary conditions. Besides the formulation scheme, the present work also studies the difficulty of dealing with the inverse kinematic problem, in which the unknowns involve the rigid-body displacements and the elastic deflections. Finally, the ideas presented here have been implemented in a computer simulation, and the formulation of the boundary-value problem has been employed to obtain the equations of motion of a flexible robot. Simulation results are presented.


The article presents the problem of designing virtual courses for combined learning in the unified baccalaureate of Ecuador. Subsequently, an analysis of the considerations about this problem is made from defining the blearning as an organizational form, the design of virtual courses and how they are designed. Subsequently, the actions of the proposed methodology are broken down.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21017/rimci.2019.v6.n12.a63


(3A) There a re two inconsistencies in the reply of Nagy et at. to my third criticism. If the peak heights of the parent ions in F I G U I E 4 are believed to represent only "1/50 of the actual amounts present, then it is all the more important to run duplicate ana lyses in order to ascertain that the ratio of parent to fragment ions is exactly the same in the meteorite and the reference materials. A small change in ionization conditions or a difference in chemical composition could eas i ly cause a large change in the peak heights in F I G U R E 4. Moreover, the quantity of "tetracycloalkanes" in F I G U R E 4 cannot have been underestimated by a factor as large as 50. These compounds are s ta ted to have higher parent ion sensit ivit ies than the other homologous series. The aggregate peak height in FIGURES 1 to 4 is 8483. Even i f the sensit ivity factor of 1/50 were typical of the other s e r i e s (whereas it is much smaller, according to Nagy et aZ.), we find that th i s would give a total peak height of about 420,000, compared to the actual value, which is 300,000. This discrepancy would be even greater if allowance had been made for the CnHzn and the other unreportedseries. (5A) It is true that "breathing" of the meteorite would cause only a slight degree of contamination, kJowever, a very much larger effect may ar i se from simple diffusion of a i r into the pores of t h e nieteorite. From the kinetic theory of g a s e s one finds that at an atmospheric hydrocarbon content of 0.5 ppm. about 1.6 x loa5 hydrocarbon molecules (=7x103gm.) will str ike each square centimeter of the meteorite in 97 years, Even if as little as lo-' th i s amount had found its way into the meteorite, it would nearly double the amount originally present. The factor of appears conservative, s ince about 20 to 30 per cent of the surface of the meteorite cons is t s of pores and voids. (6A) What is under dispute is not the possible presence of nonhydrocarbon materials, but the practice of treating composite peaks of parent and fragment ions as if they were due to parent ions only. T h e four homologous se r i e s for which Nagy et at. gave da ta comprise less than 3 per cent of the total peak height. Since the remaining eight se r ies , comprising cwer 97 per cent of the peak height, cons is t mainly of fragment ions, how can one afford to ignore the contribution of fragment ions to the four se r ies in F I G U R E S 1 to 4? (9A) It is certainly true that hliller's work "does not establish synthes i s of higher saturated hydrocarbons" for the simple reason that he did not look for them.*


Shock waves appear in numerous high-speed propulsion applications, including intakes, nozzles, and transonic and supersonic turbomachinery. The aerodynamic performance in bladeless turbines, which is designed for work extraction under such conditions, is dominated by flow separation induced by shock-wave pressure gradients. The large velocity gradients pose limitations on flowfield characterization using particle-based optical diagnostics, such as particle image velocimetry and laser Doppler anemometry. These limitations, along with challenges in seeding the flow, can be overcome by tracking the molecules already present in the flow. This paper presents kHz-rate femtosecond laser electronic excitation tagging (FLEET) to excite long-lived fluorescence of nitrogen molecules, acting as in-situ flow tracers. A multi-point variation of this approach was demonstrated in an optically accessible linear turbine test section, developed to investigate bladeless turbines. The femtosecond laser is coupled with an intensified CMOS camera with a frame rate of 200 kHz. High-speed measurements were made of the steady and unsteady performance in the bladeless turbine, with particular attention to capturing flow structures, spatial velocity gradients, and transient events such as unstarting of the supersonic passages.


Chloroplasts serve as cold priming hubs modulating the transcriptional response of Arabidopsis thaliana to a second cold stimulus for several days by post-cold accumulation of thylakoid ascorbate peroxidases (tAPX). In an attempt to investigate cross-priming effects of cold on plant pathogen protection, we show here that such a single 24 h cold treatment at 4°C decreased the susceptibility of Arabidopsis to virulent Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst), but did not alter resistance against the avirulent strains Pst avrRPM1 and Pst avrRPS4 or the effector-deficient Pst hrcC- strain. The effect of cold priming against Pst was active immediately after cold exposure and memorized for at least 5 days. The priming benefit was established independent of the immune regulator EDS1 (Enhanced Disease Susceptibility 1) or activation of the immune-related genes NHL10, FRK1, ICS1 and PR1, but required thylakoid-bound as well as stromal ascorbate peroxidase activities as the effect was absent or weak in corresponding knock-out-lines. Suppression of tAPX post-cold regulation in a conditional-inducible tAPX-RNAi line lead to increased bacterial growth numbers. This highlights that the plant immune system benefits from post-cold regeneration of the protective chloroplast peroxidase system.


AbstractThe extent to which individual differences in working memory capacity were related to differences in comprehension and following direction was studied in first, third, and sixth graders. Working memory was tested by a simple word span and Daneman and Carpenter's (1980) reading span. A reading comprehension test and a following directions test, including directions heard in a classroom, were also given. The number of words recalled in both the word span and the reading span predicted comprehension for all grades. This relationship showed no age differences. However, the relationship between the span measures and following directions indicated that the role of working memory in following directions may increase with age. As the complexity of directions increased, low-span subjects in each grade had more difficulty performing directions than high-span subjects did. Implications for giving directions to school children are discussed.


Background: Schistosomiasis is a contagion caused by intestinal and urinary blood trematodes affecting around 200 million people worldwide. Adult worms colonize human blood vessels for years, successfully escaping the immune system while excreting hundreds to thousands of eggs daily. The chronic infection can cause anemia, retarded growth, hepatosplenomegaly, neurological sequlae and even death. For Diagnosis of schistosomiasis, microscopic examination of human wastes as well as tissues remains the gold standard owing to the characteristic shape and size of the eggs.
Objective: to present a case of bilharzial polyps presented to endoscopy unit of the department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt for colonoscopy and mistaken for IBD with suspicious polypoidal transfromation versus malignant process.
Methodolgy: Snare polypectomy was done and tissues were sent for histopathological evaluation which revealed multiple fresh and calcified bilharzial ova seen in mucosa and submucosa.
Conclusion: This unusual long standing case will give us the chance to recall schistosomiasis, its occurrence as colon polyps, clinical presentation and means of management.


A large amount of sediment is dredged in France every year. Due to the increase of the amount of marine dredged sediments, environmentally reuse of dredged sediment is urgently needed in France. The first objective of this study is to find an application for reuse of marine dredged sediments materials, as new material for road construction. Hence, serial tests need to be realized to identify if marine dredged sediment could be utilized for road construction. The second goal is to enhance the physical, mechanical and chemical characteristics of the mix, by incorporating binders and sediments, and revealed the identification of the mechanical characteristics measured on the mixes is compatible with their use as a base course material. The results show that the treatment by hydraulics binders could satisfy the needed mechanical characteristics. The present of Silica Fume is aimed to reduce the pollution level, especially the heavy metal content. However, the proportion of hydraulics binders and silica fume needed to meet prescribed specification is important, so the reuse of the marine dredged sediments of Port-en-Bessin, France in road construction, as an alternative material could be achieved. After the geotechnical study in laboratory results shown as expected than the study to identify the chemical characteristic realized. To evaluate the environmental impacts of the used material, leaching test is performed. The leaching test was performed to verify the predicted release of pollutants based on total dissolution. And for the final part, the test results show that the polluted marine dredged sediments could be safely used (in term of environmental impact) as a new material in road construction.


The amendments to the Railway Labor Act of 19z6 enacted by Congress in I934' represent the culmination of 45 years of experience with legislation dealing with -industrial relations on the railroads. This slow but steady evolution of public policy toward labor relations on the railroads has resulted in a law which has been characterized as "the most advanced form of Government regulation of labor relations that we have in this country" and one which provides a "model labor policy, based on equal rights and equitable relations."2 Certainly a law that merits such high praise as this is worthy of careful consideration. Just what significant changes have been made in the law of railway labor by the I934 amendments? Has railway labor had any new rights and privileges conferred upon it? Have employers suffered any curtailment of their rights and privileges? Have there been any new duties and responsibilities imposed upon employers or employees by this act? What new machinery has been set up for the adjustment of labor disputes on the railroads? Are company unions and "yellow-dog" contracts illegal under the terms of this act? Must an employer recognize and "bargain" with any labor organization the employees select? And does "bargaining" or "dealing" with these representatives mean a written collective agreement must be negotiated? Does the act provide for compulsory arbitration in case the parties in dispute fail to reach an agreement? These and other questions, fundamental and far-reaching in labor relations, are raised by the I934 amendments to the Railway


The invention relates to the technical field of automatic liquid mixing and discloses a liquid mixing method and device. A container encapsulated with various solutions is vertically fixed on a support plate, and the container moves along the arc using the support plate at the center in a reciprocating manner so as to achieve solution mixing. The liquid mixing method and device have the advantages that multi-station, large-capacity and arc-reciprocating type mixing is achieved, mixing of large-capacity solutions can be achieved by the unique mixing manner and device structure, and the requirements of the mixing of the large-capacity solutions are satisfied.


The nano-crystalline Ni-W alloy was prepared by electroforming method.And then the alloy was vacuum annealing treatment at 250 ℃~500 ℃ for 1 h.The microstructure and mechanical properties of the samples before and after annealing treatment were studied using LSCM,SEM,XRD and microhardness tester.The results indicate that the microstructure of the nano-crystalline Ni-18wt%W alloy is tending towards homogeneous with the increase of annealing temperature;the grain size of the alloy increases from 6.80 nm to 12.56 nm when the annealing temperature rise to 500 ℃;the harden phase Ni4W is precipitated after annealed at 300 ℃,400 ℃and 500 ℃;the microhardness of the alloy increases gradually after annealing at low temperatures and reaches the maximum at 300 ℃,then decreases with the increase of the annealing temperature.


The analysis of the pull-in of magnetostatic micro-devices(MMD) has been done using quasi-static assumptions traditionally.The models established are not exact enough because of the dynamic characteristics of the devices.So it is necessary to establish the dynamic models,which will be more suitable to the normal and could help the design and control of the micro-devices.Based on the energy balance equations,the dynamic pull-in characteristics of two MMD with the step input magneto motive force are analyzed,with the reluctance of the magnetic core m considered and the effect of system damping neglected.The results indicate that as to the parallel-plate device,the critical dynamic pull-in displacement of the mobile part is 1.5 times that when quasi-static pull-in occurs;as to the torsional device,the critical dynamic pull-in angle increases with the decrease of m,and changes from 1.29 to 1.46 times that when quasi-static pull-in occurs.The critical step inputs MMF of the two MMD are about 91.9% and 91.2% the quasi-statically predicted pull-in MMF of each MMD respectively.


1 Nat Med. 2015 Feb;21(2):159–165. Intestinal FXR agonism promotes adipose tissue browning and reduces obesity and insulin resistance Sungsoon Fang, Jae Myoung Suh, Shannon M. Reilly, Elizabeth Yu, Olivia Osborn, Denise Lackey, Eiji Yoshihara, Alessia Perino, Sandra Jacinto, Yelizaveta Lukasheva, Annette R. Atkins, Alexander Khvat, Bernd Schnabl, Ruth T. Yu, David A. Brenner, Sally Coulter, Christopher Liddle, Kristina Schoonjans, Jerrold M. Olefsky, Alan R. Saltiel, Michael Downes and Ronald M. Evans Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, USA. Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA. Metabolic Signaling, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland. ChemDiv, Inc., San Diego, California, USA. Storr Liver Unit, Westmead Millennium Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, USA. The systemic expression of the bile acid (BA) sensor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) has led to promising new therapies targeting cholesterol metabolism, triglyceride production, hepatic steatosis and biliary cholestasis. In contrast to systemic therapy, bile acid release during a meal selectively activates intestinal FXR. By mimicking this tissue-selective effect, the gut-restricted FXR agonist fexaramine (Fex) robustly induces enteric fibroblast growth factor 15 (FGF15), leading to alterations in BA composition, but does so without activating FXR target genes in the liver. However, unlike systemic agonism, we find that Fex reduces diet-induced weight gain, body-wide inflammation, and hepatic glucose production, while enhancing thermogenesis and browning of white adipose tissue (WAT). These pronounced metabolic improvements


THE present communication is the first of a series, designed to supplement our knowledge of the osteology of the Ophidia. A few years ago, the author (Mahendra, 1932) submitted a short paper " On the Genetic Relationships of Olhidian Families " to the Indian Science Congress, and he tried to show— amongst other points—that the family Uroßeltidce is closely allied to the families Typhlopidce and Glauconiidce, and that the family Boidce, contrary to Boulenger's belief (1893), cannot be regarded as the most primitive family of snakes. Since that time, he has made much further study of this question of affinities, and although the facts have remarkably borne out his conclusions, he has felt it necessary to add more details to the already known osteology of the Ophidia. In the present series, he selects representative species from each family and describes their endoskeletons in order to supplement our knowledge about them, reserving discussional remarks for the end. Typ hi ops braminus, the species selected first for an osteological examination, comprises small, worm-like burrowing snakes, fairly common all over India and found also in Southern China, the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago, Arabia, Africa south of the Ëquator, Madagascar, the Islands of the Indian Ocean and Mexico. When full grown, this species reaches a length of 7 inches (Boulenger, 1890) or a little more (vide infra). Most laymen regard it as the young one of a snake rather than as an adult creature and are afraid of it, even though its minute mouth and microscopic teeth incapacitate it for inflicting a bite on human beings. I am especially indebted to Prof. N. M. Antani for much help in the preparation of the photomicrographs, and to the authorities of St. John's College for the generous encouragement they give me in my work. I am also indebted to the Director, Zoological Survey of India, for lending me the necessary journals in this connection.


The invention discloses a method for dynamically modifying a cellphone software package, which comprises: modifying property and/or property value information of a jad file; the kjava cellphone software package is: through compiling an interface function of a module waiting to be upgraded, adding the interface function into the kjava cellphone software package where the module waiting to be upgraded is needed to be added; in the kjava cellphone software package, parts other than the interface function are mixed up and packaged; decompressing the kjava cellphone software package, modifying property and property value information of a jar file, and packaging the modified jar file; modifying information describing the jar file in a jad file, finding the interface function of a module waiting to be upgraded, adding a code for realizing the module waiting to be upgraded into the kjava cellphone software package, as well as mixing up and packaging the kjava cellphone software package. Application of the invention can conveniently and effectively modify the cellphone software package.


Our institute has gradually formed our own characteristic curriculum system since we implemented bilingual teaching for international trade major.A survey is conducted among the graduated and at-school students in international trade major,in order to understand its effects and to find out its problems.Fussy math approach is used to evaluate bilingual teaching in full,make scientific and quantitative description for further improving bilingual teaching in international trade major.


A procedure for the design of a novel small slot antenna is presented. Using this method enables us to achieve a perfectly matched antenna with a fairly high efficiency for a given arbitrary small size. The miniaturization is achieved by terminating the short slot by an inductor. Inductive loading is realized by coiling the shortened slot line with a length of less than a quarter wavelength. Although the choice of antenna size is optional, it is subject to limitations such as antenna bandwidth and gain/efficiency. However, the directivity of this small dipole-slot antenna, in the limit, is equal to that of the infinitesimal Hertzian dipole, and its gain depends on the substrate material specifications and antenna size. Microstrip line is used to feed the antenna, which provides more stable feeding compared to coaxial feed. Then simulation results for a prototype antenna at 300 MHz as well as the input impedance and radiation pattern of the antenna are presented and compared with measurements.


The orthogonal design was used to optimize the ISSR-PCR amplification system of Cornus officinalis in four factors(the concentration of dNTP,Primers,Mg2+ and Taq DNA polymerase) at three levels respectively.Then,based on the optimal ISSR-PCR amplification system,the concentration of template DNA and annealing temperature were proposed by gradient PCR.The results showed that 1×PCR buffer,150μmol/L dNTP,1.0 μmol/L primer,2.5mmol/L Mg2+,2.0 U Taq DNA polymerase and 20~80 ng template DNA in a total volume of 20 μL were suitable for ISSR-PCR amplification system of Cornus officinalis.The optimal annealing temperature for primer UBC835 is 57.2℃.


Transportable Applications Environment (TAE), a Goddard Space Flight Center developed software management system, organizes multiple computer programs by providing user interface development tools and a stable framework for a system. It binds applications into an easily operated whole and interfaces with users. The program also lowers system development and software conversion costs by providing software and structures for commonly recurring user requirements. Originally developed to support image processing and remote sensing applications, TAE is now used in scientific analysis and defense systems, and as a teaching tool by private industry and government. A support office assists users. New development areas are anticipated.


Using fMRI, a core evaluation mechanism was found for aesthetic judgments with add-on neural activities for moral and commercial judgments. We propose that aesthetic evaluations serve as a basic core mechanism implicitly for moral and commercial judgments.


This study documents for the first time the taxonomic composition of the nematode community and the number of free–living nematode species in Lake Varano, Southern Adriatic Sea, Italy. The nematode community was mainly composed of species typical of fine sediments that usually prevail in transitional environments (TEs). An overall high number of nematode species was recorded (55), belonging to 36 genera in 17 families. These values are highly comparable to those reported for other Italian TEs, but appear lower than those recorded in other European brackish–water systems, probably in relation to the low salinity range of Lake Varano. Forty taxa were identified up to species level, thus increasing the number of the nematode marine species known for the Italian coasts from 443 to 463, for the Adriatic basin from 310 to 313, and for the Southern Adriatic sector from 37 to 77. Considering the importance of this phylum in the assessment of ecological quality and the great vulnerability of the Adriatic Sea ecosystems, an intensification of sampling efforts should be planned, especially in the Central–Southern part of the basin. Such a plan would provide new insights into the biogeography of one of the most important components of the benthic domain and potentially yield new information about the climate warming effects on the Adriatic Sea.


286 Background: Immunotherapy (IO) appears to benefit a subset of patients (pt) with mCPRC, with recent data showing disease control > 6 mo in 11% of patients (De Bono et al ASCO 2018). We interrogate cfDNA/cfRNA from pt with mCRPC to ascertain relationships between AR and IC markers, and offer preliminary correlation with response to IC inhibitors (ICIs). Methods: Pt in this series were on active therapy for mCRPC and received cfDNA/cfRNA assessment for 26 analytes using the CLIA-certified NantHealth LiquidGPS platform during the course of routine clinical care. For this assay, 10 mL of blood were separately collected in DNA and RNA stabilizing solutions, respectively. DNA was amplified via mutant allele-specific blocker or allele-specific PCR assays. Wild type (WT) DNA was PCR amplified in an area where mutations had not been detected, and allele fractions were determined by the ratio of mutant to WT alleles. RNA was reverse transcribed to cDNA using random hexamer primers and amplified via gene specific assays relative to a stably expressed housekeeping gene, beta actin. Results: 103 pt were tested, median age 74y (range, 51-95). Expression was elevated for AR in 41%, and for AR-V7 in 3% pt. cfRNA detected expression for PD-L1, CTLA4, LAG-3 and TIM-3 in 60%, 52%, 72%, and 81% pt respectively. There was no strong association between AR and PD-L1 expression (Rho = 0.03, P = 0.77), or coincidence of detectable levels (OR = 1.4, p = 0.43). AR expression weakly inversely correlated with expression of CTLA4, LAG-3 and TIM-3. In 2 pts responding to ICI therapy, markedly increased PD-L1 and CTLA4 expression was noted. Multiple additional pts are receiving ICIs and correlation between expression of AR/IC markers and response will be presented. Conclusions: Unlike within the tumor microenvironment,expression ofcirculating AR and IC markers are independent biomarkers offering potentially more specific insights into combination versus sequential strategies for AR-directed tx and IO. Our preliminary observation of elevated circulating IC makers in the context of ICI response in mCRPC will be assessed in a larger series.


The corrosion protection of Mg-Al alloys by flame thermal spraying of Al/SiCp composite coatings was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The volume fraction of SiC particles (SiCp) varied between 5 and 30%. The as-sprayed Al/SiCp composite coatings revealed a high number of micro-channels, largely in the vicinity of the SiC particles, that facilitated the penetration of the electrolyte and the subsequent galvanic corrosion of the magnesium substrates. The application of a cold-pressing post-treatment reduced the degree of porosity of the coatings and improved the bonding at the coating/substrate and Al/SiC interfaces. This resulted in improved corrosion resistance of the coated specimens. The effectiveness of the coatings slightly decreased with the addition of 5-30 vol.% SiCp compared with the unreinforced thermal spray aluminium coatings.


The article explores Hans Kelsen's theory of just war (bellum justum). It addresses the question of how and why the leading modern positivist thinker in fact embraced a key natural law theory, the concept of just war. In exploring this question, it collates the Viennese philosopher's views with those of Polish late Middle Ages philosopher and lawyer, Paulus Vladimiri, who developed his own version of the bellum justum doctrine. In the first step, an outline of Paulus Vladimiri's views on just war is presented. Secondly, the article offers an overview of two key theses of Kelsen's theory of international law in order to provide the necessary context for his use of the term bellum justum. Next, the analysis moves to answering the question of whether Kelsen's position might in fact be described as naturalist. In the last part, the article adds to some criticism of Kelsen's use of the term "just war". The conclusion underlines the points of intersection between the two doctrines. Although Kelsen's attempt to harness the just war tradition within the confines of his own pure theory of law seems to have largely failed, it exemplifies a degree of universalism of the just war tradition and its potential for transcending divisions among schools of legal and philosophical thinking.