This paper presents a novel embedded real-time fisheye image distortion correction algorithm with application in IP network camera. A fast and simple distortion correction method is introduced based on Midpoint Circle Algorithm (MCA) which aims to determine the pixel positions along a circle circumference based on incremental calculation of decision parameters. Although only the vertical is rectilinearised, experimental results show that our correction method based on MCA is efficient and effective. In particular, our method can be applied without considering planar checkerboard, iterative fitting of model parameters, complex computation, or traditional lookup tables. Therefore, our algorithm is suitable for embedded camera platform without any extra hardware resources.


A decoding algorithm, based on Venn diagrams, for decoding the (23, 12, 7) Golay code is presented. The decoding algorithm is based on the design properties of the parity sets of the code. As for other decoding algorithms for the Golay code, decoding can be easily done by hand. >


Beacon systems and methods are provided. This system ranges configurable beacon, providing a scheme and a method to be able to select whether to broadcast information in the vicinity thereof, or another device or allow the same to interact smart user's discretion to. In some implementations, mobile or smart phone device, the beacon based device with a configurable range allows the option for either user-initiated interactions with the operation or beacon device beacon device, at the mobile or smart phone device it is possible to infer the information that is meaningful with respect to applications running. .FIELD 1


Abstract : The FLO/FLO is a concept ship that could support the MPF(F) squadron with responsibilities such as skin to skin interfaces, LCAC and EFV deployment and recovery, and LCU interface. The goal of this study was to test the FLO/FLO concept ship 1:60 scale model in the NSWCCD 140 foot basin at two specific loading conditions, LCAC operations and EFV recovery, and irregular head seas to determine the amount of deck wash, the wake, and seakeeping characteristics with two transom configurations. Testing included observations made with and without a stern extension at four velocities in Sea States 2 and 4. In the EFV ballasting condition, the model had increased weight, drafts, and trim angles to create a beach like transom to efficiently recover the vehicles. Less ballast is required for LCAC operations and the model was at its lightest. The stern extension was the largest factor in the model performance. The model fitted with a stern extension had decreased water entry lengths and better seakeeping results. Results of the testing will help to determine future stern configurations and modifications necessary to increase the overall capabilities of this concept ship.


We congratulate Segar et al. (1) on their prediction of hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) in type 2 diabetes, which confirms our previously published finding (2). Indeed, we have used a more sophisticated approach (machine learning, left truncation, time-varying risk factors, parametric proportional hazard) with a superior predictive capability (5-year c-statistic >0.80) for Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) patients without heart failure at baseline. We have risk equations not just for HHF and other cardiovascular events, but for a wide range of complications of diabetes, including microvascular complications. …


A substantial body of evidence from climate modelling studies, and supported by proxy records shows changes in hydroclimate associated with changes in AMOC strength across Eurasia. Variations in SST and latitudinal shifts in the ITCZ, lead to changes in southern European precipitation, the Indian monsoon and possibly the East Asian Monsoon. We have added new text to reflect this. responses observed at different locations. The climate model results suggest that the gradual changes in SST and precipitation in western Iberia during the final part of HS4 were linked to the gradual AMOC recovery. The simulation further shows the impact of regional changes in sea-ice on Greenland temperature. We suggested that the abrupt nature of the transitions in d 18 O of G. bulloides , reflect rapid temperature changes in its optimum habitat. The difference with alkenone SSTs may indeed reflect seasonal or depth differences, but it is not clear.


In this paper a new method is presented for the geometric model definition of a car suspension mech anism without disassembly of the suspension. This method i s based on the coordinate measurement of reference points on e ach part in the mechanism for various load cases. These measure ments allow the computation of part displacements in the operating mechanism. Using this information, the authors prop ose an identification method for each of the common joint that can be found in car suspension mechanism. A numerical vali dation of these methods is led on a pseudo McPherson suspensi on. *†‡§


The aim of the present study to evaluate mathematics literacy in Turkey based on the Turkish report of the 2015 PISA test from the perspective of mathematics teacher candidates' opinions as well as to discuss recommendations for solutions. The study is a special case study, the participants of which are 19 mathematics teacher candidates at Necmettin Erbakan University, Ahmet Kelesoglu Education Faculty. The teacher candidates' opinions were elicited by means of sub problems consisting of open-ended questions. With the current study, it was concluded that changes and reforms need to be made in the Turkish education system, that the teachers, who play one of the key roles in the education system, are not adequately qualified and thus need to be open to changes and novelties and participate in professional development activities, and that students' parents also need to undertake some responsibilities. Article visualizations:


This paper reports student perceptions from a traditional classroom section and a blended-learning section of an MBA accounting course. Blended learning course delivery offers an attractive mix between traditional classroom and purely online delivery by including a limited number of in-class meetings during a semester. The results suggest that tradeoffs continue to exist, but that blended learning may close some gaps between traditional and purely online delivery. For instance, blended-learning students had more positive group work experiences and had more positive perceptions of the instructor's feedback and responsiveness to questions outside of class. However, blended-learning still falls short in terms of sufficiency of interaction. Importantly, blended-learning students value having some in-class time and tend to believe that the benefits of having a few class meetings outweigh the costs in terms of time and energy. The study yields important initial information regarding the appropriate number of class meetings to include in a blended-learning course.


Carbon nanospheres (CNSs) were synthesized from commercial activated carbons and cooking oil as carbon precursors using simple pyrolytic process and then were used as anode materials of lithium secondary batteries Prior to the synthesis of CNSs, a series of Fe catalysts supported on commercial activated carbons were prepared by two different methods, namely impregnations and adsorptions. The effect of preparation method on the characteristics of CNSs were then studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) , transmission electron microscope (TEM) and BET surface area measurements. Preliminary electrochemical measurements of as-synthesized CNTs were carried out using cyclic voltammetry instruments at constant scan rate to see the mechanism of Li-ion insertion and extraction into/from CNSs structures during cycle tests.


Summary. Due to their extremely small size and low concentration, the carriers of magnetization in limestones are usually identified through indirect rock magnetic methods. This paper describes a method for extracting tiny ferromagnetic grains from consolidated calcareous rocks and summarizes a scanning electron microscope (SEM) investigation of magnetic phases from several palaeomagnetically important pelagic limestones. Details of surface characteristics and elemental composition are readily accessible with the SEM and complement normal rock magnetic experiments in giving a more complete assessment of the major ferromagnetic phases, their origin, and the timing and acquisition of magnetization. The results confirm many indications of the indirect methods and introduce several important new features. In addition to detrital titanomagnetite, diagenetic titanohaematite and iron sulphides, there is a significant contribution by authigenic microcrystalline haematite, detrital cosmic spherules, chromian spinels, and skeletal titanomaghaemite.


The adverse effects of introduced birds and mammals on native taxa and ecosystems in Hawaii have been long term, widespread, and severe. Impacts began at least 1,500 years ago with colonization by the Polynesians and their flora and fauna, and continued with their increasingly severe disturbance to the landscape, especially below 500 m elevation. Problems accelerated with the arrival of continental man in 1778, and continue to the present day with suspected deliberate releases of birds that threaten native species as recently as 1982. Alien vertebrates can affect native biota through predation, competition, depredation, and habitat degradation. Negative impacts can be subtle or dramatic, but evidence of importance is manifested in large percentages of extinct and rare taxa. In this paper, adverse effects of major bird and mammal introductions are outlined where possible for islands, vegetation zones, and rare taxa. Although much remains to be learned, suggestions for reducing negative effects of alien vertebrates can be made. These include: Enforcement of efficient quarantine procedures; sufficient support for enduring and complete vertebrate damage control programs (including research, management, and monitoring) on lands managed for preservation of native Hawaiian ecosystems and taxa; development of multiple and adaptable methods of vertebrate damage reduction; preservation and management of the most intact areas remaining in Hawai'i; and cooperation and communication among the agencies and special interest groups (including developers and conservationists) in land use planning on regional bases. Cooperative approaches, effective education and communication about the value of protected areas, and the increased usefulness of such areas for all citizens, are seen as particularly important in reducing continued damage to Hawai'is remaining native ecosystems by alien vertebrates.


Objective To determine whether cord blood IgE predicts the development of asthma and other IgE-mediated allergic diseases in infants at a certain time.Methods Total cord blood IgE level of a certain infants were measured using Flouoroenzymeimmunoassay UNICAP100Ra(PharmaciaUpjehn),et al.The infants were followed up by telephone or were asked to come to clinic.The atopic diseases such as dermatitis,recurrent analyzed statiscally.Results Many factors have significent effects on cord blood IgE and atopic diseases of the infants,such as enviromental factors,genetic factors and so on.Conclusion the results tell that the infants who have high cord bloof IgE are apt to atopic diseases,especially dermatitis and urticaria.Cord bloof IgE with the family history have high positive values in predicting the atopic disease of the infants.


This paper presents review of literature on global software development "G.S.D" and the use of agile methodologies in GSD. Three major themes were identified from extant literature on GSD: performance of global software development, governance related issues and software engineering process related issues. Further analysis of literature on agile methods and GSD showed that repertoire of methodologies spanning the various types of agile methods were applied related to agile methods that could be spliced or combined and tailored appropriately to produce optimal performance in the context of GSD. However, empirical studies addressing GSD-Agile fit were not found and as such require more attention in future studies.


The dynamic technological advancement brought around increasing use of electronic communication. Net as a medium is endowed with unique characteristics that has assisted the growth of e-commerce and in turn increased use of net-based sales promotions. For this study net-based promotions are defined as those sales promotion offers which are announced on internet and are to be availed either/ or online/ off-line. The paper examines the characteristics, practices, prospects and risks of consumer sales promotions through this medium. To gain insight into current practices, consumer sales promotion on three different sites, general, specialised and e-commerce sites were studied. The most frequently promoted product categories across sites were apparel, phones, airlines, books, and watches. Price-off followed by free gift offer was the most commonly used type of net- based promotions. Managerial issues relating to product, design and communication are discussed.


Lane detection belongs among many others crucial tasks which an autonomous vehicles traveling in urban roads need to take care of. We present a lane detection method which uses particle filters combined with visual information from onboard camera to control the vehicles direction. Our initial experiments shows promising results as applied and tested in urban roads with focus on real-time data processing.


For years,the low efficiency of extracurricular activities has been a conspicuous problem,perplexing both teachers and students.Therefore,it has become a priority to raise the efficiency of students' extracurricular activities in the present educational reform.In the light of the modern philosophy of science education and its requirements,we should establish the modem student-based view of extracurricular activities,optimize extracurricular activities design,improve both the quality of extracurricular activities,improve the efficiency of feedback and appraisa1.


The image crisis of organization comes from the imcompatibility whth the related environment. Since time is the scarce reource during crisis, it is very important to utilize the favorable elements while elitiminating the unfavorable elements. It is well believed that the management and operation of these favorable elements can help to solve the problem of organization image in crisis.


An experimental study was conducted to investigate the melt rheological properties of mineral wool fibre (MW) reinforced polypropylene / low density polyethylene (PP/LDPE) blend having different mineral wool fibre loading ranging from 5 to 15 weight per hundred of blend. Rheological measurements at shear rate range 10 1 -10 4 s -1 were made on a MCR capillary rheometer at 220 °C. Composites were mixed at 220 °C by using a single screw extruder. The effect of mineral wool fibre concentration on shear stress, melt viscosity, shear rigidity, recoverable shear strain data were presented and discussed. A change in slope in presence of mineral fibre is observed in shear stress versus shear rate curves near the critical shear rate range 2 x 10 2 s -1 . The study showed that the melt viscosities increased and melt elasticity decreased on increasing the fibre concentration. Recoverable shear strain (S R ) reduced on loading of mineral fibres in the blend and showed nonequilibrium behaviour. Shear rigidity (G) increased with the increase in fibre loading.


In this paper, simulation approach is used for determination of the monthly unit cost of energy generated from standalone PV (SAPV) power system in Imo State. The meteorological data used in the study are compiled from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) worldwide meteorological database. The meteorological data include 22-year monthly and annual averaged insolation incident on a horizontal surface (kwh/m2/day) and 22-year monthly averaged air temperature. A hypothetical electric load demand data of 5000 kWh per day is used for the simulation. The PVsyst industrial PV system planning software solution was selected to model and simulate the entire PV system. PVSyst uses life cycle cost analysis approach to determine the investment cost and unit cost of energy generated from SAPV system. According to the results, the average total energy supplied to the user (load) in a year is 1751 kWh. The economic analysis result shows that the total annual cost of energy is 246760 Naira per year at a unit cost of 141 Naira per kWh. Also, the highest unit cost of energy of 168.6 Naira/ kWh occurred in August whereas the lowest unit cost of energy of 132.7 Naira/ kWh occurred in October. The idea presented in this paper is useful for smart grid, dynamic energy pricing and energy cost management system.


Abstract Plausible mechanistic interpretations of the major ions formed in the mass spectrometric fragmentation of a number of sulfenamides and related derivatives are presented. High resolution mass spectrometry was used to determine the composition of most of the ions investigated.


This review emphasizes responses of the host to ectoparasite attack. Emphasis is on those ectoparasites that are more closely associated with their hosts, but some attention is given to host responses to hematophagous Diptera because the subject has been researched in some detail. The scope includes hematologic and clinical manifestations of infestation, arthropod antigens and host antibodies raised against them, manifestations of antigen-antibody interaction, histopathologic reactions of skin to arthropod feeding and acquired resistance to arthropods, genetics of host resistance, economic effects of parasitism, and speculation on the nature of innate and acquired resistance to ectoparasites.


Reducing noise in quantum systems is a major challenge towards the application of quantum technologies. Here, we propose and demonstrate a scheme to reduce noise using a quantum autoencoder with rigorous performance guarantees. The quantum autoencoder learns to compresses noisy quantum states into a latent subspace and removes noise via projective measurements. We find various noise models where we can perfectly reconstruct the original state even for high noise levels. We apply the autoencoder to cool thermal states to the ground state and reduce the cost of magic state distillation by several orders of magnitude. Our autoencoder can be implemented using only unitary transformations without ancillas, making it immediately compatible with the state of the art. We experimentally demonstrate our methods to reduce noise in a photonic integrated circuit. Our results can be directly applied to make quantum technologies more robust to noise.


The authors attempted to show that the values of shear velocity, u*, computed by using four different estimation methods are in close agreement. There is no need to do so. Theoretically in openchannel flows they are not the same. Before further discussion it should be noted that wall shear, J0, is a measurable flow quantity whereas shear velocity is a defined parameter. The 'friction' slope corresponding to shear velocity is not the same but only a part of the flow resistance, following the momentum concept rather than energy concept. (Yen, 1991). The resistance coefficient is also a defined parameter, e.g., Eq. 1 for f. Direct measurement of local wall shear is not a simple task, only a few researchers succeeded (O'Loughlin, 1965; Petryk and Shen, 1971). Usually the local J0 is estimated from measured velocity profile over the depth. The first three methods in the paper belong to this category. The logarithmic method in the paper is based on the existence of the logarithmic velocity distribution that is valid for the overlapping region between the inner and outer laws of boundary layer (Rouse, 1959). If the pressure gradient is noticeably different from the favorable (uniform flow) gradient, a pressure gradient parameter should be added to the U/u, function. Conversely, the parabolic method in the paper is based on the velocity-defect (outer) law of boundary layer theory. In this region the velocity distribution reflects not only the shear stress at the lower end of the outer law region but also the channel side wall effect. Again a pressure gradient parameter is needed if it is different from favorable. The velocity distribution and Umax in the upper portion of the flow depth is affected by the lateral secondary current generated by the channel cross sectional shape. Even for wide open channel there are secondary velocity cells along the lateral direction. Without accounting for the geometry effect the value of estimated u, is expected to be different, however small, from that of the logarithmic method.


In Sec. 3.2 of the main text, we presented the physically valid space of β c , and identified its dependencies. Compared to β c in [1] of main text, we noted that β B c was also sensitive to Sc(λ), but only weakly. To clarify, β c does vary with Sc, but it varies more with ambient light E (implicit in B∞) which becomes increasingly monotonic with depth, making spectral dependence less important. To demonstrate this, we compiled the response of 74 cameras (Fig. 1a, black curves show light at the surface and 10m depth), and calculated the β c locus (Fig. 1b&c). This dataset shows that despite the large variation across sensors, search space is reduced to the same part of the β c domain. The source of camera response curves are given in Table 1.


The present invention provides a controlled release pharmaceutical composition comprising a core comprising a pharmaceutical active ingredient, wherein the controlled release pharmaceutical composition is coated with an ethanol resistant imparting coating layer having the effect of imparting a release profile of the pharmaceutical active ingredient such that the core is resistant to the effects of ethanol. It is about. The coating layer comprises a polymer portion consisting of a water insoluble neutral vinyl polymer or vinyl copolymer, and an amino methacrylate copolymer, and an excipient portion consisting of a lubricant, an emulsifier, a plasticizer and optionally a cellulose compound.


Hybrid carbons/metals/metal (metalloid) oxides composites could be effective adsorbents for low– and high–molecular weight compounds, polar and nonpolar, gaseous and liquid. The presence of metal nanocrystallites and carbon nanostructures could provide catalytic properties in redox reactions. For more effective use of hybrid composites, their morphological, structural, textural, and adsorption characteristics should be appropriate for target applications and, therefore, well controlled. Therefore, the aim of this study was to synthesize carbon/metal/silica nanostructured composites with varied content of metal (Ni) to control the mentioned characteristics. Precipitated silica Sipernat 50 was selected as a substrate. Potato starch was used as a carbon precursor. Nickel nitrate (Ni(NO3)2·6H2O) of varied amounts was used as a precursor of Ni nanoparticles reduced upon the starch carbonization. After the starch carbonization and Ni reduction, a set of C/Ni/silica samples was studied using atomic force microscopy, X–ray diffraction, X–ray fluorescence spectroscopy, nitrogen and p-nitrophenol adsorption, thermogravimetry, and Raman spectroscopy. The presence of nickel phase results in the formation of smaller but denser packed char nanoparticles. Estimation of possible contribution of pores accessible for nitrogen molecules in silica globules and outer surface of carbon/Ni particles suggests that the carbon phase is porous that provides a significant part of the specific surface area of the composites. Amorphous silica and char phases are characterized by the presence of certain nuclei of radius (R) < 1 nm and 2 nm < R < 10 nm estimated from the XRD patterns using full peak profile analysis with a self–consistent regularization procedure. Ni crystallites are of several sizes, since particle size distributions include two–three peaks in the range of 3–13 nm in radius. The Raman spectra show that the main changes with increasing Ni content are characteristic to sp3 carbon structures (D line) in contrast to the sp2 structures (G line). The pore size distributions (both differential and incremental) demonstrate complex changes in a broad size range due to increasing Ni content in composites. As a whole, changes in the Ni content in nanostructured C/Ni/silica composites allow one to control the morphological, structural, and textural characteristics of the whole materials.


By means of osmotic shock and repeated washing,the purified microbodies fromC.tropicalis 79 were divided into two fractions,i.e.microbody membrane fractionand microbody soluble fraction.About 70% of toral microbody protein was found inthe membrane fraction and 30% in the soluble fraction.Two different types of catalase were detected in microbodies by starch gel ele-ctrophoresis with prussian blue staining.By SDS-PAGE analysis,the microbody membrane was resolved into 25 polype-ptides,and the soluble fraction into 21 polypeptides,ranging from 14K to 140K inmolecular weight.Of these protein subunits,the 33K-polypeptide was a major struc-tural protein of microbody membranes.Using high resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis,about 110 spots werevisible for the microbody membrane fraction,and 59 spots for(microbody) thesoluble fraction.The turnover of microbody proteins in the growing course of C.tropicalis 79was studied by crossed immunoelectrophoresis.The results showed that during earlylog-phase rowth (18 hours) microbodies from this yeast matured and began to bedegraded after 36 hours.


The article analyzes the evolution of views on the concept of epidemiology in various phrases, provides a critical rationale and assessment of individual groups of definitions of epidemiology, presents a substantiated description of new scientific directions in epidemiology. Additions and changes to the existing structure of epidemiology have been developed and proposed, taking into account modern scientific data on infectious and somatic pathology. The formation of new directions in epidemiology has significantly enriched it not only in scientific but also in applied terms. The section epidemiology of infectious diseases forms the fundamentality of the science of epidemiology, which is constantly developing, which cannot be said about non-infectious epidemiology. Taking into account current trends, the author proposes his own vision of the modern structure of epidemiology as a science. The epidemiology of noncommunicable diseases is still at a lower stage of development than the epidemiology of infectious diseases. It lacks a full-fledged theoretical basis, both in general and in individual sections. There is no epidemiological terminology generally accepted in world medical science.


The effect of a finite bandwidth driver on hot electron production near the lower hybrid frequency is studied experimentally. The heating rate slowly decreases and the threshold for hot electron production slowly increases with the increasing driver bandwidth.


Smallbone, et al.: Learning Science: Pūtaiao Science Education International ¦ Volume 28 ¦ Issue 3 200 science as well as traditional physical and spiritual Māori knowledge. In Te Ao Māori (the Māori world), the physical world is inextricably linked to concepts such as Kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and is not separate from the original story of Ranginui or Papatūānuku. Originally, as McKinley (1996) discusses, Pūtaiao was written as a separate document. As Rofe et al. (2015) explained the Wharekura curriculum is a direct translation of the English version, effectively making the Pūtaiao document redundant. Pūtaiao now exists within the New Zealand curriculum just as a translation of "science." In TMoA, Pūtaiao included four strands: • Te Ao Tūroa (natural world). • Ahupūngao (physical world). • Kawekawe (material world). • Ngā Tautake Pūtaiao me ngā Kōrero-o-Mua (philosophy and history of science). The partnering English version of the curriculum was very similar, but unlike Pūtaiao, science generally excluded the spiritual aspects or aspects seen as "unscientific" among much of the Western Scientific community (McKinley, 1996). The philosophy of science is not taught as part of the mainstream science curriculum, but Stewart (2011a) states that through a deeper understanding of the nature of science, the curriculum would be able to support a Māori viewpoint. In 2007, The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007) was mandated, and there has been a parallel TMoA curriculum for Māori medium schools. The mainstream science curriculum consists of five strands: • Nature of science strand • Living world strand • Planet earth and beyond strand • Physical world strand • Material world strand. In this review, the word "science" refers exclusively to the Western subject taught most commonly in New Zealand mainstream schools. As science and Pūtaiao are not the same, the terms will be used separately and will refer to the teaching of the subject through different cultural lenses in different cultural contexts. Osborne et al. (2003) conducted a Delphi study in an attempt to determine which ideas about science should be included in high school science curricula. Although a United Kingdom study, it provides an overview of the science understanding that the expert community of science have felt is important for the general population to have. The study of Osbourne et al. discussed the various concepts around "science," and the different ways of seeing the subject. When discussing Pūtaiao, the same notion applies. There are multiple ways to understand science and Pūtaiao provides an opportunity to teach science from a Māori point of view (Wood and Lewthwaite, 2008). Osbourne et al. (2003) suggest that there is no definition of "science" as such referring to the "science wars" and the debates over the level of influence society and culture has on the community's definition. METHODOLOGY The literature review was conducted mainly using the research tool Papers 3, which conducts a cross-database search and allows articles to be downloaded into a library. The library is then able to be sorted and categorized in different ways. We began by selecting key terms such as Pūtaiao, science, and curriculum development. As we read each of the articles, we then tagged them with prominent themes and ideas that were common across the literature. These tags formed the basis of the work that followed grouping similar themes together. In addition, we made use of Te Waharoa, the Victoria University library database. To double check our research, we mainly used Te Waharoa when searches returned very few results. Doing so meant that we were able to check, whether it was the app that was not finding articles or if we needed to change search terms to better reflect the topic. We organized the papers into categories. The app also allows you to view certain groups in the literature, so we were able to determine the number of articles used. In total, this review covers 26 articles. The following search terms were used most often with varying combinations: Pūtaiao, science, Wharekura, Kura, teaching, learning, and challenges. As certain academics emerged as being more prominent, we also searched their work separately, for example, Elizabeth McKinley and Georgina Stewart. Elizabeth McKinley and Georgina Stewart are well-known and acknowledged leaders within the field of Kura and Pūtaiao. Stewart's work often involves a philosophical perspective of science, education, and Pūtaiao. Other inclusion/exclusion criteria were also set to narrow the search results. Specifically, peer reviewed original journal articles form the bulk of the research included, although there is also one thesis and two reports. Book reviews, news articles, and books were excluded. Studies published from 1996 to 2016 were included because it was intended that they be as recent as possible, Pūtaiao being a relatively recent development within the main education sector. Only items written in English were considered. Titles and abstracts in the search results were read to determine whether a piece of literature was relevant to this research, and to what extent. These were considered broadly to ensure that relevant studies were not missed. With the use of the above-mentioned search terms, 60 articles were gathered but as already noted; only 26 articles were considered to be relevant to this research. The others needed to be excluded, mainly because they explored teaching Māori students in mainstream schools, rather than Pūtaiao in Kura, and because many of them were more concerned with cultural competencies, which is also a topic that relates more to mainstream schooling. The existence of the issue of Māori student underachievement has been thoroughly covered (Glynn et al., 2010; Henderson, 2013) and to emphasize this further was not the intention of this review. Consequently, while searching, we focused on research concerning solutions and teacher professional development in Māori science or Pūtaiao. The literature that has been selected includes several studies that relate to overseas education including those of Australian Smallbone, et al.: Learning Science: Pūtaiao Science Education International ¦ Volume 28 ¦ Issue 3 201 aboriginal peoples and Canadian indigenous groups. These could be used to inform similar studies here in Aotearoa. However, although similar, it is unlikely the results would be identical due to history and other influences Māori in New Zealand schools/Kura are in a different position to most other indigenous groups. In most other countries that have given some recognition to their indigenous people, New Zealand is unique in giving equal status to Māori. Educationally Kura, a state supported system, has been set up for teaching in Te Reo Māori. This would be a lot more difficult in countries such as Canada or Australia was there are many indigenous languages. Studies within the mathematics domain (or Pāngarau) were also left in during the search process, and one remains in this review. In keeping with the assumption that mathematics and science are related subjects, these studies are included with the understanding that they have the potential to be adapted to have a science focus. The citations of some key articles were also searched to source other relevant literature. The references in one article could be used to find other articles. To present a clear overview of the literature, the review will cover the literature in categories: What Pūtaiao is the methodology we used, and the teaching and learning of Pūtaiao. The Pūtaiao curriculum will also be discussed at the three stages of education: Early childhood, primary, and secondary. The literature that investigates the various challenges faced by educators and students of Pūtaiao are also examined. Access to articles was a limiting factor as we were restricted to the databases and literature to which Victoria University of Wellington had access. TEACHING AND LEARNING PŪTAIAO As noted, Georgina Stewart and Elizabeth McKinley are wellknown and acknowledged leaders within the field of Kura and Pūtaiao studies (McKinley, 1996, 2005; Stewart, 2005, 2007, 2011a, 2011b, 2012). Scantlebury et al. (2001) argued that science education is inequitable, and as a domain it has promoted the Western understanding of what science is. Woods-McConney et al. (2011) analyzed questionnaires and Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data to gain a deeper understanding of factors involved in indigenous (Māori and Australian) and non-indigenous student engagement in science. The article acknowledges that both Australia and New Zealand generally perform well in international comparisons (such as PISA), but that there is a recognized achievement gap between indigenous and nonindigenous students. In New Zealand, attempts are being made to increase Māori achievement in science (see, for example, Office of the Auditor-General, 2016). Woods-McConney et al. (2011) argue that science programs need to encourage student autonomy as well as be directly authentic and relevant to students' lives in order for them to engage. Woods-McConney et al. further suggest that relevant content is particularly important for indigenous students. However, not all scholars agree with this position. Lourie and Rata (2014) argue against culture-based education. In examining the Māori curriculum, Lourie and Rata state that a curriculum based on sociocultural knowledge rather than disciplinary knowledge results in some Māori continuing to underachieve. Lourie and Rata used three types of empirical material: The Māori curriculum, degree programs from Wānanga, and vignettes representing students making subject and career choices. Highlighting the limited options a student schooled entirely in Kura Kaupapa may have for career and university, Lourie and Rata's argument relates to the challenges faced in Pūtaiao, specifically the language issues that


The world's first nuclear powered, wireless power and temperature sensor was demonstrated in Penn State's Breazeale Nuclear Reactor during the last week of September 2015. The sensor consisted of a thermoacoustic heat engine powered by nuclear fission designed to acoustically telemeter temperature and neutron flux information. The acoustic frequency of operation and the amplitude of the acoustic signal were proportional to the temperature and the reactor power respectively. The proof-of-concept tests were conducted in the research reactor twice daily over five days. Sensor performance was as expected with the exception that the amplitude of the acoustic signal diminished after each test. In this paper we will present our "wet sock" theory that a seal weld isolating the thermal insulation from the reactor coolant at the hot end of the thermoacoustic sensor failed early in the testing. This allowed water to be drawn in each time the thermoacoustic sensor cooled down reducing the efficiency of the insulation...


The article examines the epistemological roots of conservative ideology, development trends and further prospects in political reform not only in modern Russia, but also in other countries. The author focuses on the "world" and Russian conservatism. In the course of the study, the author illustrates what opportunities and limitations a conservative ideology can have in political reform not only in modern Russia, but also in the world. In conclusion, it is concluded that the prospect of a conservative trend in the world is wide enough. To avoid immigration and to control the development of technology in society, it is necessary to adhere to a conservative policy. Conservatism is a consolidating ideology. It is no coincidence that the author cites as an example the understanding of conservative ideology by the French due to the fact that Russia has its own vision of the ideology of conservatism. If we say that conservatism seeks to preserve something and respects tradition, we must bear in mind that traditions in different societies, which form some kind of moral imperatives, cannot be a single phenomenon due to different historical destinies and differing religious views. Considered from the point of view of religion, Muslim and Christian conservatism will be somewhat confrontational on some issues. The purpose of the work was to consider issues related to the role, evolution and prospects of conservative ideology in the political reform of modern countries. The author focuses on Russia and France. To achieve this goal, the method of in-depth interviews with experts on how they understand conservatism was chosen. Already today, conservatism is quite diverse. It is quite possible that in the future it will transform even more and acquire new reflections.


Clinical and laboratory evidence suggests that transplantation of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) may prove beneficial in the treatment of patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization. In this report, we review the clinical results of surgical excision of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization in the presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome (POHS), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and other disorders. We show that postoperative atrophy of the subfoveal choriocapillaris, which is present in 90% of AMD eyes and 37% of POHS eyes, is an important prognostic factor in visual recovery after subfoveal surgery. Because the RPE is frequently removed with the choroidal neovascular membrane, atrophy of the subfoveal choriocapillaris may be caused by absence of the RPE. In view of these considerations, we developed an animal model to understand the effects of RPE removal on the overlying retina and underlying choriocapillaris. These experiments show that atrophy of the choriocapillaris develops in ...


Through the comprehensive survey for the complex geological structures in Sitai district,Datong,it is investigated that the growth regularity of the geological structures in survey area.The results show that the comprehensive survey method is very effective to detect the geological small scale structures in digging zones or working faces.


High‐resolution x‐ray diffraction has been used to characterize Si/GaAs superlattices grown on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. A typical superlattice structure consisted of ten periods of thin (<5 A) layers of pseudomorphic silicon alternating with thick GaAs layers; typical GaAs thicknesses range from approximately 100 to 1850 A. X‐ray rocking curves showed sharp and intense satellite peaks (out to 22 orders in one case), indicating a high level of structural quality. Excellent agreement has been obtained between the observed diffraction patterns and those calculated via dynamical simulation. Structural models in which the silicon exists as 2.7 A bilayers with interfacial Si/GaAs alloy transition layers of either monolayer or bilayer thickness fully describes the observed diffraction patterns.


As much as I personally regret the UK's decision to leave the EU, we cannot close our minds to the uncertainty it brings with it and to the changes that will need to be made, particularly in the financial sector. On the contrary, all stakeholders, chief among them banks and regulators, should be actively tackling these issues. In the current situation, which is fraught with uncertainty, adopting a wait-and-see attitude and hoping for the best is not the right strategy. Or to put it another way: "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."


Four month ago, nobody knows about covid-19 but now this virus has spread to almost every country, infecting at least 3,062515 people and death approx 211449 people with badly impact on economies of the most countries and also broken their health-care systems. At this time covid-19 disease is almost spreading all over the world and society. Majorly Pharmacy services act as a pillar at this pandemic situation for the public health. China is the first country where covid-19 outbreak started and some current data of consumer behavior and their habits are showed that society take some safe and preventive measures during lockdown and social distancing time which increase growth of ecommerce demand is inevitable. Now a day's e-pharmacy is being adapted because medications can be ordered in a one click and conveniently delivered to customer door step with some risk like misuse of drugs and self-medication especially for those drugs which comes under the schedule H and X. This review paper focus on the basic issues and challenges related to online pharmacy and how can it be beneficial to society and pharma sectors in the pandemic situation.


Slides from a presentation on CCNE Academic Program Reaccreditation and library services given at the 2014 Spring Meeting of the Association of North Carolina Health and Science Libraries (ANCHASL) in Wilmington, North Carolina. (http://www.anchasl.org/)


The paper analyses and summarizes automatic product ion line of graded crush ed stone of Qinsheng passenger transportation special line, puts forward some ex isting problems needing further improvement in production equipments of graded c rushed stone, for example, match and making of equipments, existing problems in installation of equipment, water content control of graded crushed stone and so on. By production and construction practice, the author learns from experience t hat distribution of automatic production of graded crushed stone will affect dir ectly economical and social benefit of enterprises.


Objective: To prepare anti-allergy Liniment, and study the determination method of the principal components contents of Chlorpheniramine maleate and Vitamin C, in order to control its quality. Methods: Anti-allergy Liniment was prepared based on the prescription, the two principal components, Chlorpheniramine maleate and Vitamin C, were separated out using their dissolvability in Chloroform, the contents of which were determined respectively with ultraviolet spectrophotometry Results: More than 96% Chlorpheniramine maleate and 97.5% Vitamin C were recovered from the anti-allergy Liniment prepared. Conclusion: The ultraviolet spectrophotometry is convenient and easy to determine the two principal components contents after they are isolated, thus the method can be used to control the contents of principal components in anti-allergy Liniment.


A filter–lens array (FLA) is a planar array of bandpass integrated antenna–filter–antenna (AFA) elements which are stagger-tuned in the vicinity of a centre frequency, so as to provide the phase shift required for transforming spherical and planar wavefronts. Due to the filtering response of the AFA elements, FLA presents a bandpass gain and can act as a combination of a conventional lensarray and a filter. An FLA structure is demonstrated with f/D=1.25 and 8.2% bandwidth at 35 GHz. This FLA is composed of 137 AFA elements and fabricated on two three-inch glass wafers ($\epsilon_{r}=4.45$). A gain of 25.6 dBi and a total efficiency of 45% have been measured at 35 GHz. The Ka-band FLA shows a low-loss scanning performance for up to at least ±30° in the H-plane and ±20° in the E-plane.


An investigation on Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor was carried out from September 2007 to October 2008 in Ghorkhod & Behkadeh Reserve, northeastern Iran. The area is the main buffer habitat around the core (source) population in Golestan National Park, but it suffers severe depletion of natural prey species due to lower level of protection measures, and is probably a sink population. We conclude that to ensure corridors and buffer zones, the most urgent and achievable solution is perhaps to designate additional "No Hunting Areas"and to implement anti-poaching measures, which may help the regional Persian leopard population to survive under a meta-population framework.


In this article, we present a detailed chemical analysis of seven red giant members of NGC 6553 using high-resolution spectroscopy from VLT FLAMES. We obtained the stellar parameters (Teff, Log(g), vt, [Fe/H]) of these stars from the spectra, and we measured the chemical abundance for 20 elements, including light elements, iron-peak elements, α-elements, and neutron-capture elements. The metallicities in our sample stars are consistent with a homogeneous distribution. We found a mean of [Fe/H] = −0.14 ± 0.07 dex, in agreement with other studies. Using the α-elements Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti, we obtain the mean of [α/Fe] = 0.11 ± 0.05. We found a vertical relation between Na and O, characterized by a significant spread in Na and an almost non-existent spread in O. In fact, Na and Al are the only two light elements with a large intrinsic spread, which demonstrates the presence of multiple populations (MPs). An intrinsic spread in Mg is not detected in this study. The α, iron-peak, and neutron-capture elements show good agreement with the trend of the bulge field stars, indicating similar origin and evolution, in concordance with our previous studies for two other bulge globular clusters (NGC 6440 and NGC 6528).


In order to achieve the path precise identification of the small automatic line-tracking vehicle and make the system operate without sacrificing speed,a image acquisition system is developed.It is composed of CMOS digital camera OV6620 and Freescale microcontroller MC9S12XS128,using dual static RAM IDT7008 as the data buffer to realize the optimization of system.Moreover,the optimum threshold of image segmentation based on iterative algorithm and medium filtering algorithm is presented,which improve the anti-jamming capacity of the image edge detection and the edge localization accuracy,enhance the image smoothness.The system edge positioning accuracy can reach more than 80%.It is proved that the image acquisition system is simple,reliable,cost-effective,easy to debug,greatly reduces the image acquisition and processing time by the experiments.The system application in the small automatic line-tracking vehicle has achieved good results.


Montane forest ecosystem characterized by frequent cloud or mist inundation are considered highly vulnerable to climatic change. Despite this, there is a paucity of long-term studies assessing community change within these important ecosystems. We present the first comparative analysis of corticolous bryophyte diversity over 15 years in high elevation forests of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, south-east Queensland, Australia. We found limited evidence of change in species richness across the five isolated stands of microphyll fern forest studied. However, we document considerable species turnover within corticolous bryophyte communities with a large and coherent pattern of change in the liverwort flora in particular (43-62% species turnover). Liverworts, but not mosses, also exhibited strong spatial patterns in species assemblages that likely correspond to varying exposure to orographic moisture associated with south-easterly winds. We postulate that microclimatic factors are stronger determinants of liverwort assemblages than moss assemblages in this system and that documented directional change in liverwort communities is a response to temporal fluctuation in moisture inputs from orographic cloud that are not discernible from precipitation records.


Radiopacity is a requirement for dental restorative materials that permits evaluation of the integrity and adaptation over time to the restoration of the tooth structure. This work was to investigate amount of fillers and radiopacity of flowable resin composites using scanned radiograph images. Radiographs of samples (8 mm diameter and 1 mm thickness) were taken with a dental x-ray at 60 kv, 7 mA, for 0.32 sec. exposure time, with a target-film distance at 40 cm. After development, dental films (Kodak D-Speed) were scanned for digitalisation and average gray value was recorded for every sample using Image J software. Percentage of filler by weight and volume were assessed by combustion analysis. The filler percentages of the flowable composites determined was ranged from 52.26 to 69.74 wt%. All materials investigated were more radiopaque than dentin and two materials were more radiopaque than enamel. The usage of low radiopaque materials should be avoided because it may lead to incorrect diagnosis. Future flowable resin composites are recommended to have higher radiopacity than dentin and perhaps ideally similar to or slightly higher than that of enamel for improved clinical detection. Digital imaging could be an alternative to transmission densitometry for the evaluation of the radiopacity of dental composites.


The use of the internet and mobile phones in building effective, democratic, eGovernance systems has not lived up to its early promise. This paper suggests that an understanding of social issues and insights into the ways in which people use and interpret technologies can lead to an appreciation of which amongst available technological solutions to use and how to use them. In other words, using technologies with certain specific characteristics, in itself may not be enough to build effective or "smart" systems of governance and needs to go hand in hand with understanding the social problems and issues being addressed.
 Drawing on an experimental project involving the use of mobile (sms) technology in garbage collection in a small, marginalized community in New Delhi, India, the paper seeks to outline a model for local e-governance. At a conceptual level, the model builds on "Activity Theory", or the idea of gaining social understanding by studying the "activities" of the people involved. Technically, the paper suggests the incorporation of social aspects into the "information model", or the entities, relationships, rules and information flows that constitute the system.
 At an implementation level, it suggests ways to engage with and involve local communities to understand the social dynamics. It then suggests mechanisms on how to translate this social understanding into the technological blueprint (the information model) of the system.


Language extensions increase programmer productivity by providing concise, often domain-specific syntax, and support for static verification of correctness, security, and style constraints. Languag...


The relevance of the research topic lies in the fact that in the modern world there is a clear distinction between law and non-law. The study of R. Stammler's works reveals a new variant of approach to this issue. The aim of the study is to analyze the classical theory of natural law and the theory of "revived law" of Rudolf Stammler. In the domestic literature there are practically no works on the legal doctrine of the thinker, which makes the pre-sent study valuable for modern science. R. Stammler created a formula of the legal ideal, which is based on the evaluation of right or wrong conclusions. The approach to law developed by the thinker can be called neo-Kantian, as it reinterprets the philosopher's ideas concerning natural law. In addition, it seems to be systematic for the development of this direction in science. It is emphasized that the R. Stammler's concept can be used in lawmaking of the Russian Federation.


This paper presents the results of two experimental studies on metal truss plates which are used to join members of wood trusses. The first study investigated the effect that less than full tooth penetration has on the behavior of metal truss plates. A series of tension and shear tests were conducted on specimens with partial and full tooth penetration. The purpose of the second study was to investigate the shear buckling behavior of truss plates which may occur when a significant part of the truss plate is not in direct contant with wood truss members. This frequently occurs in parallel chord floor and roof trusses.


Pedestrian fatalities have been increasing in the United States over the past decade; in 2021 they reached a 40-year high and together with an increasing number of bicyclist fatalities surged to over 8,400 vulnerable road users (VRUs) killed by motor vehicle crashes. There is widespread recognition of the link between passenger fleets transitioning from sedans to SUVs and pick-up trucks and the increase in vulnerable road user fatalities. Larger light-duty vehicles generally have larger blind zones, and larger blind zones are prominently linked to crashes with vulnerable road users. Heavy-duty commercial trucks, which comprise only four percent of vehicles on the road, are disproportionally associated with over eight percent of vulnerable road user deaths. With direct vision unregulated in the United States, there is a limited domestic market for large trucks with high direct vision despite research showing that one-quarter of the approximately 620 annual truck-involved pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities result from low-speed maneuvers with impaired direct vision and could be prevented by higher vision truck cabs. Communicating the seriousness of this problem is critical. This methods article presents an easy-to-use tool designed to give the public and fleet managers information to assess vehicle safety by quantifying driver blind zones using whatever driver eye positions are thought to be most applicable and with the option to standardize said eye position. Previously, measures of the percentage of volume surrounding the vehicle that cannot be seen or the number of people outside the vehicle that can fit in the blind zone could only be made with specialized instrumentation. The web-based application described, VIEW or visibility in elevated wide vehicles, can be used by anyone with a camera and access to the internet to obtain within approximately 15 min a reasonably accurate measure of the blind zone size, considerably faster than manual measurement methods. This article details the app usage procedure as well as the validation work conducted. In summary, the safety culture around SUVs, pickup trucks, and heavy-duty commercial trucks may change if drivers had an easy-to-use method to determine how much situational awareness they would be missing before they purchased a particular vehicle.


This work shows that through careful design of shock wave experiments and microstructural examination of recovered material a seemingly contradictory response of TiB2 under the compressive and release stress states, and under tensile loading due to interaction of two rarefaction waves can be understood.


The Triassic reservoir in the Jinan area of Tarim Oilfield consists largely of interbedded sand and shale. Because of the large overlap between sandstone and shale impedance, it is difficult to distinguish sandstone from shale by acoustic impedance alone. Compared to acoustic impedance, elastic impedance contains more lithologic and physical information of the reservoir. Based on meticulous well-tie calibration, elastic impedance data volumes for 10°, 20°, and 30° emergence angles are obtained using pre-stack elastic impedance inversion. A non-linear statistical relationship between elastic impedance and shale content is set up by a PNN neural network. The non-linear mapping relationship is used to predict the reservoir shale content from elastic impedance, which will depict and predict the reservoir oil-bearing sands.


The authors consider a narrow divertor layer, on the assumption of anomalous (Bohm)coefficients of plasma transport across the magnetic field. It is established that the plasma parameters in sucha divertor are affected significantly by the re-cycling of matter from the wall in the form of neutral atoms and by the anomalous plasma viscosity. Account is taken of the cooling effect of the secondary processes occurringon the collector plates. The system of hydrodynamic equations describing the plasma is solved analyticallyand numerically, and the plasma density and temperature distributions in the divertor are found. The behaviour of impurities sputtered from the first wall is discussed. It is shown that at high specific thermal fluxes to the wall, which are necessary for the economic feasibility of a tokamak reactor, a narrow divertor iscapable of maintaining a sufficiently low impurity concentration in the working volume and would enable theunburnt fuel and helium to be removed from the reactor


The democratization of Post-Soviet states in past two decades is the subject of this academic study. The main question of this research is that why most of the Post-Soviet states haven't gone through successful transition to democracy. Five countries; Azerbaijan, Belorussia, Georgia, Lithuania and Uzbekistan are the cases of this study to analyze and evaluate as empirical part of this work. I haven't chosen the countries that have standard and equal level of success or failure. For instance, Lithuania is among those countries that have gone through quite successful process of democratization, whereas others have similar or different problems hindering the full-fledged democratization across the Post-Soviet area. In some other cases, such as in Georgia the transition has not been fully successful but some measures of democracy are considered to be existent in state institutions and society. Several hypotheses have been developed throughout this study all arguing the preconditions that lead to democratization, then these hypotheses are checked if they are applicable in the cases used in this study. The conclusion is that not all these hypotheses are correct in every single case and each case study has its own characteristic causes that lead to failure or success in transition to democracy.


Gm, A2m, and Km allotypic markers were examined in 40 Caucasian patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. Serum IgA levels, the A2m(I) allotypic marker, and antibodies against IgA1, A2m(I), and A2m(2) were measured quantitatively. The frequency of Km(1) was found to be significantly increased in patients with head and neck cancer as compared to the control population.


Results of 21 months of experimental investigation of 120 Syrian hamsters with 9, 10 dimethylbenz (a) anthracene‐induced dyskeratoses and subsequent papillomas and squamous‐cell carcinomas, and the reaction to treatment of pulsed ruby laser are presented. In addition, tentative results of experiments with continuous argon‐ion laser radiation are presented and histopathology of the lesions is reported. Conclusions are given involving statistical analysis of the data which strongly support the hypothesis that pulsed laser radiation has an inhibitory effect on tumor growth, reducing the rate of cell division. On the basis of this work, it is postulated that an approximately eightfold reduction in mitotic rate in hamster oral tumor growth occurs, along with a decrease of incidence of tumor formation to approximately one half of control results.


ing questions regarding the nature of gender and pop culture and how readers can respond and share their thoughts with others. Each chapter concludes with a section titled Questions for Class Discussion, which encourages readers to get together to talk about the topics raised in the reading, as well as reflected in their own lives and interactions with pop culture. Juiced on direct social activism, the book's concluding chapter (ninth) continues with broader suggestions and insights as to how readers can continue to talk about, act upon, and spread the messages they have received in the text-reader outside of the classroom. Suggestions include getting involved locally and at campus events, utilising art as a form of activism, taking advantage of social media outlets, and developing an action based plan with likeminded peers – the crafting of which would be moot if the preceding chapters did not deliver upon the same message with the same gusto. As an aside, after reading the book I did get the sense that if you are more well-read in feminist theory or even communication studies, there may not be enough here that truly enlightens. Likewise, Gender and Pop Culture's scheme gives the book a tight structure, reinforced by the way the editors do little to vary the style of the book's chapters and discussion question format. Even with all its subject variety, the book does start to thematically repeat itself, particularly in its mid-section. It is my belief that some chapters could have held longer or merged together so that their meanings could sink in and provide a more complete and complex illustration of their intentions. With that being said, there is nothing terribly tricky about Gender & Pop Culture. In fact, it is probably one of the most straightforward collections you will read on the subject. But this work was not collected to be erudite. It is not feminist theory designed to stampede your cerebral cortex, nor is it verbosity written to only sort of figure out on a first read. It is a book that teaches, and at its most pedagogical, asks something of the reader. It is asking them to be in communion with one another, and importantly, to do.


Based on generator-induction motor model,the interaction between the dynamics of generator voltage and the dynamics of induction motor is analyzed.The two kinds of bifurcation(SNB and HB)and their corresponding power transmission limits are introduced.The influences of exciter gain and var compensation are considered.Results imply that the increment of exciter-gain can increase both kinds of limit,while the increment of compensation only increases the limit corresponding to SNB,but decreases the limit corresponding to HB.


Objective:To evaluate the effect of captopril in the prevention of myocardial injury induced by acute pressure overload in rats.Methods:Acute pressure overloads were made by ligating abdominal aorta in 50 male rats, and the rats were divided into three groups: 15 rats as simple operated group, 20 rats as low dose of captopril treated group,and 15 rats as sham operated group. Sham operated group was served as control. Each captopril treated rat as delivered by direct gastric gavage in a dose of 30 mg·kg -1 ·d -1 . At different time points after sugery, myocardial mechanics and metabolic enzyme(lactate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase) activity were measured, and pathologic analysis was done in each group.Results:Hypoxia injury including mitochondria swelling was obvious, activity of succinate dehydrogenase and ±dp/dtmax÷LVSP of left ventricle were decreased significantly, but the content of myocardial angiotensin II was elevated markedly after acute pressure overload.Compared with simple operation group, hypoxia injury and decreased activity of succinate dehydrogenase were inhibited and ±dp/dtmax÷LVSP were improved significantly in treated group.Conclusion:Hypoxia injury of rats after acute pressure overload can be prevented effectively with low dose of captopril.


Rabbit spleen cells cultured in medium 199 with 20% fetal bovine serum or 20% autologous serum showed no measurable supernatant factor VIII (AHF) activity. In acellular control tissue culture vials containing medium 199, 20% horse serum, and 20% autologous plasma, activity averaged 29% at the beginning of incubation and 10% after 24 hours. In all instances, activity decreased to


Commercial viability of Wave Energy Converters (WEC) depends on addressing not only the energetic efficiency, but also in solving the practical issues related to manufacturing methods, access to technology, handling, transportation and installation, operation and maintenance, impact on marine life and most importantly the cost per kW-h. The UFCAP WEC is one concept which has the potential to facilitate handling, manufacturing, and installation activities as well as to be able to lower the current wave energy cost per kW-h, however its feasibility had not been properly assessed nor proved. It consists of multiple interconnected Oscillating Water Columns (OWC) chambers, it is modular, and simple, with no-moving parts in contact with the water and can use a simpler one-direction turbine which is more economic, and more efficient than self-rectifying turbines used in most of the OWCs devices. Testing of the device to fully assess its feasibility required an ultra-low check-valve, and a customized turbine which were developed during the present work. Check-valves are widely used in the industry for medium or high-pressures, but were not available at all for largeflows with low-pressure-differences. A novel check-valve was devised for this application, along with the scaled UFCAP prototypes developed to be tested in a waveflume and in the ocean to validate UFCAPs concept feasibility, and identify critical design parameters and features such as the conduit/air-chamber ratio. Ocean tests allowed to observe performance at component and assembly levels, learning new failure-modes and stablishing best-practices for future deployments. Testing confirmed the UFCAP WEC is not only an idea, but a concept which works indeed and can solve WECs problems generating electricity at a competitive cost.


Nonindigenous species invasions have caused disruptions of native communities and detrimental economic impacts to fisheries in many temperate marine areas. However, comparatively little information exists for tropical regions, and even less is known about occurrences and impacts of nonindigenous species on coral reefs. Studies in the Tropics to date have mostly been limited to surveys in harbors and ports where corals and reef organisms are usually missing or rare and environmental conditions are usually quite different from those found on coral reefs. The few studies available for coral reefs suggest that nonindigenous species are thus far a relatively minor component of the total biota, but some species, especially introduced red algae, can be invasive and dominate reef areas. With limited information available, there is a need for studies of the occurrence and impacts of nonindigenous species that are focused on coral reef environments. This review summarizes the information for nonindigenous species from harbors, embayments, and coral reef surveys in the tropical Pacific and outlines procedures for studies to detect species introductions. THE INTRODUCTION OF nonnative marine algae, invertebrates, and fishes (hereinafter called nonindigenous species) into receptor areas where they may proliferate uncontrolled by predators or other controlling factors has become recognized as a significant disturbance to balanced native ecosystems. Nonindigenous species can rapidly monopolize energy resources, act as voracious predators, overcome endemic species, or transmit parasites and diseases that can be passed to humans through the food chain or direct exposure. Because of the serious consequences that can result from nonindigenous introductions, marine species invasions have been ranked among the most serious potential sources of stress to marine ecosystems (Carlton 1993). 1 Paper presented at the Ninth International Coral Reef Symposium, Bali, Indonesia, 27 October 2000. Manuscript accepted 5 September 2001. 2 Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, Hawai'i 96817. 3 E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Pacific Science (2002), vol. 56, no. 2:191-209 © 2002 by University of Hawai'i Press. All rights reserved In the last century, and more especially during the last two decades, human-related redistributions of marine shallow-water organisms have become more frequent and increasingly important in their impacts on native communities. Since the 1970s, a substantial increase in instances of exotic species invasion has occurred in harbors, ports, and other coastal ecosystems in temperate regions around the world (see Carlton 1985, Carlton and Geller 1993, Ruiz et al. 1997 for reviews). Such introductions have produced serious environmental and economic impacts at various locations. Table 1 summarizes a few of the more famous examples of marine bioinvasions that have disrupted temperate marine areas. These invasions demonstrate similar characteristics in having become more pervasive during the 1980s and 1990s and having occurred throughout many of the world's oceans. Although increased movement of larval organisms in cargo ships' ballast water is usually attributed to be the principal cause of these increases in bioinvasions (Carlton 1985, Chu et al. 1997, Smith et al. 1999, W onham et al. 2000), other factors such as release of imported exotic aquarium or aquaculture organisms or vessel hull fouling may also have made important contributions to non-


Thermal antioxidants were incorporated into polyethylene as solutions in the silane coupling agent N-β-(aminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane. Substantial improvements in retained concentration and induction time were observed for commercial phenolic and amine-type antioxidants on prolonged oven aging in thin polyethylene films. As an alternative to solution formation, a stabilizer was bonded directly to silicon as the organic functional group in a silane coupling agent, resulting in improved dispersion and induction time. Improvements in antioxidant retention and induction time appear to correlate with compatibility of the silane–polyethylene system.


Removal of H2S by a commercially available zinc oxide sorbent was studied using a packed-bed reactor for desulfurizing the gas produced from steam-hydrogasification of carbonaceous materials. Experimental runs were conducted to monitor sulfur removal efficiency and H2S breakthrough time for the operation variables such as reaction temperature, steam content, space velocity, inlet H2S concentration, and sorbent particle size. For the inlet gas with 45 vol % steam content, the initial sulfur removal efficiency exhibited a maximum around 636 K. Varying the steam content of inlet gas affected the equilibrium of sorbent sulfidation in a reversible way, leading to the decrease of sulfur capture capacity of the sorbent as the steam content increased. Increasing the space velocity from 8 000 to 24000 h-1 decreased sulfur capture capacity significantly, indicating the deterioration of gas−solid contact in the reactor at the increased gas flow rates. Inlet H2S concentration was varied from 100 to 800 ppmv to reflec...


We present a theory of stratified truth STμ with a μ‐operator, where terms representing fixed points of stratified monotone operations are available. We prove that STμ is relatively intepretable into Quine's NF (or subsystems thereof). The motivation is to investigate a strong theory of truth, which is consistent by means of stratification, i.e., by adopting an implicit type theoretic discipline, and yet is compatible with self‐reference (to a certain extent). The present version of STμ is an enhancement of the theory presented in [2].


In providing adaptive cruise control (ACC) in addition to the collision protector (CM) for a large vehicle, the foundation brakes is prevented to maintain a fixed time sequence behind a preceding vehicle, in order to moderate unnecessary braking activities. If the collision protection is enabled, the collision avoidance system is assigned with respect to the foundation brakes priority over other vehicle control systems to prevent a collision. A Lateralbeschleunigungsmodul monitors the lateral acceleration of the host vehicle during the operation of foundation brakes at the collision protection, and when the lateral acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold, the base brakes are locked to prevent rollover of the vehicle.


Objectives: Discuss pediatric head and neck complications of invasive pneumococcal infections including the incidence, mean hospital cost, length of stay, and admittance from the emergency department before and after the PCV7 vaccine. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the National Inpatient Database yielded (N = 31,738) pediatric incident reports involving meningitis, mastoiditis, otitis media, periorbital cellulitis, sigmoid sinus thrombosis, and bezold abscess due to invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae infections. Each report was analyzed for incidence, length of stay, mean hospital cost, and admittance from the emergency room. Finally, we calculated the expected annual incidence of each complication via least squares analysis to determine the expected incidence if the vaccine was not administered. Results: We identified a significant decrease in the incidence of all described complications after the introduction of the PCV7 vaccine and also when compared to our predicted incidence calculations. Emergency department admittance for bezold abscess, periorbital cellulitis, mastoiditis, sigmoid sinus thrombosis and meningitis were significantly increased in the pediatric age group (ages 1-4) (P < .05). Furthermore, there was a significant increase the hospital charge to provide care for each of the described conditions (P < .05). Conclusions: The PCV7 vaccine produced a measurable reduction in invasive pediatric pneumococcal complications of the head and neck. However, our data suggests these benefits were also met with increased emergency department admittance, hospital costs, and length of stay, each of which may be due to selection of a more invasive species.


Like most kids of my age and time, I was a pack rat in my youth, collecting toy cars, trucks, and tanks; comic books; baseball cards; postage stamps, and … chronological tables. Unfortunately for my later financial well-being, I kept—and kept up with—only the last. I remember little specific about the primal urge to collect these lists, but I remember enough to recall that I was entirely naive at the beginning. I wanted exotic names, exotic places, and exotic dates. Most of all I wanted dates. It did not disturb me in the least when I found out that Arakan was founded in 2666 BC, and that a complete list of its rulers until 1784 A.D. had been preserved for my edification. A strictly successive treatment of the thirty dynasties of pharaonic Egypt was infinitely preferable to new-fangled efforts to reduce this chronology by over 2000 years by shortening reigns and insisting that more than one dynasty ruled at a time. It seemed only natural to me that scores of European bishoprics were able to trace their episcopal lines right back to immediately post-New Testament times. I must have seen historical time as an infinitely replicable vacuum that needed to be filled This idyll did not last very long—a sea change was all too soon in arriving. It probably was not an epiphany, but a gradual realization that I was encountering other lists of the same offices that were replete with gaps, disagreements, and question marks rather than dates.


Distracted driving has long been acknowledged as one of the main contributors to crashes in the United States. According to past studies, driving behavior proved to be influenced by the socioeconomic characteristics of drivers. However, few studies attempted to quantify that influence. This study proposed a crash risk index (CRI) to estimate the crash risk associated with the socioeconomic characteristics of drivers and their tendency to experience distracted driving. The analysis was conducted with data from the SHRP 2 Naturalistic Driving Study. The proposed CRI was developed on a grading system of three measures: the crash risk associated with performing secondary tasks during driving, the effect of socioeconomic attributes (e.g., age) on the likelihood of engagement in secondary tasks, and the effect of specific categories within each socioeconomic attribute (e.g., age older than 60) on the likelihood of engagement in secondary tasks. Logistic regression analysis was performed on the secondary tasks, socioeconomic attributes, and specific socioeconomic characteristics. The results identified the significant secondary tasks with high crash risk and the socioeconomic characteristics with significant effect on determining drivers' involvement in secondary tasks in each tested parameter. These results were used to quantify the grading system measures and hence estimate the proposed CRI. This index indicates the relative crash risk associated with the socioeconomic characteristics of drivers and considers the possibility of engagement in secondary tasks. The proposed CRI and the associated grading system are plausible methods for estimating auto insurance premiums.


Objective To analyze the relationship of treatment between severe multiple injuries and long bone fractures and discuss the methods and optimal time to deal with them.Methods A total of 357 cases were classified by injury feature,fixation methods and treatment time for long bone fractures in patients with multiple trauma.Injury severity was assessed in 3 different levels with AIS,ISS and TRISSRTS,to control the comparability and statistical analysis in and among groups of patients with multiple trauma.Results MAIS=3.28±1.15 for long bone fractures,MAIS=4.45±1.69 for incorporated injuries,ISS=35.57±19.64 and Ps=0.67±0.29 for the whole group.Survival risk for patients was related with long bone fractures combined with site of or organs,patients with fixation of combination or mixing way had a great number of injury positions and long bone fractures and complicated traumatic condition.There were more factors to exert an influence on patients with postponed fracture fixation.Conclusion The concept of damage control should be used to treat patients according to different injury classifications,which helps to make reasonable choices of bone fracture treatment or implement by stages.


The United States is the birthplace of strict products liability, but the problems posed by defective products are an international phenomenon. In a world economy where a product may be assembled in one state, using components manufactured in a second state, and sold to a consumer living in a third, the development of choice of law rules for products liability combined with an understanding of the foreign law involved becomes essential. U.S. importers of foreign manufactured goods are concerned that they be indemnified by the foreign manufacturer for judgments against them in U.S. courts. U.S. manufacturers exporting abroad must concern themselves with the possibility of suits both in the U.S. and abroad. Insurance implications are critical as premiums for foreign products liability insurance may fluctuate dramatically as the foreign law develops.1 Almost all of the comparative literature on products liability has focused on developed Western nations. This is not surprising given the link between products liability issues and economic development. There is much less need to worry about the dangers posed by hidden defects when most goods are simple and are purchased directly from the producer. But there is no nation in the world today so primitive as not to have to deal with products liability issues. The social need for a body of law dealing with products liability is greatest in the less developed countries. The export of hazardous food, drugs and pesticides to less developed countries which have been banned from sale in the U.S. has received widespread publicity.2


Outlet air temperature can be seen as one of the main determinants of the functioning of the solar air heaters and this is one of the main features of the PCM. Variations in solar radiation can be considered a key determinant of the functioning of solar air heaters used in residential applications. Weather conditions can influence the presentation of the air heaters operated by solar energy to a great extent. Structuring of collector plates needs to be done in an effective manner by designers of air heaters used in residential applications. The contact surface of the collector plates is the other determinant of the presentation of the air heaters. A blower is one of the most vital components used in air heaters and the efficiency of the blower can improve the execution of this device. Transport fluid has been identified as a vital factor that can have a huge impact on the functioning of air heaters operated by solar energy. Air thermal capacity can be considered as the other determinant of the functioning of this device. The high cost of fluid circulation has been found as one of the negative factors in the structure and functioning of the air heaters used in residential applications.


Electricity has become an important concern in today's society. This is due to the fact that the electric grid now has a greater number of non-linear components. The AC-powered locomotive is one of these non-linear components. The aim of this paper was to model and predict the reactive power produced by an AC locomotive. This paper presents a study on the modelling and prediction of reactive power produced by AC-powered electric locomotives. Reactive power flow has a significant impact on network voltage levels and power efficiency. The research was conducted by using intelligent techniques—more precisely, by using the adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). Several approaches to the ANFIS structure were used in the research. Of these, we mention the ANFIS-grid partition, ANFIS subtractive clustering and ANFIS fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering. Thus; for modelling and predicting reactive power, ANFIS was trained, then tested. For the training of ANFIS, experimental data obtained from measurements performed in a train supply sub-station were used. The measurements were taken over a period of time when the locomotives were far away from the station, close to the station, and at the station, respectively. The currents and voltages from the supply substation, respectively the active, reactive, and distorted powers, were measured on the data acquisition board. With the measured data of the reactive power, the modelling with ANFIS was performed, and a prediction of the variation in the reactive power was made. The paper analysed the results of the modelling by comparing between several types of ANFIS architectures. The values of RMSE, RMS and the training time of ANFIS were compared for several structures of ANFIS.


With induction method the maximum bound of more than one Sperner families was investigated.Firstly,the case t=2was proved in detail.Then,the case t was discussed through some special cases of pairwise uncomplemented Sperner familes.In the process,the Kruskal-Katona theorem was mainly used.Let Ai(i=1,…,2)be a Sperner family of subsets of[n]. Ai and Aj are said to be pairwise uncomplemented,if A∈Ai and  is not a member of Aj for any i≠j.We prove that if A1,… At be t pairwise uncomplemented Sperner families of subsets of[n].Then |A1|+…+|At|≤{t{n[n/2]}(n is odd){nn/2}+(t-1){nn/2+1}(n is even) And the bounds are the most possible.


Ridge resorption is unavoidable sequelae of tooth extraction, which leads to soft and hard tissue deficiencies and formation of black triangles. Pedicled grafts inherently have advantage of intact vascular supply over free conventional grafts. A vascularized interpositional periosteal-connective tissue (VIP-CT) graft comprises pedicled connective tissue which is rotated anteriorly to the recipient site. It maintains intact vascular supply thus minimizes chances of graft necrosis and the amount of graft shrinkage. The objective of this case series was to achieve stable, esthetically pleasing pontic site using VIP-CT graft in the anterior maxillary region. In the present case series, the pontic site was developed successfully in three patients having ridge deficiency using a modified approach of VIP-CT. After soft-tissue augmentation, the site was altered by placing a cantilevered provisional ovate pontic. Once the emergence profile had achieved by molding the grafted area, permanent restoration using the adjacent implant as an abutment was delivered to patient. Esthetically pleasing anterior restorations, satisfying the patient's esthetic demands were obtained, and results were found stable up to a period of 9–24 months and thus can be concluded that modified VIP-CT is a predictable approach in anterior esthetic areas to enhance the emergence profile.


A hydrological forecasting preferred method is put forward based on dichotomous group decision to solve the combination problems of multiple hydrological forecasting.In this method,a preferred problem can be transformed into one of dichotomous group decision by using a model for calculations of decision group,decision section,ability vector,and forecasting income.In this work,parameter calibration and preferred solution were determined by decision quality,and the forecasting accuracy and influences of model parameters were analyzed.Results show that from two forecasted alternatives,the method can effectively pick the one closer to the measurement at a success rate higher than 76%,and thus it produces higher forecasting accuracy.


Phase separation in charged systems may involve the replacement of critical points by microphase separated states, or charge-density-wave states. A density functional theory for highly charged colloids at low ionic strength is developed to examine this possibility. It is found that the lower critical solution point is most susceptible to microphase separation. Moreover the tendency can be quantified, and related to the importance of small ion entropy in suppressing phase separation at low added salt. The theory also gives insights into the colloid structure factor in these systems.


In traditional Chinese medicine,a decoction or a silver needle can cure an illness.That is considered as the hint of the most ancient Holistic Integrated Medicine(HIM).In modern medicine,there are the Sandwich therapy for AIDS and individualized protocols for advanced cancers.They are also regarded as typical cases of HIM embodying profoundly person-based scientific medicine.Modern clinicians are supposed to be qualified with HIM knowledge.However,for a lot of reasons,they can not make themselves practice in accordance with HIM.The article aimed at analyzing the relationship between clinician and HIM and exploring the ways to live up to HIM in clinical setting.


The MMADHC gene provides instructions for making a protein that helps convert vitamin B12 (also called cobalamin) into one of two molecules, adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl) or methylcobalamin (MeCbl). AdoCbl is required for the normal function of an enzyme known as methylmalonyl CoA mutase. This enzyme helps break down certain protein building blocks (amino acids), fats (lipids), and cholesterol. AdoCbl is called a cofactor because it helps methylmalonyl CoA mutase carry out its function. MeCbl is also a cofactor, but for an enzyme known as methionine synthase. This enzyme converts the amino acid homocysteine to another amino acid, methionine. The body uses methionine to make proteins and other important compounds.


Hypovitaminosis D is a global health problem that affects all age groups. Pregnant women are considered a high-risk group and the condition has potentially associated maternal and fetal complications. The goal of the present review is to analyze the magnitude and consequences of hypovitaminosis D in pregnant women and the safety of vitamin D supplementation. Prevalence of hypovitaminosis D during pregnancy is very high, even in sunny countries. Maternal vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk of specific hypertensive disease of pregnancy, bacterial vaginosis, prematurity, gestational diabetes mellitus, osteomalacia, and muscle weakness. It has also been linked to prematurity, low birth weight, and fetal infectious complications. Due to potential maternal and fetal complications, it is extremely important to achieve adequate vitamin D levels prior to pregnancy. During pregnancy, it would be prudent to monitor serum vitamin D levels and implement preventive measures to reduce maternal and fetal morbidity. No consensus exists in the medical literature regarding vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women.


SUMMARY. A competitive radioimmunoassay using monoclonal anti‐D antibodies has been developed for measuring anti‐D activity in prophylactic immunoglobulin preparations. The assay is totally specific for anti‐D, reproducible and gives potency estimates comparable to those determined using autoanalyser methodology. The assay also provides a means for comparing different batches of monoclonal anti‐D preparations for red‐cell binding activity.


In this paper we consider the multiscale analysis of a Steklov eigenvalue equation with rapidly oscillating coefficients arising from the modeling of a composite media with a periodic microstructure. There are mainly two new results in the present paper. First, we obtain the convergence rate with $ \varepsilon^{1/2} $ for the multiscale asymptotic expansions of the eigenvalues and the eigenfunctions of the Steklov eigenvalue problem. Second, the boundary layer solution is defined. Numerical simulations are then carried out to validate the above theoretical results.


With the analyses of the space interpolation algorithms,the contour generation algorithm based on mobile camber fitting was discussed.Contour linear inner interpolation and smoothness output algorithms were optimized.The algorithm program based on VC++ was compiled then.Through the contour generation experiments with simulation data,both the advantages and shortcomings of the algorithm were analyzed,and the precision of the generated contour was discussed.The precision indicates that the algorithm is feasible and effective.


During the Colonial Period, Maya communities underwent significant social and religious transformations. This paper investigates how the Maya communities of Lamanai, Belize maintained resilience in the 16th century. By examining ethnohistorical and archaeological evidence at Lamanai, especially zoomorphic effigies at two Christian churches, the study demonstrates that resilience was not solely a product of human agency but also arose from engagement with other species and materials. Drawing influence from process philosophy, this paper redefines resilience as a dynamic and creative process encompassing active adaptation, reorganisation, and transformation. It argues that the ability to cross boundaries is essential to resilience. Maya communities were able to transcend the boundaries of properties, entities, realities, and cultures, which enabled them to re-envision their relationships with others and the world. Boundary-crossing allowed them to navigate complex changes with ease and integrate diverse cultural elements into their identity, ultimately fostering resilience in the face of colonial challenges.


Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to examine the linkages between negative life events (e.g., exposure to community violence and personal challenges) and antisocial behaviors. The participants are 170 African American male adolescents, who resided in urban communities in the United States. The results supported the hypothesis that exposure to community violence mediates the relation between African American male youth's personal challenges and antisocial behaviors. Thus, the personal challenges that many African American males face may have direct linkages to antisocial behaviors. But, without examining the context in which African American adolescent males grow up, an incomplete story is chronicled.


Cloud computing has gained popularity in recent years and is modernizing the internet computer architecture. Mobile applications and gadgets are also rapidly transforming. As the acceptance and functionality of mobile devices have increased recently, Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) has attracted a lot of research interest. As mobile technologies progress, new compute-intensive tasks are quickly appearing. On mobile devices, though, these tasks are challenging to complete due to resource restrictions. By conducting an operation in the cloud and then transmitting the result to the user's mobile device, cloud transportation is utilised to solve this issue. A prototype MCC offloading system used in this analysis offers an adaptable MCC service that takes into consideration a variety of cloud services, including mobile ad-hoc networks, cloudlets, and public clouds. They describe a context-aware offloading with effective cloud migration decision making algorithm in this analysis, with the goal of providing code offloading decisions and compute-intensive tasks at runtime on selecting wireless medium and which potential cloud resources as the offloading location based on the device context. Whether a function is on a cloud server or a mobile device depends on the decision-making process around its transfer. Also examined how well mobile and cloud execution performed, demonstrating how using a cloud server can speed up task execution. To evaluate the effectiveness of the presented algorithm, they also run actual experiments on the system that has been put into place. Based on the various mobile device contexts, the system and embedded decision algorithm are able to select suitable wireless mediums and cloud resources, resulting in a significant performance boost, according to the findings.In this case, the presented algorithm will outperform other approaches in terms of execution time and energy consumption in this analysis.


A small fraction of Kepler telescope exposures are rejected because of transient, excess background in the field. The patterns of illumination vary from broad streaks to diffuse patches, sometimes filling the focal plane. Examination of such images and their temporal variation shows that they can be attributed to nearby particles crossing the field-of-view of the telescope. Most of the particles appear to be receding. The visual appearance and frequency are consistent with the "debris storms" reported by STEREO SECCHI observers and which they found to be coincident with meteoroid impacts. In addition, a few events, lasting several hours each, appear to be caused by more distant extended sources, possibly the remains of comet dust trails. The tracking cameras, located at the opposite end from the telescope's entrance, and pointed at roughly right angles to its line-of-sight, also detected moving light sources. Their behavior was consistent with the main telescope sightings. Future missions requiring precise, uninterrupted photometry and pointing may benefit from understanding this phenomenon and mitigating it by design and data analysis.


W hen a champagne bottle is opened, dissolved gases in the fluid form bubbles that can drive a fizzy jet. Similar bubble formation can cause damage in a soft material or biological tissue experiencing rapid decompression. In experiments improvised at home because of COVID-19 lab closures, Yansheng Zhang and colleagues at the University of Cambridge, UK, have observed behavior in a soft gel that challenges existing models of bubble dynamics. They show that decompression does not produce round cavities as expected but, instead, produces gas-filled crack patterns that resemble the fracture seen in a brittle material. The finding could inform ways for designing materials to inhibit crack growth and provide a predictive tool for biological and geological systems.