In this paper, we propose a novel method of orientation analysis for seismic image. Unlike conventional methods of orientation estimation with a context window, our method is inspired by the neural mechanism of visual perception in the biological brain. In the brain, the primary visual cortex contains orientation columns, which is composed of an array of simple cells as orientation detectors. A log-Gabor filter with a specific orientation and scale configuration simulates the neuronal mechanism of the simple cell, while an array of such orientation detectors simulates the neuronal responses of the orientation columns. The resulting orientation is derived at the pixel level of the input seismic image: the neuronal response of each simple cell competes with other cells in the same orientation column for the same pixel, and the winning neuron with maximum response defines the perceived orientation. We applied the proposed method to seismic interpretation to analyze the orientation patterns, and it also can be used as a general image orientation analysis tool.


Purpose
The objective of this systematic literature review (SLR) is to explore the current state of research in the field of household finance (HF). This study aims to summarize the existing research to highlight the importance of household finance in a nation's economy. By exploring all conceptual and applied implications of HF, this study projects directions for future research to develop a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

Design/methodology/approach
This SLR is based on 112 articles published in peer-reviewed journals between 2006 and 2020 (Table 3). The methodology comprises five steps, namely, formulation of research questions, identification of studies, their selection and evaluation, analyses and syntheses and presentation of results.

Findings
The findings of this study show that studies on HF are gradually increasing worldwide with the USA registering the highest number of published research on the topic during the period under scrutiny. Notwithstanding the increasing attention and research on HF, empirical research in emerging economies is lagging. Additionally, this study finds that HF structure presents a perfect setting to understand how households compose their financial portfolio, make financial decisions and what factors influence their decisions.

Research limitations/implications
This study is an SLR – an accurate and accepted method of reviewing available literature on a selected subject. However, the selection of inclusion and exclusion criteria depends on the researchers' rationale which might lead to research bias. This should be considered an inherent limitation of SLR.

Practical implications
By synthesizing the contents of extant literature, this study presents important insights into HF. This study underlines the most discussed topics in the domain and identifies potential investigation areas. This study gives the knowledge of leading articles, authors and journals and informs scholars and academicians about the areas that need further investigation by portraying the complete picture of the subject in a systematic manner. Further, this study highlights that households make suboptimal financial decisions that affect their financial well-being. To reduce the adverse impacts of these decisions, policymakers and financial institutions must take steps to improve households' use of formal financial markets. Household decisions can be reformed by enhancing consumers' knowledge about financial products and services. Furthermore, households can be served better by offering customization in traditional financial products.

Originality/value
This study synthesizes the main findings of selected literature on HF. The expansion of studies on HF has generated the need to review the existing literature in a systematic manner. To the researchers' best knowledge, this SLR is the first thorough study of available articles in the HF domain. This study presents the scope of future research by highlighting numerous aspects and functions of HF.


We present the results of the numerical analysis for the wave drag reduction by a single pulse energy deposition in the supersonic flowfield around a sphere. The wave drag for the sphere is reduced as a result of the interaction between the blast wave produced by the energy deposition and the bow shock developed in front of the sphere. We have investigated the interaction mechanism and the drag reduction effect by the pulse energy deposition. The optimal energy deposition conditions to obtain the maximum drag reduction effect are found by the parametric studies varying the amount and the location of energy deposition. It is also found that the drag reduction effect is proportional to the freestream Mach number under the constant energy deposition condition.


If ever the fingers refuse to hold a pen as you might hold my hand in yours, take it and don't let go. Trace the lines with your fingertips until I can feel again. Kiss our palms until your pulse is next to mine. If ever my fingers refuse and words from my lips are poems searching for the page, I want your ear to be the ledger each syllable seeks. This is the way to keep on despite failure. This is how the story still sings.


Vacuum deposition of Hg0.8Cd0.2Te has been studied using both flash evaporation and separate molecular beams of the components. At substrate temperatures near 100°C there is considerable reevaporation of mercury from the growing layer. Consequently, deposition at these temperatures by flash evaporation of Hg0.8Cd0.2Te gives layers that consist of Hg1−xCdxTe with x>0.2, together with a second phase of unreacted tellurium. This effect imposes restrictions upon the use of flash evaporated layers for the study of composition‐dependent properties. The loss of mercury may be compensated, either by adding a source of mercury to the flash evaporation system, or by using separate molecular beams with the mercury in excess. These techniques were used for growth at temperatures as high us 150°C. The conditions needed for growth of single phase Hg0.8Cd0.2Te are in agreement with a simple model for evaporation of mercury from the growing surface. Layers grown in the temperature range 70°–150°C are all n type with extr...


Microscopic observations and quantitative analysis of the microstructure image were used to analyze the solidification course and morphology evolution in polyphase eutectics in the AlSi casting alloys with transition metals Fe and Mn. The utility of the analytical test procedures was demonstrated. It was stated that their precision and repeatability should be improved. Further works on quantitative morphological coefficients used as objective discriminators of the particular morphological form of phase constituents should be continued. Nevertheless, obtained results of the microstructure image analysis indicated that in a concentration range of transition metals: Fe 0.5−1.5 wt. % and Mn 0−0.5 wt. %, the total Vv of the eutectic intermetallics has increased with a total content of the transition metals (Fe + Mn). In both group of alloys hypoand eutectic the final results of the competition between phases αc-AlFeMnSi, αH-AlFeSi and β-AlFeSi have been explained as affected by non-equilibrium microsegregation of Fe, Mn and Si in solidifying liquid, and by the actual value of the Fe/Si coefficient. Preferences for αc-AlFeMnSi phase were reinforced by a decrease in the value of Fe/Mn coefficient.


As leaders differentiate subordinates at work, subordinates vary in how much they can acquire from leaders. A high-quality relationship with leader means a valued resource channel to subordinates. Such channel not only benefits their work, but also their family. This study investigates how the quality of leader-member exchange (LMX) relationships influences subordinates' family performance by focusing on the mediating role of work-to-family enrichment (WFE) and the moderating role of work-home segmentation preference. The results of a three-wave, multi-source survey indicated that WFE mediated the positive relationship between LMX and family performance. In addition, work-home segmentation preference weakened the LMX¨CWFE relationship and strengthened the WFE¨Cfamily performance relationship. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.


Aging is a worldwide phenomenon and represents a growing concern for public health systems. In this context, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease (AD) have a high prevalence among the elderly. Early diagnosis of AD allows early treatment and improves patient's quality of life. In this paper, we propose a clinical decision support system (CDSS) to aid physicians in diagnosis of AD and related disorders: Dementia (D) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). For each case, the system exhibits the most probable diagnosis, the most relevant health records and unobserved health records that could confirm such diagnosis. Moreover, the system has the ability to refine its decision model using the final diagnosis reported by physicians. The system can offer to physicians a friendly user interface designed for smartphones. The proposed decision support system is flexible and adaptable to different contexts, since it allows new neuropsychological tests to be included and its decision model to be adapted automatically. Clinical cases from Center for Alzheimer's Disease (CAD) of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) were used as the training dataset for the proposed supervised learning method. Preliminary tests using clinical cases from Antônio Pedro University Hospital (HUAP) of Fluminense Federal University (UFF) showed that the proposed CDSS decision model achieves good performance (accuracy of 0.94 for D and 0.85 for MCI) by a computational method that evaluates several classifiers and selects the best for each mental disorder.


Objective To investigate the value of tissue Doppler imaging(TDI)in evaluating left ventricular synchronicity and cardiac function in patients with permanent cardiac pacing.MethodsFifteen patients with implanted bipolar DDD pacemakers for treating sick sinus syndrome were enrolled in this study.The left ventricular systolic and diastolic synchrony and functionwere assessed by TDI and colour Doppler echocardiography in the AAI,DDD and VVI modes at 5min and 3 months.Results Compared with DDD and VVI modes,TS-SD and TD-SD in AAI modewere lower(P0.05).No significant differences were found in VS-m and E/A at 5min and 3months.There were no significant differences in the parameters of left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),Em/Am and E/Em among AAI,DDD and VVI modes after 5min(P0.05),however,the stroke volume(SV)was decreased in VVI mode(P0.05).The values of LVEF in AAI,DDD and VVI modes were(70.90±12.99)%,(65.75±6.49)% and(60.25±7.13)% at 3 months,respectively(P0.05).DDD mode and VVI mode decreased diastolic function compared with AAI mode after pacing for 3 months(P0.05).Conclusion The TDI as a technique for the evaluation of ventricular synchronicity and cardiac function is objective and precise.


Civically and politically interested individuals often use the Internet to facilitate and augment their civic and political participation. At the local level, such people also use the Internet to communicate and share information with fellow members of the local community groups to which they belong. In doing so, local groups help to create awareness and draw citizens into public deliberation about local issues and concerns, not only offline (a role they have played for many years) but also online. This research examines the interplay of individual-level and local group-level factors through an analysis of household survey data from the town of Blacksburg, Virginia, and surrounding areas in 2005 and 2006. It seeks to reconcile different levels of analysis—individual and group levels—relating to the use and impact of the Internet on civic engagement. This study identifies the distinctive influences at both the individual level and the community group level by applying a multilevel statistical model (specifically, the hierarchical linear model). First, at the individual level of analysis, this study found that internal and external political efficacy and community collective efficacy were significant individual-level factors explaining the Internet use for civic and political purposes. Second, at the group level of analysis, community group Internet use—which includes listservs, discussion forums, and blogs, among other emerging Internet technologies—and group political discussion were revealed as key influences on citizens' perspectives on the helpfulness of the Internet for civic and political purposes. Finally, in multilevel analysis, when taking individual-level variables into account, the group-level variables (group Internet use and group political discussion and interests) are positively associated with the views of the helpfulness of the Internet in connecting with others in the community and becoming more involved in local issues.


We report a detailed study of the Te vapor annealing effect in Fe1+yTe0.6Se0.4 single crystals. Bulk superconductivity can be gradually induced by annealing with increasing amount of Te, until the molar ratio of Te to the sample reaches \(1 : 10\). By further increasing Te molar ratio, superconducting volume is gradually reduced. Resistivity and Hall effect measurements manifest that annealing in Te vapor delocalizes the charge carriers by removing excess Fe. The optimally Te annealed crystal shows homogeneous critical current densities with a large value of \({\sim}4.3 \times 10^{5}\) A/cm2, which proves that the Te annealing is effective to induce bulk superconductivity in Fe1+yTe1-xSex.


This article aims to describe the development and evolution of the airports and air transport industry in
Colombia. During the past fifteen years Colombia has witnessed a remarkably rapid and dynamic growth in air transport.
This period coincides with the establishment and continuous implementation of public policy specifically designed for the
air transport sector and airports.
Design/methodology: The evolution of air transport in Colombia is evaluated descriptively through the analysis of air
transport and socio-economic historical data. The impact of public and investment policies is analyzed through a causeeffect
approach.
Findings: This paper describes how the air transport/airport industry in Colombia has been directly and positively affected
by the implementation of public policies and other legislation, while measuring the effect and impact of this industry on the
Colombian economy.
Originality/value: This work fills a notorious deficiency in specialized literature concerning air transport in Colombia and
Latin America in all its aspects and dimensions.


The modulation depth required for the detection of sinusoidal amplitude‐modulation applied to a white noise carrier was measured as a function of modulation frequency, giving temporal modulation transfer functions (TMTFs). The modulation frequency was 4, 16, 64, 256, or 1024 Hz. Measurements of intensity discrimination thresholds for white noise were performed as a control task. In both tasks, white noise stimuli had a 2‐s duration and were presented monaurally at 75 dB SPL. Two adult listeners with left‐ or right‐hemisphere damage and three normal‐control adult listeners were tested in each ear. Lesions encompassed the primary auditory cortex in the two patients. All listeners had normal audiometric thresholds. The modulation detection data showed no sign of ear asymmetry. For all listeners, the TMTFs displayed a typical low‐pass characteristic. Modulation detection was 10–14 dB poorer‐than‐normal at modulation frequencies between 4 and 256 Hz in the patient with left‐hemisphere damage. In contrast, modu...


The method of managing the staff where abouts and the creation of reports of where about information that are systematic are essential in any organization especially the Tenaga Nasional Berhad(TNB) company so that the staff management activities run smoothly. As in the manual technique of collection proccess, updating and observing the staffs, where about has many flaws. The flaws in the existing system has inspired the writer to develop a new system that further improved the effectiveness of the management in handling all the necessary information regarding the staffs' where about.The Internet as an approach to ease the use of the system by the end user at any location during any time. The system is limited to the staffs of TNBD Tanah Merah with verified password.A prototype evolution methodology is used in building the system. Hopefully, the system will be able to improve flaws in the existing manual approach, helping the creation of reports of the staffs' whereabouts and making realism of a management system that is more proficient


This paper describes the incorporation of video podcasts into a Java CS1 course. The motivation and theoretical basis for the podcasts, which are grounded in multimedia learning theory and worked example research, are outlined. Implementation and dissemination challenges are discussed. Preliminary survey results suggest initial integration and promotion of the podcasts were insufficient. Current improvements are outlined and supported by a mid-course questionnaire. A set of "lessons learned" aimed at faculty considering producing video podcasts for their courses is presented.


An investigation into the detection of voids in post-tensioned concrete beams by ground penetrating radar is presented. Both experimental and numerical modelling results suggest that the optimum orientation of the radar's antennas is perpendicular to the long axis of the ducts containing the post-tensioning tendons.


In this article on the basis of long-term fiscal and accounting data it is analyzed the composition and the structure of production costs for oil and gas extraction in the system of SOCAR, it is specified the role and importance of controlling the cost management; it is identified reserves in these areas, and ways for their sustainable use are provided.


The proliferation of dense arrays promises to improve our ability to image geological structures at the scales necessary for accurate assessment of seismic hazard. However, combining the resulting local high‐resolution tomography with existing regional models presents an ongoing challenge. We developed a framework based on the level‐set method that infers where local data provide meaningful constraints beyond those found in regional models ‐ for example the Community Velocity Models (CVMs) of southern California. This technique defines a volume within which updates are made to a reference CVM, with the boundary of the volume being part of the inversion rather than explicitly defined. By penalizing the complexity of the boundary, a minimal update that sufficiently explains the data is achieved. To test this framework, we use data from the Community Seismic Network, a dense permanent urban deployment. We inverted Love wave dispersion and amplification data, from the Mw 6.4 and 7.1 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes. We invert for an update to CVM‐S4.26 using the Tikhonov Ensemble Sampling scheme, a highly efficient derivative‐free approximate Bayesian method. We find the data are best explained by a deepening of the Los Angeles Basin with its deepest part south of downtown Los Angeles, along with a steeper northeastern basin wall. This result offers new progress toward the parsimonious incorporation of detailed local basin models within regional reference models utilizing an objective framework and highlights the importance of accurate basin models when accounting for the amplification of surface waves in the high‐rise building response band.


THE jumping mice of North America form a peculiar group, restricted, with one exception, so far as now known, to the middle and northern parts of North America, ranging from North Carolina, Missouri, New Mexico, and central California, northward to Labrador, Great Slave Lake, and the Yukon River. They are a little larger than the common house mouse, with very long hind legs and a very long tail. They are yellowish brown above and white below, the color of the dorsal and ventral areas being sharply separated by a broad lateral line of bright yellowish orange. They generally prefer moist meadows, marshy thickets, and the edge of woodland, but some species frequent deep forests, near streams. They are thus necessarily local in distribution, and not generally abundant, and being apparently nocturnal in habits are not often met with. They also pass the severer parts of the winter in hibernation. Opinion seems to be divided in reference to whether they constitute a distinct family type, or merely form a well-marked subfamily of the Old World Dipodid2e, or Jerboas, with which they were formerly associated generically by early writers, and of which they may be considered the American representatives. They were first generically separated from the Old World Jerboas by Coues in i875, under the name Zapus, which he considered to represent also a distinct family, Zapodidae. The members of this genus greatly resemble each other in size and color; so much so that, with the scanty and imperfect material then available for study, Baird, in i857, and Coues, in i877, recognized only a single species. A second was made known by Miller in i89i, and a third by Allen in I893, while during the following six years some twenty additional species and subspecies were added. Mr. Edward A. Preble, assistant in the United States Biological Survey, has recently made a


The article analyzes the key problems of the agricultural sector of the Rostov region. The interconnection between the intellectual potential and its influence on the agro-industrial complex is established. The concept of "intellectual potential of labor" within the region has been clarified. Three indices are identified as part of the intellectual potential of labor in the Rostov Region: educational, physical and scientific.The dynamics of the intellectual potential indices of the Rostov region 2015 - 2019 is presented.Recommendations and a forecast for the further development of the intellectual potential of the region, including in the agricultural sector, are given.


The spawning behavior of the silurid catfish, Silurus asotus, was observed from laboratory aquaria after treating with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and injection with pituitary extract of grass carp. The details of the spawning behavior presented here are based upon the observations made from 10 trials with 40 male and 20 female catfishes artificially bred between May and July, 1995. Initial spawning activity started 15 to 16 hours after injection with pituitary extract of grass carp and HCG. The activity was continued with for 2 to 3 hours and repeated mating behavior of the catfish were observed during this period. Compared to the spawning activity of the Japanese catfish, S. biwaensis, S. asotus took a different male position during the period of searching its partner. This study also reports some other differences in mating behavior between S. asotus and S. biwaensis.


ASML is always searching for improvements in reducing the servo error of both the Wafer Stage and the Reticle Stage of their lithography machines. Due to the repetitive motion and corresponding repetitive servo error of the Reticle Stage Short Stroke (RSSS), Iterative Learning Control (ILC) can be a powerful method to further reduce the servo error. ILC is an iterative optimization procedure, where the servo error data from the previous trial is used to create an additional feedforward input vector to further reduce the servo error. The main goal of this MSc thesis project is the implementation of ILC on the RSSS of the ASML Twinscan NXT wafer scanner, with the purpose of improving the Moving Average (MA) and Moving Standard Deviation (MSD) of the servo error during the scanning window. Successful application of common ILC methods requires exact repetitiveness of the setpoint trajectory as well as the need to iterate. However, the amount of iterations needed for the ILC must be kept at a minimum to maintain a profitable throughput of wafers. Furthermore, the setpoint trajectories of the machine can be significantly different for different jobs. Frequency-based ILC, which is the most straightforward method of designing the ILC algorithm, is able to improve the MA and MSD of the servo error in the y-direction (i.e., scanning direction) of the RSSS with 81% and 21%, respectively. In the x-direction, improvements in the MA and MSD of respectively 50% and 14% are made. In both directions the performance rise is achieved after just one iteration. Furthermore, an improvement by ILC in one direction does not cause any significant performance decrease in another direction which will drive them out of specifications. Frequency-based ILC is, however, not able to cope with changes of the setpoint during scanning, yielding significant performance loss. Norm-Optimal ILC with the use of basis functions is an ILC method where the generated feedforward signal is parameterized in terms of the setpoint. If the changes in the setpoint are known the ILC algorithm can adapt to this change and thus keep its performance. Norm-Optimal ILC with basis functions outperforms standard ILC algorithms by roughly tenfold when a large setpoint change is performed during operation of the RSSS. For an improvement in the MSD of the servo error, extra sinusoidal functions with specific frequencies are added to the basis which will prevent amplification of the servo error around those frequencies in the MSD domain. Norm-Optimal ILC with basis functions has proven its robustness against ?setpoint changes when applied on the RSSS, but the trade-off against general performance is still too big. If the general performance can be improved further, especially in the MA region of the servo error, Norm-Optimal ILC with basis functions can be a valuable addition to the RSSS control structure when dealing with changing setpoint profiles. Iterative Learning Control proves to give significant and valuable improvement of the performance of the RSSS in terms of overlay (MA) and fading (MSD) and can be implemented on top of the current control architecture at ASML.


Cytotoxic agents and viruses cause Immunogenic Cell Death (ICD), which initiates a primary immune response in tumor-bearing hosts by releasing cellular antigens with immune chaperones. We postulate that two ICD inducers are better than one in immune competent mouse models of colorectal and breast cancer.

 Approximately 6 mm diameter CT26 rectal or 4T1 breast carcinomas were established in groups of 5–7 BALB/c mice and injected once intratumorally (IT) with oxaliplatin (OX) mixed with a human adenovirus AdV optimized for calreticulin externalization in 3-D spheroids of human carcinomas. Tumor volumes were measured every other day and rate of growth analyzed by Rate-Based T/C Ratio at 19–21 days. Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) and nodal cytotoxicity were assessed 11 days after treatment.

 In 3 experiments with OX-AdV IT in PBS buffer the T/C ratios were 0.17–0.29 those of the volume of PBS IT injected mice. The T/C Ratio for OX-AdV IT in D5W (used to stabilize the OX) was 0.10 of the IT control volume with 0.32–0.40 for OX or AdV alone and with all groups different by P<0.05 by 2-way ANOVA. OX-AdV IT increased TIL by 4-fold and decreased CD8+PD-1+EOMES+ from 79% to 19% with a dramatic influx of CD8+PD-1-Eomes- T cells compared to PBS IT controls. Draining node lymphocytes were cytotoxic to CT26 cells from OX-AdV IT mice while lymphocytes from PBS IT mice were not. OX-AdV IT in D5W caused 40% of mice to be complete responders that later rejected a contralateral challenge of CT26.

 The buffer for IT treatment with OX is critical. The two ICD inducer formulation with D5W is promising as a checkpoint therapy sensitizer for carcinomas that lack TIL or resist checkpoint inhibitor therapy like colorectal carcinoma.


A 69-year-old man visited our hospital for a positive fecal occult blood test. Colonoscopy revealed a pedunculated polyp, about 3 mm in diameter, in the transverse colon (Picture 1A). A short stalk was enhanced by indigocarmine (Picture 1B). The lesion seemed to be covered by normal mucosa, and we speculated that this polyp might be a colonic muco-submucosal elongated polyp. Endoscopic biopsy was performed. Tissue of the biopsy demonstrated a wellcircumscribed submcosal nodule containing whorled bundles of smooth muscle (Picture 2A). Immunohistological findings


Polyoxygenated tropolones possess a broad range of biological activity, and as a result are promising lead structures or fragments for drug-development. However, structure-function studies and subsequent optimization have been challenging, in part due to the limited number of readily available tropolones and the obstacles to their synthesis.  The oxidopyrylium [5+2] cycloaddition reaction can effectively generate a diverse array of 7-membered ring carbocycles, and as a result can provide a highly general strategy for tropolone synthesis.  Here, we describe the use of 3-hydroxy-4-pyrone-based oxidopyrylium cycloaddition chemistry in synthesis of functionalized 3,7-dimethoxytropolones, 3,7-dihydroxytropolones, and isomeric 3-hydroxy-7-methoxytropolones through complementary benzyl alcohol-incorporating procedures. Antiviral activity of these molecules against herpes simplex virus-1 and hepatitis B virus is also described, highlighting the value of this approach and providing new structure-function insight relevant to their antiviral activity.


With the development of multimedia technology and the rapid development of Internet,how to quickly and accurately in the massive image database to search for a desired image is very important.This article reviews the based on Contourlet texture image retrieval is mainly three kinds of methods,and points out the direction of application.


Impedance and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) studies are reported on polycrystalline Pb and electrodeposited . Theimpedance studies indicate a pzc of for for . The LSV studies indicate that the anodic oxidation of Pb and cathodic reductions of involve mass transport of OH− ions by diffusion in solution. Reduction of complicated by modification; to.


This study used Michelson's (1976) Intersystems Congruence Model and Hall's (1966) theories of proxemic zones to guide in the investigation of illumination level's influence on proxemic behavior. This study attempted to determine potential influence of the effect of bright or dim lighting conditions on the personal space requirements within the behavioral setting of waiting/reception areas. Both a quantitative approach and qualitative approach were taken with this investigation.


Objective. To establish the range and extent of psychological improvement during the course of inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa. Design. A prospective study, measuring change along specific parameters of psychological functioning and nutritional status over time. Setting. A specialist inpatient facility for the treatment of eating disorders. Subjects. 15 randomly selected patients, diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, who completed the programme. Outcome measures. Body mass index (BMI); Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI); Beck Depression, Inventory (BDI). Results. Significant improvement was achieved in respect of nutritional status, as well as psychological and emotional functioning. Change in nutritional status was not specificilly correlated with these improvements. However, discharge nutritional status was significantly correlated with a number of psychological and behavioural characteristics associated. with anorexia as measured by the EDI. It was also found that discharge nutritional status was positively correlated with mood status as measured by the BDI. Conclusions. The study highlights the broad range of parameters that improve within the context of a cognitive-behavioural inpatient treatment programme. Inpatient treatment should not be regarded purely as a weight-restoring process.


Across the globe, more than 21 species undergo seasonal changes in coloration, molting white in winter to become camouflaged against snow. Given the adaptive value of seasonal camouflage against local snow duration, one might predict that sympatric coat color changing species would have similar winter coat color. This hypothesis, however, contrasts with anecdotal evidence and modeling results that predict sympatric winter white and winter brown species in some areas with transient snow cover. In one such area, West Virginia, we document coat color phenology between three sympatric species: snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata), and least weasels (Mustela nivalis). Using a combination of field methods, we document and quantify each species' winter coat color, illustrating an interspecific polymorphic response in winter coloration among sympatric winter white snowshoe hares and winter brown weasels. We then hypothesize what forces drive the interspecific differences between snowshoe hare and weasel winter coloration, highlighting areas of focus for future seasonal coat color


Spatial variation the degree of contamination in wastewater treatment plant of the refinery company SAMIR can create a fluctuation over time and therefore resulting in a negative effect on the biomass of the biological basin and the coagulation flocculation and subsequently poor degradation of pollutants. Optimization of coagulation flocculation process is necessary to improve the processing performance of the treatment plant. This study examines the evaluation and optimization of the physicochemical treatment by coagulation flocculation of wastewater from the company SAMIR, in the perspective of a compromise between efficiency and operational cost. The purpose of using the experimental design methodology and central composite response surface. The results showed that the best regression coefficients (R2) were obtained for the results showed that, the best regression coefficients (R2) were obtained for turbidity, DCO, BOD5, HC and Phenol, reaching values of 0.96, 0.95, 0.92, 0.92 and 0.95, respectively. Finally, the optimum values and resultants obtained were pH=6, 384 mg/ L of coagulant 14 mg / L of flocculant and , 78.52 % , 80.47% , 85.23% , 77.07 % and 75.75 % of Turbidity, COD, BOD5 , HC and Phenol removal, respectively


High inflation increases social cost and its uncertainty is possibly makes higher inflation level.Meanwhile,the lag of money policy is longer so inflation forecast is helpful for its management.In this paper,we improve the Philips Curve and build theoretical model of China's inflation forecast,so to get three types of leading indicators as money index,product price index and asset price index and construct multi-layer leading indicator system of inflation forecast in China,and this indicator system is helpful to make macroeconomic policy and manage inflation.


This paper introduces the work principle of the variable frequency air-conditioner PFC module based on UCC3818A,the main circuit design includes the switch frequency choice,PFC inductor design,power switch tube and power diode choice is illuminated in detail.The experimental result show that this module can improved the power factor to above 0.99 of the rectifier,THD less than 10%,the input power reach 3.3kW,and can output out stabile DC voltage for the next power converted circuit, which is settled for the variable frequency air-conditioner demand.


Improving the financial systems requires the encouragement of foreign investments as well as improving national investments. Foreign investment projects are critical for economies. Foreign investors provide a separate economic dynamism to the countries. On the other hand, in order to increase the investments of foreign investors in a country, the country should provide some economic privileges to the foreign investors different from any other local investors and make them feel comfortable under uncertain environmental conditions of the country. Foreign investors feel only safe in a developed and well-organized financial markets and economies. In this study, to give brief information about financial markets and market instruments that motivate foreign investors to invest in a new market. One of the financial instruments crowdfunding and its effects on the motivation of foreign investors will be discussed. Crowdfunding is the most frequently preferred by investors today as regard of the effectiveness of the financial systems and economies. At the end of the study, it was concluded that the well-planned crowdfunding practices were fully accepted as effective on the financial markets for foreign investors. So that crowdfunding practices should be supported by financial systems due to its contribution to foreign investments and enterprises.


An improved method of measuring menstrual blood loss (MBL) in rhesus monkeys is developed and appears to be accurate within ± 10% of actual loss. MBL and intraindividual variations of MBL are measured in three groups of captive rhesus monkeys: intact, with surgical uterocutaneous fistulas, and ovariectomized with fistulas. On a volume per body weight basis, MBL of healthy, non-anemic women compares favorably to that of healthy female rhesus monkeys. Using duration of menses as an index of MBL is found to be of little value in practical applications.


Physical phantoms were constructed using two 3D printing techniques: Fused Deposition Modeling and Stereolithography. Eight materials suitable for 3D printing, including thermoplastic filaments and photopolymer resins, were investigated for the optimal representation of breast tissues, based on their attenuation and refractive characteristics. The phantoms consisted of a 3D-printed mold, which was then manually filled with paraffin wax. Additionally, a 3D complex-patterned layer and details representing abnormalities were embedded in different depths. Images of the phantoms were obtained in attenuation and phase contrast mode. Experiments were conducted using an X-ray microfocus tube with Tungsten anode set to 55kVp, combined with a photon-counting detector. The distance between source and detector was 56.5cm. The images were acquired at different object-to-detector distances starting from 5cm up to 40cm in a free space propagation set-up.


The aim of this study was to predict the feeling of loneliness of female managers based on couples' communication patterns and interpersonal dependence with the mediating role of work-life balance. A sample of 300 female managers working in the Plan and Budget Organization in Tehran was selected by convenience sampling method. The research instruments included the Couples Communication Patterns Questionnaire, the Interpersonal Dependence Questionnaire, the Work-Life Balance Questionnaire, and the Loneliness Questionnaire. Structural equation test, Pearson correlation and regression analysis with statistical software AMOS 24, SPSS23 were used for statistical analysis of data. The results of regression analysis showed that couples communication patterns and interpersonal dependence significantly predict the feeling of loneliness of female managers (p> 0.001). The amount of indirect effect of communication pattern with loneliness and interpersonal dependence was obtained with feeling of loneliness, which shows that interpersonal communication pattern and dependence with loneliness mediate the relationship between work-life balances. It is suggested that in the treatment of managers 'feelings of loneliness, sufficient attention be paid to couples' communication patterns, interpersonal dependence, and balance between work and life.Central tendency and dispersion indices of work-life balance scores (3.14±0.32), loneliness (2.65±0.24), interpersonal dependence (2.678±0.20), communication patterns(4.37 ± 0.63).


The paper aims to propose a general and unified concept of the most optimal approach to the quoad usum agreement. In view of the significant discrepancies regarding the evaluation of the quoad usum contract both in the literature and in the jurisprudence, the weaknesses and inconsistencies of proposals incompatible with the suggested model have also been demonstrated. In the concept presented, consistent answers were proposed to the questions of the content of the concluded agreement, its nature (obligatory or in rem) and its characteristics (an act of management or an act modifying the content of the co-owners rights). The settlement of these issues made it possible to answer questions concerning the stability of the legal relationship created by the agreement, the transferability of rights and obligations from the agreement to the acquirer of the share (in inter vivos transactions and in connection with the death of a co-owner) and the possibility of termination or modification of the content of the quoad usum agreement.


We deal with $f\_{t}(dv),$ the solution of the homogeneous $2D$ Boltzmannequation without cutoff. The initial condition $f\_{0}(dv)$ may be anyprobability distribution (except a Dirac mass). However, for sufficiently hardpotentials, the semigroup has a regularization property (see \cite{[BF]}):$f\_{t}(dv)=f\_{t}(v)dv$ for every $t>0.$ The aim of this paper is to give upperbounds for $f\_{t}(v),$ the most significant one being of type $f\_{t}(v)\leqCt^{-\eta}e^{-\left\vert v\right\vert ^{\lambda}}$ for some $\eta,\lambda>0.$


This article examines the efficiency of subsidies for extra-family child care. It is shown that if the government is attempting to maximize the household Abstract utility function revealed by the individual family, deductibility of child care expenses will constitute the maximum efficient subsidy. Concern for equity among families will also justify deductibility. Concern for the specific well- being of children can justify higher subsidies, but these should not be directed only through day care centers, and should be available to children whether or not their parents work and use day care. Finally, the effert of subsidies on fertility is shown theoretically to be ambiguous.


list ceased to exist in the ninth century as shown by excavation. On the other hand, the former view now disintegrates, since the Buqei'ah cities were constructed no earlier than the ninth century! Perhaps the list records the provinces organized by Jehoshaphat in the ninth century reflected in II Chronicles 17-19.5 The question may be raised as to the ancient name of the Buqei'ah. As observed by Martin Noth in a study published this year,6 the Buqei'ah is the biblical Vale of Achor, "Valley of Trouble." Here was buried Achan who cheated God (Joshua 7); Hcsea proclaimed that after fallen Israel had been lured again into the desert by her God, the "Valley of Trouble" should be transformed into a "door of hope" (Hosea 2:15). Second Isaiah foresaw the last days when the Valley of Trouble shall become as fertile as the lovely Vale of Sharon (65:10). For those of us who lived ten days in the blighted Vale of Pain, under a thermometershattering sun, both the ancient name, and the exuberant hopes of the prophets have acquired poignant meaning.


Anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become an important clinical issue with the increased prevalence of elderly patients living with CKD progressing to kidney failure. The causes of anemia in elderly individuals tend to be multifactorial, exacerbated by the physiological effects of aging, frailty and declining kidney function. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are the conventional therapeutic option for anemia in CKD. However, ESA hyporesponsiveness is a commonly observed issue in clinical practice and an issue that is more challenging to resolve in elderly patients living with frailty, kidney disease, and multi-morbidities. Following the emergence of oral hypoxia-induced factor prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitors (HIF-PHI) in recent years, there is discussion on whether it is a solution to the conundrum of ESA hyporesponsiveness, as HIF-PHI treats anemia via an alternative physiological pathway. There remains uncertainty on the suitability of HIF-PHI use in elderly patients, given a lack of data on its safety over long-term follow-up for the elderly population. Further study is needed to provide answers, considering the clinical significance of this issue within a public-health scale.


Abstract: It has long been debated whether the 30-nm fiber of chromatin is packed in an orderly array. The fiber may be condensed by supercoiling, producing structures of varying diameter. Alternatively, technical problems may have prevented the detection of higher-order structures. We developed a strategy to distinguish between these two possibilities. One potential obstacle to studying the order of packing was the effect of fixatives, dehydrating agents, heat, and embedding polymers on the native structure of chromatin prepared for viewing by electron microscopy. The known tendency of proteins to be degraded by osmium tetroxide and subsequently to be extracted in the conventional protocols for embedding might be particularly damaging. To avoid such denaturants and ensure the retention of proteins in chromatin, the embedding resin HACH was employed. Drosophila mimica polytene chromosomes were thin sectioned, stained with uranyl acetate, and viewed in the transmission electron microscope. Images were digitized and subjected to computerized image processing. Raw data files, containing boundary coordinates of all closed figures in the image, were edited to retain only those regions of interest (ROIs) that exhibited dimensions similar to those of 30-nm fibers in projection views. Euclidean distances between the centroids of such structures were calculated to obtain linear intercepts between recognizable 30-nm fibers. According to stereology theory, the dimensions of a lamellar structure can be determined from the volume distribution function of such intercepts. Therefore, intercept values were pooled for final data files from five processed images of chromatin. The resulting frequency histogram, showing the number of observations at different intercept values, had a sigmoidal inflection that was diagnostic of a major, new spacing at 95 nm. The 95-nm minimum was sandwiched between maxima in the 85 to 90 nm interval and throughout the range 105 to 120 nm. The results suggest that established stereological theory will be a useful tool for investigating the intractable problem of higher-order chromatin structure.


This study sought to analyze market integration as determinant of household decision-making in the production of Roselle plant in Mwea Sub-County. This study employed a descriptive survey since this method is designed to obtain pertinent and precise information concerning the status of phenomena and whenever possible to draw valid general conclusions from the facts discovered. The target population was 200 farmers drawn from four areas i.e. Karie, Kangai, Ngariama and Mutithi. The sampling technique used in this study was the stratified type since the population is divided into four strata. Data collected was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using SPSS tool and presented in form of frequencies, pie-charts, tables, and graphs. The results indicated that market integration was influencing farmers' decisions to take up growing Roselle through respondents selling their produce as groups and also the agreement the farmers had with the processing company which enabled them to sell their produce to the company. Some of the recommendations made were the need to carry out further research on how the other parts of the Roselle plant like the roots, leaves, stem and seeds can be used to avoid disposing them yet they could be having potentials just like the calyces.


After years of debate about its efficiency and attractiveness, it appears that the electric trolley bus (ETB) is making a strong comeback in metropolitan transit systems. To the eleven existing North American twin-wire systems, two more cities will soon be added. In Dayton, Ohio, the ETB system was almost scrapped, before the Miami Valley Regional Transit Authority reversed its decision. But thanks to greater public concern about air quality, as well as concern about petroleum supplies, electric trolley buses are appearing to be the best way to ensure rapid transit without sacrificing environmental protection. And now that APTA has sanctioned ETB's, the trolley coach seems to have gained full legitimacy in traansit.


The utility model relates to a ground wire safe voltage control system, comprising a power supply circuit, a detection circuit, a processing circuit and an output circuit, wherein the output circuit is connected with a circuit disconnecting apparatus connected with a load; the power supply circuit is connected between a live wire and a zero wire and used for providing a power supply for the control system; the detection circuit is used for detecting the ground wire voltage, and outputting a control signal to the processing circuit when the voltage difference between the ground wire voltage and the zero wire voltage reaches to a preset safe voltage range; the processing circuit is used for processing the ground wire voltage according to the control signal, and controlling the output circuit to trigger the external circuit disconnecting apparatus to disconnect the power supply; and the connection between the power supply and the load is cut off. When the detection circuit of the ground wire safe voltage control system detects that the ground wire voltage reaches to the preset range or the zero wire and live wire are connected inversely, the leakage protection plug is triggered to trip out and to emit an alarm signal through the processing circuit and the output circuit, and the connection between the power supply and the load is cut off, thereby achieving the purpose of preventing fire or electric shock, and increasing the safety of the electric product.


Hope of a miracle cure is often an important motive for participating in phase 1 clinical cancer trials. Communication of hope may stimulate patients to participate and may enhance their quality of ...


Problem Statement: For the evaluation of cattle production sustainability researchers should not fail to carefully appraise the animal welfare and health concepts. Conditions, these latter, which in turn are directly linked to the functionality and appropriateness of areas dedicated to the cattle breeding. The planning of a beef barn with criteria that reduce the risk for the development of diseases stress correlated can contribute to the decrease of drug treatment and to the environmental sustainability of livestock production. Aim of the present work is to identify a model of barn that could optimize the animal welfare and health condition increasing the environment sustainability of beef farming. Methods: In order to plan a farm building model for beef sheltering, architectural aspects that mainly affect animal welfare, health and sustainability parameters were taken into account. Spaces were planned to assure freedom of movement of animals, according to their physiological and ethological needs as recommended by Dir. 98/58/CE. The number and size of boxes and paddocks were prorated to the number of beef and functional groups reared. Spaces were designed in order to allow interaction and establishment of herd hierarchies. Given the influence of direct solar radiation on brightness and temperature, the mobility and insulation of walls was redefined. To fulfill the physiological needs (light/dark time period) and reduce behavioural atypias (aggressiveness), natural lighting was preferred. The natural ventilation system was planned to maintain an appropriate and constant microclimate into the shelters thanks to the control of air circulation, temperature, humidity and the abatement of toxic gases concentration generated from bedding. The selection of paving and bedding was based on their important role in decreasing foot injuries and respiratory diseases. The management of bedding has indeed a strong influence on a proper maturation of manure and gets to affect directly the cattle production sustainability. Results: The result of the project is a physical model of a beef barn (figure 1). Principle of functional planning of spaces, bioclimate and sustainability architecture, oriented to improve animal welfare and health, were applied to the stall design. The model has a longitudinal development on the east west axis, the south facing side can be completely opened, otherwise the north facing wall is closed and insulated with the stored straw. The building envelope is provided with a control system for solar radiation and ventilation (fixed and mobile protections) that can maximize the incoming solar radiation during the winter and can shade from the sun during the summer guaranteeing proper air circulation. The model is provided with mobile outwards opening and solar chimney for the ventilation. The building composition allows a good integration in the landscape. Conclusion: Thanks to a multidisciplinary approach, the research group has arrived to define a stall model that support a sustainable cattle production. Researchers with different expertise, veterinarians, architects and agronomist, worked together in order the propose a barn model that combine the economic requirements with the environmental sustainability and animal health


This paper considers the basic problem of scheduling jobs online with preemption to maximize the number of jobs completed by their deadline on $m$ identical machines. The main result is an $O(1)$ competitive deterministic algorithm for any number of machines $m>1$.


Rupestrian architecture has been traditionally linked to hermits' environments, considering them as isolated because of their topographical features and 'disconnected' from the rest of the world. But if we look carefully to their places of location in relation to the existing network of settlement, roads and circuits of production and consumption, the reality is somewhat different. In this sense, the rupestrian architecture linked to monastic communities formed authentic rural settlements, while Christian cult complex, in which a community not exclusively dedicated to religious activities conduct their daily life, because there would not be composed only of monks (as evidenced by their burial areas), forming what we might call "agricultural monasteries" or "village communities", in which the religious element would be a factor of social cohesion. In the Iberian Peninsula these are generally cult spaces of individual or collective character, with annexed spatial areas equipped with various functionalities....


The author considers the possibilities of forming of the Caspian regional civilization based on the interaction of three major local civilizations: Islamic, Christian and Buddhist. The potential and vitality of the local Buddhist civilization depends on the level of relations" develop-ment with the basic Buddhist civilization.


The magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy of atomically ordered L10 FeNi (the meteoritic mineral tetrataenite) is studied within a first-principles electronic structure framework. Two compositions are examined: equiatomic Fe0.5Ni0.5 and an Fe-rich composition, Fe0.56Ni0.44. It is confirmed that, for the single crystals modeled in this work, the leading-order anisotropy coefficient K1 dominates the higher-order coefficients K2 and K3. To enable comparison with experiment, the effects of both imperfect atomic long-range order and finite temperature are included. While our computational results initially appear to undershoot the measured experimental values for this system, careful scrutiny of the original analysis due to Néel et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 35, 873 (1964)] suggests that our computed value of K1 is, in fact, consistent with experimental values, and that the noted discrepancy has its origins in the nanoscale polycrystalline, multivariant nature of experimental samples, that yields much larger values of K2 and K3 than expected a priori. These results provide fresh insight into the existing discrepancies in the literature regarding the value of tetrataenite's uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy in both natural and synthetic samples.


The application experience of the Honeywell QCS in a cigarette paper machine of Hengfeng Paper Mill is introduced in this paper.


In this study, a chitosan biopolymer-coated planar carbon electrode was developed for in situ determination of heavy metals (Zn2+ and Pb2+) using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The experimental conditions were optimized with respect to deposition time, amplitude and frequency. With 300 s deposition time, the heavy metal stripping was conducted at 0.05 V pulse amplitude, 20 Hz pulse frequency, and 0.004 V square wave step voltage in 0.1M acetate buffer at pH 4.6. Two distinguished peaks were observed at −0.86 and −0.37V, which are associated with the stripping of Zn2+ and Pb2+, respectively. Limit of detection (LOD) was 0.6 and 1 ppb for Zn2+ and Pb2+, respectively, and the relative standard deviations (RSD) for repetitive measurements of Zn2+ and Pb2+ were in the range of 4.8–5.4 % (n=30 with two identical electrodes). Overall, the developed biopolymer-coated carbon electrode exhibited excellent representativeness and reproductivity for in situ multi heavy metal ions detection in spiked samples, holding a great promise for on-site testing of heavy metals in drinking water.


This paper introduces a resample algorithm that can compensate phase error caused by the asynchronous sampling.It analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the synchronous and asynchronous sampling,and introduces the commonly algorithms of resample techniques.The parabolic interpolation algorithm is applied to compensate the sampling's phase in asynchronous sampling system,and the algorithm's effect is theoretically analyzed to fundamental and the high-order harmonic on the precision.By experiment test,for process layer IED with asynchronous sampling system,the interpolation algorithm can achieve the effect of phase compensation.Compensated sampling value will be able to meet the standard of electronic transformer accuracy.


BACKGROUND
Gastric carcinoma with lymphoid stroma (GCLS) has been reported to have a more favorable prognosis than ordinary gastric carcinoma, however, the precise mechanism of the pathogenesis for GCLS remains unclear.

METHODS
The authors analyzed 99 GCLS in 94 patients for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) sequences using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH); these were compared with 42 ordinary gastric carcinomas.

RESULTS
Two series of PCR showed 81 (82%) and 46 (47%) of the 99 GCLS to have EBV sequences, which were significantly higher compared with ordinary gastric carcinoma (50% and 9.5%, respectively). With ISH using thymine-thymine dimerized oligonucleotide probes corresponding to EBV-encoded small RNA 1 (EBER1), 82 (83%) of 99 GCLS showed clear, intense hybridization signals localized over the nuclei of the tumor cells, in contrast to only 4 (9.5%) of 42 ordinary carcinomas (P < 0.001). A comparative morphologic analysis of EBER1-positive and negative GCLS revealed that typical features of GCLS, such as mild cellular pleomorphism, rare mitoses, a marked degree of lymphoid stroma, and mild fibrosis, together with a lymphoid infiltration within the cancer cell nests were significantly more frequent in EBER1-positive GCLS.

CONCLUSIONS
More than 80% of GCLS were associated with EBV. The presence of EBV association in GCLS was characterized by the above morphologic features.


The objective of this research was to investigate the antifungal efficiency of pummelo peel extracted with different solvents on Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Crude extracts from pummelo peels were eluted with four solvents, such as ethanol, hexane, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate. Chemical compounds of the crude extracts were analyzed by GC-MS and HPLC and inhibition the growth of C. gloeosporioides was tested by PDA culture. The result showed that limonene was the major compound in all extracts (79.55-89.91%). -Phellandrene and 2, 6-octadien-1-ol, 3, 7-dimethyl were found only in crude extracts using ethyl acetate as a solvent. In addition, the extract was eluted with ethyl acetate also had the amount of flavonoids: nobiletin and 3-hydroxy-7, 3', 4', 5'tetramethoxyflavone, higher than those eluted with other solvents. Inhibition the growth of C. gloeosporioides of pummelo peel extracted with dichloromethane, ethanol, hexane and ethyl acetate were 19.16, 52.81, 65.58, and 95.61%, respectively. Therefore, pummelo peel extracted with ethyl acetate was the highest efficiency on controlling C. gloeosporioides (p


The world has not stood still since the first issue of this Journal was published, a little over ten years ago. Dramatic events have followed each other at a steady pace. Wars were fought. Huge numbers of people were killed. Because of their possessions, their ethnic background, their religious belief, their political conviction, or – often – for no reason at all other than that they were different. To men, women are different and, in many places, an ongoing war is fought against women. They are denied the right to be educated, to vote, to partake in decision-making processes within the family, to come out, to control their fertility. The European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care sides with the women. Some years ago, Senanyake and Potts stated that:


Maternal serum α‐fetoprotein (MSAFP) values in the second trimester have been related to pregnancy outcome for 100 normal twin pairs, 42 monozygous (MZ) and 58 dizygous (DZ), liveborn after 28 weeks gestation.


As operably linked components, a first flanking sequence, a DNA sequence encoding a foreign gene, and a second flanking sequences, plastid transformation the non-green plant cells suitable for transforming vector.


In this paper, we formulate a general framework of an analytic approximation of the solutions to some It o stochastic integro-differential equations defined on sub-intervals of an arbitrary part of the time-interval [0,1] and connected at successive division points. The integral parts and coefficients of the equation are approximated by their Taylor polynomial which series up to arbitrary derivatives. The suggested approximations converge to the initial solution in the Lp-th norm with some order.


The House of Lords' landmark decision in Hedley Byrne & Co Ltd v Heller & Partners Ltd marked its fiftieth anniversary in 2013.The case is one of the main landmarks of English private law in the twentieth century and has been greatly influential in shaping thinking in a number of Commonwealth jurisdictions. This international collection of essays brings together leading experts from five of the world's most important common law jurisdictions (the United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand, Canada and Australia) to reappraise the case's implications from a number of complementary perspectives – historical, theoretical, doctrinal and comparative. The book critically explores modern developments in the law of misstatements in each of the five jurisdictions; examines the meaning and influence of the concepts at its heart ('voluntary assumptions of responsibility' and 'reliance'); explores the intersections between modern misstatement liabilities in contract, tort, equity and under statute; and examines the way in which liabilities are now distributed between advisors and others responsible for financial losses under systems of 'joint and several' and 'proportionate' liability respectively. As well as making concrete suggestions for the better formulation of misstatement rules and remedies, it also canvases debates about the respective roles of 'rights' and 'welfare' in tort law; about the respective boundaries of tort and contract; and about the appropriateness or otherwise of courts using tort as a mechanism for the regulation of economic and information markets. Inspired by Hedley Byrne, the purpose of the collection is thus to reflect on the case's echoes, effects and analogues throughout the law of obligations and to provide a platform for thinking about the ways in which liabilities for misstatement and pure economic loss should be modelled in the problematic conditions of the modern day. It makes a significant contribution to this enterprise.


Active control of compressor surge using the thrust Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB) for unshrouded centrifugal compressors is revisited here. Based on a recently presented enhanced compression system model with variable impeller tip clearance and pipeline acoustics, a surge controller is designed. This controller calculates the command clearance between the impeller and the static shroud to create the necessary pressure modulation in the system to suppress the surge instability. The commanded impeller clearance is later fed to the thrust AMB to actuate the axial position of the compressor rotor. The proposed surge control method is derived and implemented on an experimental compressor setup, and test results for the surge controller are presented in this paper. Observations from the experimental surge testing demonstrate that the presented method is able to stabilize the compression system when operating in the unstable surge region, extending the stable flow range by over 21%. Also the derived controller shows good robustness to the internal AMB dynamics.


Abstract In mammalian systems, Ca2+/diacylglycerol‐activated phospholipid‐dependent protein kinase (C‐kinase) appears to play an important role in regulating physiological responses that outlast the transient rise in cytosolic Ca2+. Electrophysiological experiments in neurons of the nudibranch mollusc, Hermissenda crassicornis, have suggested a role for C‐kinase in the long‐lasting reductions in early and late K+ currents that have been observed following associative learning. Accordingly, we have investigated the catalytic properties of C‐kinase in Hermissenda CNS. Following homogenization in Ca2+‐free buffer, C‐kinase can be separated from Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase by centrifugation; C‐kinase activity is found in the supernatant whereas essentially all of the Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase is found in the membrane fraction. Addition of Ca2+, phosphatidylserine, and diacylglycerol to the cytosol results in phosphorylation of at least eight endogenous proteins. The Hermissenda CNS C‐kinase can also phosphorylate lysine‐rich histone, a substrate for mammalian C‐kinase. The molluscan enzyme exhibits phospholipid specificity in that phosphatidylserine is much more effective than phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phospha‐tidylinositol, and phosphatidic acid. Addition of diacylglycerol, in the presence of Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine, increases the activity of the C‐kinase. The percentage of activation by diacylglycerol is larger at lower Ca2+ concentrations. Enzyme activity is inhibited by trifluoperazine and polymixin B sulfate. These studies indicate that the Hermissenda C‐kinase is catalytically similar to mammalian C‐kinase.


This paper investigates the performance of using various non-quadratic adaptive algorithms in the adaptation of a non-linear receiver, coupled with a second-order phase tracking subsystem, for asynchronous DS-CDMA communication system impaired by double-spread multipath channel and Gaussian mixture impulsive noise. These algorithms are the lower order (where the power of the cost function is lower than 2), the least-mean mixed norm (where a mixed-norm function is introduced, which combines the LMS and the LMF functions), and the least mean square-fourth switching (where this algorithm switches between LMS and LMF depending on the value of the error). The non-linear receiver comprises feed-forward filter (FFF), feedback filter (FBF), and an equalizer/second order phase locked loop (PLL). The investigations study the effect of using the proposed algorithms on the performance of the non-linear receiver in terms of the mean-square error (MSE) and bit-error-rate (BER). Computer simulation results indicate that the least-mean mixed proposed receiver's algorithm gives the fastest convergence rate and similar BER performance, in comparison with the NLMS adaptive receiver. Furthermore, extensive computer simulation tests have been carried out to determine the optimum values of the step-size, the power of the cost function, and the adaptation parameter of the proposed algorithms. Results show that the optimum values of the step-size for the lower-order, least-mean square fourth, least-mean mixed norm, and the NLMS algorithms are 5x10-4, 10-6, 5x10-4, and 0.01, respectively. The optimum value of the power of the lower-order algorithm is 1.9 and the optimum value of the adaptation parameter of the least-mean mixed algorithm is 0.9.


8030 Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) usually responds to induction therapy but relapses with therapy-resistant disease. CD28 expressed on MM cells is correlated with worse outcomes. Bone marrow stromal cells expressing CD28 ligands CD80 and/or CD86 are cellular partners in the MM niche transducing a pro-survival signal to MM cells contributing to therapy resistance in relapsed disease. We have previously shown in in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies that blocking the pro-survival CD28 activation on MM cells with abatacept (CTLA4 IgG binding to CD80/CD86 and blocking engagement to CD28) reverses chemotherapy resistance and re-sensitizes MM cells to drugs they previously were resistant to. Methods: We tested efficacy and safety of combining Abatacept with the proteasome inhibitor (PI) Ixazomib (Ixa) and Dexamethasone (Dex) in patients with MM who had relapsed (or primary refractory) disease following treatment with first line PI Bortezomib based regimen. Previous studies found that Ixa/Dex alone only had an 11% overall response rate (ORR) and 11% Clinical Benefit Rate (CBR) in patients with prior Bortezomib exposure. In our trial, patients with MM cells positive for CD28 or CD86 by flow cytometry or immunohistochemistry in any proportion were eligible. From September 11, 2018 to August 5, 2021, 15 patients received Abatacept loading dose cycle 1 day 1 followed by 125 mg subcutaneously on day 2 and then weekly. Patients received Ixa 4 mg on days 1, 8, and 15 and Dexamethasone 40 mg weekly of a 28-day cycle. The primary endpoint was ORR (partial response (PR) or better) according to International Myeloma Working Group criteria. Secondary end points were toxicity profile, progression-free (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results: Median age was 62.8 years (range 50-83.9). Ten (66.6%) patients received prior autologous stem cell transplant. The ORR was 33.33% (90% CI 16.58%-54.46%) (one-sided Binomial exact test 0.4845). Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 6.7%, and 26.7% achieved PR with 53.3% of patients having stable disease (SD). Median time to best response among patients with CR and PR was 8.9 weeks (95% CI 4–21). Median time on treatment was 23 weeks (95% CI 12.143-48.143) for all patients and 52.5 weeks (95% CI 39.286-68) for patients with response. One-year PFS was 45% (90% CI 21%-66%), median PFS 12 months (90% CI 5.7-25.9) and 1-year OS 100%, median OS not reached. Two grade 3 treatment emergent adverse events (TEAE) (diarrhea and low platelets) occurred requiring hospitalization. Grade 1/2 GI TEAEs were most common. No grade 3/4 treatment related infections were observed and 2 grade 3 infections occurred. Conclusions: Despite prior exposure to Bortezomib, one third of patients had response to Ixa with Abatacept and Dex. Patients with response stayed on treatment for almost 1 year on average with limited AEs. Most patients on trial gained benefit with a clinical benefit rate (CR+PR+SD) of 86.66%. Clinical trial information: NCT03457142 .


Of the 450 cases seen in my practice (1946-76), 50 cases were rejected for any kind of treatment for various reasons. In an additional 50 cases, fasciotomy was done at a V.A. facility. This procedure was abandoned in favor of bandectomy. Amputation of useless fingers (usually the acutely contracted small finger) was done in 5 cases at the patient's request to remove this occupational hazard. In the remaining 350 cases of primary fasciectomy, there were 2 cases of accidental severance of the digital nerves in the finger, which were repaired at once. These occurred before I began to use the zigzag incision which provides excellent exposure of the N.V. bundles ensuring their safety. With regard to skin slough, when Z-plasty was used early in this series, there was an occasional slough of the acutely angled tip of the transposed flap. After I began to use the zigzag volar incision, and doubtful skin edges were trimmed away, there was no skin necrosis. Antibiotics were used briefly in a few cases where there was intra-trigo with skin maceration at acutely flexed PIP joints. The incidence of seroma, hematoma and infection was zero. RI~SUMI~ : Cinquante des 450 cas examin6s par l 'auteur au cours d 'une exp6rience personnelle de 30 ans (1946-1976), ne n6cessit6rent aucun traitement. 50 sujets hg6s subirent une simple fasciectomie, cette technique 6tant par la suite 61imin6e au profit d 'une fasciectomie limit6e. Darts 5 cas, une amputat ion d 'un doigt gOnant (surtout en 5 ° flexion accentu6e), rut pratiqu6e h la demande du patient , pour 6viter un accident domestique. Parmi les 350 autres patients qui subirent tous une fasciectomie, il n 'y eut que 2 sections nerveuses accidentelles r6par6es imm6diatement . L 'emploi d 'une incision en zigzag, qui donne une excellente exposition des p6dicules vasculo-nerveux, permit d '6viter compl6tement cette complication. Cette incision permit aussi d '6viter la n6crose de la pointe du lambeau de plastie en Z. L'utilisation des antibiotiques a 6t6 r6serv6e aux rares patients, porteurs d 'un intertrigo, avec mac6ration cutan6e, lors des flexions accentu6es de I'IPP. La s6rie de l 'auteur ne comprend ni s6rome, ni h6matome, ni infection.


The mapping Ψχ -• V(u, Ψχ), λ e Z , defines an algebra structure of the vertex operators [2] —[4], [7] si in the space & = ®\gg&'xThen the operator-valued field V(u, Ψχ) is primary of spin X/2 with respect to the Virasoro algebra. Consequently, si is a CQFT-operator algebra [7], [8]. It has been discovered recently that the background string theory includes, besides the conformal quantum field theories, other integrable theories as well [5]. Therefore, it is plausible to consider the simpler general case of projective quantum (il(2, C)-invariant) field theory (PQFT) [8] —[10], which historically preceded CQFT. In this paper the analogues of the Fubini —Veneziano fields are contracted for PQFT. We consider the Verma modules over the Lie algebra g[(2, Q in the I.N. Bernshtein — I.M. GePfand—S.I. Gel'fand realization [6], [9]; the action of $1(2, C) in this model is defined by the formulae


This study provides additional insights into the nature of variations in heights of adult Indian women based on the demographic and health survey data for the year 2005–06. Though contiguous regions show similar mean heights, the gap between geographic regions reduce once socio-economic differences are accounted for. While teenage child birth, wealth differences and caste affiliations are some of the key variables that explain the gaps in mean heights, better educational attainment reduces these gaps and has also contributed to temporal gains in heights.


Unimodal biometric verification has developed a lot and become more accurate, but there is still not a perfect algorithm. In the meantime, cases exist where unimodal verification system could not meet the requirements in practical use. It is proved that algorithms with the same overall accuracy may have different misclassified patterns. We could make use of this complementation to fuse individual algorithms together for more precise result. According to our observation, algorithm has different confidence on its decisions but this is seldom considered in fusion methods. Our work focuses on this confidence. We first define decision reliability ratio to quantify this confidence, and then propose the Maximum Decision Reliability Ratio (MDRR) fusion scheme incorporating Weighted Voting. Two experiments conducted on different datasets prove the effectiveness of the method. One is to fuse 4 finger vein verification algorithms on a set of 1000 fingers and 5 images per finger. The other experiment fuse the multimodal set in NIST-BSSR1. Experiment results show the fusion method could largely improve verification accuracy, from 91.29% to 99.81%. It also shows the MDRR outperforms the commonly used fusion methods as Voting, Weighted Voting, Weighted Sum or even the theoretically optimal method Likelihood Ratio-based fusion.


The invention relates to the technical field of chemical industry and discloses a method for preparing a polygonum multiflorum Chinese herbal medicine nutrition fertilizer. The method comprises the following steps: analyzing the ratio of the nutrient elements needed by growth of polygonum multiflorum by detecting the amount of various nutrient elements absorbed from soil in the polygonum multiflorum growth process, thereby obtaining the polygonum multiflorum fertilizer special for polygonum multiflorum. Phosphoric acid and carbamide react to generate an intermediate product, the intermediate product reacts with an alkaline calcium salt, and one part of monocalcium phosphate generated in the reaction is crystallized and separated out through control of the parameters in the reaction, so that the contents of nitrogen and phosphorus in the reaction solution are regulated to prepare the polygonum multiflorum Chinese herbal medicine nutrition fertilizer. According to the production method, the raw materials are fully utilized, and the prepared polygonum multiflorum Chinese herbal medicine nutrition fertilizer has the advantages that the yield and quality of the polygonum multiflorum can be improved, and the purity of the byproduct monocalcium phosphate is high.


The purpose of this paper is to analyse the significance of the human element in accidents involving Greek-flagged ships, during 1993-2006, worldwide. In this context, the human element as a general factor of accident initiation and most importantly its constituent components, in the form of specific onboard duties (functions) and/or off-board (mainly ashore) entities, were presented and analysed. It was found that 57-1% of all accidents were attributed to the human element, whereas 75.8% of the latter were detected onboard and 80-4% of the onboard human-induced accidents were linked to errors and violations of the ship's master. Furthermore, since the timeframe examined covers the implementation of the ISM Code, the current analysis was aimed at producing valuable information with regard to its effectiveness upon Greek shipping. In this respect, a 12-2% reduction of human-caused accidents has been found during the post-ISM period. Finally, the association between specific accident types and human element components was examined utilising the technique of correspondence analysis and it was found that groundings and collisions were closely related to the ship's Master, whereas mechanical failures and fires were associated with the engine officers, and cargo shifts and flooding with bridge officers.


The crisis of the 1980s obliges us to come face to face with the major -and, it seems, very varied- problems that currently hinder development processes in Latin America. One of these entails the markedly centralist orientation of Latin American States, which dooms local municipal governments to marginal status and virtual ineffectiveness. The second major problem discussed in this article has to do with the recent deterioration of the environment which, in the last analysis, is determined by the style of development that has prevailed in the region for the past four decades. This paper defends the theory that both problems should be tackled in joint fashion through a decentralizing and democratic reform of the State. Within this framework, the strengthening of municipalities and the assumption of their new role as promoters of development at the local level, would allow for comprehensive environmental programs based on specific territorial units; for this reason, they would take into account the enormous; diversity of social and ecological situations existing in Latin America. This essay includes a comparative analysis of the present status of municipalities in nine Latin American countries, as well as a critical appraisal of environmentalist thought in the region.


Key Points Question Is neighborhood disadvantage associated with cognitive performance among older Mexican American and non-Hispanic White adults? Findings In this cross-sectional study of 1614 participants (853 Mexican American and 761 non-Hispanic White) 50 years and older from the Health and Aging Brain Study–Health Disparities, living in a more disadvantaged neighborhood was associated with worse performance across several cognitive domains among Mexican American adults and worse performance on aspects of memory and processing speed among non-Hispanic White adults. Meaning These findings suggest that understanding and addressing contextual social determinants of health associated with cognition will be important for improving aging outcomes, particularly among racial and ethnic minority populations.


The object of the fenestration operation is to procure new pathways to the labyrinth for the sound waves, the native way through the oval window being inhibited in the otosclerotic ear. The removal of the ossicular chain and other postoperative structural changes in the middle ear involve a mechanical loss, however, which restricts the hearing improvement to about 25-30 db. above the preoperative bone conduction threshold (4).


The enduring popularity of dynamically typed languages has given rise to a cottage industry of static type systems, often called gradual type systems, that let developers annotate legacy code piecemeal. Type soundness for a program which mixes typed and untyped code does not ensure the absence of errors at runtime, rather it means that some errors will caught at type checking time, while other will be caught as the program executes. After a decade of research it is clear that the combination of mutable state, self references and subtyping presents interesting challenges to designers of gradual type systems. This paper reviews the state of the art in gradual typing for objects. We introduce KafKa, a class-based object calculus with a static type system, dynamic method dispatch, transparent wrappers and dynamic class generation. We model key features of several gradual type systems by translation to KafKa and discuss the implications of the respective designs.


A method of metering a predetermined amount of a liquid, characterized in that: (a) providing at least one recess capillary (1,11,57), opening to the outside through an orifice (2,21) sized such that the liquid can not enter or leave said cavity spontaneously; (B) providing a bath (3, 31) of said liquid; (C) evacuating said cavity (1,11,57), initially free of any liquid, for causing its internal pressure to a value lower than that prevailing above the liquid bath (3,31) in step (d); (D) is brought into communication through the introducing port (2,21), the interior of the capillary cavity (1,11,57) at least partially emptied, with the liquid bath (3.31) whereby said cavity is filled; (E) the capillary cavity is separated (1,11,57) filled, the rest of the liquid bath (3.31); (F) emptying the filled capillary cavity (1,11,57), separated from the liquid bath (3.31), by the introduction orifice (2,21).


Automated classification of brain MRI is important for the analysis of tumor. In this paper brain MRI are taken for the classification and detection of tumor .It consists of four stages, discrete wavelet transform (DWT), texture feature extraction, Classification by support vector machine and last segmentation. Due to the structure of the tumor cells, its detection became a challenging problem. Segmentation is used to extract tumor region in brain, which is carried out by fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm. The features are extracted from horizontal (LH) and vertical (HL) sub bands of the wavelet transform.The system gives better performance as compared to LL sub band because LH and HL sub bands can effectively encode the selective features of normal and abnormal images.Based on standard methods the system was evaluated and validated


I review the classical and quantum properties of the (2+1)dimensional black hole of Bañados, Teitelboim, and Zanelli. This solution of the Einstein field equations in three spacetime dimensions shares many of the characteristics of the Kerr black hole: it has an event horizon, an inner horizon, and an ergosphere; it occurs as an endpoint of gravitational collapse; it exhibits mass inflation; and it has a nonvanishing Hawking temperature and interesting thermodynamic properties. At the same time, its structure is simple enough to allow a number of exact computations, particularly in the quantum realm, that are impractical in 3+1 dimensions. email: email@example.com Since the seminal work of Deser, Jackiw, and 't Hooft [1, 2, 3] and Witten [4, 5], general relativity in three spacetime dimensions has become an increasingly popular model in which to explore the foundations of classical and quantum gravity [6]. But although (2+1)-dimensional gravity has been widely recognized as a useful laboratory for studying conceptual issues—the nature of observables, for example, and the "problem of time"—it has been widely believed that the model is too physically unrealistic to give much insight into real gravitating systems in 3+1 dimensions. In particular, general relativity in 2+1 dimensions has no Newtonian limit [7] and no propagating degrees of freedom. It therefore came as a considerable surprise when Bañados, Teitelboim, and Zanelli (BTZ) showed in 1992 that (2+1)-dimensional gravity has a black hole solution [8]. The BTZ black hole differs from the Schwarzschild and Kerr solutions in some important respects: it is asymptotically anti-de Sitter rather than asymptotically flat, and has no curvature singularity at the origin. Nonetheless, it is clearly a black hole: it has an event horizon and (in the rotating case) an inner horizon, it appears as the final state of collapsing matter, and it has thermodynamic properties much like those of a (3+1)-dimensional black hole. The purpose of this article is to briefly review the past three years' work on the BTZ black hole. The first four sections deal with classical properties, while the last four discuss quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and possible generalizations. For the most part, I will skip complicated derivations, referring the reader instead to the literature. For a recent review with a somewhat complementary choice of topics, see Ref. 9. The structure of the paper is as follows. In section 1, I introduce the BTZ solution in standard Schwarzschild-like coordinates and in Eddington-Finkelstein and Kruskal coordinates, and summarize its basic physical characteristics. Section 2 deals with the global geometry of the (2+1)-dimensional black hole, and outlines its description in the Chern-Simons formulation of (2+1)-dimensional general relativity. Section 3 describes the formation of BTZ black holes from collapsing matter, and reports on some recent work on critical phenomena, while section 4 summarizes the physics of black hole interiors, focusing on the phenomenon of mass inflation. I next turn to the quantum mechanical properties of the BTZ solution. Section 5 addresses the problem of quantum field theory in a (classical) black hole background. Sections 6 and 7 discuss the thermodynamic and statistical mechanical properties of the quantized black hole, including attempts to explain black hole entropy in terms of the "microscopic" physics of quantum gravitational states. Finally, section 8 briefly reviews a number of generalizations of the BTZ solution, including electrically charged black holes, dilatonic black holes, black holes in string theory, black holes in topologically massive gravity, and black holes formed from "topological" matter.


According to thermodynamics the standard conception of the economic process as a self-contained, self-sustaining circular flow between "production" and "consumption" is utterly inept. Available energy can be used once only. But thermodynamics does not take account of the fact that matter, too, degrades entropically. A new law of thermodynamics (the fourth) proclaims the impossibility of perpetual motion based on the complete recycling of matter. Even in an open system, a viable technology must be Promethean, i.e., it must produce a net flow of matter-energy while reproducing its material scafold. Thus far there have been only two Promethean innoventions : the mastery of fire and the conversion of heat into motion. The technological future of humanity depends on the coming of a Prometheus III provided that homo sapiens sapiens could be wise as well.


This paper proposed noise insensitive 4*4 mid frequency-OCT (MF-DCT) focus measure operator. Proposed operator enhanced low power 8*8 MDCT operator to have 4*4 rotationally same form for Gaussian noise. MF-DCT operator acting like band-pass filter suppresses both low-frequency signal useless for focus measure and high-frequency signal affected by impulsive noise. Also it is proved to be linear because it uses the energy of band-pass filtered signal as focus measure. Experimental result shows its superiority by comparing AUM with traditional operators.


The present invention discloses a blow molded polyester elastomer and a preparation method, by weight percent, comprising: a thermoplastic polyester elastomer 88.0 - 96.9%; Polyester liquid crystal polymer compound of 3.0 to 10.0%; isocyanuric acid ester compound 0.1% to 2.0%. The preparation method is to first exchange reaction or an ester by esterification, polycondensation reaction to obtain a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a polymer compound and then adding the liquid crystal polyester isocyanurate compound 123 to give. By adding the liquid crystal polyester of the present invention is a polymer compound and an isocyanurate compound in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a melt index blown polyester elastomer obtained in between 0.5-1.5, a melt having a higher strength, better product appearance quality, and relatively easy to process, have excellent mechanical properties.


System presents realistic and properly proportioned image of runway with its associated lights as it appears at dusk or at night. Display employs high resolution cathode ray tube and color wheel to produce colored lights from computer generated signals. Lights are then superimposed on conventional television display of runway.


The face recognition under varying illumination is still a challenge.In the Fourier representation of the signals the magnitude and phase tend to play different roles and in some situations the phase contains more illumination information.It is proved that the diagonal PCA is more accurate than the original PCA and it needs less computation.The phase spectrum is combined with the diagonal PCA to solve the problem without performing any pre-processing.The experiment shows that the proposed method can achieve very encouraging performance in varying illumination conditions.


The main business processes of a traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing enterprise have been analyzed as represented by a business process model(As-Is) in IDEF0 format.Applying Concurrent Engineering(CE) principles,an integrated and concurrent business process model(To-Be) has been developed which is used to provide guidance in improving this enterprise operations.Also as the first step towards enterprise information integration and business process reengineering, the proposed business process model provides a context for data modeling,data management and system integration.


Combined differentiated rehabilitative and staged treatment of 167 patients with peptic ulcer resulted in stable reduction in cellular membrane permeability, subsiding of catabolic processes in cells, steady normalization of enzymic activity of tissue respiration, as well as activation of reparation processes in connective tissue elements and structures located in the connective tissue (capillaries included). The described mode of treatment appeared to be superior to the conventional one, resulting in a substantial improvement in microcirculation in gastric mucosa. Normalization of protein-synthetic processes in the connective tissue makes for enhancing of the gastric mucosa resistance and prevention of the relapse of the disease.


Heavy alcohol drinking is associated with increased breast cancer risk, but associations with low‐to‐moderate alcohol consumption are less clear and the biological mechanisms are not well defined. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 8 weeks of low (15 g/d) and moderate (30 g/d) alcohol ingestion on concentrations of 15 urinary estrogen metabolites (EMs) in postmenopausal women (n = 51) in a controlled feeding study with a randomized crossover design. Compared to no alcohol, 15 g/day for 8 weeks had no effect on urinary EMs. However, compared to no alcohol, 30 g/day for 8 weeks decreased urinary 2‐hydroestrone (2‐OHE1) by 3.3% (P = 0.055) and increased 16‐epiestriol (16‐EpiE3) by 26.6% (P = 0.037). Trends for reduced urinary 2‐OHE1 (P = 0.045), reduced ratio of 2‐OH:16OH pathways (P = 0.008), and increased 16‐EpiE3 (P = 0.035) were observed as alcohol ingestion increased from 0 g to 15 g to 30 g/d. Moderate alcohol consumption for 8 weeks had modest effects on urinary concentrations of 2‐OHE1 and 16‐EpiE3 among postmenopausal women in a carefully controlled feeding study.


A novel iterative convex optimization algorithm is proposed for the efficient synthesis of 4-D antenna arrays in this paper. A general nonconvex programming problem in terms of pencil beam synthesis at the center frequency and the suppression of multiple sidebands with different time schemes is first established. In order to decrease the nonconvexity with respect to equivalent excitations, the nonconvex programming problem is then decomposed into a convex optimization problem at the center frequency and a simplified nonconvex optimization problem at sidebands. Based on the optimized results at the center frequency, an iterative convex optimization algorithm that consists in solving a sequence of convex optimization problems is adopted to solve the nonconvex optimization problem efficiently. Because of the introduction of iterative idea and convex optimization, the proposed method achieves a good tradeoff between the optimization time and the optimality of the solution for the synthesis of 4-D antenna arrays of various scales. Numerical examples of uniformly or nonuniformly spaced 4-D antenna arrays are presented to demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed algorithm in comparison with those of the previously reported methods.


Tissue culture methods have been but little used in the elucidation of the various problems encountered in bacterial hypersensitivity. The few studies reported have dealt with tissues from tuberculin sensitive animals. Rich and Lewis (1) showed that tuberculin in proper concentration had a selective toxic effect on cells from tubercu-lous animals. They believed that the tuberculin sensitivity was inherent in the cells, and that the cytotoxic effect was the result of an antigen-antibody reaction. Aronson (2) confirmed this work and also demonstrated the cytotoxic specificity of various tuberculins on sensitive cells as compared with an indifferent effect of extracts made from other acid-fast organisms. In another series of experiments he (3) compared the reaction of tissues from animals sensitized to proteins with that of tissues sensitive to tuberculin when the respective anti-gens were added to the culture media. Horse serum added to cultures of tissues from horse serum sensitized animals produced no demon-strable cytotoxic effect; this was in marked contrast to the cytotoxic action of tuberculin on tissues from tuberculous animals; he thus showed that there is a fundamental difference between the two types of hypersensitive tissues. We (4) have also noted that cells from animals sensitized with horse serum, egg albumin or beef lens were not specifically inhibited when the respective antigens were added to tissue cultures. As a preliminary to an analysis of other types of bacterial hypersensitive states it was thought advisable to make a detailed study of tuberculin allergy since this is a prototype. This communication deals, therefore, with a partial repetition of previous work with amplifications and extensions.


The elastic magnetic form factor of /sup 3/He has been measured up to q/sup 2/ = 32 fm/sup -2/. Few-body theory fails to explain the location of the diffraction minimum unless nonnucleonic degrees of freedom are explicitly introduced.


Mangrove forests are distributed along the coastlines in tropical and sub-tropical area.Mangrove wetlands are important habitats for ecological species and have many ecological functions such as bank protection,pollution elimination and conservation of biological diversity etc.In China's southern coast and the mouth of the Gulf,there exist a lot of mangroves.Based on the image data from 1990 Landsat-5 TM,2000 Landsat-7 ETM+ and 2008 CBERS-02B CCD,the mangrove wetland resources in recent 18 years in Guangdong Province were monitored,and their temporal and spatial variations were analyzed.The results indicate that the area of the mangrove wetland presents a continuous increase trend,with the area of 7 733.2 hm2 in 1990,8 722.0 hm2 in 2000,9 593.3 hm2 in 2008;the decentralized distribution tends to be centralized;and the natural mangroves decreases while the artificial ones increase.The results of this study can provide data of reference for the protection and management of the mangrove wetland for relevant authorities of Guangdong Province.