The nutritional indices are an important tool in evaluating herbivore responses to variation in host nutritive properties. The current study was conducted to unveil the effects of ten canola cultivars (Brassica napus L.) ('Opera', 'Licord', 'Okapi', 'Talaye', 'Zarfam', 'Modena', 'SLM046', 'Sarigol', 'RGS003' and 'Hayula420') on consumption and utilization indices of the Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) larvae. The results revealed significant differences in nutritional indices of different larval instars of S. exigua fed on the mentioned canola cultivars. The highest value of Digestion Ability of food (AD) for the third and fourth instars was observed on Licord (86.57% and 83.08%, respectively), and for the fifth instars was on Opera (68.79%). The Relative Growth Rate (RGR) and Relative Consumption Rate (RCR) in the fifth instar larvae were significantly greater on Opera, Okapi and Talaye, whereas the lowest values of Conversion Efficiencies (ECI and ECD) were recorded on these cultivars. The highest ECI was observed in the larvae that consumed RGS003 (24.27%), Hayula420 (20.36%), and Sarigol (19.17%). Furthermore, the larvae reared on Okapi exhibited the highest RGR, which confirms high susceptibility of this cultivar. Based on the obtained results, Okapi, Talaye and Opera were the cultivars susceptible to S. exigua.


Fluorescence in situ hybridisation with rRNA-targeted nucleic acid probes can be used to directly identify microorganisms within complex samples in a few hours and therefore has widespread application in environmental and medical microbiology (Wagner et al., 2003). In this study, the acetoclastic methanogens present in the anaerobic sludge samples taken from a conventional single stage anaerobic digester at Hexham Sewage Treatment Works (United Kingdom) and from a lab-scale anaerobic membrane bioreactor treating brewery wastewater seeded with Hexham sewage sludge were detected and quantified by using quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridisation. Each sample was hybridised with fluorescent oligonucleotide probes for Bacteria, Archaea and the defined group of methanogens namely, acetoclastic methanogens. Specific cell counts were determined by a combination of in situ hybridization and confocal laser scanning microscopy for statistical analysis. The results of quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) procedure indicated that the concentration values of Methanosaeta and Methanosarcina are very close to each other for the sample taken from full-scale anaerobic digester. Besides, Methanosaeta concentration is much higher than Methanosarcina concentration in the sample of lab-scale anaerobic membrane bioreactor. In addition, it has been determined that the archaeal cell concentrations are higher than the eubacterial cell concentrations for both of the samples. Once detected and quantified the populations of Bacteria, Archaea and particularly acetoclastic methanogens within the anaerobic digesters; statistical approach was applied to determine the variances within and between the samples. The outcomes of analytical process showed that the variances of archaeal cells are homogenous for three dual hybridisations carried out for each sample in this study. Furthermore, the distribution types were determined as poisson distribution for Archaea, Methanosaeta and Eubacteria and as negative binominal distribution for


Dairy development in India has taken place under a well known programme known as Operation Flood. Co-operative and private dairy being an integral part of the Operation Flood Programme, have played a major role in the production and marketing of milk. A study was carried out to estimate the contribution of dairy and crop production enterprise towards employment and income in relation to different herd size groups in Western Maharashtra of Maharashtra state. To assess the change in employment and income due to dairy enterprise the nondairy farmers were selected purposively from the three districts of the study area. The non-dairy sample cultivators were selected purposively for a sample of 90 consisting of 30 each of small, medium and large size groups having similar area holding of as like the selected milk producers. In order to it a comparative study a sample of 90 non-dairy cultivators who did not had any linkage with dairy enterprise, were taken randomly from selected villages of Western Maharashtra. The total employment of adult male was 313.95 days and for female 301.71 days for dairy households, respectively. Dairy enterprise has generated more employment of 21 per cent for male and 43 per cent for female. The total employment of adult male and adult female, at the overall level 297.19 days for male and for female 255.59 days, respectively of which 44 per cent for male and 34 per cent for female were derived from crop production enterprise. The proportion of income from dairy enterprises in the total farm income was relatively high on dairy sample households as compared to the non-dairy sample households. It was mainly due to the adoption of dairy enterprise that resulted into higher income. Dairy enterprise absorbs the major portion of the available labour force particularly the women. Therefore, the training programmes on dairy management for women be arranged.


The present invention relates to a spoke, comprising a shaft, a terminal device using the fixing member is fixed to the longitudinal end of the shaft, the terminal member having means for connecting the spokes to a respective wheel member. The fixing means comprises a stud bolt type connection. Also describes a method for manufacturing the spokes.


This paper analyzed the water quality of drainage water and saline-alkaline hazard of drainage reuse based on water quality data of three drainage ditches since 2000 in Yinbei irrigation diatrict,Ningxia.The results showed that every index of drainage water during the irrigation was better than that during the non-irrigation,the integrated pollution indexes were all less than 1.0.The integrated pollution indexes,which were calculated based on irrigation period,had a decreasing trend year by year.The drainage water in the ditches belongs to weak alkaline water with low mineralization during the irrigation,and the annual and inter-annual variations of pH were basically steady.The drainage reuse might bring the potential saline-alkaline hazard for soil.In the regions where there are good drainage and ventilated soil,the saline-alkaline hazard was smaller.


Emerging and re-emerging communicable disease outbreaks are a global concern and Uganda is no exception. The West Nile region of Uganda has experienced annual epidemics of cholera, meningococcal meningitis, plaque, measles, hepatitis E among others – usually with high Case Fatality Rates (CFRs) despite interventions of epidemic prevention, preparedness and response (EPPR) entailed in cluster one of the Uganda National Minimum Health Care Package [1]. This paper documents performance of the West Nile districts in EPPR. Specifically, we looked at the levels of preparedness, response and implementation of prevention measures. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study aimed at exploring the possible reasons for continuous and frequent occurrence of epidemics in the region; and with high CFRs. We conducted interviews with members of EPPR committees at district and lower local governments. At the lower local governments, we compared prevention and preparedness levels between epidemic-prone and non-epidemic-prone sub-counties (S/Cs). The results indicate inadequate level of implementation of epidemic prevention measures and poor level of epidemic preparedness in virtually all the districts in the region. Non-functionality of existing structures and resources for EPPR majorly contributed to poor levels of prevention, preparedness and response. Despite the general poor implementation of epidemic prevention interventions within the region, non-epidemic-prone lower local governments (S/Cs) executed more epidemic prevention measures than their corresponding epidemic-prone counter parts. We concluded that the inadequate implementation of epidemic prevention and preparedness measures were possibly responsible for frequent occurrence of epidemics while inadequate preparedness and poor epidemic response account for the high case fatality in the West Nile region. Stakeholders must prioritize epidemic prevention and preparedness interventions in terms of planning, budgetary allocation, implementation, as well as dissemination of policy guidelines, surveillance tools; and training for their use.


Nowadays the main goal of science education is to development a competence of nature studies and tehnologies. The relatively low arhievements of Latvian students when compared to the average level of OECD countries, points towards the need to develop the students' capabilities to use the knowledge and skills acquired in school in real life situations.The authors based upon the theoretical and empirical research developed and approbated a didactical model that integrates the student's knowledge about nature. This mentioned model forsees a more effective acquisition of physics knowledge, a deeper understanding of physics curriculum, the interaction between nature and technologies, the use of physics knowledge, the development of abilities of scientific enquiries, enrichment of positive emotional attitude, development of expressions of scientific reflexion.


This compressor is provided with: a rotor (2) that rotates around an axis line; a rotor casing (3) that forms a primary duct in the space with respect to the rotor (2) by encircling the rotor (2) from the outer peripheral side; an air bleed chamber casing (6) that is provided to the outer peripheral side of the rotor casing (3) and forms an air bleed chamber (12) interconnecting with a primary duct (4) in the space with respect to the rotor casing (3); and an air bleed nozzle (14) that is connected to the air bleed chamber casing (6) from the outer peripheral side and that therewithin leads a fluid in the air bleed chamber to the outside. The spacing in the radial direction between the air bleed chamber casing (6) and the rotor casing (3) is larger at the rearward side (R2) in the direction of rotation of the rotor (2) with respect to the air bleed nozzle (14) than at the frontward side (R1) in the direction of rotation of the rotor (2).


In this article, the textural properties of catalysts and the process of catalytic dimerization of methane using catalysts based on salts of alkali and alkaline-earth metals containing molybdenum and manganese oxides were studied. It was found that the catalytic conversion of methane takes place on the surface of a catalyst that adsorbs oxygen to form an active complex [ZOCH3]. It has been shown that the catalytic conversion of methane can be carried out simultaneously with the formation of ethane and ethylene. At the same time, the percentage of ethylene in the free volume of the reactor increases compared to ethane, which helps the reaction of ethylene formation without oxygen and catalyst. Phenomenological equations for the kinetics of the catalytic reaction of methane dimerization are formulated and rate constants and Arrhenius parameters are calculated.


The present invention discloses an instrument panel having a base member and a cover member, a cover member bonded to the surface of the base member. Cutting a first groove formed on the back of the base member, as a starting point by the expansion pressure of the airbag base member causes breakage. The cover member by a bottom fabric layer, adhered to the upper surface of the base fabric layer of the cover layer, and an adhesive layer on the back surface of the base fabric constituting the buffer layer. The buffer layer is formed of a knitted fabric of the original. A plurality of layers constituting the lid member, the second cutting grooves are formed only on the back surface of the buffer layer, corresponding to the first base member of the cutting groove. The present invention also discloses a vehicle comprising an airbag device of the plate member.


Introduction: Tramadol is a weak opioid analgesic, acting mainly on μ-opioid receptor and has been proven to be effective and safe analgesic used for use in post-operative patients. Whereas celecoxib is a highly selective COX-2 inhibitor belonging to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) group which reduces inflammation and pain while minimizing gastrointestinal adverse reactions. This selectivity feature makes celecoxib an attractive alternative to opioids for the control of postoperative pain.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of oral celecoxib in comparison with oral tramadol in term of analgesic properties and the need for additional tablet acetaminophen as rescue pain reliever.

Methods: A randomized, single-blinded study was conducted on 160 selected ASA I and II patients who were divided into two groups by a closed-envelope technique to receive either oral tramadol or celecoxib. Following major gynaecology, orthopaedic and general surgery, all patients were given standard patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) regimen with intravenous morphine. Patients received either oral tramadol 100 mg 8 hourly or oral celecoxib 200mg 12 hourly as a pain reliever 24 hours post operation, after they can resume oral intake. Tablets acetaminophens 500mg were ready as a rescue pain reliever. Patients were monitored for pain score according to Modified Pain Score ( 0 : No pain, l : slight pain, 2 : Tolerable pain, 3 : Bad pain, 4 : Worst pain) and side effects. They were again evaluated at 32, 40 and 48 hours post operation.

Results: The mean pain score at 24, 32, 40 and 48 hours post operation were 0.84 ± 0.49, 0.60 ± 0.52, 0.29 ± 0.46, 0.11 ± 0.32 in the celecoxib group. In the tramadol group the mean pain score at 24,32,40 and 48 hours post operation were 0.88 ± 0.49, 0.70 ± 0.49, 0.36 ± 0.51 and 0.15 ± 0.36. There were no significant differences in the mean pain score between the two groups at each duration of assessment (p>0.05). None of the patients developed side effects or requested for tablet acetaminophen.

Conclusion: This study indicates that oral celecoxib 200 mg 12 hourly is adequate and suitable to be used as an alternative to oral tramadol 100 mg 8 hourly in controlling pain 24 hours following major operation without the need for additional tablet acetarninophen.


Anaesthesia can affect the natural immunity associated with cytokins directly or indirectly.Due to the difference of research condition and the design of experiment,the effects of anaesthesia on immune system are diverse and multi-ply,that needs deeply research.Properly using of anesthetics and anesthetic technique in clinic can regulate the stress reaction and protect the function of immune system.


This article examines how American middle-class children learn and acquire culturally appropriate emotions and sentiments, focusing especially on children's experiences. By analysing children's emotional worlds as well as adult socialization practices, the article shows that children actively reinterpret, reconstruct and reformulate various cultural resources offered through emotional socialization in order to organize their own culture-laden social worlds. The article articulates children's agentive role in cultural reproduction and the inherent dynamism involved in socialization processes.


The direct effect of cadmium on bone metabolism and interaction between cadmium and zinc or copper in tissue culture are described in this review. One ppm cadmium stimulated 45Ca release from 45Ca-prelabeled bone from 9-d-old chick embryo, but 30 ppm cadmium inhibited 45Ca release. Mineralization and collagen synthesis were inhibited by cadmium of 1 ppm and above. Since Cdtreated bones in the culture system showed a decrease in both mineral and collagen, the change in the cultured bone is not osteomalatic but osteopororic and agrees with the bone change of cadmiumtreated animal rather than with that of Itai-itai diseased patient. The difference in bone lesion between humans and cadmium-treated animals suggests that factors other than cadmium participate in the etiology of Itai-itai disease. We gave attention to zinc, copper and lead as factors other than cadmium, which were found in the bones of Itai-itai diseased patients and in cadmium-polluted rice. A cadmium-induced decrease in collagen content was protected by zinc but enhanced by copper. A cadmium-induced decrease in mineral content was unaffected by zinc and copper. These results point out that copper aggravates cadmium-induced osteoporotic change and cadmium plus zinc-treated bone shows a decrease in mineral without a decrease in bone matrix to give an osteomalacia-like change. Therefore, it is suggested that a ratio as well as each dose of three metals influences whether bone damage in vivo is osteoporotic or osteomalatic.


The shapes of Mossbauer spectra of coarse-grained annealed armco iron and submicrocrystalline (SMC) iron with a grain size of 0.22 μm were compared. The SMC structure was obtained from armco iron by shear under pressure and subsequent annealing at 420°C. An additional sub spectrum attributed to an interfacial component or grain-boundary phase (GBP) [1] was resolved in the spectrum of the SMC iron. The volume fraction of the GBP was estimated. It was suggested that the lattice parameter of the GBP was 1% larger (on average) than that of the crystalline component or grain phase (GP) and that substantial compressive stresses were present in the GBP. The appearance of a satellite subspectrum in fine-grained iron is associated with a jumplike change in the fundamental characteristics of a solid at a certain critical value of the lattice parameter, which continuously changes when going from the geometrical boundary toward the center of a grain.


Pulmonary involvement (PI) other than pulmonary artery aneurysm (PAA) in Behcet's syndrome (BS) is still an area of investigation.Herein, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate all types of pulmonary involvement associated with Behcet's syndrome (BS).Among 800 BS patients according to International Study Group for Behcet's Disease (ISG) criterias, 28 patients were selected based on their radiologic examination consistent with BS-related PI. Demographic features, other clinical manifestations of BS, treatment modalities and types of PI were analyzed.The overall prevalence of PI was estimated 3,5% among all BS patients. PI was more common in males (82.1% vs 17.9%). Mean age for BS diagnosis and onset of PI were as following; 32 ± 10,9 and 37 ± 11,4 years. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was the most common accompanying vascular involvement (53,6%). PAA, pulmonary vasculitis (PV), and pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) were seen in 7 (25%), 13 (46,3%), and 18 (64,4%) of patients, respectively. In 5 patients, intracardiac thrombosis was present simultaneously in the right ventricle. Cyclophosphamide (CYC) was the most common preferred agent (78%) followed by azathioprine (AZA) as first line. Warfarin used in 18 patients (Table 1) Mortality was seen in 3 patients during follow up (1 due to PAA bleeding, others with unknown causes).Table 1.Characteristics of pulmonary involvement in BS patientsMale/Female, (n), (%)23/5 (82,1%/17,9%)Age of diagnosis, years (Mean± SD)32 ± 10,9Age of pulmonary involvement, years (Mean ± SD)37 ± 11,4Oral ulcer, (n), (%)28 (100%)Genital ulcer, (n), (%)20 (71,4%)Osteofollicular lesion,(n), (%)20 (71,4%)Erythema nodosum, (n), (%)13 (46,4%)Uveitis, (n), (%)8 (28,6%)DVT, (n), (%)15 (53,6%)Cardiac involvement, (n), (%)5 (17,8%)Pulmonary involvement, (n)-PAA, (n), (%)287 (25%)-PV, (n), (%)13 (46,4%)-PTE, (n), (%)18 (64,3%)Immunosuppression (first line agents)26/28-Steroid, (n), (%)26/28-CYC, (n), (%)22/26 (84,6%)-AZA, (n), (%)4/26 (15%)Anticoagulation (warfarin), (n), (%)18PAA; pulmonary artery aneurysm, PTE; pulmonary thromboembolism, PV; pulmonary vasculitis, CYC; cyclophosphamide, AZA; azathioprine, DVT; deep vein thrombosisDespite the importance of PAA in BS patients, capillaritis and thromboembolism other than PAA may occur commonly in BS as well. Onset at young age, male gender and previous DVT seem to be significant risk factors for the development of PI.[1]Yazgan Ç, Ertürk H, Taşkin A. Imaging Features of Thoracic Manifestations of Behçet's Disease: Beyond Pulmonary Artery Involvement. Curr Med Imaging. 2021;17(8):996-1002.None declared


In aqueous sodium hydroxide and tertiary amine buffers at 25° 9-(dimethylaminomethyl)fluorene eliminates dimethylamine to form dibenzofulvene. Between 0.02 and 0.2M-OH– the reaction is first order in hydroxide with a rate constant expected of ionisation to a fluorenyl anion. Above 0.2M the order in hydroxide falls, consistent with a change in rate-determining step to loss of the leaving group. Below 0.02M the order also falls and in buffer solutions the reaction shows general acid catalysis, as expected of rate-determining attack of hydroxide and buffer base on protonated substrate. Buffer saturation is observed with a limiting rate constant close to that at high hydroxide concentrations, again indicating a change in rate-determining step. In weakly basic buffers the saturation rate becomes pH dependent and a pKa of 8.54 is calculated for the substrate. A stepwise mechanism is proposed with formation of a zwitterion intermediate preceded respectively at high pH by a fluoren-9-yl anion and at low pH by a dimethylammonium cation. The behaviour is compared with that of Mannich bases, β-arylsulphonylalkylamines and carbonyl forming eliminations of amines. Relative to carbonyl reactions the rate of expulsion of the amine leaving group appears slow, and there is no evidence of a 'proton switch' between β-carbon atom and leaving group.


A milling tool, which can mill asymmetric welding page geometries of two welding electrodes and recover the same which different degradation mechanisms are subjected is, together with a method of using such a milling tool during a resistance spot welding of workpiece stacks which contain dissimilar metal workpieces is disclosed. The milling tool milling cutter holding fixture includes a first and a second milling cutter holding fixture. The first milling cutter holding fixture is defined by one or more first Abscherflachen and the second milling cutter holding fixture is defined by one or more second Abscherflachen. The first and the second Abscherflachen Abscherflachen are profiled to mill a first welding page geometry and a second welding page geometry and restore that differ from one another, after admission of electrode welding times in the Cutter Mounts and a turning of the milling tool.


The deep water chlorophyll concentration fluctuation from 2003 to 2007 has been studied using fractal analysis. The SeaWiFS global daily mean chlorophyll concentration time series were used. The Higuchi fractal algorithm was used to calculate fractal dimension, which is given by the slope of an associated length versus the lag. Short range fluctuation investigation using a six point slope gives fractal dimensions from 1.80 to 1.85, suggesting the presence of correlation, which was confirmed by computer simulations. The gradual increase of fractal dimension to 1.9 in about 15 lag-days suggests that a long-range de-correlation mechanism favoring random fluctuation is present. The 2007 times series shows a relatively low overall fractal dimension and exhibits a peculiar multi-fractal behavior. This phenomenon and the observed low accumulated cyclone energy in 2007 support the interpretation that cyclone energy can promote deep-water chlorophyll concentration fluctuation. A regression of fractal dimension at 10 lag-days versus the log of cyclone energy gives an R2 value of 0.75 (N = 5)., which suggests the presence of additional or related de-correlation mechanisms.


A water-tight panel for sewer water sealing robot makes the expansion and restoration operation of manhole or temporary structure unnecessary. A water-tight panel(5) for sewer water sealing robot comprises a driving motor for water sealing robot driven with the control of remote controller, a transport unit(3) running the endless track or wheel with the drive motor, a cylinder(6) standing up the water-tightly panel or horizontally combined with the piston rod(17), a hinge(27) which connects the central part both ends of the water-tightly panel and left part and right part and folded, a plurality sliding units(8) formed in the single-side of the water-tightly panel, a tube(20) which can be expanded in order to the circumference of the water-tightly panel and inner surface interval of the drain pipe stick, a driving unit consisting of the left of the water-tightly panel, and the load exercising to the right part with respective piston, a multiple-jointed link(19).


Pracical guidelines for choice of dragline block length, bench height, pit width, and dig/cost patterns are developed for single beam, drag-line based hillside and hilltop stripping operations in northern and southern Appalachia subject titles for appendices are: description of field procedures, explanation of data analysis techniques; statistical backup for operator differences; calculation of effects of poor shooting on dragline productivity; models and assumptions used to estimate dragline production rates in single beam stripping; procedure for estimating the effects of dragline walking time on dragline productivity; frequency of occurrence of dragline activities; dragline production rate estimates; the horseshoe method - a model and case study; and model and case study; for the extended bench method of 2-seam stripping. (DC)


Objective To discuss the influence of stress management training on mental symptoms of new nurses.Methods A test was conducted among 112 new nurses by Symptom Checklist-90 and nurses with an average positive symptom score more than 1.5 in the test were randomly divided into observation group(n=19) and control group(n=19).Stress management training was carried out in observation group and three months after training,SCL-90 was applied again.Results The total score of SCL-90,average positive symptom score and scores of all factors except hostility were lower and numbers of positive symptoms decreased as well after training in observation group(P0.01).The scores of obsessive-compulsive,interpersonal sensitivity and paranoid ideation were significant lower after training in control group(P0.05).The difference in total score,average positive symptom score,the number of positive symptoms and the scores of eight factors(except hostility and phobic anxiety) indicated statistic significance between two groups(P0.05).Conclusion Stress management training is effective for the improvement of mental symptoms of new nurses and eventually benefits their improvement of psychological health.


School investments in technology have increased dramatically over the last decade.
Nonetheless, there is still little understanding regarding how such systems can be designed
in order to be integrated into the existing curriculum as well as how these can support
learning and teaching practices. Within a longitudinal study lasted 4 years we designed,
built and evaluated a mobile app for creating multimedia storytelling, which is a main subject
in primary school curriculum.


Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is attracting increasing interest at the level of practitioners and at the academic level. The wave of CSR has essentially taken over large companies and has given little insight into the practices of SMEs in this area. The perception of CSR by the manager of an SME is a privileged source of the study of this concept because this leader plays a dominant role in the decision-making. To investigate this problem, a survey was carried out among 64 executives of Moroccan SMEs. According to our findings, managers are increasingly aware of the value of engaging in CSR and that social responsibility can have a direct economic value; Some leaders ignore the definition of CSR and define it primarily according to its social dimension; CSR is perceived as a motivating factor and satisfying employee demands that lead to improved productivity. It is also a factor in improving relations with external stakeholders leading to greater economic performance. Lack of information and awareness was the hindrance mentioned by some leaders. Keywords. Sustainable development, Survey, Stakeholders, Management perception, SMEs, CSR.


This study reviews legal systems for the prevention of child abuse in France which are considered to be one of the most advanced legislations, and...


Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) has grown into a well-established approach in the pursuit of new therapeutics, and has a growing need for unique screening libraries. Historically, fragment libraries have largely comprised planar compounds with a two-dimensional (2D) shape. It remains to be seen if three-dimensional (3D) fragments could also offer benefits e.g. improved solubility, selectivity, and fragment elaboration. Substantial interest has been placed on the design and synthesis of 3D fragments, and methodology which allows access to or diversification of such scaffolds. To this end, a review providing an overview of 25 synthetic (3D) fragments libraries from recent literature was conducted, providing a comprehensive summary of different collections according to their calculated physicochemical properties and 3D descriptors – fraction sp3 (Fsp3), plane of best fit (PBF) scores and principal moment of inertia (PMI) plots – allowing for fair comparison between different libraries.

Initially arising as an intermediate in fragment synthesis, the bromo-cyclobutenaminone scaffold was identified as a novel covalent warhead against a key antibacterial target: UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvyl transferase (MurA). Screening a small library of cyclobutenone derivatives led to the identification of bromo-cyclobutenaminones as new covalent inhibitors or MurA. The electrophilic reactivity and cysteine specificity were determined in a glutathione (GSH) and an oligopeptide assay, respectively. Investigating the structure-activity relationship for MurA suggested a crucial role for the bromine atom. In addition, MS/MS experiments proved the covalent labelling of MurA at Cys115 and the observed loss of the bromine atom suggests a net nucleophilic substitution as the covalent reaction. This new set of compounds might be considered as a viable chemical starting point for the discovery of new MurA inhibitors.

To address the overpopulation of 2D moieties in fragment libraries, the cyclobutane ring was identified as an underrepresented yet attractive motif which could offer benefits in terms of generating 3D fragments. We report the design and synthesis of a focused set 33 cyclobutane fragments, via a key 3-azido-cyclobutanone building block, giving potential access to a range of functional groups with accessible growth vectors. In this work, the library was designed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) within Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) and was guided by an expanded version of the rule of three (RO3), followed by Principal Moment of Inertia (PMI) analysis to achieve both chemical diversity and high 3D character. The synthesised cyclobutanol fragments comprised three functionalities at the 3-amino handle: secondary amines, amides, and sulfonamides. Both cis and trans ring isomers of library members were generated, as a means of maximising the shape diversity obtained, while limiting molecular complexity through abrogating enantiomers. Property analyses were conducted, with the cyclobutane library faring favourably against existing synthetic 3D fragment libraries in terms of shape and physicochemical properties. The utility of the cyclobutane fragment library, optimistically, remains to be seen in upcoming screening cascades. Indeed, a mixture of 2D and 3D fragment with a variety of molecular shapes and properties is likely necessary to maximise the chances of finding quality hits for screening cascades.


Many people around the globe experience severe stressors like war, earthquakes, or terrorist acts, and adversities such as poverty and family disruption which in most cases have negative effects on subsequent developmental pathways. However, not all individuals become as heavily affected by stressors as expected and show competence, thriving, and other positive outcomes instead of malfunction and problem behaviors. In the special section of this issue of the ISSBD Bulletin we were interested in identifying characteristics and mechanisms explaining resilient outcomes in children and adolescents. Years back, Emmy Werner demonstrated with her groundbreaking research on the children of Kauai, that resilience despite of risk is possible, even at long term. Many scientists followed her research tradition and today resilience research is a distinct discipline in human development research. In this issue, we present current models and new findings that aim at drawing implications for education, counseling, and practice in general to support positive development in youth facing adversities.


The present paper gives theoretical analysis and simulation tests of a proposed external circuit connection for enhancing the performance of spread-spectrum (SS) systems in the presence of continuous wave (CW) interference. This connection is an adaptive notch filter. It consists of a hard limiter, a phase-locked-loop (PLL) tracking the CW interference yielding a first estimate, an adaptive two-quadrature weighted channel, and linear combiner producing a more accurate estimate of the CW interference. The simulation tests of this connection give, in general, performances superior to previous authors' results for certain ranges of signal-to-noise ratio.


Brick veneer over steel stud backup wall is lighter and easier to construct compared to brick veneer over concrete masonry backup wall. However, due to the relatively low stiffness of the steel stud backup, the brick veneer tends to crack under wind load. This paper briefly introduces a new panelized brick veneer with steel frame backup wall system that is developed to potentially address this problem. The experimental study of the performance of this system under simulated wind loading is discussed in detail. The test setup details and the test specimens are introduced, results of major interests are presented, and performance of the new system is evaluated based on the test results.


In this article, we propose that three types of focus constructions in Japanese-clefts, in-situ focus, and sluicing/stripping-share the same underlying structure and are derived by syntactic "metamorphosis" from one structure to another. After revealing similarities between cleft constructions and in-situ focus constructions, we specifically propose that the latter underlies the former, which is derived by a focus movement followed by a heavy remnant movement. It is shown that various properties of cleft constructions follow from the syntax of in-situ focus constructions and movement operations. Then, it is further argued that cleft constructions underlie sluicing/stripping under certain conditions. The article also touches on the so-called clausemate condition found in multiple cleft sentences. A new set of data will be presented that poses a problem for syntactic explanations of this effect. (Less)


Pavements are largely affected by the inherent variability of soil nature which may be change in type and condition. Subgrade soils are characterized by their resistance to deformation under load, which can be measured in terms of strength and stiffness. The subgrade strength of soil is the key factor to ensure the sustainability of the pavement and is considered as of prime importance for design of pavement. If pavements are constructed on weak subgrade soils, then there are chances of possible settlement and subsequent pavement failure. The aim of study is to improve the bearing pressure of existing subgrade soil using tyre driven aggregates obtained from scrap tyre. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) tests were performed on existing subgrade soil and the improved soil with 5%, 15%, and 30% replacement of tyre driven aggregates. The maximum dry density of soil was found to be 1636 kg/m3 at optimum moisture content of 21.26%. The CBR of the existing ground was measured as 3.90%. It was revealed that CBR value was improved by 5.1%, 10% and 28.7% of existing value when subgrade grade soil was replaced by 5%, 15% and at 30% demolished aggregates, respectively


Modern prescription drug regulation began in the UK in 1971 and in 1962 in the US. Between 1971 and 1992, the US has been found to have more stringent drug regulation and less drugs withdrawn from the market due to lack of safety than the UK. This has been explained by more `arms-length adversarial relationship the US regulatory agency and the pharmaceutical industry in this period compared with the situation in the UK. However, changes in political and regulatory contexts in the US and UK since 1992 make this contrast implausible in the post-1992 period.


Abstract:
 The easternmost population of Opuntia fragilis occurs on a remote rock outcrop in Eastern Ontario. The Kaladar population is located almost 1,000 km away from its nearest neighbor and has recovered from previous vandalism. Recent visits to this site have discovered a plant producing flowers with viable pollen, but without carpels.


Wang Mian was a famous artist, poet and Mei flower grower. He secluded and lived in Jiuli Hill for thirteen years. During his seclusion, although the life is poor, he did not forget the nation and people. Wang Mian leaved us many famous works through Mei planting, Mei painting and Mei reciting. He was tied with Mei flower and they became a whole entity, which was the best representation of Mei spirit.


To provide a preferential host system for duck enteritis virus(DEV) nucleocapsid protein(NP) gene expression,Codon Preference of this gene was analyzed by CHIPS and CUSP programs of EMBOSS software.The results showed that the ENC value of NP genome is 51.180,and there are a different frequency of alternative codons for A、I amino acid in DEV NP protein.There are distinctly differences of 22,18,12 and 20 condons frequency comparing DEV NP with E.coli,yeast,duck and human respectively.It could be concluded that the frequency of NP gene codon was comparatively uniform,and condon preference of DEV NP gene is close to that yeast system,which should be selected for its expression.


Soil permeability is one of the important physical soil parameters for modeling radon transport from soil to indoor. Permeability relates flow (v) through the soil pores to the pressure gradient (dp). For in situ permeability measurement we applied a soil probe that was designed and made at the INP, PAS. Because permeability depends on velocity we calibrated our probe in laboratory conditions. For calibration we applied semi-empirical formula for permeability, depending on porosity, particle-size and soil water saturation fraction. We used two types of sand, because it is almost isotropic and homogenous medium. As a result we obtained formula for shape coefficient W depending on v (velocity of fluid flow). The formula is a polynomial regression


This study aims at assessing and analyzing the core food security indicators to enhance food and nutrition security of enclave people. A survey was conducted using structured questionnaire covering 120 households. Primary data were collected during July to December 2018. Middle aged persons are found to be the heads of households, average age is 48.87 years, family size is 4.38 persons, average education of household's head is 3.55 years of schooling and dependency ratio is 0.67. The total value of family assets before enclave exchange was BDT 124752 and after enclave exchange it becomes BDT 178177. Their total land area before and after enclave exchange are respectively 75.85 and 77.60 decimal. Average annual family income is BDT 114799. Total income increases significantly with the increase in income from agriculture and labor selling activities. The yearly family expenditure increases significantly with the increase in food expenditure and total land size. The annual family expenditure is BDT 134363. Average daily per capita consumptions of rice, potato, vegetables and all food items are respectively 417.59, 75.35, 114.06 and 792.06g. Daily per capita calorie and protein intakes are respectively 1788 kcal and 55 g which are relatively lower compared to the national level. People consume almost all 12 categories of food items and average household dietary diversity score is 11.50. Food security decreases with the increase in family size and increases with the increase in food cost. Absolute poverty is 89% and hard-core poverty is 55% on the basis of direct calorie intake method. Absolute and hard-core poverty are 68% and 52% respectively on the basis of cost of basic needs method. As a policy option, the government should support and take the development initiatives of people, enhance food security status and upscale the nutrition condition of people living in the enclave.

J Bangladesh Agril Univ 17(4): 574–582, 2019


The purpose of this study was to investigate factors of stress and of coping strategies caused by personal relationships of female professional basketball players, and to give information to the sport instructor and players. The subjects of study were 72 people among 6 teams assigned WKBL and they were provided un open questionnaire, and 519 raw date were collected, which were divided into frequency analysis and contents analysis by inductive contents analysis. The results were as follows. Factors of stress by personal relationships of female professional basketball players were ranked by relationships with instructors(153/29.4%), relationships with seniors(122/23.5%), relationships with friends(63/12.1%). As a coping strategies, in dormitory, non active methods were higher than active methods, and in stopping out and leave-time, active methods, were higher than non active methods. The factors of stress by age group were excessive training ordered by instructor(age-19-25), non specific instructive methods of instructor(age 26-30), and opinion conflicts caused by the difference of motor motivation(age over 31). In conclusion, female professional basketball players had been experiencing stress by personal relationships in order of instructors, seniors, friends, and motor motivation, and as a way of overcoming those stress factors, they had been preferring non active methods in dormitory rather than active methods during their stopping out and leave-time


Objective:To observe the efficacy of CO 2 laser in the treatment of urethra condyloma acuminatum(CA). Methods:In this study, 100 cases of urethra condyloma acumination were recruited: 56 cases were treated with CO 2 laser (group CO 2 laser), while the other 44 cases with 20% peltatin(group peltatin). The relapse rates of the two groups were compared after three months of treatment. Results:The relapse rates of groups CO 2 laser and posalfilin were 21.4% and 54.5%, respectively. The difference between the two groups were statistically significant ( P 0.01). Conclusion:The CO 2 laser therapy is superior to the peltatin therapy in respect of the prognosis of patients with urethra condyloma acuminatum.


In the light of Dynamic Systems Theory, which defines language development as an interaction of various factors in a system, a quantitative research was executed to examine the effects of physical movement in classrooms on students' self-confidence (SC) and willingness to communicate (WTC) in English. Four groups of English-majored freshmen from a university in Vietnam were selected as participants for this study. In their English course on communication skills, namely listening and speaking, they were regularly encouraged to move within their classroom or the classroom's vicinity to do oral tasks in pairs or groups. A survey was conducted to measure the difference in their SC and WTC. Findings revealed a positive correlation between SC and WTC. Besides, it recorded positive effects of level and scale of mindful physical movement on SC and WTC's improvement. This is a preliminary study to propose a pedagogical method to solve the issue of crowded FL classrooms.


Physicists in the US have been hit hard by severe cuts in the science budget for 2008, which have led to staff lay-offs at major national labs and drastic reductions in spending for international programmes. Two fields financed by the Department of Energy (DOE) are particularly badly hit. Funding for high-energy physics has fallen to $688m – some 12% less than the Bush administration originally requested – while support for basic-energy sciences has been cut by 15.3% to $229m. The budget was agreed by Congress late last year following months of political wrangling.


PurposeThis study aims to determine the simultaneous effect of exporting firms' competitive strategies and capabilities on the achievement of competitive advantages and export performance under the boundary conditions of competitive intensity. In so doing, the study combines the alternative theoretical lenses of the resource-based view (RBV) and the structure–conduct–performance (SCP) paradigm.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were obtained from 281 Turkish manufacturer–exporter firms operating in different sectors and located in several regions of the country. Structural equation modeling was utilized to test our conceptual framework, which combined the effects of RBV-based and SCP-based factors on competitive advantages and export performance under the moderating influence of competitive intensity.FindingsThis study reveals that unique firm capabilities, specifically informational, relational, and marketing capabilities, and competitive strategies, including differentiation and cost leadership, provide export firms with a competitive advantage and improve their export performance in foreign markets. Furthermore, competitive advantages partially mediate the effects of competitive strategies and unique firm capabilities on export performance. Finally, unexpectedly, and contrary to most of the existing literature, we find that competitive intensity negatively moderates the link between service advantages and export performance.Originality/valueThis research offers a comprehensive view of manufacturer–exporter firms' export performance by accounting for the overlooked simultaneous effect of firm capabilities and competitive strategies through the mediation of competitive advantages and under the boundary conditions of competitive intensity.


Studies have been presented on blood, bone marrow, coagulation and their relation to mortality in guinea pigs exposed to 200, 400 and 600 r total body x-irradiation.

The initial responses of the blood and bone marrow were remarkably similar for the 3 doses of x-irradiation (ranging from LD10 to LD100). Marked differences among the dosages were noted in regeneration which occurred earliest after 200 r, later after 400 r and not at all after 600 r. Once started, regeneration was equally active after 200 and 400 r.

A coagulation defect, closely related to thrombocytopenia, was observed in the 6 to 13 day period following all doses of irradiation. An additional clotting defect, characterized by increases in the prothrombin time and heparin clotting time, was noted at 4 and 24 hours following all 3 doses of irradiation. The etiology of this defect requires further evaluation.

The pattern of hemorrhage, evaluated in various tissues by a semiquantitative scoring method, revealed that hemorrhage was most prominent in the 9 to 13 day period after exposure, and was closely related to thrombocytopenia. As the dose of x-ray increased, hemorrhage tended to become more protracted and severe and involved more organs. Hemorrhage disappeared rapidly as platelet formation returned in the recovery period. Hemorrhage was the chief factor in the severity and incidence of anemia after irradiation.


The residence time and its distribution during the bulk p olymerization of styrene in a twin screw extruder were investigated. It is found that the residence time of the reagents in the twin screw extruder covers t he r ange from 1 min to 4 min. Furthermore, the residence time is grea tly affected by the rotation speed, the feed speed and average molecular weight of the polymer. It is also found that the polymerization mainly generates at the zone on the screw about 60 cm length from initial position and fully completes at th at about 85 cm length. Based on dimensional analysis, a model o f the residence time has been established, which is confirmed by the results of realistic measurements.


THEORIES of general anesthetic mechanism have evolved from the unitary hypothesis of Claude Bernard in the nineteenth century to our current understanding of the multiple receptors and neural systems affected by anesthetic agents. As the scientific study of general anesthesia has progressed, it has become clear that early unifying theories of anesthetic mechanism, although elegant, do not account for the many specific actions of anesthetic agents. Studies of general anesthesia over the past years have ranged from the level of single-channel dynamics, to the analysis of neural systems controlling sleep, to neuroimaging. Although general anesthesia may be mediated by complex pharmacologic and neurologic mechanisms, we should not abandon the quest for a unitary hypothesis. Although such frameworks may be simplified, the lack of a guiding paradigm may ultimately impede the development of investigation. A paradigm of general anesthesia should be able to:


In Germany dual purpose casks have to be assessed concerning material corrosion and aging, i.e. that a transport has to be considered within or after several decades of interim storage. The knowledge of reliable mechanical, physical, and chemical material properties of the cask components is necessary for safety analysis. Furthermore it is important for appropriate inspections which are necessary, e. g. during preparation for a transport after the interim storage period. In recent years BAM developed recommendations for an appropriate documentation applied in Safety Analysis Reports. We describe approaches and experience on assessment of material compatibility of cask components of SNF and HLW transport packages. The IAEA regulations [1] -SSR6, § 614 require that materials of the packaging and any components or structures shall be physically and chemically compatible with each other and with the radioactive contents. Account shall be taken of their behavior under irradiation. Also the loading and unloading operation and the specific situation of dual purpose casks during storage at an interim storage facility before a final transport have to be considered. These operational phases are the basis to derive boundary conditions for the analysis of the chemical and physical compatibility of each material used and of materials/components among each other. Different types of degradation mechanisms such as surface corrosion, galvanic corrosion, pitting, stress corrosion cracking, and crevice corrosion, hydrogen embrittlement as well as aging processes resulting from radiation and/or high temperatures have to be examined depending on the operational phase and the design of the package. Furthermore the competent authority assessment requirements by BAM regarding the documentation and verification of material properties and data will be shown. Numerical analyses have an increasing significance for the safety case methods of package designs. The accuracy of the material behavior description and their verification depends among others on the amount and quality of the available material properties data. The material data have to be verified for materials used in a traceable and plausible documentation. The behavior of materials and components under high temperature and under long term interim storage has to be assessed in an appropriate way as well.


Ms Philippa (Pip) Deveson

Research and Media Project Officer, CRIO

T: ( 02 ) 6125 4462
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Digital Humanities Hub
Research School of Humanities & the Arts
College of Arts and Social Sciences


A tuning method for Two-Degree-of-Freedom (2-DoF) proportional integral (PI) controllers for First-Order-Plus-Dead-Time (FOPDT) models is presented. It allows the designer to deal with the closed-loop control system performancerobustness tradeoff specifying the required minimum robustness level selecting its maximum sensitivity in the 1.2 to 2.0 range. In addition, the performance is measured by forcing the closedloop transfer functions to perform as close as possible to a target non-oscillatory dynamics. Controller tuning equations are provided for FOPDT models with normalized dead-times from 0.1 to 2.0. Examples show the effectiveness of the proposed tuning method.


There is no need for highly qualified, highly paid personnel like public health nurses and health assistants to monitor access to care and to encourage the use of the services. Lesser trained, but well known persons in the community, such as a community health worker, would be better received by the community and, therefore, would do a better job. It may be possible in some areas to use volunteers.
 A study using such a group of people in a well-defined area would certainly help to establish this kind of health worker as a permanent institution in the public health services.


David Syme ran the Melbourne Age newspaper business from March 1860 until his death in February 1908. It is primarily due to him that this daily survived the tumultuous early years and, later in the 19th century, surged triumphantly to a dominating position among the newspapers of Victoria, and indeed Australia. Under Syme's management, a foundation and momentum were created for the paper's endurance into the 20th century and beyond. This article argues the need for a new biography, shifting emphasis from the portrayal in existing studies of Syme as a political animal to a focus on his identity as the newspaper man of his time in the context of a developing Australian daily press.


The investigation presented in this paper is part of the international research project VARI-SPEED, which aims to invent a mass optimized speed variable drivetrain comprising a main gearbox with variable transmission ratio and a rotor suitable for rotor speed variation. A mass estimation model for the Sikorsky UH-60A drivetrain including a compound split was set up. Hydraulic, electric and mechanic variator technologies were investigated regarding their mass, torque and RPM properties. An optimization model was set up to find: 1.) The best variator technology for the mass optimized drivetrain. 2.) The best drivetrain for the mass optimized variator technology and 3.) The mass minimum if variator and drivetrain are considered both in the optimization loop. The research is performed to find out the influence of the variator technology on the mass and the design of the speed variable drivetrain. Furthermore, it is investigated, whether there is a preferable variator technology for rotor speed variation in rotorcraft. The investigation showed that the variator module has a significant influence on the optimal solution and that an individual optimization strategy is necessary for different drivetrain architectures as well as for different variator technologies. The electric variator technology seems to have the highest potential to enable an efficient variable rotor speed technology. At the moment the design is too heavy to gain benefits in efficiency. The mass estimation and optimization of the whole drivetrain including the variator is the basis to enable an assessment of usability of the variable rotor speed technology. Variation of the rotor speed within the drivetrain enables the turboshaft engine, the rotor and the auxiliary units each to operate at their optimal speeds. Rotor speed variation can overcome the divergent requirements between hover and fast forward flight, which is important for future rotorcraft like inventions in Future Vertical Lift (FVL) in the USA and CleanSky in Europe. Furthermore, it increases the efficiency, decreases fuel consumption andCO2- emission and reduces noise and environmental impact of rotorcraft.


Basic design concepts for high-performance, monolithic ceramic structural components are addressed. The design of brittle ceramics differs from that of ductile metals because of the inability of ceramic materials to redistribute high local stresses caused by inherent flaws. Random flaw size and orientation requires that a probabilistic analysis be performed in order to determine component reliability. The current trend in probabilistic analysis is to combine linear elastic fracture mechanics concepts with the two parameter Weibull distribution function to predict component reliability under multiaxial stress states. Nondestructive evaluation supports this analytical effort by supplying data during verification testing. It can also help to determine statistical parameters which describe the material strength variation, in particular the material threshold strength (the third Weibull parameter), which in the past was often taken as zero for simplicity.


Theoretical investigations of non-relativistic mechanism is explored for the determination of transmission coefficient across a multibarrier GaAs-AlyGa1-yAs heterostructure for the entire energy range of 0 V e 〈 , 0 V e = and 0 V e〉 . The resonant tunneling states are also determined. The effect of number of barriers and number of cells in the well and barrier regions on the resonant energies are studied in detail. We have computed resonant tunneling lifetime, group-velocity and traversal time of electrons tunneled through the multibarrier system. The results obtained reveal that the electrons in the higher bands corresponding to resonant energies could tunnel out faster than those electrons in the lower band. Furthermore, the presence of an additional resonant peak in resonant energy spectrum indicated the presence of a new surface state in the multibarrier system.


Diverging radial flow takes place in a heterogeneous porous medium where the log conductivity Y = ln K is modeled as a stationary random space function (RSF). The flow is steady, and is generated by a fully penetrating well. A linearly sorbing solute is injected through the well envelope, and we aim at computing the average flux concentration (breakthrough curve). A relatively simple solution for this difficult problem is achieved by adopting, similar to Indelman and Dagan (1999), a few simplifying assumptions: (i) a thick aquifer of large horizontal extent, (ii) mildly heterogeneous medium, (iii) strongly anisotropic formation, and (iv) large Peclet number. By introducing an appropriate Lagrangian framework, three‐dimensional transport is mapped onto a one‐dimensional domain (τ, t) where τ and t represent the fluid travel and current time, respectively. Central for this approach is the probability density function of the RSF τthat is derived consistently with the adopted assumptions stated above. Based on this, it is shown that the travel time can be regarded as a Gaussian random variable only in the far field. The breakthrough curves are analyzed to assess the impact of the hydraulic as well as reactive parameters. Finally, the travel time approach is tested against a forced‐gradient transport experiment and shows good agreement.


Background: A 69-year-old female patient, from Metsovo, presented with daily febrile spikes of 37,8° C, abdominal distension, loss of appetite and weight loss (8 kgr).The symptoms had started 4 months ago. She had a history of asbestos exposure with no initial respiratory symptoms. On physical examination the abdomen was grossly distended, without caput medusae, icterus or lymphadenopathy.


With the continuous development of social economy, high-speed railway has also spread throughout all regions of our country. Because of the high-speed railway higher requirements for safety, the stable operation of the traction power supply system is crucial. In order to well deal with high-speed railway traction power supply catenary of safe problems, and the actual situation of the contact net subjected to lightning strike is studied, so as to find a scientific and reasonable solution and further strengthen the safety system performance of the contact net. This paper mainly starts from the actual situation of lightning protection design of high speed railway, whose design is by the method of lightning strike and the content of calculation, opinions on lightning protection of contact network are put forward, so that the railway can operate safely and stably, guarantee the safety of people's life and property, and promote the smooth operation of China's high-speed railway.


The inmense popularity of all sorts of electronic devices means that they have become an integral part of our lives; it is becoming difficult to image living without them. In the process, they are increasingly trusted with sensitive data, the loss of which can cause serious distress or financial harm. Security is therefore becoming a significant issue. Yet, as we know from the PC world, commodity computer systems are not well-defended against security threats facing embeded systems, and what needs to be done to make them secure.


Due to the strategic nature of the energy sector, legal solutions to protect cross-border electricity and gas connections will be of particular importance. The author realizes that at the present stage of development, the cross-border impact may also be manifested by generating units (e.g., wind farms) or even end users themselves. The lack of harmonized regulations in this area may not only lead to limitations in the physical supply of electricity and gas, but also affect future investment decisions regarding, for example, new generation capacities. In a broader aspect, it will delay, and in the extreme case prevent, the achievement of the objectives resulting from the EU energy policy, in particular integration within the single energy market. In this article, the author identifies devices and entities responsible for energy infrastructure that should be classified as necessary for the functioning of the single energy market. The research includes the analysis and evaluation of regulations governing cybersecurity in the energy sector, taking into account the interdependencies within, intersectoral and cross-border. In addition, the author refers to the need to introduce individual legal solutions regarding the protection of energy infrastructure.


The circuit mechanism of the thermoregulatory center in the preoptic area (POA) is unknown. Using rats, here we show prostaglandin EP3 receptor-expressing POA neurons (POAEP3R neurons) as a pivotal bidirectional controller in the central thermoregulatory mechanism. POAEP3R neurons are activated in response to elevated ambient temperature, but inhibited by prostaglandin E2, a pyrogenic mediator. Chemogenetic stimulation of POAEP3R neurons at room temperature reduces body temperature by enhancing heat dissipation, whereas inhibition of them elicits hyperthermia involving brown fat thermogenesis, mimicking fever. POAEP3R neurons innervate sympathoexcitatory neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) via tonic inhibitory signaling. Although many POAEP3R neuronal cell bodies express a glutamatergic mRNA marker, paradoxically, their axons in the DMH predominantly contain terminals with GABAergic presynaptic proteins, which are increased by chronic heat exposure. These findings indicate that tonic GABAergic inhibitory signaling from POAEP3R neurons is a fundamental determinant of body temperature for thermal homeostasis and fever.


We present a solution to the $\mu$ problem in an SO(10) supersymmetric grand unified (SUSY GUT) model with gauge mediated (GMSB) and D-term supersymmetry breaking. A Peccei-Quinn ({\bf PQ}) symmetry is broken at the messenger scale and enables the generation of the $\mu$ term. The invisible axion (Goldstone boson of {\bf PQ} symmetry breaking) is a cold dark matter candidate. At low energy, our model leads to a phenomenologically acceptable version of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) with novel particle phenomenology. Either the gluino or the gravitino is the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP). The phenomenological constraints on the model result in a Higgs with mass $\sim 86 - 91$ GeV and $\tan\beta \sim 9 - 14$.


The conclusion by Suit, Matney, Doudney & Billen (1964) that Hfr donor cells of Escherichia coli K12, starved of required amino acids can mate, has been re-examined. It appears that their conclusion is not valid and that apparent fertility of amino-acid starved cells is due to cross-feeding by the F − cells. The relationship of this result to the alternative mechanisms for chromosome transfer in E. coli is discussed.


Object detection in remote sensing images is challenging due to the dense distribution and arbitrary angle of the objects. It is a consensus that the oriented bounding box (OBB) is more suitable to represent the aerial objects. However, there are some extreme cases in regression-based OBB detection that make the regression target discontinuous, resulting in the poor performance. In this article, an analysis of the formats of OBB and the problems in its regression is presented, following with an exploration of transform localization from regression to keypoint estimation, which could be applied to avoid the problem of discontinuous regression target. Our novel method is called Object-wise Point-guided Localization Detector (OPLD). Continuously, a new prediction of center-point is introduced to refine the results, as the truncation problem caused by the cut graph. Lastly, in order to figure the problem of inconsistency between the localization quality and the classification score, both the endpoint scores and the classification score are adopted weighting as a result score. Experimental results are based on two widely used datasets, i.e., DOTA and HRSC2016. OPLD achieve 76.43% mAP and 78.35% mAP in OBB and horizontal bounding boxes tasks of DOTA-v1.0, which achieves state-of-the-art performance, respectively. Project page at https://github.com/yf19970118/OPLD-Pytorch.


We present a model of bicontinuous microemulsion structure based on a disordered lamellar structure. The scattering predicted by this model is compared with measured small angle neutron scattering curves from a family of microemulsions formed with sodium 4‐(1'‐heptylnonyl) benzenesulfonate, iso‐butanol, D2O brines, and the even alkanes from octane to hexadecane. The model, with two parameters, fits the data on an absolute scale well. Disordered lamellae spacings and distortion lengths vary from approximately 850 and 570 A, respectively, for microemulsions formed with dodecane to 430 and 400 A for those formed with hexadecane. A distribution of lamellae thicknesses can be introduced to account for scattering curves that display a maximum in intensity scattered at zero scattering vector.


The use of hydroponics is expanding rapidly. In 1995, the total area being used for hydroponics cultivation was 7. 63 km2 in Japan. Further development and simpler hydroponics cultivation systems are required. We developed 3 new hydroponics cultivation systems; a foam cultivation system, a bubble cultivation system and a coral sand cultivation system.In the foam cultivation system, the culture solution was foamed by adding PVA, thus lightening the culture bed. In the bubble cultivation system, the growth of crops was improved by supplying an oxygen-supersaturated culture solution. In the coral sand cultivation system, coral sand with high porosity and high gas permeability was used. Since coral sand is alkaline and provides buffer action, pH adjustment was not necessary in this system.Melon was cultivated by these systems in a greenhouse from summer to fall. Fruit weight, fruit size, leaf length and leaf width for the melon plants were measured at the time of harvest.The values in all criteria examined were higher in the foam and bubble cultivation systems than in the conventional hydroponics system. Nutrient uptake by the melon plants during the cultivation period was high in these 2 systems which likely promoted melon growth.


In this study investigations have been carried out for the evaluation of small DMFCS under passive operation conditions for use in portable powers. Under passive conditions, a maximum performance was obtained at a methanol concentration of 4 M and at a catalyst loading of on both electrodes. By optimizing various parameters, we could achieve the highest performance of at 1 attn and at R.T.A monopolar stack consisting of 6 unit cells with active area of was prepared and it showed a uniform voltage distribution all over the cells and it had a power output of 1 watt and a power density of A monopolar stack which consisted of 16 cells and produced a 2.4W power was also fabricated and was tested for operation of a miniature car.


With a view to augmenting the meager data available on the discharge currents through lightning arresters on electric power distribution circuits, the investigation reported in this paper, which covered 4 power systems of various voltages and in different sections of the country, was undertaken. Over the range of circuit voltages involved rating seemed to have(4 to 24 kv) voltage on the discharges. More negative than positive discharges were recorded, the ratio increasing as the discharge current increased. The maximum current recorded was 17,000 amperes.


Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is commonly unsuspected and under-diagnosed in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.1 Screening for DVT with lower extremity ultrasound (LEUS) has been suggested in ICU patients but has not been proven beneficial,2 and guidelines recommend against this practice.3 At our hospital, LEUS is routinely performed to screen for asymptomatic DVT prior to sequential compression device (SCD) application to avoid the theoretical risk of causing pulmonary embolization (PE) of pre-existing DVT. We evaluated whether screening for asymptomatic DVT with LEUS is warranted prior to SCD application in adult ICU patients with contraindications to anticoagulation. We specifically assessed asymptomatic DVT prevalence, outcomes and risk factors, and the delay in SCD application associated with LEUS. ICU patients who underwent LEUS to screen for asymptomatic DVT prior to SCD application were identified retrospectively using the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) vascular laboratory records. Of 325 patients who underwent LEUS in the AUBMC ICUs (medical, surgical, and neurology) from 10/2011 to 6/2013, 68 were excluded (18 for suspected DVT, nine for known DVT or PE, and 41 on anticoagulation), resulting in 257 patients. The AUBMC-Institutional Review Board approved this study. A certified ultrasound technologist performed whole LEUS using Philips CX30-ultrasound (Philips Healthcare, The Netherlands). A vascular surgeon reviewed all studies. Data were collected from medical records. Risk factors for DVT were systematically recorded for all patients as part of the AUBMC DVT-prophylaxis protocol. Indication, results, date and time of LEUS order, test, and report, and date of SCD application were collected. Independent predictors of asymptomatic DVT were evaluated using logistic regression that included all DVT risk factors. Vital status at discharge was compared for patients with or without asymptomatic DVT and for patients with asymptomatic DVT who were or were not treated with anticoagulation. Delay in SCD application after admission and ordering LEUS was calculated. Eighteen of 257 patients had asymptomatic DVT (a prevalence of 7%), of which 13 were proximal (iliac, femoral and popliteal veins) and five were calf DVT. Six were in neurology-ICU, 10 in medical-ICU, and two in surgical-ICU. Three patients with asymptomatic DVT had a seizure diagnosis (n=10, 30%), three had an intracerebral bleed (n=38, 7.9%), one had pancreatitis (n=6, 16.7%), one had a gastrointestinal bleed (n=11, 9.1%), one had respiratory failure (n=17, 5.9%), and nine had sepsis (n=115, 7.8%). Factors associated with asymptomatic DVT are presented in Table 1; prior DVT (adjusted odds ratio (OR)=47.4, 95% CI: 3.9–575.4), thrombophilia (adjusted OR=20.2, 95% CI: 3.2–126.8), and recent surgery (adjusted OR=4.1, 95% CI: 1.1–14.9) were significant predictors in multivariable adjusted analyses. Mortality was 33.3% in patients with asymptomatic DVT and 49.2% in patients with a negative LEUS (p=0.2). Among 18 patients with asymptomatic DVT, 12 received therapeutic-dose heparin, two received prophylactic-dose heparin, three received an inferior vena cava filter and one was untreated; six died, of whom one had PE with cardiorespiratory arrest. All patients who died were treated for DVT, while none of the three patients who were untreated or given prophylactic-dose heparin died. Low utility of lower extremity ultrasound prior to application of sequential compression device in critically ill adults


In the GIMEMA LAL 0496 trial, which has been conducted in Italy between 1996 and 2000, patients with adult ALL received an induction therapy with VCR, DNR and ASP until they reached complete remission (CR). Consolidation therapy with Ara-C and CTX was then administered and, if still in CR, patients received a 3-year maintenance therapy. Ph+ ALL patients were considered at high risk and after the induction phase a stem cell transplant (SCT) was planned, allogeneic for patients with an HLA identical sibling or autologous. A total of 498 patients have been enrolled by 50 GIMEMA Centers. Of these, 29 patients (5.8%) with either t(4;11) or t(1;19), who received the standard post-remissional approach, showed a statistically significant worse prognosis after CR: the projected probabilities of DFS and OS at 2 years were 19% (C.I. 95%: 4.1–34.4) and 31% (C.I. 95%: 14.2–47.9), respectively. Thus, in the new protocol - GIMEMA LAL 2000 - these patients received an intensive post-remissional treatment including SCT. Between 2000 and 2003, a total of 383 patients have been enrolled in this new protocol. Of these, 23 (6.0%) were positive either for t(4;11) or for t(1;19). The clinical characteristics of these patients are comparable to those of the patients enrolled in the previous study and the overall CR rate is also super imposable. GIMEMA LAL 0496 vs GIMEMA LAL 2000 Fig. 1 shows the comparison in DFS at 2 years between LAL 0496 and LAL 2000; though not statistically significant, a trend towards a better prognosis is clearly seen. The DFS probability projected at 2 years is 52% (95% C.I. 26–78) compared to 19% (95% C.I. 4–35). The OS, projected at 2 years, is 42% (95% C.I. 14–70) compared to 31% (C.I. 95%: 14.2–47.9). Despite the relatively limited case series, these results suggest that for t(4;11)+ and t(1;19)+ adult ALL intensification of the post-remissional treatment with SCT is a feasible approach that may improve the outcome in this subset of patients at high risk of relapse with standard post-remissional therapies.


Abstract A new red algal species Eucheuma procrusteanum (Solieriaceae, Gigartinales) is described from material collected in the Philippines. Some of the generic and distinctive specific features of its vegetative and reproductive morphology are illustrated and discussed.


A highly stereoselective synthesis of the C1–C16 macrolactone core segment of the cytotoxic macrolide lyngbyaloside B has been achieved. The synthetic strategy involved aldol additions of chlorotitanium enolates of N-propionyl thiazolidinethiones to achieve non-Evans as well as Evans syn-propionate aldol reactions as the key steps to establish four of the seven stereogenic centres present in the macrolactone core (2). The C7 hydroxy group and tertiary hydroxy group at C13 were introduced by using different strategies for the regioselective opening of epoxides generated by Katsuki–Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation. A crucial intermolecular acyl ketene trapping by the tertiary alcohol at C13, and a subsequent ring-closing metethesis reaction served to unite the northern and southern hemisphere subunits to construct the macrolactone core (2).


We consider a distributed antenna system where L antenna terminals (ATs) are connected to a Central Processor (CP) via digital error-free links of finite capacity R0, and serve K user terminals (UTs). This system model has been widely investigated both for the uplink and the downlink, which are instances of the general multiple-access relay and broadcast relay networks. In this work we focus on the downlink, and propose a novel downlink precoding scheme nicknamed "Reverse Quantized Compute and Forward"(RQCoF). For this scheme we obtain achievable rates and compare with the state-of-the-art available in the literature. We also provide simulation results for a realistic network with fading with K >; L UTs, and show that channel-based user selection produces large benefits and essentially removes the problem of rank deficiency in the system matrix.


Twenty-Six years of periodic reconnaissance along the Missouri River bluffs in western Missouri have revealed numerous archaeological sites on which repeated finds of long well-made blades, lanceolate in form, have occurred. These typical blades are not found in the artifact inventories of the reported manifestations of the region, but do seem to bear striking similarities to artifacts of the lithic cultures of the Great Plains. Brief mention of this complex has appeared (Shippee, 1940, p. 12; Wedel, 1943, p. 102) but it has not been fully characterized. Data now available will be presented here; they are tentative until supplemented by excavation. The four sites which will be described are located in Clay County, Missouri, within a few miles of Kansas City (Fig. 4), in which area the Kansas River joins the Missouri. The prairies of eastern Kansas are relatively close by. The topographical locations and artifact inventories of these sites are practically identical.


This paper provides an overview of the economic and technological factors which are driving the demand for new metrology and inspection equipment, the challenges and opportunities facing new companies in bringing such equipment to market, and the funding environment in which new companies must raise capital to finance their efforts. Seven metrology companies and one inspection equipment company that have received first‐time venture backing since 2000 are used to illustrate how these specialized businesses are launched and funded.


This study has analyzed overall, qualitative characteristics of service scheme of selected private
universities in Malaysia. Awareness of service scheme of players in the same industry could help a private
university position itself from staff recruitment and retention perspectives. With such knowledge, private
universities could develop strategies to attract resourceful academic and administrative staff. The study
emphasizes findings from survey questionnaire and personal interviews. It de-emphasizes literature
review. The most predominant method employed in this study was personal interview. Data gathering
proved extremely difficult due to rigidity and confidentiality of informational disclosure. Conclusion,
limitation of the study, managerial implications, and future research directions are highlighted.


ABSTRACT The effects of predation by adult red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) on littoral-zone benthic invertebrates were examined by experimental manipulations of newt density. To minimize enclosure effects and facilitate comparisons with similar studies of fish, the experiment was limited to one month. The study was carried out in September and October to maximize the potential response by benthic insects, many of which feed and grow rapidly at this time of year. The abundance of chironomid larvae was significantly reduced by newt predation, while the damselflies Lestes eurinus and Enallagma aspersum showed similar but nonsignificant responses to newts. On the other hand, density of the ostracod Cypria was positively related to newt density. This indirect effect was probably mediated through a three-level trophic cascade. Newts had no apparent effect on size distributions of prey, although they tended to deplete mobile prey that inhabit macrophytes. In this study, newts appear to have a minor...


The study is based on cartography (remote sensing and GIS) and field work. We used the PCQM and Plot-based method to describe the vegetation. We collected data on tree height, diameter, species name, number of stems and canopy surface. The mangrove species concerned are: Aegiceras corniculatum, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Excoecaria agallocha, Kandelia candel, Rhizophora stylosa, Sonneratia apetala.


Introduction: Cyanoacrylate is a colorless liquid with adhesive properties. It is commonly used in DIY work. In medicine and dentistry, it has been widely used as a skin suture.
Material and methods: A literature review was made of cyanoacrylate and its use in medicine and dentistry.
Results: In different tables are commercial products containing cyanoacrylate, general utilities, requirements for medical use, medical and dental applications, and its harmful effects.
Discussion: The short-chain cyanoacrylates (ethyl and methylcyanoacrylate) are not suitable for medical use, because they degrade quickly giving toxic products. However long chain used (octyl and butylcyanoacrylate) to offer less toxicity. It is recommended for surface areas and tension free.


Objective To analyse the expression of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) system in prostate tissue and secretions obtained from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) treated with or without finasteride (which primarily targets the androgen‐sensitive secretory epithelial cells in the prostate, with little effect on basal epithelial and stromal cells).


Abnormal increase of cell-to-cell interference in 2y-nm NAND flash memory has been discussed. When a p-type floating gate (FG) and control gate (CG) are introduced, the depletion region variation depending on operation modes in the FG and CG affects CG-to-FG coupling capacitance and threshold voltage variation. It has also been found that there is a symmetry between n-type FG/CG and p-type FG/CG flash memory in terms of cell-to-cell interference.


Based on the findings from research on German Soziale Stadt Program, the paper considers the conditions of application of similar solutions in urban regeneration for Polish conditions. Modern concept of urban regeneration applied in Germany and some other Western European countries is derived from the concept of social inclusion of neglected neighbourhoods and their inhabitants. To stop the process of physical degradation of space, to stop the downward spiral of social exclusion of the communities, the program pools recourses and applies innovative organizational structures to tackle problems in various fields: local economy, culture, health, housing, employment, social conflicts. Crucial in this new approach towards urban problems is the employment of urban development measures and projects to remedy bad social conditions. Urban development measures have become just one of the tools applied to solve complex problems of urban areas. Repair of the building stock neglect is no more the aim in itself. The main question of the paper is whether the aims and methods of such programs are relevant for Polish conditions. The author assumes that the superior aim of this programme approach - the sustainable improvement of the living conditions of the people in the disadvantaged districts by the measures of the active and integrated urban development policy n has universal value and its application in Poland should be recommended. Polish legal, administrative, political and financial conditions are considered and evaluated to find out whether the concept of socio-spatial policy, combing spatial policiesi measures with tools to deal with social problems of selected areas might be useful in our country. Typical problems if Polish cities are taken into account and current as well past approach towards urban regeneration and urban development has been analysed to emphasize the typical points of Polish approach to urban regeneration. An attempt is made to point barriers in application socially integrative urban regeneration approach in Poland.


Part 1 Introducing simulations and games for education and training: distinguishing between games and simulations multi-purpose games for a range of occasions. Part 2 Business applications: simulations for marketing a simulation for use by middle management of a high technology international company. Part 3 Technology and information systems: developing a computer-based project simulator devising strategies for implementing information and communication technologies on national sales why does a factory need a computer?. Part 4 Health care: floods in Bangladesh - cause by nature or people? a system-theoretical model of women's mental health care. Part 5 Role play and debriefing: strategies for effective debriefing role play for the changing nature of psychological contracts between employers and employees.


Many excepting instructions cannot be removed by existing partial redundancy elimination (PRE) algorithms because the ordering constraints must be preserved between the excepting instructions, which we call exception dependencies. In this work, we propose Sentinel PRE, a PRE algorithm that overcomes exception dependencies and retains program semantics. Sentinel PRE first hoists excepting instructions without considering exception dependencies, and then detects exception reordering by fast analysis. If an exception occurs at a reordered instruction, it deoptimizes the code into the one before hoisting. Since we rarely encounter exceptions in real programs, the optimized code is executed in almost all cases. We implemented Sentinel PRE in a Java just-in-time compiler and conducted experiments. The results show 9.0% performance improvement in the LU program in the Java Grande Forum Benchmark Suite.


Scalable models for both active and passive components are essential for the design of highly integrated fiber–optic physical layer ICs. This paper focuses on the various technology options available of 10 Gb/s and 40 Gb/s applications, on how their constituent components are modeled and what the characteristics and requirements are for the basic building blocks. As part of the technology comparison, an overview of the performance of leading edge Si CMOS, SiGe BiCMOS and III–V technologies is presented. Scalable models for SiGe HBTs and GaAs p–HEMTs are then compared with measured data for various device sizes. Inductors, varactors, transmission lines and isolation techniques on Si and III–V substrates are discussed next followed by technology–specific implementations of VCO and digital building blacks. Finally, Transimpedance Limiting Amplifier (TIALA) as well as laser and modulator driver designs in SiGe BiCMOS, InP HBT and GaAs p–HEMT processes using scalable device models are illustrated for 10 and 40 Gb/s fiber-optics applications.


This Article used Case analysis,Literature research,Comparative Analysis and logic analysis,discuss whether "competitive balance" as a argument to Athletes restriction is legitimacy.The important conclusion is that the Athletes Restriction system has no impact on distribution of athletes,and Athletes Restriction system have no benefits to "competitive balance".Taking all these factors into consideration,we can safely come to conclusion that the "competitive balance" argument is seriously flawed.


'An old tradition and a new technology have converged to make possible an unprecedented public good' (Budapest Open Access Initiative). Recent events are transforming the possibility of this unprecedented public good into a reality, with medical literature leading the way. The Directory of Open Access Journals lists close to 3,200 fully open access, peer-reviewed scholarly journals as of February 2008. More than 400 of the journals in DOAJ are in the health sciences. DOAJ is growing rapidly, adding more than 1.5 titles per calendar day. PubMedCentral (PMC) is the world's largest open access archive, with well over a million items. An international network, PMC International, is envisioned, with copies of the whole archive around the world for preservation and security, as well as a local option for deposit. Watch for rapid growth of PMC as medical research funders, including the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, the U.K. Medical Research Council, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, among others, are requiring public or open access to the research they fund. There are implications, and leadership opportunities, for librarians in the open access environment.


Antenna array optimization by a biquadratic programming method is formulated with variable-phase (analog and digital) and constant amplitude excitation. The method can optimize an antenna performance index expressible as a ratio of Hermitian quadratic forms. Power gain optimization and least-squares pattern synthesis with a specified gain are illustrated. Linear, planar, and circular arrays with dipole or circular loop elements are optimized, taking mutual coupling effects between antenna elements into account. The method shows much more rapid convergence characteristics than the Rosenbrock (1960) and Fletcher-Power (1963) methods. >


A developmental mutant of A. nidulans strain (MC430) was obtained by NTG treatment. The mutant shows secondary conidiophores, multiple tiers of sterigmata, absence of conidiophore pigmentation and foot-cell alterations. This phenotype was determined by a gene (medA430) mapped on the chromosome I. The map distance between the medA430 and galD loci was 23.7 cM.It's the same location of the medA locus. The foot-cell abnormalities present in this mutant strain indicate that it is a carrier of a new allele of the medA gene. It's very useful for future analysis with regard to the Med protein action on the conidiophore development.


Material and Methods: This study was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, from 1 November, 2011 to 30 September, 2012. Visually significant ocular trauma included all cases with any decrease in vision at presentation. A detailed history with complete ocular examination was undertaken and relevant investigations were done as necessary. Patients were treated medically or surgically as the case may be. Follow up ranged from 1 month to 10 months.


Abstrac t Indonesia is a country that has a wealth of biological resources (biodiversity), the second largest after Brazil and2 a wealth of traditional knowledge in the field of medicine that is very diverse. Indonesia's traditional knowledge is developed continuously and is guaranteed if the legal protection it will have a very high economic value, which would certainly boost the economy in Indonesia. This has become a very good opportunity for Indonesia to exploit the potential value of traditional knowledge which has been shown through various processes misappropriation (misuse) by the foreign companies. Traditional knowledge is knowledge developed by indigenous peoples based on tradition or intellectual work. This knowledge includes the methods of cultivation and processing plants, medicine, art, and food-beverage recipes. protection of traditional knowledge is important because it is a source of knowledge related to human life that can be commercialized. One of the important issues relating to intellectual property rights (IPR) today is about the extent to which traditional knowledge is protected. Traditional knowledge has emerged as a new legal problem caused no domestic legal instruments capable of providing an optimal legal protection of traditional knowledge that is currently widely used by parties who are not responsible. Key Note : Traditional Knowledge, Protection of HAKI


Consumption of food is not just to satisfy physical needs but also has spiritual significance. There was a time when people only consumed fresh and natural food. But with the advent of food technology, we have been eating more processed food containing chemicals, additives and preservatives to match with demands and perfections in food production. Islam is a religion concerned with every aspect of the life of an individual Muslim. In Islam, the consumption of halal food is obligatory in serving Allah, the Creator and the AlMighty. Allah is guiding us in His Holy Quran to eat what is permissible/lawful (halal) and good (tayyib) food from the Earth. Nowadays, different types as well variety of food offered in the market often confuse the Muslim consumers and most of them unaware of what they have consumed. Doubtful about the good quality (halal and tayyib) of food appear in every aspects 'from farm to fork' beginning from the ingredients, processing, handling and packaging. Simultaneously, this scenario has become increasingly challenging for Muslim consumers to determine whether the food they consume are religiously acceptable (halal) or not. Not only that, the abusing of halal logo and the questionable halal status of food also contribute to the halal haram issues of food. Hence, this paper will focus on some fraudulent issues pertaining to halal food industry in Malaysia with some suggestion on how to tackle them effectively with the implementation of halalan tayyiban. The concept of halalan tayyiban (lawful and good) which encompass health, hygiene, sanitation, safety and quality is adopted in globally recognized Malaysian Halal Standard MS 1500:2004 - Production, Preparation, Handling and Storage. It is the question on how does the wholesomeness of halalan tayyiban really applied throughout the food process. Undoubtedly, food that we eat and consume is only halal if the raw materials and ingredients used are halal and it is fully compatible to the Islamic guidelines. Thus, the high quality and safety aspects underlined by the standards of halal and tayyib should be highlighted to offer reassurance to those of the Muslim faith and to preserve the wholesomeness of halal food in the market.


Organizational leadership requires developing an understanding of your own worldview as well as the worldviews of others. The worldview is a composite image created from the various lenses through which individuals view the world. It is not the same as the identity, political stance, or religious viewpoint, but does include these things. It incorporates everything an individual believes about the world, combining the tangible and the intangible. The individual's worldview is defined by that individual's attitudes, opinions, beliefs, and the outside forces the individual allows to influence them. The worldview is the "operating instructions" for how the individual interfaces with the world. One who does not take into consideration how individuals interface with the world is in a much weaker position to lead these individuals. Furthermore, the organizational leadership requires an understanding of the composite worldview of the organization, which consists of the many diverse and sometimes conflicting worldviews of the individuals within that organization.
Keywords: Professional experience, transformational leader, leadership interpretations, game norms.


With appropriate control algorithms, grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems can provide real and reactive power to meet power system needs. However, the intermittency of solar irradiance and the stochastic nature of reactive power demand affect the dynamic performance of these systems. This paper presents a method for stochastic modeling and simulation of grid-connected three-phase photovoltaic systems. The state variables of concern are the real and reactive power delivered to the grid, and the line currents. The objective of this work is to model the statistics of the reactive power demand as a linear stochastic differential equation driven by a wiener process, model the solar irradiance and temperature as random variables, develop a dynamic performance stochastic model of the entire system, and ascertain the time evolution of the first and second moments of the state variables.


The invention discloses a method for tracking the outline of an object in a video frame sequence, and belongs to the field of computer vision. The method comprises the following steps: selecting the trace point and the edge point of the object to be traced in a reference frame; calculating the motion vector of the trace point from the reference frame to a process frame, and acquiring the position of the trace point in the process frame according to the trace point in the reference frame; calculating the motion vector of the edge point from the reference frame to the process frame according to the motion vector of the trace point from the reference frame to the process frame, and estimating the position of the edge point in the process frame according to the edge point in the reference frame; and acquiring the outline of the object to be traced in the process frame according to the position of the edge point in the process frame. The device comprises an edge point selecting module, a trace point selecting module, a trace point tracing module, an edge point estimating module and an outline restoring module. The invention, which estimates the position of the edge point in the process frame according to the position of the trace point so as to acquire the outline of the object, has the advantages that the efficiency of the tracing of the outline of the object is improved; and the real-time property of the tracing of the outline of the object is enhanced.


This research paper aimed to study outbound logistics and to design a delivery route plan for construction materials by using the algorithms for the vehicle routing problem, where products are distributed from a distribution center to several customers. The saving algorithm and genetic algorithm were applied to solve the vehicle routing problem with construction materials that were of different sizes, shapes, and weight under the available resource constraints and customer requests. The total distances and costs obtained from two algorithms were compared and the best solution was proposed. The company in Nakhon Ratchasima province in Thailand was used as a case study. Data were collected between January and December 2015 and the results showed that the generic algorithm provided a shorter distance than the current delivery system by 32.99%. Moreover, the genetic algorithm reduced the total cost of the current delivery method by 45.23%. Therefore, the solution of the generic algorithm is presented for scheduling the delivery routes for construction materials.