The philosophy of science offers two different perspectives on how empirical findings contribute to knowledge accumulation. The "law-statement" perspective interprets contributions to the extent that empirical research confirms or refutes general axioms of theory. Alternatively, the "model-theoretic" perspective recognizes contributions from models that improve scholars' ability to represent the world of managers. Management scholars often have limited awareness of the philosophical tradition underlying the model-theoretic perspective, and, consequently, useful contributions from improved models of important phenomena may be overlooked. Drawing on model-theoretic philosophy, we identify three ways in which empirical research contributes to theoretical knowledge without necessarily verifying or falsifying theoretical axioms, through the grafting, contextualizing, and repurposing of representational models. We provide examples of each by focusing on studies investigating incentive alignment. Finally, we dis...


The work examines the problem of the aging of transmission network units and the impact of it on the reliability of the electric power system (EPS). The criteria and methodology are defined for compiling a priority list for the revitalization of lines and transformers in transmission networks. The criteria are based on the real condition of a unit and the role and relevancy of the unit within the EPS. Through a probabilistic simulation and a multi-scenario analysis the expected annual operating costs of the system are calculated. Based on the difference of these costs at different unavailability levels of the observed units, the individual criteria, which are dependent on the role and relevance of the observed unit, are quantified and the significance index of the revitalization candidates is calculated. Based on that index, and the condition index of individual revitalization candidates, a single priority list of lines and transformers for revitalization is compiled.


Paper discusses the peculiarities of self-timed multiplier implementation for unit multiplying two operands and then adding the product to third operand without an intermediate rounding according to the IEEE 754 Standard. The multiplier is a hardware implementation of modified Booth algorithm on a base of self-timed adder with redundant signal code. An optimal self-timed redundant coding of internal and output signals in the multiplier was proposed. The circuitry and layout problems were solved for self-timed multiplier implementation. Wallace tree structure, which is the main part of the multiplier, was optimized for the facilities of 65-nm CMOS process with six metal layers taking into account more number of signals in the multiplier circuit, than in the synchronous analog. A release of the self-timed multiplier implementation in CMOS process with 65-nm design rules is introduced.


This essay uses the psychological concept of dissociation to describe one way that Radiohead's song "How to Disappear Completely" and Jasper Johns's Device paintings seem to function. In their formal elements, content, and context, these works show the detachment, depersonalization, and automatization that are hallmarks of what psychologists describe as dissociation. The song and paintings do not show these qualities in exactly the same way, but the triangulation of song, paintings, and psychological concept shed light on all three. This examination also reveals a dynamics at the heart of this triangulation. While the aesthetics of the song and paintings demonstrate the above-mentioned dissociative qualities, they do so in a manner that is so lush, sumptuous, and inviting so as to make them very engaging. Consequently, the works invite mental and emotional engagement partly by their dense yet luscious formal qualities and partly by their detached content. Soundings, Vol. 96, no. 1, 2013 copyright © 2013 The Pennsylvania State university, university Park, Pa so un di ng s sodings


A new method for growing PtSi film by solid state reaction of Pt/Ti/Si multilayer is described in the paper The variation of film structure with thermal annealing temperature was studied The film formed was characterized by Xray diffraction (XRD) and the auger electron spectroscopy (AES) measurements The results indicate that, when the film was annealed at 500 °C for 30 min, the dominant resultant between Si and Pt was PtSi, while a little Pt2Si was detected due to the existence of PtTiOSi transition layer; when the film was annealed at 800 °C for 30 min, Ti and Si can react with each other to produce TiSi2, which consumed a lot of Si atoms, leading to the incomplete reaction of Pt and Si In order to achieve the devicequalified PtSi film by Pt/Ti/Si multilayer solidstate reaction, the thickness of Ti layer, together with the annealing temperature and time, is critical 


This study aims at a better understanding of the politics of economic reform in countries that have remained on the margins of the globalising economy. The article identifies cross-national differences in patterns of financial sector reform in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in the 1980s and 1990s. We argue that these differences are traceable, in part, to variations in the strength and autonomy of private capital in each country. These social-structural differences are registered, albeit imperfectly, in measures of concentration and ownership structure in the commercial banking sector. Using these measures, we propose a typology of variation in banking structure in the MENA and SSA, and argue that each type tends to be associated with a characteristic pattern of financial sector reform (or non-reform). We find that the biggest struggles over banking reform occurred in countries with a history of antagonistic relations between a relatively strong domestic private sector and the state.


Marine terminals are in need of additional capacity in order to handle increasing demands. In metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles/Long Beach, the scarcity and high cost of land forces the terminals to increase capacity by using advanced technologies rather than expanding in square footage. Higher efficiency within the terminals however could imply more truck traffic in and out of the terminal that will lead to congestion on the roadway network adjacent to the terminals. This traffic congestion will, in turn have a negative effect on the efficiency of the terminals, in addition to increased pollution. It is therefore clear that the efficiency and capacity of the terminals cannot be decoupled from the effect on congestion on the traffic network outside the terminals. In this study we develop a simulation test bed that allows us to investigate the impact of various technologies and concepts on the terminal capacity and cost as well as on the traffic network outside the terminals in an integrated manner. The test bed is of general use and could be employed to evaluate a wide range of concepts and technologies associated with terminals and ports and the traffic network surrounding them. The test bed is used to evaluate and analyze truck movement concepts that include the use of an inland port with dedicated truck lanes; empty container reuse strategies; and centralized processing and use of chassis. The test bed consists of three modules: TermSim, TrafficSim and TermCost. The TermSim module includes the simulation of operations within the terminal and at the interfaces. The TrafficSim module includes the simulation of trucks, vehicles and traffic flow on the roadway network outside the terminals. TermSim interacts with TrafficSim at the interfaces. The TermCost module is a cost model developed by the authors for cost evaluation of terminals and is used to evaluate the concepts under consideration. The TermCost module interacts with TermSim. An inland port concept and empty container reuse strategies are evaluated using the test bed in order to investigate and quantify their effect on the terminals and the traffic network outside the terminal. As a specific example, the traffic network surrounding a terminal in the Los Angeles/Long Beach port is used to demonstrate the use of the test bed in evaluating and quantifying benefits associated with the use of an inland port and empty container reuse strategies. In addition the test bed is used to perform a preliminary study of the concept of centralized processing and use of chassis.


The Supreme Court's Shelby County v. Holder ruling invalidating Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is in part a product of efforts to resist further transformations to the traditional American institutional arrangements that have conferred advantages on whites, especially disproportionate political power. Those efforts in resistance are not likely to succeed in the long run. But they may embroil American elections and American governance in paralyzing conflicts for years to come.


A study done by using a meteorological wind report from Mason City, IA tall tower, which reports wind speed at 200 meters, 150 meters, 100 meters and 50 meters used to determine power output for a wind turbine. The wind turbine used was a GE 1.5sle wind turbine and it is used in Mason City. This study was created to analyze the yearly, seasonal, monthly and level output of the turbines if they were built at each of the four levels. The data was broken up into total power produced and average power produced. In addition, a calculation of how many days the wind fell below the speed criteria was done and used to determine a reasonable cause to the results that were found. Overall spring was the best time that wind would produce electrical power, and April overall was the best month for wind to produce electrical power. The higher up the wind turbine would be the better the power would be produced. ______________________________________________________________________________


Several organic species, specifically atrazine, 2,4-dichlorophenozyacetic acid, and biphenyl, were converted to CO{sub 2} and other non-harmful gases through oxidation catalyzed by inorganic acid. Nearly complete conversion was obtained through homogeneous liquid-phase oxidation with ammonium nitrate. The kinetics of reaction have been investigated and indicate parallel oxidation and thermal degradation of the oxidant. This results in a maximum conversion at an intermediate temperature. Increasing oxidant concentration accelerates the rate of conversion and shifts the location of the optimum temperature. Reaction at varying acid concentration revealed that conversion increased with an approximately linear relationship as the pH of the solution was increased. Conversion was increased to greater than 99% through the addition of small amounts of transition metal salts demonstrating the suitability of a treatment process based on this technology for wastestreams containing small quantities of heavy metals.


The University of Denver completed an on-road remote sensing study of motor vehicle emissions for the first time at a site on eastbound Sherman Way in Van Nuys, California, about 0.4 mile west of the Van Nuys airport tunnel. Measurements were made on five consecutive days, from Thursday, August 12, through Monday, August 16, between the hours of 9:00 and 15:30. At the measurement site, Sherman Way is a divided six-lane surface street. The middle lane of the eastbound lanes was closed for approximately 2.5 blocks before the monitoring location, forcing traffic into the inside and outside lanes. The instrument was set up just east of Whitaker Ave. across a single eastbound lane that was closest to the curb. We compiled a database that contains 12,963 records for which the State of California provided registration information. All of these records contained valid measurements for at least CO and CO 2 , and most of the remaining records contained valid measurements for HC, NO, SO 2 , NH 3 and NO 2. burned) respectively. The regulated fleet emissions measured in this study exhibit a gamma distribution with the minority of the measurements responsible for the majority of the emissions. The highest emitting 10% of the measurements were responsible for 86%, 90% and 72% of the CO, HC and NO emissions respectively. One particularly egregious case is a 1995 model that alone is responsible for 5.6% of the entire fleet's measured HC emissions (three HC measurements of 1.291%, 1.367% and 2.896%; for comparison the average two-stroke snowmobile measured in Yellowstone Park in 1999 averaged 2.4%). The following table details some of the emission statistics for the six species measured and for CO, HC, NO and NH 3 highlights the skewed nature of the on-road fleet's emissions distributions. A historical comparison between these measurements and two past measurement campaigns in the nearby Van Nuys tunnel (in 1987 by Ingalls et al. and in 1993 by Fraser and Cass) show large reductions in CO and HC emissions. CO and HC gram/liter emissions of 130 and 9.1 (grams of carbon) as measured in 1993 have decreased to 15 and 1.5 grams/liter as measured in %CO HC (ppm) NO (ppm) SO 2 (ppm) NH 3 (ppm) NO 2 (ppm) Mode 0 20 1 0 3 2 Median 0.02 30 12-0.5 26 2 Mean 0.16 67 186-0.7 75 4 Mean Percentile * 83 68 79 11 73 …


The present invention is, with high sensitivity and specificity to detect a disease state, to provide a method to discriminate. The present method enables determination of whether cell-based sample comprises abnormal cells, also for certain diseases, it is possible to determine the histological types of existing disease. This method detects changes in the level and pattern of expression of molecular markers in cell-based sample. Selection and activation method of the panel are also provided.


The primordial black hole (PBH) formation is studied in light of the inflating curvaton. The typical scale of the PBH formation is determined by curvaton inflation, which may generate PBH with ${10}^{14}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{g}\ensuremath{\le}{M}_{\mathrm{PBH}}\ensuremath{\le}{10}^{38}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{g}$ when curvaton inflation gives the number of e-foldings $5\ensuremath{\le}{N}_{2}\ensuremath{\le}38$. The non-Gaussianity of the inflating curvaton does not prevent the PBH formation.


There is considerable interest in derivatives of tetracoordinated phosphorus thioacids containing the P(S)SE (E = Si, As) fragment, because of their possible use as synthetic intermediates for new organothiophosphorus compounds. The reaction of 2,4-bis(alkylthio)1,3,2,4-dithiadiphosphetane-2,4-disulfides with trimethyl(dialkylamino)silane has been found to give S-trimethylsilyl S-alkyl(dialkylamido)trithiophosphates. S-Trimethylsilyl S-ethyl(diethylamido)trithiophosphate was partially transformed into cyclic 2,4-bis(diethylamido)-1,3,2,4-dithiadiphosphetane-2,4-disulfide and trimethyl (ethylthio)silane. The molecular and crystal structure of 2,4-bis (diethylamido)-1,3,2,4-dithiadiphosphetane-2,4-disulfide was established by X-ray single crystal diffraction. In contast, S-diethylarsenic(III) aryl(dialkylamido)dithiophosphonates obtained in the reaction


In order to solve the mutually exclusive problem in indices of expansive soil classification, a new comprehensive evaluating method is given. This method constructs a new interval incidence function based on the principle of weight calculation which is that the clearer the symptom of the classified characteristic is, the bigger the weight is. A new computing method of variable weight is given according to the law that the maximum value of incidence function for single index is used to be the target, so the samples can be categorized on the basis of the degree of approaching between samples and targets. An example is presented to verify the method. The results show that this method can solve the mutually exclusive problem efficiently, and it is convenient for calculating, its conclusion is more reasonable and more accurate. 4 tabs, 9 refs.


An anesthesia device and a process are provided with which a breathing gas, which is present in a breathing circuit and which is especially enriched with an anesthetic, can be removed rapidly and in a cost-effective manner. The breathing circuit comprises: an inspiratory breathing gas duct and an expiratory breathing gas duct, for receiving an expired breathing gas; a Y-piece, which is designed as a Y-piece that can be closed, for connecting the inspiratory and expiratory breathing gas ducts with a patient; at least one breathing gas supply system which introduces breathing gas into the breathing circuit. A breathing gas outlet duct is provided with a breathing gas outlet valve; a breathing gas reservoir which intermediately stores breathing gas; a PEEP valve is arranged upstream of the breathing gas reservoir in the direction of flow of the breathing gas; a breathing gas delivery which is arranged downstream of the breathing gas reservoir in the direction of flow of the breathing gas; an air inlet which introduces ambient air into the breathing circuit, which the air inlet is arranged between the PEEP valve and the breathing gas delivery; and a control which is provided at least for controlling the ambient air entering through the air inlet, the breathing gas delivery, the PEEP valve and the breathing gas outlet valve for removing breathing gases from the breathing circuit.


Placenta accreta is one of the most serious complications of pregnancy and is frequently associated with severe obstetric hemorrhage, usually necessitating hysterectomy. Here, we are appending a case in the literature one with placenta accreta with previa. Uterine artery embolization was performed for the management of postpartum hemorrhage after subtotal hysterectomy.


Study of the mechanical properties, including creep, and of the welding and fabrication characteristics of steel containing 0.5 per cent chromium and 0.5 per cent molybdenum, designed for elevated-temperature service, has shown this grade to be essentially similar to 0.5 per cent molybdenum steel without chromium. However, elevated-temperature exposure tests have shown the steel whether deoxidized with aluminum or not, to be resistant to graphitization in butt-welded pipe as well as bead-weld tests lasting up to 15,000 hr at 1025 F and 12,000 hr at 1100 F. Scaling tests and hardness and notch-impact tests before and after air exposure at elevated temperature have indicated that only slight oxidation and little or no embrittlement may be anticipated during service of this grade of steel.


Distortions of magnetic field measurements caused by material probes in hot plasmas can be avoided by measuring the Zeeman splitting of impurity spectral lines. The problem of the line breadths being large compared to the magnetic field splitting is solved by using the opposite circular polarization characteristics of the symmetrically displaced Zeeman components in a longitudinal field. This, however, limits the technique to wavelengths longer than 2000 \AA{}, where there is a scarcity of intense allowed transitions from the highly ionized species which originate in the hot plasma. Successful measurements have been made on the Scylla I theta pinch device. These indicate approximately zero magnetic field in the hot plasma and set a lower limit of 79% on $\ensuremath{\beta}$, the ratio of plasma to magnetic pressure.


A great majority of widely used ferrite ceramics exhibit a relatively high temperature of order–disorder phase transition in their magnetic subsystem. For applications related to the magnetization process of superconductors, however, a low value of Tc is required. Here we report and analyze in detail the thermal properties of bulk Ti-doped Cu–Zn ferrite ceramics Cu0.3Zn0.7Ti0.04Fe1.96O4 and Mg0.15Cu0.15Zn0.7Ti0.04Fe1.96O4. They are characterized by a Curie temperature in the range 120–170 K and a maximum DC magnetic susceptibility exceeding 20 for the Cu0.3Zn0.7Ti0.04Fe1.96O4 material. The temperature dependence of both the specific heat Cp and of the thermal conductivity κ, determined between 2 and 300 K, are found not to exhibit any peculiar feature at the magnetic transition temperature. The low-temperature dependence of both κ and the mean free path of phonons suggests a mesoscopic fractal structure of the grains. From the measured data, the characteristics of thermally actuated waves are estimated. The low magnetic phase transition temperature and suitable thermal parameters make the investigated ferrite ceramics applicable as magnetic wave producers in devices designed for magnetization of high-temperature superconductors.


The Deepwater Port Act of 1974 was enacted at a time when the United States was increasingly dependent on imported oil. The act was passed to establish economical means to transport oil to the U.S. The act reduced the number of ships operating in U.S. coastal waters, seeking to enhance environmental protection. The act was amended by the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2012 to allow for U.S. oil or natural gas export. The Maritime Administration and the Coast Guard jointly administer the act and provide an appropriate regulatory scheme with which proposed export facilities can be licensed and operated.


Flows of polymer solutions through a 3.7:1 abrupt contraction were observed in a micro- and a regular-size channels with rectangular cross sections. The test fluids are three kinds of 0.2 wt% aqueous solutions of polyacrylamide whose rheological properties are different with each other. In the previous works, apparent slips were observed on the channel wall for the polymer solutions and the slip levels of these solutions are considered to be different. In the present paper, the growth of the salient corner vortex is discussed as a function of the shear rate. Consequently, the vortex size in the microchannel is larger than that in the regular-size channel for the flow of polymer solution whose slip level is weak, whereas the vortex size in the microchannel is smaller than that in the regular-size channel for the flow of polymer solution whose slip level is strong.


Previous studies have quantified growth and atrophy of the olfactory bulb and olfactory epithelium of the Sprague‐Dawley rat from maturity to senescence. Major events occurring in these structures include changes in the volume of mitral cells and changes in the number of septal olfactory receptors. These effects are large, consist of a growth phase followed by atrophy, and are temporally related in that events in the olfactory epithelium precede those in the mitral cells. A hypothesis of aging based on transneuronal effects would predict that these changes would be similarly transmitted to the next synaptic station in the olfactory pathway. Therefore, cells and synapses of the piriform cortex were studied in rats 3, 12, 18, 24, 27, 30, and 33 months of age. Alternate Vibratome sections through brains perfused with mixed aldehydes were processed for light and electron microscopy.


NOWHERE IN HIS WORK DOES ÉLIE HALÉVY SHOW THAT HE felt any particular preference for those whom man hold to be his predecessors or masters. He refers at Length to Montesquieu at the beginning of his third volume on England in 1815, but indirectly, through his English interpreters, especially Blackstone. Blackstone interpreted the British constitution in the light of the interpretation which Montesquieu gave it in l'Esprit des Lois. In so doing he yielded to the force of French logic and falsified the analysis of reality. As French logic is unable to understand the British procedure, and imposed upon the English a stylized representation of their own practice, this paradoxical exercise was greatly to the taste of Halévy, an historian who always enjoyed the paradoxes of history, and who understood so well the native genius of both peoples.


"Exactly what's needed to breathe new life into a field now dying for lack of a practical, results-oriented perspective. Desouza and Awazu show us how to capture the essence of good management – knowledge – while actively engaged in the nitty-gritty of complex organizations. You will be engaged by this book." — William E. Halal, Professor of Management, George Washington University; Co-Director, Institute for Knowledge and Innovation; author of The Infinite Resource (1999)


Harmonisation of the different rights of withdrawal, enshrined in legislation on doorstep selling, distance selling, timesharing, and in the near future consumer credit, is amongst the top issues of the EC agenda on European private law. Germany, following its tradition of a well-organised system of private law rules, has tried for some time to establish a harmonised system at the national level. At the same time, Germany appears to have created one of the most detailed set of rules on the right of withdrawal in Europe, in particular with a view to the consequences of the withdrawal from a contract, and it has tried to find the right balance between the interests of consumers and traders, a challenge that will also come up at EC level.


Based on the Set Pair analysis method,the paper calculates the connection degree of groundwater sample and the class standard,and defines the degree of groundwater sample.the paper takes the Fengxian groundwater as example,explains how to construct the calculation formula of connection degree and choose the parameter,the evaluation result shows,the most groundwater quality of Fengxian reached to the first,second and third degree,is not yet polluted by out material,the result is up to the fact.


Given the fact that literature and arts are very much connected, we will focus our attention on the elements that are representative for the world of expression in these two fields, especially, insisting on the aesthetic criteria of Yves Michaud and "The Transfiguration of the Commonplace: A Philosophy of Art" by Arthur Danto. Consequently, the focus of our present study will be the analysis of the same aesthetic criteria applied to two distinct, yet complementary fields: the art of words and the art of visual elements.


The genus Ramaria is globally distributed, inhabiting different substrates. In the present study, samples of R. barenthalensis were collected during a fungal survey from Neelum valley AJK, Pakistan. Identification was carried out through combined morpho-anatomical and molecular data from nrITS region, which confirmed the identification as R. barenthalensis . The taxon is a new record for fungi of AJK, Pakistan


All the proteins used were of the crystalline form; protamine sulfate was obtained from Nutritional Biochemicals (United States), lysozyme from Sigma Chemicals Co. (United States), and insulin from Allen and Hanburys Ltd. and The British Drug House Ltd. (India). These proteins were dissolved in water, and their concentrations were measured by estimating the nitrogen content by the method of Johnson (2). Buffers with a pH near the isoelectric point of the proteins studied were used as the substrate solutions. Glass-distilled water was used throughout these experiments. Irradiations were carried out with y-rays from the cobalt-60 Theratron Junior Unit. The dose measurements were made with a Victoreen r-meter and a nylon ionization chamber. The dose rates ranged from 240 to 300 r/min, and the irradiation period from 3 to 8 hours. During irradiation the containers with protein solutions were kept surrounded with ice and water, and the temperature of the protein solution was maintained in the range 8? to 12?C. The concentrations of the solutions during irradiation and the conditions used for monolayer formation are given in Table I. Monolayer studies were carried out on a torsion balance system and a "trough


This study compared productivity in mixed-species plantations of Eucalyptus globulus ssp. pseudoglobulus (Naudin ex Maiden) Kirkpatr. and Acacia mearnsii de Wild with pure stands of each species an...


GDM is a multifactorial disorder which is increasing globally because of the lifestyle and genetic predisposition as GDM and T2DM clusters in the family. Though mothers return to normal glycemic states after delivery it is associated with increased short and long term maternal and fetal complications. There is no cure yet been found; however it can be managed by lifestyle modifications and thereby maintaining desired glycemic levels. As screening based on risk factors leave many of the women undiagnosed, universal screening has to be recommended and medical nutrition therapy should be necessarily individualized to reduce and prevent further complications both in mother and fetus. In this review we highlight the key factors responsible for the development of GDM which are usually overlooked such as depression, smoking, stress, calorie intake, age at menarche, vitamin and trace mineral deficiencies, lack of physical activity besides the genetic factors. Recent research into genetics causing GDM has led to identifying genes specific to GDM. This review is an overview of pathophysiology, role of ethnicity, risk factors, genetics, screening, diagnosis and treatment that leads to GDM based on the recent literature. Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is defined as any degree of glucose intolerance causing hyperglycemia with onset or first recognition during pregnancy at any trimester. It is a multifactorial and polygenic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and pancreatic beta cell dysfunction. This metabolic condition remains for a time period i.e., till the delivery of the baby, having both short and long term complications. Most of the cases can be treated by diet, exercise and upon persistent high glycemic index insulin therapy will be given. Most women with GDM will return to normal glucose tolerance after delivery, a significant number may continue to be hyperglycemic after delivery. There are many genes identified by genome wide association studies that are associated significantly with GDM that play a role in the pathogenesis of GDM. The absence of universally validated guidelines for screening and diagnosis, following selective screening strategy, lack of awareness of the consequences of GDM, all together


Quarterly wavelength shifted (QWS) distributed feedback (DFB) laser structures are commonly referred to be associated with high mode selectivity, zero-frequency detuning and small threshold current density. The present paper compares different asymmetric QWS structures in the threshold regime, the results being summarized to show their influence on the emission laser characteristics.


Muscle and nerve biopsy may be vital diagnostic tools in various neuromuscular disorders. Since these procedures are invasive, it matters to decide when to perform a biopsy, which muscle or nerve to be selected, and how to interpret the pathologies. This review addresses the indications, methods of biopsies, and also significant pathological findings frequently encountered in muscle and nerve pathology.


All papers published in this volume have been reviewed through processes administered by the Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing Publishing. • Type of peer review: Double Anonymous • Conference submission management system: Morressier • Number of submissions received: 47 • Number of submissions sent for review: 41 • Number of submissions accepted: 38 • Acceptance Rate (Submissions Accepted / Submissions Received × 100): 80.9 • Average number of reviews per paper: 2.05 • Total number of reviewers involved: 20 • Contact person for queries: Name: Vasyl Dmytriv Email: email@example.com Affiliation: Lviv Polytechnic National University - Machine Desing and Automotive Engineering


The objective of the research work was to provide a gastroretentive system for sustained release of metformin HCl in proximal part gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in the form of oral floating tablet. Metformin HCl is an anti-diabetic biguanid with poor bioavailability and absorption window at the upper part of GIT. Floating tablets were prepared by wet granulation method incorporating natural polymers guar gum and k-Carrageen and a synthetic polymer HPMC K100 (HPMC) either alone or in combination. Sodium bicarbonate and citric acid was used as gas generating agent. Floating tablets were evaluated for weight variation, hardness, and friability, drug content, swelling index, in vitro buoyancy and in vitro drug release study. The formulation optimized based on floating ability, matrix integrity, and in vitro drug release in simulated gastric fluid pH 1.2. Formulation prepared with combination of 6% w/w k-carrageen and 11%w/w guar gum showed good gel strength, stable and persistent buoyancy for 12h, least floating lag time of 58 sec with good matrix integrity throughout dissolution period. The mechanism of drug release was appears to be diffusion mechanism. Stability studies indicated absence of any drug degradation on storage for 3 months at 40oC.


ObjectiveTo establish and optimize the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis(2-DE) and the preparation of protein samples for the proteome of keratinocytes. MethodsThe keratinocytes were isolated from the human skin and cultured in serum-free media. Optimal conditions for sample preparation and 2-DE were screened by comparing by contents of lysis buffer,on-gel protein contents and IEF parameter. ResultsSuccessful preparation of protein samples for proteome was founded. We also eatablished and optimized the method for two-dimensional electrophoresis technique of keratinocytes and got satisfactory 2-DE map with good repetition and resolution was obtained. ConclusionThe optimized condition of 2-DE is suitable for the keratinocyte which laid a foundation for the further studies on proteome.


Research in sociophonetics faces several challenges when it comes to understanding the social significance of gay-sounding male speech. In this paper we first review some of the empirical findings on phonetic microvariation, using a perceptual approach in which speakers' voices are rated on a continuous scale from gay- to straight-sounding. We then point out similarities and differences between gay-sounding male voices and those of heterosexual women, and discuss the implications for the acquisition of the 'gay voice' in childhood vs. adulthood. Finally, we propose that other sociolinguistic categories, such as social class, might also be treated as continuous variables based on listeners' perceptions.


To characterize the impact of thermal nonequilibrium in shock-induced combustion scramjets, several thermal equilibrium and nonequilibrium computational fluid dynamics simulations have been performed. Specifically, the effects that would be encountered in shock-tunnel testing are of interest. Therefore, thermal equilibrium and nonequilibrium simulations are run for a Mach 6 shock-tunnel nozzle and a radical farming scramjet model with total enthalpies between 3.3 and 4.9 MJ/kg. Simulating both the nozzle and scramjet with thermal nonequilibrium represents the shock-tunnel test, whereas equilibrium inflow into a scramjet simulated in thermal nonequilibrium provides the scenario encountered in actual flight. For all nonequilibrium simulations, the Landau-Teller model in combination with modified Millikan and White thermal relaxation coefficients is used. It is shown that modeling the entire flow as being in thermal equilibrium results in higher effective temperatures within the local high-temperature regions where ignition occurs, which causes the ignition length to decrease and thus the combustion process to be more efficient compared with the nonequilibrium cases. Additionally, the conditions for ignition in simulations representing shock-tunnel experiments are found to be more favorable than in the simulations representing a flight test, assuming the same enthalpy and boundary conditions. Furthermore, these differences are found to be insensitive to the total enthalpy.


-2-ABSTRACT South-central Nebraska is recognized as a focal point of the mid-continent migratory waterfowl 17 flyway. Substantial wetland alterations led to a critical need for restoration. Managers have 18 restored wetlands by scraping with heavy earthmoving equipment to remove excess organic 19 material and near-monocultures of reed canarygrass ( Phalaris arundinacea L.) but managers 20 report high costs and topsoil perturbation. Moderate livestock grazing was tested to compare 21 results with those achieved with mechanical techniques. Advantages of grazing could include 22 low costs and less soil perturbation. During the 2006 and 2007 growing seasons, we compared 23 cover of bare ground and open water and plant species composition in mechanically treated, 24 grazed, and untreated wetlands dominated by reed canarygrass to determine restoration success. 25 Significantly less reed canarygrass and a higher percent composition of desirable species were 26 found in mechanically treated areas as compared to grazed or control treatments. However, 27 waterfowl food plants and marsh species were similar between treatments. Significantly higher 28 percent cover of open water was found at mechanically treated wetlands possibly improving 29 shorebird and waterfowl habitats. Both restoration techniques increased bare ground. Our 30 findings reject the proposition that moderate livestock grazing is an effective technique in 31 restoring reed canarygrass dominated wetlands in Nebraska and suggest additional research be 32 conducted on intense, short-duration grazing in early spring. 33


To offer communication capability in an easy and simple deployment, power line communications (PLCs) have recently attracted interest from the smart grid. The effective sub-channel assignment can increase throughput of In-Home (IH) PLC networks with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing scheme distributed over low-voltage areas. Given a logical topology of an IH PLC network, the authors present a formulation to optimise the sub-channel assignment problem as a linear programming with an objective function of maximising the network throughput. It takes into account constraints of the network topology, interference and traffic fairness. According to the solution of the optimising sub-channel assignment problem, the scheduling algorithm of links to obtain channels is developed for every time slot. Evaluation demonstrates that the proposed approach performs much better in improving overall network throughput and ensuring the traffic fairness of network users than conventional ones.


In this paper, smoothing curve or surface with both interpolation conditions and inequality constraints is considered as a general convex optimization problem in a Hilbert space. We propose a new approximation method based on a discretized optimization problem in a finite-dimensional Hilbert space under the same set of constraints. We prove that the approximate solution converges uniformly to the optimal constrained interpolating function. An efficient algorithm is derived and numerical examples with bound and monotonicity constraints in one and two dimensions are given. A comparison with existing monotone cubic splines interpolation algorithms in terms of linearized energy criterion is included.


This bachelor thesis focuses on the territorial polarization of socio-economic differentiation in Czechia, which is determined by a spatial analysis of previously selected indicators, such as gross domestic product, unemployment rate or religiosity. These indicators are analysed, studied and divided into three individual groups (economic, social and other), differentiated by their own attributes. The main goal is to identify and define determinants and causalities, that made the formation of a certain territoral polarization possible. After a thorough syntesis, all regions are seperated into either a more developed or less developed section.


Normal 0 21 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Classroom management is a critical competency area for all teachers because classroom management skills are directly related to pupil achievement. In the present study, the four-category (authoritarian, authoritative, laissez-faire, indifferent) classification of Kris (1997a) is used. Pupil control ideologies, conceptualized by Willover, Eidell and Hoy (1967), were developed to define teachers' views about pupil control. Pupil control ideologies conceptualized as two poles ranging from custodial control ideology to humanistic control ideology. The purpose of the present study is to determine the correlation between primary school teachers' views about pupil control ideologies and classroom management styles. The survey model study attempts to answer the research questions. 200 primary school teachers from Kutahya province are included in the sample of the research. The data is collected using "Classroom Management Profile Scale" and the "Pupil Control Ideology Scale". Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were used in data analysis. According to the findings obtained from the study, primary school teachers mostly presented authoritarian classroom management style, which was respectively followed by authoritative classroom management style, laissez-faire classroom management style and indifferent classroom management style. The findings of the study show that primary school teachers are closer to custodial control ideology. A custodial control ideology has certain qualities such as strict control, enforcement of orders, one way downward communication, and distrust towards pupils, cruel punishments and taking undisciplined behavior as personal offences. There is a moderate, positive and significant correlation between the participants' views about custodial control ideologies and authoritarian classroom management styles. It could be said from the findings of the study that the more the custodial control ideology of the participants occurs, the more the authoritative classroom management styles are observed.


Cancer is one of the diseases that causes the highest mortality rate in the world, where most used treatment is chemotherapy that destroys both cancer and healthy cells. The side effect of chemotherapy is fatigue caused by a decrease in the body's immune. This situation has become quite risky due to the presence of COVID-19 outbreak in the world, where the virus attacks humans with poor immunity. The aim of this paper is to develop the mathematical model about the viral dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 on tumor-immune system of cancer patient with chemotherapy. In the model, we study the interactions between cancer cells, SARS-CoV-2 virus, epithelial cells, and immune system. From the model, we will analyze the equilibrium point stability. In the end, we simulated the effect of chemotherapy towards SARS-CoV-2 infection on cancer patient and the sensitivity analysis of the chemotherapy drugs doses toward the density of Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte cells. © 2022 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved.


Motivated by the fact that cluster reduction strategies such as inserting a vowel or deleting a consonant in resolving English complex clusters differ depending on studies, this paper investigates the repair strategies employed by Korean EFL students. A total of 60 college students participated in the present study and the participants' production of English voiceless word-initial and word-final clusters was measured using the materials designed for this study. It has been shown that prosodic positions such as onset and coda and the number of cluster sequences influenced cluster reduction strategies. The error rates of both insertion and deletion were noticeably higher in the coda position than in the onset position and both insertion and deletion error rates were higher in triconsonatal cluster than in biconsonantal cluster sequences. Overall, the insertion rate was higher than the deletion rate. However, the deletion rate was significantly higher than the insertion rate in triconsonantal coda cluster sequences. Because of this, the deletion rate was higher than the insertion rate for triconsonantal cluster sequences across onset and coda. Also, the high deletion rate of triconsonantal coda clusters contributed to the high deletion rate for the coda clusters in general.


This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of Chinese medicine SH mixture on respiratory tract inflammation induced by herpesvirus. The clinical symptoms, mortality and incidence were observed to evaluate the preventive and therapeutic effects of SH mixture on infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) in peacocks. Administration of SH mixture noticeably improved the clinical symptoms and decreased the mortality associated with ILT in peacocks. SH mixture also had a significant preventive effect on ILT. The results suggest that SH mixture has preventative and therapeutic effects on respiratory inflammation caused by herpesvirus. Improvement of immune and hematopoietic functions is possibly involved in its protective mechanism.


The photodisintegration of complex nuclei by gamma rays up to 1150 Mev has been studied by exposing nuclear emulsion to bremsstrahlung from the CalTech electron synchrotron and observing the "photostars" produced. Exposures were made at 16 different peak energies between 250 and 1150 Mev. Nearly 10 000 photostars were analyzed for star frequency, prong number, angular distribution, and (at 1143 Mev) the visible energy release per star. The bremsstrahlung yield of multiprong (≥2 prong) stars increases abruptly as photons capable of producing pions are included. The cross section per photon, derived from the bremsstrahlung yield by the photon difference method, is essentially constant at 250 microbarns/nucleon at all energies above 300 Mev. A model for photostar production is given which involves photopion production followed by absorption or scattering of the pion and recoil nucleon. Experimental free-nucleon photopion cross sections are used, together with the Monte Carlo calculations of Metropolis et al., to determine the probability for star formation. Good agreement with both the shape and magnitude of the excitation curve is obtained if nuclear motion is included. Mean and maximum prong numbers for photostars are the same as for stars produced by pions or protons of equal available energy. The mean-free-paths in nuclear matter of pions and protons are short, so that photostar yields are a measure of the integrated total photomeson cross section. More than 95% of the multiprong stars made by 1-Bev bremsstrahlung are made by photons whose energies exceed the pion production threshold of 150 Mev. Most of the 1-prong events are produced by photons below 150 Mev, and the yield is consistent with giant resonance (γ, p) reactions plus "pseudodeuteron" photodisintegration, a process whose cross section rapidly decreases as the photon energy increases. Variation of mean prong number with energy and comparison with nuclear cascade calculations suggests that the excitation of the residual nucleus is nearly constant at 100 Mev over a wide range of incident photon energies. The visible energy release per photostar shows a linear dependence on prong number, and more than half of the photon energy is carried away by neutral particles.


Through a positive study,it is found that league activitis have a positive effect on college student socialization.The degree of the socialization for those who take part in the league ctivities is superior to those who don't.In order to fully exert the function of the league activitis in the process of the college student socialization,suggestions are proposed:to direct,regulate land optimize league activities,to strengthen speciality for improving league activities,and to emphasize social practice for deepening league activities.


A kind of antibacterial substance produced by Lactobacillus plantarum from microecological modulator was studied in this paper. Some biochemical characteristics of it was studied. It was pH dependent and heat stable. The antibacterial substance was found to be stable between pH 4 and 6 and under strong heating conditions (121℃ for 30 min). Antimicrobial activity of the substance wasn't lost after treatment with Ultraviolet light. Antimicrobial activity gradually increased during the fermentation. The antibacterial substance showed wide range of action, inhibiting the growth of several food borne pathogens and food spoilage bacteria including Bacillus cereus,Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium pefringens, Enterococcus coli, Listeria spp., Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aures.


As Leica is to cameras and Ferrari to racing automobiles, Campagnolo is to cycling: designer of the finest parts for bicycles ever made. Campagnolo's jewel-like brakes, pedals, derailleurs, cranksets, and wheels have been ridden to more race victories than any other brand, yet the same components are available to cycling enthusiasts worldwide. "Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion" is a celebration of this legacy that will be cherished by every cycling fan.Campagnolo's rich history began with the founder, Tullio Campagnolo, a racer who turned to creating better bicycle parts when he found the equipment of the day not adequate for the rigours of professional competition. Blending exotic alloys with sound engineering, Campagnolo created a series of patented designs that are still in use today as the fundamental standards upon which modern parts are based.With its deeply researched history (much of it from the company's private archives), spectacular colour photography, rich text and lavish presentation, "Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion" is a book for every lover of the sport of cycling, as well as connoisseurs of the bicycle itself.This book features colour and black-and-white photos and illustrations throughout. It comes in a hardback with jacket.


This paper proposes a novel concept called virtual light touch contact (VLTC), which helps to reduce human postural sway in standing and walking states. The VLTC system essentially creates a virtual partition around the user and enables estimation of the virtual force caused when the partition is touched. The resulting force data are fed back to the user's fingertips in the form of vibrotactile stimulation, allowing sensation of the virtual partition in any location. To verify the validity of the proposed method, a prototype system was developed using motion-capture technology and a tactile stimulator, and preliminary experiments involving a healthy subject were conducted. The results indicated that the system is capable of helping to reduce the postural sway of the user during tandem (heel-to-toe) standing.


Recently, induced by incorporating the ubiquitous data collected by AI application, there are more and more demand for transferring data to cloud servers due to the restriction of computing resources of devices. To transfer image data efficiently, neural network (NN) codec can be a wise choice, which can result in higher ratio of compression with similar image quality compared with conventional codec methods. However, when the NN codec is employed in the communication system, it is likely that it can be disturbed by channel distortions. In this paper, we innovatively propose a norm method to measure the NN codec's robustness for certain tasks. And with the aid of this method, we develop a greedy algorithm using gradients to find adversarial samples of certain tasks considering communication system distortions, i.e. channel distortions during compressed image or video transferring to cloud server systems. Aided by the adversarial samples, the NN codec has been proved to have better tolerance of communication distortions that the Top-1 accuracy of the image classification can be improved 1.8%.


Several samples, approximately twenty, from the Oiteiros Limestone, RN. were studied petrographically. From field data, a columnar section was constructed, and the geologic relationships were examined between the limestone and the coastal basins of Paraiba - Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte. From these data and observations, a paleoecologic model was elaborated for this limestone.


The feasibility of using gas phase surface discharge with microporous bubbling combined with g-C3N4 photocatalysis for the degradation of pharmaceutical contaminants was evaluated.


In order to study the acid content and composition differences among different grape varieties in Xinjiang,HPLC was used to determine the tartaric acid,malic acid and citric acid of 20 seedless and 40 seeded grapes.Organic acids and total acid contents were compared for all varieties.The cluster analysis was also involved in comparison among 60 grape varieties.The results showed that the tartaric acid and malic acid were the most important components of the total acid.The tartaric acid,malic acid,citric acid and total acid contents in seedless grape were higher than those in seeded grapes.60 grape varieties were divided into 3 main groups: high tartaric acid and malic acid type;high tartaric acid and low malic acid type;low tartaric acid and low malic acid type.


In a health center-level morbidity data report by the Gorontalo City Health Office in 2020, the prevalence of fungal-related skin diseases attained 4.76 percent (476 cases), including 56 cases of tinea pedis. One of the variables in athlete's foot is a workplace and type(s) of work that fail to satisfy basic health guidelines. In the case examined by this study, the patient was a butcher employed locally in a small shop. This study aims to use a variety of parameters to describe the non-dermatophyte fungi that cause butcher's toe infections. Fungus characteristics were performed macroscopically and microscopically. The observations were used to describe the characteristics of the fungus, which were then analysed descriptively with reference to the identification manuals book. Non-dermatophyte fungi such as Aspergillus sp., Rhizopus sp., Candida albicans, were identified in the study findings. Aspergillus sp., Rhizopus sp., Candida albicans and other types of fungi such as Metarhizium anisopliaea. This study demonstrates that non-dermatophyta fungal infections may be the source of butchers' tinea pedis.


In this blog post, I will thoroughly explain how to set up Face ID, and I will tell you everything you need to know about it. What Is Face ...


A photograph of Dr. Carlyle Campbell from the 1940 Meredith College yearbook. Image from Archive.org. [5]Arthur Carlyle Campbell, teacher and college president, was born in Buies Creek to James Archibald [3] and Cornelia Frances Pearson Campbell. His preparatory education was at Buies Creek Academy and he received A.B. and M.A. degrees from Wake Forest College [6] in 1911 and 1916, respectively. He also studied at Columbia University during the period 1920–23. The University of South Carolina awarded him the honorary LL.D. degree in 1929 and Wake Forest did the same in 1950. During the years 1911–17 and 1919–20 he was an instructor in English at Buies Creek Academy. In 1923 he joined the faculty of Coker College [7], Hartsville, S.C., as professor of English and head of the department and during the years 1925–36 he was president of Coker College. From 1937 until 1939 he was professor and head of the English department at North Carolina State College, and in 1939 he became president of Meredith College [8], a post he filled until his retirement in 1966. Campbell served a term as president of the North Carolina College Conference and of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. He was also a member of the State Education Commission, 1947–49, and an advisory member of the North Carolina Board of Higher Education, 1962–65. In 1917–18 Campbell was the ranking band sergeant of the Field Artillery Band and in 1918 was commissioned second lieutenant in the field artillery. During the year 1946–47 he was president of the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association [9]. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, a Democrat, and a Baptist. In 1925 he was married to Marion Lee Newman and they were the parents of Virginia Lee (Mrs. Randy Stanford) and Carlyle. He was buried in Buies Creek.


Abstract The number of married immigrants is increasing in Korea, and family dissolution is also growing in this population. Although divorce could impact immigrants' health status, it is unclear whether they have difficulties accessing healthcare and medical services. Thus, we examined whether divorce in married immigrants is independently associated with access to healthcare services. A retrospective analysis of 11,778 adults who participated in the 2018 National Multicultural Family Survey. We used three different covariate adjustment methods (multivariate logistic regression, inverse probability of treatment weighting, 1:1 greedy propensity score matching) to examine the association between divorce and access to healthcare services after accounting for various demographic and clinical characteristics. Overall, 5.8% (n = 691) of married immigrants reported a history of divorce. The divorce group included 107 (15.5%) males and 584 (84.5%) females, with an average age of 45.17 years (SD = 10.9). The non-divorced group included 1992 males (18.0%) and 9095 (82.0%) females, with an average age of 39.1 years (SD = 10.5). After propensity score matching, all variables were balanced (all p>0.05). Individuals who experienced divorce were more likely to have difficulties in healthcare service access than those who did not experience divorce (adjusted odds ratio 1.423, 95% CI [1.075, 1.882]). Our findings revealed that divorce increased the risk of limited healthcare services among immigrants in Korea. Healthcare policymakers should be aware of the healthcare access issues in this minority population. In addition, to improve the lifestyles of minority populations, it is necessary to study their overall lives.


This study was carried out to investigate the faunal composition and distribution pattern of meiobenthic community in the deep sea sediments of northeastern Pacific Ocean. Faunal samples were collected at 10 stations using a multiple corer and a spade type box corer during May 1996. A total of 18 meiofaunal groups were found, and Sarcomastigophora was the most dominant group which accounted for 35.8% of total meiofaunal abundance. Nematoda (30.8%), Nauplius larvae of Crustacea (11.9%), Ciliophora (6.8%) and Harpacticoida (3.0%) which were also important components of the meiofaunal community. All of these five faunal groups comprised more than 90% of total meiofauna. The highest density of 195 ind./10 was found at St. 4 (4960 m water depth), but the lowest one, 85 ind./10 at St. 1 (4969 m water depth). The overall mean density of meiofauna was estimated as . The abundance of meiofauna showed a slow decreasing trend along the water depth. The highest density was observed in the upper 1 cm and density decreased drastically with increasing depth from the surface.


It is a well known fact that India needs massive investments in manufacturing, infrastructure development and in its productive capacities. It also needs to aggressively promote exports of goods and services in such a highly competitive global market place. These were the very aims for which the Government of India mooted the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Policy in April 2000 which was further concretised through the SEZ Act 2005 and the SEZ Rules 2006 policy. SEZs became controversial because the state acquired lands from farmers and sold it to industry. This is now set to change. Governments will not acquire lands in future. Many companies have offered employment to one member of displaced farmer's family, and in a few cases even shares.


The paper starts from the observation that the theoretical foundations of the EMU are largely outdated and European institutions have shown a number of faults. These can be summarized in the fact that there are frictions at work – which mainly derive from existing national borders - and adjustment issues that are not tackled, at least in a reasonably long period, by the single currency, free markets and constraints on national policies. It then suggests the broad lines along which the EMU could be reformed and indicates different growth and short-term strategies for the institutions as well as macroeconomic and microeconomic policies. Come riformare l'UE e l'UME Il lavoro parte dall'osservazione che i fondamenti teorici dell'UME sono del tutto obsoleti e che le istituzioni europee hanno mostrato ampie carenze. Queste possono essere sintetizzate nell'esistenza di frizioni – la cui principale causa e data dal permanenza di confini nazionali – e di problemi di aggiustamento irrisolti, almeno in un ragionevole lungo periodo, da moneta unica, liberta dei mercati e vincoli alle politiche nazionali. Il lavoro suggerisce poi i tratti essenziali di una riforma dell'UME, le diverse strategie di lungo e di breve periodo, nonche le opportune politiche macro e microeconomiche.


Sentencing patterns in a middle-sized, Midwestern town are examined over the period 1932 to 1975. Data were gathered from the criminal court dockets and included only cases originally filed as a felony and resulting in a conviction. The analyses indicate that: (a) prosecution offelonies and subsequent convictions did not keep pace with the increase in reported crime; (b) plea bargaining became an extremely common practice in lateryears; (c) the role of court appointed defense counsel changed dramatically; (d) time delays between filing of information and sentencing increased greatly after the mid-i 960s; and (e) sentences to state penal institutions declined over the period of study. Explanations for these changes and related developments are offered.


in the paper the importance of the effective utilization of human capital in the construction of new socialist countryside was explained.The effective utilization of human capital included the number of human capital and efficiency of utilization.The high-efficiency utilization of human capital was discussed in the paper too.


We present new constraints on gas-phase C, N, and O abundances in the molecular layer of the IM Lup protoplanetary disk. Building on previous physical and chemical modeling of this disk, we use new ALMA observations of C2H to constrain the C/O ratio in the molecular layer to be ∼0.8, i.e., higher than the solar value of ∼0.54. We use archival ALMA observations of HCN and H13CN to show that no depletion of N is required (assuming an interstellar abundance of 7.5 × 10−5 per H). These results suggest that an appreciable fraction of O is sequestered in water ice in large grains settled to the disk midplane. Similarly, a fraction of the available C is locked up in less volatile molecules. By contrast, N remains largely unprocessed, likely as N2. This pattern of depletion suggests the presence of true abundance variations in this disk, and not a simple overall depletion of gas mass. If these results hold more generally, then combined CO, C2H, and HCN observations of disks may provide a promising path for constraining gas-phase C/O and N/O during planet-formation. Together, these tracers offer the opportunity to link the volatile compositions of disks to the atmospheres of planets formed from them.


1. Different formulations of quantum mechanics 2. Resonance phenomena in nature 3. Resonances from Hermitian quantum mechanics calculations 4. Resonances from non-Hermitian quantum mechanics calculations 5. Square integrable resonance wavefunctions 6. Bi-orthogonal product (C-product) 7. The properties of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian 8. Non-Hermitian scattering theory 9. The self-orthogonality phenomenon 10. The point where quantum mechanics branches into two formalisms Index.


The performance of a spiral wound module operating under pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is measured experimentally with a feed water back pressure. The module has a diameter of 0.1 m, a length of 1.02 m, and total membrane surface area of 7.45 m2 capsulated in a stainless-steel pressure vessel. The module is commercially designed for a reverse osmosis (RO) system however, a feed water outlet is added, and a back pressure is applied to adapt it for the PRO process. The experimental results of the spiral wound PRO module with a back pressure in the feed water side showed low power density values (about 0.35 W/m2) compared with those commonly found in the literature, demonstrating the geometric inefficiency of RO modules for the PRO process.


Silk protein fibers produced by silkworms and spiders are renowned for their unparalleled mechanical strength and extensibility as natural materials. We demonstrate the ability to finely control the structure of silk proteins (both naturally derived and genetically engineered) at the nanoscale. This fine control is obtained by careful water-based reverse engineering and synthesis of silk materials through self-assembly coupled with controlled, directed electron beam interaction with the protein's matrix. Genetically engineered recombinant spider silk proteins show considerably higher resolution thanks to the added control over the molecular weight of the proteins. This approach enables nanoscopic structures that push resolution approaching the molecular level, offering new rules to design protein-based architectures of unprecedented resolution.


A 60‐year‐old female was referred due to floaters in her right eye after uneventful cataract surgery performed 2 weeks ago. The patient had reported severe pain during peribulbar injection. A perforation site was seen along superotemporal vascular arcade on multi‐color scanning laser and infrared reflectance imaging [arrow, Fig. 1a and b]. Fluorescein angiography showed localized nonperfusion [Fig. 1c]. Optical coherence tomography showed incarceration of retinal layers and obliteration of choroidal vessels at the perforation site [arrow, Fig. 1d]. Vitreous hemorrhage, the cause of floaters, was seen on color photograph and optical coherence tomography [arrowheads, Fig. 1a and d]. Ocular perforation during the peribulbar block is a potentially sight‐threatening complication.[1] In some cases, the damage may be limited, especially if the drug is not injected into the eye. Retinal incarceration in the present case probably occurred at the time of withdrawal of needle and prevented further retinal detachment.


Background: Due to the increased use of genetic modifications in crop improvement, there is a need to develop effective methods for the detection of both known and unknown transgene constructs in plants. We have developed a strategy for detection and characterization of unknown genetic modifications and we present a proof of concept for this method using Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa (rice). The approach relies on direct hybridization of total genomic DNA to high density microarrays designed to have probes tiled throughout a set of reference sequences. Results: We show that by using arrays with 25 basepair probes covering both strands of a set of 235 vectors (2 million basepairs) we can detect transgene sequences in transformed lines of A. thaliana and rice without prior knowledge about the transformation vectors or the T-DNA constructs used to generate the studied plants. Conclusion: The approach should allow the user to detect the presence of transgene sequences and get sufficient information for further characterization of unknown genetic constructs in plants. The only requirements are access to a small amount of pure transgene plant material, that the genetic construct in question is above a certain size (here ≥ 140 basepairs) and that parts of the construct shows some degree of sequence similarity with published genetic elements. Background Since the first genetically modified (GM) plants were authorized for release and commercial food production in the mid 1990ies, the global GM acreage has increased rapidly every year. For example 57% of all soybean and 25% of all maize grown on the world market in 2006 was GM [1]. The diversity of food crop species and traits introduced is also rapidly increasing, and with the prospective use of food crop plants in for instance production of pharmaceuticals and biofuels, the risk is also increasing for introduction of unauthorized GM material into the foodchain or release of unauthorized GM plants into the environment. Recent examples of such introduction are the presence of event Bt10 in US maize and LL601 rice in US rice exported to Europe [2,3]. International and national regulations require that distribution and release of GM Published: 18 December 2007 BMC Biotechnology 2007, 7:91 doi:10.1186/1472-6750-7-91 Received: 24 May 2007 Accepted: 18 December 2007 This article is available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6750/7/91 © 2007 Tengs et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


Abstract Thiolated amino acids are biologically important molecules due to their role in protein folding and structure. One such molecule is cysteine (Cys), which acts as a biomarker for diseases like cancer, HIV, sepsis, etc., making its rapid detection imperative and essential. In this study, we report the sensitive detection of the thiolated amino acid Cys, from the non-thiolated amino acid arginine (Arg), using the novel surface plasmon coupled emission (SPCE) platform, characterized with high signal-to-noise ratios. Our studies were performed on the conventional silver (Ag) SPCE substrate, where Cys was detected to a nanomolar level, which is a major improvement to the previously reported level of sensitivity. This can be attributed to the highly sensitive SPCE platform and the unique thiol-Ag interactions associated specifically with Cys. We have also shown the role and influence of the coating process on sensitivity of detection and substantiated the advantages of SPCE over the SPR-based strategy of detection. The simplistic and economical SPCE platform enabled the sensitive detection of Cys that is of biological and medical relevance.


Herein, alkali metal complexes of bis-o-xylyl-(17-crown-5) (L) with different binding modes are reported. When NaI was reacted with L, a disodium(I) complex of the type [Na2(L)(H2O)2]I2 (1) with a good fit mode was isolated, providing the crown unit as a base of the pentagonal pyramid and a water molecule at its apex. However, the use of KPF6 gave a one dimensional (1-D) coordination polymer of type [K2(L)(PF6)2]n (2), in which dipotassium(I) complex units with a perching mode are linked by two PF6− ions to form an infinite zigzag chain. A cesium(I) ion is large enough to bind two crown units from different ligands with a sandwich mode to give a 1-D sandwich polymer of the type {[Cs(L)]Cl}n (3) as a first example, which might be applied as a networking tool in crystal engineering.


As climate change impacts are beginning to be felt and scientists project unavoidable levels of future change—cities are beginning to adapt. Simultaneously, they are expanding their commitment to mitigate carbon emissions, knowing that unless emissions are reduced significantly it may not be possible to continue adapting to future impacts. With increasingly constrained resources, cities are seemingly pushed in two different directions. In this report, I argue that instead of pursuing mitigation and adaptation as independent planning processes, cities should better integrate these goals in order to achieve important political, community, and sustainability impacts. I consider the challenge of integrated climate change planning in the case of Somerville, Massachusetts, where city planners intend to link mitigation and adaptation in developing the city's first climate change plan. In doing so, I argue that Somerville can advance a more transformative approach to climate action that engages wider community interests, increases the urgency of mitigation, strengthens the link between climate policy, social equity, and sustainable development, and gains political support for actions that achieve multiple co-benefits. Through interviews with North American planners, domestic and international climate policy experts, decision-makers within the City of Somerville, and local community organizations, I identify distinct approaches for acting on mitigation and adaptation integration. I then propose recommendations for how Somerville can pursue a not only integrated but transformative approach to its climate change planning. THESIS SUPERVISOR: Judith Layzer TITLE: Professor of Environmental Policy


Provided is a manufacturing method for an electronic component (400) embedded circuit board, including: embedding an electronic component (400) into a through-hole of a core layer on a circuit board, with one side of the electronic component (400) having an aluminium electrode (401); and zincing the aluminum electrode (401), and nickelling the surface of the zinced aluminium electrode (401). Also provided is a corresponding electronic component (400) embedded circuit board. Since a zinc and nickel protection layer (403) is formed on the surface of an aluminium electrode (401) by applying zincing processing and nickelling processing in the technical solution of the present invention, the aluminium electrode (401) will not be damaged by laser or any kind of acid or alkaline chemical solutions during the subsequent circuit board manufacturing flow.


In order to enable continuous operation of a Laser Inertial confinement Fusion Energy (LIFE) engine, the material (fill-gas and debris) in the fusion chamber must be carefully managed. The chamber chemical equilibrium compositions for post-shot mixtures are evaluated to determine what compounds will be formed at temperatures 300-5000K. It is desired to know if carbon and or lead will deposit on the walls of the chamber, and if so: at what temperature, and what elements can be added to prevent this from happening. The simulation was conducted using the chemical equilibrium solver Cantera with a Matlab front-end. Solutions were obtained by running equilibrations at constant temperature and constant specific volume over the specified range of temperatures. It was found that if nothing is done, carbon will deposit on the walls once it cools to below 2138K, and lead below 838K. Three solutions to capture the carbon were found: adding pure oxygen, hydrogen/nitrogen combo, and adding pure nitrogen. The best of these was the addition of oxygen which would readily form CO at around 4000K. To determine the temperature at which carbon would deposit on the walls, temperature solutions to evaporation rate equations needed to be found. To determine how muchmore » carbon or any species was in the chamber at a given time, chamber flushing equations needed to be developed. Major concerns are deposition of carbon and/or oxygen on the tungsten walls forming tungsten oxides or tungsten carbide which could cause embrittlement and cause failure of the first wall. Further research is needed.« less


Abstract In the prototype fast breeder reactor Monju, fuel reactivity worth was measured at six positions as the reactivity corresponding to the differences of critical control rod positions between cores with and without a dummy fuel subassembly. In this paper, the measurements are evaluated in detail, and their reliability and usefulness as validation data for fast reactor neutronics design methodologies are examined through a comparison with calculations. Calculated-to-experiment values and their uncertainty of fuel reactivity worth were 0.97 to 1.02 and 4% to 6%. Through this study, the consistency and reliability of the measurements and calculations were confirmed.


Background Recent studies have suggested that increased circulating free light chains, inflammatory cytokines, hepcidin, ferritin, and ASXL1 mutated status have independent prognostic value for survival in primary myelofibrosis (PMF). In the current retrospective study, we studied all the aforementioned variables in the context of DIPSS-plus to examine their relative prognostic contributions for overall and leukemia-free survival.

Methods The diagnosis of PMF was according to WHO criteria. The study population included all consecutive referrals to the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN where complete information on clinical and laboratory parameters and bone marrow karyotype was available. Inclusion to the study required availability of a research blood sample collected at referral. Levels of circulating free light chains (FLC) (J Clin Oncol. 2012 Apr 1;30(10):1087), inflammatory cytokines (J Clin Oncol. 2011 Apr 1;29(10):1356), hepcidin and ferritin (Am J Hematol. 2013 Apr;88(4):312) were determined as previously described. Disease-relevant mutations (ASXL1, SRSF2, EZH2, IDH-1/2, SF3B1, JAK2V617F and MPLW515) were identified as previously described (Leukemia. 2013 Apr 26. doi: 10.1038/leu.2013.119).

Results A total of 224 PMF patients were studied (66% male; median age 63 years, range 18-83 years). The DIPSS-plus distribution was: Low 23 (10%), Int-1 26 (12%), Int-2 98 (44%), and High 77 (34%). Clinical characteristics were: unfavorable karyotype 13%, hemoglobin 25 x 109/L 13%, platelet count receiver operating characteristic (ROC) cutoff of 3.78 mg/dL 37% (n=222), interleukin (IL)-2R and/or IL-8 >3 standard deviations above normal mean (SD) 75% (n=197), ferritin ≥1000 mcg/L 18% (n=146), ferritin ≥500 30% (n=146), and hepcidin >3SD 72% (n=203).

Median follow up from the time of referral was 45 months (range 1-317 months); during this period, 139 deaths (62%) and 27 (12%) leukemic transformations have been documented.

The median overall survival of the entire cohort was 61 months. The following variables had DIPSS-plus independent predictive value for inferior survival: ferritin ≥1000 mcg/L (HR 1.9), ASXL1 mutated status (HR 1.7) and FLC >ROC cutoff (HR 2.0) and IL-2R and/or IL-8 >3SD (HR 1.6) (all p 1000 mcg/L retained its significance for overall survival independent of DIPSS-plus (HR 2.1; p=0.03). The predictive significance for increased ferritin level was maintained in RBC transfusion-dependent (ferritin ≥1000 mcg/L; n=26/54; median survival 21 versus 59 months; p=0.03) and -independent (ferritin >500 mcg/L; n=5/92; median survival 20 versus 80 months; p=0.0002) patients.

Multivariable analysis identified the following predictors for inferior leukemia-free survival: SRSF2 mutated status (HR 4.8), unfavorable karyotype (HR 4.0), and circulating blasts ≥1% (HR 3.0) (p<0.05).

Conclusions When considering composite risk-assessment in PMF where input variables were disease-relevant mutations and circulating biomarkers in addition to traditional clinical parameters, only increased serum ferritin levels at time-of-referral retained adverse predictive value for overall survival independent of DIPSS-plus. The prognostic value of serum ferritin was independent of anemia and RBC transfusion need. It appears to more fully capture the severity of the underlying erythropoietic defect in PMF by also likely reflecting (as an acute-phase reactant) the marrow-suppressive effect of disease-related inflammation. The shortened survival in patients with increased ferritin levels was unrelated to iron overload since none of the deaths, where information was available, were caused by cardiac siderosis. Serum ferritin levels were not associated with leukemic transformation risk. In the latter analysis, only SRSF2 mutations, unfavorable karyotype and presence of circulating blasts were independently associated with inferior leukemia-free survival.

![Figure][1]

Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

 [1]: pending:yes


The t(16;21)(p11;q22) translocation is a nonrandom chromosomal abnormality found in several types of myeloid leukemia, which show variable cytomorphological features. We constructed rodent-human somatic cell hybrids containing the der(16) chromosome from leukemic cells of a patient with t(16;21). Using these hybrids, we mapped the translocation breakpoint on the Not I restriction map of chromosome 21 which we had previously constructed. The result showed the proximity of the breakpoint to the ERG gene, a member of the ets oncogene superfamily. Polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analyses of genomic DNA from the hybrids and from peripheral blood cells and bone marrow cells of patients with t(16;21) showed that the breakpoints were clustered within a single intron in the coding region of the ERG gene. This finding and the results obtained by Northern blot analysis suggested the formation of a chimeric product(s) by fusion of the ERG gene and an unknown counterpart gene on chromosome 16.


The paper is an attempt to look into the power and function of Nampou of Rongmeis inhabitants of Northeast India. The Rongmeis lived in the villages; and thereby the village is the autonomous political, social, economic and cultural unit. Nampou is the head of the village; and there are different ways of selecting a Nampou. By founding a village, one could become a Nampou; second, by organizing helpers, one could become a Nampou and third, selection from among the leaders of first settlers' clans by means of divination. However, after selection, a Nampou has to perform Bamjoukimei, the great ritual sacrifice to confirm his position. As a rule, the eldest son or an eldest male of the clan succeeds him. Every Rongmei village is ruled by a Pei (village council) headed by a chief. Nampou is given a prominent position at the social and religious gatherings and festivals of the village. As a sign of love and respect he is always presented a leg (Kanang) of any sacrifice animal in the village. According to customs and tradition, the Nampou has to carried out customary rites like Namgutmei (village entry), Khun Nummei etc. In short, the Nampou stands in highest position in the village with limited power. Without the co-operation of village elders of Pei, he cannot run the village alone.


Background Ultrasound (US) is a good first-line alternative for the diagnosis of bone fractures in adults as well as children. Our study shows that, compared to X-ray, in a resource-constrained environment, on-site US has a high sensitivity (98%) and specificity (96%) in the diagnosis of bone fractures. Purpose To compare the accuracy of on-the-spot US with conventional radiography in the screening for bone fractures during the Paris–Dakar rally raid. Material and Methods Eighty-three patients (81 men, 2 women) with clinically suspected bone fractures were included in 2013 and 2014. They underwent X-ray and US on the spot, blindly interpreted by two musculoskeletal radiologists. Using X-ray as gold standard, we calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for US, for each anatomic location. The accuracy of US and radiography were also assessed, as were the number of fragments and their degree of displacement (Student's t-test). Results Compared with X-ray, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of on-site US were, respectively, for the presence (or absence) of fractures: 98%, 98%, 100%, and 95%. The accuracy of US was 99%. Only one radial styloid process fracture was misdiagnosed with US. There was no significant difference between US and X-ray (P > 0.93) concerning the number of fragments and their degree of displacement. Conclusion Bedside musculoskeletal ultrasound performed by trained musculoskeletal radiologists is a useful method in determining and assessing bone fractures in a resource constrained environment.


ABSTRACT This study was carried out to assess the quality attributes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), and heavy metal profile of traditional drum-smoked Guinean barracuda fish from Lagos State, Nigeria. Fresh Guinean barracuda fish (60) samples were obtained from 20 different fish-processing centers. The fresh fish samples were smoked with traditional drum kiln. The fresh and smoked fish samples were analyzed for proximate composition, quality indices (peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), total nitrogen base-nitrogen (TVB-N), trimethylamine acid (TMA), and free fatty acid (FFA)), PAH, heavy metals, and microbiological (coliform, fungi, Listeria monocytogenes (LM), Salmonella paratyphi (SP), and Staphylococcus aureus (SA)) analyses. The results revealed that the mean moisture, protein, fat, crude fiber, ash, and carbohydrate contents of traditional drum-smoked fish samples were in the range 10.93–14.15%, 51.97–60.96%, 11.34–15.99%, 1.74–2.99%, 1.12–1.56%, and 7.70–17.99%, respectively. The values of PV, FFA, TBA, TVB-N, and TMA were in the range of 8.21–10.19 meq.peroxide/kg, 1.13–1.80%, 1.03–1.19 mgMol/kg, 17.29–19.36 mgN/kg, and 2.12–2.68 mgN/kg, respectively. The results of PAH compounds in the traditional drum-smoked fish samples showed that 10 of the 16 PAH compounds detected were above the 5.0 µg/kg B(α)P maximum permissible levels stipulated by EU Regulation 1881/2006. The concentrations of Hg, Pb, Cd, and Cr in the smoked fish samples ranged from 0.001 to 0.0027 µg/g, 0.0013 to 0.0028 µg/g, 0.0014 to 0.0028 µg/g, and 0.0621to 0.0796 µg/g, respectively. The results of microbiological analysis revealed the presence of LM and SA in the traditional drum-smoked fish samples. The study concluded that traditional drum-smoked fish may constitute higher risks (chemical and microbiological) and public health concerns to consumers.


Background: During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected Saudi Arabia, vacated hotels were employed to provide care for positive-testing patients and their contacts Contact tracing and quarantine of positive and suspected cases were employed to limit community spread of COVI D-19 infections Each patient was isolated separately in a hotel room until they were deemed non-contagious The present study aimed to gain insights into personal perceptions of the quarantine experience and was undertaken with the hope of providing illumination to health care providers concerning this experience Methods: Semi-structured interviews with these patients via telephone were used to extract themes and concepts related to their quarantine experience Results: Results were conceptual themes that fell into two broad categories positive and negative beliefs and experiences Positive aspects were: commitment to serving society, safety derived through faith, social support from families, and desire to learn ways to gain access to media for information and family interaction Negative impact categories were: psychological stress, financial and social stress, physical effects, and fear Conclusions: Difficulties with media use for communication with loved ones and access to entertainment were considered important concerns among patients


• To understand how to best meet the nutritional needs of an individual, the distinction between physiology in health and pathophysiology in disease needs to be carefully considered. • For some groups of patients, the requirements are higher than those in health, while for other groups of patients they are lower. If recommendations for healthy individuals are applied to patients with certain types of disease, they may produce harm. • In health, only the oral route is used to provide nutrients to the body. In clinical practice, other routes can be used. The use of the intravenous route for feeding raises a number of new issues. • Alterations in nutritional therapy during the course of an acute disease may occur because the underlying disease has produced new complications or because it has resolved. Similarly, in more chronic conditions there is a need to review the diet at regular intervals. Principles of Clinical Nutrition: Contrasting the Practice of Nutrition in Health and Disease


As it is widely known, Karamzin's role in changing the institutional nature of Russian letters and of the social status of writers was immense. It is impossible to understand this role without analyzing Karamzin's financial practices and attitude to money and monetary transactions. This article discusses three different but interconnected questions already debated by scholars without any conclusive results: the notorious issue of a source of funding for his European travels, his status as a literary professional, and his economic views. The authors present actual figures and quantifiable data that shed new light upon these issues and provide a framework for their analysis.


Speaker age and gender classification is one of the most challenging problems in speech processing. Recently with developing technologies, identifying a speaker age and gender has become a necessity for speaker verification and identification systems such as identifying suspects in criminal cases, improving human-machine interaction, and adapting music for awaiting people queue. Although many studies have been carried out focusing on feature extraction and classifier design for improvement, classification accuracies are still not satisfactory. The key issue in identifying speaker's age and gender is to generate robust features and to design an in-depth classifier. Age and gender information is concealed in speaker's speech, which is liable for many factors such as, background noise, speech contents, and phonetic divergences. In this work, different methods are proposed to enhance the speaker age and gender classification based on the deep neural networks (DNNs) as a feature extractor and classifier. First, a model for generating new features from a DNN is proposed. The proposed method uses the Hidden Markov Model toolkit (HTK) tool to find tied-state triphones for all utterances, which are used as labels for the output layer in the DNN. The


Behavior Based Malware Analysis and Detection DI Clemens Kolbitsch Registration Number 0126605 The dissertation has been reviewed by: Priv.-Doz. DI Dr. Christopher Krügel and Priv.-Doz. DI Dr. Engin Kirda Malware is one of the most serious security threats on the Internet today. In fact, most Internet problems such as spam emails and denial of service attacks have malware as their underlying cause. That is, computers that are infected with malware are often networked together to form botnets, and many attacks are launched using these malicious, attacker-controlled networks. With the increasing significance of malware in Internet attacks, much research has concentrated on developing techniques to mitigate malicious code. Unfortunately, current host-based detection approaches (i.e., anti-virus software) suffer from ineffective detection models. These models concentrate on the features of a specific malware instance, and are often easily evadable by obfuscation or polymorphism. Also, detectors that check for the presence of a sequence of system calls exhibited by a malware instance can be evaded by system call reordering. In order to address the shortcomings of ineffective models, several dynamic detection approaches have been proposed that aim to identify the behavior exhibited by a malware family. Although promising, these approaches are unfortunately too slow to be used as real-time detectors on the end host, and they often require cumbersome virtual machine technology. In a first part of this thesis, we propose a novel malware detection approach that is both effective and efficient, and thus, can be used to replace or complement traditional anti-virus software at the end host. Our approach first analyzes a malware program in a controlled environment to build a model that characterizes its behavior. Such models describe the information flows between the system calls essential to the malware's mission, and therefore, cannot be easily evaded by simple obfuscation or polymorphic techniques. Then, we extract the program slices responsible for such information flows. For detection, we execute these slices to match our models against the runtime behavior of an unknown program. Our experiments show that our approach can effectively detect running malicious code on an end user's host with a small overhead. Another important component in the fight against malicious software is the analysis of malware samples: Only if an analyst understands the behavior of a given sample, she can design appropriate countermeasures. Manual approaches are frequently used to analyze certain key algorithms, such as downloading of encoded updates, or generating new DNS domains for command and control purposes. In a second part, we present a novel approach to automatically extract, from a given binary executable, the algorithm related to a certain activity of the sample. We isolate and extract these instructions and generate a so-called gadget, i.e., a stand-alone component that encapsulates a specific behavior. We make sure that a gadget can autonomously perform a specific task by including all relevant code and data into the gadget so that it can be executed in a self-contained fashion. Gadgets are useful entities in analyzing malicious software: In particular, they are valuable for practitioners, as understanding a certain activity that is embedded in a binary sample (e.g., the update function) is still largely a manual and complex task. Our evaluation with several real-world samples demonstrates that our approach is versatile and useful in practice. Both systems, our malware detection technique and HASTEN alike, heavily rely on dynamic analysis of a sample. However, the past has show that whenever an anti-malware solution becomes popular, malware authors promptly react and modify their programs to evade these defense mechanisms. For example, recently, malware authors have increasingly started to create malicious code that can evade dynamic analysis. Thus, in a last part, we concentrate on evasion techniques that target these analysis systems. One recent form of evasion is stalling code. Stalling code is typically executed before any malicious behavior. The attacker's aim is to delay the execution of such activity long enough so that an automated dynamic analysis system fails to extract the interesting behavior. This work presents the first approach to detect and mitigate malicious stalling code, and to ensure forward progress within the amount of time allocated for the analysis of a sample. We built a prototype implementation, HASTEN, for our dynamic analysis systems ANUBIS. Experimental results show that our system works well in practice, and that it is able to detect additional malicious behavior in real-world malware samples.


Accompanying catalogue to the Group Show 'In Line', curated by Saturation Point at Griffin Gallery London with the following participating artists :
Duncan Bullen Robert Currie Daryl Brown Lothar Gotz Ben Gooding Hanz Hancock Peter Lowe Patrick Morrissey Wendy Smith
Editor: Karen David, Design : kesrichardson.com, Photography : oliv§erholms.com


Faith schools represent an important role in educating children in Britain
and this has a long established history that continues to evolve with the
diversity in our communities. Over more recent years there has been a
growth in Muslim schools in England and this is viewed as a growing part
of faith schools in Britain today.
Muslim faith schools are integral to the transformation and restructuring of
many in the British Muslim communities that is centered around the
negotiation of new composite identities, changing family patterns and
relationships, political activism and the fight against social exclusion
(Hussain & O'Brien, 2000).


In the present study, biocomposites based on microfibrillated jute (MFJ) fibre and polylactic acid (PLA) have been prepared by solvent-assisted compression moulding techniques. The MFJ is obtained by a sequence of alkali, chlorite and acid treatments of jute fibre. The biocomposites are fabricated by loading of 10, 20 and 30 wt% of MFJ fibre into the PLA matrix. The effect of MFJ fibre loading on the mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of the composites is also studied. Among these composites, it is observed that 10 wt% fibre-filled biocomposite shows improved tensile strength andtensile modulus compared to virgin PLA film. Similarly, storage modulus and loss modulus are also found improved for the composites. These composites exhibit higher water absorption capacity and lower thermal stability than virgin PLA. The fibre-matrix adhesion is evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The results are attributed to the improved interfacial adhesion between MFJ and PLA matrix for 10 wt% fibre-filled biocomposites.


Background: Metformin use has been reported to reduce cancer risk, and improve survival in lung cancer patients. This study aimed to investigate the effect of metformin use among patients with lung cancer receiving epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKIs) therapy. Patients and Methods: A nationwide, population-based case-control study was conducted using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. From January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2012, a total of 373 metformin and 1,260 non-metformin lung cancer cohorts with diabetes mellitus and EGFR-TKIs treatment were studied. Results: Metformin use was significantly associated with a reduced risk of death (HR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.62-0.85, p Conclusion: In conclusion, metformin might potentially enhance the therapeutic effect and increase survival in patients with lung cancer receiving EGFR-TKI therapy.