Introduction: There is growing concern that co-administered herbal medicines may alter the pharmacokinetics and, therefore, the efficacy and toxicity of Western drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential membrane permeation modulating effects of four herbal extracts, i.e., Harpagophytum procumbens, Hoodia gordonii, Leonotis leonurus, and Vitis vinifera on a model compound, Rhodamine 123 (RH-123). Methods: An in vitro permeation model, i.e., excised pig intestinal tissue, mounted to test chambers in a Sweetana-Grass diffusion apparatus, was used to measure the bi-directional transport of RH-123 in the presence and in the absence of four herbal extracts. The concentration of transported RH-123 in each sample was determined by means of fluorescence spectroscopic analysis. The integrity of the mounted jejunum tissue during experimentation was confirmed by measuring the permeation of Lucifer Yellow through these membranes. Trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) of the mounted membranes was also measured at the onset and termination of each experiment to monitor whether tight junction modulation occurred. Results: H. procumbens extract increased the secretory transport of RH-123, indicative of the induction of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) mediated efflux. H. gordonii extract also increased RH-123's absorptive transport, coupled with a subsequent decrease in its secretory transport, indicating the P-gp related efflux inhibition. Contrary, L. leonurus extract reduced RH-123's absorptive transport, accompanied by an increase in its secretory transport. V. vinifera seed extract, however, increased both the absorptive and secretory transport of RH-123. A reduction in TEER was observed in the presence of V. vinifera extract, indicating the modulation of tight junction integrity. Conclusion: The ex vivo pharmacokinetics interactions recorded in the current study suggest that the co-administration of herbal medicines could alter the extent of membrane permeation of Western drugs.


Attached is the Behavior Coding Report of 2010 Census Coverage Measurement Person Interviews. The Quality Process for the 2010 Census Evaluations, Experiments, and Assessments was applied to the methodology development, specifications, software development, analysis, and documentation of the analysis and results, as necessary. If you have questions about this report, please contact Jennifer Leeman at (301) 763-5801.


The High Throughput X-Ray Spectroscopy Mission (XMM) is a `Cornerstone' Project in the ESA long-term Programme for Space Science. The satellite observatory uses three grazing incidence mirror modules coupled to reflection grating spectrometers and X-ray CCD cameras. In order to achieve a large effective area, each XMM mirror module shall consist of 58 Wolter I mirrors which are nested in a coaxial and cofocal configuration. This high packing density requires the production and integration of very thin mirror shells with diameters included between 300 and 700 mm. In 1991-93, a development program was run which aims to demonstrate the feasibility of such mirrors. Demonstration models which integrate mirrors having different sizes were manufactured using CFRP replication and Nickel electroforming technologies. These were X-ray tested. The proposed paper summarizes the activities and the test results obtained during this program.


With an orbital period of about 3.078 days, the double-lined spectroscopic binary HD 48099 is, until now, the only short-period O+O system known in the Mon OB2 association. Even though an orbital solution has already been derived for this system, few information are available about the individual stars. We present, in this paper, the results of a long-term spectroscopic campaign. We derive a new orbital solution and apply a disentangling method to recover the mean spectrum of each star. To improve our knowledge concerning both components, we determine their spectral classifications and their projected rotational velocities. We also constrain the main stellar parameters of both stars by using the CMFGEN atmosphere code and provide the wind properties for the primary star through the study of International Ultraviolet Explorer spectra. This investigation reveals that HD 48099 is an O5.5 V ((f)) + O9 V binary with M1sin3i = 0.70 M☉ and M2sin3i = 0.39 M☉, implying a rather low orbital inclination. This result, combined with both a large effective temperature and log g, suggests that the primary star (vsin i ≃ 91 km s−1) is actually a fast rotator with a strongly clumped wind and a nitrogen abundance of about 8 times the solar value.


This Paper discusses the attitudes and motivation Iranian learners have toward learning EFL at their university level. Although research of a similar nature has been done in other countries, the present study complements others by following 500 university learners and it provides another avenue for examining the language situation in Iran. To achieve this goal, Gardner's socio-educational model and the significance of motivation as a contributing factor in second/foreign language (SL/FL) learning are taken into consideration. The questions to be addressed in this paper are: · What are the university learners' attitudes for learning EFL? · What are the university learners' motivations for learning EFL? · Does gender influence attitudes of Iranian learners for learning English as a foreign language? · Does gender influence motivation of Iranian learners for learning English as a foreign language? · Does a major course of the study influence attitudes of Iranian learners for learning English as a foreign language? · Does major course of the study influence motivation of Iranian learners for learning English as a foreign language? The investigation also demonstrates that Iranian learners learn English for 'instrumental' reasons and it concludes that 'integrative motivation' is the dominant motivational orientation for the Iranian learners to learn English as EFL. This study will possibly provide additional insights in better identifying the existing motivational challenges and in taking a more realistic perspective about the English Language Teaching (ELT) situation in the country. Finally, some recommendations on future directions for this research area in Iran have been highlighted.


Employment is the basis of people for living,and it is also the first choice for the undergroduate.Based on analyzing the employment situation and facing major problems of surveying and mapping undergraduates,it proposes the cultivating goal and standard of surveying and mapping applied talents.Taking the employment as guidance,it constructs the surveying and mapping educational knowledge system,course system,practical education system which benefits to talents cultivating and employment.Finally,it puts forward basic ideas for construction applied talents cultivating mode of surveying and mapping.


COVID-19, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is the current global pandemic. As it spreads at an exponential and precipitous rate, it causes significant organ damage, which can potentially lead to death. Although there appears to be no specific cure or resistance to this outbreak, the use and administration of Vitamin D (VD) supplements is still a viable option, as evidenced by numerous clinical trials, studies, and observations. The results of the previous investigation have revealed that people with COVID-19 had reduced levels of VD, especially those with severe and critical diseases. The arrangement of receptors such as the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE-II) is altered by VD. As a result, it plays an important role in immune system responses to cytokine storms and interleukins. This review aims to uncover and explain how VD might help in combating COVID-19 and possibly hold the key to minimizing its hazard in the light of currently available therapeutic strategies. Finally, we compare and contrast other researcher's approaches to VD and COVID-19.


With the common application of prestress in bridge construction,the strain-pull controlling has become an important working procedure during the upper structure construction of bridge.The calculation on relative parameters for strain-pull controlling of T-style beam bridge prestress,can provide reference for construction in future.


Background: Staging COPD using FEV 1 percent prediction is potentially flawed by the arbitrary cut points, whereas using FEV 1 z-scores as proposed by the Global Lung Function Initiative is mathematically plausible. This study compares the predictive ability for exacerbation risk between z-score staging and staging by FEV 1 percent prediction in elderly COPD patients. Methods: All the prospectively enrolled COPD patients aged 65 and older; their disease was staged by the z-scores as mild to moderate (z-score ≥ -2.5) or severe (z-score 1 percent prediction as ≥ 50% or Results: 239 patients (93% male) were analyzed. 100 (41.8%) and 57 (23.8%) patients were staged as severe by z-scores and by FEV 1 percent prediction, respectively. Multivariate analyses (involving age, mMRC score, the number of exacerbations in the preceding year, the staging by z-scores and by FEV 1 percent prediction) for the risk of severe exacerbations showed that the staging by z-scores, but not FEV 1 percent prediction, was an independent predictor of severe exacerbations (p= 0.003 vs 0.576 for severe exacerbation occurrence; p=0.025 vs 0.394 for severe exacerbation frequency, respectively). Conclusions: Staging of COPD by z-scores better predicts the severe exacerbation risk than by FEV 1 percent prediction in elderly patients. Acknowledgement: This study was supported by grant NCKUH-10508003 from National Cheng Kung University Hospital.


Recently, electro-hydraulic servosystems have come to be applied widely to systems like material testing and vibration testing equipments. The bandwidth ofthese systems i required to be broader than 100Hz. Therefore the spool valve servomotor, which plays an important role in the above-mentioned systems, i also required tohave much better performance than conventional one in high frequency region. However we have often experienced s lf-excited oscillation f the spool valve when we increase the supply pressure as a method of improving thecharacteristics in high frequency region of the existing servomotor. To the authors' knowledge th re are few published papers concerning self-excited oscillation fthe servomotor. Therefore the purpose of this paper is to clarify theoretically and experimentally the cause of the above-mentioned self-excited oscillation byapplying the authors' paper on the dynamic characteristics of the servomotor in high frequency region. From the results of the theoretical and experimental researches, it becomes clear that the stable region ofthe servomotor can be decided by various parameters of the servomotor and they can be classified into three groups according to contribution to stability. Moreover it is clarified that the self-excited oscillation which once occurs does not grow except for soecial cases.


"Traces the Blue and the Gray in this gallery of over 150 full-color paintings...portraying army uniforms of the civil war...historical information, data on rank markings, badges, belt plates, and buttons, as well as studies of weapons and campaign strategies."-- "FineScale Modeler. 192 pages (64 in color), 5 1/4 x 7 3/4.


Neonatal patients with congenital cardiac defects require proper diagnosis often by cardiac catheterization before surgical repair. In our institution, patients whose echocardiograms reveal surgically correctable lesions, but who are severely decompensated, have been placed on Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) prior to catheterization or surgery. Subsequent management ofECLS and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are dictated by the surgical procedure. Hypothermia can be utilized while on ECLS to facilitate low-flow CPB


In the UK fully qualified status in professional occupations is normally awarded by a professional association or registration body. Both the requirements and the routes for qualifying vary between professions, although the majority include an academic component combined with or followed by a period of assessed practice. In recent years there have been pressures on professions to broaden their entry routes while at the same time becoming more rigorous in the way that they sign off practitioners as fit to practise. A small‐scale study undertaken in 2007 investigated how different professions operate entry routes and qualifying processes. The findings indicate a trend towards increased flexibility, more thorough assessment of the practising phase, and some movement away from defined routes towards frameworks with robust exit criteria. The pace of change is nevertheless uneven, and there is scope for professions to learn from one another and from recent developments in higher education.


The flow field of molten steel in tundish was studied by numerical simulation method. The influence of dam height, weir insert depth and their space on tundish flow field and RTD curve were studied by using orthogonal experiment in this paper. The impact of each ingredient on volume fraction of plug flow region and optimal combination of flow control devices were obtained, and optimization scheme of flow control devices was proposed for factory. The volume fraction of plug flow region after optimization is increased from 62.23% to 70.75%, and the volume fraction of dead region is decreased from 7.11% to 5.75%, thus metallurgical function of the tundish is improved greatly.


Introduction: Smoking is a major cause of death in the world.About 5 million people die due to smoking and if the same pattern continues to 2020, it is estimated that each year 10 million people will die from smoking .There is a strong positive correlation between the onset of smoking in adolescents and young adults, and exposure to media and movies which show smoking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the point of view of Yazd people about effect of smoking in visual media on smoking prevalence. Materials and Methods: This descriptive (cross-sectional) study was done on 582 people in the city of Yazd. A self-administrative questionnaire was used and its validity and reliability was measured. After completing the questionnaires, the data was analyzed, using SPSS 16and T-test, ANOVA and chi-square test. Results: Based on participants' point of view, the family, friends, and media respectively had more important role in tendency of adolescents to smoking. Data showed that about 80% 0f samples believed that smoking in media has a high positive effect on adolescents' smoking. More than 55% of participants confirmed that the lack of smoking in movies doesn't affect the quality of films. Conclusion: The present study suggests that control and monitoring on media, limitation or lack of smoking on media and films is an important factor to decrease and control smoking in adolescents and young adults.


SPICE-PAC is a simulation package that is upward compatible with the popular
SPICE-2G circuit simulator; it accepts the same circuit description language
(with only a few minor exceptions) and provides the same circuit analyses, but it
also supports a number of extensions and refinements which are not available in
the original SPICE program. The most important difference, however, between
SPICE and SPICE-PAC is in their internal organizations; SPICE is a program
with one, fixed sequence of operations while SPICE-PAC is a collection of loosely
coupled simulation "primitives" that can be "composed" in many different ways,
as required in a particular application.
This flexibility of SPICE-PAC is quite important in "integrated" applications,
i.e., applications in which circuit simulation is combined with other software
tools, for example, optimization methods, statistical analysis, symbolic simula-
tion, high-level (e.g., behavioral) simulation, and so on.
This report briefly outlines main features of SPICE-PAC, compares SPICE-PAC
with the SPICE circuit simulator, sketches SPICE-PAC's basic applications, and
then presents several recent extensions to the package. Simple examples are used
to illustrate these extensions.
A more detailed description of the package is given in a Technical Report:
"SPICE-PAC 2G6c - User's Guide", available from the Department of Com-
puter Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada A1C-
5S7 (and also through anonymous ftp at ftp.cs.mun.ca in /pub/techreports
as tr-8902.ps.Z).


Photograph of Francisco Ignacio Madero Gonzalez. Sitting next to Madero, wearing a black coat, is Federico Garza. Across from Madero and Garza is "Soldier of Fortune" Guiseppi Garibaldi. Francisco Madero served as Presidente of Mexico from 1911 to 1913. Madero was betrayed by General Victoriano Huerta and was executed on February 22, 1913. This photograph was taken at Madero's camp in Ciuadad Juarez, just across the river from where Smeltertown would have been located.


It was pointed out that we should have an innovation about the administrative system of city community sports, and increase the devotion on the city community sports, and strengthen the conformity of the city community sports resource, in addition, pay more attention on the propaganda about the city community sports, positively induct residents in the community to participate in the sports activities, change the concept and insist on the unification about community sports and community build-up, make the city community sports service perfect, at the same time make a study on the new concept of exploring the city community sports.


The utility model relates to a combined hydraulic valve. A safety valve plug-in is arranged on the valve body of a double hydraulic control check valve, the valve core of the double hydraulic control check valve is arranged on the upper part of the valve body, the safety valve plug-in is arranged on the lower part of the valve body, the forward oil inlet of the double hydraulic control check valve is positioned on the upper side, the oil outlet of the double hydraulic control check valve is connected in parallel with the oil inlet of the safety valve plug-in and communicated with a hydraulic cylinder via an externally connected oil pipe, and the oil outlet of the safety valve plug-in is communicated with an oil tank via an externally connected oil pipe. The utility model resolves the defect that hydraulic elements in a hydraulic system are dispersely mounted, and combines valves of two functions together, as a result, the structure of the hydraulic system is compact, and installation and maintenance are also convenient.


A plunger type high-pressure fuel pump is provided that can prevent variations of valve-closing operation resulting from a pressure difference caused between a hermetically closed space defined inside an electromagnetic valve of the fuel pump and an external space outside thereof. The electromagnetic valve includes: a valve member (91) including a suction valve (5); a solenoid coil adapted to displace the valve member; an anchor (32) made of a magnetic material provided with the valve member (91); and a core (30) forming a magnetic circuit to attract the anchor (32) by the electromagnetic force and dividing the inside of the electromagnetic valve into a hermetically closed space (38) and an external space (39) communicating with the fluid suction passage. The anchor (32) or the core (30) is provided with a fluid passage (41) through which fluid can flow between the hermetically closed space (38) and the external space (39) formed by the anchor (32) and the core (30), respectively when the suction valve (5) is in an opened state.


The utility model provides an automatic steel pipe charging device which is characterized by comprising a charging bracket, a sorting system, a sorting driving mechanism, a charging system and a conveying system, wherein the top surface of the charging bracket is a support surface for putting of a steel pipe; the height of the support surface is gradually lowered from a left end to a right end, and the right end of the support surface is provided with a steel pipe baffle plate; the sorting system comprises a sorting part, the left end of the sorting system is a sorting end which is arranged under the steel pipe, and the middle of the sorting system is hinged with a hinge support; the charging system comprises a lifting supporting putting device and a horizontal walking device; the lifting supporting putting device comprises a supporting putting part of which the upper surface is provided with a groove for clamping the steel pipe and a lifting driving mechanism; the horizontal walking device comprises a walking rail, a charging dolly and a walking driving mechanism; the lifting supporting putting device is fixedly arranged on the charging dolly; and the conveying system comprises a plurality of steel pipe conveying idler wheels and a steel pipe transporting driving system, and each steel pipe conveying idler wheel is arranged on a steel pipe conveying support by roller shafts. The device is high in charging efficiency, can adjust the charging time, can meet the fast-tempo requirement of follow-up production, and is lower in equipment cost.


This paper mainly introduces the background,basic principles,and measuring techniques and commercially available products of multiphase flow metering.A comparison between multtphase metering and traditional well testing techniques is also made technologically and economically.Finally,prospects of multiphase metering application are presented.


Long-term noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) Long-term noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) delivered by a nasal or a full-face mask is a well established and increasingly used therapeutic option to treat patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure that arises from different aetiologies. Here, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), restrictive thoracic diseases, obesity hypoventilation syndrome and neuromuscular disorders form the main diagnostic groups for the indications of long-term NPPV 1 . There is overwhelming evidence from uncontrolled trials that physiologic parameters, healthrelated quality of life (HRQL) and survival improve in patients with restrictive and some neuromuscular disorders following NPPV establishment ; thus, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in these patients would raise ethical concerns, and therefore, RCTs investigating the effects of long-term NPPV in patients with restrictive disorders will presumably never be conducted. In contrast, the role of long-term NPPV in COPD patients is still heavily debated. While the beneficial impact of NPPV to treat acute hypercapnic respiratory failure due to COPD is undisputed, several RCTs failed to establish an improved outcome when long-term NPPV is added to longterm oxygen therapy (LTOT) in patients with stable COPD and chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure. However, despite failing evidence more than one third of patients receiving long-term NPPV had lung disease, i.e. predominantly COPD, following a large European epidemiologic trial covering 16 countries, although large differences between countries have been elucidated by this trial .


Great Salt Lake has precipitated sodium sulphate each winter and redissolved this salt during the early spring as long as observations have been made. But within the last four years summer precipitation of sodium chloride has also taken place as an accompaniment of the unprecedented low level of the lake. The sodium chloride returns into solution during the early winter, completing a spectacular annual cycle of salt precipitation and solution. Winter precipitation of sodium sulphate is caused by the cooling of the water; summer precipitation of the chloride is caused by the annual reduction in volume of the lake, a result of heavy summer evaporation and reduced inflow during this season. A large tabular deposit of almost pure sodium sulphate lies buried in the beach sands along the southeast shore of the lake and may be related in its formation to past winter precipitation of this salt similar to that now being observed.


A spectroscopic stone/ureter identification system is already in clinical use for pulsed dye laser lithotripters (590 nm). Alexandrite lasers are believed to be a solid-state laser alternative to pulsed dye lasers in lithotripsy. We investigated different spectroscopic stone/ureter detection schemes for the q-switched alexandrite laser (750 nm and 375 nm), including plasma detection, spectral LIF analysis, and time resolved LIF intensity analysis. Additionally, we investigated the possibility to identify different stone types using laser induced fluorescence exited at UV wavelengths.


Characterization of biological parameters is essential to assess the sanitary conditions of animal breeding, especially when it comes to closed colonies, such as this study. Data from biometrics, semiologic and hematological evaluation were compared between sex and age groups. Adult animals have become longer in stature over the years in captivity and adult females show considerably smaller and lighter than adult males. The tails of males were significantly higher in adult males. The average temperature was 38.5°C. Heart rate remained homogeneous in the three age groups of both sexes and did not vary among age groups as observed in respiratory rate (RR), which may have been due to physical restraint and anesthesia with ketamine hydrochloride. The RR was significantly higher in juvenile animals. With the exception of eosinophilia, present in adults, all hematologic findings were within normal limits. These data indicate that the condition of the captive colony "closed" under study, as well as the adopted management does not produce anomalous results or unsatisfactory on clinical parameters and biometric analysis.


Abstract : A confluence of factors led to American engagement in one of Central America's most violent uprisings: the Salvadoran civil war. By the time of President Ronald Reagan's first term as president, the civil war had created social, political and economic fissures within the Salvadoran state; these fissures presented the United States the opportunity to promote its policy agenda with the Central American country. Reagan's administration, however, got off to a slow start; his first-term approaches to Salvadoran engagement yielded very little and may have actually exacerbated the negative influences affecting the state. This monograph attempts to portray the American and El Salvadoran relationship during Reagan's first term as one defined by strategic interactions. These interactions occurred when American policy attempted to modify the Salvadoran system. Without delving into specific initiatives, the analysis will show how Reagan's administration was stimulated by distinct impulses, or influences, which not only encouraged engagement, but also molded policy. Among those influences, doctrinal precedents within the executive and the ideological leanings of President Reagan were the two areas that appeared to dominate Reagan's interaction with El Salvador. In order to succeed, theses influences would have to accommodate elements of Salvadoran history and culture, lest policy implementation fail. Unfortunately neither of those influences encouraged the administration to obtain a full understanding of the situation prior to or during policy implementation. When American policy interacted with Central American history and culture, the resulting messages failed to resonate with the Salvadoran populace and efforts to change the system for the better fell flat. In the end, while the American administration interpreted its engagement as purely legitimate and rational, the S


Interest in securing InfiniBand networks with encryption is growing.  However, the performance benefit realized by InfiniBand's use of Direct Memory Access (DMA) to bypass the kernel and avoid intervention from host Central Processing Units (CPUs) is at odds with IP datagram encryption techniques.  Encryption forces data through the CPU before transmission and decryption, incurring multiple clock cycles.  The Bluefield-2 Data Processing Unit (DPU) is Nvidia-Mellanox's latest system on chip that combines a high-performance, programmable processor, network interface card (NIC), and flexible hardware accelerators.  This research characterizes the Bluefield-2's capability to accelerate IPsec encryption in hardware.  Results show that the Bluefield-2's hardware accelerators are capable of supporting a secure IPsec tunnel with a throughput of nearly 16 Gb/s.  Offloading IPsec encryption operations to the hardware accelerators on the Bluefield-2 is a promising method for adding confidentiality, integrity, and authentication to InfiniBand networks.


To evaluate the effects of fat source on milk fat composition and milk conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentration, cows were fed diets that were high in either C18:2 or C18:0. Twenty-two Holstein cows were blocked by parity and milk production and randomly assigned within block to one of two dietary treatments containing either 3% pork fat (LARD) or 3% linola oil (OIL) on a dry matter (DM) basis. The diets were fed for 21 d. Feed intake and milk and milk component yields were unaffected by treatment, whereas milk fat percent was decreased with the linola oil treatment. The cis-9, trans-11 CLA concentration of milk from cows fed linola oil was significantly higher than from cows fed pork lard. Key words: CLA, fatty acids, linola oil, milk


There is some similarity between the divination in Jiaoshi Yilin of the Han dynasty and the image and theme in Gongwuduhe,but what is the relationship? After comparison and observation,the author finds that Gongwuduhe originates from the pre-Qin period and the divination of Jiaoshi Yilin is based on the past events.Gongwuduhe has its early influence on Qu.With the continuation of subject matter and theme of later generations, it is affected by misinformation.The circulation and spread of Gongwuduhe consists in Korea's strong impression of Jizi's stories of madness and suicide in river.


Goal. The purpose of the research is the conceptual principles of effective management of land resources in united territorial communities (UTC). Method. To achieve the set goal, a number of general scientific and special methods of scientific knowledge were used: the dialectical method of knowledge of economic phenomena and processes (when determining the subject, object, subjects, purpose, goals and tasks of land resource management in UTC), monographic (when studying the essence of the concept of "effective management of land resources"), graphic (when presenting the concept of forming a system of effective management of land resources of a united territorial community), abstract and logical (for theoretical generalizations, formulation of conclusions and development of proposals in the field of land resources management ). The results. As a result of the study, the subject, object, subjects, purpose and tasks of effective management of land resources in united territorial communities were determined, and it was also proposed to interpret the concept of "effective management of land resources of the UTC " as a process of forming such a management system that would provided a steadily growing positive economic effect from the use of the lands of the UTC with simultaneous observance of ecological and other nature protection norms, provided that the costs for the formation of such a management apparatus are optimal and adequate to the obtained economic, ecological and social effect. The goal of land resource management at the level of the UTC is to create and ensure the effective functioning of the system of land relations and land use of the territorial community, which allows to best satisfy the needs of the entire population of the UTC, related to the use of the lands of the UTC. The concept of forming a system of effective management of land resources in UTC is proposed, which will allow to raise the level of management in UTC, will ensure obtaining a greater economic, social and ecological effect for citizens of UTC from the use of available land resources, in particular agricultural land. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in the definition of the concept of "effective management of land resources", its subject, object, goal and tasks, as well as in the development of the concept of effective management of land resources in the UTC


tion have been critically examined (Anderson 1973; Henning 1982; Jablow 1974; Mott 1938; Smith 1973, 1974; Thiessen 1998; Wedel 1974a, 1974b, 1974c, 1976,1981,1986) for a variety of purposes. The studies of the late Mildred Mott Wedel, who conducted a lifetime of research based on the rel evant historical French sources, are particularly insightful as to the questions of who lived at the Blood Run archaeological site, and when. These studies generally agree that the historically-known Native American groups most likely to have lived at the Blood Run archaeological site are the Oma has/Poncas, Ioways, and Otos. This information is summarized below; readers are referred to the origi nal studies and sources for details of the traditional and historical data. Much of the discussion that follows is drawn from an unpublished report (Thiessen 1998). Local historians and antiquarians have specu lated that the original Native American inhabitants of Blood Run were variously the ancestors of the modern Yankton Sioux (Hyde 1975 [1873]:6-7) or the Sioux ("Dakotas") in general (Starr 1887:363, 1893:112); a "mound builders" tribe from the Ohio valley, presumably the Omahas, Poncas, or Ioways, whose traditions generally place their ancestors on the Big Sioux River or the vicinity of the nearby pipestone quarries (Pettigrew 1901:350-351); or the historic Omaha or Ponca tribes specifically (W.E. Myer's work as described in Fewkes 1928:64). However, these early speculations were formed without the benefit of a larger body of Native American traditions and recorded testimony of the earliest European travelers in the area, which is available to today's researchers. Some of these con clusions, such as those of Hyde and Starr, seem to be based simply on the historical presence of the Native Americans most recently in northwest Iowa (the Yanktons, or Sioux in general). Others, nota bly those offered by Pettigrew and Myer, are based on Native American traditions available at the time. Historical evidence in the form of maps and trav elers' accounts relating to early European travels in the upper Mississippi region, including the present state of Iowa, began to receive critical ex amination in the early part of the twentieth cen tury (e.g., Dorsey and Thomas 1907a, 1910; Hodge 1910a; Miner 1911). In the 1920s and 1930s, ethnohistorical and archaeological information began to be systemati cally evaluated and some archaeological taxa were tentatively matched with Native American groups known to have been historically present in the state of Iowa (Keyes 1927; Mott 1938). Mildred Mott Wedel reviewed the available evidence about the Oneota culture in Iowa and confirmed Keyes' pos tulation of Oneota as a valid archaeological taxon. She also concluded, on the basis of a review of both historical and archaeological evidence, that the Ioway Indians were "responsible" for at least some of the Oneota manifestations in Iowa (Mott 1938:303). NATIVE AMERICAN TRADITIONS


We characterized inward rectifier (KIR) currents in reactive astrocytes activated by CNS injury. We used primary cultures of reactive astrocytes obtained from gelatin sponge implants in adult rat brains, a system that yielded highly purified, homogeneous cultures with >95% of cells positive for GFAP, vimentin, and S‐100β. Ionic channels were studied in 1–21‐day‐old primary cultures using a nystatin‐perforated patch clamp technique. Fast Na+ currents were identified in <2% of cells. Most cells exhibited outward currents positive to −50 mV, with one component being sensitive to charybdotoxin, iberiotoxin, and tetraethylammonium chloride, and another component being sensitive to 4‐aminopyridine. Two populations of cells were distinguished, based on presence or absence of Ba2+‐sensitive KIR current negative to the K+ reversal potential (Ek), with >80% of cells expressing KIR currents. In contrast to previous reports on mammalian astrocytes, the current‐voltage curve showed no appreciable current between Ek and −50 mV, reflecting strong rectification by KIR channels. The magnitude of KIR current at −130 mV (I−130) did not change significantly during 21 days in culture (123 cells), suggesting constitutive expression of KIR channels. The fraction of KIR‐negative cells was not affected by serum‐starvation for 16–24 h. In cells with I−130 ≥ −30 pA, the membrane potential was invariably near Ek and depolarized appreciably on addition of Ba2+, but in cells with I−130 < −30 pA, resting potentials ranged from −40 mV to −90 mV. We conclude that most adult reactive astrocytes constitutively express KIR channel(s) that exhibit strong rectification not previously observed in mammalian astrocytes. GLIA 27:213–225, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The values of the absolute rate constants of the formation of pyrocarbon from a number of individual hydrocarbons and the kinetic model of the process that has been obtained in the present work show the basic possibility of calculating the rate of formation of pyrocarbon in any hydrocarbon-treating processes and form the foundation for the further quantitative investigation of this process. Such an investigation, besides considering the change in the absolute constants at higher temperatures, must be directed to a more detailed study of hydrogen inhibition and the structure of the pyrocarbon formed under various conditions.


We report on the development of picosecond Nd:YAG laser applied for high precision satellite laser ranging. Laser generates 35 ps pulses at 532 nm wavelength with 2.5 mJ pulse energy and 500 Hz pulse repetition rate. The main feature of the developed system is modular design.


In 2004, a survey in Yangon Region was conducted as the first STEP survey in Myanmar, which was repeated in 2014, assessing diabetes prevalence. Whether there have been any changes over time in the awareness, treatment and control status of diabetes is not known. The study aimed to assess changes in the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of diabetes from 2004 to 2014, among adults in Yangon region.

 The study was conducted in urban and rural areas of Yangon region, Myanmar, using two cross-sectional household based studies, in accordance with World Health Organization STEPS methodology. Men and women aged 25-74 years old participated in the studies (n = 4448 in 2004) and (n = 1372 in 2014). Logistic and linear regression were performed and outcome variables were diabetes and fasting plasma glucose.

 The overall age-standardized prevalence of diabetes were 8.3% (95% CI 6.5-10.6) in 2004 and 10.2% (7.6-13.6) in 2014 (p = 0.296). The diabetes prevalence increased from 2004 to 2014 only among participants aged ≥60 years, from 14.6% (11.7-18.1) to 31.9% (21.1-45.0) (p = 0.009). Awareness of having diabetes increased between 2004 and 2014 (44.3% (39.2, 49.6) to 69.4% (62.9-75.2)) (p < 0.001). Among participants who were aware of having diabetes, the proportion under treatment had increased between 2004 and 2014 from 55.1% (46.8-63.1) to 68.6% (61.5-74.8) (p = 0.015). There were no increase between 2004 and 2014 in the proportion of participants with controlled diabetes. After adjustments for age, sex and education, mean fasting plasma glucose levels in 2014 was 0.56 mmol/l (0.26-0.84) higher than in 2004.

 The studies to monitor the development of diabetes prevalence in Myanmar are needed. Preventive measures to halt increases prevalence, to increase the detection rate of undiagnosed DM also treatment rate and to help people with diabetes to control their situation are needed.

 Mean plasma glucose levels were higher in 2014 than in 2004, but an increase in DM prevalence during this period was seen only among the oldest participants. The proportion of women being aware of having DM, as well as the proportion under treatment for most groups, had increased, however not the proportion under control.


The red clump (RC) is found to be split into two components along several sightlines toward the Galactic bulge. This split is detected with high significance toward the areas (−3.5 < l < 1, b < −5) and (l, b) = (0, + 5.2), i.e., along the bulge minor axis and at least 5 deg off the plane. The fainter (hereafter "main") component is the one that more closely follows the distance–longitude relation of the bulge RC. The main component is ∼0.5 mag fainter than the secondary component and with an overall approximately equal population. For sightlines further from the plane, the difference in brightness increases, and more stars are found in the secondary component than in the main component. The two components have very nearly equal (V − I) color.


The effects of B[a]P,B[k]F and their mixture on AHH activerties of gills and digestive gland of scallop Chlamys farreri were studied.The results indicated that the AHH activerties of gills and digestive gland of scallop C.farreri were siginificantly induced(P0.05)by PAHs.And there were a good time-relationship and a dose-relationship between the acticities of AHH and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.The AHH activities of B[k]F and the mixture group at first changed to high and then became stable.And the AHH activities of B[a]P group changed to a peak and then fell.The AHH activities of digestive gland were higher than that of gills'.Therefore AHH activeties can be used as a biomarker to reflect the pollution of PAHs based on the biggest saturation concentration.Furthermore B[a]P has the greatest toxicity in 3 PAHs.The toxicity of PAHs is related to the composition it contains,the summation of single PAHs toxicity is not equal to the toxicity of total PAHs for scallops,this is mainly related to the mechanism of toxicity for scallop C.farreri of PAHs.


In his overwhelmingly popular novel, The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown states that he describes all documents "accurately" when he asserts the theory that Mary Magdalene had a sexual relationship with Jesus, was married to him and bore his children. In this article I will examine the sources for Brown's ideas and compare them to the actual documents–particularly the Gnostic gospels –that he claims to have carefully described. I will argue that Brown not only misrepresents the documents that he claimed to have used but that he actually replicates the errors of the early church by concentrating on Mary's sexual status rather than upon her status as the apostle to the apostles.


This study aims to determine the effect of Good Corporate Governance on profitability and company size. Good corporate governance in this study is proxied by independent board of commissioners, managerial ownership, institutional ownership, audit quality and Firm Size. Company profitability is measured by Return on Equity (ROE). This type of research is quantitative with a descriptive approach. The population in this study is the LQ45 non-financial company listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2013-2017. The sample selection technique is using purposive sampling. The type of data used is student data. The data analysis technique in this study used multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that simultaneous independent commissioner variables, managerial ownership, institutional ownership, audit quality and firm size have a significant effect on profitability. partially independent board of commissioner variables have a significant negative effect on priofitability. Managerial ownership does not have a significant effect on profitability. Institutional ownership has a significant positive effect on profitability. Audit quality does not have a significant effect on profitability, Firm size does not have a significant effect on profitability.


The psychic effects of the minimum wage are unknown. I estimate traditional and contiguous counties difference-in-difference models to measure the well-being effects of the minimum wage. In the short-term, I observe that a one-dollar minimum wage increase produces a robust transitory well-being loss of approximately .006 percentage points for young individuals. In the medium-term, I find some evidence of positive well-being gains of .006 to .015 standard deviations for all adults, but these estimates are sensitive to the research design. These findings provide an additional approach to evaluate the welfare effects of the minimum wage.


The current study conducted on field photos of fourteen varieties of fruit trees associated with special cases, the same number is their shadow, such as pale green is unhealthy, for leaves of citrus trees such as [Valencia orange], using LAI-Color Vision as new methodology to measure the Leaf Area Index-LAI and Vegetation Canopies, with helpful of standard metal mesh as a satellite image pixel window on the target, to extract 20 cm, on the field images, fully charged of fruit trees leaves, then digital processing, for color images and their shadows, under impact of four parameters such as [Mean, Std Dev, Median] and [data pixels] parameters. The study found that the [data pixels] Parameter is specialized to appearance of fruit trees shadow, such as reflection in the mirror for pictures of colorful fruit trees. The results proved the shade of olive trees more light about all the pictures of colorful fruit trees, believing that the olive is miracle in the Holy Qur'an.


FOR ANALYSIS of maps covering a wide range of latitude, or having a rapidly varying scale, geostrophic wind scales become cumbersome, or involve application of extremely large correction factors. It was in connection with the Northern Hemisphere charts, analysis of which has been carried out increasingly, both in extended-range forecasting and in practice forecasting for other sections than North America, that the following convenient form of the geostrophic wind formula was introduced. Subsequently persons familiar with it have found it easier to apply from memory or tables than to search for mislaid celluloid wind scales, even for 1:107for 5-mb pressure intervals, n degrees of latitude is the normal distance between isobars, and <J> is the latitude. The equation is correct for air having a specific volume of 810 m3/ton, which corresponds, for example, to a temperature of 45° F at a pressure of 990 millibars, a good rough average value for the lowest five hundred meters over the sea surface. The average specific volume may vary about 10% in this layer, which is well within the degree of approximation allowable in geostrophic computations. The formula can be used quickly, as follows: with a pencil or straightedge lay off along a meridian at the same latitude the perpendicular dis-


Meetings, conventions, and exhibition tourism are considered part of business travel and are viewed as a strategic component to grow tourism revenues. Meeting planners are especially key to influencing how and where these meetings exist, but as technology advances, virtual and hybrid
 meetings are evolving as the future meeting platform. This exploratory study further investigates the attributes that are considered by attendees within these meetings to enhance the marketing and management of these innovative meeting platforms. A modified technology acceptance model (TAM)
 is used to investigate path relationships between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward use, and systems use. Additionally, the potential moderating effects of age, gender, and frequency of technology use within meetings were also tested. Each of the hypothesized direct
 paths was found to be significant. However, no moderating effects were found, contradicting extant literature. Implications to academics and practitioners are suggested and future research directions are provided.


This article presents the evaluation of the Sustainable Big Bend Green Living Expo and Education Fair, which targets participants with a variety of learning opportunities. Evaluation was carried out using onsite surveys along with follow-up surveys and phone interviews. Results indicate that a 1-day sustainability event is a meaningful way to reach individuals and that they have high levels of satisfaction, learning, and self-reported behavior change. The study concludes that Extension has a critical role to play in sustainable living issues and that systematic evaluation can be valuable for program improvement as well as documentation of outcomes.


This paper introduces the concept of image fusion technique for impulse noise reduction in digital images. Image fusion is the process of combining two or more images into a single image while retaining the important features of each image. Multiple image fusion is an important technique used in military, remote sensing and medical applications. The images captured by two different sensors undergo filtering using vector median or spatial median filter based on the noise density in the image. The filtered images are fused into a single image, which combines the uncorrupted pixels from each one of the filtered image. The fusion algorithm is based on Bidimensional Empirical Mode Decomposition (BEMD), which decomposes an image into residue and IMF components. Different fusion rules are used to combine IMFs and Residual components. Finally, the image is recovered using inverse BEMD. The performance evaluation of the fusion algorithm is evaluated using structural similarity index (SSIM) between original and fused image. Experimental results show that this fusion algorithm produce a high quality image than individually filtered image.


An orthogonal design was used to screen fermentative medium of Bacillus thuringiensis isolate WB_(7). Among these tests, yeast powder and fish meal were the most efficient substrates for Bt. The most appropriate fermentative medium is composed of corn meal 4%, soybean flour 1%, yeast powder 2%, fish meal 2.5%, peptone 0.1%.


Objective To investigate the current status and nurses' needs of continuing training in obstetric department,in order to pro- vide reference for the establishment of standardized training project.Method A questionnaire survey was conducted on 914 obstetric nursess from 44 hospitals.Results 53.10% of the nurses received on-post training.98.51% of the nurses regarded the standardized training as necessary.47.36% of them preferred part-time training,and 69.27% preferred one to two times of training every year.As the contents of training,86.47% of the nurses thought that the contents should integrated with clinical practice and focused on nurses' core abilities.Conclusion It is urgent to establish standardized continuing training project for obstetric nurses and improve their pro- fessional competence.


An analysis is made for the steady two-dimensional flow of a viscous and incompressible fluid striking at some angle of incidence on a stretching sheet. Fluid is considered in the influence of transverse magnetic field in the presence of radiation effect. Rosseland approximation is use to model the radiative heat transfer. The stream function splits into a Hiemenz and a tangential component. Using similarity variables, the governing partial differential equations are transformed into a set of three non-dimensional ordinary differential equations. These equations are then solved numerically using fifth order Runge-Kutta Fehlberg method with shooting technique. In the present reported work the effect of striking angle, radiation parameter, magnetic field parameter and the Prandtl number on flow and heat transfer characteristics have been discussed. The reported results are in good agreement with the available published work in the literature.


Under the new situation,the international surroundings which the security work confronts are still complex,and the battle between our country and some opponents still exists.The domestic situation is stable in general,but some unstable and uncertain factors still threaten security safe.Specifically,the main threats which the security work confronts under the new situation could be demonstrated as follows:the threats from the terrorists activities to the security work,the ethnic separation,the threats from the religious extremists to the work,the threats from such evil cult organizations as Falungong to the security work,the threats from the severe domestic public security,the threats from the mass incidents triggered by the contradictions within the ranks of the people and the threats from major natural disasters;and so on.


'The Weir' is a new play by Conor McPherson. Winner of the Best New Play at the Olivier Awards 1999. A Royal Court Theatre production on tour at the Liverpool Playhouse, April 1999, prior to its Broadway premiere.


A study was conducted during 2003-04 to examine the characteristics of rhizobia associated with Vigna marina (Burm.) Merr. (syn. V. retusa. Walp) a wild legume of Andaman and Nicobar islands, which was found growing naturally in the sandy seashore and was able to survive high saline environment with prolific root nodules. The rhizobia associated with the root nodule of V. marina was collected, characterized and studied for their growth and salt tolerance properties. The plant gave more root/shoot ratio (0.76) and had runner type roots with more than 50% viable nodules. Salinity however did not hinder the nodulation process. The Rhizobium was found to be tolerant to antibiotics, like erythromycin, chloromphenicol, streptomycin and ampicillin. High membrane protein (14.98 μg/ml) was observed in the cells of Rhizobium VM1 indicating lesser degradation of protein under saline environment. Lipopolysaccharide profile revealed that the bacterium was closely related to Rhizobium of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) and blackgram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper). The bacteria showed resistance up to 600 mM NaCl and tolerance up to 1000 mM of NaCl in vitro.


Nick Bannister invites school business management experts to share five pieces of advice. This month, Jane Galbraith from PTA-UK on how school business managers can support their PTAs.


To explore natural-product-based pesticidal candidates and high value-added application of cholesterol in agriculture, oximinoether derivatives of cholesterol-containing isoxazoline/isoxazole fragments (I-1∼I-16 and II-1∼II-18) were semiprepared by structural optimization of cholesterol. Their structures were characterized by optical rotation, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), IR, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Particularly, the Z configurations of oxime fragments at the C-7 position of target compounds were undoubtedly determined by X-ray crystallography. Against Mythimna separata Walker, compounds 3e, I-8, I-14, and II-3 showed 2.4-2.7-fold growth inhibitory activity of the precursor cholesterol. Against Plutella xylostella Linnaeus, compounds I-6, I-7, and I-9 showed 2.4-2.7-fold oral toxicity of cholesterol. Against Aphis citricola Van der Goot, compounds 2e and II-15 exhibited 4.9 and 5.8-fold aphicidal activity of cholesterol, respectively. Notably, they showed good control effects (3.0-5.0-fold promising control efficiency of 1) against A. citricola in the greenhouse. Structure-activity relationships (SARs) suggested that the C-3 hydroxyl group and the C-7 position of cholesterol are two important modification sites. It will pave the way for future structural optimization and application of cholesterol derivatives as potential pesticidal agents in agriculture.


Bangladesh, situated as a bridge between South and Southeast Asia, has traditionally experienced pulls from both directions. The purpose of this paper is to rethink Bangladesh's stereotype identification as a strictly South Asian entity. Socio economic indicators and perceptions of threat will be examined to analyse the prospects of cooperation between South and Southeast Asia and also to appraise the potential benefits which may accrue to Bangladesh from such cooperation. An attempt will also be made to outline the m~thods which the ASEAN states adopted reckoned with the problem of underdevelopment and to assess the. applicability of these methods to Bangladesh in particular, and to South Asian context in general. In addition to the above, thi paper will systematically outline the political dynamics which may either facilitate or alternativiely endanger cooperation between ASEAN and SAARe. The concluding section of this paper will, on the one hand, provide insights regarding the possibility of promoting the dynamics of interdependence between the two regions and, on the other hand, make some recommendations regarding the foreign policy po ture which Banglade. h hould adopt vi -a-vi. ASEAN and SAARC.


In his keynote address, Mr. Jackson will deliver a dynamic and forward-looking talk linking together emerging/current trends/usages (ultra mobility, social networking, visualization) and emerging t...


Recently, cognitive radio access in time-slotted systems has gained interest. In these systems, the beginning of the slot is used for detection. If no signal is found to be present, remainder of the slot can be used for cognitive radios (secondary users). Detection of the occupancy status of the slots is characterized by false alarm probability and detection probability. The detection probability needs to be large enough to protect primary user. However, too large detection probability means increased false alarm probability thus reducing the secondary users transmit opportunities. We study finding the optimum false alarm and detection probabilities. Numerical results indicate that the secondary users maximum throughput is obtained when the random access probabilities are equal to one and random access is handled instead with false alarm probabilities.


D B WITT H. PARKER. Knowledge by description. The philosophical review, vol. 54 (1945), pp. 458-488. Of special interest to logicians are Professor Parker's analyses of concepts and propositions. He holds that both involve essentially a particular, a "This." Taking the concept blue as an example, he writes, " 'Blue' equals 'There is something and something may be such as This or such as something such as This' . . . . The concept is an expectation of something such as something in primary experience, memory or imagination" (pp. 466-7). Even aside from the doubts raised by the modified ontological argument which is implicit in the first clause, such an account would seem to exclude the possibility of self-inconsistent concepts, where there could be no primary experience, memory, or image which would delimit our expectations. Further, it would seem to exclude such abstract concepts as the primitive concepts of a deductive system which are defined only by the postulates. Here again there is no primary experience, memory, or image which can serve as a base. To the objection that his account involves an infinite regress of definitions of distinct 'such as' or 'similar to' relations, Professor Parker replies that "While I use the concept 'similar 2' to explicate what I mean by the concept 'similar 1', I understand 'similar 1', not in terms of 'similar 2', but in terms of a primary experience or' feeling' of similarity." But elsewhere (X 22 (3), p. 2) he insists that mere awareness of particulars—such as a blue sense-datum and a similarity feeling datum—is not sufficient for cognition or understanding. "Knowledge by acquaintance consists," he writes, "in the application of a concept to a present item." Apparently then, in a case of knowledge by acquaintance the concept blue cannot be known to apply unless it is recognized, i.e., known, that the given color datum is similar to the base of the concept blue. But it cannot be known to be similar unless it be known that similarity 2 applies to the felt particular similarity 1. But it cannot be known that similarity 2 applies without recognizing it as a case of similarity 3, and so on. The undesired infinite regress seems to be back on Professor Parker's hands again. In knowledge by description, Professor Parker urges, concepts can refer to unique objects, not through qualification by further concepts, which always allows the last specificity of individuals to escape, but by reference to some "This" in immediate experience. The asymmetric ego can always serve, he states, as a unique point of reference. Similarly, he urges, in definite descriptions, when Russell's analysis is rendered unambiguous by assigning a tense to the verb "exist" there is always a reference to the present, that being defined by reference to the unique experience of the ego that utters the description. Thus, he concludes, a particular is an implicit constituent of every proposition expressing knowledge by description. Since, he urges, this is obviously true of propositions expressing knowledge by acquaintance, for there the particular one is acquainted with is a constituent of the proposition, it follows that every empirical proposition contains at least one particular as a constituent. Professor Parker has established his claim, I judge, that the expressions which Russell and others have offered as analyses of descriptive phrases contain themselves singular terms when stated unambiguously. It remains a question, however, whether the presence of a singular term in a statement expressing a proposition proves that the proposition contains a particular as a constituent. A singular term, whether a proper name, a demonstrative word like 'This,' a descriptive phrase, or a singular statement, denotes, of course, a concrete entity, a particular object or fact. But does it not connote or signify an abstract entity, a concept or proposition? (Cf. C. I. Lewis, The modes of meaning (IX 28), and C. A. Baylis, Critical comments (X 106)). The utterer of a singular term perhaps has his understanding of its signification buttressed by direct acquaintance with a particular— himself or some object of his immediate experience—but his words can be understood adequately by a person who has no such knowledge by acquaintance, but knows him only through understanding the signification of some such phrase as "the writer."


The fast head-tail instability with space charge is studied using series expansion techniques, numerical simulations, and a new formulation which allows for precise estimates of growth rates and thresholds. In regimes where they are reliable, all three techniques predict that space charge suppresses the fast head-tail instability. It is found that the series expansion techniques are unreliable for parameter regimes commonly employed in hadron accelerators. The numerical techniques are less prone to error, but the computational requirements become severe as space charge tune shifts increase. The new model has neither of these problems, but it underestimates the benefits of chromaticity, at least in its simplest form.


Large amount of high dimensional data has to be handled often to solve problems that arise in the field of information retrieval. This paper deals with the problem of grouping similar documents into clusters and then retrieving the required document with respect to the user's query. This work introduces a novel approach of document clustering which combines swarm intelligence techniquebased on the brood behavior of ants with standard clustering approaches. The main idea behind this paper is to apply nature inspired algorithm, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) Algorithm for limited number of iterations followed by medoidbased post pruning. The proposed method has been applied to the dataset formed by collecting 10000 documents on various topics from the standard data repository Wikipedia. The experimental results proved that the proposed method achieved better clustering results in terms of precision and recall and in a very less time.


PVDF/EVOH (P/E) membranes were prepared via immersion precipitation to realize an antifouling property better than that of PVDF membranes. To determine the optimum conditions for preparing a P/E blended membrane, the effects of the P/E weight ratio and temperature of the coagulation bath on the properties of the blended membrane were investigated. The fouling behaviors and membrane–foulant interaction force of the P/E blended membrane were compared with those of a PVDF membrane for unraveling its antifouling ability. Results show that the P/E membrane appeared to be more hydrophilic, having a higher pure-water flux and bovine serum albumin rejection rate than the PVDF membrane. The integrated performance of the P/E membrane was best when the P/E weight ratio and temperature of the coagulation bath were fixed at 9/1 and 20 °C, respectively. Analysis of the antifouling ability revealed that the flux decline rate of the P/E membrane was much less than that of the PVDF membrane. This phenomenon, combined with the measurements of the membrane–foulant interaction force, demonstrates that the membrane–fouling interaction force was reduced by the addition of EVOH, which could weaken the adsorption and accumulation of foulants on the membrane surface or pores and reduce the rate of membrane flux decline.


The purpose of this research was to investigate the characteristics and the cleaning efficiency on HN(sub)4OH solutions added with H(sub)2O(sub)2 and surfactants. NH(sub)4OH solutions added with surfactants did not show much changes in pH and redox potential (Eh) as a function of NH(sub)4OH concentration compared with NH(sub)4OH solution. However H(sub)2O(sub)2 added NH\ulcornerOH solutions showed the decrease of pH and the increase of Eh as the concentration of NH(sub)4OH increased. The decrease of surface tension from 72 dynes/cm to 38 dynes/cm was observed in solutions added with surfactant but not in H(sub)2O(sub)2. The etch rates of silicon in NH(sub)4OH solutions(NH(sub)4OH:H(sub)2O= 1 : 5) showed at least 50 times higher than those in H(sub)2O(sub)2 and surfactant added NH(sub)4OH solutions(NH(sub)4OH:H(sub)2O(sub)2= 1 : 1 : 5) solution removed the PSL particles (0.67 in diameter) on Si wafers effectively at all temperatures investigated. NH(sub)4OH solution added with a surfactant could not remove particles at room temperature, however it was possible to remove particles at higher temperatures, 5 and 8.


The Situated Interactive MultiModal Conversations (SIMMC2.1) Challenge 2022 is hosted by the Eleventh Dialog System Technology Challenge (DSTC11). This is the third consecutive year multimodal dialog systems have been selected as an official track of the competition, promoted by the continued interest in the research community. The task of SIMMC is to create a shopping assistant agent that can communicate with customers in a virtual store. It requires processing store scenes and product catalogs along with the customer's request. The task is decomposed into four steps and each becomes a subtask. In this work, we explore the common approaches to modeling multimodality and find the method with the most potential. We also identify a discrepancy in using pretrained language models for dialog tasks and devise a simple domain-adaptation method. Our model came in third place for object coreferencing, dialog state tracking, and response generation tasks.


[Objective] To study the contents of Ca,Mg,P,K,Na in maize grain,especially the variation in intensive agriculture production. [Method] Maize grain grown at intensive production conditions was collected for detecting the above elements to investigate the effects of intensive agricultural production on nutritional elements in grains. [Result] The results showed that the content order of the above five elements from more to less are K,P,Mg,Ca and Na,and contents of K,P and Mg are several times to several hundred times more than those of Ca and Na. The variation of coefficient was much different from each element,the inscending order is K,Mg,P,Ca and Na. The greater the variation coefficient changes,the greater affected by soil and other environmental factors. [Conclusion]The study can provide a reference for people understanding crops' growth environment and fertilization.


This note comments on and extends the paper by Hoel and Moene (1988), hereafter HM, which analysed the effect of profit sharing (hereafter PS) on an individual firm and its employees. HM assumed that the existence and extent of PS is a matter for bargaining between firms and unions. However, evidence suggests that in practice it is almost always determined unilaterally by firms as a part of their "right to manage". In this note I therefore analyze the circumstances in which firms will choose to introduce sharing schemes as part of a net profit maximizing strategy whereby they retain the "right to manage". The framework is otherwise similar to HM's.


The institution of marriage is deeply embedded in modern society. Within the United States, legal recognition of marriage conveys both social dignity and material benefits to married individuals. As far back as 1967, the Supreme Court has treated freedom of marriage as a Constitutional right necessary to protect personhood rights such as liberty and autonomy. However, it did not fully extend this right to same-sex couples until its 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. Justice Scalia criticizes the majority opinion in Obergefell as lacking logic and precision, yet it reconciles jurisprudential discrepancies in prior case law addressing the right of marriage. These discrepancies are rooted in the contrasting negative and positive rights analytics of Immanuel Kant and Georg Willhelm Friedrich Hegel, respectively. Supreme Court precedent instituted a negative right to marriage in Loving v. Virginia, and a positive right to marriage in United States v. Windsor. These decisions are inconsistent under an exclusive negative or positive rights analysis. However, the Obergefell decision establishes Constitutional protection of same-sex marriage by acknowledging correlating positive and negative rights to marriage. This Note analyzes same-sex marriage under negative, positive, and correlating rights analytics. It concludes that the correlating rights analysis in Obergefell achieves optimal freedom by respecting and protecting the personhood rights of same-sex couples.  Staff Editor, Washington University Jurisprudence Review; J.D. Candidate (2016), Washington University School of Law; B.S. (2012), University of Southern Indiana. I would like to thank my husband, Mitchell, and my family for their constant love, support, and encouragement. I would also like to thank Alexander Bell, Executive Articles Editor, and Alyssa Kutner, Chief Primary Editor, for their invaluable assistance. Washington University Open Scholarship 88 WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY JURISPRUDENCE REVIEW [VOL. 8:87


Abstract Background Long-acting antipsychotic therapy (LAT) may help effectively manage individuals with schizophrenia by optimizing adherence, improving treatment response, reducing the risk of relapse, and improving long-term outcomes. LAT has an established role in the maintenance treatment of chronic, poorly adherent, and/or severely ill patients in later stages of schizophrenia. It is not yet known whether the positive effects of these LATs are merely on the control of symptoms and preventing relapse or on changes in insights and attitudes to medications, resulting in changes in disease course. Methods This retrospective, single-center study was conducted within the Department of Psychiatry at Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital. To investigate the efficacy of LAT on the disease course, we compared re-hospitalization rate, drug attitude inventory (DAI), and The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in individuals with schizophrenia who had treated with once-monthly paliperidone palmitate and then switched to oral antipsychotics. Results A total of 105 patients changed from oral drugs to LAI. Of these, 31 patients were later changed to oral medication. Of the total LAI patients, 32 patients received less than 5 months a week. Thirteen patients were hospitalized for 6 months before LAI change and 3 patients were re-hospitalized during the maintenance period after LAI change. Three patients who did not have hospitalized for 6 months after the change of oral medication but did not have hospitalized during LAI maintenance period were re-hospitalized after changing to oral medication. Of the 72 patients who maintained the LAI for more than 5 months, 28 patients experienced re-hospitalization during oral medication before LAI, 9 of whom were re-hospitalized during the LAI. All of them kept on LAI. Seven patients who changed to oral medication during maintenance were not hospitalized during the maintenance period, but three patients were hospitalized after changing to oral medication. Of the 92 patients who had never been hospitalized within 6 months before the change of LAI, 14 had re-hospitalized after changing to LAI. However, none of the 92 patients who had never been hospitalized changed to oral medication. Regardless of the length of time, 5 (about 16%) were re-hospitalized in 31 patients who changed from LAI to the oral medication again. Interestingly, the patients were not hospitalized during the LAI period. There were 27 dropouts. Twenty patients (19%) after LAI change and 7 patients (6%) after oral change. There was no statistical difference in DAI and PANSS scores after the change from LAI to oral medication. Discussion As previously known, the inhibition effect of relapse was evident during the LAI period. There was no change in adherence to medication, attitudes toward treatment, and degree of illness within 6 months. There were 27 dropouts. Twenty patients (19%) after LAI change and seven patients (6%) after oral change. It has been a long time since the onset, and 7 patients have moved to the hospital. Most of these seven patients were considered to be the case of compliance problems. Immediately after the change of oral medication, dropout occurred in 4 patients, and the duration of LAI in these patients was 2–5 months. The lack of statistical difference between DAI and PANSS after changing to oral drug in LAI can be attributed to the short interval of 6 months.


In this article we consider an extension of the classical geometric Pythagoras
theorem, taking into consideration the areas of the geometric figures which by on the
side of rectangular triangle. In this way we see that the Pythagoras relationship holds
for every kind of figures which satisfy certain conditions. In particular, this extension
we will make use of dilation applications to the functions that are generated from the
geometric figures, for which squaring is the same as saying the area.


The increasing use of nonstandard Arabic by Mamluk historians in the historical narrative (ḥawādith) of chronicles has been considered as one of the most noticeable characteristics of the process of "literarization," or the popularization of Mamluk historiography,1 which went hand in hand with the increasing use of stylistic elements drawn from the literature of adab, perhaps most notably anecdotes or story-like reports with dialogues or utterances in direct speech.2 While some, mainly editors of Mamluk historical works, made notes and observations on the language of specific works or historians, to date, there have not been too many attempts at an overall survey of different general trends of language use in Mamluk historical texts. Notwithstanding this, it has been suggested that usages of nonstandard Arabic are more typical of the 9th/15th century,3 andmore specifically of Egypt in the second half of the 9th/15th century (the so-called "Cairo narrative style").4 This chronological/geographical perspective, however, downplays the facts that many Mamluk historians used nonstandard Arabic before the 9th/15th century and that some Syrian historians also used nonstandard Arabic. Alternatively, it has been suggested that differences in background and life experience of the historians affected their language and style. Ulrich Haarmann perhaps did not state explicitly that usages of nonstandard Arabic are typical of historians related to themilitary institution; however, he highlighted the fact that many of the historians who wrote "literarized" histories employ-


I, like most former house staff, had received the classic teaching that a regular, narrow-complex tachycardia at 150 beats/minute was atrial flutter (AFL) with 2:1 atrial-ventricular conduction until proven otherwise. While previously considered a relatively unstable rhythm commonly degenerating into atrial fibrillation (AF), AFL is now recognized as an important electrophysiologic entity. Nonetheless, the frequently transient alternations between the two closely related arrhythmias give rise to the generic term "fib-flutter." In this issue, Dhar has provided a comprehensive review of this important clinical arrhythmia. The main morbidity associated with AFL is its thromboembolic potential, which can be estimated using the congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ( 75), diabetes mellitus, and stroke score (CHADS2). The subscript "2" designates 2 points for a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack, while all other conditions carry 1 point each. At 95% confidence intervals, CHADS2 scores of 2, 3, and 4 carry annualized stroke rates of 3.1–5.1%, 4.6–7.3%, and 6.3–11.1%, respectively. While anticoagulation is presently recommended for moderateto high-risk patients with either AF or AFL, this indication did not always exist. In the past, AFL, being an "organized" rhythm, was believed to pose no increased thromboembolic risk. It is uncertain, however, whether this now-recognized thrombotic potential relates to the accompanying AF episodes or to the AFL rhythm itself. The therapeutic goals, similar to those for AF, are aimed at either rhythm or rate control. Left untreated, chronic and recurrent tachycardic episodes can lead to left ventricular dysfunction, the so-called "tachy-myopathy." Rate control can be achieved by atrioventricular nodal suppressing agents such as beta blockers or nondihydropyridine calcium channel blockers. The vagotonic actions of digoxin may also be useful in promoting negative chronotropy. In some individuals, however, symptomatic improvement cannot be achieved despite successful rate suppression. Similarly, in many patients with AF, the lack of effective atrial "kick" may be sufficient to cause persistent discomfort. Cardioversion, whether electrical or chemical, should be undertaken only after 3 consecutive weeks of therapeutic anticoagulation with warfarin (international normalized ratio of 2 to 3). This prerequisite precaution is crucial to prevent the formation of left atrial thrombi, which can be ejected into the systemic arterial circulation by the sudden, organized atrial contraction from conversion to sinus rhythm. Once sinus rhythm is obtained, maintenance can be achieved with either types I or III antiarrhythmic agents. Caution must be exercised, however, as these medications paradoxically have potential for ventricular proarrhythmia. For drugs such as sotalol and propafenone, in-hospital initiation with constant telemetry and daily electrocardiographic QTc monitoring may be desirable. Moreover, amiodarone, while not arrhythmogenic in patients with ventricular compromise, carries well-known hepatic, pulmonary, and thyroid toxicities. In patients with structurally normal hearts and paroxysmal AFL or AF ("lone" AFL or AF), the "pill-in-pocket" approach may be considered. This strategy involves self-administration of a type I agent, as needed for episodic recurrences. While radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has traditionally been reserved for medically refractory cases, recent advancements in the safety and efficacy of this intervention have greatly enhanced its role in AFL therapy. In contrast to RFA for AF, catheter ablation for AFL is highly successful. Some experts thus recommend it as first-line therapy for this arrhythmia. Albeit rare, complications can occur, including atrial perforation resulting in tamponade, heart block necessitating pacemaker implantation, and phrenic nerve damage. In conclusion, AFL is now recognized as no longer a transient variant of the commonplace AF, but rather a distinct and important clinical electrophysiologic entity. The two-armed treatment strategy is aimed at assessment and treatment of thromboembolic potential, as well as decision of rhythm versus rate control. The efficacy and safety of modern RFA offers an invasive option for potential cure. As with many cardiac ailments, the ultimate prognosis is largely dependent on the status of left ventricular function.


Contributing to work that locates the place of psychology in countering coloniality, we explore in this article what and for whom is a decolonising African psychology. We answer these questions not with a definitive statement, but through several moves, signals, and routes. First, we conceptualise African psychology as a kind of transdisciplinary praxis that occurs within psychology as well as outside of the received bounds of the discipline. However, rooting this praxis-oriented psychology within a decolonial attitude ensures that African psychology takes emancipated visions of Africa and of the world from Africa—rather than the disciplinary dictums of psychology—as its starting point. Then, in considering for whom a decolonising African psychology is for, we insist that such a psychology, taken as transdisciplinary praxis, is ultimately for everyone in its humanistic commitment to those lives that have been partialised under coloniality. This commitment does not, however, render a decolonising African psychological praxis immune to recuperation, and measures must be taken to guard against this.


In this article, three series of dihydrotriazine derivatives bearing a quinoline moiety (5a, 5b, 8a–8c, and 9a–9m) have been designed, synthesized, and evaluated as antibacterial agents. Compounds 8a–8c were found to be the most potent of all of the compounds tested with an MIC value of 1 μg/mL against several Gram‐positive (S. aureus 4220 and MRSA CCARM 3506) and Gram‐negative (E. coli 1924) strains of bacteria. In addition, 3‐[4‐amino‐6‐(phenethylamino)‐2,5‐dihydro‐1,3,5‐triazin‐2‐yl)‐6‐[(3‐chlorobenzyl)oxy]quinolin‐2‐ol (8a) showed potent inhibitory activity (MIC=2 μg/mL) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa 2742, indicating that its antibacterial spectrum is similar to those of the positive controls gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin. Structure‐activity relationships (SAR) analyses and docking studies implicated the dihydrotriazine group in increasing the antimicrobial potency of the quinoline compounds. In vitro enzyme study implied that compound 8a also displayed DHFR inhibition.


Aloe castilloniae JB Castillon is a somewhat recently-discovered Madagascan Aloe that is found hanging from calcareous cliffs. It's reminiscent of Aloe juvenna with leaves arranged almost like those of Aloe pearsonii. The diminutive rosettes produce inflorescences only to about 5 cm (2 in). This taxon grows sympatrically with Aloe millotii and A. antandroi, which must all be related, as all have swollen bases on the flowers. Tim Harvey showed this Best Aloe at the 29th annual Inter-City Cactus & Succulent Show in August of last year (summer) at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. For anyone not familiar with the name "Tim Harvey," I might suggest that you contact the Editor of this Journal, email@example.com


Discussed in the paper is the influence on cut-distortion and bur-height by a number of variables during cutting of rectagular steel tubes with flying sawer,including feeding point,cutting force, deformation-resistance of the t u be and chip removal, etc. The optimum cutting conditions are proposed. Tile said cut-distortion and bur-height can be tremendously reduced by means of setting base positions of the flying sawer pneumatic cylinder and saw arm and keeping the cutting-in and cutting-out points just as the top points, of the two opposite angles of the rectagular tube.


The present invention is provided through modifying the polypeptides of FGF 21 and its purposes and production method, described to include SEQ ID NO through modifying the polypeptides of mankind FGF 21:1、SEQ ID NO:2、SEQ ID NO:3、SEQ ID NO:4、SEQ ID NO:5、SEQ ID NO:6 or SEQ ID NO:7 peptide sequence, and in SEQ ID NO:At 1 108 positions or SEQ ID NO:2、SEQ ID NO:3、SEQ ID NO:4、SEQ ID NO:5、SEQ ID NO:6 or SEQ ID NO:Sentence a non-naturally encoded amino acids and replaced in 7 relevant position.


s of Selected Papers NAREA Annual Meetings, Burlington, Vermont, June 7-10,2009 SESSION: Agricultural Land Preservation. Moderator: Kathleen Bell (University of Maine) "Local Development Pressure and Land Use Decisions: Farmland Change within Diversified Agricultural Networks." Jessica Hyman and Will Sawyer (Center for Rural Studies, University of Vermont). A survey of farmers in targeted agricultural groups shows relationships between development pressure and farmers' plans to buy or sell land, particularly farmers who comprise the majority of the state's agricultural sector. The study then identifies areas facing farmland change and the land use and planning implications of those


The bidirectional communication between the gut and the central nervous system (CNS) has been identi fi ed as the " gut – brain axis. " Gastrointestinal symptoms occur in up to 80% of patients with Parkinson ' s disease (PD) and can precede the onset of motor symptoms by more than 20 years. 1,2 Lewy bodies and α -synuclein pathology are found in 67% of enteric nervous sys-tem (ENS) and vagus nerve biopsies in PD compared with only 26% controls, even years before the onset of motor symptoms. 3,4 Evidence for increased intestinal in fl ammation and permeability is present also in newly diagnosed, untreated patients with PD and in mouse models of PD. In fl ammation-induced oxidative stress can be the substrate of α -synuclein misfolding and aggregation in the gut. 5,6 The misfolded α -synuclein could then reach the brain via the vagus nerve, as demonstrated in some animal models, 3,7 – 10 and truncal vagotomy might reduce the risk of PD, 11 although the evidence supporting this fi nding is still inconsistent. All of this evidence suggests that the gut has a prominent role in the pathogenesis and progression of PD and that PD pathology may even be triggered in the gut. One of the most accredited hypotheses on PD pathology progression is the so-called " dual – hit Braak hypothesis. " 3,12 This postulates that α -synuclein aggregation in sporadic PD is triggered by microbial products in the olfactory neurons and the enteric mucosal neurons, alternatively or simultaneously. Following on this, the " body-fi rst/brain-fi rst " hypothesis 13 proposed 2 distinct phenotypes: one with pathology starting in the gut, successively involving


The article is devoted to the determination of stress arising during deformation of polymeric parts, namely, under torsion. Analytical methods with a graphical representation of are used in the paper. Because the elastic properties of polymeric materials do not obey Hooke's law, the use of classical methods of applied mechanics for description of such parts leads to errors in calculation results. The process of deformation of polymeric beams under torsion is analyzed. The mathematical model is evolved to describe the process of torsion of solid and hollow beams of circular cross section. The expressions for shear stress distribution along the radius of the beam and calculating the angle of twist of beam's sections under torque are obtained, given the nature of dependence between strains and stresses for the polymeric material. Graphic dependencies are built, showing the results of calculation of shear stresses and deformations of beams at different values of torque. The mathematical model is built using a power relationship between stress and deformation of the polymer material. The results can be used for the design of structural elements of machines and appliances, building constructions, products of light industry.


This paper presents a new strategy for optimally placing Static Var Compensator (SVC) in power systems with a view to minimize the transmission loss. The proposed strategy uses Self Adaptive Firefly Algorithm (SAFA) and identifies the optimal locations for SVC placement and their parameter. The SVC placement strategy is applied on two IEEE test systems and their results are presented to demonstrate its effectiveness.


Teaching Chinese as a foreign language;practice abstract: Practice has long been ignored in teaching Chinese as a second language,which has limited the development of Chinese teaching to a certain extent. It's very important to lay our stress on the practice and to strengthen practice in teaching.


Starting off by categorizing the specific means through which modernity manifests itself in the field of religion and utilizing an ethnography-based methodological strategy, the following paper documents the emergence of Zalmoxianism, a contemporary replica of the religion of the Dacians, which are considered the ancestors of Romanians; they used to inhabit areas around the Carpathians and the Lower Danube before the Roman Conquest (106 A.D.). While subscribing to the theoretical precepts meant to surpass the sociological prejudice according to which modernity exhausts a religiously transcendent view on the world, this paper closely analyzes the conceptual deconstruction of secularization as a total phenomenon while sat the same time isolating the social actor as a non-secularized segment.


Sardine terrine was produced from minced sardine and carrageenan. The addition of, κ-carrageenan increased jelly strength markedly and breaking deformation slightly. But the excessive addition of κ-carrageenan decreased clearly breaking deformation of product from dressed sardine. The addition of ι-carrageenan increased jelly strength moderately, but did not change breaking deformation. The addition of λ-carrageenan increased jelly strength very gently, but decreased breaking deformation. The result of the sensory evaluation corresponded to the instrumental values of jelly strength. Panelists favored the products with κ-carrageenan and ι-carrageenan in both cases of products from round and dressed fish. Among them, the product from dressed fish with 6%. κ-carrageenan was most favorable. This result would be due to the dropping of larger force after first peak. All sardine terrines were juicy, having the moisture of about 65%. The gelation of minced sardine with κ-or ι-carrageenan proceeded at the temperature below about 80°C. The addition of λ-carrageenan to minced sardine did not induce the gelation owing to the decline of temperature. The properties of κ-, ι-, and λ-carrageenans reported previously, were revealed even if they were added to minced sardine. And the effects were more vivid when minces from dressed sardine were used.


The aim of the study was to investigate kinetics of blood conductivity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus under transient viscometric flow. The measurements were done by the rotational viscometer Contraves Low Shear 30 (Switzerland) with a concurrent measuring system MS 1/1, including a device, developed by the conductometric method with a software for measurement of conductivity of biological fluids (Data acquisition system) [1,2].  The measurements of whole blood conductivity in a group of 13 patients were carried out at temperature 37 ◦ C and were completed within 3 hours after blood withdrawal. The time variation of whole human blood conductivity and shear stresses were investigated at rectangular shaped Couette viscometric flow under electric field of 2 kHz. The kinetics of conductivity signals were recorded both under transient flow and after the complete stoppage of shearing at shear rates from 0 to 94.5 s -1 . The experimental dependences of whole human blood conductivity were processed through the program Origin 61 by non-linear curve approximation of the growth and relaxation curves of the signal. The parameters of the equations, determined from the experimental data were analyzed as time characteristics of the transient organization of erythrocytes in red blood cells (RBC) aggregates at low shear rates or after complete flow stoppage and their desaggregation under high shear rates. The results obtained for the blood conductivity in time depends on the shear rate and on the hematocrit of the samples under transient flow. The results suggest that this technique may be used to clarify the mechanism of dynamics of RBC aggregates in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.


This article analyzes the translational shifting in In Einem Andern Land, Annemarie Horschitz's 1930 German translation of Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. Horschitz, ostensibly influenced by a desire to have her translation conform to German literary traditions and the expectations of her German readers, embellishes Hemingway's understated prose, especially language associated with the war. The result in the translation is an altered portrayal of Frederic Henry and a weakening of the novel's critique of hyperbolic rhetoric.


What makes life worth living? This fundamental question is at the heart of the excellent viewpoint piece written by Suzanne Van Kirk1 in this edition of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. The article describes the story of one of many families who chose life after severe acute brain injury, illustrating how they persevered through difficult times. It is not a story about a patient beating the odds, but one about adapting and making the most of what life hands us. There are also many untold stories of people who decided against the use of prolonged artificial ventilation or nutrition and opted instead for a peaceful death that minimized suffering. Nobody can say what is "right" or "wrong," or "strong" or "weak" in these situations. Certainly not us as the treating doctors, and most often the answer of right or wrong is unknowable, especially early on when decisions are made, and then later judged only in hindsight. The heart-wrenching early decisions described so eloquently in this viewpoint occur every day in hospitals across the world for a variety of common conditions including stroke, traumatic brain injury, and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy after cardiac arrest. In the acute setting, when patients are unable to participate and their chances of recovery uncertain, families and clinicians need to weigh the patient's estimated prognosis with their presumed values and priorities as they make decisions about life-sustaining treatment. This attempt to balance an uncertain future with often unclear values and preferences has many challenges. The task is to predict what level of recovery the patient would find acceptable or meaningful: where might they draw the line and prefer not to live? Advance care planning is one attempt to lighten this plight of families by giving the patient a voice when they have lost theirs. However, written advance care plans are often missing and when present are rarely applicable to the acute stroke setting.2 In addition, evidence suggests that patients can adapt to new health states and find quality of life where they did not previously think they could.3 So what is a meaningful recovery? Let us pause for a moment and ponder this question for ourselves and for our loved ones. And then let us try to imagine what was going through Sue's mind after her husband had just suffered a life-altering stroke and the doctors asked her "Would he want to live, no matter what?" As these questions are considered either acutely in the intensive care unit or with more deliberation before illness, 2 illusions occur commonly: first, people tend to underestimate the possibility of future well-being with disability or cognitive impairment, named the disability paradox4; second, there is a tendency to focus on the things that we lose (in this case, her husband's ability to walk or talk) rather than on what remains (a loving husband, their daughters' father).5 The aim of providing treatment that aligns with a person's values and Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes


【Objective】To assess the efficacy and safety of transurethral resection of prostate with plasmakineticenergy. 【Methods】180 patients (mean age 73.6 years; range from 56 to 87) with symptomatic BPH but without sus-pected cancer (confirmed by IPSS, urinary flow rate, ultrasonographic estimate and PSA tests) were treated by PKRP.All patients were followed up or 3 ̄24months postoperatively. 【Results】For PKRP, the duration of the procedurewas 61 min (range 40 ̄120 min). No case needed blood transfusion during the operation. No transurethral resectionsyndrome occurred. The catheter was removed 5, 6 days after the operation, all with fluent urination. 【Conclusions】Transurethral prostatectomy with the bipolar plasmakinetic technique is a safe and effective means for the treatmentof BPH.


Cosmic rays are a fundamental source of ionization for molecular and diffuse clouds, influencing their chemical, thermal, and dynamical evolution. The amount of cosmic rays inside a cloud also determines the γ-ray flux produced by hadronic collisions between cosmic rays and cloud material. We study the spectrum of cosmic rays inside and outside of a diffuse cloud, by solving the stationary transport equation for cosmic rays including diffusion, advection and energy losses due to ionization of neutral hydrogen atoms. We found that the cosmic ray spectrum inside a diffuse cloud differs from the one in the interstellar medium (ISM) for energies smaller than Ebr ≈ 100 MeV, irrespective of the model details. Below Ebr, the spectrum is harder (softer) than that in the ISM if the latter is a power law ∝ p−s with s larger (smaller) than ∼ 0.42. As a consequence also the ionization rate due to CRs is strongly affected. Assuming an average Galactic spectrum similar to the one inferred from AMS-2 and Voyager 1 data, we discuss the resulting ionization rate in a typical diffuse cloud.