ABSTRACT An advanced surface imprinting technique, i.e., the technique of synchronously graft/crosslinking polymerizing of monomer and imprinting of template on the surface of membrane, was designed and used, and a kind of graft-type molecularly imprinted membranes of the single enantiomer of amino acids was successfully prepared. The microfiltration membrane of chloromethylated polysulfone (CMPSF) was used as substrate membrane, and then the aminated polysulfone (AMPSF) membrane was obtained by amination modification. Whereupon, a surface-initiating system of –NH2/ was formed at the interface between AMPSF membrane and an aqueous solution, in which all of the functional monomer dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), the crosslinking agent N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA), initiator (NH4)2S2O8, and L-aspartic acid (L-Asp) as template were dissolved. In the aqueous solution, DMAEMA molecules automatically combined around L-Asp molecules by right of the mutual strong interactions, electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding. By initiating of the radicals produced on the surface of AMPSF membrane, the graft/crosslinking polymerization of DMAEMA and MBA took place, and at the same time, L-Asp molecules were embedded into the crosslinked networks. In this way, the grafting-type L-Asp-molecularly imprinted membrane (L-Asp-MIM) was formed. The experimental results show that L-Asp-MIM has high flux and strong mechanical strength like CMPSF microfiltration membrane, and more importantly, it possesses fine chiral recognition selectivity and excellent enantioseparation ability. The selectivity coefficient of L-Asp-MIM for L-Asp reaches 7.52 relative to D-Asp. In the permeation experiment of a raceme solution of Asp, the combination of "gate effect" and "barrier effect" makes the raceme solution of Asp to be well separated, and the optical purity (ee value) of the penetrating fluid gets up to 82%. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


It is frequently argued that, as a consequence of radical organizational change, the role of first-line manager (FLM) has shifted from supervision to team leadership/co-ordination or business unit management. After reviewing the nature of these claims and the debate about the relationship between first-line management and supervision, evidence is presented from a survey of 135 organizations in London and the South East on how the role of FLM is presently defined and how it has changed. The findings paint a picture of a stable, consistent FLM role where a common performance-oriented supervisory core is surrounded by a penumbra of additional managerial responsibilities relating to stewardship, translating strategy into operations, unit management and, exceptionally, business management. The FLM role remains part of a hierarchical system of individual managerial responsibility and vertical accountability, with narrow spans of control, vertical and internal contacts and authority, participation in decisions and accountability confined largely to operating routines. Changes to the FLM role have been as much towards a strengthening of the supervisory core as a broadening into business management responsibilities. It is argued that the persistence and prevalence of the supervisory core stems from the continued location of FLMs within systems of external, hierarchical supervision. Far from being weakened, the supervisory core of the FLM role has often been strengthened by the adoption of more stringent controls over work practice in order to cope with a growth in business activity or comply with a greater range of external regulations. In some cases, however, a re-division of managerial labour has led to formerly middle management responsibilities and accountability being added to the supervisory core to produce an extended FLM role.


The roots of Hemidesmus indicus are known to have bioactive properties. Large scale exploitation of plant roots may endanger the plant from ecosystem. Endophytes are known to produce many bioactive compounds as that of host plant. Endophytic fungi residing in various parts of the plant like root, stem and leaves were isolated and identified. Colonization frequency and relative dominance of the endophytes were evaluated. The ethyl acetate extracts of culture broth and mycelial mat was screened for antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.285 fungal isolates from the roots of H. indicus were isolated, identified and authenticated by molecular tools. The overall colonization frequency was found to be 70.33%, of which hyphomycetes were dominant (79.45%). Species of Fusarium were the dominant colonizers of all parts of the plant. Antioxidant activities of ethyl acetate fractions revealed that the extracts of F. oxysporum and A. sydowii showed higher activities with IC50 values of 45 and 46.6 μg/mL respectively. The extracts also exhibited promising antibacterial activities against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The present study reported for the first time the endophytic fungi from the roots of H. indicus and their bioactivity. Our present findings highlight the potential of the isolated endophytes to have therapeutic applications.


Plastics containing flame retardants, such as magnesium hydroxide, that liberate water in the event of fire primarily satisfy the fire-protection and environmental requirements in the field of electrical engineering/electron ics. Growth in the coming years is predicted to exceed 10% per annum.


Background: Warfarin is widely used and cost-effective for various indications. However, the narrow therapeutic index of warfarin requires frequent International Normalized Ratio (INR) monitoring. The purpose of this study was to compare the mean differences, to examine the correlation and agreement between the two methods of venipuncture using laboratory assay and by finger prick using Point of Care (POC) device (CoaguChek® XS). Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was done in warfarin Medication Therapeutic Adherence Clinic (MTAC), Kuala Krai Hospital. Convenient sampling was used to recruit patients from August until December 2016. The INR results from CoaguChek® XS were compared with the results from standard laboratory assay. Descriptive statistics, paired t-test, Pearson's correlation and Bland-Altman plot were used for data analysis. Result: A total of 52 patients with 84 paired samples were collected in this study. The mean INR values obtained from CoaguChek® XS was significantly different from standard laboratory method (p<0.001). However, there was a strong positive correlation between these two methods (r=0.941, p<0.001). Besides, Bland-Altman plot demonstrated a good agreement between both methods especially when INR values less than 3.5. Conclusion: Despite the mean differences of INR values between these two methods was statistically significant, but it was clinically not significant (mean difference = 0.32). There was a strong correlation and good agreement between INR values obtained from these two methods. These findings may help clinicians in improving the quality of INR monitoring for patients on warfarin therapy. Keywords: Point of Care device, standard laboratory method, INR, warfarin.


Abstract The three-dimensional stability of an inflection-free boundary layer flow of length scale $L$ and maximum velocity ${U}_{0} $ in a stably stratified and compressible fluid of constant Brunt–Väisälä frequency $N$, sound speed ${c}_{s} $ and stratification length $H$ is examined in an inviscid framework. The shear plane of the boundary layer is assumed to be inclined at an angle $\theta $ with respect to the vertical direction of stratification. The stability analysis is performed using both numerical and theoretical methods for all the values of $\theta $ and Froude number $F= {U}_{0} / (LN)$. When non-Boussinesq and compressible effects are negligible ($L/ H\ll 1$ and ${U}_{0} / {c}_{s} \ll 1$), the boundary layer flow is found to be unstable for any $F$ as soon as $\theta \not = 0$. Compressible and non-Boussinesq effects are considered in the strongly stratified limit: they are shown to have no influence on the stability properties of an inclined boundary layer (when $F/ \sin \theta \ll 1$). In this limit, the instability is associated with the emission of internal-acoustic waves.


We report transparent Ni2+-doped ZnO-Al2O3-SiO2 system glass-ceramics with broadband infrared luminescence. After heat-treatment, ZnAl2O4 crystallite was precipitated in the glasses, and its average size increased with increasing heat-treatment temperature. No infrared emission was detected in the as-prepared glass samples, while broadband infrared luminescence centered at 1310 nm with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of about 300 nm was observed from the glass-ceramics. The peak position of the infrared luminescence showed a blue-shift with increasing heat-treatment temperature, but a red-shift with an increase in NiO concentration. The mechanisms of the observed phenomena were discussed. These glass-ceramics are promising as materials for super broadband optical amplifier and tunable laser. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


Acne vulgaris (acne) is probably the most common dermatological complaint in the U.S. Acne has a range of presentations and manifestations, thus apparently comprising many disease states. Although acne is not an infectious disease, specimens of bacteria such as Propionibacterium acnes, Propionibacterium granulosum, and Staphylococcus epidermidis can be obtained for culture from the eruptions of acne. Other common associations of acne include hormonal imbalances and follicular hyperkeratinization. Therapies for acne are varied. The most cost-effective treatment option is benzoyl peroxide; for comedonal acne, the most effective therapy consists of retinoids. Isotretinoin remains the most potent therapy. Other treatments include oral and topical antibiotics, topical sulfur agents, topical azelaic acid, and oral contraceptives.


Using in situ hybridization, the mdr gene was mapped in chromosomes of Dzungarian hamster embryonic cells, amplification of which accompanies development of multidrug resistance (MDR). It was shown that the mdr gene is located in chromosome segment 4q15-21, in which, according to data obtained previously, amplified copes of /open quotes/MDR genes/closed quotes/ (mdr, et al.) are distributed, as a rule. Results obtained, as well as data of other investigators, attest to the fact that integration recombination of amplified copies of DNA occurs primarily at the site of disposition of homologous sequences.


This paper first organizes the development process of human capital theory and the improvement process of the definition of human capital, emphasizing the importance of human capital in economic and social development, then summarizes the existing methods of human capital measurement and existing defects. After that, it discusses the application of human capital from two perspectives of economic growth and technological innovation. It is concluded that human capital is one of the important factors of economic growth and can explain individual differences. It is imperative to incorporate human capital into the national accounts system. It points out that the study of urban human capital is a hot spot. It's necessary to pay attention to the relationship between human capital informationization and enterprise innovation, and prospects for future research. Keywords—human capital; measurement; application research; review; expectation


Introduction Rotavirus is a leading worldwide cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in young children. This study done to estimate the burden of overall acute gastroenteritis, Rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) and nosocomial RVGE in hospitalised children younger than 5 years of age, and to assess the age and seasonal distribution; duration of hospitalisation and additional hospitalisation associated with hospital-acquired RVGE. Material and methods A cross-sectional, hospital based study was carried out among hospitalised children with acute gastroenteritis of age <5 years between 2011 and 2012. Demographic profile, clinical characteristics, prior hospitalisation were analysed using SPSS version 20 software. Chi-square test and t-test were used to compare variables. Results Total Paediatric Admissions (<5 yrs excluding newborn): 2783 RVGE as well as Nosocomial RVGE peaks were observed in the months of January, February and April. The other AGE was noted to peak around May and November months. Nosocomial RVGE increases the duration of hospital stay 6 days vs 2 days. Abstract PO-0224 Table 1 AGE RVGE Nosocomial RVGE Total number 970 240 27 Male: Female (%) 56:44 55:45 68:32 Mean age 23.9(15.2) 23.2(14.6) 18(12) Nationality (most common) EGYPT (18%) EGYPT (22%) EGYPT (28%) Conclusion RVGE is highly contagious, and the efficiency of existing prevention measures (such as handwashing, isolation and cohorting) is variable because of numerous barriers to implementation. Prevention of RV infection by mass vaccination could have a positive impact by reducing the number of RVGE cases and thus reducing cross-infections and associated costs.


Neural networks are becoming central in several areas of computer vision and image processing. Different architectures have been proposed to solve specific problems. The impact of the loss layer of neural networks, however, has not received much attention by the research community: the default and most common choice is L2. This can be particularly limiting in the context of image processing, since L2 correlates poorly with perceived image quality.
In this paper we bring attention to alternative choices. We study the performance of several losses, including perceptually-motivated losses, and propose a novel, differentiable error function. We show that the quality of the results improves significantly with better loss functions, even for the same network architecture.


A solution of multi-user and multi-functional prepayment energy meter is introduced,which takes AT89C52 and CS5460A as its core.The 24-user voltage/current sampling circuit is designed with CS5460A and multi-channel analog switch 4051 and the control and drive circuit of multi-user bidirectional magnetic latching relay is designed with 74LS145 and PNP transistors.The reference approach is adopted to deduce the calculation formulas of power,energy,voltage,current and power factor.The design concepts of time-share sampling and data processing are discussed with flowcharts.Its accuracy meets the standard of energy meter grade one.


Corporate boards play an important role in formulating long-term strategies, implementing short-term objectives, and monitoring various strategic decisions made by executives. For companies with innovation as a strategic objective, it is important to identify a board that promotes and motivates innovation. Our study shows that corporate boards with more directors who have received a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education tend to promote more innovation activities, such as new technology invention, patent applications, and research and development investments. Our findings provide these innovative companies with useful information for identifying directors who may exercise a positive impact on corporate innovation.


Peer teaching has been used informally throughout the history of medical education. Formal studies within the medical student and allied health care professional communities have found it to be a popular, and highly effective, method of teaching.


A series of 1,4-phenylenes X-C6H4 BDB featuring one 1,3,2-benzodiazaborolyl (BDB) and a phosphorus-based end group [X= PPh2 (HK1 & HK2), P(O)Ph2 (HK1=O), P(S)Ph2 (HK1=S), P(Se)Ph2 (HK1=Se), P(AuCl)Ph2 (HK1 AuCl) and P(Me)Ph2 (HK1 Me)] as well as 2-(2')thienyl-1,3,2-benzodiazaboroles with a second end group X [X= PPh2 (HK3 & HK4), P(S)Ph2 (HK3=S), P(Se)Ph2 (HK3=Se) and P(Me)Ph2 (HK3 Me)] in the 5' position are presented. Their syntheses, analytical and molecular structures as well as their optical properties are discussed. The experimental data are accompanied by theoretical TD-DFT computations (B3LYB/G-311G(d,p)) to further increase the understanding of the optical properties of this series of compounds. The phosphanes HK1, HK2, HK3 and HK4 show no significant luminescence but are converted via photo-oxidation into their corresponding oxides.
The derivatives HK1=O, HK1=S, HK1-AuCl, HK1-Me, HK3=S and HK3-Me show intense blue luminescence in cyclohexane, toluene, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran and dichloromethane solutions with a pronounced solvatochromism. Thereby, the Stokes shifts are varying between 8950- and 10440 cm-1 in dichloromethane solution and mirror the nature of the phosphorus based end group. The phosphonium compounds HK1-Me and HK3-Me show the largest Stokes shift in this series. Quantum yields up to 0.70 are observed for these compounds, whereby the quantum yields of the selenium derivatives (HK1=Se, HK3=Se), however, are quite small (<0.1).
A second series of compounds represented by different phosphonium salts of the type aryl-CH2-P(Ph2)-C6H4-BDB including the 1,3,2-benzodiazaborolyl-unit (BDB) and different aryl-groups [aryl= anthracen (HK1-Anthra), phenyl (HK1-Benzyl), PhF5 (HK1-FBenzyl)] as well as one thienyl-analogue of the anthracen compound (HK3-Anthra) is presented. Unfortunately these compounds proved to be quite unstable towards UV-irradiation.
To avoid the potentially reactive CH2-bridge between the phosphorus atom and the aryl system a triphenyl-phosphonium compound of the type Ph3P-C6H4-BDB (HK1 Phenyl) was synthesized and proved to be photochemically more stable.


The purpose of this study is to examine the role of corporate governance in the concept of tax justice. The current research contributes to the field of applied research and is regarded as a descriptive survey research, testing four main hypotheses and eight special hypotheses. The required data for this research were obtained through a questionnaire distributed among financial managers of 133 companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange. The results of the study were obtained using structural equation modeling and SmartPls software. It was determined that all corporate governance variables have a positive and significant relationship with tax justice; however, no significant relationship was found between tax justice and shareholders' equity measure. It is suggested that companies implement corporate governance principles firmly. In addition, companies can help the government create tax justice by respecting the rights of all stakeholders through corporate governance.


Ambient-Assisted Living (AAL) systems provide a wide range of applications in order to improve the quality of life of patients. These systems commonly gather several components such as sensors, gateways, Information Systems or even actuators. Reliability of these components is of most importance, mainly due to the impact that a failure can have on a monitored patient. In spite of the existing reliability evaluations and countermeasures that can be associated with an AAL system component, we need to take into account the overall reliability for the several activities and interactions that exist between all the AAL system components, for each time a certain value is registered or a certain alert is triggered. In this paper, we propose a new approach to calculate the overall reliability of an AAL system. We take a Business Process Management (BPM) approach to model the activities and interactions between AAL components, using the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) standard. By extending the BPMN standard to include reliability information, we can derive the overall reliability value of a certain AAL BPMN process, and help healthcare managers to better allocate the appropriate resources (including hardware or health care professionals) to improve responsiveness of care to patients.


PurposeThe main objective of the present study is to determine the role of citation-based metrics (PageRank and HITS' authority and hub scores) and non-citation metrics (Goodreads readers, reviews and ratings, textbook edition counts) in predicting educational ranks of textbooks.Design/methodology/approachThe rankings of 1869 academic textbooks of various disciplines indexed in Scopus were extracted from the Open Syllabus Project (OSP) and compared with normalized counts of Scopus citations, scores of PageRank, authority and hub (HITS) in Scopus book-to-book citation network, Goodreads ratings and reviews, review sentiment scores and WorldCat book editions.FindingsPrediction of the educational rank of scholarly syllabus books ranged from 32% in technology to 68% in philosophy, psychology and religion. WorldCat editions in social sciences, medicine and technology, Goodreads ratings in humanities, and book-citation-network authority scores in law and political science accounted for the strongest predictions of the educational score. Thus, each indicator of editions, Goodreads ratings, and book citation authority score alone can be used to show the rank of the academic textbooks, and if used in combination, they will help explain the educational uptake of books even better.Originality/valueThis is the first study examining the role of citation indicators, Goodreads readers, reviews and ratings in predicting the OSP rank of academic books.


Gene trapping is a random insertional mutagenesis strategy that aims to identify novel genes and analyse their function. It usually involves the introduction into embryonic stem (ES) cells of promoterless reporter/selector gene constructs whose expression can be activated only after integration downstream of a gene's regulatory elements. Gene trap insertions result in production of fusion transcripts consisting of the reporter and endogenous sequences and the mutated genes can be readily identified using PCR-based methods such as RACE. Furthermore the biological consequences of the integration event can be assessed after germ-line transmission. One limitation of conventional gene trapping is that it can only target genes expressed in ES cells since selection of insertional events relies on the endogenous promoter's activity to drive expression of the selectable marker and to circumvent this problem a new class of gene trap vectors called poly(A) trap vectors was developed. These constructs contain a 3' selectable marker whose expression is driven by a constitutively active internal promoter relaxing the requirement for endogenous gene expression. The selectable marker lacks a polyA signal but incorporates a splice donor (SD) signal so only integrations upstream of an endogenous gene's splice acceptor (SA) and polyA sequences can be selected thus eliminating intergenic background insertions. However, it has been recently demonstrated that poly(A) trap vectors are biased towards integrations into the 3'most-intron of their target genes due to the action of an mRNA-surveillance mechanism called nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). The aim of the study presented here was to assess the efficiency of a series of gene trap vectors that incorporate two novel features in their design: (i) the presence of an ATG-less, 5' triple fusion between egfp, P-galactosidase and neomycin/hygromycin resistance genes to function as a reporter/selector of the trapped gene's expression state and (ii) a 3' poly(A) trap cassette that contains the previously uncharacterized rabbit (3-globin exon 2/intron 2 SD junction and an AU-rich element (ARE) derived from the human GM-CSF gene. Our results provide evidence that the triple fusion functions properly and can be potentially used as a reporter of trapped locus activity. We also show that the presence of the ARE appears to improve the performance of the rabbit (3-globin SD sequence in the context of poly(A) trapping. More importantly, preliminary data suggest that our vectors may be resistant to NMD and thus potentially unbiased in their insertional preference.


Aim
The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in Samoa has increased substantially over the last 30 years. Identifying common symptoms in those living with diabetes may be instrumental in directing those at risk to seek early evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment. Additionally, identifying associations between diabetes experiences and health-related quality of life is useful for understanding the lived experience of having diabetes in this setting. Here we present the first description of diabetes-related symptoms in an adult cohort of Samoans with diabetes and prediabetes and describe associations between symptom presence and sex, glycemic control (HbA1c ≥ 8.0%), and health-related quality of life (HRQL). We also assessed whether reported symptoms were independently associated, when adjusting for other factors, with increased odds of having diabetes.
METHODS
Analyses were conducted on n = 123 adult Samoan participants selectively sampled from the observational cohort Soifua Manuia study, and who were living with either prediabetes or diabetes. Participants completed a series of anthropometric, biochemical, and questionnaire measures including the Revised Diabetes Symptoms Checklist (DSC-R) questionnaire between 2017-2019. Differences in symptom presence by sex, diabetes status (prediabetes vs. diabetes), glycemic control (HbA1c < or ≥ 8.0%), and HRQL were assessed using Independent Sample T-tests, Mann Whitney U tests and Chi-square tests of association. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess which symptoms, when controlling for other factors, were associated with increased odds of having diabetes.
RESULTS
In a small sample of adult Samoans, we observed high symptom burdens among those with prediabetes and diabetes, and sex differences in the reported impact of diabetes symptoms on health-related quality of life. We identified three specific symptoms – frequent urination, difficulty thinking clearly, and chest/heart pains – that may be useful indicators of diabetes in this setting.
DISCUSSION
A high prevalence of symptoms was observed among those with prediabetes and among those with diabetes. It is recommended that individuals experiencing any of the measured symptoms seek early evaluation and engage in diabetes self-care behaviors to prevent diabetes-related complications and/or progression to diabetes among those in the early stages of the disease.


In recent years, the field of antiferromagnetic spintronics has been substantially advanced. Electric‐field control is a promising approach for achieving ultralow power spintronic devices via suppressing Joule heating. Here, cutting‐edge research, including electric‐field modulation of antiferromagnetic spintronic devices using strain, ionic liquids, dielectric materials, and electrochemical ionic migration, is comprehensively reviewed. Various emergent topics such as the Néel spin–orbit torque, chiral spintronics, topological antiferromagnetic spintronics, anisotropic magnetoresistance, memory devices, 2D magnetism, and magneto‐ionic modulation with respect to antiferromagnets are examined. In conclusion, the possibility of realizing high‐quality room‐temperature antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions, antiferromagnetic spin logic devices, and artificial antiferromagnetic neurons is highlighted. It is expected that this work provides an appropriate and forward‐looking perspective that will promote the rapid development of this field.


Power-electronics-based dc power distribution systems, consisting of several interconnected feedback-controlled switching converters, suffer from potential degradation of stability and dynamic performance caused by negative incremental impedances due to the presence of constant power loads. For this reason, the stability analysis of these systems is a significant design consideration. This paper reviews all the major stability criteria for dc distribution systems that have been developed so far: the Middlebrook Criterion, the Gain Margin and Phase Margin Criterion, the Opposing Argument Criterion, the Energy Source Analysis Consortium (ESAC) Criterion, and the Three-Step Impedance Criterion. In particular, the paper discusses, for each criterion, the artificial conservativeness characteristics in the design of dc distribution systems, and the formulation of design specifications that ensure system stability. Moreover, the Passivity-Based Stability Criterion is discussed, which has been recently proposed as an alternative stability criterion. While all prior stability criteria are based on forbidden regions for the polar plot of the so-called minor loop gain, which is an impedance ratio, the proposed criterion is based on imposing passivity of the overall bus impedance. A meaningful simulation example is presented to illustrate the main characteristics of the reviewed stability criteria.


Composite films of copper and aluminum were deposited by reactive direct current co-sputtering of copper and aluminum. Varying the number of copper pieces during deposition made it possible to vary the composition of the films. In order to understand the optical behavior of the coatings, the transmittance and the near normal reflectance spectra in the 300-2500nm wavelength range are fitted with model dielectric functions. Valuable information regarding the surface roughness layer and its thickness are obtained. The thicknesses of the layers obtained by modeling were confirmed by surface profilometry. The extracted optical constants by the model were compared with calculations from Maxwell-Garnett, Bruggeman and incremental Maxwell-garnett effective medium theories. The XPS studies done on the samples reveal that the number of copper pieces used during co-sputtering control the formation of copper oxide.


Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming but fortunately can be removed via chemical conversion processes that often involve a reduction step. Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma is an effective way to promote chemical reduction processes but requires a catalyst for energetically demanding reactions. In this study, the rapid conversion of CO2 into solid carbon via a DBD plasma is reported using dispersed liquid metal Ga which is first converted into GaOOH particles to ultimately form a GaOOH/C nanocomposite. Raman and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) experiments indicate that amorphous activated carbon is formed after the plasma treatment. Further analysis demonstrates that highly dispersed sub‐nano‐sized carbon particles containing oxygen functional groups are formed uniformly on the GaOOH surface. The CO2 conversion mechanism suggests that plasma electrons activate CO2 molecules, while plasma‐generated oxygen vacancies on the catalyst surface help dissociate CO2 into solid carbon. This work opens a new approach for synthesizing materials comprising of highly dispersed sub‐nano‐sized carbon on a metal oxide support suitable for other applications such as adsorption, heterogenous catalysis, and energy conversion.


We present enhanced physics-based finite element schemes for two families of turbulence models, the NS-𝜔 models and the Stolz-Adams approximate deconvolution models. These schemes are delicate extensions of a method created for the Navier-Stokes equations in Rebholz (2007), that achieve high physical fidelity by admitting balances of both energy and helicity that match the true physics. The schemes' development requires carefully chosen discrete curl, discrete Laplacian, and discrete filtering operators, in order to permit the necessary differential operator commutations.


Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is a qualitative thematic approach developed within psychology underpinned by an idiographic philosophy, thereby focusing on the subjective lived experiences of individuals. However, it has been used in focus groups of which some have been critical because of the difficulties of extrapolating the individual voice which is more embedded within the group dynamics and the added complexity of multiple hermeneutics occurring. Some have adapted IPA for use with focus groups, while others provide scant regard to these philosophical tensions. This raises the question whether IPA should be used with focus group data. To address these concerns, this article will set out a step-by-step guide of how IPA was adapted for use with focus groups involving drug using offenders (including illustrative examples with participants' quotes). A rationale of why it was important to use both focus groups and an IPA approach will be covered including the value, merits, and challenges this presented. An overview of how participants' idiographic accounts of their drug use, relapse, and recovery were developed will be provided. This article will conclude with a suggested way forward to satisfy the theoretical tensions and address the question raised in the title.


Analysis of the data about land resource and GDP from 2002—2010, concluded that the contradiction between supply and demand of cultivated land resources become an important problem in the current, cultivated land consolidation, as an effective way of cultivated land area increased aroused widespread concern.on this basis, to further explore the problems in farmland consolidation and targeted construction of farmland consolidation and efficient operation mechanism.


Fork in the virtual machine running, if the particular application pull grams predetermined becomes the execution target, the virtual machine that is running as the parent virtual machine, child virtual machine for executing the particular application program generated by the system. The generated child virtual machine is set so that application programs other than the specific application program does not run. On the other hand, the parent virtual machine, instead of executing the particular application program, executing a dummy application program.


A report that provides an evaluation of housing policy over the period 1975-2000. Draws on the lessons from this period in order to assess present and future housing policies. Research focuses on: supply, need and access; finance and affordability; housing and neighbourhood quality; widening choice; and management effectiveness


A wire (30) guide vascular filter for directing a catheter (20) with respect to injury of a blood vessel (22) and to filter particles displaced material by treating said blood vessel, wherein said guidewire includes: a wire (34) core, elongated, flexible, having an end (36) proximal and a distal end for introduction and conduction through the patient's vascular system to a position downstream of said injury; a rod (38) tubular flexible slidably disposed along said core wire, said shaft including a proximal portion and a distal portion disposed proximally of said distal end of the core wire for placement downstream of said lesion; and a filter (50) foldable, coupled at its proximal end to said distal portion of said shank, characterized in that said filter (50) folding is coupled at its distal end to said core wire, wherein said filter do end function response the relative displacement between said shaft and said core wire to radially expand outwardly within said vasculature and trap particulate matter arising from the treatment of such injury; and wherein said filter is formed with shaped ends oppositely disposed cone to define proximal portions (95) and distal (60) of the filter and wherein said filter includes a fine mesh (58) filter to the distal portion of the filter one cavity (62) collection.


This research was aimed to (1) study the method of applying Google Drive for operation and (2) study the advantage and condition or disadvantage of applying Google Drive for operation which the group members shared their knowledge to improve a monitoring process of the office administration by applying Google Drive, it revealed that it could store various types of file such as document file or picture file. Google Drive could be a tool for data backup to prevent its loss, it was a main computer which linked with other devices such as computer, notebook or smartphone to process 24 hours for using and storing either searching file or document file conveniently in everywhere the internet signal is and it could save the expenses of Hard Disk and there was a tool to facilitate for creating the urgent document. Nevertheless, there was the condition or disadvantage of applying Google Drive for Multistage function due to Microsoft Office application on Windows Phone was not complete and affected to the incorrect file format on it which differed from the original one on computer (especially Microsoft Word), but not affected to the plain one without any formats.


Prior knowledge of the background land surface reflectance (LSR) constitutes one of the most important factors affecting the precision of cloud shadow detection. To resolve this problem, a surface reflectance-based cloud shadow detection (SRCSD) algorithm is proposed for multitemporal Landsat images. Monthly surface reflectance data sets constructed from MODIS surface reflectance products (MOD09A1) were used to provide the background LSR for cloud shadow detection. Based on the background LSR, the possible variation in the top of atmosphere (TOA) reflectance for each clear pixel can be estimated using the radiative transfer equation under different atmospheric conditions. If a pixel has a smaller TOA reflectance than the minimum value of the possible range under clear conditions, it is identified as being shadow covered. One hundred and twenty-five Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager scenes covered by various surface types were selected to evaluate the feasibility of the algorithm. A validation using manual cloud shadow masks showed that the average producer's accuracy and user's accuracy were approximately 0.805 and 0.893, respectively. A comparison of the results of the SRCSD algorithm with those of an object-based cloud shadow detection algorithm (Fmask) recently developed for Landsat images revealed that SRCSD generally detects cloud shadows better than Fmask. The most significant improvement of the SRCSD algorithm is the better detection capability for thin and broken cloud shadows, and this algorithm can be extended to multiple types of satellite data after proper modification.


The mucous membranes from the osseous Eustachian tube, tympanic cavity, epitympanum, antrum, and mastoid process on clinically normal middle ears from 45 temporal bones were stained by the PAS-alcian blue whole-mount method and systematically studied for the presence, number, and density of mucous glands. Only four patients did not exhibit glands. The total number of glands in the individual patients amounted to less than 60 in 85% of the cases. Only two patients showed high counts, 273 and 337 glands, respectively. The mean density was 0.53 gland per mm2. In most of the patients the glands were found in three to six different localities, the most common locality being the oval window. Glands were found in only ten osseous Eustachian tubes, in very small numbers. By far the great majority of glands were inactive and degenerated. In ten patients, however, there was a small number of active glands. The glands demonstrated are presumably the sequelae of previous pathological actions upon the middle ear and Eustachian tube, and the glands are probably not a normal component of the middle ear mucosa.


Summary Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is built up from a varying number of subunits, of which the larger molecules have higher haemostatic activity. Von Willebrand disease (VWD) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura are the best known disorders with pathognomonic changes of the highly multimerised VWF forms. There is an established method to calculate the relative amount of large oligomers. Our aim is to quantify the degree of VWF multimerisation as well, to complete the densitometric analysis of VWF electrophoresis. After optimisation, we have defined this new parameter (MMW) as the molecular weight corresponding to the lower boundary of the largest 25% of VWF protein. MMW was significantly different (p<.0001) in platelet lysate, normal samples and VWD type 2 samples (10.4, 6.3, 2.1, respectively). There was strong correlation between the MMW and the amount of large multimers in normal samples (r2=0.98) and in platelet lysate. However MMW was higher in latelet lysate, in which VWF is not cleaved by ADAMTS-13, than in healthy samples with the same amount of large multimers. Comparison of the new parameter and the collagen binding and ristocetin cofactor activity of VWF, showed that the functional tests are at least partially determined by the multimerisation; however, about 15% of VWD samples had normal activity to antigen ratios. The quantification of multimerisation aids the classification in these cases, especially at low antigen concentrations, and also might help in the detection of thrombotic conditions.


An improved implementation of the TDAC synthesis filterbank is proposed which is well suited for fixed point implementation on embedded platforms. The new implementation is based on computation of IMDCT by Radix-2 FFT. A new fast and regular structure has been derived by modifying the pre-processing, FFT and post-processing stages of the implementation. An efficient implementation of windowing for embedded platforms is also suggested.


The invention discloses a method for preparing a metal chalcogenide film. The method is used for growing the metal chalcogenide film on a substrate with the vapor deposition process by using a chalcogen source and a metal element source and comprises the following steps of: providing three temperature zones, wherein the temperature of the three temperature zones can be controlled independently, and the chalcogen source, the metal element source and the substrate are put in the three temperature zones respectively; controlling the three temperature zones, evaporating the chalcogen source to generate the chalcogen source steam, evaporating the metal element source to generate the metal element source steam, and heating the substrate to the predetermined deposition temperature; providing a carrier gas, and enabling the carrier gas to flow through the three temperature zones in sequence to deliver the metal element source steam to the substrate to deposit and grow so as to form the metal chalcogenide film. The method disclosed by the invention is simple, dispenses with the original complex step of introducing a nucleation site and effectively ensures the purity and the surface cleanness of a sample. The metal chalcogenide film prepared by adopting the method has high quality.


We classify all graded compatible left-symmetric algebraic structures on high rank Witt algebras, and classify all non-graded ones satisfying a minor condition. Furthermore, graded compatible left-symmetric algebraic structures on high rank Virasoro algebras are also classified.


Direct(>3000 A) and sensitized photolyses of benzoylmethylene(triphenyl)phosphorane in cyclohexene yielded 1:1·2 and 6·5:1 ratios of acetophenone and 7-norcaryl phenyl ketone, respectively, demonstrating that benzoylcarbene is a primary photoproduct.


This study investigated how the location of illuminated delineators affected the following, for drivers running under snowstorm conditions: driver subjective mental workload (SMWL), fluctuation of vehicle lateral position, and variation of driving speed. The experiment was conducted on a driving simulator. Thirty-six participants, aged 22 to 77 years, participated. The participants were exposed to four delineation conditions as the main independent variables: (1) no illuminated delineators (no delineation), (2) illuminated delineators at the shoulder (left-side delineation), (3) illuminated delineators at the median strip (right-side delineation), and (4) illuminated delineators on the left and right sides (both-sides delineation). The subjects drove in the simulator on a 4-km section of a four-lane expressway under snow-induced low-visibility for each run. SMWL was lower (i.e., less mental workload) for both-sides delineation than for left-side delineation or right-side delineation Fluctuation of vehicle lateral position and variation of driving speed were significantly better for both-sides delineation than for any of the other three delineation conditions.


SummaryA case of acute intermittent porphyria with marked hyponatraemia (109 mEq/1) and hypochloraemia (72 mEq/1) is presented. In the absence of adrenocortical insufficiency, chronic nephritis and digestive disorders with Na loss, the presence of a Schwartz-Bartter syndrome or inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone is suspected. This hypothesis is confirmed be repeated acute water loading tests and by the fact that, during a recrudescence of the porphyria, a high fluid intake reproduces the fall in plasma Na and CI concentrations while these disorders arc corrected by water restriction. The authors review features of the Schwartz-Banter's syndrome and its relations with porphyrias.This case is interesting lor two other reasons. The administration of guancthidine has been accompanied by the disappearance of the arterial hypertension which had occured during the porphyria attack. The severe crisis with quadri-plegia, paralysis of several cranial nerves, respiratory palsy, convulsions and coma, has...


The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) is a well-known problem in combinatorial optimization with applications in various domains. However, existing TSP solvers face challenges in producing high-quality solutions with low latency. To address this issue, we propose NAR4TSP, which produces TSP solutions in a Non-Autoregressive (NAR) manner using a specially designed Graph Neural Network (GNN), achieving faster inference speed. Moreover, NAR4TSP is trained using an enhanced Reinforcement Learning (RL) strategy, eliminating the dependency on costly labels used to train conventional supervised learning-based NAR models. To the best of our knowledge, NAR4TSP is the first TSP solver that successfully combines RL and NAR decoding. The experimental results on both synthetic and real-world TSP instances demonstrate that NAR4TSP outperforms four state-of-the-art models in terms of solution quality, inference latency, and generalization ability. Lastly, we present visualizations of NAR4TSP's decoding process and its overall path planning to showcase the feasibility of implementing NAR4TSP in an end-to-end manner and its effectiveness, respectively.


Azodrin® (3-hydroxy- N -methyl-cis-crotonamide dimethyl phosphate), EPN ( O ethyl- O-p -nitrophenyl phenylphos-phonothioate), malathion, and methyl parathion were tested for effectiveness against larvae of the bollworm; Heliothiz zea (Boddie), and the tobacco budworn H. virescens (F.), known to be resistant to certain chlorinated hydrocarbon and carbamate insecticides. Each of the insecticides showed a relatively high order of toxicity to H. zea. All were more effective against H. zea than H. virescens.


Radar equipped devices can provide useful information to control sailing in bad weather and sea conditions. In this paper we focus the attention on problems related to the ships identification. In particular, the reconstruction and the binarisation of the ship's image with neural techniques are addressed. A rotation-invariant solution is proposed for real-time performances.


Internet Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months. Internet Drafts may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is not appropriate to use Internet Drafts as reference material or to cite them other than as a "working draft" or "work in progress." Please check the I-D abstract listing contained in each Internet Draft directory to learn the current status of this or any other In-ternet Draft. Abstract CBT is a multicast routing architecture that builds a single delivery tree per group which is shared by all of the group's senders and receivers. Most multicast algorithms build one multicast tree per sender (subnetwork), the tree being rooted at the sender's subnet-work. The primary advantage of the shared tree approach is that it typically offers more favourable scaling characteristics than all other multicast algorithms. The CBT protocol [1] is a network layer multicast routing protocol that builds and maintains a shared delivery tree for a multicast group. The sending and receiving of multicast data by hosts on a subnetwork conforms to the traditional IP multicast service model [2].


This paper introduces an approach to describe bi-level digital image using finite Automata(FA).For a given bi-level digital image picture,the addresses of pixels can be denoted by the regular language.On the contrary,any regular language can be expressed by a bi-level digital image.We can be know from the principles of automata theory that a regular language can be described equivalently by a finite automata,so a method can be got to describe the bi-level digital image,which will build a relationship between the image and finite state automata.


We present a systematic study of the structural and electrical properties of electron-doped infinite-layer Sr0.875La0.125CuO2 (SLCO) thin films grown on BaySr1−yTiO3 (BSTO; y = 0.2–0.7) buffer layers. The BSTO (y = 0.2–0.6) buffer layers were found to allow the coherent growth of SLCO thin films. The coherently tensile-strained SLCO thin films grown on BSTO (y = 0.6) buffer layers at a low deposition rate of 0.2 nm/min showed a low room-temperature resistivity (118 µΩ cm) and a high Tc (36 K). All the other SLCO thin films exhibited a reduced Tc of around 20 K. The present results are discussed in terms of correlation among epitaxial strain, cSLCO/aSLCO ratio, and Tc.


Purpose – Raising standards are leading humanitarians to become increasingly interested in measuring the performance of their supply chain. A few researchers have addressed this topic, building on classical measurement theories and trying to identify the salient features of the humanitarian sector. This young body of literature must now be tested against current practice. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The practitioners' perspective is explored through a multiple case study, based on qualitative evidence, within three major humanitarian organizations. Results are discussed using a situation-actor-process – learning-action-performance model of inquiry. Preceding this investigation, a literature review delves into research on humanitarian supply chain performance measurement and presents the most relevant pieces in a general framework. Findings – Humanitarians have elaborated measures whose essential focus is laid on service level. The more comprehensive approach advoc...


AbstractWe consider constructing model selection criteria for evaluating nonlinear mixedeffects models via basis expansions. Mean functions and random functions in themixed effects model are expressed by basis expansions, then they are estimated bythe maximum likelihood method. In order to select numbers of basis we derivea Bayesian model selection criterion for evaluating nonlinear mixed effects modelsestimated by the maximum likelihood method. Simulation results shows the effec-tiveness of the mixed effects modeling.Keywords: Basis expansion, Mixed effects model, Model selection criteria. 1 introduction Mixed effects modeling is an effective technique for analyzing data with a complex struc-ture, and is an extension of traditional linear models that allow for the incorporation ofrandom effects. Laird and Ware (1982) applied the mixed effects model to the analysisof repeated measures data, and developed the methodology for formulation and fitting ofit. It can be easily applied even if the data have few observational points or irregularlyspaced points, by analyzing the complete set of data at one time. Analysis of longitudinaldata via the mixed effects modeling has been widely studied, especially in medical science(Armitage et al., 2008; Fitzmaurice et al., 2012).Brumback and Rice (1998) extended the linear mixed effects model to that with non-linear structure by approximating individual curves as spline functions, enabling us toconstruct more flexible models. Rice and Wu (2001) assumed a more general structurefor the covariance function and then computed eigenfunctions which provide insights intoindividual curves. The estimated curves can also be considered as a set of functional data(Ramsay and Silverman, 2005). The basic idea behind the functional data analysis is torepresent observed longitudinal data as smooth functions and then treat each of them asindividual data. Therefore we can apply further analyses to the estimated curves such asfunctional version of principal component analysis or regression analysis.


Last night I attended the opening night of the Big Picture Film Festival in Sydney. The festival is the brainchild of the Reverend Bill Crews who sees a place for film enhancing the community's commitment to social justice.


Objective To determine the amount of high energy phosphates and internal ratios various phosphate metabolites in myocardium of normal subjects and patients with myocardial infarction using 31 P MR spectroscopy ( 31 P MRS), and to assess the clinical value of 31 P MRS in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Methods Fifteen patients (all men, aged 31 66 years, mean 53.8 years) of MI (acute 5, chronic 10) with ejection fraction of less than 46% and 8 healthy volunteers (normal controls) were studied using a 1.5 T Siemens Magneton 63 SP MR imager. The 10 cm diameter surface coil ( 1H and 31 P double tuned surface coil ) was employed. To minimize motion artifacts, the subjects were examined in prone position with chest wall lying just above the surface coil. 31 P MRS study was further conducted in 7 of 15 patients after PTCA and coronary thrombolytic therapy. Results In the control group, the myocardium PCr/β ATP and Pi/PCr ratio were 1.58±0.19 and 0.36±0.17, respectively, while in patients with MI, these parameters were 0.98±0.31 and 1.22±0.66 ( P 0.001). The difference between the control group and MI group was statistically significant. After therapy, these parameters turned out to be 1.21±0.34 and 0.96±0.21 ( P 0.05), respectively, which were significantly different compared with those prior to therapy. Conclusions An investigation using 31 P MRS in MI in Chinese population was first reported. The contents of high energy metabolites and their ratios in myocardium in both normal control and those with MI were studied. Myocardial high energy phosphates were not depleted in human MI. 31 P MRS possesses a great potential in evaluating myocardial viability, effects of reperfusion, and the recovery of myocardial physiologic function after reestablishment of coronary blood flow.


Introduction - The magnitude of death. Culture of death: mourning, the origin of culture eschatological invention tragedy and mortality. The metaphysics of death: platonic immortality the Hegelian 'sublation' of death the metaphysics of becoming. Phenomenology of mortal being: my own death and the death of the other death and dying death and the possible. Mortality and finitude: finitude and totality finitude and natality original finitude. Conclusion: death, speech and laughter.


Identifying background (context) information in scientific articles can help scholars understand major contributions in their research area more easily. In this paper, we propose a general framework based on probabilistic inference to extract such context information from scientific papers. We model the sentences in an article and their lexical similarities as a Markov Random Field tuned to detect the patterns that context data create, and employ a Belief Propagation mechanism to detect likely context sentences. We also address the problem of generating surveys of scientific papers. Our experiments show greater pyramid scores for surveys generated using such context information rather than citation sentences alone.


We estimate the economic value of changes in saltwater fishing regulations to anglers fishing on charter and private boat trips in southeastern U.S. waters. Our new estimates of angler willingness to pay (WTP) are for hypothetical changes in the bag limits for dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus; red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus; other/aggregate snappers, Lutjanidae spp.; grouper, Epinephelus spp. and Mycteroperca spp.; and king mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla. We use a multispecies choice experiment with varying levels of regulations (e.g., bag limits), not catching or keeping fish. The focus on changes in regulations, instead of catch, allows us to explicitly consider how angler WTP might vary over the range of potential regulation levels, including closure. We compare three specifications of WTP for regulations that span the range of economically reasonable behavior: no decreasing marginal WTP (linear increasing WTP), piece-wise linear WTP, and absolute among trip attributes in the SPCE. In our approach, the choice situation faced by respondents in our survey more closely reflects the actual choice situation prior to a fishing trip, where regulations are known but fishing success is not. Our SPCE modeling also explicitly considers how angler values might vary over the range of potential bag limits, including zero which represents the case when the fishing season is closed. Much of the research on angler preferences assumes that the relationship between angler WTP and catching or keeping fish is linear or other simple function. A constant marginal WTP, i.e., a non-decreasing marginal WTP, is convenient for regulatory analysis, but, if incorrect, could lead to inaccurate estimates of changes in economic value. Furthermore, anglers' value for regulations and catching or keeping fish might change in discrete ways that are crucial to consider in economic analyses. Anglers might place a large value on the opportunity to keep at least one fish, but value subsequently kept fish relatively less or not at all. We refer to the case where the angler does not value subsequently kept decreasing marginal WTP, where only the first unit has value (i.e., anglers care about the opening of the season but not about how many fish they may keep). We find absolute decreasing marginal WTP for four out of the five cases we can evaluate. We also test whether the WTP for regulations depends on the mode of fishing (charter or private boat). After controlling for differences in party size, we find no statistical evidence that the WTP differs between the two modes.


In the financial Colombian classification the sancionatory regime as for the margin of solvency is not by no means pacific, although several theories exist opposite to the procedure that would use as sustenance to the Financial Superintendence to apply the above mentioned sanctions. Opposite to the application of the sancionatory norms exactly to the violation of the margins of solvency, the Administrative Court of Cundinamarca and of the Council of State diverse and opposite theories have exposed, even to the interior of the own Corporations, which undoubtedly is an authentic test of the diaphanous indetermination of the mentioned sancionatory regime. Now then, having purified the arguments exposed by the courts of the administrative contentious thing is possible the following academic perspective: at present there does not exist juridical valid any foundation in order that the respective authority imposes pecuniary sanctions to the lending institutions that do not expire with the procedure of suitable patrimony, since it wants that the procedure that were arranging the mentioned sancionatory regime do not produce juridical any effect: the article 83-1 of the Organic Statute of the Financial System was repealed by the Decree 673 of 1994, the Decree 673 of 1994 lost his executory force by virtue of the declaration of unconstitutionality of the article 52 of the Organic Statute of the Financial System that realized the Constitutional Court in the judgment C-1161 of 2000 and, though there has not been declared its nullity, the Decree 1720 of 2001, which reproduces the established in the repealed article 83-1 of the Organic Statute of the Financial System, it suffers from a vice of nullity like want that it believes a sanction, in counter route of arranged by the Constitutional Court in the judgment C-1161 of 2000.


This study aimed to obtain the appropriate capacity circuit breaker on the electric power system of Riau using bus impedance matrix method in determining the flow of short circuit in the electric power system of Riau. This research was conducted in two conditions, namely the current state (exsisting) and the conditions at the time of entry of a new generation into the electricity system interconnection network Riau region in this regard Tenayan power plant with a capacity of 2x110 MW.The results showed that the capacity of the circuit breaker that is currently installed on the electrical system Riau region is still larger than the three-phase short-circuit current simteris that may occur at this time of 12,375kA and at the time of entry of a new generation of 13,215kA so it can be said that the electrical system Riau region still able to withstand short circuit currents that may occur at the time of entry of the power supply from new power plants that have been planned.Keyswords: capacity circuit breaker, circuit breaker, short circuit


Abstract In vitro biomechanical analysis after cervical disc replacement (CDR) with a novel artificial disc prosthesis (mobile core) was conducted and compared with the intact model, simulated fusion, and CDR with a fixed-core prosthesis. The purpose of this experimental study was to analyze the biomechanical changes after CDR with a novel prosthesis and the differences between fixed- and mobile-core prostheses. Six human cadaveric C2–C7 specimens were biomechanically tested sequentially in 4 different spinal models: intact specimens, simulated fusion, CDR with a fixed-core prosthesis (Discover, DePuy), and CDR with a mobile-core prosthesis (Pretic-I, Trauson). Moments up to 2 Nm with a 75 N follower load were applied in flexion–extension, left and right lateral bending, and left and right axial rotation. The total range of motion (ROM), segmental ROM, and adjacent intradiscal pressure (IDP) were calculated and analyzed in 4 different spinal models, as well as the differences between 2 disc prostheses. Compared with the intact specimens, the total ROM, segmental ROM, and IDP at the adjacent segments showed no significant difference after arthroplasty. Moreover, CDR with a mobile-core prosthesis presented a little higher values of target segment (C5/6) and total ROM than CDR with a fixed-core prosthesis (P > .05). Besides, the difference in IDP at C4/5 after CDR with 2 prostheses was without statistical significance in all the directions of motion. However, the IDP at C6/7 after CDR with a mobile-core prosthesis was lower than CDR with a fixed-core prosthesis in flexion, extension, and lateral bending, with significant difference (P < .05), but not under axial rotation. CDR with a novel prosthesis was effective to maintain the ROM at the target segment and did not affect the ROM and IDP at the adjacent segments. Moreover, CDR with a mobile-core prosthesis presented a little higher values of target segment and total ROM, but lower IDP at the inferior adjacent segment than CDR with a fixed-core prosthesis.


The Spanish norm UNE 66020-1:2001 is equivalent to the international norm ISO 2859-1:1999 and deals with inspection by attributes of lots of material. In order to implement such a norm in a canned marine food factory (which manufactures mainly bluefin tuna in vegetal oil), some preliminary work was carried out. First, a careful study of the production process led to three possible sources of variation in the final weight of the cans produced, namely the canning machine, the cans used and the balance utilized for weighing. Afterward, each of these sources of variation was studied, which resulted in a value of the process average. This average shall enable the responsible authority of the company to set an acceptance quality limit, which should allow the application of the cited norm.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

This work is expected to be considered an example of the studies that need to be carried out previously to the implementation of norm UNE 66020-1:2001 (i.e., norm ISO 2859-1:1999). Moreover, an additional point to highlight is the fact that this work is not a simulation but rather, it was developed in a real factory, devoted to the manufacturing of canned marine food.


Summary form only given. The IR-T1 tokamak is an air core transfer type, with no divertor and conductive shell on it. This tokamak was established to concentrate mainly on plasma confinement, MHD behavior and control of instabilities. Fundamental diagnostic systems such as ECE, visible spectrometer, soft X-ray, and electromagnetic measurement system are used. The magnetic measurement system which include; 10 Rogowsky coils, 8 loop lines, 2 sine saddle coils, 2 cos coils, 2 circuit units, 1 diamagnetic flux coil, 1 concentric coil, and 1 circuit unit, are used to measure the plasma current, loop voltage, horizontal and vertical displacement, and diamagnetism respectively. To measure the magnetic fluctuation of plasma column and to investigate the different aspects of MHD modes and high frequency fluctuations, two sets of Mirnov coils and d=2/n-1 and /spl Lscr/=3/n-1 helical magnetic windings have been installed.


— The main purpose of this research was examined factors influencing e-commerce customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The researcher tested a set of hypotheses the relationship between factors are influenced on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. This research collected and gathered data form 384 respondents who have experience using e-commerce in Bangkok area by distributed the questionnaire. The research finding indicated that all factors; perceived service quality, perceived usefulness, enjoyment, firm's reputation, trust and customer satisfaction are significant positive predictors of customer loyalty. The researcher focuses on B2C e-commerce in Bangkok area. Besides, the result of this research might not be generalized to the benefit of studying whether other area. This research provides useful information for e-commerce vendor to manage the factors influenced on customer satisfaction and build customer loyalty. However, customer loyalty is a significant of e-commerce vendor's survival and success. The research provides evidence of factors influencing customer loyalty.


Abstract: Light is an essential and variable environmental factor that governs plant growth and development. Light signals are perceived by at least four distinct families of photoreceptors: the red (R)/far-red (FR) light sensing phytochromes (PHYs) and the UV-A blue light sensing cryptochromes (CRYs), phototropins and zeitlupes. Day/night and temperature cycles, as well as other cycling environmental parameters, are highly important to most organisms. Light signaling pathways and circadian control are interconnected processes, with photoreceptors involved in entrainment of the clock, and the clock involved in the regulation of photoreceptor genes. In this article a review is presented on the functional studies elucidating the role of cryptochromes in mediating light-regulated gene expression in plants. DNA microarrays and tomato transcriptomic analysis showed that cryptochromes influence the diurnal global transcription profiles in tomato and are involved in hormone–photoreceptor crosstalk.


The reticuloendothelial system, first clearly demonstrated by Goldmann (19091, is a system of connective tissue cells through which are expressed whatever potentialities for cellular differentiation persist from mesenchyme. It has been recognized as comprised of cells concentrated in hematopoietic and endocrine tissues and fixed to a fibrous extracellular reticulum, and of cells free of reticulum and dispersed through almost every connective tissue (Maximow, 1924). Flattened as endothelium, it may make up the walls of sinuses or, in stellate form, may constitute less well-organized parts of reticular tissue. In either case the reticular cell remains a multipotent connective tissue cell capable of differentiating into any of the blood cells, into macrophages, fibroblasts, and fat cells and, possibly, into other connective tissue cell types. Cytologically, reticular cells are undifferentiated, having large spherical nuclei and pale extensive cytoplasm. They lack even the compacted basophilic cytoplasm, conspicuous nucleoli, and prominent nuclear membranes that signify the synthesis of protein and that, in fact, constitute in primitive blood cells the first evidence of differentiation from reticular cells. Fixed cells may become free of the reticulum. Such detachment may actually represent cellular maturation and may restrict the subsequent capacities of these cells for differentiation. Indeed, the capacities for transformation of the free cells of the reticuloendothelial system have been the source of extended controversy. Histiocytes (and monocytes that may evolve into histiocytes) are clearly phagocytic and may elaborate adaptive enzymes. There is, moreover, increasing acceptance of the unitarian view that these cells and lymphocytes are but minor variants of the same multipotential cell type. In this presentation I shall consider certain aspects of the reticuloendothelial system that have particular reference to this monograph, and not attempt a systematic treatment. I propose to discuss the sinuses in the red pulp of the spleen of rats, the relationship of splenic cords to splenic sinuses, the nature of the reticulum, a cytoplasmic inclusion induced in reticuloendothelial cells of guinea pigs by estrogens, the FOB-Kurloff body and, finally, techniques for the study of the dermal bone of the nine-banded armadillo. My discussion will be primarily morphologic, based upon observations with both the light and the electron microscopes.


By considering the effect of the deformation of coal or rock in reservoir,skeleton coal powder stripping,coal powder migration and deposition in pore,and coal powder block at pore throats on the physical property parameters of coal or rock(such as porosity,permeability,pore compressibility and density et al),and considering the solution of coalbed methane in water and fluid source sink term,a mathematical model of fluid-solid coupling percolation with coal powder in coal reservoir is established,which provides theoretical foundation for numerical simulation of CBM development.


Telemedicine is an emerging technology that aims to provide clinical healthcare at a distance. Among its goals, the transfer of diagnostic images over telecommunication channels has been quite appealing to the medical community. When viewed as an adjunct to biomedical device hardware, one highly important consideration aside from the transfer rate and speed is the accuracy of the reconstructed image at the receiver end. Although optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an established imaging technique that is ripe for telemedicine, the effects of OCT data compression, which may be necessary on certain telemedicine platforms, have not received much attention in the literature. We investigate the performance and efficiency of several lossless and lossy compression techniques for OCT data and characterize their effectiveness with respect to achievable compression ratio, compression rate and preservation of image quality. We examine the effects of compression in the interferogram vs. A-scan domain as assessed with various objective and subjective metrics.


Summary In order to overcome the defects of the traditional network fault Location methods, according to the immunology principles of bionics, a new type of node-fault detection system is presented. In this paper event detection sequences are viewed as analogous to peptide. According to the principle of positive selection in Immunology, the system builds up its event database. The behavior model whose frequency is higher will be analyzed and processed first. It improves the speed and effectiveness of fault detection. The experiment system implemented by this method shows a good diagnostic ability.


The present work investigated the corrosion reliability of five Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) based lead-free solder alloys. The first focus was placed on microstructural analysis of the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formation in the ingots of SAC alloys and their influence on micro galvanic corrosion performance. The microstructural and phase analysis of solder alloys has been carried out using the scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. With the potentiostatic technique, the galvanic corrosion has been confirmed between cathodically active Bi phase and anodic (Sn, Sb) solid solution in InnoLot alloy, while the Ag3Sn phase was cathodically active in the other four alloys. In industrial application point of view, the electrochemical migration (ECM) has been reported as the critical issue. Therefore, in order to investigate the ECM susceptibility of five lead-free solder alloys, the study of the solder alloys has been conducted by water droplet (WD) tests on pure alloy ingot samples, and by accelerated humidity/temperature cycling tests on soldered surface insulation resistance (SIR) comb pattern. A ranking of susceptibility for five alloys has been confirmed by Weibull analysis (63.2% failure rate), leakage current level, and charge transfer over time. The paper theoretically illustrated the reason for the differences in corrosion reliability in the five alloys based on the composition and distribution of IMCs.


BACKGROUND AND AIM
Oxidative stress is believed to have a role in the development of nasal polyps (NPs). It is also known that prolidase activity increases secondary to chronic inflammation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between prolidase activity and oxidative stress parameters in patients with NPs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sixty patients with NPs, septal deviations and the concha hypertrophies were recruited to the study. Patients were divided into two groups; group 1 (n=30) consisted of patients with NPs, and group 2 (n=30) included patients with septal deviations and concha hypertrophies. Polyp specimens were taken from all patients who underwent endoscopic surgery for NPs. Control specimens were acquired from patients who underwent an operation for septoplasty or concha hypertrophy. Blood and tissue samples were obtained to assess lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH), catalase (CAT) and prolidase activity.

RESULTS
Compared to group 2, group 1 had significantly higher LOOH and prolidase levels, and lower CAT levels both in serum and tissue samples (p<0.05 for all). Prolidase activity was correlated with increased LOOH and decreased CAT levels (r = 0.507 p = 0.004; r = - 0.579, p = 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrated that oxidative stress and prolidase activity, both in serum and the tissue in patients with NPs, were higher than in patients without NPs.


A rare case of selective mutism, social anxiety disorder, sibling rivalry disorder, and temperamental difficulties in an 8-year-old girl has been reported. The relevant literature about clinical assessment and management of this disorder has been reviewed.


Abstract : Operations were conducted to obtain information by aerial, automotive, and ground monitoring surveys for the purpose of evaluating and correlating the data and methods. Studies were made to determine the attenuation factors of automobiles and airplanes and the time-lag factors of various instruments used in civil defense for the detection of radiation contamination. The results of the aerial survey were evaluated, and correlation factors were developed which permit the interpolation of aerial readings as ground-level radiation intensities within a range of =50 per cent. Surveys conducted by automobile permitted the development of a set of correlation factors which can be used to compute dose-in-air readings for rapid automotive surveys. Radiation attenuation factors were developed for various aircraft and automotive vehicles. Time-lag factors (i.e., response time) were also developed for some of the civil defense instruments. The feasibility and practicability of automotive and aerial survey as a radiological monitoring tool was established. The practicability of the use of the SU-10A (civilian version of the military AN/PDR-T1B), which has been used for civil defense purposes as an interim aerial survey instrument, was established. (Author)


Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is an emerging technology that has great potential for a wide variety of civilian and military applications. Recent history and progress of LIBS will be presented.


Superintegrable d-dimensional quantum mechanical systems with spin, which admit a generalized Laplace–Runge–Lenz vector are presented. The systems with spins 0, 1 2 ?> and 1 are considered in detail. All these systems are exactly solvable for arbitrary d, and their solutions are presented explicitly.


Studies suggest that triiodothyronine (T3) and cognate nuclear receptors (hTR) are involved in regulation of prostatic cell growth and differentiation. To probe mechanisms for T3 effects, we studied prostate carcinoma cells, investigating the effect of T3 on expression of the B‐cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2), which regulates the G1/S transition of the cell cycle.


Rural resilience has become an interestingly debated topic in recent years, with scholars offering opposing viewpoints. Studies have suggested that rural resilience is arguably better than that of urban. Especially in the context where the rural is supported economically by the existence of some businesses such as oil palm plantations. However, certain negative images are still linked to oil palm plantations, in particular with respect to biodiversity loss, despite many of the plantations having areas of high conservation value (HCV). HCVs are known to possess and attract wild species such as elephants, orangutans, and other primates, meaning that ecologically, HCV represents a significant added value of the oil palm plantations. This conceptual paper aims to contribute to this debate by envisioning feasible futures of biodiversity tourism for oil palm village revitalization by utilizing the biodiversity richness of HCVs. This study includes a conceptual model of biodiversity tourism for oil palm village revitalization that was developed using a causal loop diagram approach. The causal loop diagram depicts an overall understanding and describes the village system's complexity. Positive and negative loops that form the reinforcement and balance circles represent the connection between the input and output variables. A systematic literature review and interviews with pilot village stakeholders were used to collect data. The potential of such a vision is discussed before finally concluding with an insight into the future of biodiversity tourism for oil palm village revitalization. This paper recognizes that biodiversity tourism for oil palm village revitalization can be done sustainably by presenting it as a complex system with its subsystems. It shows that oil palm villages and biodiversity are interdependent and interconnected. Moreover, biodiversity tourism can be recognized as a vehicle to promote the positive impacts of oil palm plantations in enhancing knowledge and awareness of biodiversity conservation beyond existing economic value.


and diabetic rats was determined. In the diabetic rats, a significant delay in ulcer healing (~ by 300%) was observed with an accompanied decrease in the GBF at ulcer margin. The prolongation of the healing in diabetic animals was associated with an increase in the plasma cytokine (IL-1b, TNF-a and IL-10) levels. ASA and rofecoxib, that significantly suppressed the mucosal prostaglandin (PG) E2 generation in ulcer area, delayed significantly the rate of ulcer healing and decreased the GBF at ulcer margin, while elevating plasma IL-1b, TNF


The German Committee for Dynamic Pile Testing (subcommittee of the Piling committee of the German Geotechnical Society - DGGT) reviewed the experience of its members with low-strain pile integrity testing. This review shows that about 2% of all cast-in-place concrete piles carried out in Germany have been tested and that signals of approximately 15% of the tested piles show a deviation from the ideal signal. Further evaluation revealed that only 5% of the tested piles had to be denominated as defective in the report and only 1% were subject to remedial measures. German experience and especially the assessment of piles according to the classification system as proposed in the "Recommendations for Dynamic Pile Testing" by the DGGT is described. Statistical data as well as illustrative case studies are given. The case studies comprise integrity test results in comparison with excavated piles and coring. The paper states the best practices and the fields of application of the low-strain integrity test method as well as shortcomings of the method when applied to certain pile systems.


Diffuse gliomas are malignant tumors with high invasiveness, last is provided by the synthesis of proteases, in particular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Expression of metalloproteinases has been repeatedly documented in different forms of diffuse gliomas, but the differential diagnostic possibilities of its usage need additional research. The aim of the work was to determine the diagnostic role of MMP-3 and MMP-9 expression in brain diffuse gliomas of different histological types and malignancy grades. Materials and methods. Histological and immunohistochemical examination of diffuse astrocytic and oligodendroglial gliomas (Grade II-IV) was performed (52 samples). The average age of the patients was 43.13 years (age range was 22-73 years), the male: female ratio was 1.08:1. Results. The intensity of MMP-3 and MMP-9 expression and localization of preserved proteins are similar in diffuse gliomas (however, expression levels coincide in 76.9% of tumors). Predominantly cytoplasmic expression is showed by tumor cells, as well as vascular endothelium. The high level (++) expression of MMP-3 is characteristic for 80.8% glioblastomas (Grade IV WHO), 57.1% of the Grade III tumors, and only among 14.3% of diffuse astrocytes and oligodendrogliomas (p 0.05). Expression of MMPs depended on proliferative tumor activity and patient's age (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between MMPs expression in women and men. Conclusions. The expression of MMP-3 and -9 is similar by pattern and intensity in diffuse gliomas of the brain. The intensity of MMPs expression depends on the malignancy grade and Grade-dependent features of diffuse glial tumors.


Aim To investigate the causes of low prevalence of Fuchs' uveitis syndrome (FUS) in Japan. Methods Medical records of 160 patients diagnosed with FUS at 14 uveitis specialty facilities in Japan were reviewed retrospectively. Results In 160 FUS patients, mean follow-up period before referral to our uveitis facilities was 31.6 ± 50.9 months. The most common reason for referral was idiopathic uveitis (61.9%), followed by cataract (25.0%), high intraocular pressure (IOP) including glaucoma (16.3%), and FUS (14.4%). Unilateral involvement was 96.9%. The most frequent ocular finding of FUS was anterior inflammation (91.9%), followed by stellate-shaped keratic precipitates (88.1%), cataract/pseudophakia (88.1%), diffuse iris atrophy (84.4%), vitreous opacity (62.5%), heterochromia (53.1%) and high IOP including glaucoma (36.3%). As treatments of these ocular findings, cataract surgery was performed in 52.5%, glaucoma surgery in 10.6%, and vitrectomy in 13.8%. Mean logMAR VA was 0.28 ± 0.59 at the initial visit, and decreased significantly to 0.04 ± 0.32 at the last visit. Proportions of FUS patients with BCVA <0.1 and 0.1 to <0.5 decreased, while that of ≥0.5 increased at the last visit compared with the initial visit. Conclusions Ocular findings of FUS in Japanese FUS patients were consistent with the characteristic features. The low prevalence of FUS in Japan may be a result of being overlooked and misdiagnosed as mild idiopathic uveitis, cataract, and/or glaucoma.


A constitutive law by which structural damping is modeled as a relationship between stress, strain, and strain rate in a material is used in conjunction with the finite element method to develop general integral expressions for viscous and nonviscous damping matrices. To solve the set of nonlinear equations resulting from the presence of nonviscous damping, a solution technique is developed by modifying the Newmark method to accommodate an iterative solution and treat the nonviscous damping as a pseudo-force. The technique is then checked for accuracy and convergence in single- and multi-degree-of-freedom problems, and is found to be accurate and efficient for initial-condition problems with small nonviscous damping.


Computational analysis of wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) videos has already proved its potentials in the discovery or characterization of lesions and in the reduction of the time required by the endoscopists to perform the examination. An open problem that has only partially been addressed is the localization of the capsule endoscope in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Previous works have been based mainly on external, wearable, sensors. In this paper we propose a novel approach based solely on visual information extracted from WCE videos. This approach is based on a feature tracking method for visual odometry, which enables the estimation of both the rotation and the displacement of a capsule endoscope from reference anatomical landmarks. Its implementation is based on a novel, open access Java Video Analysis (JVA) framework, which enables quick and standardized development of intelligent video analysis applications. The experimental evaluation presented in this paper, indicates the feasibility of the proposed methodological approach and the efficiency of its implementation.


We take the 2H11/2/4S3/2–4I15/2 transitions of Er3+ as examples to study the role of thermal quenching mechanisms, especially the multiphonon non-radiative relaxation (MNR), in determination of the luminescence ratiometric thermometry. A convenient method to effectively confirm the existence of the quenching mechanism is proposed, namely the piecewise fitting in several small temperature ranges. Based on this method, a series of fitted gaps between the 2H11/2 and 4S3/2 states of Er3+ are obtained, which are found to decrease monotonically with the increase of temperature. Undoubtedly, it suggests that the quenching mechanism is present. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the MNR process which depopulates the distribution of the 2H11/2 and 4S3/2 states is likely to be mainly responsible for these gradually decreasing gaps.


Liquid-crystalline medium comprising A) 30-70 wt .-% of two or more compounds of the formula I, wherein R a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, in which one or more non-adjacent CH m is 1, 2 or 3, and B) 20-50 wt .-% of two or more compounds of the formula II, wherein R a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, in which one or more non-adjacent CH means and additionally 10-25 wt .-% of one or more compounds of formula III, wherein R


This manuscript presents the results from a study to investigate the technical characteristics of two versions of a number line assessment (NLA 0–20 and NLA 0–100). The sample consisted of 60 kindergarten and 46 first grade students. Both number line versions had sufficient alternate form and test–retest reliability. The NLA 0–20 had low and the NLA 0–100 had low to moderate correlations with math achievement. Results indicated that the NLA 0–100 explained a small, but unique portion of the variance in first grade mathematics performance when controlling for performance on the Assessing Student Proficiency in Early Number Sense (ASPENS) a set of early numeracy screening measures. We discuss study results related to the utility of adding number line assessment tasks to mathematics screening batteries and propose additional areas of research.


Random searching techniques for the localization of potential failure surfaces in rock slope based on network simulation and failure probability analysis are presented. Discontinuities in the rock slope were measured by the line sampling method, and orientation and trace length of the discontinuities were corrected and Mote-Carlo simulated, thus the discontinuities'network model has been established. Then, based on the model, during research on the failure of rock slope, combining the prevailing discontinuities theory, and according to the rock-bridge failure mechanics, a stochastic simulation technique for search of potential failure surfaces by dynamic programming and calculating failure probability has been established. Calculation procedure is finished.


the indescribable atrocities that were committed by the German medical establishment during the Nazi rule. This is our duty – on the 60th anniversary of the doctors' trial at Nuremberg – to remember the unprecedented crimes perpetrated by the German medical profession. The medical community of Germany and Austria, including those in academic medicine, played a critical role in the evolution of Nazi programs of human destruction, programs that culminated in genocide and even exploitation of death itself. As early as 1929, ten years before the outbreak of World War II, a number of German physicians organized the "National Social Physician League" to influence national medical policy, to rid the German medical community of "Jewish Bolshevism" [1]. The academic medical establishment not only provided "scientific" rationale that legitimized eugenics and racial selection, it also exploited human victims for inhumane research. By defining some human beings as "sub-human," Nazi medical science placed them in the category of "scientific specimens" without any legal protection. Shortly after the Nazi seizure of power, nazification of the medical profession was initiated. The Nazi-dominated Reich Physician Chamber replaced the pre-Nazi medical societies to which all licensed physicians had to belong. The academic medical establishment then modified the medical curriculum, de emphasized basic research, and made the study of race hygiene a major topic. Reliable Nazis were appointed as rectors and deans to represent the spirit of the national socialistic revolution. This reorganization was met with enthusiasm by faculty and practicing physicians throughout Germany. The severe economic depression combined with the promises of the Nazi party and the ever-present government-sanctioned antisemitism influenced the average German physician. Although Jews accounted for only 0.8% of the German population in 1933, at least 16% of German physicians were Jewish. The professionally lucrative opportunities resulting from elimination of the Jewish competition were practically irresistible for the pure Aryan doctors. In 1936, 45% of the registered physicians in the Third Reich were members of the Nazi party. Furthermore, by 1937, physicians were seven times more likely to be in the SS than the average employed male in Germany [2]. The acceptance of radical racist eugenics resulted in over 350,000 sterilizations, which was rapidly advanced to the "mercy death" of patients with incurable problems. This program resulted in more than 70,000 deaths. Rank and file practitioners and university department faculty members expressed excessive zeal to get rid of the burden of "useless lives." It did not take long for sterilization and euthanasia to turn to more overt forms of killing. State-sanctioned genocide, the "final solution," intended to achieve total racial purification. The German physicians had by then been indoctrinated by the relentless Nazi party apparatus to fulfill their role to apply Nazi eugenics to cleanse the German nation from "inferior subhuman elements." The road to Auschwitz was ready.


In April 1988, Aloha Airlines flight 243 experienced an explosive midair decompression that resulted in the separation of an 18-foot section of the fuselage crown of the Boeing 737 airplane. Investigations revealed that the linkup of small cracks emanating from multiple rivet holes in a debonded lap joint contributed to the catastrophic failure. This cracking scenario, known as multiple-site damage, is one of two sources of widespread fatigue damage; a type of structural degradation characterized by the simultaneous presence of fatigue cracks at multiple structural elements that are of sufficient size and density whereby the structure will no longer meet its damage tolerance requirement This study, sponsored by the National Aging Aircraft Research Program initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration in response to the Aloha accident, investigates multiple-site damage initiation and growth behavior in a pristine narrow-body fuselage panel. The test panel, a curved 6 x 10 ft stiffened structure containing six frames, seven stringers, and a longitudinal lap joint, was tested at the Federal Aviation Administration Full-Scale Aircraft Structural Test Evaluation and Research facility. The panel was subjected to a fatigue test with constant-amplitude cyclic loading, simulating the major modes of load associated with fuselage pressurization. Nondestructive inspections were conducted during the fatigue test to detect and monitor crack formation and growth. Multiple-site damage cracks were visually detected after about 80% of the fatigue life. Cracks developed and linked in the upper rivet row of the lap joint in the outer skin layer and formed a long fatigue crack before the termination of the fatigue test A residual strength test was then conducted by subjecting the panel to quasi-static loads until catastrophic failure. Fractographic examinations were conducted to reconstruct crack growth history. Preliminary results show multiple crack origins and significant subsurface crack growth.


Objective To analyze the relevant cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of SCD. Methods 33 SCD patients from May 2004 to.May 2009 were investigated retrospectively. The cause of SCD was analyzed and the nursing method wasstudied. Resulm The occurrence of SCD had significant relevant cause in 29 cases (87.88%); the SCD occurred in various diagnosis and nursing in 16 cases (48.48%), 11 cases (33.33%) after urination and stool.The occurrence of SCD was the highest from 1:00 to 8:00. All patients had different degree heart failure, and acute in 17 cases (51.51%). Conclusion The urination, stool, various diagnosis and nursing activity are the relevant cause of SCD; heart failure is high risk factor and the sudden death time has obvious circadian rhythm. For cardiovascular disease patients, we should value the nursing of stool and urination, pay more attention to enlarging the betimes and effectiveness of various diagnosis and nursing activity, value the psychological nursing of patients, strengthen the patrolling at night and disease observation.

Key words:
Sudden cardiac heath; Relevant cause; Nursing


Post-stroke robotic rehabilitation is an ever increasing field of research that aims to offer custom care with maximised effectiveness. This paper presents the necessity of pursuing further improvements in said field as well as the factors that contributed towards the development of an innovative yet simple spherical-parallel robotic device targeting the rehabilitation of the upper human limb. A conceptual device entitled ASPIRE is proposed. The robotic system kinematics and singularities are derived to assert the robot functionality for the rehabilitation exercises. Moreover, two design structures are presented for the ASPIRE system, and motion simulations are performed.