To the Editor:

We would like to comment on the Chen et al. (2004) article that addresses the identification of a putative susceptibility locus for restless legs syndrome (RLS) on chromosome 9p. They analyzed 15 large families containing 134 individuals affected with RLS, and families were selected via probands with at least one first-degree relative with RLS. Chen et al. (2004) performed familial aggregation analysis and linkage analysis to identify significant RLS susceptibility loci. Their results suggest that there is strong familial aggregation and a high heritability of the RLS trait in their cohort. They claimed that both model-free and model-based linkage analysis showed a significant signal for a locus in the 9p24-22 chromosome region.

We have several concerns regarding the statistical methodology used by Chen et al. (2004). First, we are concerned about the estimates of heritability and familial correlation. Chen et al. (2004) included a family in their study if the proband had at least one affected first-degree relative. Without any ascertainment correction, they estimated heritability as 0.60 and found evidence of strong familial aggregation. Their failure to correct for ascertainment results in biased and, therefore, meaningless estimates of aggregation and heritability. Their study employed a multiple-ascertainment scheme and not a single-ascertainment scheme, so there is bias in the estimation of the sibling relative-risk ratio, as discussed elsewhere by several authors (Guo 1998, 2002; Olson and Cordell 2000; Zou and Zhao 2004).

Chen et al. (2004) appear to have markedly overstated the significance of their results, most likely because they failed to recognize that nonparametric linkage (NPL) scores are on a different scale than LOD scores. For example, Chen et al. (2004) describe four of their regions, with NPL scores in the range 2.03–2.68, as meeting the criteria for "suggestive evidence" of linkage. However, Lander and Kruglyak (1995) defined "suggestive evidence" as a LOD score >2.2, which is equivalent to an NPL score >3.18 (table 1); none of the four regions described by Chen et al. (2004) satisfy this criterion. Similarly, Chen et al. (2004) claim that their study provided "significant evidence of linkage" for an RLS locus on chromosome 9p24-22, on the basis of an NPL score of 3.22 and an empirical P value of .009. However, according to the criteria of Lander and Kruglyak (1995), one should have an NPL score >4.08 and a P value <.000022 before claiming to have significant evidence of linkage. Although, to some extent, this is quibbling about terminology, precise use of terminology is important, since the terminology may influence how other people interpret the results, which perhaps could lead to unmerited costly follow-up experiments. For example, the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database (see entry for RLS [MIM 102300]) already describes the results of Chen et al. (2004) as "significant": "Model-free linkage analysis identified 1 novel significant RLS susceptibility locus on 9p24-p22 with a multipoint nonparametric linkage (NPL) score of 3.22" (emphasis added).

Table 1

Comparison of NPL and LOD Scores on the Basis of Criteria from Lander and Kruglyak (1995)

Not only is the initial evidence for linkage on 9p found by Chen et al. (2004) much weaker than was implied, the follow-up confirmatory analyses are inadequate and potentially biased. Without defining their selection criteria, Chen et al. (2004) have attempted to "validate" their initial linkage signals by further analyzing only 2 extended families, selected from their 15 large multiplex families. If these two families were selected because of initial positive linkage signals, such an approach would certainly bias the results in favor of linkage (see the discussion by Ott [1991]). Instead of following up in a subset of selected families, it is better to analyze all the families as a whole under a model that allows for linkage heterogeneity (Ott 1991). However, Chen et al. (2004) did no such analysis that would allow for linkage heterogeneity in the families affected with RLS.

We are also concerned about several other possible methodological errors in this article by Chen et al. (2004). Since they computed their NPL statistics by using the program GeneHunter (Kruglyak et al. 1996; Kong and Cox 1997), it is not clear what happened to the data from their very large multiplex families, since GeneHunter cannot handle such large pedigrees. Also, it is not clear what phenocopy rate was used in the parametric linkage analysis. If we assume that the authors used a phenocopy rate of 0, then their genetic model (i.e., autosomal dominant model with a penetrance of 0.95 and a disease-allele frequency of 0.001) implies a low prevalence of 0.2% that is not consistent with the observed prevalence of 5%–12%. If the disease-allele frequency is increased to 0.026 or if the phenocopy rate is set to 0.05, the prevalence becomes consistent with the observed value. Also, the use of a smaller disease-allele frequency than that observed in the pedigree could give false evidence for linkage.

We have several other concerns regarding how the LOD scores were computed by Chen et al. (2004). First, the authors have estimated marker-allele frequencies by using a discredited algorithm that has been shown to often lead to false evidence of linkage. For a subset of their markers, the authors used equal allele frequencies (1/n, where n is the number of alleles [note that this "n" should be the number of alleles in the population, not the number in the individual pedigree]). Use of equal-allele-frequency estimates in the presence of untyped individuals may lead to strong false-positive evidence for linkage, as noted by Ott (1992). It is especially puzzling that Chen et al. (2004) improperly estimated marker-allele frequencies for a subset of their markers, whereas they did use best-possible estimates (e.g., those based on maximum likelihood that properly take relationships into account) for the rest of their markers. Second, many of the linkage-analysis programs, such as GeneHunter (Kruglyak et al. 1996) and LINKAGE (Lathrop et al. 1984, 1985), do not recognize MZ twins but instead incorrectly treat them as full siblings. To obtain correct results when using such programs, the analyst should include only one member of each twin pair in the input files; if both members are included improperly, this will lead to an inflation of the LOD score.

To examine these issues, we computed two-point LOD scores, using LINKAGE, for pedigree 40004 (as given in fig. 3 of the article by Chen et al. [2004]) with marker D9S274 and found that the LOD scores depend rather strongly on assumptions about the allele frequencies and disease-model parameters. Our results (table 2) matched those of Chen et al. (2004) only when we used model A, which implies that Chen et al. incorrectly included both of the MZ twins and used only two equifrequent marker alleles in their analysis. The assumption that there are only two alleles is incorrect, because Chen et al. (2004) observed five alleles in their own data, and external sources indicate that D9S274 has at least seven alleles (GDB Human Genome Database [accession number GDB:245741]).

Table 2

Two-Point LOD Scores at Marker D9S274 for Pedigree 40004 under a Variety of Disease Models

We now explore the effects of various assumptions on the LOD scores. First, we computed the LOD scores by taking two equifrequent markers and only one member of the MZ twin pair (model B) and found that the LOD score decreased for all values of θ, compared with the scores obtained under the model used by Chen et al. (2004) (model A). So, as expected, the removal of one of the MZ twins decreases the LOD score. Second, we explored the effect of using the more realistic marker-allele frequencies taken from GDB. We computed the LOD scores for a number of different models (C–E), permuting the allele frequencies from GDB and taking only one member of the MZ twin pair. We permuted the allele frequencies because we do not know how the allele labels used by Chen et al. (2004) correspond to those used by GDB. The LOD score varies quite a bit across models C–E; for example, at θ=0.05, the LOD scores range from 0.20 to 1.28. Third, we assessed the sensitivity of the LOD scores to the disease model when the parameters are adjusted to make the predicted prevalence consistent with the observed prevalence. Model F (q=0.026), which differs from model E (q=0.001) only in the value of disease-allele frequency q, has slightly lower LOD scores at small values of θ than model E. Model G, which differs from model E only in the phenocopy rate (model G f0=0.05), also has smaller LOD scores at small values of θ than model E. Thus, increasing the disease-allele frequency or the phenocopy rate to bring the population prevalence K up to ∼5% lowered the LOD score slightly.

Chen et al. (2004) claim to have identified a "significant" RLS susceptibility locus on chromosome 9p24-22. Their results might not actually be significant, as a result of the many methodological errors we have described above. The use of equal marker-allele frequencies, overinterpretation of the significance of the NPL scores, and "validation" analysis in only 2 of the 15 families are some of the potential problems that lead us to believe that there is no convincing evidence for an RLS locus on chromosome 9p. Chen et al. (2004) should model linkage heterogeneity and should use the proper marker-allele frequencies, penetrances, and disease-allele frequency when they reanalyze their data.


Social enterprise and fair trade are seen increasingly as redefining capitalist relationships through revaluing social impact and ownership in enterprise activities. One of the dilemmas in such activities is the tension between operating a viable and commercially-sustainable enterprise and maximising social and developmental impacts. This article explores this tension through an engagement with the phenomena of volunteer travel and pro-poor tourism in the developing world. It argues for a fair trade labelling system for organisations involved in volunteer travel.


Turning traffic is one of important factors which affect traffic efficiency and should be considered in road design and road network planning.Whole trip includes put into,travel in and departure from road network.An ordinary calculation adaptable for turning traffic on road section was worked out.Its reliability was verified by VISSUM traffic model.According to principle of the formula,rapid motorization of domestic urban traffic will lead to increase of turning traffic demand intensity on road section and increase of turning traffic ratio at intersection.


With the beginning of Great Patriotic war many educational institutions of the USSA, especially in border areas, have been compelled to stop the work temporarily. A considerable part of them was evacuated to the Urals, Siberia and the Central Asian republics. In the number of universities had to be evacuated, entered I.M. Gubkin Moscow Petroleum Institute. The Institute was located on the territory of the Ufa Cracking Plant, the Stalin district, Ufa. In Bashkiria was also evacuated the Commissariat for the oil industry of the USSR, Azerbaijan trust oil exploration company research profile and research institutions of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Central research Institute of aviation fuels and oils, State research Institute of high pressures chemistry and other. On the basis of evacuated in Bashkiria educational and scientific institutions was organized many scientific studies on the local resource base and conversion of hydrocarbons with a high salt content. So, for example, from the end of 1941, was investigated the process of desalting of crude oil using the demulsifier neutralized black contact (NC) obtained from local non-deficient raw materials. In 1943-1945 scientific-pedagogical workers of Moscow Petroleum Institute carried out research to determine the chemical composition of Ufa refinery gasoline; purification from mercaptane sulfur distillates and gas straight race and reforming by the caustic-methanol. As a result of tests it was determined the chemical composition of the gasoline during the cleaning process in the direction of reducing the content of unsaturated and aromatic hydrocarbons by polymerization of unsaturated sulfonated aromatic hydrocarbons; obtained experimental data for the application of the caustic-methanol solution to clean distillates from sulfur crudes Ural-Volga region. Obtained data were significant for application the method caustic-methanol purification gasoline distillates from mercaptan sulfur in industrial scale.


The photovoltaic/wind hybrid generating system is analyzed through simulation, and the comparison between the proportional control method (the conventional method) and the fuzzy control method which is proposed in this paper is performed. The results show that the utilization of fuzzy control method, comparing the proportional method, can cut down the energy surplus in nearly half, so that renewable energy can be used effectively. Furthermore, change of the state of charge (SOC) can be controlled, so it becomes favorable for the protection of the storage battery. From these things, thus, it is understood that the capacity of the storage battery can be reduced compared to the conventional method. And this study also shows the method calculates the optimal structure ratio of PV array/wind turbines from electrical load data and weather data.


The use of plastic products has been steadily increasing over the last several decades. However, because plastic waste is being discarded in ever-increasing quantities, final disposal sites for such waste are becoming scarce. Therefore, materials must be developed that minimize this problem. This paper describes the mechanical properties of press-molded specimens fabricated by using three types of bamboo fiber material: bamboo powder, rough fiber, and fiber bundle. Bamboo fiber can be hot press-molded much like plastic, and the use of these materials in place of plastic products would reduce the environmental impact of extensive plastic use. In the present study, the tensile and flexural strength of molded specimens made from bamboo fiber were examined. The results showed that the tensile and flexural strength of specimens using bamboo powder and rough fiber increased with molding temperature. However, the strength of specimens fabricated from fiber bundles peaked at 180°C and decreased at 200°C. The highest tensile and flexural strengths of the bamboo fiber specimens tested were recorded at 36.8MPa and 99.8MPa, respectively.


Ascariasis is a benign and common disease in tropical areas. Due to its endemicity and high prevalence, serious abdominal complications requiring urgent and versatile surgical therapy do occur. An observation of intestinal obstruction by ascaris bundle, diagnosed during operation, is reported. The postoperative course was uneventful.


In this study,fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster was used as the experimental animal to study the potential anti-aging mechanism of polysaccharide from Laminaria japonica.Unmated female and male D.melanogaster were respectively and randomly divided into four groups,each cultured with varied concentrations of polysaccharide.The concentrations were adjusted to 0(control group),0.25%,0.50% and 1.00% respectively.The drosophila melanogaster' s life span was detected with anti-aging test,while superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT) activities and malondialdehyed(MDA) content were assayed by using pyrogallic acid,ammonium molybdate and TBA methods respectively.Data were analysed using SAS v6.12.The results showed that polysaccharide from Laminaria japonica could prolong the average life span of D.melanogaster significantly.The life span of D.melanogaster prolonged with the increasing of polysaccharide.The increasing percentage of life span of female D.melanogaster were 5.20%,6.20% and 9.20%,when the concentration of polysaccharide were 0.25%,0.50% and 1.00%,and life-span of the male were prolonged 4.60%,5.00% and 6.00% respectively.After culture with the polysaccharide,the activities of the SOD and CAT increased.Compared with the control group,when the concentration of the polysaccharide was 0.50% and 1.00%,the activities of the SOD and CAT of female D.melanogaster increased significantly(P0.05).The activities of SOD and CAT of the male D.melanogaster increased significantly(P0.05) with the concentration of polysaccharide of 1.00%.MDA content of male D.melanogaster decreased obviously(P0.05) with the concentration of polysaccharide at 0.50% and 1.00% respectively.The results indicated that the activities of anti-oxidizing enzymes are increased,and to decrease the contents of aging material precursors may be one of the anti-aging mechanisms of Laminaria japonica polysaccharide.


N2 can be stepwise converted in silico into one molecule NH3 and a secondary amide with a bond activator molecule consisting only of light main group elements. The proposed N2-activating pincer-related compound carries a silyl ion (Si(+)) center as well as three Lewis acidic (-BF2) and three Lewis basic (-PMe2) sites, providing an efficient binding pocket for gaseous N2 within the framework of intramolecular frustrated Lewis pairs (FLP). In addition, it exhibits supportive secondary P-B and F…B contacts, which stabilize the structure. In the PSi(+)-N-N-BP environment the N≡N triple bond is extended from 1.09 Å to remarkable 1.43 Å, resembling a N-N single bond. The strongly activated N-N-fragment is prone to subsequent hydride addition and protonation steps, resulting in the energy efficient transfer of two hydrogen equivalents. The next hydride added causes the release of one molecule NH3, but leaves the ligand system as poisoned R3Si(+)-NH2-PMe2 or R3Si(+)-NH3 dead-end states behind. The study indicates that approximately tetrahedral constrained SiBP2-pockets are capable to activate N2, whereas the acid-rich SiB3- and SiB2P-pocktes, as well as the base-rich SiP3-pockets fail, hinting towards the high relevance of the acid-base proportion and relative orientation. The electronic structure of the N2-activated state is compared to the corresponding state of a recently published peri-substituted bond activator molecule featuring a PSi(+)-N-N-Si(+)P site (Mebs & Beckmann 2022).


Throughout Europe, many coastal and estuarine areas have been designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) under the EU Habitats Directive (EU Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and wild flora and fauna). Together with sites designated as Special Protection Areas (SPA) under the EU Birds Directive (Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds), SACs form a Europe-wide network of protected sites known as the Natura 2000 network. Most major European ports now operate within or in the immediate vicinity of one or more such protected sites. Although the Habitats Directive came into force in 1992, the full implications of the Directive for port and navigation infrastructure developments have only become apparent over the last 3-5 years. Ports across Europe are having to modify, delay or reconsider development plans pending the resolution of a variety of issues relating to the requirements of the Directive, particularly where habitat mitigation or compensation measures are necessary. This paper describes the requirements of the Habitats Directive, explores the issues it raises and some of the implications, and provides examples of its consequences for major port and navigation infrastructure development in Europe.


WASHINGTON IA'I Massachusetts asked the Supreme Court Wednesday to rule on the legality of the Vietnam Wll' and to declare it unconstitutional. Without a declaration of war, the state argued in a suit taken directly to the high court, the President has no right to send hundreds of thousands of American troops into combat in Southeast Asia . The suit was authorized by a state law enacted last April. Atty. Gen . Robert H. Quinn said he bypassed the lower courts because "we ·yant to get done quickly ." The Supreme Court has declined seV' eral times to hear appeals based on contention that U.S. participation in the war is unconstitutional. Justices WiUiam O. Douglas and Plltter Stewart have dissented from this refusal, saying the legal Issue shOUld be settled by the court. Before the state can obtain a judgment against the war, it must win the court's permission to have the suit considered by the justices. In an accompanying complaint, the 8tale said it has suffered a loss of human resources in the death of about 1,300 Massachusetts men in Vietnam .nd the wounding of about 5,000 others. The suit names Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird as the defendant. The state law, designed to force a court test, provides that Massachusetts servo icemen may refuse combat duty In Vietnam unless there is a declaration of war by Congress.


The composition of associates fauna of the phytal Halimeda opuntia (Linnaeus) on Pajucara coral reef, coast of Maceio, was studied. The belt quadrat tecnique was used to obtain five montly samples during 1994. Were found 14 taxa and Amphipoda had numerical dominance. Polychaeta and Decapoda had also quantitative importance. All biomass aspects of alga were more high in summer.


The data about the chemical structure of the polymers, synthesized by the method of fermentative dehydropolymerization of ferulic acid, and also coniferyl alcohol, are presented. It is established that the polyferulic acids have practically identical element composition, but they differ, according to data of IR- and NMR-13C-spectroscopy, in the quantitative content of phenol and carboxyl groups. A study of their adsorptivity with respect to zearalenone mycotoxin is carried out, and the characteristics of specific surface area and capillary-porous structure are established. The calculations of the correlation relationships between the adsorptivity and the parameters of surface-porous structure and chemical structure of different models indicate to the key role of the mechanisms of chemical adsorption, whereas the contribution of physical phenomena is not essential. It is shown that the polymer, synthesized from the coniferyl alcohol, is characterized by the highest indices of adsorption.


Aim . The aim of our cross-sectional study was to evaluate the nutrition (or diet) habits of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in the urban population (45–69 years) of Novosibirsk. Materials and methods . We included 1,041 people with DM and 8,095 people without DM in this study. The nutrition data were obtained via a population survey using a questionnaire to assess the frequency of food consumption within the framework of HAPIEE, an international project. Results . The prevalence of DM was 11.4% in this study population. The nutrition intake analysis showed that carbohydrate consumption in both men and women with DM was significantly lower compared with that in those without DM, while fat and protein intake were significantly higher. In men with type 2 DM, the proportions of black bread, vegetables, dairy products and meat in the diet were significantly higher, while the proportions of white bread and sweets in the diet were significantly lower compared with their counterparts without DM. Women with DM also had significantly higher proportions of black bread, vegetables, dairy products, meat and fish in the diet and lower proportions of white bread, potatoes and sweets in the diet than the controls. The proportions of fruit, eggs and alcohol intake did not differ between the groups for both men and women. In men, there was also no difference in the proportions of potatoes, vegetables and fish intake between the groups. Conclusion . The diets of both patients with DM and the general population in Novosibirsk are not well balanced.


A re-evaluation of the electronic spectra of benzalaniline (II), 3, 3-dimethyl-2-phenyl-indolenine (X), mono-aryl substituted azomethines (XI, XIV, XV) and trimethylindolenine (XII) as well as of their conjugate acids strongly supports the hypothesis of ISMAILSKI & SMIRNOV [14] and of EBARA [15] that benzalaniline exists in a preferred peri-perpendicular conformation. The same is true for N-phenylazomethines. The n π* transition of a 'planar benzalaniline' has been located at 27 600 cm−1 (e ≈ 60).


This paper describes frameworks for integrating messages from multiple ITS and non-ITS systems from a point of view of human interface and human information processing. The message management system may have functions to control the prioritization of information item, the allocation of information item to different type of display, the style for presenting information item and the timing of presenting message. These functions must interact each other to present messages in the integrated manner according to the driver's capacity of information processing and the driver's reaction time to the message. (A*) For the covering abstract see ITRD E110327.


Rapid growth of no-informative-videos is one of the major concerns of video analytics in recent time. The field like outdoor and indoor surveillance, home, office and shopping mall monitoring produces gigantic volume of no-informative-videos. A novel active event based video summarization is proposed in this research work to make the video analytics more applicable in those fields. Use of adaptive techniques for noise reduction, background modeling, foreground extraction and analysis make the proposed approach more robust towards active event based summarization and indexing. The results on publicly available datasets and a comparative study based on the objectives of the proposed approach with the same of related tesearch works justify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


Using organic amendments, including livestock slurry, in intensively managed agricultural grasslands may potential lead to multiple benefits, including plant nutrient supply to soils and long-term accumulation of soil organic matter. There is increasing interest in the extent to which biological slurry additives (mixtures of selected living or latent microorganisms added to slurry) are able to enhance soil fertility through mobilisation of key elements in the slurry and in the soil. However, little is known about the impacts of slurries amended with biological additives on carbon (C) partitioning within three pools: respired CO2, microbial biomass C (Cmic) and C retained in the soil. We report data from incubation experiments in which soils received livestock slurry treated with a commercial biological additive, alongside 14C-labelled carbohydrates of different lability (14C-glucose, 14C-glucose 6-phosphate (G6P), and 14C-cellulose). The aim of this experiment was to understand how slurry that has received a biological additive ultimately affects the partitioning of C within these pools, alongside how slurry additives influence soil microbial biomass and the priming effect (PE) in soil. The addition of slurry alongside carbohydrates to soil resulted in lower 14C biomass uptake and greater residual 14C activities in soil, as well as to lower cumulative respiration and PE, compared to the corresponding carbohydrate-only treatments. Competition in the soil between the indigenous microbial community and the microbial community associated with slurry is proposed to account for the apparent suppression of biomass uptake of added C-substrate and of cumulative respiration. Our findings also seem to indicate that the addition of a biological additive to slurry resulted in higher cumulative CO2 efflux from soil compared to the unamended slurry, both for glucose and G6P treatments. This suggests that biological slurry additives may have the potential to reduce the suppressive effect of slurry microorganisms on native soil microorganisms.


Summary: Development has recently announced a new format-free submission policy – making the process of submitting your paper easier. We have also relaxed our length limits to allow you to describe methods in greater detail.


In 2017, System Dynamics celebrated the 60th anniversary of its founding by Jay Forrester, who sadly passed away at the end of 2016. One of the articles of the special issue (SI) is an account of his life as modeller and simulator. See Lane and Sterman in this issue. Since it was founded System Dynamics (SD) has grown over time to become an independent simulation methodology with applications in multiple areas and different levels of analysis but with a strong focus on strategic issues and policy formulation.


Introduction: An alternative technique for kidney transplantation is presented for patients in whom the use of pelvic vessels is precluded. Patients and Methods: Of 482 cases of kidney or pancreas-kidney transplants, 4 were unsuited to heterotopic grafting, 1 due to multiple operations in the fossae and the 3 others due to extensive vascular occlusive disease. The patients were studied preoperatively by magnetic resonance angiography, which revealed extensive occlusive disease of the distal aorta and/or iliac vessels. Results: The patients received kidneys from living related donors as a third or second transplant opportunity in the orthotopic position (2 cases). Gross dissection of the aorta revealed a thickened wall, impeding direct anastomoses between the recipient's arteries and the donated organ. After a termino-lateral Dacron graft to the aorta, all cases were stented for uretero-uretero anastomosis. Recovery with respect to the renal graft was uneventful for all cases. Conclusions: Alternative direct grafting from the aorta represents a viable and easy way to perform kidney transplants in patients unsuited to the heterotopic approach.


There is growing interest in the reforestation of surface mined lands for various land uses including forest products and wildlife habitat. These objectives can be met by planting native tree species and seeding a ground cover to control erosion. However, many ground covers compete aggressively with tree seedlings in this region, preventing establishment. A research project was designed with two main objectives; to investigate the competitive effects of different ground cover species on the growth and survival of tree seedlings, and to identify the relationship between the growth and function of tree seedlings and microsite variables. Five tree species, native to the eastern hardwood forest surrounding the mine site, were planted in 2005: yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis L.), and Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana Mill.). Five different ground cover treatments were applied to the planted area. Two mixes consisted of native warm season grasses (NWSG), two standard reclamation mixes, and one control. Growth and survival, seedling transpiration, soil respiration, and groundcover biomass were analyzed. At each seedling, light measurements and percent herbaceous cover based on the Braun-Blanquet scale were collected. Seedling survival was related to size at planting, and to the density of ground cover. Survival was highest in moderate amounts of cover, although root collar diameter growth decreased with increasing cover in redbud and pine. Tree seedling growth and survival tended to be greatest in the native warm season grass treatments.


This conclusion reviews briefly the principal findings of each of the book's chapters, but more lengthily reviews their secondary findings. This is because only the former are reviewed at each chapter's end. These secondary findings include the likelihood that the Kaʿba played a ritual role for the proto-Muslim community of Believers from a very early period, contrary to revisionist claims, and the remarkable degree to which the canon of Islamic architecture comprises buildings whose epigraphic programmes, foundation documents and mentions in contemporary texts make comparisons to the Kaʿba. The conclusion ends with a discussion of the Kaʿba's absence in Islamic architectural scholarship and the importance of decolonising academic knowledge to prevent similar lacunae from developing.


[...]policies designed to support new ventures may have a limited impact on employment and growth. [...]a revenue decrease resulting from the Covid-19 crisis has immediate implications for entrepreneurs' personal incomes and their ability to finance their cost of living. [...]with this SI, we hope to initiate a new strand of research, applying the general crisis literature (Hällgren and de Rond, 2018) to women's entrepreneurship to help identity a future research agenda. The papers include evidence from the Americas and South-East Asia, regions which have been hardest hit by the epidemic and which have the largest reported increase in incident cases (World Health Organization, 2021).


This article previews the study of the Second Ottoman period (1715-1821) by members of the Pylos Regional Archaeological Project. By closely comparing Sir William Gell's apparently dispassionate descriptions of the Navarino Bay area with other documentary and archaeological data, we suggest that reconstruction of settlement and land use relying solely on Gell's descriptions can result in misrepresentation. This conclusion has implications for modern Greek social and economic history, since the image that Gell sketches appears to support a commonly held belief that settlement during Ottoman occupation was concentrated in more mountainous areas, while the lowlands were largely devoid of permanent habitation.


Abstract Disclosure: A. Aekka: None. N. Arva: None. M. Raval: None. J. Rastatter: None. S.D. Finkelstein: Employee; Self; Interpace Biosciences. J. Levine: Employee; Self; Interpace Biosciences. J. Josefson: None. The standard diagnostic approach for thyroid malignancy includes evaluation of cytopathology derived from thyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA). Nearly 40% of pediatric cases have indeterminate FNA results, and there is no clear consensus regarding the management of these cases. Molecular analysis is beneficial in increasing diagnostic yield and informing treatment stratification in adults, although its use remains limited in pediatrics. This study sought to assess the validity of next-generation sequencing mutational analysis and microRNA (miRNA)-based risk classification of FNA cytopathology derived from a single-center cohort of pediatric patients. The study hypothesized that molecular analyses improve diagnostic performance of FNA for children with thyroid cancer. Interpace Diagnostics' validated multiplatform tool comprised of ThyGeNEXT (mutational panel capturing 10 oncogene sequence variants and 38 fusions) and ThyraMIR (miRNA risk classifier including 11 miRNA markers) was utilized for this study. Multiplatform testing was performed on 27 archived FNA thyroid samples collected from patients ages 7-20 years (mean age 14.1 years, 78% female). Molecular results were compared with final surgical pathology or repeat FNA results to determine validity. Surgical pathology confirmed papillary thyroid carcinoma in 14 patients and benign pathology in 6 patients. Repeat FNA confirmed benign pathology in 2 patients. Surgical pathology or repeat FNA was unavailable for 5 cases, all of which had benign initial cytopathology. The most common mutational finding was BRAF_V600E (6/14) followed by RET-PTC fusions (3/14). MiRNA findings were as follows: 16 high-risk expression profiles, 3 low-risk expression profiles, and 8 negative profiles. The validation analysis included 22 samples that had corresponding surgical or repeat FNA results. All cases of malignancy demonstrated high-risk miRNA profiles and all benign cases demonstrated negative or low-risk miRNA profiles. Multiplatform molecular testing demonstrated 100% sensitivity, 87.5% specificity, 93.3% positive predictive value, and 100% negative predictive value in detecting malignant versus benign pathology in our population. Molecular analyses appear to be a valid adjunct to FNA in pediatric thyroid cancer evaluation. Incorporation of molecular diagnostics advances precision medicine in pediatric thyroid care and may better inform presurgical treatment stratification, mitigate risks associated with unnecessary procedures, and ultimately improve outcomes for children and adolescents with thyroid nodules. Presentation Date: Saturday, June 17, 2023


This paper collects work on the stability analysis of hybrid systems. The hybrid systems considered are those that combine continuous dynamics (represented by differential or difference equations) with finite dynamics, usually thought of as being a finite automaton. We review multiple Lyapunov functions as a tool for analyzing Lyapunov stability of general hybrid systems. Background results, the author's introductory work, and subsequent extensions are covered. Specializing to hybrid systems with linear dynamics in each constituent mode and linear jump operators, we review some key theorems of Barabanov-Staroshilov (1988), and give corollaries encompassing several recently-derived "stability by first approximation" theorems in the literature. We also comment on the use of computational tests for stability of hybrid systems, and the general complexity. The result is a tutorial on the state of the art in theory and computation of hybrid systems stability.


Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) has revealed peculiar properties of mobile dopants in correlated anti-ferromagnets (AFMs). But describing them theoretically, even in simplified toy models, remains a challenge. Here we study ARPES spectra of a single mobile hole in the $t-J$ model. Recent progress in the microscopic description of mobile dopants allows us to use a geometric decoupling of spin and charge fluctuations at strong couplings, from which we conjecture a one-to-one relation of the one-dopant spectral function and the spectrum of a constituting spinon in the \emph{undoped} parent AFM. We thoroughly test this hypothesis for a single hole doped into a 2D Heisenberg AFM by comparing our semi-analytical predictions to previous quantum Monte Carlo results and our large-scale time-dependent matrix product state (td-MPS) calculations of the spectral function. Our conclusion is supported by a microscopic trial wavefuntion describing spinon-chargon bound states, which captures the momentum and $t/J$ dependence of the quasiparticle residue. Our conjecture suggests that ARPES measurements in the pseudogap phase of cuprates can directly reveal the Dirac-fermion nature of the constituting spinons. Specifically, we demonstrate that our trial wavefunction provides a microscopic explanation for the sudden drop of spectral weight around the nodal point associated with the formation of Fermi arcs, assuming that additional frustration suppresses long-range AFM ordering. We benchmark our results by studying the cross-over from two to one dimension, where spinons and chargons are confined and deconfined respectively.


Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate whether/how youths' pre-existing beliefs regarding health-related topics influence their online searching behaviors, such as their selection of keywords and search results, their credibility assessments and the conclusions they draw and the uses they make (or do not make) of the information they find. More specifically, we sought to determine whether positive hypothesis testing occurs when youth search for health information online and to ascertain the potential impacts this phenomenon can have on their search behaviors, their ability to accurately answer health-related questions and their confidence in their answers. Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory field experiment was conducted with participants in an after-school program ("HackHealth"), which aims to improve the health literacy skills and health-related self-efficacy of middle-school students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Findings – Evidence of positive hypothesis testi...


As of the end of March 2020, the covid-19 pandemic has resulted in over 850 000 confirmed cases and an estimated 42 000 deaths worldwide.1 All agree that safe and effective therapies for treatment and prevention are urgently needed. In the midst of this rapidly progressing crisis, evidence has emerged suggesting that antimalarial medications, such as hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), may be efficacious for covid-19 treatment. After amplification from politicians, news outlets and social media, a rush to acquire supplies of HCQ resulted in worldwide shortages. Recent government policies may have exacerbated these issues, where wider use in both covid-19 treatment and prevention were authorised or recommended by India, the US Food and Drug Administration and other countries.2–4 In response to dwindling supplies, several US states have issued restrictions on HCQ use including limiting dispensation quantities and verifying indications.5–8 Rheumatologists, researchers and patient partners must advocate for the appropriate distribution and use of HCQ, as millions of people with rheumatic diseases worldwide depend on HCQ to control disease activity and maintain quality of life. In doing so, we must also remind ourselves to 'make haste slowly' ( festina lente ).

Emanuel et al 9 published a well-timed commentary suggesting the following principles for fairly allocating scarce resources during the covid-19 crisis: equal treatment, attempts to maximise benefits and prioritising the most vulnerable. These recommendations echo prior guidance published in 2016 by the WHO on how to address future infectious disease outbreaks.10 The report cautioned that 'special attention should be given to ensuring that persons who face heightened susceptibility to harm or injustice during infectious disease outbreaks are able to contribute to decisions about infectious disease outbreak planning and response'. This ethical framework offers health systems a structure for approaching the use and distribution of HCQ during the covid-19 pandemic to minimise …


For many years now, Patricia Ebrey has had a relationship with Emperor Huizong; not a physical relationship, although the many piles of notes Ebrey accumulated over the years must have felt like a ...


We describe two generations of PentiumB-processor based MCMs. We identify the driving factors for the design, describe the designs, discuss the design issues and solutions, and report on results from thermal and EMI tests.


We present results of a solid state Raman laser that is transversely pumped by a Nd:YAG laser. A novel resonator configuration allows active compression of the Nd:YAG pump pulse into a short pulse, eyesafe output.


The freshwater ichthyofauna of the Cubatao River basin was studied. This drainage belongs to the Atlantic rainforest biome in Parana state coastal region, southern Brazil. Considering fish collection data and extensive new collections, 41 species were listed of the families Characidae, Erythrinidae, Crenuchidae, Curimatidae, Heptapteridae, Pseudopimelodidae, Callichthyidae, Trichomycteridae, Loricariidae, Gymnotidae, Cichlidae, Anablepidae, Poeciliidae, and Synbranchidae. The river studied showed the ichthyofaunistic pattern of the coastal drainages of the Atlantic rainforest biome of southeastern Brazil, characterized by a high degree of endemism. A key for species identification is provided.


The appeal of portable electronic devices is growing gradually, which increases the demand for flexible and renewable energy storage devices. Hybrid materials can be used as renewable and flexible electrode material for this kind of devices. Organic–inorganic hybrid materials represent a creative substitute to design new materials and composites by accepting advantages of both materials. This paper reports the possibility of renewable cellulose and graphene composite as an electrode material for energy storage device such as supercapacitor. The morphology and structure of the nanocomposite are studied using scanning electron microscope and Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy. The performance of the composite as supercapacitor electrode material is evaluated by cyclic voltammograms and galvanostatic charge-discharge curves.


The wetting of graphite by liquid aluminium was studied by sessile drop method.
The results show that in accordance with the variation of contact angle with time, the wetting
process may be divided into three dynamic stages: nonwetting, abrupt change and gradual wetting.
At the first stage, the contact angle between drop surface covered by aluminium oxide film and
graphite substrate was very large; while at the last stage, the formation of Al_4C_3 at the interface
of aluminium and graphite led to the decrease of contact angle gradually. The transition point
from the second stage to the last one is defined as the "actual contact angle" by the authors,
which can be used as an exact indication of wettability. By increasing the temperature, the wet-
ting of graphite by liquid aluminium may be improved.


The paper deals with risks and criticality of bridges because they are the critical spots of critical infrastructure, which is the important public asset. In detail, it pursues the risks and criticality of bridges on over ground roads and railroads from the view of ensuring the safety of this important element of critical infrastructure. It gives the results of research carried out by critical assessment of causes of collapses of important bridges by help of historical data from the whole world. By critical analysis of data, it determines the causes of risks that led to bridge failures. For safety improvement in practices, it gives the items, the contributions of which to criticality need to be monitored and respected in the bridge design and operation. Keywords—Bridge; critical infrastructure, criticality, risk, safety.


The recent deaths of more than 13,000 French elderly in the European heat wave of 2003 revealed cracks in the social foundation of urban communities, here and abroad. The breakdown occurred in community services, neighborhood networks, and governmental agencies that were responsible for warning of impending dangers to at-risk elderly. This paper provides a profile of the at-risk elderly, the means to reach them, and a plan to match needs to resources.


Endothelial inflammatory responses promote the development and progression of atherosclerosis. It was reported that Toll‐like receptors 2 (TLR2) is associated with endothelial inflammation. However, the effect of TLR2 on inflammatory responses in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) remains largely unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that TLR2 can enhance inflammatory reactions in HCAECs after stimulated by TLR2 agonist. First, we used CRISPR‐Cas9 technology to knockout TLR2 gene in HCAECs. Then, TLR2‐KO and wild type HCAECs were treated with TLR2 agonist peptidoglycan (PGN). The expression levels of intercellular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) were analyzed by real‐time PCR, Western blot, and ELISA. The expression status of myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88), phosphorylated IRAK‐1 (pIRAK‐1) and phosphorylated NF‐κB (pNF‐κB) were detected by Western blot. Our results show that after treated with TLR2 agonist, the expression levels of ICAM‐1, IL‐6, and IL‐8 were downregulated in TLR2‐KO cells compared to those of wild type cells. Further, Western blots of MyD88, pIRAK‐1, and pNF‐κB show that the expression levels of these pro‐inflammatory molecules were much lower in TLR2‐KO cells compared to that of wild type cells by stimulating with TLR2 agonist. We suggest that TLR2 may affect inflammatory reaction in HCAECs by introducing pro‐inflammatory molecules like MyD88, pIRAK‐1, and pNF‐κB.


1959 SUMMARY A method is given for representing the results of wind-tunnel tests of fan wings in a non-dimensional form suitable for the analysis of transition mQtion3. The procedure takes into account the effect on power requirements of variation of thrust engine loading in relation to that of the fan. As an example, results are displayed of tests of a rectangular wing of aspect ratio I with fan located at 0.354 chord. It appears that transition from hovering to wing-supported flight is more economically made at the highest angle of incidence of the tests, 12'. Further research is required to ascertain how much this result is affected by variations in wing andfan geometry. The effects of an 0.3g horizontal acceleration and of deflection of fan efflux by a flat plate cascade on the power requirements are also considered.


One of the major initial tasks of the Space Systems Integration and Operations Research Applications (SIORA) Program was the application of automation and robotics technology to all aspects of the Shuttle tile processing and inspection system. The SIORA Program selected a nonlinear systems engineering methodology which emphasizes a team approach for defining, developing, and evaluating new concepts and technologies for the operational system. This is achieved by utilizing rapid prototyping testbeds whereby the concepts and technologies can be iteratively tested and evaluated by the team. The present methodology has clear advantages for the design of large complex systems as well as for the upgrading and evolution of existing systems.


A dramatic evolution can be observed in cellular wireless communication. It started from analog 2G (global system for mobile communication) toward high-data-rate systems such as 3G (wideband code-division multiplexing access), 3.5G (high-speed packet access), 4G (long-term evolution (LTE) and LTE advanced), and currently converging in a more optimized and compact 5G (orthogonal frequency-division multiple access) form. The main challenges for designing of mobile terminal antennas are the compact size requirement of the built-in structure, multiband capabilities, and the number of integrated antennas that form a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) terminal system. Moreover, they are required to fulfill all performance and safety standards. For mobile antennas, their radiation efficiency may be affected by the interaction of user head/hand, which consequently affects the correlation of MIMO antenna systems. This paper provides an overview of user effect on mobile terminal antennas in the last seven years. An overview of the Cellular Telecommunication and Internet Association specifications for mobile terminal antennas will first be explained. This is followed by a discussion on the user's effects on MIMO parameters, channel capacity on mobile terminal antennas, and millimeter-wave applications prior to the presentation of recent technologies that are aimed at improving the antenna performance. Finally, a perspective and potential future investigations on mobile terminal antennas will be discussed in the conclusion.


Presents implementation results using the discrete-time adaptive prediction and control techniques introduced in Spooner and Passino (1998, 1997) and Spooner and Ordonez (1996,1997). We consider a process control experiment as our testbed, and develop a discrete-time adaptive predictor for liquid volume and a discrete-time adaptive controller for reference volume tracking. We use Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems as our function approximators, and for both prediction and control we investigate the use of a least-squares update of the fuzzy system's parameters.


The synthesis of some new 3'-azido-3'-C-substituted pyrimidine nucleoside analogues is described. The key step is the geminal disubstitution of an appropriated ketone carbohydrate, via the regioselective ring opening of the corresponding tosyl-epoxide derivative.


This article noted execution of compulsories of every group in National Juvenile Aerobics Championship in 2004 (Xi'an tourmament area )by the means of observing method ,analyzed developmental state of juvenile aerobics and existent problem in training at present in our country.The purpose is to provide reference for exercise more comprehensive development and popularization and to discover and train future athletes for aerobic sports.


A Research Proposal submitted to Mzumbe University in Partial Fulfilment of
the Requirements for Award of the Master Degree in MBA Corporate
Management


A fluorocarbon emulsion was synthesized and its structure speculated based on infrared spectrum.A fluorocarbon exterior wall coating was prepared by using the emulsion.The coating formulation was optimized by orthogonal test and the optimal mass fractions of components were obtained as follows: emulsion 50%,TiO2 10%,talcum powder 12%,and mica powder 6%.The test results showed that all performance indexes of the coating meet the requirements of national standard.


Skills are a key driver for growth, employment and competitiveness: they lay the foundation for productivity and innovation. Investment in training is also an investment in innovation, since much technical change results from incremental innovations by skills workers and engineers on the factory floor.  The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship between technical and vocational acquired skills and skills required in job market. The study used questionnaires to collect data from 200 former graduates in technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Study findings provide precursory evidence that some of the skill provided in TVET like Interpersonal skills, Personal qualities, Ability to use numerical data, Critical analysis, teamwork and experience are below what is required in the job market. Nevertheless, TVET institutions were offering adequate skills equal to what employers require such as Management skills, Thinking skills and Creativity and innovative skills .As such to focus on achieving Millennium Developmental Goals (MDGs), Policies and approaches to technical and vocational education and training (TVET) need to undergone major re-adjustment to upgrade the skills of those employed in new industries. Keywords: Acquired Skills, Required Skills, TVET, TVSD, Job Market,


This article compiles the EP-RAT white papers for which we have received the authorization to put on line: "Detection of Extrasolar Planets in Circumstellar Disks" by S. Wolf "Atmospheric modeling: Setting Biomarkers in context" by L. Kaltenegger and F. Selsis "An optimized nulling ground based demonstrator for DARWIN: the ALADDIN proposal" by O. Absil et al. "Characterisation of zodiacal environment of stellar targets for future missions dedicated to the direct detection of (...)


Bispectrum, the three-point correlation function in Fourier space, is the lower-est order statistic that probes the shape of the large-scale structures generated by the gravitational clustering. The 2-dimensional density field in Fourier space has the same statistical properties as the 3-dimensional field, and the 2-dimensional fast Fourier transform (FFT) needs less computer memory than the 3-dimensional case, then the 2-dimensional FFT can overcome the limitation of the computation. With the 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional FFT, we measured the bispectrum from the weakly non-linear regime to strong non-linear regime using the high resolution N-body simulation with spectral index -1. In this work, all possible effects on the bispectrum measurement of the numerical artifacts, such as finite box size, force softening, particle discreteness, and the effect caused by the mass assignment using the FFT are considered and correted strictly. The measured results show that the reduced bispectrum depends on the shape and size of k-triangle even in the strongly non-linear regime, and increases with wavenumber. These results are in contrast with the hypothesis 'of pioneer. A new fitting formula for the reduced bispectrum is obtained from the measured results.


Introduction: Spinal anesthesia is a conventional way of anesthesia for cesarean section (CS), which nausea and vomiting is a common complication of it. Metoclopramide is the standard medication used for preventing intraoperative nausea and vomiting (IONV). Because of extrapyromidal side effects of Metoclopramide and known antiemetic effects of low-dose Propofol and Dexamethasone, this study was performed to compare the effectiveness of these drugs for preventing IONV. Materials and Methods: This study, is a randomized clinical trial which is done on 144 parturients who were admitted for emergency CS. Patients were divided randomly into four groups and received: Metoclopramide 0.1 mg/kg IV, Dexamethasone 150 g/kg IV, Propofol 0.1mg/kg every 5 minutes from clamping umbilical cord till the end of operation and the fourth group received 2 ml distilled water. During the operation parturients were monitored for IONV. Data was analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and one way ANOVA. Results: The Number of patients having nausea was lowest in Propofol and highest in Dexamethasone group. There was no statistical significant difference between Dexamethasone and placebo groups. The lowest rate of vomiting was in Metoclopramide and Propofol groups and there was no significant difference between them. Also the lowest level of retching was in the Prepofol group. Conclusion: According to results, the antiemetic effects of Propofol and Metoclopramide are similar. Amount of retching in Propofol was slightly lower than Metoclopramide and administration of Propofol was simple, cheap and without serious complications, so we recommend it for emergency CS.


In vitro synthesized 5' portions of mouse 18S rRNA are cleaved efficiently at a specific site in partially purified extracts of mouse FM3A cells and several mouse tissues. This activity is composed of both protein and RNA, and can be reconstituted with the protein component in micrococcal nuclease-treated extracts and the RNA component in phenol-treated ones. The RNA component of about 65 nucleotides with the complementing activity was purified from total RNA in the partially purified FM3A cell extracts by polyacrylamide gel electrophoreses. Chemical sequencing of this RNA elucidated that it is tRNAArg lacking nine nucleotides from its 3' terminus. Ribonuclease H treatment directed by deoxyoligonucleotides complementary to tRNAArg completely abolishes the cleavage activity, supporting the above conclusion.


The areas of technical and mechanical challenges associated with designing portable testers are examined; e.g., environment, accuracy, vertical compatibility, human interface, diagnostic capability, utility and portability. The approaches suggested are based on experience, maintenance philosophy, and present and anticipated technologies. Challenges in designing portable test equipment that require careful tradeoffs and innovative approaches are discussed.<<ETX>>


Objective To evaluate the quality of methodologies of clinical guidelines on the bipolar disorder by using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation(AGREE Ⅱ).Methods Clinical guidelines from home and abroad that met the study criteria were retrieved from the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure,Chongqing VIP database for Chinese Technical Periodicals,WANFANG DATA,Chinese Biological Medical Literature Database,PubMed,OVID,BMJ Best Practice,Dynamed,ISI Web of Knowledge,National Guideline Clearinghouse(NGC),Guidelines International Network(G-I-N),Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network(SIGN),and other related websites.Search words were bipolar disorder and clinical guideline.The quality of methodologies of these clinical guidelines was evaluated based on the AGREEⅡ.Results Seventeen clinical guidelines were selected.The overall median domain scores of AGREEⅡ showed that the best-performing domains were clarity of presentation(83%)and scope and purpose(69%),and followed by rigour of development(40%)and stakeholder involvement(31%).Editorial independence(25%)and applicability(15%)got the lowest scores.The scores of rigour of development,clarity of presentation,applicability,stakeholder involvement and scope and purpose of the evidence-based guidelines were higher than those of the expert consensus guidelines.The score of editorial independence of Chinese guideline on prevention and treatment of bipolar disorder was zero and its scores were lower than the overall median scores of other fourteen evidence-based guidelines.Conclusion The overall quality of methodologies of evaluated clinical guidelines on bipolar disorder cannot meet the criteria of AGREE Ⅱ,AGREE Ⅱ is recommended to be used to develop and update the clinical guidelines.


The Composite Cryotank Technology Demonstration (CCTD) project under NASA's Game Changing Development Program (GCDP) developed space technologies using advanced composite materials. Under CCTD, NASA funded the Boeing Company to design and test a number of element-level joint specimens as a precursor to a 2.4-m diameter composite cryotank. Preliminary analyses indicated that the y-joint in the cryotank had low margins of safety; hence the y-joint was considered to be a critical design region. The y-joint design includes a softening strip wedge to reduce localized shear stresses at the skirt/dome interface. In this paper, NASA-developed analytical models will be correlated with the experimental results of a series of positive-peel y-joint specimens from Boeing tests. Initial analytical models over-predicted the experimental strain gage readings in the far-field region by approximately 10%. The over-prediction was attributed to uncertainty in the elastic properties of the laminate and a mismatch between the thermal expansion of the strain gages and the laminate. The elastic properties of the analytical model were adjusted to account for the strain gage differences. The experimental strain gages also indicated a large non-linear effect in the softening strip region that was not predicted by the analytical model. This non-linear effect was attributed to delamination initiating in the softening strip region at below 20% of the failure load for the specimen. Because the specimen was contained in a thermally insulated box during cryogenic testing to failure, delamination initiation and progression was not visualized during the test. Several possible failure initiation locations were investigated, and a most likely failure scenario was determined that correlated well with the experimental data. The most likely failure scenario corresponded to damage initiating in the softening strip and delamination extending to the grips at final failure.


In wireless mesh networks using unlicensed radio frequency band, how to adaptively and efficiently allocate spectrum among multiple wireless nodes according to the surrounding environment is an important issue. Cognitive radio that includes functionalities of radio environmental awareness and intelligent radio resource management in an opportunistic way is regarded as the great candidate to enable the efficient utilization of radio resource. In order to fully exploit radio resources and enhance spectrum efficiency based on cognitive radio to wireless mesh networks, this paper proposes dynamic subcarrier selection technique and CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) based MAC layer protocol for wireless mesh networks. In the proposed technique, based on the detection of available spot-wise subcarriers using the subcarrier-level carrier sense and the estimation of channel conditions, data packet is transmitted using unused discrete subcarriers having good channel conditions. Numerical results confirm that the proposed dynamic subcarrier selection technique is effective in utilizing radio resources and enhance spectrum efficiency. Moreover, because multiple nodes can get the transmission opportunity at the same time, the degradation in transmission performance due to the contention between multiple nodes can be solved.


The purpose of the conference was to provide a high-level and friendly platform for experts in numerical algebra and scientific computing to report state-of-the-art research results, exchange new ideas, and discuss future developments. The talks demonstrate the present activity in these areas and illustrate the diversity of the ongoing research. The top-ics discussed include preconditioning and iterative methods for large sparse systems of linear and nonlinear equations such as standard and generalized saddle-point problems, for least-squares problems in matrix and tensor forms, for linear and nonlinear matrix equations such as algebraic Riccati equations, and for linear and nonlinear eigenvalue problems; modulus-based matrix splitting iteration methods for linear and nonlinear complementarity problems; sinc discretiza-tions for linear ordinary differential equations; fast preconditioned and iterative methods for fractional partial differential equations; and sparse and structured matrix computations, as well as parallel computing. Applications to computational fluid dynamics, image restoration, elliptic optimal control, computerized tomography image reconstruction, and liquid crystal modelling were presented.


Forty-two SD rats were used and divided into three groups:normal controls,pseudooperation group and operation group.Cerebral contusion was produced by dropping weight.The traumatic brain injury model was built successfully and contents of SOD and MDA in cerebral contusion tissue were measured.Results:show that MDA values of the traumatic right hemisphere were siginificantly higher than that of the normal control group and pseudooperation group.SOD activity of the traumatic hemisphere was lower than that of the other two groups(P0.05).It suggests that lipid peroxidation took place in the traumatic cerebrum,and free radicals played the role in tissue damage due to ischemia and bleeding.Values of plasama MDA in stroke rats also damaged siginificantly after brain injury.These findings show that lipid peroxidation maybe take place not only in brain but also in other parts of the body after traumatic brain injury. [


Seeds of four cultivars of sorghum (Contibrasil 102, DA E-57, Pioneer 8417 and TEY 101) produced at three localities (Campinas, Manduri, and Mococa), in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, had their quality evaluated after different periods of storage. Germination, first count and rapid aging tests, were used for this purpose. Germination and vigor were already low after two months of storage, and variations were also noted in relation with locations and cultivars. Best results were obtained with seeds of the hybrid Contibrasil 102 produced in Manduri.


"With the police", says the author, "there is little new, and the controversies of a hundred years ago are still alive. In a way, the progress of police administration can be seen as a parade". The same interest groups, among the public and among the police, reappear with their bands lustily playing and the crowds applauding. It is a parade says Professor Reppetto (and remember that he was Commander of Detectives in Chicago before becoming a Doctor of Public Administration at Harvard), because the prime task of the police is to express the moral values of the society which the organization serves. If the police can get the public to support their conception of morality, they win the day. The ability of the police to serve as the defenders of morality depends upon who controls their pay and conditions of service, and to what ends. Professor Reppetto explores the opportunities and handicaps of the police comparatively, believing that only from such a perspective is any real understanding of policing possible. In a most readable manner he reviews the experience of England between 1748 and 1890; New York, 1845-1913; Boston ("Europe in America"), 1854-1943;the state police of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, 19051940; New York again (and the Fall of Tammany Hall), 1914-1945; Chicago, 1857-1945; California, 1901-1942; the Federal police agencies, 1850-1945. He concludes that the level of order .in British cities permitted a "community service model" of policing (and a position of moral advantage?) but American police were faced by the perennial problems of vice and gangs. So long as there were services that the public wanted, organizations arose to meet the demand, illegal or not. If the service was illegal, the supplying organization needed to square the authorities, and American systems of municipal government offered them ways of doing so.


In numerous applications, multi-phase ow takes place on a huge spatial domain and occurs over large time scales. In most cases, however, complex ow regimes occur only in small regions of the domain. For example, if CO2 is injected into brine-bearing formations, saline groundwater might propagate along a pressure gradient induced by the injection, thereby putting freshwater resources at risk. In addition it is of interest whether the CO2 could leak back into the atmosphere, and which kind of pathways allow for such rising up from the deep underground. A risk evaluation requires simulations on a large domain, including local features such as fault zones and a representation of the transient saline front. In these areas, the numerical solution bene ts from a ne grid resolution. However, it is computationally very expensive or even impossible with standard hardware resources to simulate uid ow on such a ne grid in the entire domain during the whole simulation time. Local grid adaptation can decrease the computational cost of simulations. It is one way to reduce the number of global degrees of freedom and thus the size of the system of equations that has to be solved.


Recommendation systems (RS) are used for extracting data on the basis of rating and interest provided by the users on a particular item. In the current era, the world is relying more on RS to get the relevant data. To increase the efficiency of RS, Multi-Objective Optimization (MOO) is integrated with it. MOO is a branch of a multi-criteria decision-making scheme. MOO considers different conflicting objectives to optimize the results. The combination of MOO and RS will enhance the reliability of recommendations because the recommendations are provided by using different intentions of users with diverse requirements. This paper performs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on the articles that use MOO and RS with each other. The SLR is performed on 26 studies that are extracted from the study selection procedure. These 26 articles are then analyzed through different perspectives such as their domains, the method they have used, and evaluation techniques adopted, and the overall research trend of M-RS. The result shows that the application of MOO in field of RS is most popular among generic RS rather than specific RS. Furthermore, the results reflect that the MovieLens dataset has the highest popularity as 13 studies used it for the evaluation of their techniques. In the future, more research questions will be proposed to have a more in-depth insight into this field.


Karel Davids, Low countries, faraway horizons. The relation between nature, landscape and 'Dutch' identity in a comparative perspective How did nature, landscape and identity in the Netherlands become intertwined during the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries? And more particularly, how was this development linked up with changes in the relationship between the Netherlands and other parts of the globe? These are the key questions addressed in this essay. The article argues that the growing interconnection between nature, landscape and identity can only partly be explained by home-grown traditions, such as the increased cooperation between science and capital or the presence of a highly developed art of landscape painting. In many respects, developments in the Netherlands showed in fact striking parallels and connections with developments in other areas of the world. Numerous elements in the newly-emerged view of nature and landscape were adopted from abroad and Dutchmen ardently projected their own national ambitions and pretensions in confrontations with wild nature and foreign rivals outside their territory along the North Sea. Thus, the `Dutch' identity was also constructed in the jungle of the East-Indies and the thin air of the Alps.


Abstract Indicators of market power can be ambiguous because cost economies associated with scale and not market imperfections may influence results. This article illustrates that without direct measures of concentration, estimates of costs, scale economies and profitability can be used to identify market power in banking. Secondly, via this method, econometric estimates provide meaningful evidence of market power in the South African banking sector over the study sample period (1979–1998). A reasonable conclusion is that while industrial structure is important, careful consideration needs to be given to cost economies and profitability when assessing market power. In addition, there is a need to consider appropriate policy to reduce market power in banking in South Africa.


The impregnation of 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid (HQS) onto an anionic strong base resin Lewatit MP 600 is described. The procedure was carried out by mixing HQS with Lewatit MP 600 in water, instead of in organic solvents generally used in solvent impregnated resins (SIRs). The maximum impregnation is 0.95 mmol of HQS/g of Lewatit MP 600. The HQS-impregnated resin was used in a flow injection system incorporating a mini-column for cadmium chelation. Measured cadmium breakthrough curves were used to study the influence of various impregnated HQS, the influent concentration of cadmium, and the packed HQS-Lewatit MP 600, on cadmium binding. By increasing the impregnated HQS from 0.098 to 0.830 mmol/g of Lewatit MP 600, column capacity increased from 11.29 to 52.57 mmol Cd/L of HQS-Lewatit MP 600. Increasing the influent concentration of Cd reduced the column capacity due to a concurrent increase of competing anion (ClO4 −). This in turn reduced the stability of cadmium complex in the resin phase. Varying the amounts of HQS-Lewatit MP 600 packed in a mini-column caused variations in Cd binding. A 450 mg quantity of 0.95 mmol HQS/g of Lewatit MP 600 can remove cadmium from an initial value of 1 ppm to 30 ppb (detection limit of our instrument). Cadmium and partially impregnated HQS can be eluted by 2 mol/L HNO3 and the resin can be regenerated to impregnate HQS for further cadmium complexation.


The two objectives of this study were to investigate and find methods to successfully integrate cow data in the bull reference population for genomic evaluation and to investigate the effect of adding reference cows on the DGV reliability for conformation traits and claw health. Information from about 25,000 bulls and about 15,000 cows was available. Bulls were genotyped with the Illumina 50K SNP chip and the cows with the Illumina 10K SNP chip. All animals were imputed to an equal 50K SNP set. After SNP edits 37,995 SNP remain for all animals. As phenotypes, yield deviations, deregressed proofs (DRPs) with adjustments for cows and DRPs calculated based on matrix deregression will be used. The three kinds of phenotypes will be validated to investigate the effect on the reliability of direct genomic value for conformation traits and claw health.


This study examined the effectiveness of using a comprehensive approach to stuttering with school-age children who stutter (CWS) during an intensive 5-day clinic. Procedures and outcomes from a 5-d...


The high cooling rates reached during metal additive manufacturing (MAM) generate microstructures very different from those obtained by other conventional manufacturing methods. Therefore, research about the modeling of this type of microstructure is of great interest to the MAM community. In this work, the prediction of the lamellar spacing of an AlSi10Mg sample manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), is presented. A multiscale approach is used, combining a CALPHAD (Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry) model to predict the material properties, with a macroscale model of the sample manufacturing and with a microscale model to predict the microstructure. The manufacturing and metallographic characterization of the sample is also included. The results prove that the multiscale strategy followed is a valid approximation to simulate this type of manufacturing process. In addition, it is shown that the use of a generic simulation software focused on metal casting processes can be useful in predicting the lamellar spacing of the microstructure manufactured by LPBF. Finally, the relationship between the cooling rate and the resulting lamellar spacing has been established for this AlSi10Mg under the specific manufacturing conditions considered.


There are two ways in which the study of Southern Zapotec tone is most interesting. First, most studies in historical linguistics focus on segments rather than tone, and historical studies of tone are often more about tonogenesis than about changes that take place within long-standing tonal families. Thus, this study has the potential to add to our knowledge of what kinds of changes affect tone languages as they continue to evolve. Secondly, Zapotec languages are not only closely related in the genetic sense but they also exist in a linguistic area, where changes easily diffuse across genetic boundaries. In the end this and other difficulties encountered in the reconstruction are ones familiar from segmental reconstruction, and prompt questions about the nature of reconstruction itself, what its true end result is, and what benefit it has. that Zapotec languages, and the Otomanguean family to which they belong, have had tonal contrasts for thousands of years, yet most historical studies of Zapotec have ignored tone (excepting Swadesh 1947 and the unpublished work of Joseph Benton). Beam de Azcona (in press) is a historical study which compares five modern varieties and proposes a reconstruction of the ProtoSouthern-Zapotec tonal system. That study is of special interest to Zapotecanist scholars, but challenges encountered in making the reconstruction should be of interest to a wider audience of linguists. The present paper is an account of what these difficulties were and what can be learned from them.


United States Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center,National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Chief Scientist: Nathaniel Plant. Instrument deployment, automated imaging system data of field activity 10DVS01 (G-T1-10-FL) in Cape Canaveral, FL from 04/20/2010 to 04/22/2010, http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/infobank/g/gt110fl/html/g-t1-10-fl.meta.html.


Peter Hall firstname.lastname@example.com is an assistant professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Waterloo, where he also is Director of the Local Economic Development Program. His research addresses the economic development role of seaports, airports, and other public institutions, as well as employment and local wage policies. Before commencing his doctoral studies at the University of California at Berkeley, he worked in the Economic Development Unit of the Durban Metropolitan Council.


Objectives  – Quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) can be used to measure the effects of drugs on the brain. We studied the effects of rivastigmine on the qEEG in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with dementia.


Under the background of "Belt and Road Initiative", railway, especially high-speed railway as an important part of infrastructure connectivity, are welcomed by countries along "Belt and Road". Along the export of railway infrastructure and facility, education export plays an crucial role for promotion of China railway technology and standards. This paper analyzes the existing high-speed railway training mode and resources, summarizes the existing international and domestic standard and procedure for technical training, and then puts forward with the proposals for international to foreign railway technological and management personnel of targeted country.


Peculiar ring gap modes on the surface of disk close to the metallic thin film are excited in the visible light regime. We apply plasmon hybridization method to illustrate the ring gap modes arising from the interaction between localized disk plasmons and continuum surface plasmons, which cannot be easily excited by the plane wave with polarization parallel to the film interface. In the coupled system, the hybrid modes energy and the surface charge distribution of nanoparticle are investigated both in simulation and hybridization method, showing consistence with each other. The excitation of ring gap modes provides further insight into strong coupling of the plasmon and the design of novel nanostructures.


The period 1995 to 2005 was one of significant turbulence for Ontario colleges marked by increasing globalization, immigration, disruptions in the labour market, new technologies and dramatic reductions in government operating grants. The thesis studies how colleges responded to those strategic challenges and finds that (1) the strategies of colleges were more alike than different, (2) the strategic content of the texts was relatively weak and (3) attention to the organizational field was limited.


Concentrations of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in the livers of pregnant, mature ewes and their 110 day foetuses, and in 6-month old lambs born to other ewes, were determined. The animals had been reared on pastures fertilized for 5 years with either sewage sludge (treated; T) or conventional inorganic fertilizer (control; C). The effects of treatment on patterns of accumulation of PTMs differed with stage of development and with individual PTM. In the liver of lambs, concentrations of Pb were elevated in T compared with C liver ( P P P


Desired Results Actions Team Members ♦ Decrease disease burden ♦ Decrease percentage of disease burden in younger age groups ♦ 85% of adolescents will have completed all their vaccinations o Create measuring system o Health vision 2010 will have to be checked ♦ Parent awareness for this age group. ♦ Educate Children in schools ♦ Create rewards for children ♦ Intensive Education Public, Md's, Med Assoc, MD staff ♦ Address cost benefit ♦ Align vaccination with other routine visits ♦ Engage kids in educating other kids ♦ Schools send home information at the end of the school year April/may, instead of the beginning of school year ♦ Communicate provider best practices ♦ Mode of communication to adolescents ♦ Address health curriculum ♦ Utilize school health advisory councils Incorporate in sports physical forms ♦ Dr. Jason V. Terk, Texas Pediatric Society/Cook Children's Hospital ♦ Frankie Milley, Meningitis Angels ♦ Susan Griffin, Texas Medical Association; ♦ Shelley Bjorkman, Health and Human Services Commission ♦ Carrie Kroll, Texas Pediatric Society ♦ Dr. R. Moss Hampton, Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ♦ Ed Kothera, Sanofi Pharmaceuticals


The concept of water addition to the IC engine has been around for over 50 years. Diesel engines are nominated for highly emission producer like NOx, CO, CO2 and HC. These emissions are highly depending upon the combustion chamber temperature which is exceeding up to 750 K. Therefore by controlling peak combustion chamber temperature NOx formation can be controlled effectively. The latent heat of evaporation of water is 2256 kJ/kg. In the study, water injection method is applied to a Single cylinder diesel engine to control NOx emissions. Water injected in intake manifold of diesel engine is by using calibrated burette. For Constant compression ratio, 9, 16, 38ml/min water mass supply to engine. Results are observed for 1 to 8 load condition. The obtained results are compared with conventional diesel engine in terms of NOx, CO, CO2, HC emissions. In the experimental results, it is determined that the engine NOx,decreased and CO, CO2, HC increased.


Cucurbitacin R, a natural anti‐inflammatory product, has been shown to exhibit activity against both adjuvant‐induced arthritis and delayed‐type hypersensitivity reactions induced by various agents. Previous studies have demonstrated that the effects of cucurbitacin R stem from its inhibition of both cytokine production and lymphocyte proliferation.


A study was made of the kinetics of the delayed fluorescence generated as a result of triplet-triplet annihilation of excitations of organic molecules in solid solutions. The case of pulsed excitation of the fluorescence during the initial stages of its decay, including the stage when the delayed fluorescence began to dominate the global signal, was investigated. A comparison of the experimental results with a theoretical analysis made it possible to determine more accurately the values of the parameters governing the triplet-triplet annihilation in the investigated systems


A list of 89 lichen taxa is reported from the provinces of Afyonkarahisar and Isparta. Fifteen taxa from Afyonkarahisar and 38 from Isparta are new records for these provinces.


Synchronously Parallel fiber optical interconnection technologies are attractive for high- throughput computer and switching systems, such as massively parallel computers and ATM switches. Because they would be able to eliminate a connection bottleneck caused by conventional copper cables using optical fibers featured in high-speed and long-distance transmission and wiring1). We have proposed optical interconnection with 12-channel fully- integrated CMOS-interface modules for low skew and error-free unformatted data(DC- 250Mbit/s) transmission2,3). This paper reports on our error-free(80 hours) 600MB/s(4.8Gbit/s) data transmission between switching LSIs designed for the massively parallel processing computer4).


The position coordinate determination method in the indoor location system, Jean obtained in the process of selecting the three fixed node of the fixed node of the specific number and the selected fixed node selection gamyeo each other alternately to two different fixed node to the process to obtain the line of intersection and, the above process repeated until the selected gamyeo each other of the line of intersection turns the other two intersection process to obtain the point of intersection to the intersection to be determined by one fixed node, a certain number of one another selected alternately for the other three fixing nodes to be obtained both obtaining a mean value of the process, the obtained point of intersection to be performed characterized in that it comprises the step of estimating the location of the mobile node. Indoor positioning, coordinate, node, intersection, intersection


Conventional mesa isolation in InAlAs/InGaAs HFETs results in the gate coming in contact with the exposed channel at the mesa sidewall, forming a parasitic gate-leakage path. The authors propose a simple method of recessing the channel edge into the mesa sidewall using a succinic-acid-based selective etchant for InGaAs over InAlAs. SEM photographs confirm the recessing of the channel along the sidewall. Special heterostructure diodes, designed with varying amounts of mesa-sidewall/gate-metal overlap, were fabricated with and without the sidewall isolation step. Electrical measurements confirm the complete elimination of sidewall leakage. for both diodes and HFETs.<<ETX>>


Background: The goal of antiepileptic therapy is to achieve complete seizure control with minimum adverse effects impacting negatively on the quality of life. The drugs available in the market for the treatment of epilepsy have their own new and unique adverse drug reaction profile.

Aims and Objective: To study the pattern of adverse drug events (ADEs) to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in a tertiary care teaching rural hospital in India.

Materials and Methods: Data of all the patients visited the Outpatient Department of Neuromedicine, Neurosurgery, and Paediatric Department of the Shree Krishna Hospital in the study duration and who received AEDs as treatment, irrespective of diagnosis, age or sex were collected after obtaining written informed consent from the patients. All the adverse events reported spontaneously as well as founded by researcher during the interview at each visit were recorded in the case record form with all necessary information.

Results: Total 112 ADEs were reported from 58 (36.25%) patients in 6-month follow-up. Central nervous system was most frequently affected with 68 (60.71%) ADEs followed by the gastrointestinal system (68, 60.71%). Phenytoin was most commonly suspected AEDs (with 39 cases) followed by carbamazepine (in 23 cases). Causality assessment by the WHO-UMC criteria most common association was possible in 75 (66.96%) cases, probable 21 (18.75%), certain 6 (5.36%), and conditional/unclassified 10 (8.93%). Similar result was obtained by Naranjo's criteria as possible 84 (75.00%), probable 22 (19.64%), and definite 6 (5.36%). 91 (80.36%) ADEs were not preventable by modified Schumock and Thornton scale. Severity assessment by Hartwig's criteria showed 79 (70.53%) ADEs as mild. Number of AEDs given per patient had a statistical correlation with ADEs.

Conclusions: There are higher chances of development of ADEs in patients taking AEDs. However, at individualized regimens, the burden of ADEs is likely to be related more to individual responsiveness, type of AEDs/AED combinations chosen, and physician treatment skills, intensive therapeutic surveillance, education about epilepsy and the importance of drug compliance, and psychosocial interventions.


The nonpoint source pollution control is in the beginning stage in Taiwan. The techniques of nonpoint source pollution control with Best Management Practices (BMPs) have also been under limited research. The soil and water conservation and environmental laws provide regulations that require the land developer to detain excessive stormwater runoff and sediment resulted from any significant development in the watershed. Most of stormwater quantity and quality controls have been designed at the local or on-site level, but not at the regional or watershed level in a comprehensive and systematic manner. The purpose of this study is to establish an optimization model for the optimal placement of structural Best Management Practices (BMPs) on the watershed scale. The complete model consists of two interacting components; i.e. a reservoir water quality model and an optimization model with genetic algorithms (GAs). This research chooses Fei-Tsui Reservoir and its watershed in northern Taiwan for case study. In the optimization model, the objective function is to minimize the total cost of BMPs and its constraints considering water quality standards for pollutant concentrations in rivers and reservoir. The model developed in the present study can be used as an efficient approach to the implementation of BMPs in the entire watershed to mitigate the impact of stormwater pollution on the receiving water bodies.


Menopause is recognized to have occurred after one year of amenorrhea, for which there is no other obvious pathological or physiological cause. Perimenopause should include the period immediately prior to the menopause (when the endocrinological, biological and clinical features of approaching menopause commence) and the first one year after menopause.

 The aim of the study is classification of patients into those with benign endometrial pathology and those with endometrial hyperplasia or carcinoma using endometrial volume and BMI.

 This observational cross sectional study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Ain Shams University Hospital from March 2019 till January 2020. The population of this study was 100 menopausal women with postmenopausal bleeding ≥12 months and endometrial thickness by TVUS ≥5 mm.

 According to histopathology of endometrial carcinoma, statistical analysis of our data revealed that age, menopausal duration and BMI were significantly highest. Parity was significantly lowest. Endometrial volume was significantly highest in carcinoma (7.9±2.9 cc). Age, menopausal duration, parity and endometrial volume had significant moderate diagnostic performance in predicting endometrial carcinoma but BMI had significantly low. Age ≥ 62.0, menopausal duration ≥ 11.0 and parity ≤3.0 had low diagnostic characteristics in diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma but endometrial volume ≥ 6.0 had high sensitivity but low other diagnostic characteristics in the diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma. According to histopathology of endometrial hyperplasia, statistical analysis of our data revealed that age, menopausal duration, BMI, parity and endometrial volume had no significant diagnostic performance in the diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia.

 In our study, analysis of data revealed that the using of transvaginal measurement of endometrial volume is the best predictor of endometrial cancer with a positive correlation with BMI.


With the intention of studying the fate of transplacentally transferred diphenylhydantoin (DPH, phenytoin) in the newborn infant, a mass fragmentographic analytic method has been developed, in which deuterium‐labeled DPH is used as internal standard. The analytic procedure permits precise determinations of DPH in 100 µl plasma samples in concentrations down to 0.01 µg per milliliter. Seven newborn infants of epileptic mothers treated with DPH throughout the pregnancy were studied during the first 4 to 9 days of life. The rate of plasma disappearance of DPH in the newborn infants was of the same order of magnitude as previously reported in adults. The initial parts of the plasma concentration curves indicated zero‐order disappearance of DPH. Nursing did not seem to affect the rapid plasma level decline in the babies until extremely low concentrations (0.1 p.g per milliliter) were reached. The arr,wunts of unchanged drug excreted in the urine were inSignificant. It is therefore concluded that babies born by mothers treated chronically with DPH are able to metabolize this drug effectively immediately after birth.


To investigate the effects of caloric restriction combined with physical training on the immunity in athletes, some cellular and humoral immune functions were examined in 9 young female athletes before and after a caloric restriction program. The control group consisted of 7 age-matched female non-athletes who were not on diet. The athletes continued their exercise trainings as usual and ate low-caloric diets (1,300 kcal/day : including 60 g/day of protein) for 2 weeks. They reduced their body weights by 3.1% and their body fats by 18.2% at the end of the program. As the marker of nutritional condition, serum levels of pre-albumin and retinol binding protein were measured. Both of them at the end of 2 weeks were slightly decreased, but did not reach statistical significance, these athletes, however, showed slight hemoconcentrations after the caloric restriction program combined with physical exercise. Therefore, the total amounts of those two substances were supposed to be significantly decreased. The phagocytic activities of blood monocytes against sheep erythrocytes opsonized with IgG and saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast in the athletes were already higher than those in controls, even before the caloric restriction. After reducing their body weights, those phagocytic activities were significantly decreased (p<0.01, respectively)to the same levels of those activities in controls. The blastgenic response of T lymphocytes isolated from the athletes to the phytohaemagglutinin was also higher than the response in controls before the caloric restriction, and continued the same levels during the caloric restriction period. The complement activity and the serum concentrations of IgG, IgM, and IgA in athletes were not different from those in controls before and after the caloric restriction. The concentration of fibronectin in sera of the athletes were significantly decreased after the caloric restriction program (p<0.05) ; however, these concentrations were not significantly different from those in sera of controls. We concluded that even a moderate caloric restriction program might reduce some immune functions in the athletes continuing their daily physical trainings. The deterioration in immunity, however, might not affect their health, because those functions in the athletes of this study had been originally enhanced, and maintained the normal range after a moderate weight reduction. (Jpn. J. Phys. Fitness Sports Med. 1989, 38 : 95•`104) key words : Diet. Reducing, Immunity. Cellular, Immunity. Humolal *筑 波大学 体 育 研 究 科Master's Program in Health and Physical Education,University 〒305茨 城 県 つ くば 市 天王 台1-1-1of Tsukuba,Tennodai 1-1-1,Tsukuba City,Ibaraki305 **筑 波大学 体 育 科 学 系Institute of Health and Sports Sciences,University of Tsukuba, 〒305茨 城 県 つ くぼ 市 天王 台1-1-1 Tennodai 1-1-1,Tsukuba City,Ibaraki 305 ***筑 波大学 臨 床 医 学 系Institute of Clinical Medicine,University of Tsukuba,Tennodai 〒305茨 城 県 つ くば市 天王 台1-1-11-1-1,Tsukuba City,Ibaraki305 ****鶴 見第 二保 健 所Health office of Tsurumi,Tsurumi-ku,Yokohama City, 〒230横 浜 市 鶴 見 区鶴 見 中央3-20-1Kanagawa 230 96 喜 多尾,松 田,河 野,芳 賀,福 島,小 西


A standard third harmonic frequency converter consists of a single doubler crystal and a subsequent mixer crystal. This converter configuration has optimum performance for monochromatic temporally flat pulses. Significant degradation of conversion efficiency occurs when the input pulses have large intensity variations or applied bandwidth. Calculations have shown that dynamic range can be increased and bandwidth sensitivity reduced by adding a second doubler crystal and second mixer crystal, respectively.


The purpose of this note is to extend in two respects some previous work of the writer on the wave equation of a particle in a central field of force which is a Coulomb field for sufficiently large r.


This paper presents a two stage trading model of a competitive dealership market. In the first stage, one among a group of risk averse market makers executes a public trade which contains some information. Details of this trade are not publicly disclosed. In the second stage, an inter-dealer market allows the market maker to offset her inventory position and exploit the information contained in the public order by trading with the other market makers. We show that the price of a trade in such a market depends in a nonlinear way on the informativeness and the size of the trade. We also show that public disclosure of trades in the first stage reveals the information contained in the trade and thus radically alters the structure of the market. We use our model to compare the competitive dealership market (with and without public disclosure) with the standard auction type market and to address some of the issues raised in the continuing public disclosure controversy at the London Stock Exchange.