Objective: To assess the therapeutic effects of metformin on insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism of polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS). Methods: Forty-five patients with PCOS were treated with oral administration of 500 mg metformin once and three times a day for 12 weeks.The following aspects were compared before and after the treatment: body weight index,insulin,insulin resistance index(HOMA IR), blood glucose, blood lipid, sex hormone concentration and ovulation rate.Results: After the metformin treatment, fasting insulin(FINS) level decreased from(18.50±6.50) mIU/L to (13.95±4.73) mIU/L(P0.01), the area under insulin curve decreased from(128.45±14.23) to (80.50±4.61)(P0.01),HOMA IR decreased from(4.08±1.16) to (2.73±0.85)(P0.01), the testosterone level deceased from (2.82±1.02)nmol/L to (2.21±0.75)nmol/L(P0.01),free testosterone index decreased from ( 8.45±1.85) to (5.48±1.06)(P0.01),sex hormone conjugating globulin level increased from (31.87±13.66)nmol/L to (39.24±14.24)nmol/L(P0.01). 27 cases with metformin treatment alone had restored menstrual cycle, ovulationary rate was 60%, 4 cases became pregnant. Conclusion: Metformin may ameliorate hyperandrogenism and resume ovulation by decreasing insulin level.


Rhodotorula mucilaginosa RM-1 was mutagenized by means of N+ implantation to obtain high-yield carotenoid producing mutants.The optimum dose of 10 keV N+ implantation was 2.0 × 1014 ion/cm2 and the best mutant(RM-21) revealed a 60.85% increase in carotenoid production when compared with the original strain.This mutant remained stable after the 10th passage and thus could be used for industrial production.Further investigations were conducted to optimize solid-state fermentation conditions for the production of carotenoid from corn flour and rice by mutant RM-21.The optimum fermentation conditions were determined as follows: a 3:1(m/m) mixture of corn flour and rice with 75% added water as fermentation substrate,4.0 g/L of glucose concentration,2.5 g/L of NH4NO3 concentration,initial pH 6.0 and 10% of inoculum size.The fermentation time was 96 h and consisted of two stages: the fermentation temperature was 33 ℃ in the first 84 h and 28 ℃ in the following 12 h.Under these conditions,the yield of carotenoid was 7.04 μg/g dry matter,which revealed a 20.96% increase compared with constant temperature fermentation.


A decline in mitochondrial activity has been linked to T cell dysfunction and the progression of a variety of diseases. It is unclear whether the mitochondrial function in regulatory T cells (Tregs) determines effector T cell fate decisions and regulates steady-state inflammation. We show that loss of Mitochondrial Transcription Factor A in Foxp3+ Tregs (TFAM cKO) affects the cellular and transcriptional dynamics of CD4+ T cells, resulting in disproportional cellular heterogeneity and prevalence of pathogenic CD4+ T cell subsets. Failure to modulate CD4+ T cell responses results in systemic inflammation, immunological aging, and shortened lifespans in TFAM cKO mice. Furthermore, we found that TFAM heterozygous (Het) mice with 50% allelic restoration had a progressive decrease in physiological, cognitive, and neuromuscular activity starting at 8 months, implying that the TFAM Het mouse model has the potential to be used for in-depth research on age-related inflammatory diseases. Overall, TFAM depletion in Tregs explains the steady-state reduction in Treg function with age. TFAM restoration in Tregs could be a target for preserving the homeostatic CD4+ T cell pool and avoiding cognitive impairments caused by inflammation induced aging (inflammaging).


Heavy metals and topological insulators are promising materials for converting charge current into spin current for efficient manipulation of magnetization states in magnetic devices [1]–[5]. One of the most important parameters is the charge-to-spin conversion (CS) efficiency. Improving CS efficiency is critical for reducing write current of the emerging nonvolatile memory technology, spin-orbit torque MRAM (SOT-MRAM) [2], which provides comparable speed with SRAM but with a much higher memory capacity. Here, we measure CS efficiency in various topological insulators (TIs) using second-harmonic method (2eo-method) and obtain a record-high value 8.33±0.65 for insulating (BiSb)2 Te3 at room temperature. We first establish the consistency of CS efficiency obtained between spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance (ST-FMR) and 2eo-method. Then, we systematically investigate the CS efficiency in a bilayer consisting of a metallic Bi2Se3 and a CoFeB thin film using 2eo-method. By tuning the Fermi level of TI layer into bulk band gap using (BiSb)2 Te3, we improve the CS efficiency by an order of magnitude.


With the advent of advanced computer network and information technology and the popularity of Internet, computer supported cooperative applications in software and engineering environments have begun to emerge. However, most of them lack the support from database systems. The need for database support in these applications has become more important than ever before because of the critical role databases play in serving as the data repository and in facilitating the exchange of information. Object-oriented database systems have emerged as the best candidates for modeling cooperative applications due to their rich semantics and powerful modeling constructs. In this proposal, we will describe the design of an activity data model and its specification language for cooperative work in software development and engineering environments. The proposed activity data model is unique in that its data model consists of properties of both the object model and the process model, which are needed in effectively modeling cooperative applications. The proposed activity data model provides several key features, which current Computer Supported Cooperative Work systems lack, to model the dynamic behaviors of interacting objects in cooperative applications. These key features include an activity-based data model to capture the activeness and autonomy of objects, an association relationship for object notification and delegation, a user specifiable communication sequences for interacting objects, an actor/roles scenario for modeling objects'' dynamic behaviors, and a contract/responsibility mechanism to facilitate inherent constraints on objects. Thus, the proposed activity data model and its specification language can effectively support the needs of CSCW (Computer Supported Cooperative Work).


Rubber plantation of Batujamus, the largest plantation in Central Java Province and Tourism region of Sukuh Temple in Karanganyar regency, Central Java Province is taken as a case to focus discussion on the meaning of "A Place and Product Branding". This study aims to describe the concept of sustainable agro tourism with narrative description based on the consideration of "Finding a place and Product Branding Strategy". By using Multi-dimensional Scale of SPSS and Factor Analysis, this research found out that the desire to stay in a comfortable and green areas and the nearness to hinduism religion temple as the reason why they prefer the Rubber Plantation of Batujamus as a temporary shelter when they visit it.


Polypropylene (PP) has been widely used for fabrication of hydrophobic microporous membrane due to its good thermal and chemical stability. However, the hydrophobicity of PP is inadequate to prevent membrane wetting which hinders its application in long-term operation of membrane contactor and other hydrophobic membrane processes. Endowing the membrane with superhydrophobicity has become an attractive way to improve wetting resistance. In this work, superhydrophobic PP membrane was prepared by coating with roughened polymer film. A simple technique of two-step dip-coating was used for deposition of the non-solvent solution and polymer solution. The effects of five non-solvent types were investigated, including ethanol, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), acetone, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and cyclohexanone. All non-solvents increased the surface roughness, leading to an improvement of membrane hydrophobicity. Superhydrophobic PP membranes with high water contact angle (WCA) of 150.4° and 151.3° have been successfully prepared by using IPA and MEK, respectively. Morphology characterization revealed that both modified membranes had more uniform and larger number of smaller aggregates which might minimize surface area in contact with liquid, resulting in increased contact angle. As the coating was conducted separately, the utilization of non-solvent could be more effective.


This investigation examined cognitive impairment as a predictor of the volume of community services used by older adults. Predictors of service volume were selected according to the modified Andersen framework and tested with 97 health care and 246 social service clients of a large multiservice agency. Results for health care clients showed that the effects of four predictors differ depending on clients' level of cognitive impairment; living arrangement, presence of secondary caregivers, client depression and task burden of the primary caregiver. No differences in predictor of social service use were observed for cognitively impaired and lucid clients.


This paper describes our system in SemEval-2018 task 12: Argument Reasoning Comprehension. The task is to select the correct warrant that explains reasoning of a particular argument consisting of a claim and a reason. The main idea of our methods is based on the assumption that the semantic composition of the reason and the warrant should be close to the semantic representation of the corresponding claim. We propose two neural network models. The first one considers two warrant candidates simultaneously, while the second one processes each candidate separately and then chooses the best one. We also incorporate sentiment polarity by assuming that there are kinds of sentiment associations between the reason, the warrant and the claim. The experiments show that the first framework is more effective and sentiment polarity is useful.


Commercially pure Ti Grade 2 was prepared by cryogenic attritor milling in liquid argon under different processing conditions. Two types of milling balls: stainless steel milling balls and tungsten carbide balls were employed. The effect of processing parameters on particle size and morphology, contamination, and powder microhardness was investigated. The powder particles changed their shape from spherical to a disc/plate during milling. Reduction of particle size was only moderate, depended on time of milling and was enhanced by using tungsten carbide balls. Milling procedure increases concentration of oxygen and nitrogen, which is critical in case of titanium. Milling in liquid nitrogen is not feasible and processing conditions of milling in liquid argon must be carefully selected.


The Infonomics Workshop on Electronic Market Design took place in Maastricht, The Netherlands from July 11th until July 13th, 2001. The workshop contained 25 presentations about computational, economic, and game-theoretic aspects of electronic market design. This report summarizes the program.


(57) Abstract: Especially for engine mountings of the car, two-chamber type mounted with a hydraulically damper includes at least one working chamber filled with liquid, the nozzle passage cross section varying in the working chamber has at least one compensating chamber which is connected via a cross-section change in the nozzle passage has been performed by the first electric adjustment drive, and the operating chamber is incorporated into the wall comprises a buckling spring, its strength can be changed through the independent second electric adjustment drive device to the first adjusting drive. The structural shapes according to the present invention, the proposed 2-chamber mounts were conforms to damping of high-frequency vibrations of small amplitude as well damping low-frequency vibrations of large amplitude in the continuously variable during operation. Another advantage of the present invention is a compact and inexpensive structure.


Based on the previous practice of the safety management of Shanxi Lu'an Shigejie Coal Industry Company,this paper puts forward the new theory of the ground "safety management system engineering",and discusses on the connotations,implementing contents and implementing results of the ground "safety management system engineering".


The wet manufacturing process of the phosphoric acid plant generates a waste gas containing hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a malodorous and toxic gas. In this study, a new application, coupling the neutralization in potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution and the catalytic oxidation (designated as KOC), was developed to treat H2S. In fact, the waste gas of the phosphoric acid plant was neutralized in KOH solution in the presence of the air oxygen as an oxidizing agent and the activated carbon (AC) prepared from an agricultural waste, that is, the olive stone, as a catalyst. The process was efficient in both batch and cyclic configurations. The "KOC batch" process offers the retention of more than 40 mgS and allows high removal of H2S compared to absorption alone. The "KOC cyclic" process treated 800 mgS/g of AC.


approaches for searching, classifying and visualization data are presented. The generalized model of a heuristic knowledge organizing system for searching and classifying a structured data is presented, as well as its basic components. The user's roles with their characteristics, interests and activities, classifying, searching and result sub systems in the process of functioning are pointed.


Multiple scattering is a significant obstacle in the optical imaging of biological samples. However, it is possible to reverse its effects through optical phase conjugation (OPC) of the scattered field. We perform digital OPC (DOPC) utilizing a spatial light modulator (SLM) and a Sagnac interferometer geometry. This design permits a simple and robust DOPC implementation, which we demonstrate experimentally. We exploit the beam-shaping flexibility of the SLM to demonstrate the possibility to enhance either the optical power transmission or the light focusing ability of the DOPC process.


A comparative study of two versions of the projection algorithm used either for time integration or as an iterative method to solve the three-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is presented. It is also shown that these projection algorithms combined with the finite element method are particularly suited for the treatment of outflow boundary conditions in the context of external flows. This assertion is illustrated by means of some numerical examples in which five types of boundary conditions are compared. The scheme is applied to simulate the flow past a cylinder clamped on two fixed parallel solid walls


KEYWORD: recoverable anchor cable ;foundation pit support; resistance to plucking of anchor cable ABSTRACT: Using recoverable anchor cable is a good way to resolve problems about underground space occupation and waste of money . So the recoverable anchor cable applied in engineering has long and meaningful significance .this treatise uses the resistance to plucking of anchor cable in the certain unit dismantling and settling building for example ,and it proves that recoverable anchor cable is applicable.


This paper investigates the impacts of greater trade openness on employment, poverty and inequality in Brazil. The empirical strategy is based on decomposition analysis exercises to assess the main determinants of current account deficits following trade liberalization as well as output decomposition into private sector demand, public sector expenditures and import substitution. Further to this aggregate analysis, we use a computable general equilibrium model to simulate different policy scenarios and use the results of this modeling approach to create counterfactual microsimulations and assess the impacts of greater trade openness on household income distribution and poverty ratios. Our conclusion is that trade liberalization alone will not be sufficient to significantly reduce poverty and inequality in Brazil.


In order to transmit image data in open network, a novel image encryption algorithm based on fractional Fourier transform and block-based transformation is proposed in this paper. The image encryption process includes two steps: the original image was divided into blocks, which were rearranged into a transformed image using a transformation algorithm, and then the transformed image was encrypted using the fractional Fourier transform (FRFT) algorithm. The security of the proposed algorithm depends on the transformation algorithm, sensitivity to the randomness of phase mask and the orders of FRFT. Theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm is favorable.


Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have appealed to physicists and engineers since many years due to their ultimate carrier confinement. The new, realistic models of quantum dot lasers close to reality are based on strained heterostructures, finite barriers, many electron and hole levels, monomolecular (excitonic) recombination and non-equilibrium carrier distribution. The use of GaAs-based QDs in diode lasers and amplifiers at telecom wavelengths has been demonstrated to yield a large number of decisive advantages for systems, both from point of view of performance and of cost. For future metropolitan area networks the demand for inexpensive ultrafast amplifier is probably larger that of lasers. Semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) are expected to play a decisive role here.


Volatile oils extracted from the fruits of Schisandra spenanthera Rehd.et Wils.and Schisandra chinensis(Turcz) Baill.with supercritical CO2 fluid were analyzed for their chemical composition by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) based on area normalization.Results indicated that the major components in volatile oils were terpendids with relative contents of 62.97% and 73.05%.The major compounds in volatile oil extracted from Schisandra spenanthera β-himachalene(7.88%),2,6-dimethyl-6-(4-methyl-3-pentenyl) bicyclo hep-2-ene(6.44%),and δ-elemene(6.39%).The major compounds in volatile oil extracted from Schisandra chinensis were α-ylangene(19.09%),α-curcumene(16.03%) and β-himachalene(7.71%).


While climate change will challenge the future of California’s water resources, groundwater can buffer variability in precipitation and streamflow, if managed sustainably. Enhanced river recharge is an important tool to reach sustainable groundwater management in the California Central Valley (USA). Understanding and predicting recharge rates of river water, either natural river bank infiltration or managed aquifer recharge (MAR) during floods (Flood-MAR) or on agricultural land (Ag-MAR) is essential to evaluate the sustainability of groundwater management plans. Groundwater ages, combined with other isotopic and noble gas evidence, can elucidate surface water-groundwater interactions and support river recharge rates calculations over longer time periods.

Our study is focused on the recharge from the Cosumnes River in the California Central Valley. The Cosumnes River forms the boundary between the Sacramento Valley groundwater basin to the north and the San Joaquin Valley groundwater basin to the south. For this study, 28 new samples were collected for the analysis of 3H/3He age, noble gases, and stable isotopes. 25 additional samples from the California Waterboards Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Shallow Aquifer Assessment program were included, which were collected and analyzed by the USGS California Water Science Center in 2017.

We find that 28% of groundwater in the San Joaquin – Cosumnes groundwater subbasin originated as river water recharge, based on the interpolated mean δ18O (7.7 ‰ ), compared with river water (-9 ‰) and local precipitation recharge (-7 ‰) end-members. River water is a source of modern recharge, resulting in high tritium concentrations close to the Cosumnes River. In contrast, ambient groundwater from local precipitation recharge is predominantly pre-modern or fossil, containing less than 1 pCi/L tritium. Combining groundwater ages with the distance to the river, aquifer thickness, and porosity, estimates of river water recharge rate vary between 0.02 km3/yr and 0.035 km3/yr. These quantitative estimates of river water recharge will constrain the numerical groundwater flow model for this basin and aid groundwater managers in developing sustainability plans to balance groundwater pumping with recharge rates.


Objective To study the clinical significance of expression of CD44v6 in non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods By using SP immunohistochemical method with anti CD44v6 monoclonal antibody, the expression of CD44v6 in 65 cases NSCLC and its correlations with pathological types, metastatic states of lymph nodes, size of tumor mass and clinical stages were studied. Results The total positive rate (66 2 %) of CD44v6 expression in NSCLC was much higher than that in adjacent normal tissues (7 7 %), and it also correlated with the stages of lymph nodes involved and the clinical staging ( P 0 05), but had no correlation with pathological types. Conclusion The data demonstrated that expression of CD44v6 might be used as an objective indicator for the metastatic potency. extent of invation and the prognosis in NSCLC.


As human ages, their spine undergoes degeneration over time. It keeps progressing and may develop into severe spinal disease if no proper intervention is provided in time. Treatment scheduling is needed to prevent irreversible outcomes. However, currently the treatment for the degenerative spine is mainly scheduled based on clinicians' experience without considering the future state of the spine. Those determined by inexperienced clinicians may result in unexpected failures of that. This study aims to improve the treatment scheduling for the degenerative spine. The regression and stochastic models are used for spine degeneration modeling, where predictive and reliability-centered treatment strategies are proposed. A case study is conducted and the results show that both strategies lead to accurate results.


Calcium channel blockers are antihypertensive drugs which are prescribed widely for reducing high blood pressures. This is due to confirmed and stable efficacy, small side effects, and less influence on metabolism. Nowadays, many clinical trials, studies have proven that calcium channel blockers strongly reduce high blood pressure, prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke, and regress left ventricular hypertrophy. Some studies suggest that they are as beneficial as ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, and diuretics.


Abstract Two vanishing theorems for harmonic map and L2 harmonic 1-form on complete noncompact manifolds are proved under certain geometric assumptions, which generalize results of [13], [15], [18], [19], and [20]. As applications, we improve some main results in [2], [4], [6], [9], [12], [20], [22], [24], and [25].


The world is entering a period of declining non-renewable energy resources popularly known as "Peak Oil". Climate change is therefore more than a problem with a feasible solution based either in science or markets on which we are likely to reach rapid consensus. Since the mid-20th century it has projected continuation. Earth is already showing many signs of worldwide climate change. One of the greatest challenges facing energy crisis is to replace the petroleum based diesel obtained from crude oil with more environmental friendly Bio-Diesel. Bio-Diesel is made from renewable resources, is bio-degradable and non-toxic and has a higher flash point than normal Diesel. Another significant advantage of Bio-Diesel is its low emission profile and also provides a means to recycle carbon-dioxide, thereby not contributing to global warming and climatic changes. Algal oil is an interesting sustainable feedstock for Bio-Diesel manufacturing. It is an alternative to popular feed stocks like soybean, canola and palm. Algae are the highest yielding feed stock for Bio-Diesel because of its high lipid content. Macro algae are multi cellular organisms which, like plants, use photosynthesis to convert the sun's energy into chemical energy. The viscosity of the raw oil has to be brought down by a suitable chemical process called transesterification, so that it can be used as an automobile fuel. It would be concluded that usage of Bio-diesel from algae would be a sustainable way to control of emission of green house gases in the atmosphere and there by controlling the drastic climatic changes. In this research, two macro algal species Gracilaria coticata and Chaetomorpha Antennina were studied for bio-diesel production and their results indicate that bio-diesel can be produced from both the species.


Abstract: in vivo microdialysis was used to investigate whether nitric oxide (NO) modulates striatal neurotransmitter release in the rat through inducing cyclic GMP formation via soluble guanylate cyclase or formation of peroxynitrite (ONOO‐). When NO donors, S‐nitroso‐N‐acetyl‐DL‐penicillamine (SNAP; 1 mM) or (Z)‐1‐[2‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐N‐(2‐ammonioethyl)amino]diazen‐1‐ium‐1,2‐diolate (NOC‐18; 1 mM), were retrodialysed for 15 min, acetylcholine (ACh), serotonin (5‐HT), glutamate (Glu), γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), and taurine levels were significantly increased, whereas those of dopamine (DA), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5‐HIAA) were decreased. Only effects on ACh, 5‐HT, and GABA showed calcium dependency. Inhibition of soluble guanylate cyclase by 1H‐[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3‐α]quinoxalin‐1‐one (ODQ; 100 and 200 μM) dose‐dependently reduced NO donor‐evoked increases in ACh, 5‐HT, Glu, and GABA levels. Coperfusion of SNAP or NOC‐18 with an ONOO‐ scavenger, L‐cysteine (10 mM) resulted in enhanced concentrations of Glu and GABA. On the other hand, DA concentrations increased rather than decreased, and no reductions in DOPAC and 5‐HIAA occurred. This increase in DA and the potentiation of Glu and GABA were calcium‐dependent and prevented by ODQ. Similar to NO, infusions of ONOO‐ (10 or 100 μM) decreased DA, DOPAC, and 5‐HIAA. Overall, these results demonstrate that NO increases ACh, 5‐HT, Glu, and GABA levels primarily through a cyclic GMP‐dependent mechanism. For DA, DOPAC, and 5‐HIAA, effects are determined by levels of ONOO‐ stimulated by NO donors. When these are high, they effectively reduce extracellular concentrations through oxidation. When they are low, DA concentrations are increased in a cyclic GMP‐dependent manner and may act to facilitate Glu and GABA release further. Thus, changes in brain levels of antioxidants, and the altered ability of NO to stimulate cyclic GMP formation during ageing, or neurodegenerative pathologies, may particularly impact on the functional consequences of NO on striatal dopaminergic and glutamatergic function.


When spots on the Sun were more rare, than for these or four years last past they have been, this most Illustrious Society was pleased to accept of my account of some of the first that for divers years had been seen.


While we spend time and effort trying to find solutions for reform in our public schools, we continue to focus on past writings without giving thought to their meanings for future generations. From my point of view, the socialreconstructive wedge, as reviewed by Hawkins, does not include the multiethnic and multicultural realities at the core of social reconstruction today. As Iread and reread George Counts and William Kilpatrick, I smile when I use their ideas to review today's educational shortcomings. Most of our educational reforms of teacher empowerment and site-based management do not address the real needs of today's minority students and tomorrow's majority students. Our social order is crumbling all around us, and we continue to develop models that neglect to include social issues and concerns for building a unified society for all our citizens. Jacobs's Interdisciplinary Curriculum. Design and Implementation presents a social-reconstructive notion that incorporates many facets of cognitive structures and affective behaviors.' Banks and Etlin both continue to influence the advancements for multicultural and multiethnic inclusion into the mainstream curriculum, but their thoughts are always relegated to the section of texts labeled special needs or students with differences or our new term, students-at-risk 2 When will we add the real wedge? When will we recognize the missing wedge? Right now, we keep pushing the wedge into side dishes; soon it will emerge as a part of the main course, and we won't be ready because we failed to develop a model for social reconstruction.


The rapid improvement of crop plants by genetic engineering is one of the most important of all recent developments in agricultural science: it has been called the Second Green Revolution. This article reviews the basic principles involved in the isolation and fusion of protoplasts and the ways in which desirable new genes can be introduced.


∗ Huaping Zhang is the Corresponding author. (E-mail: email@example.com) Abstract The Spammers spread rumors and threaten social stability to get profit while resulting a serious impact. Most of the existing studies utilize machine learning techniques to detect spammers. While new trend of the Spammers is they are getting more intelligent too, evolving to evade existing detection features including to avoid being detected by performing like normals. In this paper, we design a Big Data Fusion algorithm to investigate the combination effects of multiple factors in detecting spammers with a series of comprehensive experimental studies. We grab a large amount of microblog data on the Internet and tested for 1.1TB of spammers' data which contains Weibo Microblog message of over 800,000 accounts. The results show that our new algorithm is much more effective than the existing detectors in that it is significantly improved in both the accuracy and the FP-rate by a large margin.


Developing rural sports is an important part in new socialist rural development.By using the method of literature review,interview and logical analysis,this paper analyzes the current situation of rural sports and expounds the role of rural school sports according to the problems in rural sports.


In this work, the self-oscillatory motion of the vocal folds has been modelled by considering the rotary motion of the glottis about the fulcrum point as resembling a seesaw-like motion. The ends of the glottal walls perform sinusoidal motion with a phase difference of 180 degrees. The self-oscillatory motion is induced by the mean pressure on the glottal wall connected with a mass-spring system, where the mean pressure is determined by the numerical simulation of the flow within an idealized human glottis, based on the Navier-Stokes equations. The unsteady Navier-Stokes equations are solved with the finite element method by using the free software, Freefem++. By changing the position of the fulcrum point, we can have different scenarios of the glottal motion. The system stability has been examined by variations in the Reynolds number, the fulcrum point position, and the rest position of the glottis. The model has been analysed on the basis of the flow characteristics, namely the central pressure, the inlet velocity, the outlet velocity, and the flow separation locations for different positions of the fulcrum point and the configurations of the glottis during the convergent-divergent-convergent oscillation. The model has been found quite consistent with the physics of the glottal motion.


Provided is a composite heat-generating material in which a heat generator and a heat-dissipating rubber insulator are bonded to each other at a molecular level through a chemical bonding without the need of interposing an air layer or an adhesive agent layer therebetween, and therefore the heat generator and the heat-dissipating rubber insulator can be bonded to each other firmly without generating an air layer by the action of heat shock or difference in thermal expansion or without the detachment from each other at the interface therebetween, and in which the heat conduction efficiency from the heat generator to the heat-dissipating rubber insulator is high, and which has excellent heat dissipating properties, stickiness, adhesiveness, flex fatigue resistance, flexibility, durability against ultraviolet ray, heat resistance and water proof properties and can warm an object of interest with higher efficiency due to high adhesion to the object.
In a composite heat-generating material (1), a heat-dissipating rubber insulator (5) and at least a part of a heat generator (4) are bonded integrally, wherein the bonding is formed directly through covalent bonding between active groups located on the surface of the insulator (5) and active groups located on the surface of the heat generator (4) and/or indirectly through the above-mentioned covalent bonding with a molecule bonding agent interposed therebetween.


Late presentation of many of the pathological conditions, leads to theirin un diagnosed which culminating in sudden death. Among the various pathological conditions, gastrointestinal bleeding accounts for 10% of all sudden deaths among which esophageal varices is an important cause of bleeding and death. Here, we are presenting an un diagnosed case of esophageal varices that lead to sudden death of an unknown male individual due to acute bleeding which was diagnosed later on autopsy.


Traditional criminal negligences a re offence of crime.Along with the development of s cience and technology and the extensive applic ation of modern equipments,the s cholars have paid great attention to the jeopardy of criminal negligence,In thi s article the author argues that t he theory foundation of the criminality of ne gligent dangerous acts is not on ly its subjective fault,but also its social ha zardness;Its operation sig-nificance lies in realizing the aim o f penalty.In addition,the criminality of negligent dangerous acts can only exist in the cri me of endangerin g public safety,and the principle of criminal restrain must be followed to set up the penalty.


Biodiesel is a promising alternative among the different fuels put forward as a substitute for diesel fuel. One important issue in internal combustion engines is the lubrication of the equipments which are lubricated by the fuel itself. Previous studies have shown that biodiesel possesses excellent inherent lubricity. However, biodiesel is susceptible to oxidation reactions due to the presence of unsaturation in its moiety. These reactions are accelerated in the presence of oxygen and high temperatures and may alter the lubrication characteristics. In this particular research work, an investigation has been made to assess the impact of load, temperature, and biodiesel concentration upon friction and wear in the four-ball wear machine. The effect of individual parameter utilizing other biodiesels has already been presented elsewhere. The current study demonstrates the response of biodiesel and oxidized biodiesel with combined variation of operating parameters. The selected temperatures and loads were 45–60–75 ℃ and 40–50–60 kg, respectively. The tests were conducted with diesel (B0), B20 (20% jatropha methyl ester by volume), B40, B100, and oxidized biodiesel. It was found that these variables not only individually but also collectively affect the tribological performance of biodiesel.


The Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the regional planning agency for the Boston metropolitan area, studied bicycle-motor vehicle accidents occurring within Route 128, a major beltway encircling 35 communities. A sample of one of every four accidents reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in 1979 and 1980 was chosen for review. Data were collected by a paid intern and by six volunteers who reviewed bicycle accidents occurring within their individual communities. This sampling technique resulted in a distribution of accidents by month and location statistically almost identical with the distribution for all accidents in the study area. The accidents were classified by using a modified version of the classification system developed by Kenneth Cross. The accident class with the highest frequency involved a motorist turning right or left at an intersection and hitting a bicyclist coming from behind or from the opposite leg of the intersection. Virtually as frequent was the accident in which a motorist entered an intersection and struck a cyclist emerging from the orthogonal leg. These accidents occurred primarily among cyclists more than 18 years of age. Accidents in which the cyclist entered the road at a midblock location (bicycle ride-out) also occurred with some frequency, particularly among children younger than 11. Frequencies of key variables such as time of accident were also obtained. Recommendations include publicity of the study results, education of bicyclists and motorists, increased enforcement of traffic laws, and improved record keeping for ongoing classification of bicycle-motor vehicle accidents.


Symmetric successive over relaxation precondition conjugate method(SSOR-PCG) is applied to large scale elasto-plastic finite element analysis for high arch dam, based on the introduction of an analytical method for the numerical integration of usually used D-D yield criteria in geo-materials,where the characteristics of not forming elasto-plastic stiffness matrix is adopted.The validity and feasibility of this method is verified by two numerical examples.The application shows that the FEM analysis with 10×10~5 degrees of freedom for high arch dams can be carried out in a personal computer with physical memory 1.0G Byte only.Comparing with the computation by means of direct solution,the proposed method is obviously more suitable for large-scale elasto-plastic FEM analysis both from the view points of computation speed and computation scale.


Based on different writing style definitions, various authorship attribution schemes have been proposed to identify the real author of a given text or text excerpt. In this article we analyze the relative performance of word types or lemmas assigned to re-present styles and texts. As a second objective we compare two authorship attribu-tion approaches, one based on principal component analysis (PCA), and a new au-thorship attribution method involving specific vocabulary (Z score classification scheme). As a third goal we carry out our experiments on data from three corpora written in three different languages (English, French, and German). In the first we ca-tegorize 52 text excerpts (taken from 19th century English novels) written by nine au-thors. In the second we work with 44 segments taken from French novels (mainly 19th century) written by eleven authors. In the third we extract 59 German text excerpts written by 15 authors and covering the 19th and early 20th centuries. Based on these collections and two specific features (word types or lemmas) we demonstrate that the Z score method performs better than the PCA, while demonstrating that lemmas tend to produce slightly better performance than word types.


Based on the results of water sample measurements of nutrient concentrations at the Datong Station of Changjiang River from 1998 to 1999,combined with historiceal data of water quality,seasonal variations of nutrient concentrations and nutrient transports are discussed.Tthe following results have been obtained:(1)the fluxes of the nitrate nitrogen,ammonium nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen increased by time0series from 1962 to 1990,even if runoff volume had a little variation;(2)the concentrations and fluxes of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN)and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP)increased notably with time,but those of th dissolved silicon(DSI)decreased pronouncedly,and (3) the concentrations and fluxes changed synchronously with time between the Datong Station and the Changjiang Estuary.


In the midst of a Global Economic Crisis, both governments and investors are pondering the following question. What is the solution to the Global Financial Market Meltdown ? The think tank at The KIN Consulting and Research Services Company have spanned the globe searching for potential solutions. We have found one model that seems to be working.The GCC Economic Model seems to have the most potential in the Current Global Economy. They have designed a SELF SUSTAINING GROWTH STRATEGY that entails excelling in real estate development. Specifically in terms:A. Industrial Development = Economic Cities full of manufacturing plants, universities, medical research laboratories, entertainment centers, etc,B. Commercial Development = Shopping malls that serve as distribution outlets.C. Residential Development = Both luxurious homes and apartment buildings.The aforementioned formula will spurr growth in both jobs and innovation. The Economic Cities are running an aggressive marketing campaign inviting Fortune 500 Companies to set up manufacturing plants in the region. Thus vitalizing both the local and international economy.The local economy distinguishes itself from the global community with at least two features:A. Consumer Spending that isn't reliant on Credit Card debt.B. Islamic Tourism for both Ramadan and Hajj seasons. An annual stimulant to the local economies as millions of pilgrims arrive every year.The combination of the two aforementioned features of the economy provide the basis for our thesis. The GCC region has huge growth potential that is fuelled by real estate development and an ingenious economic master plan. The GCC Economic Model is truly visionary. Please take a look at our interactive maps and explore the Architectural Masterpieces.The Action Plan:Approach S&P, MOODYs,& FITCH for a more accurate credit rating of GCC BANKS. In an effort to ease the liquidity of the banks. The fact is the local lenders and borrowers have developed the region with a meticulous master plan. The results of implementing this strategy are available on satellite. Thus the creditworthiness of the region is obvious and it should be reflected in the ratings of S&P, Moodys, and Fitch. We are simply applying the principles of economics found in Adam Smith's book "The Wealth of Nations". Specifically to the chapters refferring to the principles of FREEDOM OF CASHFLOW. Which basically states that cash should flow to investments with the highest possible return on investment, with the appropriate risk valuation.


Urginea indica (Roxb.) Kunth is a morphologically variable species of wide distribution in the Old World. In West Tropical Africa, it has been considered to consist of a large form and a dwarf form. The large form was investigated morphologically in the field and in the laboratory, as well as karyotypically. Four morphological variants were encountered in the field. They differ in both vegetative and floral morphology, were found in different populations, and showed differences in ecological preferences. Biometrical analysis of vegetative and floral morphology showed that the four variants are distinct and separate but not immediately recognizable taxa. Preliminary karyotype analysis showed that they are similar but not identical in karyomorphology. Artificial crosses between them failed to produce viable seeds. It is concluded that U. indica is an incipient polyspecies or species complex. Urginea indica (Roxb.) Kunth is one of the four species of Urginea recognized in the latest revision of Liliaceae in Flora of West Tropical Africa (Hepper, 1968). It is distinguished from the other species by its globose capsule. It is widespread in the Old World tropics, inhabiting savanna vegetation of tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, southern India and further east (Thiselton-Dyer, 1898). In Nigeria, it is widespread in the central segment of the country, occurring between latitudes 70N and 1 00N. It occurs in open, heavy soil with a top layer of humus or in clay soil of seasonally flooded plains. It occurs in different ecological niches in various soil types within the savanna region and shows a variety of morphological forms. Hepper (1968) observed this morphological variation and contended that there are at least two different forms of this variable species: a large form and a dwarf form. These two are easily distinguishable in the field. The large form has light green leaves whose undersurface, immediately out of the bulb, is pinkish; the reproductive shoot is also pinkish, 45-150 cm tall, with not less than 15 flowers in the lax, racemose inflorescence. The tepal is also pinkish with a greenish keel. Leaves and flowers are never borne together. The dwarf form, on the other hand, has dark green leaves; the reproductive shoot is green, generally less than 40 cm tall, with flowers usually ranging between one and 12; the tepals are yellowish green with a green keel. Leaves and flowers are never borne together. Field studies of this taxon during vegetative growth and flowering revealed that Hepper's contention was a rather conservative estimate. The present paper therefore aims at establishing the taxonomic status of U. indica through morphological studies, starting with the


Purpose: Patients with one side total/subtotal occlusion and contralateral side critical stenosis are high risk candidates for carotid interventions for the stenosed carotid side. We present our experiences with carotid endarterectomy of the stenosed side after revascularization of the occluded side. Methods: Between March 2010 and September 2013, 85 carotid endarterectomies were performed in seventy-four patients. Among the patients, 6 had one side total/subtotal occlusion and contralateral side ‡ 70% carotid stenosis. Patients received revascularization for the occluded side first followed by of the endarterectomy of the contralateral stenosed part. Results: Four patients had cerebrovascular symptoms ipsilateral to the occluded side. Operations were performed with local anesthesia. Endarterectomy priority was given to the occluded side which was followed by the endarterectomy of the contralateral side after 17.2 – 4.6 days. No neurologic deficit occured during the surgeries and shunt was not required. Mortality did not occur and patients are followed a mean of 18.4 – 6.3 months event free. Conclusion: Endarterectomy of the stenosed carotid artery contralateral to the totally/subtotally occluded side is challenging and carries high risk. The treatment of the occluded side first facilitates the endarterectomy of the contralateral carotid stenosis.


This brief presents the main results from the Illuminating Hidden Harvests (IHH) report, providing new, clearer insights to support the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Key findings from the Illuminating Hidden Harvests report © FA O /L ui s Ta to


Behavioral responses of juveniles and adults of the mangrove crab Aratus pisonii (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) to black geometric shapes of equal surface area was measured. Crabs were tested either in presence or absence of chemicals generated from two common predator species, the portunid crab Callinectes ornatus Ordway, and the soapfish Haemulon aurolineatum Cuvier, 1830. The present study tested the hypothesis that A. pisonii (1) has the capacity to orient to visual cues; (2) it discriminates between different visual objects based on a combination of chemical and visual information and (3) this behavior changes with age. When presented with single black targets in background water, juveniles oriented toward all shapes. This behavioral response was interpreted as visual orientation toward potential shelter. Among shapes, juveniles showed preference for the vertical rectangle, probably due to the recognition of natural visual elements like mangrove roots. In predator conditioned water, juveniles exhibited a stronger response than in background water. Thus, juveniles were able to detect by odor the potential presence of predators. Change in responsiveness between adults and juveniles was also demonstrated.


Pulmonary hypertension is associated with an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance leading to pulmonary vascular changes, right ventricular hypertrophy, and heart failure. Pulmonary hypertension can be induced in animal models similar to humans where the changes are comparable. Monocrotaline (MCT), an alkaloid derived from a toxic plant, can be used to induce pulmonary hypertension in animals. Sildenafil has been used to treat patients with pulmonary hypertension since it induces smooth muscle relaxation. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a hormone secreted naturally from the atria of the heart. An increase in ANP in hypervolemia and hypertension is beneficial since it induces a significant decrease in blood volume, therefore, lowers blood pressure. Studies showed that atrial natriuretic peptide combined with sildenafil reduces pulmonary arterial hypertension significantly. Cardiac hypertrophy due to pulmonary hypertension increases expression of myosin heavy chain β in the right ventricle of the heart.


ABSTRACT An increase in hyaluronan (HA) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from human lungs has been demonstrated in many pathologic conditions characterised by a pulmonary inflammation, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The Gram-negative bacterial cell wall component lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is suggested to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of these lung diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of local LPS exposure on HA deposition in the lung. To this end, male Swiss mice received 5 μg LPS (E.coli O55:B5) intratracheally (IT) and were sacrificed at different time points after LPS exposure. Control mice received either saline or no treatment. Neutrophil influx in the lungs was determined as a characteristic for acute inflammation. HA content was assessed by histolocalization using a biotinylated HA binding protein (b-HABP). Our data demonstrate that IT LPS instillation resulted in a strong pulmonary inflammation characterised by rapid accumulation of neutrophils peaking at 24 hours postexposure. Histolocalization of HA revealed constitutive HA staining in the interstitium of airways and larger vessels of control mice. The lungs of LPS-treated mice demonstrated HA deposition around small vessels of the microvascular bed and in the subpleural area at 24 and 72 hours after LPS instillation, especially at sites of leukocyte infiltration. Since HA upregulation on endothelium is suggested to play a role in leukocyte extravasation at sites of inflammation, HA deposition observed in the microvascular bed may contribute to LPS induced pulmonary inflammation.


We have combined plasma etching with the Hall effect and resistivity measurements between 10 and 300 K to study the depth distribution of conduction in silicon (Si)-doped GaN epitaxial layers grown on sapphire substrates by two different metalorganic chemical vapor deposition processes. Reduction of the epitaxial layer thickness produces a linear decrease of the sheet carrier density with depth in the doped region, whilst in one sample, in the region less than ∼0.3 μm from the interface, the sheet carrier density tends to flatten out to a value of ∼3×1013 cm−2. The former is indicative of a uniform dopant distribution in the epitaxial material, and the latter reveals the existence of mobile charge near the interface. These experiments allow the properties of the doped material to be deconvoluted from those of the interface region, and the temperature dependence of these properties indicates the presence of two parallel conduction paths in the doped material: the conduction band and an impurity band. Thus ...


Many accident gates in water power station are controlled by tension cable-poles.The vibration of the gates generated by water turbines may induce the strong vibration of the cables,which may damage the water-gate system.Based on the experimental and theoretical analyses of the vibration damage of a watergate,the parametrically and externally excited equations of motion of an equivalent cable are established in this paper.The stability of the cable is then analyzed according to the Floquet theory.In general,the flexural resonance occurs when the frequency of horizontal motion of the gate approaches the natural frequency of the cable.However,the vertical motion of the gate will cause the instability of fundamental,super and sub-harmonic waves in cables and generate strong vibrations,which is an important cause of damage.


A preliminary C-14 study on lunar soil was carried out with the University of Toronto Iso Trace accelerator mass spectrometer. This accelerator was recommended for C-14 work by Dr. R. Schneider of A.S. and E., who was the field engineer during the assemblage and start-up operation of the accelerator. After the preliminary study using CO2 from 10084,937 soil, which had previously been counted with low-level mini-proportional counters, it became clear that the Toronto accelerator could carry out C-14/C-13/C-12 ratio measurements on 1 gram meteorite and lunar samples and that the C-14 measurements are done with higher precision and better reliability than elsewhere. A collaborative program with the University of Toronto Iso Trace accelerator group, which is expected to be scientifically fruitful. Arrangements have been made for Dr. R.P. Beukens of the Toronto Accelerator Group to extract the carbon compounds from Antarctic meteorite and lunar samples and to convert the compounds to CO2. During the past two years, a uranium-series dating method was developed for polar ice, which method is being applied to ice from the Allan Hills site, Byrd core, and the Beardsmore glacier.


Aim: It is very difcult to nd veins and also seems unethical to withdraw blood daily in a preterm baby for the monitoring of jaundice during the
course of phototherapy. So it becomes essential that we nd out a method which is non-invasive and at the same time accurate to assess jaundice.
Jaundice is the most common morbidity in the rst week of life, reported in 60% of term, 80% of preterm (1, 2) & also being the commonest cause of
readmission. Materials and Method: Study was planned to assess the accuracy of transcutaneous bilirubin in comparison to total serum bilirubin
in premature jaundiced neonates of gestational age (28-32 weeks v/s 32-37 weeks) during phototherapy. Result: Study has demonstrated
reliability of TCB measurements in preterm infants during phototherapy. Gestational age, comorbidities and risk factors for jaundice did not
inuence the correlation. Summary: This study reveals that Transcutaneous Bilirubin Estimation by bilirubin meter can be used as a non-invasive
method for monitoring of jaundice treatment during phototherapy in preterm neonates.


Thank you for reading hobbes the natural and the artifacted good. Maybe you have knowledge that, people have search hundreds times for their chosen books like this hobbes the natural and the artifacted good, but end up in infectious downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they cope with some infectious virus inside their computer. hobbes the natural and the artifacted good is available in our book collection an online access to it is set as public so you can get it instantly. Our book servers saves in multiple countries, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Kindly say, the hobbes the natural and the artifacted good is universally compatible with any devices to read.


Market economy is a risky economy, and audit takes an important role in market economy managing. In this paper, the author gives definition of risk and audit risk, discusses the origins, kinds of risks, and put forward some methods of audit risk controlling。


Scientifically analyzing research literature of entrepreneur spirit helps master the essence of Chinese entrepreneur spirit, further recognize entrepreneur spirit scientifically and fully give free rein to the role of entrepreneur spirit in modern enterprise management and social development.


The relationship between a hedger's objectives, choice of hedging market, and optimal hedge ratio is assessed. Propositions tested show hedgers may act as though they are pursuing the traditional objective of risk minimization even though the objective of all hedgers is utility maximization; a firm's optimal strategy can involve futures, options, or cash markets at different times; and utility maximizing hedge ratios can be greater than one or less than zero. Also, an innovation in the presentation of standard mean-variance results helps explain why a firm's optimal hedge ratio is not constant over time.


The middle equal section is the effective area of dog-bone-shaped specimen for ultrasonic fatigue test.Design of specimen could be completed by using catenary equation instead of circle equation.The re-sult show that error had been less than 3% when the initial sizes of specimen are in definite range.The spec-imen length could be reduced by enhancing the length of variational section or the ratio of radius.Enhancing the length of variational section would reduce the displacement-stress coefficient.Comparatively,the dog-bone-shaped specimen could save more materials,and sandglass specimen could obtain more high stress magnification level.The design of dog-bone-shaped specimen was testified by the The ultrasonic fatigue test of aluminum alloy 6063.The results show that the S-N curve of aluminum alloy 6063 is a continuum descend curve.Its fatigue crack is expanded by shear and subsurface crack initiation.Obvious sidestep could be found between crack initiation area and expanding area.


Morphological characters of corps are very important for breeding,growth monitoring and classifying.But it take too much time and arduously to get those information by manual work.In this thesis,technology for getting framework of single maize image by image processing is studied.


Objective: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with increased arterial stiffness. Underlying mechanisms are thought to involve disruption of both the elastin and collagen network within the arterial wall. The pressure-dependency of stiffness is linked to structural alterations of the arterial wall and can be quantified as the systolic-diastolic difference in pulse wave velocity (&dgr;PWV). The relationship between &dgr;PWV with deteriorating glucose metabolism status (GMS) has not been investigated. In The Maastricht Study, we investigated the association between deteriorating GMS and carotid arterial stiffness (cPWV) and &dgr;PWV. Additionally, we investigated the mutual dependency of cPWV and &dgr;PWV. Design and method: The study population consisted of 746 individuals (415 normal glucose metabolism [NGM], 126 impaired glucose metabolism [IGM] and 205 T2D). cPWV and &dgr;PWV were determined by ultrasonography and tonometry. Linear regression analyses were used to investigate the associations of GMS (NGM as reference) with cPWV and &dgr;PWV. Models were adjusted for age, sex, mean arterial pressure (MAP), prior cardiovascular disease (CVD), eGFR and smoking, and &dgr;PWV or cPWV and anti-hypertensive medication (renin-angiotensin-system(RAS)-inhibitor) as appropriate. Results: After adjustment for age, sex, MAP, prior CVD, eGFR and smoking, T2D was associated with greater cPWV (&bgr; (95% CI; 0.376 (0.119; 0.632) and &dgr;PWV (0.301 (0.013; 0.589)). Additional adjustment for use of RAS-inhibitor did not change these associations. After additional adjustment for &dgr;PWV or cPWV the associations of T2D with cPWV and &dgr;PWV were attenuated (0.294 (0.048; 0.539) and 0.173 (−0.103; 0.449), respectively). IGM was not associated with either cPWV or &dgr;PWV. Conclusions: In T2D, but not in IGM, both cPWV and &dgr;PWV are increased and only partly dependent on each other. Thereby, &dgr;PWV provides additional insight into arterial wall structure behavior with deteriorating GMS. Our future research goal is to further explore the roles of elastin degradation and collagen-crosslinking herein.


Abstract This paper is envisaged as a 'thought piece' that provides a critical introduction to what emerged as the organising motif of the Archaeology in Conflict conference's particular exploration of Palestinian heritage and identity: that of thinking more broadly in terms of the archive — or, more critically still, in terms of archival memory. As such, this paper seeks to uncover the specific operational, conceptual and moral-ethical issues at stake in terms of the repositioning of such archival memory resources in the representation of heritage in conflict. It continues to explore how conflict, trauma, dislocation and violence are the destroyers not only of physical landscapes (homes and heritage) but also of human lives; they are responsible for the death of possible futures, and as such the very capacity to articulate, transmit and re-present such experiences and events. A means to address this traumatic impasse is, however, captured in the late Palestinian academic-activist Edward Said's vision of a 'right to a remembered presence'. This vision also captures another motif central to the theme of heritage and archaeology in conflict — the 'healing mode' of thought and aspiration, that is neither naive or uncritical, but bound up in a belief in the capacity of heritage and certain modes of memory-work to bring comfort, cure, care and healing to situations of conflict, containment, displacement and exile. As such, this paper explores the creation of archival memory resources in order to address this aspect of conflicted heritage and the imperatives of restoring wellbeing. The final contention of the paper is that a further operational model is located in Said's strategy vis-à-vis 'writing to the moment'; the concept and practice of apprehending heritage 'to the moment' therefore requires a certain duty and responsibility towards contextualisation in terms of the 'worldliness' of heritage domains.


Research on how communication contributes directly to high levels of employee engagement within the workplace is still relatively under-prioritised in public relations and corporate communication literature. Although some evidence exists on the relationship between internal communication strategies and employee engagement outcomes, the accentuated value that can bederived from internal communication practice is yet to be fully explored. The purpose of this study is to reposition and recognise the strategic nature of internal communication in maximising and cultivating high levels of employee engagement for organisational performance and success. The study explores the strategic importance of internal communication in accordance with amanagement philosophy anchored on collaborative, open and transparent communication. By using semi-structured interviews with managers and focus group discussions with employees, the study found that organisational engagement emanating from a strong management philosophy as part of the internal communication strategy empowered employees to perform beyond prescriptive expectations. Also, employees viewed the management philosophy as an avenue for the attainment of organisational goals, enabledthrough 'one-on-one caring' interviews with managers, which centered on the sensitivity of collaborative internal communication efforts. The efficacy level of internal communication was a key determinant of the organisation's engagement efforts. More so, internal communication was also used to facilitate the dialogic exchange of information and often cultivated diverse opinions to improve operational efficiency through the attainment of strategic communal relationships.


The article describes the improved design of a mechanical cleaner that improves the efficiency of the sanitization of a milking unit. The developed devices allow adding to the hydraulic effect of the washing solution the mechanical effect of the foam and bristle cleaning base. A description is given of the design and principle of operation of mechanical cleaners designed and manufactured at the Nizhny Novgorod State Engineering and Economic University with foam and scrubbed cleaning the base. The results show that if spiral holes are added to the structure, the rotation frequency of the structure increases by an average of 30%, and its linear speed decreases by 20%, compared with the previous design. The use of these devices can reduce the emission of detergents and disinfectants and thereby increase the environmental friendliness of milk production.


Botulinal toxin production, residual nitrite depletion, and total microbial growth were measured in meat and/or soy-containing frankfurter formulations during 27° C temperature abuse. Botulinal toxin production in formulations containing soy proteins was equal to or less rapid than in all-meat samples, both in the absence and presence of nitrite. Of the nine soy proteins examined, nitrite did not delay C. botulinurn toxin production in products made from the isolate form, whereas it was an effective control in textured, flours and concentrates. In all-meat formulations the effectiveness of nitrite decreased with increasing spore load. Residual nitrite depletion in meat wasmore rapid than in soy-containing treatments. Among the soy proteins, nitrite depletion was more rapid in the isolate than in the textured form tested. Total microbial growth was similar in both meat and soy-containing samples. Gas production was an inadequate index of toxin development.


The rapid development of flexible and wearable electronics favors low‐cost, solution‐processing, and high‐throughput techniques for fabricating metal contacts, interconnects, and electrodes on flexible substrates of different natures. Conventional top‐down printing strategies with metal‐nanoparticle‐formulated inks based on the thermal sintering mechanism often suffer from overheating, rough film surface, low adhesion, and poor metal quality, which are not desirable for most flexible electronic applications. In recent years, a bottom‐up strategy termed as polymer‐assisted metal deposition (PAMD) shows great promise in addressing the abovementioned challenges. Here, a detailed review of the development of PAMD in the past decade is provided, covering the fundamental chemical mechanism, the preparation of various soft and conductive metallic materials, the compatibility to different printing technologies, and the applications for a wide variety of flexible and wearable electronic devices. Finally, the attributes of PAMD in comparison with conventional nanoparticle strategies are summarized and future technological and application potentials are elaborated.


The competitive exclusion method (EC) was used to protect day-old birds against colonisation of the intestinal tract by Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE). The culture prepared in nutrient broth incubated at 37oC/24 h inhibited SE growth in the caecal contents. The beneficial effect was also observed after serial passage of the feces culture for up to 14 times. The material obtained after 12 serial sub-cultures after storage for 28 days at 4-6oC also kept its action on SE.


In a recent Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter [1][1] issued by Health Canada, the authors recommend that "caution should be exercised in prescribing [selective COX-2 inhibitors] to patients at risk of cardiovascular disease." To make such a recommendation based on the adverse reactions


The article analyzes metaphorical transference as one of the productive ways of explaining the emotional state of the protagonist in an artistic text. The study focused on the analysis of metaphor-symbol and linguistic metaphor, as well as an attempt to identify common cognitive mechanisms that work in their formation have been made, which confirms the validity of the claim that both linguistic and literary metaphor can be analyzed using the common cognitive toolkit. Metaphorical transfer is one of the productive ways of expressing emotions, since the latter are in the sphere of the abstract, difficult to explain, so often involve associations with objects specific, or something of direct human experience. In the text of the novel, this way is also a reflection of the main character's efforts to find himself after the tragedy and the misfortunes that have fallen to his lot. Metaphorical transference in this case is two-dimensional, having a plan of content – psychological processes of rethinking reality and a plan of expression – a linguistic relationship between the components that act as a manifestation of these psychological processes in speech. Emotional states in a text are explicated either through the metaphor directly or through descriptions of circumstances, states, gestures, environments that accompany one or another emotion, where mechanisms of metaphorical transfer at the level of metaphor-symbol and at the level of linguistic metaphor are involved, both of which combining common cognitive mechanisms and can be delineated within the following models: EMOTION etc. It is the metaphor that helps to verbalize the emotions and emotional states of the protagonist, engaging direct experience, combining the abstract and the concrete and emphasizing their complex cognitive structure. This way of comprehending the emotional experience is extremely productive and emphasizes that, while exploring the text of a work of art, emotion reveals its rich and subtle structure and complex content.


Migration and volatilization features of arsenic in combustion processes for six coal samples selected from three different ranks were studied in a horizontal tube furnace at various temperature ranges. The mass change of arsenic in the combustion process was tracked and analyzed using the instruments and theoretical method of thermal analysis(TG/DTG) and coal analysis for these selected coal samples. The curves of arsenic mass loss and its rate were obtained by fitting these experimental results. The occurrence form of arsenic in the coals and corresponding ashes was determined by using a sequential chemical leaching method. The experimental results show that arsenic volatility and the releasing proportion increase with temperature, and the proportions varied from 30% to 67% at 1100℃. The mass loss rate of arsenic varies for different temperature regions, and a peak value of arsenic loss rate is observed at 800—900℃, mainly due to decomposition/oxidation of arsenic in sulfide form. Furthermore, lignite shows the highest mass loss ratio and rate of arsenic under the same temperature, followed by bituminous coals and anthracite. With temperature increases, organic arsenic volatiles easily into gas phase, and the interaction between acid-soluble and residual arsenic makes them migrate mainly into gas phase, and only a small part is transferred to its exchangeable form.


We have designed and tested phytoplankton "cages" in which captured natural populations can be re-suspendedin situ at their original site or at different sites. The "bars" of the cage consist of a membrane whose pores are sufficiently large to permit relatively rapid exchange of "inside" and "outside" nutrient-containing waters which ensures that the contained phytoplankton are always subjected to the "outside" (in situ) nutrient regime. The pores are sufficiently small to retain the captured phytoplankton. In order to measure growth rates precisely the cages are incubatedin situ for times greater than the doubling times of the population (ca. 3 days). The population changes within the cages reflect the integral net primary production. Therefore the technique can be used to characterize geographical locations in terms of their potential for supporting the growth of natural phytoplankton populations. A possible specific application of this technique is the comparative study of the effects on the growth of phytoplankton of near field and far field water masses adjoining power plants or sewage treatment plants.


BACKGROUND
Indoxyl sulphate (IS) and p-cresylsulphate (PCS) are uremic toxins with similar protein-binding, dialytic clearance, and proinflammatory features. Few studies have evaluated the possible associations between these solutes and coronary artery disease (CAD) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients.

METHODS
A hospital-based case control study was performed. A total of 209 T2D patients were divided into two groups based on the presence/absence of significant CAD (≥50% luminal reduction). Serum total PCS and IS levels were measured using the Ultra Performance LC System. The relationship between total PCS and IS levels were investigated. Coronary calcium scores and the modified Gensini score were analyzed.

RESULTS
Serum total PCS and IS levels were significantly higher in patients with both T2D and significant CAD, than in non-diabetic control subjects and T2D patients without CAD (all p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed independent and significant associations between the two solutes and CAD status. Serum total PCS, IS, and numbers of diseased vessels were elevated in groups with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 60-89 ml/min/1.73 m2 and below. Also, serum total PCS and IS levels were significantly associated with eGFR, coronary calcium scores, Gensini score, adipocytokines (adiponectin, visfatin, and leptin), and total white blood cell count.

CONCLUSIONS
Serum total PCS and IS levels were elevated in patients with T2D and CAD. These increases were associated with renal function deterioration, inflammation, and coronary atherosclerosis.


INTRODUCTION: Despite best current therapy, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) still remains the most common cause of cancer-related death in children and young adults. Relapse is the main reason for treatment failure in ALL patients and occurs in 15-20% of these patients. Current risk stratification criteria have not been sufficient to predict relapse in ALL patients. The Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome is a chromosomal abnormality found in a subset of high risk ALL patients and is associated with a poor prognosis. Recent genomewide studies have identified focal deletions of the Ikaros gene (IKZF1) in 70-80% of B-cell ALL patients that have the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome. Subsequent studies have also found a strong correlation between IKZF1 deletions and ALL patients (Ph+ and Ph-) that relapse. IKZF1 is required for normal lymphoid development and loss of IKZF1 results in haploidinsufficiency or the overexpression of dominant negative IKZF1 isoforms, in particular Ik6 in high risk ALL patients. Most studies used DNA microarrays to detect IKZF1 deletions. Multiplex ligation probe dependent amplification (MLPA) is a low cost, rapid technique that can detect small DNA copy number changes of up to 50 targets in a single reaction and is not as technically challenging to analyse as arrays. MLPA has also been suggested to be used as an alternative to array based techniques in developing countries. METHODS: There were 31 ALL (paediatric and adult) patients that were tested using MLPA and 24 ALL patients tested using reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) to detect IKZF1 copy number changes and IKZF1 isoform expression pattern respectively. RT-PCR was validated with DNA sequencing and MLPA was validated with Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). MLPA was also compared to cytogenetics in certain cases. RESULTS: MLPA detected 156 copy number changes (7.1 aberrations per sample) in 22 leukemic patients. IKZF1 deletions accounted for the majority of the aberrations (41%) and were detected in 53% of Ph+ ALL patients (n=15) by MLPA. IKZF1 deletions were detected at presentation and relapse in Ph+ and PhALL patients. IKZF1 isoform Ik6 was detected in 70% of Ph+ and relapsed ALL patients after performing RT-PCR. IKZF1 deletions of exons 4-7 resulted in exclusive expression of Ik6. MLPA results were also correlated with certain aneuploidies detected


The main objective of this paper is to present the methodology used in the inventory and diagnosis of the present situation, with special reference to the particular techniques used in obtaining the following basic parameters: (1) level of supply and demand in different areas of the city (on-street and off-street parking); (2) study of parking turnover and duration in some "characteristic zones" (on-street); (3) study of parking turnover and duration in all the public and commercial parks; (4) inventory of the existing regulations on-street (traffic signs, traffic signals, etc); (5) study of the present legal situation in order to test its validity in the future if new policies should be undertaken; (6) a study of all the economic parameters involved in the assessment of the alternative policies formulated. The policy formulation and evaluation exercise (being undertaken at present) will take into consideration not only the results obtained in the inventory of the present situation, but also the problems and solutions found in other European cities with similar problems. (TRRL)


Purpose To report a keratoconus case with bilateral horizontal Vogt's striae. Method The clinical findings of the patient and the development of the direction of striae are discussed. Results Vogt's striae, defined as vertical stress lines, are rarely horizontal. One patient with unilateral horizontal stress lines on his left eye has been reported in the literature. Our patient has horizontal Vogt's striae in both eyes. Conclusion Horizontal Vogt's striae may be seen in keratoconus as a rare slit-lamp biomicroscopic finding.


tinguished medical officer. He took the M.D. degree at Glasgow in 1863, and later the diploma of M.RC.S.Eng. He entered the Army Medical School at Netley in 1864, shortly after the removal of that school from Fort Pitt, Chatham. On completion of the probationary period there he was posted to Nova Scotia, and subsequently was gazetted assistant surgeon to the 6th Foot (now the Royal Warwickshire Regiment), in which he served until 1877.


Delamination and air voids in renders are among the main sources of deterioration of mural paintings. Those decays are particularly dangerous because they are almost non visible, because underlying, but they can induce falls of parts of the artistic composition depending on their nature and the affected surface. The traditional technique used by the restorers to localize delaminated areas is acoustic sounding. It consist in a systematic slight knocking of the painted surface with one hand, when the other hand stays in contact with the surface. The vibration induced by the knocking is then perceived both by hear and touch and allows an experienced restorer to determine the extent of the decay, on the basis of an empirical evaluation of the propagation of the vibration. This technique which is qualitative is very simple and does not necessitate any specific equipment, but the results are not very precise and their quality depend a lot on the skills of the restorer. For example, the thickness or the depth of an air void, cannot be detected, when they represent valuable information for the restorer to evaluate the real state of decay of the mural painting and as a consequence a key point for the choice of a suitable restoration technique. Moreover, a contact with the mural painting, more or less long and powerful, is needed. It can be hazardous if the painting is powdering or weakened by scaling (as it was the case for the "Saint Christophe" of the Campana collection of the Louvre museum, before its restoration); or if the render is too thin (it then can collapse if the knocking is too powerful). Finally, when the surfaces painted are wide, this operation can be long and laborious. New control methods, destructive or not can thus still find their place in the field of the assistance to the restoration of works of art. The Laboratory of Energetics and Optics of the University of Reims Champagne Ardennes has worked for approximately 20 years, with the development of a particular non destructive testing method: photothermal radiometry. The principle of this method of analysis is relatively simple : It consists in subjecting the sample to be analyzed with a luminous flow whose absorption produces a local rise in the temperature close to the point of luminous impact, then to observe the variations of flux densities of material using an infra-red optical detection chain. The photothermal signal thus obtained depends on the optical and thermophysical properties of analyzed material, it is possible then to characterize it. This is a nondestructive test, without contact, used for the thermophysical analysis of thin material. It was already implemented to detect and characterize various types of localised or extended defects (delaminations, cracks, inclusions,...), in various types of materials. It seems to be able to be used in the field of the restoration of works of art, for example helping with the restoration of mural paintings, in addition to acoustic sounding. As infrared photothermal thermography has been successfully tested to localize and characterize decays such as delamination or cracking in several materials, In this work, we studied the possibilities to characterize the depth at which the defect is. Initially, we were interested in the characterization of a defect in plastazote located in a fresco carried out according to the technique of primitive Italian. In this study, we show that 9th International Conference on Quantitative InfraRed Thermography several parameters characteristic of the photothermal response collected during the experimental analysis, are correlated with the variable depth of this inclusion. We show then that the direct use of one of these parameters allows a good approximation the depth at which is an unknown inclusion In the second part of this study, we were interested in the characterization of an inclined defect located in a plaster sample (better known thermophysical properties than those of the preceding sample), using inverse methods. We present the photothermal model used to characterize the depth of the defect. Then, we show the method gives access to a good order of the depth at which the defect is located. http://dx.doi.org/10.21611/qirt.2008.16_01_07


Longitudinal mouse models are commonly used to study possible causal factors associated with human health and disease. However, the statistical models, such as two-way ANOVA, often applied in these studies do not appropriately model the experimental design, resulting in biased and imprecise results. Here, we describe the linear mixed effects (LME) model and how to use it for longitudinal mice studies. We re-analyze a dataset published by Blanton et al (Science 2016) that modeled mice growth trajectories after microbiome implantation from nourished or malnourished children. We compare the fit and stability of different parameterizations of ANOVA and LME models; most models found the nourished vs. malnourished growth trajectories differed significantly. We show through simulation that the results from the two-way ANOVA and LME models are not always consistent. Incorrectly modeling correlated data can result in increased rates of false positives or false negatives, supporting the need to model correlated data correctly. We provide an interactive Shiny App to enable accessible and appropriate analysis of longitudinal data using LME models.


Background  The suppressive mechanism of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) is poorly understood. It is also not known how to obtain enough peripheral Tregs, and how to make them effective in ameliorating a murine lupus‐like syndrome of chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (cGVHD).


Apparently healthy multiparous lactating crossbred cows (24), on the basis of milk pmduction and parity were randomly allocated to 4 'treatment groups. These were control and 3 dose rates of 250 mg, 350 mg and 500 mg sometribove zinc suspension in a sustained release preparation. Cows in control group received placebo injections of normal saline. Treatments were initiated at 55 to 92 days postpartum and continued for 140 days. The injections were given subcutaneously on left or right side, at every 14 days for 10 injection cycles. Blood samples were collected on second day of sometribove injection. Blood samples were collected from all the cows in separate test-tubes, via jugular venipuncture during each injection cycle. Administration of bovine somatotropin did not affect the blood serum calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride concentrations and remained within the normal range expected in lactating dairy cows. The serum triiodothyronine and thyroxine concentrations did not differ and remained almost similar in treated and control cows. The percentages' of cows remaining pregnant and calving rate were almost comparable in bovine somatotropin treated and control cows. Services per conception were lower in 250 and 500 mg groups when compared with controls, suggesting that services per conception were not affected due to bST treatment. Bovine somatotropin treatment had no discernible effect on gestation length.


The economy of oil energy sources, tightening standards of emissions of harmful substances of burnt gases of diesel engines, and restriction on carbon dioxide emissions force the majority of the countries to search for the waysof decreasing influence of thermal engines on environment


The challenge will be for ministers not to interfere in a regulated service

T he NHS in England marked the fourth anniversary of publication of the NHS Plan1 in July 2004 with the launch of the planning framework for the next three years and the standards that all organisations will be expected to achieve in delivering NHS care.2 The planning framework and standards mark a further stage in the reform of England's NHS and are important as an indication of the Labour government's thinking on priorities for the future and the methods that will be used to bring about change.

The planning framework sets out priorities in four areas: access to services, long term conditions, the health of the population, and the experience of patients or users. In each area national targets are identified for 2008 (and beyond in the case of the health of the population). These targets are based on the public service agreement negotiated between the Department of Health and the Treasury—with one exception, the aspiration to reduce infections caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The publication of a critical report by the National Audit Office on MRSA3 after release of the public service agreement explains the late addition of this target.

Three aspects of the …


The methodology of 'Ilm al-Tafsir and the methodology of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) highlight the similarities and differences in leveraging the text as research data beyond the level of the text's structure. Questions on similarities and differences between methodologies are addressed in the present study. This study, therefore, compares the similarities and the differences between the methodology of 'Ilm al-Tafsir and the methodology of CDA. Based on the comparison, the present study also constructs a religious discourse analysis model. The selected methodology of 'Ilm al-Tafsir is al-Sabuniy's in Safwat al-Tafasir (1979), while the chosen methodology of CDA is Fairclough's 3D (1992; 1995).  The universal principle of discourse and the linguistic goals in the philosophy of language is applied in the analysis. Similarities and differences were identified in the production, meaning and interpretation. The findings strongly suggest that the two methodologies have circumstances which lead to the use of language, the production of language, the features of texts, the nature of meaning and the means of interpretation. One of the main focuses of the comparison is on the differences that constitute barriers to the adoption of CDA for religious discourse analysis, specifically the critical approach towards the sickle and the fixed elements. The obstacles to this alternative are presented in order to prove that there is a linguistic approach that is capable of linking language with social elements. The findings thus have implications for the relatively new methodology of religious discourse in linguistic studies.  DOI:  http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/GEMA-2015-1501-08


We analyze the growth of a droplet of a stable phase (a plane wave front in one-dimensional case) under strong supercooling in the framework of the Landau–Ginzburg potential for both a conserved and a nonconserved order parameter coupled to thermal diffusion. When the coupling between changes in temperature and the order parameter is strong enough, and the heat conductivity is sufficiently small, the following nontrivial phenomenon may occur: the latent heat released with the growth of a droplet is taken away very slowly, and the local overheating transforms the initially overcooled state into an overheated one. As a result, the rate of droplet growth decreases, and even may change its sign, so that droplets of radius larger than the critical one, nevertheless, may shrink. For the steady-state growth in the one-dimensional case this phenomenon was analyzed analytically, while beyond the steady regime and in the two-dimensional case, the equations were solved numerically. The presence of a thermal bath wit...


It has long been known that baleen (mainly blue and fin) whale vocalizations are a component of oceanic ambient sound. Urick reports that the famous ''20‐cycle pulses'' were observed even from the first Navy hydrophone installations in the early 1950's. As part of the Acoustic Thermometry Ocean Climate (ATOC) and the North Pacific Acoustic Laboratory (NPAL) programs, more than 6 years of nearly continuous ambient sound data have been collected from Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) sites in the northeast Pacific. These records now show that the average level of the ambient sound has risen by as much as 10 dB since the 1960's. Although much of this increase is probably attributable to manmade sources, the whale call component is still prominent. The data also show that the whale signal is clearly seasonal: in coherent averages of year‐long records, the whale call signal is the only feature that stands out, making strong and repeatable patterns as the whale population migrates past the hydrophone systems. This prominent and sometimes dominant component of ambient sound has perhaps not been fully appreciated in current ambient noise models. [Work supported by ONR.]


Two critical issues have arisen in transmission expansion planning with the rapid growth of wind power generation. First, severe power ramping events in daily operation due to the high variability of wind power generation pose great challenges to multi-year planning decision making. Second, the long construction periods of transmission lines may not be able to keep pace with the fast growing uncertainty due to the increasing integration of wind power generation. To address such issues, we propose a comprehensive robust planning model considering different resources, namely, transmission lines, generators, and FACTS devices. Various factors are taken into account, including flexibility requirements, construction period, and cost. We construct the hourly net load ramping uncertainty (HLRU) set to characterize the variation of hourly net load including wind power generation, and the annual net load duration curve uncertainty (LDCU) set for the uncertainty of normal annual net load duration curve. This results in a two-stage robust optimization model with two different types of uncertainty sets, which are decoupled into two different sets of subproblems to make the entire solution process tractable. Numerical simulations with real-world data show that the proposed model and solution method are effective in coordinating different flexible resources and rendering robust expansion planning strategies.


Introduction Of all the many and varied ingredients in the healing ministry of Jesus and the Early Church, one element is only mentioned twice, but its relevance has been disputed for centuries. Despite the paucity of references to this element within the healing scenarios in the New Testament, many Pentecostal and Charismatic believers are familiar with its use in the context of healing though they are uncertain as to why it is used. Gundry I , in his recent commentary on Mark, suggests that the use of oil was unfamiliar to the Jewish environment, This assessment will be questioned, the alternative options presented and the most likely one advanced, defended and made relevant to contemporary Church praxis.


Electrical properties of (p)aSi:H‐(n)GaAs heterojunction were investigated by measuring current‐voltage and capacitance‐voltage characteristics. The experimental results are interpreted in accordance with a generalized a‐c junction model. The built‐in potential of the heterojunction and the gap‐state density in the chemical vapor deposition (p)aSi:H were obtained from the capacitance‐voltage characteristics.


Amelanotic melanoma is an uncommon form of melanoma; accounting for 2%–8% of all melanoma cases. In the human population, the incidence of melanoma in patients with trisomy 21 is relatively unknown. It is theorised that having an extra copy of chromosome 21 is protective against melanoma development as people with trisomy 21 also carry an extra copy of the genes on that chromosome including any that protect against cancer. A literature review revealed four other reported cases of cutaneous melanoma in persons with trisomy 21. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case of amelanotic melanoma presenting in a patient with trisomy 21 and the fifth case of melanoma overall reported in a patient with trisomy 21.This case highlights the need for specialist referral of all new skin lesions where the diagnosis is unclear.