Laboratory practices, which represent a vital part of electrical engineering education, have especially in the last few years been subjected to numerous challenges. The paper presents a concept of upgrading the laboratory practice curriculum in power electronics by introducing computer simulations. Due to the recognized shortcomings of the previous approach, the curriculum was closely reviewed, compared to the concepts from existing literature, and intensively upgraded by the introduction of the Ansys Simplorer computer program. The intensity of the process upgrade was enhanced by the COVID‐19 pandemic and related lockdowns. The introduced curriculum changes enabled the students to approach individual topics more gradually, reducing the gaps between the behavior of ideal and real power electronics circuits. The results of student feedback, obtained by a web‐based survey and a pre‐exam quiz, demonstrate that students recognize the new approach as being more gradual and beneficial, enabling them to improve their understanding of specific phenomena and to master the topics of power electronics with ease and satisfaction.


The US is pursuing a plan to raise the subsidies for electric vehicles by more than 30%. The number of electric vehicles in Europe is expected to be one million by 2020 and 2030 and there are plans to expand in the center of Germany to supply six million electric vehicles on the dissemination and development policies. The development of the electric vehicle is not simply a technical trend but there is the potential to improve the access to this technology and the possibility of changing the entire social system and long-term energy security. Domestic competition is also increasing the supply of electric vehicles, as new blue ocean markets are emerging. The current domestic On-board Charger (Home Charger) plans to be suspended from the 2015 government-sponsored installation, This paper on the IEC 61851-1 and IEC 61851-22 specifications analyzes the development of a midnight electricity charger as a low-cost algorithm, the decrease in price and the improved convenience of the On-board Charger for Bluetooth module with the ATmega128 existing charger system, and the UI configuration via the LCD Panel to a Smartphone app are proposed.


This technical comment discusses the possibility of lunar phase influences on global temperature modulation as briefly discussed using mathematical equations, by two researchers: J.C. Dyre and C.V. Voorhies. A reply from the originator of the report (R.C. Balling, Jr. Randall S. Cereveny) is also given. 2 refs.


Using an anomaly analytical method,a five-year moving average method, the Kendall test method and a hydrological statistical method,this paper analyzed monthly precipitation and temperature data from 4 stations,Zaysan,Semipalatinsk,Omsk,and Tobolsk,from 1948 to 1995,in order to identify characteristics and trends of change in the climate of the Irtysh River Basin.The results indicate that the average yearly precipitation in this basin is between 200 mm and 500 mm;precipitation is mainly concentrated in the summer and autumn; the precipitation in the lower reaches was much higher than in the upper reaches during the study period,but the inter-annual variation was higher in the upper reaches;the average annual temperature dropped from the upper reaches to the lower reaches, but the inter-annual variation of temperature in the lower reaches was higher; and the annual and seasonal precipitation and annual temperature increased on the whole from 1948 to 1995.


Dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasma (DF-CCP) etcher has become the mainstream in dielectric etcher. By building a 2D axisymmetric model of 300mm DF-CCP etcher in CFD-ACE+ software, plasma simulation experiments are carried out by orthogonal design. Then a process model based on simulation results is proposed to analysis influence of key process parameters including high frequency voltage, low frequency voltage, and chamber pressure and center/edge flow ratio on chamber plasma characteristics. Finally, to get high plasma uniformity and plasma density, process optimizations are carried out.


Partial smooth-rough transition was observed in 30 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3 cultivated at 37 degrees C. Immunodiffusion and haemagglutination inhibition tests with eight patients' sera demonstrated that the immunogenicity of the lipopolysaccharide of Yersinia enterocolitica in vivo was similar to that of the bacteria grown in vitro at 25 degrees C.


This paper investigated the amount and composition of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in activated sludge from mixed liquor as well as those in sludges from a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic membrane, respectively, in a Submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) treating river water in Shanghai, and analyzed the characteristics of these sludges. The effect of EPS and sludge hydrophobicity on filtration of membrane was studied. The experiment results showed that total amount of EPS in sludge from mixed liquor was more than those from membrane surface, and the ratio of EPS_P/EPS_C ranked mixed liquorhydrophilic membranehydrophobic membrane. The quantity and components of Soluble EPS and Bound EPS were different among three kinds of sludges. The quantity of Soluble EPS from hydrophobic membrane was more than that from hydrophilic membrane. EPS in sludge from mixed liquor was looser than those from the membrane surfaces. EPS in sludge from hydrophilic and hydrophobic membrane surface was tightly adhered to cell surfaces. Soluble EPS greatly affected membrane filtration. Relative hydrophobicity of sludge from hydrophilic and hydrophobic membrane surface was 53% and 59% respectively. Comparison of flux revealed that hydrophobic membrane fouling was more serious than hydrophilic one, and the ability of anti-fouling of the latter was higher than that of the former.


values of the fractions were observed in the cases of three solvents. It is thought because MEK is the poorest solvent for polystyrene in them.


Egg Shell Powder (ESP) and Tungsten Disulphide (WS2) are reinforced on AZ61 magnesium alloy through Friction Stir Process (FSP). The average particle size of ESP and WS2 are 45 μm and 10 μm, respectively. The ESP and WS2 mixed at different weight percentage (80/20, 70/30, 50/50, 30/70 and 20/80). Initially, equally spaced cylindrical holes are drilled on AZ61 alloy and then reinforcement mixture is filled in the holes using a flat head tool to secure the reinforcements. FSP tool pin with threaded profile is used to perform the friction stir process at tool rotation speed of 1000 rpm, 7 kN of axial load and 5 mm minute−1 tool transfers speed. From the micro and macro optical images, the defect free FSPed composite is obtained for the reinforcement combination of AZ61/80ESP/20WS2. The mechanical, tribological and corrosion tests are conducted on FSPed AZ61/80ESP/20WS2 composite and AZ61 base alloy according to ASTM standards. Microhardness increased twice in the nugget zone of FSPed AZ61/80ESP/20WS2 composite compared to the AZ61 base alloy because of grain refinement. The ultimate tensile strength of FSPed AZ61/80ESP/20WS2 composite increased up to 8.3% compared to AZ61 base alloy and showed ductile behaviour during the fracture. Dry wear tests conducted at three different sliding velocities (0.83, 1.7 and 2.5 m s−1) and three different loads (5 N, 10 N and 15 N) by keeping the sliding distance as 1500 m. The results showed an improvement in wear resistance of FSPed AZ61/80ESP/20WS2 composite up to 35% compared to the AZ61 base alloy. SEM images revealed that the wear mechanism changes from adhesive to abrasive under high operating conditions. The results of electrochemical corrosion test revealed that the corrosion rate of the FSPed AZ61/80ESP/20WS2 composite reduced significantly at the nugget zone because of grain refinement and reinforcement addition.


In order to study the impact response of a police riot helmet made of polycarbonate and low density polyethylene, a numerical model was established by using ABAQUS under low energy impact of 5kg impact components. Based on the numerical model, the impact dynamic responses of helmets with different impact energies, different shapes of hammer heads and different impact angles were analyzed. The low energy impact test was carried out on the riot helmet by using the drop hammer impact testing machine. The rules of the impact parameters, such as impact force, hammer head speed, hammer head displacement, hammer head impact energy and helmet absorption energy, varying with time were analyzed during the impact process when the helmet was subjected to 5kg hammer head impact. Based on the experimental results, the accuracy of the numerical model is verified, and the results can provide a reference for the research on the impact resistance of police riot helmets.


Introduction: Uterine sarcoma is rare, Leiomyosarcoma is the main type of sarcoma that may resemble to leiomyoma. Metastasis to small bowel is extremely rare, treatment is chemotherapy and the prognosis is unfavorable.
Case presentation: A 41-year-old Moroccan women, with no significant past medical history, was diagnosed with intracavitary myoma. The patient underwent subtotal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy. Pathology findings indicated high grade leiomyosarcoma. The patient was re-operated, she underwent bilateral oophorectomy, omentectomy, segmental small bowel resection and excision of uterine cervix. Histopathology revealed a metastatic lesion of the primary uterine leiomyosarcoma of the small bowel. The patient was treated by chemotherapy: Doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks for 6 cycles. The follow-up of this patient is 10 months and her ECOG is 0.
Conclusion: Leiomyosarcoma is the main type of sarcoma that may resemble to leiomyoma. Metastatis to small bowel is rare, treatment is chemotherapy and the prognosis is poor.


The problem of the scattering of SH-waves by a shallow cylindrical cavity in inhomogeneous half-space is discussed in this paper. Methods of complex function and multi-polar coordinate system are adopted to solve the problem of dynamic stress concentration factor. Based on the conformal mapping technique, the Helmholtz equation with variable coefficients is transferred into its standard form. Besides, the form of scattering wave is also deduced and the dynamic response is calculated and discussed. Numerical results present that the dynamic stress concentration factor is mainly affected by inhomogeneous parameters and the wave number, and it is influenced by the depth of the cavity under the surface as well.


Information technologies and the Internet resources strongly took roots and in our everyday life, and in work of the state organizations, and in business. Information technologies and Internet resources allowed to be struck to such direction as electronic business which gains all big development in Russia. However, if to consider history of development of electronic business in our country, it is much shorter, than in the USA and a number of the European countries. In article stages of development of electronic business in Russia are considered. Authors of article marked out features of the Russian electronic business, the main trends in this sector.


Abstract The current research presents a new strategy for the treatment of degraded historical leather. Digital microscope, pH, FTIR and SEM analyses were used to evaluate the degradation of two leather bookbindings dated back to the fourteenth century. A conservation process was executed and included cleaning and the filling of holes according to a new recipe in the field of leather conservation containing leather powder, anhydrous cellulose, cellulose powder, acacia arabica, gelatin powder and clay nanoparticles. The new recipe was evaluated on modern leather samples before and after their accelerated ageing by monitoring any changes in their pH and colour, along with differential thermal analysis before the filler was applied to the historic leather. Results showed that the acidity of the leather remained in its natural state and the leather did not exhibit any oxidation nor hydrolysis. Moreover, the evaluation process for the new recipe suggested that it could be a promising material for the filling of losses to leather especially as it is thermally stable and shows consistency with the acidity of leather. Furthermore, the new fill material is easy to manipulate and shows no significant shrinkage or change to its colour.


FIELD: personal use articles. SUBSTANCE: domestic dryer for linen comprises an outer box-shaped housing, a substantially cylindrical drum for linen to be dried which is mounted inside the box-shaped housing with the ability of rotation about its longitudinal axis, a coating containing a sheet of soft lining material of specified thickness, made with the ability to cover the surface of the cylindrical side wall of the drum. The cylindrical side wall is made of metal. The device has fastening means providing a solid fixation of the sheet on the inner surface of the cylindrical side wall with the ability to be dismounted easily, for lining and protection of the surface of the cylindrical side wall of the drum. The sheet of the lining material comprises several blind plastic mats of foamed polymer with open or closed cells. The mats are made with the ability to line the entire surface of the cylindrical side wall. The sheet has a built-in set of permanent magnets to secure the plastic mat of foamed polymer on the surface of the cylindrical side wall. EFFECT: simplified dismounting and repeated mounting of elements of the drum, reducing the noise is provided. 9 cl, 2 dwg


Abstract 2‐Arylbenzoxazoles and 2‐arylbenzimidazoles were synthesized by the reaction of aldehydes with 2‐aminophenol and O‐phenylenediamines in the presence of iodine. 1,3,5‐Trisubstituted pyrazoles were synthesized from chalcones and hydrazines in the presence of iodine. CDRI Communication No. 6509.


and individual freedom. These conflicting claims have very direct life-and-death importance in health care; but analogous conflicts can be pointed to in other policy areas in which government can be argued to be producing a merit good (e.g. education or the environment). Leichter also bases his analysis of health policy on the comparison of two countries: the United States and the United Kingdom. He discusses an interesting and significant range of health issues, ranging from smoking to AIDS. Here, the findings are somewhat different from those in Wilsford's book, with the United States' being somewhat more interventionist and the British government tending to rely more on voluntary agreements. In each case, however, the effects of this "second public health revolution" is to shift much of the blame for poor health onto individuals and their own behavior, leaving government only the option of altering individual lifestyles if they are to be successful in promoting health. That leaves unanswered, however, the more basic question of whether governments should be in the business of promoting health, especially when it requires intervention into personal liberty. Leichter is to be complimented for his manner of raising these thorny questions and willingness to accept indefinite and partial answers to them. The analysis might have been improved, however, by some greater attention to issues of agenda setting and to how policy issues are socially and politically constructed.


This chapter focuses on how the Maccabaer , the most comprehensive vernacular version of the Books of the Maccabees ever prepared, adapts that material for the German Order. The Middle High German Maccabaer , its redaction, and its reception need to be understood against this backdrop. The substantial text was probably written in the 1330s but only survives in the one manuscript containing biblical epics from the Commandery in Mergentheim, now in Stuttgart. All the biblical epics known to have been read in the German Order, especially the Mergentheim Codex, share a distinctive profile for which the Maccabaer provides a key. The same dynamic is at work in the Maccabaer : an impressive theological facade is built up by the complete translation of the dedicatory epistles from the commentary of Rabanus Maurus and Jerome's prologue to his translation of the Book of Maccabees for the Vulgate. Keywords:German Order; Maccabaer ; Maccabees; Mergentheim Codex; Rabanus Maurus


The preparation of a new type of moisturizing product by abstracting chondroitin from sturgeon cartilage and adding it into cosmetics has been described and the moisture retention and hygroscopicity of chondroitin in sturgeon and the moisture retention of the product have been discussed.Experiment results show that the chondroitin in sturgeon has excellent capability of moisture retention under the low humidity condition with its hygroscopicity rate 10.15%,which is better than that of other moisturizing samples.Therefore moisture cream which contains chondroitin has favorable stabilization and moisture retention.


By the F.E.M calculation ,the foundation deformation and strength characteristic of the compacted foundation under two condition considering or not lime soil pile are analyzed ,the effects of lime soil pile on compacted composite foundation are discussed.The study show that under the condition of m≤0.2 ( lime pile ratio to soil),the stress and strain of the compacted composite foundation can be calculated according to compacted foundation, the function of the lime soil can not be considered.The conclusions are refered for the engineerings.


Accounting profit and tax profit are two concepts easily confused,according to different foundations and di fferent principals,there are not only diffe rences but also connections in them.It is very important to understand th ese con-cepts correctly for the enterprise' s business accounting and declaring tax,the taxation bureau' s supervision,by deal-ing with the relationship between th e two concepts.


In 1964, the first expressway in Japan, Meishin Expressway, was opened. Since then, many expressways have been constructed all over Japan. Currently, the total length of expressways in operation exceeds 6,500 km. During this period, there were dramatic changes in Japan regarding various conditions. In accordance with the changes, landscaping on expressways has developed. This paper briefly describes the history of expressway landscaping in Japan, and states its policy toward the coming century. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E204151.


Background and Objectives: Apelin is a newly discovered adipokine which plays an important role in regulation of energy homoeostasis and improvement of insulin resistance. However, the effect of exercise training on apelin level in diabetic status is not khown, yet. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of aerobic training on plasma concentration of apelin and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: In this randomized experimental study, twenty diabetic male Wistar rats were divided into training and control group. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of nicotinamide and streptozotocin. Four weeks after the development of diabetes, the training group ran 6-week on treadmill. After the training, plasma concentration of glucose, insulin and apelin were measured and HOMA-IR was calculated. Results: There was a statisticaly significant decrease in plasma concentration of glucose and insulin and HOMAIR, and a significant increase in plasma concentration of apelin was observed in training group compared with control group. Furthermore, a significant negative relationship between plasma concentration of apelin and HOMAIR after 6 weeks aerobic training was found. Conclusion: It seems that 6-week aerobic training by changes in plasma concentration of apelin, glucose and insulin and HOMA-IR can be effective in treatment of type 2 diabetes in rats.


Torsional behavior of concrete pavement slabs due to temperature and moisture effects is constrained by self weight and friction etc, and causes stress as the result. The stress due to humidity variation in the slab is difficult to calculate while that due to temperature variation can easily be calculated by a commercial structural analysis program. Thus, the slab behavior can be predicted more accurately if the humidity effect is converted to equivalent temperature and is used as an input of structural analysis. In this study, a concrete pavement slab was constructed and strains of the slab due to environmental loadings were measured for long-term period. Thermal strains were subtracted from the measured strains by using thermal expansion coefficient of the concrete measured in a laboratory. Shrinkage strains, the remained strains, was supposed as additional thermal strains to calculate imaginary temperature with equivalent effect of the shrinkage by dividing the shrinkage with the thermal expansion coefficient. An existing shrinkage model was modified by considering the self weight and friction to be used in another model which can convert differential shrinkage between top and bottom of the slab to equivalent temperature difference. Addition research efforts on tensile stress reduction according to steady increase in the compressive strains are warranted for more accurate stress calculation.


In order to maintain their special tax status, charitable organizations are required to make certain financial information–such as their annual tax filings–available to the public. In the past, the best way to obtain this information was to contact the nonprofit organization directly or to request copies from the Internal Revenue Service. GuideStar.org makes these filings available over the Internet. The Web site is primarily a database of United States charitable nonprofit organizations and includes information on the charities' activities and finances. Most of the information is free, and several additional specialized fee-based databases are also available.


Increased expression and altered processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and generation of β‐amyloid peptides is important in the pathogenesis of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Transgenic Tg2576 mice overexpressing the Swedish mutation of human APP exhibit β‐amyloid deposition in the neocortex and limbic areas, accompanied by gliosis and dystrophic neurites. However, murine plaques appear to be less cross‐linked and the mice show a lower degree of inflammation and neurodegeneration than AD patients. 'Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs)', formed by reaction of proteins with reactive sugars or dicarbonyl compounds, are able to cross‐link proteins and to activate glial cells, and are thus contributing to plaque stability and plaque‐induced inflammation in AD. In this study, we analyze the tissue distribution of AGEs and the pro‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐1β and TNF‐α in 24‐month‐old Tg2576 mice, and compare the AGE distribution in these mice with a younger age group (13 months old) and a typical Alzheimer's disease patient. Around 70% of the amyloid plaque cores in the 24‐month‐old mice are devoid of AGEs, which might explain their solubility in physiological buffers. Plaque associated glia, which express IL‐1β and TNF‐α, contain a significant amount of AGEs, suggesting that plaques, i.e. Aβ as its major component, can induce intracellular AGE formation and the expression of the cytokines on its own. In the 13‐month‐old transgenic mice, AGEs staining can neither be detected in plaques nor in glial cells. In contrast, AGEs are present in high amounts in both plaques and glia in the human AD patient. The data obtained in this show interesting differences between the transgenic mouse model and AD patients, which should be considered using the transgenic approach to test therapeutical strategies to eliminate plaques or to attenuate the inflammatory response in AD.


Background Current discharge practices have shown to be inefficient which results in delayed transfers from the emergency department, resulting in patients waiting for extended periods of time before admissions to their home wards, and bed blocking within the emergency department. This implementation project focuses on implementing criteria led discharge (CLD) within a short stay surgical unit. Objectives The primary objective of this evidence implementation project was to promote best practice for criteria led discharge, and thereby improve patient outcomes, reduce patient length of stay and improve resource allocation. Methods This project utilized the audit and feedback model using the Joanna Briggs Institute's Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System. Audit criteria were created based on the best available evidence on the topic through a search performed by the JBI team. All audit criteria were obtained through case note review following discharge. All audits were undertaken within the same 28‐bed surgical unit. Results The post‐implementation (follow‐up) audit showed significant improvement in compliance to best practice guidelines in many of the audit criteria selected. Despite this, the ongoing follow up audits have shown a decrease in compliance. Further education and monitoring is required. Conclusions This project has shown that using the audit and feedback as an implementation tool has proved effective in changing practice and improving compliance to the best available evidence on discharging patients, once they have met the criteria developed.


Polymeric optical waveguides fabricated using a newly developed silicone resin have a low birefringence as well as low propagation loss and good environmental stability. Optical waveguide circuits including a directional coupler, an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) multi/demultiplexer, and a digital thermooptic (TO) switch are successfully realized using the silicone resin.


the publishing houses, mainly' of the United States of America. Many earlier authors concentrated on the biochemical aspects, undoubtedly in response to the then new work on the chemistry of vitamins. In recent years more writers have extended the scope of their work and have devoted space to a consideration of the soil, to the production, distribution and marketing of food, as well as to the preparation, cooking and finally the utilization of food by man. A wide approach is surely the more realistic. The author of this work follows this line. As is to be expected, a high percentage of the examples are drawn from Great Britain, and particular reference is made to the results of the valuable large-scale nutritional experiments made in that country during the war. The first four chapters deal with such general themes as the evolution of human dietaries, the problem of malnutrition, nutrition in Great Britain. These chapters give a good broad introduction to the subject and help to set it in its correct perspective. In selecting material, the author has made liberal use of the facts and ideals presented at the Hot Springs Conference. Five chapters are devoted to energy requirements, protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals. The subject matter is presented clearly, without too much detail. For this reason the specialist in this field may find these chapters too brief for his purpose. But the author states that the book is intended for use by students for the Diploma of Public Health; for this purpose the subject is sufficiently and adequately covered. There are a number of curious omissions and some unexpected errors in this section. Here are some examples: In the discussion on anremia in pregnancy no reference is made to the recent work on physiological hydrremia and its relation to anremia. In the same section, when reviewing the iron requirements of the infant, the author states that most of the iron of the newborn infant is stored in the liver, ignoring the recent work by some of his Scottish colleagues which has demonstrated that most of the iron in the newborn infant is in the red blood cells. The suggestion that the signs of myxcedema will disappear following the administration of potassium iodide cannot be substantiated. These five chapters are the weakest section of the book. The next four chapters are devoted to foodstuffs, bread, milk, protein-rich foods and vegetables. The last subject is treated particularly well. As with other sections of the book the chapter on bread deals almost exclusively with the British experience. The author ignores the fact that bread is a different commodity both physically and chemically in the different countries of the world. A chapter on dietary standards and dietary planning approaches the subject in a realistic manner and gives a sound interpretation to the various recommended dietary standards. Additional chapters deal with the preservation of food, diet and dental caries and the appraisal of nutritional status. The last subject is covered in a general way, but unfortunately the author does not discuss the place and value of biochemical methods in the assessment of nutritional status. The final chapter is topical, for in it the author reviews the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the contribution it can make to world food problems. This book should prove very useful to both medical students and practitioners, for it approaches the subject on a broad basis and presents the problems of nutrition as they affect the daily lives of the well and the sick.


Recent research has confirmed the persistence of small families in the USSR with a national average of 3.5 persons in 1979. This phenomenon is attributed to four factors: a significant increase in the number of young married couples who are in the initial phase of the demographic cycle; the endurance of the nuclear family mainly because of steady improvement in living conditions; an increase in the number of incomplete families primarily consisting of the mother and children; and a decrease in the birth rate. (summary in ENG) (ANNOTATION)


ABSTRACT It's been more than two years and the world is still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has tested the health and education system of almost every country and has resulted in the worst crisis ever. Children and youths all over the world have suffered the most due to partial and or complete closure of schools and will remember this dramatic experience for the rest of their lives. The present review briefs some of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education system and children and youths worldwide. The literature was searched from governmental, non-governmental agencies including UNICEF, UN, UNESCO, WHO, UNFPA, OECD, CARE, ITU, World Economic Forum, and many English peer-reviewed journals, using PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Science Direct databases. Literature from the COVID-19 pandemic onset till May 2022 about the impact of school closure on children and adolescents was searched. Present review observed that COVID-19 pandemic-related school closure has resulted in the loss of education for many students worldwide. They have lost a safe environment, the support of peers and teachers, and a source of nutrition. Though COVID-19 has many negative impacts on education, it has also opened innovative ways of teaching that will help in developing a better and student-friendly curriculum. School closure has not only disrupted the education of children and adolescents, but has also pushed them into poverty, malnutrition, mental illness, child marriages, teenage pregnancies, and sexual, physical, and emotional violence, which needs urgent attention.


Transarterial chemoembolization is the first line therapy for patients with intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma, the third leading cause of cancer related deaths. This procedure is effective in extending patient survival but requires a complicated catheterization procedure and can induce off-target occlusion. Gas embolization has been proposed as an easily administered, more spatially selective alternative. Microbubbles produced in situ using acoustic droplet vaporization can accumulate and form occlusions within the tumor vasculature. While recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of this method in mouse models, the focused ultrasound used for droplet vaporization has been manually guided, resulting in off-target hemorrhage. A more targeted yet similarly facile to administer insonation method will improve the clinical translatability of the proposed therapy. Here, we demonstrate the development of a custom ultrasound pulse sequence consisting of interleaved real-time imaging and droplet vaporization that operates on a single linear array transducer. GUI controls were developed to afford the user fine control over the localization of the focal spot. We first produced bubble clouds in fibrin gels seeded with droplets to demonstrate the accuracy of spatial control. Then, we successfully generated and tracked occlusions in real-time in a tumor model without the induction of off-target hemorrhage. These preliminary results indicate that gas embolization may serve as an easily administered ultrasound-guided and activated therapy.


Nine hundred and twenty five Ethiopian barley accessions were studied under laboratory experiments for juvenile resistance to North West population of powdery mildew casual agent Blumeria graminis (DC.) Golovin ex Speer f. sp. hordei Marchal. Based on phenotypic screening, the 27 accessions resistant to the pathogen were selected and 47 forms were heterogeneous for the studied character. The resistant and susceptible plants of the examined accessions were analyzed with the use of molecular markers developed for identification of the mlo11 allele. Fifteen accessions carrying the mlo11 allele which determines durable resistance of most modern barley varieties to powdery mildew were revealed. The accessions differed by the resistance expression that can be explained both by the manifestation of other resistance genes which are inadequate to the mlo11 and also by the presence of different mlo11 allelic variants in the genotypes of the selected accessions. The resistance to B. graminis of other 59 forms is controlled by the effective genes which are different from mlo11.


By taking a different approach, providers have an opportunity to transform patient engagement, while greatly improving care and lowering costs.


The article discusses the main existing methodological approaches to assessing the state of human capital in the regions, and provides a critical analysis by comparing the positive and negative sides. The article substantiates that in modern realities for the assessment of regional human capital should be used available indicators recorded by the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation in all regions, which will ensure the comparability of calculations between different subjects and give a certain universality to the methods of assessing the state of human capital in the region. Justifies the author's position of assessing the state of human capital in the region based on the socalled representative approach of interregional comparison, the undoubted advantage of which is the comparability of the assessment indicators, which excludes the influence of the area and population of the region on the calculation of specific indicators. It is shown, in addition, that this approach is based on regional statistics available and universal for all regions. In the article, based on the methodology for assessing the human capital of the region justified by the authors, an assessment of the state of the human capital of the regions of the North Caucasus Federal District for 2019 is carried out, according to the results of which the corresponding conclusions are made, indicating a fairly strong differentiation of the regions of the North Caucasus Federal District by individual components of human capital. In this connection, it is proposed to consider the integral index of the human capital of the region in the context of the influence of indicators of the elements of regional human capital on it in order to obtain more weighty guidelines for the development strategies of regional human capital. The methodological approach proposed in the article and the results obtained can be useful for the regions of the North Caucasus Federal District to develop development strategies and adjust existing programs for the development of human capital.


Nb-Ti wires of different composition and metallurgical state have been studied near the upper critical field (H/sub c2/) in an attempt to separate H/sub c2/ the irreversibility field (H*) and the resistively measured transition field (H/sub r/). For optimized multifilamentary Nb-47wt.%Ti wire, we find that H*=10.2 T, H/sub c2/=10.8 T and H/sub r/=11.8 T at 4.2 K. The transitions were studied by extended electric field vs. current density curves, magnetization and small current transport measurements. We found a strong correlation between magnetization, bulk flux pinning (F/sub p/) extrapolation and extended E-J curves for the value of H*, all giving H*=10.2 T. We have also shown that the maximum in H/sub r/ occurs for Nb-44wt.% Ti.


A modified heat-treatment procedure, which consisted of three steps, i.e., 1) calcination, 2) intermediate heat-treatment (IHT), and 3) crystallization, was developed for the metal organic deposition method using trifluoroacetates (TFA). BaZrO3-doped Y0.77Gd0.23Ba2Cu3O6+δ (YGdBCO) coated conductors fabricated by this modified procedure provided the minimum critical current density (Jc) value of 0.21 MA/cm2 at 77 K in 3 T, which was as high as 2.1 times the value obtained by the conventional one, and a homogeneous dispersion of BaZrO3 nanoparticles with finer size in the matrix. Furthermore, the 1-D theoretical analysis of the reaction kinetics in the IHT process, considering diffusion and growth kinetics at the interface between the precursor layer and the calcined layer, was proposed, and the estimated reaction rate was compared with experimental ones.


Phycocyanin is a phycobiliprotein compound obtained from Spirulina platensis that can be used as a natural color, functional food, or as a cosmeceutical ingredient. The ultrasonication-assisted extraction (UAE) method can be an alternative to obtain phycocyanin from S. plantesis wet biomass. We were aimed to determine the effect of ultrasonication time on profile crude extract phycocyanin from wet biomass S. platensis, and to compare the profile crude extract phycocyanin produced from UEA and freeze-thawing methods. Phycocyanin was extracted from wet biomass S. plantesis using the UEA method with different times: 1) the extraction was carried out for 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 minutes of ultrasonication, and 2) the extraction was carried out for 10, 15, and 20 minutes of ultrasonication. The result showed that UAE for 10 minutes has the highest concentration, yield, and purity index of phycocyanin, namely 1065.54±182.76 g/mL, 10.65±1.82%, 1.12±0.04. This result also was higher than the crude extract of phycocyanin obtained from the freeze-thawing method. Thus, the ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) method can effectively produce phycocyanin from Spirulina plantesis wet biomass.


Six decades ago Jerome W Conn described a middle-aged woman with primary hyperaldosteronism (PA) associated with arterial hypertension and hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, and this symptom-complex was later called Conn's syndrome [1]. PA is a major cause of secondary hypertension, with an incidence of about 10% in hypertensive patients [2]. People with PA due to adenoma or bilateral hyperplasia may also have periodic paralysis [2]. Worthy of note, vascular complications are more often associated with PA than with essential hypertension because of the increased intima-media thickness of the carotid artery [2].


The iTrust search and retrieval network serves as a trustworthy medium for the distribution of information, t hat addresses the problems of censorship and filtering of information. To combat subversive behavior of nodes that might undermine the trustworthiness of iTrust, a reputation system is neede d. The iTrust reputation system presented in this paper detect s and blacklists malicious nodes. It minimizes the expectati on of cooperation between nodes through local reputations bas ed solely on direct observations of the nodes. Simulation resu lts demonstrate that local neighborhoods provide better malic ious node detection and blacklisting than does the entire networ k, which is particularly appropriate for mobile ad-hoc networ ks. Keywords—search and retrieval; mobile ad-hoc network; peerto-peer network; reputation management; iTrust I. I NTRODUCTION Mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) are intrinsically dependent on cooperation and collaboration among nodes. MANETs do not rely on a static network infrastructure, but they do rely on several assumptions [18]. Due to the lack of infrastructure and other limiting factors, such as transmi s ion range, the nodes in a MANET develop symbiotic relationships . Such relationships assume that all of the nodes are equally trustworthy and have the same objectives. Such assumptions about the nodes are not appropriate for the iTrust search and retrieval network [1], [14], [15], which aims to ensure freedom from censorship and filtering of information, even i n the presence of malicious nodes. A MANET requires cooperation among the nodes in the network to function properly. Without the fulfillment of thi s requirement, packets would not be forwarded, routes would n ot be established, and the network would not function properly . Despite the importance of cooperation among the nodes in a MANET, it is not guaranteed. Consequently, a reputation system is needed. However, the addition of a reputation syst em, in which reports of misbehavior are collected and redistrib u ed, treads dangerously close to encroaching on the fundamental principle of iTrust, which is to provide a distributed, unce sorable, reliable, trustworthy system with no central auth ori y. The iTrust reputation system for MANETs, presented in this paper, is based on local reputations and neighborhoods , and uses direct observations of the nodes to detect maliciou s neighbors, with as few interactions between the nodes as possible. It avoids reliance on information from other node s, while maintaining a method of detecting the misbehavior of malicious nodes. The iTrust reputation system is designed specifically for iTrust operating over MANETs. In designing the reputation system for iTrust MANETs, we investigated the merits of utilizing a local neighborhoo d for each node. Simulation results provide increased insigh t into the rationale behind using local neighborhoods for iTr ust. They reveal a distinct relationship between neighborhood s ize and the number of transmissions required to detect maliciou s nodes. Essentially, with smaller numbers of transmissions , local neighborhoods consistently yield a higher proportio n of malicious nodes detected and blacklisted, compared to the entire network with more transmissions. This finding is particularly important for MANETs, as it is necessary to eliminate malicious nodes as quickly as possible with as few interactions and transmissions as possible, in order to red uce the costs associated with a reputation system. The rest of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents an overview of the iTrust search and retrieval netw ork. Section 3 describes the iTrust local reputation system, and the details of its three modules. Section 4 provides an evaluati on of the iTrust reputation system, and insight into the use of neighborhoods. Section 5 discusses other reputation syste ms, and their relationship to the iTrust reputation system. Sec tion 6 concludes the paper and presents future work. II. T HE ITRUST SEARCH AND RETRIEVAL NETWORK The iTrust search and retrieval network [1], [14], [15] addresses potential problems with centralized search and r etrieval systems that are subject to censorship, filtering, a nd suppression of information. Moreover, the iTrust network i s intended to be robust against malicious nodes. To achieve th se objectives, the iTrust system adopts a probabilistic, dist ribu ed, and decentralized approach. The nodes that participate in an iTrust network are referred to as theparticipating nodes (Figure 1). Some of the participating nodes, thesource nodes, produce information, and make that information available to other participating nodes (Figure 2). The source nodes also produce metadata tha t describes their information, and distribute the metadata, along with the address of the information, to randomly chosen node s in the iTrust network. Other participating nodes, the requesting nodes, request and retrieve information. The requesting nodes generate requests (queries) that contain keywords, a n distribute their requests to randomly chosen nodes in the iT rust network (Figure 3). Nodes that receive a request compare the keywords in the request with the metadata they hold. If a node finds a match, which we call an e counter, the matching node returns the address of the associated information to th e requesting node (Figure 4). The requesting node then uses th e address to retrieve the information from the source node. A match between the keywords in a request received by a node and the metadata held by a node can be an exact match or a partial match, or can correspond to synonyms. Fig. 1. An iTrust network with participating nodes. Fig. 2. A source node distributes metadata, describing its i nformation, to randomly chosen nodes in the network. Fig. 3. A requesting node distributes its request to randoml y chosen nodes in the network. One of the nodes has both the metadata and the r equ st and, thus, an encounter occurs. Fig. 4. A node matches the metadata and the request and report s the match to the requesting node. The requesting node then retrieves the information from the source node. The iTrust search and retrieval system is based on the hypergeometric distribution [8], which is given in terms of the following variables: n: The number of participating nodes x: The proportion of then participating nodes that are operational, i.e., 1 − x is the proportion of nonoperational or malicious nodes m: The number of participating nodes to which the metadata are distributed r: The number of participating nodes to which the requests are distributed k: The number of participating nodes that report matches to a requesting node. In iTrust, the probabilityP (k ≥ 1) that a request yields one or more matches is given by: P (k ≥ 1) = 1− n−mx n n− 1−mx n− 1 . . . n− r + 1−mx n− r + 1 (1) for n ≥ mx+ r. If mx+ r > n, thenP (k ≥ 1) = 1. In [14], we showed that, if m = r = 2⌈√n⌉, then the probability that a request yields one or more matches is P (k ≥ 1) ≥ 1− e ∼ 0.9817. We use this result and Equation (1) in our evaluation of the iTrust reputation system given in Section IV. III. T HE ITRUST LOCAL REPUTATION SYSTEM The iTrust local reputation system for MANETs monitors packet forwarding, and watches for non-operational nodes a nd nodes that do not respond to requests (queries). A local reputation system reduces overheads and the dependence among nodes. It also reduces the amount of storage required, becau s only information about one-hop neighboring nodes needs to be recorded. In contrast, a global reputation system would result in higher overheads, and also a higher expectation of cooperation among nodes [1]. The iTrust reputation system is based on a local neighborhood of each node, consisting of the nodes within one hop of the node, and a neighborhood watch mechanism that monitors the interactions of the neighboring nodes. The iTr ust reputation system maintains reputation ratings of the nodes. A node uses only direct observations to update the reputatio n ratings of its neighboring nodes. Consequently, the reputa tion ratings of different nodes might not be consistent. This des ign choice limits the expectation of cooperation among nodes, t hus reducing the opportunities for malicious behavior. The two primary types of malicious behavior that the iTrust reputation system addresses are: • A node does not send responses to requests when it has a match. • A node sends requests and responds to requests, but does not forward messages. Thus, the iTrust reputation system primarily serves to ensu re that nodes send messages as expected; it does not address oth er threats such as Sybil attacks. In the extreme case in which a node becomes isolated due to the lack of any well-behaved neighbors, the node needs to move to another location where well-behaved nodes are present. The two main principles under which the iTrust reputation system operates are: • Intermittent behavior is not punished as much or as rapidly as consistently bad behavior, because intermittent bad behavior is more difficult to detect. • Efforts are directed towards observing the behavior of nodes within one hop. Malicious behavior that occurs beyond that range is the responsibility of other nodes. Each node in the MANET maintains a local reputation table that consists of a list of nodes within its local neighborhood. Whenever an interaction with another node occurs, the node increases or decreases the reputation rating of that ot er node. This mechanism addresses malicious behavior. The iTrust reputation system consists of three modules that interact with each other. These three modules are the Neighborhood Module, the Reputation Rating Module, and the Monitoring Module, which are illustrated in Figure 5 and are described below. Fig. 5. The three modules of the iTrust reputation system and their interactions. A. Neighborhood Module The Neighborhood Module at a node maintains the local neighborhood


The ESPERTA (Empirical model for Solar Proton Event Real Time Alert) forecast tool has a Probability of Detection (POD) of 63% for all >10 MeV events with proton peak intensity ≥10 pfu (i.e., ≥S1 events, S1 referring to minor storms on the NOAA Solar Radiation Storms scale), from 1995 to 2014 with a false alarm rate (FAR) of 38% and a median (minimum) warning time (WT) of ∼4.8 (0.4) hr. The NOAA space weather scale includes four additional categories: moderate (S2), strong (S3), severe (S4), and extreme (S5). As S1 events have only minor impacts on HF radio propagation in the polar regions, the effective threshold for significant space radiation effects appears to be the S2 level (100 pfu), above which both biological and space operation impacts are observed along with increased effects on HF propagation in the polar regions. We modified the ESPERTA model to predict ≥S2 events and obtained a POD of 75% (41/55) and an FAR of 24% (13/54) for the 1995–2014 interval with a median (minimum) WT of ∼1.7 (0.2) hr based on predictions made at the time of the S1 threshold crossing. The improved performance of ESPERTA for ≥S2 events is a reflection of the big flare syndrome, which postulates that the measures of the various manifestations of eruptive solar flares increase as one considers increasingly larger events.


To explore the influence of the after-burning on the strength of the shock waves produced by the thermobaric explosive explosion in air,experiments and numerical simulations were performed to investigate the energy output structure.The results show that there lie two peaks on the pressure-time curves in the near field and a long positive pressure period in the far field.The impulse of the thermobaric explosive in the positive pressure period is 1.6~1.8 times as much as that of the TNT explosive with the same mass.The analysis of the JWL-Miller model parameters reveals that the energy released by the after-burning reaction occupies about one-thirds of the total energy.Furthermore,the reaction degree evolution curve was obtained for the nonideal component.In the case of complete burning,the after-burning reaction can last 400 ms.It indicates that the after-burning of high energy additives can evidently enhance the power of thermobaric explosive.


Background  Development of factor VIII inhibitors is a serious complication in haemophilia A patients. Recombinant factor VIIa (rVIIa) is clinically effective, but its effects on haemostatic system need still to be fully elucidated.


Acute-phase proteins (APPs) form a group of heterogeneous proteins whose synthesis takes place in the liver. This involves mediators such as cytokines and constitutes a response to acute inflammations, bacterial infections, tumours, and autoim- mune diseases. C-reactive protein is among the most important APPs. It participates in cancerous processes, especially in colon and rectal cancer. Another APP is haptoglobin. This glycoprotein prevents iron loss and kidney damage, and is associated with diagnostic neoplastic progression connected with fucosylation. Fucoso–haptoglobin is a highly effective marker for prognosis because an increased concentration of this complex is indicative of the distant metastases amount. Another APP is acidic α -glycoprotein (AGP), which increases to a serious level during acute inflammations and tumour-promoting processes. Its protective role involves platelet aggregation inhibition and chemotactic activity. The purpose of this study was to review the role of selected acute phase proteins in cancer promotion and progression.


Grounded in configuration theory, this study investigates the notion of co-alignment of business orientation, marketing assets and marketing capabilities, and their relationships to performance. Using these criteria, profiles of high performing businesses were derived and assessed against a three country sample of Brazil, China and the UK. Findings are consistent, statistically significant and invariant across the sample. They show that businesses with ideal profiles significantly outperform competitors in terms of market-based performance, customer satisfaction, and financial performance. Furthermore, profiles of top performing organizations are similar across countries with respect to their orientations, assets, and capabilities. Only customer-based assets, network capabilities, and customer and shareholder orientations were different. Implications and future research directions are subsequently addressed.


As a new control/monitor approach, the long- range display and control system has been widely applied in communication, transportation, finance and intelligent community with various designs and implementations. Compared with the long- range C/M system, the proposal addressed in this article is adapted particularly for the ground radar. In initial design of radar system, the local C/M and long- range display/control are integrated by combining of software and hardware designs. Its flexible system configurations and its different transportation modes enable it to be applied in many types of ground radar, and also provide a new design concept for long- range control system in civilian field.


Sickle hemoglobin (Hb S; β Glu6Val) is due to an A>T transversion in codon 6 of the β‐globin gene. Other variant hemoglobins mimic Hb A, S, or C on newborn screening and clinical laboratory diagnostic tools, thus making their correct identification potentially difficult. Sickling disorders can result in individuals who are compound heterozygous for β‐globin mutations (e.g., Hb SC, HbSOArab). The authors report a second case of HbS/Québec‐CHORI, a severe compound heterozygous sickling disorder and their experience managing this patient with hydroxyurea. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:207–210. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


This paper expounds the importance of standardization for the operation of market economy,the strategic readjustment of national economic structure,and the development of high tech industries,modern agriculture and the tertiary sector.The urgency of improvement of current terminological standardization work in China is emphasized and potential problems that might arise from our tasks ahead are pointed out for attention.


From mining status,surrounding rock structure,roadway layout,coal-pillar dimension,mining replacement and roadway supporting,this paper analyzed deformation and damage reasons of roadway along gob in full-mechanized caving mining extremely thick Carboniferous coal-seam.It put forward measures and solution method for controlling roadway deformation under similar condition.


The case here reported is one of more than usual interest, inasmuch as I have been unable, by extensive inquiry and correspondence, to locate one in which the history is parallel. History. —Miss F., aged 18, consulted me Sept. 23, 1900. She was a bright, intelligent girl of rather slight build. She stated that she had never menstruated. I thought nothing particularly strange of this, however, as occasionally one meets cases in which this function does not manifest itself until the age of 17, 18 or 19 years. In fact, I had at that time a patient, a well-developed girl of 19, in whom the menses did not appear until the eighteenth year. The patient further stated that at intervals of about every three months since she was 16 years of age, she had "swellings," as she termed them, in the right and left iliac regions. These points were tender


Summary form only given. The Mather type PF-40 Plasma Focus Device consists of 27/spl times/3 /spl mu/F capacitors arranged in parallel in nine units. Neutron emission was investigated in two ways. The neutron yield and its jetter of different end shapes and structures of the inner and outer electrodes were measured using a silver activation counter. At the same time, the propagation and structure of a plasma sheath in the pinch phase were recorded by a laser differential interferometer. A uniform and symmetric configuration of the pinch plasma is essential for obtaining higher neutron yield. The anode end structure effect the neutron yield through influencing the configuration and status of motion of the plasma sheath. By improving the electrode structure, we have obtained the average neutron yield of /spl sim/10/sup 9/ per shot at an operating voltage 20 kV (18 kJ) which is close to the value predicted by the scaling law. The jetter of neutron yield related average value is about (20/spl sim/80)%.


Analysis is made for the meridional imaging rays of a not-far-off-axis paraboloidal mirror, which indicates that there is an inclined optimum image plane of the off-axis mirror if certain approximation is satisfied and the aperture stop is properly located. The inclination and the blurred point image size on the image plane are derived. The analysis and the ray tracing result both show that the image quality is much improved on the inclined image plane.


The two-degree of freedom suspension model of one quarter coach was built up.A two-input one-output fuzzy controller was designed.And taking the filtered white noise as random road input signal the simulation studies of semi-active suspension model with the software of Matlab/Simulink was carried out.Simulation results show that compared with the passive air suspension,the fuzzy controlled air suspension could be used to reduce the sprung mass acceleration and improve ride comfort in some degrees.But the effects on reducing wheel dynamic load and suspension dynamic displacement are not evident and fuzzy control method needs to use with other control methods to gain better vibration control effect.


The synthesis of new octafunctional alkoxyamine initiators for nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization (NMRP), by the derivatization of resorcinarene with nitroxide free radicals viz TEMPO and a freshly prepared phosphonylated nitroxide, is described. The efficiency of these initiators toward the controlled radical polymerization of styrene and tert-butyl acrylate is investigated in detail. Linear analogues of these multifunctional initiators were also prepared to compare and evaluate their initiation efficiency. The favorable conditions for polymerization were optimized by varying the concentration of initiators and free nitroxides, reaction conditions, etc., to obtain well-defined star polymers. Star polystyrene thus obtained were further used as macro-initiator for the block copolymerization with tert-butyl acrylate. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5559–5572, 2007


Sixteen tooth characters were analyzed in 277 specimens of spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostriJ) from the eastern tropical Pacific to determine whether the characters were associated with size of the animal, species-stock membership or geographic location. The tooth characters included 5 continuous measurements and 11 qualitative variables. Statistical analyses of the characters included twoway ANOVA tests which assessed continuous measurement variables for differences based on stock membership, latitude and longitude of collection or whether the animal was collected north or south of the equator. Principal component analyses combined factors of continuous variables with those of qualitative variables into components which were used as variables in further analyses. Discriminant analyses were performed using continuous variables alone and using principal components as potentially discriminating variables. Results showed that tooth differences were not associated with size but significant differences were found in some tooth variables with stock membership, incremental changes in latitude and whether the animal was collected north or south of the equator. A discriminant function, containing only tooth length, correctly classified 67% of northern and 78% of southern animals according to location of collection north or south of the equator. A number of dolphin populations in the eastern tropical Pacific are caught incidentally by tuna seiners during fishing operations. One such species, the spinner dolphin, Stenella longivostris, includes a number of population stocks: the eastern spinner dolphin, northern and southern whitebelly spinner dolphin, Costa Rican spinner dolphin and Hawaiian spinner dolphin (Perrin et a/. 1979, 1985). Stock membership is determined at sea by government observers using distinguishing criteria of snout and dorsal fin shape and overall body form. Another recognized category, 'unidentified,' are animals with an intergrade color


Nitric oxide (NO) is a small molecule, produced by nitric oxide synthase (NOS), with various physio-pathological functions in the body. There are three main NOS isoforms, including the endothelial (eNOS), inducible (iNOS), and neuronal NOS (nNOS), that existing in the peripheral organs and nervous systems of humans and rodents. Moreover, NOS includes other identified NOS isoforms, such as retinal Muller glial cells (mNOS), mitochondrial (mtNOS), penile (PnNOS), testis-specific (TnNOS), and invertebrate Drosophila NOS (dNOS) are the lesser-known types. It is proposed that the versatile functions of NOS isoforms depended on various NOS splice variant subtypes and their expression in the neural (e.g., brain, and spinal cord) and non-neuronal tissues (e.g., lung, kidney, liver and GI tract). Therefore, this review summarizes the NOS subtypes, splice variants, targeted splicing expression in the body, and their proposed physio-pathological functions. At last, alternative NOS subtypes and isoforms, which have previously received scant attention, will be addressed in this article.


We present Talrómur, a large high-quality Text-To-Speech (TTS) corpus for the Icelandic language. This multi-speaker corpus contains recordings from 4 male speakers and 4 female speakers of a wide range in age and speaking style. The corpus consists of 122,417 single utterance recordings equating to approximately 213 hours of voice data. All speakers read from the same script which has a high coverage of possible Icelandic diphones. Manual analysis of 15,956 utterances indicates that the corpus has a reading mistake rate no higher than 0.25%. We additionally present results from subjective evaluations of the different voices with regards to intelligibility, likeability and trustworthiness.


Since gas evolvement deteriorates the dielectrical properties of insulating fluid, its ability to resist decomposition under electrical discharge is of paramount importance for the safety of power transformers under operating conditions. In this paper, a series of experiments have been performed under electrical discharge according to ASTM D6180. Various insulating fluids were considered. The samples include minerals oils, synthetic and natural esters, and silicone fluid. The results indicate that the gassing tendency of natural esters is much lower than their counterparts. No significant differences between synthetic esters and silicone fluid were observed. Severely hydrotreated and hydrocracked oils indicate a higher gassing tendency. It is also shown that service-aged oil gassing tendency decreases with reclamation passes. The reclamation of service aged oil by three commercially available Fuller's Earth (FE) showed a declined gassing tendency when FE helped reducing the DDF and turbidity. In addition, the theoretical premises that, oil born decay products contribute to the oil gassing, is experimentally confirmed under laboratory conditions. Extended stability test (3 times longer than the standard specification) also provide convincing evidences that each brand of mineral insulating oil might contain a limited amount of unstable hydrocarbons and volatile compounds. This finding indicates that when in service conditions these are gradually decomposed, the gassing tendency should go down.


e16531 Background: Hospital-Based Cancer Registries (HBCRs) are key tools to plan and monitor the quality of care and outcome of cancer patients. However, data regarding the utility of HBCR in cancer services is limited. This study describes the rate of use of HBCR data and evaluates the relationship of HBCR data use to geographic and logistical factors. Methods: Between May 2008 and April 2009, we conducted an unpaid online survey of oncology professionals, who previously reported to have a HBCR at their centers to determine the ways in which registry data was used. Potential predictors of HBCR uses were continent, type and size of institution, personnel involved in data entry, specialization of registry system, completeness of data, case ascertainment and data standardization. Chi-squared tests and multivariate logistic regressions were used for the analysis. Results: A total of 490 of 1,402 (35%) oncologists having a HBCR at their center completed the questionnaire. The reported HBCR uses were transmis...


ABSTRACT In China, many special education schools are or have been rebuilt into resource centres. To support the national program of 'Learning in Regular Classroom' (LRC), these centres often recruit teachers in special education schools to serve as special education itinerant teachers (SEITs), who travel across regular schools to provide specialised professional support. However, most studies of professional qualities of SEITs have been conducted in western countries and the analysis was based on SEITs for students with visual or hearing impairment. Little is known about the professional qualities of SEITs in the Chinese LRC context. This study aims to make a contribution in this regard. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with seven SEITs. It was found that beliefs, knowledge, skills, professional identity and motivation, and self-awareness of professional development were recognised as the core professional competencies necessary for the implementation of itinerant service. Implications for practice and future research in SEITs' professional development are presented.


The background,overall design and implementation of a self-service system based on the CDMA 1X Network is presented in this paper.The organization charts of hardware and software are focused.Modern self-service modes and the advanced CDMA 1X network are integrated in the system in order to provide self-charging,card-selling,communications,consultation and advertisement services for multiple industries.


The formation of the intermediate state of papain was induced by n-alkyl sulfates including sodium octyl sulfate, SOS; sodium decyl sulfate, SDeS; and sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS at different concentrations. A systematic investigation of n-alkyl sulfates induced conformational alteration in molten globule state under an acidic condition and the native state of papain was examined by tryptophan fluorescence, 1-anilino 8-naphtalene sulfonic acid (ANS) binding and UV absorbance. The addition of n-alkyl sulfates to molten globule state at pH 2 shows a decrease in tryptophan fluorescence intensity and quenched ANS fluorescence relative to the native state that leads to enhancement in tryptophan fluorescence and an increase in ANS fluorescence as well. In the presence of n-alkyl sulfates in various conditions, two intermediate (IA and IB) with different conformations were obtained at acidic and native states, respectively. Thus, we can assume that the intermediate states in folding and unfolding pathways in various conditions have different structures. The results show that SDS is much more effective than SDeS and SOS for the formation of the intermediate states for papain in the two different pathways due to the presence of its hydrophobic tail. Therefore, hydrophobic interactions play an important role in inducing the two different intermediates along the two various thermodynamic pathways.


The invention discloses a network monitoring method and system of an internet of things. The method comprises the steps that: step 1, a sensor in a collector of the internet of things collects external environment information and outputs the collected information to a center control module after the information is conditioned by a signal conditioning circuit; the center control module transmits the sensor collection data to a video client via a network communication circuit; step 2, at the same time, an image sensor in a camera module collects image information and transmits the image information to a signal processer; the image is processed by the signal processor and transmitted to the video client via a network communication circuit; and step 3, the sensor information and the image video information are superposed and fused by the video client and synchronously real-time displayed on a page of the video client. The collected sensing information and the image video information are transmitted to the video client by the collector of the internet of things and the camera module through the network and displayed by the video client after being fused, so that the sensing information and the image video information can be synchronously displayed in real time, thereby ensuring the high definition of the image and having good economic efficiency.


Composting is a recycling method based on biological degradation of organic solid waste (OSW) by microorganisms under aerobic conditions, resulting in a stable and mature organic compound that can be used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Several countries have invested in this technology as part of urban solid waste management, since it is considered simple and inexpensive, provided there are parameters controlled during the process such as temperature, humidity, pH, carbon / nitrogen ratio and particle size. The composting process in the reactor system presents some advantages when compared to the traditional process in piles or ponds, as the requirement of smaller area and labor. The objective of this work was to evaluate the chemical stability and maturity of compounds from organic solid waste treatment by composting process in a reactor system. The reactor was constructed and filled with 60 kg of material, being 58% of OSW, 28% of Wood waste‐sawdust and 14% of dry leaves. To evaluate the chemical stability of the compound the following parameters were monitored for 120 days: Temperature (°C); pH in 0.01 molL CaCl2 solution; moist at 65°C; carbon/nitrogen Ratio; cation exchange capacity (CEC mmol kg); Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and CEC/TOC ratio. Toevaluate the maturity of the compound the following parameters were monitored: Germination index (GI); Electric conductivity (EC); Spectroscopic characterization of humic acids in the ultraviolet-visible region (UV-Vis); Spectroscopic characterization of humic acids by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ash content. It was observed that after 90 days the compound presented stability, with reduction of temperature, moist and Carbon / Nitrogen ratio, increase of pH, CEC and CEC / COT ratio; however, the maturity of the compound was reached at 120 days of the composting. The compound reached stability and maturity at the end of the composting process (90-120 days), indicating that it could be used as soil corrective in agriculture.


In this paper we study flexible algebras (possibly infinite-dimensional) satisfying the polynomial identity x(yz) = y(zx). We prove that in these algebras, products of five elements are associative and commutative. As a consequence of this, we get that when such an algebra is a nil-algebra of bounded nil-index, it is nilpotent. Furthermore, we obtain optimal bounds for the index of nilpotency. Another consequence that we get is that these algebras are associative when they are semiprime.


The purpose of the present study was to evaluate vaginal fluid β‐human chorionic gonadotrophin (β‐hCG) for the diagnosis of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).


Consequences of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are many and varied: physical, psycho-affective and financial.The objective of our study is to evaluate the impact of RA on sleep quality.We conducted a cross-sectional study including 49 RA patients. An evaluation of sleep quality using the MOS-Sleep Scale was performed.The mean age of patients was 54.1 years, with a female predominance (89.8%). The mean duration of RA was 11.43 ± 7.32 years with a mean time to diagnosis of 2.35 years. Rheumatoid factor was positive in 77.6% of cases. A atlanto-axial dislocation was found in 4.1% of cases and coxitis in 8.2% of cases. All patients were on symptomatic treatment, 57.1% of whom were on corticosteroid therapy. 83.67% of patients were on cs-DMARDs and 14.2% were on biologics. At inclusion, sleep was optimal in 63.2% of cases and the mean Sleep Problem Index was 26.19 ± 22.77.The index of sleep problems was higher in older subjects and in those with long diagnostic delays. The presence of co-morbidities and atlanto-axial dislocation and/or coxitis was associated with impaired sleep quality. Also, VAS pain and EGP were associated with an increase in the sleep problem index. In the multivariate study, EGP, the presence of co-morbidities and atlanto-axial dislocation and/or coxitis were the independent factors affecting sleep quality.The impact of RA on the patient's quality of life and especially the quality of sleep is confirmed by several studies in the literature. A global management of the patient is necessary in order to adapt well to his disease.None declared


We evaluated the pathogenicity of Korean and Japanese isolates of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV: genotype IVa) from olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus using rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fry. The cumulative mortalities of fish challenged with FYeosu05 (Korean) and Obama25 (Japanese) isolates at 106.5 TCID50/fish were 64 and 48%, respectively. No mortality was observed among the fish challenged with either of the isolates at 105.5 TCID50/fish, or in mock-challenged fish. The affected fish exhibited darkening of the body, an expanded abdomen, pale gills, an enlarged spleen, and diffuse necrosis in the splenic and interstitial hematopoietic tissues. We re-isolated VHSV from all mortalities using cell culture and confirmed their presence by reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). We thus concluded that Asian VHSV isolates from olive flounder are pathogenic to rainbow trout fry, although with low virulence.


In view of the current large-scale centralized wind power and photovoltaic power generation in different regions of China, there is a serious phenomenon of abandoning wind and photovoltaic power, in order to enhance the capacity to absorb wind/photovoltaic power, this paper establishes a bi-level optimal operation model with source-load interaction in the framework of AC/DC hybrid microgrid connected to the distribution network. In load level, demand response model based on time-of-use price is introduced to satisfy users satisfaction as a premise, which guides users to change their electricity consumption habits so as to make certain shift in load and improve the accommodation rate of wind/photovoltaic power; The source level uses the output of the wind turbine, photovoltaic array, micro turbine and fuel cell as the decision variables and the daily economic cost as the objective function to obtain the optimal output combination. Finally, Based on the power consumption data of industrial users in a certain area, this linear optimization model is simulated and solved by using MATLAB, and simulation results verifies the validity and rationality of the proposed optimization operation model.


The re-entrant ferroelectric phase (Sm- C re * ) is investigated in the framework of a molecular–statistical approach. It was found that anticlinic synpolar along the smectic layer normal phase can arise below the antiferroelectric phase (Sm- C A * ) in the temperature scale, and we suggest this phase to be Sm- C re * . We have shown that in the vicinity of Sm- C A * –Sm- C re * phase transition temperature, a very small electric field can cause a transition into the bidomain synclinic phase, where the helical pitch is unwound and the tilt planes have contributions either along or against the electric field. The helical rotation, elasticity and deformation of the Sm- C * , Sm- C A * and Sm- C re * structures without electric field or in the presence of electric field, as well as the dielectric response, are investigated. It is shown that Sm- C re * can arise solely due to the dipole–dipole interaction, and thus, in contrast to the conventional (improper) ferroelectric Sm- C * , appears to be the proper ferroelectric phase.


Guacamole is a very desired product in the world market. This research aims to develop a formulation of guacamole prepared with avocado powder (AP), fresh avocado (FA) and spices as main ingredients, using response surface methodology. The independent variables were: dry solids of guacamole (DSG) (20.2 - 30.3%), dry solids contributed by FA in the guacamole (DSFA) (0 - 50%), and lime color (0 -0.03%).Dependent variables were: moisture (Xw), pH, acidity, peroxide index (PI), viscosity (η), zeta potential (ζ) and color (CIE-L*a*b*). The best formulation was obtained by multiple optimization: DSG (20.9%), DSFA (28.9%) and lime color (0.029%), and its properties were:Xw (78.3%), pH (5.1), acidity (0.4%), PI (0.787 meq H2O2/kg), η (2952.2 cP), ζ (27.0 mV) and color (L*: 51.0, a*: -5.8, b*: 31.2). The AP is a raw material with industrial potential, which facilitates the production system of guacamole and its control.


Numerous event-based probing methods exist for cloud computing environments allowing a hypervisor to gain insight into guest activities. Such event-based probing has been shown to be useful for detecting attacks, system hangs through watchdogs, and for inserting exploit detectors before a system can be patched, among others. Here, we illustrate how to use such probing for trustworthy logging and highlight some of the challenges that existing event-based probing mechanisms do not address. Challenges include ensuring a probe inserted at given address is trustworthy despite the lack of attestation available for probes that have been inserted dynamically. We show how probes can be inserted to ensure proper logging of every invocation of a probed instruction. When combined with attested boot of the hypervisor and guest machines, we can ensure the output stream of monitored events is trustworthy. Using these techniques we build a trustworthy log of certain guest-system-call events. The log powers a cloud-tuned Intrusion Detection System (IDS). New event types are identified that must be added to existing probing systems to ensure attempts to circumvent probes within the guest appear in the log. We highlight the overhead penalties paid by guests to increase guarantees of log completeness when faced with attacks on the guest kernel. Promising results (less that 10% for guests) are shown when a guest relaxes the trade-off between log completeness and overhead. Our demonstrative IDS detects common attack scenarios with simple policies built using our guest behavior recording system.


Trust is often considered valuable in a broad range of rela- tionships, from professional collaborations to personal part-nerships. This article examines the possibility of trust in a robotic system. By posing the question "can a robot do a trust fall?", an investigation on the issues embedded in de- signing trusting systems is presented, using methods and per-spectives from philosophy and engineering. Posing such a question helps us understand the physicality and embodiment of trust, as well as the limits and resources of robotics.


Cross-phase-modulation-induced pulse delay or advancement in an optical fiber is analyzed. It is shown that XPM and group-velocity mismatch can lead to controllable pulse delay or advancement with negligible frequency shift.


Reason is the essential spirit of ancient Greek mathematics,axiom system is one of the features of modern mathematics.Practical purpose was the aim of ancient Chinese mathematics.Direct perception,mechanization and programming are the features of its algorithm.We can see the seeds modern mathematic thought both from ancient Greek and Chinese mathematics.


This study examines the influence of emotions, specifically negative emotions such as anxiety and fear of failure, on primary learners' second language acquisition. It highlights the relevance of the affective filter hypothesis, which suggests that cultivating a low emotional filter facilitates language learning. The study emphasizes the significance of motivation, both instrumental and integrative, in promoting learner engagement. It also underscores the importance of educational diversity, including multimedia teaching, in fostering intrinsic motivation. Additionally, the study recommends that teachers create a positive and safe learning environment, incorporate real-life scenarios, and cultivate healthy teacher-student relationships. Encouragement, preparation for challenges, and a focus on the learning process contribute to enhancing learners' self-efficacy and confidence. By considering emotions, educators can optimize language acquisition for primary learners.


A16K(2K×8) bit electrically-erasable nonvolatile memory (E2PROM) employing oxides less than 200 Å thick through which electrons tunnel toward or away from a floating polysilicon gate, will be covered.


Scheduling is an essential layer in grid environment. Now-a-days, the computational grids are the important platform for job scheduling. The performance of the computational grids can be improved using an ecient scheduling heuristic. A user submits a job to grid resource broker. The broker is responsible for dividing a job into a number of tasks. It maps the task and the resource to nd a perfect match. The main goal is to minimize the processing time and maximize the resource utilization. Mode of scheduling plays the key role in Grid Scheduling. In Grid, mode of scheduling is of two types: immediate and batch mode. Immediate mode takes one after another task in a serial sequence. But, batch mode takes in a random sequence. Task assignment is mainly based on the mode selection. Task may be assigned to the resource in a batch or as soon as it arrives. In this thesis, we have introduced three immediate mode heuristics such as First-DualMake, Best- DualMake and Worst-DualMake (dened as X-DualMake) and a new mode of heuristic called as intermediate mode (or Multi- batch mode). In our immediate mode scheduling heuristics, jobs are scheduled based on resource idle time. Intermediate mode considers random arrival of task in a multi-batch sequence. Alternatively, arrival of tasks are unknown in this mode. Here, we have taken a range of task arrival for simplicity. This mode is introduced to be a part of the real life aspects. The eight immediate mode heuristics are simulated and the experimental results are discussed. The two existing approaches: Min-Min and Max-Min are experimented with intermediate mode scheduling. We have taken two performance measures: makespan and resource utilization to evaluate the performance.


SeqTrim is a pipeline designed to preprocessing sequence reads. It is easy to install and configure, flexible even if default parameters are accurate for most purposes and usable as a web interface or a standalone command line application. It identifies the sequence insert by removing low quality sequences, cloning vector, poly-A or poly-T tails, adaptors and any contaminant sequence or unwanted feature. Several input and output formats are available, which enables its inclusion in already or newly defined sequence processing work flows. It outperforms preprocessors implemented in other web servers and standalone applications at least in detecting adaptors and chimeric clones. SeqTrim is under continuous refinement to deal with most sequence events due to collaboration between biologists and computer scientists.


Since the 1980s, Chinese archaeology has involved her self into a whole introspective discussion. Mr.Yu Weichao and Zhang Zhongpei were respectively regarded as the representatives of the new school and the traditional one and therefore their debate became the focus of this reconsideration. After a careful research of their papers, it is clear that they are actually inclined to be approachable and can complement each other. Should archaeological research be associated with history and anthropology more closely, or regress to data and found up her theory systems? Some elements in academic history can partly explain the coexistence of the two opposite opinions .A generation of scholars once used skillfully the method of associated multi subject, which is considered as a dreamboat by scholars of the present. This phenomenon shows that the setup of subjects and the trend of thought in society, which are also the elements to bring divergent views into reconsideration, influence pure research. All these are important for understanding the future of Chinese archaeology.


We report on the molecular beam epitaxy growth of nonsuperconducting SrFe2As2 and BaFe2As2 and superconducting Sr1-xKxFe2As2 and Ba1-xKxFe2As2 thin films. SrFe2As2 and BaFe2As2 films were obtained rather easily at the growth temperatures of 540–600 °C, which are not much different from those for GaAs growth. However, superconducting Sr1-xKxFe2As2 and Ba1-xKxFe2As2 films cannot be obtained at the same growth temperatures as elemental K is highly volatile. The key to incorporating K into films is low-temperature growth (≤350 °C) in reduced As flux. The resultant films showed good superconducting properties: Tcon (Tcend) = 33.2 K (30.0 K) and 38.3 K (35.5 K) for Sr1-xKxFe2As2 and Ba1-xKxFe2As2 thin films respectively.


The problem of finding the independent number of an undirected graph is formulated as two equivalent Mathematical Programs with Linear Complementarity Constraints (MPLCC). A multistarting Lemke's method is introduced for dealing with the first formulation and is able to find a good approximate of the independent number in a finite number of iterations. A sequential complementary algorithm is also discussed for the second formulation and can find the independent number at least in theory. Some computational experience is included to highlight the efficacy of the complementary approaches for computing the independent number of graphs from the Dimacs collection.


The objective in this presentation is to survey our recent research accomplishments to advance the state of computational simulations in engineering and the sciences. We present our novel insights and recent advances in the analysis of transient and wave propagation problems, the simulation of large strain conditions of shells, the prediction of more accurate solutions using low-order elements, and the coupling of structures to general fluid flows and electromagnetic effects. At the conference, applications are given in the analysis of traditional structures and in the modeling of nano-structures, specifically, proteins and DNA assemblies. Also, major challenges are outlined for further advances in the field.


The world of physics lost three of its best-known names recently: C S Wu, Robert Dicke and Edward Purcell. All three were in their eighties and had spent most of their careers in US universities.


We carry out a generalization of the well known thermodynamics of the Reissner-Nordstrom black hole (BH) solution of the Einstein-Maxwell field equations to the case of nonrotating BH solutions of gravitating nonlinear electrodynamics (G-NED) satisfying a set of minimal physical admissibility conditions.


Loss of tropical broadleaved forests and concurrent population declines of long-distance migratory birds in temperate breeding areas have been closely linked in both scientific and popular literature; however, little evidence of a causal association currently exists. We review the current land use situation in the neotropics, the projected outcome of deforestation early in the 21st century, and the extent of knowledge of migratory bird habitat use on the wintering grounds. From that information, we assess the likely current and future impact of deforestation on migratory birds, and examine land use practices that may be compatible with the concept of conservation of those species.


The effect of the rare earth on microstructure and phase transformations point of BNbRE steel was studied.The results show that it is rare earth remained in steel that makes the temperature of Ar_1 decline gradually,the temperature of Ms increase,austenite grains become fine and pearlite microstructure quantity increase.


Background: Our understanding of the pathophysiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is still evolving and is limited for prognostication. The study was performed to predict severity and mortality based on hematology parameters in coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Material and Methods: The study was a single-center retrospective analysis of 240 patients with COVID-19. The hematological parameters were compared between different grades of severity. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve along with the Classification and Regression Trees (CART) methods were used for the analysis. Result: The total leukocyte count, absolute neutrophil count, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and neutrophil-monocyte ratio (NMR) were increasing along with an increase in severity; while the absolute lymphocyte count and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) were decreasing (P < 0.001). For prediction of severity and mortality on admission, the NLR, NMR, and LMR were significant (P < 0.001). The NLR, NMR, and LMR had an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) of 0.86 (95% CI of 0.80–0.91), 0.822 (95% CI of 0.76–0.88), and 0.69 (95% CI of 0.60–0.79), respectively, for severity. While the NLR, NMR, and LMR had an AUROC value of 0.85 (95% CI of 0.79–0.92), 0.83 (95% CI of 0.77–0.89), and 0.67 (95% CI of 0.57–0.78), respectively, for mortality. Conclusion: With the increase in severity there was an increase in the total leukocyte count and absolute neutrophil count while the absolute lymphocyte count decreased. On admission, the cut-off value of NLR >5.2, NMR >12.1, while LMR <2.4 may predict severity and mortality in COVID-19.


The polyamines include spermidine and spermine, whereas putrescine is a diamine. Spermine and spermidine derive their names from their discovery as constituents of human seminal plasma. They are secreted by the prostate, the mammalian tissue with the highest concentration of polyamines.5G Other mammalian tissues with high polyamine levels include the pancreas and bone marrow, both very active synthesizers of protein, as is the prostate gland.S6 Polyamines occur ubiquitously in animal and plant tissues, and in microorganisms. In E. coli, RNA and sperimidine concentrations increase in a parallel Moreover, exogenous spermidine can relax RNA synthesis in polyauxotropic strains of E . ~ o l i . ~ ~ Polyamines can stabilize ribosomal RNA as well as DNA and a variety of membranous structures.56 These properties, along with the high concentrations in tissues that actively synthesize protein and the correlation of polyamine and RNA levels, suggest a role for these compounds related to polynucleotides and protein synthesis. In animal tissues several lines of evidence have indicated a relationship of polyamines to rapid tissue growth. Thus, in regenerating rat liver spermidine accumulation parallels increases of RNA,'O* 17, 3L) and there is a marked enhancement of the incorporation of isotopic precursors into liver spermidine.l7. 39 In the developing chick embryo, spermidine and RNA concentrations increase at similar rates.* Hypophysectomy results in a decline in the content of spermidine in the rat liver that can be restored by treatment with growth hormone.24 The synthetic pathway for the formation of polyamines involves the convergence of two amino acids, ornithine and methionine (FIGURE 1). Ornithine is decarboxylated by an enzyme which has been described in E. coli5G and in rat prostate 30 and forms putrescine (diaminobutane) . L-methionine is converted to S-adenosylmethionine by an enzyme which appears to have similar properties in liver, yeast, and E. coli.51; S-adenosylmethionine is then decarboxylated and the propylamine moiety of the decarboxylated adenosylmethio-


Magnetocaloric effect (MCE) technology is considered as one of the most important fundamental thermodynamic effects, and plays an important role in the refrigeration area for its high energy-efficiency and eco-friendly characteristics. Rear earth based low temperature magnetic refrigerant shows broad application prospect in the future. Low cost and high processability are so important to the application in the refrigeration machine. In this paper, pure phase TbFe2Al10 was prepared by arc melting and long-time annealing process. The magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of the TbFe2Al10 compound were intensively studied. It was determined to be antiferromagnetic with the Neel temperature TN =18 K. Two metamagnetic transitions from antiferromagnetic (AFM) to ferrimagnetic (FIM) and ferrimagnetic to ferromagnetic (FM) state occurred at 5 K under a crucial applied magnetic field of 0.95 T and 1.89 T, respectively. Field variation generated a large MCE and no magnetic hysteresis loss was observed. The maximum values of magnetic entropy change (ΔS) were found to be -4.5 J/kg K and –6.7 J/kg K for the field changes of 0-5 T and 0-7 T, respectively. The large ΔS with no hysteresis loss as well as low proportion of rare earth (Tb) in crude materials make TbFe2Al10 a competitive candidate as low temperature magnetic refrigerant.


A simulation model of water turbine regulation dependability is established based on MATLAB/SIMULINK. The modeling method overcomes the disadvantages of heavy workload and difficult to transplant of the traditional computer language modeling. The non-linearity of the water turbine can be taken into consideration during the modeling, so the calculation results obtained are more accurate compared with approximation formula. The model established can also be used to calculate easily the regulation dependability under different conditions through changes in the parameters.


Cameras are a commonly used sensor in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). They serve to get vast amounts of information about a vehicle's environment. To accurately localize the measured data in relation to the own car, exact camera calibration is a prerequisite. This includes extrinsic as well as intrinsic parameters. While many works in the area of ADAS focus on extrinsic calibration, this work covers the intrinsic calibration. We use a generic camera model which regards the viewing ray of every pixel separately and can therefore be used to describe arbitrary imaging devices even with massive lens distortions. As the calibration procedure works for any camera, only one method has to be implemented, which simplifies the sensor calibration process. Former works have shown the applicability of generic camera models but do not cover important practical aspects which are subpixel ray determination and forward projection of arbitrary 3d points to the image plane. Furthermore, the calibration processes described so far are cumbersome and prone to inaccuracies. We propose to use spline surfaces to simplify the calibration procedure and implement general back and forward projection. The applicability of our approach is proved by showing calibration results for various real cameras.


The Internet offers unprecedented opportunities to stimulate and organize participation and political change.  If everyone, however, has access to the same Internet opportunities, why do some campaigns succeed and others fail?  The first obstacle has to do with an awareness of the tools' capabilities: The Internet can open up a staggering array of opportunities, but we must know how to take full advantage of them.  This paper provides research findings and practical information on online communication strategies in politics.  Based on communication research and real-world political-campaign experience, the author examines how the Web and social media are used to boost political participation.


Global conservation policies, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) decision to aim for the protection of 17% of the area of terrestrial ecosystems by 2020, are typically realized at national levels. We investigate the difference between continentally coordinated conservation versus nationally devolved conservation, in a manner relevant for the Nagoya resolution.


An interview discussing the benefits gained from AUC after graduating and the effects of AUC on one's life in general.


This paper presents the dependence of current gain on base built-in field for npn InAlAs/InGaAs HBTs in a wide field range (0-50 kV/cm) from 300 K to 77 K. Current gain increases with increasing base built-in field up to 30 kV/cm, and then decreases at higher field. These results were analyzed by taking into account the electron transfer between Γ-L valleys, and respective recombination process. A semi-quantitative agreement with experiments was obtained. Increase in the current gain at lower field is understood considering the acceleration of electron by the built-in field and decrease at higher field is due to low velocity of electrons transferred to L valley.