The standard model of particle physics (SM) is arguably the best tested theory of physics, providing an accurate description of virtually all high energy particle physics phenomena observable in th ...


A comprehensive research concept, known as SPIRIT, is described for the investigation of the formation, stability, and sustainment of oblate field reversed configurations (FRCs). This concept, whose name stands for Self-organized Plasma with Induction, Reconnection, and Injection Techniques (SPIRIT), allows for the study of FRC stability properties on time scales much longer than the energy confinement time. Counter-helicity merging of inductively formed spheromaks is utilized to form large-flux FRCs. These FRCs are sustained by neutral beam injection with the initial aid of compact ohmic solenoids. Stability to n = 1 tilt/shift modes is provided by plasma shaping and conducting shells. Stability to n ≥ 2 co-interchange modes is achieved by a distribution of highenergy non-thermal ions provided by the neutral beam. The combination of plasma shaping, conducting shells, current sustainment, and the non-thermal beam component are expected to lead to a configuration with stability to all global MHD modes, a regime recently discovered through hybrid-MHD simulation using the HYM code. An experimental test of the concept, utilizing the existing Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX) facility, is described. Initial experiments in MRX have confirmed the viability of the SPIRIT concept, and calculations indicate that the confinement of high-energy ions in MRX should be sufficient to test the SPIRIT concept. c


Three species of thrips are first recorded for Argentina. Scirtothrips inermis and Scolothrips pallidus collected on Viburnum tinus in Mendoza province. The first one is phytofagous and potential pest of citrus, and the second, a benefical species and it preys mites. Also, it is first recorded Thrips trehernei on Taraxacum officinale in Buenos Aires. A key for genera of Thripidae family in Argentina was elaborated. Also a keys of species of Thrips and Scirtothrips genera in Argetina is presented. Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria INTA Mendoza. San Martin 3853. Lujan de Cuyo. Mendoza. Argentina. M5507EVY. firstname.lastname@example.com Palabras clave


This study proposes a theoretical model describing the diffraction of quasi-monochromatic radiation by ultrasound. The mode of backward collinear diffraction is considered in detail. The effects of the spectral width and shape of the contour of the spectral line of laser radiation on the parameters of acousto-optic diffraction are investigated.


In the search for better performing battery materials, researchers have increasingly ventured into complex composition spaces, including numerous pseudo-quaternaries, with numerous further substitutions being either explored experimentally or proposed based on computation. Given the vast composition spaces that need exploring, experimental combinatorial science can play an important role in accelerating the development of advanced battery materials and is arguably the best means to obtain a sufficiently large data set to truly bring a high degree of precision to advanced computational techniques such as machine-learning. Herein, we present a robust high-throughput synthesis platform that is currently being used in the McCalla lab at McGill University to study Li-ion cathodes, anodes and solid electrolytes, as well as Na-ion cathodes. The synthesis methods used are presented in detail, as are the high-throughput characterization techniques we utilize regularly (X-ray diffraction, electrochemical testing and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy). We quantitatively determine the high precision and reproducibility achieved by this combinatorial system and also demonstrate its versatility by presenting for the first time combinatorial data for two high-power anodes for Li-ion batteries (TiNb2O7 and W3-Nb14O44) as well as solid state electrolyte Li7La3Zr2O12. Our methods reproduce accurately the results from the literature for bulk samples, indicating that the high-throughput methodology utilizing small mg-scale samples scale up extremely well to the larger sample sizes typically used in both the literature and industry. The throughput of this combinatorial infrastructure has a current limit of 896 XRD patterns and 896 EIS patterns a week, and 448 cyclic voltammograms running simultaneously.


The response of a homogeneous plasma to the sudden application of a strong, uniform electric field, E0, is studied by solving, self‐consistently, the coupled equations for the one‐ and two‐particle distribution functions. The field is assumed to be large compared to that which produces a ``runaway'' current, so that particle‐particle collisions have a negligible effect on the current flow, and particle‐wave interactions dominate. The principal approximations are the neglect of intrinsic three‐particle correlations (i.e., linearization in fluctuations) and the use of an adiabatic ansatz for the time dependence of the fluctuations. For the case of unequal temperatures, Te ≫ Ti, two different methods of solution are employed: a moment approximation, in which the distribution functions are assumed Maxwellian, with mean velocity and width determined self‐consistently; and a more exact treatment in which the distribution function for velocities parallel to the applied field is determined by direct numerical sol...


A total of 135 Apis mellifera apiaries spread in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao were inspected from 2009 to 2011 for the presence of American Foul Brood (AFB) disease. Of these, 46% were infected with AFB and 54% were AFB-free. The infection rates in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao were 31%, 67% and 85%, respectively. The 21 catalase-negative bacterial isolates obtained from diseased colonies confirmed the presence of Paenibacillus larvae (White,1906), the causal pathogen of AFB. The bacterium is rod-shaped with slightly rounded ends. The rods vary in length, from about 2.5 to 5 microns (μm) and are about 0.5 μm wide. The spore wall turned reddish purple and clear at the center after staining with Carbol fuchsin. To test for the possible transfer of P. larvae to indigenous bee species, the isolates were incorporated in the larval diet of Apis cerana. One of the 21 isolates was infective to A. cerana 48 hours after introduction. The infected bee larvae showed cloudy body, inflamed gut, sepsis and high number of P. larvae spores. The proposed strategies for effective management of AFB include burning of infected colonies showing field signs, shook swarm method for colonies with sub-clinical symptoms, and strict implementation of quarantine laws pertinent to importation and inter-island movement of bees. Since there is indication that AFB can be transmitted to A. cerana, introduction of A. mellifera to pristine areas like Bicol Region, Mindoro and some islands in Palawan should not be allowed. Keywords: American Foul Brood, Paenibacillus larvae, Apis mellifera, Apis cerana, pathogenicity


Transportation has a very important role in the life of the community to facilitate the flow of goods and people traffic. Transportation in Indonesia increases its speed according to the physical or psychological development. PT. Herona Express is one company that is enganged in the transportation of goods and animals by rail transport. Inpractice PT. Herona Express have responbilities during the process of transporting it lats. Based on this, the authors conducted a study regarding the responbility of PT. Herona Express as a provider of freight. The method used in this study is empirical juridical method by examining secondary data first and the followed by examining the primary data in the field. The primary data obtained from interview by the carrier and secondary data obtained from the study of literature in the form of legislation or other sources related to the study. The data obtained was analyzed using qualitative analysis. The results of these studies indicate that the responsibility PT. Herona Express begins when the goods are in their control, during the shipping process take place until such time as the deposit to the recipient. PT. Herona Express responsible for delivering the goods and animals safely and be responsible for losses incurred due to damage and loss of goods and animals during the process of transporting it lasts. Completion of the problems occurred due to delay in delivery of goods and animals caused by natural disasters resolved by the parties through kinship or win-win solution. The conclusion of this research is the implementation of the transport will run well when both parties, both the shipper and the carrier can be fully aware of their rights and responsibilities and are equally comply with existing regulations on the transport.


Author(s): Akbar, Nafisa Tahmina | Advisor(s): Chhibber, Pradeep | Abstract: Under what conditions do political parties use pre-electoral violence as a campaign strategy in Bangladesh? Pre-electoral violence has been a consistently regular precursor to each and every election in Bangladesh, with the most recent national election on January 5, 2014, being one of the bloodiest and most undemocratic. However, not all constituencies in Bangladesh experience the same level of pre-electoral violence. There are some like Dhaka - 8 that saw approximately 150 episodes of violence prior to the 2014 elections, while others like Gopalgonj - 3 saw none. What explains this variation? In this paper, I argue and demonstrate using a negative binomial regression model as well as case study and interview data that the ways in which individuals interface with the state (either through the bureaucracy on their own or through the use of local leaders) and the level of information parties have on voter preferences impact the level of pre-electoral violence in constituencies across Bangladesh.


Background: Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain cancer in children. Despite the progress made in treating MB, the 5-year survival rate for high-risk tumors remains poor and risk of recurrence within 2 years of treatment is still high. Almost all MB deaths are attributed to leptomeningeal dissemination (LMD) as MB spreads exclusively through cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to spinal and intracranial leptomeninges. Unfortunately, patients who do survive have reduced quality of life because of the highly toxic side effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Those facts underline the importance of identifying new drivers of medulloblastoma and understanding the mechanism by which those drivers may promote medulloblastoma. Towards that goal, I aim to identify novel drivers of MB and characterize novel therapies for treating (LMD-MB). Using an unbiased genome-wide screen, we discovered THO complex as one of the highly differentially expressed genes that may provide survival advantage to MB cells. THO is a subcomplex of the TREX complex, is known to couple mRNA transcription, processing and nuclear export associated with spliced mRNA.
 Methods: Recent work in our lab utilizing various genomes and proteomics identified THO complex as a possible target. Transfection agents were used to knockdown part of the TREX subcomplex expression in several MB cells. Western blot and qPCR verified the knockdown. The cell viability was measured using Cell Titer Glo, and cell proliferation was evaluated with an IncuCyte. Cells were seeded at a low density and cultured until colonies formed then were fixed and stained with crystal violet. In addition, cells were seeded in a serum-free medium and allowed to migrate to complete media before being fixed and stained. Flow cytometry was used to examine cells for apoptosis and cell cycle. For apoptosis, cells were stained with propidium iodide (PI) and Annexin FTIC, and for the cell cycle, cells were stained and followed by PI.
 Results: The Cancer Dependency Map (Dep-Map) meta-analysis revealed that MB strongly depends on The TREX subcomplex. Significantly, increased THO complex expression was associated with a worse overall survival rate in MB patients. Our findings indicated that part of the TREX subcomplex depletion decreased MB cell survival in the short- and long-term proliferation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, part of TREX subcomplex depletion promoted apoptosis in MB cells. I propose that THO complex may be a new driver of MB and that strategies aiming to reduce part of TREX subcomplex levels and activity might benefit MB patients.
 Conclusion: TREX subcomplex parts depletion has been demonstrated to reduce MB cells in vitro in various experiments. Future research, including CRISPR-CAS9-based knockout models, single-cell sequencing, and metabolomics, will further elucidate the mechanism(s) and utility of the TREX subcomplex axis in LMD-MB.
 Citation Format: Shahad M. Abdulsahib, Santosh Timilsina, Manjeet Rao. Identifying the role of novel driver TREX subcomplex in medulloblastoma growth and progression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6735.


The present study aimed at removing chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) from high speed diesel and motor gasoline samples using wood powder of Dalbergia sissoo. Physical parameters of the samples, such as colour, density, specific gravity viscosity, refractive index, specific refractive index, electronic polarizibility, dipole moment and volatile contents were measured using standard methods before and after the removal of the metals to gauge the fuel values of high speed diesel and motor gasoline samples. According to the results obtained, no significant change in the values of high speed diesel and motor gasoline samples was observed, which indicates that the fuel values are unaffected by the decontamination process. Partial digestion method using aqueous nitric acid (HNO3) solution was used for decontamination. The effects of acid concentration, stirring time and oil to acid ratio, on decontamination were also studied. It was found that 2 M aqueous HNO3 solution in 1:10 (v/v) oil : acid solution ratio with stirring time of 2 h is sufficient to remove maximum of Cr, Ni and Zn. As regards the effect of pH and time on decontamination, it was found that pH 1 for Cr, Ni and pH 5 for Zn with 45 min stirring time can bring maximum metal to the solution.

 Key words: Adsorption, heavy metals, high speed diesel, motor gasoline, Dalbergia sissoo wood powder.


Educational technologies are used as an effective tool in achieving educational objectives. In this research, it is aimed to examine teachers' opinions about the effectiveness level of digital technology in acquiring cognitive objectives. The research was conducted as the sequential explanatory mixed research design. "A questionnaire of technology beliefs for cognitive objectives" and semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers were applied. At the end of the research, it was concluded that teachers' views about the effectiveness of digital technologies in achieving cognitive objectives were generally high. The teachers think that smart boards and Web 2.0 are the most effective tools. Respectively computer, tablet pc, smartphone and Web 1.0 come next in that list. It has been seen that smart board and Web 2.0 technologies play an effective role in the acquisition of cognitive objectives by enabling the development of different parameters.


The tribe Arachnocephalini is divided into three subtribes: [1] Pseudomogoplistina subtrib. nov. with one genus lacking ventrolateral lobes on the tarsi and having a massive Y-shaped sclerite in the male genitalia; [2] Bothromogoplistina subtrib. nov. including two genera with similar tarsi but with a different structure of the male genitalia (lacking a Y-shaped sclerite and having a long and thin virga-like sclerotised rachis inside a membranous invagination of the ventral fold); [3] Arachnocephalina Gorochov, 1984 possibly including all the other genera of this tribe (these genera are with a pair of ventrolateral lobes on the second tarsal segment and/or with the male genitalia more or less similar to those of Bothromogoplistina subtrib. nov.). One new genus with one new species (Bothromogoplistes paraproctalis gen. et sp. nov.) are described from a burrow in the arid territory of South Africa. This cricket is probably related to the genera Cycloptiloides Sjöstedt, 1910 and Eucycloptilum Chopard, 1936, but their males differ from each other in the pronotal length, the presence or absence of wings and tympana, and the shape of the paraprocts and genital plate. One species, Cycloptiloides parvum (Chopard, 1961), comb. nov., is transferred from Eucycloptilum to Cycloptiloides.


For semi-infinite linear programs an easily verifiable Constraint Qualification is established, which is adapted to the considered type of programs. Under this condition a new duality theorem of semi-infinite linear programming is proved.


Many of the pharmaceutical drugs are manufactured by chemical synthetic pathway or by modifying the natural product itself. In both the cases, the reagents used and the side products formed in the reaction may occur as impurities in the final drug product. These impurities cause changes in the drug effecting its safety and efficacy which leads to unwanted toxicities in the patient [1]. The major challenge for the pharmaceutical industries is to produce a quality drugs. Hence, many analytical tests are performed to confirm the quality and purity of the final drugs according to the guidelines given by FDA. The analysis of pharmaceutical impurities is a very intensive task involving method development, impurity synthesis, impurity isolation and many analytical procedures to identify the impurity. It involves the identification of structural alerts acting as impurity in a drug substance which are above threshold limits. The chemical structure and the mechanism of how the impurity is formed need to be identified which helps for toxicological assessment, thus improving the synthesis to reduce or prevent the impurities in final drug. Hence, many analytical methods are emerging for quality evaluation of new drugs getting manufactured. According to the Regulations, Impurity profiling needs a high-resolution chromatography technique which is capable of giving reproducibly, separating and detecting the impurities present in pharmaceuticals.


In this paper, we report the evidence for a planetary mass body orbiting the close binary star KIC 5095269. This detection arose from a search for eclipse timing variations among the more than 2,000 eclipsing binaries observed by Kepler.


According to the history of geological events,morphological,cytological,and phytogeographical characteristics of Carex Sect.Racemosae,the origin,evolution and dispersal of this section are discussed.Carex Sect.Racemosae is thought to originate in the Eocene from South-western China where the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains are currently located.Probable dispersal route could be postulated to start from the center northward to Central Asia,Siberia,Europa,with arrival in North America via the Greenland islands and Bering Land Bridge.After the Quaternary ice age,some flourishing species in North America may have moved back to Asia via the Bering Land Bridge,finally forming the present distribution pattern.


Objective: To investigate whether there are differences in the promoter region of apolipoprotein M(apo M) gene among different nationalities,and to explore the effect of mononucleotide polymorphism on apo M levels and serum lipid levels.Methods: Triglyceride(TG),cholesterol(TC),high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) were determined with Olympus AU5400 automatic biochemistry analyzer.Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP) was employed to analyze polymorphism of apo M gene promoter region T-778C in blood preparations of 150 Han,140 Miao,and 140 Buyi nationality healthy subjects in Guizhou province.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the serum apo M levels.Results: The frequency of C allele of apo M-778 site in Han nationality was higher than those in Miao(P=0.005) and Buyi(P=0.005) nationalities.No difference was found in the frequencies between Miao and Buyi nationality.Serum levels of apo M and HDL-C of which apo M-778 site was CT+CC genotype were lower than those of TT genotype(P=0.026,P=0.048).Conclusions: The ethnic differences exist in apo M gene promoter region T-778C.The frequency of C allele of apo M-778 site in Han nationality is higher than that in Miao and Buyi nationalities.C allele at apo M-778 site causes the decrease of serum apo M and HDL-C levels.


66% of the total land area of the country, 90% of which is grassland and 10% as tillage. Grassland related agriculture is therefore a significant land use pressure with the potential to cause enrichment of waters with nutrients (phosphorous and nitrogen) and organic pollution from animal slurries and manures. Critical to the understanding of the potential threat from this source is the use of the Pressure – Pathway –Receptor concept of the WFD. Better understanding has been achieved through much improved data availability, use and management particularly in relation to the pathway and the use of Geographic Information Systems. This has allowed conceptual models to be developed which are essential in underpinning the effectiveness of measures proposed. However, there are still gaps in the information available which if filled would potentially lead to more effective implementation of measures. The development and sharing of further information by all relevant bodies is seen as a basic requirement of good governance.


The methodology proposed in this paper identifies the main steps that can be taken for energy efficiency improvement of ship motor driven systems. It is necessary to follow the principles of systematic approach, taking into account the efficiency of each element and the system as a whole. We need to collect baseline data, to make assessment of the system performance and choose the most appropriate optimization measures. The proposed approach shows the main activities and technologies that could optimize the overall energy efficiency of the system. Ship motor driven systems are one of the largest consumers of electricity on the ship and improving their efficiency will reduce energy consumption and emissions from ships.


This paper summarizes the peculiarity and construction situation of residential landscape in cold regions,concludes the evaluation methods of residential landscape and analyzes the evaluation situation of it. Progress and deficiency of its construction and evaluation are pointed out,and the future development is prospected.


stage, ASA score and ePLND. RESULTS: Overall, 767 (58%, Group 2) patients were treated after the implementation of surgical changes. Median age at surgery (65 vs. 64 years), PSA (6.6 vs. 6.8 ng/mL) and BMI (25 vs. 26 kg/m2) did not differ between the two groups (p >0.05). Overall and ClavienDindo 2 complication rates were lower in Group 2 vs. Group 1 (30 vs. 42% and 6.1 vs. 23%; all p 0.01). Similarly, rate of anastomotic leaks was significantly lower in Group 2 compared to Group 1 (3.1 vs. 9.6%; p <0.01). 12-months cumulative incidence of UC and EF recovery were 88% (95%CI 75-91%) vs. 80% (95%CI 76-83%) and 25% (95%CI 20-30%) vs. 20% (95%CI 16-25%) in Group 2 vs. Group 1 (p <0.001), respectively. EC recovery rates were higher in Group 2 vs. Group 1, respectively (53 vs. 42%; p<0.001). At multivariable analyses, being treated after the implementation of the new surgical technique was associated with increased UC (HR: 1.15; p[0.03) and EF recovery (HR: 1.28; p[0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Increased awareness of perioperative outcomes prompted to the implementation of a novel surgical technique aimed at decreasing the risk of adverse outcomes after RARP. This process translated in better functional outcomes at follow-up. Prospective assessment of surgical complications is key for implementing modified approaches and also increasing functional outcomes after surgery.


Wireless body area networks (WBANs) provide medical and/or consumer electronics (CE) services within the vicinity of a human body. In a WBAN environment, immediate and reliable data transmissions during an emergency situation should be supported for medical services. In this letter, we propose a flexible emergency handling scheme for WBAN MAC protocols. The proposed scheme can be applied to superframe-structured MAC protocols such as IEEE 802.15.4 and its extended versions. In addition, our scheme can be incorporated into the current working draft for IEEE 802.15.6 standards. Extensive simulations were performed and the low latency of emergent traffics was validated.


A rabbit antiserum raised against highly purified, papain‐solubilized H‐2d antigens contained two sets of non‐crossreacting antibodies directed against each one of the two H‐2 antigen sub‐units. The antiserum recognized only 12,000 and 47,000 dalton polypeptide chains when spleno‐cyte membrane glycoproteins were analysed. Among the molecules precipitated with the rabbit antiserum all H‐2K and D antigens were present. In addition to regular H‐2K and D antigens minor amounts of material with the typical H‐2 antigen subunit structure, but lacking alloantigenic determinants, were precipitated by the antiserum. These 'non‐H‐2 antigens' were produced in relatively greater amounts by T‐cells than by B‐cells. Both sets of antibodies in the rabbit antiserum reacted with the TL antigens demonstrating that there is an immunological crossreactivity between the classical alloantigenic H‐2 antigen chain and the alloantigenic TL antigen chain. The F9 cell line, believed to represent cells at the morula stage, display H‐2 antigen‐like structures as revealed by the rabbit antiserum.


Although mostly forgotten, malaria was once widespread in Argentina's Northwest region and had a dramatic impact on public health and social development. This paper explores the malaria problem in the social, demographic, and environmental context of Argentina in the early 1900s, when prevalence of the disease was at its height. Using a diverse range of sources and a mixture of historical demographic, spatial analytical, and qualitative methods, the geographical distribution of malaria and its association with social and environmental factors is analyzed. Examination of the general epidemiology of malaria in the Northwest is complemented by case studies that demonstrate the complex dynamics of malaria in the city of Salta and the agricultural hinterland of Tucumán province. Although malaria was a widespread and commonplace illness in the region, and garnered much political attention, it was neither a leading cause of mortality nor a cause of demographic stagnation. Improvements in sanitary infrastructure and drainage helped facilitate the decline of malaria in urban centers, although the relationship of the disease with wetland hazards remains unclear. In rural areas, the tenuous and impoverished conditions of agricultural laborers helped to sustain malaria transmission, but permanent workers in sugar mills enjoyed better health conditions, generally. Overall, this paper demonstrates the utility of historical statistical and spatial analysis, complemented by more fine-grained qualitative research, in drawing out the social and environmental dimensions of past disease complexes.


S>Measurements were made of the energy distribution of ions from a high- frequency ion source. The stoppingpotential method was used to obtain energy measurements. The influences of the shape of the extraction system, oscillator input power, magnetic field strength, gas pressure, and extraction voltage were determined. Results showed that the energy spectrum of ions from a high- frequency ion source is considerably wider than predicted by the simple Langmuir probe theory. (M.C.G.)


Hegel's thought of theology contains the very complicated elements of thought in which there are Grecian philosophers' element and that of Neoplationism.He had been affected by the philosophy of mysticism and the thought of Christianity.Hegel's philosophy of religion holds the above-mentioned ideological forms.


The Polarization Diversity Pulse-Pair (PDPP) technique can extend simultaneously the maximum unambiguous range and the maximum unambiguous velocity of a Doppler weather radar. This technique has been applied using a high-resolution 95-GHz radar to study the reflectivity and velocity structure in severe thunderstorms. This paper documents the technique, presents an analysis of the first two moments of the estimated mean velocity, and provides a comparison of the results with experimental data, including PDPP images of high-vorticity regions in supercell storms.


The author pays attention to those types of interaction of the bodies of internal affairs and penal system on the questions of prevention of crimes which have no proper legislative regulation nowadays.


With the rapid development of road engineering today, a large number of high-grade highways need to pass through expansive soil distribution areas. At present, the research on expansive soil slope mainly focuses on the newly excavated cutting slope. However, according to engineering experience, a landslide of fill embankment on expansive soil foundation is also very common. The expansive soil layer is heterogeneous. There are many weak intercalations or large fissures under the ground, which are generally parallel to the trend, with low strength and high permeability. After rainfall, the strength of the weak interlayer and large fissures will be further reduced after moisture absorption, and the sliding surface is easily formed under the load of filler, which is the main factor inducing embankment landslide. On the basis of landslide investigation and a laboratory test, a FORTRAN calculation program is developed in this paper, which can comprehensively consider the special moisture absorption and softening characteristics of expansive soil. Taking a high fill embankment slope with a soft interlayer in the Baoshan area of Yunnan Province as an example, the stability and instability characteristics of the fill slope on the expansive soil foundation are analyzed, and the influence of moisture absorption and softening on the expansive soil slope is emphatically discussed. Finally, this paper puts forward the reinforcement method of the high fill embankment slope on the soft expansive soil foundation, which is proven to have a good reinforcement effect through calculation analysis and field practice. For expansive soil foundation with weak interlayer, it is better to directly reinforce the weak layer through rigid piles.


To date, document clustering by genres or authors has been performed mostly by means of stylometric and content features. With the premise that novels are societies in miniature, we build social networks from novels as a strategy to quantify their plot and structure. From each social network, we extract a vector of features which characterizes the novel. We perform clustering over the vectors obtained, and the resulting groups are contrasted in terms of author and genre.


This paper takes the symbiotic theory as a foundation,analyses to symbiosis phenomena of the knowledge alliance,has constructed the symbiotic system model of knowledge alliance,basing on this,has discussed in the knowledge alliance knowledge transfer model with emphasis and has analyzed hosts and visitors body in the knowledge transition process systematically,further enriched and has developed in the knowledge alliance the knowledge transfer question correlation theories research,makes the alliance develop and use enterprise's knowledge and create the new knowledge,then prompts alliance enterprises maintain a long-term and stable symbiosis state and provides the theoretical support.


Background: Recently, clinicians and researchers started using diagnostic ultrasound to measure humeral torsion as an alternative to radiological assessments in overhead-throwing athletes and other clinical populations. Ultrasound appears to be a reliable, nonradiological alternative, but ultrasound assessment has not been validated against computed tomography (CT), the current gold standard. Purpose: This study aimed to establish the validity of an ultrasound assessment of humeral torsion by comparing data obtained using both ultrasound and CT, the current standard. Study Design: Cohort study (Diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: Humeral torsion was measured using both ultrasound and CT in 24 collegiate-aged baseball players. Comparisons between the assessments were made using both regression and Bland-Altman plots. Reliability and precision were also established. Results: A strong relationship existed between humeral torsion variables obtained with ultrasound and CT (R = .797, R2 = .635, P < .001). The ultrasound assessment yielded reliability coefficients ranging from .991 to .997, with approximately 1° of measurement error. The CT method's reliability coefficients ranged from .805 to .933, with approximately 3.5° of measurement error. Conclusion: There was a strong relationship between humeral torsion obtained with ultrasound and CT, the current standard of assessment. Ultrasound provides a reliable, valid alternative to CT for obtaining an indication of the amount of humeral torsion in the upper extremity.


DOUTINE mammography was performed ft as a screening test for cancer in 3,891 women at a cancer detection clinic. On careful physical examination the breasts were considered normal, but 16 carcinomas were discovered and proved, a rate of 4.11 per 1,000. In 14 of these 16 cases (87.5 per cent), no evidence of metastatic disease was found in the axilla at the time of mastectomy, and an improved prognosis resulted. The roentgenographic examination is easily performed and interpreted, and these findings illustrate the frequency with which carcinoma in an early stage is missed by routine physical examination. Material The women attended the Yates Cancer Detection Clinic voluntarily and represented all economic and racial group.s of the Detroit metropolitan area. The physical examinations were performed by members of the Faculty of Wayne State University School of Medicine. Admittance to the study required that the subjects be forty-six years of age or more and asymptomatic as to breast disease; the breast must ...


Under increasingly low urban land resources, carrying out roof greening to exploit new green space is a good strategy for sustainable development. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the suitability of roof greening for buildings in cities. However, most current evaluation methods are based on qualitative and conceptual research. In this paper, a methodological framework for roof greening suitability evaluation is proposed based on the basic units of building roofs extracted via deep learning technologies. The building, environmental and social criteria related to roof greening are extracted using technologies such as deep learning, machine learning, remote sensing (RS) methods and geographic information system (GIS) methods. The technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) method is applied to quantify the suitability of each roof, and Sobol sensitivity analysis of the score results is conducted. The experiment on Xiamen Island shows that the final evaluation results are highly sensitive to the changes in weight of the green space distance, population density and the air pollution level. This framework is helpful for the quantitative and objective development of roof greening suitability evaluation.


This paper presents a research into the technological process of argon-arc welding by non-consumable electrode as an object of automatic control. The features of manual and mechanized argon-arc welding are considered. The main perturbation actions affecting progress and quality of welding process are identified. The welding process quality parameters are chosen. A functional scheme of welding process digital stabilization system is suggested. The arc length is substantiated to be chosen as main control action of the system stabilizing the argon-arc welding process by manual and mechanized method. A special torch with moving current-conducting element is designed to provide functioning of the arc length stabilization system. The torch nozzle is moved by a step motor. With the designed automatic system of manual welding stabilization process variation of arc voltage value was stabilized in the range lesser than 1% which significantly increases the quality of manual welding and improves the shape of the weld.


Dibromoketene is prepared by in-situ Zn dehalogenation of tribromoacetyl bromide in the presence of POCl3. Under these conditions, the cycloaddition of dibromoketene with olefins 5 yields α,α-dibromocyclobutanones 2, which are cleaved with alkoxides to yield β-dibromomethyl esters 4. Several examples are given. For monosubstituted olefins, the functionalization is regioselective, the methoxycarbonyl group being introduced at the terminal C-atom.


A simple method for measuring respiration, net photosynthesis and compensation points of plants in relation to light intensity is described. Its use in teaching the principle of physiological adaptation is outlined, and a set of student results presented.


We describe a 10-year-old child with vertically transmitted acquired immunodeficiency syndrome who was receiving antiretroviral combination therapy and died of liver failure after beginning voriconazole therapy.


Ssm1b (Strain‐specific modifier of DNA methylation 1b) is a Krüppel‐associated box (KRAB) zinc finger gene that promotes CpG methylation in the mouse transgene HRD (Heavy chain enhancer, rearrangement by deletion). We report here that Ssm1b expression and concomitant HRD methylation are also present in the male and female germ cells of adult mice. Ssm1b is expressed in both diploid (2N) and haploid (1N) oocytes, as well as in 1N spermatids and spermatozoa, but not in 2N spermatogonia. Interestingly, Ssm1b mRNA is not detected in any other adult mouse organ examined, although Ssm1‐family mRNAs are highly expressed in the heart. Reflecting strain specificity, Ssm1b expression and HRD methylation are not observed in early‐stage C3H/HeJ mouse embryos; however, an Ssm1b‐like gene that closely resembles an Ssm1b‐like gene previously found in wild‐derived mice is expressed in cultured embryonic stem cells derived from C3H/HeJ embryos, suggesting that culture conditions affect its expression. Collectively, this work demonstrates that HRD methylation by Ssm1b is more temporally restricted during spermatogenesis compared to oogenesis, and is altered when embryonic stem cells are cultured from C3H/HeJ inner cell mass cells.


With the popularity of computers throughout the world,it becomes one of the most common way for people to tabulate statistics data with Excel,and tabulating statistics data with VBA will enable you to promote the data accuracy and your work efficiency,thus you may avoid duplication of efforts,reduce your workload and reach twice the result with half the effort.This article will illustrate the application of VBA in tabulating statistics data by designing a score statistics template.


This paper presents a new mathematical model for integrating the virtual dynamic cellular manufacturing system into supply chain management with an extensive coverage of important manufacturing features. The considered model regards multi-plants and facility locations, multi-market allocation, multi-period planning horizons with demand and part-mix variation, machine and labor time-capacity, labor assignment, training and purchasing or selling of new machines for an increased level of plant capacity. The main constraints are market demand satisfaction in each period, machine and labor availability, production volume for each plant and the amounts allocated to each market. To validate and verify the proposed model is explained in terms of an industrial case from a typical equipment manufacturer. Some of the hard constraints of the proposed model are relaxed in order to obtain a lower bound on the objective function value. In fact, the number of machines and workers allocated to each cell are restricted to yield feasible solutions and tight upper bounds on the objective values for medium size instances in a shorter time. The relaxed model yields tight lower bounds for medium instances in a reasonable computational time. Furthermore, a Benders decomposition is developed for solving the upper bounding model.


Chronoamperometry(CA) was used to study the melt interface reaction in H_2S/CO_2 coexistence environment.The mathematic model for interface reaction of the process has been carried out.The action of adsorption, desorption and hydrogen absorption for interface reaction were analyzed using this model.The results demonstrated that whenη=50 mV,the process of hydrogen adsorption is dominant and control whole interface reaction;whenη50 mV,the desorption process of pre-adsorption substance control whole interface reaction. CO_2 increases contribution of absorption-feature hydrogen to the i_(total),so promotes hydrogen absorption in all experimentalηcondition.


: We study the adoption of telework during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. We assemble a novel high-frequency database of job postings advertising work from home (telework) covering 20 countries and 55 occupational categories from January 2019 to September 2022, using data from the online job site Indeed. Exploiting changes in pandemic severity across countries and differences in the feasibility of telework across occupations in a triple differences identification strategy, we find that (i) increases in pandemic severity substantially raise advertised telework but (ii) declines have no effect on advertised telework. Even though technologies that enable effective telework – such as rapid broadband internet, file sharing via the cloud and video calls – had been available for many years, the pandemic may have triggered path dependence in its adoption. Public policies will need to adapt to make the most of permanently higher telework in terms of productivity and worker well-being.


We show that the deviation between the slopes of two convex functions controls the deviation between the functions themselves. This result reveals that the slope -- a one dimensional construct -- robustly determines convex functions, up to a constant of integration.


The main purpose of the establishment of a firm is to maximize profits for the welfare of
its shareholders and the necessary efforts to survive in competition with similar
companies. These objectives can be achieved with optimal performance and the
company's ability to maintain competitive advantages it has, where these advantages are
a differentiating factor for the company from its competitors. Strategic management
field dealing with issues surrounding how a company to gain and maintain competitive
advantage they have. This is because maintaining a competitive advantage is one of the
design and implementation of strategies for the company. There are several points of
view in identifying the competitive advantage held by the company, but the point of
view the most popular is the resource-based view, or often known as the Resource
Based View of The Firm. Viewpoint is based on the assumption that a company can
achieve and maintain a competitive advantage if the company has and is able to use the
resources and capabilities that are specific or scarce and resources and capabilities can
not be imitated or no successor. PT. Nirwana Bali Garments is a company engaged in
the garments, the Company does not serve the local market demand but the focus to
market its products in the State which has a policy of protection against products from
developing countries This study aims to determine the competitive advantages of what
is owned by PT. Bali Nirwana Garments and analyze the strategies carried out by PT.
Bali Nirwana Garment in maintaining a competitive advantage in its product is still
effective or not. Analysis tool used is the Constellation of Competitive Advantage,
where competitive advantage is divided into six parts, so it can help to identify the types
of competitive advantage held by the company and executable strategies more clearly.


Background Bisphosphonates decrease bone resorption and bone formation. The excessive and prolonged suppression of bone turnover results in poor bone quality in the treatment of osteoporosis, although the relevant pharmacological benefits of bisphosphonates are widely known. Concerns have been raised about potential excessive suppression of bone turnover during long-term use. Bisphosphonates carry the potential risk of excessively suppressing bone turnover which can impair some of the biomechanical properties of bone, although they are reported to be generally safe and effective. Objectives The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of long-term oral therapy with bisphosphonates on bone resorption and also on bone formation, using the bone markers urine cross-linked N-telopeptides of type 1 collagen (u-NTx) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase. Patients and methods Eighty-four Japanese postmenopausal patients were enrolled in this study. All patients were treated with oral bisphosphonates once a day before breakfast. Medication was continued for 24 months unless adverse events occurred. Alendronate was randomly prescribed for 41 patients and risedronate were prescribed for 43 patients. The u-NTx was measured at baseline, and at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months, using morning second-void urine samples. At the 24th month, laboratory assessment was carried out on each patient who had continued the oral bisphosphonate therapy for all the 24 months. Results Excessively low levels of u-NTx (<10 nmol BCE/mmol creatinine) were observed in four of the 84 patients (4.8%). Values of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase less than the standard range were observed in 9.4% (5/53 patients) at the 24-month follow-up (4/23 patients on alendronates and 1/30 patients on risedronate; p < 0.1, χ2). There was a trend in the occurrence of the lower deviation in patients receiving alendronate from the standard range of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase. Conclusion Clinicians prescribing long-term bisphosphonate therapy should be aware of, and monitor for, the potential development of excessive suppression, not only in bone resorption but also in bone formation.


Patients with multiple sclerosis have been subjected to extra levels of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic when they were singled out by governmental regulatory agencies as sufficiently immune-compromised persons that should be in the first group to receive the untested, new COVID-19 vaccine. The designation of these persons in such a high-risk group compounded their anxiety and depression. Early in the disease in 2020-2021, little was known about the disease, the vaccine, or whether their disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis were subjecting them to more immunomodulatory suppression. This review is not comprehensive of all articles written on COVID-19 and multiple sclerosis, but selectively looks at research on COVID-19 and use of low-doses of naltrexone as treatment. Specific causes for anxiety and depression are discussed in light of evidence that suggests that the length of disease, rather than age, sex, or therapy leads to more anxiety. Low-dose naltrexone in combination with other disease-modifying therapies, or alone, reduced the perceived levels of anxiety. These data suggest that clinicians may want to prescribe low-dose naltrexone for early-stage multiple sclerosis patients.


The most pressing economic challenges facing the Tibetan areas of western China relate to the marginalization of the majority of Tibetans from rapid state-led growth. The urban-rural divide plays a ...


Public-private partnerships (PPP) have been extremely popular as a solution to both market and government failures in the supply of public infrastructures like superfast broadband networks. The latter have often been deployed by private Design-Build-Own (DBO) initiatives, a form of PPP in which the public partner subsidises the rollout of infrastructures entirely designed, built, managed and owned by the private partner. Despite their popularity, the performance of private DBOs in broadband markets remains largely unknown. In this paper, we use the framework developed by Marsh & McConnor (2010) to explore both the development and outcomes of three private DBOs in the European Union superfast broadband market. The comparison shows that private DBOs tend to achieve their targets (programmatic success), but often fail to engage with their stakeholders and lack political support at a local level (process success). Based on these findings, we developed a conceptual model that outlines both endogenous and exogenous factors shaping the performance of private DBOs, showing that the programmatic success of these initiatives is largely affected by their process success.


G (Arachis hypogea) is an important plant of Leguminose family. It is ranked as third major source of edible oil in the world besides rich source of energy and proteins (Isanga and Zhang, 2007). Groundnut has diverse uses owing to its valuable nutritional composition. It consists of 47-50% oil content which has greater percentage of unsaturated fatty acids that makes it an edible oil of choice for human nutrition and good health (Pattee, 2005). Groundnut comprise of 25-30% protein content which enables its seeds and oilseed cake to be utilized as good source of dietary protein with digestibility comparable to animal proteins (Singh and Singh, 1991). Peanuts are rich in vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds that contribute towards its protective effects against cardiovascular ailments, Abstract | Three indigenous peanut cultivars from Pakistan specifically Local-334, Bard-92 and Bard-479 were investigated in the study for compositional quality and peanut butter development. Chemical composition of peanut cultivars indicated 5.53±0.20 to 5.93±0.02 % moisture, 2.00±0.11 to 2.17±0.05% ash, 49.80±3.54 to 50.90±0.93% fats, 23.83±1.71 to 26.43±1.15 % proteins, 13.23±2.20 to 19.42±3.83 % carbohydrates and 4.95±0.06 to 8.53± % fiber. Mineral analysis of peanut cultivars showed 12.60±0.38 to 16.61±1.51 mg/100g Fe , 2.34±0.075 to 3.37±0.040 mg/100g Zn, 38.64±3.50 to 48.24±32.58 mg/100g Ca, 67.81±7.86 to 82.72±9.09 mg/100g Mg, 199.19±33.18 to 342.00±19.03 mg/100g Na and 1220.6±9.045 to 1411.3±1.71 mg/100g P and 841.01±50.41 to 992.98±36.10 mg/100g K. Fatty acid characterization of groundnut cultivars through gas liquid chromatography revealed six fatty acids namely palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, arachidic acid, eicosenoic acid and behenic acid. The peanut cultivars Bard-479 and Local-334 were more suitable for oil extraction and peanut butter development because of their high oleic acid to linoleic acid ratio (2.3-2.4). Bard-92 was less preferable cultivar for product development owing to its high linoleic acid (42.56%) and low O/L ratio (0.93) that attributed to its oxidative instability. Sensory evaluation of peanut butter samples showed overall good acceptability of product among the people. Storage study of peanut butter samples demonstrated shelf stability of product up to three months at room temperature. Sahar Shibli1,2*, Farzana Siddique1, Saeeda Raza2, Zaheer Ahsan3 and Irum Raza4


The coupling between the heme and the surrounding protein in horseradish peroxidase was studied after substituting the iron protoheme by mesoporphyrin IX to produce a sample measurable by high-resolution fluorescence spectroscopy. The inner ring phototautomerization of mesoporphyrin was used to create a variety of prosthetic group configurations that were shown to be stable at cryogenic temperatures. Due to the properties of the heme crevice, some tautomeric states are characterized by distinct spectral bands. The original band of the tautomeric form stable at room temperature (B1) and two of those produced by photobleaching (B2, B3) could be selectively studied by two techniques, i.e., energy selected fluorescence excitation and vibronic hole burning spectroscopy. The line narrowed spectra were similar in the cases of complexes B2 and B3, while both are different from that of B1. From these spectra, four characteristic vibronic lines were selected and further studied by spectral hole burning experiments....


The combination of synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (sDMARDs) such as methotrexate (MTX) and biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) targeting inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF) has enabled markedly efficient control of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with inadequate response to MTX (MTX-IR).1–7 Although TNF inhibitors have offered pivotal strategies for rheumatologists in daily practice and 20–50% of RA patients treated with TNF inhibitors achieve clinical remission within 6 months, the remaining patients still have active disease and progressive disability. IL-6 is also a pleiotropic cytokine with diverse activities and plays a central role in the pathogenesis of RA by contributing to T cell activation, B cell activation, synoviocyte stimulation, endothelial activation, osteoclast maturation and production of acute-phase proteins. Serum levels of IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) are elevated and correlate with disease activity in RA patients and so blocking IL-6/IL-6R has been considered beneficial for the treatment of RA. In accordance with this, accumulated evidence has shown the clinical efficacy as well as the adequate safety of tocilizumab, a humanised anti-IL-6R monoclonal antibody (mAb), as monotherapy or in combination with sDMARDs such as MTX in patients who are sDMARD naive and have an inadequate response to TNF inhibitors (TNF-IR).8–13 Tocilizumab was, therefore, approved as a first-line bDMARD in patients responding insufficiently to MTX or other sDMARDs in Japan and Europe. Also, in the 2013 EULAR recommendations for the management of RA, tocilizumab was listed as a first-line TNF inhibitor in patients with sDMARD-IR.14 The successful treatment of RA by tocilizumab has encouraged the development of novel bDMARDs targeting IL-6 or IL-6R. In addition to tocilizumab, the phase II clinical trials of olokizumab, sarilumab and sirukumab, three new bDMARDs targeting IL-6, are reported.

Olokizumab is a humanised anti-IL-6 mAb. Genovese et al 15 report the …


The achievements of disease control for SARS in Fujian and the recommendation for public health system in the future are summarized in this paper These achievements for SARS control during 2003 in Fujian are as follows: no secondary case, no death case and no SARS infections in medical staff The main experiences on SARS control included: early preventing, quickly case investigating and tracing, strictly SARS controlling and society stabilization emphasizing Two recommendations on SARS control in the future are suggested:One is the hazard elimination of infectious diseases should be as main thinking on public health problem; The second is the program of public health should be listed into the system of national security


This article reviews existing study habit measurement instruments and discusses their drawbacks, in the light of new evidence from neuroscience on the workings of the brain. It is suggested that in addition to traditional frequency based past behavioural measures, the predictive accuracy of study habit measurement instruments could be improved by including measures of habit strength that take into account behaviour automaticity and efficacy, such as the Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI) developed by [1]. The SRHI has shown high reliability and internal validity in a wide range of contexts and its applicability and validity in the context of learning and higher education as an enhancement to study habit measurement instruments is as yet to be tested.


To use the population‐based data from the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey to estimate the likely magnitude (prevalence) of urological symptoms in the USA population in 2025, as health‐services researchers use projections of the likely magnitude of disease to inform decisions on the future allocation of health resources.


A checklist of 43 Heteropteran species collected in the area of influence of Can Coll School of Nature is given. By its rarity in the Catalan fauna, the mirid Deraeocoris (D.) schach (Fabricius, 1781) and the pentatomid Sciocoris (N.) maculatus Fieber, 1851 are interesting species. Plus being rare species, the mirid Macrotylus (A.) solitarius (Meyer-Dur, 1843) and the pentatomid Sciocoris (S.) umbrinus (Wolff, 1804) are new records for the Natural Park. The mirids Alloetomus germanicus Wagner, 1939 and Amblytylus brevicollis Fieber, 1858, and the pentatomid Eysarcoris aeneus (Scopoli, 1763) are new contributions for the Park checklist. The Heteropteran richness of Can Coll suggests them as study group for the environmental education goals of this School of Nature.


The current study aims at exploring the beneficial effect of silica fume (SF) and acrylic emulsion polymer (PR) on the enhanced properties of polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) with the supplementary cementitious binder comprised of the Portland cement, slag, silica fume and fly ash. The compressive strength and impact-abrasion resistance were used for the estimation of engineering properties while the water absorption performance, surface electricity resistance, and rapid chloride penetration resistance were used for estimation of durability. Experimental results showed that a sole addition of SF increased the compressive strengths but decreased the abrasion-impact resistances of modified FRCs, which was just opposite to the influence of a sole addition of PR. A sole addition of either the SF or PR could moderately improve the durability of modified FRCs, respectively. However, due to the beneficial effect of the complementary interaction between SF and the optimal amount of PR, the mechanical properties and durability of modified FRCs seemed to become significantly improved.


On 17 March 2014, only one day after the local referendum won by an overwhelming number of votes, the highest authorities of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea approved the decision of the independence of the peninsula including separate City of Sevastopol located within its territory. Subsequently, they requested Moscow to annex the new structure to the Russian Federation. On the same day, the Crimea Republic was recognized as sovereign and independent country by the authorities at Kremlin. Already on 21 March, Crimea together with Sevastopol became a new administrative entity of the largest country in the world. At the beginning of April 2014, two territories bordering with Russia located in the east of Ukraine declared independence. The rebellious areas that assumed the names of the Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic, rejected Kiev's authority and, on 24 May 2014, signed the agreement on the creation of the Federal State of Novorossiya. The situation in the east of Ukraine began to resemble dominoes falling one after the other, slipping out of control of the state authorities. Military counteraction of the government in Kiev, aiming at prevents the disintegration of the country, encountered organized resistance of the separatist forces. International public opinion sided with Ukraine, which aspired to associate with the European Union. To reduce the support for the rebel forces provided by Russia, the latter has been hit with severe economic sanctions. The Russian Federation announced that it will respond by using similar measures against the countries of the West. In the meantime, the conflict in the east of Ukraine has gone into the phase of a permanent battle of two forces on the regional level. Nature and duration of this confrontation indicates that the armed struggle is entering a stage reminiscent of the war that has been ongoing for several years between the Palestinian National Authority and Israel. Just as in the Middle East, this situation may result in the following: the growing tension in this part of the globe and the danger of the conflict spreading into other areas. However, the Ukrainian problem in addition poses the threat of the deterioration of the economic situation in Russia and economic stagnation in the United Europe. In this situation, the following tasks might be of interest: analysis of factors that affect the intransigent attitude of the parties involved in the aforementioned events, possible outcomes of the conflict and forecast of the developments in the upcoming future.


The analytical calculations of laterally loaded piles in double-layered elastoplastic soils are relatively few at present.Based on the subgrade reaction method and the simplified elastoplastic constitutive relations of soils beside the pile,the closed-form solutions for a free-head laterally loaded long pile in double-layered,non-homogeneous elastoplastic soils are deduced,and the formulas of the plastic zone thickness of the soil,the maximum deflection and moment of the pile are derived.When some parameters take special values,the present solutions are fully consistent with the existing solutions for the piles in one-layer soil,and the correctness of the present analytical derivation is verified meanwhile.The analyses of examples show that the results calculated by the proposed analytical solutions agree with those of 3D finite element analysis and field measurements,so the present method is capable of analyzing laterally loaded long piles in double-layered soils.


Introduction: Older age is strong predictor of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), syphilis, and risk behaviours among female sex workers (FSWs). Prior research suggests that age differences are very variable; HIV was higher among older FSWs. This study compares HIV, syphilis, and risk behaviours among younger and older FSWs of Nepal. Material and methods: We conducted secondary analysis of Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance (IBBS) surveys among FSWs from 2004 to 2016. Bivariate analysis using χ2 tests and multi variate logistic regression models were used to assess differences of HIV, syphilis, and risk behaviours among younger and older FSWs. Results: The study comprised 17.6% FSWs aged 35 years or older. HIV prevalence was 1.7% for the entire group of FSWs, with 2.3% among older FSWs and 1.5% among younger FSWs. The older FSWs were married and separated, had lower education levels, had longer duration of sex work, worked on the streets, and had inconsistent condom used with clients than younger FSWs (p < 0.05). Younger FSWs were also at high risk because of a higher number of sexual partners and working days, pervasive alcohol consumption, and use of drugs (p < 0.05). The multivariate analysis revealed that older FSWs were more street-based (aOR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.8-2.4), have inconsistent condom use with clients (aOR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.4-2.1) and had higher syphilis rates (aOR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.3-2.5) than younger FSWs. Conclusions: Older FSWs practice higher risk behaviour and have higher syphilis prevalence. HIV and STI prevention interventions among targeting FSWs should consider risks and vulnerability of older FSWs. HIV AIDS Rev 2017; 16, 4: 251-257 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/hivar.2017.72034


A novel post-treatment method, including hard hairbrush and electrical treatment, is performed intentionally to improve the field emission capability and stability of screen-printed carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Compared with untreated films, the field emission properties of the treated ones are greatly enhanced. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectrum studies reveal that field emission properties are enhanced by two factors. Firstly, the improved field emission properties of CNT films can be attributed to the more active CNT surface by removing the organic material cover on the CNTs. Secondly, the generation of a high density of structural defects and the lower resistance contact to the topside CNT emitters after treatment are all helpful to improving the field emission properties of the treated CNTs.


To examine interrelationships of classic enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) serotypes, EPEC adherence factor (EAF) genes, and diarrheal disease, E. coli were studied from stools of 500 infants less than 1 y of age with acute diarrhea and 500 age-matched controls. EAF-containing (EAF+) E. coli of three common classic EPEC serotypes (O111:H-, odds ratio [OR] 36.0; O111:H2, OR 55.0; O119:H6, OR 3.7) were individually strongly associated with diarrhea, as were EAF+ strains of less common classic serotypes combined (OR 5.3). Among EPEC serogroups, neither EAF+ strains of nonclassic serotypes (OR 1.8) nor EAF-strains of classic (OR 2.2) or nonclassic (OR 1.4) serotypes were significantly associated with diarrhea. At least one EAF+ non-EPEC serogroup serotype (O88:H25) may represent an unrecognized EPEC serotype. Serotype-specific variation in the association of EAF+ E. coli with diarrhea suggests that other factors are also important in determining virulence; thus, both EAF detection and E. coli serotyping are desirable in studying the etiology of diarrheal disease.


: Objective To explore the relationship between pupil's ADHD morbidity rate and their parents.Method 75 ADHD cases were diagnosed by employing ADHD Behavior Screen with SM-Ⅲ- R,Attention- deficit Surveying Instrument and Neuro- psychic Examination.The date were analyzed by Chi- square test and Multiple regression using SAS- 6.12 softwaon in computer. Result The parental educated grades and professions influenced children's ADHD prevalence. The mother lower educated grade is most important risk factor of ADHD (F=21.74, P= 0. 0001) .Conclusion There was significant relation between ADHD prevalence rate and parental educated grades and professions.This should be paid more attention to and be intervened to when ADHD was diagnosed and treated.


We describe the one-dimensional and zero-dimensional cusps of the Satake compactification for the paramodular groups in degree two for arbitrary levels. We determine the crossings of the one-dimensional cusps. Applications to computing the dimensions of Siegel modular forms are given.


Analyses of structural genome variation by array-CGH have dramatically enhanced our ability to detect copy number variations (CNVs). De novo CNVs and those co-segregating with disease in a family are generally interpreted as pathogenic. Yet, often CNVs, such as recurrent microdeletions in region 15q13.3, are not so clearly pathogenic. Here we discuss potential confounding mechanisms that may lead to the phenotypic pleiotropy of CNVs, such as unmasking of recessive alleles by hemizygous deletions, interaction of CNVs with other loci and genes, genetic epistasis, allelic exclusion, and somatic mosaicism. We illustrate some of these mechanisms with a detailed analysis of recent studies of CNVs involving MCPH1, AUTS2, CNTNAP2, and mutations in GRIN2B. Next we discuss the clinical ramifications of these findings and urge workers to avoid 'diagnostic fatalism' (i.e., halting all genetic investigation after the detection of a single CNV) and address some of the future challenges likely to result from implementations of next generation sequencing techniques.


The structural and transport properties of polycrystalline Ti1-xPtxSe2-y (x 0.13, y 0.2) are studied, revealing highly tunable electrical properties, spanning nearly ten orders of magnitude in scaled resistivity. Using x-ray and neutron diffraction, Pt is found to dope on the Ti site. In the absence of Pt doping (for x = 0), Se deficiency (y > 0) increases the metallic character of TiSe2, while a large increase of the low-temperature resistivity is favored by a lack of Se deficiency (y = 0) and increasing amounts of doped Pt (x > 0). The chemical tuning of the resistivity in Ti1-xPtxSe2-y with Se deficiency and Pt doping results in a metal-to-insulator transition. Simultaneous Pt doping and Se deficiency (x,y > 0) confirms the competition between the two opposing trends in electrical transport, with the main outcome being the suppression of the charge density wave transition below 2 K for y = 2x = 0.18. Band structure calculations on a subset of Ti1-xPtxSe2-y compositions are in line with the experimental observations.


ABSTRACT This paper investigates the spillover effect of lagged US daily returns on stock return predictability across 17 developed markets from January 1st, 1972 through August 31st, 2022. Using daily returns series, we find that lagged US returns is a superior predictor for future returns in international markets while including the lagged domestic returns and considering US negative or extreme returns. The predictive power of lagged US daily returns, nonetheless, substantially weakens during the recent COVID period. Our results imply that the degrees of stock return predictability and spillovers across markets are driven by the evolutionary market conditions, the channels of information transmission, and information leadership.


Let $p$ be a prime. We show that if a pro-$p$ group with at most 2 defining relations has quadratic $\mathbb{F}_p$-cohomology, then such algebra is universally Koszul. This proves the "Universal Koszulity Conjecture" formulated by J. Minac et al. in the case of maximal pro-$p$ Galois groups of fields with at most 2 defining relations.


His study aims to obtain an overview of the knowledge mapping of teachers at SDN 055979 Sei Tembo, Kuala District, Langkat Regency from the aspect of knowledge about the characteristics of K13, the principles of developing K13, the structure of K13 in Elementary Schools, Implementation of K13 and the Principles of developing lesson plans. This type of research is descriptive research. Data collection techniques used in this study were interviews and questionnaires. This research was conducted at SDN 055979 Sei Tembo, Kuala District, Langkat Regency. The subjects of this study were teachers of grades I, II, III, IV, V and VI who had implemented the 2013 curriculum. The population in this study was SDN 055979 Sei Tembo, Kuala District, Langkat Regency. The sample in this study were 6 teachers at SDN 055979 Sei Tembo, Kuala District, Langkat Regency. The results of this study indicate that the knowledge of teachers at SDN 055979 Sei Tembo is quite good. This can be seen from the answers given by the teacher on the questionnaire sheet. It's just that there are some teachers who do not know about K13 knowledge well, due to the lack of training and mentoring at SDN 055979 Sei Tembo, Kuala District, Langkat Regency. Thus it can be concluded that the teacher's knowledge of the 2013 curriculum is quite good.


PURPOSE: A ceiling type air conditioner is provided to transfer the driving force of a lifting operation part to a door panel and to open and close an air inlet with ascending/descending the door panel in the bottom of an inlet panel. CONSTITUTION: A ceiling type air conditioner comprises: a main body; an outlet panel(100); an inlet panel(200); a door panel; and lifting units which includes moving members(335) which are arranged on the upper face of the door panel with a predetermined interval, rotating members which are arranged on the upper face of the inlet panel, are contacted to each moving members with being rotated, and lift the moving members, a shaft(232) which is connected to the rotating members, and a shaft driver which is connected between the rotating members.


Objective:To explore the effect and mechanism of tripterine on apoptosis of mast cells in nasal polyps. Methods:Apoptosis of mast cells in nasal polyps was evaluated by TUNEL. The expression of apoptosis related proteins was assayed by immunohistochemistry staining. Results: On exposure of nasal polyps tissue masses to tripterine (2 μmol/L) for 6 and 12 h, the total number of TUNEL positive cell counted in ten adjacent ×400 fields was 7.8±7.7 and 10.6±4.5 respectively in control group( n =10) and 62.3±42.7 and 76.3±39.3 respectively in tripterine group( n =10), with significant difference between them ( P 0.05). Stained with toluidine blue, mast cells showed condensation of nucleus and formation of apoptotic bodies. The expression of Fas,C myc and Bax protein were up regulated and bcl 2 protein was down regulated. Conlusion:The apoptosis of mast cells in nasal polyps can be induced by tripterine ,which is involved in its effect on the expression of some apoptotic related proteins.


Objective To study the relationship between clinical characteristics and the level of serum anti-p53 antibody and alpha fetoprotein(AFP) in patients with primary hepatic carcinoma(PHC).Methods The level of serum anti-p53 antibody and AFP in 52 patients with PHC was detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results The positive rate of p53 was 30.77%(16/52),Univariate analysis showed that the positive status of serum p53 antibody was associated with neoplastic differentiation degree(P=0.017) and remote metastasis(P=0.03).The positive rate of AFP was 44.23%(23/52),the coexpression of p53 and AFP were 15.40%,and the concordance were 55.80%.Conclusion The positive status of serum p53 antibody may be associated with the malignant biological features of PHC.The associated detection of serum p53 and AFP is important to the early diagnosis in PHC.


Purpose: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is known to accelerate and/or enhance hard and soft tissue healing and regeneration. As such, PRP has been used in various clinical fields of surgery. Recently there have been several attempts to use PRP in the field of tissue engineering. However, some controversies still exist on exact mechanism and benefits of PRP. Therefore various animal experiments are necessary to reveal the effect of the PRP. However, even if animal experiment is performed, the efficacy of the experiment could not be validated due to absence of an animal PRP model. The purpose of this study is to establish rat PRP model by comparing several PRP fabricating methods, and to assay growth factor concentration in the PRP. Materials and methods: Rat blood samples were collected from nine SD rat (body weight: 600-800g). PRP was prepared using three different PRP fabricating methods according to previously reported literatures. (Method 1: 800 rpm, 15 minute, single centrifuge; Method 2: 1000 rpm, 10 minute, double centrifuge; Method 3: 3000 rpm, 4min and 2500 rpm, 8 min, double centrifuge). Platelet counts were evaluated in an automated machine before and after PRP fabrications. In terms of growth factor assay, prepared PRP were activated with 100 unit thrombin and 10% calcium chloride. Growth factor (PDGF-BB, VEGF) concentrations on incubation time were determined by sandwich-ELISA technique. Results: An average of 3ml (via infraorbital venous plexus) to 15ml (via celiac axis) the rat blood could be collected. By using Method 3 (3000 rpm, 4 min and 2500 rpm, 8 min, double centrifugation), around 1.5ml of PRP could be prepared. This method allowed us to concentrate platelet 3.77-fold on average. PDGF-BB concentration (mean, 1942.10 pg/ml after 1 hour incubation) and VEGF concentration (mean, 952.71 pg/ml after 1 hour incubation) in activated PRP were higher than those in untreated blood. Also PDGF-BB showed constant concentration during 4-hour incubation, while VEGF concentration was decreased after 1 hour. Conclusion: Total 11,000 g minute separation and condensation double centrifuge method can produce efficient platelet-rich plasma. Platelet-rich plasma activated with thrombin has showed higher concentrations of growth factors such as PDGF-BB and VEGF, compared to the control group. Platelet-rich plasma model in a rat model was confirmed in this study.


DEDICATION To my family whose support and encouragement have been invaluable. v AKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor, David H. Arnold, for his many years of guidance, support, and encouragement. I am certain that I would not be the researcher I am today without his support. I would also like to thank Lisa Harvey for her service, advice, and guidance throughout my graduate career and especially during my dissertation. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the members of my committee, Erik Cheries and Sara Whitcomb, for their helpful comments and suggestions on all stages of this project.


Nutritional status and skeletal muscle function were studied in 20 CAPD patients (12 men and eight women) who were randomly selected among a total population of 95 CAPD patients. Their ages ranged from 29 to 74 years -mean 59 -and they underwent CAPD for a period of one to 180 (mean 62.2 ± 53.3) weeks. Nutritional assessment included measurement of body anthropometry, serum albumin, transferrin, C3 and C4, lymphocyte counts, total body nitrogen -nitrogen index (NI) and total body potassium (TBK). Function of the adductor pollicis muscle was assessed by electrical stimulation of the ulnar nerve, obtaining the force of contraction at 10 Hz expressed as a per cent of the force at 100 Hz (F 10/F 100) and the maximal relaxation rate (MRR) expressed as % force loss/10 ms. Seven of the 20 patients showed low nitrogen index (NI < 0.80), two had low transferrin levels «1.70 mg/dl) and one had very low albumin levels (26 g/l). There was no statistically significant difference between the NI of men (0.84 ± 0.11) and women (0.90 ± 0.14). TBK varied among the patients with a mean value of 89.9 ± 11.8 g for women and 123.8 ± 25.3 g for men. In all patients, the relative force of contraction of adductor pollicis muscle at low frequencies (F 10/F 100) was within normallimits as was the MRR, which showed a small decrease only in three patients. The results indicate that, although when assessed by conventional nutritional parameters some CAPD patients showed subtle indices of malnutrition and a significant proportion (7/20) have a low nitrogen index, most have well-preserved skeletal muscle function. When nutritional status is assessed by standard biochemical nutritional parameters, anthropometry or total body nitrogen (1-3), patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis or CAPD frequently show protein malnutrition. However the standard biochemical parameters may be altered in the presence of renal failure, independent of nutritional status. Thus depressed concentrations of several serum proteins and variations in anthropometric measurements may reflect changes in fluid status rather than gains or losses in body mass (4). In addition certain anthropometric and biochemical measurements of nutritional status are abnormal in chronically uremic patients, who appear to be particularly robust (5). Moreover, although TBK and TBN have been used as more accurate indices of the lean body mass and the protein content respectively, it is not always easy to interpret these measurements (6). Hence at present it is uncertain how well we can translate indices of standard nutritional assessment into the global concept of the general well being. Recently, several workers have shown that changes in skeletal muscle function provide more sensitive indices of nutritional deprivation, than conventional nutritional parameters (7,8,9). Since previous work showed that uremia does not seem to influence skeletal muscle function (10), we decided to study the relationship between conventional nutritional parameters and skeletal muscle function in 20 randomly selected CAPD patients.


In this experimental study, using specially designed lenses, the spread of the laser light the plane (compres- sion) was limited; the space existing in the laser light was mas made to spread discontinuously and the wave packet was made to bend and divide at the same time. These processes were made at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. During the experiment, in order to affect the laser light, polarization, magnetic field, electric field or any addi - tional material and system was not used. In addition, a quality factor has been proposed regarding the laser light used in the industry.


Stochastic resonance is a physical phenomenon where large vibration occurs when a weak sinusoidal force is applied to a bi-stable system. It is expected larger vibration can be produced than a typical resonance. Then the authors utilize this system to an energy harvester, which generates energy from vibration. The energy balance between the generated energy and the energy consumed to produce the weak sinusoidal force is analyzed through numerical simulations. It is shown the proposed harvester generates more energy than the system using a typical resonance.


Geological hazards of the Wenchuan Great Earthquake are characterized by a wide affecting range and a high density. The main types of the geological hazards are collapse and landslide, the collapse occurs far more frequently than the landslide, and the secondary geological hazards are likely to be existent for a long period in future. These characteristics are caused mainly by the spread of the seismic waves from the inside of the earth's crust to the surface as well as the spread of the P wave after S wave, which results in the harm to the mountain's inside structure, followed by the loss of the stability of the surface rock. The differences between lithology, landform and rock inclination exert to a certain extent influence on the geological type and the spatial distribution. In the post-earthquake reconstruction, the arduousness of the task and the protracted nature of the geological hazard control should be taken fully into account.


This study aims to investigate the feasibility of Landsat 7 ETM+ to identify coral reefs and shallow water benthic at Nusa Penida district in 2009 and 2012, comparison with the Reef Health Monitoring (RHM) results conducted by the Coral Triangle Center (CTC)  using the Point Intercept Transect (PIT) method in the same periods. This study also aims to determine the changes of coral reefs and shallow water benthic cover during this period and the distribution at Nusa Penida districk. Shallow water benthic classification refers to English et al. (1997), with a modified by the addition of vegetation classes (seagrass and seaweed). The classification result using confusion matrix between the Reef Health Monitoring (RHM) with the classification of satellite image in 2009 obtained an accuracy rate of 65.85% with a kappa coefficient value of 0.525, while in 2012 the accuracy value obtained of 74.81% with kappa coefficient value of 0.650, which shows the results of that classification of satellite images of Landsat 7 ETM+ with the results of in-situ research is in a moderate level.


Thalassemia major is quite prevalent in Iraq with about 15000 patients. Thalassemia is big health issue that have very big burden on health services. In Iraq 19 thalassemia center that reflects the importance of disease.Premarital testing for thalassemia is of prime importance of awareness of couples about the risk of getting the disease to their offspring and the complications of the disease.Education program is also important using mass media leaflets and posters about the importance of  prevention of the disease


Point cloud registration is a fundamental problem in 3D computer vision. In this paper, we cast point cloud registration into a planning problem in reinforcement learning, which can seek the transformation between the source and target point clouds through trial and error. By modeling the point cloud registration process as a Markov decision process (MDP), we develop a latent dynamic model of point clouds, consisting of a transformation network and evaluation network. The transformation network aims to predict the new transformed feature of the point cloud after performing a rigid transformation (i.e., action) on it while the evaluation network aims to predict the alignment precision between the transformed source point cloud and target point cloud as the reward signal. Once the dynamic model of the point cloud is trained, we employ the cross-entropy method (CEM) to iteratively update the planning policy by maximizing the rewards in the point cloud registration process. Thus, the optimal policy, i.e., the transformation between the source and target point clouds, can be obtained via gradually narrowing the search space of the transformation. Experimental results on ModelNet40 and 7Scene benchmark datasets demonstrate that our method can yield good registration performance in an unsupervised manner.


A 44-year-old non-atopic Turkish woman presented with a 5-year history of pruritic reddish wheals on her skin/mucosa occurring immediately after contact with some soaps and topical products. Recently, use of the toothpaste 'Colgate® Total' had caused immediate swelling of her lips and tongue, leading to breathing difficulties. The condition resolved within 6 hr with systemic corticosteroids and antihistamines. Kissing her husband, who was using the same toothpaste, caused swelling of her lips within minutes. Kissing her friends, who were using certain topical products on their faces, also caused wheals on her face/lips. The suspected products, that is, a toothpaste (Colgate Total®), a moisturizer lotion (Excipial® Lipo), a corticosteroid cream (Hipokort® cream), a metronidazole cream (Roza® cream), and an antibacterial liquid soap (Protex® Ultra), contained triclosan at concentrations up to 0.2–0.5%. Early reading of chamber tests on the back with IQ Chambers® (Chemotechnique Diagnostics, Vellinge, Sweden) showed severe urticarial reactions to Roza® cream ('as is') and triclosan (2.0% pet.) within


Online social networks fail to support users to adequately share coowned content, which leads to privacy violations. Scholars proposed collaborative mechanisms to support users, but they did not satisfy one or more requirements needed according to empirical evidence in this domain, such as explainability, role-agnosticism, adaptability, and being utilityand value-driven. We present ELVIRA, an agent that supports multiuser privacy, whose design meets all these requirements. By considering the sharing preferences and the moral values of users, ELVIRA identifies the optimal sharing policy. Furthermore, ELVIRA justifies the optimality of the solution through explanations based on argumentation. We prove via simulations that ELVIRA provides solutions with the best trade-off between individual utility and value adherence. We also show through a user study that ELVIRA suggests solutions that are more acceptable than existing approaches and that its explanations are also more satisfactory.


ABSTRACT Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was isolated from the cerebrum of a calf which showed severe neurological symptoms in late September 2009, and the JEV isolate was revealed to be of genotype 1. This is the first report describing the isolation of genotype 1 JEV from cattle.


Tidal flat, classified as wetland of coastal zone, is critical transitional zone connecting sea with land, and fulfills a variety of functions necessary for maintaining coastal ecosystem. Although it is critical to protect and strengthen its functions of coastal wetlands, tidal flat has been mainly viewed as areas for development in Korea. Therefore, this study provides with the effective mitigation measures so as to minimize adverse impacts of tidal flat reclamation projects on the proper environmental values. So far, coastal development has not considered as important the fact that development site consists of tidal flat in site selection. Therefore, large scale of tidal flats was abused. Problems were emerged only after tidal flat development was already planned. The original plan had to be revised. To rectify the problem, impacts of development on the environment need to be discussed based on the initial development planning. Particularly, sandy beaches, rocky shores and shallow areas, underwater forest including seagrass beds as well as the tidal flat in good condition should be excluded from development site. + Corresponding author : firstname.lastname@example.com * 한국환경정책평가연구원 환경평가본부연구위원농학박사 ** 인하대학교 자연과학대학 생명해양과학부 해양과학전공 교수이학박사 서 론 1. 갯벌은 육지로부터 흘러 들어오는 무기염류 및 유기물을 제거하고 해수를 정화하여 연안환경 을 양호한 상태로 유지시키며 높은 생산성을 갖 , 는 갯벌 표면의 부착성 미세조류가 먹이사슬을 통해 여러 동물에게 이용되도록 하며 인류에게 중 , 요한 먹이공급의 장으로서 중요한 역할을 수행하 고 있다 또한 최근에 갯벌 내에 분포하는 염생 . 식 물 군락이 중요한 로 주목받고 있다 'carbon sink'


I N reviewing, in the April, 1956, issue of the Geographical Review, the 1/625,000 Map of Local Accessibility, with Explanatory Text, published in 1955 by the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain,1 J. E. Brush remarked that the conception of centers and hinterlands of different orders of importance, or of magnitude, had not been made very clear.2 Since the map was mainly designed, and the text partly written, by me, I have attempted in the present paper partly to make good this omission. The idea of five main orders, from metropolis to "service village," has been fairly widely, if only tacitly, accepted, and this would not have been so if something corresponding approximately to this hierarchy had not been found practically useful and recognizable. Even workers with whom geographers have little contact, such as Lee R. Dice,3 have recognized this kind of hierarchy. Dice, in the jargon of ecology, uses the terms "homestead ecosystems," "village-centered ecosystems,'' "town-centered ecosystems,9" " city-centered ecosystems," "national ecosystems," and "international ecosystems," which have replaced older "tribal ecosystems. " One type of center and hinterland has in recent years been much more intensively studied than others; this has been the "fourth order." It is useful to consider first of all why this should have been so.


Feed is the greatest expense in pig production and improving efficiency while utilizing lower priced ingredients can help ameliorate this cost. The objective of this experiment was to determine the impact of utilizing a xylanase enzyme (Danisco Xylanase, IFF) on growth performance of pigs fed high fiber diets. We hypothesized that feeding xylanase would improve G:F and ADG when added to a greater fiber diet. To test this hypothesis, 672 PIC 359 x Yorkshire pigs were randomly allotted to pens based on body weight at an average age of 20.8 ± 1.0 d. Pens were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments: Control corn/soy diet (CON), Greater fiber diet (up to 40% dried distillers grains and 10% wheat middlings FIB), and Greater fiber diet plus xylanase (XYL). The CON and the FIB diets were formulated to contain the same net energy. In the XYL treatment, xylanase was added on top of the GF diet with no reformulation or energy release assigned to the xylanase. All pigs were weighed and feed disappearance was measured weekly to calculate ADG, ADFI, and G:F. Growth performance data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure in SAS with pen as the experimental unit. There were 17 pens per treatment for CON and FIB and 16 pens per treatment for the XYL treatment. To increase the number of replicates, the trial was conducted over 3 consecutive turns of pigs. Dietary treatment, repetition, week, and two-way interactions were fixed effects. Results were considered significantly different at P ≤ 0.05. In the 7-week nursery period, the pigs fed CON had increased ADG (CON: 0.52 kg/d, FIB: 0.48 kg/d, XYL: 0.48 kg/d) and ADFI (CON: 0.85 kg/d, 0.81 kg/d, 0.80 kg/d) when compared with FIB and XYL treatments (P ≤ 0.05). There were no differences in growth performance between the pigs fed FIB and the pigs fed XYL in the nursery phase. At the end of the nursery phase, pigs were randomly allotted within treatment to different cohorts in the growing finishing period. In the 12-wk growing finishing period, pigs fed FIB and XYL had decreased ADG compared with pigs fed Control diets (CON: 1.05 kg/d, FIB: 0.97 kg/d, XYL: 0.96 kg/d; P ≤ 0.05). In addition, pigs fed XYL diets had improved G:F when compared with both FIB and CON (CON: 0.402, FIB: 0.400, XYL: 0.414; P ≤ 0.05). This improvement in feed efficiency in the XYL treatment seemed to be driven by a significant reduction in ADFI (P ≤ 0.05), which suggests, adding xylanase to a diet without accounting for energy release, reduces overall feed intake and growing more efficiently, as expected with more available energy.


Purpose:  Gastrointestinal (GI) damages associated with multiple organ failure is a fatal complication. The injured function of GI tract causes malnutrition and the bacterial translocation. So the functional recovery of GI tract is quite important for treating such cases. In the present study, we investigated whether basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) could recover the injured functions of cultured intestinal cells.

Method:  Human small intestinal cells were cultured in a 10% FCS added DMEM. The cellular damages were induced by the treatment with various concentrations of cell permeable C6-ceramide (0–20 M). Growth factors (10 ng/ml bFGF or 50 ng/ml HGF) were added to the medium simultaneously or 2 days after the beginning of the ceramide treatment. After 4 days of the treatment, cell growth and apoptosis induction were investigated.

Result and Conclusion:  Ceramide inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Both growth factors significantly improved the cell growth and reduced apoptosis. These effects were also observed when the growth factor treatment was delayed 2 days after the ceramide treatment. It was found that bFGF was more significant than HGF on these protective effects. It is suggested that growth factor treatment may be a useful therapeutic option to improve GI tract dysfunction.


Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) have become a promising candidate for the development of future mobile systems. In the context of massive machine-type communications (mMTC), a RIS can be used to support the transmission from a group of sensors to a collector node. Due to the short data packets, we focus on the design of the RIS for maximizing the weighted sum and minimum rates in the finite blocklength regime. Under the assumption of non-orthogonal multiple access, successive interference cancelation is considered as a decoding scheme to mitigate interference. Accordingly, we formulate the optimizations as non-convex problems and propose two sub-optimal solutions based on gradient ascent (GA) and sequential optimization (SO) with semi-definite relaxation (SDR). In the GA, we distinguish between Euclidean and Riemannian gradients. For the SO, we derive a concave lower bound for the throughput and maximize it sequentially applying SDR. Numerical results show that the SO can outperform the GA and that strategies relying on the optimization of the classical Shannon capacity might be inadequate for mMTC networks.


: The Bayano region, in Panama, has been linked to many different stakeholders who were or are influenced by the Bayano dam, which was completed in 1976 and flooded a large area. Stakeholder tables are a good way of exploring the views of stakeholders and their relationships. They can also help in identifying hidden stakeholders. Hidden stakeholders refer to stakeholders who use or are impacted by regions or events, but are generally ignored. A primary goal of this research is to allow a better understanding of the region. In this study, several sources, including discussions with community members and workshop results, were used to develop a stakeholder table for the Bayano region. Stakeholders include displaced Guna and Embera Indigenous communities. In order to identify hidden stakeholders, I applied the table to relevant court cases and agreements, with hidden stakeholders being those who were not addressed in these documents. Hidden stakeholders include Indigenous individuals who raise cattle or are involved in tree felling, along with tourism industries. Using some follow-up workshops to gauge views on potential interventions, along with a relational values approach, which focuses on relationships with components such as nature, I highlight sustainable projects and methods that can target multiple hidden stakeholders at the same time. As such, another goal was to illustrate potential, sustainable projects that would include many hidden stakeholders. In the end, this research helps understand the stakeholders in the Bayano region and the results can also help other researchers involved in the region and beyond.


Due to the lack of alternating electric fields and alternating magnetic fields in HVdc transmission system, there has been no sustainable and stable energy harvesting method compatible with them up to now, hindering the application of HVdc sensors. In this letter, we proposed a novel dc energy harvesting method using corona current, and an energy harvesting circuit is constituted with space ion flow generated by dc corona. The feasibility of the proposed method is increased by adding an artificial corona electrode and placing the load before the corona electrode. In addition, it can flexibly operate at any position in an HVdc transmission system according to actual demand. Then the output power is further maximized by adopting a capacitor with high working voltages. The detailed measurement results based on the experimental system validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, with a stable output power as high as 10.15 mW in a dc system of 22 kV. A detailed discussion of the overall performance is finally carried out.


The farmer workers constitute a special community in the course of system vicissitude and society transformation.The fringe circumstance in which the farmer workers live,the exclusion by the social institution and system shortage make it difficult for them to enjoy the rights and benefits of the social guarantee,though they have made great contributions to our country's economic and social development.Establishing the system of social guarantee for farmer workers is of great meaning for safeguarding the weak community,for solving the problem of agriculture,countryside and peasant,for maintaining the economic stability and planning the social development.