Objective To establish a reverse dot-blot hybridization in detecting the genotypes of 23S rRNA domain V of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and compare it with the direct sequencing method.Method A self-designed reverse dot-blot hybridization was applied to detect the genotypes of 23S rRNA domain V of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in 19 clinical isolates from oropharyngeal swabs,and the corresponding sequence was sequenced meanwhile.Reference strains FH and 127 Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA extractions from patient specimens tested positive by PCR,with 5 Mycoplasma pneumoniae negative DNA extractions as controls,were detected macrolide resistant genotypes of 23S rRNA domain V by the reverse dot-blot hybridization method.Result 15 strains of the 19 clinical isolates were found to possess point mutations of A2063G within domain V of the 23S rRNA gene by the reverse dot-blot hybridization while the other 4 strains were 2063A in domain V of the 23S rRNA gene.These findings were concordant with sequencing data(Kappa consistency test,P0.05).Among the 127 Mycoplasma pneumoniae positive DNA extractions from patient specimens,122 extractions were found to possess point mutations of A2063G by the reverse dot-blot hybridization;2 extractions only contained A base and 3 extractions possessed both A and G base in domain V of the 23S rRNA gene;no positive result was found in 5 negative controls.Conclusion The reverse dot-blot hybridization was capable of detecting the A2063G point mutation in domain V of 23S rRNA of Mycoplasma pneumoniae from isolates and patient specimens.


A 22-year-old woman with a convulsion and impaired consciousness was transferred from a local psychiatric clinic to Oita University Hospital. She had no symptoms until July 2004, when she had fever and convulsive seizures and was diagnosed encephalitis. She underwent continuous infusion of thiamylal sodium for status epilepticus. Autonomic changes, such as tachycardia and increased sweating, were also seen. On neurological examination, she was in coma and status epilepticus, showing spastic paralysis and central hypoventilation. Tracheal intubation was performed, and she was put on mechanical ventilation. There were no evident endocrine or metabolic abnormalities. Antinuclear antibodies were negative. Her cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure was 270 mm H2O. The fluid was clear and contained 26 cells/ l, glucose 72 mg/dl, protein 21.6 mg/ml, immunoglobulin G 6 mg/dl, and adenosine deaminase 1.5 IU/L. Microscopic examinations of the CSF for tumor cells and microorganisms were negative, and cultures yielded no growth. There were no marked elevations of antiviral antibody titers, including Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus, echo virus, and cytomegalovirus. A subunit of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibodies, anti-NR2B (glutamate receptor [GluR] epsilon-2) antibody, and antiNR2A (glutamate receptors [GluR] epsilon-1) antibody were positive in both serum and CSF. An anterior mediastinal tumor, 4.5 cm in diameter, was found on chest computed tomography scan (Figure 1). These findings suggested paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis associated with a mediastinal teratoma. The patient received corticosteroid therapy but the neurological symptoms continued. Serological tests showed hypothyroidism. The tumor was resected without combined resection of the thymus 10 months after the neurological symptoms appeared. Pathologically, the tumor was a mature teratoma with various tissue components, including skin, thymus, striated muscle, cartilage, bronchial glands and mucosa, and pancreas (Figure 2). The neurological symptoms improved dramatically postoperatively. The seizures disappeared, and the thiamylal infusion was gradually tapered over 3 weeks after surgery and discontinued. The patient was weaned from ventilatory support within 4 weeks after tumor resection. The patient is currently well at 7 years after surgery with no evidence of tumor recurrence.


A short history of what we call \Linear Algebraic Queueing Theory (LAQT)" is presented, including the basic formulas for matrix representations of Phase (or`Ma-trix Exponential') Distributions. Semi-Markov (or Markov Renewal) Processes are then described in this formulation, with particular emphasis on`Markov Modulated Poisson Processes (MMPP)'. The MMPP process is then modiied to represent ON-OFF models with non-exponential holding times (the 1-Burst model). A `Truncated Power-Tail' (TPT) Distribution with a Phase representation is then described. It is the combination of ON-OFF Processes with TPT ON-times that allows telecommu-nication systems with self-similar and long-range dependent traac to be modeled analytically. Research of telecommunications traac over the last decade has led to the realization that standard models of performance have to be modiied or expanded to include long-range autocorrelation of interarrival times of data packets, and large uctuations in the number of arrivals for any time intervals, the so-called self-similarity property. Analytic models can use Markov Arrival Processes (MAP) to include autocorrelation, but long-range correlation and self-similarity require that Power-tail distributions be included in some way. Our goal in this paper is to introduce Power-Tail distributions into the matrix-algebraic solution techniques. Therefore, a considerable amount of background material is included for those who are not very familiar with, what we call, Linear Algebraic Queueing Theory (LAQT). After a short history of how non-exponential distributions have come to t into Markov chain theory, and then some basic deenitions, we describe Matrix Exponential (ME) distributions and their properties. In Section 5.3.3 we give the solution to M/G/1 queues Research (partly) funded by Deutsche Telekom AG. 43 44 Lipsky & Schwefel in terms of ME functions. In Section 5.4 we introduce Semi-Markov (SM) processes in terms of the generators of ME distributions, showing how they can be used to compute the autocorrelation coeecients lag-k, and how to solve SM/M/1 queues, the basis for our model of the performance of telecommunication servers (routers or packet switches). We then present the most-used type of SM process, Markov Modulated Poisson Processes (MMPP), and how to embed non-exponential distributions into them. We discuss the simplest non-trivial example of a 1-Burst, ON-OFF model. Section 5.5 contains a brief discussion of how to build matrix representations of a particular class of Truncated Power Tail (TPT) distributions and their properties. Finally, we combine the TPT's with our form of MMPP and give some preliminary results for the 1-Burst model. The companion paper, Lipsky …


Objective To ascertain the completeness of reporting of uveal melanoma cases in North Carolina to the state's cancer registry. Methods This was a retrospective chart review performed at a single institution analyzing the completeness of information reported to the North Carolina Cancer Registry between 2010 and 2015. A list of all patients with uveal melanoma diagnosed, treated and/or followed at UNC-Chapel Hill between 2010-2015 was compared to the list of patients with uveal melanoma reported to the North Carolina Central Cancer registry during the same time frame. Results Based on ICD 9 and 10 codes, there were 66 patients with ciliary body or choroidal melanomas diagnosed, followed and/or treated at UNC between 2010 and 2015. Of those, 41 (62%) were on the list of cases reported through the UNC Cancer Registry to the NCCCR. A chart review of the excluded cases was performed and the following barriers to reporting of uveal melanoma were identified: lack of diagnostic imaging results, lack of histopathologic confirmation, inconsistent language used to communicate diagnosis, and lack of implementation of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries' National Interstate Data Exchange Agreement. Conclusion The diagnosis and treatment of uveal melanoma is unique when compared to other types of cancers. Diagnosis is based on clinical features and characteristic findings on ophthalmic imaging and ultrasound. There is often no pathology report or radiologic imaging which makes it difficult for hospital registrars to recognize and confirm cases of uveal melanoma. This creates significant barriers to reporting cases to state and national cancer registries. The incomplete data makes it difficult to detect changes in the incidence of uveal melanoma in North Carolina. The development of a national uveal melanoma registry should be seriously considered.


Colleges and universities across the country face mandated curricular changes in order to compete for the shrinking dollars allocated within higher education. The arts are particularly vulnerable to the process. The emerging voices of ethnic minorities, handicapped individuals, and women add to the urgency of revising curricula which no longer meet the needs of diverse student populations. One of the needed revisions for theatre and performing arts departments lies in the area of African-American theatre. Few departments address this curricular issue and those which attempt to do so, often produce evidence of non-traditional casting as their only contribution. Not enough is being done to develop curricula which validates the artistic contributions of AfricanAmericans and gives the ethnic student an appreciation of his or her culture. This void can begin to be addressed in the basic introductory courses. Such changes do not negate the fact that a diverse theatre arts philosophy must permeate all courses and productions, and also needs to be addressed in the mission statement of the department.


This study aims to promote a preventive policy to reduce school dropout by providing insights on the determinants of academic achievement, as students' previous academic performance is a crucial antecedent of school dropout. Our central research question is whether and how school segregation and self-fulfilling prophecies (teacher expectations and student expectations) are related to academic achievement. First, we examine whether school composition is related to teacher expectations. Second, we investigate whether the impact of school composition on pupils' academic achievement is mediated by teacher expectations. Data from a survey of 2,845 pupils and 706 teachers in 68 Flemish primary schools are analysed. The multilevel analysis shows that teachers' teachability expectations are lower in schools with a high share of non-native and working class pupils, and that these teachability expectations have an indirect impact on pupils' achievement, through pupils' feelings of academic futility. Implications for educational policy are discussed.


ABSTRACT A new fossil crocodile, Ultrastenos willisi, is described from a cranium and postcranial materials collected from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland, Australia. The mandible displays pronounced anterior constriction, approaching that seen in the extant gharial, Gavialis gangeticus, and false gharial, Tomistoma schlegelii. As such, U. willisi potentially filled the ecomorphological niche associated with longirostry that has been previously unaccounted for in Riversleigh's Oligo-Miocene crocodile fauna. The pronounced constriction and features of the posterior cranium further distinguish U. willisi from all other known crocodiles, including the only reported Australian Oligo-Miocene longirostral crocodile, Harpacochampsa camfieldensis, from Bullock Creek in the Northern Territory. Ultrastenos willisi is recognized as a new genus and species assigned to subfamily Mekosuchinae on the basis of phylogenetic analysis.


Part 1 Cauchy problem for Maxwell's equations: Maxwell's equations as a hyperbolic symmetric system structure of the Cauchy problem solution in case of the current located on the media interface. Part 2 One-dimensional inverse problems: structure of the Fourier-image of the Cauchy problem solution for one-dimensional medium in case of the current located at a point the problem of determining the medium permittivity the problem of determining the conductivity co-efficient the problem of determining all the co-efficients of Maxwell's equations. Part 3 Multi-dimensional inverse problems: linearization method applied to the inverse problems investigation of the linearized problem of determining the permittivity co-efficient unique solvability theorem for a two-dimensional problem of determining the conductivity co-efficient analytic in one variable on the uniqueness of the solution of three-dimensional inverse problems. Part 4 Inverse problems in the case of source periodic in time: one-dimensional inverse problems linear one-dimensional inverse problem linearized three-dimensional inverse problems. Part 5 Inverse problems for quasi-stationary Maxwell's equations: on correspondence between the solutions of quasi-stationary and wave Maxwell's equations a one-dimensional inverse problem of determining the conductivity and permeability co-efficients the one-dimensional inverse problem for wave-quasi-stationary system of equations. Part 6 The inverse problems for the simplest anisotropic media: on the uniqueness of determination of permittivity and permeability in anisotropic media on the problem of determining permittivity and conductivity tensors. Part 7 Numerical methods. Part 8 Convergence results. Part 9 Examples (Part contents)


Objective Determining the level of HIV/AIDS knowledge amongst high-students living in Cartagena, Colombia. Method A cross-sectional study was designed using a sample of secondary school students who completed a six-question questionnaire about their knowledge of HIV/AIDS and the myths related to it. Logistic regression was used for adjusting associations. Results A total of 2,625 10- to 20-year-old students participated in the research. A group of 249 (9.5 OR; 8.4-10.6 95 %CI) answered the questionnaire properly.


This article aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how two EU Member States, Greece and Cyprus, have influenced the evolution of common EU positions on Russia. Moreover, it exposes how the policies and positions taken up by Greece and Cyprus inside the EU have either undermined or reinforced a common European approach towards Russia across different policy themes.


The current study explicates how differentially the native and non-native writers functionally use the lexical bundles in the academic discourse of PhD theses. The corpus data comprised 200 PhD theses produced by non-native Pakistani scholars and the native scholars in the five different disciplines of the social sciences. To conduct the analysis, the study employs a combination of functional taxonomies of the lexical bundles previously proposed and used by Biber and his associates (see, Biber, et al., 2004 & 2003); Biber & Barbieri, 2007). For data analysis, a corpus tool, AntConc 3.3.5, was used to generate and enlist the 4-word units of lexical bundles found in the collected corpus. These identified lexical bundles were, later, categorized into three functional categories as referential , discourse organizing , and stance . The findings of the study reveal that the native and non-native writers make significantly more use of referential lexical bundles and a minimum use of discourse organizing and stance bundles with certain qualitative differences. It is expected that the findings of the study can help EAP scholars in developing teaching materials to assist non-native writers in improving their academic skills by native functional lexical Biber The study a significantly high frequency use of referential bundles for both types of corpus. the study highlights that within the referential bundles, most of the lexical bundles are used by the writers for framing and contextualizing their research discourse. It is envisaged that the current study will help the EAP scholars and teachers in developing material for teaching academic writing skills to non-native learners.


Abstract 4454 Background Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI9s) are commonly used in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. They induce a mild inhibition of platelet aggregation; this is thought to be mediated by a depletion of platelet serotonin. Some studies have shown an association between SSRI intake and GI bleeding; aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID9s) might increase the risk even more when used concomitantly. An increase in surgical bleeding during orthopedic procedures has also been noted in users of this class of medications. To our knowledge, there is no published data on the effect of SSRI9s on hemostasis during prostatectomy. The objective of this study was to examine if patients taking a SSRI and undergoing prostatectomy had a higher rate of bleeding and required more red cell transfusions than patients not taking such a medication. Methods Institutional review board approval was obtained to perform this retrospective study; the initial phase was conducted on 1,308 adults undergoing either suprapubic, retropubic, perineal, laparoscopic or robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy for prostate cancer between 2002 and 2008 at the Lahey Clinic. The Department of Urology database was queried to identify relevant surgical cases, the amount of blood lost and the number of red cell transfusions given during each procedure. Patient records available through the Lahey electronic system were reviewed to identify pre-operative medications and comorbidities having a potential to affect surgical hemostasis. The use of antidepressants by type, aspirin, clopidogrel, NSAID9s and anticoagulants was recorded, as were a history of liver disease, renal insufficiency, thrombocytopenia or any coagulopathy. Statistical analysis was conducted with the SAS software, version 9.2; means were compared using Student9s T-test. Results 3.2% of the patients included in the analysis were on a SSRI until the day of the surgery. Aspirin, clopidogrel and warfarin were discontinued in view of the upcoming procedure, with rare exceptions. Analysis was stratified according to the type of prostatectomy, either open (suprapubic, retropubic or perineal) or laparoscopic (with or without robotic assistance). Mean age was 58.2 years for SSRI users and 59.2 years for non-users ( p =0.31). There was no significant difference in the distribution of comorbidities between SSRI users and non-users. In the open prostatectomy group, use of aspirin in the immediate pre-operative period was more prevalent in the group of SSRI users compared to non-users (6.3% vs 0.8%, p =0.03), as was the uninterrupted use of NSAID9s (6.3% vs 0.2%, p =0.0002); please see table 1 for details. In the open surgery group, mean volume of blood lost was 794 mL for SSRI users, compared to 878 mL for non-users ( p =0.57). In the laparoscopic surgery group, mean blood loss was 178 mL in SSRI users vs 188 mL in non-users ( p =0.69). In the laparoscopic procedure group, only 1 out of 807 patients was transfused. In the open surgery group, 31.3% of SSRI users required one unit of red cells, compared to 29.8% for non-users ( p =NS). Only one patient died in the hospital; he belonged to the laparoscopic approach group (SSRI non-user). Conclusion In this study, the use of a SSRI did not confer an increased risk of surgical bleeding. This was noted even in patients undergoing open prostatectomy, in spite of more patients in the SSRI user group taking aspirin or a NSAID up to the day of the surgery. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Fine sediment fractions < 2 IL extracted from various formations of Upper Proterozoic and Cambrian age in Canning Land and Segelsl11lskapet Fjord in East Greenland are anchimetamorphic to strongly diagenetic. Rb-Sr and K-Ar isotopic analyses indicate that the metamorphic and diagenetic changes correspond to the main Caledonian event at c. 450 Ma while some of the data are consistent with ayounger event at nearly 400 Ma, possibly connected to late Caledonian tectonics. The study also shows the peculiar features of the isotopic diagrams often observed in such conditions: parallel isotopic lines, discor dant behaviour of the Rb-Sr and K-Ar chronometers, and the necessity of collecting sets of samples from small homogeneous areas. present study was to analyse slightly metamorphosed sediments of known age using Rb-Sr and K-Ar methods. Beeause of the very low metamorphic grade of many parts of the Caledonian suprastrueture (Wegmann, 1935) it was thought these methods would give either depositional or diagenetic pre-Caledonian ages. In faet, all ages obtained point to anearly complete isotopic redistribution of isotopes during the Caledonian orogeny, and confirm the data obtained from the infrastrueture.


BiOBr hollow microspheres attached to few-layered molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) were prepared by an ethylene glycol (EG)-assisted microwave process in the presence of 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromine ([C16mim]Br). The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). During the reaction process, the ionic liquid [C16mim]Br acts as not only a solvent and Br source, but also as a microwave-absorbing agent and template for the fabrication of MoS2/BiOBr hollow microspheres. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of MoS2/BiOBr was evaluated for the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation. The results indicated that 0.2 wt% MoS2/BiOBr microspheres exhibit higher photocatalytic activity than BiOBr. A possible photocatalytic mechanism based on the relative band position of MoS2 and BiOBr was proposed.


(See the Major Article by Mayer-Hamblett et al on pages 707–15.)

Lung disease remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality for people living with cystic fibrosis (CF) [1]. Dysfunctional chloride conductance in the airways results in impaired mucus clearance, which drives a vicious cycle of infection, inflammation, and airway destruction. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) is a bacterial pathogen largely feared by the CF community as its chronic presence is associated with lung damage, a more rapid decline in lung function, and earlier mortality [2–6]. Unfortunately, Pa in airway secretions will be cultured in 80% of people with CF by age 18 years.


Civil infrastructure in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains faces a unique geological hazard arising from underlying beds of steeply dipping expansive bedrock. Efforts to mitigate damaging differential movements that commonly occur among adjacent bedrock strata near the surface typically involve overexcavation and recompaction of the in situ materials as engineered fill. This paper examines the practice by quantifying the swelling-related properties of two dissimilar bedrock end members obtained from a site near Denver, Colo. where overexcavation is warranted. Atterberg limits, compaction, suction, and volume change shrinkage tests are conducted for each end member and several mixtures prepared to represent the wide range of subsurface conditions expected in the region. The objective is to examine the extent to which properties of the remolded fill may be predicted from the properties and relative amounts of the end member materials comprising it. Linear relationships are found between end member mass fraction and each of the properties measured liquid limit, plasticity limit, plasticity index, wopt, dmax, t/w, and Ch, thus providing a quantitative basis for simplifying the design of future overexcavation programs. Optimum moisture content occurs at 90% saturation regardless of bentonite mass fraction. Suction compression index Ch for compacted specimens is found insensitive to molding water content.


We found that surface protrusions of chemical vapor deposited TiN films are caused by reactions between copper contaminants and the silicon substrate. Depending on the size of the copper contaminant, two kinds of defects were formed: copper silicide (CuSi) and silicon dioxide. The silicon dioxide is formed because of the catalytic role of copper silicide. The defects grow both into and out of the silicon substrate. In the formation of copper silicide and silicon dioxide, copper, silicon, and oxygen are the major participating species.


Endodontic therapy is a delicate process comprised of carefully accessing the pulp chamber and negotiation of the root canal orifices followed by chemo-mehchanical preparation and obturation of the canals. Aggressive cutting of the dentin during procedural steps specially in root canal negotiations can lead to floor perforation. Iatrogenic perforation of the furcation of the multirooted can lead to tooth extraction. The influencing factors include the location and the size of the perforation, potential microbial colonization of the endodontic system, the time lapse between the occurrence of the perforation and repair, and the filling material. There were several materials used to seal different types of perforation defects. MTA is one of these restorative materials that is considered the most effective, biocompatible, non-toxic, and non-irritant,promote bone healing and cementum regeneration. The present case reports describe the non surgical management of extensive pulp chamber floor perforations created iatrogenically during the failed attempts of root canal orifice negotiation.


A quasitransient in-ground effect method is developed to study the effect of vertical landing on a launch vehicle base-heating environment. This computational methodology is based on a three-dimensional, pressure-based, viscous flow, chemically reacting, computational fluid dynamics formulation. Important in-ground base-flow physics such as the fountain-jet formation, plume growth, air entrainment, and plume afterburning are captured with the present methodology. Convective and radiative base-heat fluxes are computed for comparison with those of a flight test. The influence of the laminar Prandtl number on the convective heat flux is included in this study. A radiative direction-dependency test is conducted using both the discrete ordinate and finite volume methods. Treatment of the plume afterburning is found to be very important for accurate prediction of the base-heat fluxes


This thesis deals with deformations originating from heat treatment of the bearing metals. This is about the comparison of the heat treatment by rotating method in which the parts are feeded individually into the rotating device and heat treated on hardening equipment in continuous way with high capacitive power. After the heat treatment it follows the operations of the grinding of the faces and diameters of the bearing rings. After the hardening we take into account two parameters, which may be mostly affected by hardening process namely: flatness of the faces (cradle) and outer diameter ovality. Each of such deviations has got adverse influence during the grinding, therefore the hardening technology is in most cases focused on elimination of this problem. The results of the heat treatment with higher deformations were confronted with values achieved by simulation software SYSWELD used for heat-metalurgical analysis.


TPS modifier was employed to prepare high viscosity modified asphalt binder.Effect of TPS contents and kinds of base asphalt on the properties of modified asphalt was investigated.The results indicated strong correlations exist between the chemical composition of base asphalt and the properties of TPS modified asphalt.The viscosity of modified asphalt at 60 ℃ increased with resin content of base asphalt increase at same contents of TPS.When TPS content was between 14% and 17%,effect of TPS content on softening point,penetration and ductility of modified asphalt was slight.But TPS contents have significant influence on viscosity of modified asphalt at 60 ℃.The viscosity of modified asphalt at 60 ℃ increased rapidly when TPS contents was more than 15%.


The product of the ring opening of 3-aryl-substituted azirines under conditions of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) is shown to be not a nitrile ylide but a short-lived 2-azaallenyl radical cation. This species has been investigated by pulse radiolysis and gamma-radiolysis techniques. The radical cation has an absorption band with lambda(max) at 485 nm. The lifetime of the radical cation is tau = 1.43 mus in n-butyl chloride. The rate constant for the reaction of the radical cation with the imine 9 is 7.8 X 10(9) M-1 s-1. Gamma-Radiolysis in n-butyl chloride leads to the same products, i.e., an N-alkylated imidazole as in the case of PET.


A new practical identification scheme based on bit commitment and Schnorr's one time knowledge proof scheme is presented. Here the use of Cut and Choose method and many random exam candidates in the identification protocol is replaced by a single challenge number. Therefore our identification scheme is more efficient and practical than the previous schemes. In addition, we prove the security of the proposed scheme under discrete logarithm assumption, thus clarify the cryptographic basis of the proposed scheme.


In order to realize a nano-power wavelet filter for biomedical applications, this paper applies the Singular Value Decomposition approximation to transform the time domain 1st-derivative of a Gaussian (gauss1) wavelet base into a 5th-order z-domain transfer function. Consequently, to realize the approximated transfer function in CMOS technology employing circuitry that operates from a low supply voltage, a sampled data circuit technique, coined 'Switched Gain Cell, (SGC),' is introduced. Using the SGC technique, standard MOS switches, simple subthreshold (nonlinear) transconductors and their associated parasitic capacitances suffice to constitute the filter, while the scale of the filter can be controlled by the clock frequency. This renders the filter architecture to be simple, modular, and area efficient. Simulation results, using 0.13µm CMOS model parameters, show that the wavelet filter implements the gauss1 wavelet base well, operates from a 1V supply and consumes less than 0.47 µW quiescent power.


In this paper a control system of intelligent building is introduced which is based on power line carrier communication.The chip LM567,which can transmit the modulation signal and receive the demodulation signal,realizes the function that the speech signal and the control signal are multiple transmitted on power line.


With the example of stress corrosion test of natural gas pipeline steel, the application of Visual Basic (VB) language program in the test will be discussed in the paper. The result shows that different waveforms of VB language design can simulate various forms of applied load of pipeline steel well, and make fluctuant slow strain rate test more accurate and convenient.


The aim of this work is to investigate lead-free ferroelectric ceramic/ceramic composites, with the ultimate goal of elucidating the mechanisms of their enhanced electromechanical response. Previous work has shown that a composite comprised of a highly disordered nonpolar ferroelectric matrix material and an ordered polar seed material results in an increased electromechanical response under specific circumstances. The mechanisms used to explain this enhancement have been based on the electrical and mechanical interactions between the seed and matrix during application of an electric field. However, the interactions between the seed and matrix during processing also play a significant role in the enhancement observed in lead-free ferroelectric composite systems. The fabrication of ceramic/ceramic composites requires high-temperature sintering of the seed and matrix for formation of densified pellets. Fundamental laws of kinetics dictate that diffusion between the two constituents should occur at the high temperatures required for ceramics processing. In addition, a difference in the sintering trajectories will result in a nonzero stress state during sintering, which is well established to effect the microstructure. The structure-property relationships in composites can provide new insight into these mechanisms, but there have been significant challenges in investigating structure at the microscale. To that end, model systems of 2-2 composites were prepared and utilized to investigate these phenomena. In light of the influences of diffusion and internal stress on electromechanical behavior, the electromechanical response of several 0-3 and 2-2 composite systems are investigated. The influence of co-sintering interactions on the electromechanical behavior of electroceramics plays an important role in the improvement of lead-free material systems for the replacement of current commercially dominant lead-based systems.


The "MGP analysis" created by Dr. J. Aoki in 1983 and the "100 oribatid species" system proposed by Aoki in 1995, both for using oribatid communities as bioindicators, are described herein and compared to some other bioindicator protocols. By using the term "naturalness", Aoki proposed to explain human impact on a gradient of several environments ranging from urban boulevard trees to intact forests.Although using "naturalness" was a vague concept, the idea might reflect the process of plant succession and changes in oribatid assemblages associated with different seral stages. Therefore, the use of oribatid mites as bioindicators might also be based on succession of the oribatid fauna.


In the crystal structure of the title compound, C12H26N2O4 2+·2(Br0.085Cl0.915)−·4C5H9OH, the complete cation is generated by crystallographic twofold symmetry. Contamination of the chloride counter-anion with bromide occured during the preparation, due to the use of 1,2-dibromoethane. One of the solvent molecules is disordered, with occupancies 0.53 (3):0.47 (3). The crystal packing is stabilized by an infinite two dimensional ⋯X⋯H—N—H⋯X⋯ hydrogen-bonding network (X: Br−/Cl− ≃ 1:12). In addition, O—H⋯X and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving solvent molecules are observed.


In order to explore the composition of bacterioplankton community in oligotrophic lakes, clone libraries were constructed and analyzed for Huashen Lake and Zixia Lake located in the urban area of Nanjing City, respectively. Results showed that positive clones of Huashen Lake and Zixia Lake were mainly affiliated with Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia and Gemmatimonadetes. About 75% of total bacterial clones obtained from Huashen Lake and Zixia Lake were higher than 97% of homology with uncultured bacteria in GenBank. Meanwhile, six new freshwater bacterial clusters were found simultaneously in Huashen Lake clone library and Zixia Lake clone library. The present study has broadened our knowledge on bacterioplankton diversity and suggested that the diversity of bacterioplankton in freshwater lakes still needs further study.


We report on a twin pregnancy in a 32-year old patient suffering from secondary male factor infertility due to eugonadotrophic azoospermia. In the first IVF/ICSI (in vitro fertilisation/intracytoplasmic sperm injection) trial using testicular sperms extracted from cryopreserved testicular biopsies (cryo TESE), pregnancy was achieved. The stimulation was done using recombinant FSH (Puregon®) under midcyclic suppression with a GnRH-antagonist (ganirelix 0,25 mg) in a multicenter phase II study. The pregnancy was uncomplicated until 26 + 0 weeks of gestation. On this day the patient was admitted because of numerous haematomas and severe thrombocytopenia (76/nl). A HELLP syndrome was suspected and further diagnosis was performed. Megacytotic anaemia due to folic acid deficiency (MCV 117 fl, folic acid in plasma 1.6 ng/ml) was found without further laboratory findings of a HELLP syndrome. Anaemia was interpreted as partial pernicious anaemia. After supplementation with folic acid and parental vitamin B12 the pregnancy was uncomplicated. In the 30 + 4. week of gestation a primary Caesarean section was done because of premature rupture of the membranes, untreatable labour and partial placenta detachment. Both twins were healthy and showed no malformations. This is the first established pregnancy in Germany according to this stimulation protocol. The diagnosis of symptomatic folic acid deficiency or partial pernicious anaemia is rare in Germany and can be easily misdiagnosed as a more common complication like a HELLP syndrome.


The results presented in this paper clearly demonstrate that the dynamic range of this measurement technique can be improved substantially over the earlier experiments. It is just as clear that a more systematic study must be performed to quantify these improvements and to generate usable calibrations. These results are also encouraging in the sense that this technique may now be appropriate for other materials with high thermal diffusivities. Previous attempts to measure residual stresses by laser annealing and electronic speckle pattern interferometry have been successful for moderate to high stress levels. The method uses an infrared laser for relieving stress in a small spot. A dab on temperature indicating paint is applied to the spot and a specklegram of the spot and the surrounding area is captured. The paint is then heated with a laser until it melts. The heat is transferred from the paint into the metal resulting in a small amount of localized stress relief as the yield stress of the material drops below the stress levels surrounding the spot. Once the spot and area around it have cooled a second speckle-gram is captured and the images are processed to determine the in-plane strain. The amount of stressmore » relief depends on the melting temperature of the paint since yield stress is a function of temperature. The measurement of local stress relief by heating is subject to limitations that result from thermal expansion competing with the reduction in yield stress of the spot at the elevated temperature. That is, as the spot is heated it tends to temporarily reduce the stress in the region surrounding the spot as it expands into this surrounding region. This limits the amount of stress relief that can occur. This can be overcome to some extent by using higher temperature paints, which in turn lowers the yield stress in the heated spot. At some point, however, the thermal expansion overtakes the surrounding stress field and can even drive it into compression. Furthermore, for tension levels on the order of eighty percent or less of the yield stress, the sub-micrometer deformations result in less than a single fringe. The strains indicated by such sub-fringes are comparable to noise levels that occur from air turbulence, environmental thermal variations and so forth. Thus, for both fundamental and practical reasons the technique was modified to increase the fringe count at lower stress levels. The authors have successfully performed two separate experiments to raise the fringe count. One method was simply to start observing the fringes (or strains) immediately after annealing. Not only can several fringes be obtained in this way but a clear relationship has been observed with the stress levels. The other approach was to cool an area surrounding the region of interest and then observe the net strain after thermal equilibrium is reestablished. Both methods have shown the ability to handle lower tension levels than were measurable by the earlier procedure.« less


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to extend existing knowledge of 4D printing, in line with Khoo et al. (2015) who defined the production of 4D printing using a single material, and 4D printing of multiple materials. It is proposed that 4D printing can be achieved through the use of functionally graded materials (FGMs) that involve gradational mixing of materials and are produced using an additive manufacturing (AM) technique to achieve a single component.

Design/methodology/approach

The latest state-of-the-art literature was extensively reviewed, covering aspects of materials, processes, computer-aided design (CAD), applications and made recommendations for future work.

Findings

This paper clarifies that functionally graded additive manufacturing (FGAM) is defined as a single AM process that includes the gradational mixing of materials to fabricate freeform geometries with variable properties within one component. The paper also covers aspects of materials, processes, CAD, applications and makes recommendations for future work.

Research limitations/implications

This paper examines the relationship between FGAM and 4D printing and defines FGAM as a single AM process involving gradational mixing of materials to fabricate freeform geometries with variable properties within one component. FGAM requires better computational tools for modelling, simulation and fabrication because current CAD systems are incapable of supporting the FGAM workflow.

Practical implications

It is also identified that other factors, such as strength, type of materials, etc., must be taken into account when selecting an appropriate process for FGAM. More research needs to be conducted on improving the performance of FGAM processes through extensive characterisation of FGMs to generate a comprehensive database and to develop a predictive model for proper process control. It is expected that future work will focus on both material characterisation as well as seamless FGAM control processes.

Originality/value

This paper examines the relationship between FGAM and 4D printing and defines FGAM as a single AM process that includes gradational mixing of materials to fabricate freeform geometries with variable properties within one component.


Organizational learning and organizational knowledge have seen important growth in both the academic and business worlds. However, both approaches face various problems, the most striking of which is their theoretical confusion and diversity. This is due to the great number of authors and publications on the theoretical concepts, which originate in different fields, and are dealt with from different perspectives. Despite their implicit links, the two areas of literature retain a relative distance. This article sets out to improve the situation by linking the two perspectives with the aim of providing an integrative approach. Furthermore, the analysis outlines some common unresolved issues in these debates: the epistemological and ontological principles that underpin our understanding of learning, knowledge, and the relationship between them, as well as the relationship between individual and organizational learning and knowing.


An examination of fatigue fracture surfaces as influenced by microstructure (β processed versus a + β processed) and environment (air versus vacuum at 298 and 811 K) for a high-temperature creep-resistant near-α titanium alloy, Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo-0.1Si, has been undertaken utilizing scanning electron microscopy. Results show that fracture topography is very sensitive to microstructural and environmental causes. Beta processing leads to a more irregular fracture surface than a + β processing. At low growth rates (10 - 6 mm/cycle) in air, shear mode growth predominates, resulting in large transgranular facets, whereas at growth rates of 10 - 5 in./cycle, striated and dimpled fracture features were present. At elevated temperatures, where oxidation effects were quite pronounced, particularly at low growth rates, the fracture surface was smoother than at room temperature, but faceting persisted to higher growth rates. In vacuum, however, the degree of faceting and striation formation was markedly reduced. Finally, the observed fractographic features influenced by microstructure and environment are discussed in terms of the mechanism of crack growth.


Deleuze's political philosophy underwent a marked change towards the end of his life. He embraced Foucault's conception of the nature of power in modern societies as a form of bio-power focused on control rather than extraction. This raises the question : what new forms of resistance are possible and necessary? Deleuze's answer is that Melville's Bartleby provides us with a model. The literary persona of the Idiot, as found in Dostoyevsky and Melville, represents a space of indetermination which amounts to the actualization of virtual potentiality and the condition of the emergence of an event. The political task is then to find ways of creating such spaces in modern democratic societies of control.


several, years ago 1 attemptcd to prepare a faunistic report, with a sizablé couection of grasshoppers available ftom the vicinity of Puerto Lopez in the Uanos of Colombia. There was no problcm distij]guishing thé spccies pricscnt,.but to apply a váLid name to thcm appeared to be a hopelc`ss-task. Recently there háve bccn a few excellent revisionary: \ studies on groups of Ncotropicd gr been critically Studied, and it is my oppers, but the great majority of them havc not; that many of the groups remrin,ín a state of confi]sion. This is largely due to tiic\ lack of published infomation on de identification of the older types\ún Europe and` the indiscriminant dcscription of species


Editor Italy is one of the countries worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 31 000 deaths. On 13 March, the Italian Ministry of Health published a statement for reorganization of elective procedures. Anticipating these indications, only urgent/oncologic cases were done at our hospital, starting 5 March. Reduction in surgical activity allowed retrieval of resources for dedicated COVID-19 wards, and sub-intensive and intensive care units (ICU). Notably, sub-intensive beds increased by 168 per cent (from 29 to 78) and ICU beds by 72 per cent (from 29 to 50); of these 128 beds, 117 (91⋅40 per cent) were dedicated to COVID-19 patients and 11 ICU beds to non-COVID postoperative patients (oncologic, transplants and urgent/emergent patients) along with four ordinary post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) beds. These postoperative ICU and PACU beds would have been dedicated to COVID-19 in case of pandemic escalation. While all patients with benign diseases were deferred, all oncologic patients were treated according to our schedule. We didn't modify our practice, neither in terms of indications nor surgical timing. The sole exception was not to perform minimally invasive procedures. From 5 March to 27 April, 18 patients underwent surgery for upper GI cancer with curative intent. Patients were triaged before admission for COVID-19 risk (symptoms, close contacts with confirmed cases, imaging): no patients had symptoms, five patients (27⋅77 per cent) underwent nasopharyngeal swab for 'epidemiological' reasons. None resulted positive for SARS-CoV2; mortality was null and morbidity rate was 27⋅78 per cent. One patient developed a severe complication: contrast swallow was negative for leaks, but upon oral feeding the patient developed fever and pneumonia for Table 1 Surgery for cancer during COVID-19. Patients and results


The majority of Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithms for data mining have dealt with classification or clustering problems. Regression remains an unexplored research area to the best of our knowledge. This paper proposes a new ACO algorithm that generates regression rules for data mining applications. The new algorithm combines components from an existing deterministic (greedy) separate and conquer algorithm---employing the same quality metrics and continuous attribute processing techniques---allowing a comparison of the two. The new algorithm has been shown to decrease the relative root mean square error when compared to the greedy algorithm. Additionally a different approach to handling continuous attributes was investigated showing further improvements were possible.


Although conceptually distinct, 'time' and 'community' are multiply intertwined within a myriad of key debates in both the social sciences and the humanities. Even so, the role of conceptions of time in social practices of inclusion and exclusion has yet to achieve the prominence of other key analytical categories such as identity and space. This article seeks to contribute to the development of this field by high-lighting the importance of thinking time and community together through the lens of political apologies. Often ostensibly offered in order to re-articulate both the constitution of 'the community' and its future direction, official apologies are prime examples of deliberate attempts to intervene in shared understandings of political community and its temporality. Offering a detailed case study of one of these apolo-gies, I will focus on Australian debates over the removal of indigenous children from their families, known as the Stolen Generations, and examine the temporal dimensions of the different responses offered by former prime ministers John Howard and Kevin Rudd.


3 Estradiol and progesterone were measured in the maternal and fetal compartments in 6 baboons. Maternal plasma estradiol increased significantly with advancing gestation from Days 110—172 with a correlation coefficient r = 0.3978, P<0.001. In contrast, mean maternal plasma proges terone concentrations remained relatively unchanged throughout late pregnancy until after Day 173 of gestation when there was a marked increase. Maternal plasma estradiol/progesterone ratio increased progressively from 0.2 at Day 110 of gestation to 1.2 at Day 172. Estradiol and proges terone concentrations in uterine vein were usually higher than in maternal femoral vein. Amniotic fluid had lower estradiol and progesterone concentrations than did maternal and fetal circulations. Fetal blood had higher progesterone concentrations than did maternal blood suggesting fetal production of progesterone. The findings indicate that baboon pregnancy is similar to human pregnancy in showing an increase in plasma estradiol, but differs in levels of plasma progesterone. The increasing maternal plasma estradiol/progesterone ratio in the pregnant baboon may account for the increasing sensitivity of the uterus to oxytocin near term as observed by previous investi gators.


A selective method was developed for the determination of carbon bisulfide in the form of the product from reaction with piperidine, i.e., pentamethylenedithiocarbamic acid (PDTC). The method is based on the adsorption concentration of PDTC on a stationary mercury electrode followed by reduction of the adsorption product. Carbon bisulfide contents between 0.0075 and 0.66 mg/m/sup 3/ can be determined. The carbon bisulfide detection limit amounts to 1.6 x 10/sup -8/ M and can be reduced to 4 x 10/sup -9/ M.


The present invention relates to a method for executing an application and an electronic device thereof. The application execution method of an electronic device includes the steps of: displaying one sunroof apparatus icon among one or more applications included in a folder in the icon of the folder; sensing a gesture on the folder icon; and executing the application displayed in the folder icon according to the gesture on the icon of the folder.


Formation of self-assembled crystalline cuprous oxide (Cu/sub 2/O) nanoclusters on the SrTiO/sub 3/(001) substrate have been observed using oxygen plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (OPA MBE). The composition and structure were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) in a wide range of growth parameters (temperature, oxygen pressure, and Cu flux). The parameters were optimized to obtain Cu/sub 2/O as a single phase in these structures. Understanding of the evolution of the dot shape, size and composition would allow us to optimize formation conditions to synthesize cuprous oxide nanodots with desirable parameters.


With the rapid development of the internet economy, traditional economic models have a significant change and new economy theoretical study is rising. The paper researches on externality of internet, combing supply and demand curve model, based on the research in review at home and abroad. The author proposed that network negative externality could not be ignored, and to solve the problem of network negative externality by measures of increasing public network construction, combining moral and legal, using economic method based on competition etc.


Biogenic single-crystals have been found to incorporate biomacromolecules and become biomacromolecule/single-crystal composites. The complex composite structures and properties of these biogenic crystalline materials have spurred investigations to reproduce their synthetic analogs, polymer/single-crystal composites. Here, we review recent progress of the synthetic polymer/single-crystal composites, where the polymers are distributed inside the crystals in their aggregate states (micelles, particles, gel networks, and 3D structured forms). The mechanisms of the polymer incorporation are also discussed. Furthermore, the effects of the polymer incorporation on the properties of the crystal host are described. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


High quality US imaging demand large number of measurements that can increase the cost, size and power requirements. Therefore, low-powered, portable and 3D ultrasound imaging system require reconstruction algorithms that can produce high quality images using fewer receive measurements. Number of model specific methods has been proposed which doesn't work under perturbation. For instance, compressive deconvolution ultrasound which provide a reasonable quality with limited measurements however, it has its own down-sides such as high computation cost and accurate estimation of point spread function (PSF). An other major limitation of conventional methods is that they require RF or base-band signal which is difficult to obtain from portable US systems. To deal with the aforementioned issues, in this study we designed a novel deep deconvolution model for image domain-based deconvolution. The proposed deep deconvolution (DeepDeconv) model can be trained in an unsupervised fashion, alleviate the need of paired high and low quality images. The model was evaluated on both the phantom and in-vivo scans for various sampling configurations. The proposed DeepDeconv significantly enhance the details of anatomical structures and using unsupervised learning on average it achieved 2.14dB, 4.96dB and 0.01 units gain in CR, PSNR and SSIM values respectively, which are comparable to the supervised method.


Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) is a highly prevalent chronic respiratory disease with substantial burden to both patients and healthcare systems. Persons with NCFB (pwNCFB) are often given complex acute and chronic treatment regimens consisting of medications, airway clearance techniques and exercise. Accordingly, the high burden in NCFB has contributed to lower therapy adherence, with estimates of 53% to medications, 41% to airway clearance and only 16% to all prescribed therapy. Consequent clinical outcomes from lower adherence include reduced quality of life, accelerated lung function decline and recurrent pulmonary exacerbations. In this narrative review, we explore the impact of multifactorial mechanisms underpinning adherence in NCFB and evaluate the available evidence towards interventions to improve uptake of therapy as demonstrated in other chronic respiratory diseases. A holistic approach, starting with a careful review of patient adherence at regular intervals, may increase the success of multidimensional therapeutic interventions in pwNCFB, but robust ongoing studies are an area of need in this population. Adherence to therapy is a complex interplay of multiple factors with significant impact on clinical outcomes. This is the first comprehensive review evaluating the evidence and challenges surrounding such adherence interventions in bronchiectasis. https://bit.ly/3TcvnqX


In this paper an efficient fault detection technique using transient current power supply (IDDT) and wavelet transform is presented. SRAM memories are more prone to defects due to its high density and testing of memories become essential. Defects in SRAM can be analyzed by transient current power supply analysis. The transient current (IDDT) analysis is used to detect faults like undefined write and read faults, no access fault. Transient current pulse of a 6T SRAM during a transition write operation is monitored and wavelet transform is performed for fault detection. RMSE for wavelet coefficients is calculated and compared for fault analysis. Proposed method is done in an 4 x 4 SRAM array using cadence tool in 90 nm technology and wavelet decomposition is done using MATLAB tool


The work presented in this article is part of a larger study that aims at comparing and putting together information about patients' trajectories and resources allocation model, in order to suggest a more efficient and equitable way of organizing certain type of medical services within a region or even at national level. The objective of the study is to analyze the situation for beast cancer patients' trajectories in 2 similar regions (population size) and see if similar or different conclusions related with the organization of the cancer network can be drawn, similar (or not) with those of the French colleagues analyzing the Rhone Alpes database (1). The methodology used was based on the availability for both countries and regions of (all) patients level data information, including standardized clinical and geographical information about patient and the medical facility where the patient sleeked care. Analysis was performed using the Microsoft Access data base made available for inpatient care in Romania (courtesy of the National School of Public health from Bucharest) and tracked with the help of the UPI (Unique Patient Identifier) the trajectory of the breast cancer patients (C50, World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases version 10) along the hospitals from Transylvania (16 counties) during year 2005 (January 1 st , December 31 st ). In parallel, a literature and legislative and regulatory review made possible analysis of the existing cancer network formal organization within the Romanian health system and compare it with the results of the patients' trajectories analysis. The results of the studies allow for two main conclusions: using similar standardized information systems to record medical activity allows comparisons of not only data, but concepts between population similar regions and trajectories of the breast cancer patients analyzed for Transylvania are a good predictor for the (re) organization of the cancer health care delivery network, especially of the resources allocation component is also taken into consideration. Keywords: Patients' trajectory, hospitals network, breast cancer, classification system, region


The RF transceivers in MILES are used to trigger firing or communicate informations about the conditions of soldier and weapons. These transceivers have characteristics of low data rate and low power consumption for short range communication on the human body. Therefore, ZigBee devices are the best candidates for this kind of application. Although a ZigBee device operates under very low radiation power, the effect of interference between devices apparently exist. Especially, if soldiers with multiple RF transceivers are crowded in one place, each soldier with the RF transceiver acts as an interferer. When the effect of interference is serious, reliability of communication is degraded. In this paper, minimum permissible separation distance is determined for the compatibility between the RF transceivers of two soldiers. For the simulation, the real minimum output power of the transmitter of a soldier is measured.


The high cost of meeting peak demand for electricity could be reduced if demand could be smoothed. Growth in the use of intermittent, renewable sources of energy will reinforce the need to be able reduce demand when necessary. "Smart" meters for electricity and gas could meet this need, and, by 2018, plans exist for all UK households to have them. However, the UK government's cost-benefit analyses of smart meters for electricity make little mention of their most powerful capability: To set prices in real time, so that consumers pay high prices when supply is tight. Without this, the benefits of smart meters may not be enough to repay the huge cost of their installation. Officialdom's silence on time-of-day pricing means that its impact on poor consumers is not addressed. With smart meters for gas, the case for introduction, even with time-of-day pricing, is equally unconvincing.


Place in therapy of olmesartan Olmesartan has been de-reimbursed in France since January 2017 following a negative evaluation of its benefit/risk profile compared with other sartans. However, olmesartan is one of the antihypertensive blockbusters in Italy in terms of usage and expenditure. This article illustrates the pathway leading to a critical appraisal issued by the Lazio Regional Committee for Medicines with the aim of promoting the rational use of olmesartan and its place in therapy. Moreover, this short communication offers potential scenarios to combine the use of evidence-based information about a widely prescribed antihypertensive drug with cost considerations related to the entire class of sartans.


The mutation mechanism of differential evolution algorithm does not apply the population information sufficiently,so the mutation operation is blind.Inspired by particle swarm optimization's information sharing mechanism,we propose a multiple population differential evolution algorithm,which divides whole group into many sub-populations,thus the every sub-population's experiences can instruct mutation operation by referring to inner message and outer message,which on one hand,accelerates the convergency;on the other hand,increases diversity of population.The numerical experiment indicated that the new algorithm has the features of stability and strong global exploration ablity,which can solve onstraint optimization problems efficiently.


Preliminary investigations the disintegration of the mythic analogon in the novels of Wickram the mythic analogon in "Galmy" the breakdown of the mythic analogon in "Galmy" the mythic analogon in "Gabriotto" and "Godfaden" the disintegration of the mythic analogon in "Gabriotto" and "the Golden Thread" the style of Wickram's cautionary novels symptoms of disintigration in the style of the cautionary novel the mythic analogon in non-literary prose of the 16th century.


The uncertainty of wind energy and the inherent features of the wind turbine make the output active power of the wind-power generator fluctuate with the change of the wind speed, which affects the output power quality of the wind turbine and even the stability of the power grid.Based on the analysis pf the operational characteristics about the pitch system, an active power smoothing control strategy had been proposed through making use of PLC to control the pitch angle; the control strategy can keep the output active power of the direct-driven permanent magnet synchronous generator for wind turbine constant and operating stably in a certain range of wind speed.


Abstract We compared the body mass of adult rock ptarmigan Lagopus mutus shot in autumn in the French Pyrenees (Ariège), the French Alps (Hautes-Alpes) and the Italian Alps (Province of Verbania). Mean body mass of adults was greater in the Ariège than in the Hautes-Alpes both for cocks (466 vs 433 g) and hens (429 vs 406 g), with the body mass of Italian birds being intermediate (cocks 448 g, hens 418 g). The relatively large mass of rock ptarmigan in the Pyrenees contrasts with the geographic trends found in capercaillie Tetrao urogallus and grey partridge Perdix perdix in France. For the last two species, birds in the Pyrenees are smaller than those further north. The site differences that we observed in body mass of rock ptarmigan may be related to differences in availability of high quality foods, particularly ericaceous shrubs. However, at the continental scale within Europe, the body mass of rock ptarmigan appears to be greatest in northern latitudes.


The contemporary artistic practice takes on the challenge of expanding beyond what would be called aesthetically pleasing, blurring the lines between art-culture-life-society, in hopes of a more effective communication with the environment. This reality creates significant challenges inside of the academic atmospheres that are associated with the formative processes in the artistic area, shining a light on the urgent necessity to deal with the creative making from a heuristic point of view that favors the development of aesthetic proposals based on the theoretical-critical reflection about the processes of signification and communication that are within the daily sociocultural dynamics. In the case of the subject-workshop Tridimensional Expression II, which is a part of the Visual Arts program at the Universidad de Los Andes, the inclusion of the research within the different moments of the creative process has allowed us to establish a methodology that successfully articulates the conceptualization and projection of the ideas from the critical and communicational approach assumed by contemporary art. Here we see four (4) different research-creative projects developed under the form of a critical dialogue with their surroundings at its different levels, from the intimate/individual to the collective/surroundings, conceived and developed by students from the aforementioned workshop during the 2012-2013 periods.


Plasma-surface reactions are currently used in various scientific and technological fields. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, it is interesting to introduce the subject in teaching. A simple model is derived, allowing the understanding of intricate roles of various fundamental and technological parameters. From the example, it is shown how to treat an interdisciplinary system. Also, this is a good case of a technological subject where parameters are interdependent. Despite this, the careful analysis of the equations governing the physico- chemistry of the system gives rise to the derivation of useful scaling laws. Numerical evaluation also gives evidence of hysteresis effects in plasma-surface reactions.


Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae has been reported in association with respiratory disease only in members of the subfamily Caprinae of the family Bovidae. We identified Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in a cervid: a free-ranging barren ground caribou ( Rangifer tarandus granti) yearling with polymicrobial bronchopneumonia.


We read with interest the article entitled, "Eruptive xanthoniata with urate-like crystals", by Noreen M. G. Walsh, Scott Murray and Yolando DTntinto, J Gutan Pathol 1994: 21: 350. We agree with the authors that the tirate-like crystals found in all three biopsies probably are not due to monosodium urate monohydrate for the following reasons: 1) they are not soluble in buffered formol saline, 2) they are shorter in size, aggregating to form a corymbiform pattern with central paucicellular zones surrounded by needle shaped crystals, and 3) they are not associated with hyperuricemia. Very similar crystals were reported by us (B. Sina, L. Lutz), as "cutaneous oxalate granuioma" (cf. Fig. 1) (1). In our report, the calcium oxalate crystals did not dissolve in formalin, had a corymbiform pattern and polarized. The new Von Kossa method for mineral staining will stain oxalate crystals (2), and was positive in our case. Similar crystalline structures are reported in collagenous spherulosis which occurs in breast tissue (3). A similar histologic pattern has aiso been reported in a case of chondroid synringoma (4). It might be helpful to perform a new Von Kossa stain in order to ftirther elucidate the nattire of the crystals in this article.


The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of a novel new video-based approach to assessing pragmatic language, namely the Clinical Assessment of Pragmatics (CAPs). This study included students with Language Impairment (LI), High-Functioning Autism (ASD) and non-disabled students. Thirty participants, ages 14 to 16 years old, were administered 3 pragmatic judgment and 3 pragmatic performance subtests comprised of 10 items each for a total of 60 test items. Expert opinion was solicited for the purpose of obtaining content validity. Study results revealed that this instrument provides a valid and reliable comprehensive measure of pragmatic language skills. Both test-retest and interrater reliability were found to be strong. Experts rated the CAPs highly for both content and clarity. Concurrent validity was obtained on three of the CAPs subtests and was found to correlate to three existing pragmatic language instruments and measures (the Clinical Assessment of Spoken Language – Pragmatic Judgment subtest, the Test of Pragmatic Language and the Social Language Development Test, adolescent). CAPs is a tool which is both valid and reliable and can be used as a means of determining whether school-aged students present with deficits in pragmatic language skills, specifically, high-functioning autism or specific language impairment.


Ursula K. Le Guin's 2003 science fiction, Changing Planes, is a collection of 16 short stories manifesting her keen grasp of issues relevant to contemporary culture. Her portrayal of various posthuman societies raises questions concerning the emergence of the posthuman, the efficacy of biotechnology, and the impact of globalization. Le Guin attempts to unravel controversial aspects concerning the discourse of the posthuman, pinpointing adverse effects of the recourse to biotechnology to help establish a posthuman utopia. Furthermore, through various stories dealing with money and technology, corporate power, consumer culture, and the intrusion of foreign cultures, Le Guin aims to tackle problems concerning globalization and capitalism. Le Guin's critique of the new Leviathan-global cultural hegemony-indeed sheds significant light on current debates concerning potential direction of the New Millennium.


The aim of this work was to demonstrate that interaction of ferric cations with poly(o-aminophenol) (POAP) films causes their deactivation. Spectroelectrochemical measurements and rotating disk electrode voltammetry (RDEV) were employed on both freshly prepared and deactivated POAP films. It was observed a reduction (deactivation) of the redox activity of POAP after its treatment with ferric cations. A degree of deactivation of POAP was defined on the basis of the reduction of the voltammetric charge after its interaction with a ferric cation solution. With regard to spectroelectrochemical measurements, absorbance as a function of both wavelength and electrode potential, seem to demonstrate that redox sites of a deactivated POAP film are less protonated than redox sites of a freshly prepared film. RDEV measurements indicate the existence of a slower electron transport in a POAP film treated with a ferric cation soluion, as compared with the electron transport in a non-deactivated film.


A general design of the coplanar waveguide excited IIFA, traditionally excited by a Microstrip or coaxial excitation is presented. This coplanar excitation permits the bandwidth improvement (from around 10% to 50%) by the creation of a new resonance on the ground plane. It makes also the antenna more suitable to body area network (BAN) context by facilitating the integration on textile fabric or clothes, and the limitation of body effect at the operation frequency. The antenna principle is analyzed and general designs are presented. As application; a solution of a meandered IIFA integrated on Denim substrate is realized. All results are validated through comparative simulations and measurements.


Bayesian Reinforcement Learning has generated substantial interest recently, as it provides an elegant solution to the exploration-exploitation trade-off in reinforcement learning. However most investigations of Bayesian reinforcement learning to date focus on the standard Markov Decision Processes (MDPs). Our goal is to extend these ideas to the more general Partially Observable MDP (POMDP) framework, where the state is a hidden variable. This difficult decision-making problem can be formulated cleanly by simply extending the state to include the model parameters themselves. However closed-form solutions are not possible. This paper explores a family of approximations for solving this problem. These approaches are able to trade-off between (1) improving knowledge of the POMDP domain through interaction with the environment, (2) resolving uncertainty about the current state, and (3) choosing actions with high expected reward.


tialis were found in the literature. Among these, two cases were idiopathic leuconychia totalis and partialis which showed progression from leuconychia partialis to combined leuconychia totalis and partialis. Our case is identical to those reported by Stewart et al. and Claudel et al. Butterworth reported a patient with leuconychia totalis and partialis at different times and asserted that leuconychia partialis represented a phase of leuconychia totalis and, as such, is not a separate entity. The course of leuconychia totalis and partialis is uncertain. Bettoli and Tosti reported a patient with leuconychia totalis and partialis at birth, who experienced a gradual improvement of the nail discoloration during the course of life. The followup of our patient will help predict the course of leuconychia totalis and partialis.


Conventional transportation planning is an exercise in data manipulation. The process requires large amounts of good quantitative data and analytic capabilities. Meanwhile urban transport has economic, environmental and social dimensions that cannot be easily quantified. This paper discusses a multi-criteria decision-making framework that is being developed to make transportation planning more sustainable by incorporating economic and non-quantifiable environmental and social dimensions into the decision-making process. Data for the study was collected from Accra, Ghana, and the framework integrates inputs from both system users and providers, to reflect how candidate projects meet a set of local sustainability measures. The result from the integration is a set of numbers termed Localized Sustainability Score (LSS). These scores are modeled using the Analytic Hierarchy Process to produce a relative ranking of the projects, and this can serve as a decision support for project screening and prioritization. The case study results showed that the framework adequately represented local needs and priorities. The LSS determined for some selected projects maintained the original relative rankings that were already derived using conventional methods, but with less resources.


Eleven bronze objects in the Reza Abbasi Museum have been analyzed by the ParticleInduced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) technique. The policy of the Reza Abbasi Museum is to house objects rescued from looting or from the antiquities trades, therefore authenticity and period of the objects have been determined by the museum experts. The experts believe that the objects under study, including bronze armors and harnesses, belong to the Urartian period in the first millennium BC and are attributed to the Lurestan province in Central Zagros. The purpose of this work is to characterize and to understand the provenance of them. During the study, besides the major components, including Cu and Sn, trace element that was Fe along with Ti, Zn and Mn were also detected. High amounts of copper and tin and also existence of Fe indicate that Cu and Sn have been extracted separately from their ore minerals (chalcopyrite and cassiterite) and then through bronze making processes they were forged together. Consequently, it can be concluded that extractions were not from one natural ore mineral. This was an important feature of metalworking in that space-time grid. PIXE ANALYSIS ON URARTIAN BRONZE ARMORS AND HARNESSES IN THE REZA ABBASI MUSEUM, IRAN Poorya Kashani1, Farhang Khademi Nadooshan2, Reza Shabani Samghabadi3, Parviz Abroomand Azar4 and Parvin Oliaiy5 1. Department of History & Archaeology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran, 2. Department of Archaeology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran, 3. Department of History & Archaeology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran, 4. Department of Chemistry, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran, 5. Van de Graaff laboratory of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Corresponding author: firstname.lastname@example.com Received: 25/01/2012 Accepted: 9/02/2012


In view of the system with continuous single-phase grounding fault condition, the transformer neutral point gap is breakdown for many times, eventually lead to the accident of the transformer neutral point gap overcurrent protection action. The causes of the neutral gap zero sequence voltage and gap current are analyzed in detail by the fault oscillograph. The theoretical analysis and simulation calculation of zero sequence current in the non-full phase running state are carried on under different operation mode for double circuit lines. It is demonstrated that the continuous zero sequence voltage and zero sequence current in the condition of non-full phase is the main reason for the zero sequence current protection action of transformer gap. The feasible preventive measures to avoid similar accidents are put forward.


Architecture of the TRPM subfamily Transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM) ion channels constitute the largest TRP subfamily and are involved in many physiological processes. TRPM8 is the primary cold and menthol sensor, and TRPM4 is associated with cardiovascular disorders. Yin et al. and Autzen et al. shed light on the general architecture of the TRPM subfamily by solving the structures of TRPM8 and TRPM4, respectively (see the Perspective by Bae et al.). The three-layered architecture of the TRPM8 channel provides the framework for understanding the mechanisms of cold and menthol sensing. The two distinct closed states of TRPM4, with and without calcium, reveal a calcium-binding site and calcium-binding-induced conformational changes. Science, this issue p. 237, p. 228; see also p. 160 The structure of an ion channel provides a framework for understanding the mechanisms of cold and menthol sensing. Transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM) cation channels are polymodal sensors that are involved in a variety of physiological processes. Within the TRPM family, member 8 (TRPM8) is the primary cold and menthol sensor in humans. We determined the cryo–electron microscopy structure of the full-length TRPM8 from the collared flycatcher at an overall resolution of ~4.1 ångstroms. Our TRPM8 structure reveals a three-layered architecture. The amino-terminal domain with a fold distinct among known TRP structures, together with the carboxyl-terminal region, forms a large two-layered cytosolic ring that extensively interacts with the transmembrane channel layer. The structure suggests that the menthol-binding site is located within the voltage-sensor–like domain and thus provides a structural glimpse of the design principle of the molecular transducer for cold and menthol sensation.


Highly thermo-stable photosensitive polyimides were prepared from the new diamine monomer containing a furan moiety. UV irradiation and development of the photosensitive polyimide in the presence of a fullerene as a sensitizer afforded good quality patterns. Post-exposure baking was found to improve its photosensitivity. A thick polyimide film (10μm) pattern could also be obtained. The thermal stability of these polyimides, characterized by TGA, was excellent even without any high temperature annealing.


We review the characteristics of signalling storms that have been caused by certain common apps and recently observed in cellular networks, leading to system outages. We then develop a mathematical model of a mobile user's signalling behaviour which focuses on the potential of causing such storms, and represent it by a large Markov chain. The analysis of this model allows us to determine the key parameters of mobile user device behaviour that can lead to signalling storms. We then identify the parameter values that will lead to worst case load for the network itself in the presence of such storms. This leads to explicit results regarding the manner in which individual mobile behaviour can cause overload conditions on the network and its signalling servers, and provides insight into how this may be avoided.


Prisoners: a wrist slitting happy funtime movie made all the worse when you realise donnie darko is older than the abductees.


This task was using histology method to study the hypophysis of murrah hybrid buffalo of Guangxi,and compare with the Guangxi Bubalus bubalis' hypophysis.The two kinds buffalo's hypophyses were made into sections,stained by means of hematoxylin eosin(HE) method and calculated under the Image Analyzer.The result showed that the hypophysis of murrah hybrid water buffalo was long oval,the cell size and cell density of the neurohypophysis compared with the Guangxi Bubalus bubalis' weren't difference remarkably,the number of the chromophobe cell of the pars intermedia was more than the Guangxi Bubalus bubalis',and all kinds of cells of the pars distalis,especially the acidophilic cell,were more different than the Guangxi Bubalus bubalis'.This result can provide morphology reference for nourish milk bubalus of Guangxi.


Bouea macrophylla in the family Anacardiaceae is a prominent fruit in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam with several prospects. This study focused on the bioactive components and biological effects of B. macrophylla ethanol leaf extract. Phytochemical analysis revealed various compounds including polyphenol, tannin, saponin, reducing agent, flavonoid, and essential oil in the extract. The DPPH assay showed the remarkable antioxidant capacity of the extract (IC50 = 6.4 ± 0.08 μg/ml), which is stronger than ascorbic acid (IC50 = 9.35 ± 0.12 μg/ml). The disc diffusion method and minimal inhibitory concentration test displayed the significant antibacterial ability of the extract against Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, and Bacillus cereus at the range from 10 - 15 mg/ml, but no activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, the MTT assay was performed the noticeable anticancer activity of the extract in HepG2 (IC50 = 72.33 ± 0.68 μg/ml), and MCF-7 cells (IC50 = 50.25 ± 1.36 μg/ml). Taken together, this study indicated the effects of B. macrophylla ethanol leaf extract from Vinh Long Province, Vietnam on antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. Therefore, B. macrophylla possibly is used in the food industry and medicine.


There are two types of electric controlled fuel injection system in the gasoline engines of common vehicles. One is fuel return system and the other is fuel returnless system according to the methods of controlling injection pressures. It is important to understand the characteristics of these system in loaming and studying of engine, but it is very difficult without a special equipment in reality. The purpose of this paper is to develop the emulation system that can be compensated with the amount of injection fuel according to various driving conditions, battery voltage, cooling water temperature, and engine speed, may be appeared in real driving, and especially can analyze the difference between the electric signal controlling the amount of injection fuel and its result, and nullity injection duration. With the developed system, we can conveniently set various and completed driving condition and so can acquire the useful information such as non-uniformity rate and mass of injection fuel using waveform analysis and measurement modules. It must be a very useful and sophisticated system to instruct and learn the features and operating states of injection system, and to study f3r improving the performance of it.


the land use is a syst em atic engineering with many aims and arrangements,which comes down to two entitie s of both humanity and land.At the same time,it is restricted by both the natura l factors and spatial factors brought by social,economic,technical conditions an d lands.By analyzing the actuality and the questions of land use of the Three Go rges Reservoirs Area and the possible conditions of land demand that presented b y social and economic development,I put forward the approach of sustainable use of land,which intends to improve the integrative benefits of land use and to rea lize the sustainability of land use and the development of national economy.


Several treatment modalities for auricular pseudocysts, such as incision and drainage with or without compression (e.g., suture, prosthesis), intralesional or systemic steroid administration, intralesional sclerosing agent injection (e.g., minocycline, fibrin glue, iodide, trichloracetic acid), and surgical intervention, are described in the literature. These methods can achieve reasonable results with few recurrences, but complications still occur, and some of them are too invasive or difficult to be performed at office-based clinics.


Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) infections have increased in recent years. Colombia has become an endemic country for this group of microorganisms, and the infections they cause have a serious impact in terms of morbidity and mortality. The early identification of CPE carriers who are admit - ted to health care centers as patients is necessary to implement adequate isolation and infection control measures to limit the spread of this type of microorganisms in hospitals. Furthermore, treating these in - fections is a challenging task due to the limited therapeutic alternatives available and the fact that there are only a few studies proving their effectiveness in this setting. Therefore, the objective of the present work is to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for the screen ing of patients at risk of CPE colonization and the treatment of inpatients with suspected or confirmed infections caused by this type of bacteria through a CPG adaptation process based on the ADAPTE meth odology. With this purpose in mind, evidence-informed recommendations for the screening and timely identification of CPE carriers admitted to hospitals are made, as well as for the adequate pharmacologi cal treatment of CPE infections in this context.


This article highlights how the Roma population in Ukraine has mobilized against Russian aggression. In particular, it analyzes Romani musical performances of popular Ukrainian-language songs that appeared during the war. Such musical performances, popularized on social media networks, have put Ukrainian Roma at the center of the narrative of Ukrainian resistance. Based on more than twenty years of ethnographic research among Romani communities in Ukraine, this article also emphasizes Romani contributions to Ukrainian defense efforts, including army service and refugee volunteer efforts. It offers current information about new Romani socio-political realities, which following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, reflect a positive shift towards increased acceptance of Roma by the non-Roma majority.


In the process of improving coalbed permeability through pulse hydraulic fracturing, the cyclic loading effect influences the characteristics of micropores in coal matrix, thus affecting the process of gas migration. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the effect of cyclic loading on the pore structure of coal. Seven groups of loading tests at different frequencies and amplitudes were conducted on anthracite coal obtained from Shanxi Province, China, using a fatigue-testing machine. Subsequently, using a PoreMaster GT-60 Mercury-intrusion apparatus, the influence of the frequency and amplitude on the structural characteristics (including mercury-injection and mercury-ejection curves, pore size distribution, porosity, and specific surface area) of pores in coal samples was analyzed. Finally, the law and mechanism of action of the loading frequency and amplitude on pores in coal samples were comprehensively analyzed. The test results showed that, in the case of maintaining the sine-wave amplitude unchanged during loading while altering the loading frequency, the overall porosity and pore volume rise at different degrees. The growth of the loading frequency presents a more significant promotive effect on the initiation and development of pores and fractures. Moreover, it drives the transformation of micropores and transition pores into mesopores and macropores, thus increasing the proportion of seepage pores. Under the condition of large sine-wave amplitude during loading, macropores and mesopores are subjected to the repeated action of the external force, thereby reducing the overall porosity. In addition, the volume of the seepage pores declines, and the number of the coalesced pores decreases. Finally, in light of these results, the implications of frequency and amplitude selection in the process of pulse hydraulic fracturing are discussed. Therefore, the results of this research will provide an important theoretical basis for the field application of pulse hydraulic fracturing technology in coal mines.


Today, energy is an irreplaceable resource without which it is impossible to imagine the life of modern society. Oil, as the most important energy resource, has a significant impact on both individual economies and the world economy. The main objective of this chapter is to identify the relationship between oil supply and oil demand of developed and developing countries on the example of OECD and Former Soviet Union countries. The changes that took place in supply and demand in the oil market from 2000 to 2020 are investigated. The chapter uses graphic and mathematical analysis. It is clear with a fair amount of confidence that the oil demand in developed countries is higher than their supply, and the supply of oil in developing countries is rather more than demand. Also, the chapter draws attention to investments in the oil industry, including on the example of Russia as a former USSR country, analyzes their current state, and draws appropriate conclusions.


risk of LNI (<15%) (Fig. 1). CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that the NPV of preoperative PSMA PET/CT is strongly correlated with LNI prevalence. Notably, in patients with low LNI risk at nomograms and negative PSMA PET, the omission of LND could be considered in the light of the very low rate of FN. This evidence reinforces the need to prospectively explore the diagnostic role of PSMA PET compared to LND in patients with intermediate risk disease.


The invention discloses a car running mode emission testing accelerator control device. The car running mode emission testing accelerator control device comprises an accelerator adjusting lead screw and an accelerator adjusting nut which are in screw-thread fit. The car running mode emission testing accelerator control device is characterized by further comprising a horizontally-arranged base plate and a base plate fixing device for fixing the base plate, the accelerator adjusting nut is arranged above one end of the base plate in an inclined fixing and supporting mode, a long-strip-shaped accelerator pressing plate is arranged below the accelerator adjusting nut, the lower end of the accelerator pressing plate is arranged on the upper surface of the base plate in a rotatable mode, the upper end of the accelerator pressing plate wholly extends out of the base plate in a forwards-inclined mode so as to form a force application end used for being in contact with an accelerator pedal, and the lower end of the accelerator adjusting lead screw is arranged in the mode of facing the upper surface of the accelerator pressing plate so that the accelerator pressing plate can be tightly pressed through the accelerator adjusting lead screw. By means of the car running mode emission testing accelerator control device, manpower can be replaced so as to achieve the accelerator pedaling motion, the accelerator control stability is guaranteed, the testing accuracy is improved, and the integrity of a tested vehicle can be guaranteed. The car running mode emission testing accelerator control device has the advantages of being simple in structure, convenient, rapid, stable and reliable to operate and the like.


— A gradient estimate for solutions to the minimal surface equation can be proved by Partial Differential Equations methods, as in [2]. In such a case, the oscillation of the solution controls its gradient. In the article presented here, the estimate is derived from the Harnack type inequality established in [1]. In our case, the gradient is controlled by the area of the graph of the solution or by the integral of it. These new results are similar to the one announced by Ennio De Giorgi in [3].


Introduction: The stressful present day life leads to increased likelihood of lethal cardiovascular diseases and signs of either increased sympathetic or reduced vagal activity. Autonomic control of the heart plays an important role in cardiac mortality. Yoga exercises strengthen and increase tone of weak muscles and help with conscious control over autonomic functions of the body. Aims & objectives: To study and compare the effect of regular yoga (pranayamas & meditation).on the activity of autonomic nervous system. Material and Methods – Fifty cases(volunteers) and 50 controls were studied with respect to their autonomic functions. The findings were tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Amongst the sympathetic nervous system parameters, statistically significant difference existed between cases and controls for the RHR, RDBP, ODBP, CSBP and CDBP (decrease); whereas out of the parasympathetic nervous system parameters tested, statistically significant difference existed between the two groups for RHR and 30:15 ratio. Discussion: – Yoga asanas reduce sympathetic tone and increase parasympathetic tone. Decreased sympathetic tone caused by yogasanas leads to decreased peripheral resistance in blood vessels and leads to fall in blood pressure


This paper studies the use of a mathematical programming approach for industrial scale production scheduling. When using mathematical programming for shop floor or batch scheduling, already moderate size scheduling problems lead to Mixed Integer Linear Programs (MILP) that are hard to solve due to combinatorial complexity. In order to cope with this complexity, an iterative optimization method was developed. This iterative method and corresponding mathematical formulation is further extended to handle alternative machines and different objectives. The results are generated and visualized using tailored software for production scheduling.


Chinese Maritime Code establishes the protective limits of rights of the owner of ship and the rules for protecting the third party's interest as well.However,there are still many problems from the aspect of protecting the third party's interest.This paper detailed the different influences of alteration of ownership of ship on different the third parties.The starting time of transferring of ownership of ship is interrelated to the third party's interest.This paper put forward suggestions on amendments of Maritime Code of P.R.C and the protective system for the third party shall be set up.


Instantaneous nonlinearities of the visual system have been assessed with a flashed increment threshold technique. Brief adapting lights (flashes) elevate the threshold for simultaneously presented test lights (probes). The shape of the probe threshold vs flash intensity function changes with adaptation state, and these changes can be related to the mechanisms of adaptation.1 Here we assess adaptation processes of specific color mechanisms. We have previously (ARVO '88) reported on nonlinearities in opponent and nonopponent color mechanisms at a constant state of adaptation. On a steady white adapting field, 50-ms probes and 500-ms flashes were varied along either an isochromatic radiance axis (light-dark), an isoluminant constant S cone axis (red-green), or an isoluminant constant L and Mcone axis (yellow-blue).


This paper has comparatively specifically analyzed the pictographic character classification, as well as logical thinking wish corresponding relations. The pictographic character already accurately has manifested the initial writing structure, also manifested the logical thinking influence and the restriction, in the pictographic character development center. We may understand the pictographic character and the logical thinking relations like this: The alone body pictographic character expresses the concept, the synthesis pictographic character expresses the judgement, The two kinds of pictographic characters regular script present two kind of forms for humanity logical thinking.


A fast parallel algorithm for rational interpolation based on orthogonal polynomials, which is suitable for both shared-memory and message-passing multiprocessor systems is proposed. In the shared-memory case with N + 1 identical processors, the algorithm requires 0(N log N) parallel arithmetic steps to construct all rational interpolants at once, where N +1 is the number of data points. Extensions to message-passing multiprocessor systems such as the hypercube are also discussed. The hypercube version of the algorithm requires 0(N log N) inter-processor communication overhead. Thus in effect, the algorithm constructs each rational interpolant using O(log N) parallel arithmetic and O(log N) communication steps.


Pikeperch culture is a new direction in European aquaculture. There is scant knowledge of pikeperch physiology, especially regarding hematological and biochemical parameters in the blood. This study examines selected hematological parameters in the blood and the biochemical parameters in the plasma of pikeperch from intensive culture. To determine the hematological parameters, blood was drawn from 20 healthy fish, weighing 40-50 g. The red blood cell count (RBC), hematocrit (Ht), hemoglobin (Hb), various leukocyte counts, the total leukocyte level and MCV, MHC and MCHC counts were examined. The AST, ALT, ALP, plasma bilirubin, cholesterol, glucose, urea and total protein level were determined in the blood plasma. The analyses of the results suggest that pikeperch have similar hematological and biochemical parameters to rainbow trout. The results of this preliminary study indicate that fish from this new intensive culture were in good condition without any symptoms of diseases.