The Android ecosystem suffers from many vulnerabilities, which, due to its popularity, affect millions of users. Research has identified many of these problems and, among other approaches, suggested to better educate developers and nudge them to make safe decisions. Developers often employ third party libraries, or even application generators or HTML-to-Android-app frameworks to lighten their coding workload. We identified the prevalence of broken TLS as well as dangerous system permission requests. We also analyzed the security level of access control employed when using activities, services, receivers and providers. Our analysis highlights differences in the (in)security of custom code vs. generated code, and we suggest to specifically target the security education of code providers to make Android more secure.


This article attempts to provide a picture of the socio-economic status of the students aspiring to become library professionals. It also tries to assess their professional orientation and their family"s support. It is a case study confined to the students of Library and Information Science of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and University of Delhi, Delhi.


Etiolated seedlings of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Jubilar) were treated with individual isomers of triadimenol in order to determine the biochemical basis for plant growth retardation. The Is, 2R isomer showed the highest activity as a plant growth retardant, followed by the 1R, 2s form. The inhibition of growth was not relieved by exogenous gibberellic acid suggesting a mode of action different from inhibition of gibberelln synthesis. Labelling of sterols with radioactive acetate and methionine demonstrated a strong inhibition of sterol synthesis, most likely at the step of C-14 demethylation of obtusifoliol. The extent of growth inhibition was accompanied with the potency of individual isomers to inhibit sterol synthesis. The inhibition of gibberellin synthesis appears of less importance for growth retardation.


One side of a support, a release liner and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, a sequentially laminated medical tape preparation, it is possible to contain a large amount of lipophilic oily substance PSA layer, a crosslinking agent without using, cohesive, cohesion, provides an excellent medical tape preparation stability. As the adhesive layer of the medical tape preparation of the present invention, methacrylic acid 2-acetoacetoxyethyl esters and adhesive polymer A comprising a copolymer with other vinyl monomer components, and the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group 4 and 10 amino (meth) acrylic acid alkyl ester and other vinyl monomer components, a mixture of two adhesive polymers of the adhesive polymer B containing different copolymer as the adhesive polymer a used. .BACKGROUND


Presented here is a study on the nonlinear effects contributing to extreme events in wave fields characterised by the presence of two distinct spectral peaks, otherwise known as crossing sea states. Simulations based within the framework of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation have shown that the coupling of two wave groups impinging at various angles strongly influences the growth rate of the Benjamin Feir instability, with various angles enhancing the instability and the characteristics of the rogue event itself. This investigation is based on the more general framework of the Euler equations, employing a Higher Order Spectral Method (HOSM) to numerically solve these equations and obtain the time evolution of the crossing sea state.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


Theoretical calculations on organic amines widely used as hole-transporting materials (HTMs) in multilayer organic light-emitting diodes have been performed. The calculated Ip and the reorganization energy for hole transport (λ+) of triphenylamine (TPA), 9-phenyl-9H-carbazole (PC), and their derivatives, are found to be related to their Hammett parameter (σ). In this study, the density functional theory (DFT) calculation is used to optimize 82 TPA and PC derivatives. Electronic structures of these compounds in the neutral and the radical-cation states are obtained based on calculations on optimized geometrical structures. The Ip and λ+ values are derived from calculated heats of formation (or total energy) of the neutral and the radical-cation states. In particular, the calculated Ips for these derivatives correlate well with the experimental data. The substitution effect for the mono-substituted TPA and PC is displayed in that the Ips of the TPA and PC derivatives with electron-donating and -withdrawing substituents are lower and higher than those of TPA and PC, respectively. For the effect of substitution position, the para-substituted TPA derivatives have higher Ip and –EHOMO than those of meta-substituted TPAs. The substitution effects in di- and tri-substituted TPAs are more pronounced than that of mono-substituted ones. According to the results, the calculated Ips shows an excellent agreement with the experimental oxidation potentials (EP/2) in these TPA derivatives. Furthermore, these calculation results can be employed to predict electro-luminescent properties for new and improved HTMs.


Liver failure caused by reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an uncommon complication of bone marrow transplantation [1-3]. Fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis is a recently described liver lesion that develops after liver transplantation for chronic HBV infection. Hepatitis B virus precore mutant infection has been associated with liver failure after cytotoxic chemotherapy [4] and with fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis after liver transplantation [5, 6], but the relation is unclear. We describe a patient who developed fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis and HBV precore mutant infection after bone marrow transplantation. Case Report A 49-year-old Chinese man had allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia. The patient had no history or clinical or biochemical evidence of liver disease. Before transplantation, the patient was positive for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), negative for the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), positive for the antibody to HBe (anti-HBe), positive for the antibody to hepatitis B core IgG (anti-HBc), and negative for the antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs). Serology was unchanged throughout the course of therapy after transplantation. The human leukocyte antigen-identical donor was his healthy 43-year-old brother, whose only HBV marker was IgG anti-HBc. Hepatitis B virus could not be sequenced before transplantation because both donor and recipient were HBV-DNA-negative by polymerase chain reaction [7]. The patient received standard prophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease with methotrexate and cyclosporine. Hematologic remission was verified by bone marrow examinations on days 100 and 190. The hepatologic course is shown in Figure 1. Early complications included transient veno-occlusive disease and grade 2 graft-versus-host disease associated with modest elevation of liver test findings. Serum on day 55 was positive for HBV DNA by polymerase chain reaction. Figure 1. Hepatologic course after bone marrow transplantation, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA. Successful treatment with ganciclovir for cytomegalovirus gastritis and pericarditis was initiated after day 94. On day 143, prednisone was given for recurrent jaundice and neutropenia. Liver function progressively deteriorated, and serum HBV DNA increased. Examination of liver histologic findings on day 171 showed early fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis with severe swelling of hepatocytes, apoptotic bodies, intense hepatocyte immunohistochemical staining for hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) and HBsAg but little inflammation (Figure 2). On day 173, therapy with cyclosporine was stopped, and therapy with ganciclovir, 5 mg/kg daily, and foscarnet, 5.4 g daily, was initiated [5]. Liver failure progressed, and the patient died on day 198. Autopsy was refused. Hepatitis B virus DNA from serum was amplified by polymerase chain reaction for direct sequencing (Applied Biosystems, Scoresby, Victoria, Australia) of the precore region. The precore mutant HBV (guanosine to adenosine substitution at nucleotide 1896) was present throughout the course of therapy after transplantation. Figure 2. Immunohistochemical stains for hepatitis B surface antigens (top) and core antigens (bottom) on day 171. Discussion Severe reactivation of hepatitis B in HBsAg-positive persons after bone marrow transplantation is infrequent and unpredictable [1-3, 8, 9]. Of 1980 patients who had bone marrow transplantation surveyed in the published series, 38 were HBsAg-positive before transplantation. Hepatitis B e antigen was present in the three reported cases of fatal reactivation (two HBsAg-positive patients, one anti-HBs-positive and anti-HBc-positive patient) [1-3]. In our patient, reactivation was not detected by standard serologic testing; HBeAg did not reappear, and anti-HBc IgM was not present. This is the phenotype of precore mutant HBV. The mutation in the precore region creates a translational stop codon, which results in failure to secrete HBeAg. This serologic finding is described in a report of three cases of fulminant hepatic failure from precore mutant HBV after cytotoxic chemotherapy [4]. It is clear from the literature and from our case that HBV DNA must be measured to detect reactivation of precore mutant HBV. Earlier detection is reported to facilitate successful antiviral treatment after liver transplantation [5]. Donor serology is important for the outcome. In the published series, 8 of 38 HBsAg-positive patients lost HBsAg, and 3 patients seroconverted to anti-HBs [1-3, 8, 9]. In the latter cases, the donors were anti-HBs-positive. Adoptive transfer of immunity to HBV is well documented [10]. Vaccination of our patient's donor (who was anti-HBc-positive) before bone marrow harvest may have evoked anti-HBs and resulted in the elimination of HBV by the graft. To our knowledge, this is the first report of fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis after bone marrow transplantation. In immunocompetent hosts, hepatitis B-induced liver disease is caused by an immune system attack on infected hepatocytes. Fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis, a distinct and usually fatal form of hepatitis B-associated liver injury, is described in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy after liver transplantation. Hepatocytes accumulate large amounts of HBsAg and HBcAg, which appear to be cytopathic [6]. Because the precore mutant is unable to secrete HBeAg from the liver cell, we propose that it plays a role in the accumulation of HBV antigens in fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis. Our patient showed the unique combination of fatal reactivation of precore mutant HBV after bone marrow transplantation and fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis. This case highlights the need to detect HBV precore mutant reactivation after bone marrow transplantation and the need for earlier antiviral treatment.


A new approach to recognizing promoter regions of eukaryotic genes is proposed and illustrated by an example of Drosophila melanogaster. The essence of its novelty is in realizing the genetic algorithm to search for optimal partition of a promoter region into local nonoverlapping fragments and selection of the most significant dinucleotide frequencies for the fragments obtained. The method developed was applied to recognizing TATA-containing (TATA+) and DPE-containing (DPE+) promoters of Drosophila melanogaster genes. The program for promoter recognition is included into the GeneExpress system, section RegScan (http://wwwmgs.bionet.nsc.ru/mgs/programs/proga/).


Autonomous Ground vehicle needs to tackle a lot of problems encountered in their pathways which needs proper detection and identification for navigation purpose. Detection and identification of obstacles during navigation helps in defining the trajectories for vehicle to maintain it into a safe drivable zone. Hence, it is necessary to fuse the data from different sensors for proper navigation. In this paper, vision and radar sensors data are used for classification of objects in the field of view of vehicle and the relative distance of detection is made by the Radar sensor. 77GHz mmw radar data has been coupled with a camera data for detection and identification purpose. YOLOv3 architecture has been used for obstacle detection through vision subsystem. It is observed that the proposed system helps in detection and identification of objects in real time during navigation of vehicle. This system may be reliable and accurate even in environments with low visibility like foggy or dusty weather due to features extracted by radar sensor without any distortions in spite of less visibility observed by vision sensor.


A comparative analysis of nine somaclonal Dutch selection "Alladin" potato variants test results was carried out using a modified Murashige-Skoog medium with different concentrations of hormones, vitamins and growth stimulants. As a result of the work carried out, 100% callus formation providing from leaf explants and more than 90% shoot formation without the use of additional steps associated with their rooting optimal protocols for in vitro cultivation of potatoes were defined. According to morphological characteristics 9 initial lines were selected among the Dutch selec-tion of "Alladin" potato variety regenerated plants using these protocols. The tubers of the second reproduction obtained from these lines were used for the analysis of bi-ochemical parameters (starch, soluble sugars, proteins). As a result, lines with the maximum starch content were identified, 2 lines out of 9 exceeded the control sample by 3.3% and 10.7%. The protein content in the tubers of 7 somaclonal variants from 1% to 10.6% exceeded this indicator in the control. In comparison to the control, the sugar content was significantly lower (from 37.9 to 54%) in 3 studied samples. The results obtained are of great practical interest for further breeding studies to consoli-date them and create new dietary and table varieties of potatoes. Based on the ob-tained somaclonal variants, new promising potato varieties adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of Northern Kazakhstan can be obtained.


Fog computing is an emerging paradigm in provisioning computing and storage resources for the Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. In a fog computing system, all devices can offload their data or computationally intensive tasks to nearby fog nodes, instead of to the distant cloud. As compared with cloud computing, fog computing can significantly reduce the transmission delay between IoT devices and computing servers. However, the current fog system is rather susceptible to malicious attacks. To increase the security level, we propose to partition the fog system into fog node clusters (FNCs), with fog nodes (FNs) in one cluster sharing the same access control list (ACL) which is protected by a blockchain. Generating blockchains requires tremendous computing power and can rapidly drain the computing capacities of FNs. In this article, we first customize the blockchain for FNC to reduce the required computing power consumption and storage spaces. Second, a new scheme is designed for the blockchain-based FNC (BFNC) to recover ACL automatically. In addition, we propose a heuristic algorithm to reduce the time to acquire hash values of blocks by computing cooperatively with all available devices. The simulation results have demonstrated that using the cooperative computing strategy can reduce the time of computing a block hash than noncooperative strategies.


Construction companies in Hong Kong suffer huge losses due to labor fatalities and injuries. More than 25% of all of the injuries and fatalities in all industries in Hong Kong are caused by the construction industry. Different from the U.S., whose top injury cause is fall to lower level for fatal injuries (34%) and nonfatal injuries (23%); the most frequent type of injuries in Hong Kong is lifting and carrying (19.2%). Recently, automated 3D sensing systems (Kinect) have been employed to identify motion related hazards to improve construction safety condition. However, limitations (such as extreme light conditions, occlusions and misrepresentations) of 3D sensing systems hinder its application in engineering practices. To resolve those limitations, this research proposed a coupled system, which integrates and synchronizes the Kinect with Inertial Measurement Unit (IMUs). With the help of the coupled system, IMUs could uninterruptedly collect motion data (accelerations and angular rates) even under extreme light conditions or under occlusions; while Kinect could provide a reference system for IMUs to construct postures. The whole sensor network will be able to capture complete and reliable data, even if Kinect fail to work properly. Moreover, the proposed coupled system will also promote other human related research, such as productivities and labor tracking.


Marine forecasting techniques based on data-driven method generally treat each variable as independent and analyze the time series of a single and specific variable, while the real marine environment is the result of the interaction of multiple variables. In this letter, a data-driven method combining the empirical orthogonal function of multivariate (MEOF), complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition (CEEMD), and multilayer perceptron (MEOF-CEEMD-MLP in brief) is proposed to perform mid-term prediction of daily sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) and sea surface temperature (SST) simultaneously, considering that there is a correlation between them in the real marine environment. In this model, application of MEOF not only considers the correlation between SSHA and SST but also establishes the temporal and spatial relationship between discrete points, making predictions more accurate. A case study in the South China Sea (SCS) that predicts the daily SSHA and SST 30 days ahead shows that MEOF-CEEMD-MLP model is highly promising for mid-term daily prediction of SSHA and SST simultaneously. Also, the correlation between these two kinds of ocean variables can be simulated very well by this prediction model.


The article is devoted to researching on prosody and intonation in the history of linguistic studies. Theconcepts of "prosody" and "tone" are distinguished. The notions about the essence of intonation, sentence melodics and tone movement are investigated as well as the methods of recording intonation from the moment of the emergence of this scientific issue up to the appearance of phonological theory.


© 2008 Japan Pediatric Society Pheochromocytoma, a catecholamine-secreting tumor arising from the chromaffi n cells of the sympathetic nervous system, is uncommon in children and accounts for <1% of pediatric hypertension. 1,2 Besides severe hypertension, patients suffer from headaches, diaphoresis, palpitations, and exhaustion due to catecholamine excess. As a result of hypermetabolism, poor weight gain may also be prominent despite good appetite. However, no association between growth failure and pheochromocytoma has been reported in the literature. Here we report an unusual case of childhood-onset pheochromocytoma complicated by short stature as a presenting feature.


Explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations of meso-tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin (TPPS 4− ) in water were performed. The relation solute-solvent was examined through the radial distribution function g(r) of water molecules around different groups of the solute. The outcomes of the simulations show that, despite the presence of charged side groups in the particular case of TTPS 4− ,i t displays a global hydrophobic character. Moreover, the hydropathic pattern of the different groups of the solute (central ring and side chains) is also characterized. Additionally, we show that this heterogeneous hydropathicity profile remains basically unaltered by complexing TPPS 4− with Fe 2+ . © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 110: 2094-2100, 2010


In this paper,the fermentation medium(sweet sorghum stalk juice,glucose,peptone,MgSO4 and KH2PO4) of SCP-producing strain Candida utilis C-27 was optimized with the method of rotational quadratic orthogonal experiment design.The result showed that,sweet sorghum stalk juice and peptone had significant effect on SCP production,and the optimal fermentation medium for Candida utilis C-27 fermentation was as following,sweet sorghum stalk juice 220 mL/L,glucose 3.25 g/L,peptone 37.5 g/L,MgSO4 0.325 g/L,KH2PO4 0.325 g/L. The final SCP yield under this fermentation medium reached 8.72 g/L,which was 24.57% higher than that obtained with the original medium recipe(sweet sorghum stalk juice 120 mL/L,glucose 20 g/L,peptone 20 g/L,MgSO4 2.0 g/L,KH2PO4 2.0 g/L).


Abstract : Thirty-two years of hindcast wind and wave information is summarized for 70 locations along the shoreline of Lake Michigan in four data products: (a) percent occurrence tables; (b) wave rose diagrams; (c) mean and largest wave heights and 32-year statistics tables; and (d) return period tables. The procedures used to produce this information are discussed, and examples verification against measurements are shown.


OBJECTIVE: to analyze experimentally the early alterations of the bone-screw interface with tapping techniques in the cancellous bone of the cervical vertebrae. METHODS: five wooless sheep (Santa Ines) were analyzed. Pilot holes of 2.5 mm were performed at both sides of the third cervical vertebrae in the proximal and distal portion. The tapping process was done in the right proximal hole before the 3.5 mm screw insertion (Group A), while the left proximal hole was not tapped (Group B) and the two distal holes were used as control (Group C). The interface alterations between bone and screw were analyzed through histomorphometric study, considering the number of trabeculae fractures between the screw pitch; the highest distance of transversal trabeculae fracture caused by the screw insertion; the greatest extension of the longitudinal trabeculae fracture caused by the screw insertion and the contact line between bone and screw. RESULTS: tapping the pilot hole caused alterations of bone tissue microstructure around the implant, when compared to alterations produced by insertion of the screw, without tapping or pilot hole. The evaluation of the contact between bone and screw was the parameter that presented statistical difference in comparison between the insertion of the implant with and without tapping. CONCLUSION: in comparison with the pilot hole, all the analyzed parameters presented statistical difference.


Although the Salton Sea was once a thriving destination for humans and wildlife, it has now degraded to the point of ecosystem collapse. Increases in local dust emissions have introduced aeolian (wind-blown) microorganisms that travel, along with contaminants and minerals, into the atmosphere, detrimentally impacting inhabitants of the region. Proliferation of certain microbial groups in regions of the Sea may have a disproportionate impact on local ecological systems. Yet, little is known about how the biogeochemical processes of this drying lakebed influence microbial community composition and dispersal. To elucidate how these microorganisms contribute, and adapt, to the Sea's volatile conditions, we synthesize research on three niche-specific microbiomes — exposed lakebed (playa), the Sea, and aeolian — and highlight modern molecular techniques, such as metagenomics, coupled with physical science methodologies, including transport modeling, to predict how the drying lakebed will affect microbial processes. We argue that an explicit consideration of microbial groups within this system is needed to provide vital information about the distribution and functional roles of ecologically pertinent microbial groups. Such knowledge could help inform regulatory measures aimed at restoring the health of the Sea's human and ecological systems. Wetlands in the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refugue. To better understand the Salton Sea ecosystem, more research is needed on the interaction between the playa, sea and aeolian microbiomes. Photo: Jonathan Nye. As impacts of climate change and pollution worsen in the Salton Sea region, there is an urgent need to predict the Sea's ecosystem health and stability in response to water influx changes (e.g., increased evaporation, reduced inflow, and agricultural runoff irregularities). Although there is increasing evidence about the harmful effects of environmental degradation on wildlife within the Salton Sea, less is known about how microorganisms respond to mounting degradation throughout the region (California Natural Resources Agency 2020; Jones and Fleck 2020; Kjelland and Swannack 2018; Marti-Cardona et al. 2008; Moreau et al. 2007). Microorganisms and their respective communities (i.e., microbiomes) are ubiquitous, and the foundation of nutrient cycling within ecosystems (Falkowski et al. 2008). Research indicates that microorganisms are sensitive to natural and anthropogenic perturbations, and thus may serve as useful indicators of ecosystem productivity (Karimi et al. 2017; Maltz et al. 2017). Without an explicit consideration of environmental microorganisms and their stress-response tactics, we may undermine our ability to respond to changing environmental and regulatory measures. For instance, policy decisions, plummeting water quality, and 16 CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE • VOLUME 76, NUMBER 1 reduced Sea levels may have varying effects on microorganisms within this novel and vulnerable ecosystem. Moreover, understanding how the degraded environment surrounding the Salton Sea influences microbial processes, interactions and biogeochemical cycling is particularly important for assessing microbial contributions to overall ecosystem functionality, as well as for illuminating connections between policyand climatedriven environmental changes and the health of nearby human and ecological systems. Agricultural runoff, dust emissions The implementation of the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) in 2003 diverted water from the Colorado River to other areas, which massively reduced inflows to the Salton Sea (California Natural Resources Agency 2020). The New, Alamo and Whitewater rivers feed the Salton Sea with agricultural runoff containing pesticides, metals, salts and other elements (Vogl and Henry 2002). Specifically, copper, arsenic, manganese and selenium have been detected at levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency threshold in water and sediment samples (Moreau et al. 2007; Xu et al. 2016). Selenium is of particular concern due to its consistently high concentrations in local fish (i.e., tilapia), at levels surpassing Aquatic Life Criteria standards (Xu et al. 2016). Federally banned pesticides including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and dichlorodiphenylethane (DDE) have also been detected in in the muscle tissue of local fish species (Moreau et al. 2007; Riedel et al. 2002; Sapozhnikova et al. 2004; Xu et al. 2016) and in water, exposed lakebed (playa), and submerged playa samples (Sapozhnikova et al. 2004; Wang et al. 2012; Xu et al. 2016). Selenium, DDT and other pollutants accumulate in detritus, and are introduced into the Salton Sea's trophic network when consumed by algae, invertebrates and fish (Saiki et al. 2012). While the accumulation of these contaminants are detrimental to animal biodiversity (Canton and Van Derveer 1997; Köhler and Triebskorn 2013; Riedel et al. 2002), the extent to which pollution alters the Sea's trophic structure warrants further study. In addition to pollutants, agricultural effluent delivers excess nutrients to the Salton Sea, leading to eutrophication and subsequent die-offs of aerobic organisms (Beman et al. 2005; Chaffin and Bridgeman 2014; Heisler et al. 2008). Nutrient enrichment leads to harmful algal blooms as these algae consume a majority of the Sea's dissolved oxygen. Eventually, these algae die off in the absence of sufficient oxygen, as other microorganisms decompose detritus and deplete the remaining dissolved oxygen (Qin et al. 2013). Additionally, strong winds during spring and summer seasons create upwellings of anoxic water and sulfide from the lake bottom to the surface (Marti-Cardona et al. 2008; Reese et al. 2008). Algal blooms and gypsum blooms coupled with persisting anoxic conditions contribute to ongoing loss of wildlife, with particularly high mortality in local and migratory birds such as eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), fish such as Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) and invertebrates such as pileworms (Neanthes succinea; Anderson et al. 2007; Carmichael and Li 2006; Marti-Cardona et al. 2008). Microbial pathogens, including Pasteurella multocida, cyanotoxins and botulinum toxin, have all been associated with mass die-off events (Carmichael and Li 2006; Meteyer et al. 2004; Nol et al. 2004); however, not all die-off events have been linked to heightened concentrations of these particular pathogens or toxins. As required by the QSA, the volume of inflow will be reduced by 40% over the next decade, and the volume of the Sea itself will be reduced by more than 60% (Cohen 2014). Ongoing shrinkage of the Salton Sea not only increases salinity in the Sea and the playa (California Natural Resources Agency 2020), but also exposes additional lakebed sediment, leading to heightened dust emissions — dust production, wind erosion of sediment, etc. — in the area (Frie et al. 2017). These emissions are expected to contribute to already high levels of background particulate matter (Frie et al. 2017; Frie et al. 2019; US Fish and Wildlife 2014). Wet playas like the Salton Sea are vulnerable to erosion as capillary action in the sediment brings groundwater to the playa surface (Buck et al. 2011), softening sediment and stimulating groundwater evaporation (Reynolds et al. 2007). Playa emissions and aerosolized Sea spray contribute to the composition of the dust, which consists of minerals (e.g., selenium, sodium and sulfate), metals (e.g., cadmium and chromium; Buck et al. 2011; Frie et al. 2017; Frie et al. 2019) and dust-associated microorganisms, along with their respective microbial metabolites. These contributed materials, particulate Agricultural runoff (left) entering the Alamo River. Photo: Caroline Hung.


In apparatus for controlling the speed of a DC motor by the ON-OFF control of a switching transistor, a pair of switching transistors are connected in series with the motor and the switching transistors controlled such that while one of them is rendered ON the other is rendered from ON to OFF and sequentially from OFF to ON.


Rationale Preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) is defined as Forced Expiratory Volume in one second <80% predicted with a FEV1/Forced Vital Capacity of >0.70. It may be a precursor of COPD and has been associated with increased respiratory symptoms and comorbidities. Current understanding of PRISm is based on small selective cohorts and genetic determinants remain unknown. Objectives Identify the prevalence, risk factors, co-morbidity, and genetics of PRISm in a large cohort to improve power and generalizability. Methods The UKBiobank, provides a large cohort of genotyped individuals. Regression analysis determined risk factors for and associated co-morbidities of PRISm. Genome wide association studies, conditional, and gene-based analyses were performed with a PheWAS and literature search conducted on the results. Measurements and Main Results PRISm has a similar prevalence to airflow obstruction (8% vs 7.8%) and is associated with increased cardiovascular co-morbidity, OR of 1.26 (95%CI 1.20-1.31) after adjusting for BMI, smoking status, age, diabetes, and sex. Genetic analysis discovered four associated single nucleotide polymorphisms and eight genes. Two SNPs have not been described with respiratory disease before. Other genetic loci identified are known to increase risk of asthma and COPD, and influence response to inhaled steroids. Conclusions PRISm affects 8% of adults of whom ~40% report cardiovascular comorbidity. Detailed analysis reveals that PRISm has shared genetic associations with asthma and COPD. These findings highlight the need for research into the potential therapeutic strategies and screening for individuals with PRISm, in particular whether this may reduce transition to COPD and reduce cardiovascular disease.


An 8 bit 2 giga samples per second (GS/s) differential flash ADC architecture design is presented. The several blocs consisting of a comparator latch, its preamplifier and the thermometer to binary (T2B) are discussed and presented. Several techniques were combined and validated. These consist of an internal quantification threshold embedded in the transistors sizing, full custom design of pass gate complementary logic cells, interpolation and common drain source followers (CDSF) pairs. This CDSF pair act as signal and reference shifters. Schematics, simulation results with Monte Carlo sampling and layout dependent effects (LDE) extraction and an overview of the ASIC layout are shown. The effective resolution is between 7 and 8 bits and the 2 GHz sampling rate have been reached. Monte Carlo mismatch analysis results leads to an expectation of 95% yield with this ENOB.


The circadian nature of melatonin (MLT) secretion, coupled with the localization of MLT receptors to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, has led to numerous studies of the role of MLT in modulation of the sleep‐wake cycle and circadian rhythms in humans. Although much more needs to be understood about the various functions exerted by MLT and its mechanisms of action, three therapeutic agents (ramelteon, prolonged‐release MLT, and agomelatine) are already in use, and MLT receptor agonists are now appearing as new promising treatment options for sleep and circadian‐rhythm related disorders. In this review, emphasis has been placed on medicinal chemistry strategies leading to MLT receptor agonists, and on the evidence supporting therapeutic efficacy of compounds undergoing clinical evaluation. A wide range of clinical trials demonstrated that ramelteon, prolonged‐release MLT and tasimelteon have sleep‐promoting effects, providing an important treatment option for insomnia and transient insomnia, even if the improvements of sleep maintenance appear moderate. Well‐documented effects of agomelatine suggest that this MLT agonist offers an attractive alternative for the treatment of depression, combining efficacy with a favorable side effect profile. Despite a large number of high affinity nonselective MLT receptor agonists, only limited data on MT1 or MT2 subtype‐selective compounds are available up to now. Administration of the MT2‐selective agonist IIK7 to rats has proved to decrease NREM sleep onset latency, suggesting that MT2 receptor subtype is involved in the acute sleep‐promoting action of MLT; rigorous clinical studies are needed to demonstrate this hypothesis. Further clinical candidates based on selective activation of MT1 or MT2 receptors are expected in coming years.


A processable, oxidatively stable polybenzothiazole (PBT) resin has been developed for use as a matrix in reinforced plastic struc tural composites subjected to elevated temperature. The complex chemistry of the resin polymerization reaction is presented. Composites using the new resin as matrix and Style 181 E glass cloth as reinforcement have been evaluated in flexure, tensile stress rupture and bending fatigue at temperatures ranging from ambient to 800°F. These composites have exhibited excellent retention of flexural properties after 300 hours heat aging at 600°F and six hours at 800°F in air. Bending fatigue and tensile stress rupture properties at 550°F are superior to those available from other high temperature resin composites, such as polyimides and polybenzimidazoles.


Objective:To discuss the effect of postoperative care in the surgical treatment of severe acute pancreatitis.Methods:Reviewing and summarizing 68 cases of severe acute pancreatitis patients which to be taken postoperative care,including psychological care,drainage tube care,health education and so on.Results:68 cases of severe acute pancreatitis were all cured,and no case suffer from abdominal pain and diarrhea.Conclusion:The postoperative nursing of severe acute pancreatitis,the various drainage tube is one of the important measures of rehabilitation for SAP patients nursing.


This article is a critical reaction to the 2020 EJIL Foreword titled 'Guiding Principles on Shared Responsibility in International Law'. It focuses on Principle 3, concerning a 'single internationally wrongful act', and it is divided into its constitutive elements: the meaning of same conduct (Section 2), the attribution to multiple persons (Section 3), the breach of obligations (Section 4) and the indivisible injury (Section 5). The main criticism is that the Guiding Principles make things more complex than they already are. The established principles of international responsibility provide simpler and more effective answers. This is particularly the case for Principle 3, which concerns multiple responsibilities arising from the same conduct. There are two main elements through which the Guiding Principles on Shared Responsibility seek to provide guidance in the case of a plurality of internationally responsible persons. First, they employ the comprehensive notion of an internationally wrongful act, while ARSIWA and ARIO distinguish between the two elements of attribution of conduct and the breach of an obligation. Second, the Guiding Principles consider the injury to be a constitutive element included in the definition of shared responsibility, while ARSIWA and ARIO only employ it in the context of reparation and countermeasures. There are no actual benefits coming from these attempts of clarification.


Asia: Jenkins et al. 1995, Stream chemistry in the middle hills and high mountains of the Himalayas, Nepal, Journal of HydrologyThey observe potential increases in silicate weathering associated with terraced farming and mention physical controls that might enhance weathering (flooding, ploughing etc.). They also observe elevated nutrients and acid anions from fertilizers, but these are not connected with enhanced silicate weathering rates.


This paper deals with the macroeconomic behavior of Argentina and Brazil for the period 1995.1-2018.4. It explores whether their economic fluctuations followed a similar pattern according to their duration, intensity and timing. Although some features clearly coincide, according to the findings, Argentina's business fluctuations are sharper and longer than those of Brazil. If they are analyzed together, the highest coincidence is observed in GDP fluctuations (72% of the observations lie on the same side of the zero line). Nevertheless, as to the rest of GDP components, the coincidences drop to nearly 50%. While Argentinian GDP, private consumption and imports have a significant correlation with their Brazilian counterparts, this association is quite modest.


The effect of the oil content,the properties of oil,the particle size and humidity of sawdust on the ignition time and the flame spread characteristic of oil-soaked sawdust were studied.Experimental results showed that the mass loss ratio,flame duration and height,char depth and propagation length will increase as the oil content increasing,and the ignition time will decrease.The flame can spread to the whole sawdust surface after 71 s when the gasoline concentration is 13%,and the sawdust will get burnt too.The lowest oil content for gasoline soaked sawdust to get burnt is 3%,and for kerosene the rate is 5%,motor oil 12%.Bigger diameter of the sawdust can increase the probability of oil to get burnt.The decreasing in humidity of the sawdust will lower the flame spread velocity.


Purpose: Customer relationship management is not a project but is a strategy that every business aims to realize and manage the needs of current and potential customers of the company. This research aims to identify the factors that affect Customer Relationship Management, to provide a more detailed analysis of the importance of customer relationship management, how much businesses invest in meeting customer needs, whether they use the right methods to maintain customers. Findings: Through this research we have managed to identify several factors that affect the management of consumer behavior. Where intelligent customer management and care generates two main benefits for companies; reducing marketing costs and better penetration to customers Research methodology: This paper contains theoretical and practical part including literature of various local and foreign authors and scientific publications. Also, the remarks and suggestions given by various local and international authors and organizations, relevant literature and reports, various research articles and other data are critically analyzed. Originality / value: The findings from this scientific research paper will be a good guide for the research of all researchers and a contribution to enrich the international scientific literature.


The present invention is to fine the hydrogel crosslinked polymer obtained by polymerizing a monomer aqueous solution after polymerization or during the polymerization, the obtained particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer is dried in through-flow band type drier in step provides a drying method to achieve both cost reduction and high property. The method of the present invention, after the introduction of the particulate water-containing gel-like crosslinked polymer drying zone of the ventilation band type drier, drying conditions for a period of up to solid concentration reaches 80% by weight (1) Particulate and the temperature of the hot blown to the hydrogel layer, the temperature difference between the temperature of the heat air is measured after passing through the particulate hydrous gel layer and satisfies that the 20 to 70 ° C..


Abstract Consider a bipartite random geometric graph on the union of two independent homogeneous Poisson point processes in d-space, with distance parameter r and intensities λ,μ. For any λ>0 we consider the percolation threshold μc(λ) associated to the parameter μ. Denoting by λc the percolation threshold for the standard Poisson Boolean model with radii r, we show the lower bound μc(λ)≥clog(c∕(λ−λc)) for any λ>λc with c>0 a fixed constant. In particular, there is no phase transition in μ at the critical value of λ, that is, μc(λc) =∞.


Previous research has rarely examined listening/reading differences in conjunction with conceptually relevant discourse variation. In the present study, college students either listened to or read ghostwritten speeches or magazine articles. Participants also completed tests of listening ability, reading ability, prior knowledge, and amount of invested mental effort. Consistent with listenability theory, results indicated that listeners and readers alike best comprehended oral‐based discourse. Reading was superior for acquiring information, though it required greater investment of mental effort.


This study examines the uptake of trade preferences under the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement during their respective first 21 months of application. The research analyzes the impact of time on the preference utilization rate of EU imports from Canada and Korea and EU exports to the two countries. The findings shed light on how EU member states perform vis-à-vis each trade partner and whether certain product groups appear more successful than others in terms of using trade preferences. The study further analyzes the potential effects of learning how to use preferences over time. Finally, the study argues that firm-pair transaction level data is necessary for discerning more conclusive answers regarding why trade preferences are (not) used.The results point to that lack of knowledge and awareness is the most plausible reason to a low use of trade preferences in the early days of an agreement. To increase preference utilization rates in the beginning as well as later during agreement implementation, continuous information campaigns appear to be essential, not least since importing and exporting firms change over time.


Three basic conceptions underlie all ancient Egyptian beliefs and practices concerning the afterlife. This applies to the Graeco-Roman Period as well as earlier periods of Egyptian history. The first conception is that of the continued survival of those who die as physical or corporeal entities. The second is that of the existence of a hierarchy of divinities and other immortal beings into which the deceased hope to be integrated. The third conception is one of a causal relationship whereby the position of the deceased within this hierarchy, and indeed whether they are admitted to it or not, is determined by their conduct while alive.1 The first of these conceptions explains why the Egyptians were so concerned to preserve the bodies of their dead. By themselves, the sands and the hot, dry climate of Egypt were effective preserving agents. However, the Egyptians developed elaborate techniques of embalming or mummification to further the desired end. These varied over time, but generally involved washing and anointing the corpse, evisceration, dehydrating the body by means of dry crystals of natron, packing its abdominal cavity with linen, sawdust, and other materials, and wrapping it in bandages. Additional protection was afforded the completed mummy by placing it in a sarcophagus or coffin (sometimes both) and depositing it in a tomb, which in Graeco-Roman Egypt might be anything from a pit or shaft sunk into the earth to a large stone built monument.2 Because the Egyptians believed that the deceased survived in corporeal form, they felt it necessary to make provision for their daily needs. From their point of view, the nature of posthumous existence was the same, in its practical aspects at least, as that of life before death. The tomb and the mummy wrappings took the place of shelter and


1: Modelling Characterisation PART ONE: CHARACTERISATION AND THE MIND 2: Character categories and impressions of character 3: Inferring character from texts PART TWO: CHARACTERISATION AND THE TEXT 4: Textual clues in characterisation 5: (Im)politeness and characterisation 6: Conclusion: The characterisation of Katherina in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew Conclusion Further directions and exercises References Index


Getting rid of the bondage of mainstream literature and looking for its own account of the ways and means are the narrations of dongxi fiction.As a marginalization txet,in fact,dongxi fiction represents the rebellious and subversion of weak culture on strong culture.


This article focuses on optimizing the electrospinning parameters, and developing a new method of Direct-Write (DW) micro/nano-structure based on Near-Field Electrospinning (NFES) for flexible electronic manufacturing. NFES is a new way to realize controllable electrospinning and precision-positioning of nanofiber, by which nano-structure with diameter from 50 nm to 500 nm can be fabricated orderly and accurately. A tungsten electrode with tip diameter of 25 mum is used to DW nano-structure, with the minimum bias voltage 600 V, minimum electrode to collector distance 500 mum. A micro-structure DW system is designed, by which micro-structure with diameter of several micrometers can be drawn. In this work, a needle tube of 232 mum inside diameter is used as spinneret, electrode to collector distance is various from 2 mm to 10 mm, and the collector moving speed ranges from 0.07 m/s to 7 m/s. The DW process and character of micro-structure such as line width, smoothness and thickness can be controlled by optimizing the electrospinning parameters. The DW micro/nano-structure is continuous and smooth, which can be drawn on expected site and in expected direction with accurate dimension. The new method based on NEFS with the advantage of narrower line width and smoother structure than traditional flexible electronic manufacturing technologies, which is more suitable for the development of flexible electronic manufacturing.


1 Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78457 Konstanz, Germany 2 Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, 78457 Konstanz, Germany 3 Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany 4 VERSES Research Lab, Los Angeles, California, USA 5 MRC Brain Networks Dynamics Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK 6 Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, UK 7 Network Science Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA 8 Laboratory for the Modeling of Biological and Socio-Technical Systems, Northeastern University, Boston, USA 9 Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK 10 Sussex AI Group, Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK 11 Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK ¶ Corresponding author DOI: 10.21105/joss.04098


In the transitional period of changes in all spheres of social life, the formation of new views and relations in the economy, politics and socio-cultural environment is taking place. The struggle between the new and the old leads to social tension in society. In our opinion, the main reason for the growth of social tension in modern Kyrgyz society is the crisis in the field of economics and politics. To a large extent, the crisis manifests itself in the growth of unemployment and an increase in the population with incomes below the subsistence level, which leads to the marginalization of society and a change in the image, quality and lifestyle. There are so-called "points" of concentration of social tension in modern society. In social terms, these are groups of people of retirement age, youth, the unemployed, public sector workers, the intelligentsia, low-income, large families, etc. The purpose of this article is to show the role of the intelligentsia in building a new Kyrgyz society.


Megadermalyralyra is a small bat having distinct male female dimorphism. The reproductive biology of this bat has been studied on the basis of examination of about 340 specimens collected at and around Buldana town in Maharashtra state. The bats form one of the largest groups of living mammals. They acquires morphological adaptation suited to their aerial mode of life and their peculiar posture are unmatched by any other mammal and this unmatched adaptation necessitated their inclusion in a separate taxonomic order namely Chiroptera.Megadermalyralyra is a wonderful flying mammal having very interesting reproductive biology. As compare to female bat, male attain maturity earlier.


The present study considers laser heating of silicon. A three-dimensional form of electron kinetic theory approach is considered when deriving the governing heat transfer equation. The numerical method employing a finite difference scheme is used to discretize the resulting equations. The step input laser pulse with Gaussian spatial distribution is introduced. The present predictions are compared with the results of the Fourier heating model. It is found that the temperature rise in the surface vicinity depends on the electron lattice site atom collisions. As heating progresses, the internal energy gain dominates the conduction losses in this region. The electron kinetic theory predictions and the Fourier theory results become similar as the laser pulse length increases.


LLE Review, Volume 95 179 Introduction The interaction of laser beams with plasmas near the criticaldensity surface is an important characteristic feature of directdrive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments.1,2 One of the main laser–plasma interaction processes is stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), which involves the decay of an incident light wave into a scattered light wave and an ionacoustic wave. The process of forward SBS accompanies the filamentation of laser beams and can change the spatial and temporal coherence of laser light propagating into the target.3,4 The process of backward SBS5 is important because it can potentially deplete the laser-beam power delivered to the target. The spectrum of SBS-backscattered light is also useful as a diagnostic of plasma conditions.


The move by the airport signage industry toward a universal system able to run airportwide operations smoothly is the focus of this article. Airport signage has been defined by the information individual signs display to date - compartmentalized, stand-alone systems with individual hardware and infrastructure known as flight information display systems (FIDS), baggage information display systems (BIDS), and ramp information display systems (RIDS). Large FIDS displays are being installed in public areas, as well as parking and cell phone lots. Use of new technology, the development of which is ongoing, can be used to combine a wide array of information and increase the visual appeal of information provided. Traveler interest and attention can also be drawn through unusual signage configurations.


This special issue represents an assessment of international organizations and transboundary networks governing natural resource and biodiversity issues in and among Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The management of natural resources and protection of biodiversity is a highly technocratic process requiring collaboration and information sharing among a diversity of actors to facilitate the development and coordination of policy addressing complex and multisectoral issues. Numerous bilateral and trilateral organizations exist to ostensibly facilitate transboundary governance, yet the scholarly knowledge of their respective roles has many gaps. In this introductory article, we propose a typology of international environmental organizations based on two dimensions: (1) whether their activities center primarily on capacity building or regulation, and (2) the extent to which they exemplify the "bureaucratic" or "post-bureaucratic" model of governance. Using this typology we provide an overview of the special issue's contributions in terms of their assessment of North American bilateral and trilateral environmental organizations and transboundary networks.


Chapter one provides a summary of efforts towards the syntheses of the welwitindolinones with bicyclo[4.3.1]decane cores. Emphasis is given to more recent approaches that have successfully assembled the bicyclic core of the natural products. Chapters two and three are a discussion of our studies relating to a model system of the welwitindolinone natural products. Chapter two focuses on the use of an aryne cyclization to assemble the bicyclo[4.3.1]decane framework of the welwitindolinones. Chapter three covers initial attempts to install the bridgehead nitrogen substituent present in the natural products in addition to the synthesis of a functionalized aryne cyclization substrate. Chapters four and five present our total syntheses of the welwitindolinone natural products. The enantiospecific total syntheses of N-methylwelwitindolinone C isothiocyanate, N-methylwelwitindolinone C isonitrile, 3-hydroxy-N-methylwelwitindolinone C isothiocyanate and 3-hydroxy-N-methylwelwitindolinone C isonitrile are detailed. The approach to these natural products features an aryne cyclization to construct the bicyclo[4.3.1]decane core of the molecules as well as a late-stage nitrene insertion reaction to install the bridgehead nitrogen substituent. The use of a deuterium kinetic isotope effect to improve the yield of the nitrene insertion is also presented. In addition, a computational method to predict the stereochemistry of a previously unconfirmed stereocenter in the hydroxylated natural products as well as experimental validation of the computational findings is discussed.


Consider the space R^ of rational functions of several variables with poles on a fixed arrangement A of hyperplanes. We obtain a decomposition of R^ as a module over the ring of differential operators with constant coefficients. We generalize the notions of principal part and of residue to the space R^, and we describe their relations to Laplace transforms of locally polynomial functions. This explains algebraic aspects of the work by L. Jeffrey and F. Kirwan about integrals of equivariant cohomology classes on Hamiltonian manifolds. As another application, we will construct multidimensional versions of Eisenstein series in a subsequent article, and we will obtain another proof of a residue formula of A. Szenes for Witten zeta functions. © Elsevier, Paris RfisuMfi. Nous considerons 1'espace R^\ des fonctions rationnelles en plusieurs variables, dont les poles sont dans un arrangement d'hyperplans A fixe. Nous obtenons une decomposition de R^\ comme module sur 1'anneau des operateurs differentiels a coefficients constants. Nous generalisons a 1'espace R^\ les notions de partie principale et de residu, et nous decrivons ses relations avec les transformees de Laplace des fonctions localement polynomiales. Ceci explique des aspects algebriques des travaux de L. Jeffrey et F. Kirwan sur les integrales de classes de cohomologie equivariantes dans les varietes hamiltoniennes. Comme autres applications, nous construirons, dans un autre article, des versions multidimensionnelles des series d'Eisenstein, et nous obtiendrons une autre demonstration d'une formule de residus pour les fonctions zeta de Witten, due a A. Szenes. © Elsevier, Paris


We present a 144 Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) detection module for gamma spectroscopy with 3" co-doped LaBr3 scintillator capable of 2.6% energy resolution at the 137Cs emission photopeak (662 keV), photon-interaction position reconstruction and 84 dB dynamic range front-end electronics. This prototype, together with the detector mechanical robustness and magnetic field insensitivity, show that SiPMs are perfect candidate for a large variety of nuclear physics experiments.


HepatoBiliary Surg Nutr 2021;10(3):388-390 | http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/hbsn-21-80 Noninvasive diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has received increasing attention (1,2). Nowadays, when we search the item 'scoring system and fatty liver' in PubMed, we can see a sharp increase in the number of related papers in the past few years. In fact, an era of 'information explosion' of noninvasive tests (NITs) for NAFLD is coming. For one thing, these newly identified biomarkers or noninvasive panels allow clinicians to detect nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis without the need for liver biopsy; for another, there are too many NITs for clinicians to choose from. Clinicians may be at a loss as to which NIT to use in different clinical contexts. NITs for NAFLD can be classified according to the target of interest, namely steatosis, NASH, significant/ advanced fibrosis, and more recently the so-called 'fibrotic NASH' (3,4), based on either serum-based tests or imaging (such as ultrasound scan, vibration-controlled transient elastography or magnetic resonance elastography) (5,6). NITs based on widely-available imaging techniques, such as Hamaguchi score and the ultrasonographic fatty liver indicator (US-FLI), are derived from ultrasonographic findings (7,8). Serum-based NITs incorporate readily accessible clinical parameters or novel biomarkers, both of which have merits and demerits. NITs based on routine clinical parameters (such as the fatty liver index, NAFLD fibrosis score, Fibrosis-4 index, Hepamet fibrosis score (9), and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index) are simple and easy to use but have modest accuracies. They can be easily confounded by several factors like liver enzymes and age (10); also, NITs with dual-cutoffs often leave a significant proportion of patients in the gray zone. Some of these scores were originally derived in patients with other liver diseases (11). NITs based on novel biomarkers, on the other hand, have more reproducible results with definite biological meanings, particularly those novel markers for liver fibrosis; however, these biomarkers may be expensive and not widely available, and we need to figure out how to integrate some of these novel indicators into clinical practice. The reliability and feasibility of some 'omics' markers of gene loci and metabolites remain to be validated in the future. NAFLD biomarkers and surrogate scores, can target the following domains: (I) diagnostic markers reflecting the stage of fibrosis or NASH; (II) prognostic markers, stratifying the fibrosis progression risk; (III) monitoring biomarkers that may be used to track the disease progression and/or the treatment response (12,13). In the last two decades, some progress has been made in detection of new biomarkers and subsequently new NITs in hepatology. However, for many of them further independent validations are need. In reality, only a few Editorial


This article discusses some problems arising from the use in diagnostics of psychometric test scores previously adjusted for the influence of age and of other concomitant variables (e.g., education). Some solutions adopted by an Italian Cooperative Study on the neuropsychological aspects of aging are reported, and the limits of the statistical processing of adjusted test scores are discussed.


Magnetite nanoparticles with diameters of about 25-30 nm are promising candidates for magnetic particle imaging tracers. When preparing single-core tracers, controlling nanoparticle size and size distribution are critical. Thermal decomposition approaches can produce monodisperse nanoparticles over a range of sizes, but the reactions are kinetically driven monodisperse nanoparticles over a range of sizes, but the reactions are kinetically driven and sensitive to fluctuations that yield batch-to-batch variation in size and quality. Furthermore, if not carefully controlled, the reaction chemistry can produce variations in iron oxide phase and phase purity. Published protocols typically provide examples performed at small-scale and procedures that may not be scalable and frequently omit magnetic characterization that is critical for establishing suitability for MPI. Here, a scalable procedure for producing high quality, single-core magnetite nanoparticles that are confirmed to be suitable for MPI after rigorous characterization is presented. This work demonstrates that thermal decomposition synthesis of MPI tracers can be scaled without compromising quality to enable pre-clinical animal safety and efficacy studies.


The combination of sensor networks with databases has led to a large amount of real-time data to be managed, and this trend will still increase in the next coming years. With this data explosion, current integration systems have to adapt. One of the main challenges is the integration of information coming from autonomously deployed sensor networks, with different geographical scales, but also with the combination of such information with other sources, such as legacy systems. Two main approaches for integrating sensor information are generally used: virtual and warehousing approaches. In the virtual approach, sensor devices are considered as data sources and data are managed locally. In contrast, in the warehousing approach, sensor data are stored in a central database and queries are performed on it. However, these solutions turn out to be difficult to exploit in the current technology landscape. This paper focuses on the issue of integrating multiple heterogeneous sensor information and put forward a framework for decision making process.


By applying principle-agent and reputation theory, combining with the multi-task principle-agent model and agent market reputation model, construction contractor incentive model of construction project considering the reputation effect was established, and the validity of the market reputation incentive to the contractor was analyzed. We obtained: Firstly, reputation incentive can partly substitute explicit incentives; the "market reputation" of the contractor can make the contractors' opportunism behavior less and lower the client's incentive cost even without the "Game reputation" which is formed by the repetitious game between the client/project management company and the contractor. Secondly, the explicit incentives and the implicit incentives are complementary each other; when the reputation incentive is stronger, the explicit incentives can be weaker. Thirdly, the validity and maneuverability of reputation incentive depends on the establishment of construction market credit system and the just evaluation of the contractor's working ability and effort.


A sequential electrochemical reduction method has been developed for the quantitative analysis of surface oxides pertinent to Sn-Pb solderability. Analytical results from various aging treatments have been found to correlate with solderability as determined by the wetting balance method.


An improved failure detector algorithm was demonstrated on the basis of fresh point.Using the historical probability of erroneous judgment to change the check time dynamically will increase the accuracy of failure detector in distributed network.A compared experiment of the basic failure detector algorithm,the algorithm on the basis of fresh point and the improved algorithm was conducted,showing that the improved algorithm will increase the accuracy of failure detector gradually in distributed system.


This paper extends the Pythagorean Theorem to positive and negative real exponents to take the form n n n a b c + = and makes use of the definition 1 b a  =  . For the case of n +  , 1 n  is necessary for the vertex angle to be real, and there are no restrictions on γ beyond its definition. However, for n −  , two significant restrictions that are necessary for n


The E-CALUX assay has been established to measure the estrogenic activity of agents such as exogenous endocrine disrupting chemicals. The method utilizes human ovarian carcinoma cells, and is able to evaluate estrogenic activity as a reporter gene assay by using estrogen receptors (ERs) expressed endogenously. However, we have no information about the subtypes of ERs that ovarian carcinoma cells express. Therefore we detected the expression of both ER-a and ER0 by RTPCR, and determined the ratio of ER-a to ER0 to be 5.7:1 using semi-quantitative real-time PCR. Further, the protein expression of each ER subtype was detected using immunocytochemistry. These results suggest that estrogenic activity detected with the E-CALUX assay is mainly ER-a dominant and the additive estrogenic activity was observed when cells were stimulated with the combination of 17 0 -estradiol (E2) and pesticides (pyriproxyfen, thiabendazole (TBZ) and o-phenylphenol (OPP)), respectively.


: This study aims to integrate the applications made with virtual reality and augmented reality technologies for the Zeus temple of the ancient city of Aizanoi in the Çavdarhisar district of Kütahya province to be used in the field of tourism and to enable the opportunity to visit with a digital platform. In the study, model applications for the tourism sector were carried out with augmented reality and virtual reality technologies. Another importance of the research is the presentation of the first augmented reality and virtual reality applications made for the temple of Zeus in the ancient city of Aizanoi in the province of Kütahya. In the study, using marker-based augmented reality techniques, two different augmented reality applications, namely visual target


[Objective]The paper was to search the rice fertilization formula suitable for Lujiang County.[Method]Through "3414" field fertilizer efficiency test on early rice,the function model of N,P,K fertilizer effect for high yield cultivation of double season rice was explored in the paper,and the best rice fertilization formula was selected.[Result]Yield of early rice had obvious relationship with application amount of N,P,K fertilizer,and the optimum yield fertilization formula was as follows:pure nitrogen 159 kg/hm2,P2O5 81 kg/hm2,K2O 174 kg/hm2.The optimum fertilizer application amount was estimated as follows:nitrogen fertilizer 202.50 kg/hm2,phosphate fertilizer 90.00 kg/hm2,potassium fertilizer 135.00 kg/hm2.Compared with the fields without application of fertilizer,the yield increased by 74.43%,and the growth was significant.[Result]The results provided theoretical and practical basis for scientific and reasonable fertilization on double season rice in Lujiang County.


Abstract This paper describes the changes that have taken place in the schedule of the 1959 Soviet population census. It shows the way in which the census schedule has been curtailed since previous censuses ; where additional questions have been asked, these were designed primarily to improve the accuracy of enumeration, rather than to elicit more information. It is shown that changes in the census schedule make comparability between successive Soviet censuses more difficult.


AmericasMart Atlanta Fall Gift & Home Furnishings Market October 14-16, 2011 - Wild Hibiscus Flower Co. a complete line of Cocktail Garnish Products


When continuous (arc-welded) steel pipelines fail, they show different appearances of fracture depending on the type or process of loading owing to the ductile property of steel. Based on this fact, morphological observation was made on twelve failures in continuous steel pipelines that took place during the 1983 Nihonkai-chubu earthquake. The greater part of them appeared to have been caused by reciprocal (or dynamic) compression and tension, rather than by static (or permanent) ground displacement. The mechanism of dynamic ground motion associated with soil liquefaction, therefore, should be made clear in order to establish effective countermeasures for buried pipelines.


The partial CO dissociation observed on small Pd particles deposited on γ-alumina and only molecular adsorption of CO on Pd/(0001) α-alumina model catalysts show that the surface structure of alumina can influence the reactivity of supported clusters. To understand the effect of metal–support interaction, Pd particles were deposited on alumina substrates of different surface structure [(0001), (1-102)]. The surface of alumina substrates was investigated by means of reflection high energy electron diffraction (BREED). The growth of Pd particles, their structure and orientation were observed by RHEED. In order to compare the catalytic properties of supported Pd particles, the study of CO and O adsorption was performed by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) using molecular beam techniques.


The mechanism of copolymerization of bentonite-acylic acid sodium and the characteristics of water absorption,Cu2+ adsorption and desorption were investigated.Acrylic acid mainly reacts around bentonite particles,and still a few of acylic acid reacts in the interlamination of montmorillonite.The addition of bentonite can improve the water-absorption property of the copolymer within a certain addition amount range.In high concentration of Cu2+ solution,the addition of bentonite produse no significant effect on the Cu2+ adsorption property of the copolymer,but it will retard the Cu2+ desorption process.The water-absorption process of the copolymer follows pseudo first order kinetics equation,and the ion adsorption and desorption process follows pseudo second order kinetics equation.


Recurrent spells of abdominal pain in a woman, on the basis of history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and roentgenography, led to a diagnosis of Echinococcus cyst of the liver. This was confirmed at laparotomy, when the intact cyst was removed. Several months later a second cyst had to be removed. In a second patient, a boy of 16, severe symptoms after a sharp blow on the abdomen were found to have been caused by the rupture of an Echinococcus cyst of the liver. Both patients had visited in Greece, where the parasite is highly endemic, but they had also been in contact with a dog that had been imported from Greece and was found to be infected. Of the laboratory tests used, the eosinophil count was the least useful, since it gave normal figures in both cases. The intradermal Casoni test was more reliable than the complement-fixation test.


Andrew Cooper, The BRICS: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. .xiii + 136 pp. ISBN 9780198723394. Dane Kennedy, Decolonization: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. xvii + 116 pp. ISBN 9780199340491. The Role and Experiences of Expatriate Women in the Last Phrase of Empire and After: a transcript of the proceedings of the seminar held on 7 October 2015 (Occasional Paper of the OSPA Research Project at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, 10). London and Tonbridge: ICS and OSPA, 2016, 106 pp. ISBN 9780993110245.


The fruit growth of four plum(Prunus salicina Lindl)varieties(Qingpili,Meiguili, Xiaohuangli,Taoli)and their fruit color,flesh hardness,soluble sugar and titratable acid content during the mature period were studied.The typical external features of fruit became apparent at the third period of fruit growth,when the ground color started to fade and the surface color ap- peared gradually.The rate of color change was different among the varieties.Drastic changes in hardness,soluble sugar and titratable acid content occurred about two week before ripening.The speeds of those changes as the fruits grew close to ripening were different with varieties.In the va- riety Meiguili,the content of titratable acids dropped,while soluble sugar changed little and flesh softened slowly.However,in Taoli,the content of titratable acids changed little,soluble sugar in- creased and flesh softened fast.


7.1.1 2 Samuel 19:1–3 At the lower level of 19:1 Joab is told that the king is grieving over Absalom. In 19:2 it is stated that the day which should have been a day of victory for all of the troops was instead a day of mourning because of the king's grief. In 19:3 the soldiers secretly make their way into the city as though they had fled from the battle and were ashamed. At the upper level of the narrative the ironist implies that David is more concerned about his personal grief than he is for the kingdom. The opposition in the narrative concerns the contrast of David's grief with the soldier's shame. The soldiers should have marched into the city jubilantly, yet they are forced to move into Jerusalem silently and unsure of their reception. The news that the soldiers bring is good for David as a king, but not good news for David as a father. However, the focus of this narrative has been David's failings as a king, and David's failure to lead his people competently. This focus on David's failure as a king may go some way towards addressing Brueggemann's concern that nobody is reported as comforting David in his time of grief and that this constitutes an implied criticism of the Israelite people.1 The implication is that while David is understandably grief-stricken, Absalom died as a result of trying to usurp David's throne and, more generally, the interests of the Israelites as a people outweighs the well-being of either David or Absalom. The Israelites have just been engaged in a civil war, which was not of their making. David is the object of ironic attack since, yet again, he manifests deficiencies as a king. He is also the unknowing victim of irony as he is confidently unaware of both his shortcoming in this context and the irony it gives rise to. The grade of irony is covert as it not immediately apparent. The mode of verbal irony is impersonal and the sub-category is irony displayed. The irony emerges from the arrangement of the events in which David's grief is contrasted with the shame of the soldiers, who should have returned triumphantly.


Nowadays, higher-education institutions are transforming their educational activities from classic ways of providing knowledge to students towards more flexible and open forms of education, aiming to adapt to the needs of new generations of students. Virtual classrooms and e-learning are therefore being introduced not only at open universities offering distance learning, but also at other traditional universities where face-to-face learning prevails. In this paper, we describe a small-scale experimental e-learning activity concerning the integration of open-source web-conferencing tools into a teaching scenario at a traditional university, aiming to guide future improvements of our current e-learning infrastructure. While the experiment answers positively the question of very affordable technical solutions and reports about positive students' perceptions, it also reveals the need for teachers to be provided with specific knowledge about e-learning pedagogy in order to cope with new challenges, such as achieving student-centred teaching also in learning scenarios, including distance e-learning.


Vehicular adhoc network (VANET) is formed by vehicles that move in well-defined paths and it is highly dynamic. The routing in VANET by relying beacons suffers from significant drawbacks such as temporal loops in forwarding path, consumes available bandwidth, backward progress due to stale information etc. So here proposes an enhanced secured routing mechanism. It route the data by considering the traffic density in the streets with the help of RSU. Here the routing decision is taken by each vehicle dynamically without using beacons. The protocol also suggests the secure mechanisms that can be adopted to the proposed scheme by detection of selfish nodes in the network.


The average contents of conjugated and free biliverdin in Awassi sheep milk was 1.98 and 3.72 pg 100 ml - ' milk. Boiling of milk samples caused a decrease in the conjugated form and an increase in the free form. Storage of milk samples for 3 and 6 days showed a decrease in the conjugated form and an increase in free form. Fluctuations within milk samples stored at room temperature wcrc higher compared with refrigerated milk samples. This study indicated significant (P<O.Ol) influence of boiling and storage temperatures on the contents of biliverdin forms.


The school has the function of signifying knowledge to individuals inserted in a society in constant transformation due to the growing scientific and technological advance and the wide accessibility to information. To this end, the school needs educational methodologies that provide young people with greater autonomy so that they are qualified to participate actively in the community, promoting changes and producing progress for the development of citizenship. One of the fundamental pillars of this construction is the Teaching of Sciences, which highlights the knowledge related to the discipline of Chemistry that is important for the economic, social and technological development of the population. However, teaching chemistry in the school environment is far from the practical life of the adolescent and society, restricting itself to memorizing formulas, nomenclatures and theories. For this scientific investigation, the objective was to analyze whether the knowledge on the disposal of electronic solid waste linked to the contents of Electrochemistry, in Chemistry Teaching, can sensitize students of the 3rd year of High School about the environmental impacts caused by improper disposal of batteries and batteries, through a proposal to develop and apply a didactic sequence. The methodological design for this study involved participatory research and a qualitative approach. The research was initially applied at Colegio Ciep 053 Dr. Nelson dos Santos Goncalves, in the municipality of Volta Redonda. Intended for three classes of 3rd year of high school, totaling 39 students. Due to the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus, the results were obtained using the questionnaire prior to the didactic sequence and some didactic sequence instruments as a data collection instrument. The questionnaire subsequent to the application of the Didactic Sequence, was not possible to apply. It was possible to consider that the students were unaware of the environmental impacts of improper disposal of batteries, they knew that there was a correct to discard, but they did not. After applying the didactic sequence, expect an understanding of the content of Electrochemistry, in addition to the environmental awareness of the participants. The educational product with versions for teachers was made available in order to make theteaching process of students more skillful, intending, in this way, to contribute to the reflection and the work of teachers and students in Chemistry Teaching.


Along with the main line of recovery, treatment and reuse of used cooking oil in the UK, combine with the function of relative regulations, directives and incentive policy. It introduces in detail the present situation of management about the reuse of the used cooking oil in the UK, and wish to provide a specific case for recycling economic practice of waste management in China.


We study the ground state of a Hamiltonian introduced by Kolb and Penson for modelling situations in which small electron pairs are formed. The Hamiltonian consists of a tight binding band term, and a term describing the nearest neighbour hopping of electron pairs. We give a Gutzwiller-type variational treatment, first with a single-parameter Ansatz treated in the single site Gutzwiller approximation, and then with more complicated trial wave functions, and an improved Gutzwiller approximation. The calculation yields a transition from a partially paired normal state, in which the spin susceptibility has a diminished value, into a fully paired state.


Idiopathic infantile ardac letrohy may be defined as infanle cardiomegly in the abce of detectable intraor extr-crdiac lesions or abnormal clory dynamics ble of causig cardiac enla ment. Wenbrg and Hinmelfarb,1 impsed, as were otlhers, by the striking e the endocardium of more than half of these cases, devised the term "endocardial fibroelastosis." They believed tha the stiffened endocardium was the cause of the cardiac "hypertroph' and suggested for it a congeital and anomalous development Since this offered both an etiology and a pthogenesis for more than one half of the cases, the term "idiopathic rc htropy was in lar measure rplaced by "e fibroelastosis." The former term has been ined, but only for instans of cardiomegly with normal endlocardium.2 In a preceding paperI it was sug d that idiopathic endocardial fibroelstosis, far from causg cardiegaly, is a result of cardic dilataon. In addito, the sclerotic endocardium is considered a support of, ra than an im t to, myocdial function. If this be true, the etiology of infantile cardiomegly with endocardial fibroelastosis aga becomes, as "idiathic infantile cardiac hypertrophy" has ained, a subject for investigation. The term "idiopathic cardiac hypertropWy idicates how firmly entreched is the concept that any significant increase of cardiac mass beyond nomal is a result of hypertrophy. This was not always so, and even today this iterpretation is occasionally lenged.47 Prior to the publication of Hepp's thesis in 1853,V wherein he suggested that hypetrpy was the mechnism of ardic growth, cardiomegaly and normal postnatal heart growth were thought to reflect myocardial hyperplsia alone, or hyperplasia and some hypertrophy. As late as 1875 Zi ko,' on the basis of experiments with frogs and rabbits and


After placing a stent in the main vessel of a bifurcation lesion, it is often necessary to perform further balloon inflation or stent placement through the stent struts in order to treat a lesion of the secondary vessel or side branch. This balloon inflation with dilatation through the cells of the stent in the main vessel results in stent strut disfigurement. This disfigurement causes various degrees of stenosis within the main vessel secondary to stent strut deformity. The degree of strut deformity, and therefore stenosis, may vary significantly depending on stent design and structure. A model of a bifurcation lesion with an angle of 45° was created from acrylic resin. The diameters of the main vessel and the secondary vessel were both 3.5 mm. Deployment of the Palmaz‐Schatz stent (PS, n = 5), NIR stent (n = 5), or Multi‐Link stent (n = 5) was performed in the main vessel with a 3.5‐mm balloon catheter inflated to 6 atm. A second 3.5‐mm balloon catheter was then inflated to 6 atm through the stent struts of the main vessel and into the ostium of the secondary vessel. The minimal lumen diameter (MLD) and cross‐sectional area (CSA) at the ostium of the side branch and the stenosis within the main vessel were then measured, taking into account the stent deformity that occurred. Kissing balloon dilatation with two 3.5‐mm balloon catheters was then performed and the stenosis secondary to stent deformity in the main vessel was remeasured. The MLD of the Multi‐Link stent at the side‐branch ostium was greater compared with those of the Palmaz‐Schatz stent or the NIR stent (2.4 ± 0.1, 1.6 ± 0.1, 1.7 ± 0.1 mm, P < 0.01) and CSA (4.9 ± 0.5, 2.7 ± 0.3, 2.5 ± 0.3 mm2, P < 0.01). Balloon inflation through the stent struts caused stent deformity that resulted in some degree of stenosis within the stent of the main vessel in all three stent types. Kissing balloon inflation reduced, but never eliminated, this stenosis. The percent stenosis in the main vessel secondary to stent deformity (PS 34% ± 9%, NIR 25% ± 8%, Multi‐Link 34% ± 7%, NS) and residual stenosis postkissing balloon inflation (PS 12% ± 1%, NIR 10% ± 3%, Multi‐Link 14% ± 3%, NS) were not significantly different among these three stents. At the side‐branch ostium, the MLD and CSA were significantly greater for the Multi‐Link stent compared with those of the Palmaz‐Schatz or NIR stent. Balloon inflation through the stent struts caused stent deformity that resulted in stenosis within the stent in the main vessel. Kissing balloon inflation reduced this stenosis, but some residual stenosis always remained. The stenoses within the main vessel did not differ among the three stent types. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 48:230–234, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


This study was done to clarify the influence of complex deterioration on fatigue reliability of thermal plastic in order to construct environmentally sound design system for energy machines. Especially, the influence of recycling process and high environmental temperature on fatigue crack propagation property of fiber-reinforced PA46 were experimentally examined. Main results were as follows ; (1) FCP property was declined remarkably by complex deterioration between elevated temrerature above Tg and recycling process. (2) From fractography using SEM, it could be understood that fibers were easy to pulled out because the matrix resin became ductile due to declining the dynamic elasticity at elevated temperature above Tg. (3) The interfacial bonding between matrix and fibers in specimens were become worse by recycling process and environmental temperature above Tg. Therefor it could be interpreted that the decline of FCP property was caused by the interfacial separation between matrix and fibers.


• When the Quarterly Projection Model (QPM) was first used in 1993 as the Bank's main projection and policy-analysis tool, it was considered state of the art among central bank models. • Since QPM's introduction, refinements in modelling techniques, combined with enormous increases in computing power, have led to the development of a new generation of macroeconomic models, commonly referred to as dynamic stochastic general-equilibrium models. The Bank of Canada's new projection and policy-analysis model, the Terms-of-Trade Economic Model, or ToTEM, is such a model. • ToTEM contains four distinct finishedproduct sectors as well as a commodityproducing sector. The move to a multiplegoods structure means that ToTEM can inform the judgment of Bank staff on a much wider variety of shocks, including relative price shocks. • ToTEM's parameters have been chosen to reflect more recent data in which the volatility and persistence of inflation have declined significantly. One implication of this change is that, in response to typical shocks, inflation returns to the 2 per cent target somewhat faster in ToTEM than in QPM, about six quarters, on average. n December 2005, the Terms-of-Trade Economic Model, or ToTEM, replaced the Quarterly Projection Model (QPM) as the Bank of Canada's principal projection and policy-analysis model for the Canadian economy.1 When it was introduced in September 1993, the aspirations for QPM were decidedly ambitious.2 It was intended to serve both as the main tool for producing the staff economic projection, which is a key input into the monetary policy decision process (see Macklem 2002), and as a research tool for analyzing significant changes in economic structure or macroeconomic policies that require a deeper understanding of the longer-term equilibrating forces at work in the economy. And by any metric, QPM was highly successful. It helped the staff to interpret the shocks that have hit the Canadian economy since its implementation and to understand many of the key Canadian macroeconomic issues of the 1990s.3 QPM also had a major impact on the modelling efforts of other inflation-targeting central banks throughout the world.4


The rank wudaifu, a tier nine nobility, was the dividing line between 600-dan officials and high level nobility during the Han dynasty. A look at historical data and related research shows that whenever noble ranks for military merit are spoken of, most discussion centers on the ranks of the wudaifu (or five senior officials). However, this rank was already being conferred during pre-Qin times-in our textus receptus we can see that at least Wei, Qin, and Zhao had a noble (and official) rank called wudaifu. During these pre-Qin times, generals who lead armies to war often held this rank, as it was bestowed on those who made major contributions to the state. In Shang Yang's political reformations in Qin, he established a 17-tiered rank system for military merit (below the first rank was another rank called xiaofu). In this system, wudaifu was listed as tier nine, which places it four ranks above the tier five daifu (which was the starting point for the high level ranks). Therefore, those that attained the rank wudaifu, in addition to the powers and authority given to the high level ranks (as delineated in the Book of Lord Shang), were exempt from corvee and their fief could be up to 600 households in size. When the First Emperor of Qin unified China, the political rights of wudaifu remained the same, with the exception being that now Qin controlled the whole of China as opposed to just a small section in the western borderlands. Historical records and unearthed bamboo strips both show that although their rights and privileges stayed the same, their fiefs were increased in size. Also, in 219 BC, the First Emperor bestowed the rank of wudaifu on the tree than shielded them from the rainstorm, and at the same time he lowered the rank of all those accompanying him and his advisors from the 10(superscript th) level common in the Warring States period to the 9(superscript th) tier of wudaifu. The First Emperor used his authority as emperor to raise the prestigious image of the rank wudaifu, which paved the way for its elevated political status. This took root in the minds of nobility, so that in the beginning of the Han dynasty (when Emperor Hui took the throne), wudaifu was tagged as the beginning rank of high nobility.


New York: Columbia University Press, 2013.  ISBN: 978-0-231-15992-0. 303 pp. Hardcover, US US $ 37.50 reviewed by Alex P. Schmid


With econometric modeling as methodology, this paper analyzes, at the microeconomic level, about the pollution performance of Chinese industrial enterprises, based on data from the survey of the 3000 key polluters across the nation and from the investigation of about 4000 polluting sources in the country carried out by Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES) in the middle of 1990s. Pollution abatement cost function for the plants and environmental demand function are established and based on these, marginal abatement costs for various pollutants and various sectors are put forward respectively. A preliminary economic evaluation for the environmental policies such as pollution levy etc. is conducted. The main contents of the paper are (1) pollution abatement costs; (2) pollution levy and discharge intensity; (3) environmental performance of industrial enterprises; (4) conclusions. 1.0 The Pollution Abatement Cost The pollution abatement cost and marginal abatement cost are the basic information about pollution treatment of industrial enterprises. They reflect, to a certain degree, the pollution control level of enterprises and the price of pollution. 1.1 Pollution Abatement Cost Function Traditionally, the abatement cost function is specified mainly by the data about the cost of pollution treatment equipment and the volume of the reduction of the pollutants. This kind of abatement cost function based on engineering model was used widely. In fact, when enterprises carry out pollution abatement, they have a lot of alternatives to choose such as clean production, adopting new treatment technology and improving abatement efficiency. In other words, pollution reduction of a enterprise is closely related to the whole process of production in the enterprise. Therefore, it is cost function based on the total production factors in the enterprise that reflects its pollution abatement cost more exactly. Since data on raw material, productivity, employment and power utilization are not available, it is difficult to establish a cost function based on the total production factors involved. Therefore, a direct abatement cost function is adopted in this paper. So far as a set of pollution treatment equipment concerned, there exists certain relationship between reduction of different pollutants. That is, when one pollutant is treated, other pollutants are treated simultaneously. For example, COD, BOD, and TSS are usually reduced at the same time by one set of wastewater treatment equipment. Accordingly, the cost function established is not for one single pollutant. Instead, it should include all the treated pollutants. For this, the following joint cost function is put forward. For the treatment with n kinds of pollutants in plant i, its abatement cost can be expressed as a function of the following variables:


In a recent communication ( 1), Gretz reported on the effect of unlnephrectomy in a rat model of spontaneous polycystic kidney disease, i.e., the heterozygous male Han:SPRD rat, which is currently considered the model that corresponds most closely to human autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). He found that renal survival was decreased by unlnephrectomy when performed at ages 3, 5, 6, or 7 months. This is in good agreement with our own experience (2): we found that unlnephrectomized male Han:SPRD, operated at age 6 wk, had higher serum urea concentrations, lower hemoglobin concentrations, higher blood pressures, and higher heart weight/body weight ratios at 150 days of age compared with sham-operated male Han:SPRD. Thus, our experience is in complete agreement with that of Gretz (1). Nevertheless, we caution to equate the heterozygous male Han:SPRD rat with human ADPKD, because important differences were noted. For instance, whereas in human ADPKD, the renin system is activated as indicated by basal and stimulated plasma renln (3) and by immunohistochemical staining for renin in renal structures, in the male heterozygous Han:SPRD, circulating renin and mRNA for renin decreased with time in parallel with increasing blood pressure and serum urea concentration (4), and treatment with enalapril early on did not affect renal survival (2). Certainly, in clinical studies, e.g., in our study, the effect of unlnephrectomy on progression in ADPKD patients (5) has intrinsic limitations. Any conclusion drawn must respect the sensitivity of the method. We are not certain, however, that the observation of no (major) acceleration of age at the time of renal death after unlnephrectomy in ADPKD patients Is in Irrecondilable conflict with the positive observation of such an acceleration in a rat model. Could it not be that humans are a poor model for the rat? M. Zeier J. Wagner E. Ritz Heidelberg, Germany


Leaving the earth: a challenge for a theology of incarnation The idea to leave the Earth belongs not only to the logic, but also to the mythology of the space adventure. Is it possible to articulate the prospect to leave the Earth, to colonize another celestial body, with the Judeo-Christian tradition which places at the center of its contents the promise of a territory (Israel) and the arrival on Earth (the incarnation) of God himself? This question would also have to be confronted to leave the Earth with that of a new Creation, like the pilgrim fathers had made formerly, at the time of the conquest of the New World.


The effects of molding conditions on interfacial adhesion and the structure of film insert injection moldings which consist of laminated PP film and PP resin were investigated. The film peel test was carried out to evaluate the interfacial adhesion properties. Three types of fracture modes were observed in the peel test. One was the interfacial delamination between film and injected PP which occurred when the film surface was heated below the melting temperature of the film ( _= 130•Ž) during injection molding. The other fracture modes were delamination between film layers of the film and film breakage. When the film surface was heated above 150•Ž, the molecular orientation in the film relaxed due to annealing effects by the heat from the injected PP resin, which caused a decrease in the strength of the film. On the contrary, when the film surface was heated between 140 and 150•Ž, no annealing occurred and because the molecular orientation of the film was not relaxed, the original strength of the film was maintained. Consequently, delamination between film layers occurred.