Aim: Protein tyrosine phosphatase‐1B (PTP‐1B) is an intracellular PTP known to dephosphorylate and inactivate upstream tyrosine phosphoproteins in the insulin signalling cascade. We and others reported increased abundance of catalytically impaired PTP‐1B in tissue lysates from obese human subjects with and without type 2 diabetes, while genetic knockout of PTP‐1B improves insulin sensitivity and prevents nutritionally mediated insulin resistance and obesity. The aim of the present work was to further elucidate the role of PTP‐1B in glucose metabolism in vivo.


The current study provides a broad overview of intercultural interaction in virtual reality (VR) settings made feasible by technology innovations, cultural components, and the usage of literary texts. The extensive usage of technology and social media by Generation Z molds their individuality and creates a new cultural realm. This study intends to analyze intercultural communication and language use in virtual spaces. It examines how the literary-based-cyber-culture influences, especially Generation Z. Additionally, the study delineates social media and literary texts usage to develop intercultural communication and how the students' engagement in VR or digital space shapes their perceptions, attitudes, behavior, identities, and culture. A qualitative descriptive technique as a methodological instrument is used to collect information to compare it to other approaches and conceptualize it from the standpoints of different EFL learners. The pedagogical potential of using literary texts in the digital world offers to develop intercultural discourse, foreign language acquisition, and instruction in the context of technology-integrated educational practices in foreign language education. Finally, the study suggests educational institutions and think tanks adopt an innovative and constructive view to improve global acceptance, tolerance, and communication.


Determining the weights in a combination forecasting is an important problem. We can translate the problem of computing weights into estimating the importance of attributes. Inclusion degree is one of the methods of computing importance of attributes. So this paper introduces a new method of computing weights based on inclusion degree. The example illustrates that the weights computed by inclusion degree have better usability than the weights computed by knowledge dependence property and entropy of information.


When predicting the performance of a powder compaction process, assessing the behaviour of the particles comprising the powder bed is of central relevance. Currently, however, no experimental metho ...


The generation of device drivers is a very time consuming and error prone activity. All the strategies proposed up to now to simplify this operation require a manual, even formal, specification of the device driver functionalities. In the system-level design, IP functionalities are tested by using testbenches, implemented to contain the communication protocols to correctly interact with the device. The aim of this paper is to present a methodology to automatically generate device drivers from the testbench of any RTL IP. The only manual step required is to tag the states corresponding to the different device functionalities. The Extended Finite State Machines (EFSMs) are then used to create a correct-by-construction two-level device driver: the lower level deals with architectural choices, while the higher one is derived from the EFSMs and it implements the communication protocols. The effectiveness of this methodology has been proved by applying it to a platform provided by STMicroelectronics.


In this paper, a general HIV model incorporating intracellular time delay is investigated. Taking the latent virus infection, both virus-to-cell and cell-to-cell transmissions into consideration, the model exhibits threshold dynamics with respect to the basic reproduction number $ \mathfrak{R}_0 $. If $ \mathfrak{R}_0 < 1 $, then there exists a unique infection-free equilibrium $ E_0 $, which is globally asymptotically stable. If $ \mathfrak{R}_0 > 1 $, then there exists $ E_0 $ and a globally asymptotically stable infected equilibrium $ E^* $. When $ \mathfrak{R}_0 = 1 $, $ E_0 $ is linearly neutrally stable and a forward bifurcation takes place without time delay around $ \mathfrak{R}_0 = 1 $. The theoretical results and corresponding numerical simulations show that the existence of latently infected cells and the intracellular time delay have vital effect on the global dynamics of the general virus model.


Based on the poor flexibility and operability of indexes in the constructed index system of water resources management and the inadequacy of the index selection and research,this paper utilized the data mining technology from the data aspect,finding out the relationships among indicators and the knowledge hidden in the data.The water resources management system had been initially established.Taking Beijing City as a case study on the attribute subset selection of water resources management data,through the validation of the rationality of target layer and the elimination of the irrelevant attributes,the application of J48 decision tree algorithm,the knowledge hidden in the data had been found out.This paper makes up the inadequate study on index selection and research of water resources management,providing a method and technical reference and basis for the index selection and quantification.


We introduce the study of isolated singularities for a semilinear equation involving the fractional Laplacian. In conformal geometry, it is equivalent to the study of singular metrics with constant fractional curvature. Our main ideas are: first, to set the problem into a natural geometric framework, and second, to perform some kind of phase portrait study for this non-local ODE.


Biosynthesis of 1, 3-propanediol (1, 3-PD) from glycerol needs NADH as a coenzyme to provide H(superscript +). Deficiency of NADH causes the accumulation of intermediate metabolite 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde and inhibits the activity of glycerol dehydratase, which has the further negative effect on biosynthesis of 1, 3-propanediol and cell growth. To resolve this problem, two recombinant plasmids, pEtac-dhaB-tac-yqhD harboring the genes encoding glycerol dehydratase (DHAB) and 1, 3-propanediol oxidoreductase isoenzyme (YQHD) from Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli, and pUC-tac-dhaT harboring the genes encoding 1, 3-propanediol oxidoreductase, were constructed and coexpressed by polycistronic expression and coexistence of incompatible plasmids transformed into E. coli JM109 (pEtac-dhaB-tac-yqhD/pUC-tac-dhaT). A stable two-plasmid expression system was obtained, and it could convert glycerol to 1, 3-PD by using both NADH and NADPH, so as to eliminate the accumulation of 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde and raise the yield of 1, 3-PD. The fermentation results demonstrated that the yield of 1, 3-PD of recombinant strain E. coli JM109 was increased by 28.6 %.


This is an inter-disciplinary work which links a historical problem with a scientific and technologic solution based on the contribution of geography and cartography. It emerged from an investigation on the relationship between native societies and cattle introduced by Europeans in the Pampas, and with the trade networks and moving of people and animals which took place during the period of Indian autonomy. For colonial times, there is no abundance of sources that reveal the paths followed by natives; that is what gives a special meaning to the document viewed here, which consists on the description of a journey made by Juan Llampilanguen in 1804. This cacique departed from Trupf-Trupf in the current IX Region in Chile, and arrived at the Laguna del Monte in the province of Buenos Aires. The goal of the work is to rescue a good part of the mentioned route, up to the Guardia del Monte, adding up an overall distance of about 1,450 km. In zones where the path was not clear, the criterion used kept in mind that, given the transfer conditions at that time, the route used by a group which moved on horseback and carrying animals could only spread through places which had water availability over short distances. The methodology included the use of historical sources with ancient mapuche place names, which in part were thankfully conserved over considerable time; the cartographic base was a SRTM elevation model and Google Earth shots; and the utilized Geographical Information System (GIS) was ArcGIS 10.0, whose buffer tools were used to connect the relevant locations. In this way, the diverse tools and applications in SIG have helped to recover the trace of old communication routes in regions which, being out of colonial control, were badly known by authorities of imperial bureaucracy, and were not kept in their cartography.


For multi-target tracking, the IMM (interactive multiple model) algorithm has been proposed. The IMM is expected to reduce tracking errors for both nonmaneuvering and maneuvering targets. However, the IMM requires a heavy computational burden, because it utilizes multiple Kalman filters in parallel. On the other hand, the Kalman filter with a turning acceleration estimator, which can adapt a maneuvering target, has been proposed. The Kalman filter with a turning acceleration estimator is a single two-stage type filter and has a problem of setting threshold for the maneuver detector. In this paper, we propose the hybrid filter with a constant-velocity (CV) filter and a turning acceleration estimation filter. The proposed filter does not require a maneuver detector, because it integrates the outputs of two filters using the likelihood of each filter. And its computational requirement is smaller than the IMM, since it consists of only two Kalman based filters. The proposed method can prevent deteriorating tracking accuracy by reducing the risk of maneuver misdetection when a target maneuvers. We evaluate the performance of the proposed filter by computer simulation, and show the effectiveness of the proposed filter, comparing with the conventional Kalman filter and the two-stage Kalman filter.


The phase change materials (PCMs) can absorb, store or release large latent heat over a defined temperature range while the materials change phase or state, so they can be potentially used in thermal energy storage. In this paper, a series of microencapsulated phase change materials (MicroPCMs) with n-octadecane and n-dodecanol as core were successfully fabricated respectively, where the styrene-based copolymer, acrylic based copolymer, melamine-formaldehyde resin and polyurea were selected as shell materials. The morphology of these MicroPCMs was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the core-shell structure and the shell thickness of microcapsules were also characterized by SEM. In addition, the phase change properties of MicroPCMs were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. Furthermore, thermal-regulated calcium alginate fiber was produced by adding MicroPCMs in wet-spinning process; and the effects of various types of MicroPCMs on fiber was discussed.


The Tracker video analysis program allows users to overlay simple dynamical models on a video clip. Video modeling offers advantages over both traditional video analysis and animation-only modeling. In traditional video analysis, for example, students measure "g" by tracking a dropped or tossed ball, constructing a position or velocity vs. time graph, and interpreting the graphs to obtain initial conditions and acceleration. In video modeling, by contrast, the students interactively construct theoretical force expressions and define initial conditions for a dynamical particle model that synchs with and draws itself on the video. The behavior of the model is thus compared directly with that of the real-world motion. Tracker uses the Open Source Physics code library so sophisticated models are possible. I will demonstrate and compare video modeling with video analysis and I will discuss the advantages of video modeling over animation-only modeling. The Tracker video analysis program is available at: . Partial funding was provided by NSF grant DUE-044258


This paper proposed to delimit as an object of study the "Challenges faced by Public Education in Brazil", without the purpose of verifying the quality of education in the national territory. We understand that it is necessary for the school, the family and the community to walk together, so that socio-educational quality can be achieved. Therefore, an analysis of the main productions available on the subject is necessary. Although access to Elementary Education is practically universal, Brazil still faces the great problem of the precarious quality of education offered in its schools. Thus, the general objective of this work is to analyze the strategies that can be used by the school, the family and the community to implement the qualification of public education, specifically in Paraíba. Thus, subsidies to exercise and studies on the subject arise. This work is bibliographic and documental, under a qualitative approach, since it is understood as a social quality strategy and legal regulations through documents and bibliographic materials related to the strategies can be used by the school, family and community, to carry out the qualification of the public education, in Paraíba.


SUMMARY Remote Sensing imagery provides valuable information for urban mapping and 3-D modelling of urban landscape. The 3-D models can increase the understanding and explanation of complex urban scenarios and supports in the decision making processes. The geospatial remote sensing information have a complex structure involving space, time and presentation. Urban building models are typically acquired by semi-automatic processing of Laser scanner elevation data or aerial imagery. For large urban scenarios LIDAR data can be utilized. Most of the 3-D urban modeling methods are designed to use remote sensing data. The main source of data for the production of urban landscape models and 3-D city models were aerial images, terrestrial images, map data, and data derived from ancillary mapping and surveying. So, the multiple interactively linked views are providing different perspectives into the data which has become a kind of standard in geovisualisation of urban landscape. There are various concepts, algorithms, and approaches used in the 3-D digital modelling which requires proper evaluation before their usages for real world 3-D urban landscape. Whereas it is found that there is common approach to consider the behaviour of built-up area and population density over the spatial and temporal changes which has taken place in most of the cases of spatial pattern of urban sprawl. The urban sprawl is the process of transformation of rural areas into urban areas due to in-migration, industrial growth and transport network infrastructure development. The 3-D models have become important for various applications as urban planning, enhanced navigation and visualization of urban objects in geography and urban studies.


thoroughly elitist, evolving as a splinter of the Republican People's Party (which Zurcher insists on considering as a latter-day expression of the Young Turk movement). In fact, it was not until the emergence of the Justice Party in the 1960s that Turkey developed a genuine grass-roots party. As for the contemporary situation, Zurcher correctly argues that the two greatest problems confronting Turkey are the Kurdish uprising and the continuing economic crisis. Neither of these problems has receded since this book went to press. Indeed, if anything, conditions have worsened on both these fronts since the death of President Ozal, his replacement by the intrepid Siileyman Demirel and the succession of the first woman prime minister in Turkish (or Middle Eastern—excluding Pakistan) history. Zurcher is probably correct in his speculation that Ozal would have handled the Kurdish problem in a more political vein, rather than giving the military a free hand as the current government seems to have done. The book includes both a bibliographic survey and a set of biographical notes covering nearly 100 individuals from both the Ottoman and Republican eras. The latter is a useful device, and there is little to quibble about, save a couple of minor details: Siileyman Demirel, for example, is made four years older than he actually is; Biilent Ecevit is reported as unseating ismet inonii from party leadership in 1973 rather than 1972; and, more importantly, the Pan-Turkist Nihal Atsiz is described as "quite influential" during the cold war. (When this reviewer sought Atsiz out for interview in the mid-1950s, he was so obscure as almost to be in hiding.) The bibliographical survey is extensive (seventeen tightly packed pages), and includes helpful comments about each source cited. It is evident that Zurcher has little patience with American-style social science. Walter Weiker's book on the Free Party of 1930 is deemed "useful" despite the fact that it is "very much the work of a political scientist," for example. More significantly, some quite important books are missing from this survey, for example, Ergun Ozbudun and Aydi Ulusan's excellent collection of essays on The Political Economy of Income Distribution in Turkey (Holmes and Meier, 1980), and Robert Bianchi's highly insightful study of interest groups, Interest Groups and Political Development in Turkey (Princeton University Press, 1984). Given Ziircher's evident sympathy for the economic and social underdog, these omissions are particularly hard to justify. Even more surprising is the casual glossing over what Zurcher admits is "a great outburst of anthropological studies" on grounds that they "fall outside the scope of this survey." In sum, this account of the last two centuries of Ottoman-Turkish history is an excellent introduction to a complex subject, but it is hoped that either Professor Zurcher (who clearly has the ability to do the job) or someone else will undertake the important task of crafting a truly comprehensive and penetrating analysis of an intriguing historical phenomenon.


Evidence suggests parents experience unique pandemic-related stressors related to isolation, food insecurity, school closures, and unemployment. This study examined 1,048 U.S. parents' depression, anxiety, stress, and alcohol and substance use behaviors during March and April 2020 to better understand the impact of pandemic-related conditions on parents' mental health. Mean scores indicated severe levels of depression and stress and extremely severe anxiety. Nearly two thirds (74.7%) indicated alcohol use in the past month, with 26.5% scoring in the range for problem alcohol use. Almost half of the sample reported using at least one substance in the previous 2 weeks. Men had significantly higher alcohol consumption and substance use than women. Depression, anxiety, and stress were higher for parents who consumed alcohol or substances and had a history of depression or anxiety. The long-term impact of COVID-19 is unknown, and mental health care is likely to be in high demand moving forward.


Online gaming is consistently changing with the use of new technologies and seen as making an impact on consumers' sustainable lifestyles. The gaming avatars have influenced low avatar identification players to engage in physical and learning activities through massively multiplayer online (MMO) game genre. The fundamental purpose of the study is to classify the association of an avatar with consumer's behavioural intention for exercise and to consume healthy food. This study incorporates three theories: social cognitive theory (SCT), social determination theory (SDT) and player-avatar identification (PAI) theory to determine its four dimensions' impact on exercise and healthy food intention to attain a sustainable healthy lifestyle. SCT is related to human cognitive behaviour in the light of immersive experience, self-presence, and enjoyment. SDT related to the physical aspects of consumers that are exercise intention and consumption of healthy food. The results have shown that immersive experience, self-presence and enjoyment do impact the consumer's behavioural intention towards an individual's sustainability.


An efficient noise suppression algorithm for speech signals is presented; it is based on auditory-like filters. The algorithm processes in three steps. First, the noise spectral energy is estimated after corrupted speech is input into a set of auditory-like filters. A statistical estimation method based on multi-band filters is proposed and compared with the weighted average. The second step is to eliminate the estimated noise spectrum from the observed signal by spectral subtraction. Finally, an auditory-based feature is extracted from the enhanced signal and introduced into the ASR system. The noise suppression algorithm is evaluated in a speaker-dependent Chinese digit experiment and experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can improve the automatic speech recognition performance in a noisy environment.


The popularity of video analysis in sports in general, and golf in particular, has recently risen. However, research in the area of video analysis has lagged well behind these trends in current coaching practice. The current study was designed to assess changes in performance as a result of using video feedback as part of an instructional session. Forty-eight golfers (24 novices; 24 skilled players) performed a pre-test in which twelve swings were recorded using an indoor launch monitor system. The participants were then randomly assigned to a lesson in one of three groups: 1) Verbal coaching (V), 2) Verbal +Video coaching (V+V), and 3) Self-Guided (SG) practice. All groups were then retested to determine the extent to which the various training conditions impacted overall swing characteristics. The results indicated that the positive effects of video feedback were: A) limited in scope, and b) observed to a greater extent in more skilled performers. The results suggest that while more skilled players were able to glean useful timing information from video feedback, these same conditions may in fact impede the learning process in novice performers.


This paper describes the design and implementation of a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) sequence in chemistry that links a lower-division, organic chemistry course to an upper-division, analytical chemistry course. The focus of student research is on blood preservation using trehalose derivatives in order to mimic the tardigrade, a microscopic extremophile, which produces sugar molecules to survive desiccation and freezing. Students created a library of modified sugar molecules in the organic CURE and then evaluated the behavior of those molecules within membranes in the analytical CURE. The CURE sequence has been run with three student cohorts which were selected to match the demographics of all students in the course. This article details the student selection process, the course design, the faculty implementation, and revisions. Fidelity of the CURE is demonstrated with survey results. We also describe adaptation of the research courses to accommodate the COVID-19 restrictions.


The H.264/AVC is known as the emerging video coding standard which provides better video quality at a lower bit-rate than the previous ones thanks to many advances in coding technology. These prominent techniques are applied to remove efficiently spatial and temporal redundancies. However, because many coding tools have been adopted it makes the encoding system much more complex, especially the inter-prediction part of the coding system. This paper presents an efficient VLSI implementation for Inter-Prediction in the H.264/AVC encoders with three key proposals: full search algorithm with bandwidth efficient technique, pipelining technique, and data reuse strategy. With this approach, the Inter-Prediction has been efficiently implemented with a low cost in terms of latency, hardware area and memory bandwidth.


Vibration control of a Quarter car model is one of the important factor to improve the travel comfort of the passenger. Many researchers developed control strategies for 2 Degree Of Freedom (DOF) quarter car model. In this paper, travel comfort of the passenger is analyzed by designing and simulating the Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC), Sliding Mode Controller (SMC) and Fuzzy SMC (FSMC) for an 8 DOF quarter car with integrated Seat suspension and Driver model. While testing the performance of the controllers, the system is subjected to four types of road disturbance individually. The responses are compared with each other along with the passive system. The results show that FSMC reduced the Vibration (89.97%) than the FLC, SMC and passive system.


Complex systems are typically represented by large ensembles of observations. Correlation matrices provide an efficient formal framework to extract information from such multivariate ensembles and identify in a quantifiable way patterns of activity that are reproducible with statistically significant frequency compared to a reference chance probability, usually provided by random matrices as fundamental reference. The character of the problem and especially the symmetries involved must guide the choice of random matrices to be used for the definition of a baseline reference. For standard correlation matrices this is the Wishart ensemble of symmetric random matrices. The real world complexity however often shows asymmetric information flows and therefore more general correlation matrices are required to adequately capture the asymmetry. Here we first summarize the relevant theoretical concepts. We then present some examples of human brain activity where asymmetric time-lagged correlations are evident and hence highlight the need for further theoretical developments.


Objective To explore the diagnostic value of transvaginal Doppler colored sonorgraphy for ectopic pregnancy.Methods 221 cases of ectopic pregnancy confirmed by laparoscopic operation and pathology were examined with transvaginal Doppler colored sonography,and compared with pathological results.Results In the 221 cases of ectopic pregnancy,215 of them were firmly diagnosed by transvaginal Doppler colored sonography,and the other 6 were misdiagnosed and missed.Thus the diagnostic accordance rate was 97.3%,and the misdiagnosed and missed rate was 2.7%.Conclusion The trandvaginal Doppler colored sonography has great diagnostic value on ectopic pregnancy.


of paper presented at the first annual meeting of the Section on Nenrochemistry, American Academy of Neurology, Boston, April 27, 1957. Aided by a grant (B-756) from the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness, National Institutes of Health.


Squamous papilloma is one of the common lesions of oral cavity. These are about less than 1cm size and care should be taken in diagnosing them as they resemble verruciform xanthoma, condyloma etc . Papilloma occurs most commonly on tongue, lips and soft palate. We present a case report of oral squamous papilloma that occurred on right labial mucosa of lower lip. Tissue was surgically excised and subjected to histopathological examination. Histopathological reports confirmed the lesion as squamous papilloma. Post operatively patient had no complications and healing was fine.


This paper describes the design and implementation of an integrated direct digital synthesizer with a 10-bit on-chip digital-to-analog converter using a 0.5-/spl mu/m CMOS technology. The DDS chip operates at 100-MHz maximum clock frequency under 3.3-V supply voltage, with 32-bit frequency, 12-bit phase and 10-bit amplitude resolution. The chip provides sinusoidal, sawtooth, ramp, square and random waveforms with phase and frequency modulation, and power-down function, occupies 12-mm/sup 2/ die area, and dissipates 0.4 W at 100-MHz clock rate. At 25-MHz sinusoidal output, the measured worst-case spurious noise is -65 dBc and the phase noise is -119 dBc/Hz at 100-kHz frequency offset.


The importance and utility of proper crystal-chemical and geometrical reasoning in structural studies is demonstrated through the consideration of layered single and double hydroxides. New yet fundamental information is provided and it is evident that the crystal chemistry of the double hydroxide phases is much more straightforward than is apparent from the literature.


FASTCAMAC is a proposed extension to the CAMAC standard which adds a block transfer capability with data transfer rates as high as 60 megabytes per second. It is designed to be compatible with normal CAMAC. Normal CAMAC modules and FASTCAMAC modules can operate together in a standard CAMAC crate without interference. The draft specification has been completed and will be presented to the NIM committee for inclusion in the CAMAC standard.


A heat pipe is two-phase heat transfer device which relies on surface tension and capillary pressure to provide a very efficient heat transfer mechanism. Currently, there is interest in designing micro nuclear power reactors using high temperature heat pipes to provide totally passive cooling. To support this, Sockeye is being developed as a heat pipe simulation capability. To support the development of Sockeye, individual phenomena must be tested. This work focuses on applying a CFD model to evaluate friction factors for use in Sockeye. A CFD model has been developed in Nek5000 which simulates each component fluid, i.e. sodium liquid and vapor, independently and captures the effects of the wick on friction factor. The model tests the effect of the wick permeability and the thickness of the wick occupied by each fluid component. The thickness of the wick occupied by each component can be directly related to the local vapor volume fraction from the Sockeye heat pipe model. Results from the CFD model indicate that friction factor in the liquid flow decreases with increasing wick permeability, while the friction factor in the vapor flow increases with increasing wick permeability. In the liquid, this is likely a direct result of the increased cross sectional area available for the flow. For the vapor, this is explained as the wick acting like a rough wall, while the increased area has only a negligible impact. Results for the tests of the thickness of the wick occupied by each fluid showed a thresholding behavior for both liquid and vapor. When the thickness of the wick occupied by each fluid was increased, it increased the effect of the wick, but only up to a certain point. Once a certain thickness was reached, the friction factors remained constant. When the fluid occupied only a very small fraction of the wick, friction factors returned to nominal values.


Tetyana Azarova, Ph.D. Tetyana Azarova earned a Ph.D. in organizational development and change. She has professional experience in corporate finance and is also a former professional chess player. Tetyana is currently in transition, shifting her focus to human consciousness evolution, spirituality, personal and organizational development. She was born in Ukraine and has lived and worked in the U.S. for the past 20 years.


Remarkable enhancement in green and red upconversion (UC) emissions by 124 and 88%, respectively was achieved whereas down‐conversion (DC) luminescence in NIR‐II region (~1540 nm) was improved by 20% in Th4+ co‐doped YF3:Yb3+,Er3+ nanocrystalline particles. The same is ascribed to lowering of symmetry via formation of asymmetric Er‐F bonds and less symmetric Y3+ sites due to distortions on Th4+ co‐doping. Benefiting from the distinct temperature response of stark sublevels of the 4S3/2 and 4F9/2 states, we have proposed a strategy for luminescence intensity ratios (LIR) based thermometry involving thermally coupled (TCL) stark sub‐levels. This can be promising in more accurate temperature read‐out at cryogenic temperatures (~ ‐193 oC). Using the same, high Sa and Sr values of 0.0139 K‐1 (80 K) and 0.682 %K‐1(80 K) were obtained for 4S3/2 (1)/ 4S3/2 (2) → 4I15/2 transitions. Higher Sa and Sr values of 0.226 K‐1 (80 K) and 2.627 %K‐1(80 K) were obtained for 4F9/2 (1)/ 4F9/2 (2) → 4I15/2 transitions. The high sensitivity values were obtained than that reported for the YF3 host. We believe this work with improved UC luminescence on Th4+ addition will be boon to cryogenic temperature‐sensing.


While engaged in collecting material to complete the series of stages on the development of the opossum, Didelphys virginiana, we have recently come upon a polyembryonic blastocyst containing four embryos. The history of the female from which this specimen was taken is as follows: The female (no. 300) came from the wild, and was received at the laboratory on January 20. It was anaesthetized and the left uterus removed at 9.26 p.m. that evening. This uterus had six normal blastocysts, each measuring between 10 and 11 mm. in diameter and containing an embryo in the early somite stage. The incision was closed and the animal allowed to live until the next day, when she was killed at 12.15 p.m. In addition to the polyembryonic blastocyst, the right uterus was found to contain one dead vesicle above 7 mm. in diameter, and six normal blastocysts, each with an embryo. The average normal blastocyst from the right uterus measured about 14.9 mm. in diameter (fig. 7), while the polyembryonic specimen is not quite as large, measuring only about 12.88 mm. in diameter (fig. 4). In the fist place, it represents one of those rare cases in which a polyembryonic blastocyst has been discovered in a multiparous mammal. In the second place, it may have a bearing on the possibility of normal polyembryony occurring in Marsupials, as reported by Bluntschli ('13) for the South American opossum, Didelphys marsupiales. Finally, as will be shown later, the For several reasons this case is of especial interest.


This paper try to find out the reasonable technique of heat-treatment for PC steel bar,including the temperature of quenching and tempering and the cooling fashion after tempering,by means of heat-treatment experiments of steel grade.These steel bars,only in the conditions of a reasonable range of chemical composition and heat-treatment technique,can have thesame mechanical properties of those of Japan.All of that provide basis for producing domestic PC steel bar products.


Time-lapse seismic data acquisition and processing is a mature technology to monitor changes of rock properties due to hydrocarbon production. The same efficiency is expected from this technology to monitor carbon dioxide (CO2) injected in underground reservoirs. Since 1996, Statoil has injected more than 11 million tons of CO2 in a saline aquifer of the Sleipner field (Norwegian North Sea). This Carbon Capture and Storage (CSS) industrial pilot is now considered as an international reference site. To insure an accurate monitoring, seismic surveys are carried out every two years or so, thus providing the research community with an exceptional series of 3D seismic datasets. In order to further characterize the CO2 injection into the Sleipner saline aquifer, we present here the results of a joint stratigraphic inversion of time-lapse seismic data. This approach has been applied to the 1994 and 2006 vintages to obtain detailed estimates of the elastic parameters within the aquifer. After a presentation of the joint pre-stack stratigraphic inversion methodology, we focus on the quantitative analysis of the inverted elastic parameters to demonstrate the efficiency of the joint inversion with respect to independent inversions of the successive datasets.


The Macauba Palm fruits (Acrocomia aculeata) can be a promising source of vegetable oil for food purposes, cosmetics and energy, due to the high productivity and by generate two types of oils. However, the main problem is associated with the rapid deterioration of the fruit and the pulp oil acidification. Thus the preservation of fruit quality requires the development and application of appropriate techniques that must starts in the harvest, go through post-harvest treatment, storage, preparation and ends in the extraction of its oils. The objective of this study was to identify post-harvest treatments using simple and inexpensive techniques that promote the preservation of Macauba fruit and pulp oil during 30 days of storage. The results indicate that in order to maintaining the quality of the fruit and its oil the recommendation is to realize the processing in a shorter time after harvest. Keywords— Acrocomia aculeata, Macauba pulp oil, post-harvest treatments.


Four kinds of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase minics were synthesized with malic acid and tartaric acid reacting to alkaline copper carbonate, and zinic carbonate, and characterized by IR,UV and elemental analysis. The biological activities of the complexes were tested by means of pyrogallol autoxidation. The results showed that the compounds coordinating with Cu,Zn and tartaric acid were of O_2~(·-) inhibitory activities, its p I _(50) values were 2.52 and 2.21,respectivily.


PURPOSE: A device and a method for multimedia streaming using a P2P(Peer-to-Peer) method are provided to carry out a streaming service of the multimedia data by using a client receiving the data once as a temporary server for a client group including the client. CONSTITUTION: The client(302) comprises a streaming receiving daemon(305) and a cooperative caching daemon(303). When the client(302) requests the video data, the client(302) searches that one client included in the client group of the client(302) stores the video data. If one of the clients does not store the video data, the client(302) receives the video data from a server(301). If one of the clients stores the video data, the client(302) requests the video transmission to the cooperative caching daemon(303) of the corresponding client, and the streaming receiving daemon(305) receives the video data. If each client(302) receives the video data, the client(302) temporarily stores the video data in a local disk(307) of the client(302), and transmits a list of the video data to the server(301).


The article discusses the implementation of innovation in forage production of the agricultural enterprise. The technique of calculating the structure of sown forage crops.


Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) encompasses a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by dysregulation of brain iron metabolism leading to accumulation of iron in the basal ganglia and substantia nigra. The causative genes for some of the core syndromes include pantothenate kinase 2 (PANK2); phospholipase A2, group VI (cytosolic, calcium-dependent) (PLA2G6,); fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H); chromosome 19 open reading frame 12 (C19orf12); ATPase type 13A2 (ATP13A2); ceruloplasmin (ferroxidase) (CP); and FNSrelated tyrosine kinase 1 (FTL1). De novo mutations in WD repeat domain 45 (WDR45) were recently described that cause static encephalopathy of childhood with neurodegeneration in adulthood (SENDA), a subtype of NBIA. Because WDR45 encodes a beta-propeller scaffold protein, the term beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (BPAN) was suggested for this entity. We report a novel, heterozygous splice-site mutation in WDR45: c.342-2A>C. A 15 year-old girl was evaluated for intellectual disability, spastic quadriparesis, and dystonia. At age 2 years, she had presented with global developmental delay and spastic quadriparesis. An initial evaluation, including karyotype and metabolic tests, was normal; but brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed delayed myelination with a hint of cerebral atrophy. She later developed seizures. At age 13 years, she developed generalized dystonia, and repeat brain MRI images showed T2 hypointensities in the globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and red nucleus in addition to cerebral and cerebellar atrophy and hypomyelination (Fig. 1). The respective areas were faintly hyperintense on the T1-weighted images. These findings are now recognized as characteristic for BPAN. In addition, there was bilateral hippocampal sclerosis. Sequence analysis of the PANK2, PLA2G6, and FAH2 genes; chromosome microarray analysis; and mitochondrial genome next-generation sequencing were normal. Whole-exome sequencing identified a novel, de novo splice site mutation, c.342-2A>C, in WDR45. As seen in our patient, BPAN is characterized by global developmental delay, which is static until adolescence or early adulthood, when there is sudden, rapidly progressive onset of parkinsonism, dystonia, and cognitive decline. Epilepsy (either focal or generalized) has been reported in half of patients with WDR45 mutations. Eye movement abnormalities, including supranuclear gaze palsy, can be present in patients with SENDA and other NBIA disorders. Our patient had mild bilateral optic atrophy, which has been described in NBIA type 2 (caused by mutations in PLA2G6) and mitochondrial membrane-associated neurodegeneration, but this is the first report within the subgroup of BPAN. The same applies to the bilateral sensory neural hearing loss seen in our patient. Other comorbidities reported with BPAN are sleep disorders, psychiatric disorders, and stereotypies. Our patient was started on carbidopa/levodopa (L-dopa), which seemed to help with her dystonia. Many drugs, including dopaminergic agents, tetrabenazine, and anticholinergics, have been used for NBIA disorders with some symptom relief but do not halt neurodegeneration. Unfortunately, the effect of carbidopa/L-dopa in BPAN is usually short-lived. Deep-brain stimulation has some benefit in individuals cases of NBIA but has not been reported in patients with BPAN. With a better understanding of the role of beta-propeller scaffold protein in autophagy and neurodegeneration, newer therapeutic interventions may arise. In summary, BPAN is a distinct group of NBIA with characteristic clinical and MRI findings. Testing for WDR45 mutations may help find a definitive diagnosis in patients with NBIA that previously was considered idiopathic. FIG. 1. This image shows bilateral, symmetric, hypointense, T2/gradient-echo signal in the globus pallidus. Diffuse hypomyelination of the peripheral subcortical fibers also is noted bilaterally.


Integrated monitoring of atmospheric deposition, soil, vegetation, and inland water is required to evaluate effects of atmospheric deposition on ecosystems qualitatively and quantitatively. For this purpose, the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) has promoted case studies on catchment-scale analysis in several forest types of the East Asian region, including a tropical seasonal forest in Sakaerat, Thailand; a tropical rainforest in Danum Valley, Malaysia; and a temperate coniferous forest in Kajikawa, Japan. The similar catchment-scale monitoring has also been conducted in the catchment of Lake Ijira in Japan, one of the EANET sites. Several factors, including climate, hydrology, geology, soil, vegetation, and atmospheric deposition may affect stream water chemistry. In the tropical catchments, stream water chemistry at the Sakaerat site changed significantly from the beginning to middle of wet season, reflecting the distinct climatic seasonality, while that at the Danum Valley site was regulated mainly by water discharge. In the temperate catchments, atmospheric deposition may have a larger role; acidification of soil and/or stream water has been seen with high sulfur and nitrogen depositions. Data and experience from these case studies will also be informative for development of biogeochemical model applicable to the East Asian catchments.


We determine the L p-L q-estimate of the linear equations of thermoelasticity for rhom-bic media in R 2. For this purpose we will transform the equations to an evolution equation showing that this equation has a unique solution with the help of the semigroup theory. In order to obtain the L p-L q-estimate, we will first apply the Fourier transformation to the evolution equation, thus determining the spectral representation of the solution. Then we will expand the eigenvalues of the Fourier transform operator using the Newton polygon procedure. The L p-L q-estimate is finally obtained by applying the method of stationary phase.


The invention pertains to the technical field of biological discrimination, in particular to a method for discriminating indica rice from japonica rice by utilizing molecular markers of rice DNA insertion or deletion. The method obtains 34 pairs of differential DNA primers designed by InDel differential fragment by making a comparison of whole genome sequence between indica rice cultivar 93-11 and japonica rice cultivar (Nipponbare). The DNA extraction, the amplification and ionophortic separation of DNA fragments and the analysis and calculation of an electrophoretogram of a target rice cultivar are carried out to discriminate indica rice from japonica rice. Precisely speaking, the 34 pairs of InDel primer groups are utilized and analysis and calculation are carried out according to a finger-print obtained on the basis of a polymerase chain reaction and vertical slab gel electrophoresis; the characteristics of indica rice or japonica rice of rice samples detected are worked out according to the average frequency (Fi or Fj) showing on indica rice alleles and japonica rice alleles on 34 InDel locuses. The invention has the advantages of simple, fast and convenient method, few samples for detection and correct discrimination results, thus having good prospect of promotion and application.


The purpose of this study was to determine whether Infrared (IR) laser bio-stimulation accelerates the rate of healing of burnt children. Twenty burnt patients from Kasr El-Ainy Hospital (Burn Unit), ranging in age between 10 and 13 years participated in the study. They were randomly divided into two groups of equal number (control and study) groups. Patients in the control group received daily treatment of physical therapy program, comprising positioning, stretching and remedial exercises. On the other hand, patients belonging to the study group were exposed to the same physical therapy program in addition to IR laser for the burnt area for 10 minutes for each area. Treatment continued for both groups of patients for eight successive weeks. The wound surface area was assessed before and after the suggested period of treatment, using the metric graph paper method. The passive range of wrist dorsi-flexion was also assessed, using a LCD goniometer. Furthermore, the present pain intensity scores were assessed. The collected data after termination of the suggested period of treatment of both groups revealed significant improvement in the study group, utilizing the IR laser therapy, compared to those of the control group. Furthermore, a similar improvement was also noted in comparing the results of the study group, before and after treatment. Such an improvement included reduction of the wound area and pain intensity scores in addition to an increase in the wrist dorsi-flexion ROM. So, it should be stressed that utilization of IR laser irradiation in combination with the traditional physical therapy modalities is more effective in treating burnt areas than using traditional modalities only.


The Korea Emissions Trading System that was launched in Jan. 2015 is expected to be a crucial policy measure to abate domestic CO2 emission. For accomplishing its purpose, prior information on the price discovery process needs to be presented in order to facilitate the trading of spot allowances with different vintages. We develope a customized pricing method for Korean ETS using the concept of term structure and the cost of carry model.


Vitreoscilla is a gram-negative bacterium that contains a unique bacterial hemoglobin and grows very well under the condition of low oxygen concentration. It also contain a bacterial catalase to be not correspond with another species on genus Beggiatoa. The primary function of Vitreoscilla catalase may be to remove hydrogen peroxide produced by ViWb oxidation. The molecular size of the catalase was estimated to be approximately 250,000 Da. The subunit structure of this enzyme may be A₂B₂ (A : MW 64,000 Da, B : MW 58,000 Da) but is not clear in the research reported here. Optimum pH is 7.0∼8.0 for catalase activity and Soret peak on absorption spectra of oxidized catalase is represented in 406 ㎚ and Soret peak of reduced form from sodium dithionite moved at 442 ㎚. Vitreoscilla catalase is unstable a high tempernture, and its Michealis constant, K_m was 0.016 M hydrogen peroxide. The turnover number of the enzyme was 25,000 mol. The 0.25 mM potassium cyanide was competitive inhibitor and the dissociation constant of the enzyme-inhibitor complex was 0.67 mM. N-terminal amino acid sequences of two subunits are determined for the probe synthesis using to the cloning of Vitreoscilla catalase gene.


Three configurations of small open-slot antennas have been implemented and investigated. The bandwidths of three different shapes open-slot antennas are all over 105 % is obtained. The proposed antenna (Antenna 3) is with simple structure and the small size only 30 times 50 mm2 or less. The measured results show the proposed design can be operated in different antenna size with a wide-band characteristic. The proposed antenna with a broadband characteristics and a small size can be applied to many mobile devices.


From October to November 2003, soil macrofauna in deciduous broadleaf and evergreen broadleaf forests in Mountain Bei of Jinhua were investigated and 1445 individuals were collected. They belong to 3 phyla, 7 classes, and 18 orders, among which the Oligochaeta (Enchytraeidae) and Coleoptera, were the dominant genera (orders) and Lumbricida, Collembola, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Araneae and Acarina were common genera. Comparison between the two different types of forests in soil macrofauna showed that there was not much difference between the two in composition and population of the dominant genera and common genera of soil macrofauna and not in diversity and homogeneity index of soil macrofauna communities, either. In vertical distribution of soil macrofaunas, the two showed a similar trend, i.e. soil macrofauna were decreasing in numbers of genera and individuals with the increase in soil depth, and tended to assemble in the surface layer. The composition and structure of soil macrofauna were closely related to soil nutrients and pH. This investigation was aimed to reveal composition and distribution of soil macrofauna and promote research on the soil macrofauna and their functions within the ecological system in Mountain Bei of Jinhua. The findings would provide a scientific basis for further research in subtropical regions.


The characteristics of a fuzzy model are frequently influenced by the method used to construct the rules. Models produced by a heuristic assessment of the underlying system are generally highly granular with interpretable rules. Generating rules using algorithms that analyse training data has the potential of producing highly precise models defined by rules of small granularity. This paper presents an algorithm designed for constructing models of high granularity within a prescribed precision bound. An initial domain decomposition is produced and a rule base is generated. If the error between the resulting model and training data exceeds the precision bound, the domain decompositions are refined and the process repeated. When a sufficiently precise model is generated, a greedy strategy is used to combine adjacent rules to increase the granularity of the model. A suite of experiments has been run to demonstrate the ability of the algorithm to reduce the number of rules in a fuzzy model.


In most secondary schools there is a constant flow of professional material into the office of the principal. By "professional material" is meant educational magazines, bulletins, catalogues, announcements, reprints, and reports of educational investigations, many of which deal specifically with problems closely related to secondaryschool administration. The principal may not have the time to examine such material carefully when it comes to his desk. However, if he notes the general character of the material and gives it a subject heading, the material may be filed for subsequent use. Many principals have discovered through experience the value of filing professional material systematically in anticipation of future needs. The material, irrespective of the system or method of filing used, may be designated as the professional files of the principal. Four hundred and forty-six, or 85.4 per cent, of the 522 representative principals considered in this study maintain files for the orderly preservation of professional material. The practice is the least common in the small schools in Group I (4-Ioo), in which five, or 55.6 per cent, of the principals reported the use of professional files. Seventy-two per cent of the principals of the small schools in Groups 1-3 (4-300), 85.0 per cent of the principals of the middlesized schools in Groups 4-6 (30I-I,oo000o), and 92.3 per cent of the principals of the large schools in Groups 7-9 (I,ooI-6,5oo) have professional files. The number and the percentage of principals in the schools in each enrolment group who maintain files of professional material are shown in Table I.


Increasing scientific and commercial interest is being paid to the creation of large population-based genetic databases to study the relationship between genes and disease. This paper will use ideas from the sociology of technology to look at the network of actors involved in the production, use and commercial exploitation of human genetic data, the social and ethical issues posed by genetic databases and the development of new governance arrangements in this domain. It will be argued that we are witnessing the creation of a new type of research system in the field of human genetics, which also forms the centre of an emerging market for personal and population-based genetic information. Some proposals for improving the governance of human genetic data in the UK will be offered in conclusion.


EEG signal feature extraction remains a challenge in brain-controlled manipulator technology. To address the problem of instability when controlling a post-stage manipulator after the EEG signal is processed for feature extraction to obtain the concentration value, a feature extraction algorithm combining discrete wavelet transform, Grubbs criterion and arithmetic averaging of EEG signal is studied. A Raspberry Pi based EEG control robot system was designed. The "concentration" values obtained from the data processing are classified into three categories, and sent to the manipulator system, so as to realize the control of the manipulator under different mental states. The experimental results show that the DWT-Grubbs-Average algorithm effectively eliminates the sparse errors in the concentration eigenvalues and increases the stability of the manipulator control under different states by 7% compared with the DWT-Average algorithm. The system can quickly extract the EEG signal features and control the manipulator bending in real time, which is of practical value in the hand rehabilitation training of stroke patients.


Abstract Background Bacteremic brucellosis is an acute febrile disease often associated with digestive complaints and biological inflammatory syndrome. In this perspective, our study aimed to determine predictive factors of bacteremia in patients with brucellosis. Methods We conducted a retrospective study including all patients hospitalized with brucellosis between 1990 and 2014. Results We included 161 cases of brucellosis among which bacteremia was documented in 30 cases (18.6%). Mean age was of 39.6 ± 17 years. Brucella melitensis was solely isolated. In bacteremic brucellosis, there were more fever (93.3% vs. 78%; P = 0.049; HR=4), nausea (16.7% vs. 4.6%; P = 0.033; HR = 4.2), and splenomegaly (20% vs. 7.6%; P = 0.049; HR = 3). The acute form was significantly more common in bacteremic brucellosis (66.7% vs. 42%; P = 0.015; HR = 2.7). Bacteremic brucellosis patients had a significantly higher frequence of anemia (76.7% vs. 51.6%; P = 0.013; HR=3.2) and higher C-reactive protein value (85.5 ± 45 vs. 35 ± 20 mg/L; P < 0.001). Commonly used antimicrobial regimens consisted of rifampicin plus doxycycline given for 6 weeks in both bacteremic and non-bacteremic brucellosis (86.7% vs. 72%; P = 0.1). A favorable outcome was significantly associated with bacteremic brucellosis (73.3% vs. 52%; P = 0.03; HR=2.38). Multivariate analysis using logistic regression revealed that the presence of nausea (HR = 9; CI95% 14–60; P = 0.002), acute form of brucellosis (HR = 4.5; CI95% 1.2–17; P = 0.025) and C-reactive protein value (HR = 1.12; CI95% 1.1–1.2; P = 0.02) were independent predictors of bacteremic brucellosis. Conclusion Our study highlighted clinical and biological particularities of bacteremic brucellosis which may help clinicians to establish a prompt diagnosis and suitable treatment, two main conditions to improve patients' prognosis. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


This thesis considers the implications of reforming the tax system of a developing country, using Malaysia as the case study. It examines two main issues. First is to analyse the macroeconomic effects of reforming the tax system, and second is to estimate the l. abour supply functions with taxation at the microeconomic level. The thesis reviews the literature on the experiences of other countries in tax reform. It examines in detail the Malaysian macroeconomy and tax system to gain an insight into the processes and interactions between economic performance, fiscal policy, and tax structure for the last twenty five years. In examining the first main issue, the computable general equilibrium (CGE) model is used to perform counterfactual analysis of tax reforms on the Malaysian economy. From the simulations on revenue-enhancing tax reform, we found that corporate tax would be the best instrument to raise revenue without hurting households or negatively affecting GDP aggregates. The simulations on revenue-neutral tax reform showed that the current tax system could be made more efficient by changing the structure of direct taxes and adopting VAT. On the second issue, we adopt the instrumental variable approach with selectivity adjustment to estimate the parameters of labour supply with taxation for Malaysia. The modelling procedure estimates the equations for participation, wage, and hours of work. The results show that the effect of taxes on the Malaysian labour supply response is weak. In addition, the labour supply curve is backward bending starting from the lowest wage level. Without the welfare and benefit system found in Western societies, workers with low wages increase their hours of work in order to reach an income level that could meet their household consumption needs.


In this work it has been evaluated the effectiveness of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) for the estimation of two constituents affecting the nutritional quality of the seeds of one-flowered vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.) : protein and L-canavanine, a toxic non-protein amino acid . The NIRS calibrations showed good statistics with coefficients of mul tiple determination (R 2 ) of 0.97 for total protein and 0.95 for L-canavanine . The developed equations were further used to estimate the contents of protein and L-canavanine of a set of unknown samples (external validation). The equation for total protein was able to predict with an accuracy similar to that of the reference method showing a correlation (r 2 ) between the reference and predicted values of 0.95. In the case of L-canavanine , r2 was only 0.7 2 and the equation was only effective


Loss of functional β-cell mass is a key factor contributing to the poor glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes. However, therapies that directly target these underlying processes remains lacking. Here we demonstrate that gene expression of neuropeptide Y1 receptor and its ligand, neuropeptide Y, was significantly upregulated in human islets from subjects with type 2 diabetes. Importantly, the reduced insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes was associated with increased neuropeptide Y and Y1 receptor expression in human islets. Consistently, pharmacological inhibition of Y1 receptors by BIBO3304 significantly protected β-cells from dysfunction and death under multiple diabetogenic conditions in islets. In a preclinical study, Y1 receptor antagonist BIBO3304 treatment improved β-cell function and preserved functional β-cell mass, thereby resulting in better glycaemic control in both high-fat-diet/multiple low-dose streptozotocin- and db/db type 2 diabetic mice. Collectively, our results uncovered a novel causal link of increased islet NPY-Y1 receptor signaling to β-cell dysfunction and failure in human type 2 diabetes. These results further demonstrate that inhibition of Y1 receptor by BIBO3304 represents a novel and effective β-cell protective therapy for improving functional β-cell mass and glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes.


aims to show the connection between both moments, the inter-connection between a critical attitude of the philosopher against politics and a true saying embodied in life as a real scandal.


Spatial and temporal variations in fault activity informs models of seismic hazards and can affect local patterns of relief generation and channel morphology. Therefore, the quantification of rates of fault activity has important applications for understanding natural hazards and landscape evolution. Here, we quantify the complex interplay among tectonic uplift, topographic development, and channel erosion recorded in the hanging walls of several seismically-active reverse faults in the Ventura basin, southern California, USA. We use cosmogenic 26Al/10Be isochron burial dating to construct a basin-wide geochronology for the Saugus Formation: an important, but poorly dated, regional Quaternary strain marker. Our geochronology of the Saugus Formation is used to calculate tectonically-driven rock uplift rates and reduce uncertainties in fault-slip rates. In addition, we calculate 10Be catchment-averaged erosion rates, characterise patterns of catchment relief and channel steepness indices, and analyse river long-profiles in fault hanging walls to compare with patterns of fault displacement rates averaged over various temporal scales.

The results of the burial dating confirm that the Saugus Formation is time-transgressive with ages for the top of the exposed Saugus Formation of ~0.4 Ma in the western Ventura basin and ~2.5 Ma in the eastern Ventura basin. The burial ages for the base of shallow marine sands, which underlie the Saugus Formation throughout the basin, are ~0.6 Ma in the western Ventura basin and ~3.3 Ma in the eastern Ventura basin. The results of the landscape analysis indicate that relief, channel steepness, and erosion rates are still adjusting to tectonic boundary conditions imposed by different tectonic perturbations that have occurred at various times since ~1.5 Ma, which include fault initiation and fault linkage. The data presented here suggest that, for transient landscapes in sedimentary basins up to 2500 km2, where climate can be considered uniform, fault activity is the primary control on patterns of relief generation and channel morphology over periods of 104 to 106 years.


With reference to the proposal that was made public on February 19, 2004 to reduce the differences in voting rights in Ericsson, and to issue conversion rights, which is expected to be taken up for the approval of an extra general meeting in Ericsson, it is hereby reported that Investor will not accept the offer from a number of major B-shareholders to sell 25 percent of its conversion rights to them.


Maintenance of airway stability is an essential part of critical care management of patients undergoing endovascular treatment for acute stroke. While some patients may undergo endovascular treatment utilizing conscious sedation alone, many patients require deeper sedation and emergent mechanical ventilation due to need to control patient movement, stabilize the airway, and facilitate patient comfort during prolonged procedures (average duration 1.9 hrs). Nine patients undergoing emergent intubation prior to endovascular treatment for acute stroke underwent observational study. Following completion of IRB-approved consent for study participation, patients received arterial line placement and vital signs were collected before, during, and after intubation and throughout endovascular treatment. Intubation was performed by experienced ED physicians using a variety of medications. An immediate and dramatic rise in mean arterial pressure (MAP) was associated with intubation (increased by 172% over baseline) followed by a decrease in the MAP (12% below baseline) in the ED prior to patient transfer to angiography. No consist trend was noted in PaCO2 levels drawn immediately after intubation but prior to initiation of mechanical ventilation. Average MAP in the angiogram suite during endovascular therapy was almost identical to pre-intubation baseline MAP (101% of baseline) despite utilization by interventionalists of a number of sedative medications. Transient decreases in the MAP to a nadir of 75 - 80 were seen during endovascular therapy in 3 patients; more significant drops did not occur. Mean duration of intubation, ICU stay, and total hospitalization was 3 days, 8 days, and 12 days respectively. In conclusion, real-world emergent intubation by ED physicians of acute stroke patients just prior to endovascular treatment is associated with significant fluctuations in MAP. Such fluctuations in either direction may further jeopardize tissue at risk. Recent reports from the national MERCI Registry Database indicate worse outcomes in intubated patients for unclear reasons; this could be due to fluctuations in MAP but might also be due to the effect of anesthesia itself. Assuming that these hemodynamic changes are causal in reducing clinical outcomes, ED intubation and angiographic sedation protocols should be designed to minimize fluctuations in MAP. Further investigations documenting improved MAP control utilizing standardized protocols are needed.


This article draws on queer psychoanalysis to explore links between homoerotic masculinity and heterosexual women under patriarchal manhood. I argue specifically that the genderqueer effects of male masochism—as conceptualized by Carol J. Clover—helps us to understand Sherwood Anderson's exploration of a male protagonist who identifies with women's pain so profoundly that he himself transforms into a woman who then experiences what it means to be subjected to male violence and sexual predation from that position. Anderson feels ambivalent about the extent to which this form of genderqueer masculinity is sustainable. It is a position that must be purged for the protagonist to survive, but it is also an experience that stays with him. The analysis then broadens to address the larger implications of the close reading, specifically what it means for a cisgender, heterosexual male author to depict men who see themselves in/as women.


The magnitude and complexity of issues and considerations involved with selecting, using, and maintaining retroreflective sign sheetings are increasing as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) continues on its path to implement the proposed minimum retroreflectivity requirements for traffic signs. This, combined with the expiration of 3M's key patent on high intensity sheeting, along with a number of other new product introductions and old product changes, have kept the sign sheeting market hopping. All of these market changes and FHWA's pending minimum retroreflectivity requirements are causing some degree of uncertainty. Many of the popular assumptions of the past and the conveniences provided by a small number of sheeting providers are now subject to change. These changes are unavoidable. With the increased competition and the findings of FHWA research, agencies are going to have to reevaluate their practices and policies regarding retroreflective sign sheeting. If properly evaluated and managed, this could provide an opportunity to improve the allocation of resources to traffic signs without any decrease of needed quality or performance. At the very least, it could help provide additional justification to those who have already made decisions that are consistent with FHWA proposed requirements.


Hand gestures are the only means of communication and interaction for hearing impaired. This paper proposed a computer vision based technique to identify hand gestures from library of Indian Sign Language (ISL) gestures and Sheffield Kinect Gesture (SKIG) Dataset. Mel Frequency Ceptral Coefficients (MFCC) is used as feature vector due to its high quality of discriminating power in different classes. Minimum distance classifier (Euclidean distance metric) is used for classification of different gestures of a same person in two different lighting conditions, yellow light and white light as well as on SKIG data set. Performance of the proposed technique is evaluated on ten types of ISL gestures (5 are dynamic and 5 are static gestures) and five types of SKIG Kinect gestures and compared with the existing techniques which are also performed on SKIG gesture dataset and ISL dataset. Comparative analysis of our proposed method is performed with the existing method. Performance analysis of our proposed method shows better results than the orientation histogram based technique. Here ISL gestures are simulated on HOAP-2 Robot in Webots platform, for establishing interaction between robot and human.


and Behrooz MalekiChemistry Department, College of Science, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan 65174, IranReceived July 9, 2003Key Words : 1,3-Dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DBH), 1,3,5-Trisubstituted pyrazolines, Pyrazoles,Solvent-free conditionsFive-membered heterocyclic compounds are stable aromaticcompounds and have been used commercially as pharma-ceuticals, pesticides, and dyestuffs. These compounds arealso important constituents that often exist in biologicallyactive natural products and synthetic compounds ofmedicinal interest.


66 5. References [1] B. Alonso, G. Ercilla, Small turbidite systems in a complex tectonic setting (SW Mediterranean Sea): morphology and growth patterns, Mar Petrol Geol 19, 1225-1240, 2003 [2] M. Garcia, B. Alonso, G. Ercilla, E. Gràcia, The tributary systems of the Almería Canyon (Alboran Sea, SW Mediterranean): Sedimentary architecture, Mar Geol 226, 207-223, 2006 [3] E. Gràcia, R. Pallàs, J.I. Soto, M. Comas, X. Moreno, E. Masana, P. Santanach, S. Diez, M. Garcìa, JJ. Dañobeitia, Active faulting off shore SE Spain (Alboran Sea): Implications for earthquake hazard assessment in the Southern Iberian Margin, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett. 241, 734-749,2006. [4] S. Duggen, K. Hoernle, H. van de Bogaard, Magmatic evolution of the Alboran region: the role of subduction in forming the western Mediterranean and causing the Messinian Salinity Crisis, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 218, 91-108, 2004


Since the centralized water supply with elevated basin in rural areas has some difficulties,such as long distance between pump station and reservoir,difficult coordinated control of pumping and reservoir liquid level,SCM and GPRS data transmission technology are adopted to design a set of remote monitoring system. The key technologies of the system are deeply studied. The stability and reliability of the system were tested. The experiment results show that the system can monitor the reservoir liquid level in real time,and control the start and stop of the pump automatically. The system has high control accuracy and strong practicability.


This article argues that the state of young people known as5freeter6and NEET are manifestations of social exclusion rather than that of labour market trends. The article reviews the way in which the focus of the government's youth policies have shifted from the employment issues to social inclusion initiatives, and examines how Sociology has addressed the issue as these youth problems became increasingly urgent. The term5social policies6in the article's title refers to the series of policies for supporting young people with difficult backgrounds during their transition to adulthood. broadly categories: 1)empirical research into the backgrounds of young people who classified as5freeters6 or NEET; 2)comparative studies of youths in similar conditions in developed countries; 3)youths support initiatives within the labour policies in Japan; 4) books for general readers about various youth problems and advice; and 5) discourse analysis of5freeters6and NEET. young people at risk as inter-related issues within a single framework. On this basis, this article suggests that Sociologists have the duty to advocate the importance of long-term visions when developing youth policies in order to create society in which young people are effectively supported.


The External Sierras of the southern Pyrenees represent the frontal thrust complex of a south Pyrenean thrust sheet which was active from the late Eocene to early Miocene. Triassic, Cretaceous and Eocene limestones, sandstones and mudstones involved in this thrusting can be divided into eight mappable units. Mapping and the construction of serial sections across the Western External Sierras show that the amount of southward translation of the thrust sheet increases eastwards from the thrust tip. There is an increased slip of at least 5km along 30km of the External Sierras. Structures show a progressive development from a "primitive" form in the west to a more complex thrust and fold geometry in the east. The general pattern is one of thrust and fold development in response to compression from the north. Backthrusting has occurred on the forward side of the frontal thrust complex. These backthrusts cut up section towards the north and form triangle zones where they intersect thrusts which cut up sections towards the south. The latest thrust movements deformed early Miocene fanglomerates and were out-of-sequence reactivations of earlier thrusts.


The capacity of the parents to provide financially the needs of the students in their studies is referred to as parental financial support. While motivation is the personal drive or will of a person to do a task without the influence of other people. A checklist survey questionnaire was used to assess the parental financial support and motivation of students in learning. The data gathered were treated through weighted mean and chi-square. In which, it revealed that students were more motivated when they are financially supported by their parents when it comes to educational purposes. Therefore, it shows that there is a significant association between parental financial support and students' motivation in learning.


The phase-space method is applied for considering continuous variable quantum teleportation. It is found that the continuous variable quantum teleportation transforms the s-parametrized phase-space function of an input state into the (s+δ)-parametrized phase-space function, where the parameter δ is determined by the shared quantum entanglement. It is shown from this result that the Wigner function of the teleported state is always non-negative for F c ≤2/3 and the Glauber-Sudarshan P function non-negative for F c ≤½, where F c is the fidelity of the coherent-state teleportation. Furthermore the fidelity between input and output states is calculated when Gaussian states are teleported.


A new interface named TOTAD (Through Oven Transfer Adsorption Desorption) for on-line coupling reversed phase liquid chromatography to gas chromatography (RPLG-GC) is presented. TOTAD interface is a great modification of a programmable temperature injector (PTV). Changes affect pneumatics, sample introduction, solvent elimination, and operation mode. The volume of the LC fraction that can be transferred (with a very strong eluent flow during the transfer step) is very high. Manufacturing this system is not difficult, operation mode is easy and automatization is possible. Analysis of parathion residues in water samples has been carried out in order to illustrate the applicability of the system. The analysis of pesticide residue is performed by off-line SPE and on-line RPLC-GC using the new interface presented. The extract (50 μL) is injected in the LC system. Eluent fraction containing parathion is sent to the TOTAD interface at the same LC column flow. Analytes are retained by a sorbent placed in the insert of the interface and thermally desorbed to the capillary column. A nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD) is used. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Micro Sep 11: 582–589, 1999


In this paper, a unified framework of image reconstruction from both fan-beam and cone-beam projections is formulated by using intermediate functions. The intermediate function has an imaginary part and a real part. The causality principle is used to prove that the imaginary and real part is mutually linked by a Hilbert transform. Using this link, it is shown that image can be reconstructed by using either the real part or the imaginary part of the intermediate function. Thus there exist two fundamental image reconstruction schemes in image reconstruction from divergent beam projections. One scheme only uses the imaginary part of the intermediate function, while the other scheme only uses the real part. Two schemes are dual to each other by Hilbert transform in intermediate functions. Thus this dual nature is called H-duality. One of the paired dual formulas explicitly allows data truncation, while the other one does not. However, they are equivalent in the sense that both of them are mathematically exact image reconstruction formulas provided the measured data is sufficient for both formulas and is free from noise. Practically, a fan-beam image reconstruction formula is identified to solve the fan-beam data truncation problem.


Nowadays, copy detection patterns (CDP) appear as a very promising anti-counterfeiting technology for physical object protection. However, the advent of deep learning as a powerful attacking tool has shown that the general authentication schemes are unable to compete and fail against such attacks. In this paper, we propose a new mathematical model of printingimaging channel for the authentication of CDP together with a new detection scheme based on it. The results show that even deep learning created copy fakes unknown at the training stage can be reliably authenticated based on the proposed approach and using only digital references of CDP during authentication.


UNSTRUCTURED
 Health behavior interventions are effective for many modifiable lifestyle behaviors. In some cases, remotely-delivered behavioral interventions, particularly those that include some form of contact with a provider and strong behavioral strategies, have been shown to be as effective as traditional in-person interventions; they are also more flexible, disseminable, and cost-effective. With ubiquitous increases in mobile phone use, opportunities for remote delivery of health interventions (mHealth) have grown exponentially, particularly in the use of behavioral smartphone applications. Despite research suggesting that mHealth interventions can be effective at initiating and maintaining behavior changes, many mHealth interventions are not theoretically-based, and evidence-based behavioral strategies are not often adapted into the mobile format. Thus, there is a need for clear summaries of behavioral change theories and examples of theoretically driven behavioral strategies to unify and improve the field of mHealth. Herein, we briefly summarize both traditional and contemporary theories of behavior change, evidence-based behavioral strategies, and the methods for evaluating the degree to which they are included in existing mHealth behavioral interventions. We also discuss future research design and mobile technology development considerations.


Higher Education has seen its fair share of innovations, many of which were made possible by digital technologies. Digital and open badges (DOBs) are emergent technologies that many believe could further reform, even disrupt, key tenets in higher education, including learning, assessment and credentialing. This study examined the emerging scholarship and best practices on DOB adoption in higher education through the lens of peer-reviewed publications. A content analysis explored two questions related to publication patterns and research goals (question 1) and assessment practices supported by DOBs and stakeholder perceptions of DOBs (question 2). Findings revealed non-empirical papers were more likely to focus on the reform-related potential of DOBs while empirical applications focused on traditional concerns such as student motivation and engagement, and conventional approaches to assessment. Stakeholder perception of the value and role of DOBs were also mixed. Limitations, implications, and further study are discussed.  DOI:DOI:10.2458/azu_itet_v7i2_haughton


LOVER incorporates a novel approach to combinational logic verification and obtains good results when compared to existing techniques. In this paper we describe a new verification algorithm, LOVER-PODEM, whose enumeration phase is based on PODEM. A variant of LOVER-PODEM, called PLOVER, is presented. We have developed, for the first time, parallel logic verification schemes. Issues in efficiently parallelizing both general and specific LOVER-based approaches to logic verification over a large number of processors are addressed. We discuss parallelism inherent in the LOVER framework regardless of what enumeration and simulation algorithms are used. Since the enumeration phase is the efficiency bottleneck in parallelizing LOVER-based approaches, we have developed parallel versions of PODEM-based enumeration algorithms. Experimental results are presented to show that high processor utilization can be achieved when these parallelisms are exploited. Speed-up factors of over 7.8 have been achieved with 8 processor configurations.


A Bloch function g is a function analytic in the unit disk such that (1 - / z / elevado a 2) g' (z) / is bounded. First we generalize the theorem of Rohde that, for every "bad" Bloch function, g(r dseta) (r --- 1) follows any prescribed curve at a bounded distance for dseta in a set of Hausdorff dimension almost one. Then we introduce balanced Bloch functions. They are characterized by the fact that g'(z) / does not vary much on each circle [ / z / = r] except for small exceptional arcs. We show e.g. that.


Abstract : The National Research Council (NRC), through its Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology (BCST) provided the AFOSR Directorate of Chemical and Atmospheric Sciences with external scientific review of research proposals, program assessments, and advice. The work was carried out (with assistance by BCST staff) by volunteer panels that were appointed according to NRC procedures. The scope of these panels included the chemical and atmospheric sciences research programs administered jointly by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and the Air Force Astronautics Laboratory. Standing panels were established for three reviewing areas: Atmospheric Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and High Energy Density Materials (HEDM). The purposes of this project were to: assist the AFOSR in evaluating research proposals for scientific merit via peer review, conduct overall evaluations of research programs of the Directorate; and, to undertake special studies upon request by the Directorate, upon approval by the NRC governance. The three panels conducted convened-group review of 449 research proposals, based on 1,671 reviews received from 814 reviewers.


A structure analysis of those polytypes of cadmium iodide which have been identified was carried out and a convention for the Zhdanov notation of this structure was proposed. The possibility of dividing all Cdl2 polytypes into four groups characterized by different types of symmetry of 10.L and 10. Ζ reflection intensities is given. In order to establish regularities in structure of different groups of polytypes, a new method of symbolical description for polytypic structures in crystals of MX 2 compounds is proposed. The description of structure based on defining three-ion layers I — Cd —I as fundamental units of Cdl2 crystals structure enables a unique description of these structures. It was also established that the relative intensity of chosen reflections depends on the layer sequence for some hexagonal polytypes. The parameter a, describing the ratio of the " + " and " + " symbols in the Hägg notation, can be calculated from the number of layers in the unit cell for rhombohedral polytypes.


Dynamic windows allow user control over light and heat flow to save energy and maximize comfort. Reversible metal electrodeposition (RME) dynamic windows can uniquely tint to a color‐neutral privacy state (0.1% visible light transmission). The design parameters of transparent metal mesh counter electrodes for high‐contrast RME dynamic windows: high transparency, charge capacity and surface area with low haze, sheet resistance and cost are discussed, concluding that woven metal meshes meet these design parameters. Electroplated current is measured on an indium tin oxide electrode and two meshes with different wire spacings, showing the meshes' cylindrical geometry enable them to draw more current per square area. The mesh material composition is analyzed to ensure cycling durability in a CuBi electrolyte by developing a transparent mesh with an inert core (stainless steel, SS), a thin Au coating, and a high charge‐capacity (1.5 C cm−2) CuBi outer coating. The study demonstrates that the films maintain a consistent Cu:Bi ratio and optical properties after 250 privacy cycles or 1500 cycles to 10% transmission, showing that the Cu and Bi coating is effective in keeping the films from becoming Cu rich with cycling. Finally, a 100 cm2 device with excellent uniformity and color neutrality is demonstrated.


This study deals with the problem of detecting a monochromatic plane wave with unknown amplitude, phase, temporal frequency and direction of arrival in complex white Gaussian noise with unknown variance. Depending on the natural invariance in scale, temporal modulation and spatial modulation of the problem, the uniformly most powerful invariant (UMPI) test is derived by using the statistical invariance principles. However, the UMPI test does not apply unless the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is known. However, it provides us with performance bound to evaluate any invariant test's performance when the SNR is unknown. Typically, the generalised likelihood ratio test (GLRT) and locally most powerful invariant (LMPI) test are derived as realisable suboptimal invariant tests with their performance comparison in different SNR through theoretical analysis. Computer simulation examples corroborate the authors analysis and indicate that the GLRT is close to the UMPI bound especially in the low probability-of-false-alarm (P FA) region of the receiver operating characteristic curve while the performance of the LMPI test is close to that of the UMPI test in the low SNR region.


In the conventional use of the house bell, the first impression that arises is that it can only give a message ringing people who are in the house so that the person knows that guests are coming to the house, what will be the problem is what if there is no one in the house or the owner. Home away from home for a long time, so that any guests who come will not be detected. For this reason, a system is needed to make it easier for homeowners to provide message information that there are visitors to the house at some time which can be recorded on the device (notification bell) based on Internet of Things (IoT) and send the information via e-mail. This research was designed using internet-based Node-MCU as the hardware. It used a flowchart which contains procedures for how the doorbell notification device works and realtime time measurement using phpmailer as the software. The results of this study, in the form of a doorbell notification tool that can provide realtime messages to homeowners when there are known or unknown visitors.


We report newly designed pressure and displacement capacitive sensors based on a flexible paper–CNT structure. The carbon nanotube (CNT) powder was deposited on a thin paper substrate and was pressed at an elevated temperature. The sheet resistance of the paper–CNT films was in the range of 2–4 kΩ/cm2. The paper–CNT films were used to fabricate pressure and displacement sensors. The sensitivities of the pressure and the displacement sensors were found to be 17.3 pF·m2/kN and 0.93 10−3 pF/μm, respectively. The experimental results were compared with the simulated data and they found good agreement with each other.


The recent discovery of dusty galaxies well into the Epoch of Reionization (redshift z > 6) poses challenging questions about the properties of the interstellar medium in these pristine systems. ...


Base layer for emitting the polarized light; Containing the one side and the other surface, and disposed opposite the base layer and the layer for protection; It disposed on a surface facing the base layer of the protective layer, a first anti-reflection layer for scattering the primary light emitted from the base layer; And arranged on the other surface of the protective layer, the polarizing member according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a second anti-reflection layer of secondary scatter the light emitted from the base layer is provided.


In the final part of this series, Ian Bickle and Barry Kelly look at some of the more unusual findings on an abdominal x ray film


In era of rapid infrastructural development, concrete is second largest used material after water which requires large quantity of Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) (1) . But at the same time OPC production contributes to CO2 generation and also consumes lot of energy during production. Hence there has always been a requirement of alternative material for cement. It would have been more beneficial if such a material is derived from industrial waste, without consuming extra energy for raw material manufacturing and processing. Geopolymer has been a solution for all these requirements. It is obtained from flyash and alkaline solutions which provide properties similar to normal OPC. In fact by selecting different molarity and binder ratio combination its properties are examined to see whether they show incremental values or not. Use of Geopolymer in paving block has been experimentally assessed in present work. Different strength and durability parameters of paving block are examined. The results show the enhancement of strength and increase in durability for Geopolymer based paving block. Thus it can be alternative solution for use at places imposed of heavy duty impact loads and continuous abrasion.


burden of advanced knee osteoarthritis over a 10-year period in a cohort of 60-64 year-old US adults. Knee pain and osteoarthritis in older adults: a review of community burden and current use of primary health care. (8). Hunter DJ. Lower extremity osteoarthritis management needs a paradigm shift. Impact of exercise type and dose on pain and disability in knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis of


This article presents the results of a literature review in the national intellectual production, related to the application of the methodology of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA, for its acronym in English) in the Colombian education. Specifically, and as of this review, the article establishes the characteristics of the objects of study of the researches and presents how the methodology is used. In conclusion, although DEA management has been increased, it is still in its infancy and therefore, there are several research opportunities that include different types of decision units (DMU), types of institutions, educational levels, coverage and study objectives.


Persistent inflammatory and oxidative stress (IOS) is largely responsible for the progressive loss of neuronal integrity and connectivity underlying the continuous decline of cognitive function associated with most chronic CNS disorders as well as normal aging. The transcription factor Nrf2 plays a pivotal role in the antioxidant defense of non‐neuronal and neuronal cells. Nrf2 remains sequestered in the cytosol of cells under basal conditions tightly bound to its repressor Keap1. Upon oxidative stress, Nrf2 dissociates from Keap1 and translocates into the nucleus to stimulate transcription of antioxidant defense mechanisms. It is not yet clear how duration and extent of IOS impact Nrf2 activation and nuclear translocation in neuronal cells. Exposure of SH‐SY5Y human neuroblastoma to 200 ng/ml TNFa caused a time dependent Nrf2 translocation (2 fold increase) into the nucleus peaking 4 h after addition. However, nuclear Nrf2 decreased and remained at 50% of peak maximum for a prolonged time period. A presence of 50 ng/ml TNFa resulted in the highest accumulation of Nrf2 in the nucleus—giving a 53% increase of translocation relative to the control—compared to higher concentrations (100 to 400 ng/ml) even over prolonged periods of time. Immunocytochemistry against Nrf2 corroborated these findings. Additionally, prolonged exposure of SH‐SY5Y cells to TNFa (24 h) at concentrations 200 ng/mL or higher resulted in significant cell death due to oxidative stress. At high concentrations of 200 ng/mL and 400 ng/mL, even short treatment times of 1 hour resulted in the respective 52% and 112% reduction in Nrf2 translocation relative to the peak translocation achieved at 50 ng/mL. Together these findings suggest that Nrf2‐mediated antioxidant defenses in response to high concentrations of either chronic or acute TNFa exposure were insufficient and even depressed. One of the many health benefits of nutrition rests on the capacity of distinct botanicals, in particular polyphenols, to directly act on biochemical mechanisms rather than through passive antioxidant capacities. We demonstrated that supplementation of SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cells with extracts obtained from Alaska wild bog blueberries (5 mg/ml) increased neuronal viability in the prolonged presence of 200 ng/mL TNFa. Surprisingly, blueberry extracts prevent Nrf2 nuclear accumulation upon exposure to TNFa. Understanding the regulation of Nrf2 through botanicals could provide vital insight for developing neuroprotective strategies applicable to an array of neurodegenerative diseases.


The present invention relates to a reset device of a motor vehicle steering column switching system (1) (6), a trigger element which can bring the actuating lever (2) of the steering column switch system (1) to the starting position from the operating position ( 10), and a non-operating position, the intermediate component triggering element (10) is mounted so as to be pivoted about the pivot (35) between the actuating lever (2) is a trigger position can be brought into an initial position a (22), the trigger element (10) is mounted on the intermediate part (22) so as to be displaceable in a sliding direction (28) perpendicular to the pivot axis (35), an intermediate part (22) acts parallel to the sliding direction (28), a trigger element (10) is pre-pressed by spring elements for generating the spring force is arranged in the middle part (22) (27), transfer Sometimes, a transition protection system having at least one transition springs (33, 34) which can move the intermediate part (22) (32) to the actuating lever (2), at least one transition springs (33 , 34) and spring elements (27) relates to a reset device (6) which is arranged adjacent to each other in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction (28).


The twenty-eighth annual meeting of the American Association of Economic Entomologists will be held at Columbus, O., during the Christmas holidays. Members will be duly notified of further details concerning the meeting and of arrangements for hotel headquarters and railroad rates.


A technique for measuring the distance between the micro-device and substrate is developed. An electron beam scan of a scanning electron microscope used for this method. A micro-device is placed over the substrate and obstructs the back-scattered electrons from the substrate. Therefore, the shadow image of the micro-device is observed in the SEM image. The distance between the micro-device and the substrate can be calculated using the width of the shadow, dimension of the detectors for the back-scattered electrons and the dimension of the micro-devices. This method makes it possible not only to measure the distance between the micro-device and the substrate and also detect the form of the specimen surface. In addition, observation of the micro-devices and measuring the distance between the micro-device and the substrate can perform at the same time. As a demonstration, the distance between the micro-bar and the substrate and the shape of the micro-hardness tester's indent mark is measured.


The term "ambush marketing" was first used by the media after the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics when Kodak sponsored ABC's coverage and successfully "ambushed" Fuji, the official sponsor of these Games(16).


A fast and memory-sparing probabilistic top-N selection algorithm is implemented on the GPU. This probabilistic algorithm gives a deterministic result and always terminates. The use of randomization reduces the amount of data that needs heavy processing, and so reduces both the memory requirements and the average time required for the algorithm. This algorithm is well-suited to more general parallel processors with multiple layers of memory hierarchy. Probabilistic Las Vegas algorithms of this kind are a form of stochastic optimization and can be especially useful for processors having a limited amount of fast memory available.