Various types of localized reactive hyperplasia occur in the gingiva, as a result of chronic irritation from trauma, microorganisms, plaque, calculus, restorations and dental appliances. Peripheral ossifying fibroma (POF) is a nonneoplastic enlargement of the gingiva that is reactive in nature. Though the etiopathogenesis of is uncertain, an origin from cells of the periodontal ligament has been suggested. They are generally below 2 cm in diameter. POF tends to occur in the 2nd and 3rd decades of life. Almost two thirds of all cases occur in females, with a predilection for the anterior maxilla. The POF lesion does not require imaging beyond radiographs. Treatment consists of conservative surgical excision and scaling of adjacent teeth. Herewith, we present a case of POF that occurred in a 35-year-old female in the posterior maxillary gingiva, which is relatively rare.


Objective To study the effects of imiquimod on phagocytic activity of macrophage in mice and induction of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in rabbits. Methods NIH mice were selected and divided into three groups randomly, taken medicine one time daily for three days with phagocytic activity method and chemilum inescence method. New Zealand rabbits were taken medicine one time daily for seven days in treatment of induction of TNF-α. Results Among the groups treated with imiquimod, phagocyticrate and phagocytic index of mice were significantly higher than that of mice in normal contrast group (P0.05,P0.01). The intensity of macrophage in imiquimod group was higher than that in normal contrast group(P0.01-0.05) in chemilum inescence treatment. On the other hand, among the groups treated with imiquimod, the induction of TNF-α in rabbits were higher than that in normal contrast group (P0.05), but it was lower than the induction of TNF-α among positive contrast group. Conclusion Imiquimod could improve phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophage of mice, and enhance the induction of TNF-α in rabbits.


This paper presents a low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) dual-band bandpass filter based on surface plasmon polariton (SPP) like propagation. The filter consists of a three-layer substrate integrated waveguide (SIW), where the layers represent sub-SIW structures whose effective dielectric constants have opposite signs in different frequency ranges. In that manner, SPP-like propagation occurs at two different frequencies, providing dual-band filtering operation. The SPP-like concept and filter design are explained in detail, together with the numerical analysis, fabrication procedure and measurement results. The filter operates at 4.1/4.9 GHz and it is characterized by excellent in-band performance, high-selectivity, and robust fabrication.


Under 30 ℃ temperature the generation developmental durations of melon fly reared on balsam pear and cucumber,sponge gourd were 44.82,43.12 and 46.08 d,respectively, there were significantly difference among development durations of larva,pupa and generation,and the longevity of males on these three different host fruits;the fecundities of females reared on balsam pear,cucumber,sponge gourd were respectively 878.41,895.65 and 806.35 among which there were significant difference;by the technology of life table,the index of population trend(I) of melon fly laboratory population reared on balsam pear,cucumber and sponge gourd were respectively 228.39,268.70 and 201.59,net reproduction(R_0) were respectively 9.2532,94.0800 and(48.9910) among which there were significant difference; there were no significant difference among the rest parameters of the life tables;finite rate of increase(λ) were above 1,which showed the melon fly laboratory population reared on three host fruits all positively increased.


Social network analysis (SNA) is a valuable tool to measure the bonds between athletes and can provide insight into the complexity of relationships amongst team members. Intra-group relationships are critical for sport teams and can include aspects such as cohesion and leadership. Historically, the majority of research examining cohesion and leadership has used questionnaires that provide information about the team as a whole. However, to be concerned with intra-group relations, a focus on actual relations between team members is equally important. Thus, the purpose of this study was to use SNA to examine the relations between team members in order to better understand aspects concerning cohesion and team leadership. Varsity curling team players (N = 5) provided information about their social network ties to other team members with regards to how task and socially cohesive they felt towards each teammate, as well as on task and social leadership skills for each teammate. Total degree centrality analyses, scores ranging from 0 to 1, were conducted and showed that the skip was responsible for holding the team together from both a task (.69) and social (.64) cohesion perspective compared to the rest of the team (.48, .55 respectively). As for leadership, results indicated that the skip and second were viewed as team leaders for both task (.56, .44) and social (.53, .47) leadership compared to the rest of the team (.28, .30). Results may be explained by the fact that the skip and second were the most skilled and oldest players.


Each period (1 hour) of instruction costs ten dollars ($10). Al l orders must be accompanied with the proper preregistration fee to enable processing. All checks are to be made payable to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Inc, and mailed to the Executive Office, Suite 302,1101 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005. A single-period course i s complete in one (1) period. A multiple-period course runs for two (2) or more periods as indicated. Tickets to a multiple-period course are issued only for the entire course.


In this paper,on the basis of research of 1-bit detecting-correcting for ternary Hamming code,further research is carried out.With the form of extended ternary Hamming code proposed,the principle of Single Error Correction and Double Error Detection is proposed by analysis of the error in extended ternary Hamming code.By the two error-correcting tables presented the method of error correction of ternary Hamming code is obtained.Then the graph of error detection and correction conceptual structure of extended ternary Hamming code and its functional components are put forward in the ternary optical computer.The work provides a new approach for the design of detecting and correcting system optically.


Donatia novae-zelandiae, Abrotanella forsteroides, Dracophyllum minimum and
Phyllachne colensoi are four superficially similar bolster species found in the
Tasmanian alpine vegetation. The ecological differentiation of the ranges of these
species, the dynamics of the formation and persistence of complex mosaics of
two or more of these species and the functional significance of the bolster form
were areas in which there were many hypothesis but few data.

Growth studies undertaken in Tasmania showed significant seasonal differences
in the competitive ranking of cushion species. Annual shoot production ranged
from 426-709 g/m2 for A. forsteroides; 359-477 g/m2 for D. minimum;
322-572 g/m2 for D. novae-zelandiae; and 282-285 g/m2 for P. colensoi.
These figures are greater than those reported from cushion communities in New
Zealand and from physiognomically similar communities in the northern
hemisphere, probably reflecting the maritime climate and the longer growing
season of the Tasmanian alpine zone.

Seed production was highly variable between sites with D. novae-zelandiae
producing between 2,370-38,900/m2 and D. minimum between 0-
17,140/m2 over the 1982/83 summer. Estimates of the lateral growth rate of
A. forsteroides in open situations on peat substrates ranged from 6.7-14.7 mm
diameter increase/year. D. minimum seedlings on rocky and well drained
mineral soils only achieved lateral growth rates of between 0-7 mm/year.

Data from the growth studies showed that cushion distribution at Mt. Field could
not be explained by either soil moisture or soil nutrient preferences. Growth
was found to be highly variable from year to year and season to season both
between species and within species over their altitudinal ranges. It was
concluded that interspecific competition between bolster species plays little
role in determining their overall distribution patterns. Climatic modelling
suggests that distribution of the species is primarily controlled by the
temperature (this is presumed to relate to competition from taller growing
shrubs and graminoids) and past climatic history. Donatia ilovae-zelandiae,
Abrotanella forsteroidel, and Dracophyllum minimum may still be expanding
their ranges following the climatic amelioration since the height of the Last
Glacial.

Investigations into the dynamics of a bolster heath modified and improved the
model proposed by Jackson (1981). Pathways of succession due to changes in
water table appear to result from complex interactions between the water table
level, propagule source and species already present on the site. Data from a peat
core indicate that once bolster communities have become established, they can
persist for very long periods. In the succession from bare ground to closed
bolster communities there is a general lack of pioneering species. Results from
the growth study, the patterns of reinvasion of drained tarns and studies of
permanent photopoints are consistent with the view that succession in bolster
communities is best described by inhibition or tolerance models (Connell and
Slatyer 1977). Competition appears to play an important role at the
establishment phase in mature bolster communities but once establishment has
occurred it is much less important. Competition also appears to be of little
importance in the building phase of bolster Communities in highly stressed
environments.

Attempts to elucidate dynamics by studying pattern in mosaic bolster
communities using spectral analysis failed due to the inability of this technique
to separate patch size and inter-patch distance.
The roots of all cushion species freeze at temperatures between -1° and -5° C.
Nonetheless the insulating properties of cushion peals are so effective that it is
unlikely that root freezing ever occurs with adult plants in the field, at least
under the present climatic conditions. Similarly the thermal characteristics of
peat soils are such that seedling death due to root freezing would also be an
extremely rare event.

Short interval temperature measurements showed A. forsteroides capable of
achieving cushion surface temperatures 10° C above ambient temperatures. It
is suggested that this feature of cushion plants may allow them to undertake
photosynthesis under otherwise limiting conditions and may significantly extend
their growing season.

Anatomical investigation of the four cushion species showed a highly variable
internal structure. This diversity is difficult to interpret. The scleromorphic
nature of most of the species may be related to nutrition. The xeromorphic
features exhibited by the four species and the thermal characteristics of the
cushion form are inconsistent with the hypothesis that these species suffer
significant periods of water deficit.


Now that PCs and mobile terminals have practically completed the process of becoming fully connected to networks, various other types of devices (audiovisual devices, white goods, digital cameras etc.) are rapidly becoming networked as well. These devices are connected to various types of networks such as the Internet, mobile networks and home networks. Since each network has unique characteristics in terms of, for example, protocols and bandwidth, it has so far been difficult to achieve seamless communication among these heterogeneous networks. Lately, however, the demands for environments that allow these fundamentally different networks to communicate with each other are gaining momentum. Home networks are one of the network types that are currently attracting attention of many people. In a typical home, there is a wide variety of information appliances, and many of these are becoming equipped with functions to connect to networks. A home network is configured using the network functions available in these heterogeneous information appliances, and the means of connection are diverse as well. Specifically, in addition to common means such as wireless LAN, infrared communication and Bluetooth TM*1 , the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) standard IEEE1394 *2 is often used for communication of wide-band multimedia data, for example between audiovisual devices. The IEEE1394 transmission standard is widely known as FireWire *3 or i.LINK *4 . In order to achieve services linking such home networks and mobile networks, it is necessary to develop bidirectional communication capabilities between the information appliances and mobile terminals. As specific examples, we consider information appliance operation services that allow a user to turn on the air conditioning system and lighting at home using a mobile terminal before going home, services that notify about visits by guests to the user's mobile terminal when the user is not at home, services that allow playing video-recorded TV programs using a mobile terminal when the user is out. Figure 1 shows some examples of services that can be linked to a home network. This article introduces Peer-to-Peer (P2P) streaming technologies that allow direct data communication between information appliances and mobile terminals without going through a server. It also presents a prototype of a information appliance linking application that allows distributing multimedia content from home video recorders to mobile terminals etc., along with evaluation test results.


The feasibility study on rapid and precise quality evaluation of film packaging fresh pork loin was performed by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy with interactance probe. NIR spectra were acquired in short wavelength region (700-1100nm) at 5 measuring points of each sliced pork loin packed by low density polyethylene bag. The raw spectra and 2nd derivative spectra of each point were analyzed by partial least square regression (PLSR) method. Correlation coefficients (R) between values of intramuscular fat (IMF) by chemical analysis and predicted them were from 0.91 to 0.96 and SEP were from 0.73 to 0.80% according to each one-point spectra. Moreover, high R (R=0.97-0.98) and low SEP (SEP=0.59%) were obtained using the average raw spectra and 2nd derivative spectra of 5 measuring points. On the other hand, values of R (R=0.97) and SEP (SEP=0.56-0.58%) of PLSR result using average spectra of 3 measuring points that are nearly parallel to backfat including the central point of pork loin were almost similar to those of 5 measuring points. The possibility of rapid and precise evaluation of IMF content of sliced pork loin packed by low density polyethylene bag using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy with interactance probe was clarified.


New series of benzo (b)(1,5)-thiazepinederivatives 7a-h were synthesized by applying the cyclocondensation of 1-(2-chloro-substituted quinolino-3-yl)-3-(4-substituted phenyl) prop-2-en-1-one derivatives 6a-h with o-aminothiophenol in DMF. The new intermediate Chalcone derivatives 6a-h were obtained from interaction of benzaldehyde derivatives and 2-chloro-3-acetylquinoline derivatives (5). The synthesized 1,5-benzothiazepines 7a-h have been screened for their antimicrobial activity.


An optimal design strategy is developed for the Bridgman crystallization process through the formulation of a nonlinear program. The objective function and constraints are designed to optimize the conditions for the growth of crystals with nearly flat melt-crystal interfaces. The decision variables are the temperatures of the hot and cold zones, the size of the thermal barrier, and the thickness of the crucible. The equations for momentum and energy transport in the melt, for conduction in the crystal and crucible, and the energy balance at the melt-crystal interface are solved using finite elements. The nonlinear program is solved using the controlled random search technique. Results are presented for the growth of GaAs crystals.


To evaluate rainstorm and flood disaster objectively and quantitatively,in this study we discuss the operational procedure for rainstorm and flood disaster loss evaluation based on rainstorm and flood inundation model.The core components include estimating the inundated area caused by rainstorm and establishing a suitable economic loss evaluation model.Of them,the rainstorm and flood inundation model is used to calculate the rainstorm and flood confluent process based on Deterministic Eight-node and Manning formula,and obtain the inundated area and depth of research area by giving confluent time.The economic loss evaluation model is comprised of direct and indirect economic losses,and the direct economic loss is calculated by the cost of various types of property within the inundated area by the corresponding loss rate.Using the case of a rainstorm and flood disaster event of Wuhan Jiangxia in July 2010 as an example,in the paper we demonstrated the whole evaluation procedure.The results show that the operational procedure of the rainstorm and flood disaster loss evaluation based on the rainstorm and flood inundation model has a clear physical basis,which represents the whole process of rainstorm—runoff—flood disaster.Being applied to day-to-day operation of disaster impact evaluation,it can improve the degree of its quantification,and offer a reference for rainstorm and flood risk management.


ABSTRACT Introduction Recently, there has been increasing evidence supporting the use of pneumatic retinopexy (PnR), a minimally invasive procedure for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Areas covered This review discusses the indications of PnR, principles and guidelines to perform the procedure, and advantages relative to other surgical methods. Landmark trials that compared PnR to other surgical interventions for RRD are reviewed. We also examine cost analyses comparing PnR to PPV. Finally, we address the critiques and latest advances in the use of PnR. Expert opinion PnR has been found to be superior in terms of visual acuity at one year, vertical metamorphopsia at one year, and vision-related quality of life in the first 6 months, with less morbidity relative to pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Relative to scleral buckle (SB), PnR had fewer adverse events and a higher proportion of macula-off patients achieving a visual acuity of 20/50 or better. Although PnR is associated with a lower primary reattachment rate compared to PPV or SB, final reattachment rate after subsequent interventions is comparable. PnR should be offered first-line to patients with RRD meeting clinical trial criteria to maximize functional outcomes.


The present invention is directed to a method for producing the enzyme as resistance this relates to a method for preparing improved hydroxyalkyl cellulose derivatives, more specifically by reacting the cellulose with ethylene oxide under the alkali metal hydroxide present the hydroxyalkyl cellulose derivatives, improved the under a horizontal agitation type reactor and isopropyl alcohol azeotropic solvent, if, while performing the second-step reaction by introducing into the reaction the raw material ethylene oxide 2 in turn, performing the step of controlling the residual amount of alkali after the first-step reaction, producing the hydroxyalkyl cellulose is improving the physical properties, such as enzymatic degradation resistance and turbidity of the derivative, it is at the same time dramatically reduce the amount of the reaction solvent, a method of producing a hydroxyalkyl cellulose derivatives having an economical and environmentally superior efficiency . Horizontal agitation type reactor, enzymatic degradation resistance, hydroxyalkyl cellulose derivatives


Abstract The aim of this study was to identify the sociodemographic and family correlates associated with dietary and lifestyle patterns in young men. In all, 367 men from the Warmia and Mazury region (Poland), aged 19–40 years old participated in the study. Data regarding sociodemographic, family status, dietary and lifestyle characteristics were collected through structured interviews using food frequency questionnaire KomPAN (Jezewska-Zychowicz et al. 2018, http://www.knozc.pan.pl). Dietary and lifestyle patterns were derived using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). In total, 25 dietary and 6 lifestyle standardised variables were included in the PCA. The associations were verified using logistic regression. Four DLPs were derived, explaining 33% of the variance. Men from the upper tertile of "Protein food, fried-food and recreational physical activity" pattern (characterised by frequent intake of white meat, white rice, eggs, red meat, fried food, groats, higher number of meals a day and recreational activity) were more likely to be under 30 years old (odds ratio, OR = 2.20, 95% confidence interval, 95%CI: 1.30–3.70) than men from the bottom tertile. Men from the upper tertile of "Sandwiches and convenience foods" pattern (characterised by frequent intake of cold meats and smoked sausages, white bread, butter, cheese, sweets and tinned meat) were more likely to be in a relationship (1.95, 1.14–3.34) than men from the bottom tertile. Men from the upper tertile of "Fast foods and stimulants" pattern (characterised by frequent intake of sweetened beverages, energy drinks, alcohol, fast foods, and smoking currently or/and in the past) were more likely to be under 30 years old (2.46, 1.46–4.14), to live in towns and rural areas (2.07, 1.21–3.55) and to have lower educational level (2.01, 1.20–3.36) in comparison to men from the bottom tertile. Men from the upper tertile of "Healthy diet, activity at work, former smoking" pattern (characterised by frequent intake of fruit, vegetables, fermented milk products, wholegrain bread, fish, cottage cheese, milk, groats, legumes, higher number of meals a day, physical activity at work and smoking in the past) were more likely to work physically (2.06, 1.22–3.47) and be in a relationship (1.93, 1.12–3.32). Sociodemographic and family correlates were strongly associated with dietary and lifestyle patterns, both healthy and unhealthy, in our sample of young men. The results demonstrate that diet and lifestyle interventions should be particularly targeted at men under 30 years old, those living in small towns and rural areas and with lower educational level.


Motivation is one of the main factors that influence success or failure in learning and teaching. One approach that can be used to determine the level of student learning motivation is the ARCS model. The four aspects that form part of the motivation are aspects of attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of motivation to learn PGSD undergraduate students at Universitas Islam Raden Rahmat Malang in the Basic Concept of Science. This type of research is quantitative descriptive with survey methods, in this case using student motivation questionnaires. The research subjects consisted of four classes with a total of 76 students at the PGSD and PGMI Universitas Islam Raden Rahmat Malang. The results showed that the learning motivation of students candidate of basic school in the aspects of attention and relevance was in a sufficient category while for aspects of confidence and satisfaction were in the high category. However, student learning motivation in the Basic Conceptual Science course subject still needs to be improved.


The aim of this paper is to group territorial units in areas of high intensity, using SaTScan and Seg-DBSCAN clustering methods to aggregate adjacent spatial units that are homogeneous with respect to the phenomenon being studied. SaTScan scans the region of interest with a moving window and compares a smoothing of the intensity inside and outside it so that units belonging to contiguous windows with similar intensity are aggregated into a cluster. On the other hand, Seg-DBSCAN, a new version of DBSCAN, limits the arbitrariness of the choice of input parameters and identifies clusters as dense regions in space. As an application we analyze geo-referenced data concerning housing problems in Bari and we propose a comparison between the two methods presented.


In a manufacturing unit producing sulfuric acid, a large emission of sulfur oxide gases from a stack continued for several minutes. The cause for the emissions could not be determined immediately by the operating people in the control room. The emitted gases not only affected the nearby inhabitants but also affected the vegetation and the environment. This study deals with a release of sulfur oxide gases from a sulfuric acid plant. More than a 100 children in a school, approximately 500 m from the plant boundary, were affected. The incident description and the lessons learned from this tragedy is described in this article. The problem and causes associated with the emission of acid gases and the recommended corrective actions are discussed. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2007


SYNOPSIS Provenance trials of Pinus caribaea Morelet of the international series coordinated by the Oxford Forestry Institute, University of Oxford, were established at the Mariti State forest (1000 m) in 1974 and the KwaMbonambi State forest (65 m) in 1973. The trials were assessed in 1980 for volume under bark (VUB) and wood density (DEN) and these two traits plus the derived indices of within sample density variation (VAR) and dry matter index (DMI) were analysed. Statistically, there were highly significant differences (p<0,001) between provenances for the four traits at both locations with the exception of DEN at the Mariti State forest (p<0,025). The 10 provenances common to both locations produced 67% more VUB at the KwaMbonambi State forest and had a DEN that was 11% higher. Simple correlation coefficients were calculated for the assessed traits for the 10 provenances common to both locations. Provenance means between locations were significantly (p<0,01) correlated for the traits VAR, VUB and DMI...


Obesity is a chronic disease that continues to increase in prevalence across the globe. In population studies, obesity has been shown to increase the risk for ischemic strokes. However, the obesity paradox has been observed in several studies showing better post‐stroke outcomes in patients with obesity than in those with normal weight.The influence of BMI in ischemic strokes treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) remains unclear. We aimed to assess if obesityis associated with poor functional outcomes defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 3–6 in patients following mechanical thrombectomy.

 We reviewed 178 patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) who underwent MT between 2019 and 2022. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2.The primary outcome was mRS at 90 days. Secondary endpoints were time from puncture to reperfusion, number of passes before revascularization, the ratesof successful reperfusion using thethrombolysis in cerebral infarction(TICI)scale (mTICI≥ 2b), and mortality rate.Univariate analysis for primary and secondary endpoints was conducted using chi‐square for categorical variables and independent samples t‐tests for continuous variables. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the role of obesity and potential covariates on 90‐day mRS. All analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27.

 Of the studied patients, 45% had obesity. Those with obesity were younger (mean age = 61.42 vs 68.25 years in those without obesity, t = 3.21, p< 0.001)), and had higher baseline glucose levels (156.3 mg/dL vs. 136.4 mg/dL, t = ‐2.06, p = 0.02). There were no significant differences in baseline NIHSS score, ASPECTS, history of congestive heart failure, hypertension, IV tPA administration, use of general anesthesia, or occlusion site. Here, obesity was not a predictor of 90‐ day mRS (aOR = 0.49, 95%CI = 0.20‐1.20). There were no significant differences in 90‐day mRS for any additional variables included in the model.For secondary endpoints, there were no significant differences in timing from puncture time to time of reperfusion (p = 0.40), number of passes before revascularization (p = 0.47), the rate of successful reperfusion (p = 0.65), and NIH score at discharge (p = 0.46). While not a focus of the current study, it is interesting to note that, compared to those with obesity, overweight patients had higher odds of mortality during the study period (cOR = 2.83, 95%CI = 1.35‐5.93). However, this relationship was only present on univariate analysis.

 Obesity is highly prevalent in patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy. In this study, we found that body mass index is not a predictor of functional outcomes in patients who undergo mechanical thrombectomy. There is no difference in intraprocedural times or likelihood of successful recanalization. Body mass index does not change the likelihood of discharge to an acute rehabilitation facility.


Based on the sample data of universities in Hunan province,this paper empirical analyzed the impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurship intention of universities students.The results show that entrepreneurship education has a positive impact on entrepreneurial intention,and the percentage is 69.6; among the three sub-dimensions of entrepreneurship education,influencing degree of entrepreneurship competition is 48.2% which is the most evident,followed by entrepreneurship programs and entrepreneurship organizations,which are 30.9% and 3.5% respectively.Empirical results illustrate that universities should attach importance to and actively carry out various entrepreneurship competition activities,develop students' entrepreneurial capacity so as to promote their entrepreneurial intention.


Diatoms found on the skin of minke whales and 4 species of toothed whales in the waters off South Africa were examined. Typical Cocconeis ceticola was common on minke whales and was also found on a southern bottlenose whale. C. ceticola f. constricta was, on the other hand, found only on a southern bottlenose whale and C. ceticola f. berardiusii was found on a Cuvier's beaked whale. Stauroneis orympica was found on a Cuvier's beaked whale, a killer whale and a strap-toothed whale. Gomphonema aestuarii and Synedra sp. were also found on a strap-toothed whale, while an unidentified Navicula sp. was also found on a minke whale and a strap-toothed whale. On the assumption that typical C. ceticola is only contracted in high latitudes, its occurrence on whales in the waters off South Africa shows that these animals may recently have migrated from colder waters.


This paper presents the theory and formalism of fuzzy causal probabilistic networks (FCPN) and show their current and potential applications in multisensor data fusion. A fuzzy causal probabilistic network (FCPN) is a directed acyclic graph representing the joint probability distributions of a set of fuzzy random variables describing a problem domain. FCPNs extend causal probabilistic networks (CPN), also called Bayesian networks, belief networks, or innuence diagrams, by associating each discrete variable with a fuzziier and a defuzziier, if required. A fuzziier converts a crisp variable to a fuzzy discrete variable while a defuzziier does the inverse. FCPNs provide a high-level generic architecture for fusing data incoming from multiple sensors. The paper also provides an overview on the eld of multisensor data fusion. Airborne early warning and control using multiple sensors is studied to showcase the theory of FCPNs and their applications for multisensor data fusion.


The immunestatus of the atopic patients is characterised mainly through a great increase in the serum-levels of reaginic antibodies IgE. On the other hand clinical and allergic observations show that there is also a disturbance in the cell-mediated immunesystem: l) The rate of positive delayed type reactions against myco-bacterial and viral antigens is lower in atopic patients than in normal controls (l). 2) Inspite of the fact that these patients are more exposed to contact allergens (for example through topical applications) they still do not show an accumulation of epidermal sensitization (2, 3). 3) Atopies show a bad response in developing contact hypersensitivity to dinitrochlorobenzene (4) and rhus toxicodendron (Poison ivy) (5). 4) Severe and generalized forms of some virus diseases for example eczema herpeticatum (6) eczema vaccinatum (7) and mollusca contagiosa (8) occur fairly frequently in atopic subjects. The present study was -on the one handundertaken to determine IgE serum levels in different groups of patients suffering from atopic dermatitis; on the other hand we have attempted to define the presumed disturbances in the cell-mediated immune system in atopic subjects by examining one of the different immunological functions of Tand B-lymphocytes in vitro. We have been using a method in which the immune cell proliferation, the


Background: It has been demonstrated that &kgr;-opioid receptor agonists can reduce hypoxia–ischemia brain injury in animal models. However, it is unclear how the &kgr;-opioid receptor responds to hypoxia–ischemia. In the current study, the authors used an in vitro model of oxygen–glucose deprivation and reoxygenation to explore how &kgr;-opioid receptors respond to hypoxia and reoxygenation. Methods: Mouse neuroblastoma Neuro2A cells were stably transfected with mouse &kgr;-opioid receptor–tdTomato fusion protein or Flag-tagged mouse &kgr;-opioid receptor, divided into several groups (n = 6 to 12), and used to investigate the &kgr;-opioid receptor movement. Observations were performed under normal oxygen, at 30 min to 1 h after oxygen–glucose deprivation and at 1 h after reoxygenation using high-resolution imaging techniques including immunoelectronmicroscopy in the presence and absence of &kgr;-opioid receptor antagonist, dynamin inhibitors, potassium channel blockers, and dopamine receptor inhibitor. Results: Hypoxic conditions caused the &kgr;-opioid receptor to be internalized into the cells. Inhibition of dynamin by Dyngo-4a prevented the receptor internalization. Interestingly, a specific &kgr;-opioid receptor antagonist norbinaltorphimine blocked internalization, suggesting the involvement of activation of a specific &kgr;-opioid receptor. &kgr;-Opioid receptor internalization appears to be reversed by reoxygenation. Quantities of intracellular &kgr;-opioid receptor-associated gold particles as demonstrated by immunoelectron microscopy were increased from 37 to 85% (P < 0.01) after oxygen–glucose deprivation. Potassium channel blockers and dopamine receptor inhibitor failed to block hypoxia-induced &kgr;-opioid receptor internalization. Conclusions: Hypoxia induces reversible &kgr;-opioid receptor internalization, which was inhibited by selective &kgr;-opioid receptor antagonists or dynamin inhibitor, and can be reversed by reoxygenation in neuroblastoma cells, indicating the modulating effects between &kgr;-opioid receptor and hypoxia via &kgr;-opioid receptor activation and the dynamin-dependent mechanism.


The study on the soil freeze thawing in China centers on environmental changes of permafrost under the natural conditions.The paper studies the freeze thawing soil in the oxidation pond near the sewage treatment plant of the southern suburbs of Qiqihar city and explains the effects of freeze thawing on the three parameters of the soil.The result shows that seasonal freeze thawing may affect the moisture,pH value and conductivity of the soil,especially the moisture.


Cardiac and electro-cortical data were collected from participants performing a probabili stic learning task, in which stimuli were mapped to a left or a right hand response. Participants had to infer the appropriate mappings by trial-and-error, using trial-to-trial performance feedback. Negative feedback was followed by a relative deceleration of heart rate, and by an "error-related negativity" (ERN) at the scalp, suggesting that these two measures may reflect the activity of the same performance monitoring mechanism. However, we found no evidence of a correlation between the degree of cardiac deceleration and ERN amplitude. The two measures also appeared to be differentiall y sensiti ve to our task manipulations. Thus, our data suggest that cardiac deceleration and the ERN reflect different aspects of feedback processing. Introduction Performance monitoring has recently received much attention in the psychophysiological lit erature. This started with the discovery of a negative event-related brain potential (ERP) component directly following the commitment of an error, the error-related negativity (ERN, Gehring et al., 1993, or Ne, Falkenstein et al., 1991). The ERN is most clearly visible in response-locked ERPs, peaks almost directly after the erroneous response (80-100 ms), and is maximal at fronto-central midline electrodes. The source of the ERN is thought to be located in the anterior cingulate cortex (Carter, et al., 1998; Dehaene et al., 1994). According to the error detection hypothesis, the ERN is a reflection of the outcome of the comparison between representations of the actual response and the appropriate response (e.g., Coles et al., 2001). The ERN is elicited when there is a mismatch between these two representations, and the amplitude of the ERN depends on the degree of mismatch. An ERN-like negativity is also elicited when subjects receive negative performance feedback (Holroyd & Coles, 2002; Miltner, Braun, & Coles, 1997; Nieuwenhuis, et al., 2002). The observation of this feedbackrelated negativity is not incompatible with the error detection hypothesis of the ERN, but does call for a slightly broader interpretation: Holroyd and Coles (2002) have proposed a theory that provides an integrative account of the ERNs observed following response errors and negative feedback. According to this theory, the ERN reflects a reward prediction error signal that is elicited by the monitoring system when it detects that ongoing events are suddenly worse than expected. If the response represents the earliest predictor of negative outcome, the ERN is elicited following the incorrect response. In contrast, if the feedback itself is the earliest predictor of negative outcome, the ERN occurs following negative feedback. Cardiac responses to feedback have only recently received some attention (Somsen et al., 2000; Van der Veen et al., in press; Crone et al., in press). In general it has been found that negative feedback is associated with larger cardiac slowing than positi ve feedback. Cardiac slowing following response errors has also recently been reported (Hajcak et al., in press). The finding that cardiac measures are sensiti ve to performance feedback and errors suggests the possibilit y that these measures and the ERN reflect the operation of the same performance monitoring mechanism. The goal of the current study was to further examine cardiac responses to feedback and errors and to examine the relation between cardiac slowing and the ERN. We used a modified version of the probabili stic learning task used by Holroyd and Coles (2002; see also Crone et al., in press). The task is described in detail by Nieuwenhuis et al. (2002), who reported the ERP results of this study. Here we will report the cardiac results and relate them to the ERP results. Participants were required to learn different stimulus-response mappings using trial-to-trial performance feedback, indicating whether the chosen response was correct or incorrect. Three experimental conditions were defined in terms of the degree to which particular stimulus-response combinations were predictive of the feedback outcome. In the 100% condition, a particular stimulus-response combination was followed by the same (positi ve or negative) feedback stimulus on 100% of the trials, allowing participants to learn these mappings. In the 50% condition, the feedback stimulus was randomly chosen (50% positi ve, 50% negative), irrespective of the particular stimulusresponse combination. Thus, the feedback was not contingent on the subject's behavior. Finally, an intermediate condition was provided by the 80% condition; that is, a particular stimulus-response ensemble was followed by one type of feedback on 80% of the trials and by the other type of feedback on 20% of the trials. As reported in detail by Nieuwenhuis et al. (2002), the ERN results were in accordance with the theory of Holroyd and Coles (2002). The amplitude of the response-related ERN increased as a function of the extent to which the response in a particular condition was predictive of the feedback value. That is, the response-related ERN was largest in the 100% condition, in which subjects learned to recognize errors at the time of the response, and it was absent in the 50% condition, in which negative feedback could not be foreseen at the time of the response. The feedback-related ERN showed the opposite pattern: It was largest in the 50% condition, in which the feedback itself constituted the earliest predictor of negative outcome. If the cardiac response described above reflects the same process as the ERN, it should show a comparable differential sensiti vity to errors and feedback in the three experimental conditions. This hypothesis was tested by examining cardiac responses to errors and feedback separately, and by computing separate between-subject correlations between response-related and feedback-related ERN and the cardiac responses. Materials and Methods We limit ourselves to summarizing the most essential aspects of the employed methods. Further details of the methods can be found elsewhere (Nieuwenhuis, et al., 2002). Participants Sixteen young adults (8 women) participated in this experiment. The participants, ranging in age from 18 to 23 years (M = 20.4), were undergraduate students at the University of Amsterdam and received course credits for their participation. Design and Procedure In each of f ive blocks of 300 trials, participants were presented with a set of six imperative stimuli presented in a quasi-random order. Participants were instructed to respond to each stimulus with a left or right hand response within 700 ms following the stimulus. They were not told the stimulusresponse mappings in advance but were instructed to learn these on the basis of a feedback stimulus that was presented 1000 ms following the stimulus. In case of a correct response, a designated positive feedback stimulus indicated that the participant had earned 2 cents on that trial. In case of an incorrect response, a negative feedback stimulus indicated a penalty of 2 cents. A third feedback stimulus was presented in case a response missed the deadline (penalty of 4 cents). Two stimuli were consistently mapped to the left or right hand response (100% condition), so that participants could learn to control the value of the feedback. For two other stimuli , feedback was delivered randomly (50% condition), regardless of the given response. As a result, participants were rewarded on 50% of the trials and penalized on 50% of the trials. Following the same logic, the two remaining stimuli were associated with an 80% condition. That is, one stimulus required a left button press on 80% of the trials (referred to as valid trials) and a right button press on 20% of the trials (invalid trials), and the other stimulus required a right button press on 80% of the trials (valid) and a left button press on 20% of the trials (invalid). At the end of the each block, participants were informed about the total amount of bonus money they had earned throughout the experiment. Recordings and Data Reduction For each participant, response-locked and feedback-locked ERP waveforms were computed separately for each condition. Difference waves were computed by subtracting the ERPs associated with positive feedback from the ERPs associated with negative feedback. The amplitude of the response-locked ERN was defined as the lowest value in the difference wave at Cz in the time window of 0-150 ms following the response. The amplitude of the feedback-locked ERN was defined as the peak value in the difference wave at Cz in the time window of 200-350 ms following feedback onset. The ECG was derived from pre-cordial leads and sampled at 250 Hz. The R-peak occurrence times were detected with an accuracy of 4 ms and stored off-line. The series of R-peaks was checked for artifacts and corrected when necessary. Four inter-beat intervals (IBIs) were selected around the presentation of the feedback stimulus (FB-locked) and the response (R-locked): the concurrent IBI (i.e., IBI0), the IBI preceding the stimulus (IBI-1), and the two IBIs following the stimulus (IBIs 1 and 2). Cardiac responses were referenced to the fourth IBI preceding the onset of the imperative stimulus. Statistical Analysis Cardiac measures were statistically evaluated with a repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with sequential IBI (4 levels: IBI-1, IBI0, IBI1, and IBI2), type of feedback (2 levels: positive vs. negative feedback), condition (3 levels: 50%, 80%, 100%), and block half (2 levels: first half vs. second half) as within-subjects factors. Because the effects of block half were minor and nonsystematic, statistical main and interaction terms involving this factor will not be mentioned in the Results section. Where appropriate, the statistical degrees of freedom were adjusted using the Greenhouse-Geisser correction. For all analyses, a difference was con


Charge-trap flash (CTF) memory using a zirconium nitride (ZrN)-based memristor switch (MRS) is demonstrated for next-generation nonvolatile memory. This device consists of a metal/MRS/nitride/oxide/silicon (M/MRS/N/O/S) structure so that electrical transport via the ZrN-based MRS layer can be utilized. Compared to previous oxide materials used as conduction paths, the proposed CTF device with a ZrN-based MRS exhibits a faster program/erase switching speed (20 ns/7 ns), along with comparable endurance and retention properties.


IL,VERY now and then in the whirligig of life it is necessary for humanity to stop and ask itself where it is going. This is true not only of mankind in general, but also of the professions and particularly, since it holds a peculiarly intimate position, of the medical profession. Though the publishers commend this book to the layman it is of even more interest and indeed of fundamental importance to the members of our profession. In the last few years we have seen and taken part in a revolution in medicine. The nation has taken notice of what we have to contribute to its concept of the Welfare State, and in a flurry of Parliamentary activity, of B.M.A. conferences, of arguments which on the whole have been concerned more with economics than with professional status or ideology, the new state of medical nationalisation has been born. The book deals with the consequences of that act. The fallacy of so-called planning on schemes of such magnitude is exposed. The £170,000,000 estimate of Beveridge in 1942, the i230,000,000 estimate of Bevan in 1948, have in the experience of three years been found to be nmere guesses, and Parliament has had finally to limit the expenditure on health to £400,000,000. In other words, medicine is rationed, and it is only within the framewvork of that ration that diagnosis, treatment and medical advance can be perpetuated. The humanitarian outlook of the doctor in the past has not been questioned, but now it becomes necessary to strip aside emotionalism and wishful thinking and to re-orientate the aims of the profession. Where money is scarce is it better to spend it prolonging life through palliation but not cure of the (legenerative diseases, or to maintain the general health of the community by providing better houses and a reasonable standard of living? For the doctor it is a bitter choice. "We are rapidly approaching the time when humanitarian demands can be satisfied only by inroads upon our resources prejudicial to our standard of liviing, when the claims of physical health will conflict with the claims of economic health." All this is largely the result of the advance of medical science. Since the discovery of insulin there has been an ever-increasing cost of ill-health. The advance of medicine as a science has resulted not in a simplification of disease but in an ever-growing complexity. The "complete" doctor …


families, and ex-nuptial children that, she argues, point toward a porous boundary between core and periphery. A final article stands on its own: Kevin J. Callahan's study of disputes over national identity and internationalism within the fin-desiècle Left. All of these articles are steeped in the thorough empirical research that characterises William Cohen's publications. The editors do an excellent job of tying the contributions together around questions that are at the forefront of current research. Their decision to look away from the centre, eschew rigid boundaries, and foreground autonomous or semi-autonomous peripheral forces yields dividends. Modern France comes across as more unstable and diverse than often depicted—and perhaps, as Sarah Curtis suggests, more creative as well. Still, one wishes that the contributors themselves had grappled with these notions of margin and identity (or 'Frenchness'). Applying these categories to such disparate situations erodes their analytical power. The reader is ultimately left with ambitious questions: What is specific about the core–margin relationship during this era? Did the margins change the centre? Where are norms elaborated? And did the margins provide a freedom that was unavailable elsewhere? Posing such questions, especially when it is done with William Cohen's blend of curiosity and erudition, is an achievement in itself.


Tetranychus truncatus Ehara is a common pest on the upland crop in Taiwan, specially infesting bean plants. In the laboratory the mites were reared and observed continuously from March 1972 to March 1973. There were 31 generations in a year. The egg, nymphal and adult stages were 3~17 days (av. 6.22±0.13 days), 2~17 days (av.6.25±0.38 days), 5~29 days (av. 10.6±2.61 days), respectively. The female generally deposited 60 eggs within about 9 days. The morphology of each stage was described in this paper too. By the field investigation thirteen species of natural enemies were found. i. e. Stethorus hirashimai Sasaji, S. chengi Sasaji, S. loi Sasaji, Oligota oviformis (Casey), Arthrocnodax occidentalis Felt, Eumicromus sauteri Esben-Peterson, Scolothrips sexmaculatus Pergande, Onus sp., Anystis sp., Bdella sp., Amblyseius longispinosus (Evans), A. largoensis (Muma), and A. ovalis (Evans). Among them, Oligota oviformis, Arthrocnodax occidentalis and Amblyseius longispinosus seem to be effective in checking the population of Tetranychus truncatus below economic level under the condition of without spraying insecticides for against insect pests of some hostplant in the fields.


A new inspection and analysis platform based on two-electrode system was constructed.The two-electrode system based on minimizing polarizing current theory was realized by maximizing the ratio of the area of working electrode and auxiliary electrode,and hardware software were designed.Therefore the reference electrode can be abandoned,which overcomes the shortcomings of traditional three-electrode system while reproducing the function of electrochemical workstation.Research on Electric Conductivity(EC),pH and the concentrations of heavy metal ions of water had been carried out on this platform,and effective results had received which demonstrated the ability of multiple water quality parameters inspection.This platform can be used on solution properties analysis in laboratory or industry locale.


Summary The LPS (Boivin type) from S. enteritidis caused dose-dependent reductions in bile secretion and excretion of ICG in the isolated perfused rat liver (IPRL). The transport maximum of BSP was also impaired by this endotoxin (Westphal type). Since two types of LPS preparations were used in these studies, the results suggest that the observed effects were a biological property of the endotoxin and not the result of contaminants left by one of the extraction procedures. This LPS had no effect on either the rate of perfusate flow or on the rate of aspartate aminotransferase release by the IPRL. These data have provided additional evidence that inhibition of hepatic excretory pathways is a biological activity of LPS and are consistent with the theory that impairment of hepatic excretion by bacterial endotoxins might play a role in the patho-genesis of the cholestatic jaundice seen during gram-negative bacterial infections.


Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves are used to characterize an observer's ability to detect a small signal of light (approximately 2 mm diameter) projected onto uniformly exposed radiographic samples exhibiting the coarse fluctuations in density, called radiographic mottle, which constitute a source of noise in the detection process. ROC curves are developed which show how signal detectability will depend both on the type of noise (amplitude and spatial frequency content of the density fluctuations) of the radiographic samples to which a given signal is added, as well as on the contrast of the signal added to a given type of noise.


In most cases, the third order approximation of a scalar Newtonian equation can lead to the Lyapunov stability of a periodic solution through the obtaining of a nonzero twist coefficient. Recently, Ortega obtained the twist property of a periodic solution when the second order coefficient does not change sign and the third one is negative under a crucial limitation to the rotation of the linearization equation. The paper finds that the best bound on the limitation of the rotations is θ0*=arccos(−1/4). .


Distributed applications which are replicated to achieve fault tolerance usually are faced with the problem of maintaining consistent states. To eliminate potential divergence of replica states caused by unreliable communication primitives, an atomic multicast protocol is required which guarantees delivery of messages at all receivers in the same order. The authors propose a new efficient protocol in which the order of messages is established by a token passed from one receiver to the other on a logical token ring. The protocol works correctly in presence of up to k failures. An analysis of the protocol characteristics and comparison to previously published atomic multicast algorithms shows that the approach meets the requirements in modern client-server models best.<<ETX>>


Objective To investigate a Chinese pedigree suffering from Leydig cell hypoplasia ( LCH) based on clinical data and genetic diagnosis. Methods The patient was diagnosed by means of clinical data, hormone profiles, and human chorionic gonadotropin ( hCC) test. The luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor(LHCGR) gene of the patient and family members was amplified and sequenced. Results The patient presented with male pseudohermaphroditism, low level of testosterone, which did not respond to hCG. Genetic analysis of the LHCGR revealed two novel mutations: a missense mutation located in exon 5, resulting in Ile replaced by Thr in the extracellular domain; and a splice site mutation in the 3' terminal of intron 6( IVS6-3 C→A). Proband's sister (46, XX) who lacked clinical manifestations showed the identical genotype with the patient. Conclusions A mutation in the consensus sequence of 3' splice site, in addition to a missense mutation (Ile 152Thr)in the extracellular ligand-binding domain is the cause of inactivation of the LHCGR gene in patient with Leydig cell hypoplasia.

Key words:
Luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor;  Male pseudohermaphroditism;  Leydig cell hypoplasia


A population of Peace Corps trainees was examined in terms of demographic variables, aptitude and achievement test scores, course grades, peer nominations, estimates of authoritarianism, and rating criteria. The data suggested the tendency (r = –.37) for the nonwhites, for older people (r = -.30), and the females (r = –.30) to be somewhat more authoritarian than younger, white, and male trainees. Trainees with good grades tended to be popular among their peers and not as authoritarian as those with mediocre grades (r = .62 and –.17, respectively). Peer nominations were stable across time, and selected biases of individual raters against specific variables could be identified. The ultimate significance of the foregoing measures awaits validation against performance criteria of the Peace Corps Volunteers in their overseas assignments.


Purpose: The purpose of this research is to assess the communication experiences of nursing students by conducting a simulation using standardized patients and to understand their essential meaning in-depth.Methods: This research was conducted from May to June 2022 and targeted 17 third-year nursing students who were attending K University in Kangwon-do and underwent mental health nursing simulation. In-depth interview was conducted by organizing a focus group, and this the outcomes were analyzed by Colaizzi's phenomenological method.Results: The communication experiences were derived in four categories, namely, 'Preoccupation in the situation like it's real', 'Embarrassed by unpredictable communication situation', 'Self-reflection on communication' and 'The effort to improve communication skills'.Conclusion: Based on the results of this research, there is a need to conduct well-designed scenarios and modules, and to provide pre-training so that standardized patients can provide various communication responses. Moreover, it is necessary to provide opportunities for nursing students to acquire nursing ability on their own.


The effect of atmospheric air dielectric barrier discharge plasma on seed germination and early growth has been investigated in rice. Rice seeds were exposed to plasma for 10, 30 and 60 s. It is shown that plasma treatment had positive effects on germination of rice seeds. Seeds exposed to plasma for 60 s had the highest germination rate. Vigor index and germination speed of treated seeds were higher in comparison to untreated seeds. Characteristics of seedling growth, including shoot length, fresh weight and dry weight of shoot and roots were improved by plasma treatment. The contents of photosynthetic pigments tended to increase in the seedlings from treated seeds. In addition, the surface of rice seeds was modified by treating with plasma. These results suggest that the exposure of rice seeds to plasma has the potential to promote seed germination and seedling growth by changing the surfaces of rice seeds.


The transmission performance of a digital power line carrier system with adaptive equalizer degrades in the presence of the carrier frequency offset (CFO). Therefore, accurate CFO estimation and compensation is necessary. In this paper, we propose a CFO estimation method suitable for a digital power line carrier system with adaptive equalizer in the presence of delayed propagation paths. The proposed CFO estimation method estimates the CFO from the measured phase rotation per symbol which is obtained by the measurement of autocorrelation of a 4PSK training sequence. By setting the time separation for autocorrelation measurement to the training sequence length, the accurate CFO estimation is achieved in the presence of delayed propagation paths. In order to achieve sufficiently accurate CFO estimation in a low SNR condition, averaging the instantaneous autocorrelation measurements is done by a simple first-order filter. It was confirmed by computer simulation that even in the presence of delayed propagation paths, by using the proposed CFO estimation method, a digital power line carrier system with adaptive equalizer achieves a BER performance close to the case of no CFO.


8580 Background: The utility of BCT for M remains controversial. A prospective phase II study was conducted to assess the clinical benefit of BCT in patients with stage IV M. Methods: Between March...


We present novel techniques, in-situ solution doping and Chemical-in-Crucible, for manufacturing doped optical fibers with complex structures which offer improved process performance and flexibility over conventional doping processes for high power fiber lasers applications.


All most all the function spaces over real or complex domains and spaces of sequences, that arise in practice as examples of normed complete linear spaces (Banach spaces), are reflexive. These Banach spaces are dual to their respective spaces of continuous linear functionals over the corresponding Banach spaces. For each of these Banach spaces, a countable vector space basis exists, which is responsible for their reflexivity. In this paper, a specific criterion for reflexivity of a Banach space with a countable vector space basis is presented.


Electrohydrodynamic convective drying (EHD drying) is a novel drying method used to enhance forced convection drying (FC drying) by using a wire-electrode to create an electrostatic field. In a previous study, the efficiency of EHD drying (using three different wire-electrode configurations) was compared to classical FC drying by measuring the drying rate of methylcellulose gel. Efficiency was quantified in terms of exergy (transient exergetic efficiency) through the use of a proposed model. In that previous study, it was stated that methylcellulose gel can be used to simulate a food product and can be controlled to a predetermined moisture content. The purpose of this current work was to compare how meth-ylcellulose gel compares to a real food product (mango fruit) in terms of drying kinetics for both EHD and FC drying. Drying kinetics were quantified in terms of a per unit area measurement of the exergetic efficiency, exergy supplied and used, drying rate, and total drying time to reach a moisture content of 50%. Initial results show that for both EHD and FC drying, methylcellulose gel and mango fruit exhibit similar drying kinetics.


When factory workers work on a daily basis, safety accidents may occur due to goggles and protective masks not being worn or not being worn in a standardized manner. Such accidents put workers' lives and health at risk, damage factory equipment, and can cause serious fires and injuries. The system uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI edge computing to monitor workers' protective equipment, using deep learning to train a suitable model, which is remotely transmitted to the AI edge computing module Jetson Nano via Secure Shell (SSH) protocol, and finally the AI edge computing module determines the workers' protective equipment wearing situation. The AI edge computing module provides some practical value for the prevention of factory safety accidents, and also provides a reliable basis for the establishment of smart factories.


In order to obtain the laws of influence of nickel base-WC coating preparation process on the organization and wear resistance,the Ni-WC coating was sintered using a furnace.The organization of coating was analyzed using optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy.The phase structure of the coating was analyzed using XRD.A tribological property of coatings was studied.The results show that the best process was at 1 250℃.The coating sintered under optimum conditions with better anti-abrasion function,compact structure,free from porosity,Ni-based solid solutions distributed with hard phase,such as WC and Cr23C6.


In the Begriffsschrift, Gottlob Frege proposes a notational system to represent the logical relationships between thoughts. That system is alien to the classical one, it is not linear nor is it based on the signs of arithmetic, rather it is two-dimensional and uses the signs proposed by Frege in that work. Despite the fact that said notation was widely questioned and that, today, it is not the one used in logic classes, this text aims to be a vindication of said notational system and its didactic potentialities in a diverse classroom.


Abstract Although subepithelial lesions are rarely found in the upper gastrointestinal tract, they can cause uncertainty in diagnostic approach and management. Endosonographic findings are described and current recommenda-tions are reviewed in light of one case in order to allow for a rational approach to these lesions. Keywords Submucosal tumors, endoscopic ultrasound, GIST. CliniCAl CAsetic origin), because many of these lesions may have an origin A 50 year old man with dyspepsia was sent for an upper endoscopy which found a 9 mm subepithelial lesion in the gastric corpus (Figure 1). Biopsy of the overlying mucosa was normal. The patient had no previous medical history, and his physical examination was normal.initiAl ApproACh: WhAt Could We do then?lity, and whether or not it is pulsating. Finally we can assess A mass or protrusion in the lumen of an organ covered by normal epithelium is called a subepithelial lesion. They are uncommon lesions which are expected to be present in 1 out of 300 endoscopies (1, 2). Causes can be intrinsic benign or malignant lesions of the gastrointestinal tract wall or extrinsic compression caused by normal or patho-logical adjacent structures (3).These lesions are usually found incidentally and often have no relationship with symptoms, as was the case with our patient. This can cause the physician to doubt whether she or he should follow up with more specific investigation and per-form additional (4).


Sales transaction data at Bigmart stored in a database will be able to become new knowledge if processed using the data mining process. In addition, inventory is also a problem that is being faced by Bigmart. Data mining is able to analyze data into information in the form of transaction patterns that are useful in increasing revenue, one of which is Cross-Selling products. Association rule is one of the data mining methods included in the Market Basket Analysis method. The algorithm used is the FP-Growth algorithm because it has the virtue of shorter time processing data. The pattern obtained is determined by the value of support (support) and the value of confidence (confidence). To find the association rules the FP-Growth algorithm is used. To get more accurate association rules, use the Weka 8.3 tool. There are 11 association rules obtained using the Weka 8.3 tool which is classified as a Stong Rule that meets the Minimum support value of 10% and Minimum confidence 80%. Keywords: Database, Cross-selling, Market Basket Analysis, Association Rule, FP-Growth


Rigid tracheobronchoscopy (RTB) has seen an increasing interest over the last decades with the development of the field of IPM but no benchmark exists for complication rates in RTB. We aimed to establish benchmarks for complication rates in RTB.


Primary successions on glacier forelands have been widely described as changes of plant assemblages, although many studies show that the assemblages may be more apparent than real. Some doubt has also been cast on the occurrence of successional convergence on deglaciated terrain. Vegetation data from five dated terminal moraines in southern Norway, created between 1750 and 1930, were classified by TWINSPAN. The distinctness of the TWINSPAN groups and their relation to the spatial and temporal gradients were analysed by Canonical Correspondence Analysis. The successional sequence can be described as a physiognomic development; from cryptogam-mats, to a heath-phase, which may then be over-grown by Betula shrubs that develop into a sub-alpine Betula pubescens forest. Most species (79%) in the Racomitrium canescens and Stereocaulon assemblage on the youngest moraine are also found in the Betula pubescens forest on the oldest moraine. However, the establishment of some species seems to be facilitated by other species. The floristic difference between the TWINSPAN groups decreases with time suggesting that successional convergence has occurred. The spatial micro-variation is reduced once a closed canopy of Betula is established on the oldest moraine, but there are clear variations related to moraine positions on the other moraines.


We define a one-particle irreducible (1PI) Wilson action in the gradient flow exact renormalization group (GFERG) formalism as the Legendre transform of a Wilson action. We consider quantum electrodynamics in particular, and show that the GFERG flow equation preserves the invariance of the 1PI Wilson action (excluding the gauge-fixing term) under the conven- tional U (1) gauge transformation. This is in contrast to the invariance of the original Wilson action under a modified U (1) gauge transformation. The global chiral transformation also takes the conventional form for the 1PI Wilson action. Despite the complexity of the GFERG flow equation, the conventional form of the gauge and global chiral transformations may allow us to introduce a non-perturbative Ansatz for gauge and chiral invariant 1PI Wilson actions. .. . .. ..


The hereby work plans on analysing to what extent the life expectancy is subject to the influence by different markers, like: GDP, the percentage of GDP allocated for the health system, as well as the income level in Romania and Ukraine. We consider that a comparative analysis between the two countries is representative since, as it results from the data and the diagrams presented within the work, both the GDP evolution and the percentage allocated from GDP for the health system reveal a different evolution, ranging in both countries, unlike the life expectancy going through an ascending trend, slow for both cases. Partially considering the specialized literature in use, our attention was drawn towards the evolution of the income obtained by the people. More precisely, commencing from Keynes' Basic Psychological Law stipulating that along with the income growth the expenditure on health, education and training the human resource will increase, we have chosen to econometrically test these theories for Romania and Ukraine. Therefore, we would like to research, using a simple linear regression model, whether the income growth, which represents the independent variable, obtained by the people, has a significant contribution in life expectancy (the dependent variable) increase in Romania, as well as in Ukraine.


Dry matter, protein, oil, ash contents were determined in the seed of Hicaznar cultivar variety, with the highest production amount in Turkey, of pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit. In addition to these studies the amount of P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn content of the seed and, the composition of fatty acid and refractive index of pomegranate seed oil were determined. These studies showed that the seed oils constitutes of six fatty acids comprising of palmitic (4.62%), stearic (2.77%), oleic (6.83%), linoleic (5.81%), arachidic (1.14%) and punicic acid (78.83%).


THE ROLE OF CAMK-II IN SKELETAL MUSCLE FUNCTION AND SWIMMING BEHAVIOR IN ZEBRAFISH MINH PHI NGUYEN, B.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013 Major Director: ROBERT M. TOMBES, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Biology Previous research showed mutations in muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum-bound calcium handler proteins cause swimming defects in embryonic zebrafish. CaMK-II is a highly conserved Ca/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase expressed in all vertebrates has been defined to activate and inactivate multiple Ca handler proteins involved in excitationcontraction coupling and relaxation of cardiac and skeletal muscle. In this study, evidence is


This paper describes the design of floor-based games for children aged between three and six years. We outline the key design criteria that were used to guide development of these games. The resultant game experiences are discussed briefly. Author


The purpose of this article is to present a resolution method applied on an industrial problem. This problem is a parallel machine problem with some constraints and the objective is to find a feasible solution with a minimum cost.


We review Li's refinement of the KLM regulator map, and use it to detect torsion phenomena in higher Chow groups.


To describe the clinical phenotype of pediatric patients with unilateral enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) and then to compare the findings to two clinically related phenotypes: bilateral EVA and unilateral hearing loss without EVA. In view of clinical observations and previously published data, we hypothesized that patients with unilateral EVA would have a much higher rate of contralateral hearing loss than patients with unilateral hearing loss without EVA.


Implementation of Local governance as a mandate from the Constitution since the early days of independence has been attempted, but until these days, central government still has more power than local governments. Apparently the local governmentarea was not ready and not prepared to alter the delivery of local governance pendulum that is on decentralization as a manifestation of regional autonomy. In order to resolve this negative euphoria, those transfers of powers should be done by a process that is systematic, measurable


glittering prizes have never been more desirable, nor more elusive. And as we approach the beginning of the 21 st century every industrialised country is engaged on h search for more effective education and training systems to power the engines o[ industrial and post-industrial society. More than ever, therefore, education must be attuned to change, education must anticipate change and respond to change. And if education is to provide the equipment for change, education, as your profession well knows, must itself change and be managed in that change. Six years ago Britain was proferred what was generally thought to be change in education and those changes were to be made on the basis of three central


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of magnetic resonance (MR) relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) maps for studying regional hemodynamic changes in interictal and ictal epilepsy patients. Ten epilepsy patients were examined on a 1.5 T MR system. Nine patients were investigated interictally and one patient ictally. In the nine interictal patients, the dynamic plane was defined coronally through the hippocampus symmetrically. For the ictal patient, an axial dynamic plane was defined and the patient was scanned during seizure. Positron emission tomography (PET) studies were performed in 8 of the 10 patients. Lower rCBV of the left hippocampus was predicted by rCBV maps in seven of the nine interictal patients. The mean ratios of rCBV were 1.96 for left hippocampus/white matter and 2.49 for right hippocampus/ white matter. The difference between these two ratios is statistically significant (P = 0.01, t‐test). In two of the nine interictal temporal lobe epilepsy patients, lower rCBV areas were observed in the right hippocampus. In the ictal patient, the regional rCBV map demonstrated increased blood volume in the lesions. In eight of eight patients who underwent PET studies, MR rCBV findings were consistent with PET findings. The results show that regional hemodynamic changes in epilepsy can be evaluated with dynamic contrast‐enhanced MR imaging. MR rCBV maps are sensitive to characterize seizure foci both ictally and interictally.J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999; 9:435–440. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


This study aims to determine the effect of organizational culture on turnover intentions. This study was involved 131 employees of X's hospital. Data was collected using organizational culture scale and turnover intention scale. The results of simple regression analysis shows that organizational culture has a negative and significant effect to turnover intention. Perceived of organizational culture contribute negatively to the turnover intentions of X hospital employees. This finding is also expected to be an input for X Hospital to face the issue of turnover intention and in making policies for employees.


Taking annual reports disclosure as the event,information asymmetry is directly measured by PIN (probability of informed trading) and its effect on price discovery is explored through event study around periodical reports Empirical results show that information asymmetry aggravates before public release of annual reports and it is inversely proportional to firm size.The results also show that the more asymmetric information is before announcements,the more information revealed by prices and the less prices drift after announcements.However,price discovery based on private information causes damage to the benefit of medium and small investors,so supervision of such illegal behaviors must be strengthened.


Cadherin extracellular domain 1 (EC1) mediates homophilic dimerization in adherens junctions. Conserved Trp2 and Trp4 residues in type II cadherins anchor the EC1 A-strand intermolecularly in strand-swapped dimers. Herein, NMR spectroscopy is used to elucidate the roles of Trp2 and Trp4 in Cadherin-11 dimerization. The monomeric state, with the A-strand and Trp side chains packed intramolecularly, is in equilibrium with sparsely populated partially and fully A-strand-exposed states, in which Trp2 (and Trp4, respectively) side-chain packing is disrupted. Exchange kinetics between the major state and the partially (fully) A-strand-exposed state is slow-intermediate (intermediate-fast). A separate very fast process exchanges ordered and random-coil BC loop conformations with populations dependent on A-strand exposure and dimerization status. Additionally, very slow processes connect the folded A-strand-exposed conformation to partially unfolded states, which may represent additional domain-swapping intermediates. The dimerization mechanism of type II cadherins is revealed as coupled folding and strand-swapping.


Multinuclear magnetic resonance experiments were performed (1H, 13C, 31P, and 15N) for P-H phosphoranes derived from 2-aminophenol, 4-tert-butyl-2-aminophenol, and 4,6-di-tert-butyl-2-aminophenol. Selective heteronuclear 1H{15N} double resonance experiments and two-dimensional 15N/1H HETCOR experiments enabled us to determine various signs of coupling constants (e.g., 2J(31P, N, 1H) > 0; 1J(31P, 15N) < 0). The 1H-coupled 15N NMR spectrum recorded by the INEPT pulse sequence shows the splitting due to 1J(31P, 15N) and 2J(15N, P, 1H). The latter value is useful for polarization transfer experiments from 1H to 15N, once the hydrogen atoms of the N-H functions are replaced by other groups. Isotope-induced chemical shifts 1Δ14/15N(31P) were measured by using the INEPT-HEED pulse sequence. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 11:11–15, 2000


A method and apparatus for electrochemically synthesizing N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ includes oxidizing a solution of N/sub 2/O/sub 4//HNO/sub 3/ at an anode, while maintaining a controlled potential between the N/sub 2/O/sub 4//HNO/sub 3/ solution and the anode. A potential of about 1.35 to 2.0V vs. SCE is preferred, while a potential of about 1.80V vs. SCE is most preferred. Thereafter, the N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ is reacted with either 1.5-diacetyl-3,7-dinitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane (DADN) or 1,3,5,7-tetraacetyl-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane (TAT) to form cyclotetramethylenetetraamine (HMX).


Optical microscope,transmission electronic microscopy,mechanical tester and statistical analysis were employed to analyze the effect of composition and processing of Ti microalloyed SPA-H steel by CSP process on its microstructure and mechanical properties.The results showed that Ti addition about 0.02 %~0.04 % can make the crystal size of container sheet be refined about 1 μm,and a mass of secondary phase precipitation can be observed,the tensile strength can be increased about 30 MPa;With the increase of carbon content and titanium content,the tensile strength of the steel increases,and titanium plays a significant role;With the increase of sulfur content and nitrogen content,the tensile strength of the steel decreases,and nitrogen plays a significant role;The tensile strength of the steel was also improved with the increase of reheating temperature and finish roiling temperature,while coiling temperature had little effect.


Digital markets are at the forefront of competition policy. Over the past five years, antitrust regulators around the world have opened many investigations on digital platforms and issued and/or commissioned dozens of studies or expert reports that are focused on understanding the general competitive dynamics of markets such as online search, social media, e-commerce/marketplaces, and mobile operating systems. These studies and reports represent the forefront of our current understanding of how to adapt antitrust policy to the digital era. However, much of their wealth of knowledge is lost because these documents, which add up to thousands of pages of text, figures and tables, have been scattered around the websites of different competition agencies.

This literature review consolidates the knowledge of twenty-two reports and studies on topics related to competition in digital markets issued by eighteen different authorities and expert panels around the world over the past five years. It addresses how these reports portray the general competitive dynamics of digital markets, the benefits generated by digitalization, the potential competitive shortcomings of digital markets in general and of well-defined relevant markets in particular, and the solutions that have been proposed to increase competition in the digital world. It also indicates areas where further academic research is needed.

In doing so, it should serve as a guide to antitrust scholars, regulators, and practitioners, helping them understand the frontier of knowledge on the competitive dynamics of digital markets and the range of materials that are available for those who want to explore a certain topic more in-depth.


Summary This essay describes a problem, that German protestant theology has faced for nearly a hundred years. The problem derives from a theory of death, which spread among theologians in the first decades of the 20th century. In contradiction to traditional doctrine they interpreted death not as the moment, when the immortal soul seperates from the body, but as the moment in time, when human life comes to its absolute end. That means, they denied the idea of an immortal soul. Accordingly they interpreted the resurrection of the dead as a radically new creation. This theory, named Ganztodtheorie, caused an unsolvable problem, that can be described as follows: How can one be sure, that it is exactely he, who becomes resurrected and not a newly created double? Christian Henning discusses the answers to this question, that had been given by Carl Stange, Paul Althaus, Werner Elert, Karl Barth, Eberhard Jüngel and Wolfhard Pannenberg and finally presents his own solution. In doing so he modifies the traditional idea of the immortality of the soul.


Considering the defects of the traditional rational decision,this paper introduces the idea and methods of behavior cognizance to study the procedure and frame of decision-making based on bounded rationality and puts forward realistic behavior decision-making model based on bounded rationality.Finally,by means of bounded rationality and bias degree,rationality quantitative indexes are integrated with bounded rationality and behavior bias qualitative indexes to make the project fuzzy comprehensive evaluation.


This paper deals with the problem of estimating the location parameter of a two parameter exponential distribution in case of contaminated data. Since in this case the sample minimum is an extremely unreliable estimator, robust alternatives are necessary. We investigate two types of estimators closer. The first type is based on a simple relation for the median. The second type has originally been suggested for Type-II-censored samples, but it also has good robustness properties. We discuss the breakdown properties of the two types of estimators and compare their performance for various patterns of data contamination in an extensive simulation study.


Summary This article considers the theme of shamanism in those novels of Zakes Mda that trace it to the people named respectively 'abaThwa', 'Khoikhoi', 'Barwa', 'San' and 'IXam', as opposed to amaXhosa and Basotho who comprise this fiction's dominant orders. The proposition is that shamanism is a discourse in which it is believed that, having entered into a trance, the performer articulates alterities and effects healing in his/her people. Notable in this examination is the fiction's representations of the trance in terms of audience formation and how they, in turn – and well after the executor's descent into a trance – actualise it as mediations of plights. The article proposes that understanding shamanism through Mda's fiction calls for a foregrounding of the complex histories of cultural exchange between these indigenous people and the Bantu, and also offers an opportunity to define Africa without first having to peel off the European colonial moment. The suggestion is that, taking the subject of shamanism as the focal point, more than one scholarship on this theme needs to be deployed in order to outline the significant inflections of the emergent culture, its technologies of cognition and microphysics of power. The first section, which theorises shamanism, emphasises that Mda moulds the essence of the trance in a compass that chimes in with scientific cosmological and neuro-psychological discourses. The final part of the discussion applies this delineation to a reading of select texts of Mda.


Since, mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced polymers and their composites are affected by poor dispersion of CNTs, the present study has been done to investigate the effect of CNT agglomerates on the residual stresses in a fiber reinforced Nano composite using experimental measurements and analytical method. CNTs are incorporated into an epoxy matrix with two weight fractions of 0.1% and 0.5% and are reinforced by unidirectional carbon fibers (CFs) to fabricate laminated composites with [02/902]s layup. The hole-drilling method is employed to measure the residual stresses in cross-ply CNT/CF/epoxy composite laminates. The CNT/epoxy sample is produced where the degree of agglomeration is changed from perfectly dispersed state up to fully agglomerated one. Based on the classical laminate theory, analytical solution is used to calculate the residual stress caused by thermal treatment. The residual stresses measured by incremental hole-drilling method are in good agreement with the theoretical residual stresses calculated by each layer of the laminates. The results show that dispersed samples perfectly are produced lower residual stresses compared to poor dispersed samples and this phenomenon is more significant in case of Nano composite with higher weight fractions of CNTs.


Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the effects of Needle Electrode Electrical Stimulation (NEES) on ischemia-induced cerebrovascular accidents. After obstruction and reperfusion of arteries in white mice, the amounts of necrosis and inflammation related substances IL-6, Caspase-3, and PARP, C-fos were measured in neurons of the hippocampus. The following results were obtained. Methods : This study used 21 male specific pathogen free (SPF) SD (Sprague Dawley) rats, 8 weeks of age and approximately 300 g in weight, that were given at least 1 week to adapt to the lab environment Each exposed artery was completely occluded with non-absorbent suture thread and kept in that state for 5 minutes. The sutures were then removed to allow reperfusion of blood. Test group is control group for comparison with the common carotid artery occlusion models, a GI group that underwent common carotid artery occlusion, and a needle electrode electrical stimulation (NEES) group that underwent NEES after artery occlusion. The GI and NEES groups were given 12, 24, or 48 hours of reperfusion before NEES. NEES device (PG6, ITO, Japan, 9V, current, 2Hz) was used to stimulate the right and left acupoint ST36 of the SD rats for 30 minutes while they were sedated with 3% isoflurane. An immunohistochemistry test was done on the forebrains of the GI induced rats. All the data collected from this study was symbolized and analyzed using a statistics processing program (SPSS 12.0K/PC). The level of significance was set at =0.05 and a T-TEST analysis was used to find out the effects of treatment on each of the groups: the normal group, the CVA induced group, and the treatment after CVA induction group. Results : Both PARP and C-fos immuno-reactive cells, related to apoptosis, were greater in the GI groups than the NEES group. Caspase and IL-6 immuno-reactive cells, related to inflammation, were greater in the GI and NEES groups than the control group. Conclusions : This research was conducted to study the effects of NEES on CVA due to ischemia. Occlusion and reperfusion was performed on the common carotid arteries of white rats, after which amounts of substances related to neuron necrosis and inflammation - PARP, IL-6, Caspase-3, and C-fos - were measured in the Hippocampus


Based on the principle of linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) adaptive beamforming, an adaptive beamforming method by using Bayesian posterior probability weighted sum is proposed in terms of the Bayesian estimation theory. The method is developed to improve robustness to pointing error and overcome the shortcoming of LCMV beamforming's sensitivity to pointing error. The results of simulation indicate that the performance of the proposed beamforming method is robust to the pointing error.


The most popular shape from focus (SFF) methods in the literature are based on the concept of focused image surface (FIS)-the surface formed by the best focus points. According to paraxial-geometric optics, there is one-to-one correspondence between the shape of an object and the shape of its FIS. Therefore, the problem of three-dimensional (3-D) shape recovery from image focus can be described as the problem of determining the shape of the FIS. The conventional SFF method is inaccurate because of piecewise constant approximation of the FIS. The SFF method based on the FIS has shown better results by exhaustive search of the FIS shape using planar surface approximation at the cost of considerably higher computations. In this paper, search of the FIS shape is presented as an optimization problem, i.e., maximization of the focus measure in the 3-D image volume. The proposed method searches the optimal focus measure in the whole image volume, instead of the small volume as adopted in previous methods. The dynamic programming, instead of the approximation techniques, is used to search the optimal FIS shape. A direct application of dynamic programming on a 3-D data is impractical, because of higher computational complexity. Therefore a fast heuristic model based on dynamic programming is proposed for the search of FIS shape. The shape recovery results of the new method are better than previous methods. The proposed algorithm is significantly faster than the FIS algorithm, but a little slower than the conventional algorithm.


Objective To explore the effect of nursing intervention plus oxygen atomizing inhalation on treatment of children with severe pneumonia cough. Methods A hundred and sixteen children with severe pneumonia were randomly assigned into control group and experiment group. Both groups received routine treatment and nursing. Meanwhile,experiment group was given oxygen atomizing inhalation plus pertinence nursing procedure. Clinical effect and time of clinical symptom alleviations were compared between two groups. Results The cure rate of experiment group was much higher than that in control group( 95. 0% vs 82. 1%,P 0. 05); The disappearance time of cough,wheezes and lung rale,the time of X ray recovery and hospital discharge in experiment group were much shorter than those in control group( P 0. 05). VC,FVC,FEV1and FEV1/ FVC 3 days after treatment in experiment group were superior to those in control group( P 0. 05). Conclusions Oxygen atomizing inhalation plus pertinence nursing procedure for children with severe pneumonia cough greatly alleviate clinical symptoms and improve the recovery of disease.


Peter Shaffer caught audiences off guard with Lettice and Lovage, his latest stage work. After twenty consecutive years of writing serious drama, suddenly in 1987 he returned to comedy with a brilliantly witty full-length play. That Shaffer is capable of sparkling comedy comes as no surprise, given the string of popular one-act plays (Black Comedy, White Liars, Public Eye, and Private Ear) staged two decades earlier. But here was a complex three-act comedy, engaging audiences on several planes, something rarely possible with smaller-scale comedies. Equally unexpected was finding two women figures at the center of the plot unexpected because throughout his career Shaffer has been accused of inability, or unwillingness, to create plausible female characters as protagonists. Moreover, in Lettice and Lovage Shaffer centers the action on thematic materials substantially different from those of his recent writings. Obsessions with mortality framed in bleak metaphysical terms as found in Royal Hunt of the Sun, Shrivings, Equus, Yonadab, and much of Amadeus stand very far removed from the laughter of Lettice and Lovage. Concomitantly, celebrated figures from the historical past (i.e., Pizarro, Atahuallpa, Mozart, Salieri, King David, Absalom, and Yonadab) are replaced with contemporary workaday citizens as protagonists. Furthermore, reconciled friendship marks the denouement of Lettice and Lovage, not shattered relationships and dreams. With respect to staging, too, Shaffer temporarily abandons experimental techniques and relies instead on the straightforward realism he had utilized in the previous comedies.


Over the last two decades R&D has played an integral role in the biotechnological medicine industry. Biotech breakthroughs have resulted in an R&D expenditure boom, encouraging further exploration of its potential therapeutic applications. It is, however, complex, costly, and full of uncertainty. Thus, R&D investment is an appropriate mechanism to encourage firms to innovate. This paper examines the associations between R&D expenditure (RDI), royalty and technology licensing expenses (ROY) and firm value in terms of return on equity (ROE), in the biotechnology medicine industry from the period of 1996 to 2007 in Taiwan. Utilizing OLS regression analysis the empirical results indicate: (1) Both RDI and ROY are strongly connected to financial performance within the same year implemented and subsequent years. RDI has a considerably negative effect that outweighs the positive effect of ROY on ROE. (2) In the short run, RDI and ROY bare no effect on market value. (3) In the long run, RDI enhances market value, and has a significantly more positive effect than ROY on market value.


There has been substantial research undertaken on the role of green synthesized corrosion inhibitors as a substantial approach to inhibit the corrosion of metals and their alloys in acidic environments. Herein, electrochemical studies, surface characterization, and theoretical modeling were adopted to investigate the corrosion inhibition proprieties of novel synthesized quinoxaline derivatives bearing 8-Hydroxyquinoline, namely 1-((8-hydroxyquinolin-5-yl) methyl)-3,6-dimethylquinoxalin-2(1H)-one (Q1) and 1-((8-hydroxyquinolin-5-yl)methyl) quinoxalin-2(1H)-one (Q2) on mild steel corrosion in 1 mol/L HCl solution. The principal finding of this research was that both inhibitors acted as good corrosion inhibitors with Q1 having the highest performance (96% at 5 × 10−3 mol/L). Electrochemical results obtained via potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques demonstrated that quinoxaline compounds belonged to mixed-type inhibitors; their presence significantly increased the polarization resistance, preventing simultaneously anodic and cathodic reactions. Further, experimental results provided preliminary insights about the interactions mode between studied molecules and the mild steel surface, which followed the Langmuir adsorption model, and physical and chemical interactions assisted their inhibition mechanism. Besides, SEM analyses confirmed the existence of protective film on the metal surface after the addition of 5 × 10−3 mol/L of quinoxalines. In addition, the temperature and immersion time effects on inhibition performances of quinoxalines were investigated to evaluate their performances in different operating conditions. Besides, Density Functional Theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to explore the most reactive sites of quinoxaline inhibitors and their interaction mechanism. Theoretical results revealed that the inhibitor molecule with additional electron-donating functional group strongly interacted with the steel surface.


We previously reported that topical application of forskolin to the skin of fair‐skinned MC1R‐defective mice with epidermal melanocytes resulted in accumulation of eumelanin in the epidermis and was highly protective against UV‐mediated cutaneous injury. In this report, we describe the long‐term effects of chronic topical forskolin treatment in this animal model. Forskolin‐induced eumelanin production persisted through 3 months of daily applications, and forskolin‐induced eumelanin remained protective against UV damage as assessed by minimal erythematous dose (MED). No obvious toxic changes were noted in the skin or overall health of animals exposed to prolonged forskolin therapy. Body weights were maintained throughout the course of topical forskolin application. Topical application of forskolin was associated with an increase in the number of melanocytes in the epidermis and thickening of the epidermis due, at least in part, to an accumulation of nucleated keratinocytes. Together, these data suggest in this animal model, short‐term topical regular application of forskolin promotes eumelanin induction and that over time, topical forskolin treatment is associated with persistent melanization, epidermal cell accumulation, and skin thickening.