The known general formula for the Clebsch–Gordan coefficients of the three‐dimensional rotation group involves one summation that results in explicit summation‐free expressions for the coefficients where either one of the angular momenta is the sum of the other two or the magnetic quantum number corresponding to one of the angular momenta takes its maximum value in magnitude. By using very different techniques, explicit expressions for the coefficients 〈 j1, 0;  j2, 0‖ j, 0〉, 〈 j1, (1)/(2) ; j2, − (1)/(2) ‖ j, 0〉 are also obtained where the integral or half‐integral nature of the  j's is indicated by the magnetic quantum number involved. Here the expressions depend upon whether  j1+ j2+ j is an even or an odd integer. For these coefficients, the magnetic quantum numbers involved take their minimum value in magnitude. By using the recursion relation for the coefficients of the form 〈 j1, m,  j2, −m, ‖ j, 0〉, these coefficients can be calculated in terms of the above known ones provided the explicit value of the coefficient 〈 j1, 1;  j2, −1‖ j, 0〉 is known, where  j1+ j2+ j is an odd integer. (The recursion relation for these coefficients in terms of 〈 j1, 0;  j2, −1‖ j, 0〉 becomes a triviality since 〈 j1, 0;  j2, 0‖ j, 0〉 vanishes when  j1+ j2+ j is an odd integer.)The main purpose of this paper is to give an explicit expression for the coefficients 〈 j1, 1;  j2, −1‖ j, 0〉, where  j1+ j2+ j is an odd integer. This expression is obtained by using a complicated transformation between hypergeometric functions, which seems to have been neglected so far. For the coefficients where the magnetic quantum numbers have their minimum value in magnitude, this transformed expression becomes summation‐free and the explicit values of the three already known coefficients and the fourth so far unknown are obtained. Further study of this transformation may be useful on its own because it provides a link between very different types of expressions. For completeness, explicit expressions for the coefficient 〈 j1, 1;  j2, −1‖ j, 0〉, where  j1+ j2+ j is an even integer, and of 〈 j1, 1;  j2, 1‖ j, 2〉 and 〈 j1, (1)/(2) ;  j2, − (1)/(2) ‖ j, 0〉, where  j1+ j2+ j is an even or an odd integer, are given.


A search was made for the leptonic decay of the LAMBDA /sup o/ and epsilon /sup -/. The sensitivity of the experiment was such that 5 to 6 events should have been found according to the predictions of the universal'' V-A model of beta decay. No examples of leptonic decay were observed. (auth)


A double imaging plate is interfaced to the Large Volume High Pressure Device (LVHPD) SAM-85 for the collection of in situ X ray powder diffraction data suitable for Rietveld analysis. The two-dimensional detector, combined with the uniform pressure and temperature environments of the LVHPD and the wide energy range available from a new Laue-Bragg monochromator at X17B1, results in high-quality diffraction data suitable for Rietveld refinements. A disk-type heater is used to minimize extrinsic diffraction peaks from the surrounding materials. Diffraction effects resulting from the boron-epoxy pressure transmitting medium are removed by subtraction. To demonstrate the quality of data obtained from the imaging-plate system, the cation distributions over the available sites in the crystal structures of NiAl 2 O 4 -spinel and (Ni,Mg) 2 SiO 4 -olivine have been refined from data collected at high pressures and temperatures. In both cases cation ordering is observed to increase with pressure.


374 CMYK activity was ever noted, and the patient never improved. After failing apnea and nuclear medicine blood flow studies, the patient was pronounced brain dead and support withdrawn. At Autopsy, findings were consistent with herniation [Figure 2] and histopathology revealed no underlying vascular malformation, tumor, or other pathology. "Spontaneous" PIVH describes all non-traumatic cases of PIVH and includes hemorrhage related to entities such as vascular malformations, vascular tumors, moyamoya disease, aneurysms, fibromuscular dysplasia, stroke, coagulopathy, and hypertension, along with some idiopathic cases. Survival has ranged from 40-100% according to various series. Idiopathic hemorrhagic stroke has been described in 46% of young patients. Other than EVD placement, few guidelines exist for treatment. The causes of the PIVH and subsequent deterioration remain unclear. An intracranial pressure wave, subsequent hemorrhagic stroke and "suicidal vascular malformation" are all possible but unlikely. The cause of the PIVH in our case remains a mystery in spite of an Autopsy.


We have extracted the kaon-hyperon-nucleon coupling constant by means of a model-independent method and recent experimental data on kaon photoproduction off a nucleon. The extracted coupling constant is consistent with the SU(3) prediction as well as with the values obtained from the kaon-nucleon scattering process.


Introduction: modulation of apoptosis is necessary in the basic physiological response to cancer. However, in some cancer scenarios, apoptosis is inhibited allowing the tumor proliferation. Searching for new therapeutic agents that promote apoptosis in cancer is relevant. Among these potential agents are caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid. Several studies have evaluated the activity of polyphenols as modulators in the apoptosis process. This study evaluated the affinity of caffeic and chlorogenic acid for some proteins related with apoptosis pathway using docking molecular strategies.Methods: the pro and anti-apoptotic proteins included in the analysis were catalase, heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), P27/Kip1/CDKN, Bcl-XL, cytochrome C, PON2, H02-HM0X2, Bax. The crystallographic structures were downloaded from Protein Data Bank and ligands from PubChem. Preparation of the ligands was done in Avogadro 1.2 and proteins in Chimera 1.15. Docking experiments were implemented in Autodock Vina.Results: chorogenic acid showed the best affinity with the proposed proteins. HSP27 presented a good affinity for the two ligands, with score affinity of -7.9 in caffeic acid and -9.0 in chlorogenic acid. In the same way, catalase presented a good affinity with -7.9 in score affinity in both ligands.Conclusions: the docking molecular analysis suggests potential pro-apoptotic functions for chlorogenic and caffeic acid considering their affinity with anti-apoptotic proteins.


Thick Epicardial Adipose Tissue (EAT) is not always a fi nding at operation theatre in patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG).But epicardial fat has a direct relationship with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Its presence is an independent risk factor for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).


The techniques of video-assisted surgery have been recently applied to aortoiliac surgery. The choices between first the retroperitoneal approach or the transperitoneal approach and the place of video-assisted surgery in relation to totally laparoscopic surgery are at the centre of debates. The aim of this clarification is to relate the evolution of laparoscopic aortoiliac surgery for occlusive disease and aneuvrysms through a review of the literature on this subject. © 2003 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved. Mots clés : Chirurgie laparoscopique ; Anévrisme de l'aorte abdominale ; Lésions occlusives aorto-iliaques


where (a, ak) G and (a, ..., aa) is an arbitrary finite system of complex numbers. Let further' 9(G) be the closure of (G) in D(G), i.e. a subring of (G) consisting of all B(G) such that for any 0 there exists an A I(G) satisfying The purpose of this paper is to determine a general form of maximal ideals of 9(G). It will be shown that there exists a one-toone correspondence between the family (G)of all maximal ideals M of 9(G) and the family (G) of all algebraic (=not necessarily continuous) characters I(a) defined on G. This correspondence is even


Many applications based on Internet of Things (IoT) technology have recently founded in industry monitoring area. Thousands of sensors with different types work together in an industry monitoring system. Sensors at different locations can generate streaming data, which can be analyzed in the data center. In this paper, we propose a framework for online sensor fault detection. We motivate our technique in the context of the problem of the data value fault detection and event detection. We use the Statistics Sliding Windows (SSW) to contain the recent sensor data and regress each window by Gaussian distribution. The regression result can be used to detect the data value fault. Devices on a production line may work in different workloads and the associate sensors will have different status. We divide the sensors into several status groups according to different part of production flow chat. In this way, the status of a sensor is associated with others in the same group. We fit the values in the Status Transform Window (STW) to get the slope and generate a group trend vector. By comparing the current trend vector with history ones, we can detect a rational or irrational event. In order to determine parameters for each status group we build a self-learning worker thread in our framework which can edit the corresponding parameter according to the user feedback. Group-based fault detection (GbFD) algorithm is proposed in this paper. We test the framework with a simulation dataset extracted from real data of an oil field. Test result shows that GbFD detects 95% sensor fault successfully.


Purpose of Study: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), rare progenitor cells present in bone marrow, have the potential to differentiate into various connective tissue lineages. We have developed techniques for the isolation and culture-expansion of these multipotent cells. We hypothesized that pre-directing human MSCs along the osteogenic lineage in vifro would accelerate and enhance subsequent bone formation m vivo on non-osteosupportive matrices, compared to that achieved by implantation of undifferentiated MSCs. The goals of this study were to establish the optimal combination of carrier vehicle and lineage induction regimen to maximize the rate and extent of bone formation following in vivo implantation. To test this hypothesis, human MSC-loaded matrices were subjected to various In v i m differentiation regimens. followed by ectopic implantation in SCID mice. Methods: Human bone marrow aspirates were processed, culture expanded and cryopreserved. The cells were thawed, labeled with CM-DiI cell tracker dye, and resuspended at 10x106cells/mL. The cell suspension was loaded onto 3x3mm cylinders of H m C P . 6x61~1 cylinders of GelfoamB, and 9x9mm cylinders of VitrogenB. The over-sizing of the latter two matrices was to account for their contraction during culture. The matrices were maintained in medium containing either Dexamethasone (Dex), Vitamin D, (VD,), basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF), or no additive for a period of 1, 8, or 14 days prior to subcutaneous implantation in the back of SCID mice. Sacrifices were performed at 2,4, and 6 weeks and samples were processed for standard decalcified paraffin histology. Results: Histologic analysis was performed in a blinded manner on samples explanted after six weeks. Gelfoam-MSC matrices that had been precultured with VD, for 8 or 14 days prior to implantation had more bony material than other constructs, although bone formation also occurred in these matrices under Dex culture conditions. Furthermore, the de novo bone formation was a result of the implanted cells, as determined by the cell tracker dye. An orthotopic model is in process to verify the subcutaneous results in a clinically relevant setting. PURPOSE STUDY In cardiovascular tissue engineering. tissue is constructed from its cellular coinponents. Fibrin gel can be produced of the patients blood and be used as an autologous scaffold for the seeded fibroblasts to form a ;-dimensional tissue. However the contraction of tissue during the culture period causes a major problem for the creation of functional tissue The fixation with inicrostructured culture plates in comparison \kith a pol>-L-lysine fixation was investigated in this study. I niM L-ascorbic '-phosphate aprotinin pdml) The macroscopic detachment was tw'ice and were light Hqdroxyproline of collagen of the fibrin gel although not as efficient as poly-L-lysine. The elimination of the non structured border ofthe 3D-TCPS may lead to lower detachment rates. PURPOSE STUDY In cardiovascular tissue engineering the use of a 3-D scaffold might be beneficial to create new structures like valves or vessels. The most common degradable scaffolds in tissue engineering are PGA (Poly Glycolic Acid) polymers. A disadvantage of PGA is the production of lactat acid during degradation resulting in a local acidosis. The coinparison of a porous (1 00-300p) polyesterurethane (PU) vs nonwoven PGA was undertaken in this study. intervals (4.0~10' 2 assay to evaluate the number of PURPOSE OF STUDY The creation of strong tissue is a precondition for tissue engineering of cardiovascular structures. A new in vitro flow system was developed to investigate the impact of laminar flow on extracellular matrix formation and tissue development. Purpose of Study: The combination of bone-forming cells and a matrix that supports bone growth, integration and remodeling is an attractive design for a bone graft substitute. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on hydroxyapatiteip-tricalcium phosphate (HAKCP) matrices have been shown to induce bone formation in large, long bone defects. However. full repair and function of the limb was limited due to poor remodeling of the 63/37 HA/TCP matrix. The rate of degradation or resorption of these biphasic calcium phosphate ceramics In vivo can be improved bq increasing the amount of the more soluble phase, TCP. In order to design a matrix that supports bone formation and becomes fully replaced by bone. an optimum balance between the more stable phase of HA and the more soluble phase TCP must be achieved. In this study. we investigated the osteogenic activity of human MSCs on various HA'TCP compositions in vivo Methods: Six calcium phosphate ceramic matrices were examined 100% Hydroxyapatite (1 00 HA), 100°/b p-nicalcium phosphate ( I00 TCP) and four formulations of HA:'TCP (7624. 63/37. 56 44 and 20i80. ratio of HAITCP. Biomatlante. France). All compositions had a porosity of 60%-70% and a pore size range of j00 to 600 pm Bone marrow was collected from two male donors. Human MSCs were isolated. culture expanded and loaded onto matrices at 5 x lo6 cells:mL using existins methods. MSC- loaded matrices and cell-free matrices were implanted subcutaneously in SCID mice. Implants were harvested at 6 and 12 weeks and were processed for decalcified paraffin histolog) More bone formed within the pores of MSC-loaded 20/80 HA/TCP matrices than all other matrices at 6 weeks. By 12 weeks. both MSC-loaded 56/44 and 201'80 HA/TCP matrices demonstrated the greatest amount of bone. The least amount of bone formed within the pores of 100 TCP and 100 HA throughout the study. These results demonstrate the potential of using faster resorbing ceramics. 56'44 and 20/80 HA,'TCP. in combination with MSCs for bone reseneration Future studies will rest these results in more clinically relevant models The effects of on matrix scaffold of porous polyvinyl formal (PVF) resin were examined. BM cells (2 were inoculated and cultured in a 3-D culture substrate made of PVF (15 mm in diameter, 2 mm in thickness, 130 pm pore Monolayer dish cultures were simultaneously performed as controls. BM cells were cultured for 2 weeks in an alpha minimum essential medium supplemented with 10% FBS and 10% horse serum as a basic medium. In the experimental group, GFs; i.e., erythropoietin, stem cell factor, interleukin-: (IL-3) and IL-6 were added to the basic medium. The cell proliferation was measured by the trypan blue staining and MTT assay methods. The activities of hematopoietic stem cells or progenitor cells in all groups were determined by the colony assay. and times vs. stem cells or progenitor cells to be used for the BM transplantation and gene therapy. hurdle in developing a bioartificial liver is that the hepatocytes show a low ability to proliferate in vim and easily lose their viability. In this study, therefore, fetal liver cells, which are known to possess substantial proliferating ability in vim, were cultured utilizing porous polymer scaffold (polyvinyl formal (PVF) resin) as a substrate material. Fetal liver cells were obtained from mice fetuses (embryonic day 14). Two kinds of culture experiments, i.e.. stationary Cultures utilizing collagen-coated PVF resins (mean pore size 100 pm; 2 x 2 x 2 mm) and monolayer cultures on collagen- coated dishes as controls were performed. Williams' medium E containing serum and hormons (WE), and the WE added with oncostatin M (OSM) (WE+OSM), which cytokine belongs to the interleukid family. were used for culture media. Time-course changes in cell proliferation and hepatic functions of the fetal liver cells were investigated. Numbers of the cultured cells were measured from the colorimetric assay (M?T assay), and metabolic functions of hepatocytes were representatively evaluated in terms of albumin secretion ability. Cultures of fetal liver cells were maintained for a relatively long term up to one month. In case of the monolayer cultures, numbers of the cultured cells in the WE medium showed a gradual decrease medium, and practically no albumin secretion was observed after 2 weeks. On the contrary, cells gradually proliferated in the stationary cultures using PVF resins, and albumin secretion ability was stably maintained throughout the culture period, although a considerable loss of the activity was found in the early stage of cultures. When the WE+OSM medium was used, cell numbers of roughly 1.5 times higher than those in the WE medium were attained in Purpose of the study: porcine hepatocytes are the most frequent source of cells for bioartificial liver (BAL) device. Hepatocytes isolation techniques and standardization of enzymatic solutions used for hepatic digestion are of primary importance in order to obtain the maximum cells yield with the highest viability. Aim of this study is to compare Collagenase type P and Liberase enzyme for swine hepatocytes isolation. Methods used: Pigs weighing 10 kg obtained from local animal breeding were randomly assigned to Collagenase type P digestion (group 1, #8 animals) or Liberase HI enzyme digestion (group 2, #6 animals). The liver after harvesting was digested by enzymatic perfusion via the portal vein using a solution containing 1 L of PBS added with Collagenase type P (500mgL) or Liberase HI enzyme (75mgL). Cells yield and viability were analyzed by the trypan blue test. Enzymatic activity of hepatocytes was tested by analysis of diazepam metabolites production by HF'LC. Results: hepatocytes yield did not differ (p=0.57) between group 1 and 2, averaging 1.25~10~~+6.12~10~ and 1.48~ 0'0+7.45x109 in the Collagenase and Liberase enzyme group respectively. Viability was significantly higher (p<O.OI) in the Liberase group, ranging from 93.01% to 98.59% (mean 94.87%e2.15%) than in the Collagenase group, ranging from 86.03% to 95.52% (mean 90.23%*3.4 15). Diazepam metabolites production, measured immediately after isolation, did not differ @=0.49) between Collagenase and Liberase group (2.24M.29pg/m


With this case report we want to introduce is one rare disease, which can be spontaneously treat, but it has a rare return. We present a patient with rare febrile ulcero-necrotic variant, a possible persistent variant of PLEVA. The disease has been reported in 20-th young adult.


We calculate the M-italic1 strength functions of /sup 20/Ne and /sup 36/Ar using the wave functions obtained in a full s-italicd-italic-shell configuration-mixing calculation. Our results strongly suggest that the 1/sup +/ T = 1 state of /sup 20/Ne at 11.24 MeV is the counterpart in light nuclei of the recently discovered ''twisting mode'' in heavy nuclei.


Abstract The quantitative determination of drugs in urine by high performance liquid chromatography electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) is challenging due to complex matrix interferences and the relatively low concentrations of analytes in urine. In this study, porous graphitic carbon (PGC) was investigated as solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbent before HPLC-ESI-MS determination of three 5-hydroxytryptamine (3) (5-HT3) receptor antagonists from human urine. The factors affecting extraction of the target antagonists were investigated and optimized systematically by using single-factor tests. The optimized SPE procedure was developed for the simultaneous extraction and sample pretreatment of tropisetron, ondansetron, and granisetron in urine by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Using the optimized conditions, the matrix effects were reduced by the PGC-based SPE clean-up procedure, with acceptable matrix effects for tropisetron, ondansetron, and granisetron from 96.53% to 98.42%, 93.19% to 94.36%, and 94.48% to 95.60%, respectively. The reported method significantly removes matrix interferences from the urine samples and exhibited satisfactory recovery and process efficiency for the determination of tropisetron, ondansetron, and granisetron. The established pretreatment method provides a promising strategy for the removal of interferences from hydrophilic basic drugs in biological fluids.


This study was conducted to determine whether gilts with desirable leg conformation scores had a higher retention rate through 2 parity than gilts with undesirable scores. This was a prospective cohort study and the unit of analysis was the individual gilt. One person was trained on the PIC scoring method and evaluated all gilts. Gilts were later delivered to 9 farms with a common management program. Follow–up period was through 2 parity or August 31, 2004, whichever came first. Baseline data recorded were leg score and backfat depth. The primary outcome was whether sows were removed or not and if so, the time (days) to removal. In this scoring system, front leg score ranges from 1 to 9. A one corresponds to a gilt that cannot stand or move and 9 is the best score with animals moving easily and freely with a large stride. Females with front leg scores 1 to 4 are undesirable leg structure with 3 and 4 being buckled and straight legs, respectively. The score increases from 5 to 9 as the forward slope of the front leg increases and 9 is the best score possible. Rear leg scores also range from 1 to 9 with 5 being considered the best. Rear leg scores of more than 5 represent pigs with increasingly straight rear legs, while scores of 4 or lower represent pigs with rear legs increasingly set under. Therefore, a score of 5 is considered the best score for rear legs. In our study, we found that a single evaluation of conformation of the gilt may identify females having a higher risk of removal and therefore lower longevity in the sow herd. This was true for overall removal and removal due to lameness. In this particular production system, with the assumption of a causal relationship, at least 12 to 16% of premature sow removal may be attributed to undesirable leg conformation. In other words, if all gilts entering the herd had desirable conformation, 12-16% of the removals (299 sows) prior to parity 2 could be reduced. If the producer had a larger pool of gilt candidates, selection standards could be increased and sow longevity might increase accordingly. Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge Mr. Barry Hain from PIC USA for providing training in the scoring system. This abstract is an abbreviated version of a manuscript that has been accepted for publication in American Journal of Veterinary Research. 5-50-Tiranti-Morrison.p65 8/28/05, 8:17 AM 192


Objective To observe the effects of nephroblastoma overexpressed gene(NOV) on proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells(NSCs) in rats. Methods NOV gene recombinant plasmid was respectively transfected into COS 7 cells and NSCs by liposome method. Conditioned media(CM) of COS 7 cells and COS 7 cells modified by NOV gene were collected. COS CM and NOV CM, NSCs were cultured in CM. Proliferation of NSCs was detected by incorporation of 3H TdR, and differentiation of NSCs by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. Results ① NOV CM markedly promoted the incorporation of 3H TdR in cultured NSCs and the effect was concentration dependent; ② NOV CM was found to be helpful for the differentiation of NSCs to neurons; ③ When differentiation of NSCs was modified by NOV gene, the number of neurons also increased. Conclusion NOV may have promoting effects on the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs.


The revolution of digital technology has major change on lifestyle, economics, entertainment, and education. In education sector, digital technology assists learners to learn something new rapidly. This paper purposes to potere digital technology in the form of mobile learning for primary students. This reasearch took primary students in one of the sub-urban schools in Semarang as the participants. This paper showed that millenials, in this case primary students, used gadget on any circumstance. They used their gadgets (smartphone and tablets) in learning and entertainment purposes. The students learned sciences, technology, and mathematics through mobile games, youtube, and social media. It indicates acceleration to upgrade human skills and knowledge.


The channel distortion and error propagation of damaged macroblock are analyzed. The impact of macroblock modes on source distortion and channel distortion is discussed,and thus a fast macroblock mode selection algorithm is proposed based on joint source-channel rate distortion optimization. By evaluating the channel distortion and source distortion of all macroblock modes, the optimal macroblock mode is selected adaptively to minimize transmission distortion. Compared with the mode selection algorithm in H.264 reference software, our simulation results show that the proposed algorithm reduces computational complexity significantly and gets better error resilient.


The present work involves the coating synthesis of nano‐hydroxyapatite/chitosan (nHA/CS) on a Mg‐2 wt% Zn scaffold with the pulse electrodeposition (PED) technique. In practice, to render coatings more corrosion‐resistant and biocompatibility in simulated body fluids, the impact of PED factors, such as mean current density (j), a duty cycle, and coating duration (t), was investigated. Further, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, x‐ray diffraction, energy‐dispersion spectrometer, and water contact angle (WCA) were studied to characterize coatings. The corrosion resistance of coatings was investigated by impedance evaluations and potentiodynamic polarization. The results obtained from analyses revealed that the optimum conditions for synthesizing the nHA/CS coating were achieved when applying j = 20 mA/cm2, a duty cycle = 0.4, and a duration of 60 minutes. The coatings' microstructure and Ca/P ratio were influenced by PED factors, which included nano spherical‐shaped and 1.65. Furthermore, the corrosion rate was decreased from 19.603 to 1.492 mm yr−1 after being modified by optimum coating. Moreover, the high hydrophilic properties are assigned to this coating with a WCA of 29.9 compared to other coatings and the Mg scaffold. The biological properties of the optimum coating were assessed through in‐vitro experiments involving MG63 cells, which included the evaluations of cell adhesion and cytotoxicity. The results obtained from the corrosion and in‐vitro experiments indicate that the nanocomposite coating, upon optimization, holds potential as a scaffold for bone tissue engineering.
Using Mg‐2 wt% Zn scaffold as a substrate for nanocomposite coatings.
Pulse electrodeposition method for the synthesis of nano‐hydroxyapatite/chitosan (nHA/CS) coatings.
Pulse electrodeposition (PED) method to modify morphology, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility.
Optimum PED parameters: j = 20 mA/cm2, duty cycle = 0.4, and t = 60 min.


Jets of energetic ions launched at laser-burnt-through foils represent an efficient tool for investigation of plasma interaction with solid surfaces (plasma-wall interaction, PWI) and for description of transient phenomena occurring close to the walls. Highly charged ions approaching the secondary target interpenetrate the near surface layer, collide with the counter-propagating matter and capture a large number of electrons. This results in a creation of atoms in highly excited Rydberg states or hollow ions with multiple inner vacancies; plasma jet and target ions may also undergo charge exchange (CE) processes. We report PWI experiments with Al/Si(PMMA) and Al/C targets irradiated at normal or oblique laser incidence. The distinct dip structures observed in red wings of Al Lyγ self-emission is interpreted in terms of CE between C6+ and Al12+ in the near-wall zone. The spectroscopic identification of CE phenomena is supported by results of analytical and numerical calculations.


The paper describes a new method for obtaining a permanent connection of titanium with tool steel and subsequent high-temperature treatment with high-frequency currents in the air. As a result of thermal treatment, a hard and wear-resistant layer of titanium dioxide was formed on titanium. The resulting metal oxide ceramic was tested as a coating for metalworking (cutting) tools. After the preliminary tests, the morphology of the wear of the cutting edges was studied and two wear variants were established – abrasion and shearing. The nature of wear depended on the heat treatment modes and the thickness of the solid layer.


The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of specialized vocational training conducted by the Vocational Competency Development Center of Korea Employment Promotion Agency for the Disabled(KEPAD). The specialized vocational training is divided according to the type of disability - visual, hearing, cerebral palsy, and mental illness. Specialized vocational training is a training system designed to meet the needs of the specific disability such as training instruments, methods, trainers and facilities. Success rate of attaining jobs after training, average wage, and retention period were used as indicators on analyzing the training effect. Regression analysis was used to verify the training effect. The results of the study showed that people with disability who participated in the specialized vocational training had a better chance of gaining employment, receiving higher wages, and staying longer with their jobs than people who participated in regular training. This illustrates that specialized vocational training is effective. Based on the results, specialized vocational training need to be increased and professional support system should be implemented.


Teaching quality is the lifeline and core competitiveness of the survival and development of higher vocational colleges. Student evaluation plays an important role in the monitoring of teaching quality. Based on the analysis of the existing teaching evaluation system and its results, this paper proposes a multi-dimensional teaching evaluation information system based on quantitative teaching evaluation index system and intelligent analysis function. The system has been tested and run by a university, and its feasibility and effectiveness have been verified. It provides a reference scheme for other universities to build a multi-dimensional evaluation system based on the characteristics of the subject.


This study will discuss the validity of the Bawaslu's decision on election violations. Because, according to preliminary findings, with the issuance of Law No. 7 of 2017 the position of Bawaslu is stronger. In this Law, Bawaslu in handling election disputes can not only provide recommendations to the KPU but also provide or make decisions that must be implemented by the parties. This means that Bawaslu currently has broader authority in handling election cases such as administrative violations and other violations. Then how is the validity of the legal decision from the Bawaslu? The method used in this research is in the category of normative legal research with a statute approach and a conceptual approach.


It is possible that the first detection of gravitational waves (GWs) will be made by pulsar timing experiments. Precise observations of millisecond pulsars over a period of ∼5 yr will provide the sensitivity required to detect ultra‐low frequency GWs if they are at the level predicted by current models. Such GWs may be detected as a single burst event or from slowly evolving individual supermassive black‐hole binary systems. Additionally, models of galaxy mergers, the inflationary era and cosmic strings all predict the existence of a potentially detectable stochastic GW background. This paper reviews the current status of the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array project and describes the detectable gravitational wave sources.


Real estate industry is the most active component in the development of our national economy and it exerts a great influence on our urban and rural appearance as well as public living conditions. As we all know, the estate development in medium sized cities is the kernel of the whole industry. This article gives an analysis to the real estate development in Zhenjiang, a South east, developed city. It is hoped that it is of some help in the attempt to find a way to solve the common or similar problems about real estate development faced by other medium sized cities.


This study analyzes the forms of power/knowledge which govern the practice of group psychotherapy for applicants of sex reassignment surgery in a Brazilian university hospital located in a large urban centre. Through participant observation in group therapy sessions, the hegemonic regimes of subjectivation of the clinic were reconstituted. These regimes of subjectivation work as a dispositif, in a Foucauldian sense, by conforming the participants of the therapy to certain regulatory and disciplinary ideals. Semi-structured interviews with those who underwent psychotherapy complement the theoretical and methodological strategies already described, in order to enable the objective aforementioned, as well as to make possible to visualize some subversions as possibilities of resistance within the hegemonic regimes of subjectivation in the institutional context investigated.


The use of hybrid solar thermal devices, which harness the energy from both concentrated solar radiation and combustion, is receiving growing attention due to their potential to provide a firm and dispatchable thermal energy supply while lowering the costs of energy systems and assisting the penetration of renewable energy. The Hybrid Solar Receiver Combustor (HSRC), which directly integrates the function of a solar receiver and a combustor into a single device, is a particularly promising hybrid technology. Its design allows the receiver to operate in three modes: solar-only, combustion-only and a mixed-mode (a combination of both solar and combustion). Compared with the present state-of-the-art in hybrid solar-combustion systems (which collect the thermal energy from the solar and combustion sources in separate devices and then combine them subsequently), the HSRC offers a reduction in total infrastructure (and hence capital costs), heat-exchange surface area, start-up/shut-down losses and pollutant emi...


This study examines the impacts on quality of life and overall health outcomes of lowincome infants, children and adolescents. The main goal of this study is to determine if states that followed the ACA expansion with an increased Medicaid budget showed signs of positive improvements to the health outcome variables tested. The study uses the difference indifference model to test this hypothesis. This study will look back over the previous 10 years from around 2010 to 2019 for its data and variables. The study will use variables for each of the 50 United States such as, infant birth rate, infant death rate, smoking rate of mothers, percentage of single mother income, drug overdoses, children poverty rate, percentage of white and Hispanic populations by state, and vaccine rate.


Cloud computing is getting popularity day by day. It provides different techniques for utilizing the power of resources. Most importantly, it provides a programmable infrastructure which can be modified accordingly. Due to its programmable infrastructure it is easy to scale. Cloud computing provides on demand services to the cloud user. Virtualization is the root of cloud computing. Cloud computing provides services to the users in the form of virtual resources. These resources can be the infrastructure, software, application and can be the data also. The management of these resources is very important. There are different techniques for managing these resources and allocating and taking back these resources from the users. In this paper, we have studied these techniques and provided important points of these techniques.


The invention belongs to the field of packaging design, and particularly relates to a method for storing and packaging high-quality music. The method for storing and packaging music comprises the following steps of: (1) formalizing SD memory cards to be MS-DOS (FAT) format; (2) storing all electronic contents of a record into the SD card; (3) placing the two custom-made EVA materials into an iron box; (4) excavating a 24x31mm groove in the middle of the upper-layer EVA material plate, and placing the SD card and a lyric book into the groove; (5) pasting a metal paster on the iron box; and (6) covering a custom-made paper bag printed by a 145x160mm ivory board. By adopting the method, the music is high in quality, the package is ruled, consistent and environment-friendly, the cost performance is high, double functions of music and storage are realized, the cost is low, customers can accept easily, the content is riche, the production is simple, and the future solid music is responded.


We investigate excited states in polyacetylene, taking account of electron correlation by transforming the electronic degrees of freedom into a quantum phase variable via boson representation. When the lattice is fixed at the ground-state configuration, there are the following species of excitations: soliton ${S}^{e}$, antisoliton S${\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}}^{e}$, the first breather ${B}_{1}^{e}$, and the second breather ${B}_{2}^{e}$. ${S}^{e}$ should not be confused with the usual neutral soliton ${S}^{e\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}l}$; in the former, the amount of phase change is 2\ensuremath{\pi} and the lattice is in the uniformly dimerized state, while in the latter the amount of phase change is \ensuremath{\pi} and the lattice has a usual soliton structure. ${S}^{e}$, ${B}_{1}^{e}$, and S${\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}}^{e}$ are three components of the triplet exciton, and ${B}_{2}^{e}$ is the singlet dipole-forbidden exciton which corresponds to the 2 $^{1}A_{g}$ state in finite polyenes. The electronic structure of ${B}_{2}^{e}$ can be regarded as a bound state of ${S}^{e\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}l}$'s. We study the dynamics of the lattice relaxation from ${B}_{2}^{e}$ by applying a semiclassical approximation to the boson system. Since the lattice is driven by the electronic structure of ${B}_{2}^{e}$, a neutral soliton pair or their bound state is formed as a relaxation product.


*a. the right candidates—leaders whose personalities and attitudes make them a good fit for Southwest Airlines' fun, team-based culture b. average people, yet he made these average people stars by treating them right c. people rejected by the other airlines (who could afford to pay higher salaries), yet by good training he was able to bring these below average performers up to par d. his friends and the friends of the people who already worked at Southwest, thus creating a friendly atmosphere


A defined medium (CCM) is described in which washed ejaculated canine spermatozoa can be induced to undergo capacitation and the acrosome reaction, and to penetrate corona-free eggs in vitro. The composition of the medium is similar to other Krebs-Ringer's bicarbonate buffered media except for the absence of magnesium and adjustments in the concentration of NaHCO3, glucose, and albumin. The concentration of NaCI is adjusted to maintain the osmolality at approximately 300 mOsm, and the pH is 7.8 under 5% CO2 in air. This pH was found more favorable for the occurrence of the acrosome reaction than the lower pH (7.4) of media with more usual bicarbonate concentrations. Calcium ions are essential not only for the occurrence of the acrosome reaction of canine spermatozoa, but also for their motility. Potassium ions are apparently necessary for the process of sperm-egg fusion following zona penetration. When CCM was compared with two other media, it allowed the best combination of good rates for acrosome reaction (46%), motility (83%), and zona penetration (71%). Sperm-egg fusion also occurred. The requirements for capacitation of canine spermatozoa are compared with those of some other species.


The present work seeks to look back at the experience of university extension work carried out during the year 2019 in the frame of the Uniendo Brazos Project, financed by the 11th Mauricio Lopez Call for Proposals, from Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. We will begin by reflecting on what we understand by extension and our way of approaching it in the territory. Then we will make a brief description of the Los Peques solidarity canteen, where the project took place, and a revision of the relationships that we built with the women who manage it. Finally, we will highlight the most relevant experiences and meanings in order to rethink the knowledge we have learned, through an exercise of theorisation and conscious appropriation of what we have experienced throughout the year.


We introduce a fast algorithm for entry-wise evaluation of the Gauss-Newton Hessian (GNH) matrix for the fully-connected feed-forward neural network. The algorithm has a precomputation step and a sampling step. While it generally requires $O(Nn)$ work to compute an entry (and the entire column) in the GNH matrix for a neural network with $N$ parameters and $n$ data points, our fast sampling algorithm reduces the cost to $O(n+d/\epsilon^2)$ work, where $d$ is the output dimension of the network and $\epsilon$ is a prescribed accuracy (independent of $N$). One application of our algorithm is constructing the hierarchical-matrix (H-matrix) approximation of the GNH matrix for solving linear systems and eigenvalue problems. It generally requires $O(N^2)$ memory and $O(N^3)$ work to store and factorize the GNH matrix, respectively. The H-matrix approximation requires only $O(N r_o)$ memory footprint and $O(N r_o^2)$ work to be factorized, where $r_o \ll N$ is the maximum rank of off-diagonal blocks in the GNH matrix. We demonstrate the performance of our fast algorithm and the H-matrix approximation on classification and autoencoder neural networks.


ISEE 3 plasma and magnetic field data are used to study features in the trailing regions of interplanetary plasma clouds resulting from coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Approximately one fifth of these events contain periods ≥6 hours for which the interplanetary magnetic field is quiet and nearly radial (|B X |/B > 0.9). Arguments are presented that the association of quiet radial fields with CMES is a causal relation, rather than coincidence. The quiet radial fields occur in the trailing, rather than the leading, regions of the CMEs, and they coincide with periods of declining solar wind speed. In some cases the radial field period overlaps periods with other CME signatures, while in other cases the radial field interval follows the disappearance of those signatures. Another trailing-region feature exhibited by approximately half the CMEs detected by ISEE 3 is a period of outward propagating Alfvdn waves. Possible causes of these signatures are discussed.


Current guidelines ERS, ATS, GOLD recommend use of one or more inhaler long-acting bronchodilators to alleviate symptoms and reduce risk of exacerbations for the symptomatic patients with moderate to severe in stabile COPD. Since parasympathetic activity is the dominant reversible component of airway obstruction in COPD, anticholinergic agent became first-line treatment. Exacerbations of COPD are associated with progression of disease. Clinical trials have confirmed that tiotropium is superior to salmeterol in preventing COPD exacerbations in patients with moderate to very severe COPD with history of exacerbations. Tiotropium also resulted in a significant reduction in the decline in post-bronchodilator FEV1, suggesting possible disease modification in younger patients with COPD. The safety data review does not indicate an increased risk for death or cardiovascular morbidity during tiotropium treatment in patients with COPD. Tiotropium was associated with a reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality.


Global warming caused by massive emission of greenhouse gas has become serious day by day.And now,greenhouse effect seriously threaten human living environment.At present the reducing emission of CO2 and CH4 that are the two major greenhouse gases based on hydrate technology becomes the focus of the hydrate research.The technology on CH4 replacement from hydrate sediment by using CO2 is described.Combined with the main emission channel of natural gas and CH4 in coal industry,the reducing emission technology of CH4 is narrated.Moreover,formation technique and dissociation technique of gas hydrates are expatiated,and the stability of hydrates storage is elaborated.The process of hydrate formation of coalbed methane with different concentration is investigated using self-developed stirred experiment apparatus.The results show that the coalbed methane hydrates are prone to be formed under appropriate conditions.The analysis of the experimental data and results in the former literature indicates that the reducing emission of greenhouse gas such as CO2 and CH4 on hydrate technology is feasible.The research contents of hydrate for disposal greenhouse gas are pointed out at the last part in this work.


In this paper, we present a novel cyclic-shifted preamble which is suitable for use in synchronization in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) wireless local area networks (WLANs). Based on the novel cyclic-shifted preamble, we proposed two improved symbol timing estimators and a joint estimation method for carrier frequency and sampling clock offsets. It is shown that by simulations, the proposed scheme with low hardware complexity has a significantly improved performance than the other methods when a reasonable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is considered.


The curse of the Albany Great Danes this season has been inconsistent shooting. Last Saturday, Albany bit only 35 percent of their shots when they lost to Division I Utica by eight points. But on Tuesday night the Danes were back on target. They downed SUNY Conference foe Plattsburgh, 70-63, connecting on 46 percent of their shots. The Cardinals were not easy marks, however, banging in 25 of 51 attempts of their own. "If Plattsburgh shot that well all of the time, their record wouldn't be as bad as it is," said Albany basketball coach Dick Saucrs about the 5-14 (0-7 in the conference) Cardinals.


Pain is a major issue in people with haemophilia (PwH). Few studies comprehensively assessed pain in PwH using a biopsychosocial framework and studies in mild PwH are lacking.


A constant current control mode switching in accordance with an embodiment of the invention the power unit, the oscillating unit generates an oscillation signal and the charging and discharging current with a switching period is set in advance; A primary winding, the power application time detecting unit for detecting a second time the conduction on the basis of the first detection voltage by the current flowing through the secondary winding of the transformer having a winding and a secondary winding; Medium voltage calculator for calculating an intermediate voltage based on the charging and discharging current and the energization time; Turn-off control by comparing the first intermediate voltage and the second detection voltage by the current flowing through the power switch to control the energization of the primary winding generates a turn-off signal and on the basis of the comparison result to the charging and discharging; And a PWM (pulse Width Modulation) control unit for controlling a switching operation of the power switch on the basis of the oscillation signal and the turn-off signal; And wherein the control unit turns off the can by using the base current is set in advance can perform charging, and made using a basic current and the reference current set in advance by carrying out the discharge, the discharge is more quickly charged.


As a sustainable innovation, offering additional services for products (ASP) is rapidly emerging as an increasingly important consideration for manufactories. Although additional services can increase enhance product utility, there is no guarantee that they will be accepted by customers. This may lead to a waste of product and service resources. Customer acceptance is a prerequisite for sustainability. However, existing service evaluation methods do not support the evaluation of customer acceptance of ASP prior to implementation. We confirmed that customer value can be used to evaluate customer acceptance of ASP based on the conclusion that this factor plays a decisive role in customer acceptance and customer value can be used to evaluate products and services. Then we establish an evaluation model to measure the difference in customer value between products with and without ASP. Utility, input, and supply–demand coefficient were used to quantitatively describe the personalised customer value of customer segments. This approach supports manufacturers in the process of estimating customer acceptance of ASP prior to the allocation of service resources to the implementation of procedure. Using this model, manufactories can provide the most acceptable ASP for different customer groups with less service resources. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method to measure customer acceptance were established based on the measurement of customer value of the ASP in the case of portable fire extinguishers.


This paper shows how different "network" arguments about how protest spreads imply quite different underlying mechanisms that in turn produce different diffusion processes. There is considerable ambiguity about the relationships among networks, diffusion, and action cycles and the way these can be identified in empirical data. We thus both seek to unpack the "network" concept into different kinds of processes, and then show how these different network processes affect the diffusion processes we are studying. We sketch out some formal models to capture some of these distinctions. This paper extends recent work (Oliver and Myers forthcoming) that develops diffusion models of protest cycles, and focuses on discussing link between network concepts and diffusion concepts in understanding protest cycles. We conceive of social movements as diffuse action fields in which actions affect other actions and the action repertoires of the different actors co-evolve through time and through interaction with each other. Movement activists and regimes engage in strategic interactions, each responding to the actions of the other. Different organizations within a movement respond to the actions of others, as successful tactical innovations and movement frames diffuse to new organizations. News media cover or fail to cover particular protests, and thus encourage or discourage future protests. Each of these processes effects the others, in a complex, multi-faceted set of interactions. Over time, the action set of each actor evolves in response to the actions of the others and, thus, the whole field is one large co-evolving environment in which the characteristics and actions of any actor is constrained and influenced by the characteristics and actions of all other actors in the environment. One central concern about understanding diffusion and networks in protest waves is that we do not actually have straightforward data about the underlying social networks or mobilization processes. Protest event data usually just contain records of the timing and location of events along with some (often incomplete) information about the participants in the event, their forms of action, their stated claims or other rhetoric if ever, will the data contain information on the social relationships or communication processes that were involved in organizing and mobilizing that event. Lacking this kind of data, we want to know whether different patterns of social organization will give rise to different patterns in protest event data, and how what we already about how protests get organized might influence our analysis of protest event data. …


Abstract : The National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center monitored 186 flights of 25 different United Air Lines Boeing 727 aircraft and 17 flights of three different Douglas DC-8F aircraft, all equipped with Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) automatic altitude reporting capability. The participating aircraft were equipped with two different types of automatic altitude reporting configurations, and two different types of ground decoding and display systems were used. Information was gathered on adequacy of the ATCRBS pressure altitude transmission medium, the technical integrity of the two specific decoding and display systems, and correspondence between the pilot altitude display in the cockpit and the radar beacon altitude display at the ground facility. The data analyzed and controller comments on data received are included along with review notes.


E-Learning is one of technology applications that uses in education. E-Learning can be used as a method of learning process which can be adjusted with the limitation of lectures and students. E-Learning is also an important technology to improve human resource quality in education institution. One of the factors that determined the successfulness of technology adoption is the acceptance by the users. The purpose of this research is to investigate the influence of Technology Readiness Index (TRI) and Technology Acceptance Model toward the intention of using Edmodo by undergraduate students in STIE Malangkucecwara Malang. Data were collected from 165 students and analyzed used linear regressing. Result of this study showed that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of used variables influenced the intention of using Edmodo in STIE Malangkucecwara Malang.


The ever increasing demand in enhancing the speed of processors to handle the challenging problems has resulted in the need of an efficient ALU. The speed of ALU greatly depends on multiplier and Vedic mathematics helps in the design of an efficient multiplier using Anurupyena and Urdhva Tiryakbhyam. Using Ekadhikena Purvena and Dwandwayoga a squarer circuit is generated. After designing the proposed Vedic multiplier and Squarer Circuit, it is integrated into an eight bit module of arithmetic logic unit along with the conventional adder, subtractor, and basic logic gates. The performance of the Different Multipliers and Squarer circuit is analyzed using Xilinx ISE 9.1i.From the results it is found that Dwandwayoga Squarer is better than Ekadhikena in terms of time delay but on the other hand Ekadhikena Purvena consumes less power than Dwandwayoga. Among multipliers Anurupyena is better in terms of power consumption than Urdhva Tiryakbhyam but it is having much delay. After synthesizing each module of multipliers they are incorporated into the existing ALU Design.


Cooperative caching is widely used in mobile ad hoc networks to efficiently reduce data access cost. In this paper, we propose a new cooperative caching algorithm, cooperative new (COPN) for efficient cache discovery and replacement. Existing cache discovery protocols pays less attention to message overhead occurring in the process of cache discovery. Our proposed algorithm explores a zone-based approach to optimise cache discovery. We also propose a cache replacement policy that aims t increasing the cache hit ratio. The simulation results show that, compared with other representative broadcast-based algorithm and cluster-based algorithm, our proposed scheme can significantly increase the cache hit ratio and reduce both message cost and access delay.


The invention relates to a task scheduling method in the field of high-performance clusters. The task scheduling method comprises the steps: after analysis of each working node of a Hadoop in a job submitting stage, acquiring an actual stage weight according with a task, after processing of a geometric mean method, establishing a reference standard of the stage weight for left tasks of the job; in a task feedback stage, adopting the reference standard for the left tasks of the job, and estimating the task residual execution time by combining with progresses of sub-stages; in a job feedback stage, solving a geometric mean of stage weights of all tasks by using a staging manner, and establishing a job name-stage weight mapping record to be used as a reference of executing subsequent jobs on the node. According to the task scheduling method, self-learning and information feedback can be respectively carried out on the task of each job in a multi-job parallel executing environment to obtain more accurate stage weight estimation, the accuracy of pre-estimating the task residual execution time is improved, the hit rate of selecting dated tasks is increased, and the optimal utilization of cluster resources is promoted.


Single particle and collective aspects of some odd-A nuclei : studies of decay schemes by high resolution and coincidence spectrometers


A comparative study is made of Al2O3 layers formed at 400℃ in molten
KNO3 and Al2O3 formed at room temperature in a common solution of ammonium pentaborate in ethylene glycol. At 400℃ and constant current
(0.5 mA/cm2 ) the linear anodization range is limited to 2.7 V by scintillation and local oxide breakdowns.
Nonporous 200 Å thick (0.4 μF/cm2) oxide layers were produced at 2.0 V (400℃) and 8 V (20℃). Electron
diffraction indicated a γ-Al2O3 structure at an anodization temperature of 400℃ and amorphous structure at
room anodization temp. The initial values of tan δ were 100 · 10−4 ± 40 · 10−4 and 400 · 10−4 ± 200 · 10−4
respectively.


1. Introduction 2. Pathophysiology of bone pain 3. Clinical features of bone pain 4. General principles of management 5. Radiology 6. Conventional analgesics for bone pain 7. Bisphosphonates for bone pain 8. Radiotherapy 9. Anaesthetic techniques 10. Orthopaedic techniques


We transferred AlGaN/GaN high‐electron‐mobility transistors (HEMTs) from a sapphire substrate to a copper plate using a hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) epitaxial lift‐off technique. The bonding adhesion between the HEMTs and the copper plate is improved by optimizing Au–Au thermocompression processes and removing the h‐BN residual layer after the lift‐off. Thermal resistance estimated by Raman thermography is as low as 6 mm∘C/W, which is comparable to that of a HEMT grown on SiC substrate.As a result, the reduction in Id versus Vds due to self‐heating effect is suppressed to a negligible level. These results indicate that the substrate transfer technique is effective for achieving high‐power performance of GaN‐based electron devices.


• Page 1 of 3 • Sawaya et al. Int J Clin Cardiol 2020, 7:183 Citation: Sawaya F, Zgheib A, Karim JS, Hachach-Haram N (2020) The Show Must Go On: Using Proximie to Facilitate Collaboration between Experts to Perform a Complex Mitral Clip Procedure during COVID-19. Int J Clin Cardiol 7:183. doi.org/10.23937/2378-2951/1410183 Accepted: June 10, 2020; Published: June 12, 2020 Copyright: © 2020 Sawaya F, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The Show Must Go On: Using Proximie to Facilitate Collaboration between Experts to Perform a Complex Mitral Clip Procedure during COVID-19


M ILL'S essay On Liberty is properly revered as a classic of liberal political philosophy, one of the definitive documents of what we call " democratic " thought. Like most classics, however, it is now more reverenced than read, a reevaluation of this work in the light of contemporary political and philosophical problems seems timely. Although it is now almost a hundred years since Mill began the composition of this essay, it might well have been in i95i that he wrote:


: Regional education in Slovakia is undergoing fundamental changes. Within primary schools, the internal structure of the division of individual grades is chang-ing, but especially the content of individual educational areas. In the article using the method of content analysis of basic reform documents (Recovery Plan, State Education Program for Primary Schools), the authors describe and analyze the main changes that are being prepared and gradually implemented in primary schools in the Slovak Republic. The emphasis of the contribution is placed on technical education so far implemented in the subjects of technology education.


Abstract Traditional concrete pump trucks are made of high-strength alloy steel, which causes serious welding defects. Carbon fibre composites have high strength, light weight and are good candidates for the design of concrete pump truck placing booms. As the boom operates in a complex alternating stress state, it is designed into two parts in this article. The first part is the beam structure of carbon fibre boom, which is designed and analyzed with finite-element software ANSYS. The results show that it meets the requirements of strength and stiffness when the layer depth is 15 layers, and the stacking sequence is [02/45/08/ −45/03]. The second part is boom end, which is designed as metal encapsulated carbon fibre composites sandwich structure. Finally, the stepped lap joint is chosen to connect the two parts; its parameters are determined, and the shear strength of the bonding layer is verified.


Plasma endothelin (ET) is increased in association with intestinal ischemia. The aim of the present study was to examine whether the increase in plasma ET observed during intestinal ischemia is caused by granulocyte-derived proteases. Furthermore, we wanted to localize mature ET in non-ischemic and ischemic intestinal tissue. Two groups of anesthetized pigs were subjected to 5 hours of splanchnic ischemia followed by reperfusion. One group was treated with Eglin C, a selective inhibitor of granulocyte-derived elastase, cathepsin G and chymotrypsin, whereas the other received saline. In the saline group, portal ET increased significantly from 7.9 ± 1.6 (mean ± SEM) before occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery to 15.1 ± 2.7 fmol · ml−1 after 5 hours occlusion (P < 0.001), and five out of six animals died within 48 min reperfusion. Infusion of Eglin C completely abolished the increase in portal ET and reduced mortality (P = 0.01). In non-ischemic intestines ET was localized by immunohistochemistry to m...


For a set of k items having nonintersecting item response functions (IRFS), the H coefficient (Loevinger, 1948; Mokken, 1971) applied to a transposed persons by items binary matrix HT has a non-negative value. Based on this result, a method is proposed for using HT to investigate whether a set of IRFS intersect. Results from a monte carlo study support the proposed use of HT. These results support the use of HT as an exten sion to Mokken's nonparametric item response theory approach.


Heeres et al Green Chemistry (2009), 11(8), 1247-1255.* Hayashi et al. STN Accession No. 1955:60246:Document No. 49:60246, Abstract of Nippon Kagaku Kaishi (1921-47) (1954), Ind. Chem. Sect. 57, 67-9.* Corma et al. Chemical Review, 2007, 107, 241 1-2502.* Abbott et al., Kinetics of Reactions of Cs. Olefins on HY Zeolite, J. Catal. (1987) 108,346-355. Chheda et al., Liquid-Phase Catalytic Processing of Biomass-De rived Oxygenated Hydrocarbons to Fuels and Chemicals, Agnew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2007) 46(38), 7164-7183. Christensen et al., The Renewable ChemSusChem, (2008) 1, 283-289. Corma et al., Chemical Routes for the Transformation of Biomass into Chemicals, Chem. Rev. (2007) 107, 241 1-2502. Cortright et al., Hydrogen from catalytic reforming of biomass-de rived hydrocarbons in liquid water, Nature (2002) 418(6901) 964 967. De Klerk, Oligomerization of 1-Hexene and 1-Octene over Solid Acid Catalysts, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. (2005) 44.3887-3893. Gaertner et al., Catalytic coupling of carboxylic acids by ketonization as a processing step in biomass conversion, Journal of Catalysis, (2009) accepted. Gao, et al., The interconversion of formic acid and hydrogen/carbon dioxide using a binuclear ruthenium complex catalyst, J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. (2000) 32 12-3217. Girisuta et al., Kinetic Study on the Acid-Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Cellulose to Levulinic Acid, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. (2007) 46(6) 1696-1708. Heeres, et al., Combined dehydration? (transfer)-hydrogenation of C6-Sugars (D-glucose and D-fructose) to Y-valerolactone using ruthenium catalysts (2009) Green Chem. 11,1247-1255. Huber et al., Synergies between Bioand Oil Refineries for the Production of Fuels from Biomass, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2007), 46. T184-72O1 Huber et al., Synthesis of Transportation Fuels from Biomass: Chem istry, Catalysts, and Engineering, Chem. Rev. (2006), 106, 4044 4098. Koppatz et al., H2 rich product gas by Steam gasification of biomass with in situ CO absorption in a dual fluidized bed system of 8 MW fuel input, Fuel Proc. Tech. (2009) In Press. Kumar et al., Methods for Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass for Efficient hydrolysis and Biofuel Production, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. (2009)48, 3713-3729. Kunkes et al., Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Monofunctional Hydrocarbons and Targeted Liquid-Fuel Classes, Science (2008)322 (5900) 417-421. Mamman et al., Furfural: Hemicellulose/xylosepderived biochemi cal, Biofuels Bioproducts & Biorefining (2008), 2(5), 438-454. Miller et al., A Highly Catalytic and Selective Conversion of Carboxylic Acids to 1-Alkenes of One Less Carbon Atom, J. Org. Chem. (1993) 58, 18-20. Chemicals Industry,


'Howeanum huberi' gen. et sp. n. and 'Trogium nigrum' sp. n. (Psocoptera) are described from inflorescences of 'Howea forsteriana' (Thatch Palm) on Lord Howe Island. Twelve species of Psocoptera are now known from the island.


Abnormal muscle tone during the first year of a premature's life is an early indicator of delayed motor development. Increased shoulder girdle muscle tone (ISGT) can delay the onset of sitting, crawling, and object transfer. We studied the incidence of, and factors associated with, ISGT in 125 prematures. All were former NICU patients with BW less than 1750 grams. All were followed as outpatients up to 18 months corrected age. Fifty-seven infants (46%) had ISGT associated with either truncal hypotonia or generalized hypertonia. Mean age of onset was 5 ± 2 months. Mean age of resolution was 10± 3 months. Compared to 68 infants without ISGT, these patients had lower mean BW (1130 vs 1320 gms., P<0.001), lower gestational age (29 vs 31 wks, P<0.001), higher incidence of RDS (92% vs 72%, P<0.001) & BPD (52% vs 17%, P<0.001), and neonatal CNS insults (42% vs 10%, P<0.05). Of the 57 infants with ISGT, 15 (26%) had associated truncal hypotonia. Here ISGT appeared to compensate for poor neck and trunk tone while sitting. Compared to 42 infants with ISGT and generalized hypertonia, those with ISGT and truncal hypotonia had more CNS insults (80% vs 22%, P<0.001), more seizures (46% vs 11%, P<0.01), and more birth asphyxia (42% vs 11%, P<0.01). Conclusions: 1) ISGT associated with abnormal truncal tone is common during the first year of a premature's life and appears in the smaller, sicker infants. 2) Infants with ISGT and truncal hypotonia have more likely sustained severe CNS insults. 3) Risk factors predisposing a premature to ISGT can be identified early so that intervention can be initiated to promote the normal acquisition of developmental milestones.


This paper describes effects of a large amount of artificial patterns to train an on-line handwritten Japanese character recognizer. We need a huge amount of pattern samples to train recognizers to achieve high recognition performance for on-line handwritten character recognition. However, the existing pattern samples are not enough. We construct distortion models to generate a large amount of artificial patterns and apply these artificial patterns to train a character recognizer. In experiments using the TUAT Kuchibue database, applying the generated artificial patterns to train the character recognizer has improved the character recognition accuracy remarkably. This method has improved the recognition rate to all the character groups and achieves 95.87% recognition rate for Kanji.


The monastery of "Santa Maria de Moreruela", whose origins according to many historians date from the twelfth century, is the first of the Cistercian enclaves built on the Iberian Peninsula. It is now in ruins and is considered one of the great examples of the cultural heritage of the province of Zamora. This paper aims to raise awareness of how the Cistercian churches were designed, the contribution of the Castilian quarries to their construction, and the development of the vaults over the time passed from their inception until the completion of the work, using this Monastery as an example. European culture came to Castile with the appearance of the Romanesque style from the hands of the French Benedictine monks; later, Cistercian monks introduced the Gothic style. Thus, the vaults have evolved from the Romanesque rounded vault to the Gothic ogive, the changes being attributed to structural elements and also to the design of thinner walls with more lights. In the case of the Monastery of Moreruela, this has a basilica church plan, which is typical of the twelfth century, with the same design as that built by the Cistercian order in the French Midi, who along the years of construction changed the design of their arches and vaults. The most significant vaults of the church of the Monastery of Moreruela, whose styles changed as they were built during several phase,, are classified and displayed in the order in their construction: Header.Transept. Central nave. Aisles


Ichthyofaunal diversity in Jia Bharali River of Assam, Northeast India, has been carried out from September 2018 to March 2021. The study emphasized the documentation of fish faunal diversity in relation to water parameters of previously undocumented ecological pockets of Himalayan foothill zones of north-bank landscapes of Assam. Study revealed altogether 69 fish species belonging to 6 orders and 20 families in Jia Bharali River. Cypriniformes was the most dominant (42 species) order followed by Siluriformes (14 species), Perciformes (8 species), Synbranchiformes (3 species), whereas, Beloniformes and Clupeiformes support one species each. The highest species diversity was found in Site-1 (H' = 3.76) whereas, in terms of seasons, the highest species diversity was found in retreating monsoon (H' = 3.80). Among the 69 species of fish, 56 species (81.16%) were IUCN categorized as Least Concern, 6 were Not Evaluated (8.7%), two species were Near Threatened (2.90%), three were Data Deficient (4.34%), and one species each was Endangered (1.45%) and Vulnerable (1.45%) respectively. Analysis of the relationships between water parameters and ichthyofaunal diversity showed a positive correlation between increasing dissolved oxygen and species richness. Water temperature and pH showed a positive correlation with species abundance in the study area.


Simple Summary: The GRAS gene family plays a critical role in regulation of growth, defense, light and hormone responses. We identified 45 GRAS genes in the pitaya genome and categorized them into nine respective subfamilies: PAT1, SHR, LISCL, HAM, SCR, RGL, LAS, DELLA and SCL-3. Among these 45 HuGRAS family members, we reported nine candidate genes that played key roles in the growth and development of the pitaya plant


Three-dimensional (3D) integration has recently become a popular technology for integrated circuits (IC). 3D IC with the passive silicon interposer is currently the main trend in the industry, especially for processor-memory integration. Evaluating the economic efficiency of test operations in the interposer-based 3D IC thus is important. We propose a cost model for interposer-based 3D IC with 3D memory repair schemes, including the Die-to-Wafer (D2W) and Die-to-Die (D2D) stacking. The cost model contains the manufacturing cost and test cost. A tool which is based on the proposed cost model is developed. We use this tool for cost analysis and for finding the most cost effective test flow. The results show that, in some applications, test flows including the iterative known-good stack (KGS) test and the pre-bond interposer test significantly reduce the cost, when the KGS test yield is lower than 99.2% and the pre-bond interposer test yield is lower than 99%. The Shmoo plot is depicted to show the lower bound of the yield of the final package level test, given the number of stacked dies and the final yield. The total costs of three types of 3D memory repair schemes are compared. The result shows that, among three different 3D memory repair schemes, the macro level redundancy with over 20 redundancy dies has the lowest cost. For different applications, the proposed model evaluates the execution criterion or cost values, which helps the designers to determine the most cost effective test flow and the system architecture.


The action forces of vehicle on transition curves were analyzed.The calculated dynamics performances of heavy haul wagon with 25 t axle load were analyzed by using dynamics simulation software SIMPACK while passing through cubic parabola type,4-3-4 type and quintic type transition curves.The calculated result was compared with the theoretical analysis one.The result indicates that the types of transition curves have great effect on the dynamics performance of vehicle,especially at connection point.Compared with 4-3-4 type and quintic type,the dynamic performance of vehicle at connection point is worse while running on quintic type transition curve,the differences of carbody vertical accelerations reach 83%,and the differences of other indexes are about 10%.The difference of carbody vertical accelerations between 4-3-4 type and quintic type is 63%,and the differences of other indexes are less than 2%.4-3-4 type and quintic type transition curves will have more advantages if the curves are prolonged.7 figs,11 refs.


The purpose of this research is to include investigation in developing a user friendly web-based system that provides information on linguistics while highlighting the science behind languages. Currently, the available sites on the web are focusing on languages, where there is very limited opportunity for students to learn linguistics especially when they do not have specific background in the area. The current interface for linguistic learners through existing sites are not as user friendly and attractive with very less HCI concepts applied. This investigation will improve the knowledge delivery through virtual service and by creating the system it creates an opportunity for anyone in tertiary education with interest in linguistics to acquire knowledge whereby linguistics benefits the learners to develop analytical skills, improve creativity and information literacy. The methods used in this investigation are questionnaires and interviews to capture user requirements and functionalities in the system. Results and analysis manage to identify the challenges in learning and teaching linguistics, the difficult aspect of it is to cater for different user learning styles. Linguistics is known as a complicated field; this study aims to improve the flexibility of learning materials for users to learn in a casual way.


Two cases of ceroid storage in childhood are reported. In both cases there was a long history of nutritional disturbance and cirrhosis of the liver was found at necropsy. In one case the storage of ceroid followed the pattern of so-called "lipidoses," with massive numbers of ceroid-filled cells in the spleen, liver and intestinal mucosa. In the other case the deposition of ceroid occurred mostly in macrophages in the liver. No ceroid was found in smooth muscle or other parenchymal cells as in vitamin E deficiency.


This review is about P N Lebedev's scientific management methods and the role his students played in perfecting physics education and organizing scientific research at Saratov University.


Some degree of calcification of the mitral valve is a common finding at autopsy in advanced rheumatic heart disease. Epstein (1940) reported its presence in 64 out of 148 consecutive postmortem examinations in amounts varying from that detectable only by microscopy to large calcareous masses. Although the valve leaflets were most often affected, the annulus fibrosus, the chorde tendinea, the papillary muscles, and the wall of the left auricle may also be involved. Sometimes gross calcification was confined to only one of these sites, the annulus fibrosus alone being particularly affected in elderly patients with mitral stenosis. With the exception of this group, the degree of calcification tended to correspond with the severity of the other changes due to the rheumatic process.


Eddies generated by the Canary Current south of Canary Islands when the flow passes through the archipelago define a high mesoscale variability of the sea level downstream of the islands. Evidence of zonal propagation of perturbations of sea surface heights was observed by generating longitude-time plots. Hovmoeller diagrams of the altimetric data for 1997 and 1998 at 27°N (south of Cape Jubi), 26°N (Cape Bojador) and 25°N (south of Cape Bojador) are analysed. Both cyclones and anticyclones were observed in the satellite data as anomalies originating south of Gran Canaria or Tenerife islands and moving southward of Gomera and El Hierro islands. The sea level variability associated with these mesoscale features, has the highest intensity during summer and autumn, when Trade winds and incident currents are stronger. An anticyclonic eddy observed in December 1997 is described on the basis of sea level anomalies deduced from ERS-2 altimetry and sea surface temperature data. This mesoscale oceanographic feature was tracked approximately 3 months (november - february), decreasing a the sea surface elevation from 25 cm registered at the end of november at 26.5°N to 15 cm in february. During this period the vortex is moved southwest at 1.7 km/day. Comparisons between sea level anomalies from altimetry and sea surface temperature images from AVHRR agree that the eddy was moved and modified its characteristics during this period.


In this paper, an E-plane choke waveguide aperture antenna is designed for front-fed parabolic reflector. The aperture antenna consists of the radiating rectangular waveguide vertically jointed to the two coupling apertures or the E-plane choke to achieve the symmetrical beam for the X-band frequency operating from 10.00 GHz to 10.50 GHz. The simulated beamwidths in the E and H planes at −3 dB were equally 70° and at −10 dB also equally 137°, while the measured results at −3 dB were equally 70° and at −10 dB equally 135°. The simulation and measured results are in good agreement. The simulated and measured antenna gains are 8.24 dBi and 8.21 dBi respectively. The simulation and measured of waveguide aperture for parabolic front-fed reflector antenna results covering frequency range from 9.91 GHz to 10.61 GHz and 9.98 GHz to 10.51 GHz, respectively. The findings validate the applicability of the antenna as the prime feed for rotationally symmetric parabolic reflectors.


Plants can maintain growth and reproductive success by sensing changes in the environment and reacting through mechanisms at molecular, cellular, physiological and developmental levels. Each stress condition prompts a unique response although some overlap between the reactions to abiotic stress (drought, heat, cold, salt or high light) and to biotic stress (pathogens) does occur. A common feature in the response to all stresses is the onset of oxidative stress, through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). As hydrogen peroxide and superoxide are involved in stress signaling, a tight control in ROS homeostasis requires a delicate balance of systems involved in their generation and degradation. If the plant lacks the capacity to generate scavenging potential, this can ultimately lead to death. In grapevine, antioxidant homeostasis can be considered at whole plant levels and during the development cycle. The most striking example lies in berries and their derivatives, such as wine, with nutraceutical properties associated with their antioxidant capacity. Antioxidant homeostasis is tightly regulated in leaves, assuring a positive balance between photosynthesis and respiration, explaining the tolerance of many grapevine varieties to extreme environments. In this review we will focus on antioxidant metabolites, antioxidant enzymes, transcriptional regulation and cross-talk with hormones prompted by abiotic stress conditions. We will also discuss three situations that require specific homeostasis balance: biotic stress, the oxidative burst in berries at veraison and in vitro systems. The genetic plasticity of the antioxidant homeostasis response put in evidence by the different levels of tolerance to stress presented by grapevine varieties will be addressed. The gathered information is relevant to foster varietal adaptation to impending climate changes, to assist breeders in choosing the more adapted varieties and to suitable viticulture practices.


BaTiO3 nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method using amorphous phase TiO2 precursor as the Ti-source. The microstructure and phase structure were determined using XRD, SEM and Raman s...


Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) and Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP) are no doubt getting more and more important for companies to compete in their industries. During the last decade, we see the disappearing of legacy EIS and the emergence of EIS/ERP industry. ERP systems have now been installed across many different production and service industries, and have further extended their applications to cross-enterprise supply chain management. This revolution of ERP applications leads us to a wider research scope, i.e. the study of the supply chain of ERP systems instead of just ERP implementation. This special issue covers the whole spectrum of an 'ERP supply chain' ERP vendor value proposition vs. client expectation, ERP selection, ERP implementation, and ERP/EIS management. It also aims at inspiring further research on the design, development, distribution, implementation, maintenance, and support of ERP software.


In a study of 30 patients, the intramuscular injection of ceruletide (0.3 microgram/kg) was safe and effective and resulted in a substantial decrease in the transit time required for the passage of barium to the ileocecal area. The median intestinal transit time following injection of ceruletide was 15 minutes as comapred to 80 minutes following a saline placebo. Adverse reactions were minimal and self-limiting.


Since its discovery more than 25 years ago, the STRO‐1 antibody has played a fundamental role in defining the hierarchical nature of mesenchymal precursor cells (MPC) and their progeny. STRO‐1 antibody binding remains a hallmark of immature pluripotent MPC. Despite the significance of STRO‐1 in the MPC field, the identity of the antigen has remained elusive. Using a combination of two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis, coupled with Western blotting and Tandem mass spectroscopy, we have identified the STRO‐1 antigen as heat shock cognate 70 (HSC70;HSPA8). STRO‐1 binds to immune‐precipitated HSC70 and siRNA‐mediated knock down of HSPA8 reduced STRO‐1 binding. STRO‐1 surface binding does not correlate with HSC70 expression and sequestration of cholesterol reduces STRO‐1 surface binding, suggesting that the plasma membrane lipid composition may be an important determinant in the presentation of HSC70 on the cell surface. HSC70 is present on the surface of STRO‐1+ but not STRO‐1− cell lines as assessed by cell surface biotinylation and recombinant HSC70 blocks STRO‐1 binding to the cell surface. The STRO‐1 epitope on HSC70 was mapped to the ATPase domain using a series of deletion mutants in combination with peptide arrays. Deletion of the first four amino acids of the consensus epitope negated STRO‐1 binding. Notably, in addition to HSC70, STRO‐1 cross‐reacts with heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), however all the clonogenic cell activity is restricted to the STRO‐1BRIGHT/HSP70− fraction. These results provide important insight into the properties that define multipotent MPC and provide the impetus to explore the role of cell surface HSC70 in MPC biology. Stem Cells 2017;35:940–951


We discuss the effective infrared theory governing a light scalar's long wavelength dynamics in de Sitter spacetime. We show how the separation of scales around the physical curvature radius k/a ∼ H can be performed consistently with a window function and how short wavelengths can be integrated out in the Schwinger-Keldysh path integral formalism. At leading order, and for time scales Δ t ≫ H−1, this results in the well-known Starobinsky stochastic evolution. However, our approach allows for the computation of quantum UV corrections, generating an effective potential on which the stochastic dynamics takes place. The long wavelength stochastic dynamical equations are now second order in time, incorporating temporal scales Δ t ∼ H−1 and resulting in a Kramers equation for the probability distribution—more precisely the Wigner function—in contrast to the more usual Fokker-Planck equation. This feature allows us to non-perturbatively evaluate, within the stochastic formalism, not only expectation values of field correlators, but also the stress-energy tensor of ϕ.


Virtual enterprise product data repository(VEPR) is an infrastructure to construct virtual enterprises.VEPR is the core for sharing product data,and it also serves as the platform for managing,manipulating and applying product data.Fixing the research goals and presents a framework of VEPR was presented.In order to establish a refined and integrated product data repository,the technical strategy using STEP modularization,CORBA was discussed also.


An intelligent online acquisition system for humidity and temperature is designed.The system is mainly constituted by two modules:field data acquisition module and USB-CAN converter interface module.Field data collection is based on single chip AT89S52 as the core control unit,AD590 temperature sensor and humidity sensor HM1500 as auxiliary devices.The data is sent CAN bus by the controller SJA1000.USB-CAN converter interface module is based on ATmega 162 chip as the control unit,FT245BM USB communications chip and SJA1000 controllers as auxiliary devices.Then,USB-CAN interface conversion has been achieved.The terminal device of the entire system is the monitoring PC.Client software is written by VC++ language,and it can achieve the monitoring for status in field,alarming for the site of upper or lower limits,management of the receiving data for disruption and so on.


This article reflects on the author's engagement with More's Utopia and the utopian tradition from when he begins to read utopias as an undergraduate and the way he responds to certain texts and then how he has responded to some of the same texts later in life. The author also argues for the continued importance of utopianism, utopian literature, and More's Utopia in particular.


1. Compounds of the series Me3NMe. to Me3NAm. produce a full additive action when combined with acetylcholine on the frog's auricle and other tissues tested.

2. The series Me3NHex. to Me3NCetyl produces an antagonistic action, and the intensity of antagonism increases with increasing length of chain.

3. The compounds Et4N, Pr4N, and Br4N are similar as regards their power of antagonising acetylcholine.

4. The compounds Et4As, Me2NPiperidine, and Et2NPiperidine have similar antagonistic actions, which are about one-tenth that of Et4N.

5. Methylene-blue and procaine antagonise the action of acetylcholine on the frog's heart, rectus abdominis, and rat's gut, but potentiate its action on the leech muscle.

6. Various antagonists to acetylcholine, such as atropine and curarine, show marked tissue specificity.

7. The significance of these results in relation to certain general theories of drug action has been discussed.It is with pleasure that I put on record my indebtedness to Professor A. J. Clark for his kind hospitality, and for his constant help and Synergisms and Antagonisms of Acetylcholine advice. The expenses of this research were in part defrayed by the Moray Fund, for which help I express my thanks.


Abstract Effects of interactions at the interface on the morphologies of immiscible polymer blends were investigated using linear low-density polyethylene/poly(4- vinylphenol) (LLDPE/PVPh) and LLDPE/poly(methyl methacrylate) (LLDPE/PMMA) blends containing polyethylene-block-PMMA (PE-b-PMMA). In the case of LLDPE/ PMMA/PE-b-PMMA blends, in which there is no specific interaction at the interface, shapes of dispersed droplets were maintained and sizes were simply diminished with increasing PE-b-PMMA content. On the other hand, in the case of LLDPE/ PVPh/PE-b-PMMA, in which hydrogen bonds are formed between PVPh and PMMA blocks at the interface, we found irregularly undulated phase boundaries.


Oxyapatite Ca2Gd8(SiO4)6O2 (CGS) nanostructures with nanorod bundle-like morphology are prepared by mixed solvothermal and hydrothermal reaction methods. Detailed structural and morphological studies are performed using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy measurements. CGS nanorod bundles are formed by crystal splitting, and the growth mechanism as a function of reaction time is discussed. The size and crystal splitting of the nanorod bundles are controlled by varying the concentration of 2-propanol. The annealing temperature does not have any effect on the morphology of CGS nanorod bundles, and the bundles can sustain high temperatures, which confirms the crystal splitting of nanorod bundles. Photoluminescence and cathodoluminescent studies are carried out by activating the Eu3+ ions in the CGS host lattice as a function of annealing temperature. The corresponding CIE chromaticity coordinates are in close proximity...


We present an approach for the support of agent-based social simulation (ABSS) models within a generic framework for computer-based environmental modelling. The framework allows for the coupling of simulation models from various sciences to perform integrative simulations. It is applicable to any kind of model which simulates spatially distributed environmental processes with an arbitrary, but discrete, time scale. Our support for ABSS is geared towards agents that decide over a given set of plans which represent their course of actions. However, since all of the framework elements are on the one hand optional, and on the other hand easily and arbitrary extendable, there is in principle no restriction on its applicability. Within the GLOWA-Danube project, the framework has been successfully applied to construct the distributed simulation system DANUBIA which integrates up to 15 simulation models from various disciplines.


Over the past two decades, both academics and policy makers have discussed the meaning of territorial cohesion in the context of the European Union (EU). This debate on the meaning and content of territorial cohesion is becoming increasingly important in a Europe that is facing multiple crises. This article contributes to the literature on EU's territorial cohesion policies by tracing the ways in which territorial cohesion has been defined, framed and justified as an EU policy. We analyse public speeches made by the acting commissioners for Regional Policy and inquire into the Cohesion Reports from 2004 to 2017 produced by the European Commission. In particular, we interrogate both the meaning of the concept of territorial cohesion and the justifications for pursuing territorial cohesion. We conclude with some critical remarks on the relevance of economic production-based definitions and justifications for territorial cohesion policies. Accordingly, we argue that treating macroeconomic production as an indicator of territorial cohesion harmfully consolidates a narrow understanding of societal wellbeing and development and imposes on all regions a one-dimensional economic scale to indicate their level of development.


Purpose: To investigate factors and psychosocial profiles (e.g., stress, social support, and self esteem) of intimate partner violence (IPV) among pregnant women. Design: Descriptive comparative design Methods: The sample was comprised of 420 pregnant women who received their antenatal care visits at a university hospital in Bangkok. Data was collected through a set of structured questionnaires which were then analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and independent t-test. Main Findings: Compared to non-abused pregnant women, abused pregnant women rated significantly higher in areas of divorce, separation and remarriage, alcohol abuse, smoking, unplanned and unwanted pregnancy (p < .05). They also had significantly shorter length of marriage, lower levels of education, and the greater number of gravidarum and abortion (p < .05). Moreover, abused pregnant women had significantly higher stress, but lower social support and self-esteem than non-abused pregnant women (p < .05). Conclusion and recommendations: Based on these findings, nurses should pay attention and increase awareness of IPV among pregnant women as well as perform universal screening of IPV aimed at reducing such violence experienced and negative health outcomes during pregnancy.


Robson macrocyclic complexes have acquired extensive developments and many valuable applications due to the simple synthetic method based on the template condensation in the presence of ionic metals.To develop new Robson macrocyclic ternary complexes with another small molecule ligand, a new ternary terbium complex with a macrocycle and a second polypyridine ligand was synthesized by [2+2] condensation of2, 6-diformyl-4-methyl phenol and 2-hydroxyl-1,3 diamine in the presence of terbium ion and 4′-(3-pyridyl)-2, 2′:6′, 2″-terpyridine(3-pytpy). The title complex was characterized by various physical methods, and the biological activities of the complex were studied by agarose gel electrophoresis and antibacterial toxic experiment. The electrospray mass spectrum of the complex shows that the entity contains a macrocycle and a second polypyridine ligand. The study of agarose gel electrophoresis shows that the complex can cleave the p BR322 DNA into an open circular relaxed form. The results of antibacterial toxic experiment indicate that the title complex has an inhibiting effect on Escherichia coli.


Very often Physics students get the impression that the reality they see and the one they measure, even in the lab, is just a draft version of what is considered as the real world, which for sure is the world where laws and models work. Observation of complex but real situations is not allowed until students are skilled in the use of suitable mathematical tools. One example is the meaning of 'wave spectrum' which is generally introduced as a result of the Fourier Theorem. This paper shows a multimedia unit prototype, accessible through the web, with the aim of enhancing the learning of similarities and differences between sounds and noises. The unit is based on a particular tool, the hear&see tool, designed to explore the meaning of wave spectrum


It is shown that by cascadingNwiggler sections through compensating sections a gain of N2times the gain of a single wiggler section may be attained, whereas the energy acceptance of theNsections is the same as that of a single section. The relative phase shift of electrons with different energies in the compensating section is opposite that in the wiggler. A realization of a compensating section is presented. Finally, an application of this idea is considered to a free-electron laser in a storage ring. It is shown that at 0.15μm wavelength, using a 250 MeV storage ring, a gain 100 times higher may be obtained as compared to the uniform wiggler free-electron laser, for the same energy acceptance of 2.5 percent in the two cases.