The image reading device includes a signal from the photoelectric conversion elements in each row of the photodetector array and the photodetector array having a photoelectric conversion element the DC / DC power supply, two-dimensionally arranged to supply power to at least a portion of the apparatus as a unit a and a line selector and reading circuit for reading. Line driving signal in the line selector is set to be synchronized with a reference clock for defining the oscillation frequency of the DC / DC power supply, and has a period of an integer multiple of the reference clock. Photodetector sample / hold signal is the read signal from the array to determine the sample / hold timing at which is output at a predetermined phase timing of each period of the line driving signal. Flat panel sensor, X-ray, small size, low noise, a switching power supply


We will demonstrate a scheme that can elevate orthonormal or biorthogonal wavelets to a new pair of biorthogonal wavelet. The approximation degree, that is, the number of vanishing moments, of the elevated biorthogonal wavelet will be higher than the original. Starting with B-splines and cooperating with the lifting scheme (Sweldens), our elevation scheme can reproduce the biorthogonal wavelets of compact support (Cohen, Daubechies, Feauveau). There is a simple algorithm to elevate from old lter coeecients to the new lter coeecients. Starting with orthonormal wavelets, the elevated scaling functions are diierentiable and the derivatives are nearly orthonormal to their translations. That is, the inner products of the translated derivatives always have the values f?1; 2; ?1g. This feature resembles the diierence wavelets (Chern, Shann) which may be valuable for solving diierential equations. 1. Motivation. Since the introduction of wavelets ten years ago, there are intensive research activities in this area, in both theoretical and applied aspects. For more introductory details, we would like to refer the readers to 5, 10]. Among the applications, there are the numerical solution for integral equations and diierential equations. The wavelets based numerical methods for the solution of integral equations are reasonably successful|at least, for those with kernels which do not oscillate too much. For this, people basically follow the work of 1]. On the other hand, the wavelets based numerical methods for the solution of diierential equations are not as successful as those for integral equations. There are diierent points of views on why it might be diicult and how it might be resolved. Among them, there are groups of researchers who are looking for the \right" wavelets which are \made" for the diierential equations.


Lignin carbamate was prepared as a good blocking for the phenolic hydroxyl group of lignin. To reduce its color, the following was accomplished: first, condensation of lignin carbamate with p-nitroaniline to fulfill complete blocking; second, reduction of this compound with thiourea dioxide to give a new compound; and third, diazotization of this new compound with different phenolic compounds to give highly reactive dispersed dyes that have very attractive colors. Lightfastness and washing perspiration fastness were studied, and the relationship between spectral analyses and the fastness was also considered.


Background Cortical cerebral microinfarcts are a small vessel disease biomarker underlying cognitive impairment and dementia. However, it is unknown whether cortical cerebral microinfarcts are associated with neuropsychiatric disturbances, and whether its effects are independent of conventional small vessel disease markers. Aims We investigated the associations of cortical cerebral microinfarcts burden with incidence and progression of neuropsychiatric subsyndromes in a memory clinic cohort of elderly in Singapore. Methods In this prospective cohort, 496 subjects underwent detailed neuropsychological and clinical assessments, 3T brain MRI, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory assessment at baseline and two years later. Cortical cerebral microinfarcts and other small vessel disease markers, including white matter hyperintensities, lacunes, and microbleeds, were graded according to established criteria. Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) were clustered into subsyndromes of hyperactivity, psychosis, affective, and apathy following prior findings. Functional decline was determined using the clinical dementia rating (CDR) scale. Results The presence of multiple cortical cerebral microinfarcts (≥2) was associated with higher total NPS scores (β = 4.19, 95% CI = 2.81–5.58, p < 0.001), particularly hyperactivity (β = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.30–2.71, p < 0.01) and apathy (β = 1.42, 95% CI = 0.65–2.18, p < 0.01) at baseline. Between baseline and year-2, multiple cortical cerebral microinfarcts were associated with accelerated progression in total NPS scores (β = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.06–0.53, p = 0.015), driven by hyperactivity (β = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.17–0.72, p < 0.01). Subjects with multiple cortical cerebral microinfarcts also had a faster functional decline, as measured with the CDR-sum-of-boxes scores, when accompanied with progression (β = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.11–0.51, p < 0.01) or hyperactivity in total NPS (β = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.13–0.56, p < 0.01). Conclusion Cortical cerebral microinfarcts are associated with incidence and progression of geriatric neurobehavioral disturbances, independent of conventional small vessel disease markers. The impact of incident cortical cerebral microinfarcts on neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric trajectories warrants further investigations.


A signal-reconstruction problem motivated by x-ray crystallography [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. A8, 1207 ( 1991)] is (approximately) solved in a Bayesian statistical approach. The signal is 0–1 and periodic, and substantial statistical a priori information is known, which is modeled with a Markov random field. The data are inaccurate magnitudes of the Fourier coefficients of the signal. The solution is explicit, and the computational burden is independent of the signal dimension. I propose a detailed parameterization of the a priori model appropriate for crystallography and use symmetry-breaking parameters in the solution to perform a data-dependent adaptation of the estimator. With this adaptation I attempt to minimize the effects of the spherical model approximation used in the solution. Several examples in one and two dimensions based on simulated data are presented.


In the past quarter century, there has been a dramatic shift of focus in social choice theory, with structured sets of alternatives and restricted domains of the sort encountered in economic problems coming to the fore. This article provides an overview of some of the recent contributions to four topics in normative social choice theory in which economic modelling has played a prominent role: Arrovian social choice theory on economic domains, variable-population social choice, strategy-proof social choice, and axiomatic models of resource allocation.


Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), formerly known as immotile cilia syndrome, is a disorder of motile cilia structure and function that results in chronic oto-sinopulmonary disease. Primary ciliary dyskinesia typically presents with respiratory distress in infants, early onset year-round cough, and nasal congestion. Primary ciliary dyskinesia diagnosis is challenging given lack of a single diagnostic test and the multitude of conditions that result in similar symptoms. Kartagener syndrome is a triad of chronic sinusitis, bronchiectasis, and situs inversus resulting from ciliary dyskinesia.[1][2][3][4]


Introduction
Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin highly associated with firsthand smoking. Secondhand smoke, defined as the inhalation of smoke from burning a tobacco product or smoke that is exhaled by smokers, and its relationship to HS has not been assessed. This study aims to determine the prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure in the HS population.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study (N=136), surveys were both administered in a dermatology clinic and emailed to patients with HS, verruca vulgaris (VV), and atopic dermatitis (AD). Control groups were selected based on secondhand smoke associations: AD has a known association, whereas VV does not.
Results
The survey response rate was 67.3% (N=136). We found that more than half of HS patients (58.73%) were exposed to secondhand smoke within the last 12 months, whereas 38.30% and 30.77% in the AD and VV groups were exposed, respectively (p=0.0209). Additionally, our data did not identify a significant correlation between secondhand smoke and HS disease severity.
Conclusion
Our study is the first to assess the prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure in the HS population. However, due to the limitations of the study design and significant differences between study groups, we were unable to assess the true association between HS and secondhand smoke exposure. While our study did not identify an increased prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure in the HS population, it highlights an area for further investigation evaluating the relationship between passive tobacco exposure and inflammatory skin disease.


Rural area is a society of order with diverse standards affecting each other.It is very important for rural legalization whether we can make laws and policies,moralities and social standards such as customs,habits,local rules and regulations coordinate and promote each other,make them give full play to their adjusting functions to form a strong force of administrating the rural area and stabilizing the rural society.So we need to fully recognize and mobilize the forces of various standards,construct the harmonious adjusting system,and provide the forceful support of standards for the steady development of our new rural area.


This paper describes an advanced vehicle control method using independent four wheel steering system and roll stiffness control for advanced vehicle control system (AVCS) handling and stability. At accelerating and at braking on a cornering of a vehicle, each tire force coefficient of the vehicle is very different because of load transfer and nonlinearity of tire forces. Therefore, four-wheel-steering (4WS) system is not effective for the vehicle control and stability not only at high lateral accelerating condition but also a low coefficient of friction. If the tire force coefficient are controlled, it is possible that the vehicle has more stable behavior even at the critical situation. In this paper, it is shown that the integrated vehicle control using independent 4WS and roll stiffness control with a tire load rate has a good effect to the vehicle stability.


I have examined the effects of serotonin on the generation of the motor program for swimming by the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, using both intact animals and isolated nerve cords. In normal saline, isolated nerve cords rarely produced episodes of the motor program for swimming except in response to electrical stimulation of swim-initiating interneurons or of segmental nerves; saline containing micromolar concentrations of serotonin caused isolated nerve cords to produce episodes of the swim motor program in the absence of electrical stimulation. Stimulation of serotonin-containing neurons also caused isolated nerve cords to produce the swim motor program but only if the volume of saline around the ganglia containing the stimulated neurons was small (less than 50 ~1); under such conditions, serotonin was detected in the saline bathing the stimulated neurons. Serotonin also was found in blood from the sinus that contains the nerve cord of the leech. The concentrations of serotonin were correlated with the behavior of the animals whose blood was sampled; animals with the highest levels swam significantly more than did animals with low or intermediate levels; animals with the lowest levels of serotonin in their blood swam very little and were generally inactive. The concentrations of serotonin found in leech blood (10 to 100 nM) were similar to the lowest concentrations of serotonin that elicited swimming from isolated nerve cords. Experimentally elevating the concentration of serotonin in leech blood caused increased swimming activity. These observations suggest that serotonin is a modulator of neuronal control of swimming by the medicinal leech. Biogenic amines influence the control of motor systems in many organisms. Motor areas of vertebrate brains, such as the basal ganglia, receive rich aminergic innervation, degeneration of which results in such motor abnormalities as parkinsonism (Hornykiewicz, 1966, 1973). In spinal cords, aminergic pathways may activate pattern generators for locomotion (Grillner, 1975). Invertebrate nervous systems, in which amines also activate motor programs (Granzow and Kater, 1977; Anderson and Barker, 1977; Livingstone et al., 1980), are useful for analyzing the cellular basis of aminergic actions. For example, studies of identified neural pathways in Aplysia have allowed detailed analyses of the mechanisms by which serotonergic neurons cause long term changes in synaptic transmission (Klein and Kandel, 1978; Kupfermann, 1979). ' This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant NS14410 and National Science Foundation Grant BNS75-23567 to Dr. William B. Kristan, Jr. and by National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship NS 06182-01 to A. L. W. I thank Dr. Kristan for his support, advice, and enthusiasm; Philip Lloyd for advice on the bioassay for serotonin; and Janis Weeks for her helpful criticism of this manuscript. This paper presents a study of the effects of serotonin on the neuronal generation of the motor program for swimming by the leech." The nervous system of the leech is useful for studying the effects of serotonin on a central pattern generator for several reasons: the motor program for swimming can be produced by isolated chains of ganglia (Kristan and Calabrese, 1976), a number of the motor and interneurons that participate in the control of swimming have been identified (Stent et al., 1978; Weeks, 1980), interneurons that elicit swimming in response to sensory stimuli have been identified (Weeks and Kristan, 1978; Weeks, 1980, 1981), and each segmental ganglion contains a small number (9 in ganglia 1 to 3, 7 in ganglia 4 to 21) of identifiable serotonin-containing neurons (Lent et al., 1979; Marsden and Kerkut, 1969; Rude, 1969). Although intact leeches often initiate swims in the apparent absence of external stimuli, isolated nerve cords ' Present address and that to which all reprint requests should be ,' Terms such as "swim" and "swimming" will be used as shorthand sent: Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shatfor longer phrases such as "motor program for swimming." SII will be tuck Street, Boston, MA 02115. used as an abbreviation for swim-initiating interneuron. The <Journal of Neuroscience Effects of Serotonin on Leech Swimming 937 rarely swim except in response to stimulation of whole supernatants were brought to neutral pH with KHCOX nerves or of swim-initiating interneurons. The results immediately before loading them on small (0.4 X 3 cm) presented in this paper demonstrate that: ( 2) isolated columns of Sephadex G-10 (Pharmacia) that had been nerve cords do swim in the absence of external stimulaactivated by 0.5 M formic acid for 30 min. The columns tion if serotonin is applied to them (first shown by Weeks, had been washed with distilled water until the pH of the 1980) or if, under certain conditions, identified serotonereffluent was 7.0 before loading the samples. After sample gic neurons are stimulated; (2) stimulation of serotonerapplication, the columns were washed with 6 ml of disgic neurons causes release of serotonin into the fluid tilled water to remove acetylcholine, catecholamines, surrounding the ganglia containing the stimulated neuindoleamines, and peptides that might interfere with the rons; (3) serotonin is found in the blood that bathes the bioassay for serotonin. Serotonin then was eluted by a 3nerve cord (the nerve cord of a leech lies inside a blood ml wash of 0.5 M formic acid. The formic acid was sinus); and (4) the levels of serotonin in the blood of evaporated in the dark over NaOH pellets and CaS04 leeches are related to the tendency of the leeches to swim (Drierite) and the serotonin then was dissolved in 20 ~1 in the absence of external stimuli. Some of these results of snail physiological saline (Kerkut and Meech, 1966). have been published in an abstract (Willard, 1980). Recovery of known amounts of serotonin was routinely Materials and Methods 90 to 95%. Serotonin was measured by a bioassay (Lloyd, 1978; P. Electrophysiology. The procedures of Kristan and CalE. Lloyd, personal communication) that is based on the abrese (1976) were used for the maintenance of the positive inotropic effect of serotonin on snail hearts. leeches (Hirudo medicinalis) and for the electrophysioMature (3to B-gm) snails (Helix aspersa) were kept logical experiments on isolated nerve cords. Nerve cords active for at least 6 days by feeding them lettuce and were removed from animals and pinned in a dish of cucumber. Their hearts were removed and the ventricle physiological saline (Nicholls and Baylor, 1968; as modiwas cannulated to allow constant perfusion with snail fied by Weeks, 1981) kept at 16°C by a cooling system. saline. A tension transducer monitored the strength of Individual neurons were viewed with dark-field illumiindividual ventricular contractions. After 30 to 60 min, nation and were impaled with glass microelectrodes (40 the strength of individual contractions was constant but to 60 megohms, filled with 4 M potassium acetate) for could be increased transiently by pulsed additions of intracellular recording and stimulation. Glass-tipped sucserotonin to the perfusate. Calibration curves were obtion electrodes were placed on segmental nerves for extained by injecting known amounts of serotonin into the traceliular stimulation and recording. Semi-intact prepperfusate before and after injecting aliquots (10 ~1) of arations were made as described by Kristan et al. (1974). test solutions containing serotonin that had been parThe system of Ort et al. (1974) was used for numbering tially purified from leech blood. Two criteria were used the ganglia and for the nomenclature of the nerves and to determine whether a particular heart would be used neurons. to measure the amounts of serotonin recovered from Serotonin was applied to whole nerve cords by replacsamples of leech blood: ( 1) only hearts whose contractile ing the physiological saline with saline to which serotonin strength increased at least 5% to injections of 0.1 pmol of had been added immediately before use. To apply seroserotonin were used; (2) only hearts producing linear tonin to single ganglia or to pairs of ganglia within a increases in contractile strength to injections of saline nerve cord, small dams of Vaseline/mineral oil (95/5%, containing between 0.1 and 0.8 pmol of serotonin were w/w) were constructed so that the saline bathing the used. Solutions of the serotonin from leech blood often desired ganglion or ganglia could be changed indepenneeded to be diluted to lower the concentration to within dently of the saline bathing the rest of the nerve cord the linear range of the hearts. At least three and usually (see the schematic drawing in Fig. 3). To determine the five aliquots of each sample were tested; standard deviaminimum number of connected ganglia that would swim tions for these replicate aliquots were less than 10% of in the absence of electrical stimuli, ganglia were cut away the means. The concentration of serotonin in leech blood from whole cords until the remaining connected ganglia was calculated by dividing the total amount of serotonin no longer swam. recovered from the blood sample by the volume of the Serotonin assays. Leeches were stretched rapidly, vensample. tral side up, and pinned through their suckers. Their Experiments on intact animals. The behavioral prefbody walls were slit just anterior to the rear suckers to erences of individual leeches that had been kept in sepexpose the ventral sinus in which the nerve cord lies. arate 500-ml jars were observed for 10 to 60 min each Samples of blood (10 to 50 ~1) were collected with a day after placing them in a 5-gallon aquarium. In each Hamilton microsyringe and were diluted immediately aquarium, there were six test tubes and two jar lids on with a lo-fold excess of 0.1 M HCl to stabilize the serothe bottom and one jar lid at the air-water interface; this tonin. T


Radio observations of 33 compact extragalactic sources, obtained at 2.695 and 8.085 GHz using the Green Bank interferometer as part of a regular monitoring program during 1979-1985, are reported. The calibration and data-analysis procedures are described, and the results are presented in extensive tables and graphs. Although the light-curve variations are found to be dominated by intrinsic changes, some refractive interstellar scintillation effects and anomalous light-curve dropouts (tentatively attributed to occultation events) are also observed. An unexpected linear dependence of the rms variation at 2.695 GHz compared with that at 8.085 GHz was found, indicating that the onset and evolution of flares must be similar in different sources. 39 references.


VLF spectra radiated by the stepped leaders of lightning discharges have been obtained by a wideband technique, recording the atmospheric waveforms during active thunderstorms using an aperiodic receiver. From the detailed experimental study it is found that the VLF amplitude spectra of a series of leader pulses will be broad when the mean pause time between successive steps of leader pulses is of the same order as its own standard deviation. Further, if the standard deviation is very small compared to the mean pause time of stepping, the spectra would have a number of peaks at the repetition frequency of the stepping and its harmonics. Two types of stepped leader (α and s-type) have been distinguished in terms of their spectral shapes.


The purpose of this two-experiment study was to examine collegiate musicians' ability to discern conductor intent. In Experiment 1, participants (N = 44) viewed two videos of Sir Simon Rattle conducting an ensemble performing an excerpt of the Finale to Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2. One video featured the original performance, whereas the other video was synchronized with a different audio recording from a video of a performance led by Leonard Bernstein. When asked whether any of the two videos were mismatched, results indicated that the proportion of correct responses among our participants differed significantly from chance. In Experiment 2, participants (N = 127) watched two sets of videos, either matched (unaltered) or mismatched versions of videos featuring Sir Simon Rattle and Leonard Bernstein, and were asked to rate how well the musical intent of the conductor matched the performance of the ensemble they viewed. Although we found a nonsignificant overall result (p = .053) when comparing the matched and mismatched videos, we found a significant difference in participants' ratings between the matched and mismatched Rattle videos, but not for those featuring Bernstein. Our findings suggest that a conductor's visual contribution to the performance can enhance or detract from the observers' musical experience.


Literature review showed that sustainability is a phenomenon which had been studied in different disciplines, particularly in architecture. These studies showed that the aim of architectural sustainability is the integration between buildings and environment.


This paper is dedicated to the history of Muslim statehood in Azerbaijan in IX-XIII century. The first truly strong was the Sajid dynasty, originating from the Sogdian aristocracy. Its representatives exalted themselves as ghouls in the service of the Abbasids. Having become rulers in Azerbaijan, the Sajids tried to pursue an independent and aggressive policy towards Armenia, which did not always provoke a positive reaction from the caliph. Only at the end of the Sajid rule did their interests again coincide with those of Baghdad. The Muzafarids were another Iranian dynasty, this time the Delemite. Its representatives came from Dalem during its expansion to the northwest. They took upon themselves the blows from Russia, the Ravadids and the Seljuks. The rabadids were a dynasty of Arab origin, which soon became Kurdish. Onomasticon of the dynasty in the 10th - 11th centuries generally Iranian. The era of the greatest power of the Rawwadids was the time of the reign of Mamlan I, who pursued an aggressive policy towards Christian neighbors and the threat from which the Armenians and Georgians neutralized by the conclusion of a defensive alliance. XI century was the time of the gradual fading of the Rawwadids. The Shaddadids were of Kurdish dynasty descent and ruled in Arran. Slow growth of their power was observed in the 10th century, when they began expansion in the possession of the Muzafarids. This dynasty is characterized by close ties with the Armenians. Emirs Fadl and Abu l-Asvar carried out an attack on the Armenian territories, which the Armenians could recapture only by cooperating with the Georgians. To destroy the emirate of the Shaddadids were not able and the Romaios in the middle of the XI century. Only the Seljuks in Arran were able to eliminate the power of the Shaddadids in 1093, and they survived in Shirak until 1199. Shirvan was a state inhabited by Iranian-speaking and Caucasian populations. The Mazyadid dynasty was originally Arab in origin. Shirvan maintained close ties with the state of Lizan. In the tenth century, the Shirvanshahs extended power besides Shirvan to Derbent and Arran. In the second quarter of the XI century. Mazyadids were replaced by the Qesranid dynasty, the onomasticon of which is already Iranian. This dynasty, unlike the Sheddadids in Arran and the Rawwadids in Azerbaijan, retained power in Shirvan under the Seljuks. The Caesranids, like the Mazyadids, continued to claim power over Derbent in the XII century. Shirvan became an object of expansion from Georgia. Shirvans could only resist it with the help of the Seljuks. However, this did not exclude dynastic marriages with Georgian Bagrationi. The most prominent Qesranid was the Shirvanshah Akhsitan, who, with the help of the Georgians, repelled the invasion of the Derbent Khazars and personally repelled the invasion of the Dagestan highlanders. In alliance with Queen Tamar, the Shirvanshah opposed the Atabeks of Azerbaijan. XIII century was the time of the decline of Shirvan, when he became the object of invasion of the Mongols, Kipchaks and Khorezmians. From 1070 Azerbaijan became the possession of the Seljukids, and from 1093 Arran became such. For several decades, Azerbaijan and Arran were the property of the younger Seljukids and were part of the Iraqi Seljuk Sultanate. The design of the state of the Atabeks of Azerbaijan can be dated to the middle of the XII century. Under its first rulers, Shams ad-Din Ildengiz and Jahan-Phelevane, the influence of the Ildengizids extended from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf and from Erzurum to Khorasan. The Ildengizids were those who restrained the expansion of Georgian Bagrationi against Muslim countries and were actually omnipotent workers of the Sultans under the weak Seljukids. Qizil-Arslan has already ceased to look around at the Seljukids completely and has titled itself with a magnificent title. The end of the XII century. - beginning of the XIII century were the time of the decline of the Atabeks of Azerbaijan due to the strife between the Ildengizids and the victories of the Georgians. 20-30-ies of XIII century were the time of the fall of the Atabek state of Azerbaijan. Key words: Shirvan, Azerbaijan, Arran, Sajids, Mosaferids, Shaddadids, Rawwadids, Ildengizids, Seljukids


The mechanism of the low power laser extravascular irradiation is summarized in this paper.Aharmless way of the low power semiconductor laser extravascular irradiationisis presented. The 5000 times electron microscopy photos of bloodstain with extravascular irradiation and no extravascular irradiation and two typical cases show that irradiation could be used to prevent hyperlipidemia and cardiocerebral vascular diseases. It has definite direction sense to clinic.


Today carbon nanotubes have found various applications in structural, thermal and almost every field of engineering. Carbon nanotubes provide great strength, stiffness resilience properties. Evaluating the structural behavior of nanoscale materials is an important task. In order to understand the materialistic behavior of nanotubes, atomistic models provide a basis for continuum mechanics modelling. Although the properties of bulk materials are consistent with the size and depends mainly on the material but the properties when we are in Nano-range, continuously change with the size. Such models start from the modelling of interatomic interaction. Modelling and simulation has advantage of cost saving when compared with the experiments. So in this project our aim is to use a continuum mechanics model of carbon nanotubes from atomistic perspective and analyses some structural behaviors of nanotubes. It is generally recognized that mechanical properties of nanotubes are dependent upon their structural details. The properties of nanotubes vary with the varying with the interatomic distance, angular orientation, radius of the tube and many such parameters. Based on such models one can analyses the variation of young's modulus, strength, deformation behavior, vibration behavior and thermal behavior. In this study some of the structural behaviors of the nanotubes are analyzed with the help of continuum mechanics models. Using the properties derived from the molecular mechanics model a Finite Element Analysis of carbon nanotubes is performed and results are verified. This study provides the insight on continuum mechanics modelling of nanotubes and hence the scope to study the effect of various parameters on some structural behavior of nanotubes.


Structural prefabrication often is thought as a means for selling predefined systems, necessarily located in highly developed environments. However, the idea that it pertains to industrialized countries, endowed with adequate infrastructures, is reductive. In fact, it is no longer so. Through research and application, precast concrete has significantly advanced compared to the beginnings and has succeeded in overcoming many challenges, being adopted in the rarest and most difficult situations, too. Within absolutely unprepared milieus, it can prove convenient compared to traditional construction. It is the case of the project here presented. At Djibloho, Equatorial Guinea, a large compound was built in the middle of the rainforest, within a meander of the Rio Wele (Supporting Information Figure S1), on a site then (in 2008) distant 50 km from the nearest road. It comprises (Figure 1) a luxury hotel—with 450 rooms, suites, restaurants, spa, medical clinic, garages, and services—as well as a 1,200-seat conference hall, some 50 individual mansions, sport facilities including a 18-hole golf course. The compound represented the first construction completed in the metropolitan area of the future capital city of Oyala. The client was the State of Equatorial Guinea. On an area of 250 ha, the total built surface is 172,000 m, with 780,000 m built volume (Supporting Information Figure S2). The design accounted for the market condition at the moment: due to high cost of structural steel and of transport, concrete was selected as the main structural material, whereas the requested delivery time, together with the project size led to industrializing the process, that is, to precast the structures; the long-distance transport problems led to make it on the spot. Temperatures were not extreme but the heavy rainfall (3,500 mm/year) made opt to limit outdoor operations. Thus, amid the virgin forest, a prefabrication plant was installed, self-prefabricated, that is, producing first its own body, which may have been the most innovative issue of the project. The structural design referred to the Eurocodes, including EC8, given a low seismicity of the region. The hotel is composed by five blocks: a central core 42 × 50 m, 33 m high—hosting the full-height lobby and offices plus an underground disco—and four branches 85–110 m long, 24 m wide, with 5–8 storeys—hosting rooms, shops, restaurants, spa, a medical center and more, including garages in the whole underground. The construction progress was planned and monitored also with help of isometric modeling (Supporting Information Figure S3).


From Wednesday, October 1, 2008 through Saturday, October 4, 2008, the 16th Congress of the International Society for Rotary Blood Pumps (ISRBP) was held in Houston, TX, USA with Dr. George Noon as the President and Dr. Jim Long as the Congress President. On the evening of October 1, Dr. Noon invited all the attendants to the presidential reception in celebration of the centennial birthday in honor of the late Dr. DeBakey, who had passed away 2 months prior. During the ISRBP program, the special opening symposium entitled "Tribute to Dr. DeBakey and His Spirit of Pioneering" took place. Five panelists participated in this symposium: Dr. George Noon presented on the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) perspective, Dr. Bud Frazier on the Texas Heart Institute perspective, Dr. John Watson on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) perspective, Dr. Don Olsen on perspectives from blood pump scientists and developers, together with this author on perspectives from the international community. In this editorial, only international experiences with Dr. DeBakey and his relationships with those outside of the USA are described. Particularly, his success in establishing the Texas Medical Center (TMC) as one of the largest medical centers in the world was mainly due to his relationship with those outside of the USA. Here, I try to describe the relationships between the international community and Dr. DeBakey's life, except the national US–USSR artificial heart program at NIH.


Retroperitoneal tumor is a rare disease entity, generally representing tumors arising from soft tissue in the retroperitoneal space. Approximately 70–80% of primary retroperitoneal tumors are malignant; most of these are soft tissue sarcomas (STSs). Nevertheless, retroperitoneal STS (retroperitoneal sarcoma [RPS]) only accounts for 0.1–0.2% of all malignancies. RPS can present with diverse histological manifestations and thus various clinical behaviors. The current World Health Organization classification defines at least 80 potentially malignant histological types/subtypes of soft tissue tumors. With such a low incidence and many variations, it is challenging for physicians to design optimal management for an individual patient with RPS. In this review, Sassa summarized the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of retroperitoneal tumors, which will provide us with the guidance we need in clinical practice. The distribution of histological types of sarcoma significantly differs according to the primary sites. As highlighted in the present manuscript, liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma constitute the vast majority of RPS (50–60% and 15–25%, respectively), whereas the remaining minority includes undifferentiated sarcomas. As for the diagnosis of RPS, the present review also focused on the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM classification, which was updated to the 8th edition in 2017. Given the different prognosis and treatment strategy depending on the primary sites, the updated American Joint Committee on Cancer classification offers the separate staging schemes for STSs arising in different anatomical locations. Importantly, the predominant factor affecting patient survival is histological grade, which serves as a key determinant of stages in the American Joint Committee on Cancer classification, whereas the prognostic impact of T stage defined by tumor size is limited for RPS. Previous studies also showed that histological subtypes might contribute to further improvement of risk stratification when incorporated in the staging system, suggesting that accurate histopathological assessment is substantially important in the management of RPS. As surgical resection with an appropriate margin is the standard care for patients with RPS, multimodal strategy has also been explored to improve treatment outcomes. Previous prospective trials showed that radiation therapy followed by complete resection yielded favorable survival outcomes in patients with intermediate-/high-grade RPS, suggesting a possible advantage of preoperative radiation therapy by reducing the risk of tumor seeding during surgery. In contrast, given the conflicting data regarding its survival benefit, the current guidelines discourage postoperative radiation therapy for RPS, with the exception of highly selected candidates. Treatment options for unrespectable/metastatic disease still remain limited. The use of immune checkpoint inhibition has gained considerable interest for many types of malignancy; RPS is not an exception to this trend. The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network recently reported the immune-microenvironment signature of STSs, showing different expression patterns of immune-microenvironment markers according to histological subtypes. Clinical trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors for RPS are ongoing, which would open the door to the future for patients with advanced RPS.


It has previously been asserted that classical detonation curvature theory predicts that the critical diameter and the diameter-effect curve of a cylindrical high-explosive charge should scale with twice the thickness of an analogous two-dimensional explosive slab. The varied agreement of experimental results with this expectation have led some to question the ability of curvature-based concepts to predict detonation propagation in non-ideal explosives. This study addresses such claims by showing that the expected scaling relationship (hereafter referred to d = 2w) is not consistent with curvature-based Detonation Shock Dynamics (DSD) theory.


But the dynamic has not traditionally held up in the realm of foreign policy, where voters and organized groups have shown less interest in what happens. The Vietnam War led to a greater scrutiny of president foreign policy initiatives. And the Sept. 11 attacks have made the counterbalance provided by Congress even more important, as the Bush administration pursued a policy of pre-emption, unilateralism, and an invasion of Iraq.


This paper presents regular method for improving the quality indices of 2D code control systems with respect to minimizing of redundancy and complicity of the systems based on the "perfect" combinatorial configurations prospected from 2D torus cyclic groups, namely the concept of 2D Ideal Ring Bundles (IRBs).


The U-Zr-C ternary-phase diagram is optimized using melting point and vapor pressure data recently measured at Los Alamos National Laboratory and by graphical and numerical curve fitting of self-consistent thermodynamic and phase diagram data reported in the literature. The system is described from 2473 K to 3693 K using isothermal ternary phase diagrams. The solidus and liquidus curves of the U{sub x}Zr{sub 1-x}C{sub y} solid solution were estimated from combined thermodynamic and adjusted phase diagram data. From the solidus and liquidus curves for the solid solution, the reversible heat transferred from the solid to the liquid phase for UC and ZrC were calculated to be 150 and 324 kJ/mol, respectively; and the maximum in the excess free energy for mixing was determined to be on the order of 1100 J/mol at 56% ZrC.


incubation of yeast in we of a glycogen the of other of on storage of of at concentrations in and of added


The Pneumatic System is a power transfer system utilizing compressed air as an intermediate medium. In conventional operation it is operated fully pneumatically or in combination with electricity (electropneumatic). In recent years it can be combined and controlled with a programmable logic controller (PLC). The operation of the pneumatic system with the PLC control system is carried out by desaign a program with a program language, one of which is the Ladder Diagram accompanied by I/O addressing, then the  result design program must be transferred to the PLC as the controller of the pneumatic system in this case the controller. robot hand.
This study aims to obtain a pneumatic robot hand circuit and a series of ladder diagram programs to control the PLC system in the robot's hand. The results of this research can be used as a reference in designing a pneumatic system with PLC control in the future.


The authors present a compact and simple formulation of zero- and first-order conserved currents for the electromagnetic field and give the number of independent n-order currents.


On the basis of the inherent law, the study of Confucian classics is divided into five stages, that is: the initial stage of the study of Confucian classics; the golden age of the classical learning based on official script; the stage which the opposition of the classical learning based on earlier and the one based on official script became apparent, and the divination rose and to its prime; the stage which the classical learning based on earlier heightened while the one based on official script turned to declining, and the two began to blend from opposing; the stage which the study of Confucian classics was summarized and epitomized.


MapReduce is an emerging program model in large-scale parallel applications while virtual machine environments are basic computing units in cloud computing. With advantages of these two rising technologies, we can build up a convenient parallel programming environment and make effective use of system resources in cloud computing. In this paper, we describe the effects of different virtualization technologies which one of MapReduce running environments, Hadoop, works in. Then we compared the Hadoop Distributed File System performance running in three types of virtual machines, analyze the resource utility of MapReduce using virtual machines monitor tools which detect the status of task trackers and test MapReduce performance in the cases of different numbers of virtual machines with the same total memories. Experiment results show that Xen performs better than other virtual machines both on performance and stability. And the tools of virtual machine monitor report information of MapReduce different stages and resources utility can greatly help us design a adaptive scheduling. Moreover, better performance can be achieved with more virtual machines under the adequate memory of every virtual machines.


Correspondence Enide Maegherman, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Email: enide.maegherman@ maastrichtuniversity.nl Summary The analysis of competing hypotheses (ACH) has been suggested to be a method that can protect against confirmation bias in the context of intelligence analysis. In the current study, we aimed to determine whether ACH could counter confirmation bias in the reasoning with evidence in the context of criminal law proceedings. Law students (N = 191) received information about the ACH method or general information about biases. They were given a case vignette with a main suspect and a list of 24 questions, 6 of which they could ask about the case. Half of the questions related to incriminating information, whereas the other half related to exonerating information. Contrary to our expectations, participants in both conditions favoured questions relating to exonerating information and rated the exonerating evidence as being more important for their decision. Despite the lack of bias observed, it seems participants failed to properly apply the ACH method.


Summary form only given. Purely nonlinear photonic crystals (NPCs) [1], fabricated by 2D periodic poling of ferroelectric materials, offer novel degrees of freedom to engineer the response of single step and cascaded frequency up-converters [2-3]. Recently, we demonstrated a novel configuration for frequency down-conversion in hexagonally poled LiTa03 (hexLT) [4], whereby two lattice resonances are coherently coupled to yield twin-beam optical parametric generation (OPG) with a shared signal or idler, significantly enhancing the OPG spectral and angular responses [5]. In this paper we show how the twin-beam OPG output in turn initiates multiple up-conversion processes (mediated by higher-order RLVs of the lattice) resulting in further enrichment of the spectral and angular range of cascaded up-conversions processes in the visible.Figure 1 illustrates experimental results obtained with a 1 cm-long 4 mm-wide hexLT crystal of period Λ = 22.8μm, pumped at an angle of 0.7° with 806 nm (10-100μJ) 1.7ps-pulses as in Ref. 4. The input beam was focused to 0.1 mm vertical and 0.8 mm horizontal radii for efficient excitation of the 2D lattice. To achieve spectral and angular resolution, the crystal output was collected in the Fourier plane by a fibrecoupled optical spectrum analyser, translated laterally to map the output angles. Figure 1a shows the (visible) crystal output in the far field resulting from up-conversion processes mediated by multiple RLVs, yielding an almost periodic in-plane distribution of red, green and blue lines (sum frequency generation (SFG) of two wavelengths and second harmonics generation (SHG), respectively). In Fig. 1b we provide a spectral and angular map of the measured OPG signals, pump and sum frequency (SF) outputs for this working point. Fig. 1c shows a high-resolution measurement taken under similar conditions of the SF output.Through experiments in hexLT crystals pumped around 800 nm, we investigate the degrees of freedom of cascaded processes sustained by twin-beam OPG in 2D lattices. The results confirm the flexibility of NPCs also in cascading downand upconversion processes and their appeal for the engineering of novel parametric light sources with enhanced responses in the spectral and spatial domains.


THIS PAPER WILL PROVIDE A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIR CUSHION LANDING SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE PRESENT U.S.AIR FORCE/CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY, TRADE, AND COMMERCE ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TO EQUIP A DEHAVILLAND CC-115 BUFFALO AIRPLANE WITH AN AIR CUSHION LANDING SYSTEM. THE OPERATION, BRAKING, AND PARKING OF THE AIR CUSHION LANDING SYSTEM WILL BE EXPLAINED. THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS TYPE OF LANDING SYSTEM OVER CONVENTIONAL WHEELED LANDING GEAR WILL BE EXAMINED IN RELATION TO CIVIL AIRCRAFT APPLICATIONS SUCH AS HIGH DENSITY, LOW DENSITY SHORT HAUL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, AND STOL OPERATIONS. THE EFFECT OF ACLS ON AIRPORT DESIGN, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, AND POTENTIAL WEIGHT SAVING WILL BE DISCUSSED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACLS IS AN AERONAUTICAL TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL RESULT IN A BENEFIT TO CIVIL AIRCRAFT TRANSPORTATION. /IAA/AUTHOR/


An image-taking apparatus is disclosed which is capable of adjusting a positional displacement of an image-taking optical system and an image-pickup element even in a state in which they are fixed. The image-taking apparatus includes the image-taking optical system including an offset lens unit movable in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis, the image-pickup element and a memory which stores adjustment data. The adjustment data is data on a movement amount of the offset lens unit to make light amounts in peripheral parts on the image-pickup element substantially homogeneous in a case where an object has a surface with approximately homogeneous luminance.


Airway parasympathetic neurons express ICAM‐1 and eotaxin which are required for eosinophil recruitment to the nerves. Major basic protein released by eosinophils blocks inhibitory neuronal M2 muscarinic receptors, increasing acetylcholine release and potentiating reflex bronchoconstriction. TNF‐α induces eotaxin and ICAM‐1 in parasympathetic neurons. Here we test whether albuterol, which is used to treat asthma, changes TNF‐α induced eotaxin and ICAM‐1 expression. Airway parasympathetic neurons were isolated from human trachea and grown in serum‐free medium for 1 week. Cells were incubated with 1uM of either R‐albuterol (the active isomer), S‐albuterol (the inactive isomer) or RS‐albuterol for 90 minutes before addition of 2ng/ml TNF‐α for another 4 hours. In the absence of TNF‐α baseline eotaxin and ICAM‐1 expression was not changed by any isomer of albuterol as measured by real time RT‐PCR. TNF‐α induced ICAM‐1 expression was inhibited by R‐albuterol but not by S or R,S‐albuterol. TNF‐α induced eotaxin expression was not inhibited by any isomer of albuterol. The suppressive effect of R‐albuterol on neural ICAM‐1 expression may decrease eosinophil recruitment to the airway nerves, thereby decreasing reflex bronchoconstriction.


A preliminary study on predicting chance of success on an epiretinal membrane surgery is studied. Given an optical coherence tomography image, the study shows that the multilayer perceptron neural network can achieve 91.0% accuracy. Due to an unbalance of the images of success and failure classes, under-sampling and over-sampling are applied. For oversampling, the images in the failure class are duplicated to balance the number of images compared to the success class. Utilizing the balance dataset, the prediction performance is improved from 91.0% to 93.0% for over-sampling. With the exploitation of, the salient region for training the model and predicting the outcome. The salient region is manually segmented to express the fovea in the OCT. The experimental results evidence an improvement of 1.0% with achievement of 94.0% accuracy.


This chapter analyzes how master narratives of sinister foreign plans behind international wars have developed transnationally in Latin America. It reconstructs two cases of transnational diffusion of conspiracy theories, contrasting them with a case in which other master narratives prevailed. In the War of the Triple Alliance (1864–70) and the Chaco War (1932–35), conspiratorial interpretations of foreign designs gained momentum, reinforcing the image of victimization by external enemies. Such narratives downplayed the role of local political forces, as documented by historical research. Contrastingly, in the aftermath of the Pacific War (1879–83), conspiracy theories did not become the master narratives. The chapter discusses this variance in the transnational diffusion of conspiracy theories over Latin American wars.


In order to find any distinctive marker among three mycobacteriophages, A6, B1 and C3, which have different host ranges, respectively, the properties of thermostabilities, ultraviolet- and pH stabilities of these phages were examined and the results obtained were summarized as follows:1. A6 phage was the most thermolabile of three phages studied. B1 and C3 phages were thermostable as compared with A6 phage. At high temperature, B1 phage was more stable than others.2. B1 phage was easily and promptly inactivated and A6 phase was gently and gradually inactivated by ultraviolet irradiation.3. In general, three phages were stable in alkali, and labile in acid, but in alkali solution, C3 was relatively stable, and in acid solution, A6 was stable, respectively, among the phages.


To obtain a high level of quality when coding a TV color video signal with a high compression rate, the spatial subband decomposition and the differential coding with motion compensation and psychovisual quantization have been previously successfully used for coding a color television sequence at a rate of 10 Mbit/s. However these techniques are not sufficiently efficient to achieve the objective of a rate of 5 Mbit/s without any significant reduction of the spatial resolution and of the quantification quality. We present a subband coding method which allows the user to simultaneously maintain the full spatial resolution and the quantization quality. This method is based on a frame skipping algorithm; it primarily uses motion compensation techniques for the interpolation of non coded frames and the prediction of coded frames and secondarily a spatial subband decomposition of the prediction error before a coding step which uses a set of visually optimized scalar quantizers -- the quantization in the spatial frequency domain is adapted to the visual perception by incorporating some important aspects of the human visual system (frequency dependence and masking).


I found this difficult to read. Much of the book takes the form of an academic essay, sprinkled with references with distracting regularity. Some of the text reads as if statements have been lifted directly from the reference without any evidence of analysis.


...................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................iv DEDICATION ................................................................................................v TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................vi LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................xi LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS ....................................................xviii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................1 1.1 Overview ..................................................................................................1 1.2 Objectives .................................................................................................3 1.3 Thesis organization ......................................................................................3 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................4 2.1 Composites Materials ....................................................................................4 2.2 Classification of Composite Materials Based on the Matrix .......................................4 2.2.1 Metal Matrix Composites .......................................................................5 2.2.2 Ceramics Matrix Composites ..................................................................5 2.2.3 Polymer Matrix Composites ....................................................................6 2.3 Type of Reinforcements for Composite Materials ...................................................6 2.3.1 Particles ...........................................................................................6 2.3.2 Whiskers ...........................................................................................7 2.3.3 Fibers ..............................................................................................7 184.108.40.206 Synthetic Fibers .........................................................................7 220.127.116.11 Natural Fibers ...........................................................................7 2.4 Chemical Composition of Natural Fibers ............................................................8 2.5 Characterization of Natural Fibers ...................................................................10


The researches for this paper were made on the spri nkle machine MST 900, which is used for plant treatments in orchards and vineyards , with distance between rows of 2,5 ‐ 3,5 m on lands with pant of max 6 deg ree. This machine is actioned from the power prize of tractor V 445 or U 650. This particular sprinkle machine is formed of a fra me with 2 wheels, the traction base and support leg, ventilator, pump, ta nk, sprinkle devices, transmission. The sprinkle devices for vineyard are equipped wit h 5 heads of spreading, with adjusting position.. The MST 900 sprinkle machine works with combined spreading, mechanical and pneumatic. The solution transport from the tank to the heads of sprinkle is made hydraulic on low pressure at 2 atm, given by the ma chine pump. The researches made reffered to the position of de bit adjustment, the work speed, the distance between rows and the consumption of liquid. These parameters are presented in table 1. Tabel nr. 1


: The goal of the paper is the introduction and exploration of new types of information processing. Starting with the typology developed in such an important class of information processing as computation, we extend this typology by analyzing information representations used in computational processes and delineating novel forms of information representations. While the traditional approach deals only with two dimensions of information processing—symbolic and sub-symbolic, our analysis explicated one more dimension—super-symbolic information processing. Information processing in biological systems is both symbolic and sub-symbolic, having the form of genes and neural networks. Nevertheless, in their evolution, biological systems have advanced their abilities one step further by developing super-symbolic information processing and evolving symbiotic information processing that performs information processing on the combined knowledge in the brain from both symbolic, subsymbolic, and super-symbolic information processing to derive higher order autopoietic and cognitive behaviors. Performing all forms of information processing, biological systems achieve much higher cognitive and intelligence level. That is why here we also consider a new type of computing automata called structural machines with the goal of transferring these advantageous features of biological systems to the existing information processing technology.


Anonymous and traceable copyright protection protocol based on mobile devices was put forward in this paper.Firstly,others can not track the user by using the changing identity to replace user's true identity in the protocol.The anonymous nature exists in the protocol.Secondly,the protocol uses the method that one password only applies one fingerprint watermark so that the protocol resists the fake attack.Thirdly,while using one-way hash function to verify the identity of participators and the digital content,the protocol transfers the calculating works to the trusted center RA with enough computing ability from mobile users.The two behaviors reduce the mobile's calculating works,and improve efficiency.In addition,the copyright watermark and fingerprint watermark embedded in the digital product are used to trace the traitor when finding one or more illegal copies of the digital product.So the protocol has the ability of traitor tracing.The analysis indicates that the protocol is secure and practical.


Nanotechnology is modern science that would play an important role in improving agricultural production through the production of nano fertilizers, which have unique features that can have an effective effect on that. Within the framework of this, the experiment was conducted with plastic pots of (5 kg) capacity in the greenhouse belonging to the college of Agriculture, Al-Qasim Green University on 1/10/2017, and the treatments included control (spraying with water only), the ground addition of nano fertilizer of 2 g.L. Foliar spraying of nano fertilizer 2 g.L, and the above treatments were applied in three plant species, which are tomato, eggplant and pepper. tomato seeds hummer cultivar of French origin, and eggplant, Barcelona cultivar of Spanish origin, and pepper, charisma cultivar of French origin were cultivated in cork dishes. The results were as follows: The effect of Nanos fertilizer was significant in most of the traits of all plant species. The foliar addition of tomato, eggplant and pepper significantly excelled in the traits of plant height, and the stem diameter for tomato and pepper. While there were no significant differences in the leaf area, the number of branches, the dry matter, the number of leaves, and the number of flowers for tomato and eggplant. Foliar fertilizer did not affect the leaf area of tomato and pepper plants.


AC servo system constituted by the permanent magnet synchronous motor(PMSM) has a wide range of applications with the development of power electronics technology and modern control theory.However,in some industrial site the motor parameters can not be measured offline,so the parameters of the conventional PI regulator control will not be able to be designed easily.In addition,with the temperature increasing,inductance and resistance of PMSM will change.So the traditional PI regulator won't reach the desired control effect as the PI parameters fixed.A selftuning PI regulator is built which can update the PI regulator parameters constantly with the motor parameters changed based on the least squares method and the online parameter identification.The correctness and good adaptive capacity with the regulator changed is proved by simulation and experiment.


The use of SAR data for flood mapping is well established. However, the problem of the missed detection of rapidly evolving floods remains. Recently, the Italian Space Agency deployed the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation (CSG) constellation, with an on-demand capability that makes it possible to reduce the number of missed floods. However, for on-demand SAR acquisitions, pre-flood images are generally not available, and change-detection methods, commonly adopted for flood mapping using SAR, cannot be applied. This study focused on the high-resolution CSG images of a flood that occurred in central Italy. An accurate analysis of the radar responses of the different targets included in the scenes observed by GSG was performed. Then, a methodology to detect floods using high-resolution single SAR images was developed. The methodology was based on image segmentation and fuzzy logic. Image segmentation allowed us to analyze homogeneous areas in the CSG images. Fuzzy logic was used to integrate the SAR data with ancillary information that was useful when change-detection methods could not be applied. A comparison with the maps produced by the Copernicus Emergency Service, using high-resolution optical images, demonstrated the reliability of the methodology.


Background: Multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa nosocomial infections are increasingly recognized worldwide. In this study, we focused on the virulence of multi-drug resistant clinical strains P. aeruginosa against the intestinal epithelial barrier, since P. aeruginosa can cause lethal sepsis from within the intestinal tract of critically ill and immuno-compromised patients via mechanisms involving disruption of epithelial barrier function.


someone takes the trouble to ensure the terminological exactitude of the semantics of the art. However, perhaps we could take this opportunity to add our perceptions to the semantics debate, if only to provoke vigorous discussion. Even when a ventilator can function as a true closed system, in clinical practice it must, for reasons of safety, bc provided with a blow-off valve to discharge any excess gas in the breathing system and reservoir bag, and with an entrainment valve to protect against insufficient respiratory gas in the system. Theoretically, only a supply of oxygen and anaesthetic gases equal to the consumption by the patient should be adequate but, clinically, this is a difficult proposition since such oxygen and anaesthetic gas consumption varics all the timc during a surgical procedure. Therefore. such practice is potentially unsafe for the patient, for all but the shortest procedures, without a relatively expensive continuous gas monitoring system. Vaporizers may not function accurately at such low flow rates and, for example, the flow rate of nitrous oxide may become very critical. Considering all the circumstances and expense. there seems to be very little benefit in the use of oxygen and anaesthetic gases at a basal flow rate sufficient just to meet patient demand without any blow off of gases from the system. Further, even with a closed system, at the beginning of anaesthesia high flow rates of fresh gases are required to cater for nitrogen washout and to charge the system during the initial rapid phases of the various exponential events which are involved. This requires a discharge of anaesthetic gases from the 'closed' system. Therefore, one wonders whether the rigorous application of the term 'closed system' does not, in practice, prevent this term ever being applicable during clinical practice.


In recently, many illuminance applications use LEDs to replace the traditional light source because they have many advantages, such as longer life time, lower power consumption, smaller size, and safer. Because the optical characteristics of LEDs and traditional sources are different, we need to do secondary optical design for LED applications, such as headlamp, street lamp, and MR16 lamp. For the better optical characteristic, the optical elements of the applications often include aspherical surface. However, it would generate higher cost and lower yield. In this paper, we design a TIR lens for MR16-Compatible LED Lamp without any aspherical surface. Base on the purpose of MR16, the design conditions are high directivity for higher illumination and flat top surface to simulate the traditional MR16. In this design, the TIR surface controls the edge intensity of LED and the central curve surface controls the center intensity of LED. According to the optical simulation, the view angle of the MR16-Compatible LED Lamp is ±9.3° and the central illumination is 559 Lux in which the total flux of LED is 83 lm. Finally, we manufacture and measurement the designed TIR lens. The view angle of the manufactured MR16 is about ±7.0° and the central illumination is 581 Lux in which the total flux is 52 lm.


Species may comprise a polyolefin, a styrenic polymer or polylactic acid composition. The composition may comprise a metal salt of acrylic acid. Species preparing a composition, said method comprising a polyolefin, a styrenic polymer or melt blending polylactic acid with a metal salt of acrylic acid.


In this paper, the signal of an unconventional partial discharge (PD) sensor is analysed on characteristic parameters both in time domain and frequency domain. This is done to find correlations to the standardised apparent charge qa according to IEC 60270 and therefore make the used unconventional PD measurement system comparable to the conventional system. The benefit of the unconventional PD sensor is that it can be used even with pulsed voltage waveforms containing high switching noise due to high dV/dt. Therefore, a calibration of this system would enable a fair comparison to conventional sine wave test stands. The measurements for this investigation are mainly performed in a conventional sine wave test stand, where both PD measurement systems are mounted to compare their signals. As unconventional PD sensor a self-built PD Rogowski sensor with a high bandwidth is used. The characteristic parameters considered and analysed in the time domain are mainly the PD waveform, its time integral, the maximum and average peak amplitude of single PD events, the here introduced "average PD event" as well as the absolute PD quantity. In the frequency domain it is analysed if there are characteristic frequency bands, where the signal intensity correlates with the apparent charge. The derived findings are then examined further using only the unconventional sensor in a test stand for pulsed voltage waveforms.


To the Editor, Leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) is a rare primary immunodeficiency disease characterized by impairment of phagocyte adhesion (1–3). Three subtypes have been classified by distinct phases of the adhesion cascade. LAD-III is caused by defects in signaling pathways used for integrin activation in all hematopoietic cell types leading to recurrent infections with poor platelet aggregation resembling Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (4). Mutations in FERMT3 have been identified to underlie LAD-III (4, 5). FERMT3 encodes kindlin-3, one of the focal adhesion proteins which contain a FERM domain located at the carboxyl terminus binding to b-integrin cytoplasmic tails. This molecule cooperates with the cytoskeletal protein talin leading to integrin activation. It also stabilizes active conformations of the integrin subunits and the ligand binding (5, 6). Evidently, integrins are widely expressed in many cell types including T and B lymphocytes. Defects in integrin function therefore could lead to both innate and adaptive immune dysfunctions. However, almost all reported cases of LAD-III only had innate immune defects. Here, we describe a female Thai patient who was diagnosed with LAD-III, yet presenting with a mild atypical phenotype in which a humoral immune defect was detected. Our patient was the second child of consanguineous parents who were first cousins. The pedigree of the family is shown in Fig. 1a. She presented with early-onset severe gram-negative infections, thrombasthenia, hepatosplenomegaly, and defective wound healing. Between three and 8 months old, she experienced four episodes of bacterial pneumonia with sepsis. Firstly, she had severe pneumonia and subsequently developed acute respiratory distress syndrome. Cultures of tracheal suction specimens revealed Acinetobacter baumannii. Salmonella spp. was also reported from stool samples when she was found to have diarrhea. In the second episode of pneumonia, A. baumannii was reported again from specimens obtained by tracheal suctioning. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from ear discharge. Thirdly, the patient had pneumonia with septic shock. Tracheal suction cultures revealed Streptococcus mitis and Escherichia coli. Finally, necrotizing pneumonia was reported. The patient's blood culture was positive for P. aeruginosa. She had the ability to form pus, although minimal, and umbilical cord separation occurred at the age of 9 days. After prolonged courses of antibiotics, the patient had developed mucocutaneous candidiasis. She did not suffer from invasive fungal infections, as described in other patients with LAD-III (3, 7). Her bleeding symptoms were mild and appeared only during episodes of infections, while spontaneous intracranial bleeding and/or massive pulmonary hemorrhage have been reported in patients with typical LAD-III (3, 7). Initial investigations and immunologic assessment at the age of 5 months revealed persistent leukocytosis with neutrophilia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. A complete blood count showed a hematocrit of 28% (29–42), white blood cell count of 45,430 cells/mm (6000–17,500), neutrophils of 25,440 cells/ mm (4000–12,000), lymphocytes of 10,903 cells/mm (2000– 17,000), and platelets of 109,000 cells/mm (300,000–700,000). Flow cytometric analysis of lymphocyte populations demonstrated normal numbers of total T cells (CD3+), CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells (CD19+), and NK cells (CD16+56+).


Numerical calculation of efficiency and calibration factors for CR39 detectors, in the detection of alpha particle emitted by radon gas and its progenies. A software was employed for the latest version of the Monte Carlo code together with SRIM2013. The results showed that, the initial energy influence is one of the important parameters for the alpha detectors. Three methods have been used to calculate the calibration factor for CR-39 detector, and it is found that, they are consistent. The optimum radius of the cylindrical can is 3.5 cm for 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm CR39 detector. It was found that the calibration factors calculated by mean critical angle and Monte-Carlo methods are very closed, for both radon and thoron.


We report ASCA Solid State Imaging Spectrometer (SIS) X-ray observations of the O stars delta Ori and lambda Ori. The energy resolution of the SIS allows us to resolve features in the O star X-ray spectra which are not apparent in spectra obtained by X-ray spectrometers with lower energy resolution. SIS spectra from both stars show evidence of line emission, suggesting the thermal nature of the X-ray source. However, the observed line strengths are different for the two stars. The observed stellar X-ray spectra are not well described by isothermal models although absorbed thermal emission models with two or more temperatures can provide an adequate fit to the data. For both stars we present evidence of absorbing columns significantly larger than the known Interstellar Medium (ISM) columns, indicative of absorption by a circumstellar medium, presumably the stellar winds. In addition, the lambda Ori spectrum shows the presence of emission at energies greater than 3 keV which is not seen in the delta Ori spectrum.


From 2013 April to 2014 April, we performed X-ray and optical simultaneous monitoring of the type 1.5 Seyfert galaxy NGC 3516. We employed Suzaku and five Japanese ground-based telescopes—the Pirka, Kiso Schmidt, Nayuta, MITSuME, and the Kanata telescopes. The Suzaku observations were conducted seven times with various intervals ranging from days or weeks to months, with an exposure of ∼50 ks each. The optical B-band observations not only covered those of Suzaku almost simultaneously, but also followed the source as frequently as possible. As a result, NGC 3516 was found in its faint phase with a 2–10 keV flux of 0.21–2.70 × 10−11 erg s−1 cm−2. The 2–45 keV X-ray spectra were composed of a dominant variable hard power-law (PL) continuum with a photon index of ∼1.7 and a non-relativistic reflection component with a prominent Fe–Kα emission line. Producing the B-band light curve by differential image photometry, we found that the B-band flux changed by ∼2.7 × 10−11 erg s−1 cm−2, which is comparable to the X-ray variation, and we detected a significant flux correlation between the hard PL component in X-rays and the B-band radiation, for the first time in NGC 3516. By examining their correlation, we found that the X-ray flux preceded that in the B band by days (1σ error). Although this result supports the X-ray reprocessing model, the derived lag is too large to be explained by the standard view, which assumes a "lamppost"-type X-ray illuminator located near a standard accretion disk. Our results are better explained by assuming a hot accretion flow and a truncated disk.


There has been an extended engagement with how young people experience policing, with a focus on the intersection between policing and indigeneity, ethnicity, gender, and social class. Interestingly, sexuality and/or gender diversity has been almost completely overlooked, both nationally and internationally. This paper reports on LGBT youth service providers' accounts about police and LGBT young people interactions. It overviews the outcomes of semi-structured interviews with key LGBT youth service providers in different regions of Brisbane, Queensland. As the first qualitative engagement with these issues from the perspective of service providers, it highlights not only how LGBT young people experience policing, but also how service providers need to 'work the system' of policing to produce the best outcomes for LGBT young people.


There are several alternative methods given for the resolution into partial fractions. The forcing method of division involves only the simplest algebra, and might almost be taught in the nursery. A very useful discussion is given of compound-interest growth {Dy oc x), which is of frequent occurrence and great importance. One can well imagine the delirious enjoyment with which a senior wrangler would evaluate such a formula as J^lOOe'' (p. 67). Most probably he would mentally consign the tea to a place where the temperature needs no formula ! The graphic solution of equations is interesting and well done. I t would have been better to have given an example of a cubic in the text where no analytical work is possible, as students will not fly to graphic solutions when the treatment of a quadratic by algebra is so easy and familiar. The proof from Cremona •(pp. 91-4), to which the author drew attention at the M.A. meeting in January last (attributed by Mr. E. M. Langley to Thomas Carlyle), deserves to be well known and studied. Simple integrals (just so far as they are the inverse of differentials) are given throughout the book, the notation for which is D~y, D~hj, D~y in contradistinction to Dy, Dy, IPy. In determining the form of a curve near the origin a graphic method is given on pp. 204-5, which decides what terms of the equation between x and y may and may not be neglected. This seems very ingenious and effective. The proof for p=rdrjdp on p. 254 involves certain assumptions connected with the substitution of the circle of curvature for the curve itself which often require a great deal of mental digestion. Possibly to some minds the following method is more satisfactory: Differentiate with respect to s the relation p=rsia((j>6), and we have


This study sought to determine what influences first year special education teachers to stay or leave their first full-time position through the prospectiveof the Theory of Work Adjustment.The study employed a quantitative, nonexperimental longitudinal design involving both intern and credentialed education specialists in their first year as a full-time special eduction teacher. Data were obtained through a self-administered online web-based survey using Survey Monkey, which was a modification of the Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE) instrument.Spearman correlation from the analysis was used for the ordinal response data from the seven first-year special education teachers. Results indicated that early perceptions have a strong influence on the inclination to stay in or leave their first position.


This study examines automatic prediction of the words that will be unintelligible if they are spoken by Japanese speakers of English. In our previous study (1), 800 English utterances spoken by Japanese speakers, which contained 6,063 words, were presented to 173 American listeners and correct perception rate was obtained for each spoken word. By using the results, in this study, we define the words that are very unintelligible through Japanese accented English pronunciation and also define the words that are rather unintelligible. Then, by using Classification And Regression Tree (CART) with linguistic features and lexical features only, we examine automatic detection of these words. After that, we introduce an additional feature derived by considering phonological and phonotactic differences between Japanese and English, and another feature derived by calculating the phonetic pronunciation distance observed from manually/annotated IPA transcriptions of Japanese English and American English. This additional features are found to be very effective and our proposed method can detect very unintelligible words and rather unintelligible words automatically with F1/scores of 69.56 and 78.36 (%), respectively, if phonetic transcriptions are given. Keyword Speech Intelligibility ,Second Language Learning ,Foreign Accent ,ERJ Database, CART, IPA


A study on soil nutrient status at Zhayun,Qiongzhong County of Hainan Province was conducted and 276 soil samples were collected to determine pH,organic matter,nitrogen,phosphorus,potassium,calcium,magnesium,zinc and boron contents in November,2007.The results showed that:(1)Of the 276 collected soil samples,235 ranged from 4.6 to 5.5 and 21 from 5.5 to 6.5,apparently,the soils had strong acidity;(2)Soil organic matter ranged from 0.25 to 34.0 g/kg with a mean of 17.0 g/kg,which was ranked in the middle level;(3)Soil total nitrogen ranged from 0.33 to 2.07 g/kg and available nitorgen ranged from 60~150 mg/kg;(4)Soil phosphorus contents,whatever in total form or available form were extremely low ranged from 0.171 to 0.384 g/kg with a mean of 0.231 g/kg and from 0.3 to 54.2 mg/kg with a mean of 4.4 mg/kg for total P and available P,respectively;(5)Both total potassium and available potassium were extremely deficient ranged from 0.58 to 19.08 g/kg with a mean of 4.42 g/kg and from 13.9 to 362.5 mg/kg with a mean of 65.5 mg/kg for total K and available K,respectively;(6)Soil exchangeable calcium were relatively high with a mean of 740.4 mg/kg while soil exchangeable magnesium were low with a mean of 68.4 mg/kg;(7)As micronutrients,available zinc in the soil was high with a mean of 1.85 mg/kg and soil boron was extremely low with a mean value of 0.128 mg/kg.


A key component of auralization in product sound design is the subdivision of the problem into the emission from primary sources and sound & vibration transmission and radiation. This contribution focuses on general aspects of the source and transfer path coupling and the consequences for simulation and auralization models. Experimental and theoretical approaches are discussed which allow the impedance match of sources and transmission systems studied and used for auralization models. The problem is discussed on examples from building acoustics and product sound design.


This letter is a response to the article by W. Quin, M. Dekermenjian, and R.J. Martin (QDM), entitled "Prediction of Particulate Loading in Exhaust from Fabric Filter Baghouses with One or More Failed Bags" (J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc. 2006, 56, 1177-1183). I need to provide some background before proceeding to the comments on the QDM paper. In the late 1970s, it became apparent that: 1. fabric filter baghouses (FF) were for the first time being seriously considered as an alternative/option to electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) for particulate control of emissions from large coal-fired utilities; and 2. operation and maintenance problems with the FF and ESP had emerged as a major concern, a concern that would significantly impact on the choice of particulate control. The above concerns lead to three articles1–3 that addressed these issues because bag failure is a reality of life. The Theodore and Reynolds1 (TAR) article specifically addressed the area of "the effect of bag failure or baghouse outlet loading." In that paper, I developed a unique but simple model that provided a quantitative answer to this effect. There were three major assumptions in my model: (1) the flow rate through the baghouse was constant during and after bag failure(s); (2) bags were assumed to fail catastrophically; and (3) the pressure drop was essentially constant following bag failure(s). These assumptions produced conservative estimates on outlet loading and particle penetration, with lower values resulting if the bag failure was something less than catastrophic. Therefore, any calculated result would have to be viewed as a rough estimate. Assumption number 3, a key assumption, was verified at that time by calculation using a procedure similar to that provided by QDM. Assumption number 3, based on sound engineering judgment, was important to both the model and subsequent analysis. My earlier calculations indicated that this assumption was valid for baghouses with more than 1500 bags. Furthermore, for smaller baghouses (as shown in the example in the TAR1 paper), my calculations also clearly indicated that any detailed analysis would be useless because most baghouses containing less than 1500 bags or (more meaningfully) 150,000 actual cubic feet per minute—depending on design and operating conditions—would be out of compliance after one bag failure. Regarding the QDM paper, I have several problems with the article. 1. QDM did not properly acknowledge in a clear, straightforward manner that they employed my derivation of this unique model (that was based on the constant pressure drop assumption). 2. The comparison of the QDM model with the TAR model was based on a 200 ( 1500) baghouse. As indicated above, this analysis was valueless because the unit would be "catastrophically" out of compliance after the first failed bag. 3. Their graphs depicting performance for 1, 2,. . . 199, 200 bags were likewise valueless for the reason listed as number 2 above. 4. The authors apparently chose not to provide a meaningful comparison between the two models for larger baghouses where the calculated results are of practical and industrial value. 5. My comparison of the two models for those larger baghouses, where the models' usefulness tests or significance produced essentially identical results.4 In conclusion, QDM's repeated negative implications and comments regarding our original work are simply not justified. The technical community would have been better served if the authors just presented their modified model that was based on my original assumption. The authors also used poor engineering judgment in attempting to justify the usefulness of the model with a 200-bag unit example.


Cases of fraud are increasing from year to year. The most costly type of fraud is financial statement fraud. This kind of fraud causes substantial losses for the company and users of financial statement. The aim of this research is to analyze fraud hexagon in detecting financial statement fraud of banking companies listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange for the period 2017-2019. The research population is 46 banking companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Purposive sampling method is used on this research. The sample chosen with matching criteria is 41 companies with a total observation of 123. Logistic regression method is used to analyze data. The research results indicated that the financial target, external pressure, ineffective monitoring, change in auditor, change in director, and frequent number of CEO's picture do not have an effect in detecting financial statement fraud on listed banking companies. Meanwhile, collusion has an effect in detecting financial statement fraud on listed banking companies.


Lincoln H. Forbes and Syed M. Ahmed, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2011 490 pp, ISBN 978 1 4200 6312 7, US$130.00 For some time now, I have had two books on my desk. The newer book, Modern Constructio...


Individual identification, especially in rare species, can provide managers with critical information about demographic processes. Traditionally, banding has been the only effective method of marking individuals. However, banding's drawbacks have led some researchers to suggest vocal analysis as an alternative. We explore this prospect for Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) using a visual examination of the male four-note location call. While there appears to be a low level of within-individual variation, preliminary investigation suggests there is enough pattern overlap between different owls to caution against using visual examination of vocalizations as a field method to identify individuals.


Porous materials are widely used in the passive noise control field as sound absorbers. Conventional models of porous materials are assumed to have a rigid frame and to satisfy finite bulk elasticity. However, it may be the case that when high-frequency sound is applied to porous materials for nanotechnology applications, the classical theory of elasticity cannot be satisfied. Generalized continuum theories, such as coupled stress theory and micropolar theory, have additional degrees of freedom compared with classical elasticity. It is hence assumed that such theories are applicable to composites with granular structure. In this study, two of the six material constants are obtained from experimental results on micropolar porous solids by Lakes. At the same time, a theoretical analysis concerning reflected and transmitted fields of an incident longitudinal plane wave propagating in elastic-micropolar porous media has been investigated. The results show that two fields are affected by micropolar porous characteristics. The boundary value problem of micro elasticity is also investigated in this paper.


The present study aims at developing an organic fertilization program of an olive orchard located in the North-west of Tunisia. Soil analyses showed an acceptable level of P 2 O 5 and K 2 O in the soil of the studied farm. Based on leaves and olive fruit analyses, the requirements in N, P and K nutrients of the olive tree for a yield of 20 tons per ha were evaluated at 171 kg N/ha, 40 kg P 2 O 5 /ha and 170 kg K 2 O/ha. As for the required nutrient additions to soil, they were evaluated at 133 kg N/ha, 76 kg P 2 O 5 /ha and 264 kg K 2 O/ha. In order to satisfy the needs of the olive tree, organic compost was used as soil amendement. The required compost amendments have been evaluated to 4 tons/ha at the age of 3/6 years, to 10 tons/ha at the age of 6/10 years and to 20 tons/ha at an age greater than 10 years.


A new approach is taken to predict numerically the bond‐slip behavior of a reinforcing bar embedded in concrete. Attention is focused on radial, secondary cracking. This cracking is found not to follow the principles of linear elastic fracture mechanics, and therefore is modeled using a nonlinear, discrete crack, interface and finite element approach. A new method for finite element modeling of nonlinear fracture is presented. A "tension‐softening element" is introduced for the purpose of modeling bond‐slip in practical reinforced concrete engineering problems. Finally, as an example, a reinforced concrete tension diaphragm is analyzed.


Local culture is the cultural foundation of the balanced development of rural compulsory education.Such compulsory educational culture capital as"urban class-oriented" education discourse,"the mainstream culture-led" curriculum resources and the "diploma-driven" identity resulted in the relatively narrow educational concept,lack of curriculum content and one-sided evaluation system in the development of rural compulsory education,which,in a way hindered the realization of the balanced development of rural compulsory education.Therefore,on the basis of highlighting the basic,comprehensive and developmental nature of rural compulsory education,to remould the rural character of rural compulsory education,to establish the balanced development idea of compulsory education which is oriented to the "life world" of rural people,to explore the potential education elements of local curriculum,to construct the developmental education evaluation system which meet the needs of rural compulsory education and to embark on a road gearing to the reconstruction of rural cultural capital are the inevitable choice to realize the balanced development of rural compulsory education.


For the shaped building,its working state of the construction stage is not exactly the same with that of normal use stage.Safety problems would appear during constructing stage,if the structure designed according to normal use stage.Taking a concert hall as engineering background,we can establish an all-structure model through finite element analysis software Midas/gen,simulate the construction process,and obtain the stress of the oblique broken line form steel column at constructing under construction load and temperature load.The results not only have guiding significance for the locate and install of broken line form steel columns,but also can be used as reference for construction monitoring.


The distribution of melanotic melanocytes in the skin of the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciurea) is similar to that of the Cercopithecoidea studied. However, the arrangement of hair follicles, the number of hairs in the hair groups, and the presence of alkaline phosphatase in the peripheries of sebaceous acini resemble more those of the tree shrew (Tupaia glis) and owl monkey (Aotus trivirgatus). The absence of eccrine sweat glands from the hairy skin and the aggregation of apocrine sweat glands in the chest in the squirrel monkey resemble those found in the blackcollared tamarin (Tamarinus nigricollis) and owl monkey. The most outstanding peculiarities of the skin of the squirrel monkey are: (1) the presence of butyrylcholinesterase-rich papillary nerve end-organs in the friction surfaces and (2) hair follicle nerve end-organs which are surrounded by melanotic melanocytes.


A mathematical model of coupled autocatalytic reactions along with crystallization of diastereomers was considered. It was shown that the differences in the physical properties of diastereomers could be a 100% enantioselective factor, which makes it possible to obtain a significant chiral polarization even at low enantioselectivity of autocatalysis. It was shown that molecules, which are more complex, should have higher chiral polarization than simpler ones. The calculation of the dynamics of the model under consideration shows that the presence of binomial coefficients in the reaction of pair formation from two different enantiomers leads to the occurrence of an additional 100% enantioselective factor even in case when diastereomers have identical properties. Estimates show that theoretical difference between right and left-handed molecules (which is due to weak interaction), is sufficient to explain directed symmetry breaking and construction of biological molecules from L-amino acids and D-sugars at the origin of life on Earth. It is shown that such a model constitutes an amplifier with a feedback. It is proposed that a two-layer system with a feedback could be attributed to the formation of longer homochiral chains, which are necessary for the formation of life on Earth.


Background The poor, self-reported quality of life, high symptom burden and complex care needs of dialysis patients prompted the development of a renal supportive care service at St George Hospital. Aim To report the development of a renal supportive care service at St George Hospital and methods used to sustain its growth. Method Supportive care consists of outpatient and inpatient services with four specific groups of patients identified as the primary clientele. These groups are those on a conservative (non-dialysis) pathway, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients with a symptom burden requiring specialised management, patients on dialysis considering dialysis withdrawal and ESKD patients with cancer. Services consist of complex symptom management, end-of-life (EOL) care and coordination of services to assist the patient to stay at home as long as they are able. Conclusion The future of the supportive care service looks promising; therefore, it is important to incorporate this as part of routine patient care in ESKD. There is a need to pass on renal supportive care knowledge to the renal care teams to assist ESKD patients to live as well and as comfortably as possible, whether they choose a dialysis pathway or not, and to engage in clear conversations with patients and carers throughout the disease trajectory.


Christian apologetics in the patristic era should be understood broadly as a defense of Christian beliefs and practices against non-Christian beliefs, practices, and policies (religious, social, and political) that were either antithetical to Christian beliefs and practices or openly hostile to Christianity. The advantage of this conceptualization of apologetics is that it enables readers to follow the discussion of Christian responses to Hellenistic culture beyond the context of persecution associated with the pre-Constantinian period, which tends to be where many scholarly projects on apologetics end. The reader is also invited to see the links in the intellectual trajectory from early second-century apologetics through those written in the early fifth century, prompting deeper reflection about the process of Christian self-definition in late antiquity. This book explores Christian apologetic literature from the second through fifth centuries, examining the writers within the intellectual context of their times. The book argues that most apologies were not directed at a pagan readership. In most cases, ancient apologetics had a double object: to instruct the Christian, and persuade less devout Christians or non-Christians who were sympathetic to Christian claims. Taken cumulatively, it finds that apologetic literature was integral to the formation of Christian identity in the Roman world.


Transient photoinduced absorption in As2Se3 and Ag(Cu)-doped As2Se3 glasses was measured after the samples were excited with an intense laser pulse with a pulse width of 10 ns, a peak optical intensity of ∼100 MW/cm2, and a wavelength of 1.064 µm. The decay time of the nonlinear absorption was within 15–21 ms. A photocurrent experiment was also performed under the same illumination conditions, but we observed no photocurrent. Such a slow nonlinearity is presumably attributed not to free-carrier effects, but to photoinduced effects related to wrong bonds in the glasses.


A kind of distorting phenomenon may take place in assessing the mining rights of the late-staged mines by means of DCF method.This paper analyzes this distorting phenomenon,discusses the causes and presents a solution in mining right assessment.


Gas-tight Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) films were prepared on NiO–YSZ and NiO–SDC (Sm0.2Ce0.8O1.9) anode substrates by a novel method. A cell, Ni–YSZ/YSZ(10 μm)/LSM–YSZ, was tested with humidified hydrogen as fuel and ambient air as oxidant. The maximum power densities of 1.64, 1.40, 1.06, and 0.60 W/cm2 were obtained at 850°, 800°, 750°, and 700°C, respectively. With methane as fuel, a cell of Ni–SDC/YSZ (12 μm)/LSM–YSZ exhibited the maximum power densities of 1.14, 0.82, 0.49, and 0.28 W/cm2 at 850°, 800°, 750°, and 700°C, respectively. The impedance results showed that the performance of the cell was controlled by the electrode polarization rather than the resistance of YSZ electrolyte film.