Prognostic Implications of Tissue Doppler in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy Previous studies have shown that a ratio of early transmitral flow velocity to early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (E/E ) of > 15, obtained by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), correlates with left ventricular filling pressure. Objective: The aim of our study was to assess whether E/E provides prognostic information in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Methods: We studied 33 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and mean ejection fraction of 31 %. All the patients underwent routine twodimensional and Doppler echocardiographic examination and TDI to determine early peak velocity of the mitral annulus. Pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP) and peak oxygen consumption (VO2max) were also measured. Patients were divided into two groups according to the value of E/E : Group I (n = 15 patients) with E/ E 15 and Group II (n = 18 patients) with E/E < 15. Patients were followed for 12±4 months; new hospital admission due to heart failure, heart transplantation and death were considered as cardiac events. Results: There were significant differences between the two groups in conventional twodimensional echocardiographic measurements (dimensions and ejection fraction) and Doppler parameters (mitral inflow). With regard to mitral annular velocities obtained by TDI at two different points (septum and lateral wall), the E , A and S velocities differed significantly between the Recebido para publicação: Maio de 2006 Aceite para publicação: Julho de 2006 Received for publication: May 2006 Accepted for publication: July 2006 Rev Port Cardiol 2006 ; 25 (9) : 781-793 ARTIGO.qxp  25102006  11:05  Page 781


Venezuelan oil importance rests on three factors: (1) large reserves, (2) favorable legal and political situation, and (3) economic advantages over many other sources of oil. The first two points are touched on briefly, and the third is more fully developed to include certain conclusions with respect to market zones in general and the influence of Venezuelan oil in particular on sources of production in the United States. The conclusion is that Venezuela and other sources of low-cost oil, such as the West Texas, California, and the Gulf Coast, will displace increasing amounts of Mid-Continent oil in the Atlantic Seaboard market, and that Mid-Continent oil, if so confined to its normal economic market, may yield to its owners a greater ultimate profit.


Let q be a prime power with gcd ( q , 6 ) = 1. Let R = F q 2 + u F q 2 + v F q 2 + u v F q 2 , where u 2 = u , v 2 = v and u v = v u . In this paper, we give the definition of linear skew constacyclic codes over F q 2 R . By the decomposition method, we study the structural properties and determine the generator polynomials and the minimal generating sets of linear skew constacyclic codes. We define a Gray map from F α q 2 × R β to F α + 4 β q 2 preserving the Hermitian orthogonality, where α and β are positive integers. As an application,byHermitianconstruction,weobtainsomegoodquantumerror-correcting codes.


Nerve injuries cause severe disability. The present investigational drug delivery strategies for enhancing peripheral nerve regeneration after nerve transection are not yet clinically translatable due to lack of efficiency or biocompatibility. We developed a local delivery system using drug-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres (MS) embedded in a fibrin gel. This drug delivery system (DDS) could be applied at the nerve injury site to deliver exogenous glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) to the regenerating axons. We used our developed DDS to enhance nerve regeneration in clinically applicable models of severe nerve injuries, including cases with delayed nerve repair and with large nerve defects.


The present report presents the final results of an empirical investigation initiated to establish operational definitions for schizophrenia and other non-affective psychoses of classical French nosology. For each category, the authors provide diagnostic criteria and algorithms. In addition, they propose a decision tree for the differential diagnosis of psychotic features included in the French classification of mental disorders.


We investigate the task of medical concept coreference resolution in clinical text using two semi-supervised methods, co-training and multi-view learning with posterior regularization. By extracting semantic and temporal features of medical concepts found in clinical text, we create conditionally independent data views; co-training MaxEnt classifiers on this data works almost as well as supervised learning for the task of pairwise coreference resolution of medical concepts. We also train MaxEnt models with expectation constraints, using posterior regularization, and find that posterior regularization performs comparably to or slightly better than co-training. We describe the process of semantic and temporal feature extraction and demonstrate our methods on a corpus of case reports from the New England Journal of Medicine and a corpus of patient narratives obtained from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.


The utility model aims at providing a portable postpartum galactopoietic recovery instrument, which solves the problem of carrying out parturient postpartum lactation and bringing convenience to parturient for household use to smoothly pass through the postpartum special menstrual cycle. The portable postpartum galactopoietic recovery instrument comprises a main machine, an electrical impulse electrode, a thermal magnetic electrode, a lead wire and rubber support films, which is characterized in that: therapy output ends are respectively arranged at the two sides of the main machine; each therapy output end is connected with the electrical impulse electrode and the thermal magnetic electrode through the lead wire; the electrical impulse electrode and the thermal magnetic electrode are respectively provided with a rubber support film; power supply, an electrical impulse generating device, a circuit control device and a liquid crystal display device are arranged in the main machine; a display screen and a function selection key are arranged in the front of the main machine; an external power input jack, an audio input jack, a loudspeaker and a power switch are arranged at the top of the main machine. The portable postpartum galactopoietic recovery instrument plays a superposition role in acupuncture, physiotherapy, hot compress and mental relaxation, thereby improving recovery quality.


The number of mobile internet users in Indonesia is overgrowing over the past years because of the emerging mobile telecommunication. However, lately, the growth is declining year by year. It makes each company struggles to increase their revenue. The continually increasing number of mobile internet users does not necessarily mean positive growth for the five major mobile telecommunication providers in Indonesia. Understanding customer segmentation and preferences are vital to increasing customers' repurchase intention (i.e., data consumption per user) and customer satisfaction. In response, we present novel insights on mobile internet users' segmentation and preference. We use online questionnaire data from more than 500 respondents and apply k-modes clustering and multiclass logistic regression analysis to establish the customer segmentation and preference models based on numerous attributes: internet speed, internet package price, internet quota size, call duration bonus, SMS bonus, network coverage, signal strength, customer care quality, service center availability, and other exclusive offers. We propose two dominant customers segments and characterize the main customers' preference profile for each of the five major mobile telecommunication providers.


Grid and peer-to-peer (P2P) networks enable the sharing and aggregation of geographically distributed resources. Grids mostly deal with large computational problems and provide geographically distributed resources for large-scale data-intensive applications that generate large data sets, whereas P2P provides a way for sharing huge volumes of data. In a modern scientific computing, the communities of researchers involves in organizing, moving, visualizing, and analyzing massive amounts of a very large data collections in a geographically distributed environment. Research in the area of grid and P2P computing; have given us various ideas and solutions to address the problems. One of the most challenging issues in grid computing that address above requirements is locating and sharing remote data. In this paper, we illustrate the idea of using P2P approach for locating and sharing data in scientific data grid environment through our P2P scientific data grid framework.


Soil compaction was identified by European Commission as one of the eight main threats for agricultural soils. In order to address this issue, measurements of soil porosity are critical. However, there are as many techniques to measure as there are definitions of porosity. A single method is not sufficient to obtain a complete image of the soil porosity at various scales and encompassing different levels of complexity. Each existing method is characterized by a unique combination of a specific level of complexity, resolution and scale of measurement.


Air Conditioning (AC) is the one of system in aircraft to make a passanger and all cabin crew comfortable. Trim Air Pressure Regulating and Shutoff Valve or also known as Trim Air PRSOV is a component on the Boeing 737-800 aircraft to regulate flow of hot air constantly before entering the aircraft cabin. Refering to the data for the last 6 years, the replacement of the component belonging to one of the Indonesian national flight carrier using Boeing 737-800 aircraft was the occurance of 84 times the cooling system failure which caused the light indiacator in the cockpit to light up. Among them happened 70 times unscheduled maintenance and 14 times scheduled maintenance. Thus, this essay was made to analyze the causes of the damage that occurred to the Trim Air PRSOV. The method used in this research is Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is the technique used to find, identify and eliminate failures or damage to a system or process. The first step is to analyze using a Pareto diagram and then continue with the FMEA method so that an analysis of the damage that often occurs is damage to the diaphragm with 42% damage with an RPN value of 389.1, erosion on the ring seal with 22% damage with an RPN value of 376 and shaft seal damaged with 12% damage with an RPN value of 295.1 for it requires aggressive treatment. Therefore, repairs with a long TAT of 14 days are expected to increase the reliability of the PRSOV Trim Pressure component. For this reason, repairs are carried out with a long TAT of 14 days, it is hoped that there will be an increase in the reliability of the PRSOV Trim Pressure componen.


SUMMARY The 3-D exterior Stokes' boundary value problem is in vestigated. The classical hydrodynamical potential theory is developed up to a boundary element method, where the algebraic system is quickly solved by a two-level multigrid method. The results of numerical test calculations are discussed.


Let V be an infinite-dimensional locally convex complex space, X a closed subset of P(V) defined by finitely many continuos homogeneous equations and E a holomorphic vector bundle on X with finite rank. Here we show that E is holomorphically trivial if it is topologically trivial and spanned by its global sections and in a few other cases.


Continuous observations of sunspot penumbrae with the Solar Optical Telescope aboard Hinode clearly show that the outer boundary of the penumbra fluctuates around its averaged position. The penumbral outer boundary moves inward when granules appear in the outer penumbra. We discover that such granules appear one after another while moving magnetic features (MMFs) are separating from the penumbral "spines" (penumbral features that have fields that are stronger and more vertical than those of their surroundings). These granules that appear in the outer penumbra often merge with bright features inside the penumbra that move with the spines as they elongate toward the moat region. This suggests that convective motions around the penumbral outer boundary are related to the disintegration of magnetic flux in the sunspot. We also find that dark penumbral filaments frequently elongate into the moat region in the vicinity of MMFs that detach from penumbral spines. Such elongating dark penumbral filaments correspond to nearly horizontal fields extending from the penumbra. Pairs of MMFs with positive and negative polarities are sometimes observed along the elongating dark penumbral filaments. This strongly supports the notion that such elongating dark penumbral filaments have magnetic fields with a "sea serpent"-like structure. Evershed flows, which are associated with the penumbral horizontal fields, may be related to the detachment of the MMFs from the penumbral spines, as well as to the formation of the MMFs along the dark penumbral filaments that elongate into the moat region.


The rapid development of electronic skins has allowed novel multifunctional human–machine interaction interfaces, especially in motion interaction sensors. Although motion sensing is widely used in advanced flexible electronic devices through the integration of single sensing units, the number of electrodes has increased with the increase in integration by the square multiple. This paper presents a self‐powered electronic skin based on the Archimedes spiral structure design, which can detect the multi‐directional movement of the slider without external energy supply. As the rotation angle of the Archimedes spiral increases from 2π to 4π, the maximum resolvable movement direction of the device increases from 24 to 280, and the number of electrodes is kept at 4. Through the exploration of the principle of triboelectricity, the inherent electronegativity of the triboelectric materials is used as the basis for signal discrimination, which not only increases the reliability of the device, but also solves the problem of energy supply during device operation. A reduced number of electrodes and its battery‐free nature enables this electronic skin to be easily integrated into portable electronic devices, such as laptops, smart phones, healthcare devices, etc.


Heat demand of buildings and related CO2 emissions caused by energy supply contribute to global climate change. Spatial data-based heat planning enables municipalities to reorganize local heating sectors towards efficient use of regional renewable energy resources. Here, annual heat demand of residential buildings is modeled and mapped for a German federal state to provide regional basic data. Using a 3D building stock model and standard values of building-type-specific heat demand from a regional building typology in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based bottom-up approach, a first base reference is modeled. Two spatial data sets with information on the construction period of residential buildings, aggregated on municipality sections and hectare grid cells, are used to show how census-based spatial data sets can enhance the approach. Partial results from all three models are validated against reported regional data on heat demand as well as against gas consumption of a municipality. All three models overestimate reported heat demand on regional levels by 16% to 19%, but underestimate demand by up to 8% on city levels. Using the hectare grid cells data set leads to best prediction accuracy values at municipality section level, showing the benefit of integrating this high detailed spatial data set on building age.


Examples of deposit development monitoring with use of standing hydrodynamical models are given. Decisions in an oil recovery optimization with use of the horizontal wells, completely confirmed with the further course of the development, are accepted during monitoring. It is shown, as during all period of development modelling is actively used for a choice of the actions, promoting of an oil recovery increase.


A novel approach to the synthesis of β-substituted dialkyl diselenides and selenides is described through reaction of bis(trimethylsilyl)selenide with epoxides, thiiranes, and aziridines catalyzed by tetrabutylammonium fluoride.


Magnetic fields and mechanical forces can change the deformation and stability of magnetic emergent crystals (MECs) such as Bloch skyrmion crystal (SkX), Néel SkX and Anti-SkX. Due to the tensor nature of strains, mechanical loads provide more fruitful ways to manipulate the MECs, while their effect on MECs other than the Bloch SkX is hitherto unclear. We construct a thermodynamic model for noncentrosymmetric ferromagnets in all possible point groups when subjected to coupled magnetoelastic fields. Compared with classic theories, we include terms coupling the elastic strains, the magnetization, and its derivatives in the free energy, which lead to strain-induced Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction anisotropy. For epitaxial thin films in three types of point groups (T, C 3v , D 2d ) hosting Bloch SkX, Néel SkX and Anti-SkX, we find the newly added terms always deform the MECs and eventually lead to their instability as the misfit strains increase. Specifically, for Bloch SkX in group T materials and Néel SkX in group C 3v materials, a novel magnetic phase called paired-skyrmion crystal (pSkX) appears. Our theory lays the path to study deformation and phase transitions of different MECs, and to explore novel states of MECs in chiral magnets when subjected to magnetoelastic fields.


Long term reliability of rotary compressor in HFC refrigerant systems is mainly dependent on lubrication of moving parts in compressor. To maintain better reliability, basic components in rotary compressor, such as refrigeration lubricant, metallic materials and oil supply systems, were evaluated. A new materials. which are compatible in HFC systems, were determined. Also the results of an accelerated life test of rotary compressor using new materials will be presented. Introduction Due to the nature of high efficiency of rotary compressor, they are widely used for home appliance applications. such as room air conditioners, large refrigerators and dehumidifiers (1). Without sacrifice high efficiency of rotary compressor, technical problems associated with lubrication in alternative refrigerants should be made clear. A completely new materials technology to improve long term reliability of rotary compressor, particularly lubrication, is described in this paper. Tribology of Rotary Compressor (I) Lubrication in Liquid Refrigerants, Lubr)cants and their MiXtures To study the lubrication in alternative refrigerant systems. the friction test using actual shaft and roller materials to measure both extreme pressure and wear amount was performed (2). The extreme pressure was determined at the point where the friction coefficient was suddenly increased. At this point, gradually increased load causes adhesive wear. Because wear am.ount at the shaft material was large enough to measure so that this anwunt was chosen to compare the relative lubricity. Some of test results are shown in Figures 2 and 3. The order of lubricity in terms of extreme pressure and wear amount are summarized below. (a) Liquid Refrigerants Extreme Pressure: 22 > 12 >> 134a > 32 Wear: 32 ;:: 134a >> 12 > 22 (b) Lubricants Extreme Pressure: POE-56;:: POE-32 > POE-15 > HAB-56 Wear: HAB-56;:: POE-15 > POE-32;:: POE-56


We describe 3 computer-based neuroscience laboratories. In the first 2 labs, we used commercially available interactive software to enhance the study of functional and comparative neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. In the remaining lab, we used customized software and hardware in 2 psychophysiological experiments. With the use of the computer-based technology, we have successfully met our pedagogical objectives while minimizing operating costs and maintaining flexibility of the lab space. Student response to the lab experience was overwhelmingly positive.


National libraries are responsible for collecting all publications issued in their respective countries. But national libraries vary widely in their origins and functions. In one or another form they are found in more than a hundred countries. The purpose of this paper is to suggest the backgrounds and theoretical informations to restructuring the completely centralized organizational framework of National Library of Korea. In order to achieve this goal. the national library systems of four culturally advanced countries, that is, British Library, Die Deutsche Bibliothek, Bibliotheque nationale de France, National Diet Library are analysed with respect to the grounds of main library, regional libraries. departmental or subject libraries, branch libraries, and their mutual relation.


MASAI mission is to empower key stakeholders in the travel and tourism industry (Travelers, Concierges, Service Providers) in order to enable a seamless travel experience. The vision of MASAI is to satisfy the overall service needs demanded by mobile citizens: a tailor-made aggregation of features — a digital concierge in everyone's pocket. MASAI aims to serve: • All stages of the travel process, including changes in travelers' mobility patterns. • Long-distance travel as well as local travel including all related services (transportation, tourism, accommodation, events, …). • Customers travelling for business as well as for leisure purposes. The MASAI mission is made possible by creating an open ecosystem ("MASAI Mobility Community") as a community openly delivering specifications, tools and know-how. MASAI community of stakeholders contributes continuously toward the development of the core elements of a network of digital concierges, one which allows for constant improvements and sustains future technical developments. MASAI implements, integrates and organizes the use of the most recent technologies to support such coherent and seamless use of the large diversity of applications available in the ecosystem of suppliers of services for mobility. MASAI verified, validated and evaluated the application of its solutions into the mobility ecosystem


Numerical studies of boundary layer meteorology are increasingly reliant on large eddy simulation (LES) models, but few detailed validation studies of these types of models have been done. In this paper the authors investigate the behavior of an LES model for simulation of a marine boundary layer. Specifically, the authors focus on the mechanisms that control numerical predictions of entrainment into the tops of marine stratus in a moist generalization of the 1995 Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment Cloud System Studies model intercomparison. For the computational study the authors present a sequence of simulations of varying resolution, from a typical resolution (50 m horizontal and 25 m vertical mesh size) to a fine resolution (8 m horizontal and 4 m vertical mesh size). The authors also explore variations in the model such as different subgrid models and modifications of the advection scheme. It was found that the thickness of the inversion, the depth of entraining eddies, and the shape of vertical velocity spectra were determined mainly by the mesh spacing used. However, the entrainment rate was found to have a distinct dependence on the amount of combined numerical and subgrid-scale mixing. This indicates that the use of large eddy simulation to study mixing in stratocumulus boundary layers needs to account for both sources of mixing.


The research of the Office of Naval Research grant at UCSB focused on the research concerns of mechanical properties of fiber reinforced metal matrix composites as well as the understanding of microstructural development in polycrystalline Al2O3 fibers synthesized from liquid precursors. It has been closely coordinated with the DARPA/ONR URI program dealing with the design of high performance composites.


known through the efforts of various educated Lamas during the past ten years. For example, there are many young students practicing Soto Zen at the Zen Center in San Francisco and at Tassajara. Rinzai Zen is established at Mt. Baldy on the outskirts of Los Angeles and in Honolulu. Large numbers of students studying Tibetan Buddhism participate in summer sessions at the Naropa Institute in Colorado and at the Nying-ma Institute in Berkeley, California. The Japanese word zen is now an international term which is derived from dhyana (meditation) in Sanskrit. It goes without saying that religious practice is the most important part of any religion. Without practice, religion has no meaning. Buddhism has emphasized meditation in terms of calmness (samatha) and discernment (vipasyana) throughout the traditions of Theravada, Vajrayana, and Mahayana. Here I would like to focus on this calming of the mind and discerning the real following the direction of the "Process of Meditative Actualization" (Bhavanakrama I, II, III) by Kamalaslla (?-c. 778 A.D.). I feel this text greatly influenced the formation of later Tibetan meditation as we can observe by the many times it is quoted in A Torch for Realizing Enlightenment (Bodhipatha Prad4pa) by AtIsa (982-1045 A.D.) and the Gradual Way to Perfection (Lam rim c'en mo) by Tsofi kha pa (1357-1419 A.D.), founder of the Dge legs pas tradition of the present Dalai Lama. Recently Prof. Alex Wayman of Columbia University translated the samatha vipasyana section from the Lam rim c'en mo of Tsofi kha pa and published it through Columbia University Press under the title of Calming the Mind and Discerning the Real in 1978.1 The Bhavanakrama is quoted more than thirty-five times in the "Calming the Mind" section and fourteen times in the "Discerning the Real" section of the text. This immediately shows us something of the importance of the Bhavanakrama as an influential text in the Tibetan meditation tradition.


For the first Romantics, phenomena of the occult had a questionable status. Their interest in the powers of the human mind led them naturally to unusual psychological phenomena; yet when such investigations extended to matters which might involve some kind of magic, they were conscious of strong restraint from their environment, discouraging speculations that might disturb the contemporary concepts of rationality. The very literature of the occult tended to date from earlier centuries. Accordingly, there was a strong incentive to confine such interests within the bounds of well-attested experiences. For this reason, the phenomena of trance, the existence of which in some form was agreed by all, provided an attractive area for legitimate investigation.


With the advancement of integrated circuit man-ufacturing technology, a growing number of aspects must be considered during the electrical characterization of circuits in order to solve challenges such as the effect of process variability. This increases the characterization time due to the use of techniques based on exhaustive electrical simulations. Machine learning techniques are consistently being employed to assist digital design at many levels of abstraction with various successful applications. Thus, the main objective of this work is to evaluate machine learning regression algorithms as an alternative to ex-haustive electrical simulation in the cell characterization project. In this step, multiple linear regression, support vector regression, decision trees, and random forest algorithms are considered. This work presents the results of a first case study: an Inverter using bulk CMOS technology. Specifically, the energy values and propagation times of this circuit will be separately predicted. A comparative analysis is done for each dependent variable between the models in order to understand which is the best regression model for the task. The algorithm with the lowest cost function proved to be Random Forests, with a R2 above 98% for all predicted variables.


In many scientific and engineering disciplines, computational modeling and simulation is typically used to understand complex systems or physical phenomena, in addition to the traditional approaches involving theory and experiment. The models in many of these applications are described by partial differential equations (PDEs). The numeric solution of such models using implicit or semi-implicit schemes depends on efficient sparse linear system solution. In this thesis, we focus on enabling faster and more reliable sparse linear system solution taking into account trends in modern computer architecture.
Our contributions include the following: (i) specialized sparse solution schemes for quantum nanomechanics, and computational fluid dynamics simulations, (ii) developing a new preconditioning scheme to accelerate the convergence of a sparse iterative solver, and (iii) characterizing the interactions between sparse solution schemes and the features of advanced computer architectures to improve performance while reducing system power and energy.


Cholesterol homeostasis is governed by cholesterol uptake, synthesis and efflux. Cellular cholesterol synthesis relies on numerous enzymes. One of these enzymes is squalene monooxygenase (SM), an endoplasmic reticulum localized rate‐limiting enzyme in the cholesterol synthesis pathway, previously implicated as another target for cholesterol‐lowering and recently gained increasing attention in cancer metabolism. Excess cholesterol stimulates the proteasomal degradation of SM, a classic example of negative feedback regulation to lower cholesterol production. The cholesterol‐accelerated degradation of SM requires the first 100 amino acids of SM (SM N100), which represents the cholesterol‐responsive degron of SM. How the SM N100 cholesterol‐responsive degron operates to fine‐tune SM levels is not well‐understood. Here, we dissected degron features of SM N100, revealing key mechanistic insights into degron features and protein factors mediating the degradation of this degron. We identified (1) a 12‐amino acid amphipathic helix (Gln62 – Leu73) that allows SM N100 to sense membrane cholesterol levels, (2) serine ubiquitination as a non‐canonical mode of ubiquitination to trigger protein degradation, and (3) valosin‐containing protein/p97 as a protein that facilitates the removal of the hydrophobic SM N100 degron from the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Our findings highlight concerted actions of cholesterol‐sensing and protein degradation mechanisms in regulating SM protein abundance. We also discuss our observations in the context of degron features and sterol‐sensing mechanisms reported by other studies – defining general themes that make proteins amenable to destruction in response to fluctuating lipid levels.


Detailed geological mapping of a highly fractured Paleozoic basement and the scarce outcrops of overlying Permian-Mesozoic cover in the surroundings of the Duje Valley (Picos de Europa Unit, Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain), together with new field data have allowed the separation of four genetic fault sets in a polyorogenic area, affected by the Variscan and Alpine cycles. These fault sets are, from oldest to youngest: Variscan thrusts (late Carboniferous), Late Variscan strike-slip faults (late Carboniferous-earliest Permian), Alpine normal faults (Permian-Mesozoic) and Alpine reverse faults (Cenozoic). A structural analysis is reported here, based in the joint use of geometric, kinematic and deformational features, crosscutting and tectono-sedimentary relationships between the structures. This analysis has allowed the recognition and full characterization of the four fault sets. These types of structural analyses are useful for unravelling complex tectonic histories in regions where massive limestone lithologies make reconstructing the timing of fault activity difficult, especially if the basement is affected by late deformation events that are not recorded by cover outcrops.


The Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register started in 1979 and celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2019. The Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register is not primarily a device register or research database; we strive to provide an overall assessment of the care provided with a multidimensional approach, and to disseminate knowledge on best practices in our network of participating hospitals. Since the inception of the register, there has been a marked change in trends and outcomes. The completeness of registrations has been 97–99% for primary THA, 93–95% for revisions, and 95–98% for HA over the last 10 years. The register contains 371,125 primary THAs, 55,893 HAs, 83,233 reoperations, and 408,110 PROM responses registered in 352,585 unique patients. All outcome measures have improved over time; primary THA has 0.71% 90-day mortality, 94.3% 10-year implant survival, and 2.2% 2-year reoperation rate. At 1-year follow up, 91% of the patients report a clinically significant pain reduction, 76% report a substantial improv...


Introduction: Health workforce planning is considered as a main tool for health care effectiveness. In spite of this, studies applying planning in the Clinical Nutrition area are still scarce. This fact demands for research that may fill the knowledge vacuum through scientific contributions. Objective: To propose reference parameters for measuring staffing needs of clinical dietitians in hospital units, in comparison to the established parameters stated by Resolution CFN 380 from 2005. Methods: Descriptive applied field research, using a quantitative approach, in three public hospitals considered as sites of good practices in nutrition in Sao Paulo city. A continuous time and motion study was used to measure the workload, through observation of the daily work of 19 clinical dietitians. This systematic observation was performed through 24 typical working days. The workload measurement tool was purposefully designed for this study and its validity and appropriateness to the specific target population was verified beforehand. Data analysis used central tendency and variance measurements, applying t-Student tests at the 5% significance level. Results: A total of 3931 observations were performed. During the workday the dietitians spent: 72.8% in interventions (9.5 % in direct care and 63.3% in indirect care), 0.6% in unit-related activity, 9.1% in personal activities, 0.6% in absence, 11.8% in displacement, 2.6% in standby time, 0.6% in administrative meetings and in 1.9% was not observed. The mean care time used to assist patients in six hours corresponded to 7.6 minutes in the primary care level, 16.1 minutes in the secondary and the tertiary 28.6 minutes, which is equivalent to dietitian-to-patient ratio of 48: 1, 22: 1 and 13: 1, respectively. The mean workload of the dietitian staff corresponded,to 17.4 minutes, in 360 minutes. The dietitian-to-patient ratio was lower than recommended and statistically significant.. The parameters obtained in this research showed are lower than recommended, with statistically significant differences. Conclusion: The study results are useful to enhance knowledge in two areas: firstly, it provides data about the dietitian work process, most significant interventions performed in inpatient care and the mean time spent by these professionals. The second aspect refers to the workload identification of dietitian staff, an important parameter for the calculation the dietitian staff, in inpatient care services.


Abstract. Hydrological time series (HTS) are the key basis of water
conservancy project planning and construction. However, under the influence
of climate change, human activities and other factors, the consistency of
HTS has been destroyed and cannot meet the requirements of mathematical
statistics. Series division and wavelet transform are effective methods to
reuse and analyse HTS. However, they are limited by the change-point
detection and mother wavelet (MWT) selection and are difficult to apply and
promote in practice. To address these issues, we constructed a potential
change-point set based on a cumulative anomaly method, the Mann–Kendall test and
wavelet change-point detection. Then, the degree of change before and after
the potential change point was calculated with the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test,
and the change-point detection criteria were proposed. Finally, the
optimization framework was proposed according to the detection accuracy of
MWT, and continuous wavelet transform was used to analyse HTS evolution. We
used Pingshan station and Yichang station on the Yangtze River as study
cases. The results show that (1) change-point detection criteria can quickly
locate potential change points, determine the change trajectory and complete
the division of HTS and that (2) MWT optimal framework can select the MWT that
conforms to HTS characteristics and ensure the accuracy and uniqueness of
the transformation. This study analyses the HTS evolution and provides a
better basis for hydrological and hydraulic calculation, which will improve
design flood estimation and operation scheme preparation.


Original Research Paper Received 18 January 2015 Accepted 31 January 2015 Available Online 04 April 2015 Non-Newtonian fluid flows experience turbulent regime in some industrial applications. Several approaches have been proposed for numerical simulation of turbulent flows, each of which has specific features. RANS turbulence models have reasonable computational costs, while include several sources of uncertainties affecting simulation results. In addition, RANS models developed for non-Newtonian fluids are modified versions of available models for Newtonian fluids, therefore they cannot provide reliable estimation for viscoplastic stress term. In contrast, DNS delivers accurate results but with high computational costs. Consequently, use of DNS data for estimation of uncertainty in RANS models can provide better decision making for engineers based on RANS results. In the present study, turbulence model based on power-law non-Newtonian fluid is developed and employed for simulation of flow in pipe. Then, an efficient method is proposed for quantification of available model-form uncertainty. Moreover, it is assumed that uncertainties originating from various sources are combined together in calculation of Reynolds stress as well as viscoplastic stress. Deviation of the stresses, computed using RANS turbulence model from DNS data are modeled through Gaussian Random Field. Thereafter, Karhunen-Loeve expansion is employed for uncertainty propagation in simulation process. Finally, the effects of these uncertainties on RANS results are shown in velocity field, demonstrating the fact that the presented approach is accurate enough for statistical modeling of model-form uncertainty in RANS turbulence models.


Background and aim: Coronavirus has emerged as a pandemic leading to pneumonia and death in susceptible populations, especially in immunocompromised hosts and the elderly. Though national governance and drug firms work in cohesion to develop vaccines, the fear and anxiety towards misconceptions about vaccine efficacy and adverse effects lead to underutilization of the vaccines. Though known for its immunogenic responses against infections, conservative lifestyle modifications such as Yoga and physical exercise's synergistic effects with coronavirus vaccine's immunogenic response remains unknown. Methods: We administered a systematic search on the contemporary evidence investigating the immune responses of physical activity or Yoga in three databases: PubMed, Embase and Web of Science. In the present review, we reviewed the empirical evidence that explored the role of Yoga and physical exercise as an immunity booster and extrapolated their effects against coronavirus infection. Results: We found sixteen articles emphasizing physical activity to augment immune responses towards Coronavirus. Discussion and Conclusion: Considering the contemporary evidence, complementary therapies such as Yoga or physical activity are speculated to improve the influenza vaccines' immune responses. We recommend that Yoga and physical exercises be affordable, practical and effective strategies that could be advocated along with vaccination doses. We hope the present review may help readers and policymakers explore complementary therapies that could be administered as adjuncts to vaccine-mediated immunity in combating the deadly pandemic. © 2023 by authors, all rights reserved.


Objective To assess the clinical value of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) through the Wiltse approach for the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis. Methods Sixty-nine patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis were randomly divided into two groups. Group A underwent minimally invasive TLIF via the Wiltse approach, Group B via the traditional approach. There were 31 cases in group A, the affected level was L4.5 in 19 cases and L5S1 in 12. The degree of vertebrae slippage was Ⅰ degree in 17 cases,and Ⅱ degree in 14. There were 38 cases in group B, the affected level was L4,5 in 22 cases and L5S1 in 16. The degree of vertebrae slippage was Ⅰ in 21 cases, and Ⅱ in 17. The Japanese Orthopaedics Association (JOA) score, visual analogue scale (VAS) of low back pain and leg pain were evaluated at 3, 6, and 12 months follow-up. The post-operative dynamic X-rays, CT and/or MRI were used for image evaluation. Results There was no statistically difference in operating time between the two groups. The incision length, blood loss and exposing time of group A were shorter than those of group B. The JOA scores, recovery rate, VAS of low back pain and leg pain, interbody fusion rate and atrophy rate of multifidus in group A were 24.7±3.5, 77.0%±3.1%, 1.0±0.7, 1.1±0.3, 71.0%±5.8%, 2.1±0.2, respectively, and in group B were 24.3±2.8, 73.6%±6.4%, 3.1±0.6, 1.8±0.5, 76.3%±6.1%, 0.5±0.1, respectively. The VAS of low back pain was lower in group A than in group B. The atrophy rate was better in group A than in group B. Conclusion Both TLIF approaches can acquire satisfactory clinical results. Minimally invasive TLIF through the Wiltse approach can significantly reduced damage of multifidus and incidence of chronic low back pain postoperative.

Key words:
Spondylolisthesis;  Spinal fusion;  Muscular atrophy


The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a union of autonomous family planning associations that feel that parents have the right to information and the means to plan the size and spacing of their children. The major objectives of IPPF are: 1) to stimulate the formation of family planning associations; 2) to provide information technical advice training facilities and financial assistance to member associations; 3) to make regional administrative arrangements; 4) to ensu rerepresentation on an international and regional level; 5) to persuade governments to provide family planning services; 6) to enlist support from the medical and intellectual community; 7) to stimulate public awareness of family planning; 8) to encourage research in new contraceptive and organizational techniques with proper evaluation; 9) to obtain financial support for the Federation and its associations. Because IPPF is a nongovernmental agency it is often able to work in countries that are sensative to nationalistic pressures.


The 5031 switch will trip,which is caused by the gas generation relay contact point transient on in the process of charging of 500 kV main transformer.The gas protection is the main protection of the winding short-circuits faults and abnormal in transformer oil tank,which the safe and reliable operation is the necessary condition for.This paper gradually rules out the possibility which causes the 5031.switch trip by field survey and analysis.The high inrush current makes winding expanding and contracting when the main transformer is charging,which causes the oil wave.Three conditions for the heavy gas contact closure is concluded from the analysis of the action construct of gas relay.The reason for this fault is explained form the most probability of the heavy gas contact closure is the downward floating ball swing when the oil is waving.


Structural features of open seaport jetties as cargo piers in usual and dredging harbour waters are analysed. Deterministic and probability-based methods for reliability assessment and prediction of jetties are discussed. The survival probability of jetties subjected to two different in nature lateral berthing and mooring impact actions is considered. The safety in the ground of axially loaded jetty piles is analysed. The numerical example illustrates the virtue of unsophisticated probabilistic approaches and methods in hydraulic design practice. NOMENCLATURE A area of the cross-section B berthing load F cumulative distribution function f probability density function fb base resistance of the soil fs


Objectives. Death certificate data are used to estimate state and national incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related deaths. This study evaluated the accuracy of this estimate in Oklahoma and examined the case characteristics of those persons who experienced a TBI-related death but whose death certificate did not reflect a TBI. Methods. Data from Oklahoma's vital statistics multiple-cause-of-death database and from the Oklahoma Injury Surveillance System database were analyzed for TBI deaths that occurred during 2002. Cases were defined using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ICD-10 code case definition. In multivariate analysis using a logistic regression model, we examined the association of case characteristics and the absence of a death certificate for persons who experienced a TBI-related death. Results. Overall, sensitivity of death certificate-based surveillance was 78%. The majority (62%) of missed cases were due to listing "multiple trauma" as the cause of death. Death certificate surveillance was more likely to miss TBI-related deaths among traffic crashes, falls, and persons aged ≥65 years. After adding missed cases to cases captured by death certificate surveillance, traffic crashes surpassed firearm fatalities as the leading external cause of TBI-related death. Conclusions. Death certificate surveillance underestimated TBI-related death in Oklahoma and might lead to national underreporting. More accurate and detailed completion of death certificates would result in better estimates of the burden of TBI-related death. Educational efforts to improve death certificate completion could substantially increase the accuracy of mortality statistics.


The present work describes the morphological distance of a cranium between specimens of Castor fiber from neolithic period and contemporary specimens which live in the same region of Poland. Two well-pre - served skulls of eolithic beavers and 32 skulls of contemporary beavers were available. In order to compare the skulls, first the age of the animals was estimated followed by 22 measurements of each skull. o n the basis of Principal Components Analysis it was found that the skull in the beaver changes its dimensions with age. Moreover, a strong positive allometry was found of the external sagittal crest in relation to age. The other craniometric features showed negative allometry. The PCA method also made it possible to determine that the skull of a 3-year old neolithic beaver is as big as skulls of 4- to 5-year old contemporary ones. The skull of the second neolithic beaver, a 5-year old, is the largest among skulls of contemporary beavers in its age group.


The cause of the illegal action of damaging international civil aviation is impersonalism and has some societal origins. It appears to damage the order of airfield and aircraft,seize aircraft,put exploder,etc. Maybe the aircraft is regarded as a weapon,for example the event of "9·11" in America. They pose great threat to the international society,which need international efforts to prevent and crack down. Now the international society has constituted a series of international conventions to prevent and punish the illegal act of damaging international civil aviation.They prescribe that this illegal act is a kind of international crime,and prescribe the relevant accusations,the execution of jurisdiction,prosecution and extradition. It will further international cooperation in punishing the illegal action of damaging international civil aviation. China is one of the contracting parties of international conventions,our domestic penal law has prescribed how to punish the crime about the illegal action of damaging international civil aviation,but it still have some problem in linking with the international conventions,so further improvement is needed.


Since ancient times,"moon",as a theme of musical art,has been given a connotation with loftiness,delicacy,harmony and beauty.This paper compares Autumn Moon Over the Lake and Moon in Erquan Spring to dig out the connotation of feelings.


Heart rate variability can be evaluated by Poincaré plot. Its parameter SD1 describes short-term variability which is mainly caused by respiratory sinus arrhythmia, whereas SD2 describes long-term variability. Ischemia is believed to affect non-autonomic mechanism of the heart and as a result of it also HRV. However not only this mechanism is responsible for HRV changes, because ischemia affects both parameters significantly even in isolated denervated hearts. Both parameters - SD1 and SD2 - show lower values in ischemic phases of experiment than in reperfusion ones. Shape of Poincaré plot's attractor has a form of line both in ischemic and reperfusion periods; however in reperfusion phases of experiment the attractor is longer.


Aim: To understand the infection status of HBV among university freshmen.Method: By investigating the infection status of HBV among the freshmen from a university during Year 2002-2004.Results: HBV infection is 12.70%,and the HBV affected rate is 1.11%.The highest infection rate occurred in the 19-year-old group.The infection patterns are mainly Pattern 145 and 135.The most common pattern among sufferers is Pattern 135.Conclusion: 1).The infection rate is at a relatively high level for a group of students investigated in this study;2).The university should suspend and quarantine the patients with positive HBsAg and increasing ALT,in order to control the infection source;3).The university should centralize the HBV patients and at the same time provide them with health education and counseling.4).Protect sensitive population and provide immunity of HBV vaccine,interdict the transmission of HBV among university students and hence decrease the infection rate.


Chlorine has nine isotopes whose mass numbers range from 32 to 40, but only three of these occur naturally. The remaining six have half-lives shorter than 1 hour, and this is why they do not occur in nature. The three abundant isotopes of chlorine include two stable isotopes, chlorine-35 and chlorine-37, with 75.53% and 24.47% abundances, respectively, and one radioactive isotope, chlorine-36, with a half-life of 301,000 ± 2000 years (some references ± 4000 years). The natural mixture of these three isotopes makes up environmental chlorine.

Weapon testing of fusion devices starting in late 1952 and extending through mid-1958 has led to the production of up to 70,000 atoms m−2 s−1. Chlorine-36 produced by this phenomenon is used as a marker to age-date young groundwaters that are less than 50 years old.

Keywords:

Great Artesian Basin (GAB) of Australia;
production of chlorine-36;
accelerator mass spectometer (AMS);
initial value problem;
Murray Group Limestone of Australia;
groundwater in the United States;
chlorine-36 isotopes;
atoms per liter


Summary form only given. Modern image compression standards such as JPEG 2000 are only defined to operate on integer data and, thus, they pose a problem if data need compressing. The typical way to handle floating point data is to do an initial quantization. This approach allows standard techniques to be used on the quantized data and may be acceptable to researchers due to the irreversible data loss. Another compression approach is through the use of strictly lossless methods such as LZW based techniques. The disadvantages of this approach include low compression ratios, no capability for lossy compression, and low flexibility of the compressed data stream. Extensions to the JPEG2000 standard were proposed that allow efficient floating point data coding. These extensions have the advantage of maintaining desirable properties of JPEG2000, including flexible embedded bit streams, lossy and lossless compression image scalability. Bit plane coding is needed for an overall floating point algorithm and can be applied when acceptable wavelet and color transforms are derived. The derivation of the floating point bit plane coding algorithms considers only the narrow problem of JPEG2000. The proposed approach for bit plane coding represents floating point values as "big integers" and codes these integers directly as in JPEG2000. A separate eligibility pass every several bit planes was introduced to lower the number of coefficients coded in each coding pass resulting in improved efficiency.


A new compliant platform concept for deepwater drilling and production is presented. Like an articulated platform it derives its stiffness from the large buoyancy provided near the sea surface, but it does not use any mechanical articulation. Instead rotational compliance is achieved by the design of the pile foundation system. The principles underlying the design of the various components of this structure are discussed, using as an illustration a structure with a total deck load of 30,000 tonnes for a water depth of 350 m in a northern North Sea field.


Summary. Human erythrocytes from healthy male donors were fractionated with respect to in vivo age by simple centrifugation in order to characterize changes in the functional integrity of the membrane during the life‐span of the cell. The three enzymes, Na/K‐ATPase, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and NADH‐ferricyanide reductase, were found not to change with age, but significant age‐dependent decreases were observed in the cases of acetylcholinesterase, phosphoglycerate kinase, purine nucleoside phosphorylase, adenylate kinase, Mg‐ATPase and alkaline phosphatase.


Ferrite and nanocrystalline alloys are the primary magnetic materials of choice for medium and high frequency transformers because of their optimal combination of loss and saturation flux density over a wide frequency range. This paper investigates the advantages and disadvantages of both material options through two approaches. The first approach is the illustration of FEA modeling, considering the advantages and disadvantages of both ferrite and nanocrystalline cores. Leakage loss investigation for more electrically conductive nanocrystalline-based cores compared to ferrite cores, has been validated analytically and numerically in this approach. The second approach pursues design comparisons via a trade study based on analytical models chosen to show the contrasting details at the component level. This paper seeks to provide insights on core selection at different operating frequencies with an emphasis on ensuring acceptable temperature rise.


Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world while its pathological mechanisms are not well-elucidated. LncRNA has been implicated in cancer development. The dysregulation of lncRNA myocardial infarction associated transcript (MIAT) has been reported in several cancers while its role in cervical cancer is not described yet. In the current study, the role of MIAT in cervical cancer was explored. We evaluated the expression of MIAT in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, we explored the effects of MIAT on proliferation and invasion of cervical cancer using cell model and animal transplantation model. We also evaluated the effects of MIAT on activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Our results show that MIAT was up-regulated in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Knocking down MIAT resulted in decreased cell proliferation, migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells, as well as suppression of tumor growth in mice. Mechanically, knocking down MIAT suppressed the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In conclusion, MIAT promotes cell proliferation and invasion in cervical cancer.


The Optical Character Recognition (OCR) process means the transition from examined primer or written images to a machine- adjudged document. The American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) in cognitive processing uses OCR. The challenge is two primary clans word segmentation by letters and character recognition. Apply a new approach to include the two functions by Scale-Invariant Transforming Feature (SIFT) descriptors. To compare SIFT descriptors (RootSIFT), construct a new procedure, that offers outstanding results without accelerating calculation or repository conditions. In order to identify English characters, proposed system suggests that the reverse propagation neural network for bracket of character be employed. Conducted trials with further than 10 expedients aimed for every character and tried the delicacy for numerical figures, map letters, small letters, and alphanumeric symbols. The interpretation analysis of optimized neural network algorithm has attained an outside.


his paper consolidated apparently different areas of research and application involving multistage interconnection networks. It showed that the previously implemented barrel shifter (Illiac IV) and flip network (Staran) were special cases of a general case of interconnection network, and that the general case covered a wide range of other interconnection networks. The class of graphs describing these networks has been studied in Graph Theory, and several practical interconnection networks in this family have been built. Nevertheless, considerable work is yet to be done in both the theoretical and the practical exploration of " Banyan Graphs " and " Banyan Interconnection Networks. " I remain optimistic that further research into both the theoretical and practical aspects of this research will someday lead to superior parallel computers.


Aimed to examine the prediction from the optimal diet model of classical foraging theory,i.e.,female wasps prefer to lay eggs on most suitable hosts for the development of their offspring,a test experiment was conducted,taking Meteorus pulchricornis and its natural hosts Spodoptera litura and Mythimna separata larvae as test objects. To control the confounding effects of host body size and age,female M. pulchricornis was exposed to the larvae of the two host species with similar body size and same age,each at three levels. The results showed that M. pulchricornis preferred M. separate to S. litura in terms of the number of ovipositor-drilling and parasitization rate as measured by pupation rate. However,the offspring from S. litura was larger than that from M. separata as measured by the weight of cocoons and the hind tibia length of emerged adults. No significant difference was observed in the longevity of the M. pulchricornis adults from the two host species. A discussion was made on the mismatch between M. pulchricornis oviposition preference and its offspring developmental performances.


India has an age old tradition of growing flowers for various aspects. Introduction of green house technology for cultivation of cut flowers in India in the recent past years has changed the scenario of Indian floriculture. Huge capital investment has been made by the growers for the production of cut flowers meant to be 100 per cent export oriented. Among the cut flowers grown in India primarily for export, rose tops the area grown under protected conditions and there exists a fierce competition in the international flower market (Kumar et al., 2012 and Makwana et al., 2015). Hence, there is a need to develop good hybrids/ varieties by hybridization programme in rose. Rose breeding programmes in the twentieth century focused mainly on introduction of new flower colours, thornless stems, higher production and a good post-harvest performance. Yet, the fertility of cut roses, typically tetraploid (2n=2x=28) hybrid tea roses, is frequently reduced probably due to their interspecific origin but also due to intensive inbreeding (Debeneret al.,2000). To avoid the risk of very low seed production, breeders hybridise using high pollen loads of a limited number of male parents with the desired characteristics (Zlesak, 2006), chosen for their known fertility (ie., number of seeds produced per hybridization). Pollen donors and female parents represent an economic risk for a breeding programme, as their influence on seed production is unknown. However, generating wider populations in terms of number of seedlings is only one of the aspects that contribute to the overall efficiency of a breeding programme. The successful introduction of new parents into a breeding programme depends on its potential to transmit the desired traits to the offspring. It may be more efficient in some cases to choose a parent with moderate fertility if it produces offspring with a higher rate of advanced selections and ultimately, cultivars. In any case, recognizing parameters related to fertility could increase the overall efficiency of a breeding programme (Luca et al., 2011, Lakhotia et al., 2012, Peng Hua et al., 2012 and Ahmadi et al., 2013). Several studies concerning pollen quality in vitro (germination and pollen tube elongation) or in vivo (considering the hip set or the mean number of seeds per hip) were carried out with the aim of improving sexual reproduction of roses (Zlesaket al., 2007, Luca et al., 2011, Lakhotia et al., 2012, Peng Hua et al., 2012 and Ahmadi et al., 2013). No studies carried out on roses have focused on the screening of breeding databases to aid the individuation of fertility marker characters for identifying the suitable pollen and female parent for hybridization (Luca et al., 2011). Keeping in view the above facts the present study was undertaken to study the pollen and stigma characteristics and correlating the data with hybridization characteristics.


Charlotte Nymberg, M.Sc., is a doctural student, and Gunter Schumann, M.D., is a professor and chair of biological psychiatry at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre (SGDP), Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, United Kingdom. The risk for alcohol dependence throughout development is determined by both genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors that are thought to modulate this risk act on neurobiological pathways regulating reward, impulsivity, and stress responses. For example, genetic variations in pathways using the brain signaling molecule (i.e., neurotransmitter) dopamine, which likely mediate alcohol's rewarding effects, and in two hormonal systems involved in the stress response (i.e., the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and the corticotropin-releasing factor system) affect alcoholism risk. This liability is modified further by exposure to environmental risk factors, such as environmental stress and alcohol use itself, and the effects of these factors may be enhanced in genetically vulnerable individuals. The transition from alcohol use to dependence is the result of complex interactions of genes, environment, and neurobiology, which fluctuate throughout development. Therefore, the relevant genetic and environmental risk factors may differ during the different stages of alcohol initiation, abuse, and dependence. The complex interaction of these factors is yet to be fully elucidated, and translational studies, ranging from animal studies to research in humans, and well-characterized longitudinal studies are necessary to further understand the development of alcohol dependence.


This book is scrappy on philosophy in the narrow sense, so that it will not supplant de Boer. What is said about Ash'ari is traditional, that he defended Sunni doctrine with arguments supplied by the Mu'tazila, and no attention is paid to recent doubts about this story. It accepts without question the Shi'a estimate of the importance of the imams. That 'Ali "of all the Companions could advance towards God by the strength of his intelligence in the search for knowledge" is a surprising over-valuation of that second-rate person. Later developments of speculation are ascribed to the earliest imams. The author seems to believe that Suhrawardi has found the answers to all questions though no scientist could accept his cosmology which is bound up with his concept of God. Did his early Persian sages ever exist ? The bibliography fills 15 pages and the index is good.


In an Emergency Room setting there is the pressure to make rapid, often critical decisions with incomplete information and this has a significant impact on care. However, it is difficult to provide high-quality, maximally safe, and efficient care in the Emergency Room. Information technology has the great potential for transforming the health care system, improving quality of care by providing the right information at the right time, to the right persons. This paper focuses on the expected impact of Information Systems and technology on the Emergency Room of Centro Hospitalar do Porto – Hospital de Santo António, Portugal.


The aim study was to determine whether the different experts in the kindergarten differ, compared to the experience of team efficiency in relation to their profession (teachers opposed to professional associates), with respect to the age group they belong to and their work experience. We examined a sample of 401 participants, average age 42,669,56 years, educators, and professional associates (psychologists, pedagogues, speech therapists, special education teachers, health managers) in the kindergartens of Zagreb, using the Questionnaire experience effectiveness of teamwork in the kindergarten. We have identified one factors of difference in perception of team effectiveness in relation to the profession (teachers opposed to professional associates – differences are significant in all the dimensions), as same as in the experience of team effectiveness with respect to the age group (difference is significant in the dimension personal impact). However, we didn't found significant factors of differences in the experience of team effectiveness for the work experience.


The problems in the current office automation construction of college administration are analyzed from the aspects of the ideological understanding,management systems,planning and construction and human resources.It is proposed that office automation construction of college administration needs to improve the attention of leaders,unify the thoughts,establish and improve the system applicable to the office automation of college administration,adjust the proportion of hardware and software,focus on the secondary software development,strengthen the training of talents for office automation,increase investment in the training of office automation,improve the quality of administrative staff and implement office automation in college administration step by step according to the plan.


The Rio de la Plata was one of the most disputed regions in the Atlantic world among Portuguese, Spanish, and indigenous groups, and it was an area of interest for the British and French. Despite geopolitical disputes over the north bank of the Rio de la Plata, Portuguese Colonia do Sacramento, and Spanish Buenos Aires and Montevideo formed an important port complex where powerful networks of trade, religion, and family connected subjects of the Spanish and the Portuguese empires. Colonia do Sacramento and Montevideo became important Atlantic ports that connected the region to Europe, Africa, and other regions in the Americas. This article examines the social, economic and political dynamics in the Rio de la Plata, focusing on the role of port cities as centers of trans-imperial interaction that not only connected subjects of both Spanish and Portuguese empires but also linked the region to the broader Atlantic world.


The photodesorption activity of porous Vycor glass in the formation of propan-2-ol from surface isopropoxide increases with increasing emission at 345 nm, and arises from the excited state of surface OH groups.


A model of the C class airship hull, when severed at its major section and provided with a cylindric mid-body of variable length, had its air resistance increased about in proportion to the length of the mid-body up to 3 diameters, and in about the manner to be expected from the increase of skin friction on this variable length. For greater length the drag increased less and less rapidly.


In this podcast, we are joined by Dr. Joey Fredrick to tackle the question 'Is sluggish cognitive tempo associated with circadian preference, sleep, and daytime sleepiness in adolescence?'. Joey is the first author of a paper on this topic published in the JCPP.


Terahertz Raman spectroscopy is presented as a technique with promising new directions. We report the possibility of characterizing electron–lattice phonon coupling, disorder and correlation length in systems of low-dimensionality.


The Mapuche are an Indian tribe spread over Chile and Argentina who have suffered from the appropriation of their lands by the state. The latest court case decided in June 2011 by the Supreme Court of Santiago adjudged under the National Security Act 1984 enforced the anti-terrorism law against the protestors who had been demanding environmental rights. This draconian legislation was drafted under martial law and is part of a framework that was introduced in an emergency imposed between 1972–1998 in Chile. It led to the suppression of protest on environmental rights and the disenfranchisement of the Mapuche. The tribe has been protesting against the breach of accords signed with the government and the management of their lands. It has led to court cases that have not yet served a precedence that the tribe can rely on for the preservation of their lands. As the land based protest gathers momentum the enforcement of the anti-terrorist law is causing grave concern due to its breach of fundamental rights of due process. It invites an examination of whether the Chilean state is breaching the international covenants and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007. In order for the human rights of the Mapuche to be respected the Chilean government has to repeal the laws that were enacted under the dictatorship, and furthermore there has to be a recognition of the customs and legal pluralism that will allow an alternative dispute mechanism which restores the cultural framework of the indigenous people.


Simple Summary Human hepatitis C virus causes contagious liver disease hepatitis C, which is broadly spread around the globe. Infection with this virus causes an inflammation of the liver that leads to both acute and chronic hepatitis, which, if left untreated, often results in the development of serious lifelong illnesses such as liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and end-stage liver disease in humans. Toll-like receptors are a class of pattern recognition receptors that exist in liver parenchymal cells and various immune cells, and play an important role in the liver immune system by initiating multiple cellular downstream pathways in response to the recognition of pathogens such as hepatitis C virus. Proteins from the hepatitis C virus, Toll-like receptors themselves, and proteins from the pathways they activate are multifunctional. Since protein multifunctionality is commonly associated with intrinsic disorder (i.e., lack of stable 3D structures), we used an intrinsic disorder angle to examine the interplay between the hepatitis C virus infection and signaling pathways induced by Toll-like receptors. We show that almost all of these proteins contained noticeable levels of disorder, indicating that intrinsic disorder is prominently utilized in virus–host warfare. Abstract In this study, we examined the interplay between protein intrinsic disorder, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and signaling pathways induced by Toll-like receptors (TLRs). To this end, 10 HCV proteins, 10 human TLRs, and 41 proteins from the TLR-induced downstream pathways were considered from the prevalence of intrinsic disorder. Mapping of the intrinsic disorder to the HCV-TLR interactome and to the TLR-based pathways of human innate immune response to the HCV infection demonstrates that substantial levels of intrinsic disorder are characteristic for proteins involved in the regulation and execution of these innate immunity pathways and in HCV-TLR interaction. Disordered regions, being commonly enriched in sites of various posttranslational modifications, may play important functional roles by promoting protein–protein interactions and support the binding of the analyzed proteins to other partners such as nucleic acids. It seems that this system represents an important illustration of the role of intrinsic disorder in virus–host warfare.


When attached to surfaces, aggregated microorganisms (predominantly bacteria) and their extracellular polymeric substances are commonly known as biofilms. They are ubiquitous in nature and its formation is part of a strategy that bacteria use in order to survive in hostile environments. Although biofilms play crucial roles in many processes (biodegradation of environmental pollutants or the microbial balance within the human body), they are often unwanted and cause serious problems in the food, biomedical, environmental and industrial fields. Biofilms can lead to increase in the costs of production and equipment maintenance, as well as to public health and environmental concerns and impacts.


This paper represents part of a study on the thermoregulatory responses of nesting sea birds to natural environmental conditions. The investigations were conducted on Midway Island. Our previous publications (Howell and Bartholomew, 1961a, 1961b) have dealt with Laysan and Black-footed albatrosses (Diomedea immutabilis and D. nigripes), Bonin Island Petrels (Pterodroma hypoleuca), and Wedge-tailed and Christmas Island shearwaters (Pufinus pacificus and P. nativitatis). Bailey (1956) gives a useful account of the natural history of these and other species found on Midway. In the course of visits to Midway Island in June and July, 1959 and 1960, we were able to obtain data on thermoregulation in the Red-tailed Tropic Bird (Phaethon rubricauda) and the Red-footed Booby (Sula sula). Aside from the work of Probine and Wodzicki (1955) on the Gannet (Sula bassana) and that of Bartholomew, Dawson, and O'Neill (1953) and Bartholomew and Dawson (1954) on pelicans (Pelecanus), we know of no quantitative studies on thermoregulation in pelecaniform birds.


Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with ammonia is a well-proven technique for NOx removal and it is very effective in NOx reduction with an efficient up to 98%. However, the current SCR catalyst has a limitation on operation temperature and a narrow operation temperature window. The paper presents the results of a study on catalyst Cu Supported on ceramic honeycomb substrate to investigate the low temperature performance of exiting SCR systems. The study also includes preparation, activity tests and characterization of the selected catalysts, as well as the effects of H 2 O, GHSV and calcinations temperature on the activity of the catalysts in ammonia selective catalytic reduction reaction with an excess of oxygen. Results show that an effective conversion of NOx can be achieved a temperature range of 200degC to 350degC by using Cu-Ni-Ce catalyst with ammonia as the reductant.


This paper expounds the concrete methods for presenting the budget of hydrology system department, and in the light of the problems existing in the budget presentation of the department, advances some corresponding suggestions.


Background: Methotrexate is used in several heterogenic inflammatory and malignant disorders but life-sustaining liver organ is inevitably predisposed to damage by it. Carvedilol demonstrates anti-oxidant characteristic. The objective of this study was to explore the probable hepatic benefit it might provide when used concomitantly with methotrexate in rats. Methods: It was a laboratory-based randomized control trial done with collaborated effort of Pharmacology and Pathology Department, Army Medical College Rawalpindi along with National Institute of Health Islamabad, from March to July 2018. A total of 18 Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups with 6 rats each. Untreated Group-I served as standard. On 7th and 14th day, 20 mg/Kg intraperitoneal methotrexate injection was given to rats in Group-II, while Group-III received carvedilol (10 mg/Kg/day) per-orally throughout with methotrexate intervention in-between. Blood was drawn for evaluation of liver function tests after giving chloroform anaesthesia on 15th day and later sacrificed for collection of liver samples for the assessment of histopathological changes and oxidative stress induction measured by glutathione and malondialdehyde levels. Results were analysed on SPSS-22 using independent t-test and one-way ANOVA for quantitative analysis and histological changes were interpreted via Chi-square test. Results: Methotrexate caused significant elevation of liver enzymes and histoarchitectural damage with concurrent glutathione depletion and malondialdehyde extension. Carvedilol brought significant fading of these detrimental changes. Conclusion: Carvedilol can cause attenuation of methotrexate-induced hepatotoxicity predominantly by its anti-oxidant quality thereby preserving the normal histoarchitecture as well as reducing deleterious alterations in liver enzymes, glutathione and malonaldehyde levels.


an even more anterior cause of this symptom, lid myokymia. A 36-year-old physician began to note intermittent vertical diplopia with vertical oscillation of one of the images. The oscillation was of small amplitude and fairly rapid. The entire spell would last less than 5 to 20 seconds. He also noted that there was always a repetitive twitching of the upper lid during the episodes. He is a long-time wearer of contact lenses and noted that when he was not wearing the lenses the twitching of the lid would occur as frequently but without any associated diplopia or oscillopsia. It appears that the movement of the lid caused an oscillation of the contact lens and a secondary unilateral oscillopsia. Lid myokymia in a contact lens wearer is thus presented as a still more anterior cause of unilateral oscillopsia. Although this and lens subluxation are benign causes, they point out that the diagnosis of superior oblique myokymia can no longer be made purely on the basis of a history of monocular oscillopsia, but requires elimination of other possible causes. Superior oblique myokymia may well remain a "telephone diagnosis," but it now seems to require at least a few additional questions about the patient's past and present ocular condition.


Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is used to measure the birefringence properties of bovine intervertebral disc and equine flexor tendon. For equine tendon the birefringence Δn is (6.0 ± 0.2) × 10−3 at a wavelength of 1.3 µm. This is somewhat larger than the values reported for bovine tendon. The surface region of the annulus fibrosus of a freshly excised intact bovine intervertebral disc displays an identical value of birefringence, Δn = (6.0 ± 0.6) × 10−3 at 1.3 µm. The nucleus pulposus does not display birefringence, the measured apparent value of Δn = (0.39 ± 0.01) × 10−3 being indistinguishable from the effects of depolarization due to multiple scattering. A clear difference is found between the depth-resolved retardance of equine tendon and that of bovine intervertebral disc. This apparently relates to the lamellar structure of the latter tissue, in which the collagen fibre orientation alternates between successive lamellae. A semi-empirical model based on Jones calculus shows that the measurements are in reasonable agreement with previous optical and x-ray data. These results imply that PS-OCT could be a useful tool to study collagen organization within the intervertebral disc in vitro and possibly in vivo and its variation with applied load and disease.


In this paper, a new distributed fiber optic sensor system based on dual sensing directions by polarization optical time-domain reflectometer (POTDR) is proposed. Using a single POTDR scheme, the system is able to detect signals in the forward direction and backward direction simultaneously. It can detect more perturbations applied on the fiber simultaneously than a traditional POTDR. It can also improve the positioning accuracy of POTDR by judging the perturbations from both directions. The proposed method is cost effective and has good potential in the application of intrusion monitoring.


Relatively little has been written about the social, economic and political dynamics and relationships that are engendered through Paleo culture. Examining the tensions within and between the 'Paleo Diet' principles and practices reveals the application of a technical solution to a structural problem: power dynamics created at an individual and group level by the Paleo culture reveals an emergent food classism rooted in socio-economic and racialized inequalities. Participation in and adherence to the Paleo lifestyle (or the inability to do so) creates particular types of social subjects and subjectivities based on the implicit moralization of food and consumption practices. While the Paleo Diet reflects millenarian apprehensions about the state of the contemporary world and concerns with global food quality and food insecurity, it is dependent on and exacerbates the socio-economic dynamics and marginalizing practices of a global food regime that it seeks to critique and abandon.


The effect of using sugarcane molasses and whey powder to prepare succinic acid by the fermentation of Actinobacillus succinogenes NJ113 was investigated.When the concentration of glucose was 40 g/L,the production of succinic acid reached to 26.04 g/L,and which was 28.27 g/L when using the same concentration of molasses as carbon source.It indicates that the production of succinic acid using sugarcane molasses was improved by 8.57%.When whey powder and extract yeast was used as nitrogen source,the optimal concentrations of whey powder and extract yeast were 8 g/L and 2 g/L respectively.With 40 g/L molasses,8 g/L whey powder and 2 g/L yeast powder in a 3 L fermenter,the production of succinic acid was 32.54 g/L and the yield of succinic acid reached to 81.13%.


The effects of temperature on micro-hardness,depositing velocity,corrosion resistance,microstructure and morphology of the electroless plated Ni-P coatings on AZ31 magnesium were analyzed.The results revealed that the depositing temperature was an important parameter which influenced the coating performance greatly.The coatings with properties of bright surface,uniform and dense structure,strong adhesion with substrate,good corrosion resistance and so on were obtained when the depositing temperature was 85~90℃.


Atrial cardiopathy is a rare entity. It is a risk factor for persistent and undiagnosed atrial brillation. Atrial cardiopathy is known to cause many neurological illness. It can cause a stroke. Several studies have come up hypothesizing and highlighting the existence of atrial cardiopathy as an etiological cause of cryptogenic stroke. We reviewed the literature for the utility of direct oral anti-coagulants in prevention of stroke associated with atrial cardiopathy.


Recently reported measurements of specific heat on the compound Mn-formate di-Urea by Takeda et al. [Phys. Rev. B 63, 024425 (2001)] are considered. As a model to describe the overall thermodynamic behavior of such a compound, the easy-axis two-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet is proposed and studied by means of the pure quantum self-consistent harmonic approximation. In particular, it is shown that when the temperature decreases, the compound exhibits a crossover from two-dimensional (2D) Heisenberg to 2D-Ising behavior, followed by a 2D-Ising-type phase transition, whose location allows one to get a reliable estimate of the easy-axis anisotropy driving the transition itself. Below the critical temperature TN=3.77 K, the specific heat is well described by the two-dimensional easy-axis model down to a temperature T*=1.57 K, where a T3 law sets in, possibly marking a low-temperature crossover of magnetic fluctuations from two to three dimensions.


Here in New York, we have a little Senate race going on. Even so, due to a strange convergence of events, most of the population, including Stack, have decided not to move to Iowa but to sit the campaign out, hoping the rhetoric blows over by apple‐picking season. Lately, we've been hearing a lot about what the two candidates are for. They tell us they are for children, for education, and for the future. As if anyone is actually against children et al. Stack had a similar reaction when facing this set of books. Customers? Who in business is against them?


Social science data are often subject to measurement error, and nearly all methods of statistical computing can yield inaccurate results under some combinations of data and model specification. This is an issue of practical concern – since our previous work and that of others, demonstrates that published analyses are affected with surprising frequency [Altman et al., 2003, 2005, McCullough and Vinod, 1999, Altman and McDonald, 2002, 2003]. Unfortunately, most practitioners ignore even routine numerical issues in statistical computing. This is in contrast to some scientific and engineering disciplines, which require assessments of the accuracy of both data and results.1 A simple example (below), using generated data, shows how numeric issues can affect even seemingly simple calculations. Consider the calculation of a variable's dispersion: In R, the function sd returns the 'sample standard deviation', but does not provide an option to return the 'population standard deviation'.2 The three functions below compute this quantity. The first two functions are direct implementations of textbook formulas, and the third simply adjusts the results of the sd function. For example, publication in any of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics journals requires that


INTRODUCTION Treaties have been concluded from the moment there were entities of whom it could be said that they engaged in international relations, and have been concluded in a variety of forms. It is well documented that the ancient Greek city states concluded treaties with each other on such things as access to courts or treatment of prisoners of war, while the Louvre museum in Paris has on display the so-called Amarna letters, pieces of correspondence (chiselled on stone tablets) from the fourteenth century BCE by the rulers of Syria and Palestine to pharaoh Amenophis IV (better known perhaps as Akhenaton, husband of Nefertiti). It was quickly discovered that such agreements are best considered as somehow giving rise to binding obligations: pacta sunt servanda. Anything else would have been counterproductive; there is little point in concluding agreements if the premise is that no binding force will ensue. The rule pacta sunt servanda is thereby an indispensable rule, a rule of natural law in the sense that without it no system of law can be conceived.1 Still, binding as treaties may be, for a long time it was thought expedient to underline the binding force of treaties by practical means. A particularly gruesome guarantee was the exchange of 'witnesses'; individuals were held hostage until such time as the treaty had been performed. More innocent was the practice of invoking the help of higher powers; for a long time, treaty-making was formalized by means of an oath. Over time, a number of rules grew and crystallized concerning the making of treaties, their effects and application, their validity, and their termination. These rules formed the basis of the drafting of the 1969 VCLT which, on its entry into force in 1980, to a large extent reflected customary international law, albeit with the addition of a few salient novelties, such as the notion of jus cogens – peremptory norms from which no derogation was permitted. The Vienna Convention, therewith, has become the leading instrument on the law of treaties, even though it limits its scope to treaties concluded between states. Treaties concluded between international organizations (or between a state and an international organization) are governed by the terms of the 1986 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties with or between International Organizations.


The utility model aims to provide an ultrahigh frequency RFID reader module and solve the technical problems of simplifying the structure and reducing the cost. The utility model adopts the following technical proposal that: the ultrahigh frequency RFID reader module comprises a microwave radio frequency circuit, a baseband processing circuit and a power supply circuit, wherein the microwave radio frequency circuit is formed by a transmitting circuit and a receiving circuit. Compared with the prior art, the utility model adopts an integrated circuit chip and a modular structure, and has small volume and low cost, the working frequency band is 860 to 960 MHz, the reading and writing functions accord with an electronic tag of ISO18000-6B/6C protocol, and the reading and writing distance is more than 1.2 meters, and the modules can be conveniently embedded into various products by external interface units.


This substantial book does two jobs. It undertakes the first full textual study of Welsh genealogical literature in the Middle Ages, and it provides a new critical edition of the most important texts. In the second of these roles it replaces Peter Bartrum's Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts (1966), the workhorse on which everyone relied till now. In the first role, however, it has no predecessor. Bartrum offered only a modest commentary and apparatus. That cannot be said of Ben Guy's book. The task of reviewing this imposing volume calls to mind a certain early Welsh poem in which an inferior warrior takes on the hero, like 'a shrew that scrabbled against a cliffside.'


Using immunohistochemical technique,the cell bodies and fiber terminals of 13peptidergic neurons-vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP)-,cholecystokinin(CCK)-,corticotropin releasing factor(CRF)-,neurotensin(NT)-,galanin(GAL)-,substance P(SP)-,somatostatin(SOM)-,calcitonin gene related peptide(CGRP)-,α-melanocytestimulating hormone(β-MSH)-,β-endorphin(β-END)-,angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ)-,L-enkephalin(L-ENK)-,and M-enkephalin(M-ENK)-immunohistochemical reactive(IR)neurons were studied and the pattern of distribution of these peptidergic neurons inthe amygdaloid nucleus(AMYG)and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis(BST)of therat was compared.Some similarities of the distribution of these peptidergic neurons in thesubdivisions of the AMYG and BST were observed.The peptidergic neurons in the ante-rior part of BST are similar to those in the central amygdaloid nucleus and in the medialamygdaloid nucleus,and the peptidergic neurons in the posterior part of BST are similarto those in the lateral and basal amygdaloid nucleus.


Earthquake has always endangered cities. This article mainly focuses on the question "whether seismic damages could be diminished through the presentation a preventive operational pattern dealing with physical and nonphysical features of civil defense". Tehran, the most populous metropolis among Iranian cities is to the south of Alborz mountain range, located on potentially dangerous fault- lines. By Civil Defense Emergency Management (CDEM) preventive guidelines in a part of district 10 of Tehran, within the Ray fault's danger zone, it is recommended that the earthquake vulnerability zoning plot of the area be compiled and accordingly, operational solutions encompassing organizing open spaces, redistributing and re-allocating land uses, enhancing relocating disaster management centers to more commanding locations are offered to be implemented within the physical structure of the area. The IHWP method and the Raster Calculator tool in GIS have been used for compiling the zoning of earthquake vulnerability.


The present invention relates to a circuit device suitable for carrying out the method, and the methods for protecting the electric motor 10 and / or a control circuit 12 from an overload in the emergency operating mode. The process according to the invention and the circuit device is in particular a direct current of a vehicle operated by a pulse width modulation - used to protect the fan motor, the control circuit to detect the micro-controller 16 and the over-voltage connection in front of the motor output stage 22 for the emergency control unit is formed as including a comparator device 14. Actions according to the present invention, when activated, the emergency control unit due to the interference of the normal control circuit 12 when the battery voltage is increased, and the electric motor 10 at the same time ensures an overload protection. At least one over-voltage threshold value (U An electric motor, a control circuit, a motor output end, a microcontroller, a comparator device.


To solve the problems of the excessive diffusion and the equation aberrance caused by inaccurate parameters which often appear in the use of the traditional PM(Perona-Malik)filtering model to deal with sonar images,this paper proposes an image denoising method called MAR-PM in combination with partial differential equation and MAR(Multi-scale AutoRegressive).First,MAR is used to obtain a series of multi-scale images.Then,the PM method is adopted to filter the images on every scale so as to predict the finest-scale image.Using the predicted image as priori information,it is possible to denoise the original image by PM filtering.Finally,the PSNR value is used to evaluate the effect of the method.The experiment result indicates that the method can eliminate the sonar image noises better in a shorter time than any other traditional methods,so that it will have a good prospect of engineering application.


To ensure equitable development for all the regions of Rwanda and to limit migration into and prevent congestion of Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, the Rwandan government has embarked on the development of secondary cities. Consequently, there is the need to provide affordable and safe buildings in the proposed secondary cities. This study investigated the feasibility of using reinforced masonry bricks (RBM) for constructing buildings in the Rwandan secondary city in Muhanga District as an alternative to using reinforced concrete (RC) presently in use in the Kigali based on the availability of clay as the raw material for the production of masonry bricks needed for RBM. Questionnaires were administered and interviews were conducted to establish the level of acceptance of RBM for constructing building in Muhanga. The comparison of the costs of construction building using RBM and RC and the other advantages of RBM over RC for constructing buildings the Rwandan secondary city in Muhanga District are presented.


Introduction. The area to which the present paper refers is a tract of country, roughly triangular in shape, which lies between the rivers Dee and Don and extends inland for a distance of about twenty miles from the city of Aberdeen. It is shown on Sheets 76 and 77 of the 1-inch to the mile map of the Geological Survey of Scotland. Previous accounts of the geology of the district are few in number and somewhat general in character; a brief description is given in Sheet Memoir 76 of the Geological Survey of Scotland; G. Barrow has described certain granitic intrusions on the southern margin (1),1 and W. Mackie has referred to heavy minerals from certain of the rocks; there are, moreover, a number of collections in the University of Aberdeen, and a summary of information regarding the intrusive history of the region is given by Hatch and Wells (10). The investigations carried out by the writer have been conducted at intervals over a number of years, and it is hoped that this account will arouse interest in an area which has not yet received the attention which it deserves, and clear the way for investigation by more detailed means. The elements which together form the geology of the area are, principally, a complex intrusion of irregular outline comprising diorites and hornblende-granites, porphyritic biotite-granite, and more acid muscovite-biotite-granite, together with a number of transition rocks and minor intrusions of variable composition which is referred to as the Skene Complex; and


"Kings, Saints, and Nuns: Gender, Religion, and Authority in the Reign of Henry V." This article examines the versatility of female saints and holy women as sources of politically valuable symbolic capital in later medieval England. In particular, it explores the significance of the Virgin Mary, Saint Birgitta of Sweden, and the foundation of the Brigittine house of Syon in Lancastrian efforts to legitimate Henry V's authority as king of England and France. Analysis of a 1415 London pageant, the foundation charter of Syon, and the Brigittine Myroure of Oure Ladye reveal the simultaneous construction of an "apostolic" identity for Henry as king of England and an "incarnational" identity for him as king of France. Both associate Henry with Christ, although in somewhat contradictory fashions. In the former formulation, the Virgin Mary, Saint Birgitta, and the nuns at Syon intercede for Henry, a priest-king descended from a line of holy English kings-a lineage which, like the apostolic succession, excludes wo...


listed by Dinnes et al. (2002) in a review of strategies for reducing nitrate loss through agricultural drainage. A 400-ha subbasin study within the Walnut Creek watershed near Implementation of the LSNT, based on the NO3-N con- applied. To encourage adoption of the LSNT program for its water quality benefits, we suggest that federal, state, or private agencies implementation of the LSNT in a tile-drained subbasin develop affordable risk insurance or some other financial incentives of the Walnut Creek watershed in central Iowa signifi- to help producers minimize the potential crop risk associated with this cantly reduced N fertilizer application rates and surface program. water nitrate concentrations when compared with two adjacent subbasins where the farmers' standard N man- agementpracticeswereused.Theyconcludedthatwide-


Patent number: 2000-EP11510-2002040073 Reference LPI-PATENT-2002-006Search for this record at the European Patent Office Record created on 2006-02-21, modified on 2017-05-12