The purpose of the study was to establish the effects of teachers' collegiality on learners' academic performance in public secondary schools of Baringo North Sub-County, Kenya. The study employed mixed methods approach which utilized questionnaires and interview schedules. It adopted a descriptive research design in carrying out the study. The target population comprised 27 principals and 216 teachers in the 27 public secondary schools of Baringo North Sub County. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 138 teachers while 24 principals were purposively selected. From these populations, two schools were selected to pilot the research tools where a reliable Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.77 was obtained upon computation. Validity of the research instruments was carried out by the University supervisor and necessary revision done. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from teachers while interview schedule was used to collect qualitative data from principals. Quantitative data were analysed to obtain means, percentages, and standard deviation. Qualitative data on the other hand were analysed and presented thematically alongside the quantitative data. Inferential statistics were run to test the null hypothesis using Pearson's Linear Correlation Coefficient. The findings established that teachers' collegiality influences learners' KCSE academic performance in public secondary schools of Baringo North Sub-County. However, there was a weak positive correlation between teachers' collegiality and learners' academic performance. It also established that though collegiality was not fully practiced there was a strong synergy among teachers to improve learners' performance. The study recommends that teachers need to be supported by headteachers to collaborate to offer the best services to their learners and create more meaningful work. School headteachers should enhance teamwork among teachers to perform their best and staff members should meet or interact regularly, share ideas and expertise to attain higher performance.


This research involves a gilding experiment using plum acid that has previously been reported to restore Geumdongsamjonpanbul excavated from Wolji, Gyeongju. Chromaticity analysis revealed that the yellowness of the samples was high, and the samples treated with acid for more than 10 minutes showed high brightness. SEM studies revealed that the sample subjected to amalgam application and immediate heating was rarely gilded with gold. When the amalgam application time was longer than 36 h, the gold layer observed was uneven. Therefore, the optimum amalgam application time was 12–24 h. EDS analysis showed that mercury content was ~5 wt.% for samples with an acid treatment time of 20 min, lower than that in other samples. Gold gilding was successful for the sample with amalgam application time of 24 h and acid treatment time of 20 min. This sample showed the high-resolution XPS peak corresponding to Au and retains a little Hg compared with the other samples. In other words, experimental and analytical results using plum acid showed that gilding was successful when acid treatment time was 20 min and amalgam application time was 24 h. Based on these results, Geumdongsamjonpanbul excavated from Wolji, Gyeongju can be restored.


The measurement of atmospheric aerosol was made in Seoul during the spring of 1998. The objective of this study was to investigate the chemical characteristics of atmospheric aerosol with an emphasis on the effect of Asian dust. Total suspended particles (TSP) and particles smaller than 10 mm (PM10) were collected during March-


: Comparsion of measuring methods for the involute profile of the spur gear tooth is described in this paper. The gear profile measurement results from the universal toolmakers microscope are compared with the results of use of Zeiss coordinate measuring machine with Gear Pro software and with the results of the theoretical calculation of the reference profile. The proposed measurements methods can be successfully used in quality management of unit production of gear drives.


Purpose: To review the management of posterior segment metallic intraocular foreign bodies (IOFB) and to compare the use of an external approach using a large electromagnet and an internal approach using vitrectomy and its tools for their removal. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 49 eyes of 49 patients who underwent surgical removal of metallic IOFBs with either an internal or an external approach at a single institution between January 2003 and December 2006. We divided 49 eyes into two groups based on the type of approach: 26 external (n=26) and 23 internal (n=23). Visual acuity and the presence of any complications occurring with the two approaches were the main outcome measures studied. Results: Thirty of 49 eyes (61%) showed improvements in visual acuity. When we compared patients treated with an external versus an internal approach, we found no statistically significant difference in regard to visual outcome. Preoperative vitreous hemorrhage and endophthalmitis were more common in the internal approach group. A trend toward a higher rate of reoperation was more common in the external approach group, but they were not statistically significant. Postoperative complications found to be significantly different between the two groups were the rate of postoperative endophthalmitis and retinal detachment, which were more common in the external approach group. Conclusions: Surgical removal of metallic IOFBs results in significant visual improvement regardless of the approach method. The internal approach by vitrectomy is recommended as the first choice in preoperative conditions such as severe cataracts, vitreous hemorrhage and endophthalmitis, as well as in groups at high risk for postoperative endophalmitis and retinal detachment.


Ingeneral, a linear maglevrail systemcontains two sub-systems including maglevandpropulsion systems. Inthis study, anelectromagnetic suspension (EMS)strategy andalinear induction motor(LIM)areutilized forthefundamental levitation andpropulsion forces ofthelinear maglev rail system. However, inherently unstable electromagnetic force andnonlinear attitude control ofthemovingplatform inthemaglevsystemaretwo majorproblemsto be solved. On theotherhand,the corresponding control performance ofthepropulsion systemis easily influenced duetothenormalforce produced bythemaglev system sothatthecoupled dynamic modelofthelinear maglev rail system ishighly nonlinear andtimevarying. Therefore, this studyismainly todesign a linear maglevrailsystemandto analyze itsentire coupled behavior including electromagnetic dynamic, maglevplatform dynamic, and propulsion system dynamic. Inaddition, a proportional-integral-differential (PID) control system isdesigned toachieve thestable balancing ofthe maglev platform inpractical applications.


RNA secondary structure prediction is invaluable in creating new drugs and understanding genetic diseases, in gene expression and regulation. RNA molecules have proven their clinically consequential deep inroads into the biological functions. Needless to mention about the role of even small RNA's with numerous nucleotides which does the function of gene splicing, editing, and regulation. There is accelerating increase of data set sizes originating from powerful high-throughput measuring devices in Bioinformatics, A major limiting factor in achieving good performance on modern architectures is memory latency and bandwidth. The cost of computation is very less than the cost of moving data from main memory. This disparity between communication and computation costs has compelled the programmers to make changes in the ways algorithms are designed.
 A promising solution to speed up sequential programs, which are difficult to parallelise otherwise is through Speculative parallelisation.
 This paper proposes a new software-only speculative parallelization scheme for implementing RNA Secondary Structure Prediction algorithm in parallel. The scheme is developed after a systematic evaluation of the design options available. It is also shown to be efficient, robust and to outperform previously proposed schemes used for parallel implementation of RNA Secondary Structure Prediction.


This paper describes the investigation to place a water storage structure under the veranda of a shop building. A veranda is a commercial building feature in Southeast Asia with a narrow walkway about 3 m wide. Given the small space's limited capability to hold rainwater from the building roof, a draining tank is, therefore, a more viable choice. Rainwaters flow in and out the tank simultaneously with an outlet control that enables water storage within. A modular-based stormwater storage system that could be assembled under the veranda was selected. Storm Water Management Model version 5.0 was used to model the system. The modular-based system's availability of field test data allowed calibration and verification exercises using the mentioned software and yielded R Square values between 0.97-0.99. As such, the parameters of the system as a storage unit were applied in the modelling of the same system in the veranda. Two cases were presented. The water storage structure was modelled in a single shop lot and a partial commercial area with six units of shop lots and surrounding streets. Modelling the single shop lot with 60% of its roof directing waters to the water storage structure was predicted to reduce 25-30% of its peak values comparing the post-development hydrographs with and without the intervention. The partial commercial area modelling yielded only 0.4-10% prediction in its reduction, suggesting additional intervention was required.


It is suggested in the paper to revert to the theory of psychic processes of L. M. Vekker in order to solve major prob-lems that face contemporary psychology. It is suggested to rely on ideas of this approach in defining the subject area of psychology, in recognition of the essence of psychic reality. Some essential ideas of Vekker are adduced, particularly, an idea of self-organization of psychic reality, psychic time reversibility and unity of psychic space and time.


Since the days of Elie Metchnikoff, who initially described the macrophage, great progress has been made in defining the integral components of the innate immune system. Modern technology has provided the tools to investigate the important mechanisms of this critical host defense system. For many decades work has centered on the macrophage and the granulocyte, and elegant studies by an impressive array of international investigators have defined mechanisms of chemotaxis, phagocytosis and intracellular killing. These early investigators defined defects in granulocyte production (familial neutropenia, cyclic neutropenia, autoimmune neutropenia and drug-induced neutropenia) which predisposed patients to pyogenic infection. Defective diapedesis has been associated with leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) syndrome, a congenital deficiency of the neutrophil adherence molecule CD18 – a b2-integrin subunit – which is necessary for intimate interaction of circulating granulocytes with endothelial cells. LAD patients present with marked leukocytosis but pus formation is limited at the site of microbial invasion. Chemotactic defects have been described in patients with complement deficiencies likely related to impaired generation of serum-derived chemotactic factors and from patients with hyper-immunoglobulin E (Job's syndrome), probably due to monocyte suppression of granulocyte chemotaxis due to altered catabolic degradation of immunoglobulin. Kartagener's syndrome is associated with reduced ciliary action of the respiratory epithelium, reduced motility of spermatoazoa and defective chemotaxis of neutrophils due to an abnormality of the linkage between microtubules and the actin/myosin contractile apparatus. Defective opsonization is well described in patients with complement deficiencies of the innate immune system (i.e. the alternate complement pathway) and in those with hypo and agammaglobulinemia (i.e. part of the acquired immune system). Phagocytic as well as chemotacticabnormalitiesoccur inpatientswithChediak– Higashisyndromeduetodefectsindegranulation,resulting in delayed intra-phagolysosomal killing of ingested microbes. Delayed or absent killing of microbes is also a prominent feature of chronic granulomatous disease, caused by a defect in NADPH oxidase generation of reactive oxygen-derived microbicidal products such as superoxide,hydroxyl radical, hydrogenperoxideandhypochlorous acid in the phagolysosome. Primary granules of neutrophils arealso richsourcesofdefensins, smallproteins of3–4 kDainsizewhichhaveantimicrobial activityagainst both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens.


Abstract : Various cable and resistor types and an operating micromodule multivibrator circuit were exposed to a pulsed nuclear radiation environment (SPRF) and their transient response measured during the pulse. The initial RG-59 B/U cable response was determined to be voltage dependent and averaged 0.15 microamps per volt superimposed on a zero voltage 'replacement' current of -15 microamps. A miniature low noise cable, with conductive interfaces, gave the lowest and most stable response of all cables tested. The attenuation of three different types of RF cables was measured and the signal in JT-205 with foamed polyethylene was attenuated approximately 20%. The US-DEV -15 cable with perforated tape teflon averaged 0.3% and for RG-8 A/U, a solid polyethylene dielectric, attenuation averaged 0.5%. Carbon composition, deposited carbon film, nichrome film, tin oxide, wirewound, cermet, and gasfilled 'Minuteman' resistors of various wattages were tested in an unpotted, conformally coated, and potted condition. All low value resistors tested (less than 1500 ohms) maintained tolerance levels even in unpotted conditions. For the unpotted higher-value resistors (10 K ohm) the shunting effect of the ionized air may cause a resistance change of the order of 2% which can be reduced to 1% by conformal coating. The 100 K ohm 'Minuteman' gas-filled resistor showed an effective decrease of 7% during exposure. (Author)


An explicit and computationally efficient coupling impedance formula for the coupling between two perimeter ports on a perpendicular side of a right-angled isosceles triangular patch microstrip segment is derived. Based on coplanar circuit analysis an initial impedance formula is obtained in terms of a single and a double infinite series expression. Application of closed forms for the series reduces the single series to a closed form, and, the double series reduces to a single series. The new computationally efficient coupling formula is verified by comparison with simulation based on full wave analysis, and, practical measurement


[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] School is again upon us and we begin our new },ear with many new faces, new minds, and new ideas. We have rested, explored, and prepared over the summer (unless you were on an all-year school plan) and are now looking forward to engaging the minds of those we are privileged to teach. Wow, what a great way to begin the year by reminding ourselves that what and how we teach impacts the very students who will be our nation's leaders in the future. This "calling" as teachers is an important and honorable profession and I know we take it very solemnly. As we enter the later months of the COPUS "Year of Science," it is important to note that September's focus is "Biodiversity." I have been richly blessed the past four years with the opportunity to direct the development of an academic centre in Cuenca, Ecuador. I have met and worked with the director of El Cajas, the national park in Azuay Province and have heard him describe the diversity of Ecuador's wildlife. Ecuador has four main regions. Most people are aware of the Galapagos Islands and the rich, wonderful life that inhabits these islands. Many do not know of the other three regions and the wealth of diversity in those areas: the western coastal lowlands (Costa), the central spine of the Andes mountains (Sierra), and the east side of Ecuador including the western edge of the Amazon Jungle (Oriente). There are cloud forests, inter-Andean valleys, deserts, tundra, and, yes, even snow. The elevation changes from sea level to over 20,000 ft. It is an area of active volcanoes, mountain streams, and so many features that something different appears around every corner. There are estimates of more than 25,000 species of plants, 1,600 species of birds, 400 species of mammals, 350 species of reptiles (200 species of snakes alone and I love snakes), 400 species of amphibians, and 800 species of fish. The number of invertebrates (especially insects) is too numerous to describe. 1 won't even tell you how many spiders there are in Ecuador (as an arachnophobic, having tarantulas in my home makes me quiver), but I think we can all agree that Ecuador is a marvelous place for biodiversity. I am reminded by the words of President John Adams from a recent HBO documentary: "I have seen a queen of France with 18 million livres of diamonds on her person, but I declare that all the charms of her face and figure added to all the glitter of her jewels did not impress me as much as that little shrub right there. Now your mother always said that I never delighted enough in the mundane, but now I find that if I look at even the smallest thing my imagination begins to roam the Milky Way!" (IMDB, 2008). Wow, Ecuador is a country of so many wonders that our imaginations roam. Yet, Ecuador is a country that struggles to keep its biodiversity in the face of progress and modernization. This is a struggle well worth fighting. The biodiversity of our planet is extremely important. The struggle to understand that importance and to defend that diversity cannot be understated. Clean water and air, soil to grow our crops, pollination of our food sources, medicines that are essential to our health are just a miniscule number of examples and not the purpose of this message. …


Enabling the selection, modification, and subsequent generation of online advertisements for either a one time use or as part of an advertising campaign. The performance of an advertisement is iteratively reviewed based on heuristics, statistics, metrics, real-time feedback, and the like, either singly or in some combination. Iterative monitoring of performance information for related, but different, online advertisements is analyzed and employed to recommend and/or automatically generate changes to an online advertisement, or advertising campaign. An editing facility is also provided to enable a user to modify a plurality of elements in an online advertisement, and at least some of these editable/modifiable elements are monitored for performance information. The editing facility can enable editing of different file formats for online advertisements, including, Flash, SVG, and Gnash.


1. An invitation to the fifteenth-century plectrum lute: the Pesaro manuscript Vladimir Ivanoff 2. Lute tablature instructions in Italy: a survey of the Regole from 1507 to 1759 Dinko Fabris 3. The performance context of the English lute song, 1596 to 1622 Daniel Fischlin 4. Per cantare e sonare: lute song at the end of the sixteenth century Kevin Mason 5. Authority, autonomy, and interpretation in performing seventeenth-century Italian lute music Victor Coelho 6. The soul of the lute: performance in the style brise Wallace Rave 7. The vihuela: performance practice, style, and context John Griffiths 8. Performing seventeenth-century Italian guitar music: the question of an appropriate stringing Gary Boye 9. Essential issues in performance practices of the Classical guitar, 1779-1840 Richard Savino.


Data compression is storing data such that it requires less space than usual. Data compression has been effectively used in storing data in a compressed form on magnetic tapes, disks, and even main memory. In many cases, updated data cannot be stored in place when it is not compressible to the same or smaller size. Compression also reduces the bandwidth requirements in transmitting (program) code, data, text, images, speech, audio, and video. The transmission may be from main memory to the CPU and its caches, from tape and disk into main memory, or over local, metropolitan, and wide area networks. When data compression is used, transmission time improves or, conversely, the required transmission bandwidth is reduced. Two excellent texts on this topic are Sayood (2002) and Witten, Bell, and Moffat (1999). Huffman encoding is a popular data compression method. It substitutes the symbols of an alphabet with k bits per symbol, so that frequent symbols are represented with fewer than k bits, and less common symbols with more than k bits. A significant saving in space is possible when the distribution is highly skewed, for example, the Zipf distribution, because the average number of bits to represent symbols is smaller than k bits. Arithmetic coding is a more sophisticated technique that represents a string with an appropriate fraction. Lempel-Ziv coding substitutes a character string by an index to a dictionary or a previous occurrence and the string length. Variations of these algorithms, separately or in combination, are used in many applications. Compression can be lossy or lossless. Lossy data compression is utilized in cases where some data loss can be tolerated, for example, a restored compressed image may not be discernibly different from the original. Lossless data compression, which restores compressed data to its original value, is absolutely necessary in some applications. Quantization is a lossy data compression method, which represents data more coarsely than the original signal. General purpose data compression is applicable to data warehouses and databases. For example, a variation of the lossless Lempel-Ziv method has been applied to DB2 records. This is accomplished by analyzing the records in a relational table and building dictionaries, which are then used in compressing the data. Because relational tables are organized as database pages, each page on disk (and main memory) will hold compressed data, so the number of records per page is doubled. Data is uncompressed on demand, with or without hardware assistance. Data reduction operates at a higher level of abstraction than data compression, although data compression methods can be used in conjunction with data reduction. An example is quantizing the data in a matrix, which has been dimensionally reduced via the SVD method, as I describe in the following sections. This concludes the discussion of data compression; the remainder of this article deals with data reduction.


The Empirical Stance. Bas C. van Fraassen. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 2002. 302 pp. $30, £22.50, €36. ISBN 0-300-08874-4. In these lectures prepared for a general audience, van Frassen highlights the philosophical problems that surround the scientific revolution's shift from religious to secular "ways of seeing or conceiving of ourselves."


Single pulse transmissivity and reflectivity of fused silica irradiated by tightly focused 90 fs laser pulses at a center wavelength of 800 nm are numerically and experimentally investigated to study the role of nonlinear photoionization and avalanche ionization processes in free electron generation. The laser beam inside fused silica is modeled with a $(2+1)$-dimensional propagation equation which considers the effects of laser beam diffraction, group velocity dispersion, self-focusing, defocusing, and absorption due to the free electrons and nonlinear photoionization of the valence electrons. Comparison of our simulation to the experimental data reveals that the avalanche ionization coefficients are much smaller than some previously reported results and that avalanche ionization is of minor importance in generating free electrons in fused silica at the laser fluence levels considered in this study.


The dynamic mechanical properties of epoxy/clay nanocomposites are investigated at average strain rates of 10~2-10~4/s by the apparatus of SHPB in this paper. Dynamic stress intensity factor of K_id is obtained by the dynamic response of three-point bending specimen under the impact loads.


This paper examines the tide-induced net discharge in lagoon-inlet systems. In particular, attention is given to the role inlets play in inducing a steady current. The flow in the lagoon is described by the one-dimensional long wave equations, the flow in the inlets is described by a semi-empirical equation. Both numerical and analytical techniques are employed to solve for the net discharge. The results of the study indicate that 1) the net discharge can be significant provided the tidal amplitude to depth ratio is not small 2) the net discharge can be considerably increased by the proper selection of the inlet dimensions.


According to the problem of spectra variation inside and spectral mixed on boundary of the farmland in mid-resolution images, this paper aims at carrying out per-field classification to improve the accuracy of measuring winter wheat plant area. This paper chooses the urban agriculture region with complex plant structure as experiment area and digitizes the parcel boundary by QuickBird image. By utilizing the farm parcel as end member, the study extracts the information of spectrum, vegetation index and texture from multi-temporal TM images. We establish the evaluation system of field accuracy and total accuracy. The classification methods used in this paper include Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Maximum Likelihood. The study showed that the per-field classification got higher total accuracy field accuracy and stability than per-pixel classification when using for winter wheat plant area measuring. It was useful to improve the accuracy by introducing vegetation index and texture information into per-field classification. The method of both SVM and maximum likelihood got gross accuracy above to 97% and field accuracy above to 90%. The SVM method was more stable than maximum likelihood method, and required much smaller size of training samples. So SVM was more suitable for winter wheat per-field classification. It was useful to improve the accuracy by introducing vegetation index and texture information into per-field classification. This study could provide a new idea about the remote sensing measurement of crop planting area.


TOKASTAR-2 is a small tokamak-helical hybrid device which can generate tokamak and helical configurations independently. In tokamak discharge experiment, the conductive shell was installed to increase plasma current by controlling the displacement of ohmically heated (OH) plasma. The suppression of the vertical displacement was demonstrated, but the OH plasma was still located slightly above the mid plane. To compensate this displacement, the balance between up and down vertical field coil currents should be adjusted. In addition, the construction of additional helical field coils is planned to form closed vacuum magnetic surfaces. The magnetic field line tracing analysis was carried out to determine the detailed shape and location of additional helical field coils. From the simulation, it was clarified that the location of magnetic surfaces and the averaged value of rotational transform can be controlled by adjusting coil current ratios.


Platelet thrombospondin (TSP) interacts with plasminogen in a specific and saturable manner. TSP can form a trimolecular complex with histidine-rich glycoprotein and plasminogen and the plasminogen within such complexes can reportedly be activated by tissue plasminogen activator. We have studied the interaction of TSP with plasminogen using Western blotting of plasminogen, reduced plasmin and the elastase-generated fragments of plasminogen and their binding of iodinated TSP. TSP was found to specifically bind to plasminogen and the heavy (non-enzyme) chain of plasmin in a calcium-independent manner. Binding could be blocked by preincubation of the immobilized plasminogen or plasmin with an excess of unlabeled TSP. Plasminogen domains (kringles) were generated by limited eTastase proteolysis. TSP bound specifically to a single 51 kDa plasminogen fragment. The elastase-generated fragments were separated by lysine-Sepharose chromatography and their identities established by amino acid composition and amino-terminal sequence analysis. The 51 kDa plasminogen fragment bound to lysine-Sepharose and had an amino-terminal sequence corresponding to kringle 4 (K4) and a composition consistent with that of K4-K5-plasmin. TSP binding to this fragment was not blocked by the presence of an excess of the fragment K1-K2-K3, K4, nor miniplasminogen (K5-plasmin). Binding does not appear to be directly dependent upon the specific high-affinity lysine binding site of the 51 kDa fragment. Our data suggests that thrombospondin interacts with plasminogen at a single distinct site, and that this recognition site is at or near the K4-K5 contiguous region of plasminogen.


The foot and ankle joint is a very complex structure, made up of many bones, ligaments, muscles and tendons. When an ankle injury does occur it usually affects one or more of the ligaments that hold the ankle joint in place. If the injury is severe enough damage may also occur to the tendons that attach the muscles to the bones. The ligaments that are commonly affected by an ankle sprain are the ones located on the lateral side of the ankle. In addition to routine history and physical exame, it is useful to obtain an imaging study to confirm a suspected diagnosis. X-rays excel at identifying bone changes and fractures but are not particularly useful in evaluating tendon and ligament injuries, masses, and infection. Cross-sectional CT allows detailed evaluation of superimposed overlying structures on conventional x - rays images. CT is the best exam for precisely determining the extent of a complex fracture. Other uses are to evaluate fusion of joints (tarsal coalition), to quantitate the degree and location of arthritis at a joint, and for localization of a foreign bodies. While soft tissues also visible, CT is not as capable at characterizing soft tissue abnormalities as MRI. MRI is capable of detecting anatomic abnormailities, excels at characterizing masses and evaluating the extent of soft tissue injury. Ultrasound, in experienced hands, is able to detect ligaments and tendon abnormalities and masses, and has become a first line imaging modality for evaluation of sports injuries.


Combining with characteristic, principle,scope of application and selection of quantity,the paper discusses constructional procedure and quality control of concrete mixed antifreeze,and discusses maintainance and form removal of concrete and stirring concrete mixed antifreeze, and explains that construction of concrete mixed antifreeze saves not only materials but also cost,improves peaceability of concrete, increases compactedness and strength of concrete.


ABSTRACT: This research aims to prepare microemulsion from Tea Tree and Rosemary essential oil to treat gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial infections. A phase titration has been used to make the proposed microemulsion, which contained 71% water, 23% of a 1:1 mixture of propylene glycol (surfactant), tween 80 (co-surfactant), and 6% of tea tree/rosemary essential oil. In Rosemary essential oil pale yellowish transparent microemulsion, droplet size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index (PDI) of 58.9, 883.6, and 0.678, respectively, showed a stable microemulsion. Tea tree oil loaded in a light, clear microemulsion with zeta potential, droplet size, and polydispersity index (PDI) values of 265.9, 746.8, and 0.987, respectively, indicated a stable microemulsion. The RMO/TTO micro emulsion's viscosity was 1.844/1.933 cps, and its pH ranged from 4.69 to 5.59. The formulation was determined to be a safe, reliable, and effective one in light and good in stability experiments. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans can all be treated using a microemulsion that contains 6% tea tree oil and rosemary oil by agar well diffusion method. Both the EOs-based microemulsion showed more zone of inhibition against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans while Staphylococcus aureus is the less susceptible zone of inhibition. The microemulsion formulation's minimum inhibitory concentration was effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and E. coli on all physiological parameters. It can be concluded that TTO/RMO essential oil-loaded microemulsion is considered a promising substitute for the current gram-positive and gram-negative regimens.


Tolyposporium ehrenbergii (KOHN) PAT., the cause of Long smut of Sorghum in Egypt, attacks the ears and no other parts of the plant. The sori develop in the kernels. Long smut increases year after year in Egypt although the damage
is not so severe. In other countries the disease becomes epidemic in some years. Some kernels in the ear are infected and finally exhibit the characteristic sori
of the fungus


We investigate the influence of polymer branching (generation number G) on the dewetting of hypergraft poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEOX) polymer films from model non-polar synthetic polymer and inorganic substrates. The present study contrasts the cases of a zeroth generation G0 hypergraft, which is a comb polymer, and a G2 hypergraft, which resembles a nearly spherical 'microgel' particle. The early stage of dewetting is found to be similar in the G0 and G2 films and is largely independent of substrate (entangled polystyrene film or acid-cleaned silica wafer). However, the late stage of dewetting in the G2 films differs significantly from the GO films because of an inhibition of hole coalescence in the intermediate stage of film dewetting. The holes in the G2 hyperbranched films continue to grow in size until they impinge on each other to form a foam-like structure with a uniform 'cell' size. The boundaries of these cells break up and the vertices of the former cellular network retract to form a relatively uniform droplet configuration. In contrast, hole coalescence in the GO films occurs readily, leading to a polydisperse hole size distribution, and the fluid borders of the holes break up to form the non-uniform 'Voronoi' droplet configuration normally associated with film dewetting. Similar trends have been observed in the dewetting of linear polymer films where entangled polymers behave similarly to the branched (G2) polymers of the present study. This effect is attributed to the viscoelasticity of the G2 hyperbranched polymer fluid.


To investigate the effects of iota-carrageenan (CAR) and/or alum on the adjuvancity as well as the structural difference of oligosaccharide on the...


A liquid detergent composition for automatic dishwashers with no or low percentage phosphorus (less than 0.01%) is based on a mixture of aluminosilicate zeolite and a water soluble carboxyl group and polymer stable to bleaches, such as sodium polyacrylate, relatively low molecular weight, so as to achieve comparable cleaning performance in a phosphate formulation. The compositions comprising an inorganic clay collodale and an aliphatic fatty acid or a salt thereof, are viscoelastic and physically stable regarding phase separation.


In 2014, the Brazilian National Immunization Program implemented the universal vaccination against the hepatitis A virus (HAV) for children aged 12 months and older, applying a single dose of the inactivated virus vaccine. It is essential to carry out follow‐up studies in this population, aiming to verify the longevity of HAV immunological memory. This study evaluated the humoral and cellular immune response of a cohort of children vaccinated between 2014 and 2015, and further investigated between 2015 and 2016, and who had their initial antibody response assessed after the single dose. A second evaluation took place in January 2022. We examined 109 children out of the 252 that took part in the initial cohort. Seventy (64.2%) of them had anti‐HAV IgG antibodies. Cellular immune response assays were performed in 37 anti‐HAV‐negative and 30 anti‐HAV‐positive children. Production of interferon‐gamma (IFN‐y) stimulated with the VP1 antigen was demonstrated in 34.3% of these 67 samples. Of the 37 negative anti‐HAV samples, 12 (32.4%) produced IFN‐y. Among the 30 anti‐HAV‐positive, 11 (36.7%) produced IFN‐y. In total, 82 (76.6%) children presented some type of immune response against HAV. These findings demonstrate the persistence of immunological memory against HAV in the majority of children vaccinated between 6 and 7 years with a single dose of the inactivated virus vaccine.


Only 99 of the original 215 million acres of wetlands remain, and these depend upon federal initiatives to support local and state protection programs. Implementation of Section 404 of the Clean Act and close cooperation and planning among all levels of government and the public are necessary. A review of the history of wetland conversion highlights oil and gas pipelines and canals that have affected the Mississippi delta wetlands. Current policies only serve to slow the rate of conversion to crop land or development, while interagency conflicts have made permitting policies inconsistent. The author outlines several corrective steps which include legislative reform, better management of agency disagreements, and a variety of new initiatives for better planning based on anticipatory management.


Impaired skin wound healing is a significant comorbid condition of diabetes that is caused by poor microcirculation, among other factors. Studies have shown that angiogenesis, a critical step in the wound healing process in diabetic wounds, can be promoted under hypoxia. In this study, an angiogenesis‐promoting topical treatment for diabetic wounds, which promotes angiogenesis by mimicking a hypoxic environment via inhibition of prolyl hydroxylase resulting in elevation or maintenance of hypoxia‐inducible factor, was investigated utilizing a custom‐built multimodal microscopy system equipped with phase‐variance optical coherence tomography (PV‐OCT) and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). PV‐OCT was used to track the regeneration of the microvasculature network, and FLIM was used to assess the in vivo metabolic response of mouse epidermal keratinocytes to the treatment during healing. Results show a significant decrease in the fluorescence lifetime of intracellular reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, suggesting a hypoxic‐like environment in the wounded skin, followed by a quantitative increase in blood vessel density assessed by PV‐OCT. Insights gained in these studies could lead to new endpoints for evaluation of the efficacy and healing mechanisms of wound‐healing drugs in a setting where delayed healing does not permit available methods for evaluation to take place.


In many countries, contracts based on bill of quantities are very common in construction industry. Although estimating and tendering are overwhelmed by uncertainties, the common practice is still dominated by, the deterministic approaches. A stochastic cost engineering system for estimating and tendering for measured construction projects is described in some details. It is preceded by an overall description of project estimating and tendering environment which emphasizes the importance of the system. A brief description of the system objectives is stared. Sample project files are given for illustration. The system is implemented in the Windows environment using the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Discussion of the system is followed by statement of the important conclusions.


An engineering design tool (11), used for editing data for a program component (23A, 23A2 to 23Am) of a programmable logic controller (3, 42 to 4m) constituting a programmable logic controller system (2) in which a plurality of users are capable of simultaneously editing a program component (23A, 23A2 to 23Am) and writing the edited program component (23A, 23A2 to 23Am) data to a programmable logic controller (3, 42 to 4m), is provided with a program component editing scheme configuration unit (131) which configures for each program component (23A, 23A2 to 23Am) both the program component (23A, 23A2 to 23Am) data modified by editing and the timing for sending the program component (23A, 23A2 to 23Am) data to another engineering tool (12 to 1k) being edited.


Suramin and analogous diarylene ureas, which are potential compounds for the treatment of onchoceriasis (river blindness), have been investigated by negative ion fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Excellent abundances of the parent ions due to the sulfonate linkages were obtained, which enabled the determination of the sequences by tandem mass spectrometry experiments comparing model systems of unequivocal structures. In analogy to the fragmentation of peptides the preferential cleavages of NHCO bonds are observed, which are followed by consecutive degradations of the molecules. The formation of structure-specific fragment ions is influenced by the adjacent substituents within the phenylene moieties. The stabilities of the parent ions are documented by intense doubly charged species.


Copyright: © Deshmukh PM and Ukesh CS, This is an open Access article. Creative Commons Attribution Unported License, IJLSCI allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. A urinary tract infection predominates commonly in outpatients as well as in hospitalized patients worldwide. Another, health concern problem is multi drug resistance towards antibacterial drugs which is an alarming situation to medical practitioners. Escherichia coli (E. coli) are the commonest causative and etiologic agent in urinary tract infection. Of the total 182 isolated uropathogens E. coli were the most prevalent bacteria which accounts for 29.12% (53/182) and also high percentage was observed in females 69.78% (127/182). All of these isolates were tested against 14 different antibiotics. E. coli showed tremendous resistance towards Amoxyclav 90.56% followed by Ampicillin, 86.79%, Ciprofloxacin, 83.01%, Nalidixic acid, 79.24%, Cefodoxime, 75.47%, Cephalothin, 71.69%, Tetracycline, 69.81%, Gentamicin, 49.05%, Ceftazidime/clavulanic acid, 45.28%, Ceftriaxone, 41.50%, Amikacin, 24.52%, Cefepime, 20.75% and Cefperazone/sulbactum, 13.20%. While Imipenem, is the prominent drug of choice for urinary tract infections.


The current study was to investigate the effect sesame oil (Sesamum indicum L) on glycosylated hemoglobin, blood glucose, Malondialdehyde, semen and hormonal parameters, in addition the histopathological changes on pancreas in diabetic pigs. The physiological indices were examined in control, diabetic and oil treated diabetic pigs. Eighteen male pigs were randomly assigned into three groups, group one as control, group two diabetic as positive control and group three diabetic treatment with sesame oil at dose (1ml/kg) orally, after 30 days whole blood samples were collected to measure the hemoglobin A1c and other samples were separated into serum for blood glucose and MDA and hormonal assays. Epididymal taken for sperm parameters examined, all animals were sacrificed and pancreas was taken for histological study. Outcomes of this study indicate that significantly reduction in serum Malondialdehyde level in associated with lowered levels of blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c, While, significantly elevation in serum testosterone, FSH and LH levels accompanied with the improved spermatogenesis were observed in group treated with the sesame oil. In addition, the a significant islet langer hans restoration was notable. Conclusion: The oil has antioxidant and ameliorated effects on pancreatic function and markedly improved sperm profile.


6 7 8 9 10 . 11 12 Aims: To assess the therapeutic effect of curcumin supplementation in modulating the expression of NFκB in the joints of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Postgraduate Studies and Research, International Medical University, between July 2011 and May 2012. Methodology: Arthritis was induced in each group of Dark Agouti (DA) rats, 6 rats in each treatment groups by intradermal injection with collagen emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant on day 1 of the experimental cycle. One non-induced group and one arthritic group were treated with vehicle only, which were negative and positive control group respectively. Treatment groups which were induced with CIA were treated with: 500 mg/kg curcumin; 1000 mg/kg curcumin; 2000 mg/kg curcumin; 25 mg/kg aspirin. Combination treatment groups which were induced with CIA were treated with: 500 mg/kg curcumin and 25 mg/kg aspirin; 1000 mg/kg curcumin and 25 mg/kg aspirin; 2000 mg/kg curcumin and 25 mg/kg aspirin from day 25 to 38. Efficacy was assessed based on ability to reduce paw oedema, histopathological changes, NF-κB expression, serum tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β) and gluthathione peroxidase (GPx) levels. Results: Based on histopathological study, immunohistochemical scoring and analysis of ELISA, our study found that curcumin given after arthritis in high doses, shows effects of healing and this results were comparable to positive control group, which is the arthritic group treated with 25 mg/kg aspirin. Curcumin given in combination with aspirin, showed better reduction in pathology in arthritic group compared to positive control group, especially with higher doses of curcumin. Conclusion: Curcumin was effective in reducing inflammatory changes seen in CIA joints which was proved through histopathological, immunohistochemical and biochemical analysis, however only at high doses.


Tri‐allelic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are potential forensic markers for DNA analysis. Currently, only a limited number of tri‐allelic SNP loci have been proved to be fit for forensic application. In this study, we aimed to develop an effective method to select and genotype tri‐allelic SNPs based on both Pyrosequencing (PSQ) and the SNaPshot methods. 50 candidate SNPs were chosen from NCBI's dbSNP database and were analyzed by PSQ. The results revealed that 20 SNPs were tri‐allelic and were located on 16 autosomal chromosomes. Then 20 SNP loci were combined in one multiplex polymerase chain reaction to develop a single base extension (SBE)‐based SNP‐typing assay. A total of 100 unrelated Chinese individuals were genotyped by this assay and allele frequencies were estimated. The total discrimination power was 0.999999999975 and the cumulative probability of exclusion was 0.9937. These data demonstrated that the strategy is a rapid and effective method for seeking and typing tri‐allelic SNPs. In addition, the 20 tri‐allelic SNP multiplex typing assay may be used to supplement paternity testing and human identification.


Large airway collapse (LAC) describes the phenomenon of excessive, abnormal, inward movement of the large airways (i.e. trachea and/or main bronchi and/or bronchus intermedius) occurring during the expiratory phase of the respiratory cycle. It is an increasingly well-recognised problem and a prevalent comorbidity in other chronic respiratory conditions (e.g. COPD and asthma). LAC is associated with pervasive respiratory features such as a barking cough, exertional dyspnoea and an increased propensity to lower respiratory tract infection. These symptoms are unpleasant, and patients are often limited in their daily life and their function. The pathophysiology of this condition impairs airway clearance and can cause breathlessness and exercise intolerance, due to a loss of airway patency during expiratory flow. Dysfunctional adaptations to breathing and coughing may further amplify symptoms. This article provides, for the first time, clinically focused physiotherapeutic intervention advice based on our understanding of the pathophysiology of LAC, to support conservative management. It uses the available evidence from LAC, transferable evidence from other conditions and knowledge based on clinical experience. It proposes a practical "ABC model" to ensure physiotherapy assessment and treatments are centred around optimising three key clinical areas: Airways, including airway clearance and cough; Breathing, including breathlessness and breathing pattern; and Capacity for exercise, including an assessment of functional exercise ability. Large airway collapse causes debilitating symptoms of cough, retained secretions, exercise intolerance and breathlessness. This review describes the key role that physiotherapy plays in the conservative management of this condition. https://bit.ly/3pADTUp


The present study was carried out in order to investigate the population genetic parameters for the buffalo of Uttar Pradesh and its relationship/differentiation with Murrah buffalo using 25 microsatellite markers. The mean observed and expected heterozygosity was found to be 0.597 and 0.703 respectively in UP buffaloes while it was 0.631 and 0.642 respectively in Murrah buffaloes. The mean estimates of F statistics were over all loci 0.139 (FIS), 0.092 (FST) and 0.219 (FIT). The values were significantly different from zero for all the three measures and point towards the existence of population structure and moderate differentiation (9.2%) in two buffalo populations. The analysis of molecular variance revealed 9.38% of the variation attributed to among populations and 78.8% within populations. The phylogenetic and correspondence analysis revealed that individuals of the two populations formed distinct clusters. Among UP buffaloes Bhadawari breed and buffaloes of Tarai regions of Uttar Pradesh clustered into distinct groups. Bayesian analysis also revealed similar type of genetic structure. The genetic distinctness of these two buffalo populations as revealed by microsatellite analysis may have significant impact development of breeding plans and improvement of buffaloes.


Note: This proposal has been superseded by the MIME type defined in draft-ietf-xmpp-e2e and the URI scheme defined in draft-saintandre-ietf-xmpp-uri; please refer to those documents for the successor protocols.


The preservation of abnormal haemoglobin solutions for reference purposes is difficult. The majority when stored for a few weeks at -20°C. shows on subsequent electro- phoresis a variable degree of blurring of the previously distinct bands. This deterioration is progressive. The most unstable of them is haemoglobin H which rapidly denatures on freezing. When a solution of haemoglobin H is thawed immediately after freezing a precipitate of denatured protein can be seen in the solution. Incubators in which a concentration of 3-4 % CO2 in the atmosphere is maintained are commonly used in viro-logical work, but no entirely satisfactory system seems to have been developed for keeping the concentration within the required limits for long periods. The obvious solution, a device which measures the concentration and feeds in CO2 as required, is relatively complicated and expensive and requires a certain amount of skilled maintenance which is often not available. Another solution which is commonly employed is to supply a flow of CO,/air mixture of the required concentration to flush out the incubator. This has the disadvantage that such mixtures are relatively expensive to prepare, and if the CO2 con- centration in the incubator is to be brought rapidly to the required level every time it has fallen as a result of the door being opened, a large volume of mixture is required. a millilitres


The main propose of this paper is to discuss the possibility of a space-based early warning technology for missiles in boost phase based on the near-infrared fine spectrum of potassium atoms in the exhaust plume. Emission transfer link from the exhaust plume to the detector is established in combination with the observation model of satellite and target on the ground. Line-by-line integral method is used to calculate the characteristic spectrum of potassium atoms. The result shows the potassium line have high spectral emissivity and narrow bandwidth. The analyses on the atmospheric transmission and background radiation indicate that the atmospheric transmission of the 769.896 nm potassium line is higher than that of the 766.490 nm potassium line which lies on top of an O2 line, and the irradiance of the 769.896 nm line is stronger than that of background and the 766.490 nm line. Considering atmospheric transmission and background radiation, it is suitable to choose the 769.896 nm line to detect the exhaust plume of the missile. According to the characteristic of potassium atoms emission line with narrow bandwidth, a 1.2 nm wide filter centered on 770nm is used to extract target signal. The maximum detection range and other indexes are evaluated. The simulation results show that ultra-narrow band filter can achieve a large degree of background suppression, and the system performance indexes meet the detection requirements. Therefore, it is feasible that missile detection can be realized by using near-infrared fine spectrum of potassium atoms.


ABSTRACT The security of mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) has been getting a great deal of consideration in the field of wireless networking because MANETs are vulnerable to malicious attacks. Secure transmission without node failure in MANETs is a testing issue because of the nonappearance of centralized administration, openness in the network topology. In order to upgrade the security of network and shield the nodes from vulnerabilities, this article proposes a Security-Aware Dual Authentication based Routing (SDAR) which utilizes fuzzy logic control (FLC) based prediction rules to select the most reliable path. We have coordinated the proposed scheme into the cipher text policy-attribute based encryption (CP-ABE) for secure data dispersal among the source to destination with game theory based attack detection model. The performance of the proposed scheme is assessed with respect to different evaluation metrics in different node density levels. The results obtained clearly describes the proposed scheme provides a flexible and feasible decision to select the route that meets the security requirement of data packets transmission in MANETs environment.


We have investigated the important issues in several low dimensional systems. First, we study the visibilities of the current and the shot noise in the one-particle Mach-Zehnder (MZ) and two-particle Hanbury Brown Twiss (HBT) interferometers. Both electronic systems are implemented in the quantum Hall regime. The possible comparisons between two interferometers are only through the shot noise due to the absence of the Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in the currents of HBT interferometers. The shot noises of MZ interferometers are composed of h/e and h/2e oscillations. The visibilities of h/2e oscillations are decreased with the temperature, the voltage and the dephasing faster than those of h/e oscillations. In the other hand, the shot noises of III HBT interferometers only have h/e oscillations. Unlike the naive intuitions that the properties of shot noises of two-particle HBT interferometers would be related to the two particle effects of h/2e oscillations of MZ interferometers, it is the number of enclosing flux deciding the properties of visibilities, not particle numbers. The variations of h/e oscillations with system parameters in HBT interferometers are similar to those of h/e oscillations of MZ interferometers. Away from the stationary setups, we study the currents and the shot noises in quantum pump driven MZ interferometers. Two AC beam splitters of MZ interferometers are applied to modulate the electron transmissions and excite the electron flows. Contrary to the voltage driven MZ interferometers, the pump currents composed of the flux-independent part ( ) 0 I and the flux-dependent part ( ) I Φ are arose from pure quantum effects. Subject to the pump frequency, the oscillations of both parts of currents are related to two time scales, average arm traversal time and the difference of two arm traversal times. In the other hand, the amplitudes of oscillations in ( ) 0 I increase with frequency; the amplitudes of oscillations in ( ) I Φ are kept constant. The temperature effects only smear ( ) I Φ exponentially as a results of the arm asymmetry. The rectification effects could be annihilated as the semi-transparence of beam splitters, i.e. the availability of the true pump currents in MZ interferometers. The effects of the decoherence are studied at conditions with


The generation mechanism of the screech tone in the helical oscillation mode is investigated using a series of instantaneous photographs. From the analysis of the photographs, six evanescent sound sources are observed as prominent points along the jet axis. These sound sources move along circular orbits in the planes perpendicular to the jet axis and slightly downstream of the rear edges of each shock cell. The speed of the moving sound sources is supersonic and moving Mach cones generated behind the moving sound sources form the helical‐shaped wave fronts of the screech tone. The existence of the moving Mach cones about the jet axis was confirmed by comparing Schlieren photographs and drawings of the envelopes of the moving Mach cones. [Work supported by The Mitsubishi Foundation.]


The PTCLs represent a rare and aggressive subgroup of NHLs that do not respond favorably to traditional chemotherapies. Since the majority of patients with PTCL experience disease relapse or disease that is refractory to previous agents, the continued development of novel targeted therapies is critical and necessary to improve outcomes in this aggressive, difficult-to-treat, heterogeneous group of malignant disorders.

The FDA approval of belinostat provides clinicians with an additional option to offer heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory PTCL who did not achieve a desirable response to traditional chemotherapy agents. Belinostat may be a worthwhile treatment option for these patients because of its manageable toxicity profile and its ability to be used in patients with baseline thrombocytopenia (platelet count 50–100 × 109/L). The safety and efficacy of belinostat are currently being evaluated for use in combination with traditional front-line therapies for the treatment of PTCL. The results of these trials have the potential to expand belinostat's place in therapy and challenge the traditional treatment approach for PTCL.


Reports in the media on spectacular border crossings tend to create the impression that the majority of illegalised migrants enter the European Union (EU) clandestinely, hidden in freight containers or in unseaworthy boats. It is however by now an established fact that the majority of illegalised migrants arrive perfectly legally with a valid Schengen visa in the EU and only become illegal once it has expired (Collyer et al. 2012; Düvell 2011; EC 2003; Schoorl et al. 2000: 101; Sciortino 2004; Zampagni 2013). The importance of visas as a mode of entry for illegalised migrants has also been documented for other destination countries like the United States, where it is estimated that so-called account for 40-50% of the illegalised population of 12 million people (Andreas 2000: 100; Pew Hispanic Center 2006: 3). Likewise, reports on illegalised migration in the United Kingdom (which is not part of the Schengen area) underlines that, contrary to public perception, the vast majority of illegalised people in the UK are


To impart self-healing ability to epoxy, styrene-and benzoyl peroxide (BPO)-loaded microcapsules were prepared by in-situ polymerization in emulsion using melamine-formaldehyde resin as the wall former. Afterwards, the two types of microcapsules were embedded in epoxy producing self-healing epoxy composite. Upon fracture of the material, the core substances in the broken capsules were released and polymerization of styrene initiated by BPO took place, rebonding the cracked planes. Parameters for manufacturing the microcapsules and the factors that influence healing efficiency of the system were discussed in detail.


This paper gives an account of the use of access training in order to enhance the performance of ethnic minority candidates in the process of selection for the West Midlands Police Force. Following the location of the initiative in an equal opportunities framework, the new Police Initial Recruitment (PIR) Test is described. This test was introduced in 1991 to replace the original test, first used in 1974, and is the first element in the selection process. The aims of the access training course are outlined and attention drawn to the way in which the course seeks to develop a range of skills relevant to both the selection process and police basic training, i.e. it seeks to do more than simply raise test scores. The methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of the access course are reported before consideration is given to the issues raised by the study.


Abstract Recent and historic gold mines and mine wastes in the South Island of New Zealand have been exposed under a wide range of climatic conditions for up to 100 yr. The studied sites are in rain shadow areas east of the Southern Alps, and in wet areas west of the mountains. Arsenic concentrations in mine wastes are up to 20 wt% locally. The arsenic is primarily derived from arsenopyrite in gold-bearing ore, although roasting and oxidation of ore occurred at some mines. Arsenolite was a byproduct of roasting at two sites, and this was also discharged into mine wastes. Five secondary As minerals, scorodite, kankite, pharmacosiderite, zykaite, and bukovskyite, have formed in different mines and mine wastes during surficial oxidation and remobilisation. The minerals formed under different chemical and climatic conditions. Ferrihydrite with combined arsenate (up to 20 wt% As) occurs at all localities. Scorodite is the most common secondary As mineral, replacing arsenopyrite and/or arsenolite, and forming cement in mine wastes. Dissolution and precipitation of scorodite, which is strongly pH dependent, controls maximum dissolved As concentrations on a regional scale. Kankite has formed instead of scorodite in a persistently moist microclimate east of the mountains. Pharmacosiderite formed instead of scorodite on the 50 yr time-scale in mine tunnels at pH 7–8. Pharmacosiderite is distinctly less soluble than scorodite in this groundwater setting at pH 7–8, and apparently restricts dissolved As to <25 mg/L locally. Bukovskyite and zykaite form where dissolved sulfate concentrations are elevated and the host mine wastes are perennially damp.


Over the past decades, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) has achieved much attention regarding Voice over IP services(VOIP) when comparing with various protocols like H.323 or MGCP. SIP is the special protocol for present and future IP telephony services which is turning as real challenger for traditional telephony services. Due to its open architecture, the available services are vulnerable to various kinds of security threats like presently live on the Internet. Hence, there is a need to provide security to SIP based VOIP implementations, especially, a remotely secure communication using Virtual Private Networks (VPN). In this paper, we discuss about site-to-site IPsec VPN which communicate in the intra-nets. The implementation of IPsec VPN is done with security protocols for exchanging key management, authentication and integrity using Graphical Network Simulator 3 (GNS3). The encryption of data packets when information is transferred between different sites is tested and verified using tools like Ping, IPerf and Wireshark. The performance in terms of delay, bandwidth consumption, jitter and the data rate of the proposed method with and without Firewalls is analyzed. It is obvious that our proposed method can provide the security and prohibit the attackers to attack the network.


Knowledge of the subsurface electrical resistivity/conductivity can contribute to a better understanding of complex hydrothermal systems, typified by Coso geothermal field, through mapping the geometry (bounds and controlling structures) over existing production. Three-dimensional magnetotelluric (MT) inversion is now an emerging technology for characterizing the resistivity structures of complex geothermal systems. The method appears to hold great promise, but histories exploiting truly 3D inversion that demonstrate the advantages that can be gained by acquiring and analyzing MT data in three dimensions are still few in number. This project will address said issue, by applying 3D MT forward modeling and inversion to a MT data set acquired over the Coso geothermal field. The goal of the project is to provide the capability to image large geothermal reservoirs in a single self-consistent model. Initial analysis of the Coso MT data has been carried out using 2D MT imaging technology to construct an initial 3D resistivity model from a series of 2D resistivity images obtained using the inline electric field measurements (Zxy impedance elements) along different measurement transects. This model will be subsequently refined through a 3D inversion process. The initial 3D resistivity model clearly shows the controlling geological structures possibly influencing well production at Coso. The field data however, also show clear three dimensionality below 1 Hz, demonstrating the limitations of 2D resistivity imaging. The 3D MT predicted data arising from this starting model show good correspondence in dominant components of the impedance tensor (Zxy and Zyx) above 1Hz. Below 1 Hz there is significant differences between the field data and the 2D model data.


The persistence of latent, replication-competent HIV-1 proviruses in resting CD4+ T cells, and other cellular reservoirs, represents a major barrier to a cure. This reservoir is impervious to the immune system and to antiretroviral therapy, but has the potential to produce infectious rebound virus if antiretroviral therapy is interrupted. There are multiple ongoing efforts to identify and/or develop novel therapeutic strategies to eliminate or silence this latent reservoir of HIV-1 infection. One of these strategies is termed "block and lock". The "block" refers to a therapeutic agent's capacity to inhibit (or "block") transcription of HIV-1 proviruses, while the "lock" refers to its capacity to induce permanent silencing of the proviruses, typically via repressive epigenetic modifications. The "block and lock" approach elicits a functional, rather than sterilizing, cure for HIV-1 infection. This review article focuses on therapeutic approaches (i.e., small molecules, nucleic acids and recombinant proteins) that have been identified to block and, in some cases, lock HIV-1 in the latent state. We also touch on critical research that needs to be accomplished to advance this approach into humans.


Objective To evaluate the clinical effect and economic evaluation of carvedilol on patients with chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods 44 patients with CHF were randomly divided into two groups.ACEI or ARB+digoxin+diuretic were given to the 20 patients in the group control (C).The patients in the group carvedilol (T) were treated with carvedilol+ACEI or ARB+digoxin+diuretic.The biggest dosage of carvedilol was 12.08±3.72mg/d.All the patients were followed up for 1 year. LVEDD, LVESD and LVEF were observed by echocardiogramphy, at the same time, noted the times and the cost of being in hospital.Results LVEF of the patients in the group T were increased significantly {(51.07±9.89)% vs (40.57±8.06)%,P=0.002}. Compared with the patients in the group c, the LVEDD and LVESD of the patients in the group T were significantly decreased {(57.56±7.41)mm vs (63.74±7.52)mm,P=0.002; (42.80± 8.41) mm vs (51.95 ±8.76) mm,P=0.000}.The times and the cost of being in hospital were remarkably also decreased {(1.25±0.46)time/(3.14±1.84)time; (0.64±0.38)×10~5yuan/(1.24±1.86) ×10~5yuan}. Conclusion Carvedilol could improve the cardiac function of the patients with CHF with the normal treatment and could reduced the cost of treatment.


1 Groups, Rings and Fields 2 Maximal and Prime Ideals 3 Prime Elements and Unique Factorization Domains 4 Polynomials and Polynomial Rings 5 Field Extensions 6 Field Extensions and Compass and Straightedge Constructions 7 Kronecker's Theorem and Algebraic Closures 8 Splitting Fields and Normal Extensions 9 Groups, Subgroups and Examples 10 Normal Subgroups, Factor Groups and Direct Products 11 Symmetric and Alternating Groups 12 Solvable Groups 13 Groups Actions and the Sylow Theorems 14 Free Groups and Group Presentations 15 Finite Galois Extensions 16 Separable Field Extensions 17 Applications of Galois Theory 18 The Theory of Modules 19 Finitely Generated Abelian Groups 20 Integral and Transcendental Extensions 21 The Hilbert Basis Theorem and the Nullstellensatz 22 Algebraic Cryptography.


We have developed a highly efficient method for the site-specific attachment of biophysical probes to unprotected peptides after chemical synthesis. This methodology takes advantage of the selective reactivity of an N-methylaminooxy amino acid that is appropriately protected for direct incorporation during solid-phase peptide synthesis. The functional N-methylaminooxy group is unmasked using normal peptide cleavage conditions and is capable of selective reaction with activated N-hydroxysuccinimide esters in the presence of cysteine, lysine and the amino terminus, as demonstrated in model peptides and test proteins. Selective labeling can be accomplished after synthesis using commercially available or chemically sensitive probes. This technology is compatible with the synthesis of Cα-thioester-containing peptides and amide-forming ligations, required steps for the synthesis of proteins by either total chemical synthesis or expressed protein ligation. The N-methylaminooxy amino acid can be introduced into d...


Equity planning is a framework in which urban planners working within government use their research, analytical, and organizing skills to influence opinion, mobilize underrepresented constituencies, and advance and perhaps implement policies and programs that redistribute public and private resources to the poor and working class. This approach divergesfrom the downtown-oriented land-use planning tradition of most U.S. cities. The bibliography compiles literature that describes some of the theoretical and political debate about planning for social equity goals. It is also a resource that informs and guides planners, public administrators, urban policy analysts, and community leaders regarding some of the actual experiences of equity planning over the past twentyfive years.


The paper analyzes the data available in the literature on placental lesions in pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection The placenta is noted to be a potential target organ for SARS-CoV-2 due to that it has coronavirus receptors: angiotensin-converting enzyme-2, transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), and CD147 An immunohistochemical study and in situ hybridization showed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in the syncytiotrophoblast, vascular endothelium, and villous stromal macrophages The data available in the literature on main placental lesions are summarized The placenta most often exhibited vascular disorders, such as decidual vasculopathy, accelerated villous maturation and distal villous hypoplasia, as well as perivascular fibrin deposits, intervillous thrombi, and villous infarcts The development of fetal thrombotic vasculopathy and avascular villi is also described There are quite frequently occurring inflammatory placental changes as chorioamnionitis and villitis of unknown etiology Differences in the degree of placental lesion were noted in pregnant women with clinical manifestations of COVID and in those with an asymptomatic course Villous infarcts and villous chorangiosis, perivascular fibrinoid deposits, and blood clots in the intervillous space were more common in the symptomatic course of the disease;distal villous hypoplasia, fetal vascular disorders, chorioamnionitis, and villitis were in the asymptomatic course It is emphasized that placental lesions in SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause pregnancy, fetal, and maternal complications At the same time, an indication is given to the ambiguity of the literature data on transplacental (vertical) transmission of infection from mother to fetus


Rural Insurance, the agricultural insurer based in Harrogate, has appointed Ian Barclay managing director of the fast growing specialist business, ...


This paper presents an experimental analysis of the cooling of a motorcycle helmet with the help of phase change material (PCM) and using air flow circulation through the surface of the phase change material. The heat produced by the head of the wearer is absorbed and stored by phase change material and stored heat is thrown out with the help of air circulation in the helmet. In this PCM is placed between the head of the wearer and helmet metal shell. Thus the heat produced by head of the wearer and heat in the helmet metal shell due to atmospheric high temperature and expanded polystyrene foam (EPF) will be absorbed by the PCM but to increase the duration of working of the PCM, here we implement the method of forced convection by the installing two fan which removed the inside heat of the helmet and extend the working time of the PCM. This maintains the wearer head temperature nearly melting point of PCM temperature and protects the wearer head from discomfort and hot environment. If only PCM will be used then the cooling is achieved for few hours only when the PCM is completely melted.


With the increasing popularity of the sericulture machine,the traditional spray disinfection device is unable to meet the demand of production.To solve the problem of serious environmental pollution and waste drugs low efficiency in quantitative powder spraying disinfection way,a new dynamic variable powder injection control system was developed.Its in the original powder spraying machine based on the single-chip microcomputer as the core.It can adjust powder injection quantity according to the silkworm rearing shelf translation factors such as speed,realize variable spray,effectively improve the utilization ratio of disinfectants.The practical application shows that the precision up to 94%,easy operation and stable performance.


Organizational commitment and organizational culture are well researched variable in the I/O psychology. Counterproductive work behavior is a new term recently introduced into psychological sciences. The counterproductive behavior is one of the determining factors of organizational performance. This study was designed with an objective to find out the mediation effect of organizational commitment in between organizational culture and counterproductive work behavior. There were 141 participants from various branches of two governmental organizations (73 from organization 1 and 68 from organization 2) selected by means of simple random sampling. Self administered instruments such as Counterproductive Work Behavior Indicator (CWB), Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI) and Organizational Commitment Scale (OCS) along with the Personal Data Sheet were administered to participants at their work place. Results indicate that there exist a significant positive relationship between organizational culture and organizational commitment, organizational culture and counterproductive work behavior and organizational commitment and counterproductive work behavior. The result of mediation analysis indicated that organizational commitment mediates the relationship between organizational culture and counterproductive work behavior.


The awareness of intangible assets is growing more and more today. Compared to the past, we are much more aware of the existence of a certain intangible substance which, together with the material substance, constitutes the value of society. Determining the value of an enterprise's intangible assets on a global scale is becoming increasingly important as the value of an enterprise is not made up of only its tangible assets but its intangible side. An obvious part of intangible assets is also a trademark. The trademark is now much more important for companies, also due to globalization. It is an essential part of the company's intangible assets, which is very often underestimated and therefore it is necessary to choose the right procedure for determining the value of all its components. As a result of globalization and comprehensive marketing strategies are trademark valuation methods gradually beginning to unite around the world. The main aim of this work was to choose a suitable valuation method of a trademark and to calculate its value in a selected company. We chose this aim because evaluation of the trademark appraisal is very often a difficult topic for businesses and the general public.


Loss-of-function mutations of lysosomal acid lipase (
 LIPA
 or LAL) are the cause of the rare lysosomal disorders, Wolman disease and Cholesteryl Ester Storage Disease (CESD), which manifest with hepatomegaly, hyperlipidemia and premature atherosclerosis due to lysosomal cholesteryl ester (CE) accumulation mainly in hepatocytes and macrophages. Surprisingly, recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated
 LIPA
 alleles, which associate with higher
 LIPA
 mRNA, also associate with increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). To date, the mechanistic insights into the role of human
 LIPA
 were largely derived from skin fibroblasts of CESD patients. Here we use CRISPR/Cas techniques to knock-out LIPA in human iPSC, and then differentiate to macrophage (IPSDM) to explore human macrophage
 LIPA
 phenotypes.
 LIPA
 mRNA was markedly induced by ~20 fold upon iPSC to IPSDM differentiation, was comparable between IPSDM and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)-derived macrophages (HMDM, n=9) and was ~7 fold higher than in skin fibroblasts. Knock-out
 LIPA
 (

 LIPA
 -/-

 ) IPSDM had barely detectable
 LIPA
 mRNA. Control and

 LIPA
 -/-

 IPSDM were loaded with [
 3
 H]-cholesteryl oleate (CO)-labeled acetylated-LDL ([
 3
 H]CO-ac-LDL) followed by efflux to apolipoprotein-AI (apoA-I) in the presence of ACAT inhibitor (n=5). Efflux of [
 3
 H]-cholesterol was abolished in

 LIPA
 -/-

 IPSDM with massive lysosomal [
 3
 H]-CE accumulation, indicating deficiency in LIPA-mediated lysosomal CE hydrolysis. In non-lipid loading state,

 LIPA
 -/-

 IPSDM had high levels of CE mass compared with minute amounts in control IPSDM (11.34±0.49 vs. 2.42±0.44 ug/mg protein, n=3). Yet, with ac-LDL loading, CE mass was similarly increased in both control and

 LIPA
 -/-

 IPSDM (22.34±1.70 vs. 21.96±2.18 ug/mg).

 LIPA
 -/-

 also did not impact IPSDM lysosomal apoB degradation or [
 3
 H]-labeled free cholesterol efflux to apoA-I (4h and 20h) with ac-LDL loading. In conclusion,

 LIPA
 -/-

 IPSDM reveals macrophage-specific hallmarks of human
 LIPA
 LOF. CRISPR/Cas and IPSDM provide critical tools in assessing the impact of human
 LIPA
 genetic variation in diseases including the impact of GWAS CAD alleles in macrophage-specific functions in atherosclerosis.


The whistle repertoires of some dolphin species have been characterised and classified both qualitatively and quantitatively [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]; however, given the extensive range of the species relatively little is known about the acoustic repertoire of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, Sousa chinensis [6, 7], particularly those in South-east Asia. Quantitative classification methods have been developed using sub-sets of S. Chinensis whistles [8, 9, 10] but research aimed at classifying a more complete whistle repertoire of S. Chinensis through quantitative classification methods has not been reported. To address this, whistles produced underwater by six Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins kept by Underwater World Singapore Pte. Ltd. at Dolphin Lagoon, Sentosa, Singapore were recorded. The acoustic recordings were de-noised and the whistles 'traced' from the spectrogram time/frequency representation. They were then classified using PCA and k-means clustering.


The design of an educational informatics system called EdUI, currently in development at the University of Idaho, is presented. Its purposes are to improve student retention and learning, and to facilitate efficient organization and presentation of learning resources. EdUI is essentially composed of a relational database of metadata describing and linked to learning objects. The use of open source software and widely accepted standards ensures interoperability. Three viewpoints are simultaneously considered in the design: educational, technological, and sustainability.


AbstractDrawing on in-depth interviews with sheet metal workers on a picket-line in Coventry, this paper explores the issue of working class men's non-participation in return to learn courses in the UK, in a context in which government policy to upskill the workforce is focusing on individual employability and partnership working with employers. Recognising the complex nature of (non)participation, the constraints of material factors and lack of access to free, impartial and comprehensive educational, vocational and related financial advice and guidance emerge as key issues.


The equations of unsteady flow toward a partially penetrating well in an unconfined aquifer of finite thickness are solved by linearization. It is assumed that the aquifer is nondeformable and that the effective porosity at the water table is constant. It is also assumed that the aquifer is anisotropic (the principal axes of the permeability tensor being horizontal and vertical, respectively), that the pumping discharge is constant, and that the drawdowns are small. The vertical component of the flow velocity is not neglected. The solution is, therefore, equally valid in the vicinity and at large distances from the pumping well. In the latter case, it coincides with the Theis solution. A method of matching the theoretical solution with drawdown measurements during pumping tests is outlined. By the matching method the horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivities and the effective porosity of the aquifer may be determined. The method is illustrated by analyzing data from pumping tests carried out in three anisotropic aquifers.


The purpose of this work is to extend the Knaster–Tarski fixed-point theorem to the wider field of reflexive digraph. We give also a DeMarr-type common fixed-point theorem in this context. We then explore some interesting applications of the obtained results in modular function spaces.


In this paper, we address the issue of automatic extending lexical resources by exploiting existing knowledge repositories. In particular, we deal with the new task of linking FrameNet and Wikipedia using a word sense disambiguation system that, for a given pair frame -- lexical unit (F, l), finds the Wikipage that best expresses the the meaning of l. The mapping can be exploited to straightforwardly acquire new example sentences and new lexical units, both for English and for all languages available in Wikipedia. In this way, it is possible to easily acquire good-quality data as a starting point for the creation of FrameNet in new languages. The evaluation reported both for the monolingual and the multilingual expansion of FrameNet shows that the approach is promising.


This paper describes the management strategy of total quality control and how it might be applied to main roads Queensland to achieve its quality objectives. It also describes the quality assurance programme which has been instituted on a trial basis in a number of roadwork contracts for the department. The paper also details some aspects of quality control procedures on main roads projects and stresses the importance of reacting quickly and appropriately to quality variances (a).


The chloride content is very high in the tannery effluents, and it is a very important index in environmental monitoring. High chloride content could cause environmental pollution. Commonly used methods of chloride determination and their applications were summarized in this paper.


Pleural fibrosis is a serious pulmonary morbidity characterized by thickening and stiffening of the pleura, together with progressive fibrosis in the subpleural compartment, which leads to impaired lung function, reduced life quality, and increased mortality (1, 2). Pleural fibrosis often ensues from a variety of inflammatory events that result from thoracic irradiation, parapneumonic effusion (empyema), asbestos injury, hemothorax, and tuberculosis and other microbial infections. The disease pathogenesis involves multiple cell populations, including pleural mesothelial cells (PMCs), fibroblasts andmyofibroblasts, and different types of immune cells. In addition, it involves many abnormal processes, including aberrant chemoattraction, unbalanced coagulation, and fibrinolysis (1–3). There is currently no effective therapy to reverse established pleural fibrosis. PMC is the major cell type in the pleura where it forms a cell monolayer. This cell population is of mesodermal origin during the lung development, although it exhibits unique epithelial characteristics (4, 5). It has been recognized that the PMC plays a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of pleural fibrosis. On pleural injury, PMCs are first-line cells that initiate an immune response by releasing proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. These cells also produce profibrotic mediators, including TGF-b (transforming growth factor-b), PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor), and bFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor), as well as mediators regulating fibrin turnover (4–6). PMCs have been found to undergo a phenotypic change in response to profibrotic stimuli, termedmesothelial–mesenchymal transition (MesoMT), a process defined by the acquisition of mesenchymal features and production of excess extracellular matrix components. There is an increasing appreciation of the important role of MesoMT in pleural fibrosis (4, 7–9). However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. In this issue of the Journal, Qian and colleagues (pp. 171–182) describe a novel role of DOCK2 (dedicator of cytokinesis 2) in the MesoMT and pleural fibrosis processes (10). DOCK2 is an atypical Rac activator predominantly expressed in hematopoietic cells. Its role in hematopoietic cells is widely studied and investigations of its functions in nonhematopoietic cell types have also started to emerge (11–14). This study found that DOCK2 is significantly upregulated and its expression is colocalized with both theMesoMTmarker a-SMA (a-smooth muscle actin) and the mesothelial marker calretinin in the thickened pleura of patients with nonspecific pleuritic fibrosis andmice with TGF-b, CBB (carbon black/ bleomycin), and streptococcal empyema–induced pleural fibrosis. The authors determined the role of DOCK2 in this disease by comparing the streptococcal empyema–induced pleural fibrosis in wild-type mice and DOCK2 global knockout mice and found that DOCK2 deficiency protected the mice from this pathology, suggesting that DOCK2 is a critical mediator of the disease pathogenesis. In mechanistic studies, they show that TGF-b, a potent MesoMT inducer, transcriptionally increases DOCK2 expression in the primary PMCs and demonstrates that DOCK2 is an important mediator of TGF-b–inducedMesoMT in PMCs in vitro. Their data also suggest that Snail, one of the major transcription factors responsible for epithelial–mesenchymal transition, may mediate the DOCK2 promotion of MesoMT in PMCs. Overall, their findings provide clear evidence that DOCK2 is involved inMesoMT and thereby contributes to the pleural fibrogenesis (Figure 1). There are several limitations to this study. As mentioned above, DOCK2 is primarily expressed in immune cells and plays a pivotal role in immune cell activation, chemoattraction, and lymphocyte migration and proliferation (11, 12). These events are known to greatly contribute to the initiation and progression of pleural injury, repair, and fibrosis (1–3). The lessened pleural fibrosis demonstrated in the DOCK2 knockout mice after intrapleural Streptococcus pneumoniae infection may be attributed not only to a negated MesoMT but also to a dampened inflammatory cell activation and infiltration as a result of DOCK2 ablation. Thus, the precise role and contribution of PMCDOCK2 and DOCK2-mediatedMesoMT in pleural fibrosis requires further investigation. These questions can be partially addressed by using conditional mesothelial-specific DOCK2 knockout mice and/or wild-type mice with DOCK2 bone marrow composition in the pleural fibrosis model. In addition, the mechanism by which DOCK2 regulates TGF-b activity needs further exploration. It is well established that DOCK2 is a key regulator of activation of the small GTPase Rac-1 (11, 15). Furthermore, Rac-1 is known to be an important modulator of the TGF-b signaling cascade and it participates in the pathogenesis of fibrosis in multiple organs (16, 17). Thus, it is important to determine the role of Rac-1 activation in DOCK2 regulation of the TGF-b signaling in PMC andMesoMT. An improved knowledge of the regulatory interactions among DOCK2, Rac-1, and TGF-b signaling in PMCmay provide newmechanistic insight into their respective contributions to pleural fibrosis. It is also worth noting that PMCDOCK2 expression may be subject to distinct regulatory mechanisms in the three different pleural fibrosis models used in this study. Although the authors focused on how TGF-b induces DOCK2 expression, the potentially different mechanisms associated with PMCDOCK2 upregulation in the CBB and bacterial infection models and in human patients with pleural fibrosis should not be overlooked. Indeed, previous studies have shown that activation of pathogenor danger-associated molecular pattern receptors, such as Toll-like receptors, leads to DOCK2 upregulation (18, 19). Thus, DOCK2 induction in PMCs


In Qian Weichang Education Thoughts, the question of "What kind of person should we develop" has significant enlightening effects on ideological and political education. Analyzing the practice of ideological and political education of graduate students in Shanghai University, this paper puts emphasis on discussing how to increase the students' patriotic enthusiasm, exploit their potentialities and train their abilities to realize the aim of cultivation of all-round developed talents in Qian Weichang Education Thoughts.


A well-conditioned surface integral equation (SIE) is formulated to accurately simulate electromagnetic scattering from anisotropic surface impedance objects. The parallelized multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA) and sparse approximate inverse (SAI) preconditioner are implemented to reduce the computational complexity and improve iterative convergence for large complex targets, respectively. Numerical results indicate that an excellent accuracy and fast convergence are achieved.


Objective:  Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) follow‐up data were analysed retrospectively in all patients registered in the Hydatidiform Mole Registry at the Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne from January 1992 to January 2001 to determine the risk of persistent trophoblast disease following partial molar pregnancy and to review the present follow‐up protocol of patients suffering from partial hydatidiform molar pregnancy (PHM).


Introduction In adults, there is strong evidence demonstrating the superiority of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) plus intravenous thrombolysis over thrombolysis alone for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion (LVO). The role of MT in the paediatric stroke population is less clear. Here we present an updated systematic review addressing the use of MT in paediatric patients, including three cases from our centre in Sydney, Australia. We have also completed an individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis of clinical and angiographic outcomes based on these results. Method Our systematic review and IPD meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA-IPD (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: Individual Participant Data) guidelines. Primary outcomes measures were change in NIHSS (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale) score following MT, and mRS (modified Rankin Scale) score at final reported follow-up. The secondary outcome measure was final angiographic result using the mTICI (modified Treatment in Cerebral Ischemia) scale. Results MT resulted in good long-term neurological outcomes (mRS 0–2) in 60/67 cases (89.6%;follow-up timing µ=4.1 months: 95%CI 2.9–5.3), good short-term neurological outcomes (reduction in NIHSS by 8 or more points or post-MT NIHSS of 0–1) in 37/52 cases (71.2%), and successful recanalization (mTICI 2b/3) in 57/67 cases (85.1%). Conclusions In paediatric patients, MT is an effective treatment for ischaemic stroke due to LVO. In the absence of a dedicated prospective registry and with randomized control trails unfeasible, this report represents the best available evidence for the use of MT in the paediatric setting.


291 Helicobacter hepaticus is a newly recognized gram-negative, helical, microaerobic, pathogenic bacterium of mice (1). Helicobacter hepaticus has been associated with chronic active hepatitis in a variety of mouse strains (1–5), with hepatocellular tumors in A/JCr mice (2, 4), and with inflammatory large bowel disease in immunodeficient (6) and germ-free mice (5). Identification of H. hepaticus-infected mice is essential because H. hepaticus can confound or invalidate research data obtained from infected mice. Samples for diagnostic evaluation are routinely collected from colony mice or sentinel mice to survey mouse colonies for pathogenic agents. Sentinel mice are immunocompetent mice housed in direct or indirect contact with the population to be surveyed so that they will be exposed to infective agents harbored by colony mice. Indirect contact of sentinel mice is commonly used to expose sentinel animals to potential infective agents, and is achieved by regular transfer of soiled bedding from the population to be surveyed (7). Sentinel mice provide a readily available source of animals for health monitoring, avoiding the use of valuable colony mice for this purpose. Sentinel mice are also essential when serologic assays are used to monitor colonies of immunodeficient mice. The purpose of the study reported here was to determine whether sentinel mice could be used to detect H. hepaticus infections. To this end, we exposed mice free of Helicobacter infection to soiled bedding from H. hepaticus-infected mice. Exposed mice were monitored for H. hepaticus colonization by use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and for development of H. hepaticus-specific serum antibodies by use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our data indicate that sentinel mice can be used to identify H. hepaticus-infected mice. Four-week-old female C57BL/6NCr mice documented to be free of Helicobacter infections by results of fecal PCR were obtained (Fredrick Cancer Research and Development Center, Fredrick, Md.) and were used as sentinel and control mice. The C57BL/6NCr mice were from a colony that was documented to be free of ectoparasites, endoparasites, known bacterial pathogens, and relevant histologic lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, lungs, and kidneys. Mice from the colony were also consistently seronegative for


We provide evidence that the sunward-propagating half of the solar wind electron halo distribution evolves without scattering in the inner heliosphere. We assume the particles conserve their total energy and magnetic moment, and perform a "Liouville mapping" on electron pitch angle distributions measured by the Parker Solar Probe SPAN-E instrument. Namely, we show that the distributions are consistent with Liouville's theorem if an appropriate interplanetary potential is chosen. This potential, an outcome of our fitting method, is compared against the radial profiles of proton bulk flow energy. We find that the inferred potential is responsible for nearly 100% of the proton acceleration in the solar wind at heliocentric distances 0.18-0.79 AU. These observations combine to form a coherent physical picture: the same interplanetary potential accounts for the acceleration of the solar wind protons as well as the evolution of the electron halo. In this picture the halo is formed from a sunward-propagating population that originates somewhere in the outer heliosphere by a yet-unknown mechanism.


Nonphotorealistic rendering (NPR) techniques are used to transform real-world images into high-quality aesthetic styles automatically. NPR mainly focuses on transfer hand-painted styles to other content images, and simulates pencil drawing, watercolor painting, sketch painting, Chinese monochromes, calligraphy and, so on. However, digital simulation of Chinese embroidery style has not attracted researcher's much attention. This study proposes an embroidery style transfer method from a 2D image on the basis of a convolutional neural network (CNN) and evaluates the relevant rendering features. The primary novelty of the rendering technique is that the strokes and needle textures are produced by the CNN and the results can display embroidery styles. The proposed method can not only embody delicate strokes and needle textures but also realize stereoscopic effects to achieve real embroidery features. First, using conditional random fields (CRF), the algorithm segments the target content and the embroidery style images through a semantic segmentation network. Then, the binary mask image is generated to guide the embroidery style transfer for different regions. Next, CNN is used to extract the strokes and texture features from the real embroidery images, and transfer these features to the content images. Finally, the simulating image is generated to show the features of the real embroidery styles. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed method, the simulations are compared with real embroidery artwork and other methods. In addition, the quality evaluation method is used to evaluate the quality of the results. In all the cases, the proposed method is found to achieve needle visual quality of the embroidery styles, thereby laying a foundation for the research and preservation of embroidery works.