In recent years the use of networks and, in particular, personal contact networks (PCNs) has emerged as a focus for research in the area of small firm entrepreneurship. A tacit theme emerging from this area has been the need for entrepreneurs to develop a competency in using their PCNs as a means of resolving marketing problems faced in developing their enterprises. The competency literature itself focuses primarily on the subject of management development, with scant attention given to the identification of specific competences for small firm entrepreneurs and, in particular, the challenges they face in marketing decision‐making. Previous research by the authors addressed this shortcoming and pointed to the value of using PCNs for resolving marketing problems in the entrepreneurial small firm. A spectrum of entrepreneurial competences critical for marketing‐led enterprise development was developed. A conceptual model is proposed of how small firm entrepreneurs might use their existing competency strengths to develop a further competency in the proactive use of PCNs, a strength which is critical for the planned success of the entrepreneurial enterprise.


Black hole mass is one of the key parameters in understanding the black hole-galaxy coevolution. Most black hole masses are determined from single-epoch spe ctra based on the virial assumption of the broad-line region (BLR) and the empirical relation of the BLR size with AGN continuum luminosity. Although understanding the uncertainty of sin gle-epoch mass estimates is crucial, the overall uncertainty of this method is not well known. Using t he homogeneous high-quality multiepoch data from the Lick AGN Monitoring Project, we investig a e the uncertainties of singleepoch virial black hole masses by comparing measurements fr om single-epoch, mean, and rms spectra. The random errors due to the variability are ∼5% for line velocity of the Hβ , and∼13% for AGN continuum luminosity at L 5100, while the random error due to the combined variability is 10-30%. These results suggest that single-epoch masses are consistent within∼30% uncertainty. Combining random errors due to line width and luminosity var iability with the uncertainties of the virial factor and the size-luminosity relation, we esti mate the overall uncertainty of singleepoch mass estimates as a factor of ∼3. We find that virial products estimated from single-epoch spectra are systematically larger than those estimated fro m rms spectra, particularly for objects with narrow-lines (FWHM < 2000 km/s). We dicuss the implicat on of the systematic difference of Hβ line width in studying black hole-galaxy coevolution.


This paper presents a wideband patch antenna fed by a modified L probe. The antenna has impedance bandwidth of 21% (SWR < 2) and cross polarization level of less than −15 dB across the operating bandwidth. The antenna has a gain of 8.5 dBi. Both simulated and experimental results are provided, and they are in good agreement. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48: 977–979, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21538.


We investigate the economic geographies of streets named for Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK Streets), which are an increasingly common means by which various community members across the United States are attempting to commemorate the slain civil rights leader. It is our intent to characterize these negatively "branded" spaces in order to challenge some of the common perceptions about them and inform current and future MLK Street naming debates. Copyright (c) 2007 Southwestern Social Science Association.


Parallel programs may be represented as a set of interrelated sequential tasks. When multiprocessors are used to execute such programs, the parallel portion of the application can be speeded up by an appropriate allocation of processors to the tasks of the application. Given a parallel application defined by a task precedence graph, the goal of task scheduling (or processor assignment) is thus the minimization of the makespan of the application. In a heterogeneous multiprocessor system, task scheduling consists of determining which tasks will be assigned to each processor, as well as the execution order of the tasks assigned to each processor. In this work, we apply the tabu search metaheuristic to the solution of the task scheduling problem on a heterogeneous multiprocessor environment under precedence constraints. The topology of the Mean Value Analysis solution package for product form queueing networks is used as the framework for performance evaluation. We show that tabu search obtains much better results, i.e., shorter completion times, improving from 20 to 30% the makespan obtained by the most appropriate algorithm previously published in the literature.


We seek to characterize the trading behavior of an agent, in the context of a continuous-time portfolio choice model, if she measures the risk by a so called weighted value-at-risk (VaR), which is a generalization of both VaR and conditional VaR. We show that when bankruptcy is allowed the agent displays extreme risk-taking behaviors, unless the downside risk is significantly penalized, in which case an asymptotically optimal strategy is to invest a very small amount of money in an extremely risky but highly rewarding lottery, and save the rest in the risk-free asset. When bankruptcy is prohibited, extreme risk-taking behaviors are prevented in most cases in which the asymptotically optimal strategy is to spend a very small amount of money in an extremely risky but highly rewarding lottery and put the rest in an asset with moderate risk. Finally, we show that the trading behaviors remain qualitatively the same if the weighted VaR is replaced by a law-invariant coherent risk measure.


Occupants of buildings located near the tunnels of some major subway systems currently in operation are subjected to perceptible vibrations and audible noise, each time a train passes. To avoid such adverse effects in new construction, this paper presents a simple useful tool for estimating the vibration levels in buildings near subways as a function of the salient system parameters, and for assessing the potential effects of these levels. (TRRL)


We introduce the numerical analysis specific language Nabla ( ) which is an open-source (nabla-lang.org) Domain Specific Language ∇ (DSL) whose purpose is to translate numerical analysis algorithmic sources in order to generate optimized code for different runtimes and architectures. raises the level of abstraction, following a bottom-up compositional approach that provides a methodology to co∇ design between applications and underlying software layers for existing middleware or heterogeneous execution models.


The authors report on one case of thoracopagus discovered by echography carried out after 26 weeks of amenorrhoea. The pregnancy was terminated therapeutically by hysterotomy when common viscera were identified (heart and liver). Echographic diagnosis during the first part of pregnancy allows evacuation to be carried out by the vaginal approach. The authors summarize the criteria for echographic diagnosis and also the epidemiological and embryological data required for assessing the prognosis.


Despite the development of effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, epidemiological control of the virus is still challenging due to slow vaccine rollouts, incomplete vaccine protection to current and emerging variants, and unwillingness to get vaccinated. Therefore, frequent testing of individuals to identify early SARS-CoV-2 infections, contact-tracing and isolation strategies remain crucial to mitigate viral spread. Here, we describe WHotLAMP, a rapid molecular test to detect SARS-CoV-2 in saliva. WHotLAMP is simple to use, highly sensitive (3.6 viral RNA copies per microliter of saliva) and specific, as well as inexpensive, making it ideal for frequent screening. Moreover, WHotLAMP does not require harsh chemicals or specialized equipment and thus can be performed in point-of-care settings, and may also be adapted for resource-limited environments or home use. While applied here to SARS-CoV-2, WHotLAMP can be easily modified to detect other pathogens, making it adaptable for other diagnostic assays, including for use in future outbreaks.


The addition of NaBH4 to Co–ethylenediaminetetraacetate (Co–EDTA) and Co–citrate solutions at 25 °C does not lead to generation of hydrogen. However, in the presence of Co‐based catalysts synthesized via chemical reduction of Co–EDTA and Co–citrate complexes with NaBH4 at elevated temperature, an intensive generation of H2 took place. In this study, the reduction mechanism of both complexes was elucidated by using various techniques. From the results of attenuated total reflection and mass spectrometry analysis, it was suggested that NaBH4 was oxidized to NaBO2 and that organic ligands of Co complexes were decomposed to gaseous hydrocarbons, such as C2H4, C3H4, and/or C2H3N. Structural characterizations of X‐ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectra on the catalysts revealed that Co(OH)2, metallic cobalt, and cobalt borate were obtained in both cases. The morphology of Co(OH)2 and the dispersion of metallic cobalt and cobalt borate nanoparticles were significantly different. In the case of the catalyst prepared from Co–EDTA, the nanoparticles of Co species aggregated with diameters from 100 to several hundred nanometers on Co(OH)2 slabs. On the catalyst prepared from Co–citrate, the Co(OH)2 formed sheets, and the nanoparticles of Co species formed clusters of 5–10 nm in diameter, which are dispersed well on the Co(OH)2 sheet. The catalyst obtained from Co–citrate showed higher catalytic activity on hydrolysis reaction of NaBH4 than that from Co–EDTA. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


In container terminals at hub ports, each trucking company delivers a large number of containers every day. The truck drivers for the delivery operation may experience long waiting times when they arrive at peak hours. To reduce congestion, this study assumes that the container terminal charges a congestion fee (appointment charge), which depends on the expected staying time of trucks in the terminal, to control truck arrival times. This study proposes a scheduling method for appointments that takes into account the appointment charge, waiting time, operation cost of trucks, and number of available trucks. This study introduces a mathematical formulation and heuristic algorithms for solving the problem within a reasonable computational time. The heuristic algorithms consist of Phase 1, which solves a transportation problem, and Phase 2, which generates a solution respective of that obtained via Phase 1 such that the capacity constraint of the trucks is satisfied. Numerical experiments are conducted to test the heuristic approaches.


The new species, Eurytoma samarkandae sp.n., is described from arid regions near Samarkand (Uzbekistan). The new species belongs to pistaciae species group and it is close to E. trjapitzinі Zerova et Klymenko, 2018. E. samarkandae sp.n. differs from E. trjapitzinі in upturned metasoma (elongate in E. trjapitzini), longer funicular segments of female, and yellow antenna, mesosoma and legs. Material was reared from small galls of Cynipidae (Hymenoptera) in flower heads of knapweed Rhaponticum sp. (Asteraceae). Review of pistaciae species group is given, as well as the key to all species of this group.


Objective:To explore the cause and operative results of surgical treatment for spontaneous pneumothorax. Method: The clinical data of 318 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax that underwent surgical treatment were analyzed. The results of different surgical methods were compared. Result: All patients recovered and the rate of complication and recurrence was low. The cases underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) had the shortest post-operative drainage time and hospital stay compared with those underwent classic thoracotomy and subaxillary mini thoracotomy. Bullae were the principal cause of spontaneous pneumothorax in the group. Conclusion: Operative method is safe and effective in the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. VATS is minimally invasive and is the first preference upon other methods.


A specific study has been carried out for the first time to investigate the homing capability and daily home range of the spiny lobster Palinurus elephas by means of ultrasonic telemetry.
Nine lobsters collected in the Capo Gallo — Isola delle Femmine marine protected area (northwestern Sicily, central Mediterranean) were tagged with miniaturized transmitters and released at a single site inside the protected area. The lobsters were monitored with the purpose of calculating their horizontal and vertical positions, analysing their movement patterns to assess their homing capability, and calculating their daily home range. Five lobsters moved back close to the capture sites within the first 20 hours after release ('homed'). The remaining four lobsters 'relocated' to a different refuge. Homed lobsters had a larger home range than relocated lobsters. This study provides the first description of a homing pattern with high spatial resolution in the wild European spiny lobster as inferred by ultrasonic telemetry.


This paper reports an econometric test of a one-minute paper assignment used as a tool to manage and assess instruction in my statistics class. One of the findings is that the one minute paper when tested by using an OLS estimate in a controlled vs. experimental design framework is found to be statistically significant and effective in enhancing students' knowledge. It is equally effective when I analyzed using a seemingly unrelated regression that allows the error terms to be correlated across separate but related regressions. The results do not depend on student ability levels as is measured by GPA in both situations.


Microbeads with embedded encode characteristics are of considerable interest due to their potential use in multiplexed bioassays, high-throughput screening and combinatorial chemistry. Lots of encoding strategies for tagging or labeling microbeads have arisen in the past couple of years. Compared with the organic dye counterparts, the ideal optical properties of quantum dots (QDs) (e.g. characteristic narrow and symmetric spectra, size-tunable emission and simultaneous excitation) make it possible to tag microbeads in a quantitative way. In this paper, quantitative doping of commercial polystyrene microbeads with single color quantum dots was reported. A detailed analysis of the optical characteristics of the QD-tagged microbeads was presented based on the combination of fluorescent spectroscopy and microscope imaging.


Typical 1,3-dipoles such as nitrile oxides, imines and ylides, as well as diazoalkanes, nitrones and azomethine ylides generally underwent smooth [3+2] cycloadditions to 6H-1,2-oxazines. The heterobicyclic adducts were obtained in moderate to very good yields, with excellent regioselectivities and high diastereoselectivity. The 6-ethoxy substituent of the 6H-1,2-oxazines strongly shields one face and thus leads to almost exclusive formation of exo-configured products. 6H-1,2-Oxazines are therefore sufficiently reactive and selective dipolarophiles. The regioselectivity of the 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions is briefly discussed considering steric and electronic effects. PM3 calculations did not lead to fully satisfactory results in predicting the observed high regioselectivities. Preliminary subsequent reactions of the heterobicyclic products involve chemoselective reductions with sodium cyanoborohydride or hydrogen in the presence of palladium, and a decarboxylative isoxazoline fragmentation reaction, stereoselectively furnishing the 5-cyano-4-hydroxy substituted 1,2-oxazine derivative in high yield.


Historically, a wide variety of topics appear in discussions about pandemics, from medical issues to apocalyptic and religious visions. These themes can also be found in recent essays and literary fiction produced in Latin America. In this essay I argue that lack of distance and perspective from the COVID-19 pandemic seems to rob essays from any meditation about a freeing sublime imagery, or a cohesive vision for its thereafter. In other words, these deeply distressing events provide the backdrop for the emergence of radical figurative narratives that operate within/against what Tom Moylan would have called the emergence of apocalyptic hope. In contrast, postapocalyptic novels produced in Argentina since the turn of the century deal with these issues in a very different way. These novels showcase state projects that have imploded or are about to collapse, and where individual choices build the only possible forms of resistance should a future (be it dystopic or postapocalyptic) come into existence. In this essay I explore the different reasons allowing for this phenomenon: essays registering lived experiences and literature envisioning chaotic futures collide, and only the latter seems to be able to narrate our present in way that makes sense of the collective historic moment.


The Continuing Education Trainers are the direct doers for carrying out the training plan as well as the dominant factors for the influence to training quality. On the basis of summarizing seriously the successful experiences of the Ninth-Five-Year Plan for the continuing education training, the trainers should guarantee the adequate progress of the Tenth-Year Training Plan by clearing their thinking path and raising their knowledge attainments.


This Article will illustrate an application of the principles discussed in previous sections such as scale-up, reaction modeling, and rate coefficient estimation. The example to be discussed involves the production of ammonia gas by decomposition of an aqueous solution of urea reactant at about 40 wt% urea to be used for reduction of NOx in Power plants.


The spatial path following control problem of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is addressed in this paper. In order to realize AUVs' spatial path following control under systemic variations and ocean current, three adaptive neural network controllers which are based on the Lyapunov stability theorem are introduced to estimate uncertain parameters of the vehicle's model and unknown current disturbances. These controllers are designed to guarantee that all the error states in the path following system are asymptotically stable. Simulation results demonstrated that the proposed controller was effective in reducing the path following error and was robust against the disturbances caused by vehicle's uncertainty and ocean currents.


A new broad spectrum antibiotic compound, which appears to be effective against dozens of bacterial strains and has a different chemical structure to existing antibiotics, has been identified by researchers at MIT.

The team used a machine learning algorithm to assess thousands of compounds and identify potential antibiotic candidates. It selected a molecule which was previously investigated as a potential diabetes drug and has now been named halicin after the fictional artificial intelligence system …


The aim of the thesis is to explore the relationship between performance art and media in the sense of transformation of live performance into documentation. How a piece of performance art becomes a part of an art history? The thesis begins with a basic characterization of performance art and its aesthetics. It tries to summarize the actual theoretic debates concerning the media-performance problematics. It poses the question of whether there are any limits in exhibiting the performance art documentation materials. Is it still the same "performance" with status of "an artistic process", when it is recorded on/ or represented by/ video or photograph? I try to show, on the example of Marina Abramovic´s project Seven Easy Pieces, how it is possible to make a reinterpretation of a piece of performance art. Chapters of performance art history were shown there in the for of reenactment. Media-performance projects and performance- and media art archives are mentioned in the thesis as well.


The backscattering of a plane acoustic wave from a rigid prolate spheroid of large fineness ratio (length‐to‐diameter ratio of 22) is investigated analytically. The backscattering cross section is computed with the use of large argument asymptotic expansions of spheroidal wave functions. It is shown that in the short‐wavelength limit, a spheroid backscatters in the axial direction with nearly the same mean energy as a sphere whose radius equals the radius of curvature of the spheroid at the pole end. When the spheroid is positioned broadside to the incident wave, the backscattered mean energy is found to correspond to that backscattered from a sphere of diameter equal to the length of the spheroid. [Work supported by U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command.]


This study investigated sound absorption coefficient of absorbers with mulberry paper and air gap conditions such as thickness of air gap and porous material. Measurement of sound absorption was carried out in a reverberation room. The results show that sound absorption coefficient of mulberry paper is very low and Noise reduction coefficient(NRC)is 0.01. According to increased thickness of air gap, NRC counts up to 0.21~0.34 and frequency of maximum sound absorption moves lower frequency. If porous absorber set up in air gap, NRC increased 0.53~0.65. In some condition maximum sound absorption coefficient is 0.89 in 630㎐ and NRC is 0.65.


A new kind of laser beam called the decentred elliptical flat-topped light beam (DEFTB) is introduced in this paper by using a tensor method. Based on the generalized Collins integral, the propagation formula for a DEFTB passing through an axially nonsymmetrical paraxial optical system is derived through vector integration. The derived formula can be reduced to the formulae for the generalized decentred elliptical Gaussian beam and elliptical flat-topped light beam under certain conditions. As a typical application example of the derived formula, the propagation characteristics of a DEFTB in a thin lens system are calculated and discussed. Furthermore, the generalized laser beam arrays with rectangular symmetry and radial symmetry by using DEFTBs as fundamental modes are constructed and the propagation properties of both a coherent and an incoherent combination of DEFTBs in the thin lens system with numerical examples are investigated.


When a couple starts a new family, both members share expectations based on what they have learned from their experience in their respective families of origin, in such a way that their offspring will repeat the same patterns in the future. If children perceive a healthy appropriate relationship between their parents, chances are that they too will have a good relationship when they start their own families. However, children will have a different perception when their parents go through a separation or divorce. Based on these facts, the aim of this article was to analyze university students' perception regarding their parents' relationship as a couple within their family environment, taking into consideration whether their parents lived together or separately. A target group comprised of 566 university students of which 345 were women and 221 were men participated in the study. The instrument used was the measurement questionnaire "Dinamica de la Familia Nuclear Mexicana" [The Mexican Family Dynamics] (Vasquez, et al., 2003). In this study the only area addressed was "Parents and their relationship as a couple". The statistical difference between groups was obtained using the Mann-Whitney U test. The results showed significant statistical differences between university students' perception of their parents depending on whether they live together or separately. A conclusion was reached on the existence of different factors that affect the family environment, which has a differential influence on each family member's perception.


This study developed liver outcome scores in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) that directly predict liver‐related death, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and liver decompensation.


* Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Chicago. A.B. 1959, Yale; LL.B. 1962, Harvard. Ed. I thank Lawrence Lessig, Martha Nussbaum, and Cass Sunstein for many very helpful comments on a previous draft. Needless to say, they are not to be taxed with my mistakes and conclusions. I should add here that I use the terms "homosexual marriage" and "same-sex marriage," which I regard as synonymous, interchangeably; Eskridge prefers the latter.


We tested the influence of PGE2 on protein degradation in isolated mouse and rat muscles. PGE2 had no influence on protein degradation rate in mouse muscles under several different incubation conditions and over a dose range of 28 nM to 28 μM. Furthermore, neither PGE2 (2.8 μM) nor arachidonic acid (5 μM) influenced protein degradation in rat muscles under incubation conditions identical to those previously reported. The biological activity of our PGE2 was confirmed with the rat stomach fundic strip preparation. We question the contention that PGE2 regulates protein degradation in skeletal muscle.


We tested 44 variations in profiles of climate change activists to see what affected willingness to associate with them. The largest effects were from activists' perspectives on climate change, how...


Bias in news search engines has been shown to influence users' perceptions of a news topic and contribute to the polarisation of society. As a result, there is a need for news search engines that increase user awareness of biases in the search results. While technical approaches have been developed to mitigate biases in search, very few studies have investigated user preferences in interface designs for potentially raising their awareness of biases in news search engines. In this study, we utilized a participatory design methodology to develop eight prototypes with different features that could potentially be used to raise user awareness of biases in news search engines. We conducted three user studies, involving 132 participants with Computer Science backgrounds, to evaluate these prototypes. Our findings indicate the importance of news search engines that (a) inform users of possible biases in the results (bias visualization approach) and (b) allow users to access alternative search results (results‐reranking approach). Our study provides further insights into the strengths and possible risks of each approach, which are important for future research on designing interfaces for raising user awareness of biases in news search engines.


We performed 1ns molecular dynamics simulations of hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics(QM/MM) for two compounds that were formed by the binding of HIV-1 protease and inhibitor 2AH and 4AH in water solution.The binding free energy of interfacial water molecule W301 and the compounds of HIV-1 protease and inhibitors 2AH and 4AH by MM-GBSA were-24.93 kJ/mol and-20.29 kJ/mol.It demonstrated that W301 played an important role in the binding of HIV-1 protease and inhibitor,so it was not neglectable.


A 56-year-old man presented with right-side shoulder pain. Radiographs revealed an irregular amorphous lesion within the head of the humerus, which strongly suggested a cartilaginous tumor ( Fig 1 ). MRI confi rmed a lesion of likely cartilaginous origin. Open biopsy was performed, and the pathologic results were consistent with low-grade chondrosarcoma. A bone scan and CT scan of the chest revealed no metastatic disease. Subsequently, the patient underwent resection of the proximal humerus and hemiarthroplasty with pathologic analysis at the time of resection that demonstrated a 3.5-cm grade II (of III) chondrosarcoma. There was no extraosseous extension of tumor, and the surgical margins were negative for malignant cells. The tumor recurred locally 14 months later and was re-excised, showing negative surgical margins. Progressive Dyspnea Complicated by Fever and Massive Hemoptysis in a 61-Year-Old Man With Extremity Chondrosarcoma


Accounting rules for valuing retained interest from securitizations require management to make assumptions concerning discount rates, default rates, and prepayment rates. These assumptions provide management with discretion to determine the "gain on sale" of the receivables. We investigate whether CEO compensation is less sensitive to securitization gains than to other earnings components in the presence of proxies for how independent (outsiders, females, fewer CEO-selected directors) and informed (financial expertise) directors are. Overall, our results do not suggest that better "monitoring" reduces earnings management or CEO pay-sensitivity to reported securitization gains. Our results suggest that CEOs are rewarded for the gains they report and boards do not intervene.


Magic ink: The chemical reactivity of a bromo-terminated self-assembled monolayer immobilized on an insulating substrate is quantified from the time evolution of patterns formed during the local reduction of the SAM (see picture; bpy=2,2'-bipyridine). The potential of this lithographic strategy to determine the reactivity of the self-assembled monolayer is described and compared to surface interrogation by electrochemical microscopy.


This study outlines a new theory linking industrial structure to optimal employment contracts and value reducing risk taking. Firms hire their executives using optimal contracts derived within a competitive labour market. To motivate effort firms must use some variable remuneration. Such remuneration introduces a myopic risk taking problem: an executive would wish to inflate early expected earnings at some risk to future profits. To manage this some bonus pay is deferred. Convergence in size amongst the largest firms makes the cost of managing the myopic risk taking problem grow faster than the cost of managing the moral hazard problem. Eventually the optimal contract jumps from one achieving zero myopic risk taking to one tolerating the possibility of myopic risk taking. Under some conditions the industry partititions: the largest firms hire executives on contracts tolerant of myopic risk taking, smaller firms ensure myopia is ruled out.


Pruning has been demonstrated as an effective way of reducing computational complexity for deep networks, especially CNNs for computer vision tasks. In this paper, we investigate the opportunity to accelerate the inference of large-scale pre-trained language model via pruning. We propose EBERT, a dynamic structured pruning algorithm for efficient BERT inference. Unlike previous methods that randomly prune the model weights for static inference, EBERT dynamically determines and prunes the unimportant heads in multi-head self-attention layers and the unimportant structured computations in feed-forward network for each input sample at run-time. Experimental results show that our proposed EBERT outperforms other state-of-the-art methods on different tasks.


Because the deBroglie wavelength associated with particles of 10/sup 2/ to 10/sup 4/ Mev and higher energies is significantly smaller than the size of the nucleus, it appears that the vestigation of the motion of such particles within the nucleus and their collisions with individual nucleons of the nucleus should be straightforward. However, the presence of excited states of the bound nucleons shows that there exist quantum rules for the preferred collision energies and consequently the mean free path of the fast particles in the nucleus is subject to these constraints. The result of the bombarding particles interacting with the bound nucleons gives rise to a cascade of fast protons and neutrons within the nucleus, and at higher bombarding energies, pi mesons together with residual nuclei in excited states. The magnitude of the excitation energy is limited by the properties of cascade decay within the nucleus and can range from a small part to all of the energy of the bombarding particles. The reaction products can therefore follow two general descents: particles being knocked out from the nuclei during the development of a cascade, or heavily charged particles being emitted during the decay of the excited states of the residualmore » nuclei (fragmentation). Conditions necessary for fragmentation, fragment structure, energy and angular distribution, properties of the residual nucleus after fragment emission, and possible fragmentation mechanisms are presented in turn. (123 references). (TTT)« less


Asthma in adults is associated with a persistent reduction in lung function from childhood, but this link has not been assessed back to infancy. Reduced infant lung function (ILF), a measure of antenatal and infant lung growth, is associated with asthma into adolescence. Our aim was to assess whether this link persists into adulthood and whether ILF can predict the remission of asthma symptoms in young adults.


The literature on urban development politics provides clues, but no consensus, regarding the orientation of local governments toward specific types of new growth. This paper examines the receptivity of cities to industrial, commercial, and residential development, drawing upon a mail survey of top administrative officials in 330 California municipalities. Bivariate data suggest that communities with highly imbalanced jobs/population ratios seek development that will rectify those imbalances. Multivariate analysis reveals more complex growth orientations, however. Cities experiencing infrastructure problems in accommodating past growth disfavor almost all types of new development, while those with housing affordability problems encourage housing construction and are less receptive to new industry and commerce. Cities with larger populations are more welcoming of most forms of growth, and other demographic, political, and urban ecological factors also shape receptivity to various land uses. The results suggest that the "growth machine" and revenue maximization perspectives may be too simplistic to adequately portray the attitudes of city policymakers.


Process for the preparation of acetone starting from acetyl-Coenzyme A, which comprises the steps of: A. an enzymatic reaction of acetyl-CoA to give acetoacetyl-CoA catalyzed by a β-ketothiolase B. an enzymatic reaction of acetoacetyl-CoA give acetoacetate and CoA catalyzed by an acetoacetate-CoA hydrolase, an acyl-CoA-thioesterase, an acyl-CoA synthetase or an acyl-CoA-thiokinase C. a decarboxylation of acetoacetate to give acetone and CO2, catalyzed by an acetoacetate decarboxylase characterized by that in process step B, coenzyme A is not transferred to an acceptor molecule, and the enzymatic reaction in process step B is catalyzed by a polypeptide with an acetoacetate-CoA hydrolase activity and with an amino acid sequence, which It is at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence SEQ ID No. 1, 3 or 5.


In this paper, Cramer-von Mises test is utilized to derive a novel sensing method called Cramer-von Mises test based spectrum sensing, in which the spectrum sensing is performed by comparing the probability distribution of the observations with the one of the noise. Furthermore, a sensing algorithm for unknown noise is also proposed for the case that the noise distribution is unknown to the cognitive terminals. It is shown by numerical results that under the same conditions, the proposed Cramer-von Mises test based spectrum sensing always outperforms the energy detection based spectrum sensing significantly, especially in low SNR regime and small number of observed samples.


The composite of carbon with alkali metal fluoride, C-MF(M=Li, Na) was prepared by cathodic defluorination of perfluorinated hydrocarbons at room temperature. Raman spectra of C-MF from PTFE indicate carbon chains (oligoynes, 1974–2024 cm−1) in addition to graphite-like carbon (1300–1500 cm−1). The oligoyne-containing carbon is partly selforganized by cross linking towards graphene. Highly-organized carbons were prepared from friction-deposited PTFE films. AFM confirms perfect ordering of the precursor molecules (up to atomic resolution), but the corresponding carbonization product is rapidly reconstructed upon contact to air. Raman spectra of oriented carbons display high conjugation lengths (up to 18 sp-bonded carbon atoms). Cyclic perfluorinated precursors are also smoothly defluorinated to elemental carbon. TEM indicates that these carbons contain about 1% of carbonaceous nanoparticles, i.e. nanotubes and onions. Also small quantity of fullerene C60(≈0.01%) was detected in the toluene extract.


The article investigates the definition of corporate social responsibility in a philosophical, theoretical, economic, social and managerial aspects, which can greatly contribute to the development of its theoretical positions. The author organizes the best-known definition of the corporate social responsibility in various aspects, and you-are common in the interpretation of the definition of corporate social responsibility and leads his own position on them.


We all know about the difficulty of trying to get students, administrators, parents, and the general public to hear what *our* idea of composition (as a field of study) is, and what *we* mean by "writing." In terms of the hated but ascendant business model, we have a PR/marketing problem. Until we try to solve it in those terms, we'll make the same headway for the next few decades that we have for the last few.


A nonlinear growth of the light scattering intensity has been observed and the frequency shift of the spectral line of scattered light has been measured in light backscattered in suspensions of diamond and latex nanoparticles in water. The shift corresponds to the HWHM of the line of spontaneous scattering on particles. We may conclude that there exists stimulated concentration (diffusion) light scattering on variations of the particle concentration, which is also called the stimulated Mie scattering. In a fibre probe scheme, the growth of the shift of the scattered spectral line is observed with an increase in the exciting beam power. The variation of the frequency shift with an increase in the exciting power is explained by convection in liquid.


incision made here three quarters of an inch deep. With the help of the lingers of the left hand in the sulcus between the middle and lower lobes, a finger in the incision felt the pin, which was easily extracted by sinus forceps. A little foul pus followed it out of the wound in the lung. There was very little haemorrhage. A small drainage-tube was inserted '*: down to the incision in the lung. Morphia gr. } was administered. The pin was one and a half inches long, with a glass head one eighth of an inch in diameter. The child was very restless for a few days (temp. l()l°-102°, pulse 150-1 f>0, respirations 44-50), and began to improve ; on the seventh. Now the chest moves well, there is no scoliosis, and air « enters the greater part of the lung. Raymond Verel. |


As an important component of the future HumanComputer Interface, Automatic Speech Recognition is designed for the purpose of realizing identification recognition and natural language comprehension by means of human voice. Speech recognition technology has acquired significant achievements with some successful popularity and applications. IBM's ViaVoice system, for instance, has good performances when the vocabulary pool is small and when the noise is low. But its performance will be greatly degraded when used in real application environments. In future applications of the humancomputer interaction, such as in a car, at airport, or live interviews, higher requirements for robust systems will be needed, therefore we need to explore new ways. Proved highly effective by most researchers, the combination of visual features of lip motion with vocal features can raise the recognition rate of the automatic speech system, and make it more robust and more adaptable to real environments. This focuses on the recognition methods and speech and visual fusion algorithm, which aims to attract more researchers to be interested and concerned in this area of research.


Large companies have achieved excellent progress toward green production while small and medium enterprises (SMEs) showed limited progress. This research aims to investigate key factors affect different stages of enhancing green industry implementation particularly in SMEs. This study conducted a systematic analysis to offer recommendations to unlock the inhibitors of the green industry. The electronic products and electrical equipment manufacturing industry in Thailand was chosen as a case study. Questionnaires is the main approaches to collect primary data from SMEs. The structural equation model is developed to examine correlation and the degree of influencing factors. The model indicated that the latent factors' influence on the decision-making of SMEs in applying the green industry reflected by the influence of eighteen observable variables and it suggests that the external contexts from stakeholder have a greater influence on the decision-making than the internal context as organizational resources and capabilities. Whereas the level of certification conform with green industry criteria has minor correlation with the decision-making of SMEs. Innovative policy strategy is recommended to create synergy between incentive-based instruments in term of product charges or product tax, subsidies and voluntary measure as product certification are recommended tools to enhance green industry adoption by SMEs.


The paper presents the numerical results for the focusing wave interacting with a FPSO-like structure using the FNPT-NS solver. The case configuration is defined by CCP-WSI blind test in ISOPE 2018. The incident waves are uni-directional focusing waves with different spectrum bandwidths and wave heights. The structure is fixed and subjected to different heading. The numerical model used in present work is a hybrid model combining a fully nonlinear potential theory (FNPT) and a Navier-Stokes ( NS ) theory using a domain-decomposition approach. The Quasi Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian method is used to solve the FNPT in a large domain covering the entire wave basin with the same size as the experiments. For the later, the OpenFOAM (interDyMFoam) is utilized to achieve the solution near the structures, where the viscous effect may be important. In addition, the wave generation and the convergence of the hybrid model are discussed in detail.


This paper aims to explore the dynamics of personality influenced by lust in Islamic psychology and its relevance to Sigmund Freud's personality structure. To explore the topic, the authors use qualitative literature research with descriptive analysis. The results of current study are. First, the three kinds of human lust in the Qur'an which include anger, lawwamah, and mutmainnah are psychic energies that determine a person's behavior as applicable in Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis. Second, the relevance between lust and Id lies in their primitive nature as basic lust for humans. In Islam, lust for anger has a negative connotation if it is not enhanced in the realm of lawwamah lust and mutmainnah lust. Whereas in Freud's theory, Id is more neutral because Id is the basis or foundation of personality that encourages humans to think logically and rationally at the level of ego and super ego. Besides, anger and Id are driven by human unconsciousness to fulfill their physical needs. Third, the relevance between the lust of lawwamah and Ego lies in rationality and logic in determining attitudes. Lust for lawwamah is very synonymous with realization. A person's consciousness which is dominated by the lust of lawwamah and the ego is still in a subconscious level. Fourth, the relevance between lust mutmainnah and superego lies in controlling attitudes based on applicable rules or norms. In Islam, there are syariah (laws) that must be considered in taking a position in the realm of Id, and Ego. By practicing the syariah, a person is declared to have full awareness.


The objective of this work is to analyze the biochemical parameters of Zingiber officinale (ginger) and Curcuma longa (turmeric) found in the locality of Daloa. The samples were purchased in the markets of Daloa. The dry matter, ash and lipid contents were determined by the AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) method. Those of proteins, total sugars, reducing sugars were carried out respectively by the methods of Kjeldahl, Bernfeld and Dubois. A phytochemical study was done by Evans method. The contents of total flavonoids and total polyphenols were determined respectively according to the methods of Wood and Marinova. It emerges from the analyzes that the contents of dry matter (27.66 ± 0.06%), total sugars (31.25 ± 0.6 mg / g) and fibers (8.21 ± 0.01%) are higher in ginger than in turmeric. The lipid contents of the two species are less than 8%. The results also reveal the presence of tannins, saponins, polyphenols, alkaloids and flavonoids. Ginger has a high content of total polyphenols (53.55 ± 0.45 mg EAG / g) Original Research Article Christine et al.; AFSJ, 20(7): 18-26, 2021; Article no.AFSJ.68243 19 than turmeric (35.25 ± 0.52 mg EAG / g). However, the flavonoid values are high in turmeric (92.52 ± 0.54 μg EQ / g) than ginger (86.27 ± 0.62 μg EQ / g). Both turmeric have revealed that ginger and turmeric are low in fat, reducing sugars, and high in fiber and polyphenols. Both rhizomes have the same protein content. The presence of secondary metabolites in the rhizomes of ginger and turmeric justifies the therapeutic importance of these two plants, hence the importance of consuming them to take full advantage of the beneficial effects of its active ingredients. However, the compounds vary from species to species.


Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless technology used to transmit data between two devices. In order to transmit data, NFC has three working modes. The card emulation mode has the greatest potential because it allows a smart phone to emulate passive NFC tags and contactless smart cards. Hence, it enables a smart phone to instantly share data with an NFCenabled by a single tap on the NFC reader. Major applications of the card emulation mode include financial transactions such as purchasing a ticket at bus stop or a cinema hall, etc., so a secure storage space is required to locally store the data. The card emulation mode utilizes a Secure Element (SE) for the secure storage of data, and has no provisions for third party developers to write on this storage. This paper discusses the challenges of implementing card emulation in the Android Operating System for smart phones. Furthermore, emulation of a smart card defined by ISO 7816-4 for multiple application scenarios is discussed. The paper will go into detail regarding the implementation of card emulation mode and how it can help third party applications to read and write to and from SE while maintaining reasonable security. KeywordsNear Field Communication; Secure Element; Smart Card; Software Card Emulation; Two-way Communication; Short Range Wireless Communication


Nordic national cultural history museums are linked with Arctic societies due to the shared heritage of substantial museum collections. We share concerns to re-vitalize, preserve and exchange knowl ...


Visible blue cathodoluminescence (CL), photoluminescence (PL), x-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) and electroluminescence (EL) via Zf free excitonic emission have been obtained from CuBr thin films deposited on glass, Cr coated glass, GaAs and Si substrates. In addition to the Zf emission several peaks corresponding to Cu+ emissions via 3d94s d10 transitions were observed on the AC EL spectrum at 2.10, 2.7, 3.03, 3.07 and 3.80 eV. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements confirmed that the vacuum evaporated CuBr thin films grow preferentially with a (111) orientation irrespective of the substrate. While the AC voltage source was found to have no detrimental effects on CuBr thin films, cathodic deposition of Cu metal via electrolytic decomposition was observed under steady state DC voltage stresses. The results from the various luminescence experiments suggest that CuBr thin films may be used as a phosphor layer in blue emitting AC thin film electroluminescent devices (ACTFELD) (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


In renumbering scenarios where an IPv6 prefix suddenly becomes
invalid, hosts on the local network will continue using stale prefixes
for an unacceptably long period of time, thus resulting in
connectivity problems. This document improves the reaction of IPv6
Stateless Address Autoconfiguration to such renumbering scenarios.


One of the topical problems of the enrichment industry is the evaluation of the influence of pulp chemistry on the sorption and flotation properties of sodium diisopropyl dithiophosphate. The affinity of the collector with respect to copper ore by the method of static sorption and flotation tests has been studied in this paper. The results of investigation adsorption mechanism of diisopropyldithiophosphate collector on the surface of the sulfide copper ore and flotation has been discussed. The investigation of composition and structure of sulphide copper ore has been carried out by using FT-IR-spectroscopy, Х-ray diffraction spectroscopy and ICP-MS method. Based on the results of the analysis, the main minerals of copper ore, chalcocite and bornite, were selected. Also the analytical expressions of the real solubility constants of chalcocite and bornite, which connect the product of the solubility of hydroxocompounds at the phase interface with the solubility of copper diisopropyldithiophosphates and the oxidation-reduction ability of minerals, were obtained taking into account that the results showed that sorption capacity of ore at pH 10.5-11.5 is a maximum. The role of the oxidation-reduction processes in fixing of diisopropyldithiophosphate ion on the surface of ore was established. It was shown that data of extraction of copper to concentrate and adsorption value of diisopropyldithiophosphate ion are correlating. The IR-Fourier spectroscopic analysis showed that collector is coordinated with the ions of the metal of the crystal lattice of copper-containing minerals through the sulfur atoms of the dithiophosphate group.


Advertising is an important revenue source for mobile app development, especially for free apps. However, ads also carry costs to users. Displaying ads can interfere user experience, and lead to less user retention and reduced earnings ultimately. Although there are recent studies devoted to directly mitigating ad costs, for example, by reducing the battery or memory consumed, comprehensive analysis on ad embedded schemes (e.g., ad sizes and ad providers) has rarely been conducted. In this paper, we focus on analyzing three types of performance cost, i.e., cost of memory/CPU, traffic, and battery. We explore 12 ad schemes used in 104 popular Android apps and compare their performance consumption. We show that the performance costs of the ad schemes we analyzed are significantly different. We also summarize the ad schemes that would generate low resource cost to users. Our summary is endorsed by 37 experienced app developers we surveyed.


This research studied the influence of clarification techniques of Castilla's blackberry wine Rubus glaucus Benth on its chromaticity, turbidity and yields of the process. Initially, the tangential microfiltration (TMF) at three different working pressures (1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 bar) and then the treatment of the feed with sodium bentonite prior the filtration. The TMF at 1.5 bar obtained the highest Volume Reduction Factor (VRF) and the best performance, standardizing the pressure conditions for the TMF with pretreatment. According the pH, the optimum quantity of flocculant added to each batch of wine was established at 9 grams, carried to rest at 6 ° C (6, 12 and 24 hours), obtaining 610 ± 38 g for the highest proportion of turbid in the batch of 6 hours of rest, product of a greater unstable catch by the clarifier. The TMF of the pretreated batches indicated representative improvements in the yield, up to 40%. All the analyzed microfiltered wine samples with and without pretreatment achieved a turbidity less than 2 NTU, accomplishing with the quality criterion of "bright red", concluding that the TMF separately and with pretreatment improve the quality of the product, but they can cause color deterioration.


Introduction The unprecedented outbreak of Ebola (now referred to as Ebola virus disease, or EVD) currently unfolding in West Africa has created challenges for not only the immediately affected countries but also for global organizations, including an emergent need to cope with the business ramifications of having potentially exposed personnel. Policies and procedures (P&Ps) may need to be clarified or created. We offer here a framework that can help guide that process, broadly organized into issues related to travel, the worksite (in countries not directly involved in the Ebola outbreak), and communication.


THESIS: Marginalized Inclusion: A Qualitative Examination of Female Soldiers in the United States Army STUDENT: AnnaBeth M. Fish DEGREE: Master of Arts COLLEGE: College of Communication, Information, and Media DATE: July 2014 PAGES: 123 Although women have been aiding in the war efforts of the United States since the Revolutionary War, women still struggle for equality within the United States Army. For today's female personnel, there are many new challenges, as well as old battles that continue. This thesis examines these challenges by analyzing nine semi-structured in-depth interviews with current and former female United States Army soldiers, using constructivist grounded theory and structuration theory as the primary frameworks.


An overview of xMR (GMR and TMR) technology capabilities for sensing angular and linear magnetic fields is given and a comparison to Hall and AMR technologies is made to illustrate how xMR technologies improve sensor performances and flexibility of use, making them the best possible choice in many applications, including those with stringent conditions of operation such as automotive. Examples are given including speed, angular, and current sensors, and new opportunities offered by the technology are discussed.


We propose a fast and robust method to estimate the ground surface from LiDAR measurements on an automated vehicle. The ground surface is modeled as a uniform B-spline which is robust towards varying measurement densities and with a single parameter controlling the smoothness prior. We model the estimation process as a robust Least-Squares optimization problem which can be reformulated as a linear problem and thus solved efficiently. Using the SemanticKITTI data set, we conduct a quantitative evaluation by classifying the point-wise semantic annotations into ground and non-ground points. Finally, we validate the approach on our research vehicle in real-world scenarios.


This paper reports an organized suite of experiments comparing a parallel matrix program in performance and reliability using a single-sided statistic multiplexed computing framework against MPI based on end-to-end computing framework.


The bimolecular nucleophilic displacement reaction is important and should be included in any detailed discussion of kinetics and mechanism at an early undergraduate level.


DAFS is the emerging protocol of file access and management. This article introduces the protocol of DAFS, and analyzes the implementations of DAFS. The applications in the NAS cluster are discussed at the last of the paper.


The kinetics of the photoinitiated polymerization of Uvithane 788 was investigated. The Arrhenius plots of ln (initial polymerization rate) versus recriprocal temperature were found to consist of two parts: one below 330 K with an activation energy E a of c. 58 kJ mol −1 and one above 330 K with E a of c. 0 kJ mol −1 . This behaviour is discussed in terms of mobility of the monomer molecules and chain radicals


In providing the population with high-quality and cheap beef a signifi cant role is assigned, and in the future will be assigned to beef cattle breeding. The development of this industry and its eff ectiveness depends on the correct use of available feed resources. With the development of the feed industry the main task of which is mainly to ensure that in a small volume, as much as possible, as many sources of nutrients in a highly digestible form, the use of feed additives becomes important. Feed additives as a rule should compensate for the missing elements in the ration. The level and ratio of nutrients in them have a stimulating eff ect on the growth of muscle tissue and the formation of a strong backbone. The purpose of the work was to study the eff ect of the feed additive Vermiculite on the live weight of Kazakh White-headed steers. In order to study the feed additive Vermiculite in the rations of steers a scientifi c and economic experiment has been carried out on the basis of LLP "Terra" in the Kostanay region in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Two groups of steers have been formed for this purpose with 10 heads in each. The control group has received a basic feeding ration consisting of corn silage, haylage, wheat straw, complete feed (wheat, barley). The experimental group has received 200 g of Vermiculite per 1 head/day in addition to the main ration. During the entire period of the experiment the steers of the experimental group had the highest indicators of average daily growth compared to their herdmates in the control group. The highest value of the average daily gain in both groups has been observed in the period of 8–12 months, amounting to 1123,3 g in the control group, and 1159,2 g in the experimental group. The diff erence in favor of the steers of the experimental group was 35,9 g or 3,2 % (P < 0,01). In general during the experiment the diff erence in the average daily gain in live weight between the groups was 31,1 g or 3,5 % in favor of the animals of the experimental group.


Driven by the high-intensity magnetic field, graphene demonstrate special optical properties, which have become an important research issue in the field of quantum optics. This paper studies the graphene quantum optical phenomena under the high-intensity magnetic field drive. First, the energy band structure of graphene in a high-intensity magnetic field is analyzed. Second, optical phenomena, including coherent optical phenomena and nonlinear optical phenomena, of graphene driven by the high-intensity magnetic field are examined. Finally, several realization approaches are put forward.


TheRFX-modmachinecontrol system, whichis currently entirely basedonPLC technology, isundergoing a majorreorganization, toimprove itssoftware versatility andto overcome increasing difficulties inlegacy hardware andsoftware maintenance. Thenew architecture willretain PLCs as1/0 interface, movingcontrol functions toanewPC-based layer, and will adoptJavaasprogramming language forcontrol tasks and graphical userinterface. Dataexchange willrelyonOPC and MDSplustechnology. OnePC will manage,underWindows, the OPC dataand theirexportthroughmdsip(theMDSplus transport layer), whereas other PCs,running either Windowsor Linux, will provide control functions andgraphical userinterface. I.INTRODUCTION


Francesca Vinchi Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute (LFKRI), New York Blood Center, New York, NY, USA Funding/support: None. The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the European Hematology Association. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NCND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. HemaSphere (2018) 2:4(e139) Citation: Vinchi F. Toward a Novel Therapeutic Option for Polycythemia. HemaSphere, 2018;2:4. http://dx.doi. org/10.1097/HS9.0000000000000139 Red blood cell (RBC) production is a finely tuned process that requires coordinated oxygenand iron-dependent regulation of cell differentiation and iron homeostasis. Excess production of erythrocytes, referred to as erythrocytosis or polycythemia, occurs physiologically, as an adjustment to high altitude, or pathologically, because of intrinsic abnormalities in erythroid precursors or inappropriately high level of erythropoietin (EPO). In response to hypoxia, RBC number is increased as a compensatory mechanism in an attempt to enhance oxygen availability and respiratory capacity. Hypoxia promotes EPO release by the kidney, which in turn stimulates RBC production. This process is orchestrated by key transcription factors, called hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). HIFs are increased in response to anemia as well as low oxygen and iron levels. Exposure to low oxygen levels causes the stabilization of the a subunits of HIFs (HIF1a, HIF2a), thus leading to the transcription of HIF targets, including EPO, and therefore erythrocytosis. HIF2a is regulated at the posttranslational level by prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) that use oxygen and iron as substrates to hydroxylate HIF2a. Following hydroxylation, HIF2a undergoes ubiquitination by the von Hippel–Lindau (VHL)-E3 ubiquitin ligase and degradation through the proteasomal pathway. Hence, HIF2a can sense hypoxia and iron deficiency, and then increases EPO expression and drives RBC production. Missense mutations in VHL cause Chuvash polycythemia, an autosomal recessive disorder hallmarked by congenital erythrocytosis, due to excessive HIF2a stabilization (Fig. 1). The intracellular level of HIFa subunits are also regulated by iron regulatory proteins (IRP1, IRP2). IRPs act as cytosolic iron sensors and control the fate of messenger RNAs (mRNA) encoding proteins involved in iron metabolism. This role is dependent on their ability to bind specific RNA stem-loop structures, termed iron-responsive elements (IREs), on specific targetmRNAs and control the translation of the encoded protein. IRP1 is a bifunctional protein that binds to IREs as an apoprotein in iron-deficient conditions (apo-IRP1), and it converts to cytosolic aconitase through the acquisition of an iron–sulfur [4Fe–4S] cluster in iron-replete conditions (holo-IRP1). IRP targets include transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), divalent metal ion transporter 1 (DMT1), the iron exporter ferroportin (FPN) and the iron storage protein ferritin (Ft). The RNA binding activity of the IRPs is therefore regulated by cellular iron, being decreased in iron-replete cells and increased in iron-deplete ones.Hence, by regulating IRP activity, intracellular iron levels control the expression of IRP targets, adjusting iron handling (uptake, storage, and export) accordingly. As for iron, hypoxic conditions inactivate IRP1 by favoring holo-IRP1 formation and inhibiting IRE-binding activity, and relieve IRE-bearing transcripts from IRP1-mediated repression. HIF2a has been described as one of the targets of IRP1. In 2013, different groups showed that mice lacking IRP1 are hallmarked by elevated HIF2a levels, increased EPO production and polycythemia. These findings supported the concept that IRP1 has a crucial role in repressing HIF2a translation, thus keeping in balance RBC production. Conversely, translational derepression of HIF2a triggers hypoxia-like erythrocytosis. IRP1-deficient mice develop severe iron deficiency, likely caused by increased erythropoiesis that consumes large amounts of iron for RBC production, and consequently depletes circulating transferrin-bound iron as well as tissue iron stores. IRP1-mediated regulation of HIF2a translation acts as a protective mechanism that prevents erythropoiesis from consuming toomuch iron, thus depleting systemic iron.While HIF2a senses hypoxia and stimulates EPO expression and RBC production, IRP1 fine-tunes HIF2a expression to ensure that there is enough iron available for iron–sulfur cluster synthesis. When too


Murine cs-fetoprotein (m-AFP) was examined in maternal serum, fetal serum, juvenile serum, amniotic fluid and in whole body homogenates of fetal and juvenile mice. The maternal serum m-AFP level during pregnancy was significantly correlated with the corresponding fetal weight (r = 0.99, P<0.001). With quantitative crossed concanavalin A (Con A) affino-immunoelectrophoresis, four molecular forms of m-AFP were detected. The levels of the four molecular forms were examined in fetuses and juveniles.


A simple and versatile pre-mixer which can be coupled to a stopped-flow apparatus is described, allowing the concentration of one substance to be varied in 16 equal steps. It can also be used for the generation of relatively long-lived transient species. Its materials permit operation with corrosive chemicals such as bromine solutions. The device is constructed in such a way that contamination of the stock solutions is impossible. The reproducibility of the dilution values was found to be excellent.


A mathematical link is provided between the Krylov subspace iterative approach based on the full orthogonalization method (FOM) and the macro basis functions (MBF) approach based on a multiple-scattering methodology. The link refers to the subspaces created by those methods as well as to the orthogonality conditions which they satisfy. Both approaches are applied to the same method-of-moments (MoM) system of equations that is preconditioned based on a closest-interaction rule, and where blocks of the MoM impedance matrix are compressed using a rank-revealing method. MBF and FOM approaches are compared numerically, with a special attention given to accuracy, for perfectly conducting objects, comprising an array of tapered-slot antennas, spheres and an aircraft. The respective advantages of both methods are briefly discussed and further prospects are given.


A caller-ID telephone station having a caller-ID based directory of telephone numbers automatically adapts its directory to compensate for a change to the area code in which the telephone station is located. The caller-ID telephone station stores the area code for all incoming caller-ID telephone numbers along with each telephone number received. The telephone station also stores its home area code. This home area code is inputted by a user during an initialization step when the telephone station is first installed, moved to a different area code or the station's locale is changed to a different area code. In response to a request from the user for dialing a telephone number entered into the directory, the telephone station compares the stored area code received as part of the caller-ID telephone number with the stored home area code and determines from this comparison whether to include or omit the received area code as part of the dialed telephone number. In one disclosed embodiment, the received area code is included in the dialed telephone number only if the received area code and the home area code are different.


Abstract Sediment transport at the Tauranga Entrance was studied in relation to tidal currents and waves. Bedforms resulting from tidal flow were investigated with scuba divers and echo‐soundings. The alignment and scale of bedforms indicated the direction and approximate rate of sediment transport. Sediment transport was measured directly using sediment traps, and results were compared with rates calculated by another method. Maximum sediment transport rates of 20 000–30 000 g.m−1 per half tidal cycle occur near the inlet gorge, but rates vary considerably in time and space, depending mainly upon power of tidal currents. A model of sediment transport for this inlet has been evolved based on tidal flow streamlines, bedform features, and the measured and calculated rates of sediment transport.


【Aim】This study aims to explore the olfactory learning capability of the male adults of the oriental fruit fly,Bactrocera dorsalis( Hendel). 【Methods】A classical olfactory conditioning procedure was adopted. The 14- 17 day-old male adults of B. dorsalis were individually trained to associate odor with food in the laboratory,i. e.,exposed to peppermint odor paired with 10% sucrose solution for appetitive conditioning and methyl eugenol( ME) paired with saturated salt solution for aversive conditioning. The change of the proboscis extension reflex was used as the criterion for conditioning.【Results】The proportion of proboscis extension reflex of male adults of B. dorsalis increased from 0% to68% after appetitive conditioning,and decreased from 100% to 36. 54% after aversive conditioning.And its variation was generated by a temporal relation between odor conditioned stimulus( CS) and food unconditioned stimulus( US)( paired). 【Conclusion 】These results indicate that male adults of B.dorsalis have a strong capacity to form an olfactory memory as a result of classical conditioning,while the contiguity of CS and US is a necessary condition of learning.


The hyperparameters and their ranges used in our main experiments are tabulated in Table 3. In Table 4, we report the original results of Table 1 with optimal number of prompts per task.When comparing to other prompting techniques like VPT, we use the official implementation1. We observe that in many tasks (like SVHN, Patch-Cam., Clevr/distance, Kitti/dist., dsprites/orient.), EXPRES outperforms VPT-deep with significantly fewer prompts.


Objective To evaluate the effects nursing intervention on the prevention of recurrence of heart failure in elderly patients. Methods A total of 134 patients hospitalized from the age of 60 to 86 with heart failure were evaluated prospectively after discharge. Patients were randomized to the observation group and control group. The patients in observation group received systematic education about the consequences of heart failure in daily life, the guidance of individual medication and diet by a nurse when the patients discharged from the hospital, and were provided with a planned nursing follow up including home visits after discharge. The patients in the control group received routine standard discharge guidance. The number and the rate of recurrence, multiple recurrence and death were observed within 90 days of initial discharge from the hospital. Results Within 90 days of initial discharge from the hospital, recurrence rate in the observation group (31.0 %) was significantly lower than in the control group (49.2 %, P 0.05). Multiple recurrence rate in the observation group (9.9 %) was also significantly lower than in the control group (22.2 %, P 0.05). The mortality in the observation group was ( 5.6 % ), lower than in the control group ( 9.5 % ), without significant difference. Conclusion Health education and nursing follow up after discharge decrease the recurrence of the patients with heart failure.


Magnesium had been recently researched as a future biodegradable implant material. In the recent study, porous Mg-Zn-Ca alloys were developed using space holder technique in powder metallurgy process. Carbamide (10-20%wt) was added into Mg-6Zn-1Ca (in wt%) alloy system as a space holder to create porous structure material. Sintering process was done in a tube furnace under Argon atmosphere in 610 °C for 5 hours. Porous structure of the resulted alloy was examined using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), while the phase formation was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Further, mechanical properties of porous Mg-Zn-Ca alloy was examined through compression testing. Microstructure characterization showed higher content of Carbamide in the alloy would give different type of pores. However, compression test showed that mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Ca alloy would decrease significantly when higher content of carbamide was added.


Simulated Annealing Gauss-Newton algorithm applied to neural network is put forward. It overcomes some limitation of the traditional BP neural network. Taking iterative convergence of sine function for example, the correction, efficiency and superiority of the algorithm are proved. At the same time, this algorithm is applied to seepage back analysis of Tongleping dam, using seepage coefficient to calculate seepage flow field. And forecasted water heads approach to the observed values, which illuminates the back analysis result is correct and the algorithm is feasible in the practical seepage parameters identification.


Objective: To explore the clinical effect of core decompression combined with autologous bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells in treating 54 cases with aseptic necrosis of head of femur.Methods: 54 cases of patients who accepted orthopaedic treatment from Nov 2011 to Mar 2012 in our hospital were divided randomly into two groups.The control group was treated with core decompression and the treating group was treated with core decompression combined with autologous bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells.Results: One year after treatment,the Harris scores was(86.78±9.48) in the treating group,and was(71.18±8.36) in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P0.05).The excellent and good rate was 84.38% in the treating group,better than that of the control group which was 55.17%(P0.01).Conclusion: The clinical effect of core decompression combined with autologous bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells in treating aseptic necrosis of head of femur is remarkable and convinced,and is superior to that of core decompression therapy alone.


Milk drinking causes a rise in serum cholesterol level and it is therefore assumed that this will increase vascular disease risk. At the same time, a reduction in blood pressure by milk is largely ignored. An overview oflarge, long-term cohort studies gives no evidence of an increase, but rather, a significant reduction in vascular disease risk in subjects with a high milk intake relative to those who report drinking little or no milk. Overweight is a positive factor in vascular disease and a common perception of milk is that it causes an increase in body weight. However, many observational studies show a negative association and while there have been only a few randomised trials, overall these support a beneficial effect of milk on weight, on body fat, and upon weight loss achieved by a calorie reduced diet. The mechanisms involved in these relationships are inadequately understood, but calcium is likely to be involved. Milk is the major source of calcium and yet milk intakes in the UK and in many other countries have been falling for many years. In view of the evidence of benefit in vascular disease and on body weight, it is argued that every effort should be made to reverse the present decline in milk consumption.


Theoretically, the influence factors of the static stiffness of linear electromechanical actuator are analyzed. The theoretical analysis shows that the ball screw and angular contact ball bearings will cause the actuator stiffness to show nonlinear characteristics under low load, and the calculation formula of the actuator static stiffness is given. Through the experimental tests, the static stiffness of linear electromechanical actuator is measured accurately. The test results show that the stiffness value of the actuator in the low load section is low and nonlinear, and the stiffness in the high load section is linear, which verifies the correctness of the theoretical analysis.


This paper presents a novel DC-offset and I/Q-mismatch compensation technique with short convergence time, high accuracy, and low-circuit-complexity. In this technique, all kinds of transmitter nonidealities, i.e. an offset and a mismatch, can be detected using adequate pair of DC test signals. The test signals are designed so that the envelope of the modulator RF outputs for each test signal fluctuates when the offset or mismatch exists. The fluctuations are converted to a baseband signal using an envelope detector which is designed as a signal dynamic range compressor to avoid saturation in following stages. The polarity of this fluctuation is detected by a comparator instead of a multi-bit analog to digital converter, and a binary-search-type algorithm optimizes parameters for the offset and mismatch compensation using the 1-bit comparator output. This technique was demonstrated in a 0.18-mum CMOS 5-GHz-band WLAN transmitter. The DC offset was suppressed to -43 dBc and the image tone was suppressed to -49 dBc.


up, not by the practical feasibility of attracting support for anything like this environmental justice approach, but by the religious faith that is clearly an important element of his own life. (He is a Church of England priest.) If justice requires decision making that is both future orientated and truly representative – representative of many more than those who can currently vote – then we need a way out of short-termism. Unfortunately, however, such short-termism is only reinforced by the fouror five-year election cycles that are supposed to be the bedrock of such democratic decision making as we have now. Acknowledging this perennial problem for environmental justice theorists, Armstrong concludes his discussion of alternative energy policies by suggesting that 'only a religious conviction would give the necessary motivation' (p. 201). If achieving anything like Armstrong's 'vision' rests on the spread of a religious faith that many of his readers – never mind the rest of the population – cannot share, this does not, of course, undermine the case for the justice of that imagined future. It does, however, leave still yawning the gap between his ideal and our current, distinctly unutopian reality.


Diabetes is a chief factor for the progression of non‐alcoholic liver disease, which in turn, has been closely linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and excessive ROS production. Complex I may have a prominent role in the development of liver disease because its inhibition may drive to impaired hepatic fatty acid oxidation via decreased reoxidation of the NADH generated during beta‐oxidation. Complex I activity decreases by oxidation of specific thiol groups of the protein. Previously, we have demonstrated that avocado oil intake increases the concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH) in liver mitochondria from diabetic rats. As GSH is essential to maintain thiol groups of complex I in a reduced state, in the present study we aimed to compare the effects of avocado oil and beta‐mercaptoethanol, a thiol reductant, on complex I activity of liver mitochondria from type I‐diabetic rats. Respiration in state 3 was impaired in diabetic rats when a complex I substrate was tested. This was attributed to a decrease in complex I activity in diabetic rats. 90‐days avocado oil intake prevented these defects. When mitochondria from diabetic animals were incubated with beta‐mercaptoethanol, it was observed a full recovery of complex I activity. Besides, upregulated activity of catalase was detected in mitochondria from diabetic animals, indicating an increase in the mitochondrial production of H2O2. All these results suggest that diabetes decreases mitochondrial respiration due to an increment in H2O2 levels, causing the inhibition of complex I due to the oxidation of the free thiol groups of the enzyme, with avocado oil preventing complex I impairment probably by preventing thiol oxidation because enhancement of mitochondrial levels of GSH.


The effect of superlevies on dairy farming profitability was studied in a sample of 120 dairy farms of medium and large size, in Central Macedonia, Greece. The farms were classified in classes, according to the percentage of their milk production in excess of their quota. There were no differences among the classes in the characteristics of the farms. Profit, net family income and return of capital investment decreased by 47 .1%, 24.6% and 19.3% respectively on farms with an average milk quota excess of 15.1%, while on those exceeding their quota by 39,5%, the decrease was 118.6%, 68.6% and 54.5% respectively. The farms of the latter class were operating at a loss. In order to cope with the problem two alternatives were examined: a) a decrease in the number of cows kept on farms in order to decrease milk production to the quota level and b) the purchase of quota in the current (high) market price combined with a short depreciation period in order to cover the excess production. The results showed that a decrease in the number of cows, without considering the expected increase in productivity, will increase profit and keep net family income at the previous levels on farms with an average previous quota excess of 15.1%, while the significant increase in profit on farms with a higher quota excess (39.5%) will improve net family income by almost 1 million drs. The study of the quota purchasing alternative showed that a small profit increase would result only on farms keeping high-producing cows, on farms with considerable size or on those with high on farm feedstuffs production. In both cases and independently of the alternative chosen, the need for: a) an increase in cow productivity and b) a better allocation of the production factors, was evident.


Three-dimensional point sets can be used to represent data in different domains. Given a database of 3D point sets, pattern discovery looks for similar subsets that occur in multiple point sets. Geometric hashing has proved to be an effective technique in discovering patterns in 3D point sets. However, the method are has shortcomings. We propose a new indexing technique called /spl Delta/B/sup +/ trees. It is an extension of B/sup +/-trees that stores point triplet information and overcomes shortcomings of the geometric hashing technique. We introduce four different ways of constructing the key from a triplet. We give an analytical comparison between the new index structure and the geometric hashing technique. We also conduct experiments on both synthetic data and real data to evaluate performance.


Purpose: The tumor-associated antigen Ep-CAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) is overexpressed in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the safety and immunogenicity of a recombinant Ep-CAM protein and a human anti-idiotypic antibody (anti-Id) mimicking Ep-CAM. Experimental Design: Patients with resected American Joint Committee on Cancer stages II–IV CRC without remaining macroscopic disease received intradermal/subcutaneous injections of Ep-CAM (400 μg/dose; n = 7) or anti-Id (500 μg/dose; n = 6) at weeks 0, 2, and 6 in combination with granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (75 μg/day, for 4 consecutive days). Results: Adverse reactions were mild (grade I–II). All patients immunized with the Ep-CAM protein produced Ep-CAM–specific IgG antibodies, predominantly IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses, whereas no humoral response was induced by the anti-Id vaccine. All patients, with one exception in each group, mounted an Ep-CAM–specific proliferative T-cell response. The immune response was more rapid, potent, and protracted after Ep-CAM in comparison with anti-Id vaccination. Interferon-γ-secreting cells (ELISPOT) were detected in both immunization groups against the Ep-CAM protein as well as various Ep-CAM–derived MHC class I- and II-restricted peptides. Flow cytometry analysis showed that Ep-CAM–specific interferon-γ- and perforin-producing cells predominantly resided within CD8+CD56− and CD8dimCD56+ T cells. Conclusions: Ep-CAM protein in combination with granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor induced a long-lasting, Th1-biased humoral and cellular immune response compared with anti-Id. Ep-CAM–specific T cells and natural killer-like T cells responding in a MHC class I- and II-restricted manner were also induced. Vaccination with Ep-CAM protein may warrant further investigation as a novel therapeutic approach to CRC.


In this work the authors try to quantify the brown carbon contribution to the atmospheric energy budget with a combination of instruments deployed during a multi-month campaign in the Pearl River Delta region. Using measured aerosol size/composition information together with optical constants derived from the literature and a radiative transfer model, the brown carbon radiative forcing efficiency is estimated for a range of single-scattering albedos. The coordinated effort to combine these measurements is impressive and many of the justifications for calculations are well-supported. However, the uncertainty in AAE_BC is replaced by a calculation in which the number size distribution of the BC core is assumed to be a scaled fraction of the overall number size distribution. Also as pointed out by the other reviewer, this seems to be a questionable


This paper summarize the principles main methods for structural dynamic identification and presents the experiences in using operational modal analysis techniques in Civil Engineering field. Shown black-box modelling of system for describes the input-output relation of the system and given its application to 11 storey reinforced concrete building. The monitoring, experimental details and data-processing techniques, determination of dynamic characteristics of the building are described. Finite element model of the building was evaluated as a primer numerical model. For the testing with aim comparing several identification techniques (including ambient vibration) and to obtain modal data the four storey space model steel frame was build at Ondokuz Mayis University. (All of devices with appropriate software and necessary instruments for structural monitoring are placed in mobile vehicle designed by author and use also as mobile structural monitoring system (www.omu.edu.tr\~azer).


These notes describe the multiconfigurational self-consistent-field (MCSCF) method, which is a general approach for describing chemical systems in which a single electron configuration is no longer an adequate description of the electronic structure. This commonly happens in reactions that break or form chemical bonds, diradicals, and metals of the first transition row. A single-determinant, restricted Hartree-Fock (RHF) wavefunction does not dissociate properly for homolytically breaking a covalent bond of a closed-shell molecule, as it includes unphysical ionic terms at large distances. Unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) provides a qualitatively correct potential energy curve, but the results are often quantitatively poor, and the wavefunction is no longer an eigenfunction of the spin operator Ŝ. To keep a spin eigenfunction, we need to include at least two determinants in our zeroth-order wavefunction to homolytically break a single covalent bond for a closed-shell molecule, because at dissociation, there should be two degenerate electron configurations, · · · (σ) and · · · (σ∗)2. In the MCSCF method, one writes the wavefunction in CI form as a linear combination of Slater determinants (or configuration state functions, CSF's), and the CI coefficients are determined variationally, as usual for CI wavefunctions. However, the orbitals are obtained not as those that minimize the energy of a single Slater determinant, as in Hartree-Fock theory, but as those which minimize the CI energy of the MCSCF wavefunction.


Photoluminescence spectra were measured with molecular‐beam epitaxy grown layers containing five different single quantum wells in an electric field. The photoluminescence intensity changed with the applied bias voltage in various ways according to the well width. An anti‐Stokes shift in the peak energy was observed with the 2‐ and 3‐nm quantum wells, while normal quantum confined Stark shifts were observed in the quantum wells with larger widths. These results were qualitatively interpreted in terms of the recombination rates both at the hetero‐interfaces and in the quantum wells. Experimental results suggest that the impurity concentration at an interface between AlGaAs and an overlying GaAs layer is higher than that at an interface between GaAs and an overlying AlGaAs layer.Photoluminescence spectra were measured with molecular‐beam epitaxy grown layers containing five different single quantum wells in an electric field. The photoluminescence intensity changed with the applied bias voltage in various ways according to the well width. An anti‐Stokes shift in the peak energy was observed with the 2‐ and 3‐nm quantum wells, while normal quantum confined Stark shifts were observed in the quantum wells with larger widths. These results were qualitatively interpreted in terms of the recombination rates both at the hetero‐interfaces and in the quantum wells. Experimental results suggest that the impurity concentration at an interface between AlGaAs and an overlying GaAs layer is higher than that at an interface between GaAs and an overlying AlGaAs layer.


Abstract A key disagreement exists between global climate model (GCM) simulations and satellite observations of the decadal variability in the tropical-mean radiation budget. Measurements from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) over the period 1984–2001 indicate a trend of increasing longwave emission and decreasing shortwave reflection that no GCM can currently reproduce. Motivated by these results, a series of model sensitivity experiments is performed to investigate hypotheses that have been advanced to explain this discrepancy. Specifically, the extent to which a strengthening of the Hadley circulation or a change in convective precipitation efficiency can alter the tropical-mean radiation budget is assessed. Results from both model sensitivity experiments and an empirical analysis of ERBE observations suggest that the tropical-mean radiation budget is remarkably insensitive to changes in the tropical circulation. The empirical estimate suggests that it would require at least a doubling in s...


FTIR spectra of Cordyceps sinensis(Berk.) Sacc powder irradiated by γ-ray with different doses were studied in the paper.Meanwhile,Fourier self-deconvolution curves and the second derivative specra for the irradiated Cordyceps sinensis(Berk.) Sacc powder were also studied.The content of carbohydrate(sugar and cellulose),protein and fat are higher in the Cordyceps sinensis(Berk.) Sacc powder;γ-ray irradiation for amylose and ester of Cordyceps sinensis(Berk.) Sacc powder is sensitiver,γ-ray irradiation for Cordyceps sinensis(Berk.) Sacc powder makes the group(C-O-H) of pyran ring of molecule toward the group(O-H) of sugar and the group(C-O-C) of ester;The polypeptide that constitute protein of Cordyceps sinensis(Berk.) Sacc are many α-configuration;It was found that the protein of the irradiated Cordyceps sinensis(Berk.) Sacc powder with the under 18 kGy had almost no changes,however,the influence of the mainly effective composition(composition of group C-N and group N-H) of Cordyceps sinensis(Berk.) Sacc powder is larger.The molecular structure of protein,amylose and cellulose of the irradiated Cordyceps sinensis(Berk.) Sacc powder with the dose of beyond 18 kGy could be broken.It is suggested that the sterilization and disinfection of Cordyceps sinensis(Berk.) Sacc powder could not use the γ-ray irradiation.


Research results can be put into action more quickly and effectively if technical assistance is given directly to the end user. New technical assistance programs have been initiated in the past few years to help local and state governments take advantage of federal research and to provide a forum for sharing information. The Federal Highway Administration's Rural Technical Assistance Program, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration's Rural Transit Assistance Program, and the Multi-State Technical Assistance Project are similar programs, but each addresses different problems and needs. In this article, the three programs are described by those who know them well.


Five kinds of ionic liquids 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium nitrate (Cnmim)NO3 (n=2, 4, 6, 8, 10; mim= N-methylimidazolium) were synthesized from N-methylimidazolium, alkyl bromides and sodium nitrate. The structures of ionic liquids were characterized and analyzed by infrared spectra (IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR), mass spectrometry (MS) and elemental analyses (EA). Lanthanide-containing ionic liquids (Cnmim)(Ln(NO3)4) (Ln=Eu, Tb) were prepared by reactions of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium nitrate and europium nitrate/terbium nitrate in 1∶1 molar ratio. (Cnmim)(Ln(NO3)4) were all sticky liquids at room temperature. The strength of nitrate absorption peaks of (Cnmim)(Ln(NO3)4) in the IR spectra was stronger than (Cnmim)NO3 which indicated that the coordination of nitrate anions to lanthanide ions enhanced the nitrate absorption peaks. The structures of (Cnmim)(Ln(NO3)4) contained 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations and (Ln(NO3)4) - anions in which each lanthanide ion was coordinated with eight oxy- gen atoms from four nitrate ions were further confirmed by ESI mass spectrometry. The thermal decomposition of (Cnmim)NO3 and (Cnmim)(Ln(NO3)4) were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), which indicated that all the compounds represented high stability until ca. 250 ℃. Under UV lamp irradiated at 365 nm, (Cnmim)(Eu(NO3)4) and (Cnmim)(Tb(NO3)4) showed red and green fluorescence, respectively, which indicated that these lanthanide-containing ionic liquids could be used as good soft luminescent materials. The photoluminescence properties of the lanthanide-containing ionic liquids were studied at room temperature in water by measuring emission and excitation spectra. These experiments demonstrated that the solution of (Cnmim)(Ln(NO3)4) (Ln=Eu, Tb) showed strong characteristic fluorescence. The red fluo- rescence of (Cnmim)(Eu(NO3)4) was assigned to Eu 3 + 5 D0- 7 F2 transition at 617 nm, while the green fluorescence of (Cnmim)(Tb(NO3)4) was assigned to Tb 3


Purpose of review Tuberculosis (TB) incidence has declined ∼1.5% annually since 2000, but continued to affect 10.4 million individuals in 2015, with 1/3 remaining undiagnosed or underreported. The diagnosis of TB among those co-infected with HIV is challenging as TB remains the leading cause of death in such individuals. Accurate and rapid diagnosis of active TB will avert mortality in both adults and children, reduce transmission, and assist in timeous decisions for antiretroviral therapy initiation. This review describes advances in diagnosing TB, especially among HIV co-infected individuals, highlights national program's uptake, and impact on patient care. Recent findings The TB diagnostic landscape has been transformed over the last 5 years. Molecular diagnostics such as Xpert MTB/RIF, which simultaneously detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) resistance to rifampicin, has revolutionized TB control programs. WHO endorsed the use of Xpert MTB/RIF in 2010 for use in HIV/TB co-infected patients, and later in 2013 for use as the initial diagnostic test for all adults and children with signs and symptoms of pulmonary TB. Line probe assays (LPAs) are recommended for the detection of rifampicin and isoniazid resistance in sputum smear-positive specimens and mycobacterial cultures. A second-line line probe assay has been recommended for the diagnosis of extensively drug-resistant (XDR)-TB Assays such as the urine lateral flow (LF)-lipoarabinomannan (LAM), can be used at the point of care (POC) and have a niche role to supplement the diagnosis of TB in seriously ill HIV-infected, hospitalized patients with low CD4 cell counts of less than 100 cells/&mgr;l. Polyvalent platforms such as the m2000 (Abbott Molecular) and GeneXpert (Cepheid) offer potential for integration of HIV and TB testing services. While the Research and Development (R&D) pipeline appears to be rich at first glance, there are actually few leads for true POC tests that would allow for earlier TB diagnosis or rapid, comprehensive drug susceptibility testing, especially when considering the very high attrition rates observed between biomarker discovery and product market entry. Summary In this review, we describe diagnostic strategies specifically for HIV and TB co-infected individuals. Molecular diagnostics in particular within the past 5 years have revolutionized and 'disrupted' this field. They lend themselves to integration of services with platforms capable of polyvalent testing. Impact on patient care is, however, still debatable. What has been highlighted is the need for health system strengthening and for true POC testing that can be used in active case finding.