In 1966, Claude Berge proposed the following sorting problem. Given a string of n alternating white and black pegs, rearrange the pegs into a string consisting of all white pegs followed immediately by all black pegs (or vice versa) using only moves which take 2 adjacent pegs to 2 vacant adjacent holes. Berge's original question was generalized by considering the same sorting problem using only Berge k-moves, i.e., moves which take k adjacent pegs to k vacant adjacent holes. Let h(n, k) denote the minimum number of Berge k-moves to sort a string of n alternating white and black pegs.The generalized Berge sorting conjecture states that h(n, k) = d 2 e for any k and large enough n. We develop a computational framework to determine h(n, k) for small instances with a focus on the most computationally challenging instances; that is, the determination of h(k + 2, k).


Considering traditional task scheduling algorithm in gird environment can't balance node load and meet needs of the user quality of service, mixed calculation of the traditional algorithm can improve the scheduling time and meet the user quality of service. By using strong global search ability of genetic algorithm and the advantages of high precision of the ant colony algorithm, it proposes hybrid scheduling method of a combination of the two algorithms. Experiments show that the hybrid scheduling algorithm can reduce completion time of the task, improve the efficiency of resource scheduling, and efficiency in large-scale task scheduling is superior to genetic algorithms and ant colony algorithm. This mixed scheduling policy can make load balancing degree of the gird system better, Succeed in solving the gird task scheduling problem and has broad application prospects in the gird task scheduling strategy.


Purpose: Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)/neu amplification affects the cell proliferation through the modulation of multiple G1 cell cycle regulators in breast tumor cells. We performed this study to investigate whether retinoblastoma protein (pRB) and p27Kip1 were differently expressed according to the HER2 amplification status in human breast cancer. Methods: HER2 amplification was assayed by fluorescence in situ hybridization and the expression of cell cycle regulators were assayed by immunohistochemistry on 153 consecutive invasive breast cancers. The proliferative activity of breast cancer was analyzed according to the HER2 amplification and cell cycle protein expression status. Results: HER2 amplification was observed in 39 (25.5%) of 153 breast cancers. In the HER2 amplified breast cancers, the pRB expression was significantly increased (p=0.011) whereas there was no significant relationship between HER2 amplification and p27Kip1 expression. There was an inverse correlation between pRB expression and Ki67 labeling index in the HER2 amplified breast cancers (p= 0.036). In contrast, Ki-67 labeling index was significantly decreased as p27Kip1 expression increased in HER2 nonamplified breast cancers (p=0.028). In HER2 non-amplified breast cancers, we could not observe any association between the pRB expression and Ki67 labeling index. Conclusion: The proliferation of the breast cancers was associated with pRB expression in HER2 amplified tumors whereas it was associated with p27Kip1 expression in HER2 non-amplified tumors. The results of the current study indicate that the cell proliferative activity of the breast cancer is under different growth signal pathways according to HER2 amplification status.


A hypochlorite ion degradation model helps utilities using liquid bleach to develop control strategies to minimize formation of chlorate ion.


The Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales para los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE) provides health services to approximately 9 million beneficiaries and about 4.5% of current contraceptive users in Mexico. As part of the Service Delivery Expansion Project the ISSSTE started receiving international funds to strengthen its reproductive health program in 1992. Within this context the ISSSTE thought that an operations research program could help test strategies for scaling up in a second phase. To implement the operations research program ISSSTE circulated a call for operations research proposals among clinics and hospitals in nine Mexican states. About 14 proposals were received but only four were selected for funding of approximately US$5000 each. Two proposals intended to study the effects of systematically offering reproductive health services in outpatient clinics; one proposal tested strategies to establish services for adolescents; and the fourth proposal sought to decrease the high incidence of cesarean sections and increase the use of postcesarean family planning. The results of these studies were presented in this final report.


To the Editor:— I wish again to request throughThe Journalthat physicians send me embryologic specimens which are constantly falling into their hands. The collection of such specimens at the Johns Hopkins is now one of the best in existence, has been studied carefully by the staff, and is being used constantly by anatomists at home and abroad. About 100 published studies on human embryology are based on this collection, including the "Manual of Human Embryology," in two volumes, published recently by the J. B. Lippincott Co. Much more material than is now at hand is needed by investigators to further the science of human embryology, as well as to study with greater care the diseases of the ovum and the cause of abortion. To be of most value, the material should be preserved immediately after the abortion in a 10 per cent. dilution of liquor formaldehydi, or by


This paper, has presented film-making frameworks relying mostly on modern and post-modern movies and the essential expression of self-reflection. The post-modern movies are in some respects different from the modern and classic ones. However, they still benefit from past achievements. The element of self-reflection is obvious in Godard's works which connotes the reality of their filming. In especially most of his latest works, Abbas Kiarostami also takes benefit from this technique. The present article analyses these two directors' viewpoints and presents the obtained influences on classic, modern, and post-modern movies. The expression of self-reflection in their works leads to art maturation. The obtained results of this research offer the related covert and overt values benefiting from the influencing process of three decades and the effect put on spectators in 15 phases. These results are considered qualitatively and quantitatively of great importance.


PsorospermumfebrifugumSpach. (Clusiaceae) is a medicinal plant found in Benin whose root bark was effective in treating anemia. To identify the family of chemical compounds of this organ was responsible for its hematopoietic efficiency, this work aimed to test the ethyl acetate fraction of the aqueous extract of the plant organ on anemic rats. Methods: Wistar rats were anemic by phenylhydrazinechloridrate on D0. From day 2 to day 15, some were gavage fed with the ethyl acetate fraction of PsorospermumfebrifugumSpach root bark aqueous extract at 40 or 60 mg / kg / day. Others received either vitafer as a reference drug or distilled water (untreated anemic group). Blood samples were collected from these rats and non-anemic control rats at days 0, 2, 7, 10 and 15 for the blood count and osmotic resistance of red blood cells. Results: At D2, phenylhydrazine significantly decreased hemoglobin and red blood cell number, which were corrected on D7 by the extract fraction with a dose-dependent effect. The extract fraction rapidly stimulated release of macrocytes, immature red blood cells in the first week to compensate the anemia. The extract did not affect blood platelet number, suggesting some specificity of action on the red blood cell line. Conclusion: The ethyl acetate fraction of Psorospermumfebrifugum root bark aqueous extract stimulated erythropoiesis faster than the crude extract. Its action seemed specific and dose-dependent. It would probably be related to the flavonoids which action mechanism needs to be explored.


Thermal stability of the perovskite BaBiO[sub 3] and phase relations in the BaO-BiO[sub 1.5](BiO[sub 2.5]) system in the range of 45--55 mol%. BiO[sub 1.5] at p(O[sub 2]) = 0.21 atm have been studied by thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, chemical analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. It has been found that BaBiO[sub 3] loses oxygen in the temperature range between 600 and 1015 C with formation of the oxygen-deficient phases BaBiO[sub 2.88], BaBiO[sub 2.83], BaBiO[sub 2.75], and BaBiO[sub 2.55]. BaBiO[sub 3] and the oxygen-deficient phases form two-phase regions involving phases of the perovskite series Ba[sub m]Bi[sub m+n]O[sub y] at the Bi-rich side and Ba[sub m+n]Bi[sub m]O[sub y] at the Ba-rich side. At 1015 C the BaBiO[sub 2.55] phase exhibits incongruent melting. At further increasing temperature the 1:1 (Ba:Bi) sample passes through a sequence of the crystallization fields of the Ba-rich phases of the compositions 5:4, 4:3, 3:2, 9:5, and 17:9, reaching the complete melting state at 1100 C.


This paper deals with the robust control problem for linear systems with both gain and time constants variations under fractional order PIλDμ controller. A robustness specification to the parameters variations is proposed. For those systems with more than one uncertain time constant, the robustness specifications are analyzed and simplified. To minimize the phase offset nearby the crossover frequency, the PIλDμ parameters tuning is formulated as a nonlinear optimization problem with the specifications and controller structure constraints, meanwhile the initial values of optimization is preprocessed by solving nonlinear equations. Numerical examples have illustrated the effectiveness of the tuning method and advantages of the proposed PIλDμ controller.


Aknowledge of the dose distribution in the volume of tissue irradiated by radium in the treatment of cervical cancer is essential in determining the indications and limitations of radium therapy in the general plan of irradiation for this disease. The purpose of this study is to present this information, in the form of isodose contours for the radium system commonly employed in the Mount Sinai Hospital. Radium System In the Mount Sinai Hospital, the basic plan of radium therapy of cancer of the cervix uteri consists of the application of a tandem of 3 tubes in the uterine cavity and a colpostat of 2 ovoids in the vaginal vault (Fig. 1) . The tandem contains 40 mg. of radium filtered by 1 mm. of platinum and arranged in the 3 tubes in strengths of 15-15-10 mg. from fundus to external os (Fig. 2); its overall active length is 6 cm. The colpostat contains 50 mg. of radium filtered by 1 mm. of platinum, 25 mg. in each ovoid. The transverse ovoid diameter is 2 cm. The ovoids are placed in the lateral fornices,...


In a recent report,1two cases of bulging of the squamous portion of the temporal bone in young children were described by me which were due to an underlying tumor of the temporal lobe found at operation. One was the result of a meningeal fibroblastoma with cystic formation; the other, of a gliomatous cyst. The latter, by displacement of the midline structures, had produced a milder degree of bulging in the opposite squama. In one case, therefore, the bulging was bilateral; in the other, unilateral. My object in this report is to record and discuss three instances of bulging of the squamous portion of the temporal bone observed in young adults, aged from 23 to 28, in each of which an underlying tumor was found at operation. In two patients, evidence of organic nervous disorder was present in childhood. REPORT OF CASES Case 1. —Bulging of the squamous portion


The purpose of this paper is to propose a new intelligence services mode. The authors analyze the advantages of this services mode compared with the traditional ones. Design the structure of whole file and location file involving head information and body information, and take water depth data as an example to show a part of them. By applying multiple linear regression analysis, predict future water level based on a large amount of real-time and historical water level data. R language program shows that forecasting results are good.


This experiment utilized sunflower seeds to determine how much the hormone Gibberellin can be effected by the intensity of light and to determine whether Gibberellin, when present or absent, shows the most negative or positive results. It concluded  there is an obvious difference between the plants that did not have Gibberellin and the plants that vary in light, but there is no correlation between the data of the actual Gibberellin and light effecting one another


A novel automatic bias control (ABC) method which could lock an optical IQ modulator at arbitrary bias points is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for the first time. In the proposed method, the sequences and parameters of the used dither signals and the switch of the applied bias voltages are specially designed to minimize the influence of the power coupling between three MZMs in optical IQ modulator and the nonideal extinction ratios. By this way, precise electro-optical characteristic parameters of these three MZMs can be obtained by calculating the relevancy of the produced dither signals and the optical output signal. Based on these obtained parameters, any-bias-locking operation could be achieved via a feedback control loop. The accuracy and stability of the proposed ABC scheme are experimentally verified by using 1 GHz sine signals and 6 Gbaud single-carrier QPSK signals, and the accuracy of the proposed ABC algorithm is about 0.4° due to the limit of DAC resolution. Moreover, thanks to this ABC scheme, a simple and stable 29.2 GHz millimeter wave generation with SNR of 30 dB by optical frequency quadrupling technique could be realized without any optical or electrical filter.


Abstract Objective: The implementation of new interventions into routine care requires the demonstration of both their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Method: We explored the cost-effectiveness of an Internet-based aftercare program in addition to treatment as usual (CHAT) which was compared to treatment as usual (TAU) following inpatient treatment. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated based on cost of the intervention, cost of outpatient treatment, and remission rates within 1 year after discharge from hospital. Results: Assuming a willingness-to-pay of an additional 14.87 € per treatment for every additional percent of remission, CHAT was cost-effective against TAU at a 95% level of certainty. Cost per remission equaled 2664.84 € in TAU and 1752.75 € in CHAT (34.2% savings). Conclusions: This is the first evidence that Internet-based aftercare may enhance long-term treatment outcome in a cost-effective way.


Various theoretical models of blinking fluorescence from a single semiconductor core–shell nanocrystal (NC) are discussed from the standpoint of consistency with new experimental data, with most of the emphasis placed on the charging model and the multiple recombination center model. The advantages and disadvantages of each are analyzed, and their recently proposed combination using the advantages of both is examined, which is capable of describing the recently observed properties of A- and B-type NCs (the two types differ by whether the fluorescence quantum yield of a single NC correlates with its fluorescence lifetime). It is shown that the Auger neutralization of the NC core results in an anticorrelation of the off-interval duration and the grey emission lifetime in the off-interval. It is also shown that the exponent in the power-law distribution of on- and off-intervals in the fluorescence of single NCs characterizes the concentration of traps and localized NC core excitations at the core–shell interface.


Departing from imperative programming and involving intense logical analysis, delivering rule-based systems knowledge to novice undergraduates poses quite a challenge. We implemented an activity-based teaching method combined with a cooperative learning model, employing battleship games. Their embedded rule-based nature was realized and reinforced in two stages. A puzzle captured attention, challenged, and encouraged analytical thinking. A combat tournament competitively engaged and fully energized the classroom. Students responded positively, enjoying the experience, liking activities, valuing interdependent group discussions and teamwork. They appreciated the easy to understand presentation of concepts, favored the real-world applications connection, and advocated tangible visualization and physical perception.


Under jet pressure of 15 MPa,free water jet discharged from a central-body nozzle was experimentally studied.High speed photography was used to capture the transient fluctuation of the jet interface.Phase Doppler Particle Anemometry(PDPA) was used to measure distributions of mean velocity,Root Mean Square(RMS) velocity and droplet diameter in the fully developed jet flow. Apparent fluctuation of jet interface is proved in the study.With the jet's advancing,fluctuation frequency of jet interface gets smaller,but fluctuation magnitude is enlarged.Just near the jet axis,there is a distribution of relatively small Root Mean Square(RMS) velocity.When the radial distance from jet axis increases,two symmetrical RMS velocity peaks appear.At those transverse sections within a certain axial distance from nozzle outlet,dual-peak distribution of average droplet diameter is the general case.However,when the axial distance from nozzle outlet gets further large, distribution of average droplet diameter becomes similar with that in the water jet discharged from common round nozzle.


A single-mode Tm/Ho co-doped mode-locked fiber laser that is directly core-pumped with 790 nm pump light is presented. In a short gain fiber cavity, femtosecond pulses at a repetition rate of 135 MHz are demonstrated.


In this study,the values for both,"improvement of a sidewalk"and"barrier-free education for primary school children"were estimated by the Contingent Valuation Method(CVM).A wilingness-to-pay(WTP)for"improvement of a sidewalk"was 3,610 yen/year/household in Suita City.Whereas,the WTP for"barrier-free education for primary school children"was 1,520 yen/year/household.Secondly,we carried out a cost benefit analysis on the total WTP of al households in Suita City and predicted the maintenance costs.The net benefit of "improvement of a sidewalk"was approximately 6,600 milion yen,and the cost benefit ratio was 2.0.The net benefit of"barrier-free education for primary school children"was approximately 5,100 milion yen,and the cost benefit ratio was 10.0.The results demonstrate the validity of the fiscal spending for both"improvement of a sidewalk"and"barrier-free education for primary school children". JEL Classification:R11,R22,R58


Abstract Model-based control techniques are commonly applied to control the greenhouse climate. As well-known, these techniques require accurate models for adequate results. Several first-principle models have been developed for the greenhouse climate control problem considering all the physical and physiological processes. However, these models are too complex to be used for control purposes. On the other hand, empirical models based on input/output real data allow to obtain better results and less complex model structures. In the Mediterranean areas the main problem is cooling the greenhouse and this leads to natural ventilation as a standard tool. This paper presents the development and the results of a Volterra model for the greenhouse temperature including the crop effect and using natural ventilation.


— We provide the complete argument for the proof of step 2 in the demonstration of Lemma 4.2 in the paper [1]. Errata Corrige al lavoro: Some results on minimal barriers in the sense of De Giorgi applied to driven motion by mean curvature SUNTO. — Diamo la dimostrazione completa del passo 2 all'interno della dimostrazione del Lemma 4.2 nel lavoro [1]. 1. SHORT EXPLANATION The proof of step 2 in the demonstration of Lemma 4.2 at pag. 52 of the paper [1] is not completely correct, since formula (4.3) (and consequently formula (4.4)) does not hold in general in the case that dpt dt Nt40 is tangent to  ̄f (t). To convince oneself of this assertion, let us consider the following example: let f :[0 , 1] K P(R ) be the smooth flow consisting of the initial circle f (0) 4 ]x R : NxNG1( which translates in the positive x1-direction. Let pt be the intersection of  ̄f (t) with the half-line ](x1 , x2 ) : x141, x2D0(, and p»4 (1 , 0 ) 4p0 . We have (pt2p) Qn40, where n denotes the outward unit normal to  ̄f (0) at p; in particular lim tK0 u pt2p t v Qn40. On (*) Indirizzo degli Autori: G. Bellettini: Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, 00133 Roma, Italy. E-mail: bellettiHmat.uniroma2.it; M. Paolini: Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 25121 Brescia. E-mail: paoliniHdmf.unicatt.it


Antioxidants play a significant role in neutralizing oxidative stress, which could cause impairments to the spermatozoa. Various studies have pointed to various conclusions about the effect of antioxidants on seminal quality. Thus, this cross-sectional study was set up to analyze the relationship between the antioxidants and seminal parameters in Sri Lanka from August 2014 to April 2016. The selected sub-fertile population was investigated to gather demographic data and food habits. Eventually, blood and seminal sample (after three days of abstinent from ejaculation) were collected from them. The blood and semen of each subject were analyzed for total antioxidant concentrations, and the semen was further undergone for the seminal analysis. Normal healthy males were selected for the control group. The average total antioxidant levels of the semen (892.49 ± 187.49) and plasma (808.39 ± 423.88) of the test group (n = 75) were compared with the same of the control group (semen; 929.58 ± 190.70, plasma; 878.73 ± 426.28) separately and found to have no statistically significant difference in each (p > 0.05). Spearman correlation and linear regression analysis were carried out to determine the relationship between plasma and semen antioxidant levels with each seminal parameter of the test group. It was evident that no statistically significant relationship was found in either test for tested variables. Thus, the quality of semen is independent of the seminal or blood level of antioxidants in the experimental group. This could be due to a sufficient level of antioxidants in the body fluids of the study group.


Biometric techniques are methods for recognizing a person based on physiological or behavioral characteristics. The advantage of biometric techniques is difficult to modify. Many recent studies have started to develop bio signal-based biometrics such as the biometric electroencephalogram (EEG). This study proposes a biometric identification system based on EEG signals with photo stimuli. The EEG data is collected from five participants with five recording sections by using the Muse Headband EEG Monitor. The EEG characterization of each individual is calculated using the Hjorth Descriptor method. Validation of the proposed system is done by using K-fold crossvalidation and Backpropagation neural network. A total of 25 validated data, consisting of 10 test data and 15 training data. The system achieves 100% accuracy.


Objective To develop a fault detection system to settle the problem of high failure rate in packaging. Methods Sensing signals of some key parts were collected by PLC. The key parts were conveyor belts,motors,flip folding mechanism,folding shovel,sealed bags shovel,bagging shovel and so on. Then applying the fault tree principle,real-time diagnosis was made and displayed for the collected signals using the upper computer system designed by Visual Basic. Results Practice has proved that this fault detection system is highly reliable and effective. It could improve production efficiency through improving the troubleshooting capabilities of the machine. Conclusion The user interface of the system is simple,easy to operate,reliable and with high degree of automation. It can effectively reduce troubleshooting time and has important significance for the routine maintenance of the packaging machine.


A diffusion model is applied to the recombination dynamics of photogenerated carriers created by laser beam incident to a silicon slab. This analysis yields excess carrier density as an analytical function of time and depth, allowing a fast modeling of excess carrier decay with multi-parameter tuning capability such as excess carrier diffusion coefficient, wafer thickness, surface recombination velocity, bulk lifetime, excitation light absorption coefficient and pulse duration of the excitation laser beam.


Mathematical treatment of massive wall systems is a useful tool for investigation of these solar applications. The objectives of this work are to develop (and validate) a numerical solution model for predication the thermal behaviour of passive solar systems with massive wall, to improve knowledge of using indirect passive solar systems and assess its energy efficiency according to climatic conditions in Bulgaria. The problem of passive solar systems with massive walls is modelled by thermal and mass transfer equations. As a boundary conditions for the mathematical problem are used equations, which describe influence of weather data and constructive parameters of building on the thermal performance of the passive system. The mathematical model is solved by means of finite differences method and improved solution procedure. In article are presented results of theoretical and experimental study for developing and validating a numerical solution model for predication the thermal behaviour of passive solar systems with massive wall.


Nowadays, problems and barriers to supply adequate water and address environmental issues have caused wastewater treatment (WWT) to be considered a high priority. In light of high costs of WWT, using natural capacities to reduce pollution could be potentially economically significant. In this paper, the impact of varying temperature and channel roughness has been investigated on the wastewater quality parameters using the QUAL2K (Q2K) Numerical Model. The results show, as temperature increases, the reduction rate of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is more than the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). Also, organic nitrogen (ON), organic phosphorus (P), coliforms, total organic carbon (C), total suspended solids (TSS) and total nitrogen (TN) decrease; but nitrate concentration (NO3) increases. This numerical assessment indicates that the purification rate is greater as temperature rises above 30°C. The results show that by increasing channel roughness, BOD, COD, Particle Organic Matter (POM), organic nitrogen, phosphorus and coliforms have descending trends while inorganic phosphorus and ammonium concentrations have ascending trends. According to the obtained results, nitrate (NO3) has a decreasing trend when the Manning Roughness Coefficient (N) is higher than 0.04 along the channel, but is reduced when "N" is less than 0.04. © JASEM


ACE‐inhibitors, β‐blockers, implantable cardioverter–defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improved prognosis of heart failure. We sought to analyse the long‐term prognostic impact of evidence‐based integrated therapeutic strategies in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM).


SYNOPSIS Wood density of 18 hardwood species of age 5 to 8 years from nine different sites was evaluated. Average density varied significantly between species and ranged between 300 and 700 kg/m3, Radial wood density showed a general increase from pith outwards. No specific pattern in axial variation was observed, although density values at tree mid-height were generally high in most species. The present study has provided useful additional information for use in species selection for various end-uses in Malawi.


In article the problem of extremism, as socially dangerous phenomenon which increases its scales in our country every year is touched. All features of this phenomenon are considered, the problem of human moral is touched, the maintenance of criminal nature of extremist actions is revealed.


Abstract Background: It is well known that liposome-based delivery of cytotoxic chemotherapeutics has been proposed as a putative strategy to enhance drug tolerability and efficacy compared to the conventional chemotherapy. However, its potential effect on improving prognosis remains largely unknown. The current meta-analysis is to explore the prognosis of cancer patients undergoing liposomal doxorubicin-based chemotherapy. Methods: A detailed review of English and Chinese literature was conducted up to March 21, 2020. We evaluate its possible correlations using hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The pooled data were calculated by STATA software and Review Manager 5.3 software. Results: Consequently, 26 studies including 7943 patients were satisfied in current analysis. There were no significant differences between liposomal and conventional chemotherapy in OS (HR = 0.98, 95%CI: 0.93–1.04, P = .544) and PFS (HR = 1.00, 95%CI: 0.92–1.10, P = .945). Likewise, subgroup-analysis regarding country, cancer type, and sample sizes also showed the similar results of the 2 paired groups. Conclusion: Taken together, our finding has demonstrated that there was no association of undergoing liposomal doxorubicin-based chemotherapy with cancer prognosis. However, detailed and further studies are needed to confirm our conclusion.


Rocky shoreline and house are depicted in the painting with a distant horizon and boats in the foreground and middle ground.


The article investigates consequences of ground fires of low and moderate intensity in the mixed grass pine forests of the Lower Ishim subtaiga (West Siberian Plain). The condition of the low forest, young growth, and the living ground cover in the areas which burned from 1 to 7 years ago has been assessed. It is shown that this type of fire does not lead to complete loss of forest stands, but significantly reduces their productivity and worsens the sanitary condition of surviving trees. Natural regeneration of woody vegetation in the fire-damaged forest areas occurs due to the major tree species pine, but the number of its viable undergrowth even 7 years after the fire is not sufficient for successful reforestation. The recovery of the living ground cover is determined by the extent of destruction. After low-intensity fires the projective cover of the areas with grass vegetation reaches its original value in three years. After a moderate-intensity fire the grass cover was not fully recovered even 7 years later. With the restoration of the living ground cover changes in the species composition and the ratio of the ecological-coenotic groups of plants are observed. The meadow vegetation, which prevails in freshly burned forests, is gradually replaced by the forest vegetation proper.


We present a theoretical study of the valence-band offsets (VBOs) of the pseudomorphic Si1−x−yGexCy/Si(001) heterojunctions. Our calculation is based on the ab initio pseudopotential method, the virtual-crystal approximation, and the average-bond-energy theory. It is found that the VBO is sensitive to the strain condition. Initial addition of carbon increases the VBO of the relaxed Si1−x−yGexCy/Si(001) heterostructures. For constant Ge fraction, the VBO decreases and increases with increasing the C fraction in the case of the compressive and tensile strains, respectively. The trends of our results are in agreement with those of other theoretical and experimental results.


The increase in perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in RF sputtered Gd-Co films with application of a negative bias voltage is thought to originate in structural changes due to resputtering effects. Dual-ion-beam sputtering was used to form Gd-Co films, and the relation between perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and resputtering was studied. In experiments using both dual-ion-beam sputtering and a single ion gun, Ku decreased monotonically with increasing Gd concentration. Hence increases in perpendicular anisotropy can be explained directly by decreases in Gd concentration together with the Gd content dependence of the perpendicular anisotropy.


A car is one of the best feats of mechanical engineering and design. A car is run by a power source that provides necessary and required energy to translate or move and the power source is an engine. During this process, there is generation as well as the exchange of heat that happens continuously to keep the car running. Over time the engine heats up, i.e. most of this chemical energy is lost to the environment as heat, which reduces the efficiency of the engine significantly. In a car, the radiator functions to monitor and regulate the engine temperature to prevent it from overheating thus improving the efficiency of the engine. A study has been made on the performance evaluation of the radiator and with the help of Ansys workbench the thermal analysis is carried out to find extreme conditions in the radiator.


It has become a world's trend that the administrative moral principles of the government should be regularized and systematized.Strengthening the moral responsibility system should become the key to the moral construction of the government.It is especially when the implementation of the system in accountability and resignation is becoming important system and measure for the government to establish a good image.But the system itself is limited,and we must pay attention to the building of responsibility conviction and fostering responsibility conviction.


The aim of this study was to examine women's views on the usefulness of various types of information and practical sessions on weight control, their preferences for program delivery, and likelihood of participation. Cross-sectional survey of 462 women aged 18–33 years randomly selected from the community was conducted. We examined the perceived usefulness of various types of information and practical classes on weight control; preferred mode of delivery; willingness to participate. Among the women 82% were interested in trying to lose or control weight. Information on weight control was considered to be more useful than practical sessions. Information about meal planning, cooking and low-fat recipes and how to manage stress was considered most useful. Fifty-eight per cent of women reported they would prefer to participate in an individual face-to-face program delivered by a health professional. Thirty-one per cent of women reported it was very likely that they would participate in a program if it included the sort of things they considered useful and was offered in the way they preferred; a further 35% felt it 'likely'. It appears that health professional-delivered, individual, information-based programs appear most popular among this target group. Tailoring the content and delivery mode of weight management programs to young women's preferences may enhance program participation.


At this present juncture in the history of literature, many critics fear the literary word has been devalued by the twin forces of electronic technology and critical theory. Even so, the field of literature is not without resources to revivify itself as the emergence of new holistic approaches to literature testify. The interdisciplinary influence of the sciences, for instance, opens a window for the humanities. Alternative models to understanding existence, such as quantum, chaos, and system theories which acknowledge an ordering principle, have emerged to challenge current views of life as entropic, random, and based on difference. Nonlinear dynamical feedback systems create patterns in an open-ended manner, folding back on themselves. Like the mechanics of quantum fields, they describe the movements of both difference and unity in nature. Some critics see such theories as paradigms for cultural production, for human art is believed by many to use the same creative mechanics as nature itself, to even become an interactive partner in the evolutionary play of nature. This new move to describe life in terms of unity instead of difference is not a nostalgic return to the logocentric past, but rather a new scientific spirit that promises to mend the old split between the opposing views of existence as: 1) an offshoot of nature and 2) life as a by-product of culture. For the past 25 years the Department of Literature and Languages at Maharishi University of Management has addressed this gap between nature and culture by applying the techniques for developing higher states of consciousness taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to the study of language and literature. As a result, students gain a deep understanding of the full potential of language in both its vertical and horizontal play of meaning while expanding their awareness and discovering themselves in the literary texts they read. Such a method of studying literature is intimate, practical, and fulfilling to the individual. More importantly, it seems especially urgent at this time, for the sake of world and eco peace, to train students to experience themselves and their culture as part of the unity in the cosmos as well as part of its diversity. This paper addresses the importance of consciousness in historical and theoretical issues of literary study in Part I and presents the practical application of a Consciousness-Based literature program in Part I


The study abroad course will take students to the interior of the third pole, the Nepalese Himalayas, to learn about cultural landscape and environmental change. Enrollees in the course will spend a few days in Kathmandu Valley known for its historic sites, ancient temples, religious shrines, and captivating villages. Course activities include tour of the primeval city of Bhaktapur and Kathmandu Durbar Square and visit to the prehistoric city of Patan. Students will travel to the picturesque town of Pokhara and trek through Nepal's largest protected range, Annapurna Conservation Area, where they will have rare opportunity to interact with ethnic Gurung community in a world famous Ghandruk village nestled at the foot of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Himalayan peaks. The study will conclude with a field tour of deep gorges, magnificent lakes, and stunning view of the Himalayas from Pokhara and presentations by students in Kathmandu.


The scholars included in this volume address global parallels and interconnections in the history of science, centering on the period from 1750 to 1850, a time of dramatic worldwide transformations in economy, politics, society, and culture—including knowledge. They follow and extend the active study of scientific interconnections conducted in recent years. The variety of themes discussed here confirms the complexity of that era's scientific discourse and practice, at stations through Europe, the Americas, and in other parts of the world, in what we have identified as an age of revolutions.1 In our approach we emphasize that a wide range of transformations took place during that century, as seen in both geographical and topical terms, and we focus on scientific study as a field of activity in contact with others in the midst of those revolutions. Chapters in the opening section give attention to the many characters and numerous levels of participation in the exchange of knowledge—in forests of the upper Amazon, in the hurricane alley of the Caribbean, and among fauna near the rivers of Suriname. The various participants had their own perspectives, interests, degrees of freedom and agency, and particular type of knowledge. Individual knowledge was framed by the collective knowledge that had been passed on within their social groups, Introduction


Mechanisms for the uptake of K+, Na+ and Cl‐ develop sequentially in thin slices of beetroot tissue washed under aerobic conditions. Actinomycin D inhibited or prevented the development of K+, Na+ and Cl‐ uptake mechanisms when added to freshly cut slices, but had no effect on net ion uptake when added after the development of the ion uptake mechanisms. The use of puromycin as a specific inhibitor of protein synthesis was unsatisfactory as it caused leakage of pigments and excessive loss of ions from the disks. Cycloheximide prevented the development of ion uptake mechanisms when added at the start of the experiment, but when added after the development of ion uptake mechanisms its inhibitory effect did not become apparent until after a certain time interval which varied from 3 hours for Cl‐ to 25 hours for K+ uptake in the same experiment. p‐Fluorophenylalanine caused an appreciable shortening of the time required for the development of Na+ and K+ uptake capabilities, while it completely prevented the development of a Cl‐ uptake mechanism. p‐Fluorophenylalanine‐induced early uptake of Na+ and K+, however, was followed by periods of net leakage of these ions. It is suggested that the development of ion uptake mechanisms depends on the production of m‐RNA, which appears to be relatively stable after its synthesis. The synthesis and decay characteristics of specific proteins required for the ion uptake mechanisms appear to differ for each ion species. Copyright


INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Infection, a frequent cause of hospitalization in dialysis patients (pts), often occurs in conjunction with cardiovascular disease (CVD) suggesting a possible vicious spiral of infection-inflammation-atherosclerosis. We have reported that a higher monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR) may indicate increased risk of CVD in dialysis pts. Here we explored the association between MLR and infectious hospitalization among incident dialysis pts.


In the face of the increasingly serious energy and environmental problems in the world, it is imperative to develop renewable energy, including photovoltaic power generation. The fact that photovoltaics is still in their infancy suggests that they have a lot of potential. Wide-ranging potential for solar power generation opens up a lot of room for the advancement of photovoltaic technology and industrial growth. Solar energy is mainly used for photovoltaic power generation system (PV system). Its main components are solar cells, batteries, controllers and inverters. Solar cells and MPPT technology are the two main structure in PV system. The development of solar photovoltaic power generation is the premise of the development of photovoltaic technology, because he is an important element of photoelectric conversion, which is related to the energy conversion of the entire system. MPPT voltage is a very critical parameter in the design of photovoltaic power plants. In this article, advantages and disadvantages of four different types of solar cells and their improvement methods will be exponded, while the MPPT technology starts from the traditional algorithm and the intelligent algorithm, with the introduction of several different algorithms. The final prospect of the two key technologies is given at the end of this paper.


The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects that environmental factors in university dormitories have on the adaptation to dormitory life in Seoul National University. Based on the characteristics of university dormitories, environmental factors are categorized as the following; 'Location', 'Layout', 'Unit'. Questionnaire is made for collecting environmental factors and measuring the level of adaptation to dormitory life. The questionnaire will be conducted to analyze the effects that environmental factors in university dormitory and previous residence have on the adaptation to dormitory life.


When the news of Nasser's nationalisation of the Suez Canal Company reached Eden, the Prime Minister was hosting a dinner in honour of King Feisal of Iraq. At the impromptu meeting which convened to discuss the nationalisation, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Kilmuir, a guest at the dinner, recounts in his diaries that he had 'got over the point.. .that it was wrong in international law to endanger the international control of an international waterway and that the company had been treated as an international entity...' This seems to have laid the ground for two themes which would recur throughout the crisis. First, the government's willingness to take its legal advice from the Lord Chancellor and his office, thereby ignoring the more usual channels of legal advice the offices of the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General who took their advice from the departmental legal officials. Second, a stress on the 'internationalisation' of the Canal which conveniently avoided the fact that the government had a very weak case over the nationalisation. On the day following the dinner, 27 luly 1956, the Cabinet accepted that:


A kind of energy high efficiency filter harmful blue light and ultraviolet light, and transmitance and coloration mildness anti-blue light glasses substrate can be effectively improved, by being made using methacrylate polymer as the main body of material and the hud typed transition metal oxide nano-particles, alumina particulate, carbonic acid silicon particle, ultra-violet absorber, the surfactant that are scattered in the substrate body.


The ''level crossing'' phenomenon, which has been pointed out earlier [M. F. Werby et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 84, 1425–1436 (1988)], is studied here for solid elastic spheroids of varying aspect ratios. Using a T‐matrix code, the frequencies (both fundamentals and overtones) of the resonances are calculated as excited by an end‐on incident plane wave. Aspect ratios of the tungsten carbide spheroids range from b/a=1 (sphere) to 4 in steps of 0.25. The resonance frequencies are presented in the form of an acoustic spectroscopic level scheme. They are expressed in units kb (b=semimajor axis) and correspond to resonating surface waves as they form standing waves around the meridional circumference. While for the resonating Rayleigh waves the resonance frequencies only rise gradually with increasing aspect ratio, those for the Whispering Gallery waves rise much more rapidly, and hence successively cross over the various overtones of the Rayleigh resonances. This phenomenon is explained on the basis of the dif...


In this work, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is used to classify the images of soft robotic actuators as bending, triangle, and muscle actuators. The classifier model is built with a total 390 images of soft actuators comprising the soft actuators with 130 images for bending, triangle, and muscle actuators, respectively. 70% of the images were used for training, while 30% were used for validation. The developed CNN model achieved a loss of 7.63% and accuracy of 97.6% for the training data while a loss of 9.64% and accuracy of 85.71% was obtained on the validation data.


The transport system AUTOSHUTTLE integrates roadand track guided traffic using and combining the specific advantagesof each of these means of transportation. Conventionalroad vehicles are transported including their passengersand freight in individual cabins. The operational concept ofA UTOSHUTTLE provides operation of the cabins without intermediatestops at almost constant travelling speed. During thejourney convoys with low aerodynamic drag are formed in orderto lower the energy consumption and increase traffic capacity.Approaching a station only those cabins that have reachedtheir destination leave the convoy on a passive switch and decelerateon a brake track, while other cabins close the gap in theconvoy and travel on at the usual cruising speed. This paper describesthe planning and economical aspects of a proposedcommercia/line along the motorway A3 in Germany betweenthe cities of Duisburg and Cologne as a typical example formany other applications.


Subset analysis is a comprehensive method for examining associations within a data set. This approach may be substantially affected by missing data. Multiple imputation is one approach for handling missing data. This work will explore how subset analysis and multiple imputation can provide benefit in investigating clinically relevant associations. Furthermore, the order in which these methods are performed and its effects will be examined. With this data set, we observe association between body mass index (BMI) and prostate weight as measured by transrectal ultrasound. We show that the order of the procedures affects the inferences.


The role of the charm quark in the dynamics underlying the \Delta I = 1/2 rule for kaon decays can be understood by studying the dependence of kaon decay amplitudes on the charm quark mass using an effective \Delta S = 1 weak Hamiltonian in which the charm is kept as an active degree of freedom. Overlap fermions are employed in order to avoid renormalization problems, as well as to allow access to the deep chiral regime. Quenched results in the GIM limit have shown that a significant part of the enhancement is purely due to low-energy QCD effects; variance reduction techniques based on low-mode averaging were instrumental in determining the relevant weak effective lowenergy couplings in this case. Moving away from the GIM limit requires the computation of diagrams containing closed quark loops. We report on our progress to employ a combination of low-mode averaging and stochastic volume sources in order to control these contributions. Results showing a significant improvement in the statistical signal are presented.


Rupture of some portion of the extrahepatic biliary tree is a rare and often unrecognized complication of blunt trauma to the abdomen, and is usually the result of a blow or crush injury to this region. This is a report concerning a laceration of the common bile duct which followed blunt trauma to the abdomen in a patient who had undergone cholecystectomy and choledochotomy almost 2 years before his injury. An extensive search of the literature reveals no previous report of a case of similar nature. In 1921, Rudberg 1 reviewed the literature and collected 41 cases of traumatic rupture of the extrahepatic bile ducts. Lewis, 2 in 1938, collected 6 additional cases from the literature, including reports by Wallace and Spiro, 3 Long, 4 and Edington, 5 and added one of his own. In 1939, Lysaght 6 described one case which followed a crush injury. Hicken and Stevenson 7


Worldwide activities at government and non-government level are being conducted to improve the quality of life and well
-being of people. These activities need to be evaluated/ assessed to observe the impact on society. Thus, the present
study attempted to asses such activity in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. This study was carried out using survey method. The targeted population of this study was the small farmers of three districts who participated in a crop maximization project(CMP-II). The sample size was 455 at
significance level of 5%. The multistage sampling method was employed and responses were recorded on a six-point Likert scale questionnaire.This study assessed the level of well
-being among small farmers of Sindh province. The level of well-being was divided into four sections namely; material conditions, quality of life, human solidarity and sustainability. The present study revealed that, there is an overall moderate level (M = 212.18; SD = 46.43) of well-being among the beneficiaries. It is, therefore, concluded that projects like crop maximization improves the quality of life of the people and eventually contribute to the well-being of the people.


For communicating over mid-to-long-reach electrical links at a data-rate above 56Gb/s, ADC-based receiver (RX) has become a dominant architecture due to its strong equalization capability using complex digital signal processing algorithm benefiting from the extreme process node shrinkage. This paper discusses the design of >56Gb/s DAC/ADC-based wireline transceiver (TRX) with discrete multi-tone (DMT) modulation. Some notable differences between wireless orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems and wireline DMT systems are discussed, and some practical design considerations for a multiple tens-of-Gb/s DMT RX is provided.


Heavy-mineral concentrates were obtained from a recent exploration campaign for diamond in the Somabula gravels, a paleoplacer of Upper Karoo (Triassic, ~200 Ma) age near Gweru, Zimbabwe. The polymict spectrum of heavy minerals in the Somabula placers comprises staurolite, zircon, monazite, columbite–tantalite, cassiterite, chromite, native gold, platinum-grou p minerals (PGM), and other components, which suggests derivation from a variety of source lithologies. Age determinations revealed that most of the detrital grains of zircon, monazite and columbite–tantalite originate from Pan-African source rocks. Altogether, 622 detrital PGM grains were identified. Pt and Pt alloys, mainly with Fe, Rh, Pd and Ru, predominate (79%), followed by Os–Ir–Ru–Rh–Pt alloys (10%), rustenburgite [Pt 3Sn] (9%), and rare Pt-rich phases (1%). The compositions of the alloys suggest high-temperature crystallization from a complex Pt–Pd–Rh–Os–Ir–Ru–Fe solid solution in a sulfur-poor magmatic environment, probably mafic–ultramafic rocks. The suite of PGM markedly differs from that of detrital PGM originating from the Great Dyke and from the primary platinum-group element mineralization of the Main Sulfide Zone of the Great Dyke. The mineralogical evidence and Os isotope data obtained for the Os–Ir–Ru alloy rule out the possible derivation of the PGM from the Great Dyke. Instead, they are likely derived from late Archean greenstone belts of the Zimbabwe craton.


Due to the strong connections among stocks, the information valuable for forecasting is not only included in individual stocks, but also included in the stocks related to them. These inter-correlations can provide invaluable information to be further leveraged to improve the overall forecasting performances. However, most previous works focus on the forecasting task of one single stock, which easily ignore the valuable information in others. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a jointly forecasting approach to process the time series of multiple related stocks simultaneously, using multi-task learning framework. In particular, this framework processes multiple forecasting tasks of different stocks simultaneously by sharing the information extracted based on latent inter-correlations. Meanwhile, each stock has their private encoding networks to keep their own information. Moreover, to dynamically balance private and shared information, we propose an attention based method, called Shared-private Attention, to optimally combine the shared and private information of stocks, which is inspired by the idea of Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). Experimental results on the datasets of both stock and other domains demonstrate the proposed method can outperform other methods in forecasting performance.


This paper deals with thermo-physiological and sensorial comfort properties of knitted fabric samples manufactured from standard polyester (PET) and Coolmax (multi-lobal PET fiber) yarn by The Lycra Company, Wilmington, DE/USA. 18 knitted fabric samples were prepared by using PET and Coolmax. These samples were tested for qmax property related to warm/cool feeling, water-vapor transmission rate and air permeability. The results were analyzed statistically, and it was shown that fabric material used yarn to manufacture knitted samples, i.e. PET and Coolmax, has a significant effect on qmax, water-vapor transmission rate and air permeability of knitted fabric samples used in this study.


In this thesis, we are exploring the particle spectrum of trilinear-augmented gaugino mediation. In particular, we calculate the masses of the stau and the tau sneutrino in a section of the parameter space in which one is found to be the NLSP, while being very nearly mass-degenerate to the other. We attempt to understand the mechanisms behind this small mass difference at tree-level, and discuss how the situation changes by going up to 1-loop level.


The invention relates to a method of heat energy recovery in installations comprising at least a reformer, said heat energy recovery process condensate (PK) by heat exchange with in the plant (1) Generated gas, in particular synthesis gas (SG), on a cooling coil (17) preheated the plant and / or wherein combustion air (VL) taking place before a in a flue gas channel (2) of the plant preheating by heat exchange by means of boiler feed water (KSW) is preheated is evaporated. Further, the invention relates to a thermal energy recovery arrangement for carrying out such a method.


X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) is commonly used to probe the oxidation state of metal-containing nanomaterials; however, as the particle size in the material drops below a few nanometers, it becomes important to consider inherent size effects on the electronic structure of the materials. In this paper, we analyze a series of size-selected Ptn/SiO2 samples, using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low energy ion scattering, grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering, and XANES. The oxidation state and morphology are characterized both as-deposited in UHV, and after air/O2 exposure and annealing in H2. The clusters are found to be stable during deposition and upon air exposure, but sinter if heated above ∼150 °C. XANES shows shifts in the Pt L3 edge, relative to bulk Pt, that increase with decreasing cluster size, and the cluster samples show high white line intensity. Reference to bulk standards would suggest that the clusters are oxidized; however, XPS shows that they are not. Inste...


Surface modification of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) cocatalysts is a promising approach to improve PEC water oxidation activity by accelerating the surface charge injection efficiency and catalytic reaction kinetics. However,...


liveness time order anticipation and The slow countdown of the a pressured, delimited temporal environment the relation to their future than their past, establishing an end-point casts the as a period of hiatus, limbo. When the countdown reaches zero, the shifts from in a queue to purchasing a or from waiting to see a production to being a member of an online audience. Potential becomes actuality. The timer invites its audience to envision themselves part of a of and to begin generating


own analysis, Dale occasionally plays into this concept, along with critics of 'neoliberalism', in their characterisation of capitalism as the marketisation of everything. There is a general failure to recognise the multi-modal (as against mixed economy) dynamic of capitalist economies. Secondly, Dale does a great service in raising the key issue of Polanyi's relation to Marxism, siding firmly with attempts, such as Arrighi's, to synthesise approaches. In my view, Polanyi's unrealised work was never to have returned to contemporary capitalism to apply the new critical instruments he had developed in his comparative and historical studies. Absent are fictitious commodities, double movements. Instead we have analysis of the radically historical and institutional character of economic organisation.This carries with it an implicit, but corrosive, critique of an axiomatic model of capitalism and a closed (self-regulated) conception of 'the economy' as set out in Das Kapital – where, incidentally, markets operate as black boxes under perfect competition, not so different from neo-classical conceptions. The unstated challenge was to develop new ways of understanding the dynamics of contemporary capitalist economic organisation, and the ever-shifting place of economy in society. A renewal of historical materialism, not a default adherence to a 150-year old theory.


AbstractIn Spain, the Ley de Ordenacion de la Edificacion (Building Regulation Act) has established compulsory warranties to ensure that buildings meet basic requirements with regard to functionality, general safety and structure, fireproofing, and use and habitability. Despite the requirements of this regulatory body, defects in newly built dwellings remain a pervasive problem, which has resulted in a plethora of complaints to the Instituto Nacional del Consumo (National Institute for Consumers' Protection), which deals with consumer protection in Spain. In this paper, a total of 2,351 post-handover defects derived from four Spanish builders and seven residential developments are classified according to their location, subcontract, and element. The research reveals that the most common defects identified by customers at handover were incomplete tile grouting and incorrect fixtures and fittings in toilets. In addition, failure to apply second coats of paint to walls was deemed a problematic issue. Typical...


The IRP/IRE post-transcriptional regulatory system controls iron cellular level by modifying the expression of several proteins related to iron acquisition, mobilization and storage. This regulation is achieved by the binding of the IRP1 and IRP2 proteins to the IRE-containing UTRs in iron-deficient conditions. Previously we described the complete IRP RNP regulon system in mice (Sanchez et al 2011 Blood) identifying more than 260 mRNAs that immunoprecipitate with IRP1 and/or IRP2.


In this paper, cone preinvex and related functions have been studied. The concept of cone subpreinvex functions is introduced. Some properties of cone subpreinvex functions have been established and their relationships with cone convex, cone subconvex, cone preinvex functions have been explored. Under the condition of cone subpreinvex functions, optimality conditions for vector valued minimization problems are obtained over topological vector space. A Mond-Weir type dual problems for a class of Gateaux differentiable multiobjective programs are formulated. The duality results are established under the condition of cone subpreinvex functions.


The effect of mechanical stress by falling from different height on senescence of the strawberry during cold storage was studied,and some important physiology indexes were measured.The results indicated that the strawberry which was handled by the mechanical stress had obvious changes,the cell leakage rate obviously increased,the content of VC reduced,the total antioxidantive activities reduced,and the fruit softened and ripened quickly.


In the article the changes in condition of some elements of Kotokel lake ecosystem, which have happened in the result of anthropogenous euthrofication, are analyzed.


Reliable drought monitoring requires long-term and continuous precipitation data. High resolution satellite measurements provide valuable precipitation information on a quasi-global scale. However, their short lengths of records limit their applications in drought monitoring. In addition to this limitation, long-term low resolution satellite-based gauge-adjusted data sets such as the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) one are not available in near real-time form for timely drought monitoring. This study bridges the gap between low resolution long-term satellite gauge-adjusted data and the emerging high resolution satellite precipitation data sets to create a long-term climate data record of droughts. To accomplish this, a Bayesian correction algorithm is used to combine GPCP data with real-time satellite precipitation data sets for drought monitoring and analysis. The results showed that the combined data sets after the Bayesian correction were a significant improvement compared to the uncorrected data. Furthermore, several recent major droughts such as the 2011 Texas, 2010 Amazon and 2010 Horn of Africa droughts were detected in the combined real-time and long-term satellite observations. This highlights the potential application of satellite precipitation data for regional to global drought monitoring. The final product is a real-time data-driven satellite-based standardized precipitation index that can be used for drought monitoring especially over remote and/or ungauged regions.


─ Geometrical scale modeling is often necessary to perform measurements of parameters and figures-ofmerit of antennas and radar targets with large physical dimensions that cannot be accommodated in indoor and controlled experimental facilities. The measured and simulated parameters and figures-of-merit of the scaledmodels can then be translated to represent, if transformed properly, those of the full-scale models. In this paper, the basic theory is summarized which relates the gain and the echo area (RCS) of scaled models to those of their full-scale counterparts. Simulations and measurements are performed on scaled models, for both gain and RCS, and compared with those of full-scale models to verify the geometrical scaling. For the gain, a quarter-wavelength monopole on a scaled helicopter airframe, and for the RCS, a flat plate of complex configuration, are considered for simulations, measurements and comparisons. A very good agreement has been obtained for both gain and RCS between both sets of data. Index Terms ─ Antenna, gain, measurement, radar cross section, scale model.


Is a radical nanotechnology involving the construction of macroscopic products via software-directed manipulation of single molecules possible? Are we only a few decades
away from a technological utopia where virtually any product may be constructed via molecular manufacturing? These and other similarly provocative questions formed the
backdrop for a well-attended debate on nanotechnology held in the University of Nottingham last year (26 August 2005).


Motivated by relaxation in the calculus of variations, this paper addresses convex but not necessarily strictly convex minimization problems. A class of energy functionals is described for which any stress field σ in L(Ω) with div σ in W 1,p ′ (Ω) (from Euler Lagrange equations and smooth lower order terms) belongs to W 1,q loc (Ω). Applications include the scalar double-well potential, an optimal design problem, a vectorial double-well problem in a compatible case, and Hencky elastoplasticity with hardening. If the energy density depends only on the modulus of the gradient we also show regularity up to the boundary.


[Purpose] This study examines using ultrasonography and unenhanced computed tomography (CT) to determine the location of the internal maxillary artery (IMA) before orthognathic surgery.[Patients and Methods] From January 2008 to February 2011, 15 patients (30 sides as bilateral) with jaw deformities agreed to participate in this study after informed consent was obtained. IMAs were visualized through the acoustic window formed by the zygomatic arch and mandibular notch using power Doppler ultrasonography. Ultrasonographic findings were classified into 2 patterns as follows: 1) clear pattern, indicating continuous or string-like structure; 2) unclear pattern, indicating discontinuous dot-like structure or no apparent blood flow. Each unenhanced CT image of the IMA location was categorized referring to the ultrasonographic image as predictable or unpredictable.In addition, each predictable image was subclassified as lateral (located external to the lateral pterygoid muscle) or medial (other than the former).[Results] The ultrasonography had 24 (80.0%) IMAs classified as clear and 6 (20.0%) as unclear. For the 24 clear patterns, the mean distance from the mandibular notch to the IMA was 2.77 mm (1.0-6.0 mm). The IMA location was detectable in all patients using unenhanced CT plus ultrasonographic imaging. Of the 26 (86.7%) IMAs located lateral to the lateral pterygoid muscle, the ultrasonographic artery findings were classified as clear for 24 and unclear for 2. Of the 4 (13.3%) IMAs located medial to the lateral pterygoid muscle, the ultrasonography findings were classified as unclear.[Discussion] Paying attention to unclear-pattern images classified as lateral was necessary because they may indicate that the IMA is located in proximity to the ramus medially, and to clear-pattern images classified as lateral that approach the mandibular notch. We assume that the risk for hemorrhage during orthognathic surgery will increase if the IMA route is located in the surgery area.[Conclusion] A combination of ultrasonography and unenhanced CT for determining the IMA route may provide safer orthognathic surgery.


One of the first pieces Virginia Woolf published following the 1931 release of The Waves was a short essay entitled ''A Letter to a Young Poet,'' in which she addresses a recipient, ''John'' (the essay was part of an ongoing dialogue with John Lehmann), who has supposedly written to ask her whether or not she thinks that the art of poetry is dying. Striking a comically disingenuous pose of a ''mere'' fiction writer who cannot distinguish ''an iambic from a dactyl,'' she opines, between apparent digressions, that while the art of poetry is not dying, it is not without its difficulties. Notwithstanding the breezy voice she adopts in the ''Letter,'' Woolf's meditation on the state of poetry wanders quite deliberately into some very vexed aesthetic debates about the dual obligation to one's literary past and to one's modern moment; about whether poetry should primarily focus on ''the world of other people'' or take ''the poet himself'' as its subject; and about the relationship between a poem's lyrical beauty and its capacity to show forth the stuff of everyday life: ''the charwoman, the omnibus, the incident on the Channel boat'' (216). Woolf's mandates to distinguish the ''self'' from everything that surrounds it and to keep from losing her voice in the ''necrophily'' of her literary ancestry places her in direct conversation with the early critical program of T.S. Eliot, which was also famously concerned with the role of self and tradition in modern literary art. Consider, for instance, the similarities in their remarks on the contemporary poet's relationship with the great poets who came before him. Here is that well-worn excerpt from Eliot's 1919 essay, ''Tradition and the Individual Talent'':


Leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA) are widely used in the treatment of asthma. Over the years, case reports have suggested a possible link between their introduction and the development of Churg–Strauss syndrome. The case we describe highlights a strong temporal relationship between the initiation of montelukast and appearance of features suggestive of Churg–Strauss syndrome; our patient went on to have a lung biopsy which confirmed the diagnosis. We speculate that the slightly atypical histological features observed (airway involvement by necrotising granulomas) could indicate changes caused by LTRA induced disease per se.

LTRAs have emerged as useful oral therapeutic adjuncts in the management of persistent asthma.1 These drugs are usually well tolerated2 although some reports have suggested a link between LTRAs and the development of Churg–Strauss syndrome. Most (although not all) of these cases have occurred where concomitant prescription of an LTRA has allowed a reduction in corticosteroid dose or corticosteroid withdrawal, in turn indicating that latent Churg–Strauss …


Schaum's Outline of Business Statistics, 4ed 1. Analyzing Business Data 2. Statistical Presentations and Graphical Displays 3. Describing Business Data: Measures of Location 4. Describing Business Data: Measures of Dispersion 5. Probability 6. Probability Distributions for Discrete Random Variables: Binomial, Hypergeometric, and Poission 7. Probability Distributions for Continuous Random Variables: Normal and Exponential 8. Sampling Distributions and Confidence Intervals for the Mean 9. Other Confidence Intervals 10. Testing Hypotheses Concerning the Value of a Population Mean 11. Testing Other Hypotheses 12. The Chi-Square Test for the Analysis of Qualitative Data 13. Analysis of Variance 14. Linear Regression and Correlation Analysis 15. Multiple Regression and Correlation 16. Time Series Analysis and Business Forecasting 17. Nonparametric Statistics 18. Decision Analysis: Payoff Tables and Decision Trees 19. Statistical Process Control


In the opportunities that the income market bring to the firms, this paper will explore the opportunities in the tourism industry. The purpose of this paper is to develop a tourism model to low-income market in Sao Paulo, and to test it's acceptance. The model was structured based on the theory about the low-income market, adapting the services to the interest of the potential consumers. The research proved that the changes had well acceptance. It becomes clear that the income market looks for quality and low price, excluding unessential services. Besides that, it's possible to notice the interest in these consumers for ecological trips, that can be an opportunity to be developed, since this group has available income to spend with trips and tourism.


The Political Analysis of the Firm – The Response of Pluralist Theory – Neo-Corporatist Theory – International Political Economy – Beyond the "Lobbying" Model: Towards a New Approach


Physical injury and tissue damage are prevalent throughout the animal kingdom, with the ability to regenerate quickly and efficiently providing a selective advantage. In most vertebrates, skeletal muscle possesses a remarkable ability to regenerate, making it a valuable model for investigating the cellular processes underpinning tissue regeneration. Following damage, skeletal muscle mounts a complex regenerative cascade centered around dedicated muscle stem cells, i.e., satellite cells. These satellite cells are, in turn, regulated by both resident and infiltrating innate immune cells of myeloid lineage, which play a crucial role in activating and guiding the transition of satellite cells towards maturation (Chen et al., 2020; Tidball, 2017; Tidball & Villalta, 2010). While critical for muscle regeneration, the innate immune system is energetically costly, resulting in many species decreasing immune investment under nutrient-limited environments. Whether this reduced investment results in a decreased capacity to mount a regenerative response following tissue damage remains unclear. Here, we utilized an emerging evolutionary model, the Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus), to investigate the consequences of shifts in immune system investment on skeletal muscle regeneration. The Mexican tetra (A. mexicanus) is a single species comprised of both river-dwelling surface fish and cavedwelling cavefish. Approximately 160 000 years ago, ancestral surface fish colonized the surrounding caves, resulting in the establishment of multiple cave populations. These caves are completely devoid of light, with limited primary producers and poor biodiversity. These different selective pressures have contributed to the evolutionary emergence of many cavespecific morphological and physiological adaptations (Olsen et al., 2023). For example, we previously found that the diminished diversity of macroparasites in certain caves affected the evolutionary development of immune investment strategies and sensitivity of the immune system to immunological stimuli (e.g., lipopolysaccharides; LPS) in cavefish (Peuß et al., 2020). The hematopoietic niche of cavefish contains fewer innate immune cells, such as neutrophils and monocytes, compared to surface fish, and this reduction in proinflammatory cells is compensated by a prolonged proinflammatory response through stronger sustained expression of proinflammatory cytokine genes, such as il6, tnfα, il1β, and g-csf, upon exposure to LPS (Peuß et al., 2020). Similarly, heart injury in A. mexicanus can result in an elevated immune response in cavefish relative to surface fish — a phenomenon thought to underlie their inability to fully regenerate cardiac tissue (Stockdale et al., 2018). Based upon this observation, we explored whether a similar decrease in regenerative potential exists in cavefish skeletal muscle following injury by analyzing transcriptional responses after cardiotoxin injection in both surface fish and cavefish. To characterize the regenerative response in A. mexicanus, we injected the skeletal muscle of fish with the necrotic agent cardiotoxin, which is known to induce rapid and dramatic muscle necrosis (Seger et al., 2011; Supplementary Figure S1). Subsequently, we collected skeletal muscle samples at 1, 7, and 14 days post injury (dpi) and performed bulk RNAsequencing (Figure 1A). Our findings revealed a more robust gene expression response in cavefish compared to surface fish at the 1 dpi, 7 dpi, and 14 dpi timepoints following cardiotoxin injection. Specifically, we identified 2 936 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 1 dpi in cavefish, with a marked decrease at 7 dpi (944 DEGs) and 14 dpi (1 656 DEGs). Surface fish exhibited a comparable pattern, albeit with a reduced number of DEGs at 1 dpi (1 851 DEGs), followed by a substantial decrease at 7 dpi (673 DEGs) and 14 dpi (no DEGs). Hierarchical clustering analysis further supported these findings, with 1 dpi samples exhibiting a distinct clustering pattern compared to the other timepoints (Figure 1B). Collectively, these results demonstrate that cardiotoxin injection elicits a robust change in gene expression in the skeletal muscles of both cavefish and surface fish, with cavefish displaying a more extreme and sustained response. Given our recent findings that cavefish exhibit a reduced investment in the innate immune system (Peuß et al., 2020) — an essential component of muscle regeneration — we next explored gene expression changes underlying proand antiinflammatory signaling. We first performed Gene Ontology enrichment analysis of all DEGs at each timepoint and, as expected, identified multiple enriched pathways related to the immune system. Specifically, at 7 dpi, surface fish exhibited increased enrichment in several immune-related pathways, including "immune response" (P=0.0014), "adaptive immune response" (P=0.0016), and "positive regulation of immune response" (P=0.006) (Supplementary Figure S2A). Cavefish showed similar increases in immune-related pathways, including "immune response" (P=0.0116) and "defense response" (P=0.0116), albeit at 1 dpi (Supplementary Figure S2B). As shown in Figure 1C, most genes within these pathways exhibited an increase in expression following


This book will discuss how technological advancements have changed traditional urban and spatial planning. The inclusion of conventional elements with modern technologies is allowing this field to advance at a rapid pace. The objectives of this book are to: (i) contribute to the dissemination of the recent research and development of the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in urban and spatial planning by trying to demonstrate their usability in the planning processes through the presentation of relevant case studies; (ii) give additional evidence to the fact that ICT are the privileged means to produce virtual cities and territories; and (iii) present a group of illustrative reviews of the scientific production made by both academics and practitioners in the field.


Injection moulding of thermoplasts is a widely used production method for the manufacturing of complex shaped products with thin walls, that hardly need any final processing. During the injection moulding process the polymer melt experiences very complex temperatureand deformation histories, which determine the final product properties. To gain knowledge of the product properties it is necessary to develop a strong numerica.1 tool. The use of VIP, a finite element code for the simulation of the injection moulding process, developed at Eindhoven University of Technology is limited to amorphous tliermoplasts. This work is concentrated on extending the possibilities of the simulation to semi-crystalline thermoplasts. To describe the modelling of semi-crystalline tlierinoplasts the balance of mass, balance of momentum, balance of moment of momentum and the energy balance were used, as well as constitutive models t ha t describe semi-crystalline inaterid behaviour of polypropylene (Stamylan PP 16M10 from DSM). The constitutive relation for the Cauchy stress tensor is a. generalized Newtonian model. The density is calculated with the rule of mixtures. The Avrarni model is chosen t o model the crystallization kinetics. The modelling was tested with a 1-c1iniensioi1a.l problem. The results were compared with results from literature. Afterwa,rds the i! $-dj ineiisional modelling was tested using the results of the 1-dimensiona.1 analysis i n comlimtion with experiments and results from literature. The analyses show that the modelling of semi-crystalline polymers works, although the Avrami model is a very poor model. For the future it is necessary to model the crystallization with more advanced models.


The influences of Chinese geomancy on site selection, plane layout, elevation configuration and other aspects of traditional residence are discussed. Author suggests that people should correctly recognize Chinese geomancy, which produced in special historical period to develop its advantageous factors and innovate in the future design.


Volumetric 3-D displays proposed and demonstrated in the past have been low in resolution and refresh rate, but not in cost. This paper describes the development of an electro-optic multiplanar volumetric 3-D display (without moving parts) based on unique liquid crystal (LC) switchable light diffusion panels. These LC switchable diffuser panels are produced by our proprietary holographic Light Shaping Diffuser fabrication process. Using a stack of closely spaced LC switchable diffusers, which have shown excellent switching speed, diffusion efficiency, and clarity, a multiplanar volumetric 3- D display was demonstrated, projecting full-color 2-D images from a high speed spatial light modulator.


Nowadays, the underlying network infrastructure grows in scale and
complexity, which make it challenging for network operators to manage
and configure the network. Deploying policy or configuration based on
an abstract view of the underlying network is much better than
manipulating each individual network element, however, in this case,
the policy and configuration cannot be recognized by the network
elements. This document describes guidelines for mapping said abstract
configuration and policy into device-level configuration and the way
in which such models will be processed by software to produce
configuration details for actual devices. The Simplified Use of Policy
Abstractions (SUPA) framework overview, exemplary mechanism for
exchanging service polices among the different elements participating
in their deployment and enforcement, and primary procedures of mapping
are described. Moreover, an exemplary mapping scenario is provided to
illustrate the defined mechanism.


With the advancement of urbanization in China, more and more urban utility tunnel are being constructed in complex geological and hydrogeological environments. Dewatering during the construction of tunnel pits is often a big technical problem. Taking the construction of a utility tunnel in Sanya, Hainan Province, China as an example, this paper compares several technical methods of coral stratum and silty sand stratum dewatering in this area. The characteristics of the methods and their advantages and disadvantages were analyzed. One of these methods has been implemented by engineering dewatering, and the effect is remarkable.


All articles submitted for publication in this journal should be typed with double or treble spacing. Carbon copies should not ~e sent. Authors are requested to avoid the use of abbreviations and not to underline either words or phrases. References to articles and books should be carefully checked. In a reference the following information should be given without abbreviation: Initials of author, surname of author. fuZZ title of article, name of journal, volume, tuu date (month, day and year), number of the first page of the article. If a reference is made to an abstract 01 a paper, the name 01 the original journal, together with that of the journal in which the abstract has appeored, should be given with fuZZ date in each instance.


Summary: This study evaluates the value of sonography in the diagnosis of the rupture and healing process of the interosseous membrane in Weber type B and C ankle fractures. In 90 such fractures a rupture of the interosseous membrane was intraoperatively observed in 35 cases (38.8%). All Weber type C fractures showed a rupture of the interosseous membrane, whereas only 23% of the Weber type B fractures were associated with a rupture of the interosseous membrane (p<0.001). In the vast majority of the cases (77%), particularly in all Weber type B fractures (p<0.01), the rupture of the interosseous membrane extended above the proximal fracture line of the fibula. By means of sonography, in the acute posttrauma period a rupture of the interosseous membrane was found in 37.4% of the cases. Thus, in our series the results of sonography and the operative findings coincided in 88.6% of the cases concerning location, type, and extent. Sonography was performed by three unbiased observers, and the results were compared with the intraoperative findings. Thus, the sensitivity of the sonography in the diagnosis of the rupture of the interosseous membrane was 88.8%, the diagnostic value of the method 92.2%, and specificity 94.5%. The sonographic findings of the healing process of the interosseous membrane were in absolute (100%) agreement with the intraoperative observations at the time of removal of the osteosynthesis material. Complete healing occurred within 3-5 months after trauma in 70% of the cases of ruptured interosseous membrane. In the experimental part of our study performed on six cadaveric legs, an association with an equivalent verification of the artificially provoked rupture of the interosseous membrane was found in all cases. Sonography seems to be a valuable noninvasive, nonradiating, inexpensive, repeatable examination for the acute diagnosis of the rupture of the interosseous membrane as well as its subsequent healing.


Objective: The purpose of this analysis is to determine whether a significant correlation exists between cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) expression and local relapse in a large cohort of patients with T1 to 2N0 laryngeal cancer treated with primary radiation therapy.


This paper briefly anaylzes the current situation of library information resources construction. In terms of improving construction of information resources, this paper proposes the following working thoughts, that is, making reasonable bookkeeping principles, and scientific interview, strengthening suppositional bookkeeping construction, establishing characteristic bookkecping data, carefully dealing with information resources construction and improving the quality of interviewers comprehensively. These measures are to better ensure documental information for the quality of teaching and research at college and university.


According to defocus imaging theory, the amount of blur in the defocus images varies with depth of the object in the scene. So depth in the scene can be recovered by estimating the blur with the knowledge of the lens parameters. A novel application of the total variation principle is made for the estimation of the amount of blur in the defocus images. Three main processes are included: the process of image defocusing is modeled using the model of anisotropic heat diffusion, then the depth recovery problem is translated into the minimum problem of energy functional with total variation regularization, and the gradient flow is used to seek the optimal solution. The recovery of focus image and the excess restrictions are avoided. The experiment results show that the algorithm is quite effective and depth information in edge is well retained particularly. Compared with the least square algorithm, depth recovery error with the total variation algorithm is reduced about 40%.


Regulated cell death is an essential piece of normal development and maintenance of tissue homeostasis, wherein BCL2 like 1 (BCL2L1) protein is involved in key signaling pathways. Alternative splicing in exon 2 of
 Bcl2l1
 produces Bcl-x short (Bcl-xS) isoform. However, mutations in around 5' splice site are classified as variants of uncertain significance in humans, and the isoform-specific role of endogenous Bcl-xS remains largely unexplored. Here we show the role of Bcl-xS
 in vivo
 by generating the mice with a mutation in 5' splice site of the
 Bcl2l1
 that inhibits Bcl-xS alternative splicing. Although loss of BCL2L1 leads to embryonic lethal with massive cell death, Bcl-xS knockout (KO) mice were born at a mendelian ratio and showed no overt abnormality until 3 months of age. Thereafter, the KO mice developed cardiac hypertrophy (heart weight/tibia length, 8.59+/-0.308 vs 11.61+/-0.631,
 p
 = 0.0005 and 2.13-fold increase in individual cardiomyocyte size,
 p
 = 0.0001) with contractile dysfunction (EF, 69.25+/-1.31 vs 56.57+/-3.07,
 p
 = 0.0028) and splenomegaly (spleen weight/tibia length, 5.32+/-0.25 vs 7.12+/-0.49,
 p
 = 0.0051) at 6 months of age. Despite that overexpression of Bcl-xS induced cell death in cardiomyocytes (2.497-fold compared to LacZ,
 p
 < 0.0001), there was unexpectedly no overt difference in the level of apoptosis in the KO heart (TUNEL, 0.033+/-0.003 vs 0.030+/-0.002 %,
 p
 = 0.359), but fibrosis was significantly increased in the KO heart (1.602+/-0.095 vs 2.340+/-0.145 %,
 p
 = 0.0017). Diabetes was not evident in the KO mice (blood glucose, 169.8+/-10.9 vs 153.3+/-8.46 mg/dl,
 p
 = 0.2595). Mechanistically, we found that the Akt/mTOR and JNK/cJun signaling are activated in the KO heart and the JNK/cJun signaling is activated with increased Bax expression in the KO spleen. These results suggest that Bcl-xS may be dispensable for development, but is essential for maintaining homeostasis of multiple organs, especially cardiosplenic network, in a tissue-dependent mechanism.


Four new μ2-oxo-bridged dinuclear aryltelluronic triorganotin esters [ArTe(μ-O)(OH)(OSnR3)2]2 (Ar = n-propyl-Ph, R = Me: 1, R = Ph: 2; Ar = i-propyl-Ph, R = Me: 3, R = Ph: 4) were synthesized by reaction of μ2-oxo-bridged dinuclear aryltelluronic acids and the corresponding R3SnCl (R = Me, Ph) with potassium hydroxide in methanol. The complexes were characterized by X-ray crystallography, elemental analysis, FT-IR, and NMR (1H, 13C, 119Sn) spectroscopy. The structural analysis indicates that these complexes are isostructural and crystallized as Sn4Te2 molecules, in which the asymmetric four-membered Te2(μ2-O)2 units are situated in the center. The geometry of tellurium is described as a distorted octahedron and each tin is described as a distorted tetrahedron. Complex 2 has a 2-D network structure connected by intermolecular C–H⋯π interactions. Complexes 1–4 were tested for in vitro cytotoxicity against human lung cancer cells (A549) and human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2). Graphical Abstract


Renal fibrosis is the common pathway of various chronic kidney diseases progressing to end stage renal failure. Polycystin-1 (encoded by PKD1 gene) and polycystin-2 (encoded by PKD2 gene) form a transmembrane complex and function as a stress sensor, which is located in the primary cilia. Polycystins are involved in the disease condition of different organs. Mutation of PKD genes causes autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and deletion of polycystin attenuates heart injury induced cardiac fibrosis. The role of polycystins in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis is currently unclear.

 Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), unilateral ischemia-reperfusion injury (UIRI), aristolochic acid or folic acid induced mouse models of renal fibrosis were established for this study.

 Here we showed that polycystin-2 is up-regulated in these three mouse models of renal fibrosis and tightly correlated with the expression of collagen-I in a time dependent manner. Treatment with triptolide inhibited the expression of polycystin-2 and pro-fibrotic markers in UUO and UIRI models. Moreover, triptolide or PKD2 siRNA inhibited the expression of polycystin-2 and pro-fibrotic markers in vitro. Using Pkd2 conditional knockout mice, we showed that genetic deletion of Pkd2 reduced the expression of pro-fibrotic markers in UUO kidneys. Polycystin-1 was also up-regulated in renal fibrotic models and conditional deletion of Pkd1 reduced the expression of pro-fibrotic markers in UUO or folic acid induced fibrotic kidneys. Furthermore, the expression of the methyltransferase EZH2 is positively correlated with the expression of polycystins in fibrotic kidneys. Conditional knockout of EZH2 attenuated the anti-fibrotic responses induced by Pkd1 deletion in UUO kidneys.

 In conclusion, polycystins are up-regulated in fibrotic kidneys and promote renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis through up-regulation of EZH2, suggesting that primary cilia are required for renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis.


This following article presents the concept of a cheap universal capacitive sensor for partial discharge (PD) measurement. The authors checked the effectiveness of the device prototype on a MV air-insulated switchgear. For this purpose, a combination of a widely used Transient Earth Voltage (TEV) sensor and a detector with Junction Field-Effect Transistor (JFET) was used. The paper presents the results of PD measurements with TEV sensors depending on the phase of the supply voltage. The conducted experiment is the basis for developing the functionality of the sensor and further research.


The drainage gas recovery operation with small-diameter continuous pipes is applicable to the one in natural gas well with low pressure, low production and low water content. Its advantages exhibit as the following: 1) high efficiency on continuous running of pipe string under pressure; 2) production while operation; 3) correct monitoring the position of ejection head; and 4) précised control of ejection quantity. Due to the small diameter, thin wall thickness and relative low rigidity of pipe string, it is easy to cause bending and deformation during down-hole process and affect the capability of small diameter pipe operation. Aiming at shutting and opening of the well, this thesis analyzes the force of the small-diameter pipe during down process, establishes the corresponding digital model and proposes the calculating method required to run the small-diameter pipes under different status. Taking G25-5 well as example, the appropriate minimum length of weight bar under different working status is given to verify the validness of the method to determine the minimum length of weight bar. Keywords-Skid-Mounted Small-Diameter Pipe; Drainage Gas Recovery & Weight Bar


ABSTRACT Video games comprise a multi-billion-dollar industry. Companies invest huge amounts of money for the release of their games. A part of this money is invested in testing the games. Current game testing methods include manual execution of pre-written test cases in the game. Each test case may or may not result in a bug. In a game, a bug is said to occur when the game does not behave per its intended design. The process of writing the test cases to test games requires standardization. We believe that this standardization can be achieved by implementing experimental design to video game testing. In this research, we discuss the implementation of combinatorial testing, specifically covering arrays, to test games. Combinatorial testing is a method of experimental design that is used to generate test cases and is primarily used for commercial software testing. In addition to the discussion of the implementation of combinatorial testing techniques in video game testing, we present an algorithm that can be used to sort test cases to aid developers in finding the combination of settings resulting in a bug.


INTRODUCTION Medical education at all levels aims to equip physicians with the knowledge, skills, and attributes of professionalism needed to deliver quality patient care. Research on medical education aims to make the enterprise more eff ective, effi cient, and economical. Downstream goals of medical education research are to demonstrate that educational interventions contribute to physician competence measured in the classroom, educational laboratory, and patient care setting. Improved patient outcomes linked directly to educational events are the ultimate goal of medical education research. Translational science progresses from bench to bedside in at least three seamless phases. T1 science seeks to move basic laboratory discoveries in the biomedical sciences to clinical research. T2 science aims to produce evidence of clinical eff ectiveness at the level of the patient; compare the success of diff erent treatments to identify " the right treatment for the right patient in the right way at the right time " ; and translate these results into practice guidelines for patients , clinicians, and policy-makers (1). T3 science addresses health care delivery, community engagement, and preventive services that yield measureable improvements in the health of individuals and society (1). A growing body of medical education research expands the defi nition of T1 to T3 translational science. Th ese investigations address skill and knowledge acquisition and


Facility location is a theory developed to support decisions about where to place strategic resources with low mobility. Determining the best location for a back-up transformer is a relevant example. Thus, this study set out to present a decision support system based on a multi-attribute p-median model. Some hypotheses were assumed through the Multiattribute Utility Theory concept. The back-up transformer locations were indicated and analysed.


The effects of yeast inoculum,saccharification time,water ratio,fermentation temperature and fermentation time on the production of rice wine were investigated in this paper.The numbers of mold,yeast and lactic acid bacteria under different conditions were also examined.The optimal fermentation conditions were obtained by the orthogonal experiment L8(27) as followed: fermentation temperature 28℃;saccharification time 48h;the starter inoculum 2.0%.Due to the fact that the water ratio and fermentation time were less important for rice wine fermentation,their values could be chosen according to specific production conditions.