Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a ubiquitous and highly expressed regulator for various signaling pathways. Hsp90 has been well studied as a potential cancer therapeutic target, and Hsp90 inhibitors such as 17‐AAG have been tested as anti‐cancer therapeutics in preclinical studies and clinical trials. However, there have been no reported studies as to whether or not treatment with an Hsp90 inhibitor could affect pain or opioid therapy in cancer patients. Our laboratory previously found that Hsp90 promotes opioid‐induced anti‐nociception in the brain and represses it in the spinal cord in tail flick, paw incision, and HIV neuropathic pain models, suggesting potential effects in cancer pain treatment. This study was designed to investigate the regulatory activity of Hsp90 on opioid induced anti‐nociception in cancer pain using a model of cancer induced bone pain (CIBP). To achieve this goal, female Balb/c mice were injected with 66.1 murine breast cancer cells in the intramedullary space of the right femur. Pain behaviors, including mechanical allodynia, spontaneous flinching, and guarding, were assessed prior to, 7 days, and 13 days after the surgery. Thirteen days after the injection with cancer cells, mice were given intracerebroventricular (icv) or intrathecal (it) injections with either 0.5 nmol 17‐AAG or 1% DMSO vehicle, followed by a 24 hour recovery. After 24 hours, all of the mice were subcutaneously injected with 10 mg/kg morphine and pain behaviors were assessed for two hours. We found that it administration of 17‐AAG greatly reduced morphine anti‐nociception in mechanical allodynia (~64% reduction) without changing spontaneous pain. Meanwhile, treatment with 17‐AAG via icv showed no effect on von Frey, flinching, or guarding. These results indicate that Hsp90 in the spinal cord, but not in the brain, modulates opioid‐induced anti‐nociception in cancer pain. These results also suggest that Hsp90 inhibitors given for cancer therapy could make opioid treatment less effective in cancer patients.


A novel acidic heteropolysaccharide which comprises as its structural units arabinose, mannose, galactose, glucuronic acid, and xylose, at a specific ratio. The polysaccharide can be prepared by culturing a callus induced from a plant belonging to the genus Polianthes L. in a culture medium containing plant hormones. The polysaccharide can be used as a component of agents for external application and detergents, and provides good moisturizing effects and a smooth, satisfying feel ing upon use. When formulated in detergents, they produce remarkable improvement in a clean, rich feel ing upon use.


The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoner, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and to provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:1-3).


Alternative energy is the need of the hour in today's world. And when it comes to alternative energy sources, the world of science is trying to find ways to increase the efficiency of these sources as much as Is possible. After cost and efficiency, storage is the biggest obstacle preventing widespread use of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. The ability to store energy when it is produced is an essential waypoint on the road to turning alternative energy into regular energy. This problem of storage can be solved by supercapacitors[1] as these can store more energy as compared to the conventional capacitors. The properties of supercapacitors are greatly affected by its internal materials and the procedure of construction [2]. This paper focuses on the effect of using different types of carbon for the making of the supercapacitor on the capacitance and its other properties. Also the effect on these properties was observed by applying different techniques during the construction of the electrolytes for the supercapacitor. The two techniques used for putting the overcoat (the second layer) of the metal oxide and activated were drop method and dip method. The change by varying the proportion of the active carbon and the metal oxide was also observed and studied. This paper gives an extensive analysis on the various ways of making a supercapacitor in a quest to find the most effective procedure, so that the supercapacitor with the best performance can be obtained.


About ten years ago, while studying biochemistry in Hamburg, I heard of the plans of Bryan Sykes to identify the genetic origins of the English. Reasoning that a comparative sample of North Germans and Danes would be useful for this project, I plucked hairs from a couple of hundred of my bemused colleagues, professors, and friends in Denmark and Germany, and sent them to England for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing. However, the first sequences contained errors that only became apparent in phylogenetic network analyses (Bandelt et al. 1995) and motivated us to take great pains in proofreading before publication. For evermore, this impressed upon us a healthy scepticism towards sequence data in general, an attitude which incidentally has not always endeared us to fellow geneticists. It is an irony of fate that errors in these very same German and Danish sequences have now tripped up researchers of deCODE Genetics in Iceland, as described by Arnason on page 5 of this issue. In a number of papers, the deCODE team had previously argued that mtDNA in Iceland is relatively homogeneous when compared to other European regions, notably the northern European source areas of the Vikings, who had colonised Iceland after AD 874. Arnason however arrives at the opposite result, namely that Icelanders are rather diverse when compared to the rest of Europe. What had happened? The deCODE geneticists had taken their sequences not directly from the original publications or their corresponding GenBank/EMBL depositions, but rather from the conveniently compiled Leipzig public database, HvrBase. As Arnason demonstrates, this database is riddled with copying errors in the case of the Danes and Germans, resulting in a qualitatively different ranking of Icelandic genetic diversity. Nevertheless, it would be unfair to restrict criticism either to Leipzig or to Reykjavik concerning the accuracy of primary mtDNA sequence data. According to Table 1, which I derived from an update of our own database (Röhl et al. 2001) of published mtDNA sequences, more than half of the mtDNA sequencing studies ever published contain obvious errors which should have been caught by the authors. These errors range from simple mistakes in sample description and misread nucleotides to wholesale rearrangements in columns and rows of the sequence tables. Moreover, Table 1 lists only the tip of an iceberg, namely those errors which are confirmed to exist (i.e., confirmed either by inconsistencies within the publication itself, or by inconsistencies between the paper and the deposited sequences, or indeed by feedback from the authors). Phylogenetic analyses make it clear that error free publications on mtDNA sequences are extremely rare (Bandelt et al. 2001; 2002). Does it matter? Unfortunately, in many cases it does. Not only the Icelandic work but also other fundamental research papers, such as those claiming a recent African origin for mankind (Cann et al. 1987; Vigilant et al. 1991), a Neolithic origin of Europeans (Simoni et al. 2000), or recombination of mtDNA (Hagelberg, 1999; Eyre-Walker, 1999) have been criticised, and rejected, respectively, due to the extent of primary data errors, as outlined by Forster et al. (2001); Röhl et al. (2001); Torroni et al. (2000); Kivisild & Villems (2000) and Macaulay et al. (1999). In forensics, accurate comparative mtDNA databases are needed to assess the probability that a mtDNA profile from a crime stain is likely to derive from a suspect rather than from any other member of the population, so the number of errors in forensic journals listed in Table 1 does not engender confidence, either. I hasten to add that the forensic journals or the American Journal of Human Genetics, which feature prominently in the table, are possibly not more or less inaccurate than other journals, as the table seems to suggest. There is more scope for errors in journals which publish large datasets and long mtDNA sequences, than in other journals, such as Nature and Nature Genetics, who on occasion play safe by not divulging any primary sequence data.


Provided is a near-infrared absorbing dye having transparency to visible light and near-infrared blocking characteristics in which the transmittance is increased for light having wavelengths of 430-550 nm in particular. Absorption characteristics of the near-infrared absorbing dye, which are measured by dissolving the dye in dichloromethane, satisfy the following requirements: ・In an absorption spectrum at wavelengths of 400-800 nm, a maximum absorption wavelength λ max exists in the wavelength region of 670 nm or higher; ・Relational expression e B /e A ≥ 65 holds between a maximum absorption coefficient e A for light having wavelengths of 430-550 nm and a maximum absorption coefficient e B of light having wavelengths of 670 nm or higher; and ・In a spectral transmittance curve, the average transmittance of light having wavelengths of 430-460 nm is equal to or greater than 94.0 % when the transmittance at the maximum absorption wavelength λ max is assumed to be 1 %.


The stability of various dosage forms of pilocarpine ophthalmic formulations available on the Japanese market was studied. For opthalmic solutions, hydrolysis was found to be a main route of degradation, and the stability depended largely on the pH and the concentration of general bases. Nonlinear regression analysis allowed estimation of the rate constants of degradation, including reversible hydrolysis to pilocarpic acid and reversible epimerization to isopilocarpine. It was also found that an ointment formulation was stable, while a conjunctival insert preparation was susceptible to epimerization and hydrolysis. The factors affecting the stability of pilocarpine preparations are discussed.


The use of remote patient monitoring to assess clinical status changes in patients with heart failure has increased in the hope that early intervention will reduce morbidity. Although weight monitoring plays an important role in many such systems and is recommended in HF practice guidelines, how weight changes correlate with subsequent hospitalization for HF has not been established. Investigators …


I From Philosophy to Science: Why Should We Protect Endangered Species? Philosophical and Ecological Rationale, Karen Beazley Species at Risk in Canada, Bill Freedman, Lindsay Rodger, Peter Ewins, and David M. Green Avoiding the Endangerment of Species - The Importance of Habitats and Ecosystems, David Gauthier and Ed Wiken Endangered Species and Terrestrial Protected Areas, Philip Dearden Endangered Species and Marine Protected Areas, Martin Willison. II From Science to Policy: The Politics of Endangered Species - An Historical Perspective, Stephen Bocking In Search of a Minimum Winning Coalition - The Politics of Species at Risk Legislation in Canada, William Amos, Kathryn Harrison, and George Hoberg Risk Politics in Western States - Canadian Species in Comparative Perspective, Robert Boardman International Initiatives, Commitments and Disappointments - Canada, CITES and the Convention on Biological Diversity, Philippe Le Prestre and Peter Stoett The Prospects for Canada's Species at Risk, Robert Boardman, Amelia Clarke, and Karen Beazley.


Abstract Nitrosobenzene and phenylhydroxylamine were reduced with elemental sulfur in liquid ammonia and amines to give aniline as the major product. Although hydrazobenzene was obtained by the reactions of azoxybenzene and azobenzene with elemental sulfur in liquid ammonia and amines, the expected aniline was not obtained. The utilities of elemental sulfur in liquid ammonia and amines as reductant is discussed.


Introduction Owing to the hypergrowth of cloud computing and video on demand, further promotion of data capacity among data centre interconnects is placed on the agenda. Generally, multiplexing and modulation techniques with spectral efficiency (SE) improvement are two common ways to increase the aggregate data rate. Up to now, multiplexing techniques have been successfully implemented in the dimensions of polarization, wavelength, fibre cores and modes, reaching a transmission rate over Pb/s [1]. As for the single lane (i.e., single fibre, single wavelength, single polarization) transmission, increasing the SE is preferable. By adopting higher order modulation formats, such as 4096 QAM, the SE can attain a goal of more than 10 bits/symbol [2]. Consequently, it is not surprising that the single channel capacity can exceed hundreds of Gb/s. However, the introduction of higher order modulation formats will make the system performance more sensitive to the signal to noise ratio (SNR) as the Euclidean distance between neighbouring constellation points becomes shorter under a fixed total power. In recent years, extensive research related to constellation shaping has been carried out to explore its applications in optical communications [3]. For an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel, the constellation shaped signals show performance closer to the Shannon limit compared to the conventional QAM signals, bringing a SNR gain up to 1.53 dB [4]. The key concept of constellation shaping is to mimic Gaussian signalling. Its implementation can be classified into two categories. One can adjust the locations of the constellation points on the complex plane to realize the Gaussian distribution as shown in Fig. 1 (a), which is termed as geometric shaping (GS). However, GS faces many practical problems. For arbitrary channels, no typical solution has been proposed for optimizing the locations of the constellation points in GS. Besides, the computational complexity of digital signal processing (DSP) increases owing to the irregular locations of constellation points. As a result, the other method of constellation shaping, named as probabilistic shaping (PS), is preferable. Unlike GS, PS changes the frequency of occurrence of the constellation points rather than their locations. Consequently, the DSP of PS signals is compatible with that of the conventional QAM signals. In addition, the optimization of probability distribution can be realized by tuning a simple parameter [3].


This project proposes a methodology for reintroduce this materials into the production cycle of the company, with the help of the design as a tool, to create products such as furniture, accessories, toys, taking into account the search for materials, classification and the possible application. Helped with a model of waste management, this project aims to establish guidelines for the entire model can be replicated in other industries, initially the impact will not be significant, but with the frequency with these companies begin to adopt models like this, the change in the impacts over the enviroment can be quantified


The latter half of the 20th century witnessed not only increased visibility of bioarchaeological research but also enhanced concern by Native Americans/First Nations1 about excavation of ancient burial sites and collections of archaeologically recovered remains and associated funerary items held in museums and universities. Such concerns excited public support and led to state and federal repatriation legislation in the United States. At the federal level, the National Museum of the American Indian Act (NMAIA) was passed by Congress in 19892 and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) in 1990.3 State laws vary widely (Ubelaker and Grant, 1989), as discussed later. Similarly variable laws have been promulgated in Canada at corporate, municipal, and provincial/territorial levels, although there was no encompassing federal legislation in place by the end of 2004 (Burley, 1994; Ferris, 2003; Nicholas and Andrews, 1997; Watkins, 2003).


The comparative study of Chinese and European legal history is arguably as old as the social sciences themselves. Comparisons between the "Chinese legal tradition" and European ones lie, after all, at the heart of Max Weber's seminal studies on economy and society—hardly surprising, given Weber's extensive legal background.1 In recent decades, comparative Chinese and European legal history, broadly defined, has thrived in both Chinese academic circles and foreign ones, across a number of disciplines, including history, law, economics, and sociology. This article reviews the basic trends in this literature and suggests avenues for future research, both thematic and methodological. Given its length limitations, it makes no claim to be a comprehensive survey of the "field," if we can call it that. Rather, it seeks to highlight some of the major intellectual themes that, in the author's perhaps idiosyncratic experience, scholars in the field have regularly grappled with, with varying levels of success. The goal, ultimately, is to discuss how progress might be made.

Existing studies seem to fall, for the most part, into three general categories: the first, most densely populated category includes works that use comparative methods as an illustrative tool. Historical Chinese institutions are compared with functionally similar European ones, so that we can better understand their structure, operation, and, in some cases, origins—rarely are these works focused on better understanding European institutions. The second category, increasingly prominent in recent years, studies historical interactions between China and the West, including the translation of legal texts and treatises, imperial and colonial experiences, and disputes in the international legal arena. The third category includes what one might call "divergence studies," which seek to explain how and, more importantly, why Chinese and European institutions differed, generally in the context of early modern global economic divergence.

The first category, which has …


Globalization is creating tremendous opportunities as well as challenges for businesses. There can be observed increasing emphasis on maximizing creativity, human capital and problem solving. Companies are more likely to be innovative and shape ideas as well as to create attractive propositions for users or customers (Cox, 2005). On the other hand consumers are becoming more like external employees who take over specific parts of a design process, whereby this process finally remains under the control of a company (Kleemann, Voß, & Rieder, 2008). The recent shift towards a polycentric perception of business making requires the involvement of stakeholders in an organization's management. This is a starting point for looking at the idea of crowdsourcing as an innovative business model. The inclusion of stakeholders in the process of developing new products or services forms a general foundation of this notion. Entrepreneurs take advantage of crowdsourcing ventures due to the delegation of tasks to stakeholders in the form of an open call. The article's aim is to present crowdsourcing as innovative business model in the context of evolving consumer society based on the OpenIDEO case. The text highlights the pros and cons of crowdsourcing as well as prospective research directions that might clarify some unidentified aspects of crowdsourcing.


This paper introduces the streaming media congest io n control protocol,a new adaptive media streaming congestion management protocol in which the connection′s packet transmission rate is adjusted according to th e dynamic bandwidth share of the connection The analysis of the protocol is a lso provided


Gene‐gene interaction analyses have been suggested as a potential strategy to help identify common disease susceptibility genes. Recently, evidence of a statistical interaction between polymorphisms in two negative immunoregulatory genes, CBLB and CTLA4, has been reported in type 1 diabetes (T1D). This study, in 480 Danish families, reported an association between T1D and a synonymous coding SNP in exon 12 of the CBLB gene (rs3772534 G>A; minor allele frequency, MAF=0.24; derived relative risk, RR for G allele=1.78; P=0.046). Furthermore, evidence of a statistical interaction with the known T1D susceptibility‐associated CTLA4 polymorphism rs3087243 (laboratory name CT60, G>A) was reported (P<0.0001), such that the CBLB SNP rs3772534 G allele was overtransmitted to offspring with the CTLA4 rs3087243 G/G genotype. We have, therefore, attempted to obtain additional support for this finding in both large family and case‐control collections. In a primary analysis, no evidence for an association of the CBLB SNP rs3772534 with disease was found in either sample set (2162 parent‐child trios, P=0.33; 3453 cases and 3655 controls, P=0.69). In the case‐only statistical interaction analysis between rs3772534 and rs3087243, there was also no support for an effect (1994 T1D affected offspring, and 3215 cases, P=0.92). These data highlight the need for large, well‐characterized populations, offering the possibility of obtaining additional support for initial observations owing to the low prior probability of identifying reproducible evidence of gene‐gene interactions in the analysis of common disease‐associated variants in human populations.


Problems relating to team formation is common across many industrial sectors, including education, sport and general business. For Team Leaders, team member selection can be a critical challenge due to the complexity in creating a well-balanced productive unit. It is beyond manual implementation to build near optimal teams as pools of employees grow. One of the essential skills of individuals is the ability to work in a team, and it takes on greater importance in engineering workgroups, where each member must know how to collaborate with their colleagues. In this paper, we use the combination of the Belbin roles and the social network analysis approach to find the possible members of a team. We present a case study based on an undergraduate course in computer engineering, we apply the Belbin test to each student, and each student expresses his preferences to work with his classmates. With this data, similarity patterns were searched within a social network using network analysis algorithms. We compare the results of the network analysis with the groups formed by a teacher. Finally, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of project teams, from the proposed approach.


Brain swelling was produced by exposing the cerebral cortex to air (rat) and by epidural compression (cat). The isolated mitochondria from swollen brain were investigated with regard to some basic properties relevant to their functional state, such as respiration, phosphorylation, respiratory control and ATPase activity. Those biochemical findings were in accordance with clinical and electroencephalographic findings. In the moderate cases, the isolated mitochondria revealed a loosely coupled state of the oxidative phosphorylation, characterized by a decrease of respiration in the presence of phosphate acceptor, with an essentially normal phosphorylative efficiency. The ATPase activity of the mitochondria was only slightly stimulated by 2, 4-dinitrophenol. On the other hand, the mitochondria of severe cases showed loss of phosphorylation, but in some case, the improvement of phosphorylation was observed by the addition of serum albumin or keeping the mitochondrial preparation at 0°C for two hours. Brain swelling or complete ischemia causes the loss of the ability to couple phosphorylation to respiration and the simultaneous formation of an ethanol-extractable inhibitor. The material also inhibits respiration in the presence of a phosphate acceptor, respiratory control ratio, and 2, 4-dinitrophenol-induced ATPase activity. These actions of this inhibitor are abolished by the presence of serum albumin. Enzymic formation of inhibitor also occurred in incubation of tightly coupled rat brain mitochondria at 22°C. This inhibitor has properties consistent with those of higher fatty acids and its enzymic formation from endogenous lipides may be responsible for the rapid inactivation of oxidative phosphorylation in brain swelling or ischemia. The possible mechanism of the development of brain swelling was discussed from the viewpoint of the endogenous inhibitor.


The selective energy deposition of hadrontherapy has led to a growing interest in quality assurance techniques such as 'in-beam' PET. Due to the current lack of commercial solutions, dedicated detectors need to be developed. In this paper, we compare the performances of two different 'in-beam' PET systems which were simultaneously operated during and after low energy carbon ion irradiation of PMMA phantoms at GSI Darmstadt. The results highlight advantages and drawbacks of a novel in-beam PET prototype against a long-term clinically operated tomograph for ion therapy monitoring.


. We study the local-in-time regularity of the Brownian motion with respect to localized variants of modulation spaces M p,qs and Wiener amalgam spaces W p,qs . We show that the periodic Brownian motion belongs locally in time to M p,qs ( T ) and W p,qs ( T ) for ( s − 1) q < − 1, and the condition on the indices is optimal. Moreover, with the Wiener measure µ on T , we show that ( M p,qs ( T ) , µ ) and ( W p,qs ( T ) ,µ ) form abstract Wiener spaces for the same range of indices, yielding large deviation estimates. We also establish the endpoint regularity of the periodic Brownian motion with respect to a Besov-type space b b sp, ∞ ( T ). Specifically, we prove that the Brownian motion belongs to b b s p, ∞ ( T ) for ( s − 1) p = − 1, and it obeys a large deviation estimate. Finally, we revisit the regularity of Brownian motion on usual local Besov spaces B sp,q , and indicate the endpoint large deviation estimates.


Petroleum industry is an important user from the angle of materials. The materials and technologies of all kinds can find suitable application in petroleum industry, such as exploration, development, storage and trainsportation and chemicals. High-performance structural material is the important substance foundation of the country's basic industry and engineering construction. It is also one of the fields under the most intensive international competition for high technology and new materials at the present time. Metal and alloy materials have taken the dominant position in the


A Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is required to make the spatial data be fully used and well shared by the society. In China, SDI's has also been established progressively. A thorough understand ...


We compare the recently formulated multifractional spacetimes with field theories of quantum gravity based on the renormalization group (RG), such as asymptotic safety and Ho\v{r}ava--Lifshitz gravity. The change of spacetime dimensionality with the probed scale is realized in both cases by an adaptation of the measurement tools ("rods") to the scale, but in different ways. In the multifractional case, by an adaptation of the position-space measure, which can be encoded into an explicit scale dependence of effective coordinates. In the case of RG-based theories, by an adaptation of the momenta. The two pictures are mapped into each other, thus presenting the fractal structure of spacetime in RG-based theories under an alternative perspective.


Low vitamin D levels have been associated with allergic diseases. Vitamin D has potent immunomodulatory properties, but the mechanisms remain unclear. We have investigated the effect of oral vitamin D supplementation on circulating immune cell phenotypes in infants.


Introduction Audit of emergency surgery is usually limited to immediate clinical outcomes relating to outcomes during the acute hospital episode with little attempt to capture patients' views of their longer-term outcomes. Our aim was to determine the response rate to patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for patients who underwent an emergency laparotomy for gastrointestinal conditions, identify response bias and explore the feasibility of comparing outcomes with their prior health based on their recalled view collected during their admission. Methods Patients undergoing emergency laparotomy in 11 hospitals were recruited to complete a retrospective questionnaire containing the EQ-5D-3L and Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI). Response rate for 3-month mailed follow-up questionnaire and potential response biases were assessed. Patients' outcomes were compared with their baseline using χ2 and paired t-test to assess for differences. Results Of 255 patients contacted at 3 months, 190 (74.1%) responded. Responders were more likely to be older, female and more affluent. Patients' health improved significantly as regards the GIQLI (93.3 vs 97.9; p=0.048) and the subscale on symptoms (51.9 vs 59.6; p<0.001). No significant change in subscales on emotion or physical aspects or for overall health status (EQ-5D: 0.58 vs 0.64; p=0.06). According to the social subscale, patients had deteriorated (11.0 vs 9.8; p<0.0006). Differences in change scores by patient characteristics were slight, suggesting minimal response bias. Conclusion This approach offers the opportunity for assessing the impact of treatment, from the patient's perspective and the potential to evaluate emergency laparotomy care using PROMs.


The electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) is applied in order to study the technical pretreatment processes of galvanized steel such as alkaline cleaning, chromating and phosphating in modern trication solutions. The mass change associated with these reactions is monitored insitu under conditions which are very similar to those of a coil-coating line. It is shown that cleaning of the zinc surface in an alkaline cleaning solution is a two-step process: removal of the zinc oxide layer by a chemical dissolution followed by electrochemical dissolution of zinc, the rate of which is controlled by the diffusion of zincate ions into the electrolyte. During phosphating of the sample, three subsequent steps are observed: zinc dissolution during the first seconds followed by precipitation of a phosphate layer and then cementation of Ni, which leads again to increasing dissolution of the base material.


Even though the BPS states have been rigorously studied in string theory, it has not been possible to study the stable non-BPS states in a similar way. In this work, we propose a novel way to rigorously obtain both topologically stable BPS and non-BPS states in any supersymmetric theory. We demonstrate that the BPS states obtained from this method coincide with the BPS states obtained through the usual methods. Even though we explicitly do it for a supersymmetric baby Skyrme model, which represents the action for a brane, the method is very general and can be used to investigate the topologically stable BPS and non-BPS states of any theory, including those theories where all the supersymmetry is broken. Thus, this method can have wide applications for the study of non-BPS states and non-supersymmetric vacua in string theory.


Cosmopolitanism is an ethical, moral, and political philosophy that is simultaneously very old and relatively recent. It is also a deeply geographical topic, with rich implications for how people view the world, one another, and themselves. The term has suffered from its popularity: For some observers, it simply connotes being worldly and sophisticated and thus able to negotiate cultural differences with ease, a trait that can apply to places as well as to people. For many advocates, the term implies a vague allegiance to ideals that transcend the narrow confines of individual places. The orthodox, liberal version of cosmopolitanism stands in sharp contrast to ideologies such as racism, religious fundamentalism, and nationalism, which emphasize and often exaggerate or oversimplify the differences among human beings at the expense of their common humanity. Liberal cosmopolitanism comprises an "imagined community" that extends everywhere. In this light, the moral community to which each person owes an obligation is worldwide, generating an obligation to "care at a distance," in which the concerns of distant strangers are held to be as important as those of people nearby. For some critics, cosmopolitanism is a rootless, liberal universalism. For Craig Jeffrey and Colin McFarlane, it is a "repertoire of imaginaries and practices" that "involves symbolically or physically crossing defined boundaries and claiming a degree of cultural versatility" (2008a, 420). Yet beneath these broad contours profound variations writhe and surface. Cosmopolitanism comes in many other forms, ranging from the religious to the neoliberal. Whom one defines as belonging to one's cosmos--and whom one does not--lies at the heart of these varying conceptions of what it means to be human. Cosmopolitanism has a long and distinguished history. Its origins are often traced to classical Greece, particularly to Diogenes Laertius, who, when asked where he was from, replied, "I am a citizen of the world" (kosmou polite, or citizen of the cosmos), thus defying the then-prevalent source of identity construction, the city-state ([1925] 1972, 2: 63). This notion, which the Stoics explicitly advanced, found its most common expression in Hierocles's "circle model" (Kunneman and Suransky 2011, 388), in which each individual is located in progressively larger webs of obligation and compassion, extending from self and family, to community, to region, and to the world as a whole. During the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, cosmopolitanism found new voices among the Western intelligentsia. Global circumvention initiated an incipient planetary consciousness among the elites of Europe, an understanding of the world as a unified entity and, for some, rising compassion for those victimized by the new capitalist world order. The famous sixteenth-century Spanish Dominican friar Bartolome de las Casas advocated energetically on behalf of Native Americans and against the genocide then under way (see, for example, Mignolo 2000, 727). Immanuel Kant, generally regarded as the first modern thinker about cosmopolitanism, despite his numerous oversimplifications and errors, articulated a clear and coherent vision for a cosmopolitan world order, calling for a world federation of states that would promote international trade and make war obsolete. In "Perpetual Peace," written in 1795, Kant held forth that "the peoples of the earth have entered in varying degrees into a universal community, and it is developed to the point where a violation of laws in one part of the world is felt everywhere" (quoted in Nussbaum 1997b, 25). The problem with this vision, as David Harvey argues, is his geography, not in the sense that he simply lacked accurate information but because of his reliance upon absolute notions of space and time; that is, as devoid of social origins (2009). More contemporary manifestations of cosmopolitanism tend to focus on the disastrous repercussions of nationalism and the meaning of identity in a globalized world. …


In this paper, different polymers were processed using a Batch Supercritical AntiSolvent precipitation (BSAS) to evaluate the possibility of producing nanoparticles and microparticles of controlled size and distribution. Liquid solutions of a polymer in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or acetone were charged in a vessel; then, supercritical CO2 with the role of antisolvent was pumped up to the desired pressure. The process was performed in two steps: in batch mode for a time t1 and in continuous mode for a time t2, with a constant CO2 flow rate. All the experiments were carried out at a final pressure of 100 bar and a final temperature of 40 °C, whereas the concentration of the liquid solution was varied from 0.1 to 5 mg/mL. SEM images of the processed material were used to study morphology, mean particle size and particle size distribution. Amorphous particles were obtained at all successful BSAS conditions, whereas crystals were sometimes observed when the micronization process failed. Polymers solubilized in acetone, such as cellulose acetate, ethyl cellulose, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and Poly(vinylidene fluoride-cohexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) prevalently precipitated in form of nanoparticles in the range 50-200 nanometers, whereas polymers solubilized in DMSO, such as Poly-vinyl-alcohol (PVA), dextran and inulin precipitated in form of nanoparticles at lower concentrations (in the range 100-200 nanometers) and in form of microparticles at higher concentrations (in the range 0.7-2 μm).


This paper presents an experimental stability analysis of a free round jet performed with the use of acoustic excitation. The experiment was performed for the case of a thin laminar shear layer at the nozzle exit and the ratio of jet diameter d to exit shear layer momentum θ was constrained within the range d/θ = 70–180. The Re number based on jet diameter and exit velocity was varied in the range 5 × 103–10 × 104. The results of experiments were compared with stability calculations performed for the 2D shear layer by Michalke and with an analysis made for the cylindrical discontinuity surface by Batchelor and Gill. The results obtained revealed the sensitivity of the jet to three ranges of acoustic frequencies, which correspond to three different forms of organized structures. The two low-frequency structures could be interpreted as a result of jet column instability, and the most amplified mode revealed the alternate pairing described theoretically by Lesieur as well as by Urbin and Metais. The high-fre...


This article explores the way the principal royalist authorities reacted in order to prevent the introduction of insurgents into New Spain via American Louisiana and Spanish Texas during the period from 1809, a year after the French invasion of Spain, until 1813, when the Texan insurgents were defeated in Campos de Medina. It also seeks to examine the connections the insurgents had established from the interior of the United States to the Eastern Internal Provinces of New Spain and the scope and effectiveness of this insurgent network. The author highlights the key role played, among the royalist authorities, by Plenipotentiary Minister of Spain in the United States, Luis de Onis and General Commander of the Internal Provinces of the East, General Joaquin de Arredondo, in dismantling this insurgent network. The former used diplomacy and epistolary communication, while the latter used military and strategic action.


Rail transit system is an important part of urban and regional transportation. Understanding rail transit users in terms of travel characteristics benefits the planning and design of better services. Mobile phone data is a novel dataset which enables the analysis of rail transit users' travel behavior in the context of individual activity both in and out of the rail transit system. This paper investigated the classification of rail transit users with similar pattern profiles and the interpretation of passenger segmentation through the analysis of individual activity patterns. A mobile-phone-based methodology was proposed for the identification and characterization of rail transit travel behavior and individual activity. To determine the passenger segmentation, a classification of weekday rail transit users was developed based on the defined rail transit travel characteristics. Moreover, the individual activity patterns were subsequently analyzed to improve the interpretation of passenger segmentation. Due to the huge memory cost and running time resulting from the large-scale mobile phone dataset, a case study of three typical communities in Shanghai was carried out to prove the feasibility of the proposed method. Conclusions can be drawn that mobile phone data could be applied to determine the rail transit user segmentation. The analysis of individual activity patterns could benefit the overall understanding of user segmentation and help identify the possible bias in the rail transit use behavior of specific groups of interest. The proposed method and conclusion in this study could support more precise operational and strategic decisions.


Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station's(DNPS) steam turbine condensers acquire an analysis on its thermodynamic performance with HEI formula and its several years operation data. Some factors that deteriorate the condensers' thermodynamic efficiency are analyzed,and finally some improvement suggestions are given.


L Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of common etiologies in degenerative diseases of children. This review summarizes the recent advances on molecular genetics in mitochondrial DNA related diseases. mtDNA mutation is divided into two groups: mutations affecting protein synthesis including rRNA or tRNA point mutation and protein encoding gene mutation. The mtDNA transfer technique is still an important one in investigating mtDNA mutation pathogenesis. Transmitochondrial cell model is found extensive application in evaluating the gene expression of mitochondrial genome at different level. The establishment of transmitochondrial model is introduction of exogenous mitochondria into mtDNA lacking ρ°cells using cell fusion or microinjection technique. The model has been widely used for evaluation of the pathogenesis of mtDNA mutation resulted from genetic or environmental factors in neurodegenerative disease.


Based on fieldwork in 1995 and 1996, I assess the distribution, relative abundance, and habitat requirements of indigenous species of land birds on 13 islands in the Ha'apai Group, Kingdom of Tonga. Among the islands visited, primary forest still exists only on the large (46.6 km 2), high (558 m) volcanic island of Tofua. Vegetation on the 12 smaller (0.15-13.3 km 2), lower (6-45 m) islands is dominated by a mosaic of active and abandoned agricultural plots, nearly all with an over story of coconut trees. Because of cultivation practices, very little of this vegetation is reverting to secondary forest. Of the 15 resident species of land birds that survive on these islands, nine are widespread and at least locally common within Ha'apai, although only four (Gallirallus philippensis, Ptilinopus porphyraceus, Halcyon chloris, Aplonis tabuensis) certainly or probably occur nowadays on all 13 islands. Three species (Gallicolumba stairii, Ptilinopus perousii, Clytorhynchus vitiensis) are extirpated or extremely rare on all islands surveyed except Tofua. Overall species richness and abundance of land birds are much greater on Tofua than on the other islands. This difference may be due more to the presence of primary forest on Tofua than to Tofua's greater area and elevation. This PAPER DESCRIBES the current status of native land birds on 13 islands in the Ha'apai Group, Kingdom of Tonga. The field research was conducted to fulfill two goals: first, to describe long-term (prehistoric versus modem) changes in the distribution of each species; and Originally published in Pacific Science (1998), vol. 52, no. 1: 14-34 © Text and images reproduced by kind permission of David W. Steadman secondly, to assess the relative abundance and habitat relationships of each species to provide information for conservation programs. The first goal includes studying bird bones from archaeological sites and is the focus of another publication. Here I emphasize the second goal. Tonga is part of the West Polynesian avifaunal region that comprises Niue, Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, and Rotuma (Watling 1982, Steadman 1993, 1997b). The extant, indigenous land birds of Tonga represent 17 genera (none endemic) and 18 species (two endemic). The birds of Ha'apai are not well known. They are treated in a general way in regional books, such as duPont (1976), Watling (1982), and Pratt et al. (1987). In spite of accounts of selected species on certain islands (Gill 1988, Rinke et al. 1992), meaningful lists of species (sensu Remsen 1994) were not available for any individual island in Ha'apai before this study, nor had relative abundances been estimated.


The splittings of the P-doublet states of Li/sup 7/ and N/sup 15/, and the D-doublet states of O/sup 17/, are calculated with phenomenological two-body vector forces of both Gaussjan and Yukawa shapes with arbitrary ranges and exchange character. It is found to be impossible to fit the experimental data with a two-body force of fixed strength, in agreement with Pearse's calculations based on a relativistic two-body vector force. The splittings are then calculated with a phenomenological three-body vector force of the type expccted to arise from higher order effects of the tensor force. The predicted ratio of the P doublet splitting in N/sup 15/ to that in Li/sup 7/ is found to be quite insensitive to the range or shape of the threebody force, and in excellent agreement with experiment. provided that the exchange character of the force is not chosen close to the Serber mixture. The O/sup 17/ D-doublet splitting, while somewhat more sensitive to the choice of range and exchange mixture, can also be fitted simultaneously, with a wide variety of three-body vector potentials. An attempt is then made to derive the parameters of the three-body vector force from the Gammel-Thaler tensor force parameters, but the resultant forcemore » has the wrong exehange character, and is also much too weak, to fit the experimental data. This is mainly due to the Serber-like exchange character of the Gammel-Thaler tensor force. A moderate increase in the strength or range of the odd-state tensor force would give a satisfactory three-body vector force. The splitting of the /sup 3/D states oft Li/sup 6/ is also examined. Here one-, two-, and three- body vector forces all predict too small a splitting, when the strength of the interaction is normalized to the Li/sup 7/ P-doublet splitting. For the three- body vector force, however, there exists the possibility that the strength parameter is greater for Li/sup 6/ than for Li/sup 7/ which would improve the fitting. (auth)« less


To improve the bioavailability of the inhibitor of aspartic proteases, pepstatin A, the synthesis of a tritium labelled fatty acid derivative and its condensation with the C-terminal of pepstatine was performed. A comparative study of the inhibition properties of the title compound with pepstatin A was made.


This study systematically compares the debates about 'Americanisation' and 'Americanism' in Germany and France from the turn of the century until the early 1930s. In the 1920s, 'America' had become a fashionable topic of debate amongst European intellectuals. Slogans such as 'Americanisation', 'rationalisation', 'fordism', and 'Hollywood' were used to discuss the way in which modernity had changed European societies. The origins of these debates can be traced back to the turn of the century when the United States had developed into a politically and economically powerful state that seriously threatened the predominance of European nations around the globe. As part of these debates, both in Germany and France, anti-American positions were developed whose proponents strictly rejected any American influences on Europe and tried to defend European culture against the 'onslaught' of American civilization. Thus, America came to symbolise 'classical', industrialised modernity in all its aspects. This monograph is based on an exhaustive study of German and French publications on American influences: travel books, newspapers, popular and academic journals, and memoirs. By comparing German and French debates about the influence of American culture the study shows that such anti-American position were by no means restricted to Germany – as part of a German exceptionalism that ultimately led to the Nazi dictatorship – but common in other European countries, too.


The long-distance pipeline corrosion is mainly external corrosion.Therefore,it is very important to accurately inspect and evaluate the corrosion protection performance of external protection coatings for the reliable safe operation of the pipelines.The inspection principles of PCM or corrosion protection coatings are described and applications are presented in the Lan-Cheng-Yu oil pipeline to verify the technical accuracy and scientific adaptivness.At the same time,a summary of its use is given and the remaining deficiencies of PCM in future applications are pointed out.


This paper tries to rais a framework which combines the research processes of management theory and communications among Chinese management practices,international academy community and domestic academy community,puts forward a strategy which emphasizes choosing holistic questions,testing theory,preferring qualitative research,making relevant to industry practices and seeking contributing mid-range theories.


074 Figure. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging Abstracts Supplement, 2017 doi:10.1093/ehjci/jex117 Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology 2017. Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ehjcimaging/article-abstract/18/suppl_2/ii47/3855062 by guest on 26 July 2018 parameters of LV and RV were significantly higher in patients with LV myocardial fibrosis> 4%. Conclusion: The scar size of LV myocardium, measured by cardiac MRI with late gadolinium enhancement, is perspective prognostic noninvasive marker of major arrhythmic events in patients with idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias. Also this parameter can be useful as criterion to ICD implantation and predictor of appropriate shocks. 076. USEFULNESS OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TO COMPARE LASER AND RADIOFREQUENCYABLATION LESIONS IN THE ISOLATION OF PULMONARY VEINS R PEREA PALAZON, R M FIGUERAS VENTURA, E BENITO, F ALARCON, S PRAT, F CHIPA, J COZZARI, A BERRUEZO, L MONT Hospital Clinic. Centre de Diagnostic per la Imatge, Barcelona, SPAIN; Hospital Clinic. Institut Clinic Cardiovascular, Barcelona, SPAIN Objectives: To compare the extent of laser lesions in relation to radiofrequency (RF) lesions in pulmonary veins isolation (PVI) for Atrial Fibrillation (AF) treatment. Methods: A cohort of patients with laser-ablated paroxysmal AF was compared to RF patients matched by age, gender and AF type. DE-CMR sequences were acquired 3 months post-PVI. Extent and location of fibrosis was assessed with ADAS-AF software. DE-CMR ablation gaps were defined as vein sections showing no enhancement. Gap percentage for each vein was computed as total mm of gap divided by total vein perimeter and fibrosis percentage as fibrosis area divided by total atrial area (including 1 cm of vein segment, excluding mitral area). Normalized fibrosis area was defined as fibrosis percentage divided by total non-gap percentage. Results: Gap percentage, fibrosis area and normalized fibrosis area were computed for 14 laser patients and matched RF cases. Laser patients had significantly smaller gap percentage than RF patients: 15.2%616.4% of gap for left veins and 36.2%626.6% of gap for right veins, compared to 35.9%622.9% and 54.0%629.8%, respectively. Fibrosis area was comparable for both groups (laser: 21.5%610.6%, RF: 20.3%611.3%), but smaller in laser patients when normalized by non-gap percentage (24.9%68.4% vs. 27.7%610.7% in RF patients). Full DE-CMR isolation (full circle of fibrosis around the vein, without any entrance) was achieved at 25% of laser-ablated veins and 8.3% of RF-ablated veins. Mean laser procedure time was 187.3638.6minutes, with 25.166.5 minutes of fluoroscopy time, compared to 130.5624.2minutes for RF procedures, with 20.5612.4 minutes of fluoroscopy. Recurrences at 6 months presented no difference: 21.4% (3 out of 14) of laser patients recurred, exactly the same as RF patients (also 3 out of 14). Conclusion: Laser ablation takes longer but DE-CMR images show less gap and smaller fibrosis area compared to RF ablation. The duration of the laser procedure can be reduced when the team acquires more experience, as these were the first laser patients performed in the centre. 077. REAL-TIME TRACKING OF BOLUS DELIVERED CONTRAST AGENT FOR HIGH RESOLUTION 3-DIMENSIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE LEFT ATRIAL ANGIOGRAPHY PRIOR CATHETER ABLATION: CARDIOVASCULAR IMPACTAND OPTIMAL


Permanent magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance Motor (PMa-SynRM) may be considered as one of the best choices among AC machines because it can offer a large constant speed range, high torque capability and high power factor. To formulate the PMa-SynRM as a high speed performance drive, effective control strategies are needed. Control strategies such as maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) control, maximum torque per voltage (MTPV) control, unity power factor control (UPFC) can be implemented. In this paper, a review has been done on the methods reported in several papers for implementing the control strategies for PMa-SynRM drive with their classification, advantages and disadvantages so as to enable the researchers to make choice among these for different applications.


Lowering supply voltage of FinFET circuits is an effective way to achieve low power dissipations. In this paper, the super-threshold adiabatic FinFET circuits based on PAL-2N operating on medium strong inversion regions are ad- dressed in terms of energy consumption and operating frequency. The supply voltage of the super-threshold circuits is much larger than the threshold voltage of the transistors, but it is lower than the normal standard supply voltage. The per- formance of a mode-10 FinFET PAL-2N counter is investigated with different source voltages ranging from 0.2V to 1.0V. All circuits are simulated with HSPICE at a PTM (Predictive Technology Model) 32nm FinFET technology. The simula- tion results show that the adiabatic FinFET circuits based on PAL-2N achieve the minimum EDP in the supply voltages of about 700mV - 800mV, the devices of which operate in medium strong inversion regions. The super-threshold adiabatic FinFET logic circuits can attain low energy consumption with favorable performance, since FinFET devices can provide better drive strength than bulk CMOS ones.


The sticklebacks Culaea inconstans and Pungitius pungitius maintain buoyancy equilibrium in laboratory experiments by altering swim-bladder volume when held in a range of salinities (0–22.5 ppt). B...


In this paper improved fuzzy stator resistance estimation for a Direct Torque Controlled (DTC) induction motor is investigated. This estimation method is based on an on-line stator resistance correction regarding the variations of the stator current estimation error and its variation. The Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) gives the future stator resistance increment at the output. The stator resistance estimation will avoid the drive instability that may occur in certain situations and ensure the tracking of the actual value of the stator resistance. But in such drives, there is an error between the filtered stator current modulus and its estimated value in the steady state which is due to the pseudo random commutations of the PWM inverter switches. This may worsen the performance of the fuzzy stator resistance estimator. An offset has been introduced in order to overcome this problem for different speed command values and load torques. Simulation results show that the proposed estimator was able to successfully track the actual value of the stator resistance for different operating conditions.


The new wave of modern rail transit and the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have complicated the business patterns of the rolling stock manufacturing industry (RSMI) and the export of rolling stock products, especially in the case of countries participating in the BRI. Based on the analysis of trade patterns—which focuses on the evolution of trade links, community structures, and intraregional export competitiveness—this study aims to explore the changes in the RSMI within the BRI region from 2003 to 2017. Sequential clustering was applied to the creation of a three-phase timeline. The network models of the cumulative trade of the rolling stock products and trades of two typical categories of products were constructed in each phase for the evolution analysis. Social network analysis methods, such as the analysis of network indices and community detection, were also applied. The results show that from 2003 to 2017, the connectivity of the rolling stock trade in this region significantly increased. China was the largest exporter, with increasing trade influence and technological strength. Ukraine and Russia were less competitive and highly mutually dependent. Czechia and Austria's competitiveness remained prominent, but compared with China they lacked expansive vitality. South Korea was also an active and competitive country with strong technological prowess. These countries accounted for the majority of the exports, and were always at the center of their own separate communities, over which they maintained a sphere of influence. The grouping of countries far from any such spheres of influence changed frequently.


The next generation of portable computer users will want wireless LAN capability built into their units. These integrated wireless systems will allow users to exchange data at high speeds without having to contend with awkward antenna structures or install specialized PCMCIA cards. However, communication systems integration in laptop computers will create several problems in the implementation and performance of antennas. One of the most important issues associated with the design of integrated communication systems for laptop computers is antenna placement. An integrated system design provides the opportunity to place an antenna in a position that will maximize its 'visibility' to incoming signals while still remaining cost- and aesthetically-effective. This paper reports on a study of the electromagnetic 'visibility' of several different positions on a laptop computer using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) technique. This visibility is approximated by relative measures of current density induced on the computer's conducting chassis by incoming plane waves in the 2.4-2.484 GHz frequency band.


Automatic surveillance of parking lots is an interesting and actual problem of our time. Inefficiency and human labor are the main reasons for automation. With the help of digital cameras and PCs the developed method is a fast, real-time useable solution for this problem. This work concentrates on the occupation of parking spaces and number plate recognition. In addition the application can be used to grant or deny access for vehicles in case of closed parking lots. The work presents the methods and algorithms used in our solution.


The aim was to establish which dietary patterns in the maternal pregnancy diet influence the 10-year cumulative risk of childhood asthma in the Lifeways children. METHODS: Data on childhood asthma status were provided by the child's General Practitioner (GP) and mother at three time-points. Maternal pregnancy diet was assessed by a self-administered food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) at first ante-natal booking visit. Mothers provided data on socio-economic and morbidity indicators on them-selves and index child at baseline, 3, 5 and 10-year follow-up. We sub-sequently fit a Generalised linear Mixed Model (GLMM) to the data, where personal id was modelled as random effect with random inter-cepts and slopes over time for individuals. The GLMM was then used to relate asthma diagnosis over 10 years to maternal pregnancy nutrition and several socio-economic, biological and morbidity predictors. RESULTS: Of n ¼ 897 mother-child pairs, several factors tested at uni-variate level proved to be significant predictors of childhood asthma. Females were at significantly lower odds (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.23–0.66) and disadvantaged children were at significantly increased odds (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.39–4.19) of being asthmatic. In the final adjusted models, pregnancy intake of oily fish (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.03–0.94) and higher Vitamin D intake (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92–0.99) were significantly protective of asthma risk. Vegetable intake in Q1 vs Q4 (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.08–2.66) significantly increased the odds of offspring asthma. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective analysis suggests that maternal pregnancy diet may influence the risk of asthma in offspring over a period of 10 year follow-up, supporting the importance of intra-ute-rine influences on development of childhood asthma. Abstract INTRODUCTION: Increasing consumption of ultra-processed food and decreasing consumption of healthy food have been evi-denced. In pregnancy there is a lack of evidence. OBJECTIVE: To describe processed food consumption in pregnant women at primary care of two cities in south Brazil. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with data obtained from baseline of the Study of Consumption and Eating Behavior in Pregnant Women. Semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with 88 food items, validated to use during pregnancy, was used to evaluate consumption. Twenty-six food items, consumed by less than 25% of the sample considered low consumption, were excluded. The remaining 62 items were classified according to extent of processing. Group 1: unprocessed and minimally processed food that involves minimal process. Group 2: processed culinary or food industry ingredients which includes substances extracted and purified from group 1. Group 3: ultra-processed food that involves ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat products. Crude variables were described by consumption in grams per day. The percentage of total energy intake (%TEI) for an item is hundred times the ratio between energy intake of the food and total energy intake. For data analysis, median and interquartile range were used. RESULTS: Consumption was evaluated over 712 pregnant women. The most daily consumed food were whole milk (240 mL), black beans (221.2g), coffee (200 mL), white rice (150g), orange (135.4g). Main contribution to %TEI was bread (11.2%), sugar (6.2%), whole milk (5.2%), white rice (4.8%), black beans (4.4%). The average daily food consumption of group 1 was 2,163.7 g/day, followed by group 3 (707.6 g/day) and group 2 (287.4 g/day). About caloric distribution, group 1 has the main contribution to


A folded metal dipole is of considerable interest as a broadband antenna element, and has good potential for use in low cost wireless base station antenna applications. In this paper, experimental and simulation results are presented which include a metal vertical polarized dipole alone and arranged in a staggered six element array. The results show that this dipole element and the six staggered dipole array have excellent gain performance and radiation pattern profile. The measured and simulated results for both the element and the array are in good agreement.


Environmental protection and natural resources management is today dominated by legislative measures and administrative procedures. Enforcement and penalty regimes for environmental damage and the management of natural resources are all highly regulated. Nevertheless, there remains the oft-neglected realm of common law rules and procedures available to individuals and public interest groups, and indeed government, as alternate or supplementary mechanisms to enforce rights and obligations, to guide the implementation and interpretation of environmental regulation, and to provide new avenues for addressing environmental challenges.The common law, particularly in the areas of tort and property, has demonstrated remarkable adaptability in addressing novel environmental threats and in innovating to protect environmental values and incentivize ecologically-sustainable development of natural resources. This article is intended to provide a review of the historical and current contribution of the common law, focusing particularly on property law concepts and property-related torts, and to explore the future potential of those mechanisms in contributing to environmental protection and environmentally-sustainable development. The article draws on cases and developments in a number of similar common law jurisdictions, including Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.


The local conformation and storage of energy in individual polymer chains during a deformation of a bulk polymer sample are examined by the computer simulation of a relatively simple model. It is shown that as the interaction between the chain atoms and surrounding medium increases, rotational angle motion is suppressed during the deformation, and large amounts of energy are stored in backbone bond angle and bond length distortions. The relationship of this phenomena to Tg and the implications for chain relaxation are discussed.


Abstract Introduction: Patients with COVID-19 infection present with a variety of clinical symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, dyspnea, anosmia and various electrolyte abnormalities. Hypokalemia is an important electrolyte abnormality associated with infection due to SARS-CoV-2 as it may be associated with life threatening cardiac abnormalities Objective: To investigate the prevalence and clinical implications of of hypokalemia and its association with disease severity and various laboratory markers of inflammation. Materials and methods-design, setting and participants: This retrospective study was conducted at Peerless Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, from March 15, 2020, to September 30, 2020. Participants included patients who received a diagnosis of COVID-19 after testing positive by RT-PCR test and were admitted to the hospital. The patients were classified as having severe hypokalemia (plasma potassium <3 mmol/L), hypokalemia (plasma potassium 3-3.5 mmol/L), and normokalemia (plasma potassium >3.5 mmol/L). We categorized patients into 3 groups of disease severity- mild (fever/uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection without hypoxemia), moderate (pneumonia with no signs of severe disease, respiratory rate > 24/min OR spO2 <94% in room air) and severe (respiratory distress requiring mechanical ventilation- NIV or invasive, respiratory rate > 30/min Or SpO2 <90% in room air). The clinical features, lab and ECG abnormalities, were compared between the 3 groups. Data analysis was conducted in October 2020. Interventions: The patients were given general support and antiviral therapy. Their epidemiological and clinical features were collected. Results: 122 patients(38.4%) had hypokalemia and 58 patients(18.2%) had severe hypokalemia. There was significant association between disease severity and hypokalemia. Fever had significant association with hypokalemia and severe hypokalemia. There was also significant association between dyspnea, anosmia, decreased oxygen saturation, ECG abnormalities and mortality with hypokalemic patients. Also there was significant association between degree of hypokalemia and markers of systemic inflammation such as IL-6 and CRP. Conclusions: The high prevalence of hypokalemia among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 suggests the presence of disordered rennin angiotensin system activity, which is increased as a result of the reduced counteractivity of angiotensin converting enzyme 2, which is bound by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. The study also indicates the need to monitor this group of patients for cardiac rhythm disturbances, especially when drugs like hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, which are known to prolong the QTc interval and are known to reduce the rate of cardiac conduction and cause arrythmias, are used off-label to treat COVID-19.


Model-based compressive sensing (CS) for signal-specific applications is of particular interest in the sparse signal approximation. In this paper, we deal with a special class of sparse signals with binary entries. Unlike conventional CS approaches based on l1 minimization, we model the CS process with a bi-partite graph. We design a novel sampling matrix with unique sum property, which can be universally applied to any binary signal. Moreover, a novel binary CS decoding algorithm (BCS) based on graph and unique sum table, which does not need complex optimization process, is proposed. Proposed method is verified and compared with existing solutions through mathematical analysis and numerical simulations.


We study the computation of error values in the decoding of codes con- structed from order domains. Our approach is based on a sort of analog of the key equation for decoding Reed-Solomon and BCH codes. We identify a key equation for all codes from order domains which have finitely-generated value semigroups; the field of fractions of the order domain may have arbitrary transcendence degree, however. We provide a natural interpretation of the construction using the theory of Macaulay's inverse systems and duality. O'Sullivan's generalized Berlekamp-Massey- Sakata (BMS) decoding algorithm applies to the duals of suitable evaluation codes from these order domains. When the BMS algorithm does apply, we will show how it can be understood as a process for constructing a collection of solutions of our key equation.


We review electroweak symmetry breaking in supersymmetric models with a compact fifth dimension, the interval. We show how boundary conditions for hypermultiplets can be obtained dynamically by brane mass terms, and present formulas for the spectrum in the presence of general bulk mass matrices. After giving a brief overview on the literature of models, we describe in detail a recently proposed model that at energies below the compactification scale reduces to the MSSM with a very peculiar superpartner spectrum.


Vector autoregressive process disturbed by measurement error is a vector autoregressive process with nonlineat parametric restrictions on the parameter. A Newton-Raphson procedure for estimating the parameter which take advantage of the information contained in the restrictions is proposed.


ObjectiveTo investigate protein kinase Cβ(PKCβ)expressionin subcellular fractions from stress-induced depression rat brain and the effect of amitriptyline and fluoxitine on PKCβ. MethodsTwenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to four groups: depression model,amitriptyline-treated , fluoxitine- treated and control group. Rats were exposed to unpredictable sequence of mild stressors. The expression of PKCβ was determined with Western blotting. ResultsThe expression of membrane-associated PKCβin model group (230.5762.86)was significantly lower than that in control group(331.2617.94,P0.05). It had a lower tendency to cytosol -associated PKCβin model group (286.4356.92)than that in control group. Statistically, however, significant difference wasn't observed(P0.05).After 3-week paroxetine or amitriptyline treatment,it hasn't changed in the expression of PKC β in subcellular fractions from depression rat brain(P0.05).ConclusionIt is suggested that PKC β play an important role in the pathogenesis of depression. Amitriptyline or fluoxetine treatment doesn't change the expression of PKC β in subcellular fractions from depression rat brain.


The international retail sales giant's already wove own retail sales network on the world each quoin,China is not exceptional.Retail internationalization has brought three aspects positive influences for a national retail trade.Including the promotion level of development,the promotion retail sales enterprise business capacity,impels the expense culture internationalization and so on.But simultaneously also can give a country to bring the negative effect,including possibly causes to national product industry development to receive the international capital the control,as well as the national retail merchant is possible because of to receive the transnational retail merchant the impact to go out of business and so on.


graced the pages of the old "bird" papers a decade or less ago. The tendency now is to specialize and narratives are few and far between. This change may have been for the better, but the writer believes that the perpetuation of the old style will at least partially restore the oozing enthusiasm of scores who--ornithologically speaking-have unconsciously found themselves "shelved" because of a lack of enthusiasm in


Geological research conducted includes lithology, geological structure, geomorphology, stratigraphy and petrography around Kundur, Gua Musang. The objectives of the research are to produce the geological and geochemical map of the study area which is in Kundur Area, Gua Musang, Kelantan, to study the heavy metal distribution in agricultural topsoil in the area and to analyse the concentration of heavy metals in the area Observation on the geomorphology, structural geology and the lithology for every outcrop determine the geological setting in the study area The lithologies found in the study area are sandstone, granite, limestone, shale and slate. This research was conducted by doing fieldwork and laboratory analysis. Laboratory analysis includes analyzing hand specimen, petrography analysis under microscope and elemental analysis. Samples for the specification were collected from topsoil in oil palm plantations and then were analyzed using a laboratory machine which is Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). A map which represents the location of the sample was produced. Based on the results obtained, distribution map was created. The distribution map shows the concentration of each heavy metal in each location around the study area. Heavy metals that is highly contaminated includes Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu).


The central bank is responsible for formulating monetary policy and providing several financial services such as settlement.In recent years,along with the development of modern payment system,the relationship of payment system with currency and monetary policy has caused the pervasive attention.On the basis of previous discussions,this paper defines the basic concept and builds up the basic framework of the relationship of payment system with currency and monetary policy.It concluded that the payment system has substantive influence to currency,but the influence to monetary policy is external.The authors propose that the payment system has important external influence on monetary policy,therefore,the central bank should think on it carefully when it decides to adjust currency supply model.


Considering the minimum sum of generalized distance between the actual values and ideal values of the alternatives,this paper presents a model for distributing the information of the combination coefficients of different weighting methods more reasonably.With the sum of generalized distance becoming smaller gradually,the combination weights are obtained by different weighting methods.The valuations of alternatives are calculated and the rank of alternatives is given.The contribution of the paper is as follows.Firstly,the combination weights can reflect the most reliable information distribution and the minimum generalized distance sum.Secondly,a new method is presented to calculate the Pareto solution set of multi-objectives programming by a single objective optimization model.The rank of alternatives is given according to the solution set.Therefore,the result of the valuation is more reliable.At the same time,a new idea is provided for solving multi-objectives model.Thirdly,the combination coefficients are not equal with the decreasing sum,which are more reasonable.Fourthly,the uncertainty of the combination coefficients between the objectives is eliminated.


Most of our readers know that The Society for Neuroscience now publishes two journals, The Journal of Neuroscience and eNeuro , but many are puzzled about the difference between them and which journal would be more appropriate for a specific submission. While the journals will be evolving continually, and more differences are likely to appear over time, we would like to start to outline the similarities and differences between the two journals here.

The first difference between the two Society for Neuroscience journals is structural: eNeuro is a fully open-access, on-line journal. eNeuro publishes articles upon acceptance and does not have formal volumes or issues. JNeurosci maintains a print edition that is published weekly, and the on-line issue parallels the print version. Articles in JNeurosci are available freely 6 months after publication, and authors can pay an additional fee to make their article open access immediately. The second difference is functional: eNeuro can be more experimental in the review process and try new methods to …


The micro-organisms of marine raw materials are studied. The quantitative evaluation of their proteolytic activity is established. The bacteria of the Pseudomonas genus are characterized by the highest proteolytic activity and growth rate, and cause hydrolytic changes in raw fish and invertebrates and lower their quality at low temperature of storage.


F THERE WAS any doubt that New Mexico is a two-party state it was removed by the 1968 elections. The Republican party had its gubernatorial and state auditor incumbents returned, won both congressional seats, and added one member on the state's lower chamber (for 26 of the 70 representatives in the new House).' The sweep in the congressional races were the first Republican congressional victories since 1928. As Table 1 shows, Republican strength has been especially notable in presidential and gubernatorial contests in the past twenty years. Republican candidates have won six of the last eleven gubernatorial elections and have taken the state's electoral votes in three of the last six presidential elections. Despite this persistent strength, 1968 is the high point for New Mexican Republicanism since it was overwhelmed by the New Deal.


Crop rotation and the maintenance of plant residues over the soil can increase soil water storage capacity. Root access to water and nutrients depends on soil physical characteristics that may be expressed in the Least Limiting Water Range (LLWR) concept. In this work, the effects of crop rotation and chiselling on the soil LLWR to a depth of 0.1 m and crop yields under no‐till were studied on a tropical Alfisol in São Paulo state, Brazil, for 3 yr. Soybean and corn were grown in the summer in rotation with pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum, Linneu, cv. ADR 300), grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor, L., Moench), congo grass (Brachiaria ruziziensis, Germain et Evrard) and castor bean (Ricinus comunis, Linneu) during fall/winter and spring, under no‐till or chiselling. The LLWR was determined right after the desiccation of the cover crops and before soybean planting. Soil physico‐hydraulic conditions were improved in the uppermost soil layers by crop rotations under zero tillage, without initial chiselling, from the second year and on, resulting in soil quality similar to that obtained with chiselling. In seasons without severe water shortage, crop yields were not limited by soil compaction, however, in a drier season, the rotation with congo grass alone or intercropped with castor resulted in the greatest cover crop dry matter yield. Soybean yields did not respond to modifications in the LLWR.


This article investigates the extent to which policy transfer activities facilitated by Indonesian skilled returnees after finishing their studies in Germany can support various local actors in accelerating developmental progress in their homeland. By using the five-dimensional policy transfer (Evans, 2017), this study found that returnees strengthen the working environment by promoting exchange of knowledge, improving current work methods, and advocating for most common forms of transfer including knowledge sharing, experiences, and networks that they had while abroad. The research also found that most cases of successful policy transfer adoption were characterized by hybridization of new ideas with existing policy and institutional framework in organizations that participated in the program.


A large proportion of adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) remain quiescent throughout life, rarely undergoing cell division. These quiescent HSCs must undergo global changes in gene expression patterns in order to leave their dormant state and differentiate. Chromatin modifiers that act independent of cell division may therefore be of particular importance in regulating the behavior of quiescent HSCs through alterations in the chromatin landscape. One such chromatin modifier is the histone variant H3.3 chaperone, Hira, which is responsible for incorporating H3.3 independent of DNA replication at poised and transcriptionally active promoters. Despite the fact that this histone variant only differs from the canonical H3 histones by four or five amino acids, its gene-specific association is required for the proper establishment of gene expression and lineage specification in murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs), post-mitotic neurons, and oocytes. Since Hira deposits H3.3 outside of S phase, we hypothesize that Hira plays a critical role in the maintenance of quiescent HSCs through the regulation of H3.3 independent of cell division. HSCs divide rapidly in the fetal liver but become quiescent in adulthood, providing an interesting opportunity to study HSCs that are vastly different in terms of cell cycle properties. In order to study the role of Hira in HSCs, we used a conditional knockout (cKO) mouse model to delete Hira in hematopoietic cells in early development ( Vav-iCre; Hira fl/fl ). Importantly, we observed severe depletion of adult, but not fetal, HSCs upon loss of Hira. This suggests that Hira is important for the maintenance of quiescent adult HSCs, but not rapidly dividing fetal HSCs, and supports our model of Hira as a regulator of HSC quiescence through the DNA replication-independent incorporation of H3.3. We additionally observed altered differentiation potential, reduced reconstitution capacity, and increased cycling in adult HSCs upon Hira cKO. These results demonstrate that Hira is an essential regulatory factor for the control of adult HSC function. To obtain adult Hira cKO HSCs for further analysis, we also used an inducible model of Hira deletion in the hematopoietic system upon polyinosinic-polycytidylic (pIpC) treatment ( Mx1-Cre; Hira fl/fl ). We performed RNA-seq analysis on adult Hira cKO HSCs, which showed widespread alterations in gene expression patterns and upregulation of PRC2 target genes. Since Hira is known to recruit polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) to bivalent promoters in mESCs in an H3.3-dependent manner (Banaszynski et. al. Cell 2013), chromatin-immunoprecipitation and sequencing (ChIP-seq) for H3K27me3 will be used to show how loss of Hira affects PRC2 activity in HSCs. We have additionally performed assay for transposase-accessible chromatin and sequencing (ATAC-seq) in order to determine how patterns of DNA accessibility in HSCs are affected by Hira cKO. Altered nucleosome positioning and PRC2 activity will be discussed as potential mechanisms for the role of Hira in regulating the behavior of quiescent HSCs. Our findings reveal a novel paradigm for epigenetic state regulation in adult HSCs. Knowledge gained from this study may inform future research for clinical applications, such as for improved methods of in vitro HSC expansion. Characterizing the importance of H3.3 regulation by Hira in normal HSC activity will therefore provide invaluable information regarding the epigenetic mechanisms underlying hematopoietic homeostasis. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


This paper focuses on the dynamic of the recent upheaval in the tourism and hospitality sector due to the COVID-19 epidemic in Greece and Santorini island. It uses the case study of a country one-fourth of whose GDP consists of tourism. We compare the available statistical data showing the change in variables in the previous years with 2020 and look into the new challenges and opportunities posed by the drop in the numbers of visitors and flights. We focus mainly on the economic and social impact on the destination and possible future scenarios for further development in the area. Data show a significant effect of the pandemic on multiple variables, such as the long-term trend of the importance of tourism sector in GDP in Greece, the number of flights and visitors to Greece and Santorini island, and the contribution of tourism and travel to GDP. Based on the available data, we also construct three foresight scenarios that describe the possible futures for Santorini island in terms of the pandemic evolution. These scenarios may help various stakeholders and policymakers to be better prepared for different developments that may appear.


Enzymatic reactions with surface bound substrates are important in such applications as detergent enzyme additives and food processing. Here, we study an important surface property of the enzyme: lateral difmsivity. Microfluidic patterning is used to decorate a region of the bovine serum albumin substrate surface with a subtilisin protease. Any spreading of the enzyme from this initial region indicates surface diffusion. By varying the ionic strength of the system and studying subtilisin having single point mutations, we investigate the influence of electrostatic interactions on the surface mobility and surface reactivity of the subtilisin enzyme.


(54) X-RAY INSTALLATION WITH WIRELESS (30) Foreign Application Priority Data COMMUNICATION BETWWEN THE RADIATION RECEIVER AND CONTROL Apr. 17, 2001 (DE)........................................ 10118745.9 UNIT Publication Classification (75) Inventor: Martin Spahn, Erlangen (DE) (51) Int. Cl." ............................. H01J 31/49; H01J 31/50 Correspondence Address: (52) U.S. Cl. .............................................................. 378/189 SCHIFF HARDIN & WATE 6600 SEARS TOWER 233 SWACKER DR (57) ABSTRACT CHICAGO, IL 60606-6473 (US)


Introduction: We report here a case of carcinomatous pachymeningitis in a patient followed for EWING'S SARCOMA (ES) of the leg. Methods: A 17-year-old patient followed for leg Ewing's sarcoma undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy who presents for the management of acute and atrocious headaches of rapidly progressive onset. He had a brain MRI that showed carcinomatous pachymeningitis, the diagnosis is confirmed by a lumbar puncture of the CEREBROSPINAL FLUID (CSF) that showed the presence of cancer cells related to Ewing's sarcoma. Results: The patient was proposed for chemotherapy and craniospinal irradiation (CSI), but he died before starting his treatment. Conclusions: Carcinomatous pachymeningitis in Ewing's sarcoma is an unusual metastatic localization and its prognosis is pejorative.


In this paper, a two-level green supply chain composed of a manufacturer and a retailer is taken as the background. Considering the consumer's double consumption preference and the manufacturer's green product R&D investment, a differential game model of the green supply chain under the government cost subsidy strategy is constructed. Firstly, the equilibrium points of the system are solved and their stability is discussed and analyzed. Secondly, the dynamic evolution process of Nash equilibrium under the parameters of green degree, green preference coefficient, retail channel preference coefficient, coefficient of the sensitivity of price, and adjustment speed are described by numerical simulation. The results show that the two ways of a system entering chaos are Flip bifurcation and N-S bifurcation, respectively, by 2D bifurcation graph, and it is also verified in 1D bifurcation diagram. When the bifurcation parameters are small, the system maintains Nash equilibrium stability. If the green degree of products is increased, the green preference coefficient will also increase; on the contrary, the retail preference coefficient will decrease. Research and development cost subsidy policy can effectively improve the green degree of products and increase the sales volume of products, so as to improve the profit of supply chain members.


Cell-Life and the iDART System Cell-Life started in 2001 as a research collaboration between staff of the engineering faculty of the University of Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). As the prevalence of HIV grew, it became clear that the primary health sector would need extensive support, particularly in under-resourced and rural areas. Cell-Life investigated the use of readily available technologies (particularly mobile phones) to support the provision and distribution of medication, continuous patient monitoring, and the communication of relevant administrative and evaluation data. Our research focus was the development of appropriate tools in new settings—for Most e-Government projects end either in partial or total failure [1]. When the reasons for this are investigated, we are told that systems have failed because they try to force unwanted or contentious change in organizational processes, or because the technology requirements, such as hardware and connectivity, did not exist or were not maintainable due to limited human, technical, and financial resources. In general the literature on information and communication technology failure suggests that failure occurs because some aspect of the system context—social, technical, or political—is inadequately understood. While such reasons are valid, our view is that the stubborn persistence of this failure in the government sector hints at a broader systemic problem. The technological "ecosystem" in its current form—from technologies, implementation, and development processes to research and teaching—does not provide adequate support to publicsector projects.


The mathematical curriculum reformation put forward that history of mathematics should melt into mathematics curriculum.Every edition textbook all selected some historical material of mathematics,which had various feature about selecting,space and designing of contents and present manners.On basis these,we should strengthen instruction of mathematical history in low sect;should add two designing patterns that were "mathematics history involving learning contents" and "learning contents involving mathematics history" and adopt various pattern in different sect;embody rich and diverse present manner with "giving priority to letter","giving priority to picture","interlink paint","video frequency CD" and so on.


Background. Despite a high risk for serious side effects, sympathomimetics for local ad- ministration are available without a prescrip- tion and are well established on the German market. Case. We report on a 30-day-old girl who re- ceived 0.1 ml of xylometazoline 0.05% solu- tion 3 times a day. The next day, the girl was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit because of vomiting, apnea and loss of con- sciousness. Diagnosis. Using mass spectrometry, high concentrations of xylometazoline and its me- tabolites were detected in the patient's urine. Thus a clear relationship between the admin- istration of xylometazoline and the clinical symptoms was demonstrated. Conclusion. We would like to explicitly warn against using medicines which are, despite being available without prescription, poten- tially dangerous particularly for neonates and infants.


Several metrics have been suggested for summarizing results from single-subject experimental designs. This study briefly reviews the most commonly used metrics, noting their methodological limitations. This study also includes a synthesis of recent meta-analyses, describing which metrics were used and how meta-analysts handled dependence in the form of multiple treatments, outcomes, and participants per study. Guidelines for future methodological research and for single-subject experimental design meta-analysts are provided. Source of funding: Preparation of this article was supported by a grant from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. However, the opinions expressed do not express the opinions of this agency.


1. Objectives The purpose of this study was to prove the correlation between risk factor of cardiovascular disease and Sasang Constitution and to investigate the effect of oxygen free radical on this correlation. 2. Methods We analyzed 129 patients who visited Cheonan oriental medical hospital from Apr 1, 2007 until May 31, 2007, for medical examination, which Includes Sasang Constitution examination, blood chemistry test and physical examination. And we classified their results into 4 groups based on with blood lipoprotein level and body mass index. 3. Results and Conclusions Mean of lipoprotein in blood was not significantly different among constitutions but with body mass index, was significantly higher in Taeumin than others. And count of dyslipoproteinemia was significantly higher in Taeumin group than soeumin. Therefore, according to our results, risk of cardiovascular disease was higher in Taeumin than other constitutions. Oxygen free radical did not have much effect on correlation between risk factor of cardiovascular disease and Sasang Constitution. However, there was some evidence in soeumin group, that oxygen free radical may have effect on origination of hyperlipidemia.


An original analog function synthesizer circuit with increased accuracy will be presented, allowing to implement a multitude of important continuous mathematical functions. The accuracy of the proposed structure is excellent and the range of the input variable is strongly extended as a result of the third-order approximation of the implemented functions. The circuit performance is expected to be stable against process corners as all functions exclusively depend on current ratios. The great advantages of the increased modularity and controllability and of the associated reduced design costs per function represent an immediate consequence of the multiple functions realized by the proposed structure. The function synthesizer circuit is designed for implementing in 0.18 μm CMOS technology and it is supplied at 1.8V. The SPICE simulations confirm the estimated theoretical results, showing an approximating error smaller than 0.01% for the composing squaring block and smaller than 0.013% for the composing multiplier/divider block.


Billions of rural poor across the globe are out of banking facilities and financial benefits. India is also not exception. But, the world as accepted the truth and necessity of development of rural economy through micro lending only after proving this factor by the Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus to the world and, thus, the micro finance has its importance. The Indian policy makers have considered the Micro Finance as a panacea for up-liftment of the economic and sociological conditions of rural poor. On the other, the coverage of health of rural poor under micro-insurance with a small and negligible premium may not be a viable option for insurance giants. The National Agricultural Bank for Rural Development (NABARD) as a government mechanism is in frontline in extending micro finance to rural banking facility denied people through Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs). Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) is putting its efforts to protect the health of rural poor. The discretionary power of fixing the interest on re-lending offinance by MFIs to Self Help Groups (SHGs) has paved the way for more suicide deaths in the State of Andhra Pradesh, India. Ultimately, resulted in introducing an Ordinance by the Andhra Pradesh government to hold such MFIs involve in unethical, inhuman recovery actions. The success of the micro finance revolution depends upon the stake holders, nodal agencies and the state governments. An international financial support in Micro-insurance - a non- profitable venture can protect the health of billions of rural people across the globe.


It is not known how remuneration for advance care planning and end of life issues (ACPEL) discussions influences physician practice. In Calgary, AB family physicians get remunerated for completing a comprehensive annual care plan proforma (CACP) with patients who have complex care needs. The CACP prompts the physician to ACPEL discussions, with a tickbox answer of yes, no or not applicable.. The local "goals of care designation" (GCD) policy communicates treatment intent, based on medically appropriate care and the patient's own goals. Although not part of the CACP, if discussing ACPEL, determining a GCD is often appropriate. From a practice of 4000, 59 patients were identified by searching all CACP billing codes submitted from April 1st, 2011 through September 30th. A retrospective notes analysis revealed the percentage of charts with the ACPEL question completed was 49%. Of those that were completed 17% had discussed ACPEL, 17% had not and 66% selected not applicable. Only 1 out of 59 patients had a GCD and that was not determined during their CACP. Despite being part of a defined, remunerated plan, ACPEL and GCD discussions are not occurring. This baseline data will inform interventions in an audit feedback cycle, including practice-based physician education and mentoring on facilitating ACP conversations and improved clinic processes to ensure patient access to ACP material and to attach GCD documentation to the CACP. In addition it suggests the need for more effective links between remuneration to ACPEL discussions.


ABSTRACT This article draws on insights gained from three projects described as participatory action research (PAR) undertaken in the UK. What binds them together is that each project coordinator raised the issue of the under-representation of opportunities for disruption in the possible trajectory to knowledge democracy. PAR places a relational process at the centre of the research practice. It brings together people with varied knowledges, perspectives and experiences and aspires to be a non-hierarchical, relational, collaborative endeavour. This challenges the traditional hierarchical hegemony of the external expert in research situations. Bringing people together does not, however, equate to shared agency, authentic participation and knowledge democracy. For different knowledges to be created previous knowledges need to be disrupted.The argument raised in this paper is that a neglected element of PAR has been the deliberate intent to nurture disruption within communicative spaces in relationally based engagements. It is posited that the disruption of beliefs and assumptions that underpin local actions, is an important enabler of other voices and knowledges being recognised and acted upon. The three projects described reveal how and why the harnessing of power through disruption contributes to creating a functional knowledge democracy for more radical change.