Buzzati's romance suggests to the analyst, even in the best dreaming style of the author, as a long dream that develops from a situation of "passage" of a phase of life in which the capacity to containment of emotional experience is deeply into crisis. The crisis of the container, which is expressed from the very first lines of the story, set in motion the self-containment systems that should ensure avoidance of the traumatic experience: the negation of time, resulting in the suspension of the experience in a state of "waiting", obsessional and "homosexuals" mechanisms tending to avoidance of any experience of different that can disrupt a seemingly reassuring homeostasis, are represented in the characters and situations of the "dream", to finally reach a dramatic vision of their consequences.


Many airports desire increased environmental sustainability, but have resisted recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), citing concerns regarding variability, performance and durability. Two otherwise identical asphalt mixtures were produced in a mobile asphalt plant, one containing 5% low-risk RAP. The lowrisk RAP was obtained from the removal of temporary asphalt surface ramps and the texturing of the underlying surface, which was identical to the asphalt without RAP and was less than eight weeks old. Comparison of mixture design, asphalt production and asphalt construction data indicated that there was no detrimental impact associated with the inclusion of 5% low-risk RAP. However, there were significant differences in the mixture maximum density, Marshall Stability and surface friction. It is recommended that other airports incorporate low-risk RAP sources into airport asphalt resurfacing works. Further research should investigate the inclusion of other RAP sources and the factors that contributed to the observed reduction in surface friction.


Introduction It seems to be increasingly accepted that the survival of French as an international language depends on its development in Africa. Is this indeed so? Can one say that in the year 2000 most French speakers will be African? And is such a geographical and demographical extension taking place without causing radical changes to the French language, now that it is being adapted to a new African context and used by Africans, whose conceptual universe is not the same as that of the French? I shall endeavour to give a concise answer to these questions by describing the current state of the French language in Africa. In a few pages it is not possible to deal fully with all aspects of the language, so I shall only deal with the analysis of the lexicon to illustrate my remarks. An optimistic vision This vision of an African destiny for the French language has been outlined in many recent documents produced for summit meetings of heads of state and government that have in common the use of French (Paris: 1986; Quebec: 1987; Dakar: 1989). The vision is based on three factors.


The author gives evidence to suggest that physical and mental impairment is a serious factor in road accidents. However it is often difficult to recognise the impairment and licensing authorities sometimes have to wait months or years before it is discovered. Most authorities are required to determine safe driving performance and try to set up criteria to identify points at which physical and mental impairment become critical. Physicians should only be asked to report conditions that are serious. Driving licences should be renewed in person. Advisory boards should offer guidance and advice to the licensing agency. The public should be made more aware of the relationship of impairment with driving safety. /TRRL/


This chapter deals with the ecology of Tropical East Asia from the perspective of water, energy, and matter flows through ecosystems, particularly forests. Data from the network of eddy flux covariance towers is revealing general patterns in gross primary production, ecosystem respiration, and net ecosystem production, and exchange. There is also new information on the patterns of net primary production and biomass within the region. In contrast, our understanding of the role of soil nutrients in tropical forest ecology still relies mostly on work done in the Neotropics, with just enough data from Asia to suggest that the major patterns may be pantropical. Nitrogen and phosphorus have received most attention regionally, followed by calcium, potassium, and magnesium, and there has been very little study of the role of micronutrients and potentially toxic concentrations of aluminium, manganese, and hydrogen ions. Animal nutrition has also been neglected.


Recyclable, heterogeneous bimetallic ruthenium/molybdenum catalysts, formed in situ from triruthenium dodecacarbonyl [Ru 3 (CO) 12 ] and molybdenum hexacarbonyl [Mo(CO) 6 ], are effective for the selective liquid phase hydrogenation of cyclohexylcarboxamide (CyCONH 2 ) to cyclohexanemethylamine (CyCH 2 NH 2 ), with no secondary or tertiary amine by-product formation. Variation of Mo:Ru composition reveals both synergistic and poisoning effects, with the optimum combination of conversion and selectivity at ca. 0.5, and total inhibition of catalysis evident at ≥ 1. Good amide conversions are noted within the reaction condition regimes 20-100 bar hydrogen and 145-160 °C. The order of reactivity of these catalysts towards reduction of different amide functional groups is primary > tertiary ≽ secondary. In situ HP-FT-IR spectroscopy confirms that catalyst genesis occurs during an induction period associated with decomposition of the organometallic precursors. Ex situ characterisation, using XRD, XPS and EDX-STEM, for active Mo:Ru compositions, has provided evidence for intimately mixed ca. 2.5-4 nm particles that contain metallic ruthenium, and molybdenum (in several oxidation states, including zero).


Although it is unknown when Pran Gerbic began to plot his opera Midsummer Night (Kres), it must have been at the latest in 1893, the year from which the first data in this connection have survived. As one can learn from the score, it was finished on April 5, 1896. The libretto was written by Gerbic himself. There is no evidence in the sources, however, whether it was based on some literary work; so, it appears, that the fabula was a result of Gerbic's free imagination. Unfortunately, the composer had neither literary abilities nor an adequate feeling for the stage and was thus unable to write a text which would guarantee an integral operatic work of art. The libretto is undramatic, it contains very little action and has no real culminating point; consequently, the opera is to a considerable degree uneven as regards its quality and therefore cannot be ranked as a musically homogeneous theatrical piece. Nevertheless, it must be pointed out that the composer's musical inventiveness has for the most part covered up the inexpressiveness of the text, with the result that many a page of the score is strongly inspired and beautiful. The vocal solos, ensembles and a number of choruses can indisputably be placed among the successful passages of the opera, thanks to the composer's affinity to lyrical moods. Especially in the duets of Zorka and Barba in the first act and of Zorka and Cilja in the second, is the composer's melodical inventiveness and expressiveness so strong that one might claim that, at these points, Gerbic does not lag behind some of his important contemporaries in the European musical world. On the whole it is important that it is precisely the arias and duets in which the composer succeeded in outlining most vividly his characters – so that they come alive through the music rather than through the text. Much weaker are the recitatives, or rather ariosos, which – sometimes due to the inexpressiveness of the vocal part and the orchestral accompaniment – are all too monotonous and stereotyped. Here it appears to he especially fatal that Gerbic lacked strength when dealing with dramatically decisive passages, the main reason for which must be sought in the meagreness of the libretto. Which again does not mean that the opera has no musically convincing arioso passages, some of which can even boast of a rather broad harmonic palette. Although Gerbic gave preference to the human voice, the importance of the orchestral accompaniment should not be overlooked. The role of the latter is to be emphasized especially in connection with instrumental introductions, intermezzos and epilogues, and, last but not least, in the use of recurrent motifs and motivic reminiscences. This gives clear proof of Gerbic's efforts to intensify his work psychologically. However, Gerbic did not make use of the principle of transforming leitmotifs symphonically, a principle so typical of late romanticism. This simpler and older manner of exploiting recurring motifs is nevertheless interesting enough, as it reveals Gerbic's concept of the opera as an expressive means, enabling the composer to unite individual parts both as regards the contents and the form, into a more organic whole. This seems to be even more important, in view of the fact that Gerbic, in spite of giving up the division of a score into rounded-off »numbers«, did not quite succeed in achieving a sustained musical continuity. Arias, ensembles and choruses end in clearly emphasized cadenzas and very seldom proceed directly, for which reason they are easy to perform as individual items. Characteristic of Midsummer Night are also the composer's efforts to achieve a Slovene musical expression. A number of choruses and some solo passages sound genuinely Slovene, although Gerbic only now and then makes use of folk tunes. Much stronger than the Slovene is a kind of a generally Slav expressiveness, repeatedly coming closest to its Czech variety. In spite of that one could hardly speak of explicit influences of Dvorak and Smetana and even less of any imitation of the great masters. Of course, in Gerbic's score there is much that cannot be categorized within the national. This shows that different stylistic elements exist in a work which moves within early and high Romanticism and only slightly touches the late phase of the latter. Having not been well casted into a whole, a certain stylistic heterogeniousness inevitably persists. Apparently, a theatrical performance of Gerbic's Midsummer Night, especially in its original form, would be of no profit, for the deficiencies of the libretto would all too much come to the fore. Unfortuanely, dramaturgically bad as the work is, one cannot imagine a succesful revision. However, as it contains much valuable music, it is a pity to leave the score in dusty archives. All necessary cuts undertaken, perhapse the best solution would be that of a radio concert performance. Inspite of all its deficiencies Midsummer Night does occupy quite an important position in the rather modest Slovene operatic literature of the late 19th century. Together with Ipavec's The Noblemen of Teharje (Teharski plemici) and Foerster's The Nightingale of Gorenjsko (Gorenjski slavcek) it reprtesents quite a successful realization of efforts in achieving Slovene operatic expressiveness and, at the same time, a clear move away from the cosmopolitan or rather Italian oriented Gerbic's contemporary V. Parma. Much more important is the fact that Midsummer Night represents the first attempt to introduce recurring »meaningful« motifs and freer formal concepts into Slovene opera. Here lies the evolutionary role of Gerbic's work, as it indicates features which were ten years later fully and successfully realized by Risto Savin.


Women are increasingly presenting for abortion at very early gestation. However, providers may be reluctant to conduct abortion at this stage as they may be concerned that they cannot exclude an ectopic pregnancy or that they may terminate a non‐viable pregnancy, or may be concerned that both medical and surgical methods may be less effective at this stage of gestation. This provider concern may result in delays in the abortion as additional investigations may be required until an intrauterine pregnancy can be confirmed. Additional unnecessary visits may be distressing for women and waste health service resources. The objective of this systematic review was to determine whether it is safe and effective to initiate abortion before there is ultrasound evidence of an intrauterine pregnancy.


The development of communicative competence in a context of teaching a foreign language requires the realization of appropriate and authentic tasks. Through a qualitative-descriptive study we analyze the communicative strategies of written interactions that Korean students develop in the communication by email with native speakers, and we show the adequacy of the use of this digital medium as a continuous activity outside the classroom, especially within a non-immersion learning context.


The present paper touches upon the issue of risk analysis of digital financial assets using by industrial enter-prises. The work formed a register of these risks, grouped into four key areas: cybersecurity vulnerabilities, the impact of underlying financial assets on digital financial assets, risks of changes in regulatory legal acts, other threats and vulnerabilities. Overall, 13 risks were identified. Furthermore, using the method of probability and consequence matrices, an assessment of the identified risks was carried out using a survey of experts. The experts assessed the current level of risks, then proposed measures that could reduce the risk, and then as-sessed the residual risk when implementing all measures. The results of the assessment are graphically pre-sented in the form of two matrices: current risks and residual risks.


Abstract : The purpose of this monograph was to illuminate information as both a resource and a process that deserves structured, coherent management at the unit level. The thesis is that lack of such management contributes to needless friction that degrades a unit's ability to perform its mission. The monograph qualifies information as a resource, examines the importance of information to a military organization, and defines five 'information failures' -- insufficient, overabundant, irrelevant, inaccurate, and untimely information -- that disrupt a unit's decision and execution cycles. The Scud-hunting efforts during Operation DESERT STORM are analyzed for examples of delay and mistakes caused by friction due to information failures. The monograph then proposes a framework for managing information as a traditional, tangible resource and process. It further highlights nontraditional properties of information relevant to a 21st century force. The monograph recommends the creation of an information officer position on the commander's staff, similar to a chief information officer in organizations outside the military. This officer would be coequal to the other officers who manage resources and processes on the commander's staff today -- S/G/J1 through S/G/J8. The role of this officer would be to bring unity to what is now a disjointed effort to manage the command's information. This officer is not envisioned as a technocrat but someone who would blend mission, process management, and information technology expertise to assure the unit uses its information to its best tactical, strategic, and organizational benefit.


Although the properties and functions of GABAA receptors in the mammalian central nervous system have been well studied, the presence and significance of GABAA receptors in non-neural tissues are less clear. The goal of this study was to examine the expression of GABAA receptor α1, α2, α4, α5, β1, γ1, γ2, and δ subunits in the kidney and to determine whether these subunits coassemble to form an active renal epithelial cell GABAA receptor. Using reverse transcriptase products from RNA isolated from rat and rabbit kidney cortex and brain or cerebellum through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the PCR products, we revealed that rat kidney cortex contained the α1, α5, β1, γ1, and γ2 subunits and that they were similar to the neuronal subunits. Sequencing of the PCR products revealed that the rabbit kidney cortex contained the α1 and γ2 subunits and that they were similar to their neuronal counterparts. Immunoprecipitation and immunoblot studies using GABAA receptor subunit-specific antibodies and detergent-solubilized rat kidney cortex membranes identified a GABAA receptor complex containing α5, β1, and γ1. Isolated rat renal proximal tubular cells exhibited GABA-mediated, picrotoxin-sensitive 36Cl- uptake. These studies demonstrate the presence of numerous GABAA receptor subunits in the kidneys of two species, the assembly of the subunits into at least one novel receptor complex, and an active GABAA receptor in renal proximal tubular cells.


Variational data assimilation is commonly used in environmental forecasting to estimate
the current state of the system from a model forecast and observational data. The assimilation
problem can be written simply in the form of a nonlinear least squares optimization
problem. However the practical solution of the problem in large systems requires many careful
choices to be made in the implementation. In this article we present the theory of variational
data assimilation and then discuss in detail how it is implemented in practice. Current solutions
and open questions are discussed.


Many questions exist in traditional access model to database.Firstly,it will debase system capability enormously to establish or close connection continually;secondly,every connection must be closed exactly,otherwise,it will result in memory leakage and database system has to be restart at last.In view to these question and on the basis of detail analysis to the database connection,the paper provides and realizes one reasonable and efficient strategy of connection management.Database connection can be reused efficiently and safely and it will greatly reduce the spending of frequent establishiing or close connection.At the same time,it analyzes the issue of transaction and multithread,then it provides one solution project based on design model.


This study aims to determine the composition, structure and Visualization vegetation canopy profile of Tahura Nipa-nipa at Mangga Dua Village, Kendari City. Kelurahan Mangga Dua Kendari. This research was used mix method between partitioned track and line that placed purposive sampling crossing the contour line. The Data were analyzed to obtain information about, diversity, frequency, dominance, Important Value Index (IVI) and Shannon-Wiener Variety Index (H ').  To visualize the vegetation profile using SExI-FS software version 2.1.0. The results show the amount of the collected inventory as much as 1046 individual for all species, which are clustered in 43 species and 27 families. Myrtaceae and Verbenaceae are families with the highest number of species. Castanopsis buruana  and Baringtonia reticulata is species that dominate vegetation communities. The level of community diversity in the study area was moderate with an index value of the average community diversity (H ') of 2.83. Canopy stratification consists of 4 to 5 layers, this generally indicates the study sites compiled by vegetation canopy layer of relatively complete. Key words : Vegetation, Structure , Composition ,  Visualization Of Vegetation Profile


The irrepressible human curiosity and the unquenchable thirst for knowledge are the fundamental basis for scientific development. A major part of innovation in scientific and techonological development has been directed towards generation or elevation of human comforts thereby increasing the standard of living in the society consequent to improvements disturbing side effects such as environmental pollution deforestations, urbanisation, loss of arable land, evolution of new organism to control etc. have emerged these effects are considerd as potential threats to wnvironment and to human. There has been great stress on natural resources. Acceleration in industrilisation have resulted in deterioration of environment to the extent that is a no longer possible to maintend desired quality of water and air for proper sustenance of life. Even ecological balance has been threatened this has necessiated urgent steps for environmental management and eco-restoration. So that not only forther deterioration is arrested but also to improve water and air quality to provide proper living conditions to th man kind. This is possible only when environmental management is integrated with development activities to provide sustainable development. A more fruitful integrative paradigm of sustancentrism is then articulated and implication for organisational goal. Tosupport ecologicaly and socially sustanable developmant.


How does one teach a subject that requires extensive site interaction with people and public places where a pandemic is rampant? The challenge is two-fold; with studios aiming to achieve intended design outcomes essential to developing students' ability to tackle complex design problems there exists a real fear for health and safety. Though the verdict on efficacy of online learning as part of urban design pedagogy is still pending, this paper will present the challenges and opportunities in pedagogical approaches and problem solving while portraying a holistic analytical picture of the undergraduate urban design studio. The outbreak of COVID 19 pandemic in March of 2019, forced all tiers of education to re-evaluate its studio methodology within a matter of weeks. Architecture and urban planning schools worldwide had to redesign a centuries old studio model that relied exclusively on face-to-face interactions to develop a culture of discussions and exchange of ideas. Several reactions and responses to address this challenge are in progress, amidst uncertainty and fluidity, towards the teaching and implementations of urban design. This paper is a documentation and analysis of an urban design studio at an undergraduate level that adopted the online mode of learning in 2020. There is discussion on content formulation, teaching methodology and student outputs to encompass the challenges and opportunities arising from teaching the urban studio online. To achieve the goal urban design studio and urban design theory courses were analysed in terms of student engagement and satisfaction viz a viz online teaching. The hybrid mode of teaching that maintains a balance between face to face and online learning may be a more effective pedagogy in future. Keywords: Online Teaching, Hybrid Teaching Asaptability, Urban Design, Pandemic


Introduction: Vitamin D plays an important role in immune function. It plays an important role in the neonatal period in fetal skeletal growth, prevention of rickets, neonatal sepsis, respiratory tract infections, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other endocrine disorders. It has been found that newborns' low level of cholecalciferol is closely related to neonatal sepsis. Aims and Objectives: To determine the neonatal plasma cholecalciferol levels and severity of vitamin D deficiency in neonatal sepsis. Material and Methods: This was a prospective, observational study conducted at Neonatal Care Intensive Unit of R. D. Gardi Medical College, Ujjain. The cases included all babies >34 weeks of gestational age having postnatal age of 0-28 days with clinical signs and laboratory findings of neonatal sepsis. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA 10.0. Results: Total 70 newborns with sepsis were included in the study among which n=47 (67%) had deficient (less than 20ng/ml), n=16 (22.86%) had insufficient (between 20-30ng/ml) and n=7 (10.00%) of newborns had sufficient levels of cholecalciferol (more than 30ng/ml). The mean cholecalciferol levels among term were 18.53ng/ml (±4.8) and in preterm is 15.7ng/ml (±2.6) and this finding was statistically significant (p=0.04). The mean cholecalciferol in newborns with culture-positive sepsis was 14.8ng/ml (±6.04) and in culture-negative sepsis was 16.4ng/ml (±5.2) and this finding was statistically significant (p=0.02). Conclusions: More than 65% of newborns were deficient in 25-OH cholecalciferol and the mean 25-OH cholecalciferol levels were lower in preterm than in term newborns and lower in newborns with culture-positive sepsis than in newborns with culture-negative sepsis.


The agricultural industry continues to expand to a large scale, and the number of greenhouse is increasing. In order to improve the production, the control of the greenhouse is extremely important. The greenhouse environment system is complex, and the mutual coupling between the various environmental factors is surviving. Therefore, the conventional temperature detection and control method is difficult to provide optimal environmental temperature for vegetables and other crops. Aimed to detect the greenhouse temperature, and provide a basis for effective and accurate control of greenhouse temperature, an effective and improved greenhouse temperature detection system is designed based on linear offset interference principle. The detected interference fringes are collected in video. The collected images are loaded in the embedded system through the data and image processing technology. The peripheral support circuit of embedded core processor is designed. The linear model of fringe travel and the temperature is established based on linear offset interference. The image acquisition is processed for the interference fringe by CCD camera, and the images are transmitted in the core controller. The core controller takes the ARM9 embedded chip S3C2410 as the processing chip. It is has better advantages of parallel processing and real-time performance than the traditional DS18B20 temperature controller, which meets to the temperature control requirements of greenhouse. The fringe travel value is obtained with processing on thermal image. And the temperature value of the greenhouse is obtained precisely. Experiment is taken on 10 different test points, and experiment results show that the accuracy is maintained in the range of 0.02, the system and temperature detection method has prospective application value in agricultural production and greenhouse cultivation.


This paper describes the working principle of the image chain's imaging system and analyzes the two imaging modes of the X-ray source as well as the two synchronization modes of the flat panel detector, with the goal of completing the design of the image chain's system imaging. Two schemes of synchronous control of the image chain, hardware control and software control, are achieved on the basis of the design of the image chain's imaging system. According to the experimental results, the hardware synchronization control, in comparison with the software synchronization control, enormously reduces the X-ray radiation time and the radiation received by the object as well as generating a lower CPU occupancy rate, which improves the safety of the performance of the image chain imaging system. Therefore, it can be concluded that hardware synchronization control is safer and more practical than software synchronization control. Lightweight cone-beam CT can be developed for use in mobile field hospitals and intensive care units to reduce the difficulty of doctors' operations.


Abstract In this paper, we introduce the notion of topological UP-algebras and several types of subsets of topological UP-algebras, and prove the generalization of these subsets. We also introduce the notions of quotient topological spaces of topological UP-algebras and topological UP-homomorphisms. Furthermore, we study the relation between topological UP-algebras, Hausdor spaces, discrete spaces, and quotient topological spaces, and prove some properties of topological UP-algebras.


Naranjal, the place where the present investigation was developed, is a fertile land, where the agriculture is one of the most important economic inputs, with emphasize in the cacao, banana tree, sugar cane, rice, coffee and other tropical fruits plantations; its beautiful landscapes have a great value, due to its vegetation and fauna, and its rich and varied gastronomy, which is typical of the costal area where it is placed. This investigation is the inventory of the gastronomical resources with tourist potential, in order to help to the development of a tourist product which still has not been right considered till present time. The objectives of this study have been the following: to identify the main concepts of the gastronomical subject, in order to get a meaning for the results of the investigation; to expose the geographic and historical frame of the area, trying to stand out its physical, human, cultural and economic aspects; to make a diagnosis in order to find out the opportunities and threats, as well as the strengths and weaknesses as tourist destiny and to investigate the gastronomic resources of the area with tourist potential, in order to inventory them: restaurants with local offer, typical products and plates Keys words: Inventory, Gastronomic Resource, Potential, Tourism.


ABSTRACT AN ultrasonic flow meter was inserted in the short milk tube of a conventional two-chambered teat cup and instantaneous milk flow rates were measured during the course of machine milking. Flow rate characteristics were analysed with a pulsator ratio of 60% for pulsation frequencies of 1.0, 0.3, and 0.1 Hz, and vacuum levels of 50 and 35 kPa. A factorial experiment was conducted over six consecutive days on six cows with all treatment combinations. Data were sampled by computer and statistically analysed for treatment effects. Results showed that total flow rates per pulsation cycle were substantially larger than similar measurements made with a linerless milking unit. Large cyclic fluctuations in liner vacuum were observed, affecting liner wall movement, flow direction, and milk pulse phase with respect to pulsator operation. No significant differences between total pulse flow rates were calculated for the different pulsation frequencies or vacuum levels. Flow rates between cows were significantly different, with several animals showing distinct sensitivity to pulsation frequency. Rhythmic oscillation of the peak milk flow rate were measured for five of the six cows at both vacuum levels, but only at the more rapid pulsation frequency.


This paper discusses AI-oriented production management systems using object oriented programming. The two pilot systems described here are both implemented using the Smalltalk-80 programming environment. One of the systems concerns production planning in dairy industries, while the other is a simulation tool for production flow analysis. The merits of object oriented programming in the design of the user interfaces are emphasised. The flexibility of the object oriented approach for stepwise development has been observed. Simulation method as a communication tool is used in both systems and the applicability of Smalltalk in simulation is demonstrated. Design effectiveness and efficiency has proven surprisingly good. The experiences introduced in the paper are based on two geographically disjoint research groups, having thus impact on the generality of the observations made.


Attitudes towards the European Union (EU) have changed deeply in Italy: the level of support for EU membership has dramatically declined among Italian citizens and, especially after the 2018 electi...


Objective: Optimize the time of data analysis of Vital Events (births, deaths and marriages) using Threads. Methodology: A code was created in python without threads and another with threads, after He performed 5 tests with a single attribute and with 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9 attributes this was done in both codes with the same amount of data, to know if the python code with threads is optimal when parsing Vital Facts data. Results: The python code with Threads turned out to be the most optimal since it optimized the compilation time of the 5 tests with 1 attribute by 16attributes was obtained as a result that the more attributes you group, the more effective the use of threads. Conclusion: Python code with threads is more optimal than code without threads Therefore, it is concluded that the implementation of threads is recommended in the analysis of data in similar works.


Module Interconnection Languages (MILs) describe and enforce the modular structure of systems. Originally developed in the 1970's, research in the area has reemerged in several incarnations over the years. While there have been differences in each approach, there are many features common to all of the MILs. This paper characterizes the core features using the Theory-Model paradigm. In doing so, we hope to evaluate the use of the Theory-Model approach to making comparisons of this type.


Objective  Oestrogen antagonizes the action of growth hormone (GH). For women with combined GH and oestrogen deficiency, transdermal oestradiol is more favourable in this regard compared to oral oestradiol. Oral contraceptive pills containing ethinylestradiol (EE) are commonly used in young women with GHD and there is little information on the impact of this form of oestrogen.


The study of the political element as the phenomenon of social life is possible only in the form of an appeal to ontological principles. Speaking about "political" in our study, we turn to a scientific discipline political ontology. Political ontology in the most general view studies the problems of the political world being, its various forms of expression and essential characteristics. Besides, the purpose of the study in the mainstream of political ontology is to identify the patterns in power relation development, the interaction of various political actors in society within a multifaceted political reality. The status of political ontology as an independent study area is often questioned, and despite the fact that nowadays the academic community for the most part recognizes political ontology as an autonomous sphere, endowing it with the status of one of the basic disciplines for socio-political space study in on the whole, the discussions on the speculative nature of political-ontological research are still ongoing (Blaser, 2014). Political ontology is recognized as a system-forming role in the study of political space, and its formation as a paradigmatic basis for the study of any political and social phenomena and processes is considered as a subject area (Hay, 2006). Thus, the study of the political element as the phenomenon of social life is possible only in the form of an appeal to dogmatic principles and attitudes formed by political ontology..


In this work, the Belief - Desire - Intention ( is one of the software models developed for modeling intelligent the agent based modeling is used to compute and track the state of jobs to produce initial state distribution which is then used to initialize the Markov Chain to produce the optimized target schedule. The sc agent uses constraints programming technique to produce the schedule. The scheduler agent's desire is to minimize the manufacturing completion time, or


This book was conceived of and written during a protracted episode of political turmoil. The period of disruption in question was triggered by the use of a democratic device; one which asks members of the public to choose between options with respect to a given decision. It is known as a referendum. This particular popular vote was held on 23 June 2016 across Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and Gibraltar. The ballot paper read: '[s]hould the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?' Of those who could have voted (rounded to two decimal places), 72.15 per cent took part and cast valid votes (that is, 33,551,983 of a total of 46,501,241), a higher proportion than at any General Election since 1992 (77.71)....


Abstract In the present study, we compared the total energy expenditure of brisk walking 1500 m in one continuous bout versus two accumulated bouts using a portable gas analyser in children aged 8–11 years. There were no significant differences in oxygen uptake, energy expenditure or effort rating between the continuous and accumulated brisk walks (P > 0.05). There was a difference in substrate metabolism between the continuous and accumulated brisk walks. Greater carbohydrate metabolism during the continuous brisk walk and greater fat metabolism during the accumulated brisk walks was observed. These differences in substrate metabolism were only evident in boys. The findings support the use of accumulated brisk walking bouts within the school environment, alongside traditional continuous methods aimed at increasing energy expenditure and fat metabolism, in young children.


Purpose of study:"Ganglia are a benign condition taking up the time of competent surgeons who might be more usefully engaged." – McEvedyOur aim was to perform a retrospective review comparing preoperative clinical presentation, intraoperative findings and histological diagnosis of all hand and wrist ganglia presenting to the Hand Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.Methods:A retrospective review of hand and wrist ganglia treated at the Hand Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. Clinical and surgical notes and histology reports were reviewed. All ganglia were removed surgically as directed by clinical findings.Results:A total of 75 hand and wrist masses were operated over a period of 6 months between January and June 2012. Of these 42 were clinically diagnosed as ganglia. All 42 "ganglia" were removed surgically and sent for histological evaluation. Of these, 40 were diagnosed intra-operatively as ganglia. In 2 cases the diagnoses were changed intra-operatively to synovitis and Giant Cell Tumor of t...


Inflation, interest rate and currency are factors that influence the (IHSG) Composite Stock Share Price Index. Above also explains, if Inflation rates rise then the Composite Stock Share Price Index will go up, but we see that the theory will not be the same forever with the practice or application. For that we intend to see if it was true what was mentioned by the theory. To find out we took Composite Stock Share Price Index data that listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange from the period 1 January 2013 - until 31 December 2015. Then we took the Inflation rate and interest rate data from the period 1 January 2013 - until 31 December 2015. Inflation, interest rate and currency are of economic factors can influence Composite Stock Share Price Index. If the inflation and interest rate more high than before it can impact of Composite Stock Share Price Index. Otherwise, In this study we will examine Composite Stock Share Price Index from the results obtained output of coefficient over than 0.05 as much as 0.306 so the final inflation, interest rate and currency aren't influence of Composite Stock Share Price.


In this paper, we first review the advantages in mass, loss and bandwidth of fiber optic links compared to coax for the fiber-optic physical layer of high-speed digital datalinks on spacecraft. We then report the results of ongoing development of commercial-off-the-shelf photonic transceiver components designed to meet spacecraft physical layer fiber optic datalink requirements. Results are presented detailing the performance and reliability of photonic transceiver modules, as well as radiation exposure tests (gamma, neutrons, protons and heavy ions) for these modules. The results show that these modules meet or exceed many of the requirements of spacecraft applications, and indeed they are being considered for or deployed on various spaceflight applications.


Cu-catalyzed cascade reaction of 2-chloroquinoline-3-carbonitriles with benzyl amines and sodium hydroxide in aerobic atmosphere has been developed for the synthesis of pyrimido[4,5-b]quinoline-4-ones. The reaction proceeds sequentially via Ullmann-coupling and conversion of nitrile to amide followed by nucleophilic addition of amide nitrogen onto iminium carbon and air oxidation. Reagents and substrates are cheap and easily available/accessible. Plausible mechanism of reaction is also discussed.


The woeful state of the infrastructure in Science and Technology in India is well acknowledged. Some years ago UGC came forward with an imaginative scheme called COSIST for strengthening Infrastructure in University Science Departments. Funds in the range of Rs 50 lakhs were given to selected Departments and kept several of these departments in animation. This scheme has worked reasonably well. It is understood that following the recommendation of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet a similar scheme will soon be implemented.With the acronym FIST (Funds for Infrastructure in Science and Technology), DST has called for proposals from across the nation.


A Co2Mo3O8/reduced graphene oxide (Co2Mo3O8/rGO) composite was synthesized by following a single step solid state reduction procedure. The prepared Co2Mo3O8/rGO composite was characterized using a multitude of characterization techniques, which confirmed the formation of the composite. Electron micrographs clearly showed that the composite consisted of submicron sized (lateral) and 50 nm thick hierarchical hexagonal nanoplatelets of Co2Mo3O8 attached to thin graphene layers of rGO. Raman scattering analysis not only confirmed the presence of Co2Mo3O8 and rGO in the composite but also revealed that the defects present in rGO are more than that in GO. Through thermogravimetric analysis, the amount of rGO present in the composite was found to be ∼22% by weight. Co 2p, Mo 3d, C 1s and O 1s X-ray photoelectron energy peaks were clearly identified. The analysis of these peaks confirmed the oxidation states of the respective elements in stoichiometric Co2Mo3O8. The as-synthesized Co2Mo3O8/rGO composite was tested as an anode material in half-cell configured lithium ion batteries. When cycled at 60 mA g−1 current density and in the 0.005–3.0 V range, the Co2Mo3O8/rGO composite delivered an excellent reversible specific capacity of ∼954 mA h g−1 that corresponds to 82% capacity retention at the end of the 60th cycle, which is higher than the theoretical capacity of both Co2Mo3O8 and graphene. Moreover, the Co2Mo3O8/rGO composite exhibited excellent rate capability. A reversible specific capacity of 471 mA h g−1 (at a current density of 1000 mA g−1) was delivered at the end of the 31st cycle. The value increased to 1006 mA h g−1 when the current density was switched to 100 mA g−1 at the end of the 36th cycle. Redox peaks in the cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves revealed that electrochemical conversion and electrochemical adsorption and desorption type reaction mechanism are the primary reasons for lithium ion storage. A constant area under the CV curves throughout the tests was noticed, which is an indication of the stable capacity while the CV results are in line with the galvanostatic cycling (GC) results. From the CV and GC results, it is concluded that the higher specific capacity, longer cycle life, and better rate capability are due to the excellent synergy between Co2Mo3O8 and rGO in the composite.


This paper proposes a method for estimating noise based on the assumption that in the process of smoothing with median filter only noise damping takes place. Knowledge of noise damping coefficient and the selection of the appropriate area allows for more accurate estimation of the variance of the normal noise distribution.


Improving of glomerular damage diagnostics in chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) is an actual theme. Aim. To analyze indicators of glomerular kidney damage in CGN patients. Methods and results. We examined 81 patients with CGN and saved renal function to analyze indicators of glomerular kidney damage according to vivo morphological kidney study in CGN patients with and without arterial hypertension (AH) and relationship between serum cystatin C (CysC) and histological parameters. Conclusion. Patients with hypertension had more expressed indicators of glomerular damage than patients without hypertension. We demonstrated that serum cysC is a marker of glomerular kidney damage in patients with CGN.


Using a composite of a high dielectric permittivity (ϵ) ferroelectric and low ϵ oxide to check dielectric mixing rules, often the high ϵ ferroelectric is strongly sensitive to elastic and dielectric boundary conditions. So its ϵ changes as volume fraction and microstructure change invalidating any checking. In the strontium lead titanate (SPT)-magnesium oxide composites reported here, the SPT is well above its Curie point and much less sensitive, however, both phases contain pores. Since the pore fractions are low and almost constant, the system may be treated as quasi-two-phase and is found to follow closely the model proposed by Wakino.


In this article, a plate-type megasonic system for cleaning flat panel displays (FPDs) was developed. The impedance characteristic of the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) actuator was measured, which was 996 ㎑. The impedance graph of the transmitter with the piezoelectric actuator was predicted with a commercial finite element method (FEM) software Ansys, and the obtained peak value was 997 ㎑, which agreed well with the measured value of 993 ㎑ with a 0.4% error. To assess the system performance, the acoustic pressures were measured and analyzed. Well-distributed acoustic pressures were observed with an average value of 12.83 ㎪, standard deviations of 8.25 ㎪. This suggests that the developed system can be applied to the particle removal in the FPD fabrication processes.


Lifetime of Liquid Rocket Engine chambers is one of the major issues for the feasibility of next generation of launchers and in particular for reusable launch systems. Because of the complexity of the thermomecanical loading imposed on the chamber materials, the prediction of this lifetime requires efficient tools and especially the identification of robust behaviour models over a large amplitude validity range (see Figure 1).


There is currently much interest in probing the structure that is required to retrieve information about molecular transport processes. The spatial phase which accumulates during as well as the hydrodynamics of molecular species in solution. The steady growth of chemical and biomedical applicamolecular self-diffusion leads to signal attenuation in the ensemble average. This constitutes the basis for extracting tions including the measurement of molecular transport, the study of reaction dynamics, the identification of metabolites, D by traditional methods. Field gradients may in fact be applied in any arbitrary direction, permitting the measureand the measurement of their transport in vivo demands methods that are fast, accurate, and free from artifacts. It ment of individual components of the diffusion tensor in its principal-axis system. therefore seems worthwhile to develop experiments that could address both classes of issues with the same general The phenomenon of molecular self-diffusion in constant gradients was recognized early by Hahn (1) as a mechanism approach. NMR has proved to be a powerful technique on both counts; traditionally, however, NMR protocols for of echo attenuation. Later Stejskal and Tanner (4) developed pulsed-gradient methods that overcome problems associated structural work have relied on high-resolution strategies, while transport and relaxation have been investigated by with measurements of D in constant gradients; this was then followed by the development of other refinements (5–10) time-domain measurements. We report here a novel approach to the rapid measurement of molecular self-diffusion as well as a recent revival of interest in extremely large constant gradients (11) . coefficients D , employing high-resolution NMR. Our approach is based on encoding molecular self-diffusion as a NMR methods for measuring D , including PGSE (4) (pulsed-gradient spin echo) and PGSTE (6) (pulsed-gradilinewidth parameter, in a simple one-dimensional multiecho pulse sequence. The measurement protocols we report are ent stimulated echo), sample the echo top, the second half of the echo (FT-PGSE/DOSY) (8, 9) , or the entire echo. basically two-scan procedures—one with pulsed diffusion Each of these modes of operation has its own merits and encoding, and a second without—that can typically be exedemerits. When the echo top is sampled, the measurement cuted in under ten seconds if the signal-to-noise ratio is is free of susceptibility and inhomogeneity artifacts. The adequate. The sequences sample the tops of spin echoes and disadvantage of this mode of operation however is the loss of are hence completely free from inhomogeneity and susceptichemical-shift information, restricting its validity to singlebility artifacts. They are thus suited to the investigation of component systems. For multicomponent systems, the measolution-state self-diffusion in heterogeneous environments. surement must be performed by sampling either the second We also emphasize that our methods are suitable for singlehalf of the echo or the entire echo. This mode is, however, component systems as well as for multicomponent systems, susceptible to inhomogeneity and susceptibility artifacts. and are applicable regardless of echo modulations. They Further, if the echo time t is varied, echo modulation must may be readily performed on the present generation of highbe taken into account. Clearly, satisfactory experiments need resolution NMR spectrometers that support gradient-accelerto be developed to handle multicomponent systems in heteroated spectroscopy. geneous liquid-like environments. Self-diffusion is measured in magnetic resonance by Our earlier work (12) in this direction involved the develapplying either steady or pulsed field gradients (1–4) , so opment of novel two-dimensional methods employing sinthat there is a variation of the field over the sample. This gle-quantum or multiple-quantum echoes. The disadvantage renders the Larmor precession frequency position-depenof the 2D family of methods (12–14) , however, is the meadent, providing the frequency or phase labeling of molecules surement time (an hour or longer) , since a pair of 2D experiments is required, one with evolution-dependent and a second with evolution-independent diffusion encoding. * To whom correspondence should be addressed.


Introduction: Intussusception is a pediatric emergency. If it is not treated immediately, the obstruction process can cause arterial obstruction and leads to intestinal necrosis. Not all patient shows classic syndrome triad. Thus, imaging is needed to make the diagnosis. Ultrasonography is the first choice of imaging in children because it is easy, without radiation and sedation. It has high accuracy for the diagnosis of intussusception. Ultrasonographic features of intussusception including target or doughnut sign and pseudo kidney sign. The presence of trapped fluid in intussusception, correlated with intestinal ischemia and necrosis found in surgery. This research aimed to assess sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of trapped fluid in ultrasound examination compared with the intra-operative findings reported by surgeons in the form of intestinal necrosis in pediatric patients with intussusception in Saiful Anwar Hospital, Malang. Material and Methods: This research was observational analytic with a cross-sectional design. It used retrospective data of abdominal ultrasound results and surgical operating reports in 30 patients who were diagnosed with intussusception. Results: Trapped fluid depiction on ultrasound has a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 75%, and an accuracy of 76% with regards to necrotic bowel as compared to intra-operative findings. Conclusion: Trapped fluid in intussusception is a good predictor of intestinal necrosis in cases of intussusception in children.


The burrowing nematode (Radopbolus similis) is considered the most economically important nematode to banana production worldwide. In Brazil, yield losses can reach up to 100 % among Cavendish bananas. Although no information is available on genetic and biological variability of the nematode in Brazil in bananas and other plants, observations have suggested the occurrence of several biotypes of the nematode. The objective of this study was to observe genetic variability of 12 populations of R similis using RAPD markers, in relation to geographic origin and aggressiveness on diploid (AA) and triploid (AAA) banana genotypes. This study showed that all populations of R similis reproduced in all banana genotypes, and higher values for the reproduction factor occurred on Grand Naine, Pisang Jari Buaya, and Yangambi km 5. Differences in aggressiveness were reflected on plant height and root weight. Populations from Bahia (BA 1 and BA 2 ), Minas Gerais (MG 1 and MG 2 ), Pernambuco (PE), Cuba (CUB), and Costa Rica (CR) were more aggressive on banana plants, in particular those from Pernambuco and Bahia. By contrast, populations from Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Sao Paulo (SP 1 and SP 2 ), Santa Catarina (SC), and Australia (AUS) were less aggressive. Through RAPD markers at the relative genetic distance of 0.45, the populations of R similis were separated in five similarity groups. No correlation between geographic proximity and genetic similarity was observed among R similis populations, except for the populations from Bahia (BA 1 and BA 2 ). In this study it was evidenced a close association between the level of aggressiveness on bananas and a short genetic distance, except for the populations from Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and Australia (AUS).


This is a synopsis of actions taken at the April 5, 2004, ACES Executive Council meeting. Readers may access a copy of the complete minutes on the ACES Web site.


For two quantum-mechanical particles in an external field a decomposition is obtained for the integral scattering operator in which all the pole (principal) singularities corresponding to the formation of bound states in independent subsystems (bound states of the first and of the second particle in the field and of the two particles) are separated explicitly. For the unknown functions of this decomposition (the components of the integral scattering operator) a system of integral equations with kernels that have only integrable singularities is obtained. The connection between the elements of the S matrix and the components of the total scattering operator is established. The spectral properties of the total Green's function of the system of two particles in the field are investigated. A method is proposed for generalizing this spectral analysis to the case of a problem of three bodies with arbitrary masses; this method makes it possible to describe the bound states and resonances that arise in the system.


An independently-tunable-cells thermionic RF gun (ITC-RF gun) is adopted in a compact FEL-THz facility due to its compactness, low-cost and high intensity. An electron gun is required to generate maximum beam current of 3.2 A at low energy of 15keV for the ITC-RF gun, which creates difficulties for the design of electron gun because of the strong space charge effect. A double-anode gridded gun structure is adopted that controls the beam current easily while maintains the energy dispersion less than 0.5%, with high perveance and high compression ratio. CST code has been used extensively for design optimization, which includes electrode shape, influences of grid, installation errors. A measurement scheme is also proposed for key parameters verification. Beam current, emittance and energy dispersion can be measured.


The objective of the study is to examine the behavior and patterns of arrival of students in a university through observation method. Student affairs department of different universities are investigated in this study. Queuing theory is adopted for waiting in lines/queues. The results show that more than 70% of the students in universities are unhappy and dissatisfied with the service of student affairs.  The results conclude that waiting in line or queue causes inconvenience to the students and ultimately it results in economic costs to the universities. Students usually wait for minutes, hours, days or months to receive desired service for which they were waiting.

 Key words: Waiting line, student affairs, arrival patterns, universities, Pakistan.


Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) have been used to desorb fluorinated polymers for mass spectrometric analyses. Compounds with high fluorine content are insoluble or only sparingly soluble in conventional solvent systems, making them difficult candidates for mass spectrometry studies. Among 11 tested MALDI matrixes, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid produced the highest ion yield for a model fluorinated analyte at a matrix/analyte molar ratio of 1000. Use of this matrix allowed determination of repeat units and the polymer distribution parameters:  Mn, Mw, and D. In MALDI, solubility requirements for a fluorinated polymer may be incompatible with those of the matrix, potentially leading to inhomogeneous crystallization which may influence the observed distribution of oligomers. In ESI, when precipitation was not an overriding factor, a minimal aqueous content in the employed solvent vastly improved fluorinated polymer signal intensities compared to purely organ...


This paper describes the design of a low-noise amplifier for ultrasound receiver application. The receiver consists of a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) followed by a current feedback amplifier (CFA) and an output buffer stage to drive a 75Ω coaxial cable. The design is optimized in terms of noise and bandwidth for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT). Amplifier design issues such as achieving low noise and high linearity along with small input impedance are also discussed. The amplifier is designed using AMS 180nm technology and achieves a noise figure of 3.2dB. The amplifier has an input impedance of 200Ω for bandwidth of 100MHz, dynamic range of 51dB and total harmonic distortion (THD) of less than 0.4% for full scale input.


Goal attainment scales (GAS) provide an individualized, criterion-referenced approach to describing changes in the performance of students and can be very useful in documenting changes involving academic and social behaviors. When this technique is used in educational contexts, teachers, parents, consultants, or students can complete GAS ratings, thus providing an indirect measure of academic or social behavior performance. The basic methodology of GAS involves the following steps:


This paper examines the case and background of Edward Snowden, the history and purpose of the National Security Agency (NSA), legality and American public opinion and its aftermath.


Studies of CP violation, for 30 years focused primarily on the neutral K meson, are on the threshold of a new era as experiments approach Standard-Model sensitivities in decays of beauty, charm, and hyperons. The array of heavy-quark experiments approved and planned at Fermilab may lead to a significant breakthrough in the next five to ten years.


Research on green manufacture is the direction of all industries, problems caused by consumptions of water, energy, and labor from denim products also are eager for advanced solutions seriously. Based on a fundamental study on present green denim clothing with fading effect, this study presents certain analysis on three new types of digital approaches of denim products. The analyses about the design principle and process of three crafts are discussed, and different design cases are presented. The different design processes have shown that the digitalized patterns simulating the denim effects are important and connected with the terminal fashionable usage. Certain detailed design methods in pattern designs are introduced. Three different methods can achieve different product effects of denim appearances, and each of them is environmental friendly and effectively.


The installed neutron irradiation cell at the USB-Laboratory is employed frequently for applications where the neutron field should be monitored. The ratio of epithermal and thermal neutron flux were determined by the cadmium difference method in three different irradiation locations of a graphite thermalized (252)Cf source. Monte Carlos simulation provided the expected thermal neutron field inside the irradiation cell and the NTD sensitivity. The passive decive is a Kodak-Pathe LR-115 externally coated with a thin (0,1 mm) binary glass metal strip Fe75B25 where the 10B(n(alfa))7Li reaction converts free neutrons into alpha particles that are registered as etched tracks. The results allow to determine the neutron flux in an easy, reproducible and effective way, with the advantage of a low self-absorption effect due to the converter material. Improved etching process of the LR-115 nuclear track detectors and the software parameters for track analysis are included.


To evaluate the role of nitric oxide(NO) in plant salt tolerance,this study was conducted in nutrient solution to investigate the effects of exogenous sodium nitroprusside(SNP),an NO donor,on chlorophyll content,chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and antioxidant enzymes activity in Vitis amurensis 'Shuangfeng' 1-year cutting seedling under 50 mmol·L-1 NaCl stress.The results showed that exogenous NO significantly promoted the activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase(APX) in Vitis amurensis leavs,which led to the decrease of malondialdehyde(MDA),thus protected chloroplast memberance stability and increased chlorophyll content.On the other hand,exogenous NO increased photochemical efficiency of photosystem II(Fv/Fm),actual photochemical efficiency(ΦPSII),photochemical quenching coefficient(qP) and regulated thermal energy dissipation(ΦNPQ) under NaCl stress.However,the minimal fluorescence(Fo) and decreased photo damage(ΦNO) in Vitis amurensis leaves were decreased.These results indicated that NO enhanced the tolerance of Vitis amurensis seedlings to NaCl stress through the protecting mechanism of thermal dissipation which alleviated photo inhibition caused by salt stress,improving photochemical electron transport efficiency and maintaining the normal function of PSII to some extent.


The insertion of a sub-plot within the major plot is a common dramatic motif in Shakespearean romantic comedy. Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (1601-1602), for instance, contains multiple plots and diverse dramatic incidents. Noticeably, the play's minor plot functions as a 'play within a play'. Such plot contains many metatheartical aspects such as play within a play, asides and role playing. These methatheatrical features have important dramatic functions. Whereas the major plot deals with "serious and intense romantic love inherited from the medieval courtly tradition, the sub-plot is entirely comic and even farcical in tone." (Ray, 2007, P.157). Both plots, however, share similar themes such as mistaken identity, self-deception, disguise and courtship. They even share similar dramatic structure. "It is convenient to discuss the play in terms of main plot and subplot, romance and comedy; and the characters of the comic subplot do constitute a distinct society within the play." (Carneage & Houlahan, 2014, P.1 7). Romantic Moreover, the romantic plot in the play mainly deals with the development of a love relationship between two main protagonists, whereas the sub-plot deals with a comic scheme set by a group of low-ranked characters against the main villain. One of the core issues the research tries to investigate is the dramatic significance of the subplot, particularly with regard to female protagonist's quest for selfhood, as well as, the extent the heroine's witty usage of deceptive schemes in the subplot contributes to restoration of order and harmony to the community.


In this paper, a numerical simulation-based parametric study on wire bonding is implemented by the probability method that combines the response surface strategy and the Monte Carlo random simulation method. The distribution probabilities of the peak stress values in metal and interlayer dielectric (ILD) stack layers are discussed with the variation of free air ball radius, Al pad thickness and ball bonding height in the wire bonding structure and the sensitivities of the output performances to the input variables are assessed. Finally, the major impact factors are determined for optimization of wire bonding.


Objective—Despite innovations in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), adherence is poor and disparities persist. Shared decision making (SDM) promotes patient engagement and enhances adherence, however few tools support SDM in RA. Our objective was to pilot a low literacy medication guide and decision aid to facilitate patient-clinician conversations about RA medications. Methods—RA patients were consecutively enrolled into one of three arms: (1) control, patients received existing medication guide prior to clinic visit; (2) adapted guide prior to visit; (3) adapted guide prior plus decision aid during visit. Outcomes were collected immediately postvisit, at 1-week, 3and 6-month interviews. Eligible adults had to have failed at least one DMARD and fulfill one of the following: age >65, immigrant, non-English speaker, < high school education, limited health literacy, racial/ethnic minority. Primary outcomes were knowledge of RA medications, decisional conflict, and acceptability of interventions. Results—Majority of 166 patients were immigrants (66%), non-English speakers (54%), and had limited health literacy (71%). Adequate RA knowledge post visit in arm 3 was higher (78%) than arm 1 (53%, adjusted OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.2–6.1). Among patients with a medication change, Corresponding author: Dr. Jennifer L. Barton, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR 97239, email@example.com. Author contributions All authors were involved in drafting of the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, and all authors approved the final version. Dr. Barton had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the analysis. Study concept and design: Barton, Trupin, Schillinger, Montori, Yelin Acquisition of data: Barton, Evans-Young, Imboden Analysis and interpretation of data: Barton, Trupin, Schillinger, Montori, Yelin Disclosures: Dr. Barton was funded by the American College of Rheumatology Rheumatology Research Foundation Bridge Funding Award. Dr. Yelin, Ms. Trupin, Ms. Evans-Young and Dr. Barton were supported by NIH/NIAMS grant P60 AR053308 and AHRQ. Dr. Barton is also supported by NIH/NIAMS grant K23AR064372. Role of the Sponsor: The funding sources had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis or interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The contents of this manuscript do not represent the views of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government. HHS Public Access Author manuscript Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 July 01. Published in final edited form as: Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2016 July ; 68(7): 889–898. doi:10.1002/acr.22801. A uhor M anscript


Parkinson?s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder that affects 1% of the general population over the age of 60 [1]. PD is characterized by progressive dopamine (DA) neuron degeneration in the pars compacta of the substantia nigra (SN) plus Lewy body formation in affected brain areas [2]. The progressive DA neuron degeneration leads to decreased DA content in SN, contributing to onset of PD symptoms. So far PD is still an incurable human disorder and L-DOPA replenishing therapy is the only treatment, which can transiently alleviate PD symptoms, with no therapeutic effects against DA neurons demise in PD patient brains


Objective: To provide a basis for the optimum extracting technology of total flavone of traditional mongolian medicine Fructus Choerospondiatis. Methods: The orthogonal design was used. Results: The optimum extracting condition was A 1B 1C 2D 2. That is adding eight times amount of 70% alcohol and refluxing and extracting for 1 h (totally extracting for 2 times). The result indicated that 2 time extraction could raise the extraction rate to 92.28%. Conclusion: The alcohol extraction method is superior to water extraction method. The alcohol concentration and amount should be strictly controlled becasuse of their large influences on the dissolution of total flavone.


Objective To investigate the clinical features of different pathological subtypes of adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung.Methods Adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung was divided into independent growth pattern and mixed growth pattern according to the distribution of two different components.And adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung was divided into adenocarcinoma-predominant pattern,composition-comparative pattern and squamous carcinoma-predominant pattern according to the content of two different components.The clinical manifestation and postoperative survival time of different subtypes of adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung were analyzed,and the correlation was studied between pathology and clinical features.Results No significant correlation was found between pathological typing and gender,age,smoking,disease course,symptoms,surgical resection rate and P-TNM staging.Most cases of adenocarcinoma-predominant pattern were peripheral lung cancer,mainly displaying as infiltration or atypical changes under bronchoscopy,and most of squamous carcinoma-predominant pattern cases were central type lung cancer,mainly displaying as mass under bronchoscopy.The rate of mediastinal lymph node metastasis was higher in adenocarcinoma-predominant pattern than that in squamous carcinoma-predominant pattern.The survival time of independent growth pattern was longer than that of mixed growth pattern,and the survival time of adenocarcinoma-predominant pattern was the shortest,followed by composition-comparative pattern.The survival time of squamous carcinoma-predominant pattern was the longest.Conclusion Pathological typing is associated with the clinical feature in adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung.To study the correlation will contribute to the diagnosis and prognosis.


Whilst the rise of political populism has been recognised as a growing menace across the globe, in the run up to the release of the budget, Deepanshu Mohan makes the case for economic populism as a potential solution to India's slowed economic growth.


The medium-voltage direct current (MVDC) distribution grids have been given significant attention because of their wide applications in the grid integration of the renewable energy sources and in the improvement of the stability and quality of the grid. However, due to the absence of the natural zero current crossings and the high rate of the short-circuit current, the fault current interruption in the MVDC systems is more problematic than that in the ac systems. Several types of interruption schemes have been proposed, and the vacuum interrupter-based dc circuit breaker (DCCB) is a promising solution for the MVDC interruption. Because of its high arcing current, the dielectric strength of the vacuum interrupter after the current crossing point stays low, which makes the dielectric recovery strength a critical factor for the reliability of the interruption. To estimate the reliability of the MVDC interruption, an experimental circuit is designed to measure the dielectric recovery strength of the vacuum interrupter, and the main influence factors are investigated with the experiments conducted under different arcing currents, contacts, $di/{\Delta t}$ before the current zero, and arcing times. The analysis and comparison of the dielectric recovery strength under different conditions are presented. The safe recovery time under different interruption conditions is proposed.


This text discusses a confluence of factors regarding the distribution of the television show Breaking Bad as it reached the Brazilian market, the largest in South America. This discussion is established through an observation of the distribution practices related to the first and the last episodes of the show among Brazilian audiences by official and extra official means, where signs of a greater speed in distribution become clear, as do the different paths the circulation of the series' premiere and finale took in each market as a sign of changing audiences.


English writing is one of the language output skills, which is the embodiment of the comprehensive use of English language ability of English learners. It is also the focus and difficulty of teachers in English teaching. Based on the theory of error analysis, this paper analyzes the common types of mistakes in junior middle school students' English writing and their causes, and expounds how teachers improve junior middle school writing teaching for students' common writing mistakes in order to help improve students' English writing level.


The hemodynamic evaluations were performed in 32 pa tients, who had undergone aortic valve replacement with either a homograft (n=16) or a prosthetic valve (19-23mm, n=16). Pressure gradient (PG), aortic valve area, diameters of left atrium, posterior wall (PW), interventricular septum (IVS), ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular mass (LVM) and mass index (LVMl) were evaluated by using M-mode, two-dimen sional and Doppler echocardiography examinations.


The issue of creativity among teachers and pupils in terms of the dialogical praxis represented a real challenge concerning the research that we have done in high school classes in which philosophy is being taught. We have come to the conclusion that there is a direct linking between the diversity of the dialogical forms which pupils and teachers use and the forms of expression of creativity that are used during philosophy classes. Philosophical themes seem more attractive and interesting if the working methods in classes are modified and if pupils have to evaluate critically their own knowledge.


Composites composed of rubber, sepiolite fiber, and resorcinol–formaldehyde latex-coated aramid short fibers were prepared. Mechanical and morphological characterizations were carried out. To investigate the effect of interfacial debonding on the failure behavior of short-fiber-reinforced rubber composites, a micromechanical representative volume element model for the composites was developed. The cohesive zone model was used to analyze the interfacial failure. We found that computational results were in good agreement with the experimental results when the interfacial fracture energy was 1 J/m2 and the interfacial strength was 10 MPa. A parametrical study on the interface and interphase of the composite was conducted. The results indicate that a good interfacial strength and a choice of interphase modulus between 40 and 50 MPa enhanced the ductile behavior and strength of the composite. The ductile properties of the composite also increased with increasing interfacial fracture energy. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41672.


In the municipalites of Duque de Caxias and Nova Iguacu, which are a part of the Greater Rio de Janeiro, dwellings were found infested by T. infestans. T. infestans infected by flagellates morphologically indistinguishable from Trypanosoma (S) cruzi were found in two localities in the municipality of Duque de Caxias (Amapa and Piranema). It was noted that some of these insects were collected in a house in which the dwellers have never been in a zone affected by Chagas' disease. The authors conclude that the infestation is probably recent and discuss the problem of this Triatoma prolifering in a climate opposite to its area of disrpersion and in a region where sylvan triatoma, which penetrates into the dwellings, is not able to form colonies.


Compact and also provides a generally suitable for mass production which can be packaged in a standard assembly line which is used a low-cost current sensor, and a manufacturing method thereof in the production of high sensitivity, and the integrated circuit. Further, without degrading the detection sensitivity of the magnetic flux, a sufficient shielding effect against a disturbance flux is obtained. And bonding the first magnetic material 50 on the bottom of the current conductor (22C). The first magnetic material 50 performs the shielding function of the function, and the foreign magnetic flux procedures, to amplify the magnetic flux generated by the current to be measured. The upper side of the magnetic field sensor chip 20 is bonded to the second magnetic material 51. The second magnetic material 51 has a shielding function for the disturbance magnetic flux, which is incident from the outside. A current sensor, the current conductor, the magnetic field detection element, a flux concentrator, a magnetic body, the magnetic sensor chips


A cell line that secretes a monoclonal antibody to factor IX has been produced by fusing spleen cells from a mouse that had been hyper immunised to purified factor IX with mouse myeloma cells (line P3-NSI/I-Ag4-1). Hybrid cells were selected and a monoclonal cell line has been established in culture. This cell line secretes an IgGl(k) antibody (RFF-IX/1) with high affinity for a site related to the coagulant function of factor IX. Monoclonal antibody was partially purified from ascitic fluid from mice implanted with the RFF-IX/1 secreting cells by precipitation at 50% saturation with ammonium sulphate. This fraction has typically 630 NIH units/ml anti IX activity and 13.5 mg/ml protein. It was coupled to cyanogen bromide activated Sepharose 2B in the ratio of 9 mg. protein/1 ml gel. A column containing 10 ml of this gel removed all the assayable factor IX from the first 280 ml of normal ci.trated plasma that was passed over it. After that volume small amounts of factor IX could be detected in the effluent. Subsequently 10-20% of the factor IX activity adsorbed could be recovered by eluting the column with 3 M potassium iodide. Immuno-affinity depleted plasma could be used as substrate in a one-stage factor IX assay under routine laboratory conditions and was undistinguishable for that purpose from severe Christmas disease plasma.


Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance of CT and MRI for local staging of pediatric renal tumours. Materials and Methods: The study population was derived from our hospital Medical College Kolkata and Hospital. Baseline abdominal imaging performed with both CT and MRI.A retrospective review was done with 50 renal tumour cases selected and planned for nephrectomy over a study period of one year from October 2020 to November 2021. Each case was evaluated for capsular penetration, lymph node metastasis, tumour thrombus, preoperative tumour rupture, and synchronous contralateral lesions. The surgical and pathological findings were the reference gold standard. Results: The sensitivity of CT and MRI for detecting capsular penetration was 70% and 60%, respectively (P=0.73), while specificity was 84.3% and 84% (P=1.0). The sensitivity of CT and MRI for detecting lymph node metastasis was 80% and 53% (P=0.22), and specificity was 88% and 92% (P=1.0). Synchronous contralateral lesions were identified by CT in 5/12 cases and by MRI in 8/12 cases. Conclusion: CT and MRI have similar diagnostic performance for detection of lymph node metastasis and capsular penetration. MRI was more accurate in detecting contralateral synchronous lesions; how-ever these were observed in a very a smaller number of cases. Hence either modality can be used for initial loco–regional staging of paediatric renal tumours


The structure of the high temperature phases of KNiPO4 has been studied by X-ray powder diffraction and polarised light microscopy. This compound undergoes two phase transitions. At 486°C it undergoes an isomorphous first order phase transition where the Ni2+ ions change their coordination from 5 to 4. At 581°C the crystals transform into a non-polar phase with space group Pnma.


Treatment of 2-isocyanatobenzoyl chloride (4) with 5-aminotetrazole (5-AT) gave 3-(5-tetrazolyl)quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (1) directly. Treatment of 2-carbomethoxyphenyl isocyanate (5) with 5-AT gave 2-[((5-amino-1H-tetrazol-1-yl)carbonyl)amino]benzoic acid methyl ester (6) as a kinetic product, which was thermally isomerized to 2-[((1H-tetrazol-5-ylamino)carbonyl)amino]benzoic acid methyl ester (7), the thermodynamically more stable urea. Cyclization of 7 with polyphosphoric acid gave 2-(1H-tetrazol-5-ylamino)-4H-3,1-benzoxazin-4-one (2). Urea 6 was quite labile in solution, as shown by nmr, and readily reacted with methanol to give 2-[(methoxycarbonyl)amino]benzoic acid methyl ester (10).


Federal agencies incrementally expand their regulatory power by adopting statutory interpretations that go beyond the underlying legislation's plain meaning and purpose. The courts are supposed to check this overreach, but they increasingly defer to agencies' own "discretion" in exercising their authority. The U.S. Supreme Court had the opportunity to reverse this trend in National Corn Growers Association v. Environmental Protection Agency, a suit that challenged the EPA's refusal to hold public evidentiary hearings concerning "material issues of fact," contrary to federal law. Unfortunately, the Court has passed on this opportunity.


Since Price Thomas in Britain, J. Mathey in France, and P. Gebauer in Hawaii showed (194751) that reconstructive bronchoplastic procedures were surgically possible, the operation of lobectomy with sleeve resection of the bronchus has become a standard procedure for those cases of carcinoma of a lobar bronchus which involves, locally, the bronchus to another lobe. Previously a tumour thus sited required pneumonectomy, but Price Thomas and Johnston and Jones demonstrated that resection of a sleeve of bronchus is a successful technique in lung surgery, by which healthy lung tissue can be preserved without transgressing the accepted principles of cancer surgery. In performing this operation the problem of the anastomosis of two tubes of different diameters has usually been overcome by approximating the two ends as accurately as possible with a series of interrupted non-absorbable sutures. This has often resulted in a considerable post-operative air leak necessitating intercostal tube drainage for varying periods up to nine days after operation to allow healing of the ill-fitting anastomosis. It is well known that the longer intercostal tube drainage is maintained, the greater are the risks and complications, and in a review of cases treated by the standard technique, sputum retention, pyrexia, and post-operative pleural air spaces were among the complications. The average period of post-operative hospitalization was 21 days. A reduction in the time required to seal the anastomosis reduces the duration of post-operative intercostal tube drainage and hence the incidence of complications. It is suggested that if the technique of lobectomy with sleeve resection could have a post-operative period comparable in length and absence of morbidity with that of ordinary lobectomy, then this operation would become more popular with benefit to the patient. I believe that the technique here presented fulfils these requirements. TECHNIQUE


The writing on the wall interpreted by Daniel continues to present problems,1 despite much work done in the past. One particular problem is why the Babylonians could not read these Aramaic words when Aramaic was an official court language. This paper will propose that the inscription was a number written in cuneiform, which was translated into Aramaic and then interpreted. This may provide indirect links between the composition of the narrative and visionary halves of the book (chs. 16 and 7-12). The exact form of the text is difficult to establish. Theodotion (which became the official Greek text for Daniel) agrees with Josephus and the Vulgate in transliterating the text as if it read 'Mene Teqel Peres', and the older LXX appears to read it as 'Mene Peres Teqel'. Various theories have been put forward to explain why a second Mene should be added and why the plural Parsin should occur. Lacocque 2 suggests that the three terms were originally 'Mene Teqel Parsin' which applied to Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar and the (plural) Medo-Persians, but that a later redactor added an extra Mene to make them apply to the four Empires of Daniel. Hans Bauer 3 suggested that the original was 'Mene Teqel Peres Peres' and that the final pair became the plural Parsin. However, both these ideas compound the problem by proposing original text forms which are different again.


Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) extract thermal energy from their surroundings to make hot water with two to three times better efficiency than conventional electric resistance water heaters. But, how much does HPWH placement influence its performance? This paper summarizes performance metrics of two 189 L (50 gallon) HPWHs one placed within conditioned space, and the other placed in the garage of two separate, but similar research houses each delivering approximately 208 L/d (55 gallons/d) hot water under simulated occupancy conditions. Both houses had space conditioning set points of 24.4 C (76 F) and 21.7 C (71 F) in Summer and in Winter, respectively, and hot water temperature setting of 48.9 C (120 F). Performance metrics are compared on a monthly basis for 2011.


This paper proposes optimization of uranium crystallization process to provide insight into the trade-offs between performance and robustness explicitly. Based on developed mathematical model, which describes the heat and mass transfer processes, behavioral analysis of using PID and MPC controllers was presented. Increasing of crystals outlet and simultaneous decreasing of uranyl nitrate concentration in the liquid outlet showed MPC advantages.


Inversion domain boundaries (IDBs) in GaN grown on sapphire (0001) were studied by a combination of high resolution transmission electron microscopy, multiple dark field imaging, and convergent beam diffraction. Films grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), metalorganic vapor deposition (MOCVD), and hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) were investigated and all found to contain IDBs. Inversion domains (IDs) that extended from the surface to the interface were found to be columnar with facets on the [10-10] and {l_brace}11-20{r_brace} planes. Other domains ended within the film that formed IDBs on the (0001) and {l_brace}1-102{r_brace} planes. The domains were found to grow in clusters and connect at points along the boundary.


A 68-year-old healthy man presented with papulopustular rosacea (PPR) recalcitrant to multiple therapies, including permethrin cream 5%. Histologic examination detected the presence of chronic folliculitis and numerous Demodex organisms. A diagnosis of rosacealike demodicidosis was rendered, and the patient was treated with oral ivermectin and permethrin cream 5%, resulting in resolution of the folliculitis. Demodex infestation should be considered in any patient with rosacealike dermatitis resistant to conventional rosacea therapies. If infestation is demonstrated in these patients, oral ivermectin in combination with topical permethrin is a safe and effective therapeutic option.


SODIUM ON INH-INDUCED SEIZURES ABEER MUDHAFAR ABDUL-RAHMAN , ASHWAQ JABBAR AL-MIAHY , NASEER MAHDI MUHAMMED , RADHWAN FALAH HASAN , RAWAA AGELODA'A 5 RAND MOHMMED HASSAN 6 & HAWRAA KHAIRY MAJEED 7 MSc in Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Thi-Qar U niversity, Iraq MSc in Science of Veterinary Physiology, College of Pharmacy, Thi-Qar University, Iraq Fifth stage students, College of Pharmacy, Thi-Qar University, Iraq ABSTRACT Epilepsy is a common and a complex neurological dis order that is characterized by a persisting tendenc y to generate seizures which affect quality of life. How ever neuro inflammation may be included as a major contributor to seizure that may be treated via non-steroidal antii flammatory drugs.


b Business these days is in the uncomfortable position of having to sell itself in what has become an increasingly hostile environment. The social and political issues of recent years have often been eqonomic issues as well, and the fact that business people have played leading roles in some of the more lurid scandals has hardly reflected favorably on American business as a whole. These incidents have received widespread coverage, of varying degrees of fullness and accuracy. Such coverage, coupled with that given to an active and vocal opposition, has led business people to complain that the media are biased and give business less access to the public than its critics. The media reply that business is feeling the same pressure as all American institutions currently under attack and that the complaints have little substance. Some corporations have turned to advocacy advertising, the purchase of advertising space for the purpose of expressing a


Ezekiel's attitude towards the priests and Levites has been the subject of much discussion since Wellhausen made it pivotal to his reconstruction of the history of the priesthood in Israel. According to Wellhausen, the distinction between priests and Levites is an innovation of the prophet Ezekiel. Before Ezekiel's time all Levites were regarded as priests, whether they served at the high places dotted around the countryside or in Jerusalem. The future for the (Zadokite) priesthood is rosy indeed. Their privileges are expressed in a variety of ways: their land surrounds the territory of the Temple within the sacred area. They are the ones who may enter the inner court to approach Yahweh and offer sacrifices and to keep his charge.Keywords: Ezekiel; Levites; priests


Dislocations were emitted from a crack tip, and nucleation, blunt and propagation of a microcrack with a nanometre in size are studied through in situ tensile test for thin foil speCimens of ODS ferritic steel by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that dislocations are emitted from a crack tip and a dislocation free zone (DFZ) forms in front of the crack tip. Under the condition of constant displacement, the microcracks nucleate continuously at the crack tip or discontinuously in the DFZ, and they are not blunted into voids.


We report the effect of the addition of an epidermal growth factor to a Ricinus communis-based biopolymer in the healing of a rat tibia model. Bone repair and osteointegration after a period of three weeks were evaluated employing photoacoustic spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. A parallel study was performed at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 weeks with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. We conclude that the use of an epidermal growth factor (group EGF) in vivo accelerates the process of bony repair in comparison with other groups, and that the employment of the Ricinus communis-based biopolymer as a bone substitute decreases bone production.


The role of eosinophiles in hematopoiesis is not clear. Despite the presence of eosinophilia in a variety of parasitic and other conditions, the leukocyte counts frequently are not elevated. This suggests a possible inhibitory effect of eosinophiles on granulopoiesis. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of eosinophiles on granulocytic colony forming units in culture (CFU-C) of mice bone marrow (BM). Marrow of normal as well as eosinophilic inbread C-57 black mice infected with Trichinella spiralis was cultured in semi-solid media with 1) anti-eosinophilic sera produced against mice eosinophiles in rabbit (AES), 2) the addition of purified eosinophiles, 3) colony stimulating activity (CSA), 4) α-culture media, 5) normal rabbit serum, 6) eosinophilia extracts, and 7) irradiated eosinophiles. Each of the above experiments was repeated with and without added CSA. Addition of AES to BM cultures containing CSA sharply increased CFU-C levels in eosinophilic mice compared to CSA and rabbit serum (controls) alone (P<0.01), but had no effect on normal BM. Addition of increased numbers of eosinophiles significantly decreased the number of CFU-C in normal and eosinophilic mice (P<0.01). CSA was necessary to promote colony production and to enhance the effects of AES in eosinophilic mice. The results of this experiment suggest that eosinophiles have a suppressive effect on production of granulopoietic colonies and may indicate an inhibitory effect of these cells on total granulopoietic activity. This inhibitory effect of eosinophiles may be due to their high content of Protoglandin E.


FIELD: construction. SUBSTANCE: water closet comprises a toilet sink with a flush tank and a wash basin with a sink having a drainage neck with a drainage nozzle arranged with a hole to supply spent water into a sewage outlet. The flush tank is connected with a flexible hose to the drainage nozzle, by means of which spent water is supplied into it from the wash basin sink, at the same time the hole for supply of spent water into the sewage outlet is arranged in the vertical wall of the drainage nozzle. EFFECT: saving pure mains water with improved and faster toilet sink flushing, higher hygiene, establishment of more comfortable conditions for users and improved quality of their life, saving power resources for water cleaning and disinfection. 2 cl, 1 dwg


Abstract This paper presents results of a study on effects of the ground surface geometry on propagation of dip-slip faulting through granular soils, using a GPU-based DEM methodology which incorporates rolling resistance. For this purpose, four ground surface geometries, including flat, trapezoidal, upward sloping and downward sloping are subjected to normal and reverse faulting. Then, the effects of the ground surface geometry on parameters such as average slope of the rupture and the fault outcropping strain are studied comprehensively. In addition, the results of the model are compared with Roscoe's theory and this theory is used to explain some aspects of the results. The findings of the study show that the average slope of the rupture, regardless of the faulting type, faulting angle and ground surface geometry, is equal to the corresponding average slope of the zero-extension line along the rupture. This is in agreement with what the Roscoe theory predicts regarding the rupture (shear band) orientation. Moreover, the results show that the rupture path induced by normal faulting is not altered significantly by the ground surface geometry. However, the rupture path induced by reverse faulting is affected by the ground surface geometry through the change in directions of maximum principal strains within the soils deposit, according to the Roscoe theory.


A matrix formalism is outlined for studying surface wave propagation in layered structures utilizing materials of arbitrary anisotropy, piezoelectricity, and conductivity. The analytical formulation reduces the equations describing the system to a first‐order matrix differential equation which is readily solved. The conceptual advantages and reduction of programming effort and computing time resulting from this approach are illustrated using as examples an infinite plate, a multilayer plate, a layered half‐space, and a free half‐space.


This report presents information concerning: Modeling Canonical Problems in Electromagnetic Coupling Through Apertures; Finite-Element Codes for Computing Electrostatic Fields; Finite-Element Modeling of Electromagnetic Phenomena; Modeling Microwave-Pulse Compression in a Resonant Cavity; Lagrangian Finite-Element Analysis of Penetration Mechanics; Crashworthiness Engineering; Computer Modeling of Metal-Forming Processes; Thermal-Mechanical Modeling of Tungsten Arc Welding; Modeling Air Breakdown Induced by Electromagnetic Fields; Iterative Techniques for Solving Boltzmann's Equations for p-Type Semiconductors; Semiconductor Modeling; and Improved Numerical-Solution Techniques in Large-Scale Stress Analysis.


This paper presents a simple atomic model of message-passing multicomputers. Within one synchronous time step each processor can receive one atomic message, perform local computation, and send one message. When several messages are destined to the same processor, then one is transmitted and the rest are blocked. Blocked messages cannot be retrieved by their sending processors; each processor must wait for its blocked message to clear before sending more messages into the network. Depending on the traffic pattern, messages can remain blocked for arbitrarily long periods.
The model is conservative when compared with existing message-passing systems. Nonetheless, we prove linear message throughput when destinations are chosen at random; this rigorously justifies an instance of folklore. Based on this result we also prove linear speedup for backtrack and branch-and-bound searches using simple randomized algorithms.


Objective: The study aims to prepare and evaluate Nicorandil mucoadhesive microspheres to improve the oral physicochemical properties of nicorandil and mucoadhesion to extend the residence time at the absorption site.
Methods: Nicorandil mucoadhesive microsphere was prepared by emulsion cross-linking method using fenugreek gum, karaya gum as polymer, and glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent. Drug entrapment efficiency, particle size, % swelling index, mucoadhesion study, differential scanning calorimetry, powder x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and in vitro dissolution studies were used to characterize the microspheres.
Results: The characterization studies indicated the formation of mucoadhesive microspheres. The nicorandil mucoadhesive microspheres particle size is130.83±0.48, entrapment efficiency 66.91±0.54, swelling index 82.69±0.40, % mucoadhesion 95.22±0.13 and in vitro drug release was found to be 89.96±0.17 % at the end of 12 h.
Conclusion: This research work successfully formed nicorandil mucoadhesive microspheres formulation using the emulsion cross-linking method. Encapsulation efficiency and other physicochemical and functional characterization of microspheres suggested the successful formation of nicorandil mucoadhesive microspheres.