We have made a comparison of the WSA-ENLIL model with three cone types using 29 halo CMEs from 2001 to 2002. These halo CMEs have cone model parameters as well as their associated interplanetary (IP) shocks. For this study we consider three different cone types (an asymmetric cone model, an ice-cream cone model, and an elliptical cone model) to determine 3D CME parameters (radial velocity, angular width, and source location), which are the input values of the WSA-ENLIL model. The mean absolute error (MAE) of the arrival times for the asymmetric cone model is 10.6 hours, which is about 1 hour smaller than those of the other models. The MAE of their ensemble average errors for three cone models is 9.5 hours. However, this value is still larger than that (8.8 hours) of the empirical model of Kim et al. (2007). We compare the predicted and observed peak values of solar wind parameters (speed and density) near the shock arrival time and find that these values are approximately similar to each other.


The study examined whether the relationship between HIV stigma and medication adherence would be mediated by depression and anxiety among men who have sex with men (MSM) whom are living with HIV (PLWH). Participants completed an online survey that measured HIV stigma, medication adherence (using the ARMS) and symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) and anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7). Results indicated depression mediated the association between HIV stigma and medication adherence more strongly than anxiety.


In this note we identify a correspondence between a seven-dimensional monopole configuration of the Yang-Mills-Higgs system and the generalized self-dual configuration of the Yang-Mills system on a six-dimensional sphere. In particular, the topological charge of the self-duality configurations belongs to the sixth homotopy group of the coset G/H associated with the symmetry breaking G -> H induced by a non-trivial Higgs configuration in seven-dimensions.


Abstract Synthesis and physical properties of some new soluble polydiacetylenes obtained by solid state polymerization of derivatives of 10,12-Docosadiyn-1,22-diol(1) are described.


The electrical conductivity of polycrystalline TiTa2O7 was measured at 1000° and 1050°C as a function of oxygen partial pressure from 10−1 to 10−21 MPa. In the apparent n-type region, the value of m in σn∝PO2−1/m was found to be ∼6 in the region >10−17 MPa and ∼4from 10−16 to 10−9 MPa. The conductivity appeared to be p-type for P02<10−5 MPa. The measured data are explained on the basis of the presence of small amounts of acceptor impurities in the undoped sample.


The research on teaching values involves its meaning,the values of teaching existence,and the basic attributes,classification,generation,evaluation and cultural distinctions of teaching values.By retrospecting and sorting out correlative articles and studying the questions on teaching values in today's teaching reform,we can make a prospect of the developing trend in the research on teaching values in the theoretical and practical aspects.


This paper discusses the various mathematical models that may be used to describe the oscillations of trailers under tow. It describes the basic terminology used and presents a listing of factors leading to unstable behaviour as well as a list of suggested remedial actions that could be carried out on an unstable car - trailer combination.


Several methods for coupling the SP-100 space nuclear reactor to the NASA Lewis Research Center's Free Piston Stirling Power Convertor (FPSPC) are presented. A 25 kWe, dual opposed Stirling convertor configuration is used in these designs. The concepts use radiative coupling between the SP-100 lithium loop and the sodium heat pipe of the Stirling convertor to transfer the heat from the reactor to the convertor. Four separate configurations are presented. Masses for the four designs vary from 41 to 176 kgs. Each design's structure, heat transfer characteristics, and heat pipe performance are analytically modeled.


In this review,the factors influencing gene targeting( GT) has been discussed and two ways to improve the efficiency of GT have been proposed as follows: facilitating the homologous recombination pathway and introducing DNA double-strand breaks( DSBs) in the target. Meanwhile recent studies on this topic in plants were reviewed and compared with some reports from other organisms.


An experiment was carried out to study the nature of end-spurt in a task requiring pure muscular activity (tapping a telegraph key) and to compare the findings to those which studied end-spurt in tasks requiring other types of activities. Here, as was found in other tasks, significant end-spurt occurred when Ss believed they were 90% completed. However, in contrast to other tasks, performance improved on the critical trial for all conditions. This was interpreted as being due to arousal resulting from onset of a signal light rather than to any significance the light might have had. It was proposed that a variable influencing end-spurt might be the length of time spent at a task. It was also pointed out that in this type of task the amount of recovery from decrement which occurs through end-spurt is only a small portion of the total decrement which has previously occurred. Optimization of performance level could probably best be achieved through distributed work periods where rest would be introduced prior to the occurrence of decrement.


Absorption, distribution and metabolism of Bispyribac-sodium [sodium 2,6-bis(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yloxy)benzoate] or [KIH-2023] in rats orally dosed with 14 C-KIH-2023 were investigated. More than 90% of the dosed radioactivity was detected in the excreta within 96 hr after dosing. Level of the radioactivity in the blood of male and female rats reached maxima at 2 and 1 hr after dosing, respectively, and then decreased rapidly to about a half level of maxima (C 1/2 ). The radioactivity of tissues was lower at 96 hr after dosing than that at C 1/2 -time. Most of the radioactivity in the urine, feces, liver and plasma was detected as unchanged KIH-2023. The major radioactive compounds excreted into the bile were KIH-2023 and its glucuronide. Repeated oral administration of KIH-2023 for 15 days gave similar results from the single oral one in the excretion, tissue distribution and metabolism of 14 C-KIH-2023.


A high surface finish, thermally stable, multilayer slurry-based overlay system suitable for use in a severe thermal environment is disclosed. The disclosed embodiments include a basecoat layer formed from a slurry comprising ceramic pigment filled phosphate-based binder, a second layer formed from a slurry comprising metal oxide pigment or ceramic oxide pigment filled phosphate-based binder, and an optional seal coat layer formed from a phosphate-based binder substantially free of pigments


High field dielectric measurements of the Piekara factor ΔIµ/E2 have been carried out for H2O and D2O at 293 K and as a function of temperature, and also in the case of H2O in the presence of small amounts of added electrolyte (KCl). The value of (–ΔIµ/E2) at 293 K for both H2O and D2O was found to be (0.8 ± 0.12)× 10–15 m2 V–2. (–ΔIµ/E2) for both H2O and D2O was found to follow a 1/T3 temperature dependence. Both sets of data indicate agreement between the measured values and the predicted values on the basis of the classical orientational dipolar non-linear effect. The data for the ionic solutions were found to be as expected for low conductivities, but for conductivities above about 5 × 10–4 S m–1 the occurrence of significant heat losses during the pulse and/or electrode polarisation effects is indicated.


In its response to the Iranian crisis of November 1945 to June 1946, the United States reoriented its postwar policy toward the Soviet Union, shifting, in the terminology of the era, from "appeasement" to "getting tough." The crisis resulted from the Soviet Union's reluctance to withdraw troops from northern Iran and its encouragement of a separatist political movement in Azerbaijan. Urging the Iranian government to take a strong stand in the United Nations, and persistently supporting Iran in the fledgling international organization, the United States achieved its first diplomatic victory of the cold war. The Soviet Union withdrew its forces in the spring of 1946 and, by the end of the year, the Tehran government asserted its control over Azerbaijan. Despite its significance, American policy during the Iranian crisis has not been fully studied. Early accounts of the incident, some of which were written by officials involved in decision-making in 194546, held that the United States acted appropriately in the face of a Soviet effort to dominate Iran.' Recent writings on the origins of


Structure 2.0 Introduction 2.1 Objectives 2.2 Health Planning 2.3 Health Care Delivery System in India 2.3.1 Delivery of Health Services at Sub-Centre (SC) 2.3.2 Delivery of Health Services at Primary Health Centre (PHC) 2.3.3 Delivery of Health Services at Community Health Centre (CHC) 2.3.4 Delivery of Health Services at District Level 2.3.5 State Level 2.3.6 National Level 2.4 Let Us Sum Up 2.5 Model Answers 2.6 References


Based on VAR model, the paper studies the relationship between financial service trade and financial industry of Shanghai through Co-integration theory. The results confirm that the equilibrium relationship between financial service trade and financial industry of Shanghai actually exists in the long term, and the relationship between import in financial service trade and financial industry is more significant. Under the condition of two phases lag, financial industry is the one-way Granger cause of financial service trade of Shanghai. Besides, the mechanism of interactive development is also been analyzed.


The invention relates to a tin silver zinc series lead-free solder paste and a preparation method thereof. The solder paste is made from the components with the following weight portions of 99.5-85 percent of tin silver zinc series lead-free alloy powder and 0.5-15 percent of soldering flux. The raw materials are mixed evenly by the portions and made into blocks under the pressure of 2-10MPa. The blocks are put in a high temperature differential scanning calorimetry instrument or a tube-typed sintering furnace, are sintered after argon gas is pumped in, and are heated to 455-535K with the velocity of 5-40K/min. The temperature is maintained for sintering for 0-2 hours, and then the temperature is reduced to room temperature with the velocity of 10-50K/min. The tin silver zinc series lead-free solder blocks after being sintered are processed by a atomization device and are made into the lead-free solder powder with the grain diameters of 10-50mum. The lead-free solder powder and the soldering flux are mixed evenly. The components of the invention are convenient and simple to be mixed evenly. More importantly, the mixing process does not to be carried out under high temperature, saves time and energy. Compared with other method, the sintering method of the invention has simple technology and low cost.


Stirling number of the second kind n n-i can be expressed by combination number.We obtained recurrence relation of Stirling number of the second kind in terms of combination number representation.Thus,we give the explicit formula of n n-i for all i∈N.


AbstractClassical reaction kinetics has been employed to describe the movement of hydrogen in ferritic steels in the range 100–350° C. Predictions based on theory are supported by the results of experiments on three materials. The two processes of lattice diffusion of hydrogen and the release of hydrogen from traps in the metal are combined as consecutive reactions, the former being the rate-controlling step at high temperatures and the latter at low temperatures. In the intermediate region where neither process is predominant, there will be a gradual transition from one mode of reaction to another. Values for both the true lattice and the overall diffusivity coefficients are calculated in the intermediate-temperature region. It is shown that a practical implication of this theory is that it is necessary to select higher temperatures or longer times for post-heat-treatments for wrought steels and weldments in the intermediate-temperature region than had previously been anticipated.


Olive is the most widely grown fruit tree in Jordan; it is annually attacked by the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi), whose larvae usually cause great economic losses in fruit yield. Alternaria solani, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium herbarum, Fusarium solani, Penicillium digitatum, P. italicum and Rhizopus stolonifer were found associated with the fly infestation with a sample frequency ranging from 6.7-33.3%. Penicillium digitatum was the most dominant species. All molds were vulnerable for a hot water treatment at 50 and 70oC as indicated by their low spore germination and colonyforming unit except for P. digitatum and P. italicum which were the most heat-tolerant. When the olive oil was inoculated with pure cultures of these molds, the mold fungi were able to colonize olive oil. Rhizopus stolonifer was the greatest colonizer and besides Alternaria solani, both had obviously reduced the oil peroxide value over the control without greatly affecting the oil free fatty acid content.


This research examines the characteristics of reader understandings that vary from those stated in the text. Eighty-seven fourth graders orally read complex academic literary and scientific texts, followed by probed retellings. Retold ideas not directly supported by, or reflective of, the texts were identified. These differing understandings served as a foundation for the development of a taxonomy that classified them by type: conflation, conceptual knowledge, text/rhetorical structure, lexical knowledge, cause/effect, extension, association and misremembering. Approximately 60% of the differing understandings across the texts were conflations and extensions. However, particular texts did reflect particular types of differing understandings. In general, differing understandings were found to be reflective of the very active nature of the comprehension process. These meanings serve as a challenge to the current emphasis on close reading and the generation of text-based meanings because the natural consequence of such activity are differing understandings.


although one criticism—common to many French juridical monographs—is the total absence of an index analytique. The main emphasis in terms of source material lies in the extensive use made of the debates in international organisations, particularly the Security Council, the General Assembly and its Sixth Committee, and the International Law Commission. This use is understandable, since the discussion, though not overlooking Grotius, is concentrated on relevant events since 1945, and even more particularly on events in the last twenty years. There is, however, some cause for apprehension in the use of contemporary debates in the political organs of the United Nations as a quarry from which rules of customary law may be extracted, however tentatively. This concern reflects not on the author's highly competent handling of the material but rather on the topic as a fit subject for the analytical searchlight which he trains on it. The carefully structured analysis displayed in the book may tend subconsciously to disguise the element of political choice which lies behind much State practice in this area where the opinio juris is sometimes merely self-interest. But now that we have been provided by the author with what Professor Denys Simon in his preface to the book calls une grille de lecture such practice ought to be easier to detect. This important book is not only a tribute to the scholarship of Dr Sicilianos but also, while not forgetting that its author is by nationality a Greek, it is an example of French analytical scholarship at its best.


The three step model of high harmonic generation was used to investigate the electron behaviour in a strong laser field. The electron propagation was analyzed classically and the electron recombination with the parent atom was analyzed quantum mechanically. Three laser fields Argon with 500 nm, Helium-Neon with 632.8 nm and Ti-Sapphire with 800 nm wavelengths were used to analyze the electron behaviour for different intensities and the electron propagation was analyzed in cosine and sine electric laser fields. For a strong applied laser field, the atomic potential get distorted and the barrier potential is reduced. The maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electron, the ponderomotive energy was 8Up in both cases and there were three points which gave the maximum kinetic energy for the laser field with sine electric field. When the laser intensity was increasing, the electron has a higher probability to move away from the parent atom. When the laser field changed its direction, electron recombined with the parent atom with a maximum kinetic energy of 3.17Up.


This paper analyzes the determinants of the differe ntial pricing of equity classes (the so-called dual -class premium [DCP]) in Brazil from 1995 to 2006 with a focus on two specific corporate governance aspects: i) the granting of tag along rights, a mandatory bid rule that extends to minority shareholders the right to sell their shares in case of a control transfer; and ii) the i dentity of the controlling shareholders, with an em phasis on family control. We examined 87 Brazilian listed fir ms throughout the period, resulting in a sample of 3,287 observations. We found empirical evidence that changes in Corporate Law decreased (increased) the adva ntage of voting shares in terms of tag along rights reduc ed (incremented) DCP. However, we did not find empirical evidence that the voluntary granting of tag along r ights altered DCP. We also found evidence suggestin g that family control is positively associated with DCP le vel. Overall, our results indicate that regulations regarding shareholders' rights and the identity of controllin g shareholders are the two relevant corporate gover nance variables for DCP level in environments characteriz ed by concentrated ownership structures.


Among the different metabolites found in the Passiflora species, flavonoids have been related to some of the therapeutic effects of these plants. In the case of Passiflora ligularis, the presence of these metabolites has been related to a promising hypoglycemic effect. This study aimed to optimize the total flavonoid content of P. ligularis leaf extract to improve its therapeutic activity. The effect of three variables (ethanol percentage, temperature, and time) on the ultrasound-assisted flavonoid extraction was evaluated by means of response surface methodology. The effect of increasing the flavonoid content on the extract activity was evaluated with an in vitro antiglycation assay and an in vivo glucose tolerance test in mice. The optimal extraction conditions were 63% ethanol, 70oC, and 33 minutes. The predicted maximum flavonoid yield (57.77 mg-equivalent isoquercetin/g dry extract) correlated with the experimental value (59.76 ± 1.90 mg-equivalent isoquercetin/g dry extract) and the extraction process proved to be highly reproducible, suggesting that ultrasound-assisted extraction is a simple, inexpensive, and effective alternative technique for the extraction of flavonoids in Passiflora species. Moreover, the optimized extract exhibited the highest antiglycation activity against all the experimental design treatments and showed an enhanced hypoglycemic effect in mice compared to a traditionally extracted beverage.


We study the scattering states of the screened Coulomb potential in the nonrelativistic frame. The explicitly calculation formula of phase shift is derived and the normalized radial wave functions of scattering states on the ′ k / 2 &pgr; ?> scale ′ ?> are presented. By studying analytical properties of scattering amplitude the screening effects on bound states are discussed numerically. It is shown that the screening effects increase with increasing screened parameter, especially for large quantum states.


One of the endogenous estrogens, 17β-estradiol (E2) is a female steroid hormone secreted from the ovary. It is well established that E2 causes biochemical and histological changes in the uterus. The oviduct response to E2 is virtually unknown in an in vivo environment. In this study, we assessed the effect of E2 on each oviductal cell type, using an ovariectomized-hormone-replacement mouse model, single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), in situ hybridization, and cell-type-specific deletion in mice. We found that each cell type in the oviduct responded to E2 distinctively, especially ciliated and secretory epithelial cells. The treatment of exogenous E2 did not drastically alter the transcriptomic profile from that of endogenous E2 produced during estrus. Moreover, we have identified and validated genes of interest in our datasets that may be used as cell- and region-specific markers in the oviduct. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (Igf1) was characterized as an E2-target gene in the mouse oviduct and was also expressed in human Fallopian tubes. Deletion of Igf1 in progesterone receptor (Pgr)-expressing cells resulted in female subfertility, partially due to an embryo developmental defect and embryo retention within the oviduct. In summary, we have shown that oviductal cell types are differentially regulated by E2 and support gene expression changes that are required for normal embryo development and transport in mouse models.


Background: Reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic patients is critical in controlling the circulation of the virus


Ischemia-reperfusion injury(IRI) is a common pathophysiology process in clinical,the mechanisms of which involved the damage effect of free radical,calcium overload,the respiration burst of leukocytes,and so on.Then researches of prevention and therapy for IRI are focus on the above mechanisms.There is a very applicable future for clinical applying in many results of researches,and even some are having been used to alleviate IRI.Melatonin(MEL) secreted by pineal gland is is a kind of benzopyrrole hormone,which can regulate rhythm of creature and the functions of multiple systems of the body.In recent years,many researchers have found MEL can counteract the multiple organs IRI through its anti-oxygen effect and play a protective role in complicated molecular level.


Introduction. FOPI experiments produce low statistics with respect to certain strange particles, especially negatively charged kaons [1]. The reasons are their rareness and the slow data read-out even with the updated FADC scanning system [2]. Thus, a trigger system is required to ensure that only events containing these particles are read by the FADC scanners [3]. We have investigated, how our trigger algorithm [4] can increase strange particle yield and how this affects hardware [5] requirements. Trigger Concept. The trigger will be integrated into the experiment as follows: the central drift chamber's (CDC) sense wires signal is passed to the trigger via a discriminator, circumventing the FADCs. The trigger algorithm extracts the particles' track information, and together with the time-of-flight data determines the particles' species. If an anti-kaon is found the FADC scanners get a "start read-out" signal. If not, read-out time is saved. Performance. The first version of the trigger algorithm [4] was designed to classify – under optimal conditions – every particle contained in the CDC data. While this is the best way to analyze a single event, the procedure does not significantly increase the number of kaons that can be recorded during an experiment of fixed duration.


ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Abdulsalam Isiaku is first author on ' Transient, flexible gene editing in zebrafish neutrophils and macrophages for determination of cell-autonomous functions', published in DMM. Abdulsalam is a PhD candidate/graduate student in the lab of Prof. Graham Lieschke at Monash University, Clayton, Australia, investigating the role of phagocytes in inflammatory and infectious diseases.


This paper presents the design and experimental validation of a novel high isolation RF MEMS ohmic contact switch. The bending mechanics of a single cantilever beam is used to realize the typical series/shunt switch design to improve high isolation. In the OFF state the switch exhibits an isolation of 20 dB at 10 GHz and 14.7 dB at 20 GHz. When shunt contact is closed the isolation improves to 33 dB at 10 GHz and 22.3 dB at 20 GHz. In the ON state the insertion loss is 0.03 dB at 10 GHz and 0.10 dB at 20 GHz. In addition to the excellent loss/isolation performance, the switch holds great promise for improving power handling capability under hot-switching conditions.


Processor, the switching signal from the man-machine interface is detected, the switching signal is detected: A method and apparatus for managing multi-service network, wherein the multi-service network management apparatus comprises a wireless communication system for a wireless communication system , the display device displays a menu command, wherein the menu display corresponding to the number of all the subscriber identification cards available service network, a selection signal from a first service network HMI detecting an indication of available network services, to establish a network service with the first front a first connection with the application, and performing the operation by the foreground application first established connection. Method and apparatus in a wireless communication system, multi-service network manager of the present invention may be implemented a multi-service network switches and space-saving hardware and display interface.


Alfalfa Polysaccharide,an immune enhancer,was inculated to 60-day-old piglets with the vaccine of Lapinized Chinese Strain of Classical Swine Fever Virus.The result showed that Alfalfa Polysaccharide could increase the amount of B-lymphocyte and the level of specific antibody.It indicated that Alfalfa Polysaccharide could enhance the immune effect of the vaccine of Lapinized Chinese Strain of Classical Swine Fever Virus.


Renewable energy attracts more and more attention as evidenced by the tremendous amount of investment from the federal government, automotive industry, and fuel cell /photovoltaic cell manufacturers. To prepare our future workforce for the emerging renewable energy technology field, a renewable energy lab course has been developed. The experiment design and the lab setup are presented in the paper. The issues from our teaching and the possible solution are also discussed.


Accessibility to adequate, appropriate, and complete health-related information is one of the key components which allows program managers to take evidence-based decisions, plan for effective resource allocation, monitor and evaluate newer health strategies, and work towards holistic development of the society.[1,2] It has been acknowledged that the most crucial indicator for a health-related information system is that it should be population based (viz. reflects the socio-demographic/economic/health attributes of the society).[3] Nevertheless, it remains extremely difficult to obtain the information at the population level.[2]


It is aimed to conduct the Turkish validity and reliability study of Cyberchondria Severity Scale and to adapt it into the Turkish society. This study was conducted methodologically between April – June 2017 in Ataturk University. 411 students who used smartphones and agreed to participate in the study were included in the study. In the validity-reliability analysis, language, scope, construct validity, and reliability analyses were used. In explanatory factor analysis, it was found that KMO value was 0.91 and Barlett's test result was χ2=5026.785; p<0.000. As a result of the factor analysis, it was determined that the scale had a five-factor structure and the factor loads were in the appropriate range. It was found that the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.91. It was found that Cyberchondria Severity Scale has been an appropriate measurement tool for Turkish Language.


It is shown that the basic electric circuits are easier to perform in the graphical package AutoCAD in practice, with the configuration in accordance with Russian State Standard of Unified System of Design Documentation. The sequence of execution of the schema and filling of the list of elements are given. Conditional graphical symbols of elements of circuits and their size, the size of the formats of the major labels, listing of elements and tables of findings in accordance with State Standard of Unified System of Design Documentation are given for practical realization of method "insert", method "of execution" and combined method in tabular form. An example of the implementation and the design of the scheme is given. When you perform a scheme, given the urgency of import substitution, instead of foreign AutoCAD it is advisable to use its full analogue, namely a graphics package NanoCAD – universal CAD-platform developed by the company "Nanosoft" (Russia).


The IoT technology creates revolutionary changes in data exchange and device control in different applications. As the IoT network grows it tosses different challenges to engineers and researchers. As the network grows the size of the communicating and processed data also increases. In many cases the clients demands the history of data. To retain the past data large storage disks are in demand. Getting past data may help in data investigation to understand the system behaviour and to estimate its intelligence. Sometimes it is also very important in law-breaking investigation or in case of offence. Then going on adding the storage disks will not satisfy the user demands, buts it pops many other critical issues for both analysists and clients. The increase in disk size and quantity will increase the cost. It may also decrease the performance of the system. For small and individual personal systems this may become an obstacle. For an individual the patriotic IoT may become an expensive and lazy tool to maintain. This creates lots of problem in their daily life. This creates unwanted and unnecessary troubles in the routine life. The large data can be stored in cloud and can be retrieved from cloud data bases. But dynamic reading and storage is a biggest challenge for embedded systems used in IoT. Because of the network speed, data losses in wireless transport and port synchronization problem the data chunks may not arrive at port stand. This need to be intimated to user with acknowledgement signals. For storing real time data entity high speed data RAMs and internal storage devices are embedded in IoT modules. All operations in IoT system are monitored by a microcontroller contained motherboard. In simple and small IoT systems like personal or an individual systems single microcontroller instead of general purpose is sufficient. To reduce the burden on the microcontroller a co-processor can be used. In the present paper a method is proposed to access the data parameters without intervention of main processor. In this method a Direct Memory controller (DMA) is used to fetch the real parameters.


The adrenal glands, of individuals who die in the uremia of terminal hemorrhagic Bright's Disease, are usually larger than those obtained at post-mortem following death from other causes. An increase in the size of the adrenals, which is probably of the same nature, results from experimental uremia in the albino rat. The adrenal glands of a group of uremic male rats, (average blood urea 566 mgm. per 100 ml.) 90 days of age, weighed 65 per cent more than the adrenals of their control group (average blood urea 30 mgm. per 100 ml.). This was measured when killed 65 hours after being doubly nephrectomized. Neither group was allowed food during this period. In a group of female rats, 180 days of age, the hypertrophy amounted to 46 per cent during the same length of time. The dried adrenal weights showed less, and the defatted weights a markedly less increase in weight, showing that the increased weight is due in part to lipoid substances. Preliminary measurements, of serial sections of half of the glands of each experiment, indicate that the volume change is proportional to the weight change, and, that the cortex alone is concerned in the hypertrophy. This cortical hypertrophy, which ensues in experimental uremia, is probably due to the abnormal retention of metabolites, and analogous to the hypertrophy, known to result from chronic infections and following foreign protein injections in the production of antisera. We have recently found a similar adrenal enlargement to take place in the rat, as a result of chronic intoxication with morphine.


Streams crossing underground coal mines may lose flow, whereas abandoned mine drainage (AMD) restores flow downstream. During 2005–2012, discharge from the Pine Knot Mine Tunnel, the largest AMD source in the upper Schuylkill River Basin, had near‐neutral pH and elevated concentrations of iron, manganese and sulphate. Discharge from the tunnel responded rapidly to recharge but exhibited a prolonged recession compared with nearby streams, consistent with rapid infiltration of surface water and slow release of groundwater from the mine complex. Dissolved iron was attenuated downstream by oxidation and precipitation, whereas dissolved CO2 degassed and pH increased. During high flow conditions, the AMD and downstream waters exhibited decreased pH, iron and sulphate with increased acidity that were modelled by mixing net‐alkaline AMD with recharge or run‐off having low ionic strength and low pH. Attenuation of dissolved iron within the river was least effective during high flow conditions because of decreased transport time coupled with inhibitory effects of low pH on oxidation kinetics.


Fresh and sun-dried faba beans (Vicia faba L.) were cooked, stored for various times at 4°C and analysed for available starch (AS), resistant starch (RS) and fibre-associated resistant starch (FARS) contents as well as α-amylolysis. Fresh beans required a shorter cooking time (25 min) than dried beans (158 min). Cooked fresh faba beans had a higher AS content than cooked dried faba beans. The AS content in both decreased during cold storage, with fresh beans showing a smaller decrease than dried beans with increasing storage time. Cooked fresh faba beans also had a higher total RS content than cooked dried faba beans, although a greater increase in RS content was recorded in the latter upon storage. Starch retrogradation was more prominent in cooked dried faba beans than in cooked fresh faba beans, as indicated by the consistently higher FARS content. The α-amylolysis rate decreased with increasing storage time, i.e. long-stored (72 h) cooked faba beans exhibited slower starch digestion, and differences were recorded between fresh and dried beans. The predicted glycaemic index ranged between 60.9 and 58.0% for cooked fresh faba beans and between 57.9 and 55.8% for cooked dried faba beans, which is suggestive of slow glucose release from starch in faba beans. (Less)


On the basis of the studies that NaBH_4 reduced carbonyl compounds in solid phase,the rule of NaBH_4 reduction in solid phase was discovered.The reaction of reducing isolated ketonic carbonyl in this condition was almost quantitative.


In the robotic, bionic robots intended to be used in the medical field are currently very popular and many researches have been performed about this area. These robot studies started with robotic arm were developed as robot hands, robot legs and humanoid robots. In the medical sector, they were inspired by prosthetic arms, legs and hand products and took their place in robotics systems. With the development of 3-D printer technology, robotic researches which are made at the medical field have accelerated. In this study, it is aimed to communicate with a mobile robot application to make movement in accordance with commands which is produced with a 3D printer and. All five fingers of a human hand with natural bends are designed and implemented with using 3D modelling and printing technologies. Keywordsandroid, robotics, mechatronics, robot hand, arduino.


This paper describes performance measurements on the dewar, coil, and cryogenic system for the 30-MJ superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) unit that has recently been tested at a Bonneville Power Administration substation in Tacoma, Washington. The cryostat, the world's largest fiber-reinforced plastic, open-mouthed dewar, boils off 12 l/h in accordance with previous calculations. Cyclic losses in the coil, 54 W for +-8.4-MW modulation at 1 Hz, are approximately 50% greater than calculated. Refrigerator capacity is adequate to handle the heat produced by the average modulation demand on the coil.


Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are vascular anomalies in which there is a direct connection between pulmonary arteries and veins, bypassing the lung capillary bed (1) . The most common cause of PAVMs are congenital, resulting from an autosomal dominant disorder, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), causing mutations in proteins important in the vascular signaling pathway (2) . Complications of untreated PAVM include stroke, hypoxemia, dyspnea, platypnea, infections, and anemia (1 , 3) . Treatment of PAVMs is most commonly done so via endovascular embolization (1) . When HHT patients develop PAVMs and come to the IR clinic to obtain treatment, they are often anxious about their diagnosis and explaining the anatomy, pathology, and treatment of their disease can present challenges to the physician. The current method of patient education uses the patient's 2D CT scans along with the physician's narrative, which the patient may find difficult to follow because they are not trained in reading such medical datasets. We hypothesized that having a patient interact with a 3D‐printed model of PAVM would improve their understanding of the disease and anatomy involved, and decrease their anxiety regarding their diagnosis and treatment. To test this hypothesis, we first created a 3D model using the software 3D Slicer ( www.slicer.org) to segment CT scans from a single patient with multiple, untreated PAVMs. One PAVM was chosen to be segmented for its distinctive feeding artery exiting the pulmonary trunk into these fistula and distinctive vein exiting the fistula and entering the left atrium. The 3D model was then imported into Maya where it was sculpted, artistically adjusted, and enhanced to provide anatomically accurate representation of the chest anatomy applicable to this disease, to then be printed. This novel model of a disease has the potential to decrease patient anxiety prior to the treatment of their PAVM and improve their knowledge on the anatomy and pathology. The effects of HHT patient interaction with the model on the patient's anxiety levels and understanding of the disease remains to be investigated.


Nowadays, political and ideological education in higher education institutions has changed greatly in its object, content and environment. Hence we should select from scientific methods and open up new ways to strengthen political and ideological education in higher education institutions.


Using the Caputo-Fabrizio operator, the influence of substitution in the two-mass system linear model an integer derivatives on fractional derivatives is shown. Parameters changing of fractional PID controller in comparison with classical PID controller is analyzed. The influence on the system transient characteristics with the fractional order PID controller using is demonstrated in this paper.


Organic matter can be a contaminant when it is in excess in wastewater. Organic matter contributes to eutrophication in rivers and lakes, a process that affects the biodiversity of ecosystems and the health of people. Activated sludge is a conventional biological treatment, which uses microorganisms to degrade organic matter in water. Advanced Fenton oxidation process is an unconventional chemical treatment, which, by using the Fenton reagent, oxidizes organic matter by chemical reactions in the presence of a catalyst. The present study focuses on the comparison between these technologies; activated sludge and advanced oxidation Fenton process in terms of the removal of the organic matter coming from the wastewater from the source of the Machangara River. Both technologies were executed at a laboratory scale, implementing a factorial experimental design for both treatments. The best results were calculated for their respective removal efficiencies, to be then analyzed with statistical analysis through the analysis of variance. A Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) removal of 76.9percent was obtained in the active sludge process, with the conditions of a nutrient dose of 0.5 mg and a retention time of 6 hours, while the best result for Advanced oxidation Fenton process was a 97.3percent removal of BOD5, with a dose of Fenton reagent of 0.5 mg and an exposure time to ultraviolet light of 6 hours. It was determined that the Fenton advanced oxidation process is an effective technology for the removal of organic matter, since it removed more organic matter than the conventional treatment.


paul robert hanna a life of expanding communities is available in our digital library an online access to it is set as public so you can download it instantly. Our books collection hosts in multiple countries, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Merely said, the paul robert hanna a life of expanding communities is universally compatible with any devices to read.


Aiming to the less research of automatic transmission power train system in the present laboratory development performance simulator, the hydraulic automatic transmission model based on assembly characteristics is built: including hydraulic torque converter model based on penetration coefficient, torque ratio, efficiency and other characteristic parameters. Since the actual AT vehicle using a variety of shift control strategy, more complex, therefore we propose a method to get the comprehensive shift rule through the road test. Finally, the automatic transmission model is built in MATLAB / Simulink, which is controlled by the shift logic module established in MATLAB / State flow. The validity of the model is verified through the simulation of typical operating conditions and the results turn out that the power train model that we build can meet the needs of the laboratory.


, Abstract Background— Diazoxide maintains myocyte volume and contractility during stress via an unknown mechanism. The mechanism of action may involve an undefined (genotype unknown) mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (mK ATP ) channel and is dependent upon the K ATP channel subunit SUR1. K ATP channel openers have been shown to inhibit succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and a gene for a portion of SDH has been found in the SUR intron. Thus, diazoxide may be cardioprotective via inhibition of SDH, which may form part of a K ATP channel or share its genetic material. This study investigated the role of inhibition of SDH by diazoxide and its relationship to the SUR1 subunit. Study Design— Mitochondria were isolated from wild type and SUR1 knockout mice. Succinate dehydrogenase activity was measured by spectrophotometric analysis of 2,6-Dichloroindophenol reduction for 20 minutes as the relative change in absorbance over time. Mitochondria were treated with succinate (20 mM), succinate + 1% dimethylsulfoxide, succinate + malonate (8 mM) (competitive inhibitor of SDH), or succinate + diazoxide (100 μ M). Results— Both malonate and diazoxide inhibit SDH activity in mitochondria of wild type mice and in mice lacking the SUR1 subunit (p<0.05 vs control). Conclusions— The ability of DZX to inhibit SDH persists even after the deletion of the SUR1 gene. Therefore, the enzyme complex SDH is not dependent on the SUR1 gene. The inhibition of SDH by DZX may play a role in the


Search Procedures reflects on a series of studies carried out over a four year period in the late 1970s. It was published at an interesting time for Information Retrieval. Written before Information Retrieval became synonymous with online information seeking it focuses on Information Retrieval within Public Libraries, then the major location for everyday information seeking. While many of his contemporaries focused on information seeking in academic or special library settings, Peter chose instead to focus a setting that was visited by a more diverse set of people with a broader range of information needs.


This was a study of differential item functioning (DIF) for grades 4, 7, and 10 reading and mathematics items from state criterion-referenced tests. The tests were composed of multiple-choice and constructed-response items. Gender DIF was investigated using POLYSIBTEST and a Rasch procedure. The Rasch procedure flagged more items for DIF than did the simultaneous item bias procedure—particularly multiple-choice items. For both reading and mathematics tests, multiple-choice items generally favored males while constructed-response items generally favored females. Content analyses showed that flagged reading items typically measured text interpretations or implied meanings; males tended to benefit from items that asked them to identify reasonable interpretations and analyses of informational text. Most items that favored females asked students to make their own interpretations and analyses, of both literary and informational text, supported by text-based evidence. Content analysis of mathematics items showed that items favoring males measured geometry, probability, and algebra. Mathematics items favoring females measured statistical interpretations, multistep problem solving, and mathematical reasoning.


The expected output parameters of the TWAC (Ter-aWatt Accumulator) facility at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (ITEP) in Moscow (the beam power P 0 = 1 TW with pulse duration 100ns) provide a possibility to study beam-target interactions for heavy ion iner-tial confinement fusion [1]. At the end of 2001 the experimental setup for these investigations was successfully assembled and passed its commissioning phase. At the beginning of 2002 the first experiments were carried out with the carbon ion beam. The beamline Fig.1 consists of the eleven standard quadrpole lenses, two dipole magnets, three adjusting magnets and the fine focusing system. The design of the beamline was simulated by the numerical code TRANSPORT [2]. The parameters of the beamline and the final focusing system have been chosen to provide a minimal spot size of the ion beam on target, taking into account the ion beam chromatic aberration. Fig.1.Schematic view of the beamline. The experimental area consists of a focusing system, a target chamber, a target manipulator and a diagnostic system. The diagnostic system includes the ion diagnostics for ion beam alignments and measurements of ions beam parameters, x-ray and gamma diagnostics as well as particle and optical diagnostics of plasma parameters. The goal of the first experiment was commissioning of the beamline, optimization of the magnetic elements to minimize the focusing spot size of 200 MeV/u carbon ions on the target, and to check the gamma output from the target with the spatial and temporal resolution. The spot size of the ion beam on the target was determined from the images on the scintillator registered by CCD camera. The minimum diameter obtained for the spot size was 1.7mm. Fig. 2 (curve 1) shows a typical signal from the carbon beam measured by the Rogowski coil. The beam intensity in this experiment was 10 7 – 10 8 particles in 700ns pulse consisting of six bunches of 20ns duration.In the previous works [3] it was shown that monitoring of γ-quantum output arising in nuclear interaction of swift projectile ions with nuclei of a target could be a useful technique for the diagnostics of high density low temperature non-ideal plasmas. The γ-quantum output not only carries information on changing of stopping properties of matter during interaction of the ion beam with a target but can also be used for measurements of thermodynamic properties of non-ideal plasma. The main idea consists …


This study examined whether web-based phonological awareness (PA) assessment in early childhood, specifically the year preceding formal schooling, could help educators reliably predict children's risk for reading difficulties in the first year of school. Ninety Australian children participated in several web-based PA tasks with a high priority focus on phoneme-level knowledge at 4- and 4.5 years of age. Real and non-real-word reading ability were examined at age 5. Measures of internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha were above .7 for all PA tasks, while test-retest reliability correlations were significant (p < .001). Regression analyses indicated that web-based PA measures at 4.5 years of age, alongside preschool-entry language ability, accounted for 79.52% and 74.08% of the variance in 5-year-old real-word and non-real-word decoding ability. Web-based PA assessment focused on phoneme-level skills may be a reliable and valid method of identifying risk for reading difficulties in the year preceding school entry.


This paper presents the architecture of the My-e-Director 2012, an FP7 call-1 European funded project in the objective area of Networked Media. My-e-Director 2012 is a unique interactive broadcasting platform, which enables end-users to have access on innovative services, like selection of focal actors/scenes and points of interest within real-time broadcasted streams. Emphasis is placed on the ambient camera selection module, which is the heart of the My-e-Director project. The ambient camera selection is responsible for detecting athletes in large-scale Olympic events. Then, this information is fed back to the system in order to allow for personalized video steaming and delivery services. Since detection of human in athletic event is a very demanding task, our method is based on a retrainable neural network architecture, which non-linearly models the color and texture properties of the object of interest. The retraining algorithm adapts the neural network model to fit the current environmental conditions, while simultaneously trusts as much as possible the previous information. The neural network classifier is combined with a conventional motion-based tracking scheme, which provides accurate contour detection. Aspects of multiple camera configurations are discussed.


DURING the period under review, vocational guidance gained in stature thru endorsements by nationally prominent groups (32, 41, 42) and thru research (8, 12, 16, 22, 31, 34) . The need for vocational guidance was also apparent from a survey by Shosteck (65), and another by Grunes (26) . On the other hand, Froehlich (20) pointed up the importance of continued research which would assess the effects of vocational guidance. Unfortunately there remained confusion as to whether a person's expressed need for vocational guidance was merely symptomatic of a deeper maladjustment or whether vocational guidance could help a person to higher levels of adjustment. During the past three years, research provided few answers to the dilemma. Grant (24, 25) found that pupils would seek the school counselor's assistance with educational and vocational problems more often than with personal-emotional problems. He concluded that such attitudes should be changed. On the other hand, Super's (84) presentation of a counseling case implied that vocational counseling in its own right might further total adjustment.


Microarray innovation as of late has significant effects in numerous fields, for example, medical fields, bio-drug, describing different gene capacities, understanding diverse atomic bio-legitimate procedures, gene expression profiling and so on. In any case, microarray chips comprise of expression levels of an immense number of genes, thus produce huge measures of data to deal with. Because of its huge volume, the computational examination is basic for extricating information from microarray gene expression data. Clustering is one of the essential ways to deal with break down such a huge measure of data to find the gatherings of co-communicated genes. The issues tended to in hard clustering could be fathomed in a fuzzy clustering strategy. Among fuzzy based clustering, fuzzy c-means (FCM) is the most reasonable for microarray gene expression data. The issue related to fuzzy c-means is the number of clusters to be generated for the given dataset should be determined in earlier. The fundamental goal of this proposed Novel fuzzy cmeans (NFCM) strategy is to decide the exact number of clusters and decipher the equivalent effect.


The small cicada Euscelidius variegatus K. exhibits two types of bacterial, intracellular symbionts (so-called endocytobionts) . In accordance with Muller,l these have been named primary symbiont a and auxiliary symbiont t (FIGURE 1 ) . Only type a can occur alone in the cicadas. Type t appears, if at all, only in association with type a. It has been proposed that both symbiont species belong to the recently described prokaryotic group of the Protoplastoides.2s For transfer to the next generation, they are inserted between the egg envelope and egg cell of the host, in the form of a symbiont ball, consisting of extracellular infectious stages.+ In the further course of egg development, these forms are taken up into special host cells (bacteriocytes) that merge in the abdomen to paired lateral symbiont organs (bacterioms) . There, each differentiates into its respective intracellular reproductive forms, the vegetative stage^.^ The cicada endocytobionts show close analogies to DNA-containing cell organelles (plasts) such as mitochondria and plastids (review: Reference 6). These exhibit, as do the cicada endocytobionts, several substructure forms. The mitochondria exist in orthodox and condensation forms; the plastids exist as proplastids, amyloplasts, leukoplasts, etioplasts, chromoplasts, and chloroplasts (FIGURE 10). Both plasts and infectious endocytobionts are enclosed in a double membrane. The symbiotic vegetative stages even have a triple membrane. The inner membrane stems from the prokaryotic system, the outer membrane from the eukaryotic system. Both have a more or less reduced protein-biosynthesis


The articles in this special issue make valuable contributions toward a scientific understanding of concepts that is broader than the traditional view that has focused on categorizing by individuals. I propose considering concepts for categorization as a special case of concepts. At their clearest, they can be referred to as formal concepts, or concepts used formally,which have explicit definitions and are used in formal deductive reasoning and argumentation. A label for broader aggregations of concepts is functional concepts, or concepts used functionally. This distinction is nearly parallel to Vygotsky's (1934/1987) distinction between scientific concepts and everyday concepts. Formal (uses of) concepts are important products and resources in subject matter disciplines, especially in science and mathematics. I suggest that the distinction between formal and functional (uses of) concepts can support a useful interpretation and organizing frame for efforts to provide meaningful instruction in disciplinary domains.


Indonesia has ample land and has abundant biodiversity so that Indonesia is called an agrarian country, Indonesian people have a livelihood in agriculture, there are several kinds of cooperation in the agricultural sector in Indonesia, one of which is cooperation in the cultivation of land, namely paron. Land cultivation cooperation has an important meaning in the development of the Indonesian agricultural sector, especially farmers in Guluk-guluk Village. This study aims to analyze the implementation of paron in the fiqih review of four schools. In this study using descriptive qualitative methods in which researchers are directly in the middle of the research subjects. The subjects of this study were those who were involved in the partnership, namely landowners and tenants. In order to make the research more relevant, the writer also conducted an interview with Islamic jurists. The results of the study showed that the practice of paron cooperation carried out by the people of Guluk-guluk Village was in accordance with Islamic law in terms of the contract, pillars and conditions of the muzaara'ah or mukhaabrah contract.


The aim of this paper is to provide performance comparisons between conventional longitudinal flux and transverse flux permanent-magnet machines using three-dimensional finite element analysis considering both electro-magnetic and mechanical fields. For a turret application with 2 meters in diameter size, not only electro-magnetic performance but also mechanical structural strength is important. Therefore, the comparison is focused on the torque density, machine efficiency, time constant, magnetic forces, and mechanical equivalent stresses occurred by the magnetic forces. For a specific turret application without an external cooling system, the obtained results provide an indication on which type of the machines is best suited regarding performance and size.


- Mawl?n?'s Arguments for the Existence of God  In this article we examine the method of proving God's existence by Mawl?n? Jala ? l al-Di ? n al-R?m? (d. 672/1273), a poet and mystic who has an important place in some mystical circles and Anatolian Islamic Culture. His basic argument for proving the existence of God is the way of religious experience. But the sage refers to some rational arguments of the philosophers and mutakallimun, as well, though he seems unwillingly to use them. But while doing that, neither he gives any explanation in the way that 'this is the cosmological argument' nor thinks those arguments out systematically. Keywords: God, Mawla ? na ? , proving the Necessary Being, rationalism, religious experience.


The effects of transdermal scopolamine upon, psychological task performance, subjective feeling state, and visual functioning, were assessed with 28 naval volunteers at sea. The battery of assessment measures was given before drug administration, and following 24‐hour periods on transdermal scopolamine and transdermal placebo. Code substitution task performance was not affected, but letter cancellation errors were significantly increased, indicating an impairment in sustained attention with transdermal scopolamine. Subjective reports of dry mouth and drowsiness were significantly more frequent under scopolamine. Visual changes were also noted, with visual near point significantly increased for the overall group, and one hypermetropic subject developing a marked visual acuity decrement and severe blurred vision, following transdermal scopolamine.


Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide and is characterized by a high burden of metabolic alterations. It exposes patients to increased morbidity and mortality, mostly driven by cardiovascular (CV) complications. Despite its large use, the nomenclature NAFLD has some limitations, due to the exclusion of patients with hepatic fat and concomitant other liver diseases or moderate alcohol consumption possibly contributing to hepatic damage. Therefore, a new and more inclusive dvefinition of fatty liver has recently been proposed, namely metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). It comprises patients with hepatic steatosis and associated metabolic comorbidities, without exclusion of other liver diseases. As for the nature of the new definition of MAFLD, it could be speculated that an increased risk of cardiovascular complications should be expected. Therefore, our review aims at answering the question about possible differences in cardiovascular risk and mortality in patients with NAFLD compared to MAFLD. We selected 8 studies out of 1130 by searching in the PubMed database. Data from literature seem to report an increased risk of CV events and mortality in patients affected by MAFLD compared to NAFLD, possibly due to the metabolic burden and coexistence of other liver diseases typical of MAFLD. However, further prospective studies are warranted to confirm this preliminary hypothesis. Page 2 of Lombardi et al. Metab Target Organ Damage 2022;2:12 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/mtod.2021.13 12


In the modern day, most of the enterprises have decided to move their services to a web based system which is more convenient and easily accessible to all the customers. With the advent of Internet of Things, several thousand more devices transmit data through the internet to perform various tasks that optimize our issues. These devices can provide a possible security loophole for unauthorized or illegal access. Security is one of the basic requirements in today's world as any type of interaction and storage of data on the internet is becoming unassertive. Protecting the information access and data integrity are the basic security characteristics of computer security. A decoy based technology, Honeypot along with a Raspberry Pi makes network security cost effective and easy to implement. This paper is devoted to implement a Raspberry Pi based Honeypot in a network that will attract attackers by simulating vulnerabilities and poor security. Honeypot will record all the attackers' activities and it blocks certain privileges after data analysis not only displays the type of attack but it allow improvements in security , it blocks the IP address of the attacker and it sends a alert notification to admin of the network.


The possible increases of the price of crude oil, the abrupt oil market changes, the finite of reserves, as well as the environmental pollution led to the reevaluation of the importance of the rural and forestall factor as a renewable resources supplier.This work deals with the examination of a two stroke outboard low output engine from the viewpoint of pollution and consumption, using as fuel gasoline-ethanol and gasoline-methanol mixtures. A series of laboratory instruments was used for the realisation of the experiments.


The possibility of transferring the idea of radio-frequency sequential heterodyne spectrum analysis to the optical range is considered. The question of a panoramic optical local oscillator in the form of a tunable laser is considered, where the consideration of stochastic phenomena is presented in the form of the sum of oscillations with a linear change in the instantaneous frequency and the stochastic component as interference. In this regard, it is proposed to use the technique of compression of radar signals to reduce the influence of the stochastic component of the oscillations of the laser panoramic local oscillator.


Objective: To evaluate the consumption of ultra-processed foods by older adults patients seen at a health clinic in Sao Paulo, considering their nutritional status, sex and presence or absence of hypertension. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 78 older adults (≥ 60 years old), of both sexes, carried out at an integrated health clinic. The data were collected between January 2013 and December 2018. This research is part of the thematic research project called: "Interdisciplinary assessment of the health of the elderly". As quantitative variables were tested for normality by the Kolmogorov Smirnov test, they did not show normality. Therefore, differences between the means of consumption of ultra-processed between the elderly and the elderly, hypertensive and normotensive, eutrophic and overweight, analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test (p <0.05). Results: It was identified that 65.4% (n=51) of individuals were normotensive and 34.6% (n=27) were hypertensive. It was noted that female older adults had a higher consumption of soft drinks, hamburgers and filled biscuits than male older adults, the eutrophics had a higher consumption of shaped bread/winkle than overweight individuals and hypertensive individuals had a higher consumption of margarine when compared to normotensive individuals. Conclusion: Actions to prevent risk factors for NCDs, such as hypertension, in addition to promoting healthy lifestyles focused on reducing the consumption of ultra-processed foods, are fundamental components to contribute to a better quality of life in this age group, especially among female older, who had a higher prevalence of hypertension and higher consumption of ultra-processed products such as sweet biscuits, soft drinks and hamburgers.


Objective To discuss the expression characteristic of tumor M2-PK(TuM2-PK)and CEA in breast cancer.Methods The serum TuM2-PK was measured by ELISA in 30 breast cancer patients,23 benign breast tumor patients and 30 heathy people.CEA was measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay.Results Serum TuM2-PK and CEA concentration of breast cancer patients were(25.72±5.73)U/mL,(18.53±15.42)ng /mL.A similar sensitivity was observed for TuM2-PK(76.7%)and CEA(20.0%)in breast cancer.And TuM2-PK showed more specificity(91.3%)than CEA(78.3%).In combined test,the sensitivity and specificity were 83.3% and 100%.Conclusion In diagnoses of the breast cancer,the combination with TuM2-PK and CEA is to elevate their sensitivity and specificity.


This work addresses nanoscale measurements of mechanical properties of ultra-thin insulator films by a dynamic indentation atomic force microscopy (DI-AFM). The ability of the DI-AFM is discussed to clarify some challenges in quantitative evaluation of stiffness and elastic modulus of 10 nm films on Ge and S.i.


The Rio Grande flows approximately 1,000 km south from its headwaters in Colorado to the national border of the U.S. with Mexico. Over this distance the total dissolved solids increase from about 40 mg/L to over 1,000 mg/L. The cause of this increase has long been a matter of dispute. We have employed δH, δO, Cl/Br, Sr, Cl, solute mass balances, geochemical modelling and other methods to understand the sources and dynamics of this salinization. Our results show that it can be attributed to a combination of natural mineral weathering, discharge of deep sedimentary brines, and reactions with soil minerals that are enhanced under irrigated fields. These processes produce an evolution from a Ca-Na HCO3 water to a Na-Mg SO4-Cl water, accompanied by large increases in TDS. Some degree of mitigation of the TDS may be achieved by intercepting sedimentary brines at their discharge points, but the long residence time of water in the system and repeated application of the water to agricultural soils produces a baseline salinity due to mineral equilibrium beyond which TDS probably cannot be reduced. Imaging biogeochemical processes with MRI: Application of paramagetic tracers V.R. PHOENIX*, B. RAMANAN, W.T. SLOAN AND W.M. HOLMES Dept. Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK (*correspondence: email@example.com) Dept. Civil Engineering, University of Glasgow, G12 8LT GEMRIC, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, G61 1QH


Through building a general equilibrium model of carbon emission with the vision of government and enterprise,the paper analyzes environmental policies and carbon emissions intensity,here by constructing game model which including government,enterprise and society,equally heckling game relation in different constrained condition,indicating partial equilibrium condition and general equilibrium condition of carbon emission limited or even low-carbon society constructed.Based on this,it should through government,enterprise and society to construct low-carbon society.


Two-beam coupling is used to determine higher-order nonlinearities of several glasses with a range of absorption edges. We observe evidence of fifth-order and present the first observation of seventh-order susceptibilities in glasses.


Efavirenz (EFV) is associated with hyperlipidemia when used in combination with other antiretroviral drugs. EFV is a mixed inducer/inhibitor of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 isozyme and may interact with hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors that are primarily metabolized via CYP3A4. To assess the drug-drug interaction of EFV used in combination with simvastatin (SIM), atorvastatin (ATR), or pravastatin (PRA), an open-label trial was conducted in 52 healthy adult HIV-seronegative subjects across AIDS Clinical Trials Group sites in the United States. Subjects received 40 mg of SIM, 10 mg of ATR, or 40 mg of PRA daily on days 0 through 3 and days 15 through 18. EFV was administered daily at a dose of 600 mg on days 4 through 18. SIM, ATR, and PRA concentrations were determined before and after EFV, and EFV concentrations were determined before and after statins. EFV reduced SIM acid exposure (area under the curve at 0 to 24 hours [AUC0-24h]) by 58% (Wilcoxon signed rank test, P = 0.003) and active HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity by 60% (P < 0.001). EFV reduced ATR exposure by 43% (P < 0.001) and the total active ATR exposure by 34% (P = 0.005). EFV administration resulted in a 40% decrease in PRA exposure (P = 0.005). SIM, ATR, and PRA had no effect on non-steady-state EFV concentrations. In conclusion, EFV, when administered with SIM, ATR, or PRA, can result in significant induction of statin metabolism. The reduced inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase activity during coadministration of EFV may result in diminished antilipid efficacy at usual doses of SIM, ATR, and PRA.


The cover shows thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) expression in the nasal epithelium in an OVA‐based murine model of allergic rhinitis. This image was taken from the article by Miyata pp.


SUMMARY
A 22-year-old male presented following a precordial stab. He was haemodynamically and metabolically normal. Initial investigations did not reveal pericardial fluid or haemothorax. At diagnostic laparoscopy, we encountered haemoperitoneum and a diaphragmatic injury through which the heart was visible. After pericardial washout, laparoscopic repair was effected. This case highlights a potential problem with extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma (eFAST) in that it will only be positive if there is an accumulation of pericardial fluid. It also confirms the utility of diagnostic laparoscopy for penetrating left thoracoabdominal injuries and shows that principles of open surgery can be safely applied laparoscopically in select patients.


Taking advantage of vast electronic text resources, the corpus-based approach has contributed a lot to linguistic research. It can be applied to almost all areas of investigations in linguistics (Biber, Conrad and Reppen, 1998) . At the same time the role of corpora in the language classroom remains a great controversy. Some linguists believe that corpora are of great help to the language teachers whereas some others hold a negative view on its application to language teaching. As this argument is still under debate , many language teachers are applying corpora to their own teaching and this is the best way to evaluate the adoption of corpora in language classroom.


This report presents a comprehensive analysis of the investment landscape in Vietnam, highlighting the opportunities and challenges that investors may encounter. The nation is desirable for foreign investment as it is a quickly growing emerging market that has adopted robust economic development, favorable demographics, and a pro-business climate. The report begins by introducing the statistics regarding the economy, such as the macroeconomic indicators, social and institutional quality measures, and the political climate that helped shape Vietnam's economy today. In addition, the report will analyze government policies and debt to evaluate whether the nation is in a crisis and embraces foreign investors. Furthermore, the report will assess the domestic equity market to present the potential benefits investors might gain. Finally, based on the report's findings, Vietnam presents compelling investment opportunities driven by its favorable economic conditions, supportive government policies, and vibrant sectors. However, navigating such opportunities in the Vietnamese market would still require a nuanced understanding of the risk investors are willing to take compared to the potential benefits. This investment report aims to assist potential investors in making informed decisions and capturing the perspective of this dynamic emerging market.


This paper examines the importance of firm size in explaining foreign direct investment with data from American and Swedish firms. The results suggest that firm size only has a threshold effect on foreign investment, an effect on the decision to invest abroad. Once, however, a firm has jumped the initial barriers to foreign production, size has no effect on the fraction of the firm's resources devoted to foreign activity. Among firms that invest in foreign production large firms do not appear to have any particular advantage over small investing firms.


The analysis technique of the agrochemical residue by isotopic tracer is significantly increased,and obtained substantial development.The progress of the isotopic analysis in four kinds of sulfonylurea herbicide residues was reviewed in this paper.


Pure water is produced by the membrane in water filtering device,and the stability of pure water output is an important parameter to value the device.Stability model of pure water output of single membrane is set up and magnified to multi-membrane,and simulated in Simulink environment.The conclusion shows that pure water will be unsteady when raw water turbidity rises,changing speed of valve opening increases and pollution index declines.The simulation result is equal to the experiment result.The valve opening inputting by repeating sequence stair signal can control the pure water stability coefficient between-1 and 1.This method is simple to come true.


Abstract Information on the spatial and temporal extent of snow cover distribution is a significant input in hydrological processes and climate models. Although hyperspectral remote sensing provides significant opportunities in the assessment of land cover, the applications of such data are limited in the snow-covered alpine regions. A major issue with hyperspectral data is the larger dimensionality. Feature selection methods are often used to derive the most informative subset of bands from the hyperspectral data. In this study, a band selection technique is proposed which utilizes the mutual information (MI) between hyperspectral bands and a reference band. The first principal component of the hyperspectral data is selected as the reference band. Two variants of this approach are proposed involving preclustering of bands using: (1) the k-means and (2) the fuzzy k-means algorithms. The MI is derived from weighted entropy of the hyperspectral band and the reference band. The weights are computed from the cluster distance ratio and the cluster membership function for the k-means and fuzzy k-means algorithm, respectively. The selected bands were classified using random forest classifier. The proposed methods are evaluated with four datasets, two Hyperion datasets corresponding to the geographical locations of Dhundi and Solang in India, corresponding to snow covered terrain and two benchmark AVIRIS datasets of Indian Pines and Salinas. The average classification accuracy (0.995 and 0.721 for Dhundi and Solang datasets, respectively) for the proposed approach were observed to be better as compared with those from other state of the art techniques.


Apostles of Certainty: Data Journalism and the Politics of Doubt traces the way American journalists have made use of quantitative information in their news reporting from the early twentieth century to the present day. In so doing, it examines changing notions of journalistic objectivity and truth telling, particularly as these have evolved alongside social science disciplines such as political science and sociology. Apostles of Certainty uses methodological techniques pioneered in science and technology studies to link the study of newsroom ontologies and epistemologies to a broader analysis of how public knowledge is produced and distributed in the digital age. Though largely historical, the book also sheds light on politics and media in the twenty-first century, with findings that speak to current public conversations around so-called post-truth and the spread of fake news. The book concludes that, viewed over the long term, journalistic reporting in the United States has improved in its accuracy, subtlety, and professional self-certainty, but we have not witnessed a simultaneous improvement in the conduct of US political discourse. In part this is because political journalism only influences politics to a limited degree. To the degree it does have an impact on the political process, the book argues that data-oriented journalism plays a largely tribal and aesthetic role and divides Americans into empirical "tribes" based in part on the perceived elitism of data-based reporting.


The author describes his major interests and activities in epidemiology to encourage young people to choose a career in this field. (non-author abstract)


This paper represents an engagement in polemics, highlighting the inadequacies of contemporary theoretical and philosophical orthodoxies to address pedagogic change. In this case, the required change is in mathematics education, and is away from instructional practices based on teacher and textual authority alone to those that foreground student initiated inquiry and sense-making. My argument, from a poststructuralist perspective, is that teacher change of this sort is about much more than cognitive or intellectual reconstruction, as commonly theorised. Such change has an ontological dimension, it has to do with the constitutive effects of past and present learning and teaching environments on a prospective teacher's practice, it has to do with power relationships and the social construction of knowledge and identity. A poststructuralist analysis of the pedagogic environment in some teacher education sites suggests that, even here, there may be residual levels of inertia that jeopardise change.


The Honduran Construction Code (CHOC) prescribes a seismic design methodology for steel moment frames which produces uncertain results. CHOC also allows designs of ordinary steel moment frames (OMF) in regions of high seismic hazard which compromise the required seismic performance of such structures. The seismic performance of three fivestory buildings is evaluated in the Honduran urban area of greatest seismic hazard using FEMA 440 and FEMA 356. Two buildings consist of OMF; one of them with the lightest shapes available, the other, a non-ductile design allowed by the CHOC. The third, with special steel moment frames with the lightest shapes available. The designs were by the UBC 97 and the AISC 2010. It was verified by nonlinear static and dynamic analyzes that the CHOC could eventually lead to the design of steel moment frames with unacceptable seismic performance, in accordance with criteria of UBC 97 and AISC 2010.


, ABSTRACT Purpose: IL12 promotes adaptive type I immunity and has demonstrated antitumor ef fi cacy, but systemic administration leads to severe adverse events (AE), including death. This pilot trial investigated safety, ef fi cacy, and immunologic activity of intratumoral delivery of IL12 plasmid DNA (tavo) via in vivo electroporation (i.t.-tavo-EP) in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), an aggressive virus-associated skin cancer. Patients and Methods: FifteenpatientswithMCCwithsuper fi cial injectable tumor(s) received i.t.-tavo-EP on days 1, 5, and 8 of each cycle. Patients with locoregional MCC (cohort A, N ¼ 3) received one cyclebeforede fi nitivesurgeryinweek4.PatientswithmetastaticMCC (cohortB, N ¼ 12)receiveduptofourcyclestotal,administeredatleast 6 weeks apart. Serial tumor and blood samples were collected. Results: All patients successfully completed at least one cycle with transient, mild (grades 1 and 2) AEs and without signif-icant systemic toxicity. Sustained (day 22) intratumoral expression of IL12 protein was observed along with local in fl ammation and increased tumor-speci fi c CD8 þ T-cell in fi ltration, which led to systemic immunologic and clinical responses. The overall response rate was 25% (3/12) in cohort B, with 2 patients experiencing durable clinical bene fi t (16 and 55 þ months, respectively). Two cohort A patients (1 with pathologic complete remission) were recurrence-free at 44 þ and 75 þ months, respectively. Conclusions: I.t.-tavo-EP was safe and feasible without systemic toxicity. Sustained local expression of IL12 protein and local in fl ammation led to systemic immune responses and clinically meaningful bene fi t in some patients. Gene electrotransfer, speci fi cally i.t.-tavo-EP, warrants further investigation for immunotherapy of cancer.


In underwater scenes, the quality of the video and image acquired by the underwater imaging system suffers from severe degradation, influencing target detection and recognition. Thus, restoring real scenes from blurred videos and images is of great significance. Owing to the light absorption and scattering by suspended particles, the images acquired often have poor visibility, including color shift, low contrast, noise, and blurring issues. This paper aims to classify and compare some of the significant technologies in underwater image defogging, presenting a comprehensive picture of the current research landscape for researchers. First we analyze the reasons for degradation of underwater images and the underwater optical imaging model. Then we classify the underwater image defogging technologies into three categories, including image restoration approaches, image enhancement approaches, and deep learning approaches. Afterward, we present the objective evaluation metrics and analyze the state-of-the-art approaches. Finally, we summarize the shortcomings of the defogging approaches for underwater images and propose seven research directions.


The use of persuasive systems and devices to reduce sedentary lifestyles and encourage individuals to be more physically active is progressively gaining interest. This paper presents a 13 years review (from 2006 to 2019) of personalized persuasive technologies (PTs) for promoting physical activity (PA) and discouraging sedentary behavior (SB). Moreover, we deconstructed the various implementations and operationalizations of the personalization in these PTs and compared their effectiveness. Specifically, this paper aims to (1) shed light on the multiple ways of implementing personalization in these PTs to promote PA and reducing SB, (2) evaluate the effectiveness of personalized PTs for promoting PA and decreasing SB, (3) highlight trends and offer suggestions for research in the area of personalizing PTs.


This study discusses how the implementation of the marketing communication strategy of PT.  TWC on social media during the Covid-19 pandemic.  This study aims to understand the marketing communication strategy of PT.  TWC on social media and understand the tactics and alternative promos of PT.  TWC during the Covid-19 pandemic.  The research was conducted in a qualitative descriptive manner by conducting interviews with internal informants, external informants, and expert informants.  In addition, literature review and observations were carried out. This study shows that there is a digitalization trend carried out by PT. TWC. In addition, PT.  TWC is also using virtual tours as an alternative tactic to its marketing communication strategy

Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic, social media, marketing communication strategy, virtual tour


Two subpicosecond electron bunches, separated in energy by approximately 2 MeV and in time by 0.5-1 ps, are sent through a capillary discharge plasma. The plasma density is varied from ~1014 cm3 to ~1018 cm3. A 1-D plasma wakefield acceleration (PWFA) model indicates the net wakefield produced by the bunches will depend on their relative charge, temporal separation, and the plasma density. The wakefield of the first bunch will also affect the amount of energy gain or loss of the second bunch. During measurements of the energy spectrum of the bunches, we observed a difference in the amount of loss depending on the plasma density. Indication of gain was also observed.


The Choice of the Forms of Lyapunov Functions for a Positive 2D Roesser Model The appropriate choice of the forms of Lyapunov functions for a positive 2D Roesser model is addressed. It is shown that for the positive 2D Roesser model: (i) a linear form of the state vector can be chosen as a Lyapunov function, (ii) there exists a strictly positive diagonal matrix P such that the matrix AT PA - P is negative definite. The theoretical deliberations will be illustrated by numerical examples.


A consolidated trend in designing cloud-based applications is to make use of a reactive microservice architecture, which allows to divide an application in several well-partitioned software units with specific responsibilities. Such an architecture perfectly fits in cloud environments, ensuring a number of advantages (i.e., high availability and scalability, ease of deployment and development). However, the new way of designing cloud applications introduces challenging security threats. Besides the difficulty in monitoring security of the overall distributed application, an important aspect of concern relates to the risk of break the chain of trust established among the different microservices belonging to the application. That is, a compromised single microservice may bring down the other related ones. In this paper, we present the approach pursued in the context of SERECA1 project to secure microservice based applications. We leveraged the new extension of Intel's CPU, namely Software Guard eXtension (SGX), to enhance the security of applications using Eclipse Vert.x, the tool-kit for building reactive cloud applications. We developed an infrastructure composed by several SGX-enabled facilities (e.g. Database, Containers, Coordination Services) to support the process of integration between Intel SGX and micro-service applications. Our platform has been, then, validated through two use cases that made use of the developed secure facilities, i.e., a Critical Infrastructure (CI) monitoring application - having strong requirements in terms of data integrity - and an application for performance analysis of cloud-based services where the confidentiality of data is of main interest.


ABSTRACT A diagnosis of cancer is terrifying, not only for cancer patients but for the entire family. One learns that cancer, like any serious illness, affects the whole family. As a result, both cancer patients and their families will be best served if the entire family is involved with the care. Just like in the treatment of a cancer patient, it is best if health care providers treat the whole person rather than just the disease. This article provides a Web bibliography of useful Internet sites to help the families of cancer patients cope with this illness, as well as take care of themselves.


This article examines how women engage in online product research as a means to negotiate their transition into motherhood. Drawing upon data from in-depth interviews with 32 expectant mothers, we demonstrate how the process of constructing baby registries is mediated by intensive online product research. By exploring the role of online resources in consumer decision-making and the different strategies that women employ to meet the perceived challenges of consumption, we show how expectant mothers work to gain entry into the social world of motherhood in an age of intensive mothering and risk society.


This scientific paper focuses on in-depth knowledge of the concept of green human resource management in the field of management and business. For this purpose, the authors have used a systematic literature review to study the scientific research papers published in Google Scholar. The research results led to the appearance of 925 scientific articles from 2006 to 2022. By relying on many of the criteria that were identified, only 131 articles were chosen that are the most valuable and related to the management of green human resource management in the field of management and business, which intends to determine the impact of the application of green human resource management practices on organizations and to know the primary benefits, mechanisms and implementation procedures. The current study reached several conclusions, among which green human resource management practices is the best way to survive and preserve organizations, considering the concerns of protecting the global environment. A proposed theoretical model has been reached that shows the consequences of all green human resource management practices on the work of organizations and the added values achieved by their application.


Engine efficiency and transient performance are vital in a turbofan engine. This affects drivability and fuel consumption in a turbofan engine. The main problem faced by a turbofan engine constitutes low response in a low-speed operation and this often creates "turbo lag" which affects turbofan engine performance and efficiencies. A hybrid turbofan engine design system is a promising technology for improving efficiency and performance during the operation. This research studies the possibility of implementing a hybrid turbofan engine design for optimal performance. The major parameters that impact thermal, propulsive and overall efficiency are modelled and characterized for optimal performance. The tool of SOLIDWORKDS CFD and CAD are used in modelling and simulation of the critical parameters that impacts performance. Correlation analysis of the critical design parameters for optimal performance is revealed. The following facts are theoretically revealed and validated. It was shown that the performance of the system is greatly influenced by thermal properties and the vane angular flow geometry. It was also revealed that there are critical operating variables that gave optimal performance of the turbofan engine during operation. It was also shown that the thermal, propulsive and overall efficiency are geometrically characterised by the system mass flow rate of air and ambient pressure of the system during throttling. It was observed that the system performance and system efficiency significantly increased at low speed. This was alluded to the fact that at optimal design performance proper mechanical hybrid calibration was done at varying effective mass flow rate of air in the system.


Hospitals must get better at identifying patients who are in their last year of life so they can provide appropriate care, according to the authors of a new Scottish study of hospital inpatients.


The genre-based teaching approach is based on genre and genre analysis theory.It provides a new way to teach English reading.This paper analyzes the features and functions of genre analysis and its advantages in teaching college-English reading,and produces models utilizing the advantages of genre analysis.Combining the genre-based teaching approach with English reading turns out to be a good way to improve student's initiative of study and reading competence.


We present the results of reflection calculations that treat the relevant physics with a minimum of assumptions. The temperature and ionization structure of the top five Thomson depths of an illuminated disc are calculated while also demanding that the atmosphere is in hydrostatic equilibrium. In agreement with Nayakshin, Kazanas & Kallman, we find that there is a rapid transition from hot to cold material in the illuminated layer. However, the transition is usually not sharp so that often we find a small but finite region in Thomson depth where there is a stable temperature zone at T \sim 2 x 10^{6} K due to photoelectric heating from recombining ions. As a result, the reflection spectra often exhibit strong features from partially-ionized material, including helium-like Fe K lines and edges. We find that due to the highly ionized features in the spectra these models have difficulty correctly parameterizing the new reflection spectra. There is evidence for a spurious $R-\Gamma$ correlation in the ASCA energy range, where $R$ is the reflection fraction for a power-law continuum of index $\Gamma$, confirming the suggestion of Done & Nayakshin that at least part of the R-Gamma correlation reported by Zdziarski, Lubinski & Smith for Seyfert galaxies and X-ray binaries might be due to ionization effects. Although many of the reflection spectra show strong ionized features, these are not typically observed in most Seyfert and quasar X-ray spectra.


This article summarizes the research on effects of different drought stress on the growth yield quality and the physiological idiosyncrasy of tobacco and offered the homologous analysis,so as to offer theoretical basis of the effects of different drought stress on tobacco and learn it better.


This research studied the impact of Powerloop, universal trailer pool program and affiliate of Uber Freight, on detention fees and on-time delivery performance. Unlike traditional live-load freight, Powerloop allows shippers to pre-load freight by using dropped trailers, improving carrier utilization and limiting detention time. For this study, data from both traditional live-load freight and Powerloop loads were used in a discrete-event simulation model. The results from the model indicate that Powerloop can save shippers up to $16 per load in detention fees and improve on-time delivery by 2% compared to traditional freight.


fects. In hypercholesterolemic rabbits, injections of liposomal alendronate or clodronate at the time of vascular injury reduced numbers of circulating monocytes and tissue macrophages and inhibited in-stent neointimal hyperplasia and arterial stenosis [10, 11] . Alendronate has also been found to inhibit the production of IL-1  , IL-6 and TNFby activated monocytes, peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation [8] , and secretion of MMP2 and -9 in a variety of cell types [12, 13] . As with statins, NCBPs also exert direct effects on aortic valve myofibroblasts, attenuating osteoblastic transdifferentiation that leads to calcification [16, 17] . Alternatively, cardiovascular effects of NCBPs may be related to selective inhibition of bone resorption. Price et al. [18] demonstrated that NCBPs inhibit deposition of calcium in vascular and valvular tissues in animal models, possibly by preventing release of calcium phosphate particles from bone. Thus, NCBPs may provide a unique and novel means to slow vascular and valvular calcification in addition to their statin-like effects. Clinical data supporting the cardiovascular benefits of NCBPs are beginning to emerge. In a retrospective analysis of echocardiographic data, Skolnick et al. [19] demonstrated in patients with a mean baseline aortic valve area of 1.33 cm 2 that the use of bisphosphonates, calcitonin, or estrogen receptor modulators for osteoporosis was associated with a mean annual change in aortic valve area of –0.10 8 0.18 cm 2 compared to –0.22 8 0.22 cm 2 in those not receiving these medications (p ! 0.03) . Another Calcific aortic stenosis is the most common indication for surgical valve replacement in the USA [1] . Over the past decade, experimental, retrospective and prospective studies have suggested but not confirmed the use of medical therapy for the treatment of this disease [2, 3] . In this issue of Cardiology , Sterbakova et al. [4] demonstrate that the use of bisphosphonates in calcific aortic stenosis is associated with slower progression in mild disease in patients with preserved renal function. Bisphosphonates are inhibitors of hydroxyapetite dissolution and osteoclast-mediated bone resorption [5] . The potent nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (NCBPs) ibandronate, alendronate, risedronate, and zoledronate inhibit farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, an enzyme distal to HMG-CoA reductase in the mevalonate pathway [6] . Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase is a key enzyme in the mevalonate pathway affecting both protein prenylation and cholesterol biosynthesis. In osteoclasts, inhibition of protein prenylation disrupts cytoskeletal arrangements, membrane ruffling, trafficking of vesicles, and apoptosis [7] . In a variety of other cell and tissue types, NCBP inhibition of the mevalonate pathway leads to effects similar to those seen during statin therapy [8– 14] . Like statins, NCBPs have beneficial effects on lipids and atherosclerosis that may also attenuate fibrocalcific aortic valve remodeling [15] . NCBPs decrease LDL by approximately 5% and raise HDL by 10–18% [9, 14] . Additionally, NCBPs exert multiple anti-inflammatory efReceived and accepted: November 13, 2010 Published online: January 4, 2011


Executive stock option is a long term effective motivating mechanism and would be widely adopted by listed companies with the deepening of split share reform.This paper discusses the issue on accounting treatment of executive stock option based on distribution of the net profit and argues the treatment of executive stock option based on distribution of the net profit can embody its economic essential better than that base on cost and has a bright future for application.


Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of childhood pneumonia. Penicillin is the drug of choice for most infections due to S. pneumoniue. However, recent surveys have revealed that pneumococcal penicillin resistance has become an increasing problem. It spreads to new areas, it affects hitherto susceptible types, and in addition, the degree of resistance seems to become more severe. l4 with resistance to nonrelated antibiotics and is called multiple resistance. Penicillin-resistant pneumococcal strains belong mainly to the serotypes 6, 14, 19, and 23.l.' These types are poor immunogens in children, they are commonly found in young carriers, and they are prevalent causes of pediatric infections. In addition, the majority of multiresistant pneumococci belong to these types .' The association between penicillin resistance and these specific types has been widely observed in all countries with a high frequency of penicillin-resistant strains. In Iceland, how-