In an apple juice‐based medium, an ethanol‐tolerant Australian wine‐yeast used for cider manufacture produced more than 10% ethanol over a 5 week period. Growth of the inoculum (106 organisms ml−1) occurred to a population of 3·1×107ml−1 during the first few days; at the end of the fermentation only 5×105 yeasts ml−1 could be recovered as colony‐forming units on plates. Respiratory and fermentative activities were measured by mass spectrometric measurements (O2 consumption and CO2 and ethanol production) of washed yeast suspensions taken from the cider fermentation at intervals. Both endogenous and glucose‐supported energy‐yielding metabolism declined, especially during the first 20 days. Levels of adenine nucleotides also showed decreases after day 1, as did adenylate energy charge, although in a prolonged (16·5 week) fermentation the lowest value calculated was 0·55. AMP was released into the medium. 31P‐NMR spectra showed that by comparison with aerobically grown yeast, that from the later stages of the cider fermentation showed little polyphosphate. However, as previously concluded from studies of 'acidification power' and fluorescent oxonol dye exclusion (Dinsdale et al., 1995), repitching of yeast indicated little loss of viability despite considerable loss of vitality. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Laboratory studies of soils of varying degrees of erosibility serve two purposes. The first is the determination of the chemical physical causes of erosibility, the second is the measurement of erosibility as a function of the soil. The study of these interdependent phases of a common problem will be rendered much simpler as soon as an order of erosibility can be established experimentally for a number of soils. At the present time data are being taken at the various erosion stations which In time may make it possible to discount such factors as slope and cover and arrive at such an order for the soils of the erosion experiment stations. In the meantime we are forced to depend upon the observations of field men for the classification of soils into erosive and non-erosive groups. Such observations are not sufficiently accurate to determine the relative erosibility of soils, except for soils which show marked differences in erosional behavior. While we are, therefore, working under an admitted handicap, we have nevertheless outlined a general program of investigation relative to the erosibility of soils, fhis program calls for a determination of all the well recognized and measurable soil characteristics, and includes the chemical composition of the colloids of the soils. Because erosion in its simplest expression Is, after all, one of the effects of the action of water on soil, particular attention has been given to measurable soil-water relationships as a means of determining the relative erosibility of soils. The bulk of the data of these determinations for the soils of the Erosion Experiment Stations are collected in the U. S. Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletins Nos. 316, 430. and 461. It is not the purpose of this paper to recapitulate the data of these bulletins. It is the purpose of this paper to Indicate the desirability of such data, and to show from a purely theoretical standpoint, and as far as possible from a practical one, how such data may be used to determine the cause and order of erosibility of soils. To do so calls for a clear conception of the major factors Influencing soil erosion, and the accompanying diagram has been prepared to show the Interaction of the various agencies which influence the erosion of soils. Many of the agencies which appear on this diagram will be subdivided in the discussion that follows. The diagram merely outlines the discussion. Beginning at the top of the diagram, we find precipitation listed as an important factor of soil erosion. That can scarcely be considered news to a group of soil scientists, and, as a phase of the weather, lt is not likely that anyone will do anything about precipitation. Differences in precipitation, however, offer a real problem to anyone Interested in determining an order of erosibility for soils in their field condition. A .soil which suffers enormous erosion under 40 inches of rainfall may, as far as the soil itself Is concerned, be less erosive than some slightly eroded soil which receives a normal rainfall of 15 Inches, and allowance must be made for such variations. This is only part of the story. Type of precipitation must be considered. Part of it may fall as rain and part as snow or sleet. Variation in intensity is even more important. An inch of rain falling in fifteen minutes may cause more erosion than the same amount of rain evenly distributed throughout a period of four hours. The duration of rainfall also affects erosion, but we prefer the term continuity, since this word implies variation In the time interval between rains as well as In the length of time during which the rain is actually falling. And, last we must consider the season of precipitation, whether the precipitation ,is received on freshly plowed fields, growing crops, stubble, or frozen soil. Run-off is a more direct, and at the same time a more complex factor of erosion than is precipitation. It is more direct, for when there is no run-off there Is no erosion. But all the variations In precipitation have their counterpart In run-off. It is more complex for it is affected by the permeability of the soil (which is in itself a variable) and also by terrain and cover. The term "cover" is intended to Include mulch, duff, litter, and vegetation. The term "terrain" includes length, degree, convergence and variation of slope. We have shown diagrammatically the general relation of permeability to run-off, and therefore to erosion, but a closer relationship


There have been no established predictors of the outcome on sorafenib therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. We aimed to establish a new prognostic model suitable for sorafenib in HCC.


Review(s) of: How Aborigines invented the idea of contemporary art: Writing on Aboriginal contemporary art, edited and introduced by Ian Mclean, 359 pp, Institute of Modern Art and Power Publications, Sydney, 2011, ISBN 9780909952372 (pbk), $49.95.


The amebicidal activity of the phenanthroline quinones published earlier2) and of their derivates described in this paper is discussed. The highest activity was found with 4,7-phenanthrolino-5, 6- quinone 1 and its monosemicarbazone 3, which are also active in man. Further derivatives of 1 are described.


The simulation experiment is done during the class of fundamentals of circuit analysis considering the course has a lot of abstract concepts,intensive theories,strong practice,present status and problems.The demonstration of simulation experiment can make the students further understand and master the contents they learned from the class.The method putting the teaching theories into practice,it is proved through practice that positivity and initiativeness of the students are fueled,the the ability of students in analyzing and solving problems is improved by this means.


This research aimed to figure out the variable effect of service quality,
customer satisfaction, and customer experience to customer repurchasing
intention.
The samples were taken by spreading questionnaire to respondent by
using survey method. Sampling technique used in this research was purposive
sampling. Total samples were 120 respondents. This study used SPSS 17 for
windows. Analysis instrument used were validity test, reliability test classical
assumption test and multiple linear regression analysis.
Research result was obtained by partial test (t test) to prove that service
quality, customer satisfaction, and customer experience affected significantly to
customer repurchasing intention. The result of simultant test (F test)
simultaneously showed that service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer
experience affect significantly to customer repurchasing intention.


Performance modeling is an important topic in capacity planning and overload control for web servers. We present a queueing model of an Apache web server that uses bursty arrival traffic. The arrivals of HTTP requests is assumed to be a Markov Modulated Poisson Process and the service discipline of the server is processor sharing. The total number of requests that can be processed at one time is limited to K. We obtain web server performance metrics such as average response time, throughput and blocking probability by simulations. Compared to other models, our model is conceptually simple. The model has been validated through measurements and simulations in our lab. The performance metrics predicted by the model fit well to the experimental outcome. (Less)


NEEDLE WORK is created at The National Facility for Human-Robot Interaction in Australia and explores new models of cultural transmission and education by retracing and interpreting the gestures of craft. The framework for creative production is collaborative – between people, technologies, and material agency. NEEDLE WORK translates micro-scale craft gestures, into human-scale three dimensional robotic light drawings. The light drawings inform human-robot interaction, exploring a mode of generative choreography as an aesthetics of change, viewing a sequence of gestures as chapters in performance. The conceptual lens focusses on process-oriented qualities and embodies a relational aesthetic view of agency that engages the dynamism between entities. Performing immaterial praxis of intangible cultural heritage crafts explores the creative potential of co-design, engaging human, machine, and material agency, and opens new perspectives to understand and interpret the value of craft.


Stochasticity is ubiquitous in the world around us. However, our predominant computing paradigm is deterministic. Random number generation (RNG) can be a computationally inefficient operation in this system especially for larger workloads. Our work leverages the underlying physics of emerging devices to develop probabilistic neural circuits for RNGs from a given distribution. However, codesign for novel circuits and systems that leverage inherent device stochasticity is a hard problem. This is mostly due to the large design space and complexity of doing so. It requires concurrent input from multiple areas in the design stack from algorithms, architectures, circuits, to devices. In this paper, we present examples of optimal circuits developed leveraging AI-enhanced codesign techniques using constraints from emerging devices and algorithms. Our AI-enhanced codesign approach accelerated design and enabled interactions between experts from different areas of the micro-electronics design stack including theory, algorithms, circuits, and devices. We demonstrate optimal probabilistic neural circuits using magnetic tunnel junction and tunnel diode devices that generate an RNG from a given distribution.


This paper focuses on adaptive internal model control of smart structures with simultaneous precision positioning and vibration suppression functions. First, the structure, manufacturing, and test of an Active Composite Panel (ACP) with surface-mounted piezoelectric ceramic patches are introduced. Based on the discussion of the 2-DOF internal model control scheme, an adaptive internal model control scheme is then presented, in which the controller is constructed in form of a finite impulse filter, and the filtred-x LMS algorithm is employed to adapt the coefficients of the filter. Finally, the adaptive internal model control scheme is experimentally verified on the ACP, and compared with the adaptive feedforward control scheme, showing that it can produce more accuracy and faster response process. The satisfactory performance confirms that the adaptive internal model control schem is reliable and efficient.


With the quantitative remote sensing developing, the promising use of multi-angle polarization information has been recognized. Since polarized reflectance always goes with bidirectional reflectance, we can attain the polarized three-dimensional spatial distribution of the target by a polarizer while detecting its bidirectional reflectance. In this paper, polarized reflectance of dry peat with different water content was collected using a polarized bi-directional reflectance photometer. The polarized measurements for peat samples with different water content were performed at various zenith viewing angles, incidence light zenith angles and azimuth angles with band A (630-690nm) and band B(760-1100nm). The polarization changes of different peat moisture were analyzed quantitatively. The results revealed that there were close and positive relationship between peat polarized reflectance characteristics and water content, peat characteristics and sensor's viewing geometry. Polarized reflectance of peat will not only help to find a new way for peat detection remotely, but also provide a theoretical basis for further research on the polarized light remote sensing.


IN THE past five years there has been an increasing number of reports describing mental disturbances precipitated by treatment with ACTH and cortisone (1, 2). Another sequel of administering excess ACTH is the occurrence of the typical Cushing's syndrome (3). Thus there arises the question whether the hormonal changes that are responsible for this syndrome may not also represent a chemical basis for the psychiatric changes. Since the original description by Dr. Cushing in 1932 (4), various authors have recognized that mental disturbances are frequent concomitants of the syndrome. Many papers make brief or casual reference to extreme depression and dullness. In the past, however, these emotional alterations have almost always been attributed to poor social adjustment secondary to the often repulsive appearance of these patients. The mental symptoms were regarded as nonspecific affective disorders which were interpreted as the result of self-consciousness. Maclay and Stokes (5) and Schlesinger and Horwitz (...


For effectively dealing with the complexity problems inherited in the reproducing and propagation processes of mobile viruses, the multi-agent based simulation methods and technologies were introduced in to our work. A typical Bluetooth virus was chosen as the object of our study. Based on the analysis of its propagation characteristics, a multi-agent based simulation model was build up and realized on the Swarm platform. Our results show that: multi-agent based simulation can be used as one of the most effective methods as well as technological tools for researches of mobile viruses. By constructing an "artificial laboratory" via computers, experimental studies based on simulations may provide foundations for strategies planning and decisions making about the forecast, analysis and response of the epidemic of mobile viruses in the real world.


A recent article by Lei et al. (1) described P spectral acquisitions in the human brain at 7 T. Measurements of the P metabolite relaxation times T1 and T2 were reported as were nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) factors from H irradiation and rate constants for the creatine kinase reaction. Such studies are critical for understanding how experiments previously performed at lower field strengths will benefit from the use of ultrahigh field strength systems which are now appearing for human research and, ultimately, clinical use. On the whole, we agree with the authors that their results demonstrate considerable advantages for P studies of humans at such high field strengths. We have, however, some concerns regarding the T2 values for the and P ATP resonances which the authors report and how they compare with existing literature values acquired at lower field strengths. The T2 measurements from Lei et al. were made using a Hahn spin echo sequence with a 5-cm-diameter surface coil in transmit/receive mode to "cover the human primary visual cortex only (p. 199)." The Hahn spin echo sequence consisted of a hard 90° pulse of 0.2 ms duration followed by a band-selective refocusing pulse which "refocused the and -ATP resonances, but not the -ATP resonance (p. 200)" in order to "suppress the effect of P-P J-modulation (p. 200)." With this arrangement, Lei et al. report and P ATP T2 values of 26 ms at 7 T in the human brain. Comparing their 7 T P metabolite relaxation times with those measured at other, lower, field strengths, Lei et al. make the general statement that "...no clear field dependence for T1 and T2 was identified (p. 203)." Justification for this statement appears in the literature synopsis contained in their table 2. Within that table, however, a curious discrepancy among previous ATP P T2 ATP measurements is observed. Namely, Remy et al. (2), at 4.7 T in rat brain, and Merboldt et al. (3), at 2 T in human brain, reported low T2 values in the 20–40 ms range. In contrast, Jung et al. (4) reported much longer P ATP T2 values in the 60–90 ms range for human brain at 1.5 T. In fact, Jung and colleagues (4–7) performed several studies in the 1990s of both skeletal muscle and brain in which the P ATP T2 values were measured to be much longer than those reported in the earlier studies (2,3). They attributed the low T2 values reported in the early works (2,3) to an incomplete accounting of J-coupling oscillations. The longer T2 values suggested by Jung and colleagues led us to attempt the use of multiecho sequences (8) to rapidly map ATP resonances in live mice at 4.7 T (9). Our moderate success in this endeavor was, we believe, due to in vivo P ATP T2 values in excess of 60 ms and properly taking into account AMX J-coupling oscillations among the three ATP resonances when considering echo spacings and performing image reconstructions (9). Thus, we return to the 26 ms P ATP T2 values reported by Lei et al. (1) at 7 T in the human brain. Have the authors measured the actual T2 values or, as with the early reports, has J-coupling among the ATP phosphorous nuclei led to artificially low T2 values? The authors did employ a frequency-selective refocusing pulse in their Hahn spin echo acquisitions which, for perfect 90° and 180° flip angles, will eliminate J-coupling oscillations with TE for the and resonances. Of course the use of a transmit/receive surface coil configuration for spatial localization makes perfect flip angle assumptions problematic. Phase cycling of the refocusing pulse and crusher gradients, both of which the authors state were employed, may have ameliorated this problem. However, the phase cycling scheme and any detailed description of how it "eliminates unwanted coherence transfer pathways (p. 200)" for an AMX system subjected to a , – TE/2 – (2 ) , selective – TE/2 – acquire sequences as applied with a surface coil distribution of flip angles were not provided in the article. Similarly, spectra at various echo times were not shown. Thus, it is difficult to assess the extent to which the reported T2 values for the P ATP resonances have or have not been affected by J-coupling. The authors may be confident that such problems have been overcome by their technique and that their 7 T P ATP T2 values are accurate. If so, and if the reports of P ATP T2 values in excess of 60 ms at lower field strengths are to be accepted (4–7), then there is indeed a pronounced reduction of T2 values at ultrahigh field strengths, despite the authors' conclusion that there is "...no clear field dependence... (p. 203)." Knowledge of ultrahigh field P ATP T2 values will be critical for determining optimal sequence design strategies and sequence parameters as well for assessing fundamental mechanisms influencing ATP relaxation such as diffusion, susceptibility effects, etc. Unfortunately, there are some puzzling aspects of the measurements and/or interpretations of these values in the recent report by Lei et al. (1) which can hopefully be clarified. Simply put, is the history of P ATP T2 measurements at lower field strengths repeating itself (2–7) or is there a fundamental shortening of P ATP T2 values at ultrahigh field strengths?


The interaction of N2+, N+ ions with α - Fe nanoparticles in copper film has been studied by Mossbauer spectroscopy. The results showed that there was obviously non -- liner effect in N2+ ion implantion. In the present study, the processes of thermodynamics for collision and after collision of N2 + and N + ions with α - Fe nanoparticles have also been investigated.


This paper presents an algorithm to mend the Enhanced Adaptive FEC (EAFEC) mechanism for improving video delivery over WLAN. The algorithm is based on two factors, first of which is the queue length in the access point (AP), indicating network traffic load; the other is packet retransmission times, indicating wireless channel state. According to these factors, two different redundant FEC packets were calculated separately, through setting the redundant FEC packets different weight value, the final redundant FEC packets is acquired. The simulation test proved there is much improvement especially in sudden changing video scenes, when our algorithm is adopted, compared to EAFEC.


The winner of the 2008 TOGART Contemporary Art Award (NT) along with the prize-winning entry is discussed. Details of some of the other prize-winning entries that stand out the most are highlighted.


A detailed analysis of the fluid flow in the single screw extruder is performed by combining numerical and analytical methods. While finite element analysis numerical models are used to extract the transversal velocity field, an analytical model in the limit of zero Reynolds numbers is used to determine the longitudinal component of the fluid velocities. The high resolution 3D model developed for the fluid flow in single screw extruders with aspect ratios (i.e. depth/width) ranging from 1 to 0.1, allows the identification of the position and extent of Moffatt eddies that impede the fluid mixing through the entire extruder's volume. This information is used to estimate the extent by which the Moffatt eddies formation affects the mixing in the extruder, and also to develop strategies to prevent their formation.


A mixed methods study in Brazil identified patterns of drug use, violence and sexual behaviours in a representative sample of nightclubs and patrons. Ethnographic observations were performed inside the nightclubs and showed the existence of "dark rooms" - areas reserved for sexual intercourse - in nightclubs targeting men who have sex with men. The letter describes characteristics of the sexual behaviour in these areas.


The 'celebratory account' of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) acclaims it as a success story among National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs), and attributes its success to its character as a 'communications framework' one which makes the existing qualifications system more transparent in order to facilitate its coherence and coordination, in contrast to reforming and transformational frameworks which aim to change systems more directly. This paper examines the celebratory account and compares it with an alternative, 'sceptical account' of the SCQF. It concludes, with reservations, that the SCQF has been successful, but that many of its achievements can be attributed to earlier reforms and sub-frameworks which more closely match the reforming and transformational ideal types. Nevertheless the SCQF which over-arched these sub-frameworks has added further value and supported functions which only a comprehensive framework can provide. The paper concludes that typologies of NQFs are valuable for understanding their different ways of working but no simple conclusions can be drawn about the superiority of any one type.


This study investigates consumer perceptions toward seafood produced from regions near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP). It applies probit and latent class analyses on consumer survey data for tuna fish and wakame seaweed from regions near the FDNPP. We find consumers who perceive a high risk of radioactive contamination of food, have children, and a higher level of academic achievement tend to react negatively toward buying seafood from regions near the FDNPP. However, elderly individuals and those sensitive to environmental issues respond positively toward such seafood. The latent class analysis revealed a consumer group that enthusiastically supports the disaster-affected region and has a higher willingness to buy products from the region. The results provide valuable information to help alleviate the economic effects resulting from negative perceptions toward seafood from these regions.


Searching for information on foreign patents has always been a difficult task, especially before the advent of computer technology. Prior to the Internet becoming easily accessible for the average person, there were very few options available. The Derwent World Patents Index was probably the most used resource, but it is an expensive system, usually requires an experienced searcher, and is only available through subscriber-based online systems like Dialog. With the advance of the World Wide Web and recent improvements in Web browser technology, more options began to appear. Many countries now offer Web sites that allow searchers limited access to their patent collections, but the process of searching multiple sites can be both time consuming and confusing. What searchers need is a site that allows them to query many countries at once, so they can get a preliminary search done on as many countries as possible at the same time. Additionally, users often need other related materials such as legal notices, assistance with the application process, search files, and publications that provide patent information. While not perfect, the Web site of the European Patent Office (http://www.european-patent-office.org/) has done the best job to date at accomplishing this task.


Construction is a sacred rite in American life—it demonstrates vision.1 In the rise of suburban developments, the flow of cars on an expressway, and the glimmer of skylines it embodies democracy. At the same time, the willingness, the compulsion even, to build homes and infrastructure in difficult terrains defines the American construction boom of the postwar decades. As such, disaster has become the partner of American construction. Americans have since the 1940s rapidly and profitably built themselves into harm's way on the New Jersey shore, south Florida, the Texas coast, the wildfire corridors of California, on and on and on. In destruction we find scenes of horror, but also moments of transcendence—the heroism of rescue, the compassion of disaster relief. We also locate in disaster the seeds of reconstruction—a stimulant to the engineer, the banker, the builder, the real estate firm. These values are deeply wired into American technological enthusiasm. But what of the interval between construction and destruction—the tedious, the scheduled, the largely invisible work of infrastructure maintenance? Maintenance never wins headlines, and neither does the failure to maintain (until disaster strikes). Maintenance isn't visionary, nor is it transcendent. Maintenance is missing from the skyline. Deferred maintenance becomes obvious when systems under stress fail. Sometimes these are "one off" events,


Fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic are highly suitable mathematical tools for developing intelligent systems in medicine. This paper presents a fuzzy expert system based on positive rules for diagnosing depression types. A knowledge base that includes more than 800 positive rules to determine diagnostic conclusions for 04 types of depression. The expert system has been tested on more than 200 medical records of depressed patients. Test results show the suitable accuracy of the system in diagnosis.


An alternating electromagnetic field of large amplitude gives rise to a shift, not connected with the change of the sample temperature, of the field of the superconducting transition.


Just about five years ago, a t the meetings of the Society of American Bacteriologists in Saint Louis, during Christmas 1940, the author was requested to preside over a round table discussion on the subject of the production of antibacterial substances by microorganisms. Both the organizer of that round table, Dr. Dubos, and the proposed Chairman failed to secure enough participants for that two-hour discussion. No better example can serve to illustrate the tremendous progress made in this new branch of science, namely that of Antibiotics, than to point to this Conference which we are about to open. It was, now, not a question what subjects to discuss and what speakers to invite, but to decide what could be left out and who among the numerous workers on this subject were most able to represent the various aspects of this field of research and application. Certain important aspects of the subject had to be left out entirely. It is sufficient to mention, for example, the chemistry of the antibiotics, other than penicillin, the mode of action of antibiotics upon bacteria, the increased resistance of bacterial strains to a given antibiotic, and others. Various sciences have contributed to the development of the science of antibiotics, but none more than microbiology and chemistry. The resulting practical applications have been outstanding, but none has been more important than in the treatment of human diseases. The contribution of the microbiologist to the science of antibiotics has proceeded along four distinct paths, which can be briefly summarized as follows: 1. The Fate of Disease-producing Bacteria that Find Their W a y Into the Soil. With the rapid progress of medical bacteriology during the seventh and eighth decades of the last century, fear was expressed that pathogenic bacteria which find their way continuously into the soil may render the latter a source of infections and epidemics. A careful study, therefore, was undertaken of the bacterial population


The ratio of aging and chronic diseases is increasing day by day; therefore, the people are interested in better health management. They are interested in patient-centered methods instead of the traditional and conventional hospitalized services. The idea of UHealthcare is getting popularity. The U-Healthcare is responsible for the observations of different states of health during running, walking, and jogging. Researchers and developers are focusing on a telemedicine system composed of Mobile, Ubiquitous and Wireless Body Area Network. The U-Healthcare system is still a little bit vague and obscure, and due to the shortcomings, the complete adoption of the U-Healthcare system is not possible. So, for this purpose, we just need to take the inclusion of latest, wellsophisticated hardware, communications, interconnections, trademark computing, advanced routing and privacy to the upcoming child of U-Healthcare based on Mobile, Ubiquitous and Wireless Body Area Network. In this paper, we have critically analyzed the relevant papers on Mobile, Ubiquitous and Wireless Body Area Network specifically in terms of the routing and security issues.


The decisions we make here in the United States can no longer be focused solely on their importance to us alone.


The utility model relates to an improvement for the joint structure of Christmas tree branches, which has the design of the joint of the Christmas tree branches as an umbrella-shaped body which is provided with a plurality of symmetrical top and bottom elliptical holes and grooves on the inner and the outer sides, then the tree branches are inserted and penetrated through the top and bottom elliptical holes and fixed at the end of the groove, and a very natural and stable fixing state is formed. The utility model has the advantages of simple structure, block mount, easy use, time saving and low cost.


Structured illumination microscopy is a widely popular super-resolution technique for live cell imaging capable of surpassing the diffraction limit. Its temporal resolution is limited by the need to capture multiple low-resolution images to reconstruct a single high-resolution image. When observing rapid biological processes, the local movement between frames leads to the formation of reconstruction artifacts, which subsequently impair the data interpretation. We propose to include this type of movement in the definition of the image formation forward problem. The motion can then be estimated from the original data using optical flow, and the optimization problem is solved using the alternating direction method of multipliers. Our approach is tested against other reconstruction techniques on both synthetic and real biological data.


This paper considers synthetic aperture radar and other synthetic aperture imaging systems from an arbitrary (known) flight path. We assume a single-scattering model for the radar data, and we assume that the ground topography is known but not necessarily flat. We focus on cases in which the antenna footprint is so large that the standard narrow-beam algorithms are not useful. For this case, (Nohan, CJ and Cheney, M, 2003) gave an explicit backprojection imaging formula that corrects for the ground topography, flight path, antenna beam pattern, source waveform, and other geometrical factors. In this paper, we show how to modify the backprojection algorithm to account for statistical information about noise and clutter.


After the outbreak of COVID-19, immediately it converted from epidemic to pandemic. Radiologic images of CT and X-ray have been widely used to detect COVID-19 disease through observing infrahilar opacity in the lungs. Deep learning has gained popularity in diagnosing many health diseases including COVID-19 and its rapid spreading necessitates the adoption of deep learning in identifying COVID-19 cases. In this study, a deep learning model, based on some principles has been proposed for automatic detection of COVID-19 from X-ray images. The SimpNet architecture has been adopted in our study and trained with X-ray images. The model was evaluated on both binary (COVID-19 and No-findings) classification and multi-class (COVID-19, No-findings, and Pneumonia) classification tasks. Our model has achieved an accuracy value of 98.4% for binary and 93.8% for the multi-class classification. The number of parameters of our model is 11 Million parameters which are fewer than some state-of-the-art methods with achieving higher results.


The invention relates to an exercise bicycle with a reciprocating mechanism of a pedal along a track. The exercise bicycle mainly comprises a main frame, a crank, an adjusting rod, a rotating shaft, the pedal and the track, wherein the main frame is used for supplying a base to a motion; the crank is used for transferring kinetic energy; a distance can be adjusted by the adjusting rod; the track is connected with a rotating base and is used for supplying a synchronous motion trail to a sliding base; the crank is connected with the rotating base; the track is connected with a swinging rod through a second connecting rod; the rotating shaft is used for fixing the swinging rod and causing the swinging rod to move along the rotating shaft; the sliding base is connected with the adjusting rod through a first connecting rod; the pedal is mounted on the sliding base; and under the driving of an input torque, a circular motion of the crank is converted into a reciprocating motion of the pedal on the track by a planar four-rod mechanism which is composed of the track, the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod and the adjusting rod, so as to change a stride of a sporter, wherein a change curve of the stride is a sine curve. The exercise bicycle provided by the invention has the beneficial effects that the reciprocating mechanism is the planar four-rod mechanism composed of the track and the connecting rods; the periodical change of the stride is realized by using the motion mechanism of the pedal along the track, so that human motion is more suitable and comfortable; and the cardio-pulmonary function and the physical coordination of a body builder and a rehabilitee are increased.


There are interesting transitions among each polymorphism of Locusta migratora (Linnaeus), namely gregarious, solitarious phrase and intermediate forms among or between them. The different phrases can be distinguished by physiological, biochemical, morphological and behavioral traits and closely correlated to insect density, endocrine and semiochemical substances as recently reported. The research on influencing factors and regulatory mechanisms of phrase polymorphism in Locusta migratora could make significant contributions to reveal its occurring rules and improve its control effects.


ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Piotr Soczewka is first author on 'Yeast-model-based study identified myosin- and calcium-dependent calmodulin signalling as a potential target for drug intervention in chorea-acanthocytosis', published in DMM. Piotr is a PhD student in the lab of Prof. Treresa Żołądek at the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland, investigating the use of yeast to study neurodegenerative diseases.


The Energy Transition in Germany fosters significant changes not only on the requirements for transmission networks but mainly in the conditions of the electricity distribution grids as well. These grids must not only distribute electricity to the consumer anymore. They must also be able to handle and transport more and more decentralized electricity generated in photovoltaic systems. The planned expansion of the photovoltaic systems until 2050 (when there is the target to supply 80% of the German electricity with renewable energy sources) is a key driver for the expansion of the networks and storage technologies, as this energy will be predominantly connected to the distribution network. By the end of 2013, 35GW of electricity generated from solar technologies (corresponding to 100%) were connected to the electricity distribution network. As part of the energy transition the construction of additional facilities will increase significantly. That means that the capacity of the distribution network will not be enough anymore to transport the surplus electricity generated from renewable energies. For this reason, storage technologies must be purposefully used to optimize the network operation. By using chemical long-term storage (power to gas) it could be possible to achieve a significant load removal and with it, a reduction in the net expansion demand [1, 2].


A method comprising: - receiving a packet comprising one or more sample blocks of a stream, and - discarding a Teilabtastblocks package that remains after detecting an end of the packet, - receiving an expected packet length indicating a number of complete sample blocks for the packet, - receiving an actual packet length indicating a number of complete sample blocks for the packet, and - Accept the number of complete sample blocks indicated by the actual packet length despite the expected packet length indicating fewer or more complete sample than the actual packet length.


Part 1 Introduction: twofold approach issue outline structure of the analysis global politics approach. Part 2 Global securities market: historical background the world economy in the 1990s globalization of the securities flows assessing the level of global integration. Part 3 Warnings: the debt crisis the 1987 stock market crash Banco Ambrosiano and BCCI affairs. Part 4 International relations and finance: petrodollars and hostages international relations - main perspectives regime theory. Part 5 Policy community formation: political actors in theory political actors in reality. Part 6 Agenda formation - evolution of global norms: agenda setting, global agenda. Part 7 From international economics and international politics to the global market: global private regime for capital flows - an example.


Dear Editor: As a palliative care team members at large, academic hospitals, we are often called to discuss a patient's ''goals of care,'' which we approach in a standardized fashion. Interestingly, despite the fact that ''goals of care'' is oft mentioned in the literature, there are very few guidelines on how to approach such a conversation. We feel compelled to find a structure for goals of care conversations for several reasons: Given the task-oriented nature of medicine and the fact that our team frequently interacts with multidisciplinary learners, we find that we need a way to clarify that goals of care is not just code status and is different from the plan of care. Two, we have not found the SPIKES model to be helpful in early goals of care conversations given that it is specifically focused on sharing news. And three, recommendations for patient-centered goals of care communication go back as far as 1996 and yet there is no consensus approach to having these conversations. To these ends, our team has developed the following approach to having goals of care conversations at any stage of serious illness. It begins like all other important conversations, with consideration for the setting, which should be as personal and quiet as possible. Ideally, all interested parties should be together and in person. Following this, we encourage ourselves and our learners to remember to know the PERSON prior to making important medical decisions.


Abstract : In conclusion, my thoughts regarding the modernization of our nation's defenses can best be summed up as follows: One, there will be continuing pressures to limit defense spending for this reason, I am not optimistic about maintaining current spending levels, much less any significant increases in defense budgets. Two, the Department of Defense is committed to "freeing up" additional resources by cutting excess infrastructure, privatizing support functions and re engineering our logistics processes looking across the defense program, though, I believe that these actions will generate enough investment funds to meet our needs. Three, we need to pursue a realistic, long term strategy for stretching the defense modernization dollar this must include leveraging the commercial sector as well as the industrial base of our allies and reliable friends. Four, we have made substantial progress in moving from separate defense and commercial industrial sectors to an integrated national industrial base but there is still much more to do I need your help in convincing the Congress to support initiatives like the Dual Use Applications Program and the Commercial Technology Insertion Program. And Five, greater armaments cooperation with our friends and allies will be necessary for promoting interoperability of coalition forces, for obtaining "best value for the dollar," and strengthening the connective tissue between our respective nations. There is no single "silver bullet" that we can rely on to maintain the technological superiority of US forces at an affordable cost. Instead, we are going to pursue a deliberate, carefully crafted and multifaceted investment strategy to create a legacy for US forces in the year 2010


CFG (Cement Fly-ash Gravel) pile is consisted with macadam, gravel, sand, fly ash mixed with cement and water. In sand, silt, clay and muddy soil and miscellaneous fill foundation, there have been many applications of CFG technology. The attentions and matters of CFG processing are analyzed in this paper.


Organisations have used information and communications technologies (ICT) to gain a competitive advantage. Presently, social media, in particular, social networking sites play a crucial role in business and enable a collaborative environment for business activities through networked relationships. Despite the benefits offered, many businesses are reluctant to use these tools because of privacy, security, and cultural issues. Through a literature review of the environment this chapter provides an overview of the ways businesses can use social media, and background information for understanding the growth and importance of social networks and social networking sites. One of the ways to prepare for future growth is to analyse social media in a business environment by using Earl's model of evolution as a framework. Investigating and understanding the influence of Web 2.0 on business should provide professionals and enterprises with a better understanding of how this tool can be integrated with work activities. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-2919-6.ch036


Objective To study hemorrheological changes in patients with cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction and compare the treating effect of cerebral infarction in different regions.Methods hemorrheological assay was done in 115 cases of acute cerebral vascular disease(ACVD) and control group respectively.Results There were multi_item abnormalities of viscosity in ACVD group, it is more obvious in HCT, blood viscosity ratio and erythrocyte electrophoresis(P0.01). Among 44 cases of cerebral infarction, the most evident changes are hematocrit and platelet aggregation (P0.01).Conclusions The blood viscosity changes in ACVD may play an important role in treating and preventing cerebral vascular disease, the effect of isovolumetric dilution method is superior to that of other methods.


In this article asked to describe the synergy of a number of variables, among which are: an increase in profit, cost cutting, reducing the need for investment, etc. Well-known in economics synergies author adds synergy investment and innovation synergies. The author also proposed a concept of "synergy conglomerate", which is to bring together in a single structure of businesses with different stages of development and different dynamics of market conditions, thus reducing the overall cyclical development of the cluster.


The present paper aim to develop the Austrian Theory of Business Cycle in order to conclude that economic fluctuations are unavoidable. The conventional version of Austrian business cycle theory focuses on a temporary imbalance between natural and monetary rates of interest. When, because of the role of monetary authorities in defining the monetary rate, the two values are in a situation of imbalance, the resulting expansion stage is followed by a recession. On the other hand, if instead the expansive phase arises without any interference by monetary authorities but through re-adaptation of the productive structure to a modified structure of temporal preferences, a period of sustainable growth begins that will not be followed by a crisis. The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate, on the other hand, that because of profit-expectations and the combined action of Schumpeterian elements (imitations-speculations and the 'creation of money' by banks), even a so-called 'sustainable' boom will be affected by a liquidation and settling crisis. What distinguishes the latter situation from the conventional case of imbalance between monetary and natural rates is not the onset or otherwise of a crisis but, rather, its intensity and duration. We will define as natural an economic cycle characterised by a stage of expansion considered to be 'sustainable' in the Austrian theory but followed by an inevitable readjustment crisis. In conclusion we will try to link our theoretical conclusions with the crisis emerged in the Western world in 2007, to test the explanatory power of our theoretical framework.


This qualitative research study examined the use of Information and Communicative Technologies (ICT) by high school students from economically-disadvantaged households. This household use of ICT to complete assigned and unassigned homework outside of the traditional high school setting was the focus of this study. Qualifying surveys gathered from 240 students resulted in the finding that the majority of the students' at this urban, inner-city high school had Internet access at their household or immediate access at a friend or relative's household. Student participants in the interview phase of the study ascribed their choice of using ICT to be attributed to the ease of use and the perception that utilizing ICT as a resource resulted in tasks being accomplished, at a quicker rate. The multi-tasking capabilities of computer technologies were found to be the key facilitating as well as hindering factor in student use of ICT outside of the school. The use of ICT as a supplemental resource in the completion of traditional homework assignments was a notable pattern in the findings. Teachers surveyed in the study were found to assign ICT-based homework to students regardless of the perceived levels of Internet access at students' households.


The laser tracking system for measuring the coordinate of spatial moving targets is a newly-developed aspect and frontier in metrology.The measuring system is a combination of the techniques of laser interferometry,photoelectric detection,precision mechanism,computer control system and modern numerical computation.The moving targets are tracked and its spatial position and attitude measured in real time.If more than one laser interferometers are used to give a redundant design,the position of moving target can be obtained by the least-square method with the datum of length variation.The mathematical model of the laser tracking and measuring system by length-measured method are discussed.The optical design and the tracking controlling system based on the PID controlling principle are presented.The experiment results of tracking and measuring the coordinate of a moving target in 2D plane are given.


Abstract : This report documents a monitoring program to assess the effectiveness of SEASCAPE, an artificial seaweed, for temporarily stabilizing the shoreline fronting the lighthouse at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The monitoring program consisted of aerial photography, beach profile surveys, reconnaissance dives, and ground photography. Although consideration accretion ocurred during the monitoring period, the accumulation was the result of a general build up of the beach which averaged 25 ft over the 6.1-mile study area. There was no conclusive evidence to link the buildup to the 5,000 ft of SEASCAPE which was deployed in October and November, 1982. Moreover, it was not possible to attribute burial of the SEASCAPE to the action of the artificial seaweed versus burial by normal wave-driven migration of sand. The units themselves were found to deteriorate and to fragment with whole units and parts of units washing up on the beach. Keywords: Evaluation and hydrodynamics of offshore structures; Seascape(Artificial seaweed), Lighthouse protection, Sediment transport; Coastal engineering.


An extension of HMM-based speech synthesis is proposed to reproduce natural speech sounds. For compression of large amounts of speech, the use of speech synthesizers has an advantage in terms of the size of compressed data. However, the quality of synthetic speech is often inferior to that of speech compressed by general-purpose speech codecs such as CELP, where prosodic features are reproduced more accurately. Therefore, we propose adding complementary information to reproduce natural prosody. In the proposed method, inappropriate state feature vectors of HMMs determined by the conventional speech synthesis method are substituted by other vectors bound to the decision trees. The experimental results indicated that substitution of 20% of state feature vectors reduces root mean squared error (RMSE) in log F0 to 0.3 semitones, which is approximately 15% of RMSE without substitution.


The influence of drug properties such as solubility and core shape on microencapsulation with ethyl cellulose (EC) by the phase separation method was studied. Drugs having various solubilities from about 1% to 37% in the 1st fluid of the disintegration test in JP (vitamin C, vitamin B6, isoniazid, trimebutine maleate and theophylline) were pulverized, granulated into spherical or cylindrical shapes, and used as core materials to eliminate the influence of crystal shape. To obtain spherical microcapsules (MC) having a uniform wall, various preparation conditions were tested; wall thickness could be adjusted by changing the cooling time. It was found by use of spherical core materials of vitamin C and isoniazid that the permeability constants, Pm, linearly decreased as the wall thickness increased up to 12 μm, and then remained constant. Comparison of microcapsules containing the above five drugs revealed that the content of EC in MC decreased with increasing drug hydrophilicity. The dissolution rates from MC having a wall thickness of 12-15 μm were slower for less water-soluble drugs, though the plots of dissolution percent against the so-called reduced time showed similar dissolution patterns. Pm values were almost the same for all drugs except theophylline. As regards core shape, crystalline material showed the fastest dissolution, followed by cylinder and sphere in that order.


1 The endogenous opioid ligands interact with more than one of the μ‐, δ‐ and κ‐binding sites. By the use of binding assays and bioassays, enkephalin analogues have been assessed for their selectivity for binding at the (5‐binding site and for their agonist and antagonist activities at the δ‐receptor. The electrically‐induced contractions of myenteric plexus‐longitudinal muscle preparations of the guinea‐pig ileum were inhibited by μ‐ and κ‐receptor ligands. Inhibitions were seen with μ‐, δ‐ and κ‐receptor ligands in the mouse vas deferens, mainly with μ‐receptor ligands in the rat vas deferens and only with κ‐receptor ligands in the rabbit vas deferens. 2 From observations on a considerable number of [Leu5] enkephalin analogues, it has been concluded that [d‐Pen2, d‐Pen5] enkephalin and [d‐Pen2, l‐Pen5] enkephalin are the most selective δ‐agonists and that N,N‐diallyl‐Tyr‐Aib‐Aib‐Phe‐Leu‐OH is the most selective antagonist (Aib = α‐aminoisobutyric acid). The binding of these peptides at the δ‐site is 99% of the total binding. As to potency, the agonists are superior to the antagonists.


The five-dimensional AGT correspondence implies the connection between the q-deformed Virasoro block and the 5d Nekrasov partition function. In this paper, we determine a q-deformation of the four-point block in the Coulomb gas representation from the 5d Nekrasov function, and obtain an expression of the q-deformed vertex operator. If we use only one kind of the q-vertex operators, one of the insertion points of them must be modified in order to hold the 2d/5d correspondence.


To the Editor.— Piazza et al 1 report a study that concludes that "passionate" kissing is unsafe. (Actually, they say it is "[not] protective," a curious term. No intimate activity is itself "protective" against human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] transmission, although using a condom, for example, may be. I assume the authors mean "not protected" or "unsafe.") I find this conclusion doubtful. Since the authors base their conclusion on the presence of blood in saliva, I assume they agree that the saliva itself is not of major concern in HIV transmission. 2 It is only the blood—and only that quantity of blood transferred between partners—that results in infection. Further, it is infected leukocytes that are of concern, not free virus. 3 I present some rough calculations, always erring on the side of overestimating the infection risk: Assume that all of the after-kissing increase in saliva hemoglobin concentration found by Piazza et


**This is an early working version of a paper subsequently revised and published in Journal of Cyber Policy 3(2) at doi: 10.1080/23738871.2018.1519030 ** Like all markets, online platforms need rules. Their rules are both written, in the form of community standards, terms of use, commercial contracts and policies, and unwritten, in the code that shapes their interfaces and the algorithms that bring market participants together. When online information intermediaries govern the exchange of news, content and speech, their rules (in this broad Lessigian sense) can raise profound issues of social welfare, cybersecurity and human rights. Information intermediaries are not publishers, but their role in facilitating content discovery means their rules have inevitable ethical implications; they are not merely neutral conduits. The past two years has seen heated debate about intermediaries' responsibilities with respect to online content. Commentators have alleged that in a wide range of areas, intermediaries' commercial incentives are insufficient to address harmful or illegal content, and that regulation is required. Arguments for content regulation need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and this paper does not seek to give a general view on the desirability of regulation. However, given that tensions between private market governance and law are inevitable, and will continue to raise issues of public interest, it is important to consider possible regulatory strategies; that is the purpose of this paper.


Objective: To identify factors causing turnover among dental assistants. Method: A qualitative study was carried out. The population of study was dental auxiliary personnel of two clinics in the north and south zones in Bogota, Colombia. Four individual in-person in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. The questionnaire included questions in six categories: personal information, job information, environment and work space, role and relations, motivations and recognitions, and perception. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. After content analysis, findings included the most relevant answers in each category. Results: The study identified four categories working conditions, socialization in the work place, family context and lack of incentives to describe the main reasons of turnover among dental assistants. Conclusions: conditions are the main cause of turnover. Other factors are absence of incentives, poor relations between assistants and supervisors, and difficulty to balance work requirements and family context.


Students demonstrating what they know and can do is at the core of learning, as teachers identify the next step in the learning process. The formative assessment data that teachers collect can guide choice of lessons and learning materials as well as discussions with students or parents. With timely feedback, the teacher can adjust the pace, identify students who need extra support, and offer enrichment for students progressing ahead of their peers. Most of the tools discussed here are free for a typical classroom, though some charge fees for large classrooms or advanced features. Ben Smith (email@example.com) is a physics teacher in Red Lion, Pennsylvania, and Jared Mader (jared@edtechinnova tors.com) is the director of technology for the Lincoln Intermediate Unit in New Oxford, Pennsylvania. They conduct teacher workshops on technology in the classroom nationwide. Poll Everywhere Several online tools can help with assessment by collecting and storing data on student knowledge, offering easy access later. At Poll Everywhere (www.polleverywhere.com), for example, students can submit answers via computer or mobile device to a question--which can be multiple choice, free response, or even an image poll--that the teacher displays by downloading a PowerPoint slide or through the website. The advantage of Poll Everywhere is the instant tally that appears, allowing the teacher to quickly assess the collective knowledge of the group. The disadvantage is that you cannot review individual student answers. Ben Smith (firstname.lastname@example.com) is a physics teacher in Red Lion, Pennsylvania, and Jared Mader (jared@edtechinnova tors.com) is the director of technology for the Lincoln Intermediate Unit in New Oxford, Pennsylvania. They conduct teacher workshops on technology in the classroom nationwide. Kahoot and Socrative Kahoot (https://getkahoot.com/ to create a session or www. kahoot.it/join for students to participate) is a game-based polling activity. The teacher designs the questions and receives a code. Students who enter the code can participate in the quiz, earning points for correct answers and speedy responses. Top scores (kept anonymous) are displayed, often increasing student enthusiasm. A more robust question-and-answer experience is found at Socrative (www.socrative.com), a web- or phone-based product that allows teachers to create quizzes with multiple choice, true/false, graded-short-answer or open-response questions. Teachers can even share quizzes they have made with other users. Socrative gives instant results but also has reports available on the back end that allow for analysis at the student or class level. When using Socrative, the teacher can allow students to go through at their own pace (with or without receiving immediate feedback) or as led by the teacher. …


The aim of this prospective cross-over study was to investigate the effect of two low-dosed oral contraceptives on markers of endothelial function and plasma lipids. Twelve healthy, nonsmoking women (mean age: 21.7 years) were recruited from the family planning clinic of the university hospital Zurich. For 6 months the participants received a treatment with two contraceptive pills containing 30 g ethinyl estradiol/150 g levonorgestrel (three cycles) and 30 g ethinyl estradiol/75 g gestodene (three cycles). Plasma levels of endothelin-1, nitric oxide, cholesterol, and HDL were measurement before and during treatment with both oral contraceptive treatments. No significant changes in the plasma levels of nitric oxide and endothelin-1, both important regulators of the vascular tone, were observed during oral contraceptive use. A significant negative correlation was found between nitric oxide and endothelin-1 and nitric oxide and cholesterol. There was a positive correlation between endothelin-1 and cholesterol. In conclusion, the investigated contraceptive pills did not cause major changes in circulating nitric oxide and endothelin-1 plasma levels. © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.


Wettability is always a key parameter for laboratory core floods. It is well known that cleaning efficiency and wettability restoration quality are key issues when cores are invaded by mud filtrate. This paper illustrate s the techniques used in some difficult field cases, where unconsolidated and tight sands are cored with oil- and ester-based muds. Cores were flooded by a series of solvents (toluene, toluene- isopropanol and isopropanol). Gas chromatography as well as ma ss spectrometry finger-print analyses were conducted on effluents at different stages of the cleaning process, on the crude oil used for wettability restoration as well as on samples of uncleaned and cleaned rock material. These techniques have been used to detect traces of contamination by oil- or ester-based mud filtrate. Complete Amott [1] wettability tests were performed on fresh state cores 1 and on cleaned samples and after wettability restoration. The main results on unconsolidated sands are: • In all cases, oil- or ester-based mud filtrate was present in the first cleaning effluent, confirming deep core invasion into highly permeable samples. • Gas chromatography or mass spectrometry does not detect any cases of oil - or esterbased mud filtrate in the last cleaning effluent or in the cleaned core. These results demonstrate that cleaning is efficient. • No contamination was detected in the crude oil used for wettability restoration. • The complete Amott tests show that samples are oil-wet 2 or slightly oil- wet at reception, water-wet or neutral after cleaning, and neutral or slightly oil-wet after wettability restoration. This observation is valid for both oil- and ester-based muds from different reservoirs. The results show that oil- or ester-based mud filtrates influence the wettability of many rocks and confirm the efficiency of the cleaning procedure used. They reveal that the use of fresh-state permeable sand samples leads to erroneous results, with different wettability


Potassium hydroxide(KOH) and sodium hydroxide(NaOH) were used for pre-extraction of corn stover hemicellulose under four conditions,the composition of the hemicellulose polysaccharides in the extracts and their corresponding contents were analyzed by ion chromatography.After pre-extraction,the residues were experienced NaOH-AQ pulping and QP bleaching.Results indicated that alkaline extraction had significant effect on corn stover hemicellulse extraction,when extraction temperature was 75℃,extraction time was 2 h and the extraction liquor was 1.5 mol/L KOH,extraction yield of hemicellulose reached 99%.55℃ hot water treatment before alkali hydrolysis had little effect on hemicellulose dissolving.When extraction temperature was 75℃ and extraction time was 2 h,yield of hemicelluose extracted with KOH was 20.5% higher than that with NaOH at the same OH-concentration.Results of pulping and bleaching experiments of the extracted residues showed that Kappa number of the pulp decreased and brightness of the unbleached pulp was much higher compared with the pulp from the raw materials without extraction,the yields of NaOH-AQ pulps were almost the same when different extraction methods were used,about 10% lower than that of the pulp from material without extraction.Tear index of both bleached and unbleached pulp from the extracted material increased greatly,while other physical properties such as density,breaking length and burst index decreased.


Teddies, blankets and thumb sucking are known as transitional phenomena, which play an important role in a child's journey to autonomy. Here Paula Brown recounts her step-son's relationship with a beloved bear.


The embodiment of the invention provides a repeater, and an identity authentication system applied to an intelligent door lock. The system comprises the repeater, the intelligent door lock and a server. The repeater comprises a Bluetooth module used for conducting communication with the intelligent door lock, a communication module used for conducting communication with the server and a processor; the Bluetooth module is coupled with the processor which is coupled with the communication module. By means of the repeater, the intelligent door lock does not need to directly conduct communication with the server through a wireless module, the intelligent door lock adopts the Bluetooth module to conduct communication with the outside world, the electricity is saved a lot, and the problems that battery replacing and installing need to be conducted frequently can be solved.


The aim of this paper is to provide an in-depth information of two pedestal tables (named Table du Sacre  and Guéridon Mauresque) designed by Leloy, and kept in the royal collections of Patrimonio Nacional (National Heritage).
Despite their differences, they both have some elements in common: not only Sèvres porcelain was used as their main decorative material offering painted historical scenes, but also both of them were gifts from French sovereigns to Spanish monarchs. The two pieces were also displayed in the 19th century at the Louvre Royale Manufactures Exhibitions as an example of the high quality that the Sèvres Manufacture achived.
Although the Table du Sacre (table of coronation due to its iconography) is of great interest, the decoration of the Guéridon Mauresque is specially remarkable as it provides an interesting insight between courts. It depicts Boabdil leaving the Alhambra, being directly inspired by the Nasrid Palace (15th century): a piece of furniture depicting a scene of the Spanish Moorish past, was made in France and later offered as a gift to the regent of the Spanish Kingdom María Cristina de Borbón.


Sections are included on centrifugal analyzer development, advanced analytical techniques, bioengineering research and development, environmental studies, chemical engineering research, controlled thermonuclear processing, and coal conversion process development. A separate abstract was prepared for each section. (JRD)


Present economics trade theory is not giving sufficient practical models to explain recent economic development regarding globalization. Indeed, globalization is not always the same globalization, as it is recognized through the different manifestations of this phenomenon. Based on the four basic business typologies (commodities, standards, specialties, convenience goods) a new comprehensive and normative model defines seven fundamental forms of economic globalization (1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b and 3a, 3b). Globalization type 1 and subtypes are related to physical trade, type 2 is related to the capital and financial world, and type 3 is related to the human factor. This distinction is necessary because each one has its own rational and performs differently from a globalization viewpoint. These basic globalization types help to model the phenotypic aspect of how globalization is happening. They allow us to understanding the competitive constellation and strategic moves of globally active companies as well as the different latent potential for unemployment. JEL Codes: F100, F200, L100


ficant for neurological findings. He was lethargic, disIntroduction oriented to person, place, and time, and had increased tremulousness. Cranial nerves II–XII were intact. Hyponatraemia is a common electrolyte disorder in Muscle strength was 5/5 throughout. Reflexes were the setting of central nervous system disease and is 2+ and symmetrical and the Babinski sign was negaoften attributed to the syndrome of inappropriate tive bilaterally. Initial laboratory examination was secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). This synunremarkable. A CT scan of the head without contrast drome is characterized by hyponatraemia with an showed evidence of a subarachnoid haemorrhage with inappropriately concentrated urine, increased urine extra axial haemorrhage adjacent to both frontal lobes. sodium concentration, and evidence of normal or A cerebral angiogram was normal with no evidence of slightly increased intravascular volume. By contrast, aneurysm or vascular malformation. there are patients with intracranial disease who develop The patient was transferred to Parkland Memorial hyponatraemia with similar characteristics but differ Hospital and admitted to the neurosurgery service. He in that there is clinical evidence of a contracted extrawas treated with librium for his tremulousness, dilantin cellular fluid (ECF) volume. This form of hyponatraefor seizure prophylaxis, and thiamine, folate and multimia is due to excessive renal sodium excretion resulting vitamins. Over the following days his mental status from a centrally mediated process and is termed cerebimproved to baseline. ral salt wasting (CSW ). While fluid restriction is the On hospital day 10 the patient was noted to be treatment of choice in SIADH, the treatment of CSW confused and hypotensive. His physical examination consists of vigorous sodium and volume replacement. was notable for orthostatic changes in pulse and blood pressure. The following data was obtained (mmol/l ): Given the divergent nature of the treatment and the Na 118, K 5.2, Cl 85, 3 22. Other laboratory tests potential for improper selection of fluid therapy to obtained showed a serum creatinine concentration of worsen the underlying clinical condition it is of para0.8 mg/dl, glucose 88 mg/dl, and a serum osmolality mount importance for the clinician to be able to of 258 mosm/l. The uric acid was 3.4 mg/dl. Tests of recognize and differentiate between these two entities. both thyroid and adrenal function were normal. Urine electrolytes showed (mmol/l ): Na 204, K 20, Cl 191. The urine creatinine concentration was 71 mg/dl and Case the urine osmolality was 633 mosm/l. In summary, this 44-year-old man developed sigA 44-year-old black man was admitted to an outside nificant hyponatraemia in association with a recent hospital after a fall with loss of consciousness. His subarachnoid haemorrhage. Two potential causes of past medical history was significant for chronic alcoholhyponatraemia in this setting are SIADH and CSW. ism complicated by alcohol withdrawal seizures and Distinguishing between these disorders will be the delirium tremens. On physical examination, the patient primary focus of this review. To better understand was found to be a thin black man who appeared older how these disorders differ from other causes of hyponathan his stated age. Vital signs showed: temperature traemia, a brief overview on the general approach to 98.6°F, heart rate 100/min, respiratory rate 18/min, the hyponatraemic patient will be provided. For a BP 140/60 mmHg without orthostatic changes. The more detailed discussion on this topic, the reader is remainder of the physical examination was only signireferred to two recent reviews [1,2].


Plastics are a major source of pollution in Kenya and present a wicked problem for the country, drawing in several players; the national and county governments, private sector, NGOs and street families each with their own agenda. The government has taken steps to control the plastic pollution problem through recent policy action including a ban on single use plastics and development of regulations. Producers have responded spontaneously through formation of collective Producer Responsibility Organizations to handle delegated extended responsibility over products they introduce into the market throughout the life cycle including the post consumption phase. The objective of the study is to analyse if the Responsibility Organizations are adequately designed to deliver on sustainability objectives in the plastics waste value chains. A case study approach was adopted using a review of secondary data. It is a finding of this study that two voluntary Producer Responsibility Organizations are operational in the plastics sector with commitments towards sustainability that work through member contributions and incentives to plastics waste collectors. A number of enabling policies and legislation are still in Draft form and need to be finalized. Comprehensive data on plastic production remains a challenge to assess the effect of the extended responsibility efforts so far. The plastics waste sector offers opportunity for employment for marginalized groups. Adaptive management practice offers opportunity for self-regulation by plastic producers with minimal government policing. The environmental, social, and governance aspects of the Producer Responsibility Organizations need to be strengthened


The formal and informal Islamic education available in Singapore has not factored unfortunately, the need to educate the local Muslims on the historiography of Islamic Education. More so, the conventional educational system has for years and persisted until now, not regarded this body of knowledge and information as important or relevant for national heritage and identity or for social and cultural developments. A good appreciation of the historiography of Islamic education in Singapore would be paramount, especially for individuals who assumed leadership roles, policy setters and decision-makers among the Muslims and the designated non-Muslim office bearers. It would be unfortunate and problematic, if the subject matter remained ambiguously or worse erroneously understood, by these key players because efforts towards defining, correcting, improving and refining matters in relation to Islamic education within Singapore context, should be based on proper understanding and analysis of the history, ideas, efforts and legacy of the early Muslims, the British colonialist, the government and related agencies, important institutions and personalities that influenced the Islamic education landscape until today.


Preface - Introduction - PART 1: A CRITICAL JUNCTURE - The Maastricht Backlash - The Temptation to Protect - An Unstable Continent, an Uncertain Future - The Return of the German Problem - A Defenceless Union - PART 2: THE POST-SOVIET ERA - The Age of Maastricht - Resisting the Temptation - From Fragmentation to Integration - A European Germany - A European Security Union - Conclusion - References - Bibliography - Index


In computer vision, estimating the depth information of object from an image/video has always been a hot topic, and finds many applications. In this paper, we make use of the image blurs caused by defocus aberration to estimate the relative distance in an object. To be more computationally efficient, we focus on the blurs along image edges. Experiments shows the effectiveness of our proposed method.


This paper uses the Current Population Survey to study older workers' transitions out of employment and into retirement during the first year of the pandemic. We find that, among workers ages 55 to 79, the likelihood of leaving employment over the course of a year rose by 6.7 percentage points, a 43-percent increase over baseline. Workers without a college degree, Asian–Americans, those whose jobs were not amenable to social distancing, and part-time workers saw disproportionate impacts. In contrast, the likelihood of retiring increased by 1 percentage point, and there was no immediate retirement boom for full-time workers under 70.


Through the analysis of incomplete information static game model and the dynamic tripartite sequential game model on public budget benefit subjects,the authors find out that there are some deficiencies in the single dimension of the stakeholders.Therefore,we should understand the real effect of the NPC budget supervision dialectically in order to avoid making mistakes.Besides,we should dialectically understand the discretion of government financial departments,and introduce incentive and punishment warning mechanisms to improve budget performance.What's more,implementation conditions of performance budget should be regarded objectively,and the internal market competition mechanism among capital users should be introduced.


ABSTRACT In this article, the nonlinear vibration frequencies of functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite doubly curved shell panels under elevated thermal environment are numerically investigated using finite element method. The doubly curved carbon nanotube-reinforced shell panel has been modeled mathematically using higher-order kinematics theory and Green–Lagrange geometrical nonlinear strains. The properties of the individual constituents of the graded composite are assumed to be temperature dependent. In addition, the properties of the media are obtained based on the modified rule of mixture. The carbon nanotubes are dispersed nonuniformly through the thickness direction. The large deformation kinematic effects on the structural responses are counted by including all the nonlinear higher-order terms in the formulation. The desired nonlinear responses are computed numerically using our in-house computer code in conjunction with the direct iterative scheme. The convergence and the accuracy of the present numerical model have been checked by solving various numerical examples. Nonlinear mechanical responses were affected by several other design parameters and explored numerically for the thickness ratios, volume fractions, temperature loading, type of geometries, and type of grading under the uniform thermal environment.


ABSTRACT Maturity models have been introduced over the last five decades as guides and references for information system (IS) management in organizations from different sectors. In the education sector, maturity models have also been used to evaluate higher education institutions (HEIs) across several dimensions, such as information and communication technology (ICT), management, process management, course curricula, course/HEI accreditation, e-/m-learning, online courses and pedagogical strategies. In fact, HEIs are faced with enormous complexity due to the specificity and quantity of their processes. Based on the guidelines concerning a methodology for a systematic literature review, the maturity models of different subareas of education are identified and categorized in this paper. For each maturity model associated with HEIs' ISs, the appropriate methodology for development and validation is identified, as well as the scope, stages and their dimensional characteristics. This study highlights the need to develop an IS maturity model that supports HEIs in their core business activities and management.


Nanomaterials with enzyme-mimicking activity (nanozyme) are at the targeted frontier for therapeutic interventions. However, it still remains a formidable challenge to selectively kill tumor cells through enzymatic reactions, while leaving normal cells unharmed. Herein, a new strategy is presented by developing single-site cascade enzymatic reaction for tumor-specific therapy while avoiding off-target toxicity to normal tissues. Copper hexacyanoferrate (Cu-HCF) nanozyme with active single-site copper exhibits cascade enzymatic activity (i.e., glutathione oxidase and peroxidase) within tumor microenvironment. Results show that Cu-HCF single-site nanozymes (SSNEs) first exert tumor-specific glutathione oxidase ability through depleting intracellular glutathione and converting single-site CuII species to CuI for subsequent amplified peroxidase activity via Fenton-type Harber-Weiss reaction, and thus substantial highly toxic hydroxyl radicals are generated for tumor cell apoptosis. Our work demonstrates that SSNEs could amplify the killing efficacy of singlet oxygen species and suppress the tumor growth in vivo, providing a promising self-assembled single-site nanozyme for amplified cascade enzymatic anticancer application.


In this paper, we focus on backward simulation of the CIR process. The purpose is to solve the memory requirement issue of the Least Squares Monte Carlo method when pricing American options by simulation. The concept of backward simulation is presented and it is classified into two types. Under the framework of the second type backward simulation, we seek the solutions for the existing CIR schemes. Specifically, we propose forward–backward simulation approaches for Alfonsi's two implicit schemes, the fixed Euler schemes and the exact scheme. The proposed schemes are numerically tested and compared in pricing American options under the Heston model and the stochastic interest rate model. Some numerical properties such as the convergence order of the explicit–implicit Euler schemes, the storage requirement estimation of the forward–backward exact scheme and its computing time comparison with the squared Bessel bridge are also tested. Finally, the pros and cons of the related backward simulation schemes are summarized.


The deepwater and ultradeepwater production and exploration technical demands are increasing on a daily basis. The benefit of having pipes with high strength and reduced wall thickness is very well recognized by all the oil community. In order to develop a high strength seamless 100 ksi weldable riser, a Joint Industrial Development Program (JIP) was launched in 2003. This paper describes the results of the first phase of this JIP, devoted to the development and production of seamless 100 ksi pipes. A detailed metallurgical analysis, including the role of chemical composition and quenching and tempering process conditions on the microstructure and precipitation was performed. The influence of the type of microstructure on strength, toughness and fracture mechanics behavior was studied in detail for both laboratory and industrial materials. The 100 ksi grade was accomplished for seamless pipes with wall thickness of 16 mm and 25 mm. The second phase, devoted to evaluate field weldability of this new product, is in progress.Copyright © 2007 by ASME


With the regard to Zhu Yuan-zhang's birthplace,there are two versions——the "Fengyang" and "Xuyi"——in recent years.In fact,as early as Zhu Yuan-zhang was still alive,"Fengyang" is the only version.After Yongle,the sacred legend about the birth of Zhu Yuan-zhang was diffused in the community.Some local officials of Xuyi draw these legend into Xuyi county by compilation of local history.So the "Xuyi" version appeared.From the birthing date,the Xuyi version was not the mainstream view,and the "Fengyang" version was the consensus of historians and the society in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.In the past 30 years,the Xuyi version rise again and challenge to the "Fengyang" version.


This study considers the medieval reception of Aristotle's philosophy of marriage. It provides an important contribution to research on both the medieval reception of Aristotle and the history of marriage.


n the eastern wall of the Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden) of Tōdaiji hangs a large architectural drawing on a wooden panel (3.28 m. in height by 5.98 m. in width). The existence of the hanging panel drawing has previously been recognized, but the surface of the panel has darkened, and can hardly be deciphered with the naked eye. The details of the panel drawing are revealed here for the first time. Sectional and elevation views of the Daibutsuden, which is elevenby-seven bays with a central core structure (moya), measuring nine-by-five bays with a skirting pent roof (mokoshi), have been drew on the panel at a reduced scale of one to twenty. The whole scale of the Daibutsuden in the panel drawing is identical to that of the Tenpyō era, but the spaces between the bays and the scale of their heights vary from the original. Its architectural style remain the Daibutsuyō. In order to situate the drawing in its historical context, I have assembled historical records and panel drawing of the Daibutsuden at Tōdaiji and of the Daibutsuden of the Hōkōji in Kyoto for comparison and considered the scales of the two Daibutsuden in these materials and the years of their creation. As a result, the panel drawing appears to be, as had previously been assumed, the first draft of the design of Nakai Mondo for the Edo-era reconstruction of the Tōdaiji Daibutsuden in Genroku1 (1688). The extant Daibutsuden has been reduced to seven bays in length, but the basic design seen in the panel is that used in the current Daibutsuden. Furthermore, the Tōdaiji Daibutsuden of the panel closely resembles various illustrations of the Hōkōji Daibutsuden in Kyoto. As the reverse side of the panel is yet to be investigated, the origin of its production and how it came to be in its present location are unclear.


Abstract:In early modern England, female grief was considered a far more material state of affect than the counterpart brands of sadness claimed by male scholars. This article explores how seventeenth-century writers dilate the material dimensions of women's grief by engaging a trope I call "sto(ne)icism." Both John Webster's Duchess of Malfi and Hester Pulter's poetic speaker express their grief in the most concrete of ways: by literally turning to stone in a stubborn show of remembrance for their lost objects. In so doing, I argue, they make out of women's material mourning a form of lasting melancholy.


In Conventionality Control of Domestic Law: Constitutionalised International Adjudication and Internationalised Constitutional Adjudication, Yota Negishi advances a theory of conventionality control, a doctrine of interaction between international human rights law and national law, that puts at the center of such interaction the pro persona principle. This commentary analyses Negishi's work, highlighting its major contributions and noting what it sees as problematic areas of the theory, in particular, the over reliance on the principle, and its use as a mechanism to allocate judicial competences. The commentary notes how the Inter-American Court of Human Rights' use of the principle can explain some of its most expansive caselaw, a caselaw that has come under scrutiny by members of the Court and that deserves serious attention by legal scholars.


A series of FT-IR spectrometer based remote sensing systems have been developed taking advantage of the new technology of IR transmitting optical fibers. The systems may be used to monitor the chemical composition of solid, liquid and gas phase samples. An array of remote sensors may be interfaced to a single FT-IR spectrometer through a multi-fiber launch module. An optical channel selector (OCS) allows the sensors to be addressed with a single opto-mechanically multiplexed detector system. Remote collimated beam sensors have been developed for web monitoring and liquid and gas phase sensing. An optimized multi-detector web monitoring system has been developed for moving web sensing on optically dttuse webs. Quantitative data will be presented for a number of remote spectroscopic measurements.


【Objective】 The involvement of intracellular Ca(superscript 2+) in regulation of Al-induced secretion of organic acids from roots of rye (Secale cereale L.) was investigated in present study to elucidate the mechanisms for Al resistance in plants. 【Method】 In present study, [Ca(superscript 2+)](subscript cyt) and its involvement in Al-induced secretion of organic acids from roots were studied by pharmacological method and confocal scaning microscopy technology. 【Rresult】Al not only induced the secretion of both citrate and malate, but also elevated the levels of [Ca(superscript 2+)](subscript cyt) of root apices and enhanced the fluctuation of [Ca(superscript 2+)](subscript cyt). However, the inhibition of Al-induced secretion of organic acids was followed by the interruption of Al-induced alternation in [Ca(superscript 2+)](subscript cyt) fulorescence intensity of roots treated with Verapamil or ruthenium red. Moreover, [Ca(superscript 2+)](subscript cyt) and the secretion of organic acids were also interfered or inhibited by the treatment with Trifluoperazine (CaM antagonist). Furthermore, Al-induced secretion of citrate was blocked by the treatment with EGTA, which resulted in a wide fluctuation of [Ca(superscript 2+)](subscript cyt) and a weak Ca(superscript 2+) fluorescence intensity. On the other way, the secretion of organic acids was inhibited by the treatment with anion channel inhibitor, niflumic acid. 【Conclusion】These results suggested that root tip [Ca(superscript 2+)](subscript cyt) might be a signal factor regulating Al-induced secretion of organic acids from roots in rye, while the anion channel of plasma membranes might be an effector in Al-induced Ca-signal transduction pathway.


Intestinal parasites have been considered as a major public health problem throughout the world. Tropical countries have relatively much acute problem of worm infestation among adults & children due to various reasons. Modern anthelminthic medicines are very effective in curing worm infestation but also cause a number of side effects and sometimes may cause resistance. Herbal drugs are less effective in compare to synthetic drugs but are relatively free from side effects. As per Ayurveda, herbal drugs are used in treatment of different type of koshtgata krimis. The review presents various clinical and experimental evidences which support the efficacy of ayurvedic drugs likeEmbelia ribes, Butea monospermum, Trachyspermum ammi, Dalbergia sisso etc against gastrointestinal worm infestation. These drugs have exhibited potent anthelminthic properties against Ascaris lumbricoides, Necator americanus, Trichuris trichiura which are the most common gastrointestinal worm infestation.


Virtual Instrument technology which is powerful.Flexible and convenient is the developing trend of measurement technology.Based on it, virtual digital oscillograph is designed using sound card sampling data.After testing,the virtual oscillograph can well display the tested wave with high definition and low distortion.


Coombs is Restaurant and Food Services Manager for the Inn. She reports to George. Two years ago, Sharon noticed a decline in room service business, the highest margin portion of her operation. This decline coincided with an increase in the national sales of pizza delivery and carryout firms as well as an increase in the number of empty pizza boxes from these firms being left in guest rooms in the Inn. Her immediate response was to install a pizza oven in the kitchen and offer room service pizza to guests. The effort met with modest success, though it was well below her expectations. Questionnaires completed by departing guests revealed a problem of product quality. Focusing on this problem, Sharon improved the Inn's pizza until blind taste tests judged it at least equal in quality to the products of the two major pizza delivery competitors in Augusta. Sales did not improve, convincing Sharon that the problem was a perceived mismatch between the hotel's image and guests' expectations of pizza makers. Guests simply did not seem to believe that the traditional steak and seafood restaurant at the Inn could make a high-quality, authentic pizza. Based on this conclusion, Sharon presented the following proposal to George: "Sales of room service pizza are stagnant due to guests' misperception that our product is lower in quality than that of competitors. This misperception is based on the belief that until we disassociate our pizza from the Marigold Inn name. Therefore, to capture more room service pizza business, we should create a 'Napoli Pizza' image for our guest room delivery service by: • Preparing 'Napoli Pizza' brochures for each guest room, complete with a phone number with a prefix different from that of Marigold Inn. The number will reach a special phone in room service, which will be answered, Napoli Pizza, authentic Italian pizza from old, family recipes.'


Background Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) is an evolving program for delivering financial protection against the cost of illness and enhancing access to quality health services for low-income informal households. Objective The study aimed to identify determinants of household dropout from a CBHI program in Mecha district, North West Ethiopia, 2019. Methods A community-based case-control study was conducted in the Mecha district from March 10 to June 10, 2018. The final sample was 634 (317 cases and 317 controls) determined by the two-population proportion formula, and these samples were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. The collected data was entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and analyzed using R version 4.0 software. Descriptive statistics computed. A simple logistic analysis was run (at 95% CI and p-value < 0.05) to identify the determinants for the dropout from CBHI. Results Poor perceived quality of care (AOR = 3.66; 95%CI: 2.35, 5.69), low knowledge of community-based health insurance (AOR = 6.02; 95%CI: 2.97, 12.26), no active community communication (AOR = 5.41; 95%CI: 3.29, 8.90) no chronic illness (AOR = 10.82; 95%CI: 5.52, 21.21) premium fee is not affordable (AOR = 2.35; 95%CI: 1.47, 3.77), and out of pocket money not reimbursed (AOR = 9.37; 95%CI: 4.44, 19.77) were the determinants for the dropout from CBHI. Conclusions Poor perceived quality of care, low knowledge of CBHI, no active community participation, no chronic illness, premium fees are not affordable, and out-of-pocket money not reimbursed were the determinants for the dropout from CBHI.


Surrounding organic residues are indispensable for the high water oxidation activity of the Mn4 cluster in photosystem II. Here, the stability of organic compounds on synthetic Mn oxides was analyzed using inlet electrochemical mass spectroscopy. Carboxyl groups, which are the most abundant residues around the Mn4 cluster, were found to stably facilitate the oxygen evolution reaction.


Objective To prepare two nano-scale ultrasound contrast agents,lipid particles and microbubbles,and to compare their physical and imaging enhancement characteristics.Methods Lipid nanoparticles were prepared with phospholipid and liquid perfluorocarbon (PFOB).Lipid microbubbles were prepared with phospholipid and perfluoropropane(C3F8).Physical and chemical properties of the two ultrasound contrast agents were measured,including morphology,size,zeta potential,concentration and stability.Both lipid nanoparticles and microbubbles with/without biotin were imaged using a 12.0 MHz linear-array transducer with/without avidin.The imaging data were analyzed by using Matlab software.Comparative data between the two groups were statistically analyzed by two-sample t test.Repeated measures analysis of variance was used among the observations at multiple time points within the same sample and Bonferroni method was used for post hoc analysis.Comparison of the signal intensity with and without avidin of the same sample was performed by paired t test.Results (1) Microscopically,both PFOB lipid particles and C3F8 microbubbles were in form of spheres.Their particle diameters were (152.30 ± 35.99) nm and (774.59 ± 108.59) nm,respectively (t =-24.327,P < 0.001).Their zeta potential was (-40.90 ±6.51) mV and (-14.80 ± 3.97) mV,respectively (t =-15.308,P < 0.001).(2) Concentration and size of PFOB lipid particles remained stable during the whole observation period (C0h =(2.28 ± 0.64) ×1011/ml,C1w =(2.06 ±0.53) × 1011/ml; D0h =(152.30 ±35.99) nm,D1 w =(178.80 ±63.07) nm).Concentrations of lipid microbubbles were stable within 12 h (C0h =(4.08 ± 0.96) × 1010/ml,C12h =(3.25 ± 1.02) × 1010/ml) ; and then reduced significantly after 24 h,2 d,4 d and 1 week (C24h:(2.28 ±0.73) ×1010/ml; C2d:(1.56±0.54) ×1010/ml; C4d:(1.03±0.37) ×1010/ml; C1w:(0.74 ±0.24) ×1010/ml ; F =78.515,P < 0.01).Diameters of the particles remained stable within 2 d (D0h =(774.59 ±108.59) nm,D2d =(1020.68 ± 223.64) nm) ; and then increased after 4 d and 1 week (D4d:(1391.67 ±268.65) nm; D1w:(1532.41 ± 326.25) nm,respectively,F =50.772,P < 0.01).(3) Neither control nor biotinylated PFOB particles were visible without avidin.With the addition of avidin,significantly enhanced images were generated by biotinylated PFOB particles (2.18 ±0.71,82.19 ± 15.68,t =-15.698,P < 0.001) but not with the control PFOB particles.Both control and biotinylated C3F8 microbubbles showed no significant difference in their signal intensity with/without avidin (29.16 ± 6.84 and 31.34 ±7.03,33.69±8.24 and28.75±7.18,t=0.653,-1.393,bothP>0.05).Conclusion Compared to C3F8 microbubbles,PFOB particles have smaller size,greater stability,higher SNR ratio and better imaging enhancement characteristics,therefore,more suitable for use as the target contrast agent for ultrasound imaging.

Key words:
Contrast media;  Ultrasonography ;  Lipid nanoparticles ;  Lipid microbubbles ; Comparative study


The elimination of reimbursement for consultation codes has impacted physician revenue greatly, in some instances. Learn how to address this in your practice.