In this article we draw from our introductory political science courses that teach civic engagement to freshman and non-majors in order to suggest that our experiences at Jesuit-run Seattle University could hold some clues to invigorating democratic citizenship among young Americans. In teaching a course, titled "Citizenship" , we have adopted an educational philosophy based on the idea that "democracy is not merely exercising the right to vote, but rather an obligation to engage in careful consideration and discussion for the purpose of creating a better life" (Ross 2004, 249).


The utility model relates to a blast-proof toxicity-proof floor drain used in the civil air defense, comprising a handle, an upper cover plate, a lower cover plate and a floor drain body. The upper cover plate is matched with the upper port of the floor drain body through a thread buckle, the lower cover plate is connected with a sealing pad to be closely matched with the outlet of the floor drain body, and the connecting part between the upper and the lower cover plates are in the concave and convex shape. The upper cover plate of the utility model can freely rotate, and the lower cover plate can only move vertically. The utility model has long service life and reliable sealing performance, can be completely used in the civil air defense in five grade or six grade, or be used in the civil air defense with a higher grade or in the underground space with higher decoration grade.


The enhanced process of globalization, cross- fertilization and transculturation has brought many changes all over the world. People started moving to Western countries for a better life, economy, education etc., and it has provided opportunities for them to grow in spite of having controversial issues in the alien land. They face alienation, up rootedness and loneliness with the resultant development of discrimination, intergenerational conflicts and cultural dilemmas. Migrants become emblematic figures in postcolonial literary studies which seek emancipation from all types of subjugation defined in terms of gender, race and class. As post colonial writer Uma Parameswaran's works reflect the voices of the immigrants who have registered their protest and their feelings against discrimination and the denial of their rights.


Ease of removal of the husk of oats from its enclosed kernel, hullability, affects the efficiency with which oats are milled. Hullability of a range of oat varieties was examined using a mechanical dehuller from autumn-sown trials in Northern Ireland, 1996–98, and in the Republic of Ireland, 1997–98. Varieties differed greatly in hullability, the spring variety, Barra, having good hullability while the winter variety, Gerald, had poor hullability. Differences between the varieties were largely consistent from site to site and from year to year despite large differences in the amounts of grain remaining unhulled from trial to trial. Although secondary grains were easier to dehull than primary grains, differences in the structure of the grain populations did not explain variation in hullability of the varieties. This study highlights the need for an investigation of the effects of agronomic factors on hullability.


The present invention relates to methods and compositions for larvae mature citrus and genetic transformation. In some embodiments, the present invention provides a genetic transformation by the Agrobacterium citrus - mediated DNA delivery methods and compositions, and methods for genetic transformation of mature citrus frequency by any method of DNA transfer, including the improved Sinorhizobium . From the newly formed shoots hypocotyl or mature citrus seedlings citrus plant (e.g., roots and mature plants after the newborn buds or bud very tender shoots of mature plants from grafting) between the junction internode artificial media prepared by pretreated induce callus formation. Substantially or completely remove any and all callus development meristematic regions in the immediately adjacent tissues, and the explants were then pretreated by conversion Sinorhizobium or other known methods. Intact plant roots or shoots grafted on a subsequent regeneration from the transformed cells.


Introduction: Plastic and rubber recycling is an effective means of reducing solid waste to the environment and preserving natural resources. A project aimed at developing a new composite material from recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) and recycled rubber is currently being conducted at Eastern Illinois University. The recycled plastic pellets with recycled rubber particles are extruded into some HDPE/rubber composite strands. The strand can be further cut into pellets that can be used to fabricate other material forms or products.


Aims: To quantify the incremental exposure of root crops, at point of harvest, to enteric pathogens from sewage sludge applied to agricultural land according to current regulations and guidance (Safe Sludge Matrix).


Electrochemical Capacitors (EC) are important energy storage devices as stand-alone or in hybrid energy systems for high power delivery. The key components in ECs are electrodes and electrolytes, which have been investigated extensively [1,2]. The electrodes are either based on electrochemical double layer (EDLC) or pseudocapacitance [1,2]. While the former are carbon-based with lower capacitance and lower cost, the latter can store more charge and tend to be more costly. Therefore, it is of great interest to develop composite materials that can leverage the performance advantages of both EDLC and psueducapacitive materials with low cost. We have developed a series of EDLC-pseudocapacitive composite electrodes via chemical modification of polyoxometalates (POMs) on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). Through this approach, we can increase the energy density by a few folds over the bare MWCNT. Moreover, this methodology enables us to design and tailor the deposited pseudocapacitive materials to achieve the optimum performance, which may impact other applications beyond the energy storage.


Preface Contributors Introduction The Formation of Hindu Ritual Abhiseka in the Vedic & post-Vedic Rituals Notes on the Installation Ceremonies described in the Grhyaparisistas Pratistha in the Saiva Agamas Consecration of Divine Images in a Temple The Installation Ceremony in Tantric Buddhism Linga Worship as Prescribed by Hiromichi Hikita Bibliography Index of Sanskrit Words.


The calculation of longitudinal electrical parameters of a three-phase metal-enclosed line, of losses arising in phase conductors and enclosures and of the external magnetic field at a different magnitude of the resistance of enclosures is carried out and the values obtained are analysed. The calculation is based on a mathematical model of the skin effect in a system of parallel direct conductors carrying the harmonic current. The calculation is performed by using a modified numerical solution of Fredholm equations.


The authors explore the interactions among firms with increasing returns regulated to break even by pricing with two-part tariffs. They provide conditions for existence and for efficiency of general equilibria with n firms. This involves finding hookup fees that are voluntarily paid and cover the firms' losses from marginal cost pricing--a problem that because of both substitution and income effects is complicated by multiple firms using two-part tariffs, but that must be solved to ensure the continuity of demands necessary to prove break-even equilibria exist. Copyright 1993 by Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania and the Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association.


This chapter examines the concept of 'force' as invoked in public international law more generally and in Article 301 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) more specifically, with emphasis on its application as an aspect of global ocean governance. Article 301 adopts the formulation of the prohibition of force contained in the Charter of the United Nations, but a variation of this formulation can also be found in the definition of 'innocent passage' contained in Article 19(2) of UNCLOS. The chapter considers the scope of this prohibition and the actions — or activities — it was designed to address as well as the occasions when UNCLOS envisages some form of physicality or physical interposition by States occurring outside their respective jurisdictions. It also discusses the threat as well as the use of force as spelled out in Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, along with emerging themes for ocean governance.


This research aims to analyse the implementation of the Kaili regional language preservation and development policy in Palu City. The policy implementation model uses theories from Van Metter and Van Horn, which affect the performance of public policy implementation consisting of six aspects, namely: (1) Policy objectives (2) Resources (3) Characteristics of implementing agencies (4) Communication between organizations (5) Socio-economic and political environment, (6) Disposition (Implementing attitude). The results of the study show that the implementation of regional language preservation and development programs in the city of Palu issued a number of regulations, namely in the primary school level curriculum the existence of subjects using language regions, naming street names with BDK and broadcasting tv shows using local languages, the proper implementation of a program is the result of commitment and understanding of the implementers of existing regulations / policies and being able to make local policies to strengthen the implementation of conservation and development of regional languages in the city of Palu.


Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease of which incidence has rapidly increased in the last few years. Despite the recent development of a licensed dengue vaccine, safer and more efficacious dengue vaccine still needs to be developed. Dengue virus has four antigenically and genetically distinct serotypes. Ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) and consensus sequence (CS) might be able to overcome antigenic distinction between those four serotypes. Envelope (E) protein is responsible for a wide range of dengue virus biological activities. Domain III of the E protein (EDIII) plays a role in receptor binding for viral entry and inducing protective immunity against the dengue virus. We utilised bioinformatics software to computationally design ancestral and consensus sequences of Asian dengue E protein. E protein sequences of 987 DENV strains and 5 outgroups were retrieved from GenBank. We constructed ancestral and consensus sequences for each serotype. For ASR, ancestral sequences were gradually designed to construct ancestral sequence for all serotypes using MEGA X. For CS, all four consensus sequences were directly used to construct consensus sequence for all serotypes using UGENE 1.32. Phylogenetic tree consisting existing dengue sequences as well as ancestral and consensus sequences were visualised using FigTree 1.4.4. All ancestral and consensus sequences were analysed for conserved motifs, especially in domain III region. ASR sequences were closer to the centre of phylogenetic tree branches while consensus sequences were located among natural isolates. Further CD4 T cell immunogenicity prediction on domain III (EDIII) showed that both ASR and consensus EDIII have the two-highest combined immunogenicity scores. These sequences are potential for further in vitro and in vivo studies as dengue vaccine candidate.

Keywords: ancestral sequence, consensus, dengue, envelope protein, vaccine


Aquatic ecoregion is the basis for the management of watershed environment in China.Indicators for ecoregion zoning are important for the framework of aquatic ecoregion framework.Several indicators for ecoregion zoning have been proposed in the previous studies.However,most of those indicators lack theoretical basis.For example,how to determine the characteristic scales of environmental factors and link it to a given level ecoregion are not investigated thoroughly.In order to address this issue,scale analysis on topography(DEM and slope) and vegetation is made by using scale variance analysis(SV) method,and precipitation data by the scale covariance methods(SC).Scale variance analysis is a method to detect spatial scales where significant spatial heterogeneity exists for raster data.Boxes are selected for scale variance analysis with the size of 2×2,4×2,4×4,8×4,8×8,16×8,16×16,32×16,32×32,64×32,64×64,128×64,128×128,256×128,256×256,530×256.Scale covariance method is deliberately proposed for long term point-measured records(e.g.precipitation),which cannot be appropriately analyzed with the scale variance method.SC method calculates covariance and correlation coefficient for each pair of point-measured records.Distance between every two points is estimated and then the pairs with distance less than predefined scales are selected for SC calculation.Largest outside rectangle of the boundary in the Liao River basin is chosen for data extraction and analysis.Altitude and slope derived from the SRTM-DEM data in the Liao River basin,provided by USGS,is utilized for scale variance analysis.NDVI in the Liao River basin in 2007 is selected for vegetation scale variance analysis.Both DEM and NDVI data are resampled with the cell size of 1km × 1km.Precipitation data from 34 stations within and around the Liao River basin from 1957 to 2008 are collected for scale covariance analysis.Scale covariance analysis results indicate that precipitation shows a characteristic scale of 75 km,corresponding to a box size of 5625 km2,and scale variance analysis shows that both topography(DEM and slope) and vegetation(NDVI) have characteristic scales of 16 km,32 km,64 km,and 128 km,corresponding to box sizes of 156 km2,1024 km2,16384 km2,respectively.Referring to the National Ecological Unit Hierarchy(NEUH) in USA,the aquatic ecoregion framework by US-EPA,and ecoregions defined in the European Water Framework Directive,the range of aquatic ecoregion in China is preliminarily determined.Size of aquatic ecoregion level Ⅰ is supposed to be more than 5000 km2 and less than 50000 km2,which approximately corresponds to the ecoregions between the levels of "Province" and "Section" in the NEUH or the very large ecoregions in the WFD,and the size for aquatic ecoregion level Ⅱ is about 1000 to 5000 km2,which approximately corresponds to the ecoregions of level "Subsection" in the NEUH or the large ecoregion in the WFD.On the basis of the primarily defined extent of both aquatic ecoregion level Ⅰ and level Ⅱ,potential indicators for level Ⅰ and level Ⅱ ecoregions are discussed.Conclusions are important for the selection of indicators in aquatic ecoregion zoning.


Particulate organic C(POC,an active organic C fraction) and black C(a stable organic C fraction) are two important C pools in soils,and their content could reflect stability of organic C in soils.In this study,173 red and yellow soil samples were collected for characterizing content of the POC and black C.The results showed that these two rinds of carbon pools in the red and yellow soils of Zhejiang province varied greatly and were affected by land use.The content of POC and the proportion of total organic C decreased in the order of forestry land tea garden upland,whereas the amount of black C in the soils decreased in the order of upland,tea garden affroested land natural forestry land.The POC was an sensitive component of soil organic C,being easily changed with land use.The proportion of POC in total organic C increased with accumulation of organic C.For same land use manner,the content of black C was correlated positively with clay content of soils.The content of POC was correlated with the amount of 1 mm water stable aggregates,while black carbon was correlated with 0.25 mm water stable aggregates.


BACKGROUND Pressure ulcers are one of the most frequently registered complications in general surgery. OBJECTIVE To obtain insight into the incidence, cause, and consequences of pressure ulcers and to evaluate the value of pressure ulcer registration to assess quality of care. RESULTS During the 9‐year study period, 275 pressure ulcers were registered (5.8% of total registered complications). Age and female sex were independent risk factors for pressure ulcer development. Pressure ulcer classification was as follows: mild (53.3%), moderate (35.6%), severe (9.5%), and irreversible damage (1.5%). Patients undergoing hip surgery and major limb amputation were at risk for pressure ulcer development (10.4% and 8.8%, respectively). In most patients (89.5%), pressure ulcers had no consequences other than local wound therapy; in 12 patients (4.4%), pressure ulceration led to alteration in medication; in 15 patients (5.5%), length of hospital stay was prolonged; and four patients (0.4%) suffered from irreversible damage. CONCLUSION The incidence of pressure ulcers is strongly correlated to sex, age, and indication of admittance. Most ulcers were classified as mild and had no consequences. The insight obtained into incidence, cause, and consequences of pressure ulcers can be used as an indicator of quality of provided care if adjusted for case mix and indication of operation. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.


Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) are a group of bacteria that are found as natural microbiota in various ecosystems. They can produce a number of antimicrobial metabolites, including organic acids and other organic components, hydrogen peroxide and bacteriocins. The aim of this study was the evaluation of antibacterial activity of LAB isolated during production and maturation of traditional Rugova cheese. Samples for analysis were collected from different points of Rugova region and were transported to the laboratory under constant cooling conditions. The bacterial isolation was performed using standard methods and the isolates of LAB were identified down to the species level using a Biotyper Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Out of 140 tested isolates 105 had the ability to produce bacteriocins. The ability of bacteriocin production by LAB isolated from Rugova cheese can be taken as a measure of quality and safety of this traditional product.


This paper introduces the application of PLC to spindle roiling-mill, and expounds detailly the hardware and software of the system.


The problem addressed in the study was whether 10- and 11-year-old children, collaborating within a computer-supported classroom, could learn a process of inquiry that represented certain principal features of scientific inquiry, namely (1) engagement in increasingly deep levels of explanation, (2) progressive generation of subordinate questions, and (3) collaborative effort to advance explanations. Technical infrastructure for the study was provided by the Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environments, CSILE. The study was entirely based on qualitative content analysis of students' written productions posted to CSILE's database.
Five studies were carried out to analyze CSILE students' process of inquiry. The first two studies aimed at analyzing changes in CSILE students' culture of inquiry in two CSILE classrooms across a three-year period. The results of the studies indicate that the classroom culture changed over three years following the introduction of CSILE. The explanatory level of knowledge produced by the students became increasingly deeper in tracking from the first to third year representing the first principal feature of scientific inquiry. Moreover, between-student communication increasingly focused on facilitating advancement of explanation (the third principal feature). These effects were substantial only in one classroom; the teacher of this class provided strong pedagogical support and epistemological guidance for the students.
Detailed analysis of this classroom's inquiry, carried out in the last three studies, indicated that with teacher's guidance the students were able to produce meaningful intuitive explanations as well as go beyond the functional and empirical nature of their intuitive explanations and appropriate theoretical scientific explanations (the first principal feature). Advancement of the students' inquiry appeared to be closely associated with generation of new subordinate questions (the second principal feature) and peer interaction focused on providing and requesting explanations (the third principal feature). Expert evaluations of three widely recognized philosophers of science confirmed the progressive nature of the students' inquiry as well as the cognitive value of their research questions and peer interaction. Conclusion: it is entirely possible for children, with computer-support for collaborative learning and appropriate teacher guidance, to pursue processes of inquiry that exhibit the principal features of mature scientific inquiry.


In past presentations at this and other conferences and in the recent book `Mathematics of Data Fusion,' we have introduced `finite set statistics' or FISST (a direct generalization of conventional single-sensor, single-target statistics to the multisensor-multitarget realm). We have also shown how FISST provides a unified foundation for the following aspects of multisource-multitarget data fusion: detection, identification, tracking, multi-evidence accrual, sensor management, performance estimation, and decision- making. In this paper we illustrate the FISST approach by showing how conventional filtering and estimation theory can be generalized to tracking or target I.D. problems involving highly ambiguous evidence. In particular, we illustrate the FISST approach on three simple model problems involving (1) target I.D. with a very low-quality RWR (radar warning receiver) sensor, and (2) target tracking via fusion of (simulated) radar reports with (simulated) English-language reports.


Sir,We read with interest the article by Fettiplace and McCabe, who reanalyzed data from the Lipid Emulsion Workgroup [1].We are concerned about the rationale for the studies excluded from the meta...


Safe subsea production of oil and gas, as well as storage of CO2 in geological formations subsea, require rapid detection of accidental releases, eliminating potential harm to the environment. Monitoring of natural gas seeps are important in a climate and environmental aspect. Previous studies demonstrate the potential of sonars for detection and quantification of oil and gas releases of natural or anthropogenic origin. Simulations of acoustic backscattering from plumes is an important tool for design of leakage detection systems and in situ leakage quantification. Backscattering from subsea leakages are often simulated assuming spherical shapes using, e.g., effective medium theory, however in real world situations bubble and droplets are not spherical. In this study the backscattering from single bubbles (CO2, CH4, and air) and droplets (light and heavy oil) are simulated under different shape regimes (i.e. as a function of Reynolds and Eotvos number). The shapes are extracted from time dependent Computa...


The ignition characteristics of PRF/air mixtures under RCCI conditions at naturally-aspirated and boosted intake pressure are investigated numerically using a 116-species reduced PRF mechanism. The effects of compression heating and expansion cooing by the motion of piston in an engine cylinder are also accounted for by adopting a compression heating/cooling model. iso-Octane and n-heptane are selected as two different fuels of low and high reactivity, respectively. The average mixture is PRF50. The effects of thermal and reactivity stratifications are investigated using 1-D direct numerical simulations (DNSs). It is found that (i) n-heptane stratification plays a predominant role in reducing the peak heat release rate (HRR) and advancing the overall combustion for the lowand high-intake pressures in time. However, its effect is significantly reduced by the cooling effect of temperature, while iso-octane stratification is not much affected by this cooling effect; (ii) iso-octane stratification has no effect on the overall combustion for the intake pressure of 1 atm. However, it produces a positive effect on advancing the overall combustion at the intake pressure of 1.88 atm and reducing the peak HRR significantly. Dual-fuel stratification of two different-reactivity fuels can be used to extend the operating range of RCCI combustion to a higher load by smoothly prolonging sequential ignition process under a highly-boosted condition.


A process for producing an electrode element for plasma torches, the electrode element according to a pre-heating to at least 400 ° C by extrusion in the form of a shell portion forming the sleeve formed part of a metal or a metal alloy with a higher work function and a higher thermal and electrical conductivity, in which at least one the actual connected as cathode electrode-forming core has been introduced from a metal or a metal alloy having a lower work function, is made.


The papers in the following group were generally concerned with the performance of various methods for detection of population association and/or linkage in the Genetic Analysis Workshop 12 simulated data. Most authors used the data from the population isolate, although some compared evidence for association in the general and isolate populations. Various types of tests were used, including several different family-based tests for linkage or linkage in the presence of linkage disequilibrium (LD), case-control tests for population association (which may be due to either LD or to population stratification), latent-class models to control for population stratification while testing for population association, and data mining techniques. From these studies, several general conclusions can be made. In these data, even in very large samples in the population isolate, there was virtually no power to detect LD with the genome-wide scan (GWS) markers that were approximately I eM apart [Bailey-Wilson et al.; Horvath et al.]. This was especially true if the results were corrected for the large number of tests performed (i.e., if genome-wide significance levels were used). There was also very low power to detect LD at genome-wide significance levels using the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in the. "true" genes in the small sample sizes provided except with the family-based association test (FBAT) method [Horvath et at.] or when all affected individuals in each pedigree were included in the analyses [Saunders et al. ]. In the latter situation, the inferences about linkage are valid but inferences about LD may not be valid (Spielman and Ewens, 1996]. However, if large numbers of independent trios or cases and controls were combined across samples,


Where liberal societies provide freedoms concerning speech, religious belief, or other matters of personal conscience, disagreement inevitably follows. Yet even where disagreement reigns, there is no shortage of confidence on any side. To some philosophers, confidence in the face of disagreement is at worst irrational and dubiously dogmatic; and at best, such confidence may only be had by conscientiously reckoning with the fact that a great many highly intelligent and well-read individuals—people whom one would regard as at least one's intellectual peers—have reached opposing conclusions. How one must reckon with such disagreement is hotly debated among epistemologists. I don't intend to settle such matters here. This essay offers an overview of how philosophers have approached problems of disagreement, with a special focus on religious diversity and disagreement. By the end I shall discuss some novel considerations that seem distinctive of religious inquiry, and which complicate the application of prominent views in the epistemology of disagreement.


This article is based upon the analysis of interviews conducted in 2008 with Francois Lautier then in his final year of teaching in the Paris-La Villette Ecole nationale superieure d'architecture. It spans his whole career from the end of the 1960's as a sociology teacher within this establishment. Driven by a refusal to to work within conventional disciplinary frameworks and a desire to establish a fresh and unfetterd link between social sciences and architecture both in teaching and in research, his account gives evidence of and witnesses to the relationships and transformations between the different disciplines as they progressively were constructed during the course of this individual career. In this regard, the necessarily subjective vision of Francois Lautier draws attention to a position, today a minority condition, which took shape against the grain of established disciplinary patterns.


Document clustering is an efficient method to organize documents,which has been widely used in unknown topic auto- mated presentation of information.The lightweight document clustering algorithm is described that operates in high dimensions, processes tens of thousands of documents and groups them into severalthousand clusters,or by varying an assigned parameter, into a few dozen clusters.Theoretic analysis and results demonstrated the algorithm could be efficient in high dimensions,both for large document collections and large numbers of clusters.


This study presents the Chemical Reaction Optimization (CRO) algorithm for making sense of most dependable parameters of the PID controller as an improvement invention for the end-to-end congestion control using the technique of Active Queue Management (AQM) which can safeguard a minute amount of queuing delay. By the use of a set of CRO rules, even though the PI (Proportional-Integral) controller for AQM design improves the solidness, the transitory exhibition of the PI controller isn't at the best, which incorporates the managing time that is excessively long. Therefore, as to win over this drawback, this paper, the PID (Proportional-Integral-Differential) controller is proposed to accelerate the responsiveness of AQM machine. Because of this, lately, researchers have carried out a random search approach which includes Particle swarm optimization (PSO), Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO), and Genetic Algorithm (GA) to discover the choicest parameters for PID controller. Among modern-day heuristics algorithms, Chemical Reaction Optimization (CRO) turned and it combines functions of both GA and Simulated Annealing (SA) to find worldwide minimal in seeking space. The test model reproduction results effectively show the adequacy of the proposed calculation and its preferences over other current calculations. Keywords—Chemical Reaction Optimization(CRO); Active Queue Management; PI(Prportional-Integral);PID(Proportional-IntegralDifferential); Simulated Annealing (SA)


As Winner (1982) argued, we "read" a lot in to pictures, aptly via metaphor—which applies to unreal stretch in flying-gallop—but inaccurately with perspective—we underestimate compression of the azimuth.


Sri Lankans are experiencing many non-communicable diseases and health problems for years since they were away from traditional food habits and traditional agriculture. The patterns of food consumption vary from time to time, according to various ethnic groups living in the country. Their culture, job category, income, and internal migration situation are other factors affecting food consumption. This paper aims to examine the impact of personal factors which directs to return to traditional food consumption within the study area. The data was gathered through an in-depth interview method and Questionnaire from 100 individuals from the Open University of Sri Lanka, Batticaloa District. The research findings demonstrated that food is the best medicine which helps human to be healthy, therefore, extending organic food consumption would be a healthier solution that prevents diseases. This study indicates the personal factors which drive people to return a healthier food behavior pattern.


Objective/Scope. Lost circulation events (LCEs) are among the top causes for drilling nonproductive time (NPT). The presence of natural fractures and vugular formations causes loss of drilling fluid circulation. Drilling depleted zones with incorrect mud weights can also lead to drilling induced losses. LCEs can also develop into additional drilling hazards, such as stuck pipe incidents, kicks, and blowouts. An LCE is traditionally diagnosed only when there is a reduction in mud volume in mud pits in the case of moderate losses or reduction of mud column in the annulus in total losses. Using machine learning (ML) for predicting the presence of a loss zone and the estimation of fracture parameters ahead is very beneficial as it can immediately alert the drilling crew in order for them to take the required actions to mitigate or cure LCEs.
 Methods, Procedures, Process. Although different computational methods have been proposed for the prediction of LCEs, there is a need to further improve the models and reduce the number of false alarms. Robust and generalizable ML models require a sufficiently large amount of data that captures the different parameters and scenarios representing an LCE. For this, we derived a framework that automatically searches through historical data, locates LCEs, and extracts the surface drilling and rheology parameters surrounding such events.
 Results, Observations, and Conclusions. We derived different ML models utilizing various algorithms and evaluated them using the data-split technique at the level of wells to find the most suitable model for the prediction of an LCE. From the model comparison, random forest classifier achieved the best results and successfully predicted LCEs before they occurred. The developed LCE model is designed to be implemented in the real-time drilling portal as an aid to the drilling engineers and the rig crew to minimize or avoid NPT.
 Novel/Additive Information. The main contribution of this study is the analysis of real-time surface drilling parameters and sensor data to predict an LCE from a statistically representative number of wells. The large-scale analysis of several wells that appropriately describe the different conditions before an LCE is critical for avoiding model undertraining or lack of model generalization. Finally, we formulated the prediction of LCEs as a time-series problem and considered parameter trends to accurately determine the early signs of LCEs.


Realizing low contact resistance at source/drain is one of the key challenges for obtaining high ON-current in 2D (two dimensional)-material channel based Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor transistors. In order to form ultra-low resistance contacts, the experimental techniques which involve inducing local metallic phases in the usual semiconducting MoS2 crystal, have attracted much attention. Howbeit, the density functional theory (DFT) based atomistic modeling of metal-2D material interface is important to get insights on the charge transfer through such systems, which is difficult to access by experiments. Though numerous studies have been reported for various semiconducting MoS2-metal interfaces, no such work exists for phase-engineered MoS2. In this work, firs twe compare the Schottky barrier height of both the systems, by analysing their electronic structures obtained via the DFT calculations. Next we propose a novel asymmetric Au-MoS2-Au atomistic model to assess the carrier transport and estimate the resistances offered by such hetero interfaces using non equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism. Our study reveals almost a three-fold decrease in the resistance of the Au-1T'-Au device compared to that of the Au-2H-Au one.


We simulate the motions in a MEMS bandpass RadioFrequency (RF) filter. The filter model is obtained by discretizing the Lagrangian of the distributed-parameter system using a Galerkin procedure. The Euler-Lagrange equations are then used to obtain a two-degree-of-freedom model consisting of two nonlinearly coupled ordinary-differential equations of motion. We use the model to study the transmission characteristics of a bandpass filter made up of two coupled resonators. Three distinct response regimes, separated by two critical amplification levels Vcr1 andVcr2, are identified in the filter response. For amplification levels up toVcr1, the pass signal is artifact free. Two types of artifacts due to the filter dynamics appear and distort the signal for amplification levels beyond Vcr1 . INTRODUCTION Evolution in MEMS technology has led to a new generation of high-performance, small, low-power RF-MEMS components/devices, such as switches, phase shifters, tunable capacitors, inductors, and mechanical resonators and filters. In modern communication systems, there is a continuous trend to miniaturization to allow for the integration of transmitters and receivers on the same chip. To ensure that they do not interfere with each other, narrow-band filtering is required. Electromechanical filters, such as quartz-crystal filters and ceramic filters, are widely used in RF and intermediate frequency (IF) applications. Being off-chip components necessitates interfacing them with in∗Address all correspondence to this author. tegrated electronics at board level and hence conflicts with the miniaturization process. However, the successful implementation of high-Q micromechanical resonators in many micro onchip systems suggests a method for miniaturizing and integrating highly selective filters alongside other IC components. A mechanical filter is composed of mechanically coupled multiple mechanical resonators, and it allows bi-directional signal propagation within the filter [1]. A mechanical filter based on polysilicon interdigitatedcomb resonators with a double-folded support structure was first presented in [2]. Filters comprising of two clamped-clamped beams (resonators) coupled mechanically by a soft mechanical spring were first demonstrated in [3]. The design of a mechanical filter involves basic principles of physics, electromechanical transducer concepts, vibration theories, and filter circuitry. Johnson [4] discussed in details the design of macroscopic mechanical filters. Bannon et al. [5] presented a step-by-step description of the design process of a micromechanical filter comprised of two clamped-clamped beams coupled by a flexural-mode beam. Electromechanical analogies were used to model the mechanical devices via equivalent electric circuits. They reported a filter with center frequency around 8 MHz, a quality factor (Q) between 40 and 450, 0.23–2.5% bandwidth, and an insertion loss of less than 2 dB. A comprehensive treatment for the design of higher-order (more than two resonators) micromechanical filters was illustrated in [6]. A center frequency of around 340 kHz with 0.1% bandwidth and an insertion loss of 0.1 dB was demonstrated. A device comprised of interlinked micromechanical res1 Copyright c © 2005 by ASME


Dissemination control is concerned with controlling electronic resources even after they have been delivered to a legitimate recipient. This paper proposes a secure resource dissemination system framework in which resource providers and recipients are interacted mutually in an anonymous, accountable, and trustworthy way, while security constraints on diverse resources can be continuously protected along resource distribution. We specify the three-party context-aware trust management and privacy protection mechanism based on part behavior using Dempster-Shafer (D-S) theory. We also discuss main logic functions and procedures in the resource dissemination and usage transaction process.


The high-tech industry is the main force promoting the development of China's national economy. As its industrial economic strength grows, China's high-tech industry is increasingly using cross-border mergers and acquisitions (CBM&A) as an important way to "go out." To explore the rules governing the process and operation mechanism of reverse knowledge transfer (RKT) through the CBM&A of China's high-tech industry under government intervention, a tripartite evolutionary game model of the government, the parent company, and the subsidiary as the main subjects is constructed in this paper. The strategies adopted by the three subjects in the RKT game process are analysed, and the factors influencing RKT through CBM&A under government intervention are simulated and analysed using Python 3.7 software. The results show that, under government intervention, the parent company and subsidiary have different degrees of influence on each other. Subsidiaries are highly sensitive to the compensation rate of RKT. Positive intervention by the government tends to foster stable cooperation between the parent company and the subsidiary. However, over time, the government gradually relaxes its intervention in the RKT and innovation of multinational companies.


In order to achieve aims of rapid real-time monitoring iron grade during sales process or mineral processing for the iron ores, a quick detection approach to magnetic iron grade of magnetite based on electromagnetic induction is explored in the paper. Information acquisition head is focused on an iron grade sensor, and the iron grade sensor is made up of coil-windings with magnetite core. Information acquisition circuits are given adapting mode of the transformer bridge type rectifier, and construction of the head is designed and machined. Testing mechanism is analyzed from the angle of magnetic field analysis, and the magnetic field model is also built up. Furthermore, magnetic iron grade of some testing samples are measured by the detection device above. It is showed that when the grade range of the magnetic iron of magnetite is varied from 20% to 65.3%, deviation is lower than 1.0%. By research above, it is shown that the detection method of iron grade based on electromagnetic induction is feasible, and it is also significant for improving the total testing level of mineral processing fields.


In surveillance applications there is a need for infrared zoom systems which give two fields of view. For such systems long operation range is the most critical parameter which is bound up with focal length and transmittance of systems. In this paper the design of an infrared zoom system with rotating lens group is described. Different from the conventional axially moving zoom systems, this system is based on a rotating mechanism consisting of two separated lenses. The system achieves dual FOVs due to different magnifications. In narrow field of view mode, the system has long focal length and higher transmittance because the rotating lens group is outside the optical path. The final design is an infrared zoom system operating in 3μm~5μm, with a F number of 4.0, EFL of 250mm/62.5mm. This paper contains the calculation of first-order parameter, the optimum design of rotating motion, the analysis of aberrations, MTF, and Narcissus, This designed system has diffraction limited image quality of in both FOVs.


Learning OMG's Unified Modelling Language (UML) can have a steep learning curve. It is a General Purpose System Modelling Language composed of several structural and behavioural sublanguages with relatively complex notations to allow for the specification of several system views. In the course of their learning experience, students frequently have difficulty understanding the semantics of UML models. We argue that the learning experience can be greatly improved if suitable feedback mechanisms (such as open-source lightweight tools that integrate existing simulation tools) are introduced along the incremental try-and-run process. UML naturally offers separation of concerns (thanks to its relatively independent sublanguages), allowing students to understand how to model a software system without the need to understand all of the 14 UML diagrams altogether. This paper describes a simulation environment of UML using and integrating state-of-the-art technology to simulate different UML sublanguages for describing system behaviour, implemented to support the teaching of UML.


Hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF) is a heterogeneous group of disorders that develops slowly and progressively as local or diffuse enlargement involving marginal and attached gingiva and/or interdental papilla.[1] It is a rare disease, affecting only one in 750,000 people.[2] The gingival tissue enlarges partially covering the occlusal surface, however, the condition is usually not painful until it becomes severe. In such cases, the patient experiences functional, esthetic, and periodontal problems; also this enlarged tissue tends to get traumatized during mastication, thus worsening the condition.[1] Various causes have been suggested, including genetic predisposition influenced by gene mutations, however, in the case of idiopathic gingival fibromatosis, no causative agent can be identified. [2,3] In this report, we present an unusual, nonsyndromic, and recurrent case of generalized HGF, discussing about its clinical and histopathological features and the management of the same.


The government has ordered businesses and organizations to concentrate on environmental management strategies separate from their core operations as a result of numerous environmental challenges in recent decades. Governments all over the world have created a variety of environmental regulations to guarantee that businesses and organizations follow them in order to accomplish sustainable development objectives. This is due to the enormous depletion of natural resources and ongoing environmental degradation. Today, many businesses are implementing the novel idea of sustainable human resource management. Employees can fulfill their environmental obligations by combining resource management with conventional corporate social responsibility efforts. Institutions of higher learning contribute to society and the environment. To assist students, teachers, and environmental policy makers in improving environmental support, numerous educational institutions have started environmental programmes. The green-man management principles, however, cannot be fully applied. The standard environmental practices used by universities will be defined in this research article, and the degree of environmental management techniques employed by academic institutions will also be determined. This is advantageous for colleges since they have a duty to safeguard the environment.


We investigated the effect of cell temperature on the electrochemical reaction behavior of LiFePO4. We evaluated its electrochemical characteristics by using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Both the electron transfer activity and the lithium ion diffusion rate in the LiFePO4 electrode increased as we increased the operating temperature. The apparent activation energy for the lithium diffusion was more than twice that for charge transfer. This result supports the idea that the large discharge capacity of LiFePO4 at elevated temperatures is mainly caused by the high lithium diffusion rate in the LiFePO4 particles, which makes it possible to utilize more material near the center of the particles. We also evaluated the thermal stability of LiFePO4 by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Charged LiFePO4 in contact with an electrolyte solution exhibited no obvious endothermic or exothermic reaction below 340 jC. This means that LiFePO4 has higher thermal stability than such other cathode materials as LiCoO2, LiNiO2 and LiMn2O4. D 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.


When confronted with traumatic life events, individuals normally resort to a wide range of coping strategies to alleviate the resultant stress. The conceptual underpinnings of much of the recent empirical developments in the field of coping with stress and trauma can be traced to the work of Lazarus and his coworkers (e.g. Lazarus, 1993; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). These writers viewed the process of coping as comprised of two distinct phases: (a) primary appraisal, which refers to a set of cognitions concerning the significance or impact of the stressful event for the individual, and (b) secondary appraisal, which refers to a set of cognitions regarding the availability of resources or options (e.g., coping skills) for dealing with the stressful situation. These and other (e.g., Billings & Moos, 1981; Pearlin & Schooler, 1978) first generation coping theoreticians and researchers often viewed coping dimensions as comprised of two separate classes, namely, emotion-focused (i.e., efforts directed at affect regulation) and problem-focused (i.e., strategies directed at minimizing or solving the impact of the stressful event) coping. More recent efforts at conceptualizing coping included the addition of a third dimension (i.e., avoidance-orientated coping; Parker & Endler, 1992), as well as other two-dimensional configurations (e.g., approach vs. avoidance, engagement vs. disengagement coping)(Krohne, 1996; Parker & Endler, 1996; Tobin, Holroyd, Reynolds, & Wigal, 1989). With the advent of measures that sought to investigate the nature, structure, and correlates of coping, theoreticians and researchers alike have begun to shift their views to focus more on the hierarchical nature of coping. Three broad levels have been implicated: (a) coping styles that reflect global, dispositional, macroanalytic tendencies (e.g., monitoring-blunting, vigilance-avoidance, approach-avoidance); (b) coping strategies or modes that reflect an intermediate level in this hierarchy, and are typically indicated by summative scores on coping scales (e.g., confrontation, seeking social support, planful problem solving); and (c) coping acts or behaviors that reflect specific, situation-determined, microanalytic responses that are often indicated by individual item endorsement on a coping scale (Endler & Parker, 1990; Krohne, 1996; Schwarzer & Schwarzer, 1996). The literature on coping with chronic illnesses and disabilities has, likewise, generated much insight into the nature and structure of coping efforts directed at diffusing or removing the stress engendered by the associated trauma, loss, and pain. Among the more commonly investigated disability conditions are cancer, heart diseases, spinal cord injury, amputations, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, traumatic brain injury, and asthma. Results from these and other studies strongly suggest that coping plays a significant role during the process of psychosocial adaptation to both sudden and gradual onset of chronic illnesses and disabilities. More specifically, these results indicate that: (a) a wide range of coping efforts has been employed by persons with disabilities to deal with the stresses engendered by their conditions; (b) these numerous efforts, both problem-solving and emotional-focused coping, as well as engagement- and disengagement- type coping have been found to be adaptive; (c) different coping efforts assume different roles and are, therefore, differentially employed to regulate stressful emotions and solve problems during the adaptation process; (d) coping efforts have played both a direct role (i.e., are directly linked to measures of psychosocial adaptation to disability) and a mediator role (i.e., act as mediators between sociodemographic variables, personality attributes, disability-related factors, environmental conditions, and outcomes of psychosocial adaptation); and (e) different disabling conditions imply different functional (e. …


This study examines how European variation in breastfeeding initiation and duration rates is related to the presence of baby-friendly hospitals, the international code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes, and different constellations of maternal, paternal, and parental leave. We use Eurobarometer data (2005) to compare initiation and duration levels across 21 European countries within a multilevel regression framework. We find that countries play a significant role in determining breastfeeding through their different social policies. Breastfeeding practices across different leave regulation models differ substantially. We conclude that ongoing changes in paid maternity and parental leave length combined with uptake flexibility and paternal involvement help determine breastfeeding rates and should put infant feeding issues on governmental policy agendas across European countries.


With the advent of the internet of things, the number of wireless devices and the amount of wireless data traffic is increasing at an unprecedented rate. By 2020, the number of connected devices per person is expected to exceed 6.58. Due to the ubiquitous availability of IEEE 802.11n/ac (i.e., WiFi) in most modern homes and enterprise environments, the majority of the new home and enterprise focused IoT devices that are entering the market use IEEE 802.11n/ac to connect to the internet. Our literature survey revealed that there are no prior measurement studies on the performance of IEEE 802.11n/ac's MAC in dense IoT environments. Thus, in this paper, we conduct a comprehensive measurement study of various aspects of IEEE 802.11n/ac's MAC using real IoT devices and realistic IoT workloads and present several useful observations that demonstrate the need to revise some of the key aspects of IEEE 802.11n/ac's MAC to make it suitable for dense IoT environments. This need for revisions stems from the fact that IEEE 802.11n/ac was primarily designed keeping conventional devices, such as laptops, smart phones, and servers in view. For such conventional devices, the amount of uplink traffic is significantly smaller compared to the amount of downlink traffic. Contrary to this, in dense IoT deployments, the amount of uplink traffic is significantly larger compared to the downlink traffic. We conducted our study on a real test bed comprising a large number of Raspberry Pis deployed in a real world environment and studied the impact of the density and type of IoT traffic on the throughput of the wireless system, bandwidth utilization of RTS and CTS frames, block acknowledgments, and frame aggregation sizes. We further studied the impact of TCP's congestion control mechanism on the performance of IEEE 802.11n/ac's MAC.


A 32‐year‐old female presented with pus discharging sinuses on her right breast of 3 weeks' duration. Multiple pustules appeared initially which later opened up discharging nonfoul‐smelling pus. There was no history of fever, mastitis, nipple discharge, breast or axillary lumps, and of contact tuberculosis (TB). Examination revealed multiple pus draining right breast sinuses, some showing healing with scarring [Figure 1a]. The surrounding skin was indurated with no underlying lump and axillary lymphadenopathy. The contralateral breast, axilla, bilateral supraclavicular fossa, and systemic examination were normal. A clinical differential diagnosis of ruptured breast abscess, granulomatous mastitis, and breast carcinoma was considered in that order. Routine blood investigations, chest X‐ray, sputum examination, and Mantoux test were normal. Pus sent for culture and sensitivity and acid‐fast bacillus culture was negative. Mammogram done showed bilateral dense breast tissue with no lesions. A sinus wall biopsy performed and sent for GeneXpert was unremarkable hence excision of all the sinuses along with underlying induration was carried out. Histopathology showed chronic inflammatory and epithelioid cells, caseation necrosis, and Langhans giant cells that confirmed tuberculous mastitis [Figure 1b]. Postoperative antituberculous chemotherapy (isoniazid (INH), rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol for 2 months followed by INH and Rifampicin for 6 months) was started. On follow‐up at the end of 1 year, she has no systemic or local recurrence of the disease.


NO3 leaching was quantified by passive capillary wick samplers over 2 yr. NO3 leaching was three times greater in Year 1 than Year 2 (240 vs. 80 kg N ha−1). Increased Year 1 NO3 leaching reflected field renovation prior to monitoring period. There was strong seasonality in NO3 leaching from the field. Despite fertilizer banding in rows, 60% of NO3 leached from alleys between rows.


AbstractManufacturing procedures are Manufacturing procedures are given for a series of high-density sintered tungsten-nickel-copper and tungsten-nickel-iron alloys covering a density range of ∼17 g/cm3 to > 18·5 g/cm3.Physical and mechanical property data for these alloys are given and the effect of sintering variables on these properties is discussed.Reference is made to equipment and techniques employed in the manufacture of radiation shields to meet the most stringent demands brought about over the years by the increased strength of radiation sources and the widening scope for the application of artificial radioactive elements.


The first prototype of high-density ferroelectric data storage system based on scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy was developed in order to establish basic elemental technologies for actual read/write functions aiming for practical application. Using this system, a data transfer rate was evaluated. 9 kbps reading and 50 kbps writing were demonstrated with respect to 440 kbit/inch bit data array written on a lithium tantalate single crystal thin plate. Additionally, we considered future prospects for developing the data storage system with further fast data transfer rate.


Our current science, technology and innovation (STI) classification systems, indeed any classification systems, cannot always track the fluid and multiple demands of the policy process, public opinion and current events. Therefore, it is necessary to (a) build tools that help us gain insights into emerging topics using existing data and classifications and to (b) reflect recurring needs in the revision of our concepts and classifications.


Abstract : An AC excited self-balancing instrument for measuring low level strain gauge transducer outputs is described. The design of a specific circuit optimised for use with a small wind tunnel force balances is presented with sufficient information to facilitate circuit optimisation for other applications. The instrument is intended for applications where the bridge output voltage is below the level that can be conveniently handled by conventional DC amplifier systems. Tests on a prototype instrument showed an input noise in a 0 .1 Hz t 0.7 Hz bandwith of 4 nV RMS, a zero drift of less than 0.1 microV per day and negligible sensitivity drifts. Keywords. Strain, Measuring, Instruments, Amplifiers, Wind tunnels, Strain gages.


Mobile Adhoc NETwork (MANET) is a current and a hot topic in the Internet world. Because the Internet usage has increased and moved from the wired communication to wireless communication. In a MANET, the architecture and routing process follow arbitrary manner. MANET has unique characteristics based on its usage in several application areas such as military, commercial sectors, disaster areas, etc. This paper deals detailed concepts of MANET applications, architecture in OSI layers and various routing protocols.


This article tests the power of a novel indicator based on job search related web queries in predicting quarterly unemployment rates in short samples. Augmenting standard time series specifications with this indicator definitely improves out-of-sample forecasting performance at nearly all in-sample interval lengths and forecast horizons, both when compared with models estimated on the same or on a much longer time series interval.


This Letter is a rebuttal of Kopeika's criticsm of our paper. To summarize the important points: We claimed that the magnitude of the optogalvanic effect (OGE) in U, Na, Eu, and Zr was independent of the ionization potential of the atom and depended on only the number of photons absorbed. Both mechanisms, increased electron temperature and direct ionization, undoubtably proceed simultaneously and the relative importance of one or the other probably depend on the experimental conditions. Our experiment has not demonstrated an increase in the electron temperature, rather our data appear to contradict the direct ionization mechanism in a hollow cathode discharge. More experimental evidence is necessary to determine the relative importance of the two mechanisms and their dependence on experimental conditions. (AIP)


Aims: Malignant melanoma is a type of skin cancer with a very poor prognosis. It is the most common skin cancer. Metastases are frequently observed in malignant melanoma, which can have a very aggressive course, even without skin findings. Here, we aimed to report a malignant melanoma case presenting with lumbar vertebra fracture, which is a unique form of presentation.
Case description: A 31-year-old male patient was admitted to the internal medicine outpatient clinic with complaints of low back pain and inability to walk 15 days ago. After the first hour sedimentation value was found to be 101 in the examinations of the patient who came with the complaint of low back pain, he was referred to the hematology department with the preliminary diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy was performed. Non-hematopoietic cells were observed in bone marrow aspiration. L2 vertebra fracture was detected in lumbar MRI of the patient with bilateral limitation of movement in the lower extremities. The patient with L2 vertebral fracture was transferred to the neurosurgery service for operation. The patient was diagnosed with malignant melanoma after the frozen biopsy sent after the operation and the previous bone marrow biopsy.
Conclusions: Bone marrow infiltration can be seen in malignant melanoma patients. However, a malignant melanoma patient presented with lombar vertebra fracture has not been reported before in the literature.


The Irish Constitution contains features novel to Americans. Some modifications may be necessary in the light of experience, but on the whole the new institutions are working well.


A fitting assembly (12, 12 ', 12' ', 12' '') for a window or a door comprising a for fastening to the wing (13) of the window or door formed wing part (19, 19 ') and for attachment to the frame (11) of the window or door formed frame member (21, 21 ') which are coupled to each other and in coupled condition a rotary bearing (25, 25') for rotating the blade (13) form in relation to the frame (11), and with an operating element (35, 37a, 37b) for locking and unlocking of the leaf (13) relative to the frame (11). The pivot bearing (25, 25 ') by actuation of the operating element (35, 37a, 37b) between a coupling state in which the wing part (19, 19' are coupled to each other) and the frame part (21, 21 ') and a decoupling state , in which the wing part (19, 19 ') and the frame part (21, 21') decoupled from each other adjustable.


Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) systems translate the users intentions coded by brain activity measures into actions through a control signal without using activity of any muscles or peripheral nerves. Usually, in Electroencephalography (EEG) based BCI experiment protocols, different mental tasks are performed to elicit unique brain signal responses, which are recognized by signal processing and machine learning methods. The work presented in this paper extracts the EEG phase synchrony feature called Phase Lock Value (PLV) to decode Motor Imagery (MI) of center-out hand movement in right and left directions. At first, PLV features of all the EEG channel pairs are extracted to detect the level of synchronization corresponding to the directional hand movements. The most significant channel pairs selected from direction-specific EEG signals corresponding to the imagined hand movement showed characteristic changes in PLV features. Mean Percentage Difference of PLV features are calculated and compared in different frequency bands to identify the most discriminative frequency band for the hand movement classification. The extracted PLV features offer 5.34% improvement in classification accuracy for the 7 best performing subjects compared to the relevant method in literature.


Titanium-calcium hydroxyapatite (TiCaHap) particles were tried to be prepared by a wet method using starting solution with the ratio of Ti/(Ti + Ca) (denoted as [XTi]) from 0 to 1 and pure TiCaHap particles were obtained from the condition with [XTi] from 0 to 0.10. The particles were characterized by field emission scanning electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and spectrophotometry. Ultraviolet-visual (UV-vis) spectroscopy revealed that TiCaHap particles exhibit strong UV absorption under 380 nm. The UV absorption increased with an increase in concentrations of Ti4+. The TiCaHap prepared with [XTi] = 0.05 was supported on cotton fabric. The UV shielding ability of the cotton fabric was enhanced by the addition of the TiCaHap particles. The influences of pre-treatment using a cationizing agent and washing with water or a sodium dodecyl sulfate solution for the cotton fabrics were also discussed.


In micro-analytical chemistry and biology applications, droplet microfluidic technology holds great promise for efficient lab-on-chip systems where higher levels of integration of different stages on the same platform is constantly addressed. The possibility of integration of opto-microfluidic functionalities in lithium niobate (LiNbO3) crystals is presented. Microfluidic channels were directly engraved in a LiNbO3 substrate by precision saw cutting, and illuminated by optical waveguides integrated on the same substrate. The morphological characterization of the microfluidic channel and the optical response of the coupled optical waveguide were tested. In particular, the results indicate that the optical properties of the constituents dispersed in the fluid flowing in the microfluidic channel can be monitored in situ, opening to new compact optical sensor prototypes based on droplets generation and optical analysis of the relative constituents.


During repeated ponded infiltration experiments performed on undisturbed soil sample, the changes of steady state flow rates values were persistently observed. The process of infiltration and nickel transport was investigated non-invasively by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and relaxation measurement techniques. The wetting, steady state flow and drainage phases of each experimental run were monitored together with the evaluation of validity of MRI signal of each voxel. To visualize the solute breakthrough, the nickel nitrate pulse was injected. To obtain potential preferential flow pathway structure the soil sample was scanned with computed tomography before and after MRI. The information was used to simulate transient water flow in three-dimensional heterogeneous porous system. The results of the experiment show the changes in flowing volumes and in the nickel nitrate trajectories caused mainly by the air entrapped in large pores of the sample. The results of numerical simulations are consistent with hypothetic assumption that the distribution of air bubbles is of higher impact than its volume.


Neuroblastoma (NB) is the extracranial tumor of children. The invasive or metastatic NBs have poor clinical outcome, therefore, to understand the mechanism(s) that modulate cancer cell invasion is important to develop more effective chemotherapeutic agents. While Beta‐carotene (BC), the most active vitamin A precursor, has been previously shown to exert various antioxidant and anticancer effects, the anti‐metastatic effects of BC on NB cells remains poorly understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the anti‐metastatic effects of BC on highly malignant SK‐N‐BE( 2)C NB cells. We found that BC attenuated the migratory and invasive capabilities of the cells. The protein expression and enzymatic activity of matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP2) was also suppressed by BC under normoxia or hypoxia determined by western blotting and gelatin zymography assay respectively. BC down‐regulated the expression of hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF‐1α), a well‐known tumor metastasis regulator and further down‐regulated its down‐stream genes, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and glucose transporter‐1 (GLUT‐1). In conclusion, the present study provided the first evidence that BC may be utilized as an effective chemotherapeutic agent by regulating invasion potential, thereby controlling the metastasis of neuroblastomas.


Whereas the first paper of this series compared the work of five theorists of intersubjectivity in psychoanalysis, this paper compares three theorists of intersubjectivity in infant research, Andrew Meltzoff, Colwyn Trevarthen, and Daniel Stern. By evaluating the points at which the theorists concur and differ, we hope to clarify the meanings or "forms" of intersubjectivity in infancy. All three have addressed the question of how infants can sense the state of the other, and all have used the concept of cross-modal correspondences as a central aspect of the answer. Nevertheless each has a distinctly different theory of intersubjectivity in infancy.


Purpose:To study the significance of HSP27 and HSP70 in chemotherapy for oral squamous carcer(OSC).In this experiment,OSC cell line 4(OSC-4) was selected for sample,which was separated at random and cultured in DMEM medium with 100 μg/mL 5-Fu.Methods:We used MTT to assay the survival of OSC-4 cell,the flow cytometry to detect apoptosis and Western Blot to detect the levels of HSP27 and HSP70.Results:The survival OSC-4 cell was inhibited after the treatment with 5-Fu(P0.05).Western Blot showed the HSP27 and HSP70 expression in OSC-4,which could be enhanced by 5-Fu.Besides,there was the expression of HSP27 and HSP70 in other OSC cell lines,but the latter expression was different from the former expression.Conclusion:5-Fu induces the apoptotic damage,showing the time and dose dependence in OSC-4 and up-regulates the expression of HSP27 and HSP70.


Submitted for the MAR12 Meeting of The American Physical Society Theory of photoluminescence polarization reversal in GaAs nanowires W.R.L. LAMBRECHT, T. CHEIWCHANCHAMNANGIJ, T. BIRKEL, CWRU, AL. L. EFROS, NRL — The polarization of photoluminescence (PL) in wurtzite (WZ) GaAs nanowires (NW) of diameter 100 nm has been observed to reverse as a function of temperature from perpendicular to parallel to the NW axis. We use the weak confinement limit for excitons and the envelope function approximation to study this phenomenon. The WZ GaAs crystal field and spin-orbit splittings were determined using GW calculations and agree well with resonant Raman spectra on WZ NWs. In contrast to zincblende (ZB) NWs, the crystal field splitting in WZ NWs leads to a perpendicularly polarized exciton ground state. The first excited state, however, has a parallel component and can be mixed in at slightly elevated temperature, leading to a polarization reversal. We find that a reversal can only take place for much smaller crystal field splittings than the one obtained in pure WZ. Strain induced reduction of the crystal field splitting would require an unrealistically large strain. On the other hand, multiple twinning, can lead to a substantially lower crystal field splitting as obtained from our GW calculations for lower hexagonality polytypes, such as 4H GaAs, and can thus explain the observed polarization reversals. Walter R. L. Lambrecht Case Western Reserve University Date submitted: 16 Nov 2011 Electronic form version 1.4


ABSTRACT SILICA gel was used to store solar energy for drying corn and milo. Three 75.4 kg lots of silica gel, 26 per-cent dry basis moisture content, were regenerated with solar energy for 2 days prior to and during the drying tests. A 1520 kg lot of corn, 23.5 percent wet basis moisture content and 0.66 m deep, was dried with a 40:60 mixture of ambient and desiccated air until the moisture content of the surface of the corn in the bin was below 15 percent wet basis; 280 hours were required. A duplicate lot (with a moisture content of 24.2 percent wet basis), was dried simultaneously with ambient air alone, required 350 hours. Mold counts and atlatoxin concentrations were significantly lower in corn dried with the mixture of am-bient and desiccated air. No significant difference in susceptibility to breakage attributable to drying method was found between the two lots. Two 1520 kg lots of milo, 18.5 percent wet basis moisture content and 0.53 m deep, were dried using the same airflow rate of 3.68 mVmin until the surface moisture content was below 16.2 percent wet basis. Dry-ing required 210 hours with 60:40 mixture of ambient and desiccated air and 330 hours with ambient air. Final average moisture contents were 12.6 and 14.4 percent wet basis, respectively.


Summary Plasmin hydrolysis of casein was inhibited by DFP with the formation of DIP-plasmin. DIP-plasmin was able to react with SK to form a bovine plasminogen activator complex which was equal in activity to the complex formed between similar amounts of non-DFP-treated plasmin and SK. Plasmin-SK once formed, however, was subsequently inhibited by DFP. Since DIP-plasmin retains bovine plasminogen activator potential, it would appear that a DFP-inhibitable site other than that in plasmin is responsible for this activator potential.


Purpose of review Smaller size at birth is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes in later life, but the mechanisms behind this association are poorly understood. Genetic variants which influence susceptibility to type 2 diabetes via effects on insulin secretion or action are good candidates for association with birth weight because foetal insulin is a key foetal growth factor. This review will focus on recent progress in identifying associations between common genetic variants and birth weight.


Employees are thought as the initial internal market by the internal marketing.That is firstly to marketing the internal employees before providing the service to the external market through marketing activities.Internal marketing is the premise to improve the enterprise's service quality.In order to carry out the internal marketing effectively,the service enterprises should conduct internal market research in order to make the internal employees' market segmentation;The employees should set up customer-oriented service concepts through strengthen training;The employees should be effectively incited and identitied based on their needs;The employees should be respected and be provided appropriate rights;The employees should strengthen the exchange of information and communication so as to form the unified thinking and action.


AbstractThis study addresses two aspects of time limits on testing. The first involves the relationship of time limits on the mode (paper-and-pencil or computer-based) of test administration. The second concerns means of evaluating exam speededness, with special attention given to student feedback. Written and computer-administered examinations delivered during the spring and summer of 1987 were analyzed to determine whether a 2-hour time limit for examinations allowed sufficient time for students to complete their exams. A variety of assessment methods was used, including a survey instrument that measured student perceptions of exam speededness. Results consistently indicated that the present 2-hour limit provides ample time for examination completion. There was no evidence to indicate that how long a student took to complete an examination was related to student performance on that examination. Findings suggest that students are flexible in adapting their "pace" to the time limits imposed upon them.


N-Acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) serves as signaling molecule for quorum sensing (QS) in Gram-negative bacteria to regulate various physiological activities including pathogenicity. With the aim of isolating freshwater-borne bacteria that can cause outbreak of disease in plants and portrayed QS properties, environmental water sampling was conducted. Here we report the preliminary screening of AHL production using Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 and Escherichia coli [pSB401] as AHL biosensors. The 16S rDNA gene sequence of isolate M009 showed the highest sequence similarity to Pantoea stewartii S9-116, which is a plant pathogen. The isolated Pantoea sp. was confirmed to produce N-3-oxohexanoyl-L-HSL (3-oxo-C6-HSL) through analysis of high resolution mass tandem mass spectrometry.


Data on transport usage is important in a wide range of areas. These data are often obtained manually through costly and inaccurate interviews. In the last decade, several researchers explored the use of smartphone sensors for the automatic detection of transport modes. However, such works have focused on developing centralized machine learning mechanisms. This centralized approach requires user data to be transferred to a central server and, therefore, does not satisfy a transport mode detection mechanism's practical response time and privacy needs. This research presents the Federated System for Transport Mode Detection (FedTM). The main contribution of FedTM is exploring Federated Learning on transport mode detection using smartphone sensors. In FedTM, both the training and inference process is moved to the client side (smartphones), reducing response time and increasing privacy. The FedTM was designed using a Neural Network for the classification task and obtained an average accuracy of 80.6% in three transport classes (cars, buses and motorcycles). Other contributions of this work are: (i) The use of data collected only on the curves of the route. Such reduction in data collection is important, given that the system is decentralized and the training and inference phases take place on smartphones with less computational capacity. (ii) FedTM and centralized classifiers are compared with regard to execution time and detection performance. Such a comparison is important for measuring the pros and cons of using Federated Learning in the transport mode detection task.


Characterization studies of PFBC by-products were initiated to provide baseline information need to predict the behavior and suitability of PFBC by-products for beneficial uses. The chemical composition of the by-products was dominated by Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Al, and Si. All samples were highly alkaline with paste pH values ranging from 9.9 to 12.3. All of the PFBC materials met the criteria for pollutant ceiling concentrations for land application of sewage sludge for Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mo, Ni, Se, and Zn. Arsenic exceeded the concentration ceiling level in only one sample. XRD results showed that the cyclone ashes consisted primarily of dolomite, anhydrite, periclase, and calcite. PFBC bed ashes were similar in composition but contained less unspent sorbent and more, anhydrite and periclase. The artificial weathering study examined water soluble ions and reaction products of two mine spoils and one cyclone ash mixed at four rates. The spoils were mixed with PFBC by-products to yield mixtures containing 0, 10, 20, and 40 weight percent by-product. Leachate composition was mostly a function of rate of application and equilibration time. In general, the addition of PFBC by-product increased pH, conductivity, and the concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, Mo, Na, S, and Sr. The concentrations of Al, Fe, and Mn decreased. Six metals (Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, and Pb) regulated by the Resource Conservation Recovery Act were below concentration levels defined for drinking water standards (Hg and Se not available). All application rates of the PFBC by-product increased the solution pH significantly. A pH of 7.8 or greater was attained in all PFBC-spoil mixtures after 132 days. Changes in solid phase composition were independent of the spoil. The final reaction products were more directly influenced by the characteristics of the PFBC by-product.


A new wide-ranging research project centred on the Monash Prato Centre which focuses on the Chinese immigrants living in Prato, Italy, is discussed. Over 80 per cent come from Wenzhou in Zhejiang province. The overriding objective of the research program is to study the multicultural transformation taking place in Italy as a consequence of the influx of large numbers of migrants from Asia and Africa, through an in-depth study of the achievements and challenges facing integration of the Chinese and local communities in Prato. Researchers from Wenzhou University are working with the team from Monash University.


Feb. An outline is presented of the factors which influence the economics of large organic moderated and cooled reactors. The economic analysis of a 300 Mw(e) nuclear power station is given and compared with a conventional coal-fired station of 305 Mw(e). The comparison shows that the power costs were7.31 and 6.77 mil/kwh, respectively. From this economic presentation, it is assumed that the organic moderated reactor has the potential of producing truly competitive electric power in less than a decade. (B.O.G.)


The first luminescent Bi-Cd-organic framework, Bi2Cd(2,6-pdc)4(H2O)2·H2O (2,6-H2pdc = pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate), has been synthesized by using bismuth (Bi) oxides and cadmium (Cd) salts as metal sources under hydrothermal conditions. Tunable and white light luminescence was obtained through the doping of different Ln(3+) ions into the Bi-Cd-organic framework.


Hydrogen-sulfide (H2S) is a molecule of small dimensions typically present in the odor emissions from different plants. The European Standard EN 13725:2003 set a maximum storage time allowed of 30 hours, during which the sampling bag has to maintain the mixture of odorants with minimal changes. This study investigates the H2S losses through Nalophan bags and it shows that nonnegligible losses of H2S can be observed. The percent H2S loss after 30 hrs with respect to the initial concentration is equal to 33%  ± 3% at a relative humidity of 20% and equal to 22%  ± 1% at a relative humidity of 60%. The average quantity of adsorbed H2S at 30 h is equal to 2.17 105 gH2S/gNalophan at a storage humidity of 20% and equal to 1.79 105 gH2S/gNalophan at a storage humidity of 60%. The diffusion coefficients of H2S through Nalophan, for these two humidity conditions tested, are comparable (i.e., 7.5 10−12 m2/sec at 20% humidity and 6.6 10−12 m2/sec at 60% humidity).


Behcet's Disease (BD) is chronic, multisystem inflammatory
disorder with vasculitis as the underlying process and most commonly
affects the brain stem with a patchy involvement of upper parts in the
nervous system. Although predominant mental symptoms are the main forms
of nervous system involvement, mental changes and psychiatric problems
are seen at later stages of BD. We report a case with Behcet's
disease initially presented with depression and dementia. The most
prominent findings were depression and cognitive impairement with gait
ataxia. This case was treated with steroids, serotonin selective
reuptake inhibitors and memantin. The initial presentation of memory
problems and depression in neurological involvements of BD have not yet
been reported in literature. Therefore, our case who had an onset with
psychiatric complaints and memory problems is an interesting one.


Housing abandonment contributes to neighborhood decline. It is a significant problem, especially in places facing population loss. One approach for dealing with abandonment is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. However, before we can implement successful prevention efforts, it is necessary to better understand what abandonment is and what factors predict it. Therefore, to assist planners and policymakers in allocating scarce resources, this study has three objectives. The first is to determine whether there are constructs that underlie abandonment. The second is to see whether those constructs predict abandonment. The third is to examine whether the effects of the constructs on the probability of abandonment are the same for two cities. The study finds that abandonment consists of four constructs: market conditions, gentrification, physical neglect, and socioeconomic conditions. The first three of these significantly predict the probability of a house being abandoned. The study also finds that the effects are similar for the two cities of interest.


The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate has developed a mission to research the technologies needed for large space structures, high-power generation, and protection of space assets within the high radiation environment of a medium earth orbit (MEO). The resulting Deployable Structures Experiment (DSX) will address a number of basic science experiments via a single MEO testbed platform. The DSX concept, with specific emphasis on scientific merit, relevance to the Air Force needs, and necessity for flight demonstration, was conceived and proposed for further development in mid-2003. The program then went through 8 months of proposal and review, maturing the overall design, scientific merit and payoff, and Air Force relevance. Ultimately, of the six proposed concepts, DSX was selected in January 2004 as the next AFRL/VS basic research flight experiment. During 2004 the DSX concept was refined, with specific focus on requirement derivation and allocation to hardware and software solutions. The DSX mission, matured in parallel, is the primary subject of this paper. The baseline DSX experiment should be launch ready by late 2009, with at least one year of on-orbit operations scheduled. DSX comprises five research experiments, that paves the way for new Department of Defense (DoD) capabilities in space surveillance, microsats with large aperture and power, and protection of space assets from natural and enhanced radiation environments. The DSX experiments include research on: 1) Transformational deployed structures: the deployment, dimensional stability, and MEO environment degradation of large deployable space structures. 2) Adaptive control of structures: the on-orbit system identification (SysID) of the dynamics of these large deployable structures and the use of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) autonomous adaptive control techniques. 3) Radiation belt remediation: The physics of very low frequency (VLF, 3-30 kHz) electromagnetic wave injection from ground-based transmitters, propagation, and wave-particle interactions in the magnetosphere relevant to radiation-belt remediation (RBR) techniques. 4) Lightweight, high-power, thin-film photovoltaics: the performance, radiation tolerance, plasma interactions, and thermal annealing of thin-film photovoltaics (TF-PV) in a MEO environment. 5) Space weather: The detailed measurement and mapping of energetic particle and plasma distributions in the poorly characterized MEO environment. Successful completion of the DSX mission will assist in removing power, aperture, and the MEO environment as significant design constraints for future space systems


THE WIDESPREAD occurrence of anemia is well documented. This disorder has been observed frequently in both representative populations and categorical subgroups, in technologically advanced and in developing regions. However, little information is available concerning either the prevalence or the familial concentration of anemia that reasonably might be expected in special risk segments of large cities. Brooklyn is a heterogeneous urban community in which knowledge concerning the frequency and distribution of anemia could contribute to improved health services for residents. To date only three limited studies have been described, each suggesting a serious prevalence, of low h-emoglobin levels in selected subpopulatioins. Among 2,729 nonpregnant patients observed at a health department nutrition clinic over a 5-year peiriod, hemoglobin readings, of lesIs than 12.5 gms. per 100 ml. were recorded for more than a third; of the 1,729 patients who were under 20 years of age, 43 percent had readings below this level and 2.6 percent had readings of less than 10.0 gms. Among 560 pregnant women, 38 percent had levels under 10.0 gms. (1, 2). Ilaughton (3) reported hemoglobin concentrations of less than 10 gms. per 100 ml. in 18.9 percent of 286 preschool children in a health center serving a predominantly underprivileged population. Trice found a level below 10 gms. in 21.4 percent of 689 children attending another district clinic (personal communication, Dr. D. Trice, New York City Department of Health, July 17, 1964). Although only small, selected samples were involved, the public health implications of these observations in scattered segments of the city warrant further efforts to determine the prevalence of anemia in adults as well as in children, notably within families among the vulnerable groups in this and similar communities. This report describes the blood hemoglobin status of 5,597 persons from a predominantly low-income area. Data are provided concerning the relationship of substandard hemoglobin values to such variables as age, sex, ethnic group, tuberculin sensitivity, and welfare status. The familial concentration of low hemoglobin levels is demonstrated in households considered to be comprised largely of well persons.


DR. MANGOLD: Dr. Mangold considered the problems of two broad categories of space optical systems -- earth resources and astronomical observations. The large amount of data collected by these satellites favor the screening of the data on board the satellites, and he suggested the use of astronaut scientists to maintain the equipment and evaluate the data in orbit. Because of the high cost of data collection there is a need for operational efficiency. There should be at least two types of astronauts, the technician or engineer who can maintain and repair the equipment, and the scientist who can evaluate the data. With the use of communications satellites of greatly increased band-width in ten years or so, all the data could be telemetered to the ground so that the scientist who would evaluate the data could be located on the ground rather than in space. Dr. Mangold recommended flexibility in instruments and programs so that the scientist astronaut could reorient the mission if necessary.


In this paper we present a novel approach for the 3D Euclidean reconstruction of deformable objects observed by a perspective camera with variable intrinsic parameters. We formulate the non-rigid shape and motion estimation problem as a non-linear optimization where the objective function to be minimised is the image reprojection error. Our approach is based on the observation that often some of the points on the observed object behave rigidly, while others deform from frame to frame. We propose to use the set of rigid points to obtain an initial estimate of the camera's varying internal parameters and the overall rigid motion. The prior information that some of the points in the object are rigid can also be added to the non-linear minimization scheme in order to avoid ambiguous configurations. Results on synthetic and real data prove the performance of our algorithm even when using a minimal set of rigid points and when varying the intrinsic camera parameters


Graph embeddings have become a key paradigm to learn node representations and facilitate downstream graph analysis tasks. Many real-world scenarios such as online social networks and communication networks involve streaming graphs, where edges connecting nodes are continuously received in a streaming manner, making the underlying graph structures evolve over time. Such a streaming graph raises great challenges for graph embedding techniques not only in capturing the structural dynamics of the graph, but also in efficiently accommodating high-speed edge streams. Against this background, we propose SGSketch, a highly-efficient streaming graph embedding technique via incremental neighborhood sketching. SGSketch cannot only generate high-quality node embeddings from a streaming graph by gradually forgetting outdated streaming edges, but also efficiently update the generated node embeddings via an incremental embedding updating mechanism. Our extensive evaluation compares SGSketch against a sizable collection of state-of-the-art techniques using both synthetic and real-world streaming graphs. The results show that SGSketch achieves superior performance on different graph analysis tasks, showing 31.9% and 21.9% improvement on average over the best-performing static and dynamic graph embedding baselines, respectively. Moreover, SGSketch is significantly more efficient in both embedding learning and incremental embedding updating processes, showing 54x-1813x and 118x-1955x speedup over the baseline techniques, respectively.


of human lives would be threatened.1‒4 Egypt experienced the disease since the first introduction of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza HPAI H5N1 in 2006. The virus widely extended in very short time and infected commercial production sectors and backyards.5,6 Failure to eradicate the virus immediately after its introduction results in establishment of an endemic state. Continued virus replication in endemic areas, and the spread from infected birds to other birds and other species in infected zones increase the risk of generating potentially pandemic AIV.


S containing a computer program encoded on, the computer storage medium for training the neural network actor that is used for selecting the actions to be performed by the agent to interact with the environment, methods, systems, and apparatus. One of these methods is a step of obtaining the arrangement of mini experience tuples; And updating the current values of the parameters of the actor neural networks - a step comprising: for each experience tuples in the mini-batch: the training in the experience tuple using a critical neural network to determine a neural network output for the experience tuple observed and also comprising the step of determining the processing the training action, and target output for the neural networks experience the tuple; Updating the current values of the parameters of the critical neural network using the error between the target neural network output and the neural network outputs; And a step of updating the current values of the parameters of the neural network using the actor critical neural network.


A correction to the conventional physical optics (PO) current density based on the uniform geometrical theory of diffraction (UTD) is proposed by the authors to account for the effects of the edges of perfectly conducting wedges. This improved high frequency current approximation is well suited for combination with the method of moments, resulting in a current-based hybrid formulation.


This article outlines the main provisions of the Data  Protection (Amendment) Bill 2002. Focuses upon: (1) registration requirements; (2) the five  data  protection principles; (3) fair processing; (4) rights of the  data subject; (5) rights of access; (6) criminal records; (7) automated decision making; (8) sensitive  data; and (9) enforcement.


The flotation behavior of diatomite,albite and quartz w as studied using laurylamine as the collector,and the acting mechanism of the collector w ith the minerals w as analyzed by Zeta potential measuring and FT-IR spectrum analyzing methods. The mineral flotation test results indicate that the recoveries of the albite and quartz w ere above 92 w t. % and 97 w t. %,and the recovery of diatomite w as below 5 w t. %,in a slurry of pH ranging from 5. 5 to 10. 5 at a laurylamine concentration of 2. 38 × 10- 4mol / L. Zeta potential analysis indicates that the action betw een the laurylamine and the diatomite surfaces in a slurry of pH ranging from 5. 5 to 10. 5 is w eaker than that betw een the laurylamine and albite / quartz sufaces,w hich confirms the flotation results of the minerals. The IR spectrum analysis show s that hydrogen bond and electrostatic adsorptions occur betw een the laurylamine and the diatomite,albite and quartz surfaces in a slurry of pH 5. 5. How ever,these actions betw een the laurylamine and the diatomite surfaces are w eaker than those betw een the laurylamine and albite / quartz sufaces,resulting in its bad floatability.


Proper seed germination and seedling growth are most important considerations in successful seedling production under nursery technique of papaya cultivation. As the germination rate and seedling growth are affected by pre-sowing seed treatment of papaya with growth regulators and micronutrients, an experiment was carried out to identify a suitable treatment for getting better seed germination and seedling growth. Seeds were soaked with GA 3 (at 100, 150 and 200 ppm), sodium thiosulphate (at 20, 25 and 30 ppm) and micronutrient mixtures (4 different combinations of borax and zinc sulphate). Among the 11 treatments, GA 3 at 150 ppm was found best in respect to seed germination (72.2%) followed by sodium thiosulphate at 20 ppm (68.1%). But maximum seedling growth (52.32 cm seedling height and 5.18 cm seedling girth) was observed under GA 3 at 200 ppm. Borax at 0.50% along with ZnSO 4 at 0.25% also markedly improved the seedling growth.


The present invention relates to an antifoam composition and its application delayed coking, the defoaming agent 30-50 parts by mass of hyperbranched polyether, 20-40 parts by mass of higher alcohol fatty acid esters or fatty amides, 20-30 parts by mass of the compound from the solvent. Defoamers of the present invention is silicon, good dispersion, anti-foaming speed, when the amount 30μg / g or so, more than 90% of the defoaming, has strong defoaming properties under high temperature conditions, defoaming process may be used to coke drum delayed coking process.