"Risky Business" It has been said that until the early 1970s most financial managers worked in a cozy, if unthrilling world. Since then, however, constant change caused by volatile markets, new technology, and deregulation has increased the risks to businesses. For example, in 1971 currencies were allowed to float freely. After that came oil price shocks, high inflation, and wide swings in interest rates. The response from the financial community was to develop products to manage the risks due to changes in market prices. These products—often referred to as derivatives—are useful for risk management because the fair values or cash flows of these instruments can be used to offset the changes in fair values or cash flows of the assets that are at risk. The growth in use of derivatives has been aided by the development of powerful computing and communication technology, which provides new ways to analyze information about markets as well as the power to process high volumes of payments.


The stability of a two-dimensional Couette-Poiseuille flow is investigated. The primary unidirectional flow is between two infinite parallel plates, one of which moves relative to the other. The results for the case of Poiseuille flow agree with Lin's results and all flows for which the plate velocity exceeds 70% of the maximum velocity of the Poiseuille component of flow are found to be stable for all finite Reynolds numbers. Results of intermediate cases are also obtained.


In this study, we report on field testing of ceramic water filters (CWFs) fabricated using a new method of silver application (using silver nitrate as a raw material) compared to conventionally manufactured CWFs (fabricated with silver nanoparticles). Both types of filters were manufactured at the PureMadi ceramic filter production facility in Dertig, South Africa. Thirty households received filters fabricated with silver nitrate (AgNO3), and ten of those households were given an extra filter fabricated with silver nanoparticles. Filter performance was quantified by measurement of total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) removal and silver residual concentration in the effluent. Silver-nitrate CWFs had removal efficiencies for total coliforms and E. coli of 95% and 99%, respectively. A comparison of the performance of silver-nitrate and silver-nanoparticle filters showed that the different filters had similar levels of total coliform and E. coli removal, although the silver nitrate filters produced the highest average removal of 97% while silver nanoparticles filters recorded an average removal of 85%. Average effluent silver levels were below 10 ppb for the silver-nitrate and silver-nanoparticle filters, which was significantly below the Environmental Protection Agencies of the United States (EPA) and World Health Organization (WHO) secondary guidelines of 100 ppb. Silver-nitrate filters resulted in the lowest effluent silver concentrations, which could potentially increase the effective life span of the filter. A cost analysis shows that it is more economical to produce CWFs using silver nitrate due to a reduction in raw-material costs and reduced labor costs for production. Furthermore, the production of silver-nitrate filters reduces inhalation exposure of silver by workers. The results obtained from this study will be applied to improve the ceramic filtration technology as a point-of-use (POU) water treatment device and hence reduce health problems associated with microbial contamination of water stored at the household level.


PURPOSE: A sine wave amplitude measuring method using a phase difference and a device thereof are provided to optimize multi-channel measurement composition for accurate measurement of sine wave amplitude outputted in a plurality of parts of an object at the same time. CONSTITUTION: A signal sensing unit(120) receives a sine wave signal applied from an external. A reference signal generating unit generates a reference signal. The reference signal is outputted as a sine wave having a phase difference between the sine wave signal and a known quantity and having the same period of the sine wave signal and the known quantity. The reference signal is generated as the sine wave. A first comparing unit(140) generates a synchronized reference square wave according to comparison between the reference signal and a reference level. A second comparing unit(150) generates a synchronized comparison square wave according to the comparison between the reference signal and the sine wave signal. A reference detecting unit(160) detects reference edge time corresponding to a case that the reference signal and the reference level are identical in the reference square wave. A cross detecting unit(170) detects a first cross time corresponding to the case that the sine wave signal and the reference signal are identical in the comparison square wave. An amplitude calculating unit(180) calculates an amplitude of the sine wave signal based on a period and the phase difference of the known quantity and the first cross time. [Reference numerals] (120) Signal sensing unit; (130) Phase lag unit; (160) Reference detecting unit; (170) Cross detecting unit; (180) Amplitude calculating unit


Firstly,this paper promotes the method of creating Cantor Cluster in the closed interval to the n-dimension Euclidean space.By means of calculation formula of dimensions,this paper obtains the dimension of n-D Cantor Cluster,and,based on the nature of Cantor Cluster,proves that the n-D Cantor Cluster still has continuous potential.Finally,this paper further promotes the n-D Cantor Cluster and obtains the dimension as well as potential of the promoted n-D Cantor Cluster.


We report a case of neurothekeoma occurring in the gingiva of the anterior part of the mandible. A 48-year-old man visited our clinic on November 13, 2002 because of a gradually enlarging mass in the gingiva of the anterior part of the mandible. Oral examination revealed a pedunculated mass measuring 13×30×15mm. The histological diagnosis of a biopsy specimen was epulis fibrosa. After admission to our hospital, mass excision with extraction from the right canine to the left premolar was performed under general anesthesia on January 21, 2003. The surgical specimen was histologically diagnosed as neurothekeoma. On immunohistochemical examination, the tumor cells were positive for vimentin, NSE, and S-100 protein. There was no local recurrence after surgery.


The intent of this report is to provide guidance to roadway decision-makers who may be required to address such questions as: Does this technology have application in roadway engineering and operations?; What types of problems can be addressed?; How are these computer programs different from other computer programs? The report includes discussions of: 1) a representative set of problem types that are amenable to solutions using knowledge-based expert systems; 2) a description of the major components of a typical knowledge-based expert system and how these components interact in a problem solving situation; and 3) a guide for developing knowledge-based expert systems.


Drought and less rain,water shortages are the main contradiction that restrict the economic development and local populations' drinking water problem in Pengyang County.Drinking water safety population accounts for 45.6% of the County's rural population.The author summarizes some ideas and suggestions to solve drinking water safety problem of Pengyang County.


This paper presents a new hybrid watermarking scheme for image copyright protection, which is based on Redundant Discrete Wavelet Transform (RDWT) and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). Its embedding algorithm hides the watermark image in the LL, LH, HL, HH sub-bands of the host image obtained after the RDWT operation by modifying the singular value on SVD version of the host image. The principal components of the watermark image are embedded in the host image to avoid the false positive problem of SVD. To find the suitable scaling factor Particle Swarm Optimizer (PSO) can be used.


Purpose – The specification of business services (BS) is one of the key factors for success in service provision. Researchers and practitioners have identified a set of problems in BS specification, namely: communication problems between providers and buyers, inaccurate specifications and changes in requirements. These problems were identified in the software engineering (SE) field many years ago, resulting in the development of many techniques and tools to address them. Given the similarities between the two fields, the purpose of this paper is to identify the main lessons learned in SE and to propose how they can be adapted to the BS field.Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of a literature study and presents a conceptual solution.Findings – To address communications problems and inaccuracies in BS specification, a formal requirements specification stage is required. Requirements should be set out in a well‐structured written, definition, document which can be used at a subsequent sta...


The City of Kanata, Ontario, a thriving municipality located in the National Capital Region, continues to experience fast-paced growth. Recent studies of the impacts associated with the City's growth potential revealed the need for a substantial and capital-intensive works program, estimated at $100 million, to accommodate present and anticipated growth. To this end, the City of Kanata retained Morrison Hershfield Limited, a consulting engineering firm, to develop and implement a Decision Support System (DSS) aimed at providing decision makers at the City with the necessary information to effectively manage the capital budgeting process. The DSS consists of a model-based management system and a database management system. The model-based management system includes a traffic simulation model, an economic analysis model, and a multi-objective evaluation model.


Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers and the DNA sequences of ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) were used to analyze the relationships of 34 isolates of 22 Phomopsis species. The relationships of interspecies or intraspecies, which were showed in the dendrogram produced by UPGMA based on RAPD data, were nearly consistent with the results of morphological study. Different species isolated from plants of 7 families could be clearly distinguished in the dendrogram. But there were no close relationships among species isolated from the same family or genus of plants. ITS sequence analysis did not support P. mangiferae Ahmad and P. cytosporella Penz. et Sacc. had close relationship, whereas indicated P. mangiferae was closely related to P. psidii de Camara, implying P. psidii may be a synonym of P. mangiferae. In addition, the absolute distance between one isolate of Phomopsis durionis H. Syd (host is Bombax malabaricum D C.) and P. myricae Y.J.Huang et P.K.Chi fell within the normal range of different isolates of a single species. This suggests that they are probably conspecific. Results of RAPD analysis are consistent with those of ITS sequence analysis for the same isolates tested. Consequently both methods can be independently applied to classification and identification of Phomopsis.


José Marı́a Aguilera-Manzano Slavery and medicine in the Caribbean at the end of the Ancien Régime Between February 1797 and July 1798, Francisco Barrera y Domingo, a Spanish surgeon, wrote an extensive treatise on slave medicine in the Caribbean. Entitled Reflexiones Historico Fisico Naturales Medico Quirurgicas, this 894-page manuscript accounts for eighteen years of its author's professional practice in the region. It provides a clear picture of daily life in the sugar plantations as seen through the eyes of a modest surgeon, thus presenting us with an opportunity to explore the ideological and intellectual universe of this 'invisible' category of colonial practitioners. Despite its importance, Barrera's Reflexiones remains almost unknown. Only a handful of scholars have even acknowledged the existence of the volume and no systematic analysis of its content is available in English. Henry French and Mark Rothery 'Upon your entry into the world': masculine values and the threshold of adulthood among landed elites in England 1680–1800 Compared with studies of earlier and later centuries, discussion of masculinity in the 'long' eighteenth century has often concentrated on typifying discourses abstracted from conduct literature, or by reference to gender values expressed in prosecutions and publications relating to 'deviant' sexualities. Less attention has been given to identifying private understandings of masculine norms embedded in family correspondence. This study identifies values that were 'routinized' within a sample of landed families, that is, those norms rendered unremarkable by everyday rehearsal and mentioned only in passing. It focuses particularly on a 'make or break' moment in male development – sons' departure from direct parental control. This pivotal step offered the chance to enact ideals of masculine autonomy, self-control and independence, but carried the risks of debt, disease or disgrace. This article evaluates three important aspects of the tense relationship between filial 'entry into the world' and parental expectations. First, it explores parental understandings of this dilemma, and illustrates how fears were counterbalanced by recognition of the importance of personal autonomy within practices of elite masculinity. Second, it shows how families mitigated the perils of filial independence, particularly by inculcating 'familial' values, and selecting appropriate role models (often siblings). Third, it examines sons' responses to these efforts, and whether hidden differences of opinion were concealed beneath outward conformity. These private, unpublished records demonstrate a number of insights into elite masculinity. Despite the inherent dangers involved in the process, the gentry deemed the beginnings of independence to be crucial to their sons' development as men and negotiated the process in various ways. Ongoing support was provided by family members. Women were among the most important of these and mothers played a very important part in both advising and admonishing. Parents and other family members were more likely to recommend the example of living role models than to suggest particular conduct books or advice manuals. Family cultures of masculinity were apparent in this correspondence as well as the broader social assumptions about manhood that informed them, and demonstrate a greater degree of continuity in gender norms than has previously been supposed. Leo Lucassen Between Hobbes and Locke. Gypsies and the limits of the modernization paradigm This article aims to contribute to our understanding of how western European states have tried to develop a much more interactive relationship with their citizens and thereby make populations more 'legible', to use James C. Scott's concept. Taking Gypsies in England and Germany as a critical case and using a more bottom-up perspective with respect to the state formation process, as developed in recent studies by Higgs (England) and Gorski (Prussia), I argue that structural top-down analyses, although in other ways of utmost importance, fail to explain the considerable differences in the stigmatization of and policies against mobile populations, usually labelled as 'Gypsies'. One of the reasons for this failure is the uncritical reliance on the rigid modernist schemes that are often used to mark the transition from the early modern to the modern period. This article argues that a too dichotomous application of such schemes fails to note bottom-up developments in state formation from 1600 onwards and lays too much stress on the change from indirect to direct rule around 1800. Second, the Gypsy case shows that although 'legibility' has proven to be an illuminative notion, the mode and intensity of legibility programmes to 'capture' mobile populations have differed considerably and should be specified in time, place and historical context. Ben Fine Social capital versus social history Despite the meteoric rise of social capital across the social sciences over the past two decades, it has made very little impact on history. Three reasons are given for this. First is the failure of social capital to incorporate key analytical elements of importance to historians such as class, power, conflict, the state and context. Second is the neglected use by the new social capital literature of its earlier use by social historians to stand for total economic capital and its systemic effects. Third, economic history had earlier access to the equally pervasive institutionalism of the new institutional economics that could serve as a surrogate for social capital. While some have argued that social capital could be used by social historians if endowed with a content derived from Bourdieu as opposed to that associated with Coleman and Putnam, this would either unduly homogenize contextually differentiated studies and/or be subverted to the standards of the prevailing deficient approaches. Instead of embracing social capital, social historians should fiercely oppose it, including its historical incursions, but more generally in light of the methodological, theoretical and empirical insights they have to offer to other social scientists.


Tanzania has a population of 44,928,923 people, as according to 2012 national census and projected to be 52,554,628 people in 2017 by Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and is estimated to have total surface area 945,087 km2. Continental area is 88.2 million hectares, of which Some 70% of the land is considered to be village land supporting more than 80% of the population (farmers and pastoralists) with the approximately 39% of all land being used for agricultural activities, 28% as a reserved land and 2% general (mainly urban) land which is supporting 20% of the population. The gross area cultivated or planted annually is about 5.1 million hectares which are only about 5% of the surface area of Tanzania. The other arable land, but not cultivated, is 10 million ha much of it is used as pasture and meadow. While in the reserve areas there is an additional of 4 million hectares suitable for cultivation.Most of the researches keep on focusing on land use change in general, but little has been exemplified on the arable land in cause and effect relationship. This research carries out on the base of quantitative analysis and more attention on the quantitative study on the cause and effect relationship and hence creating the agricultural or arable land use model within the period of 1987 to 2017. The paper entails to discuss and analyse the land resources characteristics of the change of arable land in Tanzania according to the arable land area and relevant factors affecting the land resources mainly here referred to arable land. Linear regression analysis with Cochrane-Orcutt and Prais-Winsten estimation methods by using SPSS 22.0 software method was adopted to carry out quantitative analysis on the driving factors of arable land and its change in Tanzania. This paper also establishes the multiple regression model of driving factors on arable land area. Finally, some corresponding suggestions and discussions were put forward. The research results give valuable information for decision-makers to design sustainable arable land resources management strategies and national land allocation policies among the land-based sector within the case of Tanzania as well as other African nations.


523Background: The DATA study compared 6 and 3 years of anastrozole therapy in postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive early breast cancer previously treated with 2-3 years tamoxifen (oral presentation SABCS 2016 #S01-03). The study included postmenopausal women, allowing those with chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure (CIOFF). However, these may be at risk of ovarian function recovery (OFR). The current analysis compared the survival of women with CIOFF with definite postmenopausal women and examined the influence of OFR on survival. Methods: We selected patients from the DATA study aged 45-57 years at randomization who had received (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy. They were classified by menopausal status at randomization (definite postmenopausal before chemotherapy or by ovariectomy, versus CIOFF). The latter were monitored by estradiol measurements for OFR during anastrozole. Endpoints: Disease-free Survival (DFS), Distant Recurrence-free Survival (DRFS), and Overall Survival (OS), co...


The RECEPTION GAME is an exercise for teaching ordinary social conversational skills to adult foreign language learners who use such skills in their professional work at posts abroad. Of all the tasks carried out in the target language at post, learners claim to experience the most difficulty participating in ordinary social conversation. The properties of ordinary social conversation imply that language learners practice following unpredictable turns in topic, displaying involvement, and producing unplanned speech. Challenges for teaching social conversation lie with classroom interactional patterns whose characteristic turn-taking structure is unlike that of ordinary social conversation. This design for teaching conversational skills-combining elements of simulation and experiential learning-takes into account conversation's rapport-building function, turn-taking mechanisms, and open-ended structure, as well as listening demands for following rapid shifts in topic and displaying understanding and involvement in the interaction.


Most inventory models dealing with spare parts assume independent part failures and hence one-at-a-time failure occurrences. In practice, for example when an aircraft engine undergoes repair, there is usually more than one part requiring replacement or repair; we denote this situation as 'multiple failures'. In this paper we represent multiple failures in a continuous, infinite horizon, order-for-order spares replenishment inventory model with cannibalization. We derive exact expressions for the distribution function and the expectation of the number of backlogged jobs; approximations are also provided. The results can be used to optimize spares inventories, to evaluate the effects of correlated failures, and to model the impact of parts commonality.


The neutral title complex, [NiCl2(C10H24P2)] or [NiCl2(depe)], where depe is 1,2-bis(diethylphosphino)ethane, has two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit. The Ni atoms in both molecules are coordinated in a slightly distorted square-planar geometry by the two P atoms and two Cl− ions, with bond dimensions as expected. The geometry of the depe ligand in one of the molecules is typical; there is disorder in the ethyl groups in the second molecule, however, leading to some slightly distorted dimensions. The two independent molecules form discrete columns parallel to the crystallographic a axis; these `ordered' and `disordered' columns alternate along the crystallographic b and c directions, with short Cl⋯H van der Waals contacts linking four columns.


The renewal of modes of thought in P、E teachers is the precursor of the physical education reform.Without thorough change of modes of thought, the physical education reform won't be really carried out.This article probes into the change of modes of thought in P、E teachers and the establishment of modern concept of education so that the requirement of quality education can be better met and the physical education reform can be furthered.


This dossier is a collection of conversations that took place during the events that shook Lebanon in May 2008. The whole week of most serious unrest that lasted from 7 to 15 May led many to say…


The experiment on human and vehicle detection using Pi-SAR2 was carried out on December 12th 2012 in order to confirm the operational performance of Pi-SAR2. Although the sigma zero of human target is approximately -1 dB and is lower than the first assumed value, the human target was detected on Pi-SAR2 image. And the human and vehicle can be split on Pi-SAR2 image. As the result, it was confirmed that Pi-SAR has the potential performance for the detection of human and vehicle. The result of this experiment will be used for the development of a new small airborne SAR which has the same performance as that of Pi-SAR2.


This paper provides evidence that the implied correlation is an indicator of market-wide risk. From a time-series approach, I analyze whether aggregate implied correlation contains information on future market returns. I document that it explains an important fraction of the variation in aggregate market excess returns, with high implied correlation followed by an increase in subsequent market returns. The predictive power is stronger at a forecast of bimonthly, quarterly and semi-annually return horizons and is not captured by standard predictors like valuation ratios and business cycle variables. Moreover, I show that the information content of the correlation risk premium and realized correlation on market returns is fully driven by the implied correlation.


MA Y 2-4, 1979 Annual Safety Conference. Omni International Hotel, Norfolk, Virginia. A choice of 12 sections including a Nursing Section entitled "Heart Disease The Number One Killer and How It Relates To Employees And Their Jobs." There is a $5 fee to the Virginia Safety Association and MAY 10-13, 1979 Twelfth Annual Meeting of American Association of Suicidology. Hilton Hotel, Denver, Colorado. Further information: Julie Greenblatt, Suicide and Crisis Control, 2459 South Ash, Denver, Colorado. (303) 757-0988.


Introduction : Borderline personality disorder affects many cognitive, behavioral, and even emotional domains of individuals. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of functional analytical therapy on controlling, expressing, and internalizing anger in patients with a borderline personality disorder. Methods : The research method was a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test with experimental and control groups. The statistical population of this study included all 43 women referred to Asal Psychological Clinic in Karaj city in 2020. Out of 33 patients with moderate borderline personality disorder, 24 were selected by simple random sampling method and were randomly assigned to two groups of 12 (experimental and control groups). The functional analytical psychotherapy package of Tsai, Kohlenberg, Kanter & Waltz (2010) was performed on the experimental group in 10 sessions of 45 minutes. For experimental and control groups in pre-test and post-test Anger Questionnaire of Spielberg (1988) was used. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance mixed with SPSS18 software. Results:  The results showed that functional analytical therapy has a significant effect on improving controlling, expressing, and internalizing anger in patients with borderline personality disorder (Pvalue≤0.001). Conclusions: These results emphasize the level of performance of functional analytical psychotherapy in different areas of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional in the treatment of people with a borderline personality disorder. Keywords: Functional therapy, Anger, Borderline personality disorder.


Linear Free Energy Relationships (LFERs) based on distribution coefficients between the aqueous phase and the sorbent are often unsuccessful for interpreting sorption mechanisms in environmentally important sorbents because they comprise contributions not only from solute interactions with the sorbent, but also from hydration of the solute in bulk water. To avoid this problem, we suggest an approach for studying interactions between organic sorbates and environmentally important sorbents using a thermodynamic cycle to eliminate interactions between the solute and bulk water. In this approach, aqueous distribution coefficients are converted to gas phase distribution coefficients that are related to the free energy of transfer from the gas phase to the hydrated sorbent, and include contributions from all interactions occurring during the transfer. Gas phase distribution coefficients are compared for different compounds with similar molar refraction values to give insights into the nature of specific and nonspecific interactions of organic molecules with environmental sorbents. This methodology is illustrated for sorption of organic molecules in soil organic carbon and at mineral surfaces, and examples of insights obtainable from this methodology are given.


Sepsis is a common condition, with an estimated 30 million cases worldwide each year, resulting in 6 million sepsis-related deaths. Some 60% of all sepsis events and 80% of sepsis-associated deaths occur in the older population. This is because the ageing process, and the presence of multiple comorbidities, make many older people vulnerable to developing, and dying from, sepsis. However, serious illness and death from sepsis can be avoided if the signs and symptoms are identified quickly, and interventions started early. This article explains current research and guidelines with regard to the causes, recognition, treatment and prevention of sepsis in the older population, and considers the role of care home staff in supporting effective care of residents as risk of developing sepsis. Care home staff are well-positioned to recognise sepsis and contribute to treatment, as their in-depth knowledge of residents makes it easier for them to identify changes in residents' behaviours and health status, which may indicate sepsis. By taking steps to ensure the risk of developing infections is reduced, care home staff can make a valuable contribution to the prevention of sepsis.


In this paper we present a thorough investigation of automatic bias recognition on BASIL, a dataset of political news which has been annotated with different kinds of biases. We begin by unveiling several inconsistencies in prior work using this dataset, showing that most approaches focus only on certain task formulations while ignoring others, and also failing to report important evaluation details. We provide a comprehensive categorization of these approaches, as well as a more uniform and clear set of evaluation metrics. We argue about the importance of the missing formulations and also propose the novel task of simultaneously detecting different kinds of biases in news. In our work, we tackle bias on six different BASIL classification tasks in a unified manner. Eventually, we introduce a simple yet effective approach based on data augmentation and preprocessing which is generic and works very well across models and task formulations, allowing us to obtain state-of-the-art results. We also perform ablation studies on some tasks to quantify the strength of data augmentation and preprocessing, and find that they correlate positively on all bias tasks.


Indonesia is an archipelago with significant variations in natural resources, infrastructure, socioeconomic, culture, human resource capacity, accessibility, and access to financial and technical assistance. In this situation, integrated and unique efforts are needed to manage natural resources and build synergy between their protection and utilization to achieve water, energy, and food (WEF) security in accordance with the SDG targets. This paper analyzes the implementations of the WEF nexus in rural Indonesia by examining existing legal frameworks and other related policies, journals, textbooks, and publications. We explore factors influencing the success and failure of the implementation of the WEF nexus approaches from technical, socioeconomic, cultural, political, and institutional perspectives of the rural development framework.


Abstract: This essay examines the Fullmoon photographs of London-based artist Darren Almond and puts them in relation to speculative realist philosophy (that of Timothy Morton and Bruno Latour), which claims that we are living in a post-natural condition. As such, Almond's work, which is also productively compared to the photography and video of related artists such as Ursula Biemann and Subhankar Banerjee, shows the conceptual end of the category "world," which has dominated philosophies of nature since the beginning of the Enlightenment. The essay inquires into the aesthetic and political dimensions of this ecological transformation and the fraught images that mediate and negotiate it. Resume: Cet essai examine les photographies de la serie Fullmoon de l'artiste Darren Almond et les met en relation avec la philosophie du realisme speculatif (de Timothy Morton et de Bruno Latour) qui affirme que nous vivons dans une condition post-naturelle. Le travail d'Almond, efficacement compare aux photographies et aux videos d'artistes oeuvrant dans la meme veine tels qu'Ursula Biemann et Subhankar Banerjee, montre la fin conceptuelle de la categorie « monde » qui dominait les philosophies de la nature depuis le debut du Siecle des Lumieres. L'essai nous plonge dans les dimensions esthetiques et politiques de cette transformation ecologique ainsi que dans les « fraught images » qui les relatent et les mettent en question.


In this research is arises the problem of building the school timetable an Educational Institution (EI's) with multiple headquarters that provide classes in morning and afternoon, forcing than during the school day some teachers must move between headquarters. The problem is tackled by using an integer lineal programming model (ILP) as tool solution. According to the above, the model has, as one of its objectives minimize transfers of teachers between different headquarters. The proposed methodology considers two types of constraints, mandatory (hard) belonging to the legal and institutional framework concerning the Institutional Education Project (IEP), and faculty requirements (soft) that are not strict obedience. The proposed model was validated in a case study, and computational experiments were developed in several instances using Lingo ® 14. Additionally, to know its behavior, a structure analysis was performed in two scenarios. In all instances, a minimum of teacher displacement was obtained.


The significance of molecular and genetic alterations of p53 and ras in the development and progression as well as the histological differentiation of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) was evaluated.


The topic of this study is the effectiveness of paraphrasing to improve
students' reading comprehension skills of hortatory exposition text – a preexperimental
study at grade XI of SMA Negeri 1 Kutowinangun in the academic
year of 2010/2011. The objective of this study is to investigate whether
paraphrasing is significantly effective to improve students' mastery of reading
comprehension skills of hortatory exposition text.
The research method used in this study was pre-experimental design by
applying one group pre-test post-test. This study was conducted to the students at
grade XI of SMA Negeri 1 Kutowinangun as the population and the sample (class
XI IPA 1) was taken by applying cluster random sampling. This technique
requires groups or clusters in taking the sample based on the groups that have
already existed in the population. Besides, there was other one group that was
used for try-out (class XI IPA 3). The experimental group had four meetings. The
first meeting was for giving pre-test. The second and third meetings were for
treatments by using paraphrasing in teaching reading comprehension of hortatory
exposition text. For the last meeting, the post-test was given to the students to
know their achievement. The result of the pre-test showed that the average score
of pre-test was 70.7. Whereas, the average score of post-test was 75.325. From the
data, the result of post-test in comprehending hortatory exposition text was better
than the result of pre-test. So, there was an improvement of students' ability in
comprehending hortatory exposition text through paraphrasing.
In order to find out the significance of the increase between pre-test and
post-test, t-test was applied. After having the test of significance, the t-value
(2.678) was higher than t-table (2.02). So, Ho (paraphrasing is not effective to
improve Senior High School students' reading comprehension skills of hortatory
exposition text) was rejected. From the result, it could be concluded that using
paraphrasing can effectively improve the students' reading comprehension skills
of hortatory exposition text


CLINICAL CHEMISTRY, Vol. 39, No. 6, 1993 1353 Odelius G, Wirbing P. Detection of benzodiazepine intake in therapeutic doses by immunoanalysis of urine: two techniques evaluated and modified for improved performance. Cbs Chem 1992;38:271-5. 3. Fraser AD. The benzodiazepines: a controversial class of drugs in the 1990s. Washington, DC: AACC la-Service Training and Continuing Education, 1992; 13(15):7-13.


PurposeThis study analyzed the relationships among sub-factors of mindfulness and two anti-consumption lifestyles caused by personal and social/environmental concerns. This study also investigated the pursuit of authenticity mediating this relationship.Design/methodology/approachA survey based on self-administered questionnaires and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the collected data via Statistical Product Service Solutions (SPSS) 23 and Analysis of MOment Structure (AMOS) 23. Multiple mediation analysis was adopted to investigate the mediating role of authenticity dimensions via SPSS PROCESS macro.FindingsThe relationship between mindfulness and anti-consumption behavior was generally positive. Except for describing and non-judgment, most facets of mindfulness were positively related to anti-consumption patterns. Only the indirect effect of authentic living (AL) was significant in the impact of mindfulness on anti-consumption behavior.Originality/valueTo the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to examine the link between mindfulness and anti-consumption and potential mechanism of anti-consumption – authenticity seeking, extending knowledge about mindfulness and providing insights for environmentalists, public decision-makers, marketers and consumers.


Academic departments that consolidate several disciplines expect their dedicated computing labs to perform seamlessly despite the tasks placed upon them. Computers used for instruction in a multiuser environment must span a wide range of activities found in technology-related and analytic fields. Shared workstations often contain a whole host of applications that include productivity suites, development tools, desktop virtualization, utility applications, and antiquated legacy software. The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin-Superior streamlined workstation deployment and configuration by moving a majority of system configuration activities into the deployment phase and increasing the deployment rate. This was achieved by aligning the process to departmental operations and customizing a software application to automate repetitive activities. This paper presents the design and technologies used toward this goal along with evaluating tradeoffs between upfront and ongoing costs. The paper closes with thoughts and observations on the effort and gains realized.


In an article published to coincide with Caryl Churchill's seventieth birthday, playwright Mark Ravenhill remarked, 'of all the major forces in British playwriting, I can think of no one else who is regarded with such affection and respect by her peers'. A decade earlier, in an article attempting to discover 'The Playwrights' Playwright', four of the nine writers surveyed chose Churchill as the playwright who most inspired them. Theatre critic David Benedict places her only behind Harold Pinter and David Hare in the public's affections, while Benedict Nightingale considers her 'the most gloriously original, preposterously gifted of all British dramatists'. In 1999, novelist Margaret Forster chose Top Girls as her 'play of the millennium' and more recently actress Sophie Okonedo when asked which living person she most admired chose Caryl Churchill. A sign of the esteem in which she is held may be found in the fact that the Royal Court Theatre, with which she has been associated since 1972, held not one but two seasons of her work in the 2000s. In 2002, to accompany A Number in the main house, Identical Twins, Not Not Not Not Not Enough Oxygen , and This is a Chair were performed in the Theatre Upstairs, alongside readings of Seagulls, Three More Sleepless Nights, Moving Clocks Go Slow and Owners . In 2008, to mark her seventieth birthday, ten playwrights directed staged readings of ten of her plays: Owners, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, Vinegar Tom, Top Girls, Three More Sleepless Nights, Ice Cream, The Skriker, Blue Heart, Far Away and A Number .


This paper is based on the karst area of geotechnical engineering.It uses the difference in physical characteristic of the rack and soil and the wave impedance and resistivity differences.It comparatively analyses the high density resistivity method,the transient electromagnetic method,the geological radar method and other geophysical prospecting methods.Finally it determines the high-density electrical method,the seismic imaging method,the acoustic logging and drilling CT methods,as well as the surface and subsurface geophysical exploration methods to detect the site conditions of combining the karst distribution and the development conditions.


Cognitive radio principles enable the ability to utilise radio resources in an opportunistic manner without the need and limitations associated with centralised or fixed allocation of resources. However, in order for these approaches to be exploited requires in-depth understanding of the radio channel and traffic models in order that the most suitable resource sharing strategies are employed. This paper examines the exploitation of cognitive radio principles for delivery of IPTV content on demand within unmanaged wireless environments. This is particularly applicable within composite home wireless networks, but increasingly in other scenarios in which radio resources need to be shared in an autonomous and dynamic manner. The paper explores channel models, traffic models and presents some results from experimental implementation to learn the best channel selection strategies.


We aimed to examine the case mix of adolescents presenting to an adult Emergency Department (ED) and to survey a representative sample regarding their perceived care. Of the 323 visits reviewed, 215 (66.6%) were males. Presentations increased at the weekend (151/323, 46.7%). Most visits were non-urgent, 34 (10.5%) were admitted. Acute injuries accounted for 156/215 (72.6%) of male presentations. 12/17 (70.5%) of those with a psychosocial presenting problem registered between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. 33 adolescents presented during the prospective study period. 6 were excluded, 3 were lost to follow-up. 10/24 (41.7%) described the time they were waiting to be seen by a doctor as unacceptable, 9 (37.5%) wanted more privacy and 11 (45.9%) reported a delay in receiving treatment. Adolescents represent a minority in the ED, but have specific needs. We recommend the availability of age specific health promotion information and training of staff in adolescent healthcare issues.


By using identification materials and analytic data of sandstone samples(borehole core),petrochemical characteristics of sandstone from interlayer oxidation zone have been preliminarily studied.According to the material composition,the sorting,and the roundness of clastic material in sandstone,and by comparing these features with those of material constituent of provenance area,it is suggested that sediments in the area are mostly originated from the northern Nanhu uplift,and secondary from the southern Juelutak Mountain.The study of texture and structure,the content of pore-filling matreial,and cementation type of sandstone indicates that the porosity,the permeability of sandstone are closely related to its density,as well as to carbonate content,and the species and content of secondary minerals.The statistics of content of those components that are closely related to hydrogenetic metallogenesis,such as Corg.,CO 2,Fe,S,U,Th and some associated elements have been performed.It is found that the content of these components in sandstone of oxidation zone is lower than that in reduction zone.However,the Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ ratio in oxidation zone is higher than that in reduction zone.As judged by necessary ore-formation conditions of in-situ leachable sandstone-type uranium deposit,the content of organic carbon in host sandstone is relatively high,the carbonate content is medium(in some horizon or some part the carbonate content is relatively low),the oxidation,migration,and precipitation and concentration of Fe,S,U,Th and associated elements are in coincidence with the variation regularity at hydrogenic uranium deposit.


Objective To investigate the effects of minocycline on axonal injury in rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis(EAE).Methods EAE was induced in rats by immunization with guinea pig spinal cord homogenate(GPSCH),and then the rats were divided into treatment group,model group,and control group.Rats in treatment group were given minocycline,while rats in the other two groups were given normal saline by gavage.The expression of β-amyloid precursor protein(β-App) was estimated by immunohistochemical method.Results The positive cells in spinal cord were higher in model group than those in the other two groups(P 0.05),and those in brain and brain stem were significantly higher in model group than those in control group(P 0.05).The average density in spinal cord,brain,and brain stem in model group were significantly higher than those in the other two groups(P 0.05).Conclusions Minocycline can regulate the expression of β-App and may have protective effects on axonal injury in EAE.


While consumers are interested in organic or biorational alternatives to synthetic fungicides for the control of diseases of ornamentals as well as vegetables and tree fruits in residential landscapes, relatively few field trials have been conducted to establish their performance against ornamentals diseases. Weekly applications of Armicarb® 100 (potassium bicarbonate) controlled powdery mildew on flowering dogwood as effectively as the synthetic fungicides Heritage 50WDG (azoxystrobin) and Banner MAXX (propiconazole) (6). Control of powdery mildew on deciduous azalea (8), hydrangea (4), and monarda [bee balm] (7) as well as black spot on rose (5) has also been obtained with commercial potassium bicarbonate products. On flowering dogwood, the organic fungicides SunSpray Ultra Fine Oil (paraffinic oil), Neem Concentrate (neem extract), and Rhapsody biofungicide (Bacillus subtilis strain QST713) had to be applied twice as often as a synthetic fungicide to obtain a similar level of powdery mildew control (1). In contrast, SunSpray Ultra Fine Oil [discontinued] and to a lesser extent MilStop 85W (potassium bicarbonate) proved nearly as effective as the synthetic fungicides Heritage 50WDG and Eagle 40W (myclobutanil) in controlling powdery mildew on hydrangea (4). Efficacy of organic fungicides for the control of aggressive leaf spot and blight diseases on woody ornamentals is not as well known. Hagan and Akridge (1) found that SunSpray Ultra Fine Oil, Neem Concentrate, and Rhapsody failed to give effective spot anthracnose and Cercospora leaf spot control on field or container-grown flowering dogwood.


A direct application of the variable-gain super-twisting algorithm (VGSTA) is implemented for torque feedback on a handlebar of a riding simulator. This control strategy aims to compensate perturbations changing with the system states. Thanks to the good tracking performance and robustness/insensitiveness of such a control method, a precise estimation of the rider's torque applied on the riding simulator handlebar is possible. A first-order sliding-mode observer with stabilization is designed for the estimation of the unknown input rider action. Experimental implementation and analysis are provided to point-out the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


Abstract We investigate two simple sufficient criteria for positive invariance of sets in the domain of n-dimensional nonlinear autonomous discrete time systems. These criteria are derived from the exact Taylor expansion with linear and quadratic remainder terms. By a simple example we demonstrate that systems exist for which positive invariance can be established with the second order criterion but not with the first order criterion. Since the second order criterion requires the Hessian matrices of the model equations, this criterion is computationally expensive. We show, however, that the second order criterion can be evaluated at a surprisingly low computational cost. Specifically, we show that the computational complexity is an order of magnitude lower than the calculation of the Hessian matrices.


The present invention after switching the interface grid disposed on the device to the second grid arrangement from the first grid arrangement, the method comprising: obtaining a value of a widget size and; It discloses how to control the widgets, including a step of determining grid is occupied by the widget based on a size value of each of the grid arrangement and the second grid, the apparatus and the device. How to control the widgets provided by the embodiment of the invention, the device and the terminal then was converted to the number of grids of the current grid position the size of the widget is automatically modified to place a grid, the size of the widget unchanged or current unit so as to match the grid size thereby improving the display effect, and even the user experience.


AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the electromyographic activity (EMG) of dynamically or statically working and nonworking muscles and blood lactate concentrations during progressive exercise in seven endurance-trained and seven speed-trained male athletes. Blood lactate concentrations during the incremental exercise showed a high correlation with EMG not only in dynamically loaded antagonists (m. rectus and biceps femoris) and m. soleus, but also in nonworking muscle (m. frontalis). No relationship was found between EMG and blood lactate in statically loaded m. trapezius. The nonlinearity in EMG versus the progressively increasing power output curves was observed in dynamically working leg muscles and nonworking m. frontalis, but not in m. trapezius. The nonlinear increase in EMG, which can be the EMG threshold, occurred within the range of exercise intensities corresponding to the individual anaerobic threshold and the anaerobic threshold at the blood lactate level of 4 mmol .I-1 (4 mM-AT). The EMG threshold for m. soleus, rich in slow-twitch fibers, was found just at the individual anaerobic threshold in both the endurance- and speed-trained groups. On the contrary, the EMG threshold for m. rectus f., which is mainly composed of fast-twitch fibers, approximated the anaerobic threshold at a blood lactate level of 4 mmol . I-1, especially in endurance-trained athletes. The results indicate that the EMG threshold reflects the threshold pattern in blood lactate accumulation during progressive exercise in endurance- as well as speed-trained athletes. Therefore, it may serve in sports medicine practice as a useful, noninvasive measure of anaerobic threshold.


Abstract: English as a kind of language is a tool for people to communicate. At the same time, language is an important and prominent part of culture. This paper emphasizes the importance cultural awareness in preserving the local culture for English Language Teaching (English Language Teaching). By using 4F approach (Folk Dance, Festival, Fair and Food) , the students can get cultural understanding in promoting the local culture itself. Through this approach, it also shapes the students' character that involves internal changes in terms of attitudes and values. Increasing cultural awareness means to see aspects of cultural differences. Through this approach also develops the students' motivation to promote their local culture. Keywords: local culture,4F approach, cultural awareness


Purpose To compare the efficacy and the injection number of intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) monotherapy vs. intravitreal ranibizumab plus dexamethasone (IVR + DEX) implants for macular edema (ME) secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Methods This prospective, control trial comprised 96 eyes of 96 patients with ME due to non-ischemic RVO divided into two groups. The IVR monotherapy group consisted of 61 patients (29 with CRVO and 32 with BRVO) treated with ranibizumab with three consecutive loading doses at a monthly + pro re nata (three + PRN) regimen. The IVR + DEX implant group consisted of 35 patients (19 with CRVO and 16 with BRVO) treated with intravitreal ranibizumab plus DEX implant. All eyes underwent best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA, log MAR), central foveal thickness (CFT), and intraocular pressure (IOP). In case of recurrence, each group received initial medication. Results At the 12-month visit, the mean log MAR BCVA that was improved from baseline was 0.23 with the IVR group and 0.30 with the IVR + DEX group. CFT decreased on average by 420 ± 292 μm with the IVR group and 393 ± 259 μm with the IVR + DEX implant group. No significant differences were detected in BCVA improvement and CFT reduction between the two groups (p > 0.05). The mean number of injections was 5.4 in the IVR group and 3.9 in the IVR + DEX implant group (p < 0.001). The mean reinjection interval for patients with the IVR + DEX implant was 131.2 ± 8.9 days (range: 98–150). The incidence of high IOP and cataract progression were significantly higher in the IVR + DEX implant group than in the IVR group (both p < 0.001). Conclusion In RVO-ME, the IVR + DEX implant did not have synergistic efficacy, providing further improvement in BCVA and a reduction in CFT. However, the IVR + DEX implant still had an advantage in reducing the number of injections and prolonging the time between injections.


Most active depth sensors sample their visual field using a fixed pattern, decided by accuracy, speed and cost trade-offs, rather than scene content. However, a number of recent works have demonstrated that adapting measurement patterns to scene content can offer significantly better trade-offs. We propose a hardware LIDAR design that allows flexible real-time measurements according to dynamically specified measurement patterns. Our flexible depth sensor design consists of a controllable scanning LIDAR that can foveate, or increase resolution in regions of interest, and that can fully leverage the power of adaptive depth sensing. We describe our optical setup and calibration, which enables fast sparse depth measurements using a scanning MEMS (micro-electro mechanical) mirror. We validate the efficacy of our prototype LIDAR design by testing on over 75 static and dynamic scenes spanning a range of environments. We also show CNN-based depth-map completion of sparse measurements obtained by our sensor. Our experiments show that our sensor can realize adaptive depth sensing systems.


Between l957 and 1961 over l00 patients who were treated by a Co/sup 60/ teletherapy unit for malignant tumors of the head and neck were observed. The ears were included in the field of irradiation (4000 to 6000 r to the region of the inner ear). Between 50 and 60% of the patients developed ear symptoms during or shortly after completion of treatment. The most common symptoms were a sensation of fullness in the ear, some loss of hearing, earache, and tinnitus. Examination of ears revealed mild to moderate hyperemia of ear drums, with slight retraction in eariy stages and bulging at iater stages. There was a moderate conductive hearing loss also. This disease entity is termed radiation otitis media and its pathophysiologic mechanism is similar to that of serous otitis media. Sterile fluid fills the middle ear, containing also some desquamated epithelial cells. Radiation otitis media usually clears up in a few weeks after the completion of treatment. In the management of this condition, vasoconstrictors, mild analgesics, and gentie politzeration were sufficient. However, in a few cases bacterial invasion of the sterile fluid occurred, resulting in purulent otitis media which required the use of antibiotics. Hearing of 20 patientsmore » was tested at weekly intervals during and after the completion of radiation. Cut of the 40 ears, 16 showed a conductive hearing loss, averaging 20 db. Six ears showed a worsening of the original loss of preceptive hearing. However, this was also primarily due to the development of a conductive component. There were no microscopicaiiy detectable immediate changes in the cochlea or labyrinth exposed to radiation in cancerocidal doses. (H.H.D.)« less


Mercury is one of the most toxic heavy metals present in the earth's crust. It has been considered as environmental pollutant because of its potent toxicity to plants and humans. In this review, we discuss mercury toxicity responses on plant metabolism and its detoxification mechanism by phytochelatins and antioxidant enzymes. Some light is also shed on selenium antagonistic study with mercury. Due to its potential toxicity, it has attracted attention in fields of soil science and plant nutrition. Mercury has harmful toxic effects on the molecular and physiobiochemical behavior of plants. Mostly research work has been done on seed germination, and shoot, root, and leaf morphology. Enzyme responses with respect to mercury as a result Hg accumulated in food chain is also reviewed here. Hence, this review may provide a compiled data for other researches in this direction, to provide a better mechanism or details about mercury's noxious effect in the ecosystem.


Corresponding to low targeting accuracy due to tissue deformation during the process of electrode insertion in sub-thalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (DBS), biomechanical properties of brain tissue are essential to investigate. Knowing the properties of brain can be used in finite element simulations to predict the deformation of tissue under different operating conditions. It provides a forecasting mechanism for target localization. Firstly, cylindrical samples of diameter (10 mm) and height (10 mm) are adopted uniaxial compression test at 5 mm/s up to 35% strain. Go back to the starting place and keep 5 s. Secondly, uniaxial tensile tests were carried out under the same experimental conditions up to 25% strain. The main content of this research is defining the instantaneous elastic response in compression and tension. The polynomial function of MATLAB is used to calculate the engineering stress-strain curve according to experimental data. The linear polynomial can't satisfy the accurate expression of results. The instantaneous elastic response's parameters obtained in the study will perfect modelling of MAT_QUASILINEAR_ VISCOELASTIC in LS-DYNA.


2D materials with valley-related multiple Hall effect are both fundamentally intriguing and practically appealing to explore novel phenomena and applications, but have been largely overlooked up to date. Here, using first-principles calculations, we present that valley related multiple Hall effect can exist in singlelayer VSi2P4. We identify single-layer VSi2P4 as a ferromagnetic semiconductor with out-of-plane magnetization and valley physics. Arising from the joint effect of inversion symmetry breaking and time reversal symmetry breaking, the exotic spontaneous valley polarization occurs in single-layer VSi2P4, thus facilitating the observation of anomalous valley Hall effect. Moreover, under external strain, band inversion can occur at only one of the valleys of single-layer VSi2P4, enabling the long-sought valley-polarized quantum anomalous Hall effect, and meanwhile the anomalous valley Hall effect is well preserved.. Our work not only enriches the research on valley-related multiple Hall effect, but also opens a new avenue for exploring valley-polarized quantum anomalous Hall effect.


The objective of this study is to determine the contribution of the flipped classroom to the development of research skills in university students. The flipped classroom is an eclectic pedagogical model, strengthened by the developmentofcurrentcomputertools,theproper implementation would contribute to establish a favorable environment for the full performance of the knowledge acquisition process in the university space, through collaborative work, self-discipline and, ultimately, the culture of self-knowledge. This model would also be conducive to the development and strengthening of research skills in university students.


Abstract The replacement of any limit state function by an equivalent linear function is discussed in detail and it is shown that there are several methods by which such an equivalence may be established. In the case of multiple failure mode problems the definition of fully equivalent linear functions requires the additional consideration of mode correlations. The manner in which this may be carried out is discussed and it is shown that, for most practical cases, a relatively simple analysis is likely to be sufficient to define the set of equivalent linear limit states, with the advantage that the established theory of such linear limit states may then be employed in the majority of reliability analyses.


We present a new determination of the galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) over the redshift interval $0.25 \leq z \leq 3.75$, derived from a combination of ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging surveys. Based on a near-IR selected galaxy sample selected over an area of 3 deg$^{2}$ and spanning $\geq 4$ dex in stellar mass, we fit the GSMF with both single and double Schechter functions, carefully accounting for Eddington bias to derive both observed and intrinsic parameter values. We find that a double Schechter function is a better fit to the GSMF at all redshifts, although the single and double Schechter function fits are statistically indistinguishable by $z=3.25$. We find no evidence for significant evolution in $M^{\star}$, with the intrinsic value consistent with $\log_{10}(M^{\star} / M_{\odot})=10.55\pm{0.1}$ over the full redshift range. Overall, our determination of the GSMF is in good agreement with recent simulation results, although differences persist at the highest stellar masses. Splitting our sample according to location on the UVJ plane, we find that the star-forming GSMF can be adequately described by a single Schechter function over the full redshift range, and has not evolved significantly since $z\simeq 2.5$. In contrast, both the normalization and functional form of the passive GSMF evolves dramatically with redshift, switching from a single to a double Schechter function at $z \leq 1.5$. As a result, we find that while passive galaxies dominate the integrated stellar-mass density at $z \leq 0.75$, they only contribute $\lesssim 10$ per cent by $z\simeq 3$. Finally, we provide a simple parameterization that provides an accurate estimate of the GSMF, both observed and intrinsic, at any redshift within the range $0 \leq z \leq 4$.


Rheumatic disease and pregnancy are both associated with increased rates of venous thromboembolism. In pregnancy, the highest risk is in the later stages of pregnancy and postpartum. The management of anticoagulation to provide thromboprophylaxis, for treatment of acute thromboembolism or for prevention of secondary recurrence can cause issues throughout pregnancy for the clinician and patient, particularly around the time of delivery. In those with rheumatic disease, this can be complicated by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies, which are associated with venous, arterial, and microvascular thromboembolism and obstetric complications. We discuss the management of thrombotic conditions during pregnancy and the post-natal period and considerations that the clinicians should be aware of.


Aims. Shells in Ellipticals are peculiar faint sharp edged features that are thought to be formed by galaxy mergers. We determine the shell and dust distributions, and colours of a well-resolved shell and the underlying galaxy in NGC 5982, and compare the spatial distributions of the dust and gas phases, in order to investigate the origin of shells and dust in NGC 5982. Methods. We use Spitzer data in the wavelength range from 3.6 to 160 mu m and HST/ACS optical data. Surface photometry, galaxy models and residual images are determined using IRAF task ELLIPSE and GALPHOT task ELLIPFIT. After subtracting the galaxy models, residual images are used to identify the shells. Excess emission is identified by subtracting a scaled stellar photosphere emission template. Colours [3.6]-[4.5], [3.6]-[8.0] and [5.8]-[8.0] of the underlying galaxy and [5.8]-[8.0] of the excess emission are obtained using techniques similar to those of Pahre et al. The [3.6]-[4.5] and V -I colours of a well-resolved shell are determined using techniques of Sikkema et al. Results. Shells are visible in the 3.6 mu m image, fainter at 4.5 mu m and undetected at 5.8 mu m. We find two new shells, the outermost identified so far in NGC 5982. All shells apart from shell 24 are on the photometric major axis. Shell 24 is the only one for which reliable colours are obtained. It has colours [3.6]-[4.5] and V - I bluer than the underlying galaxy. Excess emission at 4.5, 5.8 and 8 mu m is widely extended. The ratio of excess to total emission decreases towards the centre, which could be related to a lower mass loss rate from AGB stars. The [3.6]-[4.5] colour indicates a major contribution from late-type (K2-M0III) stars towards the centre. Dust traced by 24 mu m emission follows the stellar spatial distribution, supporting a circumnuclear origin. We find extended 160 mu m emission from cold dust, possibly forming a disk inclined to the principal axes, with a mass of a few 10(5) M-circle dot. The warmer big grains and/or smaller grains traced by the 70 mu m emission are confined to a small region elongated along the minor axis and shifted a few kpc from the centre. Conclusions. We detect for the first time shells from mid-infrared data. The very different distributions of dust, warm gas and HI gas together with the presence of shells and a kinematically decoupled core suggest a minor merger in NGC 5982.


D ESPITE its acknowledged (and rather unexpected) success as an anti-inflation weapon during World War II, price control is still regarded by the general and trade press and some professional economists as a somewhat disreputable black sheep in the family of stabilization policies.2 Almost invariably these writers stress two central themes: first, that measures other than those which operate directly upon the level of aggregate outlay deal only with symptoms and are therefore superficial; and secondly, that direct controls are so disruptive of business policy and so difficult to enforce that they break down too quickly to be effective even for the most limited objective of suppressing inflation. It is not possible in the space available to deal fully with the first of these propositions. There is, however, formidable support among professional economists3 for the position that price controls are a useful supplement to more basic fiscal and monetary policies. And because there is sufficient possibility that they may be employed again, analysis of their workability in specific industries seems to be warranted. This paper is not offered as a justification of specific actions taken by the Office


The 3rd English edition of the Japanese classification of the biliary tract cancers (JC) is now available in this journal. The primary aim of this revision is to provide all clinicians and researchers with a common language of cancer staging at an international level. On the other hand, there are several important issues that should be solved for the optimization of the staging system.


The amount of Cu-based catalysts in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene has been reduced to a few ppm in the presence of the appropriate reducing agents such as FDA approved tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate (Sn(EH)2) or glucose. The reducing agents constantly regenerate ATRP activator, the Cu(I) species, from the Cu(II) species, formed during termination process, without directly or indirectly producing initiating species that generate new chains. Moreover, the reducing agents allow starting an ATRP with the oxidatively stable Cu(II) species. The reducing/reactivating cycle may also eliminate air or some other radical traps in the system. This new catalytic system is based on regeneration of the activators for an ATRP by electron transfer and therefore was named activators regenerated by electron transfer (ARGET) ATRP. The optimum amount of reducing agent and minimal amount of ATRP Cu catalyst depend on the particular system. For example, styrene was polymerized with 10 ppm of CuCl2/Me6TREN and...


The current paper describes the development and subsequent revision of the capstone design course for civil and environmental engineering students at Rowan University. Students take the course in both the fall and spring terms of their senior year. The course challenges and allows the students to demonstrate the engineering skills they have acquired through the undergraduate curriculum. The course was developed following a review of other capstone courses described in literature. Open-ended design projects are developed with assistance from industry advisors and presented to the students at the start of the course. The students then spend two semesters preparing solutions to the problems. The first year the course was offered went much as expected based on the instructors' previous experiences. Students complained of vague instructions, too much work, and lack of experience. However, additional student concerns with fairness and inequitable workloads were expressed. Refinements to the project selection process and course administration were made to address these concerns.


The joint dynamics of a collection or network of interacting discrete-time automata can often be described by a single Markov chain. In general, however, analyzing such a chain is computationally intractable for even moderately sized networks because of the explosion in the size of the state space. Asavathiratham introduced the influence model (IM) as a framework for overcoming such limitations. The IM imposes constraints on the update behavior of a network of automata, allowing efficient analysis while still permitting interesting global behavior. However, some of the constraints of the IM are unnecessarily restrictive. The generalized IM (GIM) presented here relaxes some restrictions of the IM, thereby permitting more complex behavior without losing many of the attractive properties of the IM and actually enabling simpler proofs of several results. The GIM is explained and illustrated in relation to the IM from a variety of different perspectives, including geometric. Several examples of GIMs are presented.


Interest in user-created metadata has increased in recent years. In 2009–2010 the RLG Partner Social Metadata Working Group examined the social metadata practices of libraries, archives, and museums worldwide. They found that more than half of studied institutions improve metadata with user-created description. This article presents the results of a survey conducted in January and February 2013 on the social metadata practices of North American archival and special collections repositories. To what extent are archives allowing users to provide descriptive metadata using Web 2.0 technologies? Is user-generated content integrated into finding aids, catalog records, or other authoritative metadata record? How do archives solicit such user engagement? Are archivists satisfied with the level of interaction their digitized content receives? This article reviews case studies on archival Web 2.0 initiatives and compares the findings of the Working Group's reports with the 2013 survey regarding user-created descriptive metadata.


In this paper,we study the derivative properties of link Alexander polynomial by using the properties of the Homfly polynomial of links.Give characterization of 1th Alexander polynomial.We discuss the divisible properties of knot Homfly polynomial and prove that the K th partial derivative of the Homfly polynomial is divided by k! when x=1,y=-1,z=0.


The head of the world's biggest AIDS drug manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, Inc. (GSK), has said that his company will sell its drugs 'at cost' in poor nations, explicitly vowing not to make a profit on those sales. AIDS advocates welcomed the news, but in turn challenged GSK to publicly substantiate the pledge with financial statements. 'We commit to not making a profit' in subSaharan nations and other poor countries struggling to bring treatment to millions infected with HIV, said JP Garnier, chief executive officer of GSK. AIDS advocates, however, are taking a measured attitude in response. 'We're gratified to hear the pledge, but with drugs priced twice as high as their competition, we would like to see GSK back this pledge with numbers that prove it,' said Cesar Portillo, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) spokesman. Garnier's statements were made in response to a question posed by Portillo at an Orlando, FL, USA, conference of global healthcare executives. Portillo presented Garnier with a copy of a newspaper advert that the AHF ran in the Raleigh News and Observer, NC, USA, on February 14, 2002 (the same day as GSK released its 2001 full year fiscal results) urging the company to 'Lower AIDS Drug Prices – Do the Right Thing!' (also available from www.aidshealth.org). At a press conference earlier this month on their 2001 earnings, Garnier said of GSK, 'We will grow in the double digits for the next 2 years, which is clearly above average for the pharmaceutical industry.' At the recent conference, Garnier again promised robust profits based in large part on reformulations of multiple AIDS drugs into products like TrizivirTM and CombivirTM, single-pill medications that simplify dosage, but do not require significant investment. Portillo noted that since Combivir and Trizivir are reformulations that do not require costly research and development costs and therefore pricing under the 'no profit' pledge should be very low. 'These reformulations cost GSK very little while offering the best hope to save millions of people worldwide,' said Portillo. 'Over 8500 AIDS deaths occur every day and in impoverished countries, GSK's multidrug products could immediately slash the death toll. But the reduced prices GSK has so far offered to resource poor and developing countries remain too high at almost US$2000 per patient per year.' AHF therefore wants GSK to reduce their prices so that per patient costs per year are approximately US$500 for antiretroviral therapies using GSK's brand name AIDS drugs. Earlier this month, Californian Democrat Congresswoman Diane Watson and the AHF hosted the first series of press conferences and media events in Washington, DC and at GSK's regional and worldwide headquarters in Research Triangle Park, NC, USA, Johannesburg, South Africa and Greenford, UK, urging GSK to lower prices and cut the red tape on their life-saving AIDS drugs.


On-line monitoring and diagnosis of transformers have been investigated and discussed significantly in last decade. This study has concentrated on issues arising while on-line transformer winding deformation diagnosis is going to be applied on transformers with various kinds of techniques. From technical perspective, before replacing off-line methods by on-line methods and eventually by intelligent approaches, practical challenges must be addressed and overcome. Hence, available off-line transformer winding deformation diagnosis methods are discussed precisely. Mathematical calculation in on-line short circuit impedance measurement is investigated. On-line transformer transfer function measurement setup is presented. A profound insight to the problems pertaining on-line transformer winding deformation recognition methods, characterizes existing online methods, explains the concepts behind online measurements and striving to open the discussion doors towards challenges are discussed. In the end a 400 MVA step up transformer has been taken as a case in order to clarify the capability of Frequency Response Analysis (FRA) method in fault detection while short circuit impedance could only demonstrate some rough understanding about transformer condition.


Value-at-Risk (VaR) is one of the most widely accepted risk measures in the financial and insurance industries, yet efficient optimization of VaR remains a very difficult problem. We propose a computationally tractable approximation method for minimizing the VaR of a portfolio based on robust optimization techniques. The method results in the optimization of a modified VaR measure, Asymmetry-Robust VaR (ARVaR), that takes into consideration asymmetries in the distributions of returns and is coherent, which makes it desirable from a financial theory perspective. We show that ARVaR approximates the Conditional VaR of the portfolio as well. Numerical experiments with simulated and real market data indicate that the proposed approach results in lower realized portfolio VaR, better efficient frontier, and lower maximum realized portfolio loss than alternative approaches for quantile-based portfolio risk minimization.


Quality and continuous improvement are important organizational goals for businesses which strive for excellence, yet the role of human perceptions in the success of such systems has been largely unexplored by previous research. Several factors are thought to influence the employee's viewpoint on quality climate within a work environment. One of these factors is the level of trust employees have in their management (organizational) and supervisory (group) personnel. This paper discusses the concept of quality climate and examines the relationship between perceptions of trust and quality climate at two administrative tiers. Employees from three facilities completed electronic questionnaires on perceptions of trust and quality climate at the organizational and group tiers. A positive significant relationship was noted between organizational trust and organizational quality climate and between trust at the organizational and group tiers. No significant predictive relationship was observed between group trust and group quality climate. Nor were quality climate perceptions from facilities with existing quality management systems found to be significantly different from those facilities without quality management systems in place. Data from the project suggest that perceptions of trust and quality climate are clearly related as are the trust perceptions at both organizational and group tiers. However, another observation was that the connection employees make with quality management is not evident at the group tier. Additionally, data collected in this project showed a clear disconnect between established quality management systems and employees' thoughts about quality. The role of employees in the development and implementation of quality management systems is not well understood, particularly as they relate to the relationship between supervisors and employees. Successful implementation of quality management systems will depend on increased knowledge of this area. INTRODUCTION Quality is an important operational goal for many firms. As quality processes improve, benefits such as reduced waste, lower costs, and increased firm performance are often noted (Sroufe & Curkovic, 2008). Although several researchers have noted the important role of employees in the effective implementation of quality systems, little research has examined whether human perceptions influence the successful implementation of workplace quality initiatives (Gadenne & Sharma, 2009; Fotopoulos, Kafetzopoulos, & Psomas, 2009). Several factors are believed to influence the employee's relationship with a quality management system. Two of these factors will be explored in this research. The first factor is the level of trust employees have for their management (organizational trust) and supervisor (group trust). Little research has explored the relationship between employee perceptions of management or supervisors and quality outcomes (Evans, Michael, Wiedenbeck, & Ray 2005; Chrusciel & Field, 2003). Furthermore, quality management expert Deming (2000) placed much of the responsibility for quality within a firm on the management, viewing quality as a system controlled by management. Peterson (1998) and Gadenne & Sharma (2009) also suggest that trust and perceived management commitment to quality are central to building a system that promotes continuous improvement in quality processes. The second factor to be examined in this research is the concept of quality climate. The factor is based on the safety climate measurement, which measures the shared perceptions employees have of the relative importance of safety policies, procedures, and practices as compared with other business goals (Zohar 2008). Safety climate has been explored extensively in the safety literature, particularly with regard to its relationship to employee performance (Cooper & Phillips 2004; Johnson 2007). Quality climate and its impact on employee behavior have been largely ignored by researchers even though employee participation, commitment, and training are considered substantial predictors of improved organizational quality (Gadenne & Sharma, 2009; Chrusciel 2004; Jackson, 2004). This project examines the level of employee trust at two tiers of administration (the management and the supervisor) at three facilities which handle and process bulk materials. A survey instrument was developed from a validated safety climate survey to measure quality climate at the organizational (management) and group (supervisory) administrative tiers. In addition, employee perceptions of trust and quality climate were compared between organizations which had a formalized quality


The basic principles of DSCM(digital speckle correlation method)were explicated.The integer pixel search was carried out by the mountain-climb searching,and the subpixel displacement was calculated based on the gradient searching algorithm and the strain field on the least-square fitting of local displacement.The authors measured the evolutionary process of crack tip on 3-point bending concrete beam to present the load-displacement curves in specimen loading and the crack expanding process,and obtained from DSCM analytical results the displacement and strain fields of crack tip with the specimen under different loads,which provides an effective experimental method for probing into the fracture and damage of materials and structures with discontinuities.


This research work reports In vitro direct selection of salt-tolerant callus cultures and subsequent plant regeneration in two potato cultivars (Cardinal and Desiree). Results have shown more than 50% reduction in relative fresh callus mass in the two potato cultivars exposed to 120 mM NaCl. Callus morphology correspondingly changed from off-white to blackish- brown at 120 mM to acutely-necrotic at 140 mM NaCl. Regeneration potential of recurrently-selected callus cultures (100 mM NaCl-treated) on salt-free regeneration medium (MS + 2.64 µM NAA and 1.00 µM TDZ) was not much different as compared to the control (non-selected ones). Regenerated plants from salt-tolerant callus cultures of both the cultivars after selection were transferred to soil and organic matter (50:50, v/v) for acclimatization in the greenhouse. It was observed that the recurrently-selected plants had higher fresh/dry weight and number of tubers compared with the control ones in both the cultivars. Likewise the protein, peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities have shown an increasing trend in salt-treated plants of both the cultivars. The results from this study highlighted a strong possibility for the selection of salt-tolerant callus lines of potato followed by an efficient plant regeneration and further acclimatization.


The use of paramagnetic molecules as cryogenic coolants usually requires relatively large fields to obtain a practical cooling effect. Thus, research into magnetic molecular materials with larger MCEs in fields of ≤2 T is the main focus in this area. In this work, the crystal structure, magnetic susceptibility and isothermal magnetization for the inorganic framework material GdF3 were measured, and the isothermal entropy change was evaluated up to 9 T. Thanks to the combination of the large isotropic spin of Gd3+, the dense structure and weak ferromagnetic interaction, an extremely large −ΔSm for GdF3 was observed up to 528 mJ cm−3 K−1 for Δμ0H = 9 T, proving it to be an exceptional cryogenic magnetic coolant.


In this growing world, Internet has changed so much to an extent that it turned into a powerful tool in every aspects of our lives.E-auction is one of those things which helps the bidders to take part in an auction online over the air. In a sealed bid third parties need to pay an extra cost to help the buyers and sellers carry out their exchange without any hassle. But there can be a breach of trust by the third parties. Owners of the auction or the company that is auctioning can have direct entry to it when the auction is run on a decentralized platform. When the users auction off something on the chain, the smart contract takes control of the auctioned asset and thereafter it manages the bids associated. In this paper, we execute a smart contract for a verifiable sealed-bid auction on the Ethereum blockchain. The type of auction used is sealed-bid in which the bidders submit their bids privately and each bidder can participate only once. As per the biddings received, the highest bidder wins and pays the highest corresponding highest submitted bid. Additionally, before the auction ends the bidder can withdraw the bid after submitting it. In such a case the bidder will have another chance to place the bid. This smart contract implementation abides by the true essence of a sealed-bid, to be precise, no information about the biddings is leaked to the bidders except for the highest bid


Data centers are a critical part of the Internet infrastructure. In fact, most of the relevant online services are hosted in a data center. Data center networks are complex, since they are characterized by a high density architecture and by a high level of redundancy. Fat tree topologies are currently the most used in hyperscale data centers. Performing tests in such topologies would be unfeasible, because of the high costs of the required equipment and due to the involvement of human resources. This would limit the automation and reproducibility of tests, leading to a more error-prone testing pipeline. This paper presents VFTGen, a tool that, leveraging on the virtualization and the Software Defined Data Center concepts, automatically builds, deploys and configures arbitrary fat tree topologies in a virtual environment. We demonstrate the ease of use of the tool and its value as a support to the study or the development of networking protocols for fat trees.


defines the sequence { tn } of (N, Pn) means of jn an. The series En an is said to be summable N, pnl , iff { t I CB V, i.e., En J tn-tnl1 I< K. The (C)-summability of the series n= Ant) has been discussed in detail by Hardy and Littlewood [3], while a necessary and sufficient condition for its convergence is given by Zygmund [7, p. 61]. Concerning the I Cl -summability of the series En?A *(t), Mohanty and Mohapatra [4, Theorem 3] have proved the following.


The trust assessment is a key function that should be performed in advance of any cloud customers' decision making. A complete methodology for security, risk, and reputation assessment of cloud identity providers is a gap in the current literature and system architectures. In this paper multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) is introduced to prioritize the attributes for a cloud identity trust framework. The overall trust assessment is decomposed into two parts: the trust analysis of the federated identity management systems, and the quantification of trust. The MCDM approach delivers the inputs to an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to complete the trust assessment. This paper innovates a theoretical solution to the trust gap between cloud identity providers and the cloud identity customers in the current literature.


Photochemical studies of dyes has contributed to the understanding of the mechanism of electron transfer reactions in photoelectro-chemical devices 1-6 . A umber of photoinduced redox reactions have been studied. These reactions prove to be helpful in electrochemical cell for the conversion of solar energy to electrical energy by chemical means 7-9 . It has been found that phenazyne dyes in conjunction with different reducing agents is efficient photosensitizers for probing charge transfer in photochemical cells 1-8 . Studies carried out by Isabel et al. 9 on the photo redox reactions of thionine with iron(11), cobalt(n) and manganese(11) by flash photolysis techniques provided better understanding of the mechanism of thionine based photogalvanic cell. A detailed literature survey 1-23 reveals that different photosensitizers mainly cationic and neutral dyes and reductants have been used in photogalvanic cells but the use of combination of anionic, cations and neutral dyes as photosensitizers in the photogalvanic cell for solar energy conversion and storage is rare, and hence the present work is undertaken. The system consisting of anionic dye safranine in aqueous solution generates photovoltage when studied in photogalvanic cell. The open circuit photovoltage, the short circuit current and solar energy efficiency of these systems have been determined. The effect of different parameters on electrical output of the cell were observed and a mechanism has also been proposed for the generation of photocurrent in photogalvanic cell.


This paper reports a Monte Carlo study of the Box-Cox model and a nonlinear least squares alternative. Key results include the following: the transformation parameter in the Box-Cox model appears to be inconsistently estimated in the presence of conditional heteroskedasticity; the constant term in both the Box-Cox and the nonlinear least squares models is poorly estimated in small samples; conditional mean forecasts tend to underestimate their true value in the Box-Cox model when the transformation parameter is not equal to one; and conditional heteroskedasticity tends to worsen the bias in the Box-Cox predicted values. Copyright 1994 by MIT Press.


BACKGROUND
Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APML) is characterized by the reciprocal translocation t(15;17) (q22;q12) resulting in the PML-RARα fusion gene. A dual diagnostic and follow up approach was applied including cytogenetic demonstration of the t(15;17) translocation and detection of PML-RARα chimeric transcripts by molecular means.

PURPOSE
Conventional cytogenetics involving bone marrow is beset with high probability of poor metaphase index and was substituted with phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced peripheral blood culture based cytogenetic analysis as a diagnostic and follow up modality in APML patients of Kashmir (North India). Both qualitative (RT-PCR) and quantitative (Q-PCR) tests were simultaneously carried out to authenticate the modified cytogenetics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Patient samples were subjected to the said techniques to establish their baseline as well as follow-up status.

RESULTS
Initial cytogenetics revealed 30 patients (81%) positive for t(15;17) whereas 7 (19%) had either cryptic translocation or were negative for t(15;17). Two cases had chromosome 16q deletion and no hallmark translocation t(15;17). Q-PCR status for PML-RARα was found to be positive for all patients. All the APML patients were reassessed at the end of consolidation phase and during maintenance phase of chemotherapy where 6 patients had molecular relapse, wherein 4 also demonstrated cytogenetic relapse.

CONCLUSIONS
It was found that PHA-induced peripheral blood cytogenetics along with molecular analysis could prove a reliable modality in the diagnosis and assessment of follow up response of APML patients.


More than 15 species of capitulum-feeding insects colonized a randomized garden plot of yellow starthistle, globe artichoke, cultivated safflower, and Cirsium creticum (Lam.) D'Urv. in northern Greece in 1985. Among these insects were seven potential biocontrol agents of yellow starthistle: the cynipid wasp, Isocolus sp.; the tephritid flies, Chaetorellia australis Hering, Terellia uncinata White, and Urophora sirunaseva (Hering); and the curculionid beetles, Bangasternus orientalis (Capiomont), Eustenopus villosus (Boheman), and Larinus curtus (Hochhuth). These potential agents only attacked yellow starthistle plants, which were grown from seed collected in Greece and the United States. This host specificity data was used to justify the subsequent release of C. australis and E. villosus in the United States. The relative intensity of interspecific interactions among capitulum-feeding insects of yellow starthistle is discussed, as well as the potential effectiveness of E. villosus as a biocontrol agent. This study points to the usefulness of the open field test in host specificity determination of insects for biological control of weeds.


Constructions of strong and weak Lyapunov functions are presented for a feedback connection of two hybrid systems satisfying certain Lyapunov stability assumptions and a small-gain condition. The constructed strong Lyapunov functions can be used to conclude input-to-state stability (ISS) of hybrid systems with inputs and global asymptotic stability (GAS) of hybrid systems without inputs. In the absence of inputs, we also construct weak Lyapunov functions nondecreasing along solutions and develop a LaSalle-type theorem providing a set of sufficient conditions under which such functions can be used to conclude GAS. In some situations, we show how average dwell time (ADT) and reverse average dwell time (RADT) "clocks" can be used to construct Lyapunov functions that satisfy the assumptions of our main results. The utility of these results is demonstrated for the "natural" decomposition of a hybrid system as a feedback connection of its continuous and discrete dynamics, and in several design-oriented contexts: networked control systems, event-triggered control, and quantized feedback control.


Objective To observe the clinical effect for the treatment of diabetes and hypertension by metformin Hydrochloride tablets.Methods Dividing mixed diabetes and hypertension 128 cases into control and observing group,control group taking metoprolol tartrate tablets 100 mg everyday,observing group taking metformin hydrochloride tablets 1000 mg and metoprolol tartrate tablets 100 mg everyday 30 days.Results Systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,fasting glucose and two-hour postprandial blood sugar before and after treatment with a significant difference in observing group(P0.05).Conclusion Metformin Hydrochloride tablets have good effect in treating mixed diabetes and hypertension.


The interpolation method for calculating the cross-correlation function and the cross-spectra from two-channel data is revisited and extended by recently developed processing steps.


Abstract Uhle's ketone and its derivatives are highly versatile intermediates for the synthesis of a variety of 3,4-fused tricyclic indole frameworks, i.e. indole alkaloids of the ergot family, that are found in various bioactive natural products and pharmaceuticals. Therefore, the development of a convenient preparative method for this structural motif as well as its opportune/useful derivatization have been the subject of longstanding interest in the fields of synthetic organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry. Herein, we summarize recent and less recent methods for the preparation of Uhle's ketone and its derivatives as well as its main reactivity towards the synthesis of bioactive substances. Regarding the preparation, it can be roughly classified into two categories: (a) using 4-unfunctionalized and 4-functionalized indole derivatives as starting materials to construct a fused six-member ring, and (b) constructing the indole ring through intramolecular cycloaddition. Principally, the reactivity of the cyclic Uhle's ketone shown here is derived from the classical electrophilicity of the carbonyl carbon or the acidity of the α-hydrogen and, though less intensively investigated, chemical reactions that induce ring expansion to form novel ring skeletons. 1 Introduction 2 Synthesis 2.1 Disconnection A: Cyclization Reaction of the Opportune 3,4-Disubstituted Indole 2.2 Disconnection B: Intramolecular Friedel–Crafts Cyclization 2.3 Disconnection B: Intramolecular Cyclization via Metal–Halogen Exchange 2.4 Disconnection C: Intramolecular Diels–Alder Furan Cycloaddition 2.5 Disconnection D: Intramolecular Dearomatizing [3 + 2] Annulation 3 Reactivity 3.1 Use of Uhle's Ketone for Lysergic Acid 3.2 Use of Uhle's Ketone for Rearranged Clavines 3.3 Use of Uhle's Ketone for Medicinal Chemistry 4 Conclusion and Outlook


AIM: To compare effectiveness, complications, and cost of three domestic-made ASD occluder in atrial septal defect (ASD) closure. METHODS: We prospectively compared closure rates, complication rates, regression of right ventricular dilatation, cost, inpatient stay in 338 patients with secundum atrial septal defects by three domestic-made ASD occluder: 113 cases (25±18 years) were treated shanghai-made occluder, 113 cases(24±17 years) were treated by shenzhen-made ASD septal occluder and 112 cases(24±16 years) were treated by beijing-made ASD septal occluder . RESULTS: There was no death cases in three groups.there was no difference in technical success rate, cardiac complications, regression of right ventricular dilatation by six months, hospital stay, median cost among three groups. CONSLUSION: Transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defects with the three domestic-made ASD occluder device was similar in effectiveness, complications, and cost.