An electronic multiplier has been developed which appears to bring to the art of analog computation some new and highly desirable features. This device has a dynamic range of 500 to 1 for an absolute accuracy of about 1%. Either or both analog voltages may vary arbitrarily with time, and may contain components in the frequency range from 0 to 150 sinusoidal cycles, products as low as 5mv-rms can be detected. The sensitivity of the instrument is denoted by the over-all attenuation of 3. The drift of the unit is less than 20 mv at the output over an 8hr period from a cold start. The above characteristics have been achieved by the application of what is known as the Differance in Magnitude Method. There are no balancing adjustments other than a dc level control located on the front panel. An attenuator is also provided for setting the input voltage to the proper level so as to provide maximum output voltage without overloading the instrument.


Memory allocation is increasingly important to parallel performance, yet it is challenging because a program has data of many sizes, and the demand differs from thread to thread. Modern allocators use highly tuned heuristics but do not provide uniformly good performance when the level of concurrency increases from a few threads to hundreds of threads. This paper presents a new timescale theory to model the memory demand in real time. Using the new theory, an allocator can adjust its synchronization frequency using a single parameter called allocations per fetch (apf ). The paper presents the timescale theory, the design and implementation of APF tuning in an existing allocator, and evaluation of the effect on program speed and memory efficiency. APF tuning improves the throughput of MongoDB by 55%, reduces the tail latency of a Web server by over 60%, and increases the speed of a selection of synthetic benchmarks by up to 24× while using the same amount of memory.


This study examines the treatment effects of inflation targeting on exchange rate volatility across a large panel of 91 (36 inflation targeting) countries over the 1985-2019 period on annual basis. We apply propensity score matching methods to developed, developing, and high-income inflation targeting countries and non-inflation targeting countries. Our results reveal that, on average, adopting the inflation targeting policy exerts lower exchange rate volatility in all sample and developing economies. However, subgroups results demonstrate that inflation targeting regimes may lead to higher exchange rate volatility in developed and high-income economies. The outcome from different degrees of flexibility of exchange rates subgroups points out that the inflation targeting regime has significant and lower exchange rate volatility under free-floating regimes however this policy stance has no discernible effect on floating regimes. Additionally, adopted inflation targeting countries are affected by less damage on exchange rate volatility than those adopting exchange rate targeting regimes.


Mobile videophone is one of the most innovative but socially controversial Information and Communication Technologies (ICT's). The aim of this essay is to analyse the general feeling of «moral panic» (referring to Stanley Cohen's theory) that is affecting today both the new media, such as mobile videophone, and the new communication practices, such as social networking on the Web 2.0 sites (see YouTube, for example). We focused on some recent episodes of cyber- or video-bullism as they have been represented by the Italian mainstream media (press, tv broadcasting). Apparently, the unanimous moral condemnation of mobile videophone especially involves its peculiar bias to point out immediately obscene and anomic contents. In our opinion, the relationships between mobile videophone and social deviance can be explained more likely by the very features of this kind of device. What is at the stake with mobile videophone is the power to produce and provide the user-generated contents out of the sphere of the mainstream media and according to a logic of «networked information economy» (to say with Iochai Benkler). This practice is deeply reshaping, acting from bottom up, the process of public scene's construction. We noticed that, with regard to mobile videophone, most newspapers report, in emphatic terms and in a scandalous way, almost not-penally significant events, or small turbulences of everyday life that concern common morality, rather than the criminal law. Moving from this argument, we tried to look into the moral panic about mobile videophone, explaining it as an effect of a intrinsically ob-scene medium. Indeed, it promotes, gives voice and makes visible subjectivities, forms of life and provinces of meaning traditionally obscured and removed from the public sphere.


Population samples of C. ribis from eastern Norway, western Norway, and England, and cuttings of 5 black currant varieties were exposed for different periods to — 18.5° ± 0.5° C and mites also to 6°. Mite mortality, mite emigration, egg production at 6°, and bud burst of the cuttings, were observed.


The origins of White Supremacy are described in this paper along with the elements of European agrarian history that produced the structure of its ideology. A review of who has been considered White is presented as well as a discussion of the changes in ideology that have accommodated such change. The idea of good and evil, of power and submission as well as the nature of legitimacy are all fundamental to the basis of slavery, ethnic discrimination and religious persecution. The definition of social membership and the processes of pollution and guilt, punishment and debt are the means of understanding how White Supremacy has been couched and maintained for 5 centuries. How such groups have adapted to contemporary events is covered.


Eleven ethanolic extracts from spices of Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, Laurus nobilis, Rhus coriaria, Dianthus coryophyllum, Piper nigrum, Capsicum annum, Juniperus oxycedrus, Erica arborea, Colutea arborescens, and Cuminum cyminum collected from various regions of Turkey and local markets were assayed for the in vitro antibacterial activity against 3 Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis) and 2 Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), using agar dilution methods. In addition, their possible toxicity to Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger was determined, using both agar dilution and disc-diffusion methods. The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of the M. piperita, L. nobilis and J. oxycedrus ethanolic extracts was 5 mg/mL for all the microorganisms tested. P. aeruginosa was the most sensitive bacterial strain to P. nigrum and E. arborea extracts among both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria tested with MIC of 5 mg/mL. The extracts of L. nobilis, D. coryophyllum, J. oxycedrus and C. arborescens showed higher inhibitory activity against the yeast C. albicans and the fungus A. niger than the standard antifungal nystatin.


Membrane chromatography is a novel protein purification technique developed to overcome the major limitations due to packed beads, such as long process time, mass transport controlled by diffusion and high pressure drops. In this work, the adsorption of human IgG onto new Protein A affinity membranes has been studied in detail. To this aim, several chromatographic cycles have been measured at different experimental conditions. A mathematical model for protein purification with affinity membrane adsorbers has been developed and validated with experimental data.


The state equation of creep deformation is generalized, and evolutionary internal state variables are introduced. These concepts are then used to rationalize several creep theories currently in use. Finally, a simple recovery model of creep deformation is proposed within the framework of the general evolutionary theory. The model exhibits several important characteristics of creep in metals and also illustrates some important features of the theory.


Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of precision mechanical engineering, electronic control and systems thinking in the design of products and manufacturing processes. It relates to the design of systems, devices and products aimed at achieving an optimal balance between basic mechanical structure and its overall control. The peer reviewed papers are grouped as follows: Chapter 1: Engineering Design of Machines and Equipment for Manufacturing; Chapter 2: Materials and Processing Technologies; Chapter 3: Robotics and its Motor System; Chapter 4: Sensors, Measurement, Monitoring and Detection; Chapter 5: Electronics and Microelectronics; Chapter 6: Data Acquisition and Data Processing, Computational Techniques; Chapter 7: Control and Automation, Theory and Applications; Chapter 8: Software, Communication and Computer Applications in Industry and Engineering; Chapter 9: Engineering Education, Engineering Management, Products Design and Manufacture Management; and, Chapter 10: Other Related Topics.


ABSTRACT Lactic acid bacteria, such as Lactococcus lactis, are attractive hosts for the production of plant-bioactive compounds because of their food grade status, efficient expression, and metabolic engineering tools. Two genes from strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa), encoding an alcohol acyltransferase (SAAT) and a linalool/nerolidol synthase (FaNES), were cloned in L. lactis and actively expressed using the nisin-induced expression system. The specific activity of SAAT could be improved threefold (up to 564 pmol octyl acetate h−1 mg protein−1) by increasing the concentration of tRNA1Arg, which is a rare tRNA molecule in L. lactis. Fermentation tests with GM17 medium and milk with recombinant L. lactis strains expressing SAAT or FaNES resulted in the production of octyl acetate (1.9 μM) and linalool (85 nM) to levels above their odor thresholds in water. The results illustrate the potential of the application of L. lactis as a food grade expression platform for the recombinant production of proteins and bioactive compounds from plants.


Research on risk factors of criminal and violent behavior is well established, but much less is known about the more complicated field of protective factors and mechanisms against the onset, persistence, or aggravation of antisocial behavior in young people. This chapter contains a brief overview of concepts and research designs in this field. Then empirical findings are reviewed that show various candidates for a promotive or buffering protective effect: individual variables (cognitive abilities, information processing, temperament, and biological characteristics), family variables (emotional bonding, appropriate parenting behavior, parental interest in education, and socioeconomic status); school factors (good achievement, bonding to school, and a positive educational climate), peer-group factors (affiliation with nondeviant friends, some social isolation), and community factors (a not-deprived but cohesive neighborhood). More long-term research on protective factors and mechanisms is needed. This should include a stronger link to research on experimental prevention and on intraindividual changes.

Keywords:

aggression;
antisocial behavior;
persistence;
protective factors;
violence


In the Morse and Weiss (1955) study of the meaning of work, a very large proportion of respondents-80 per cent-indicated that they would continue to work even if work were not an economic necessity. The present study extends this line of analysis. By using a set of predetermined categories of meanings of work, we attempted to assess how a national sample of blue collar workers is distributed among these categories.


After surveying primary energy use in Australia since white settlement, the contribution of renewable energy is analysed. Renewable energy projects in Queensland over the years are examined including biomass. hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal, tide and wave. That all these projects can only provide about 60% of primary energy consumption is thought to be disappointing. But a proposal to develop a hydrogen economy based on renewable energy might produce a 30% contribution by 2050 and at the same time reduce pollution and achieve energy conservation.


The pharmaceutical co-crystal approach can be used to modify physicochemical properties of new chemical entities. However, methodical studies of how co-crystal former selection influences properties of the resulting co-crystal, such as melting point and solubility, are needed. Consequently, we investigated 15 co-crystals of AMG 517 and three related molecules using di- and triacids as well as amides as co-crystal formers. Fourteen co-crystals and one partial salt were prepared as judged by pKa values and single crystal data. In addition, we found that our ability to form co-crystals was significantly influenced by even minor changes to the chemical structure of the drug substance. Furthermore, we discovered that all AMG 517 co-crystals, which we obtained single crystal structure for, utilize the same hydrogen bond donor (amide) and acceptor (benzothiazole) on the drug substance. Additional hydrogen bonds were observed in all of the co-crystals. In this study, we found little correlation between the meltin...


Objective To evaluate the clinical diagnosis and treatment of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis. Methods The clinical data of 15patients with xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis treated in our hospital from September 2004to October 2009were retrospectively analyzed.Results All of 15patients were diagnosed as xanthogranulo-matous cholecystitis through postoperative pathologic examination,including 3were diagnosed as xanthogranuloma-tous cholecystitis,8were diagnosed as chronic cholecystitis,and 4were diagnosed as gallbladder carcinoma.All pa-tients underwent the operations including cholecystectomy in 10,cholecystectomy plus choledochojejunostomy and T tube drainage in 2,gallbladder subtotal plus duodenal fistula in 1,gallbladder subtotal resection of gastric fistula in 1,and cholecystectomy plus the department of the gallbladder bed resection of liver tissue in 1.The postoperative complications included biliary fistula in 1case and wound infection in 2cases;no deaths were found.Conclusion Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis is difficult to diagnose before the operations.The keys of the diagnosis are the intraoperative frozen section examination and postoperative pathologic examination.Cholecystectomy is the main operation for xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis.


Recently, many studies have been conducted to examine the behavior of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) subjected to cyclic loading. However, cyclic and fatigue behavior is so complex that the mechanism of degradation cannot be cleared just by simple mechanical tests such as flexural and tensile tests of FRC specimens that measure typical overall behavior of the material. Besides these kinds of investigations, the individual behavior of the constituents and the interaction between them need to be investigated to reveal the cyclic degradation and fatigue mechanism of FRC detail. So far, only a few experiments have been devoted to the cyclic degradation of fibers in FRC. Therefore, cyclic pull-out behavior of single fiber is investigated in this study. A main objective of this article is to propose a test method for a cyclic pull-out test of a single fiber and to investigate the degradation behavior of single PVA fibers under cyclic loading conditions. Single PVA fibers were tested using quasi-static and cyclic loading methods, and the test results revealed the bridging load of PVA fibers decreases continuously and it become less than half the initial load during the cyclic loading process.


I examined the efficacy of Quality Deer Management (QDM) on Amelia Springs hunt club in Amelia County, Virginia, during 2003-2006. I examined home range dynamics of male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), deer/hunter interactions, and aspects of population dynamics. I also developed a new rocket net method to capture deer using a remote video system that was more efficient than traditional methods. I monitored 20 deer; 50% died due to hunting and 15% to natural mortality. The emigration rate for juvenile males was 46%, dispersal distance averaged 6.4 km. I used Home Range Extension (HRE) in ArcView to generate annual home ranges (adaptive-kernel) for 16 male deer; I also generated annual and seasonal home ranges using MCP. Annual and seasonal home ranges (MCP) of adult males were larger than those of juveniles. Adult male annual home ranges averaged 2.5 km and juveniles 0.9 km. Seasonal home ranges of adult males were 1.6 km and 1.3 km during non-hunting and hunting seasons respectively. Juvenile non-hunting and hunting season home ranges were 0.6 km and 0.8 km respectively. I detected no differences in day/night movements of male deer during the hunting season; however, deer appeared to avoid areas that were hunted based on hunter GPS locations and deer locations during the hunting season. Frequency of deer movement increased during October-November. Population estimates based on remote camera mark-recapture averaged 60 antlered males for the 3-year survey period. Using population reconstruction, the minimum buck:doe ratio was 1:1.8. Estimated density of antlered males was 4.1/km, in Amelia County, and 5.0/km for Amelia Springs. Deer harvested on Amelia Springs, compared to deer harvested on other hunt clubs in Amelia County, were larger. Antler diameters averaged 32.6mm on Amelia Springs versus 26.9mm for other Amelia county hunt clubs, average age at harvest for 2+ males was higher on Amelia Springs (2.4) than other Amelia county hunt clubs (2.2), and dressed body weights averaged 11.2kg heavier (46.2 kg versus 35 kg) on Amelia Springs. QDM on Amelia Springs appears to be successful based on the results. While bigger bucks existed on Amelia Springs, hunters failed to encounter them. Hunters likely would increase buck sightings during the hunting season by becoming more mobile. Expectations of the size of animal (antlers) Amelia Springs can produce should be adjusted to reflect what is possible based on the habitat. The harvest program in place should be continued at the current level for continued success using QDM. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank all the members of the Virginia Deer Hunters Association for their financial support. I would especially like to thank Denny Quaiff and Nick Hall for their support of this project. Without either of these two individuals this project would not have been successful. Nick was gracious enough to allow me to stay in his house in Amelia and provided me with hours of entertainment with his humor and connections. Denny was my mentor and friend who acquired most anything I needed including a great place to hunt. Additional thanks to the Amelia Springs hunt club members who graciously agreed to collect GPS locations of their hunting spots. Special thanks to David "Slick" Munden for teaching me Texas Hold'Em and introducing me to the people of Amelia County. Thanks to Chuck Anderson for a place to hunt and fish and Buck Glenn for the hours of laughter and good times spent hunting together. I also want to thank the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), for their personnel and financial support and advice. Numerous VDGIF personnel assisted me over the course of this study. Thanks to Bob Duncan, Rick Busch, and Dave Steffen, without their support I could not have acquired the resources necessary to complete this project. I would like to take the opportunity to give a special thanks to Nelson LaFon, for helping to coordinate VDGIF personnel assistant, digging me out of the muck when I was stuck, and teaching me both the historical and biological aspects of Virginia; Matt Knox for his wisdom, DMAP data support and constant ribbing about Tennessee athletics. Additional thanks go to: Cale Godfrey, Brian Moyer, Bob Turney and Jimmy Stinson, for their logistical and technical support. Additionally, I would like to thank all the VDGIF personnel, too numerous to mention, who assisted me with trapping, without them I could not have succeeded. Special thanks to Charles Ruth, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, for the rocket nets and technical support and advice. I would also like to acknowledge the financial support provided by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Donations of batteries from Duracell Inc. were greatly appreciated and saved me hundreds of dollars. My master's project would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of numerous volunteers and technicians over the course of the project. They worked countless hours and allowed me to keep my sanity and finish my course work with confidence the job was being well done. Specifically, I want to thank Andrew Trent, Jennifer Hebert, and Charles Johnson. I would like to acknowledge my lab mates, Colleen Olfenbuttel, Catherine Tredick, and Andrew Bridges. To Andrew a special "Volunteer" thanks for his tireless ribbing about Tennessee hillbillies and the sports they play and to Colleen for teaching me the ropes and providing me with more acts of friendship than I can ever repay. Thanks to all the graduate students of the fisheries and wildlife department. Others have said that this department's strength is the graduate students; a statement I strongly agree with. The dedication and cooperation among the graduate students, who are willing to help each other out with all aspects of graduate school, such as fieldwork, classwork and data analysis, is amazing. The sense of community is something I will truly miss.


Using the cause-and-effect framework of chains of actions, we provide an analysis of the changes in the quantity of money in an environment of two fiat monetary zones under floating foreign exchange rate regime. Following the approach of Hayek and Mises, we formulate a transmission mechanism of the international economic fluctuations caused by the monetary policy. Changes in the quantities of money might induce changes in the structures of production between the countries. In the case of countries with relatively high participation on the international division of labor, this might lead to significant decline in their economic activity.


The chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), also known as high molecular weight-melanoma associated antigen (HMWMAA), is a tumor-associated antigen that is expressed in more than 85% of surgically removed melanoma lesions but has restricted distribution in normal tissues. The diagnostic and therapeutic value of CSPG4 drives a need for sensitive and low-cost detection approaches. To this end, we developed a polyaniline/graphene oxide nanocomposite ([email protected]) that was electrochemically codeposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. Glutaraldehyde mediated the covalent immobilization of CSPG4 specific antibody mAbD2.8.5 to construct a CSPG4 immunosensor using cell culture media and cell lysate as samples. The fully assembled impedimetric immunosensor was used to detect CSPG4 in CSPG4-positive cell lines M14/CSPG4 and MV3. No impedance signal changes could be observed from CSPG4-negative cell lines M14 and mAbMk2-23 showing the specificity of the CSPG4-impedimetric immunosensor. This low-cost, simple, and label-free analytical method is an alternative to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry in screening of CSPG4 in complex biological samples.


Over the past few decades, there has been increased attention paid to psychological skills usage among high-level athletes. However, little is known about these skills in Japanese rugby players. Considering the significant role of practice in determining competition outcomes, a need exists to assess the usage of psychological skills in both practice and competition environments. The purpose of this study was to assess the usage of psychological skills by Japanese rugby players in both practice and competition. This study also aimed to test the ability of the Test of Performance Strategies (TOPS) to differentiate players of deferring competitive and experience levels. The TOPS was administered to 352 male rugby players, including 95 Top League and 257 university players. Discriminant function analysis demonstrated psychological skills were employed, in both practice and competition, used more frequently by Top League players than university players, and by more experienced versus less experienced players. The 16 subscales of the TOPS, with four exceptions, created an internally stable instrument with moderate predictive ability relative to performance level and competitive experience in this sample of Japanese rugby players.


An experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2017-18 to estimate  the genetic parameters of variation including heritability and genetic advance for agro-physiological characters viz., days to flower initiation, days to 50 per cent flowering, days to maturity, plant height, branches per plant, pods per plant, seeds per plant, biological yield per plant (g), seed yield per plant (g), 100-seed weight (g), root length (cm), relative water content and harvest index (%) in 20 genotypes of chickpea. High phenotypic coefficient of variance (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV) were observed for characters viz., number of branches per plant, seeds per plant and 100-seed weight. The magnitude of phenotypic coefficient of variance and their corresponding genotypic coefficient of variance for all the characters were observed in good agreement reflecting the narrow range of environmental influence in the manifestation of the characters. High heritability was recorded for number of branches per plant, 100-seed weight, seeds per plant, pods per plant and biological yield per plant.  High heritability combined with high genetic advance was observed for seeds per plant, pods per plant and 100-seed weight which indicated that these traits were governed by additive gene effects and phenotypic selection would be effective in early generations for these characters.


Social media signals have been successfully used to develop large-scale predictive and anticipatory analytics. For example, forecasting stock market prices and influenza outbreaks. Recently, social data has been explored to forecast price fluctuations of cryptocurrencies, which are a novel disruptive technology with significant political and economic implications. In this paper we leverage and contrast the predictive power of social signals, specifically user behavior and communication patterns, from multiple social platforms GitHub and Reddit to forecast prices for three cyptocurrencies with high developer and community interest - Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Monero. We evaluate the performance of neural network models that rely on long short-term memory units (LSTMs) trained on historical price data and social data against price only LSTMs and baseline autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models, commonly used to predict stock prices. Our results not only demonstrate that social signals reduce error when forecasting daily coin price, but also show that the language used in comments within the official communities on Reddit (r/Bitcoin, r/Ethereum, and r/Monero) are the best predictors overall. We observe that models are more accurate in forecasting price one day ahead for Bitcoin (4% root mean squared percent error) compared to Ethereum (7%) and Monero (8%).


Background and Study Aims: The aim of this retrospec tive study was to evaluate the impact of endoscopic ul trasound (EUS)-guided biopsy in patients with esopha geal carcinoma where distant lymph nodes which were possibly metastatic were visualized using EUS. Patients and Methods: Out of 198 patients (150 men, mean age 66 years) examined over a 4-year period by EUS for local staging of esophageal cancer (121 squa mous cell carcinomas and 77 adenocarcinomas), there was EUS visualization of distant lymph nodes in 40 (20 %). EUS-guided biopsy was carried out in the latter patients, of cervical nodes with mediastinal tumors (n = 19), of celiac nodes with cervical tumors (n = 2) or superior mediastinal tumors (n = 9), and upper medias tinal lymph nodes in the case of distal adenocarcinomas (n = 10).


Two devastating earthquakes of magnitude MW 7.8 and MW 7.5 hit Turkey on February 6, 2023. The earthquakes occurred in the East Anatolian Fault Zone, westwards of Gaziantep, Turkey. The quake was followed by intensive aftershock activity. This study presents initial results from interferometric processing of SAR data from the European Space Agency Sentinel-1 mission revealing the affected area and the magnitude of the deformations that occurred after the earthquakes. The produced maps are combination of data from several sources. Data of the epicenters of the events are from EMSC1, and the active faults are from EDAF2, both considered to be the driving forces of these ground movements. SAR data were used to produce information showing the actual surface displacements. It needs to be highlighted that the said information reflects not the consequences of the single seismic event but the effect of all earthquakes that took place in the investigated region between the dates of registration by the SAR instrument. In this paper, the presented results are only part of the larger set of interferograms and maps of the derived from them vertical displacements.


Using the idea of a quasi-coincedence of a fuzzy point with a fuzzy set, the concept of an (�;�)-fuzzy bi-ideal in ordered semigroups is introduced, which is a generalization of the concept of a fuzzy bi-ideal in ordered semigroups and some interesting characterizations theorems are obtained. A special attention is given to (2;2 _q)-fuzzy bi-ideals.


Objective To evaluate the feasibility of using injective chitosan scaffold and induced-adipose-derived stromal cells(ADSCs) to construct tissue engineered injectable nucleus pulposus (NP).Methods ADSCs were harvested from rabbits to culture 3 passage and induce 2 weeks to NP-like cells. The injective chitosan hydrogel scaffold was made of chitosan and disodium β-glycerophosphate. Its physical properties and gross condition were observed. The tissue engineered NP was constructed by compounding the scaffold and induced-ADSCs. Then,the viability of ADSCs in the scaffold was observed 2 days after compound culture and the growth condition of ADSCs on the scaffold was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) 14 days after compound culture. Expression of aggrecan and Col Ⅱ mRNA in ADSCs were analyzed by RT-PCR 14 days after inductive culture and compound culture.Results The injective chitosan hydrogel was liquid at room temperature and solidified into gel at 37 ℃ (10~15 minutes) due to crosslinking reaction. Acridine orange/propidiumiodide staining showed that the viability rate of induced-ADSCs in chitosan scaffoldl was above 90%. Scanning electron microscope observation demonstrated that the ADSCs were distributed in the reticulate scaffold. RT-PCR results showed that the expression of Col Ⅱ and aggrecan mRNA in induced-ADSCs demonstrated differentiation of ADSCs to a phenotype which showed similarities to NP cells,and the co-culture NP-like cells with scaffold didn't cause dedifferentiation.Conclusion With good cellular compatibilities,C/Gp scaffold may be a potential NP cells carrier for tissue engineered NP.


FIELD: chemistry. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a crystalline form of ilaprazole hydrate (2[[(4-methoxy-3-methyl-2-pyridinyl)-methyl]sulphinyl]-5-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl) 1H-benzimidazole). The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition for inhibiting gastric acid secretion, as well as a method of treating inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders. EFFECT: novel crystalline form of ilaprazole hydrate is obtained. 7 cl, 21 dwg, 19 tbl, 5 ex


Jointly running a school is of great strategic and practical significance to China's social progress and economic development,especially to the good development of higher education.The strategies for jointly running a school are strengthening administration,introducing good education resources,fostering teaching management,improving teaching quality,enhancing student management and bettering comprehensively student quality.


Two cases of malignant exophthalmos, one with and the other without thyroid abnormality, were treated with Kampo, Japanese traditional medicine. Case 1-62 years old female complained of exophthalmos (r 23mm, l 22mm), visual disturbance (visual acuity r 0.1, l 0.5), total ophthalmoplegia, hyperemia and edema of the eye lids and conjunctiva without thyroid function abnormality, was treated by the administration of Ryokeijutsukanto and Tokishakuyakusan without any other medications. Seven days after the administration, the exophthalmos was reduced (r 21mm, l 20mm), the visual acuity improved (r 0.6, l 0.7), the hyperemia and edema of the eye lids and conjunctiva almost disappeared and the eye movement improved toward normal. Case 2-66 years old male complained of exopthalmos, ophthalmoplegia, hyperemia and edema of the eye lids and conjunctiva with euthyroid Graves' disease was treated by the administration of Ryokeijutsukanto and Tokishakuyakusan followed by improvement of the visual acuity and the eye movement, and reduction of the hyperemia and edema of the eye lids and conjunctiva.These observations suggest that treatment with Kampo can be effective in malignant exophthalmos with or without thyroid abnormality.


The working reliability test of the inverters is very important, since the quality of the inverter has a great influence on the stability of the actual industrial production. According to the demand, E2 industrial converter working reliability testing system is implemented. The implementation includes the overall structural design, component selection, circuit structures and testing program and so on. Test can be divided into 12 functional modules, according to the test requirements of the E2 industrial converter. In the hardware design, power supply, analog signal acquisition, over-current protection, and other functions are implemented. Testing program is developed by LabView software, in which the bus communication, signal acquisition, logic, and other functions are implemented. The working reliability testing system was realized, which guarantee each function of the inverter meet the required standards.


We report on Controlled Source Electromagnetics (CSEM) measurements acquired across an oil field on land in three consecutive surveys. As conductivity changes in the reservoir structure are not expected for this time frame, the data sets provide an excellent basis to study the repeatability of such measurements over a time span of 2.5 years. Our results suggest that repeatability of CSEM measurements depends on source-receiver distances, component of the transfer function, source-polarisation, and relocation errors, in particular at sites close to the source. Best repeatability was observed for receiver stations at 2–4 km distance from the source and frequencies < 20 Hz. At these stations, TF phases and amplitudes usually agreed within ±1° and ±5 % between measurements. The aim of time-lapse inversion is to obtain a series of 3D conductivity models which represent individual snapshots of the conductivity structure and which allow to track changes in the subsurface. For the inversion of our time-lapse data, we use Minimum Support regularisation and a model weighting scheme giving larger model weights to an area loosely encompassing the reservoir structure. Our time-lapse inversion can recover subtle changes within thin layers at depth if the background resistivity structure is well known.


Clothes carry inherent implications and can be used for examining sociological, psychological and even philosophical questions. They serve as a barometer of change in society and are related to issues of gender, race, sexual orientation, etc. Starting with the end of 19th century, during which the modern feminist movement was first established in the West, seminal art works done by women artists will be discussed. From the "First wave feminism" to the "Third wave feminism", feminist theory, politics and activism have fundamentally changed, giving rise to many various voices and formulations, such as multiculturalism and gender fluidity. The paper will demonstrate the ways in which women artists made use of the theme of clothes in order to raise questions regarding gender and social status of women in society.


The present invention relates to functional sportswear with ripping lines, in which one or more pieces (10) are formed by cutting a part of a sport top (2) or a sport bottom (2A) which are made of a fiber material, and ripping lines (6, 8) are pattern-formed by zigzag sewing adjacent pieces (10), and a cut part and a piece (10) adjacent to each other, with a sewing thread (12) to be ripped off, the sewing thread (12) having a relatively lower tensile strength than the tensile strength of typical sewing threads, wherein the sewing thread (12) to be ripped off is configured such that a frangible fiber yarn (14) and a soluble microfiber (16), which have a weaker tensile strength than a polyester fiber yarn for sewing threads, are twisted, and that the frangible fiber yarn (14) remains in the sewing thread (12) to be ripped off, which connects the ripping lines (6, 8), by dissolution of the soluble microfiber (16) after the sewing thread is weaved.


The rate constants of a number of peroxide radicals addition to vinyl monomers' p-bonds were determined on the basis of experimental results on cooxidation of vinyl compounds using kinetic modeling program «Kinetics 2012». It was shown that the donor / acceptor character of the substituent at a-position of vinyl monomer's double bond significantly affect its reactivity. Satisfactory correlations were obtained using Taft s*-constants.


The Tianshan Orogenic Belt, which is located in the southwestern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), is an important component in the reconstruction of the tectonic evolution of the CAOB. In order to examine the evolution of the Tianshan Orogenic Belt, we performed macroscopic, microscopic structure observations analyses with deformed rocks along orogen-perpendicular transects pass Wuwamen in the South Tianshan orogenic belt of south west China, and we propose that the South Tianshan Orogenic belt enterwent a high temperature deformation in Wuwamen area during the plate interactions in Late Paleozoic.


ABSTRACT Sociolinguistics has an intricate relationship with the city and with objects and queries pertaining to the specificity of urban language. Cities have not only acted as sites of sociolinguistic research but have simultaneously provided tools and frameworks that have proven useful in this research. This heuristic mode has subsumed the object of language under a specific body of ideas, facts and arguments. Seen in an epistemological perspective, the city has offered delineations and specifications of language. The figure of the city appears to have created a logical reduction of the ways in which language can be grasped and investigated, framing it as a localised, social and formally heterogeneous – yet moored and well-defined – object. At the same, this reduction has opened up different possibilities for representing and analysing urban space and language. The paper discusses this dynamic.


The analysis of indicators of the combined inhalation-intravenous anesthesia by Sevoflurane (in the closed contour) and Propofol and the cost analysis are carried out. The increase of research of efficiency and safety of the combined narcosis with application of Sevoflurane and Propofol is revealed. Considerable decrease in consumption of inhalation anesthetic is defined by the developed approach leading to decrease in a total cost of a narcosis.


At any time any person faces a possibility of suffering harm from another, and the broad criminal justice framework aims to provide a general level of protection from such harms to the whole population. However, possibilities of abuse, exploitation or neglect are conceptualised as more likely for certain people. These include those in intimate partner relationships, or those whose level of dependency on others is greater as a result of life stage or impairment. Specific legal and policy measures aim to address potential harm in such situations, and are proliferating.


Pretreatment of three corduroy fabrics was carried out by conventional cold pad-batch process and cold pad-batch process with low alkali, results of two methods were compared. It was found that in low alkali pretreatment, with the help of DKB-321 auxiliary, the amount of caustic soda can be reduced to 50%, in addition, scouring agent and stabilizer for sodium silicate are not necessary. This innovative pretreatment can impart corduroy fabric soft and velvet handle, brilliant shade but a certain wax residue.


The surface of the integument of 50 species of lepidopterous larvae from 11 families was examined with a scanning electron microscope. In nearly all species the surface is sculptured variously in discrete units. There is great diversity between species in the pattern of the sculpturing and in the configuration of the component units. The principal types of surface sculpturing, particularly if considered in terms of how they affect the reflection of light from the air–cuticle interface, can be correlated with the life habit of the larvae. A surface sculptured in large, relatively flat units that reflect light specularly is characteristic of burrowing and boring larvae. Some larvae with warning coloration also have surface sculpturing of this type. A surface sculptured into complexly shaped tubercles or closely spaced microtubercles that reflect light diffusely is featured by procryptic larvae which rely on protective resemblance. Such a surface is matt like the surface of most plants and probably has adapt...


This research addresses the issues of preservation and revitalization of small-scale towns in the Southern Province in Sri Lanka. These towns were originated during the colonial occupation in the country in 18th and 19th centuries as service centers along main arteries that connected the main urban centers of the region. Although they currently do not have specific historical monuments, as grouping of buildings and as townscapes they possess specific identity by which one can distinguish them from the similar kind of towns in the other part of the country. However, the pressure for the growth and development has threatened this specific identity and the visual character of these towns. There is the need for the revitalization as well as preservation of these towns. Thus the major concern is how to struck the balance between the need for growth and change and the need for preservation and continuity. In this endeavor it is important to identify what components of these towns are to be preserved and what components are to be developed. The present study attempts to identify the core-characteristics of the physical settings to be preserved as well as to be developed in these towns. Hence, the final outcome of the project would be useful in two ways. First it will provide a basis to formulate a method that can be adopted in identifying the core elements of town's identity in preservation programs; second it will be useful in formulating a conceptual framework for the development and revitalization of these towns with a concern for preservation.


We use the Boltzmann transport theory in the relaxation time approximation to describe the thermal transport of spin waves in a ferromagnet. By treating spin waves as magnon excitations we are able to compute analytically and numerically the coefficients of the constitutive thermomagnetic transport equations. As a main result, we find that the absolute thermomagnetic power coefficient ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{M}$, relating the gradient of the potential of the magnetization current and the gradient of the temperature, in the limit of low temperature and low field, is a constant ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{M}=\ensuremath{-}0.6419\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{k}_{B}/{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$. The theory correctly describes the low-temperature and magnetic-field dependencies of spin Seebeck experiments. Furthermore, the theory predicts that in the limit of very low temperatures the spin Peltier coefficient ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Pi}}}_{M}$, relating the heat and the magnetization currents, tends to a finite value which depends on the amplitude of the magnetic field. This indicates the possibility to exploit the spin Peltier effect as an efficient cooling mechanism in cryogenics.


C-H and C-C bonds dissociation over stable titania-based catalysts were studied for propane conversion assisted by CO2 to produce propylene and ethylene. The catalysts were characterized to determine the properties...


The manuscript assesses the impact of climate change in Europe on wildfire emissions of atmospheric pollutants and potential consequences for air quality. The authors conclude that wildfire emissions have a minor role for air quality in Europe under present day conditions. This might change in the future for a high emission scenario in combination with reduced anthropogenic emissions of air pollutants. The results are based on a fire model study combined with satellite based observational data and are subject to large uncertainties related to wildfire emissions and future projections of anthropogenic emissions. These uncertainties are discussed in detail in the manuscript. Conclusions on the policy relevance of the results are based on a back-ofthe-envelope transformation of emissions into concentrations. Using an atmospheric chemistry model would be a better way, given, however, that the emission estimates C1


Objective To evalute the feasibility of a double hand allogroft to reconstuct the limbs'function. Methods A brain dead donor was chosen under the test of blood group in ABO and Rh,HLA match,PRA and the mixed leukocyte culture.The level of the transplantated hands was 5 cm proximal to the wrists The procedure of the allotransplantation was similar to that of the autologous replantation.The immunosuppressants were taken two days before the operation,in the operation and after the operation. The circulation,the vital signs and the rejection were under the supervision. Results The progress was satisfactory. No rejection was found postoperation.After 10 weeks the callus in both ends of radius and ulna was obvious.After 5 months sensation recovered.After 7 months the internal fixation(plates and screws) was removed and tenolysis was done. Now the recipient could use engrafted hands to wash face,make the bed,wear clothes,brush teeth,peel oranges,eat with a spoon,tie the shoelace slowly,pick up a telephoneor and use the conroller of Television. Conclusions With the immunosuppressive agents,the double hands allograft can survive.The growth rate of bone and nerve is faster than that of autologous replantation.


"Designed for the State of New Jersey ... with the guidance and participation of ... New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection ... [et al.]"
Issued in conjunction with exhibit at Museum of Modern Art, New York, October 12-November 22, 1979.


We present results of the near-infrared (IR) spectroscopy of six quasars whose redshifts range from 0.158 to 1.084. Combined with the satellite ultraviolet data, the relative line strengths of O I λ1304, O I λ8446, O I λ11287, and the near-IR Ca II triplet are given. In addition, the corresponding O I line strengths measured in normal Seyfert 1s and narrow-line Seyfert 1s are collected from the literature. These lines are thought to emerge from the same gas as do the Fe II lines, so they are good tracers of the Fe II emission region within a broad emission line region (BELR) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). In order to reveal the physical condition within the relevant emission region, we performed photoionized model calculations and compared them to the observations. It suggests that a rather dense gas with density nH ~ 1011.5 cm-3 is present at an outer portion of the BELR, illuminated by the ionizing radiation corresponding to an ionization parameter U ~ 10-2.5 and is primarily responsible for the observed O I, Ca II, and Fe II lines, based on the resemblance of their profiles. The three O I lines are proven to be formed through Lyβ fluorescence and collisional excitation. We also show that the λ1304 bump typically observed in AGN spectra consists of the comparable contributions of O I and Si II multiplets, and we discuss the origin of such a strong Si II emission. The results are interpreted in the context of the locally optimally emitting cloud (LOC) scenario to find the plausible gas distribution within the BELR as a function of distance from the central source and density.


This study presented the effect of different fibre length and seawater treatment on mechanical properties of the fabricated composites. The composite was reinforced with fixed 30wt.% of fibre loading. Sugar palm was treated using sea water for 30 days and have been cut into three different lengths by 5cm, 10cm and 15cm. The mechanical properties of the untreated and treated fibre with different fibre length composites were characterised includes tensile test and flexural test. Treated sugar palm fibre composites with 15cm fibre length exhibited higher tensile strength at 18.33 MPa. However, it shows the lowest value for the tensile modulus at 4251.96MPa. The flexural strength shows an increasing trend as the fibre length increased up to 15cm and the maximum flexural strength was exhibited by treated sugar palm fibre with 5 cm at 80.80MPa.Effect of Fibre Length and Sea Water Treatment on Mechanical Properties of Sugar Palm Fibre Reinforced Unsaturated Polyester Composites


In an attempt to clarify the concept of transnational criminal law, this piece examines its basic elements, analysing questions about what its essential components are and whether purely national crimes and laws for criminal cooperation are part of transnational criminal law. It then turns to the difficult question of whether transnational criminal law can accurately be termed a legal system, examining whether – and if so, how – apparently unrelated national criminal laws dealing with transnational crime are in a systemic relation. The piece then shifts its attention to whether it is possible to expand the transnational legal space to include rules that are made autonomously from state or international authority. After discussing whether transnational criminal law is a pluralist legal order, it concludes by examining who benefits from transnational criminal law, focusing on whether – and if so, how – transnational criminal law can escape the taint of Western hegemony.


Housing is the most important single investment for most individual investors. Thus, the equity of housing capital would have a major psychological impact on the homeowners through a consumption effect. This study explores the wealth effect of housing and stock markets in Hong Kong. Taking into account the factors of money supply and interest rate, the results show that there is a long-term equilibrium relationship between household consumption and the changes in housing wealth. This effect appears to be more significant than that associated with changes in financial wealth.


Significant amount of cast iron are being used to fabricate components such as engine blocks, cylinder heads etc., in response to consumer demands for the increase in performance with excellent cast ability and machinability, the use of cast iron has grown dramatically from the past. Production of cast iron castings is a complex process which involves many parameters that affect the quality of castings. In this study, a new approach is attempted to produce sound FG 260 grey iron castings by computer simulation through experimental validation in a cast iron foundry. The entire casting process is simulated by means of finite element simulation software and then the results are compared with shop floor trials. A simple rectangular plate casting of dimension 200x100x15 mm is produced with different combinations of riser dimensions. The aim is to increase the yield as well as to reduce defects that occur in the cast iron castings due to design parameters for which a cylindrical riser of hemispherical bottom with h/d=1.3 is considered for analysis. Solidification simulation is made with ANSYS software to compute solidification time and optimal riser combinations to obtain defect free castings in the shop floor. The experimental results revealed that the simulation performed using ANSYS holds good to produce defect free cast iron castings in the foundry.


OBJECTIVE: to check for the feasibility of teaching neurological emergencies on high-fidelity simulation.
INTRODUCTION: The exposure to neurocritical care among neurology residents is highly variable. In spite of proven success of Simulation based learning (SBL) in teaching critical care, emergency medicine, and anesthesiology, studies evaluating SBL in neurocritical care are still lacking.
METHODS: Eligible PGY-2 neurology residents (N=10) from Columbia university and Weill-Cornell were randomized into SBL and traditional didactic teaching groups. High-fidelity Sim-Man 3G was used to simulate realistic scenarios of acute ischemic stroke, intracranial pressure (ICP) crisis, and status epilepticus. Learning objectives were assessed using crisis resource management (CRM) assessment tools including identification of key actions (0=no, 1=with prompt, 2=never), Ottawa CRM checklist, and knowledge based pre- and post-intervention tests. Mean±SD, median, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were calculated.
RESULTS:
Acute stroke case: mean key action scores (maximum score 28) were 17.8±1.5 & 16.4±2.9, difference in gain on post-test scores were 0.32±0.3 & 0.2±0.3 after simulation and didactics interventions respectively.
ICP crisis case: mean key action scores (maximum score 24) were 16.4±4.6 & 17.3±0.6, difference in gain on post-test scores were 0.14±0.19 & 0.13±0.11, for simulation and didactics groups respectively.
Status epilepticus case: mean key action scores (maximum score 38) were 31.8±3.4 & 28±3.9, difference in gain on post-test scores were 0.2±0.24 & 0.28±0.4 after simulation and didactics interventions respectively.
Median CRM score were 6 & 4 for stroke and ICP crisis cases, 6 & 6 for status epilepticus cases when comparing SBL and didactic groups. There were no statistically significant differences found between groups for either of the pre-specified outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: Simulation based learning offers promise as a tool for objectively assessing some of the ACGME competencies that are more difficult to evaluate via traditional means. Studies with larger N and longer follow-up are needed to assess the efficacy, learner-retention and satisfaction rates among groups.
Study supported by AAN education grant 2013. Disclosure: Dr. Agarwal has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dangayach has nothing to disclose. Dr. Patel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Roque has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cappaert has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fowler has nothing to disclose. Dr. Claassen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mayer has received personal compensation for activities with Actelion, Baxter, Biogen Idec, Codman/Johnson & Johnson Company, CSL Behring, Cornerstone Therapeutics, CR Bard, Novartis, Orsan Technologies, Pfizer Inc, Sage Therapeutics, and Stryker. Dr. Mayer has received research support from Non-Invasive Medical Systems, Inc., and General Electric.


The religious element has always represented, inevitably, a feature of Byzantine diplomacy, offering it the instruments necessary for a fruitful dialogue with the pagan peoples in Eastern Europe. As one could notice, the classical policies of Constantinople involved different strategies, as well as exorbitant expenses, which did not always ensure long-term peace. On the other hand, religion operated at an abstract level, and in the medieval mentality, celebrating rituals such as baptism or marriage to a Byzantine Porphyrogenita established a stronger connection than the one constituted through peace treaties. Although one cannot assert a decisive opinion concerning the spread of eastern Christianity, whether it was a purpose of the external Byzantine politics or just a means of obtaining peace, one thing is certain: preaching the Gospel represented a diplomatic practice with an immense power of persuasion. These successes of the mission


My second and third article, referred to as Paper 2 and 3 in this article collection are manuscripts which might be subjects of revision in the near future


Andersson, C., et al., "Effect of Different Carbon Sources on the Production of Succinic Acid Using Metabolically Engineered Escherichia coli", "Biotechnol. Prog", Jan. 25, 2007, pp. 381-388, vol. 23. Deutscher, J., et al., "How Phosphotransferase System-Related Pro tein Phosphorylation Regulates Carbohydrate Metabolism in Bacte ria", "Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev.". Dec. 2006, pp. 939-1031, vol. 70, No. 4. Goerke, B., et al., "Carbon catabolite repression in bacteria: many ways to make the most out of nutrients", "Nature Reviews", Aug. 2008, pp. 613-624, vol. 6. Jantama, K., et al., "Combining Metabolic Engineering and Meta bolic Evolution to Develop Nonrecombinant Strains of Escherichia coli C That Produce Succinate and Malate", "Biotechnology and Bioengineering", Oct. 30, 2007, pp. 1140-1153, vol. 99, No. 5. Kuhnert, P. et al., "Basfia succiniciproducens gen, nov... sp. nov., a new member of the family Pasteurellaceae isolated from bovine rumen", "International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology". Jul. 31, 2009, pp. 44-50, vol. 60. Lee, S., et al., "Genome-Based Metabolic Engineering of Man nheimia succiniciproducens for Succinic Acid Production", "Appl. Environ. Microbiol", Mar. 2006, pp. 1939-1948, vol. 72, No. 3. McKinlay, J., et al., "Prospects for a bio-based succinate industry". "Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol", Jul. 4, 2007, pp. 727-740, vol. 76. Miller-Klein Associates, "Use of Tallow in Biodiesel', Oct. 2006, pp. 1-3. Pettigrew, D., et al., "A Single Amino Acid Change in Escherichia coli Glycerol Kinase Abolishes Glucose Control of Glycerol Utili zation. In Vivo", "J. Bacteriol", May 1996, pp. 2846-2852, vol. 178, No. 10. Scholten, E., et al., "Succinic acid production by a newly isolated bacterium", "Biotechnol Lett', Jul. 24, 2008, pp. 2143-2146, vol. 30. Song, H., et al., "Production of succinic acid by bacterial fermenta tion", "Enzyme and Microbial Technology". Jul. 2006, pp. 352-361, vol. 39. Yazdani, S., et al., "Anaerobic fermentation of glycerol: a path to economic viability for the biofuels industry", "Current Opinion in Biotechnology". May 25, 2007, pp. 213-219, vol. 18. Zeikus, J., et al., "Biotechnology of Succinic acid production and markets for derived industrial products". "Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol", May 1999, pp. 545-552, vol. 51, No. 5.


There have been many Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of public companies who have come back to lead the firm they once gloriously lead. Since 2005, among SP there is no clear pattern in terms of better performance for second term CEOs. Although the analysis of share prices shows that 2nd term CEOs outperform the CEOs they replace by a wide margin, that number is very highly skewed by astronomical success of Steve Jobs at Apple. Additionally, the analysis of this paper shows that with the exception of two returning CEOs all others were either founders or member of the Board of Directors. Finally, this paper briefly discusses measuring performance of CEOs using Environmental, Sustainability and Corporate Governance matrices


Studies have shown that various microorganisms, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium notatum , and Monilia albicans are capable of growing in solutions and dispersions of nonionic surfactants of the fatty acid ester type. It was observed that these organisms are capable of splitting the ester linkages of these surfactants. This is first evidenced visually by the appearance of free fatty acids in the inoculated surfactant solutions. Further study revealed that these test organisms produce esterases which split the fatty acid from the surfactant molecule. The presence of esterases was demonstrated using a tributyrin testing procedure. The liberation of free fatty acid from polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monostearate (Tween® 60) solutions is reported.


The technology innovation and development of small and medium-sized,enterprises need necessary support from governments of each level.Presently, the four systems urgently to be built up are as follows:the macro management system the legal system;the policy system;and the socialized service system.


Reducing the role of coal in the energy balance of countries and the whole world sets the task of improving coal combustion technologies and creating new environmentally friendly processes for deep processing of coal. The production of high-quality raw materials for the metallurgical industry and other industries is a strategic task for the development of the country. In this study we try to use an Monte Carlo method to analyze and modeling of coke producing process in the device for continuous pyrolysis of organic materials in a thermally loaded layer.


In this paper a novel method to solve the fine synchronization problem in GNSS receivers is presented. In particular a hierarchical neural network-based solution, able to estimate the channel in which the receiver operates, will be shown. The proposed method is based on two different Neural Networks and it is able to improve the fine tracking performances in urban environment. The solution takes advantage of the Self Organizing Map (SOM) properties, a particular type of Neural Networks useful in unsupervised systems, to improve the performances in presence of multipath.


Future improvements in the meteorological forecasts used in fire management will come from improvements in three areas: observational systems, forecast techniques, and postprocessing of forecasts and better integration of this information into the fire management process. A look at the role that meteorology will play in fire management in the year 2000 is really a look at the science and art of fire management, and only in part at what the science and technology of the atmospheric sciences will be able to provide to meet those management needs. To discuss the atmospheric sciences and technologies for the year 2000, assume what fire management needs will be. Since I take on the dual task of forecasting fire management needs as well as the supporting science and technologies of the atmospheric sciences, I will begin by describing the forecast process itself. The first step in forecasting is accurately assessing the current situation. In the atmospheric sciences, this involves comprehensive observation and analysis of the current weather. I will assume here that a full understanding of current fire management is also Presented at the Symposium of Wildland Fire 2000, April 27-30, 1987, South Lake Tahoe, California. Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Riverside, California. required to forecast the future; for example, how priorities are established in dispatching crews and equipment when resources are limited. In the atmospheric sciences, physics dictate an orderly, albeit sometimes rapid, change to a new situation. This physical memory of the past has, I believe, an analog in management. The second step in forecasting is identifying and quantifying those forces that will produce change. For example, how rapidly will tropical moisture move northward into the Rocky Mountains and produce lightning-started fires? Or, when will the upper air trough move onshore, and when will the Santa Ana wind decrease? Again, I believe that there is a predictable, parallel process in fire management in which a given starting point and a rate of change can be used to predict the future. In this case, they are not based on Newton's laws, but are of equal importance in producing change. I identify here only three of the possible forces of change in fire management. First, economic use of crews, equipment, etc., on a national scale is a strong force. Pre-positioning of shared resources, i.e., crews and equipment, based on weather forecasts is one example. Fire intelligence will need potential fire severity forecasts on a national scale from a range of 1 week to 1 month. Second is the need for emergency response when life and property are immediately threatened by wildfire. The urban-wildland interfaces--such as the Los Angeles Basin, suburban Hobart and Mount Wellington, the Wasatch Front of Utah. the Dandenongs of Melbourne, and the front range of Colorado--have rapidly been urbanized. There, traditional wildfire fuels combine with high value structures and, frequently, with limited transportation systems. Rapid deployment and dispatch of fire crews and equipment may need to


Data pertinent to the deep warm waters of a three-layer system in the Cabot Strait area of the Laurentian Channel have been collected since 1915. Typical temperature–depth curves indicate that the temperature of the deep layer reaches a maximum at about 250 m. which shows little or no seasonal variations. Observations show warming of the deep layer from the 1920's to the 1950's. This upward trend of temperatures is accompanied by an increase in volume of the deep layer. The deep layer consists of a mixture of "Labrador" and "Slope" waters in which the mixing ratio of the components remains fairly constant from year to year. Fluctuations in temperature of "Labrador" water are reflected by a corresponding change in temperature of the deep layer in the Laurentian Channel. The vertical structure of the waters in the lower Laurentian Channel and the transport of the waters in Cabot Strait suggest that in the deep layers, there is a continuing supply of oceanic waters to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.


Introduction. Communication is one of the foundations of interpersonal relationships and is fundamental to human development and expression. However, there are today in Brazil, about 9.7 million disabled people who have limitations in their oral communication or writing. "Extended Alternative Communication" (CAA) is the term used to refer to assistive technologies and procedures, which are intended to assist individuals with communication disorders. Objective. The purpose of this article is to make a bibliographic survey of the main systems used in CAA, focusing on the analysis of its visual programming and the methods applied to its development. Method. Therefore, we conducted surveys on scientific articles that bring recent experiences and the results of these practices to the target audience. Results. We can analyze the three AAC systems: Blissymbolics (Bliss), Pictogram Ideogram Communication (PIC) and Picture Communication Symbols (PCS), regarding the chromaticity and abstraction of the developed images (iconic and symbolic) and seeking subsidies for the development of similar ones.


The Polyagent is a new modeling construct that represents each entity in the domain by a set of agents. A single persistent avatar maintains the system's overall model of the entity in question, and generates a stream of transient ghosts to explore various issues of interest to the agent. These ghosts may be applied in a variety of ways. We have used them extensively to explore alternative futures that the avatar may follow, but they can also be used to evaluate plan structures, compare the usefulness of alternative organizations of documents for retrieval by different analysts, or perform other combinatorially challenging domains. A common thread behind various applications of polyagents is that the ghosts explore different "if-then" scenarios that guide the decisions made by their avatar. Each ghost explores a possible trajectory for the avatar, which then chooses its behavior based on the experiences of its ghosts.


BACKGROUND: Venetoclax (VEN) is a potent and selective inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic protein, BCL2. Preclinical studies have implicated the BCL2 family members, BCLXL and MCL1, in VEN resistance, and clinical studies in hematological malignancies have demonstrated subgroups with high ratios of BCL2/BCLXL and BCL2/MCL1 have the greatest VEN antitumor activity. The randomized phase 2 VERONICA study (NCT03584009) evaluated VEN in combination with fulvestrant (F) vs F alone in ER-positive, HER2-negative MBC pts who experienced disease recurrence/progression during or after a CDK4/6 inhibitor. Previously reported results from VERONICA (Lindeman et al. ASCO 2021) did not show an improved clinical benefit rate or progression-free survival (PFS) with VEN+F vs F alone. Here we present exploratory biomarker analyses of the expression of BCL2 family members and genomic alterations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and association with clinical outcomes from VEN+F vs F. METHODS: Tumor specimens were obtained during screening from 103 patients enrolled in the study, and expression levels of BCL2, BCLXL and MCL1 were analyzed by IHC. Baseline plasma-derived ctDNA was evaluated using the FoundationOne® Liquid assay. Expression of BCL2, BCLXL, MCL1 and mutations in ctDNA were correlated with PFS from VEN+F vs F based on the primary analysis (cutoff: Aug 5, 2020). RESULTS: In the overall population, protein levels of BCL2, BCLXL and MCL1 were similar between the VEN+F vs F arms. Patients whose tumors were BCL2 3+ trended towards having the greatest difference in median (m) PFS (3.9 months [mo] in VEN+F vs 1.7 mo in F; hazard ratio [HR] 0.38 [95% CI 0.09, 1.62]) albeit in a small sample size (n=13). Similarly, subgroup analysis suggested a trend for increasing mPFS and improved HR in VEN+F vs F alone in patients with the lowest BCLXL expression. mPFS in patients with a BCL2/BCLXL ratio ≥1 was 3.7 mo for VEN+F vs 1.8 mo for F (HR 0.67 [95% CI 0.3-1.49]) whereas patients with a BCL2/BCLXL ratio <1 had no difference in mPFS between the arms (2.0 mo in both arms, HR 1.21 [95% CI 0.7-2.1]). In the ctDNA-evaluable population, ESR1 (42.6%), TP53 (41.5%) and PIK3CA (35%) were the most prevalent genomic alterations observed and well-controlled between arms. PFS was similar between the ESR1 wildtype (wt) and mutant (mut) subgroups. TP53 mut status was a poor prognostic factor in both treatment arms. The PIK3CA wt subgroup had increased mPFS with VEN+F vs F alone (HR 0.66 [95% 0.38-1.17]) compared to PIK3CA mut (HR 1.59 [95% 0.74-3.34]). Patients with PIK3CA wt and BCL2 high tumors had the largest difference in mPFS between VEN+F (3.7 mo) vs F alone (1.9 mo) (HR 0.58 [95%CI 0.28-1.19]), compared to PIK3CA wt-BCL2 low tumors (2.4 vs 1.9 mo; HR 0.67 [95%CI 0.26-1.72]). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that a high ratio of BCL2 to BCLXL conferred a trend towards a greater benefit to VEN+F compared to F alone, consistent with other clinical studies evaluating VEN. These analyses highlight the need to profile BCL2 and its family members to identify the VEN-sensitive subgroups, especially in indications where high expression of BCLXL or MCL1 may be observed. The ctDNA profile of VERONICA patients indicate a heavily pretreated patient population. The benefit observed in PIK3CA wt patients from VEN+F suggest increased dependence on BCL2 in this subgroup, while PIK3CA mut tumors likely rely on PI3K/AKT/mTOR survival programs or other BCL2 family members to evade apoptosis. Exploratory biomarker analyses are ongoing to further understand the VERONICA patient population.
 Citation Format: Geoffrey J. Lindeman, Tharu M. Fernando, Rebecca Bowen, Ching-Wei Chang, Rupal Desai, Kushagra Gupta, Aulde Fléchais, Timothy R. Wilson, Aditya Bardia. Exploratory biomarker analysis in VERONICA, a phase 2 study of venetoclax + fulvestrant versus fulvestrant in patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (mBC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-13-06.


PurposeThis paper analyzes managerial practices currently used for outsourced logistics activities in mechanized cutting, loading and transportation (CLT) of sugarcane in a Brazilian company using performance-based logistics contracts (PBL) as reference.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology draws on literature review, design of an analysis model, small group meetings with academics/industry professionals and practical application through a case study. The model is based on PBL and its construction involved choosing the analysis axes, defining evaluation items and respective measurement scale and the means and sources of data collection.FindingsWhen comparing the evaluation results with PBL recommendations, it is possible to see that there are still many improvement opportunities. In contracting axis, decision-making process was poor-rated due to the absence of strategic considerations to support outsourcing decision. Procurement, contract and implementation are in intermediate level. Performance management is the most mature axis. However, quality analysis showed intermediate level. In relationship axis, the most relevant gap is the lack of expectations alignment. Remaining items showed intermediate levels of compliance but still need focusing on communication, establishing a structured relationship management development.Originality/valueThis study contributes first to develop an analysis model based on PBL to evaluate the level of relationship integration between company and logistics service provider, and second, to apply the model to an empirical case in a CLT company operation. As a result, the analysis model presents guidelines for the company, not to just contract/rent equipment and manpower but hire results.


Introduction: Based on petrography and experimental studies, Type B CAIs formed by fractional crystallization of molten droplets but trace element distributions are often at odds with a simple dynamic crystallization history. Barium is the most egregious example [1]. The experimentally determined partition coefficients (Di) between melilite and melt [2] show the element to be highly incompatible with DBa of 0.04 – 0.05. Observed concentrations of Ba in early crystallizing meteoritic melilite would, however, require that DBa be an order of magnitude higher. Similar, though less extreme, discrepancies exist for Sr, Ti, Sc, and the REE [1,3]; the concentrations are often much more scattered at a given åkermanite content than would be expected for crystallization of melilite from a homogeneous liquid. Recently we demonstrated for Ti, Sc, and Zr that clinopyroxene inclusions in melilite from the Type B1 CAI Leoville 3537-2 (hereafter LV) caused the scatter and high apparent concentrations of these elements relative to expectations based on the experimental partitioning data [4]. The clinopyroxene inclusions did not, however, contribute significantly to anomalously high Ba or Sr. Here we report nanoSIMS measurements aimed at understanding the origin of observed Ba concentrations in melilite from the Type B1 CAIs LV and Allende USNM 5241 (hereafter 5241), which was previously studied by [3]. Analyses: The Zinner-Crozaz energy offset technique was adapted to the Caltech Cameca 7f Geo ion microprobe. Two standards were used: an Åk40 melilite glass [2] and a CAI Type B bulk composition glass doped with Ba, at levels analyzable by electron probe (nominal 1000 ppm). 7f data on 5241 were obtained for LiBeKCaScTiSrYZrBaCe. Sensitivity factors were as in [4]. Qualitative nanoSIMS imaging was made with the Caltech Cameca 50L in the multicollector mode using positive secondaries for CaScTiSrYBaCe for LV, and negative secondaries for C CN Si S Cl AlO and SrO (LV) and C Si S Cl NaO AlO FeO (5241). Results for LV: Fig. 1 shows C and Ba ion beam images for the same location in LV mantle melilite near the inclusion rim. The linear feature in the upper portions of the panels is also rich in Ca and Sr (concentrations are higher than in the surrounding melilite). This feature is part of a carbonate vein and it contains high concentrations of Ba and Sr. Leoville is a find, and terrestrial carbonate veins are present in other sections of LV [5] but veins like those imaged in Fig. 1 do not break the inclusion rim and, so, could be preterrestrial. Not every Ba hot spot is due to a carbonate. Fig. 2 shows an LV area with a Ba hot spot, but no corresponding enhancement in C or any other element. Of our 9 Ba images in LV melilite, we obtained negative secondary images of the 4 that had Ba enrichments. Two of the 4 demonstrated that they were carbonates and 2 were produced by some other phase. Results for 5241: It is likely that the Ba-rich carbonates in LV reflect carbonate precipitation, whether terrestrial or preterrestrial, during secondary alteration and that this material, along with noncarbonate inclusions, significantly affected measured concentrations in melilite by SIMS. No carbonate has been recognized in an Allende Type B1 inclusion but [1] found anomalously high Ba concentrations in the melilite, so we analyzed mantle melilite in 5241 [e.g., 3]. We have not yet conducted Ba imaging in 5241 but we did test for carbonates and other inclusions in 5241, through 24 10x10 micron negative secondary nanoSIMS images of mantle melilite on locations previously analyzed for Ba with the 7f, mostly at the bottom of the roughly 40 micron wide, 0.5-1 μm deep pits. We resorted to imaging within SIMS pits because in 5241, unlike LV, confusion in C images from surFig. 1. Leoville mantle melilite 10x10 μm images (mel3-B).


This article addresses the difficult legal issues involved in labor sympathy strikes. The Supreme Court had earlier allowed for injunctions when a union strikes over a matter that could be brought to arbitration. Does a federal court have the power to enjoin sympathy strike when the strikers do not have a dispute with the primary employer that could be brought to arbitration? Professor Abrams explains why courts should not enjoin such sympathy strikes, an outcome later accepted by the Supreme Court.


Vigor of style is a controversy concept in history and literature.In the chapter Feng Gu in Wen Xin Diao Long,LI-U Xie's interpretation is believed to fall on language instead of emotion or content and to set a standard for writing with Feng as concise language and Gu as vigorous style.


Toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS) outbreaks occurring at four cataract surgery centers in Canada launched a comprehensive investigation to identify the possible cause(s). Use of a specific brand of textured surgical gloves (Triumph LT, Medline) was identified as a factor, and new cases of TASS have been avoided since use of that particular product was discontinued.


Abstract To describe the nodule size distribution as well as the total number, weight, and diameter, and average weight and diameter of nodules using a set of input parameters, mathematical equations were derived from a model in which photosynthate allocation determined the nodule size after competition for photosynthates among nodules. This model contains four input parameters, fC, N, a, and b, representing the rate of photosynthate supply to the root system, distribution density of nodulation sites, a partition coefficient of photosynthates in the root system, and a threshold of photosynthate supply to maintain a visible nodule, respectively. However, the mathematical equations finally required only a set of three values, namely N / S ( = N / afC), N / a, and b for the description. The equation of the nodule size distribution was applied to the nodulation of soybeans (Glycine max L. Merr. cvs. Kitamusume and Toyosuzu) grown under different conditions and for various periods of time. A set of N / S, N / a, and b values was determined by simultaneously solving the equation of the nodule size distribution at a peak and another point. Consequently, whole theoretical nodule size distribution, and theoretical values of nodule number, size, and diameter were calculated from the obtained values of N / S, N / a, and b. They were compared with the actual distribution and values to evaluate the accuracy of the equations. They showed a good consistency with the actual ones. Averages of relative differences between the calculated and measured values were 21.9, 17.2, 43.2, 10.2, and 35.5% for the total number, diameter, and weight of the nodules, and average diameter and weight of a nodule, respectively. Simulation demonstrated the role of the parameters in the model and proved similarity between C and photosynthesis ability and between N and inoculation dose in their behaviour.


This paper proposes non-invasive solution to the problem of sleep apnea diagnosis especially in small children when sudden death syndrome is suspected. Plethysmographic wave analysis and digital signal processing algorithms are applied in order to find the effect invoked by respiratory movements of sleeping patients so as to diagnose the sleep apnea syndrome. The practical results of finding solution to problems mentioned above will be the possibility of algorithms implementation in a portable intelligent measurement system with a non-invasive monitoring of respiratory action. It works without any disturbances of sleep and respiratory movements especially in small children what could make possible in the future when continuous monitoring were applied to prevent sudden death syndrome occurrence.


Harvard machines best: Robert Campbell, the Harvard graduate student who managed the Mark I project while Aiken was called away by the Navy; Richard Bloch and Grace Hopper, its principal programmers; fellow pioneer and contemporary Maurice Wilkes; and a series of his most successful and influential students, including Frederick Brooks Jr. and Anthony Oettinger. Taken together, they help flesh out the portrait of Aiken so ably sketched out for us by Cohen s biography, and provide insight into an important phase of the early development of the science and practice of computing.


We investigate the full counting statistics of extreme-near-field radiative heat transfer using nonequilibrium Green's function formalism. In the extreme near field, the electron-electron interactions between two metallic bodies dominate the heat transfer process. We start from a general tight-binding electron Hamiltonian and obtain a Levitov-Lesovik like scaled cumulant generating function (SCGF) using random phase approximation to deal with electron-electron interaction. The expressions of heat current and its fluctuation (second cumulant) are obtained from the SCGF. The fluctuation symmetry relation of the SCGF is verified. In the linear response limit (small temperature gradient), we express the heat current cumulant by a linear combination of lower order cumulants. The heat current fluctuation is $2k_B T^2$ times the thermal conductance with $T$ the average temperature in the linear response limit, and this provides an evaluation of heat current fluctuation by measuring the thermal conductance in extreme-near field-radiative heat transfer.


The focus of this bachelor thesis is on ethics and morality during child education in family and society. Theory part describes child upbringing in a family, possible ways of education ethics and morality during child education process, and approaches of the participants in the process. Practical part consists of qualitative research conducted by interview. The intervierw target was to find out how the education in family is approached.


Riverine habitats are degrading at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic interventions. Construction of large dams and barrages on the Ganga River has severely fragmented the riverine habitat of dolphins. This study examines the impact of structural barriers on the habitat of the Ganga River dolphin (Platanista gangetica) in a reach between Bijnor and Narora barrage in the middle Ganga and at the Farakka barrage in the lower Ganga Plain. We use time‐series remote sensing images and flow discharge data to assess the morphological and ecological impact in the proximity of these barrages. Our result suggests that after the construction of Bijnor barrage in 1985, the total bar area of the Ganga River has reduced from 150 to 45 km2, but the channel width has remained unchanged during the period between 1980 and 2010. A time‐series analysis of the discharge shows a slightly declining trend after the year 1982. However, this observed trend is not adequate to explain the habitat degradation of the Ganga River dolphins. Further width of the Ganga River in the downstream of the Farakka barrage has reduced from 4 to 1 km, and the total bar area has increased from about 5 to 35 km2 during the period between 1965 and 1980. Also during this period, the pre‐monsoon discharge of the Ganga River has reduced by one‐third in the downstream of Farakka barrage. This study concludes that the loss of dolphins in the downstream reaches of the Farakka barrage could be associated with the change in hydraulic geometry, flow characteristics, and loss of longitudinal and lateral connectivity. Conversely, the impoundments of water upstream of the Narora barrage have maintained the suitable habitat conditions for the dolphins to thrive. This has resulted in a reported growth in the dolphin population during the years 1993–2010.


Abstract As is known, high polymers are readily supercooled and retain their amorphous structure below their crystallization points. Changes of the physical properties in the temperature range of crystallization are a linear function of temperature. When the temperature is lowered further, high polymers remain in their amorphous liquid state; this is indicated in particular by their retaining their high elastic properties below the crystallization temperature. However, with further decrease of temperature, the linear character of the changes of physical properties is no longer evident, and the latter undergo more or less abrupt anomalous changes. In particular, there is a change of the polymer from the amorphous-liquid state with high elasticity into a hard vitreous form, which, as is known, is not related to changes of the structure of high polymeric substances. Vitrified polymers, like amorphous liquids, possess amorphous structures. A number of investigators have found similar anomalies in the heat cap...


Acetaminophen is not discussed until admission to the hospital, when it is listed as an as-needed medication at a dosage of 650 mg q4h. (The patient also denied alcohol or illicit drug use at that time.) The patient probably increased her use of acetaminophen via self-medication as she continued to feel worse and the liver disease progressed. Chronic acetaminophen toxicity is well-docurnented.r-s It would be interesting to review the studies cited by Brusko and Martens? to see if any of the other cases of ketoconazole hepatotoxicity reported concomitant ingestion of acetaminophen. The only drugs reported to interact with ketoconazole in this case report were cyclosporine and terfenadine.ss In retrospect, this patient probably should have been instructed to avoid acetaminophen when the hepatotoxicity was first discovered, until the acute phase resolved. It is unknown whether the patient used antihistamines prior to admission. Antihistamines have also been associated with an increased risk of acetaminophen hepatotoxicity and are very likely to have been taken by this patient with her long history of allergies. To quote an earlier letter on this subject, "Patients at risk, including alcoholics, the cachectic and malnourished, those with liver disease, and those taking drugs that induce the MFD [mixed-function oxidase] system, should be ... discouraged from long-term daily use of acetaminophen unless the benefit can justify the risk."w A complete drug history and patient counseling session by a clinical pharmacist in April may have made a difference in the tragic outcome of this case.


The ABCs of Network Security. Fundamental Internet Security Issues. How Secure Should Your Network Be Choosing an OS: Linux versus OpenBSD. Getting the Right Hardware. Installing Linux. Configuring the Firewall under Linux. Installing OpenBSD. Configuring the Firewall under OpenBSD. Tuning Your Firewall. Intrusion Detection and Response. Loose Notes. Index.


Image segmentation is the first stage of processing in many practical computer vision systems. Development of segmentation algorithms has attracted considerable research interest, relatively little work has been published on the subject of their evaluation. Hence this paper enumerates and reviews mainly the image segmentation algorithms namely Fuzzy C means, Active Contour Model. The rapid progress in computerized medical image reconstruction, and the associated developments in analysis methods and computer-aided diagnosis, has propelled medical imaging into one of the most important sub-fields in scientific imaging. The proposed paper is an innovative frame work of hybrid segmentation technology with region based techniques and active contour models. The drawback of the parametric Active contour models is manual control points. But the proposed technology automatically assigned control points using Fuzzy-c-means clustering techniques. This approach is suitable for medical application like cancer cells for MRI, PET scan. Since the medical images are in very low contrast. Fuzzy-C-means gives the approximated boundary from that the control points are randomly selected. This combined approach will give accurate result for especially cancer cell detection. The FCM(3) performed the skin detection based on decision rules in hybrid space. (3) a novel segmentation technique for color images is presented. The segments in images are found automatically based on a novel FCM algorithm by using I and H components in HIS color space to form a new feature. (4) SWFCM cluster algorithm and we called it NSWFCM. The system can be used as a primary tool to segment unknown colour images. The algorithm has been implemented on a set of images. Results show that the system performance is robust to different types of images compared to FCM and SWFCM. The difficulty over re- initialization process is handled by Chumming Li et, al. In this paper level set method without re-initialization procedure was introduced. Here the new variation AL formulation of level set function with a closed sighed distance function is used to eliminate the costly re-initialization process. clustering algorithms namely centroid based K-Means and representative object based Fuzzy C-Means. These two algorithms are implemented and the performance is analyzed based on their clustering result quality. The behavior of both the algorithms depends on the number of data points as well as on the number of clusters (5).points are generated by two ways, one by


Ten atopic and five healthy individuals participated in eight conjunctival provocation tests (CPT) in an effort to improve the CPT procedure. Results were evaluated by thermography and the use of conventional criteria under various conditions. Due to considerable spontaneous variability and change in temperature already after instillation of diluent, thermography was not sensitive enough to identify positive CPT results. The precision of the CPT was within one 10‐log step in all tests and in all patients. Itching appeared before erythema in 83% of subjects and within 5–8 min after instillation of the allergen. This was true also when only one eye was used for the CPT. We therefore conclude that the CPT procedure can be used in one eye every 5–8 min when indicated in clinical routine and that it is a safe, precise method.


In light of the actual condition of power supply and power users in old large/medium sized chemical plants,rational selection of system configuration and function is proposed on the basis of the substion's conditions when using computerized control system.Cautions for project engineering,calibration and testing are also proposed.


Abstract Dynamical methods are used to investigate atmospheric teleconnections associated with extreme seasonal precipitation anomalies over the central United States during April–June. The importance of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in forcing atmospheric teleconnections is specifically addressed through analyses of atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) simulations forced with the monthly varying SSTs of the years 1950–98. The results from three different models, each run in ensemble mode, are compared with observations of extreme April–June precipitation events in the central United States during the last half of the twentieth century. Analysis of GCM simulations of April–June 1988 indicates that the atmospheric circulation anomalies associated with the 1988 drought were not forced by SST anomalies and that the coexistence of central U.S. drought and La Nina during that spring was coincidental. Likewise, composite analysis reveals no SST forcing for the teleconnections associated with ex...


As the author argues, the drug use in Russia is characterized by a certain stability. Drug addiction is the cause of stigmatization of the communities of the drug users and their exclusion from society. Social exclusion concerns not only the drug users but also those who have experience of episodic use of the psychotropic substances. The article is based on the results of the empirical research, aimed to the examination of the drug use practices in modern society. According to the results of the sociological studies one can see the transformation of the social rhetoric in relation to the drug users. It becomes more humanistic.


Abstract Glacial flutes in front of Isfallsglaciaren, Swedish Lapland, have been investigated by mapping and till fabric analyses. Till forms near the ice margin reveal a continuum between flutes and shorter forms. Of four considered models of flute genesis, only one fits the observations of this investigation. According to this model, till is squeezed into an initial cavity in the ice formed leeward of an obstruction. The cavity is preserved and migrates in the direction of ice movement. The infilling of the till takes place at right angles to the long axis of the flute. It is stressed that coarse material in flutes can initiate cavities in the same way as the proximal boulder.


An evaluation focused on an analysis of the policy, procedures, and methods for the assessment of students in Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and Senior Colleges in Queensland, Australia. A multiple case study methodology was used. Data were collected from a literature review, college visits, visits to other TAFE authorities, group discussions with industry representatives, submissions from TAFE and Senior Colleges, and interviews. The courses selected included certificate, associate diploma, and noncertificate level programs; both apprenticeship and advanced trade courses were included. Findings indicated that a revised policy for internal assessment of students introduced into Queensland TAFE colleges in 1981 remained as current policy in the area of student assessment and moderation and needed to be updated following significant developments in vocational education and training. Colleges regarded the e!:isting policy as a "procedures" rather than a "policy" document and were concerned that functions were imposed on them without appropriate structures for implementing the functions. (Contains 15 references.) (YLB) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS IN TAFE COLLEGES: MAINTENANCE OF STAODARDS IN INTERNALLY ASSESSED SUBJECTS Paper presented at the 1991 annual conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education. November 26-30, The Ramada Inn, Gold Coast, OLD U $ DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIO e Ezuzatooa. Pesecc. ana enorov N ee EoucArnoNAL RESOURCES INFoRmAT.c% CENTER ,EH.0 4, ,as Dee,. :ed as rece vC ''Cr" Ine DeSO, cupa^ cater^ vna.uj 7 M.Oo, c,,a,ges ,ase Dee^ "'age !c ec,o6ucttor Qua .1, P:,,sts s mem ^ct ^ecessa v ec,ese". a OE Al 005., Peter Mountney K. K. Navaratnam -PERMiSSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERICI.Operational Performance Department of Employment, Vocational Education and Training and Industrial Relations BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS IN TAFE COLLEGES: MAINTENANCE OF STANDARDS IN INTERNALLY ASSESSED SUBJECTS


Gasification technology has matured to the point that previously-held hesitations regarding performance and availability have given way to acceptance of the technology for energy generation. Indeed, the past few years have seen a significant increase in the number of gasifiers installed for generation of power and heat, and the number of installations is expected to increase dramatically over the next several decades as demand for efficient and environmentally sound energy generation increases. It is valuable to consider the environmental impact of this new generation of energy production systems, specifically release of gaseous emissions from combustion of the synthesis gas produced by gasification. Emissions from syngas combustion in turbines, engines and boilers are discussed in this review. The types of emissions considered include the unburned fuel components and partially oxidized species, nitrogen and sulfur-containing gases, volatile organic compounds, and other trace elements. Combustion of synthesis gas, in general, produces lower emissions for heat and power generation than conventional liquid and solid fuels. The composition of the syngas strongly influences the level of emissions. Hydrogen and carbon monoxide in synthesis gases results in elevated combustion temperature that facilitates the thermal formation of NO and NO2. In contrast, higher temperatures promote complete combustion and reduce the emission of organic volatiles, which are formed mainly from minor fractions of hydrocarbons in synthesis gases. Particulate matter, metallic compounds and other undesired pollutants are usually removed before firing synthesis gases for heat and power production. Therefore, integrated gasification and combined cycle systems are more environmentally friendly than conventional power generation systems.